Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 185

Many gasped and a few screamed his name, including Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. But Jenna's yells were the worse, piercing through my soul like a trigger.

"No! HARRY! NO!" she screamed as Sirius tried to hold her back from moving forward, tears running down her eyes and her hair turning pure silver, to my surprise.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort cried out, causing everyone to go quiet. Bellatrix gave a shriek of laughter, feeling triumphant at everybody's demise.

Voldemort laughed. "It is over. From this day forth, you put your faith in me."

No one said anything. Nobody even moved.

"You see?" said Voldemort. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him! And now is the time to declare yourself! Come forward and join us... or die."

The only sound that could be heard was Jenna's loud cries as she struggled to break free from Sirius desperately, who looked in misery himself, his eyes red from the tears.

On the other side, we saw Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, gesturing their son to go over to them. But Draco only took a step closer to me, his gaze fixed on them firmly.

But then everyone took aback as Neville limped forward, the dusty sorting hat in his hand, which he had taken off from the ground.

"And who is this?" Voldemort said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh. "It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?"

"So what if I am?" said Neville loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom —"

"I want to say something!" Neville broke him off fiercely.

"Very well," said Voldemort, and there was more danger in the silkiness of his voice than in the most powerful curse.

"It doesn't that Harry's gone. People die everyday. Friends, family..." He threw down his gaze. "Yeah, we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us. In here." He pointed at his heart, before turning to look back at Voldemort in rage. "He didn't die in vain! But you will! Because you're wrong! Harry's heart beat deep for us! For all of us! It's not over!"

Everything happened so fast. Harry jumped out of Hagrid's arms and at the same moment, in one swift, fluid motion, Neville drew out the sword of Gryffindor out of the sorting hat.

The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye.

Neville ran forward and with a single stroke he sliced off the great snake's head. Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear over the sound of others' shrieks.

Chaos reigned as many Death Eaters ran forward and we backed into the Great Hall, our wands raised to fight back.

      Fred and I fell apart to go different directions, dueling the Death Eaters who had entered the Hall. And now there were more, even more people storming up the front steps, and I saw Charlie Weasley in the distance overtaking a duel.

      Almost all of the families and friends of the students who had stayed behind to fight had now joined the battle, or even the people from Hogsmeade.

       The centaurs then burst into the hall with a great clatter of hooves, as behind us the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges.

      The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers. Among them, I spotted, Kreacher. He was in their lead with the locket of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest.

       "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!" Kreacher chanted and I felt a smile form on my lips.

      I ran toward Ginny who was fighting off a Death Eater for help and when we finally managed to Stun him, we gave each other a knowing smile and ran toward different directions to help the others.

      But it was not over yet. Voldemort had gone for Harry as he fought back. The battle was still going on, but this time even though we were outnumbered, we were winning.

      Although in the distance, Ginny was now trying to fight of Bellatrix. She sent a killing curse at her with high pitched laughter, but missed Ginny by a few inches.

       "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Mrs. Weasley yelled, stepping forward and raising her wand.

     Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

      "OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the others, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel.

      Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked and it was obvious that both women were fighting to kill.

      "No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

      "What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as ever, capering as Molly's curses danced around her.

      "You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

      Bellatrix laughed, but just them Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

       Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, as if for a split second, she knew what had happened, and then she toppled to her death, and the watching crowd roared.

But the Hall fell silent as Harry and Voldemort dwelled, raising their wands and crying out together,

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

The bang was like a cannon blast, and golden flames erupted between them, where the green and red light connected. But at last, the red light overpowered the green as it backfired on Voldemort.

The Elder Wand shot out of his hand, spinning in mid air and Harry caught it, finishing Voldemort off and give an end to the war.

It was all over.