In The End

Chapter 40 - The Battle of Hogwarts

Luna looked around frantically as she sent spells flying in every direction, trying to clear herself a path down the stairs and back to the Great Hall.

"Luna!" She heard, before turning around and aiming her wand as a precaution.

It was Neville.

"Neville." She said in a relieved tone.

She couldn't recall ever being happier to see him.

"I need to tell you something." He said quickly.

Luna lowered her wand slightly.

"What is it? What happened to your face?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion as she looked at the blood dripping down the side of his face.

Neville tried to get the words out, but he just couldn't, so instead, he walked up to her and grabbed her face before planting his lips onto hers. Luna was surprised at first, but then soon kissed him back.

She certainly hadn't expected this.

When he pulled away, he looked at her expectantly. She was still in shock.

"I liked you since the day you told me I could be great at Herbology if I wanted to." He said breathlessly, before scurrying off, apparently not brave enough to hear her response just yet.

Luna grinned, before turning around and shooting another Stupefy at a deatheaters coming down the steps. She ran down the rest of the steps and tried to block out all the injured or dead people strewn on the ground like ants after getting sprayed with pesticide.

As she ran down the corridor, she felt a hand grab her arm and shot around to send another hex in the kidnapper's direction, but immediately stopped when she saw who it was.

"Eliza!" She said in surprise, pulling her friend into a hug.

"Luna, we need to make our way out right now. The Dark Lord is almost here and we've got to get to safety!" She said quickly, pulling Luna away.

Luna resisted and stayed in her spot.

"I can't leave Harry and the others. They need as much help as they can get." She said.

Eliza paused.

"So you won't be coming then?" She asked resignedly.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I understand... Well if you're not going, then I'm not going." She shrugged.

Luna grinned.

"Alright, let's go." She said excitedly, before taking Eliza's hand and pulling her into the direction of the courtyard.

When they heard Voldemort's message for Harry to meet him in the Forbidden Forest, they knew they battle would be over soon. Luna suggested that they find McGonagall and ask for further instruction, which Eliza had no choice but to agree with.

They were helping clear the bodies of both deatheaters and wizards out of the Great Hall, as well as moving those injured into it, when Neville asked everyone to go to the Courtyard.

Luna and Eliza stood near the front of the crowd that had begun forming, when they saw it. Voldemort was walking steadily across the bridge with a group of deatheaters following behind.

Ginny saw Harry's lifeless body before the rest of them. She ran towards Voldemort with her wand raised.

"No! NOOO!" Ginny screamed as her father held her back.

"Stupid girl. Harry Potter is dead. From this day forth, you put your faith in me. Harry Potter is dead!" He shouted, and the deatheaters laughed.

Eliza tensed when she heard Bellatrix cackling. She could see Lucius and Narcissa standing at the front. Where was Draco?

"Come forward and join us... or die." Voldemort said.

There was silence.

"Draco... Draco." Lucius said desperately.

Eliza looked around, before her eyes landed on a familiar head of white hair a few metres diagonally in front of her.

"Draco. Come." Narcissa said.

Draco swallowed hard as he began to step forward.

"Ah, well done Draco. Well done." Voldemort said as he gave Draco a stiff embrace.

Draco could feel his blood running cold. Touching him was like touching hell itself, at least, the cold version of hell in Dante's Divine Comedy, which Eliza had given him to read a few months prior.

Eliza clenched her jaw. Part of her was glad that he stepped forward. She didn't want him to be killed. She did, however, feel angry at the disappointed looks everyone gave him. If only they knew...

Neville then stepped forward, and gave the speech that was written in all the books on the Battle of Hogwarts years later, but the real surprise happened when Harry jumped out of Hagrid's arms and stood up, completely alive again.

All hell broke loose after that. Deatheaters started disappearing and Neville pulled out the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Draco knew that this was their chance.

"Eliza!" He shouted, causing her to nod at him in understanding.

She looked at Luna for guidance.

"Go," Luna whispered, "You've done more than enough. Be safe." She smiled softly, touching Eliza's arm for reassurance.

Eliza nodded and took the book out of her cloak. She quickly unwrapped the cloth and looked up at Draco.

"I love you!" She shouted, before touching the Portkey and apparating away.

Draco let out a sigh of relief and turned to face his mother.

"We'd better leave." He said, grabbing Narcissa's hand and walking away, Lucius following closely behind.

After they had distanced themselves, they apparated away too.