A Twist of Fate

Chapter 17: The Deathly Hallows

It had been weeks, even months since Harry had felt the warm touches of Hogwarts. Then again, Hogwarts was fresh out of anything humble or comforting. Ever since Dumbledore died, things had darkened not just there, but everywhere in the world. Even Diagon Alley, which had once been riddled with flurries of good witches and wizards was now a barren wasteland where anyone caught with their guard down was torn to shreds. Harry knew that he couldn't have gone back to Hogwarts in the first place for his final year. But he felt his heart break whenever he heard stories of what was happening.

Death Eaters torturing students, other teachers unable to do a thing...it made his gut rot. So he, Ron, and Hermione set themselves to finding the rest of the Horcruxes and destroying them. This proved to be more difficult than they originally thought, what with challenging the Dark Lord and all.
Harry thought of Malfoy, no, Draco. He had probably succumbed to his father's wishes and joined the Death Eaters, or at least got special treatment. Or maybe he was rebelling, trying at last to set things right. Would the Death Eaters hurt him? If even one of them laid a finger on Draco...Harry shook the fierce thought from his head. There was no way he could be in pain right now, right? With the connections he has, it should be nearly impossible. Right? The image of Draco, barely alive and bathed in blood, flashed across his eyes. He jumped out of his skin, the scar of the image still in the back of his head. That wouldn't happen, he assured himself. Not while he was around.

Harry leaned his head against the snowy, oak tree. He had been sitting there for a while, among the trees and innocence of a white, winter day. Each falling flake seemed to drift in slow-motion, glimmering in the crystal light. He gazed over to where Hermione was, emerging from the yellowish-brown tent. Ron was probably inside, trying to keep warm. He watched her take strides to where he was. Today she wore a salmon knit hat, a pink scarf, a tight winter jacket, jeans, and a pair of snow-encrusted boots.

"Harry," she said, her breath like fire in the cool air. "can you come inside? It's time to switch the locket, anyway. We need to get moving and discuss our next move." Harry nodded, brushing off the back of his legs as he stood. His pants were a little soggy now, which annoyed him, but it was his own fault for sitting in the snow in the first place.

He walked inside the tent, and was happily greeted by a wave of warmth. As Harry made his way through the tent, which was much bigger on the inside, a prickling feeling seeped its way through his spine. Ron wasn't here. The crushing pain came back to Harry, as the full realization of what had happened came to light. Ron had left after a heated argument and Harry hadn't seen him since. How long had it been? In reality, it was only a day, but it felt like an eternity. The absence of his best friend took away the comforting feeling of the tent, and instead implanted a seed of regret and worry. Most of all, Harry was worried sick. It seemed there was no end to the internal horror he had to face.

His heart beat frantically inside of his chest, the tips of his fingers pulsating with fear and anticipation. Harry leaned against the cool, brick walls of Hogwarts and tried to calm himself down. Spells flew all around him, his classmates dropping like flies. The Battle of Hogwarts had begun. Barely dodging a killing curse aimed by his ear, Harry sprinted again through the crowd of Death Eaters and students, yelling "Stupefy!" over and over. Harry tried swallowing to moisten his dry throat, but each new horror he saw turned his mouth into sandpaper. He knew what he had to do, and found himself in a dilemma. Voldemort had called upon him to meet face to face in the Forbidden Forest, and to be quite frank, Harry wasn't ready. He knew he had no chance. But if no one tried to stop him, then nothing would happen.

Harry miraculously managed to slip outside with only a few scratches. He passed by the body of a young, blonde boy, his face still and eyes wide open. He couldn't bear to look at it any longer. Harry knelt down and closed the dead boy's eyes, his mind already made up. He would face Voldemort. Of course, he had to. Only he could stop this madness. Harry marched by Hagrid's hut, the memories of his home flooding back to him in an instant. Hagrid hatching a dragon egg, Norbert causing havoc, Ron burping up slugs, Cornelius Fudge sacking Hagrid, saving Buckbeak from execution, caring for Blast-Ended Skrewts, Umbridge sacking Hagrid for his half-giant blood, the hut in flames on the night of Dumbledore's death, and yet it was still standing. Harry's eyes welled up with tears. Visions of Hermione and Ron flashed in his mind. Sitting in the common room, avoiding death, whatever it was. He thought of Draco, who was most likely somewhere in the castle. Forced to take Voldemort's side with his parents. Harry knew that Draco would much rather be out of this war and not have to take the side of evil. He looked up to the giant trees of the Forbidden Forest, ready to accept his fate.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" Harry's eyes widened. He knew that voice better than anything. He turned around and saw the tear-stained, cold, grey orbs of the man he loved more than love itself.

"Draco," Harry breathed, cracking a smile in spite of everything.

"Answer me!" he demanded, eyes glowing with a fierceness Harry had never seen before. Harry gave a fake laugh.

"You know I have to do this. There's no one else who can stop Voldemort from taking over. I'm going to the Forbidden Forest to take him on."

"Harry, you can't! He'll kill you, I know it! It's not a fair fight!"

"It never was, Draco! I can at least say goodbye to you while I have the chance?" Draco fired up angrily. "There's no damn way I'm going to let you go out there when I bloody well know how it's going to end!" He grabbed Harry's hand tightly, his hand shaking and sweating. Harry wiped the tears from his eyes, shaking his head sadly. Draco's gaze fell to the grassy ground as he squeezed Harry's hand.

"Draco?" He lifted his gaze. They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like a lifetime. Before he knew what he was doing, Harry felt himself press his lips against Draco's. His lips were cold, chapped, yet inviting. They held the kiss, each of them savouring the other. Harry could feel the tears running down Draco's face as they broke apart, and once he opened his eyes Harry wanted to cry as well. It broke him to see Draco this way. Draco turned away, embarrassed.

"Promise that you'll come back," he said, unable to conceal the tears any longer. "Promise you'll stay with me forever."

"Until the very end," Harry said, squeezing Draco's hand in reassurance. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Harry let go of Draco's hand for good, slowly sinking into the trees. Draco stared after him, a hand clenched against his heart.

Harry walked through the Forbidden Forest, the pattern of trees and dirt melding together in his mind. He had no clear path, his only goal to seek out Voldemort and finish things once and for all. After a brief chat with all of the people who had previously died, Harry felt the courage roaring in his chest like a lion, pushing him forward.

"Is the boy here yet?" he heard Bellatrix Lestrange say.

"He has but a few minutes to arrive," the cold voice of Voldemort ran like a chill through his spine. "Perhaps I was...mistaken." This was it. Harry emerged from the trees, coming into view for Voldemort and his followers to see.

"You weren't," he said.

"Harry? NO!" Hagrid yelled, tied up by rope and at wandpoint.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort said. His cool voice flickering like fire. "the boy who lived." He said nothing, watching as Voldemort raised his wand. He wanted it to be over quickly, so that he didn't go back on his word. Please, he thought. Harry's piercing green eyes stared into Voldemort's curious red ones. He saw the mouth move, and a flash of green light, and the sudden appearance of a body before he shut his eyes. A second passed, and Harry realized that he wasn't dead. He slowly opened them, and almost vomited. The body that had suddenly appeared, the body that had jumped in front of him to take the killing blow...Narcissa Malfoy screamed, her face becoming wretched with tears. In front of Harry was none other than the one he loved, the body of Draco Malfoy.