I'd never seen anything like it before; there were thousands of them.

"Holy Hippogriff," I breathed, my heart pounding in my chest as I looked across to the sea of black cloaked figures. Voldemort had quite the army.

"Don't worry, Neve; we've got this," Colin said assuredly, patting my shoulder.

"Just remember everything we've taught you," Tonks said behind me. "Keep your wits about you and you should have nothing to be scared about."

"Wait, Colin, I really don't think you should be here," Lupin said, frowning down at him. "You're underage. I must insist you go back to the Room of Requirement immediately."

"He can't, Harry's looking for a tiara in there." I explained.

"What's he need a tiara for?" Tonks spluttered. "I thought he was here to fight You-Know-Who, not play dress-ups."

"If Harry says it's important, then it's important," Lupin shrugged, "we mustn't question him. Dumbledore trusted him. But Colin, you really must go there now and wait to go through."

"I want to fight with Neve!" Colin roared, his face determined and fierce. "I have spent months training alongside her and I promised we would have each other's backs. I am not leaving her to fight without me!"

Touched, I looked up at him and grabbed his hand. A lump formed in my throat, preventing me from being able to speak.

"Let the boy fight, Remus," Tonks said, "he's only a few months off the age. He wants to fight for our freedom, and I don't blame him."

"And I still think you shouldn't be here either, darling," Lupin sighed exasperatedly at his wife. "Teddy needs you!"

"He'll sleep 'till dawn and snore like his father," Tonks smiled, lightly touching his arm as she looked up adoringly at him. "It's you who needs me tonight."

A moment passed between them as he looked her in the eye, not denying it.

I looked away, suddenly feeling intrusive. My heart ached as I was reminded of Draco. I wondered if he was amongst the sea of black cloaks waiting to storm the castle and kill us all for protecting Harry.

Suddenly desperate to see him, I walked along the bridge, ignoring Colin's calls for me to come back. I needed to get a closer look at them, to see if I could see him for myself.

I tried not to let myself think about him too much; the sadness hurting me more than anything I'd ever experienced before. I was scared for him all the time; wishing I could save him from Voldemort's evil clutches.

He had confessed to me once that he had been forced to witness a snake eat a witch on his own dining room table; a table that he had himself eaten family dinners off of since childhood; a table that he had sat at to blow the candles out on many a birthday cake.

He couldn't think of any of these occasions now without wanting to violently throw up.

I felt the fury in the pit of my stomach as I continued along the bridge towards the Death Eaters. Voldemort had destroyed Draco's childhood and stripped away his innocence, and for that I wanted to destroy him.

The noseless bastard.

As I got to the end of the bridge, I could see now that these were not Death Eaters, but an angry swarm of Snatchers, all looking hungry and ready to fight, the only thing stopping them being the invisible shield that Professor McGonagall had conjured around the castle.

"You'll be first on my list when we get in there and storm your precious little school, my pretty." The tallest of the lot said, licking his lips greedily as his eyes glinted at me under the moonlight.

"Yeah?" I shouted, feeling fearless and angry. "You and whose army?!"

Loud angry jeers rose up amongst them. Some of them even ran forward to get at me but they were stopped by the shield.

The shield that at any second was about to break.

And, as the army of Snatchers lunged forwards, the protection now gone, I realised that I'd better run, fast.

I quickly flicked my wand at the steps that the Snatchers were running up, hoping to hold a few off. The blast sent some flying, but unfortunately it caused the bridge to start collapsing.

And, with my heart in my throat, I turned back towards the castle and pounded my feet as hard as I could, feeling the bridge give way below my feet.

The Snatchers behind me started toppling to the ground, most likely to their deaths, but some managed to keep a footing and were right behind me; their faces hungry for blood.

"Neve!" I heard Colin shout frantically. "Hurry Neve, hurry!"

I looked up at his panicked white face as I determinedly ran towards him.

And, as I neared, I let out a little gasp. For stepping up behind Colin was a very familiar white-blond haired Slytherin; one I'd missed with all my heart.

"NEVE!" he bellowed, his face shrouded in horror as he saw what was happening behind me.

"DRACO!" I cried, for the first time feeling scared that I wouldn't make it as I ran with all my might, exertion making my lungs feel that they were about to burst out of my chest.

But then all of a sudden, there was nothing beneath my feet, and I realised that I had not been fast enough.

My eyes met Draco's as we exchanged a look of pure terrifying horror, and it was almost as though time slowed right down.

And in that moment, my thoughts went to Trevor and about how I never got to say goodbye.

Down I went with the Snatchers; down I went, falling away from Draco and away from any future we may have had together.

*****