𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 | h.p.

5.3

"Stay alive...please...you're all I have."

~~~~~

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and I ran trying to find a way out of the burning room. Harry and I split up from Ron and Hermione as we looked for an exit. We ended up getting ourselves cornered. Using the Shield Charm, Harry created a barrier that protected us from the large attacking Fiendfyre.

Ron stumbled upon a couple of brooms, tossing one to each of us. We were flying towards the door when I looked down to see Draco and Blaise on the top of a pile trying to not fall into the inferno. "Harry! We have to go back!" I yelled. He nodded, despite Ron's protests.

Going around, Harry and Ron reached for the two boys but missed. On their second go around, they pulled Blaise and Draco onto their brooms. As we were flying above the fire, Hermione casted a spell allowing us to go through the large wall-like fire that was blocking our only exit. Flying through the doors, we all fell off our brooms from the harsh push of the fire.

As I was getting up, Draco was running towards me. he grabbed my wrist, but I pulled away. "Come with me," he begged, looking at the raging fire that was in the Room of Requirement.

"I can't, Draco, I'm really sorry," I said. He pulled me into a tight hug. Small sniffles rang through my ears as he cried. When he pulled away, I noticed his red-tinted eyes, as he quickly wiped away the tear that was gliding down his cheek.

"Stay alive...please..." he paused, trying not to let his voice break, "...you're all I have." The sound of a loud deep scream caught my attention, as I turned to see three large Voldemort-shaped heads appear from the fire as the doors slammed shut.

Draco was right, I was all he had. We only did have each other growing up. When we were at Hogwarts we had our friends, but at home, it was just the two of us. And now it was our last year at school, we would have to go back home. Home: a place where no one speaks to each other, a place where the only sound is the tapping of shoes against the tiled floors, a place where no one is happy; that was my 'home.'

"I will. I promise." I said pulling my brother into one last hug before pushing him away. "Go!" I yelled. One second longer with him and I would have burst into tears. He listened to me and pulled Blaise with him as the two ran away down the long corridor, disappearing as they went down the stairwell.

Turning back around, I knelt down beside Harry, who was sitting on the ground, against the wall, breathing heavily. I placed his hand in mine, trying to figure out what was happening. "Harry? What's wrong?" His eyes were full of fright as he looked up from the ground.

"It's the snake. She's the last one. It's the last Horcrux," said Harry. I looked at him confused.

"I thought that...the diadem was the last one," I said softly.

"No. This is it, I'm sure of it." I didn't think he was being completely honest, but there was no point in arguing right now. Ron stepped closer telling Harry to try to get into Voldemort's mind to find where the snake is.

"What? No." I protested looking between the two boys. "Absolutely not."

"It's the only way to end this." He said.

"Ron's right. It is the only way." I sighed, nodding, knowing that they were both right.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to focus to get into Voldemort's mind. He started to tremble as he panted, his breath shaky. I felt his grip began to tighten around my hand. After about a minute, he opened his eyes. "I know where he is," Harry said.

***

The four of us knelt down beside the boathouse, hiding so that we couldn't be seen as we listened to Snape and Voldemort's conversation. Two minutes went by when Snape's body fell against the glass windows. "Nagini, kill." Voldemort's voice hissed from the inside of the house.

When we entered the boathouse, we saw Snape's body sitting on the ground against the windows. Ron, Hermione, and I stood back while Harry knelt beside him, putting his hand on the gash along Snape's throat.

Tears escaped Snape's eyes as he told Harry to take them. Hermione gave him a vile where Harry collected them. He told Harry to take the tears to the Pensieve before telling him to look at him.

"You have your mother's eyes."

The last words Severus Snape would ever get to say.

Before we were able to leave, a high pitched ringing was loud in my ears as His voice played in my head.

"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 of 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 Forest 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."

***

Ron, Hermione, and I were sitting at the bottom of a staircase when we heard footsteps coming from behind us. "Where've you been?" Hermione asked.

"We thought you went to the forest," Ron said.

"I'm going there now," admitted Harry.

"Are you mad? No. You can't give yourself up to him." I protested. He stopped walking away. "What is it?" I asked.

He turned to face the three of us before speaking, "There's a reason I can hear them...the Horcruxes." He said. "I think I've known for a while. And I think you have too."

"We'll go with you," Hermione said.

"No, kill the snake. Kill the snake and it's just him." I couldn't hold back my tears anymore, so I pulled him into a hug as I cried into his shoulder. I let go, stepping back, as he walked down the rest of the stairs. My breath hitched while I tried to contain the rest of my tears. My heart ached as he became harder to see the farther he walked.