Step 56: Open at the Close

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The scream that fell out of Ember's mouth pierced the castle when she ran over to see what was going on. It cut through the battle, everything seemed to slow down at the sound of her desperate cries and howls - the sound of pure terror that left her mouth. It was as if her soul had unleashed a demon. Her eyes were wide with horror, her mouth rigid and open.

She crumpled to the ground, grabbing the dead body of Billie Barker that lay on the cold marble floor. Her eyes were wide and cold, the bright blue eyes had turned a cool grey colour. She was no longer the innocent girl everyone remembered, no longer the one who loved Quidditch, the one who loved her friends. She was gone. Forever.

"NO!" Ember screeched, clinging herself to the body despite the war that continued to rage on.

She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. Of all of the people who could've died, it couldn't be Billie. Ember wouldn't allow it, she wouldn't believe it. There it was right in front of her, cold and dead.

"Ember," choked Draco, looking down at Billie's face with tears coming down his face. "There's nothing we can do for her - we have to go and find the others!"

Blaise was breathing so hard, trying to catch his breath as he stared at the body of his friend, "Can we take her to the infirmary? Cullen... he doesn't know."

When they found Cullen it was worse than anyone had expected. Billie had been his best friend aside from Ember. She had always supported his Quidditch dreams, helping him train in the early mornings before the trials start. His horror was matched with revenge as his vision was blurred by rage. Ember could feel his heart shatter, the pieces digging through him like hot knives.

Next to him was Vaisey, who sobbed so much that Ember thought his body was going to rid of tears. He had just lost his girlfriend, someone he loved.

"They're going to pay. I want to kill all of them," Cullen said, his face hot with anger as he flung his wand around. "Who did it, Blaise? I want to find them and murder them right now."

Blaise gulped, "It was Rookwood."

"The same Death Eater that killed Amanda," muttered Ember, shaking her head. "I'll help Cullen, come on let's go murder -"

"No," Draco snapped. "To take someone's life is something you can't shake."

"BILLIE!" the voice cracked so much at the sight of the dead body and Georgia Donovan crashed onto it with a horrible thud.

Ember had never seen Georgia so distraught, she was trying to resuscitate Billie back to life. Even if she knew it was helpless, she didn't stop until she had run out of tears. Puffy-eyed and red in the face she looked at Ember.

"I killed him," whispered Georgia, small tears forming in her eyes once again.

Cullen stepped forward, "Who? Rookwood?"

"No," Georgia shook her head, her eyes shifting to land on Cullen's. "I killed Ember's dad. He had Horcruxes, I think you knew that. Five Horcruxes. I destroyed them all."

"How? That's not possible... unless..." Ember took a step back, looking at Georgia in disbelief. "Y-You didn't..."

She nodded, "I was the first person he converted. He injected me with basilisk venom and then that of a vampire. The basilisk venom killed me but the vampire blood made me come back to life... As a venomous vampire."

"Vampire?" repeated Blaise. "How are you not killing anyone right now?"

"Austin cursed me so that I was only able to destroy the Horcruxes." said Georgia. "That was the last time I ever spoke to your father... I was so angry at him... but when we all went to get Cullen's mum from the Ministry and you killed him. I knew there was no way he could possibly die with the five Horcruxes still intact. So I got them all and destroyed them with my venom then injected him with the Basilisk venom he's been keeping in the East Wing."

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