House Crossed Lovers; A Draco Malfoy Love Story

The Last Horcrux

Y/n's POV

Right as we neared the exit of the Room of Requirement, an explosion went off behind me, hitting the back end of my broom. My balance faltered, and the broom soured down towards the ground. Slamming into the ground wasn't that fun, and the slight ache in my shoulder wasn't the best sensation either. But the only thing I was worried about was the diadem. I reached up and felt my inside jacket pocket, letting out a sigh of relief when I pulled the tiara out of it.

"Y/n!" Hermione shouted and tossed me the basilisk fang. I caught it in midair before driving it straight down into the large gem at the front of the tiara. The basilisk fang split into easily, releasing a thick black smoke that blinded me for a few seconds. Ron then came up and kicked the tiara into the raging fire, the door to the Room of Requirement slamming shut after it. I let out a groan and leaned back on my own arms, taking in a few deep breaths

"Where'd Malfoy and Zabini go?" Ron questioned and looked around.

"It doesn't matter," I breathe out and get to my feet. "They're long gone by know. What does matter is that we destroyed a horcrux, and I think we've only got one left. We've just got to find it. You all right there Harry?" I offered my hand to my friend who was leaning up against the nearest wall, but as soon as he took it, he let out a pained gasp and yanked his hand away. I frowned and brought my arm back, holding it close to my chest. What?"

"It's the snake. She's the last one. She's the last Horcrux," Harry declared. 

"Look inside him, Harry," Ron instructed. "Find out where he is. If you find him, we can find the snake, and we can end this." Ron said.

"There's no need. I already know where he is. Come on," Harry urged and stood up. How had Harry known where Nagini was? Maybe it was because....No. There was no way. I pushed the thought aside as the three of us chased after him and out into the courtyard where a full fledged battle was taking place. Students that I had known throughout the years along with professors were fighting against monsters and death eaters alike. I stopped dead in my tracks, and it only took seconds for Harry to notice that I had lagged behind. "Y/n, what are you doing? We have to go."

"You guys go on ahead. I need to stay here and help," I state.

"Y/n," Harry started. 

"Harry, listen to me," I request. "I am the reason Hogwarts has turned up like this. And I know you want to argue and say that it isn't my fault, but it is. I didn't stop Dumbledore from being killed, and because of that, the death eaters are stronger than ever. I'm not gonna let anyone else die at the hands of the people who have only wrecked my life. So go. Nagini is going to be wherever Voldemort is, so find them and kill her. If you kill her, Harry, we win, and all of our years at this school where we did nothing but try and take Voldemort down will count for something." 

Harry hugged me tightly, followed by Hermione and Ron, and I embraced them all at once, not wanting to let go. However, I knew I had to because we all had a job to do. An important one, I might add. Hermione was the last to pull away her eyes tearing up as she did so.

"Stay safe. Please," Hermione begged.

"I'll try," I pledge. "And do me a favor. Look after them, okay? We all know they couldn't find their way out of a paper bag without your help."

Hermione's lips twitched upwards slightly. "Deal. Go stun some monsters."

"Go kill that snake," I retort playfully.

Once my three closest friends left the courtyard, I pulled my wand from the waistband of my jeans and turned back towards the battle raging around me, running straight for it. Everything I had learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts came to the surface, and any monster and death eater that approached me was either expelled to the side or cursed with a spell. Obviously, the death eaters were attracted to me more than my fellow students because I had betrayed them, but they were no match for me. I had been saying the past few years that Defense Against the Dark Arts was my best subject, and today only proved them. The fighting continued for a few minutes longer, but it all stopped when a voice rang through the air.

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forrest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me," Voldemort announced.

...........................................

The Great Hall was probably the most horrific sight I had every witnessed, and I had firsthand experience seeing people be murdered by the Killing Curse. It was just straight up terrifying. Most of the students were injured, both majorly or minorly, and then, of course, there were the dead. A few bodies were covered with white sheets, but most were on the floor, family and friends surrounding them as they grieved. The worst part of the experience occurred when I neared the middle of the hall, and I saw the Weasley family all huddled together, their faces red and puffy. That's when I knew something wrong, and when I walked over to see what was going on, heart stopped. Lying on one of the cots was Fred.

"Fred," I sob and collapse my knees, tears flowing from my eyes at a rapid pace. 

My breathing became ragged and uneven, making things even worse, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. The last time this had happened, I was in my fourth year kneeling in front of Cedric's dead body. I stood up and hugged George tightly, pressing my face into his neck as we held each other and cried. For a good few moments, we cried in each others' arms, and when I finally pulled away, I made the mistake of looking up. There, lying a few cots away from Fred's, were Lupin and Tonks. Again, my eyes began to water, and I felt like my heart was going to explode. I distanced myself from the Weasley's and neared their cots, sitting down at the feet of them before pulling my knees up to my chest. More tears fell from my eyes, but this time I didn't even bother to wipe them away. I was alone for a few seconds, but finally, I was joined by Ron, who took a seat next to me.

"Y/n I-"

"I killed them, Ron," I interrupt. "I killed all of them. Fred, Lupin, Tonks.....this is all my fault." Ron wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into his side as I cried. I thought that his presence would be awkward, but it was quite the opposite. It was comforting. "I could've stopped all of this. Maybe if I'd had just-"

Ron cut me off. "None of this is your fault, Y/n. Everyone knew going into this what they were getting involved in. And just because you were forced to join the death eaters does not make all of the blame fall on you. Look, we're close to ending this once and for all, so if you're okay to keep going, we need to find Hermione and Harry."

I sniffled and rubbed a hand over my face. "You're the one who just lost a brother, Ron. I should be asking you if you're okay to move forward."

"It'll take some time for everything to truly be okay again, but at the moment, I'll be all right as soon as we defeat Voldemort," Ron told me and stood up, offering me his hand. I accepted it, allowing Ron to help me up, and together, the two of us exited the Great Hall to find our other two friends. Thankfully, we found them pretty quickly, running into the two of them at the entrance to the castle.

"I'm going to the forest now, just like Voldemort told me to do," Harry claimed. 

"Are you mad? No," Ron opposed. "You can't give yourself up to him." Harry looked at the three of us, a weird look present on his face.

"What is it, Harry? What is it you know?" Hermione asked. 

"There is a reason I can hear them. The Horcruxes. I think I've known for a while. And I think you have too, Y/n. When I touched you earlier, I was able to see the snake because you've seen her in person. She's in your mind. And when I saw the look of your face after....." Harry trailed off. "I just knew you had to have known, or at least had some idea that it was true."

"Harry, if you're the last Horcrux, walking into the Forbidden Forest on your own is suicide," I put forth. "We'll go with you."

Harry shook his head. "No. Kill the snake. Kill the snake, and it's just him."