Out of the Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 33- The Forest (Ava)

Chapter 33 (Ava)

My body felt numb. I didn't know how long it had been since Voldemort's announcement, but it had felt like hours. Carrying bodies into the castle had been tiring work- not just physically but emotionally, and I was becoming more and more worried- I hadn't seen Neville for hours, and had no idea where he was. I feared to look at the face of every body that was carried in. Until-

"Ava."

Neville's voice rang out across the Great Hall, and my whole body sagged with relief. We moved towards each other, stumbling into a clumsy embrace.

"I thought you were dead," Neville whispered, "I hadn't seen you for... for hours-"

"We're fine," I murmured against his cheek, "We're fine."

He squeezed me to him tightly, and after a moment I pulled away, "Come on, there's still a few more bodies."

We moved out of the hall, walking past Fred as we did. He gave me a small smile and I managed one back, but I still felt hollow inside.

As we turned the corner, I spotted a smaller figure slumped in the corner, and Neville's hand instantly wrapped itself around mine. The air rushed out of my lungs.

"Colin," I whispered, and I felt bile rise up in my throat, "Oh, God..."

I hadn't realised he'd snuck back in to fight- I hadn't known, otherwise I would have stopped him. I suddenly felt the guilt for all these deaths crush me, and I stepped back, pulling my hand away from Neville's.

"I'm sorry, I... I can't..."

I didn't wait to see Neville's reaction, and simply turned away. Part of me considered going back to the Great Hall to see Fred, but the knowledge that Remus' body was right there was too much to bear. Instead, I approached the doors and stood outside, staring around me at the destruction that the battle had caused.

I dropped my head, expecting tears to fall, but none came. Perhaps I'd seen so much death I'd become numb to it. Perhaps I'd lost the ability to feel. Perhaps I feared that we were losing this war after all, after everything that had happened.

I refused to stop fighting though. I wouldn't allow everyone's deaths to go by without being worth something.

"Ava."

I gasped loudly as Harry emerged in front of me, dropping the Invisibility Cloak from his head.

"Harry," I whispered, "You're... what are you doing?"

He blinked at me, looking as though he were in a dream, "Ava... I have to... I have to go. To the Forbidden Forest-"

"No." I stopped him, "Don't say that. There's a way... Everyone here still wants to fight. We won't let you die-"

"I have to die, Ava," He murmured, and I stared.

"No you don't. You don't have to be a martyr, Harry. This isn't how it ends-"

"Stop!" His plea was weak, "Ava, I'm not being a martyr. I do. I have to die."

I shook my head slowly, and he began to speak again before I could.

"The mission I went on- the one I wouldn't tell you about," He began, "I was searching for something called horcruxes- they're a part of your soul that allows you to live longer. You can only die if the horcruxes are destroyed. Voldemort... he split his soul into seven. We've almost destroyed them all, but..."

I stared at him, willing him not to say what I thought he was going to say.

"A part of Voldemort's soul lives inside me, Ava. He can't die unless I die."