Muggle (Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 24

My screams were enough to break the silence as the protectors of Hogwarts began yelling. I fell to the ground and George lunged for me. Flames erupted on Neville's head and he screamed as he was cursed in his spot.

      George picked me up as duels began to break out. He stopped as we were behind a stable wall. I stumbled but caught myself. "I'm good," I took in a shaky breath. "Go, help the family."

      "Get out of here," George gripped my upper arms. "I can't have you getting hurt again."

       I nodded but then stopped. "I'll get Ginny and we'll leave. I'm not leaving her here!"

      George hesitated but I stood my ground. "Let's go," our hands linked; my right with his left so he could fend off Death Eaters.

      Death Eaters and allies alike were moving towards the Great Hall. George and I followed them and searched for Ginny and the rest of the family. "Charlie!" George yelled. We rushed towards the second oldest Weasley and began fighting to help him. I searched the Great Hall for Ginny.

      "Lee!" George called out. A dark skinned man with long dreadlocks around George's age was dueling a Death Eater. George ran towards the man named Lee and pulled me with him. I took out a Death Eater that was going to blindside Charlie.

      "Watch your back, Charlie!" I yelled to him.

      White tendrils of light flew from my hands and helped Lee and George slam the Death Eater onto the ground. He fell unconscious and I threw his body onto the ground for good measure.

      "Cate!" Ron came barreling towards me. He pulled him into a hug. A Death Eater appeared behind Ron and I threw him across the room by his leg.

      "Have you seen Ginny?" I frantically asked. Neville fought his way over to us. Ron shot a stunning spell at a Death Eater dueling a student. "Look at me!" His head quickly towards me. "Have you seen your sister?"

      Bellatrix's cackle was hear and my heart shattered. "No," I whispered.

      Hermione, Ginny, and a blonde girl was dueling Bellatrix. I fought my way towards the three-to-one duel. Courage shot through my body and I yelled towards the Death Eater.

      "Bellatrix!" I yelled. She shot the Killing Curse at Ginny. I screamed yet the curse missed her by an inch.

      "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Aunt Molly threw off her cloak as she ran. I fell in stride with her but she pushed me behind her. Bellatrix cackled and shot the Killing Curse at me. I fell to the ground and the curse barely missed me.

      "NEITHER OF MY DAUGHTERS!" Aunt Molly screamed. "OUT OF MY WAY!" The three girls and I were pushed back as Aunt Molly began to duel my worse nightmare.

      I protected Aunt Molly from an oncoming Death Eaters. Aunt Molly dueled Bellatrix with such ferocity that I had never seen from her before. Bellatrix's face fell from a demented smile and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked both women were fighting to kill.

      "No!" Aunt Molly cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

      "What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way her precious baby girls will be soon?"

      "You - will - never - touch - our - children - again!" screamed Aunt Molly.

      Bellatrix laughed but it seemed to early as Aunt Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

      Her face froze in a gloating smile and her eyes seemed to bulge. I flicked my wrist towards her and her motionless body was pushed backwards.

      I went to cheer but was thrown into battle once more. George rushed towards me as You-Know-Who screamed. The three wizards and Professor McGonagall were thrown backwards as You-Know-Who rid of them. You-Know-Who raised his head and directed it at Aunt Molly and I.

      My body reacted to the wand and I crouched to the ground. I turned away from You-Know-Who; my back the first defense against whatever he was going to throw at me. "Protego!" roared Harry.

      George reached me and pulled me up. Harry became visible as a cloak fell off of him.
Screams for Harry radiated around the hall.

      I was pulled to the wall by George. He covered my body with his as the rest of the family found us. Ginny ran into my arms and I clutched her. Aunt Molly wrapped her arms around both of us as we all shed a few tears.

      "He's alive," Gin breathed. "Harry's alive!"

      "I don't want anyone else to help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

      Hermione appeared by Fred as did Ron. You-Know-Who hissed.

      "Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

      I had not power left to cover Harry. My body slumped and I leaned heavily on Ginny.

      "Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good . . ."

      "One of us?" jeered You-Know-Who, and his looked like a snake ready to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

      I was unable to focus as I thought about Bellatrix. She's truly dead, I whispered in my mind. Bellatrix Lestrange can never hurt me, or anyone else, ever again.

      "Avada Kedavra!"

      "Expelliarmus!"

      The bang was like a cannon blast. Golden flames erupted between the two spells. You-Know-Who's wand flew like a bird across the hall towards Harry. He caught the wand as Voldemort fell backwards. His arms splayed as he hit the ground. The body once known as You-Know-Who seemed feeble and shrunken.

      You-Know-Who was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at the enemy's shell. It was silent before the cheering started.

      Ron and Hermione reached Harry first. Ginny tore out of Aunt Molly and I's
arms as she reached Harry second with Neville and the blonde girl who dueled Bellatrix. I followed the Weasley family as all celebrated.

      George's hand found its way onto my barely evident baby bump. "We're safe," breathed George. "He's finally gone and we're all safe."