Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 184

I don't know how long I was standing there, frozen on my spot. It felt like hours, or maybe even days. But gulping, I finally started to walk back to the castle.

My heart was beating faster and faster by each step that I took toward the entrance hall.

The castle was unnaturally silent. There were no flashes of light now, no bangs or screams or shouts. The flagstones of the deserted entrance hall were stained with blood.

My stomach lurched painfully as I entered the Great Hall. The House tables were gone and the room was crowded.

The survivors stood in groups, their arms around each other's necks. The injured were being treated upon the raised platform by Madam Pomfrey and a group of helpers. There were around fifty bodies laying dead on the cold ground.

But my heart suddenly leaped and my eyes widened when I entered it and looked ahead, only to see Lupin and Tonks, standing there beside Sirius and Jenna.

      This was impossible. This couldn't be happening. Feeling this amount of joy in my heart must've been a dream.

I felt the air knock out of my lungs as I limped forward, toward where they were all standing.

"You're... You're alive..." I said in a hollow voice as I reached the four, staring at Lupin and Tonks.

I saw Jenna frown down at me worriedly. "Were they not supposed to...?"

"What happened to Dolohov?" I asked, looking around at them.

"Antonin Dolohov?" Sirius mused and I nodded. "But... I killed him months ago. I was attacked back then. It was before you were even kidnapped."

"And Bellatrix?" I questioned, looking at Tonks. "Is she dead?"

"No." Tonks shook her head. "She ran away. But I had help." She then smiled and gestured her head at Moody, who was sitting in the distance, drinking from his flask.

I couldn't believe my ears. I was so sure they were gone. But I smiled once it sank in, and I realized that Teddy would be growing up with his parents by his side. I realized that Sirius was going to be there for them.

      But now I understood that not everything about the Butterfly effect could be bad. I had saved Sirius, he had killed Dolohov, and so Lupin was now alive.

      The same went with Moody, who had helped Tonks escape in her duel with Bellatrix. And even though I wasn't the one who had saved Fred, if I hadn't befriended Draco, he wouldn't have been alive right now.

Even though I was happy beyond belief, I still couldn't allow a smile through my face as I looked around the Hall. Many had died innocently, such as Colin Creevey and many others who didn't deserve such ending, yet there was nothing I could do to help them.

As Lupin and Tonks went to help those who were injured, Sirius and Jenna sat down in the distance as Madam Pomfrey tried to heal their wounds.

So I made my way over the group of red-headed people, gathered around and sitting in a corner.

"Lexi!" Fred and George cried out at the same time as they spotted me, getting to their feet.

They brought me into a hug and I felt myself finally smile. But they were suddenly pushed aside when Mrs. Weasley pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" she said as she held me tightly. She pulled away, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "Fred told us what happened. Or rather... what was supposed to happen."

"Oh, how dramatic," Fred said mockingly and did a fake sniff, wiping away imaginary tears, making us chuckled.

"But it wasn't me who saved him." I shook my head at Mrs. Weasley, smiling.

"Maybe, but if you were never in our lives... none of this would've happened," she said.

"Thank you," I said, my heart warming up. "But it's Draco that you should be thanking."

"Yes, we've thanked him already too," said Mr. Weasley. He too was smiling. He probably never expected this from a Malfoy, a family they despised mutually.

He looked away at the Hall, and when I followed his gaze, I saw Draco there, helping Oliver Wood put a body down next to another, a hurt expression on his face.

"Excuse me for a second," I muttered and without waiting for them to say anything, I walked toward Draco.

"Hey," I said, grabbing his attention as he stood up and Oliver moved away to help the others.

"Hey." He nodded at me politely.

"Look, Draco... I just wanted to tell you that..." I sighed deeply. "I'll be forever in your debt. What you did... I can't believe you'd actually push Fred out of the way like that."

"Well, you kinda pushed me out of the way in sixth year when Harry had tried to curse me," he said with a shrug. "That curse wasn't meant to hit you. I owed it to you. But you already knew that it was going to happen, didn't you?"

I gulped and looked away, knowing exactly what he was talking about. I still hadn't explain to him about being from the future, after blurting it out.

"How is this possible, Lexi?" Draco whispered, moving closer to me so no one else could hear us. "Is it really true?"

"Yes," I whispered. "But it's a long story. I'll tell you everything some day, perhaps... but now's not the time."

Draco looked like he was about to protest, but decided against it and only nodded, giving me a half smile.

We then departed to help the others. I also saw Kathrine between the crowd inside the Great Hall, helping a Hufflepuff girl with her injuries. I tried not to make eye contact with her and just walked on.

I couldn't tell how long had passed, only that it was near dawn and it was twilight. But just then, all our attention was caught when from outside the Great Hall, we heard the sound cheering and laughter.

Everyone got to their feet, too hesitant to step forward. Too scared at what awaited us outside. But as the sound of laughter grew louder and louder, one by one we stepped forward, holding our breath as we went.

Fred walked toward me and as we shared a look, he held onto my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze when we went outside the entrance hall.

We all came to a halt when from afar, we saw the Death Eaters moving forward, with Voldemort before them in the lead and Nagini by his side.

And a few steps behind him, we all saw Hagrid, carrying someone in his arms as tears streamed down his eyes. Although no one knew what was to come, but me.

"Who is that?" said Ginny in a hollow voice, stepping forward. "Hagrid's carrying... who is it?"

But then everyone fell silent as Voldemort shouted, "HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!"