TW: Violence, War, Death

• • • • •

October 30th, 1981

"I've received word from a spy inside the Dark Lord's ranks that they are planning on storming Hogwarts tomorrow night."

Everyone in the Order was silent. The only sound heard was the soft rain hitting the building of an undisclosed location.

"You all need to be at the ready to fight tomorrow," Dumbledore continued. "We will need all the help that we can get."

Molly Weasley looked at her husband then back at Dumbledore.

"What about our kids?"

Dumbledore pressed his lips together into a thin line. "If," He announced, "You have children, or are expecting, I would advise at least one of you to stay home to keep your children safe."

I glanced at James, who was sitting beside me. He had an uneasy look on his face as Dumbledore spoke.

"I'll send my Patronus to notify all of you when the time has come," Dumbledore continued, "You will gather in the Hogs Head Inn. My brother will help you into Hogwarts from there."

The room remained silent, and the silence was uneasy. Almost unbearable.

"With that said, this meeting is adjourned," Dumbledore finished, "If you have questions come
speak to me."

The silence was broken by chairs squeaking against the cement floor as everyone got up to leave.

"I want to fight," I muttered.

James furrowed his brows, "What?"

"I want to fight, I need to," I restated. "I need to do something other than stay at home, otherwise I'll lose my mind."

"There's no way in hell that I'm letting you go alone," James argued. "If you're going, then I'm going."

"What about Julian?"

James shrugged, "We can see if Mary or Dorcas will watch him. We'll need skilled fighters and healers, and you're one of them."

I glanced across the room and saw the rest of our friends gathered in a group talking.

"Hey guys," I said, "I have a request."

Jolie raised her eyebrow, "What is it?"

"We need someone to watch Julian tomorrow because we both want to go fight," James sputtered out.

Remus coughed, "You can't be for real."

"I am," I added, "I cant stay home otherwise I'll lose my shit, and James won't let me go without him."

Mary fiddled with her necklace.

"If you're really sure about this," Mary suggested, "Then I can watch him. The Order will need people skilled in combat, and that's not me."

"Thank you, Mary," James said. "We'll come get him as soon as the battle is over."

• • • • •

October 31st, 1981

After making sure that Julian was safe with Mary, James and I apparated to the Hogs Head Inn. We were just about to sit down for dinner when we got a message from Dumbledore's Patronus.

I looked around the dinghy building at the people gathered to fight. There were twenty three of us gathered, and there were rumored to be even more already at Hogwarts. Students and professors.

James intertwined his fingers through mine as we followed the tunnel to the castle.

Nobody spoke.

The only sounds were our footsteps against the stone floor of the tunnel.

Alberforth, who was leading us, reaching a door and pushed it open, lighting up the tunnel.

We reached a large room that was filled with older students, probably fifth year and older.

"James," I whispered, "These kids are children, they can't be here."

"I know, I know," James whispered back, "We'll do our best to protect them, but we can't make them leave if they don't want to."

The large doors of the room opened and Dumbledore walked in, Professor McGonagall by his side.

"I'm afraid that they're here," McGonagall announced, "I'll need help strengthening the protective border, but once that breaks you all need to be ready for combat."

Dumbledore nodded, "The younger students have been moved to safety, but these students refused to leave, so they'll be fighting along side you."

"Let's keep the casualties low, if not nothing," Professor McGonagall said solemnly.

• • • • •

"The shield won't hold much longer," McGonagall yelled. "Once it breaks, stand your ground!"

I looked over at James while channeling as much power as I could into the protective force field as possible without wearing myself out.

Death Eater aimed at the shield, their wands casting spells that shot our dark green light from their wands.

I could feel the spell getting weaker as more spells were cast against it.

Only final spell hit the protective field before it broke, letting the Death Eaters onto the castle grounds.

I stood staring up at the sky as dementors flew around, their black robes blowing.

"Daphne-," James yelled, grabbing my arm, "Let's go!"

I ran after James into the castle, Death Eaters already charging towards the castle, wands raised.

"Where are you going sweetie?"

I stopped in my tracks and turned around, wand raised with James by my side.

Face to face with Augustus Rockwood.

He was dangling his wand, his bruised hands by his side.

"Well, I was playing on getting away from you," I said, "But I guess there's been a minor setback."

Rockwood laughed, "You're a funny one, aren't you? I wonder if you're son will be that day. But, who knows? Maybe you'll never live to see him grow older."

"Incarcerous," James yelled, pointing his wand right at Rockwood.

He dodged the spell and advanced closer towards me, his wand still lowered. I stood my ground, my feet unmoving as he stepped closer to me.

Rockwood glared at James, "Trying to protect your beloved wife? How can you protect her? Her siblings are already Death Eaters as it is."

While Rockwood was distracted, I took the opportunity to cast a spell.

"Incarcerous!"

Thin cords shot out of my wand and before I could blink, Augustus Rockwood was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

Fabian Prewett ran over, yanking Rockwood off of the floor with one hand.

"I'll take care of this," Fabian stated, a teasing tone in his voice.

"Where's Sirius?" James yelled after Fabian.

Fabian shrugged, "He and Remus are the Great Hall duelling. Reggie and Jolie were making a beeline for Dumbledore's office."

"Goddamn it," James yelled as we ran towards the Great Hall, "They're going to try to destroy the locket horcrux."

I glanced at James, but caught sight of someone familiar in my peripheral vision.

Turning on my heel, I watched as Sirius dueled his mother. A few feet away, Remus was fighting Mulciber Snr.

"James-"

He nodded, "I'm on it."

James gave me a quick kiss on the lips, "Stay safe, I'll see you soon."

"Stay safe," I echoed as James ran off towards Sirius and Remus.

Gathering a quick look of the Great Hall, I saw none other than my former schoolmate, Peter Pettigrew, baring his Dark Mark as he stepped behind Dorcas Meadowes.

Aiming my wand right at him, a spell shot out of my wand, sending Peter to the floor.

Dorcas turned around, her eyes wide at the sight of Peter, paralyzed on the floor.

I ran over, standing over Peter.

He blinked at me, unmoving and stunned.

"I knew there was something off about you," I commented. "Incarcerous."

Peter was bound by ropes, still temporarily paralyzed.

"Make sure he doesn't get away," I demanded, "An Auror will get him soon."

Before Dorcas could respond, I watched the boys across the Great Hall.

Walburga Black apparated away just as Sirius was about to defeat her.

"Where's James?" I asked, my voice panicked.

Sirius stared at me, "He's taking some people to Azkaban, there's not enough Auror's."

There was a stall in the fighting as all of those bearing the Dark Mark screamed in pain.

"They did it," Remus muttered, "Those sons of bitches destroyed the locket."

"As much as I'd love to celebrate, we have a bit of a snake problem," I said, watching as the Dark Lord's snake, Nagini slithered into the Great Hall.

"Fuck," I muttered, "We need the sword."

Sirius nodded, "They'll be back any minute now."

"I'll go find them," I announced.

Before anyone could refuse, I slipped out of the Great Hall and into the corridor.

The corridor was eerily empty as I sped through it, heading towards Dumbledore's office.

I rounded a corner and stopped in my tracks, gapping at the sight in front of me.

Bellatrix Lestrange was standing in the middle of the corridor, Henry on her left, and Beatrice on her right.

"I've been wondering when I was going to see you," Bellatrix sneered, "James Potter's little wife."

I clenched my jaw at this, gripping my wand tightly.

"I would love to be the one to kill you, but I think it'd be more fun if one of these two did it," Bellatrix said, her eyes crazy as she stared at me.

She looked at my two younger siblings.

"But which one?" Bellatrix laughed. "Eeny, meeny, miny, you."

Bellatrix pointed at Henry.

"Go on, kill your sister. Voldemort needs you to prove your loyalty to him," Bellatrix demanded.

Henry stared at me, his eyes emotionless as he gripped his wand.

"Go on," I muttered, "Kill me."

Henry raised his wand, his jaw clenched and his eyes red.

I held my wand down at my side, not making any effort to defend myself.

"What are you waiting for? Kill her!" Bellatrix yelled.

Henry lowered his wand, his eyes tearing up.

"No," Henry uttered, "I can't kill her."

"You can't, or you won't?" Bellatrix sneered.

"I won't."

Bellatrix raised her wand, "Be that way then. Avada Kedavra."

Green light shot out of her wand and hit Henry in the chest as his lifeless body fell to the floor. Beatrice screamed out, while I stood their sobbing silently.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Someone grabbed me by the arm from behind.

I began to fight their grip.

"Daphne, calm down," Regulus yelled. "We need to get you out of here!"

Jolie cast a protection spell around us as Regulus led me back towards the Great Hall. I looked at her other hand and saw that she was carrying the sword of Gryffindor as well.

Walking into the Great Hall, I composed myself as I saw all of the people dueling in front of me.

Sirius and James were fending off Nagini while Remus was facing off against a Death Eater, and winning.

Jolie handed Regulus the sword.

"Sirius!"

The oldest Black brother looked up, from Nagini.

"Catch!"

The sword flew across the room, landing in Sirius's extended hand.

He gripped the sword tightly and lunged forward, slicing Nagini in half.

All of the Death Eaters screamed out in pain as Nagini blew up into pieces, a part of Voldemort's soul exiting her body.

Death Eaters started to apparate away, few remaining to put up a fight.

"Outside everyone!" Arthur Weasley yelled from the entrance of the Great Hall.

With no Death Eaters left to fight, we all rushed out to the courtyard, seeing Dumbledore and Voldemort facing down.

"Nobody move!" Voldemort bellowed. "This will be a fair duel. If you move, you die."

I stood frozen in fear, gripping onto James's arm.

I didn't even realize that I was still crying until James reached over and wiped away my tears.

"What happened?" He muttered.

I took in a shaky breath, "Bellatrix told Henry to kill me, but he refused. So, she killed him."

James wrapped his arms around me tightly as people filled the courtyard around us.

There were no Death Eaters in sight.

"Avada-"

"Kedavra!"

The two shouted out curses at the same time, beams of light shooting through the air.

Everyone watched, unmoving, unspeaking.

Red fought against green as they both gripped their wands tightly, both refusing to accept defeat.

A tortured scream cut through the courtyard.

"My lord, help me!"

Voldemort's attention drifted for half a second.

Half of a second that would cost him.

Dumbledore's spell won, hitting Voldemort right in the heart.

The Dark Lord's body dropped to the concrete courtyard, everyone in the crowd gasping.