Finding Heather

Year 7 Chapter 15

Author's Notes: I'll be skipping a chunk of the battle for the same reasons I've skipped other sections of this story.

Harry Potter does not belong to me, but to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Fifteen

 It was almost done. The diadem was ruined, the piece of Voldemort's soul that had defiled it was dead. Now all that remained was the snake. The castle shook around Heather, Hermione, and Ron as they ran down the marble staircase. War was all around them as Hogwartians and Death Eaters fought individual duels, every one of them to the death. Already bodies had fallen, much as Fred's had two floors up. Heather pushed that thought aside. She couldn't mourn the dead until her job was done. Voldemort had the snake with him, safe and protected, waiting in the Shrieking Shack. It was on Hermione's insistence that she had looked into his mind to find him.

 They were crossing the hall through the midst of the battle under the cloak. Try as they may their feet and ankles showed, but no one noticed. That is, not until a snargaluff pod landed on Ron's head.

"There's someone the-!" shouted a Death Eater, pointing at the floating pod. Hermione stunned him before he could finish his statement. With a scream, Lavender Brown fell, injured or dead Heather wasn't sure. Howling in delight, Fenrir Greyback charged forward, intent on mauling her.

"No!" shouted Hermione, throwing him backwards with a curse. He slammed into the Hufflepuff hourglass and lay there still, half buried in diamonds.

 No longer able to get through on stealth, Heather pulled off the cloak and sprinted towards the double doors. Both had been blasted apart and hung lopsidedly from their hinges. From the darkness outside, a swarm of acromantula swept in, cascading through the wide doorway and climbing through holes in the walls. There were more screams and for a brief moment both sides of the furious battle were united in keeping the spiders off of them. Over the sounds of spells and shouting, Heather could hear Hagrid running towards the mass, almost pleading that no harm come to the spiders. He dove into the swarm and was lost to sight as it retreated under the onslaught of spells.

"Hagrid!" cried Heather, who made to follow but was cut off on the steps outside by the arrival of a giant. Heather had never truly appreciated just how undersized Grawp was until this very moment. Twenty feet tall and carrying what looked like a piece of a Quidditch goal hoop, it roared and swung its makeshift club. Heather, Hermione, and Ron dove for cover. There was another roar and Heather looked up to see Grawp himself, lumbering into view from around the castle, bellowing a challenge.

 The giant distracted, Heather grabbed Hermione and Ron and pulled them towards the open grounds. All around them hexes and jinxes still flew as small knots of defenders and Death Eaters fought ferociously. The dark mass of spiders was still visible, moving with all haste back to the edge of the forest. As they chased, Heather's breath caught in her chest. Prowling the edge of the trees, unseen but sensed, were dementors. From how cold it had just gotten, there had to be over a hundred.

"Heather, we can't." said Hermione, gasping for air.

"She's right mate" added Ron, "We've got to get the snake. Hagrid's...he'll be alright."

 Every part of Heather wanted to ignore what they were saying and go to battle with dementors and spiders. That was a battle that she felt she at least had a chance of winning. How was she ever going to get the snake? It was hopeless. The grief of the last few hours that had been building up behind her emotional dam seemed to encapsulate her as the dementor's chill took hold. There wasn't any point in fighting any longer.

"Expecto Patronum!" shouted several voices from the darkness. Rushing forwards came a fox, a hare, and a boar, ghostly white and bringing with them the early summer warmth the night still held. Heather gasped as her ability to breathe found itself again. Focus said the small voice in her head. Right, she had a job.