The War | The Sister Book #4 | Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter Forty

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We hurry through the castle, the corridors no longer filled with students running every direction, they snap and crack with curses and flame. I curse and disarm as people appear and disappear around us, I duck as a spell flies over my head, throwing one back over my shoulder as I stumble down the stairs. We round a corner and Harry pushes us back as a curse hits the corner of the wall in front of us. I push forward, reaching around the corner and stunning the hulking man who was guarding it, who then flies back into the smoke. 

We bolt across the doorway into the mess of battle, desperately avoiding the curses thrown around us as we stumble over rubble and come face to face with a giant, and as he swings his weapon we run, skidding through stone and crouching behind the clock tower bell as his weapon crashes into it. We go to run forward but a wall of giant, vicious spiders runs at us, and we turn. 

I duck under the giant's legs, stunning one Death Eater and killing another as we push through to the edge of the courtyard where I freeze, seeing Fenrir Greyback hunched over a lifeless body. Hermione screams in protest and as I recognise Lavander Brown's hair she twists her wand through the air, throwing him off of her body. We continue to run, the giant hurtling it's weapon at us as we leap over the courtyard wall and towards the boathouse, when we look up we see a black sky choked with dementors and I freeze, Harry raises his wand, but from behind us, a wall of white light screams through the darkness and sends the dementors flying backwards.

Harry grabs my sleeve, leading me down the path towards the water. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. 

We reach the boathouse, moving slowly and crouching behind an upturned boat, hearing two voices from within the small building. These walls are lined with tall windows, through them we can see two figures. This is where first years arrive in their boats and inside there are to lanes of water where their boats pull up for them to disembark. I can hear the water lapping against the stone from where I crouch.  

"There is no wand more powerful, Olivander himself has said it," Snape's cool voice makes me shiver, I peer through the glass, seeing the snake hiss and curl on the floor at Voldemorts' feet, "Tonight, when they come, it will not fail you I am sure of it," He pauses, "It answers to you, and you only,"

I frown at his words but press my head against the wood of the boat awaiting Voldemort's response.

"Does it?"

"My Lord?"

"The wand, does it truly answer to me?" Voldemort circles Snape like a vulture about to feed, "You're a clever man Severus, surely you must know, where does it's true loyalty lie?"

"With you, my Lord," Snape turns his back to the window, and I can see his hands fidgeting, 

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly because I am not it's true master," He pauses, and when Snape does not speak, he continues, "The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard that killed it's last owner. You killed Dumbledore, Severus," I freeze, no, wait- "While you live, the wand cannot truly be mine."

My heart stops.

"You've been a good and faithful servant, Severus, but only I can live forever," 

"My lord-"

Snape staggers back, falling to the ground, slouched against the window in front of me. I can see blood splattered on the glass. My hand covers my mouth as I subdue a cry. 

"Nagini, kill," Voldemort murmurs, 

The snake arches its neck and then strikes, again and again, into Severus's body. 

Thump, 

thump, 

thump against the glass over and over and blood smears across it and tears sting at my eyes and I flinch again and again. 

Then it stops. 

I cannot see through the glass, but I hear someone dissaparate and I stand running towards the door and through it without checking if he was still there.

I step into a silent room.

My eyes fall on Severus, slumped against the wall, blood covered, his eyes flicker to mine. They soften. I shake my head, stumbling over to him and pressing my hand against his butchered neck. Tears stream down my face as he reaches his right hand up and pins a few strands behind my ear. I shake my head frantically. He can't die I won't let him die he can't I won't-

A tear streams down his face and he motions at them. 

"Take them," He croaks in a voice almost impossible to hear,

I nod my head reeling, "Hermione, I need a flask anything-" 

Harry kneels beside me as Hermione passes me a flask and I collect Severus's tears. I take them, squeezing them in my hand. 

"Take them to the pensive," He whispers, and I nod, staring at the flask and trying to stop myself from crying.

"Look at me,"

Harry and I both look up.

"You have your mother's eyes," He whispers, smiling slightly. 

He lets out a breath, his eyes going blank and his head lolling to the side. I pull my bloodied hand away. I take a breath, looking away from him and standing. I cork the flask, reaching my hand into the water and rinsing off his blood wordlessly as the others watch. I pass Harry the tears and he slowly takes them watching me as if expecting a breakdown. I won't be having one. 

It slices through me like a dagger and I stumble slightly, bracing myself on the wall as the ringing noise, much like a kettle boiling but higher pitched, morphs into a whisper. Hermione kneels, her hands pressed to her ears.

You have fought valiantly, but in vain.

It echoes through my whole body,

I do not wish this, every drop of magic blood spilt is a terrible waste,

I, therefore, command my forces to retreat, in their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity,

His voice suddenly becomes louder, more focused, 

Clara and Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you, on this night you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself,

There is no greater dishonour

Join me in the forbidden forest and confront your fate

If you do not do this I shall kill every last man, woman, and child, who tried to conceal you from me,

you have one hour.

His voice retreats and reality fades back into being. Shakily, I look up at the others, a heavy feeling in my chest like nothing I've ever felt before. There is a truth there. As my eyes meet Harry's, a fear claws at me that I've ignored for months now.

We cannot survive this.