ch 39

A flash of green.

A body falling.

My heart sunk even further as I recognized the form of my mentor falling through the air. I adjusted my path accordingly, and raised my wand towards his body. A quick spell caused his momentum to slow in the air.

I adjusted myself and my feet hit the ground right beneath him. His body slowly fell into my outstretched arms.

His glorious white hair fell from his limp head, and I realized that he had become very frail in the past few months. It wasn't hard for me to carry him at all. In fact, I thought I might break him if I squeezed too hard.

All of our disagreements the past few months went out the window as I gazed at his vessel. His face was peaceful.

He got what he wanted. He greeted Death as an old friend. I thought just as I heard the sound of feet hitting the ground behind me.

"No no. Fuck!" Harry's voice called out.

It was odd, that he was having a more extreme reaction than I was. I considered myself closer to Dumbledore than he was, but maybe that wasn't correct. Dumbledore was Harry's first grandfatherly figure, I would say.

Then again, I had always viewed death differently than everyone else around me. Even in my last life, I never mourned for too long. Death was a release from this world.

"Don't mourn the dead Harry." I said, as I stared at the former Headmasters face, trying to memorize it. "Mourn the living." That was close to something Dumbledore had said to Harry right?

Harry didn't listen. Instead I felt the familiar build up of his magic. I knew the spell he was about to cast, having been on the other end of it. Except this time, it was massively overpowered. I turned to watch.

Harry flicked the Elder Wand, pointing straight at the top of the Astronomy Tower. A small white light raced across the air and impacted the stone.

It exploded.

I would have thought it turned to dust, had I not seen the debris shoot off in the opposite direction into the night. I was about to reprimand him, for not checking about any students up there. But I knew that the Order had done their job.

But how did they get out of my runic cluster? I wondered.

A spell rocketed through the roof of Hogwarts close to the Great hall, and I knew that Snape and the Death Eaters had encountered the Order of the Phoenix. I set Dumbledore's body on the ground and placed his hands on his chest before turning to Harry.

"They're fleeing the school." I told Harry. We both knew what that meant.

It's time to hunt.

"Let's go." Harry said.

We took off full sprint towards the entrance of the school. We knew Hogwarts like the back of our hands from our adventures on the school grounds. There were plenty of corridors we hadn't discovered, but we knew the ones that the Death Eaters would use. And we knew where they were fighting.

We came upon the battle just after the stairs. Four figures stood in front of us, engaging the same number of members from the Order. Harry moved to fire the first spell, not even giving the Death Eaters a fighting chance as we approached from behind.

He didn't get the chance as a massive figure appeared to his left. Harry dodged the first swipe of a massive paw from Fenrir Greyback and jumped away to gain distance.

I did the opposite and moved toward the mad werewolf. An ethereal blade extended from the end of my wand. Fenrir made the last mistake of his life, and turned to me. He swiped at me with his left hand.

Instead of dodging, like most of his prey must do, I moved into it and swung my wand at his shoulder.

A spray of blood hit the wall just as his arm hit the ground, cut clean through. I didn't waste any time and with a spin I swung my wand again at his leg. Once again, his leg gave no resistance as my blade cut it clean off.

He barely had time to yell as I shot a piercing spell into his skull and ended his reign of terror on the world. I grabbed his body with my magic and threw it through the air almost immediately after. It landed in the middle of the spell fire from the battle and I moved towards the remaining Death Eaters with intent.

There was a small pause as everyone looked at the bloody mess that used to be Fenrir Greyback. Everything started back up again, except the Death Eaters seemed to realize they were done.

A man who I would later be told was Amycus Carrow turned towards us. "Avada Kada…"

His spell was cut off as a large metal spike impaled him to Hogwarts walls, courtesy of

Harry Potter.

At the same time, his comrades shot off a spell towards the ceiling that caused it to collapse on the members of the Order. Most of the members of the Order were able to get out of the way in time, but it left a hole in the roof. The Death Eaters wasted no time in shooting towards the ceiling, using the same flying spell that Harry and I had learned from Snape.

Three lines of black smoke flew through the hole. Harry and I were in the air, almost immediately with red and green smoke flowing behind us.

The Death Eaters obviously didn't expect us to have the capability of 'unaided' flight, because not once did they look behind them to see us. Harry raised his wand to take advantage of their ignorance.

I flew right beside him and held a hand up, motioning for him to wait.

They'll lead us to the rest, no doubt they have a spot to meet up already determined. I thought, and tried to convey to Harry without yelling it out and giving away our position.

It didn't take long to prove my point as the Death Eaters changed course and dove to the edge of the grounds. There were already two figures there, waiting on them.

With a thought, I cut off the red smoke that heralded my unique use of 'unaided' flight. Harry saw and did the same. Instead of following them straight down, I flew on a little bit to the true edge of the wards, and dropped.

Harry and I landed about thirty yards from the party of five Death Eaters. I was disappointed not to see Bellatrix amongst them. I cast a quick 'homenum revelio' to make sure that no one was hiding around us. Only six souls lit up in front of me, and I nodded, content with the odds.

"What of Malfoy?" Harry asked in a very deadly tone of voice.

"I told his father once that he would die by my hands." I said after a moment of thought. "Draco's death would send a message. He's chosen his side."

Harry nodded towards me and then moved a couple of feet away to give us space to maneuver for the upcoming duel. "Good, it won't be quick." He said.

"Agreed." I said just as the Death Eaters noticed us.

"The Boy-Who-Lived and his butt buddy. Are you here to surrender yourself to the Dark Lord?" The distinct voice of Corban Yaxley sang out, completely confident.

"Why would I? When he is too cowardly to attack Hogwarts himself." Harry mocked the arrogant Death Eaters.

Yaxley's face twisted in rage and was about to respond before Snape beat him to it. "Step aside." He ordered. I frowned at him, and waited for him to continue, but he didn't say anything else.

Pitiful attempt really. I thought to myself.

"Corban Yaxley, Alecto Carrow, Thorfinn Rowle, Draco Malfoy, and Severus Snape." I called out, naming the people in front of me. Alecto kept looking back towards the castle, as if waiting on someone. I wondered if she was the only one who noticed the member that Harry had just brutally killed with a spike was missing, her brother.

"Oh they know who we are!" Rowle said with a grin. "The Dark Lord will reward us when we bring them to him."

"We have completed our mission.." Snape started to say.

Harry had apparently had enough of the talking and with a flick of his wrist, a spell shot towards Snape. Snape's shield sprang up in front of him. But that was what Harry was expecting.

As soon as his spell hit Snape's shield, a massive concussive blast shot out in all directions. I was prepared for it, but the Death Eaters were not. Draco went flying off to the right, being the closest to the blast. Carrow and Rowle stumbled to the ground.

Harry and I wasted no time in sending fatal spells their direction while they were down. Rowle's heart split as a piercing curse punched through it. Carrow's wand arm fell to the ground, separated at the elbow.

Yaxley was far enough away from the blast to only stumble a bit. Harry didn't wait to see that Rowle was dead, he knew it was only a matter of time, and turned to Yaxley.

A spell shot my way, courtesy of Snape, and I deflected it into the night. I returned with a few probing spells, as I normally did in our duels. Snape made it known that this wasn't going to be like our duels throughout the year and moved while sending four consecutive deadly spells. I mentally prepared myself to duel the man that had helped me throughout the year.

We continued to dance around each other and trade spells. I had yet to actually dip into my elemental arsenal yet, instead I just entertained him. I couldn't muster up the will to get serious enough to kill him. Instead I kept up with Harry's duel with Malfoy and Yaxley. Harry wasn't even sweating.

I started moving Snape further and further from their duel, as I saw how useful he could be to me. Him and Nott were too valuable of spies to get rid of. That on top of the fact that Dumbledore forced his hand, made me sympathetic to the old greasey teacher.

Soon enough I had Snape backed up to the wards of the school, on the opposite side of his comrades and completely cut off from them. I sent a spell towards the ground at his feet, and deflected his counter spell as mine went to work. A wall, twelve feet tall and thirty feet long shot out of the ground, blocking him off from the fight, and giving him an opportunity to flee. One I hoped he would take, Harry wouldn't be as merciful as I was.

I turned to see Harry had defeated his opponents, in a dazzling display of wandwork. Yaxley dropped to his knees with a hand on his throat trying to hold in the blood pouring from the two inch deep line that ran across it.

Malfoy floated in the air, with each limb straight out in a spread eagle position. I wondered if I wanted to watch what Harry was about to do to the boy. I decided that I did, considering the hell he liked to inflict on people below him. I felt no remorse for what was about to happen to him.

I looked behind me to make sure that Snape hadn't made it through or around my wall. I saw him floating in the air, on the other side of the wards. Black smoke billowed out behind him as he watched his godson's position.

I heard a pop and a crack. That was one arm, ripped out of it's socket. Draco screamed. I couldn't tell what Snape was thinking as he watched. Was he sad at Draco's fate? Angry? Surely he cared a little. Or maybe he only acted the role of godfather as a part of his Death Eater persona.

Another pop, crack, and a scream and this time Snape's eyebrows screwed together. He was sad. I could understand it, Draco was a teenager. Even if he was a smart, cruel teenager, he still had time to redeem himself.

Harry won't allow it. I thought.

My wand shot out and a spell pierced through Draco's chest, killing him instantly.

"Enough." I told Harry. I worried about his bloodlust for a moment, and decided that I should curb it. Harry didn't have the privilege of another life to stabilize him and ground his actions, it could easily lead him down a dark path.

Draco's head went limp just as Snape used the portkey in his hand. Space distorted and he disappeared from sight.

Harry looked at me, but didn't seem upset at me ruining his fun. It made me feel a tad bit better, knowing that. I reached into my wand holster, and grabbed my spare. I cast a few spells that would line up with the injuries on the Death Eaters around me. Harry did the same, with his original holly and phoenix feather wand.

"Let's go." I told Harry as I shot off into the air, back in the direction of the school.

I landed at Dumbledore's body. There was a crowd around it, and only McGonagall had dared approach it. She stood above it, staring at him.

Harry and I landed with green and red smoke spreading around us. It soon dissipated in the air. We drew in the stares of the students and professors alike. Even some Order members looked on.

They think hope is lost. I realized as I looked to the sky.

The Dark Mark loomed above us in the clouds, taunting us. I couldn't let it stand. I didn't really know how to get rid of the thing, but I had an idea that I was ninety-nine percent sure would work.

Fleur's smiling face appeared in my mind. She had a hand on her baby bump. Happiness sung through my being and I channeled it to my wand.

"Expecto Patronum!"

I poured magic into the wand, way more than necessary, and the results showed. A massive silver nundu shot into the air, towards the Dark Mark in the air. In a display of fury, the nundu tore into the Dark mark and ripped it out of the air.

Fawkes made himself known then, and flashed into the air above his former master. He sang his phoenix lament, and if it was possible, my nundu shone even brighter in the night sky. Fire and silver mixed for a moment as Fawkes flew into the night.

And then, without warning, Fawkes was gone, never to return.

I watched with mild amusement as Madam Pomfrey's ward was taken over by Harry. She had been worriedly dressing Bill's wounds from Fenrir Greyback. The werewolf had raked his hand down my brother's face, leaving him with permanent scars. Luckily, it wasn't a full moon, and he wouldn't contract lycanthropy.

Harry had marched right up to him and with a wave of his wand, had sealed the wounds into thin lines in about two seconds. Then Harry had moved around the rest of the room, outpacing the old healer and fixing everyone up. I noticed that he had started out with the Elder Wand, but finished with his normal holly wand.

The Elder Wand is an instrument of Death, not healing. I reasoned. I wonder if it is inferior in that department. Surely there is a reason he switched.

Sirius appeared at my side. "Ron." Sirius greeted.

I turned and grabbed the man in a hug. "Sirius! I'm glad you're ok." I told him.

Sirius seemed surprised at the display of affection, but quickly adapted and tightened his hold around me. "Yea, you too." He said a little awkwardly.

"The aurors want to talk to you first." Sirius said ….well seriously.

I smiled at the man. "Try not to look so worried." I said as I switched my wands around. My real wand, I stuffed into a secret pocket of my robe I kept for emergencies like this.

I turned and walked out of the ward. The aurors were waiting on me immediately outside in the hallway.

"Mr. Black." A man that I knew was not an auror said.

"Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour." I greeted him as I extended a hand towards him. "An honor."

"Yes, well. We have some questions we need to ask you." The minister said and two wizards dressed in the traditional auror robes appeared.

"Here?" I asked him.

He smiled at me. "Follow me. We have a classroom we can use."

I did as he said and followed him. The two aurors followed me into the room, and I wondered if I was about to be arrested again. It didn't matter, everything was in self-defense. Or at least, I could argue that.

Azkaban couldn't hold me anyway. I thought, as I considered the worst.

I walked further into the room and the two aurors shut the door and stood beside it. The minister took the hat off of his head and set it on a desk, then he rose a leg and rested it on the same desk. Scrimgeour took a long deep breath and exhaled it.

"You and Harry Potter were the last two people to be with Albus Dumbledore, were you not."

"Besides his killers, yes." I confirmed.

"And who would that be?"

"Draco Malfoy." I lied to the man quickly but confidently. "You'll find his body on the grounds."

"We already have." Rufus nodded as he said it. "How do you know it was him? You were not in the tower were you?"

"No sir, but he was bragging about it when Harry and I confronted the Death Eaters." I said, falling deeper into the lie.

I could have told him the truth about Snape killing the old headmaster. I didn't want to in case Snape survives the rest of the war. If everyone knew he killed the greatest to ever live, even at the man's behest… I wasn't sure he could come back from that. But pinning it on a dead student, well that saved Snape the trouble.

I wasn't sure why I was going out of my way to help Snape. He had made my life hell my first few years at Hogwarts. I think it is because he made one bad decision as a teenager, since then he has done nothing but try to make up for that single decision. Trapped between two titans, with nowhere to go. All he could do was get more powerful and survive. I pitied him. Nobody should live their life on the whims of another. If he could survive, then he can finally have a life of his own.

Maybe I'm being too easy on him. I thought.

"Well, unfortunately I can't get his side of the story. Although I don't think it will be necessary." The Minister said.

We fell into silence then, and the Minister sagged a bit. I knew it was because Voldemort was closing in on him from all sides. Harry and I had taken out a big portion of his competent members, but would it be enough.

"You may go Mr. Black. Thank you for your cooperation, and your bravery."

Will it be enough?

Fleur was worried when I got home, as she always is. But I calmed her down with my superior charm.

I told her all about the events of the day, and how Dumbledore was dead. She didn't cry, but her hand did come to rest on her stomach. Something I noticed she did whenever she was worried or nervous.

She asked me a question just as we went to bed. A question that I didn't have the answer to. Up until now, I have known the direction everything would go, because of my prior knowledge. But I had a gut feeling that was screaming at me. I didn't have much more time. I had taken too many pieces off of the board for Voldemort.

"What now, love?"

I didn't know how to answer, so I didn't for a while. Eventually I recapped everything. Harry and I were powerful, really powerful. The Death Eaters that attacked hadn't stood a chance. And soon, we would be even more powerful. Hope filled me, and I knew the answer.

"I can't react anymore. Too much has changed. It's time to switch things up a little."