Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2
The battle is coming- the moment Azalea had been waiting for for a lifetime and she was ready, ready to do whatever it took for the new family she had met in the meantime. She was ready to defy all odds fo...
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Azalea frowned in confusion as she watched the remaining fighters of their side exciting through the entrance hall into the decrepit courtyard. Hermione and Ron walked arm in arm and Azalea frowned at them as they stopped and looked up at her with nothing but pure, unfiltered sadness in their eyes. The look completely terrified them.
Azalea felt her heart hammering in her chest as she made her way out into the courtyard, all the other sounds of the world were cut off to her as she ran and all those around her quickly stepped aside to let her past. With each step, she second guessed whether she wanted to take it, whether she wanted to see what their faces had already told her. But she knew, she would never believe unless she saw it with her own eyes. She wasn't sure she wanted to believe.
Azalea made it only half way across the courtyard when her heart was ripped from her chest, nothing but excruciating pain shivering along her spine and as her knees dropped her, she wanting nothing more than to just die, right there in that spot, the spot where only a few hours ago she had fought so bravely, so valiantly.
The sky above her painted with beautiful colours, brilliant light that taunted her as her eyes refused to weep. She just sat, in the rubble of the school as those around her released their own expressions of pain. She could do nothing but sit and stare at the body that Hagrid carried. Azalea wanted nothing more than to be wrong, she wanted it to not be him but she would recognise that body anywhere. She would recognise him anywhere.
And it was Voldemort who walked at the front, the man who had been too much of a coward to even fight for his own side. Only now was he returning, now that all the hard parts were over. Azalea felt a blinding rage rip through her like fire and she figured that it was her bodies way of coping. The grief threatened to drown her and the shattered sobbing that stabbed her ears all around was making her chest hurt.
It was then that she realised that it was her who was sobbing, a series of broken sobs that somehow managed to sound inhuman. It was a expulsion of sadness that she had never before experienced and therefore, it was coupled with a pained sob that she had never before produce. Tonks was there, holding her against her chest as she shuddered violently. Azalea was sure that if her heart didn't hurt so much, maybe the shuddering would finish her. It didn't matter anymore that she was weak in front of the others. Nothing mattered anymore.
Nevilles eyes grew a million sizes at the sight before his eyes, the sorting hat clenched tightly in his fist from where he'd found it in the rubble and they were sure he'd rip it with the violence in which his hand shook.
"Who is that?" Ginnys voice shuddered as she asked the question but if Azaleas sadness wasn't enough of an answer, what she could clearly see in front of her would be. "Neville who is it."
"Harry Potter is dead." Voldemort called out in a celebratory fashion and Azalea screeched in an animalistic fashion, darting forward, only to be grabbed around the waist by Remus who pulled her into his chest and did his best to calm her. Though she was distraught. And he was too. "Look at that, the Princess of Hogwarts. Broken" he laughed brilliantly. "From this day forth, you put your faith... In me. Harry Potter is dead!" He called to the remaining crowd of Death Eaters.
"Yeah, well so is Bellatrix" Seamus laughed despite the pain, acting strong because he knew the others couldn't. Voldemort whipped around fast, his face instantly becoming uncaring but his initial reaction was enough to show that he had at least some emotion in that body of his.
"Now is the time to declare yourself" the monster encouraged, ignoring the words of Neville as Nagini slithered around his ankles. Azalea stood on her own now, face like stone but wanting nothing more than to crumble back into the ground. A steadying hand on her shoulder from Remus was enough. "Or die."
"Draco" Lucius Malfoy hissed and the boy in question blinked, staring over at his parents who were watching him with faces of desperation. Azalea looked back at the boy and he just blinked as his parents called him. The boy made his way forward and everyone sighed in sadness at the sight of it. But he shocked them all, because he stopped.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed as he saw one of his Death Eaters sons stop before him. The blond boy stared at those he called family, and then reached down to link his fingers with Azaleas, defiantly. The brunette girl looked up at him in awe and he nodded once, solemnly. There was horror on all the crowds faces but he stood strong and Alastor Moody coughed, covering a chuckle.
"Draco?" Voldemort questioned.
"I will not join you." His parents looked like they were going to cry.
"Then you shall be the first to die." He informed as if it didn't matter in the slightest and the crowd exchanged glances. Neville limped forward and everyone stared at him.
"Well, I must say that I had hoped for better," the Death Eaters laughed and Voldemort's terrible use of humour.
"And who might you be, young man?" He questioned and those on the 'good side' exchanged glances of horror at the sight of the boy standing forward valiantly.
"Neville Longbottom" and they all laughed at his name too.
"Well, Neville. I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks."
"I'd like to say something!" He decided and everyone looked at one another.
"Well, Neville. I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say." Voldemort ground out through his teeth and it was clear that he was unhappy.
"It doesn't matter than Harry's gone," Neville started and Seamus visibly blanched at the words.
"Stand down Neville." Seamus scoffed in anger.
"People die every day" Neville reminded. "Friends, family. Yeah, we lost Harry tonight. He's still with us, in here." He pointed to his chest as tears slipped down Azaleas cheeks slowly. Fred and George hugged her close from either side. "So is Percy, and Colin, all of them. They didn't die in vain. But you wil!" He demanded to Voldemort and he was already laughing. "Because you're wrong. Harry's heart did beat for us, for all of us." He demanded and even Azalea could not help but slip out a smile when Neville pulled the sword of Gryffindor straight from the sorting hat.
Neville Longbottom showed immense bravery on that night, bravery that made Godric Gryffindor proud. Azalea gasped, pressing her hand to her mouth as Hagrid dropped Harry but the second the boy hit the ground, he bounced back up again and it was as if a light had be relit in Azalea once more. She stepped forward, wide eyed as he sprinted off, a cheer being heard as he was chased by an incredibly angry Voldemort. The Death Eaters, seeing that they were clearly outnumbered, began to vanish and Draco grinned in victory.
"I'll lure him into the castle" Harry informed in a hushed voice, grabbing Azaleas hands and pulling her into his chest and in through the front door. She was completely overwhelmed, exhausted from her emotional rollercoaster but completely thrilled to see him, even as the battle continued. "We have to kill the snake."
