Miracles don't exist || Theodore Nott

Chapter 40: As the world caves in

"Can you walk?" Theo holds out both of his hands for you to take. You nod and hold on tightly to his hands. He heaves you up and you stumble before finding your footing. Holding up a hand, you stumble a few more times before finally being stable on your feet.

"How do you feel?"

You take a deep breath, straightening up. How do you feel? You don't feel any different than before. However... something feels different. Something's missing. Your best guess is that that is the part of his soul that has left your body. "I don't- I don't know. Lighter?"

Theo hums, his thumb tracing circles around your waist. "Are you sure you're well enough? We can stay down here. Stay safe."

His suggestion makes you frown. Stay down here and wait the fight out? It's a sensible thought. But why does it make you feel so uneasy? Yes, it's the safest option to wait the war out. But you've come too far, seen too much to do nothing.

"We have to help, Teddy. I want to see with my own eyes how he loses."

A deep sigh escapes Theo and he rubs a hand over his face as he mumbles something about his wife being too good for her own good. It makes you smile widely.

He wraps an arm over your shoulders as he peeks his head outside of the potions classroom. Once he deems it safe, with his wand in his hand, he makes sure you are stable enough on your feet.

You climb up the stairs slowly and surely, finding the silence and emptiness of the entire castle jarring. "Where is everybody?", you whisper, looking around the great hall.

"There", points Theo as he sees the last people exit the castle.

Students stand around as the entirety of the Dark Lord's army stands at the entrance of the battle-worn courtyard. A triumphant look on his face while Nigini slithers between his feet. Hagrid — bound with ropes and held in place by two Death Eaters — holds something in his arms, a sorrowful look on his face.

Oh no... that can only mean one thing...

"Harry Potter... is dead!"

Ginny cries out while running forward. Mr Weasley manages to pull her back before she's hit by a spell.

"Silence! Stupid girl. Harry Potter is dead. From this day forth, you put your faith in me."

The courtyard is filled with dreadful silence, students silently sobbing as they look at Harry's corps. Your hand reaches out to Teddy and you clutch him tightly, scared that if you don't hold him, he'll disappear.

The Dark Lo- no. Voldemort. Voldemort looks back at his supporters as they laugh at their victory. He spreads his arms and looks at the crowd. "And now is the time to declare yourself. Come forward and join us. Or die."

Bellatrix climbs on top of a broken pillar so she has an overview of the battlefield. She has a wide smile on her face, a look of pure enjoyment. It sickens you. It makes you want to hurt her.

But the gleeful look soon disappears from both of their faces as nobody moves. Voldemort's eyes search the crowd, searching for something it seems. And once they lock onto yours, they stay. He reaches out a hand, his palm open. "My Heir. My daughter, join us."

Students around you step out of the way, terror in their eyes. Theo's hold on your hand tightens and he pushes you behind him. He shakes his head, but you lay a hand on his shoulder. With a whisper you reassure it's all going to be fine and that you won't let him win.

Slowly, you make your way down the rubble towards Voldemort, his arms wide open. You stop just shortly out of his reach, fists balled and wand at the ready.

"Ah. Well done, my Heir. Well done." He expects you to come to him. But you stay where you are, staring him down.

"It doesn't matter that Harry is gone." There goes an angered mumble across the crowd behind you. "You've lost. And you helped to bring your own demise by killing him. Don't you think I wouldn't figure out what my special mission was? What you've made of me. What you made of Harry."

Voldemort pulls his hands back to his side, an unreadable look on his face. "You insolent child", he hisses as Nigini slithers dangerously at her master's feet, her eyes set on you.

You glance at the snake, twirling your wand in between your fingers. You look back at Voldemort, your eyes silently telling that you know. You know that she's the last Horcrux. And it's only her before he's dead.

The realisation that you've managed to rid the part of his soul that Voldemort embedded within yours makes him bristle with anger.

"You've grown weak, Father. And Death is waiting for you." You fire a blast at him, but he reflects it. You jump out of the way as his spells and curses barely miss you.

While you've distracted Voldemort, Harry rolls out of Hagrid's arms and tries to set the snake on fire. It deflects and hits the Death Eaters behind her.

The crowd of Hogwarts students flee inside while the Death Eaters either advance on the group or flee in puffs of smoke. In the flurry of people, you see a head of platinum blonde run across the courtyard, towards his parents and disappear with them.

You manage to make your way inside without getting too gravely injured. It's mostly scrapes and burns. You've also lost the interest of Voldemort, who's going after Harry. Instead, you have Bellatrix hot on your heels. She cackles and calls after you, wildly firing curses that barely miss you.

Somehow you've ended up in the Great Hall just as she corners you. You've stumbled over something and landed on your ass. Just as she raises her wand to give the final blow, she gets launched off her feet and hits the wall behind her with an 'oof' before slumping down.

Theo runs towards you and pulls you back on your feet. You give him a nod before turning your attention back to Bellatrix. The two of you stand side to side, your wands raised and a determined look on your faces.

She jumps up, advancing towards you with snarled teeth. She laughs as you yelp and try your best to stop her. Theo and you fight in tandem. But she's more powerful than you thought, easily deflecting each spell. But she can't keep this up, and it shows. Her moves become sloppy and she actually gets hit a couple of times.

While she gets sluggish, your moves only become more powerful and vicious. Blow after blow, you hit her with more vigour until you hit her square in the chest and she halts in the middle of the air, a petrified look on her face.

You reel your arm back and just for a second the killing curse flashes through your mind. No. You won't lower yourself to their level. Instead, you concentrate all your might and power on your wand and fire a red blast towards her. She floats for a moment before dropping to the ground, her wide and lifeless eyes staring up at you.

Your chest rises rapidly as you watch her. Suddenly, it connects. You've killed her. You've just killed Bellatrix Lestrange. As your eyes keep their focus on hers, you stumble backwards in the arms of Theo. Looking up, you find comfort in his own brown ones. They say you've done well. It was a necessary evil.

"It's okay", he whispers, pulling you away to have you not look at the corpse. "You had to. It was you or her."

His words bounce around your head, but they don't land. You're still dazed. Theo makes sure to tuck you under his chin, keeping you safe until the air clears and the word spreads Voldemort is dead. Harry has defeated him and the Dark Lord has dropped dead like an ordinary man.

The two of you stay glued together sitting on a bench, mugs in your hands. You don't move until you see Sirius approach you. You jump up from the bench and hug him tightly. He engulfs you while pressing a kiss to the crown of your head. You keep your arms around Sirius until they grow numb. And even then you don't want to part ways.

Theo replaces Sirius in holding you and you melt into his arms. "It's done", he whispers into your hair. "It's finally over."

A tired smile grows on your face. "The war is over. Let's go home."

With a wide smile and a nod, Theo grabs your hands. "Yes. Let's go home."

And with that the two of you disappear from Hogwarts, finally having found the peace and quiet the two of you deserve.