Essential Hope

“Where are you going again?” Ron asked as Harry continued to throw things out of his trunk.

“I’m going with Dumbledore to get the Horcrux,” Harry explained again, pulling out a sock and unwrapping it in his lap. “Here, I’m giving the rest of my Liquid Luck to you for. Split it between Fred, George, and Angie as well. If I’m right, you’re all going to need this.”

I nodded grimly, watching as Ron took a small sip, then passed it to Hermione. I took my own sip, and then handed the vial to Ginny. There was a little left, just enough for a few more people.

“Alright, I’m gonna get going. Hopefully everything will be alright here,” Harry said, pulling Ginny into a tight hug. He gave her a quick kiss, then moved to hug Ron and Hermione. When he got to me, I gave him a squeeze and said,

“Good luck, Harry. We’ll do the best we can.”

Harry pulled back and gave me a sad smile.

“I know you all will.”

With that, Harry turned and rushed out of the dorm, leaving the four of us to sit and look at each other. I took a deep breath.

“Alright, you heard what Harry said. Let’s get as many of Dumbledore’s Army together as we can, and split up. One group needs to watch Snape’s office, and the other will need to watch the Room of Requirements. If Harry’s right, Draco will lead the Death Eaters out of there, and Snape will join them.”

“Right. Okay, I’ll get as many of the members as I can, and we’ll meet you three at the Room of Requirements in ten minutes,” Ginny promised, standing up and rushing out of the room, taking the Dumbledore’s Army coin with her.

Ron, Hermione, and I stood and looked at each other again.

“I’ll go to Snape’s office,” Hermione decided, glancing between Ron and I. We both nodded. “You two go to the Room of Requirements and wait for Draco. We’ll need to guard that one more than the office until we get the DA with us.”

“Sounds good,” I told Hermione, turning and following Ron out of the room. At the end of the hall, I saw Ginny talking urgently to Fred, George, and Angie, who were passing around the Liquid Luck. There was just a bit left in the vial now, and Ginny took it and disappeared into another dorm room.

“Guys,” Ron called, hurrying to reach the three of them. “We’re heading out to patrol the hallways. Hermione is going to Snape’s office, and Kels and I are going to the Room-“

“We’ll go with Hermione,” George said, taking Angie’s hand and stepping aside. “Fred can go with you and Kelso.”

I smiled as Fred came over and wrapped his arms around me. “I’m feeling pretty lucky tonight, babe,” he whispered in my ear. Smirking, I kissed him and murmured,

“Too bad that stops in the bedroom, huh?”

Fred rolled his eyes.

“Okay, we need to go,” Hermione urged, heading down the stairs.

As our group rushed out of the portrait hole, Hermione, who was in the lead, ran smack-dab into Tonks.

Tonks blinked in surprise at us as she steadied Hermione.

“Where do you think you’re going?” She asked, her eyes scanning over us.

“Why’re you here?” Fred countered, raising an eyebrow. Tonks pursed her lips and frowned at him. “I’m guessing we’re here for the same thing,” I said, glancing around. I looked at Tonks and said,

“Harry told us that there might be Death Eaters trying to get inside.”

Tonks nodded.

“Dumbledore’s told us the same thing.”

“Us?”

“Myself, Remus, Bill, and Kingsley are here as well. Dumbledore told us to patrol and keep an eye out for any Death Eaters.” Looking at all of us, Tonks said, “I can tell Harry’s left you an important mission. Get on with it, and if anything happens, come find us. We’re stationed all around the school.”

“Thank you, Tonks,” I said gratefully, nodding to the others; in moments, we were racing down the hall. Behind us, we heard Ginny call,

“Wait up! We’re coming!”

Skidding to a halt, I glanced back and caught sight of Ginny, Neville, and Luna rushing towards us.

“They’re the only ones that answered my call,” Ginny said, flashing a grateful smile at the two people beside her.

“That’s two more than we had before,” Hermione said optimistically. “Luna, come with us to Snape’s office. Neville, Ginny, go with them to the Room of Requirements.”

We split up into our groups as we raced off towards our destinations. As Hermione’s group turned and began down the stairs, I called,

“Good luck, guys!”

They echoed my call back to me as they disappeared down into the basement. Turning back to the others, I nodded again, and we rushed off towards the Room.

Ron slowed the pace as we rounded the corner; everything seemed quiet, and for a moment I wondered if Harry had been overreacting.

No. Dumbledore called in The Order. If it were nothing, they wouldn’t be here.

Taking a deep breath, I readied myself for whatever laid ahead. Fred took my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. I squeezed back, feeling much better.

Luna and Neville took up posts at either end of the hallway; Ron and Fred paced back and forth between them, and Ginny and I stood up against the wall where we suspected the door would be.

Nearly an hour later, everything was still quiet. Shifting from foot to foot, I glanced around, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Nothing at all.

Leaning back up against the wall, I had just let out a tired breath when Fred gasped,

“What the bloody hell-“

A moment later, a bang sounded off to the right of me, and I plunged into darkness.

Had I been knocked out?

No, I was still standing here, coughing violently, stumbling around with my wand stretched out.

“Lumos!” I gasped between coughs. That did less than nothing; I could only see the tip of my wand now.

From beside me, I heard someone cry,

“Stupefy!”

A jet of red light flashed over my shoulder. I let out a gasp, my wand going black again, and stumbled to the side, knocking into someone. Grabbing them by the shirt, I yanked them in front of my until I could see who I was holding.

“Oh, blimey Neville, sorry,” I said quickly, letting him go and taking a step back. The smoke was beginning to clear, and I could make out several shapes moving around.

I saw a taller figure send a spell that just barely missed Ginny; pointing my wand, I shouted “Stupefy!” and watched in satisfaction as he toppled to the ground.

It seemed as if Death Eaters were all around me, yet every spell aimed my way missed by inches, and my spells hit my enemies spot on.

As I spun around to help a shouting Neville, I had ended up turning right into the path of a Death Eater’s curse; the flash of blue light just barely missed me as I was tugged back into Fred’s protective hold.

“Thank you!” I breathed as he let me go so he could get a better aim at a retreating Death Eater.

Thank God Harry gave us his Liquid Luck!

Somewhere off to the side, I heard the voice of Kingsley.

“They’ve gotten by! Follow them!”

Whirling around, I rushed after his voice; Fred fell in beside me. I was so relieved Ginny had given him some Liquid Luck as well. I heard the others following close behind. With the smoke gone now, I could easily see who I was chasing. Ginny and I were the fastest, and we pulled ahead of the others, making sure to keep the Death Eaters in sight. Among them, Draco’s blonde hair stood out, sending a surge of rage through me.

If nothing else, I’ll be sure to kill you, I vowed, pushing myself to run faster. As we rounded the corner, I saw the Death Eaters ushering Draco up the stairs of the Astronomy tower. A few of them followed, but they had left enough behind to create a formidable barrier between us and the others.

“Stupefy!” I shrieked, dodging a curse and hitting a Death Eater square in the chest. A new fight had broken out between us and them; from behind, I heard Ron yell,

“More of them! More coming from the Room of Requirements!”

I spun around, catching sight of the ugliest face in the room; Fenrir Greyback. His yellow eyes locked onto me, and he dove past Ron with his teeth bared. I lifted my wand, ready to shout out, but I wasn’t going to be fast enough.

I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and pull me out of Greyback’s path, just as someone shouted,

“Crucio!”

I glanced back in time to see Bill disappearing down the corridor; the spell had missed Greyback, and Bill was his new target.

“That’s twice I’ve saved your life,” he teased. “Don’t make me do it again.”

Grinning up at him, we turned our backs to one another and began to duel. I was in the middle of an intense battle with a black-haired Death Eater, when I heard the familiar enraged cry of Harry behind us, seeming to come from the stairs.

“What the-“ I began, unable to look back because of the Death Eater. Fed up with the duel, and wanting to know what was going on, I hit the Death Eater with the full body-bind curse, watching as he toppled to the ground, glowering up at me.

Spinning around, I caught sight of Snape sprinting out of the staircase hallway, dragging Draco by the collar; but something was wrong. Snape had lifted his wand at Fred, and shouted,

“Crucio!”

“EXPELLIARMUS!” I cried, blocking the curse just before it hit Fred, who hadn’t noticed anything.

“Don’t let him get away!” Harry bellowed, pelting down the staircase after Snape and Draco. I could see the surprise on his face as Harry entered into the battle as it was going on full scale.

But the Death Eaters were retreating, and I broke away from the battle to follow Harry.

“Take the shortcuts!” I’ll do my best to slow them down!”

Harry could only nod as he rushed off to the side, his face contorted into unfathomable rage and hatred. I took off after Snape and Draco, cursing a Death Eater as I ran past.

“Stupefy!” I shrieked, pointing my wand at Draco. The curse was intercepted before it could hit his blonde little weasel-head.

Before I could glance around for the Death Eater, I was knocked off my feet and driven into the ground.

“You’ll make a tasty little meal, won’t you girlie?” A voice hissed close to my ear. As the body pulled away, my stomach knotted up as I locked eyes with Fenrir Greyback. I heard a wheezing breath beside me, and turned my head to see Bill lying beside me, his face severely scarred. A gasp escaped me; my head snapped back to stare at Greyback, and before he could bite down into me, I snatched my wand from beside me and cried,

“STUPEFY!”

Greyback toppled off of me; scrambling to my feet, I hesitated. Bill needed help; but if I paused to help him to the Hospital Wing, Harry would be on his own.

“Go,” Bill gasped, pushing my leg feebly with his hand. “I’ll live. The others need you.”

Nodding, I spun around and sprinted towards the direction of the front doors. I’d cleared the halls in less than three minutes, and in an instant, I was flying across the grounds, my eyes locked on the retreating figures of Snape and the Death Eaters. Just behind them, I saw Harry’s familiar shape sprinting after them; I willed myself to run faster.

I saw the shapes appear from the forest behind Harry a moment too late; Alecto Carrow hit Harry in the back with a curse I couldn’t hear; just behind Alecto, Amycus had appearead as well. Both of them were heading towards Harry’s unmoving body.

Oh God! Please let Harry be okay! I thought desperately, hitting one of the Carrows in the back, just as Harry rolled over and hit the other with a pretty powerful spell. Relief flooded over me as I watched Harry scramble to his feet and race after Snape.

My eyes were locked on Draco, who had just reached the gate on the edge of the Hogwarts grounds.

“Stupefy!” I cried, aiming for Draco. I was too slow; the moment Draco slipped past the gates, he disapperated, and my spell flew into the dark. Anger churned in my stomach; spinning around, I began to fire spells at as many Death Eaters as I could. They were heading towards the gates to escape, and I was the only thing standing between them and their escape.

I’d actually been managing pretty well, until I spotted the familiar face of Dolohav; fury coursed through my body, untamed, and I focused on him. I lifted my wand, ready to hit him with everything I had.

This is for you, dad, I thought, opening my mouth to shout my spell.

“CRUCIO!”

Unbearable, burning pain swept over my body. I let out an agonized shriek as I dropped to the ground; I watched helplessly as Dolohov sprinted out of the gates and disappeared into the night. Wave after wave of relentless pain overtook my body as I rolled onto my back. It felt as if my body had begun to burn; agony overwhelmed my mind. I tried to move, to go anywhere, to find help, but my body hurt so bad it was taking all I had to keep from passing out. A face appeared above me; blinking in shock, I took in the familiar features of my father. His bright, glowing green eyes, his rounded nose, just like mine. His dark, curled brown hair hung over his forehead as he stared down at me.

“Dad?” I gasped, flinching as the pain surged through my veins once more. But as I blinked, I was looking up at the clear, dark sky. My fathers face faded in with the stars, and finally, with one last wave of burning pain, I blacked out.

ღღღ

“She’s waking up!” Fred’s familiar voice gasped in my ear. Blinking in confusion, I opened my eyes. Why was Fred in our dorm room? And why was everyone insisting on talking at once?

But as my eyes adjusted to the dimmed light, and the Hospital Wing came into view, I remembered exactly what had happened. Anxiety swept through me, and I hurriedly pushed myself up into a sitting position. What had happened? Had anyone died?

“How’re you feeling, babe?” Fred asked; he was perched on the side of my bed, looking tired, but still alive. I let out a breath of relief as I pulled him into a hug. Beside him, Hermione and Ginny were standing a little ways back, both of them unscathed. George and Angelina were sitting in a chair in front of my bed, and Ron was standing between his mom and dad. Their eyes were locked on the bed beside me; I wriggled around in Fred’s hold, and drew in a startled breath.

Bill was lying in the bed, half of his face wrapped in gauze. Fleur was perched on his bed, holding his hand, as Mrs. Weasley dabbed at his forehead with a cool compress. Letting out a shaky sigh, Mrs. Weasley said softly,

“I guess the wedding is off, now. I’ll call the-“

“What?!” Fleur exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “Why ees ze wedding cancelled!?”

“Well, you can’t possibly still marry Bill, now that he-“

"What do I care how 'e looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave!"

Stunned, we all watched as Fleur snatched the compress from Mrs. Weasley and dropped down beside Bill again, wiping at his forehead with angry determination. Chuckling softly, I turned to smile at Fred when I noticed Tonks stepping forward, clearing her throat. Determination and love shone in her eyes as she faced my uncle; Remus blinked at her, curiosity on his face.

“Remus, if Fleur and Bill can still be together, now that Bill is part werewolf-“

“That’s a completely different situation, Nymphadora!” Remus insisted softly, yet sternly. But Tonks wasn’t giving in.

“No, it’s not. I don’t care that you’re a werewolf, or that you say you’re too old or too poor. I love you, you love me, and that’s all that matters!”

“She’s right, Remus,” Molly said softly, her eyes glistening.
Remus looked ready to argue, but when he locked eyes with Tonks, his frustration slowly vanished, and his stare softened.

“I suppose you’re right.”

There was a collective ‘awe’ as Remus pulled Tonks into a hug. We’d been so occupied with the love in the room we hadn’t heard the door open; Harry came limping inside (once again his clothes were stained with blood), followed by Professor McGonagall. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Something was wrong.

The entire room went silent as we watched Harry approach us. When no one said anything, I cleared my throat.

“Harry?” I asked softly. His green eyes, dulled with pain, flicked up to mine as he whispered,

“Snape killed Dumbledore.”

All I could do was manage to blink at Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley drew in a shocked breath; Tonks let out a small sob, and my uncle had the same shocked look on his face that I had. Ginny and Hermione covered their mouths as tears began to roll down their cheeks.

“What? Is it true?” Fred managed to ask, looking desperately at McGonagall. Nodding, Professor McGonagall began to cry, not bothering to wipe the tears away.

“No…” I breathed; how could Snape do that?

“You’re sure it was Snape, Harry?”

Harry nodded, his lips pulled into a tight line.

“What happened?”Angie asked, sinking into George’s protective hold.

Harry dropped down into an arm chair and began to tell us what happened when he and Dumbledore arrived on the Astronomy tower. As he came to a close, everyone’s eyes were wet, and the room was somber.

“He’s really dead, then?” Ron asked bleakly, sinking down onto Bill’s bed.

“Yeah. Snape and Draco made their getaway. I couldn’t stop them.”

“It’s not your fault,” I said immediately as my own guilt rose up. If only I had cast my spell earlier…

“His funeral will be tomorrow by the lake,” McGonagall informed us as she began to back out of the room. “Mr. Potter, I need to have a few words with you.”

Harry murmured a good-bye as he disappeared out of the room after McGonagall.

The room stayed quiet for a few moments; everyone reflecting in the loving memories they had of Dumbledore. But finally, as the minutes ticked on, we began talking softly to each other.

I scooted a little closer to Fred; his strong arms wrapped protectively around me. Happiness and relief flooded through me. My friends were safe, and for now, things were okay. We had a wedding (possibly two) to look forward to, and though we had lost one of the greatest wizards of all time, life would go on, and we had to keep moving forward.