American Beauty

Chapter 73: Battle Pt. 2

I left the room of requirement feeling confident in our chances of winning. Near where I was standing, the walls were still intact and the castle looked as it always had. The only difference, in the distance you could hear the screams of students as they perished at the hands of the death eaters.

It was time to jump into the fight and to be quite honest, I was scared. I didn't want to die. The only thing that got me out there was the thought that none of them wanted to die either but here they were, risking their lives regardless.

I walked down the hall with my wand drawn and made my way towards the stairs. Everywhere I stepped, from every view, all I could see was flashes of green and shouts of spells that would do no good to protect them. It was horrible.

"С лева от тебя! Следи за собой!" someone shouted behind me. I shifted to the side as three students from Koldovstoretz ran by and threw themselves back into the battle, protecting the younger students.

I made my way down the stairs, hexing anyone that got in my way and jumping into a few duels to help someone out. I was slowly trying to make my way to the dungeons.

I finally made it to the door of the Slytherin common room. There were two hardened seventh years standing outside, wands drawn. "I'm looking for Draco," I said.

"He's not here," answered one of them curtly. The other nodded.

"Then can I see Blaise?" I asked. They pushed open the door.

Sitting in the common room, on the couches and on the floor, were first, second, and third year students from all four houses. They were huddled together in little groups, hugging and comforting each other. The older Slytherins stood by and kept their wands drawn.

From upstairs you could hear the screams of the dying and the living family members of the dead. The hands of the defenders were shaking but they stood strong for these little kids who could not defend themselves.

I found Blaise in the back of the common room protecting a group of ten students. Three of them were Slytherins, two Hufflepuffs, four Ravenclaws, and one tiny Gryffindor girl who sat in the very corner clutching her legs to her chest. She was so small but I knew if she was found, she wouldn't be spared.

"Nice night for it, huh?" I asked jokingly.

"Well, could be worse. There's clear skies and you can see the stars. No rain, that's a plus," he answered, not missing a beat.

"I see you've got it covered down here," I said.

"Yup. We may dislike the other houses but that doesn't mean that the members of those houses have to die." There was a particularly loud bang that sounded close to the door right as he finished speaking. I drew my wand.

Seconds later, death eaters flooded the common room. "Go, go, go!" yelled Blaise and pushed the young students towards the secret passage in the Slytherin common room.

I turned to the first death eater I saw and melted off his face. I wasn't going to let them get away with the murder of innocent children. Suddenly, there was a voice.

Something about Harry Potter having one hour to come down to the Forbidden Forest and the troops were made to retreat. I stood in the midst of pillow feathers and mahogany. Three feet away from me was the trampled body of that small Gryffindor girl.

She was so innocent. She had a whole life ahead of her and now it was gone. The pure hatred I suddenly felt overwhelmed me.

I screamed. I screamed for that girls life that was suddenly gone. I screamed for my dad and my brother who I had lost and never found. I screamed for injustice and war and death. The screams turned into sobs and all of a sudden I was crying.

I cried in Blaise's arms for years it felt like. When my tears finally dried, I turned to everyone in that common room. "I am done. They can take my life. They can cause me any amount of pain. I can take it all. But this," I said, pointing to the girl's body, "this is not okay. They took her away from this world. They took her away from her family and friends, from a life she had yet to build and I will not stand for it."

I stood, brushing the dirt from my jeans. "I'm going to kill them."