Suffocating In Darkness

Chapter 30

I felt as though I too were hurtling through space; it had not happened. . . . It could not have happened...

But it had, I knew it had, I knew he would die! He was going to die and I knew!

I fell forward, my shield obviously broken.

"Out of here, quickly," said Snape.

He seized Draco by the scruff of the neck and forced him through the door ahead of the rest, grabbing me as he went and pushed me into Draco; Greyback and the squat brother and sister followed, the latter both panting excitedly.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

I turned and saw a Death Eater buckle as though hit in the back with something solid and fell to the ground, rigid as a waxwork, but he had barely hit the floor when Harry was clambering over him and running down the darkened staircase.

"Harry!" I screamed as Draco grabbed me and started pulling me along.

The dimly lit corridor was full of dust; half the ceiling seemed to have fallen in; and a battle was raging before me, but even as I attempted to make out who were fighting whom, I heard Snape shout, "It's over, time to go!" Snape forced us through the fight around the corner at the far end of the corridor; the order just let us past.

"No!" I screamed thrashing about and fighting. "You have to let me go! Please!"

"Minnie. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Draco said with tears streaming down his face. "I couldn't... you're my best friend... I couldn't!"

"Draco, please! Let me go!" I begged. He stopped moving and I kissed his cheek. "Thank you and sorry about this. Stupify." I jinxed him into the wall before running, Snape sent jinxes out and one hit me, I fell to the floor and felt blood run down my head.

Snape walked forward and I slashed my wand, Snape instantly blocked the spell.

"Melissa Potter, the girl with power. The girl who lived. The girl who was forgotten. You must have known this was going to happen, but you didn't stop it." He was angry at me, like I had done something wrong in not saying anything.

"Dumbledore kept wiping my memories. But I knew, not that it matters anymore!" In one sudden movement I sent sparks and shadows towards Snape and took off running, I had to get to Harry!

"Crucio - Crucio - you can't dance forever, pretty-"

"Impedimenta!" I yelled.

My jinx hit Amycus in the chest: He gave a piglike squeal of pain, was lifted off his feet and slammed into the opposite wall, slid down it, and fell out of sight behind Ron, Oliver, Professor McGonagall, and Lupin, each of whom was battling a separate Death Eater. Beyond them, I saw Tonks and Lyra fighting an enormous blond wizard who was sending curses flying in all directions, so that they ricocheted off the walls around them, cracking stone, shattering the nearest window -

"Melissa, where's Snape?" Harry asked me.

"I'm sorry, I had to make sure you were okay and everyone was safe! I ran! I'm sorry!" I panted.

"It's okay, you're safe." Harry said hugging me.

"Take that!" shouted Professor McGonagall, and we glimpsed the female Death Eater, Alecto, sprinting away down the corridor with her arms over her head, her brother right behind her. We launched ourselves after them but my foot caught on something, and next moment I was lying across someone's legs. Looking around, he saw Neville's pale, round face flat against the floor. "Neville, are you - ?"

"M'all right," muttered Neville, who was clutching his stomach, "Harry . . . Snape 'n' Malfoy with Minnie . . . ran past. . ."

"I know, we're on it!" said Harry, I aimed a hex from the floor at the enormous blond Death Eater who was causing most of the chaos. The man gave a howl of pain as the spell hit him in the face: He wheeled around, staggered, and then pounded away after the brother and sister. We scrambled up from the floor and began to sprint along the corridor, ignoring the bangs issuing from behind us, the yells of the others to come back, and the mute call of the figures on the ground whose fate I did not yet know. . .