Carpe Noctvm (A Barty Crouch Jr Fanfiction)

TWENTY THREE - the vociferation

"Okay, Keira, you tell me. What's the plan?" B asks her as they move into the Hogwarts grounds with the mass of deatheaters. Acromantulas and trolls have now appeared to join the group, they swing their clubs, crushing anything in their path in order to approach the castle. B and Keira have to duck and at times, jump away from each other to survive the swinging attacks.

In the distance, Keira can see the first of the Order members readying to fight. B will be okay now, he is safe, they will not hurt him. Keira doesn't know whether it is a prayer or fact that she is thinking but she sneaks one more look at B, he is running over the bridge in step with her but they are separated by an enormous cave troll.

"We have to find Harry." Keira calls to him. No one will be paying us attention in all the tumult. We are safe. B nods and moves more purposefully forwards, overtaking some deatheaters.

The fighting which had started between the first line of deatheaters and the Order members was now upon them and all Keira and B could do to stay alive were to dodge rogue spells and block those that were aimed at them accidentally. Keira sees Tonks prepare a curse to send her way but at the last second, she catches Keira's eye and retreats giving her a nod.

The further Keira and B reach into the castle the more intense the scene became, the confines of castle walls makes the gauntlet they run all the more dangerous. Spells ricochet off walls and B puts a protective arm around Keira as they run past duelling people. They both send as many sneaky curses towards the deatheaters as they dare. It's not much help but it is something.

Up ahead, in the corridor, Keira sees Fred Weasley duelling with Rookwood. Fred looks as though he is struggling to fend off Rookwood. Keira watches while Rookwood delivers the last fatal curse to Fred and she is paralysed as Fred falls backwards and crumples onto a pile of rubble from a nearby wall.

Keira vaguely recognises a distant-sounding scream as her own. However, it is cut short by B clamping his hand over her mouth. He drags her further down the hall, knowing that if someone notices her reaction they are as good as dead. There is only a small chance it will be noticed however because of the constant din.

Keira struggled against B's arm trying to reach Fred or Rookwood. She managed to get her wand around B's arm and aimed it at Rookwood. A blind rage heated her gaze as she glared at him. There was only one thought in her mind. "Avada Kedavra." Her voice came out measured and at a normal pitch. A green light shot out of the end of her wand and hit Rookwood square in the chest. He staggered for a few feet before crumpling next to Fred in the rubble. Keira only had the regret that he died next to Fred. He did not deserve that privilege.

B's arm around Keira's waist tightened and he hauled her away before she could cause any more damage. Keira caught B's eye and he looked at her with what she guessed was the same level of fear as she had first looked at him across the dinner table. 

There is no hesitation in his movements, however, because he keeps her closer and more protected than she has ever felt. Keira's thoughts are only on Harry and finding him. Fred will be remembered but not today, not until it is done. They run around another corner and the staircase leading up into the castle is seen in all its clamorous glory, there are witches and wizards fighting and yelling and screaming, and some even crying over bodies. Keira does not take in all this immediately, So much sorrow and so much anguish.

"There he is!" B yells, close to Keira's ear pointing at a duelling Harry. Keira can see he is on a landing duelling next to Ron and Hermione, they are doing well, stunning some and sending others flying. Keira grabs B's hand and together they reach the landing where Harry is. Keira sneaks a look around, everyone is engaged in their own fight.