Cash and Burn (Sequel)

Chapter 14

Harry smiled over at Draco, he looked as though he were going to pop.

"Hello, my Dragon- my Lilly, I have missed you... so terribly." Harry greeted his family, beginning to cry. Draco rushed forward, embracing Harry in a tight hug, he kissed the places where the tears ran down.

"Don't cry, my love, not yet. This is not over. I love you, Harry Potter," he whispered, his kisses becoming feverish and he winced, doubling over in pain, "wake up, my love. Wake up."

"Draco- I don't want to. I want to stay with you, what's wrong?"

"We don't have much time, Harry, go!"

Harry's emerald eyes snapped open, only to meet the intense blue of Narcissa Malfoy's, bent down and gazing at him intently. She prodded him with her wand a bit, making eye contact. A part of Harry wanted to rise up and kill her, but he did not. He just lay there, still and staring.

"Do not lose faith," she half whispered, half hissed, "your dragon lives. Your child lives." Then, she stood, looking much like the noble Black she was.

"Is he? Is he dead Narcissa?" Lucius called. Narcissa nodded in return,

"Dead."

Harry's eyes shifted up, trying to see what he could without alerting his enemies. His mind was swirling with what Narcissa had said. Then he saw it, the sword of Gryffindor, laying still beside Neville's corpse. Had that been there before? Neville had been in posession... had he drawn it as he fell? Blaise's large black wing covered most of the Gryffindor's body and as he stared Harry realized he was staring back into two large yellow eyes beneath a fold of the wing. Blaise's eyes. Alive and staring at him contentedly. Harry frowned slightly, confused. Blaise only winked in return, motionless. The world spun around Harry as he heard Voldemort approaching.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear Hagrid, sobbing as one of the Death Eater's ordered him forward to carry Harry's "corpse". He lay still, motionless as Hagrid lifted him, sobbing even harder.

"To the castle, filth!" Voldemort ordered and they were off. Harry hung as limply as he could, Hagrid following Voldemort and the Death Eater's back to Hogwarts. He kept his head turned though, watching behind Hagrid- staring at Draco's still and lifeless form. Then, he noticed something he hadn't before. A tail. Draco didn't have a tail. He stared harder, not noticing Blaise rise, helping Neville up and quietly raising into the sky. Draco's body was all he could see. It shimmered slightly, and then moved. Draco stood, slowly and quietly. His form shimmered again, shifting as the disillusionment charm disappeared. Not daring to look at Harry, he rose quietly into the dark sky, armor gone, belly completely and utterly swollen.

Voldemort was speaking, voice magically amplified, addressing the castle full of witches and wizards.

"Harry Potter is *dead*!" he cried, the remaining Death Eaters laughing and carrying on, people crying and screaming inside, "come and join me now, we will find a place for you in our ranks!" he carried on but Harry had tuned him out, grasping his wand. Hagrid started at the slight movement and stared at him, saying nothing. Harry lay motionless past that though, watching as Blaise and Neville landed first. Narcissa and Severus had slowly been making their way to the back of the group, wands aimed in case they were noticed. The interior of the castle had grown eerily quiet as Voldemort spoke, all the Death Eater's taking it as a sign of reverence.

They had no idea what was going on behind them, but Harry had a clear view. Hermione and Ron landed next, clinging together on a single broom. Draco was last, kneeling as he landed, a great deal of pain obvious on his face. Then, from the castle, another voice spoke- just as loud as Voldemort's.

"Tom Riddle! We will never bow to you! Like a Phoenix, we will rise from these ashes and we will be free!" It was Dumbledore, standing tall and proud in the entrance. Every single wand joined together then, sending showers of silver and green, red and gold, blue and bronze, yellow and black. Not threatened, Voldemort laughed at what he called a side show and delaying the inevitable. However, it was enough of a distraction for Harry to jump down from Hagrid's arms, free.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion then. Someone yelled about the scene behind them, Dumbledore and the remaining survivors poured from Hogwarts, rushing the Death Eaters. When they came together it appeared something like ocean waves crashing against rocks. Nagini was swirling around in between everyone, rising to strike as Neville drew the sword, sending Nagini back to whatever hell she had slithered out of. Voldemort was turning, screaming for the loss of the snake- drawing the elder wand he had taken posession of when defeating Dumbledore. A curse flew from it, aimed for Harry.

Coming to, Harry dove out of the way, rolling to the side and barely missing being struck. He turned as he fell, wand aimed at Voldemort. Neville was rushing foward to his left, Draco and Blaise on his heels. Hermione and Ron were to his right, drawing theirs as well,

"Expelliarmus!" was the cry, coming from all of them. Lucius Malfoy spun, wand aimed straight at them and was firing off curses. A few others rushed to his and the Dark Lord's aid. Harry scrambled behind a pile of rocks, dodging curses and being struck only once, a large gash across his chest. Panting, he checked the scene. Ron and Hermione were hidden behind what had once been a pillar, Hermione's face swollen, she was screaming, desperately holding to Ron who yanked free, rushing forward- towards Lucius. Neville was there now, doing his best to distract them from Ron. Harry spun around and stood, firing off every hex they had practiced over the summer. He vaguely heard Hermione screaming a curse, pushing Lucius into a large piece of the castle that had fallen. But Ron was gone, nowhere to be seen. Voldemort was screaming, searching for the elder wand that had been knocked from him.

Suddenly, there was a slight shimmer and Ron was standing beside Harry, invisibilty cloak and Elder wand in hand. Grabbing him, the red head pulled Harry down. He was shaking and covered in boils, that burst every few moments- oozing blood.

"It was a spell Harry, a spell!" he cried above the uproar, his hand held out, offering the Elder Wand. Harry grasped it, staring at his wounded friend.

"GO!" Hermione cried, rushing to their side, "stop this! End it, Harry!"

Harry turned as he stood, the others rushing to his side. Voldemort had grabbed Lucius' wand and was firing off curses, killing several students in his path. Harry yelled,

"Tom! I am the owner of the Elder Wand now!" Death Eaters rushed to stand beside their Lord, supporting him. Ron was leaning on Hermione, holding his side. Neville and Blaise stood together, arms around each other's waists. They stood in support of Harry, and that was when he noticed a very pregnant Draco standing beside him. Scowling, he reached out and took Harry's hand- their bond sizzling at the connection,

"Do it, Potter!" He snapped. Harry smiled brilliantly at him, realizing that Voldemort had just called his name as well, his wand shooting a spell at them. Harry screamed,

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" a jet of green light meeting Voldemort's and destroying his spell as it struck the Dark Lord square in the chest, he spun with the force of it, falling to his knees. He screamed as his body began to disintergrate- Death Eater's abandoning him left and right, loud pops as they swirled away.