November Snow

s i x t y - s i x

They poured back into the castle as the Death Eaters advanced, all they knew was that they had hope. Harry was still alive, he was still fighting, they still had a light, that was all that mattered. While Harry faced the Dark Lord outside the castle, inside the Great Hall, students and teachers picked their own enemies and fought bravely. 

Hermione and Ron went to face Nagini, Voldemort's last Horcrux. They knew it would be hard, but they had to try. They had the determination, and they had a basilisk fang, that was quite enough, right? Hermione shook as she threw a rock in her hand at the large snake, and she started slithering towards her. She stood her ground as Ron appeared from behind with the last basilisk fang in his hand. 

As they thought it would succeed, Nagini noticed Ron's presence and whipped her tail, knocking the fang out of his hand. It tumbled down the stairs, and the snake turned towards Ron. She writhed forward angrily as Ron dashed away, Hermione soon joined him. They ran quickly down the stairs, Nagini at their heels. Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her closer as he turned around and tried to use the Killing Curse on the Horcrux. The green light fired from his wand and hit Nagini, only to travel along her length and disappear, leaving no marks or fatal wound on the snake. She continued to move towards them.

In the Great Hall, Draco was standing face to face with November. He gripped his wand tightly, but he couldn't find the courage to fight her. He had been avoiding her curses, leaping and jumping and dodging. She approached him, emotionless, her face as cold and hard as stone, but glittering tears kept pouring from her eyes. She fired at him once again and he moved just in time to feel it gushed past his cheek and hit the wall behind him.

"November, I know you're still in there." He said "I know you can hear me."

He dropped to the floor and the curse flew past above him, then he jumped up again. He had to get through the curse Voldemort placed on her to reach her.

"Please, fight the curse." He pleaded "I beg you. Please."

She pulled to a sudden halt, but as he thought she was able to fight the Imperius Curse, she fired a Killing Curse towards him, which he barely escaped. It was hopeless for him and her.

On the staircases, terrified, Ron and Hermione fell backwards. He pulled her closer and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, their eyes squeezed shut as Nagini launched forth. They couldn't believe they would die this way, because of a snake, but it was coming for them. Were they accepting their fates now? Possibly, being killed by Voldemort's snake was something they never thought would come.

But it didn't come. Out of nowhere Neville jumped into sight, swinging his long, shiny Sword of Gryffindor he pulled out of the Sorting Hat. Help always come to those who deserves them, Dumbledore had once said. This was the help Ron and Hermione deserved for all those years being loyal to Harry. This was the help all good people deserved for never give in to the Dark Lord. The sword's cold blade cut right through Nagini' throat as she was lunging for Ron and Hermione, she turned into dust and vanished before her dead body touched the ground. 

They made it. They destroyed all the Horcruxes. 

Voldemort froze. He could feel it, the life leaving Nagini's body. He could feel the pain of his last piece of soul being destroyed by the blade of the Sword of Gryffindor. In pain and agony, he drew his last bit of power and poured it into the Elder Wand, firing at Harry in front of him outside the castle. The two wands connected. He had to win, he had come so far, he had sacrificed too many. 

But he wasn't strong anymore. Seven pieces of his soul were destroyed, part of his invincible power with them. Now he was weak, weaker than Harry Potter. The boy expelled the wand from his grip and the Elder Wand flew in the air, twirled and landed in Harry's hand. Voldemort stood there, defeated.

November suddenly stopped. Draco slowly stood up as she tumbled a little bit, then he could see her soul returning in her eyes. He smiled, but the happiness and joy was short lived. November's wand slipped from her hand, her eyes dilated and she collapsed. Draco sprinted towards her, just in time to catch her before her head hit the solid ground. He pulled her closer to his chest, frantically checking to see if she was okay.

Voldemort stared at Harry, his eyes visible with shock. Slowly, as the last bit of power and soul in him left him, he dropped to the ground. Voldemort, or Tom Marvolo Riddle, the boy born out of love potion, once the brightest student of Hogwarts, the Dark Lord, the terror and nightmare of the Wizarding World, was dead. Not the way he disappeared at the end of the First Wizarding War, he was dead, for real, and for eternity.

For a moment, there was silence. They were still processing what was going on. But before they could even cheer for their victory, a heartbreaking cry echoed the Great Hall. Everyone turned to see Draco Malfoy cradling November Avery, his tears fell onto her pale cheeks, his hand gripped hers. She didn't move or showed any sign she was alive. She wasn't breathing, her heart wasn't beating.

They were all watching. Harry's head hung low, Ron squeezed Hermione's hand as she let out a whimper, Luna and Nevilled looked grimly at the couple, George pulled Ginny into a hug as she sobbed and he stared at the girl he considered as one of his best friends and a sister, Molly and Arthur Weasley looked distraught, as if they just lost another child. Draco's cry filled the room, he buried his face in her hair, praying that it wasn't real.

Suddenly, he felt a movement, and she gasped. His face shot up and he stared at her in wonder as she coughed and slowly opened her eyes. She glanced around, her eyes landed on him. He was unsure.

"November?" Draco asked.

"You look horrible when you cry, Malfoy." She said with a raspy voice.

There she was, the girl who was tortured, who disappeared and was held under the Imperius Curse, the girl who just came back from the dead. There she was, alive.

And the entire castle exploded with cheers. They did it. 

It all ended now.