THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH | RON WEASLEY [BOOK FIVE]

25. MASTER OF DEATH

Gene was back, but she did not dare open her eyes.

As each of her senses began to slowly return to her, she could feel that she was no longer in her snake form; she was face-down, against the debris and cobblestone, her body twisted uncomfortably from how she had fallen. Her limbs ached, an agonising pain in the very middle of her chest, only she wasn't sure what the cause was, at this point.

She could taste iron on her tongue, realising she had either bitten her tongue as she fell, or it was the blood from her wounds trickling past her slightly parted lips. It was all she could smell, too. That, and, perhaps, an air of destiny about the moment.

Finally, the sound of blood rushing in her eardrums began to slow, and she could now hear past the heavy beating of her heart against her ribcage, hearing the painful cries of both a man and woman. She listened closer, as much as it hurt to, and realised it was Ron and Aurelia.

Her chest tightened, and it took everything not to stand up at once. Though in her state, she wasn't entirely sure if she could do that at all. She kept listening though, as an odd silence was pulled over the crowd for a moment, until–

"Crucio!" Voldemort cried.

Gene felt a stinging pain across her body, though it was nothing like the torture she had faced countless times before. She ensured her body remained limp as he lifted her into the air, swaying momentarily.

"No!" Ron roared.

"Please, stop! Stop!" Aurelia sobbed.

But as quick as it had occurred, she felt herself being dropped to the ground, falling in a much more uncomfortable position than before.

"Gene and Harry's hearts did beat for us. All of us." she heard Neville say, as though he was stood right beside her. "This isn't over." he said.

Her heart swelled with great appreciation for Neville, as it had always done since their very first year, despite him being positively terrified of her for most of it. It was worth it. All of it was. Everything that had led to this moment... she wouldn't have changed it for the world.

Gene knew, at that moment, that it was time.

She rolled off of the jagged rocks that she had been flung against, falling to her knees before scrambling to her feet, finding that Harry had done the exact same opposite her.

"Gene!"

She spun on her heel, watching as Draco ran at full speed toward her, and she found that she wasn't surprised at all as he tossed her her wand, which she had firmly caught. Her hand instantly buzzed with awareness as she finally yielded her true wand.

Voldemort wheeled wildly in her direction, his eyes wide with fury and with a great relief, Gene realised that she could no longer feel his anger. Not anymore.

Harry ran forward, instantly crying, "Protego!" over them both as he grabbed her wrist, enveloping them with his Invisibility Cloak, before they ran out of Voldemort's sight. She heard his scream of rage, glancing over her shoulder as they continued to run, watching as he directed curses every which way, missing them every time.

There was a thunderous roar of incoming footfall, making the ground beneath them tremble as they ran out of the courtyard, watching as the centaurs charged at the Death Eaters; huge creatures with great big wings spanning across, as though they had formed a shield, blocking the giants on Voldemort's side.

Gene saw Buckbeak plucking at the eyes of one giant, who desperately clawed at him, while Grawp pummelled another in its middle. The students and staff of Hogwarts were falling back, though they fought on, stronger than ever.