Breaking Through- sequel to "Dark Days"

Chapter 22

I then ran.  I don't know why, but it was like I wanted to leave Draco behind and not have him come after me.  I ran and found the place where Harry had a wooden box in his hands.  The horcrux. 

He opened it and I saw the diadem.  It was beautiful, with sapphires encrusted into it, with wonderful silver work around it.  Too bad it was to the home of someone's soul.  An ugly soul at that.

Ron suddenly sprinted out, bumping past us, yelling "GOYLE'S SET THE BLOODY PLACE ON FIRE!!"  I whipped around to see a flame beginning to rise out behind a column of items.  Great.  I started running to the door or somewhere.  The fire was spreading and was getting in at us at all sides, the flames licking around at our feet.  

We were trapped at one point.  How were we going to get out now?  I looked to my right to find some brooms.  Fly was the first thing I could think of as I grabbed them and handed them to the others.  

As I got up into the air I was about to exit when I saw Malfoy and his friends grabbing onto the boxes and climbing up.  They were going to get trapped at this point.  Goyle grabbed a loose box and fell, the fire enveloping around him and killing him.  Malfoy and Crabbe looked shocked as they made their way to the very top.  

I looked back and yelled "Harry!!  We need to turn back!!".  Harry looked back at me, seeing Draco and Crabbe struggling on the boxes.  I looked back myself and saw the blaze reflecting in Draco's usual grey eyes.  Now they were burning with fear.  

Harry hesitated for a moment while Ron screamed at the two of us "If we die for these guys then I'll never forgive you two!!!!" 

I flew back and grabbed Malfoy's hand, pulling him onto the broomstick.  He held onto me as I circled around, heading for the direction of the door.  The fire was burning like crazy now, and we were swishing through the air as fast as the brooms would go.  Were we going to make it?

As we whooshed out of the open doors, I crashed and I landed onto Malfoy.  The moment seemed to freeze and I got up and looked at the others.  The others were fine. 

I saw the diadem, reflecting the flames.  Ron kicked it into the fire.  The blaze engulfed it, but it seemed to fuel it and the flames exploded and it started coming closer and closer to the door, and it got hotter and hotter.  The doors automatically closed and I looked to Jake.  I ran to him and hugged him so tightly that I could've broken a rib on him.

"Thank God you're alright Liz." he mumbled into my hair, and I pulled back and said "We're okay...I think we all are."  I turned around to check that the others didn't have major burns or injuries.

I looked at Harry.  He was on the stone floor, and he was sweating.  What was wrong?  He then mumbled "The snake.  She's the last one."  I looked to the rest of the gang. 

His snake?  How could a horcrux be put in an animal? It was actually possible?  Even worse though, how were we going to kill a living creature that had a mind of it's own, and could possibly have poisonous venom?  Great.

When I turned around to see if Draco was alright, he wasn't there.  Draco and Crabbe had already escaped.  Damn it I thought as I looked around the corner to see if they were there.  I didn't bother chasing after them.  I saw Ron going down to Harry' height and saying "Listen we need to find him.  If we find him then we find the snake.  It's bound to be with him."  

Harry sat there for a moment and closed his eyes.  He was in deep thought, taking deep breaths in and out, trying to get into Voldemort's mind.  He finally answered "The boat house….." and he looked up. 

We all looked at each other.  "And he needed to see Snape…." he murmured and I knew I had to go with them.  Jake didn't bother trying to convince me to stay with him.

I went with the others, even though it wasn't easy.  We went to the main courtyard where the stone figures had guarded the main bridge.  Now it was all stone pieces and rubble.  The towers were getting attacked from all angles and spells were everywhere.  

Giants were everywhere, smashing the bits of rubble, trying to crush the wizards on our side.  There were werewolves roaming about, and there were fires and explosions everywhere.  It contrasted completely against the black night.  There wasn't even a moon in the sky, or stars to look at.  It was pure darkness.

When we were taking the path to the boat house, we saw a wave of dementors heading towards us, because Harry was the target.  Suddenly a goat patronus came up from behind us and chased the dementors from us.  As I turned around, I saw that it was Aberforth.  He came and helped thankfully.  

We nodded our thanks as we continued on.  We went down the path and we were careful where we treaded.  You didn't know what would be behind you at this point.  We crept in, on the other side of a fogged glass wall.  On the other side was where the boats were kept, and where, according to the noises, a snake and two people were.  I could see the shadows and the door was slightly ajar.

We would be able to hear everything, so we figured it must be useful.  We could even get the chance to kill the snake.  But for that moment, we just waited silently, crouching behind a couple boxes, and waiting....