The Lost Malfoy

Chapter eighteen; the lost;

Asteria was able to avoid her brother's questioning stare as she glanced back at the Weasley's. She didn't want to lie to him, and she caught Hermione's eye, and suddenly Asteria knew the younger witch knew the truth as well. She called out to them, and Asteria was able to break away. She quickly walked over to the brunette witch. 

"What's going on, Granger?" Asteria asked, her dark eyebrow raised. 

"We need to kill the snake, that Voldemort keeps with him." She supplied, looking out the door of the Great Hall. 

"How the bloody hell are we going to do that?" Draco asked, shock on his face. "The git doesn't let the snake out of his sight." 

"I don't know, but we have to figure it out." the younger witch supplied, and Asteria nodded and looked in the same direction, they'd have at least an hour before they'd return, it would take Harry awhile to get to wherever Voldemort was, a few minutes for it to happen, and then for Voldemort to come here with his Death Eaters. She wasn't sure how she knew he'd come, but she knew he wouldn't be able to resist, he'd probably bring Harry's body with him to show off. She inwardly grimaced at the thought, sparing a quick glance at Draco, wondering how that was going to go over, when she saw something catch her eye, Neville was picking something up from the floor. She looked closely at him and realized it was the sorting hat. She walked away and looked at the people milling about, professors rushing around, patching wounds, and younger students crying, the older students looked somber, staring into space. She could even make out a handful of Death Eater's being cataloged by Auror's, headed by Shacklebot. She watched in rapt silence, as she observed everything, the world moving fast around her. 

--- (an hour and a half later)---

"Sia!" Neville shouted from where he stood near the entrance, still clutching the sorting hat, she looked up from where she was stroking Charlie's hair, sitting on a bench. The wild and fearful look in his eyes, made her body freeze, they were returning, she stood as she walked straight to him and looked out. 

"They're coming!" She shouted, and walked into the stone courtyard, and watching her wand clutched tightly in her hand. She could see them all, masks off, and Hagrid was chained, sobbing loudly, with something held in his hands.

"What's that Hagrid's holding?" Charlie asked coming up behind her, and she flinched, looking at the ground. She suddenly had the sinking feeling as to what it was. Or rather, who it was. 

"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!" The shrill sound of Voldemort's voice made Asteria mad, but she froze as she heard it. 

"NO!" Her brother's voice was full of agony, and she could make out the flinch in her mother's features. 

"SILENCE!" Voldemort announced, and the pained noises stopped, and Asteria retreated into her head, ignoring everything the megalomanic said. She felt something pass through her and glanced around, her heart skipping in her chest. Even Voldemort froze. A ghost had appeared, stepping near her, and glancing at her. The ghostly eyes proud as it glanced at the enemy. 

"It's him," Voldemort whispered, and stepped forward. "I have begun carrying out your wishes." 

"You have failed." The ghost responded and Voldemort's step faltered. "You have taken my name and forsaken my teachings." 

"No, no." Voldemort continued. 

"You have cast darkness on the school I helped build, you have shed blood on the safe-haven I helped create, you've killed the very people we built this school to protect!" The ghost was angry now. "I am here because this young woman, who has forsaken her blood, her kin, to protect the entirety of our people, came to me, found my tomb where YOU killed an innocent witch and attempted to kill more." He gestured towards Asteria, who looked shocked, but quickly stuffed the feeling down. 

"Thank you, Sir Salazar." She bowed deeply, as the ghost nodded, and charged Voldemort, Asteria reached into the sorting hat in Neville's hand, pulling out a long broadsword and charged the large snake, quickly swiping the head off, watching as the creature burst into dust, and Voldemort screamed as the ghost surrounded him and vanished as a spell flew and Voldemort screamed again as it hit his shield. She glanced up and watch Harry Potter throw himself out of Hagrid's arms and disappear and she felt a weight vanish from her shoulders as she threw herself into battle, dropping the sword in favor of her wand, flinging curses and spells in all directions. She felt revigorated and full of energy as she fought Death Eaters who didn't seem to be in the fight any longer, Voldemort had vanished, probably in search of Harry, who had somehow survived. She couldn't dwell on the thought long enough to think it over, and she froze as she faced her only opponent. He stood tall, but was dirty and looked tired. Dark circles were under familiar grey eyes, and his once perfectly straight pale hair was dirty and unwashed, and she stood poised, her wand hand trembling as he faced her, unarmed. 

"Lucius." She acknowledged and tried to steady her hand, in all her battle plans, this wasn't part of it, she had planned to avoid dueling her father, hoping to leave him to someone else, someone without blood ties. 

"Asteria." His voice was broken and tired. 

"Hoping I'll back down?" She asked, and he let out an undignified sigh. 

"No, I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." He responded and she paused. "I will not fight you." He took his wand out of his robe pocket and dropped it to the ground, and knelt down, his hands in front of his chest, surrendering.

"Incarcerous." She whispered with a flick of her wand and watched as the ropes tied up her father. She glanced back at the castle and her eyes widened as she watched Voldemort's body drop and Harry standing there, he was filthy, his hair even more out of control, blood had already started spotting his clothes, and his shoulders drooped. She picked up Lucius' wand, and shoved his and hers into the back pocket of her pants, and ran, slamming into Harry, wrapping him in her arms. 

"Oh Harry, my sweet boy." She whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist, his shoulder's shaking as he began to cry. "It's over." She whispered delicately as she tightened her hold on him, glancing up and seeing her brother, covered in dirt and blood, his pants torn around his knees, and his left sleeve missing as he watched them, tears in his eyes. She patted Harry's shoulder, before pulling away, turning him, and pushing him towards Draco, who was fast to wrap his boyfriend up in his arms as they both let the tears fall. Draco's face buried into Harry's neck as his shoulders shook. She glanced around and watched as Auror's gathered all the remaining Death Eaters in ropes, including her parents. She looked away and was suddenly swept off her feet, and she laughed as she recognized Charlie, who wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight.

It was finally over.