Song for this chapter: I Know the End - Phoebe Bridgers

TW death, violence, blood

- - - - -

The entire castle shakes as the Death Eaters' spells keep hitting the wards. There are hundreds and hundreds of spells threatening to penetrate the various spells placed around Hogwarts to keep it safe.

I'm in one of the East towers, watching as chaos ensues.

Regulus, Jack, and Bill are all with me.

"Ready?" Jack asks.

More spells continue to hit the wards and the wards weaken even more.

"Ready," I answer.

There's a large mob of Death Eaters crowded at the wooden bridge. They're all watching and waiting for the wards to crumble so that they can storm the castle. I'm so high up that I can't pick out anything or anyone from the mob of darkness.

Thunder rumbles even louder and all of the Death Eaters stop their spells. I exchange looks with Regulus, Jack, and Bill. There are no more spells until one singular person casts a spell with dark green light, and suddenly the wards start crumbling all at once.

Fiery pieces of the wards start falling from the sky and landing on all of Hogwarts and its grounds.

"Fuck," Jack mutters.

I reach out for Regulus and grab his hand. We don't have any time left. Regulus squeezes my hand and nods his head at me before raising his wand.

I watch as all of the Death Eaters swarm the bridge and start infiltrating Hogwarts. Only a small part of them makes it onto the bridge before it goes up in flames and starts breaking apart. People fall into the abyss below them, the carnage of the bridge following.

There are dark clouds flying through the sky as Death Eaters apparate around. Several of them are heading our way and I can only hope that my spell hits them first.

Green light flies through the air and I barely have time to deflect it. I fire back a spell and one of the Death Eaters goes plummeting to the ground.

More and more spells are being fired at us.

I keep dodging and firing back but they're moving so fast that barely any of my spells are hitting. All we need to do is keep them from successfully landing on the tower.

"Reg, to your right," I say.

Regulus fires a spell and hits one of the oncoming Death Eaters. He proceeds to deflect another curse and start firing back again.

One of the spells from a Death Eater hits and the side of the tower crumbles inwards, leaving a gaping hole.

Jack turns around briefly to look at the damage when the green light goes hurtling toward his chest.

"Jack-"

My words catch in my throat as Jack goes falling back onto the floor, his eyes still open. His wand rolls out of his hand and stops at my feet.

I let out a sob at the sight of my oldest friend lying dead beside me, but I don't let myself feel it yet. We're still under attack.

A Death Eater lands on the tower, several meters away from me. I recognize him to be Tiberius Nott. He lowers his wand with a smirk and glances down at Jack. "Oh, sorry about your ex-boyfriend," He says. "The prick always did annoy me in school."

I point my wand directly at his face.

"Go on, avenge him, I know you want to," Nott says. "You McKinnon's are too proud to know when to stop and retreat." He glances over the tower and into the courtyard. "I guess your son, Atlas, picked that up from you. Maybe that's why he's still here and fighting."

"What?"

Nott laughs, "He's putting up a hell of a fight too."

"Depulso," I say.

Tiberius Nott goes sailing over the edge of the tower and plummets to his death below. I never did like him anyway.

The attacks seem to have let up from our position. Regulus and Bill are fighting the remaining ones off but both of them were too focused to notice anything from my conversation with Nott other than him plummeting to the cement.

"Regulus, I think Atlas is here," I say, trying not to sound frantic. I peer over the edge of the tower and into the courtyard.

Wand light is illuminating everything so it's quite easy to see people despite it being after midnight now. There's a lot of distance between here and the courtyard but I can clearly see Atlas fighting. His wand is raised and he's firing off spells at a Death Eater.

"He's right there," I point out. "We need to get him out of here."

We've stopped being attacked so Regulus looks down in the direction I pointed. I can see the minute he spotted our son because his face goes from shock to anger to fear in the span of a second.

"Go," Bill says. "Go get your kid, I've got it." He glances behind me at Jack's body. "Bring his body to the Great Hall."

I glance back at Jack's corpse and only then do I realize that I've been crying this whole time. Regulus casts a spell to levitate his body and we set off toward our son.

"They killed him," I mutter to Regulus.

He hugs me tightly for a moment. "I know, I'm so sorry, Meredith," He says. "But we have to go, I'm sorry."

"I know, I know," I reply.

- - - - -

After Jack's body was placed with the rest of the dead in the Great Hall, I attempt to pull it together as Regulus and I rush out to the courtyard.

Atlas is still there, fighting off another Death Eater.

Regulus draws his wand and aims it at the Death Eater attacking our son. "Demetrius," He says. The Death Eater disintegrates on the spot and crumbles to ash at Atlas's feet.

Atlas turns to look at Regulus and me. His shocked expression turns to guilt.

"Atlas William Black, what on earth are you doing here?" I ask. I go toward Atlas and hug him despite how angry I am with him right now. "We told you to evacuate."

"I know, I'm sorry, mum," He replies. "I wanted to stay and help."

You McKinnon's are too proud to know when to stop and retreat.

"I know you did, but it wasn't smart," I tell him.

"Come on, let's get you to the Great Hall," Regulus says.

He puts his arm around Atlas's shoulders and starts leading him into the Great Hall when two flashes of black land in front of us. Two Death Eaters apparate in front of us and Regulus pushes Atlas to stand behind us.

"Stay back, okay?" Regulus says. "We'll handle this."

I raise my wand and start firing off spells at one of the Death Eaters while Regulus takes care of the other.

Red light meets green light as our spells attempt to fight each other. I drop my wand briefly then cast another spell. "Stupefy," I say. The spell hits my attacker directly in the chest and he stumbles backward. "Deletrius," I say and he crumbles into ash in front of me.

I glance over at Regulus just in time to see his attacker turn into ash.

We make eye contact for a moment before a choking noise draws my attention behind me.

It feels like someone has punched me directly in the chest as I look at the sight in front of me. A Death Eater has a knife dug into Atlas's chest.

I move forward and the Death Eater apparates away as Atlas falls to the pavement.

"Atlas," I sit next to him on the ground, frantically looking at his injuries. "It's okay, love, you're going to be okay."

"Meredith," Regulus says, his voice flattering. "The blade is cursed." Which means, there is nothing we can do.

I let out a choked sob and run my hand through Atlas's black hair. Regulus kneels on the ground beside me, tears running down his face. "Atlas, I'm sorry, but I have to take the blade out," He explains. "It's going to hurt."

"It-," Atlas flatters, his voice shaking and weak. "It's okay, dad. Just do it."

I close my eyes as Regulus pulls the knife out of our son's chest. Atlas cries out in pain and I hold his hand.

"I'm sorry," Atlas says, "I'm so sorry. I should've listened."

"It's okay, Atlas, you're okay," Regulus lies.

I grab my wand and point it at the wound in Atlas's chest that is gushing blood. "Vulnera Sanentur," I say. Light erupts from my wand but it does nothing to help Atlas because the blade was cursed. I try again anyway. "Vulnera Sanentur." Nothing happens, and I cry even harder, holding onto my son.

"Mum, it's not going to work," Atlas chokes out. He coughs and blood comes up, splattering across the pavement and my shirt. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, love," I say. I brush my hand through his hair and try to keep my voice from wavering for his sake. "I love you so much."

Atlas cries, "I don't want to die."

Regulus chokes out a sob from beside me. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," He says.

"It's not your fault," Atlas replies. His breathing is shallow and he's extremely pale. "I love you both. Thanks for being the best parents."

"I love you, Atlas," Regulus says.

Atlas coughs again, sending more blood splattering. "It hurts so bad," He whimpers.

I sob and hold Atlas while Regulus does the same beside me.

Atlas takes a shaky, shallow breath, and when he exhales, he never inhales again. The light in his eyes goes out and will never come back on again.

I cry as hard as I've ever cried in my 36 years of life, holding the body of my 15 year old son.

Regulus reaches up and closes Atlas's eyes, tears streaming down his face.

I hold Atlas's hand even though it's gone limp in mine.

I barely even process when his voice returns 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.

The voice stops and I'm left with the body of my son before me.

- - - - -

Yeah, I'm really sorry for that one.