Invincible
Invincible
“Noooooooooo!” shrieked Solange Nour as the dust lifted in the breaking Sun. The sound that broke through her was heart-stopping, almost primitive. And yet, it still wasn’t near the hideous intensity that she felt. Her worst fears had been confirmed- the love of her life, Harry Potter, lay dead on the ground at the Dark Lord’s feet.
The Battle had raged on all night, and those who survived stood in straight lines, facing each other from opposite ends of the torn apart courtyard. Fire that sparked and burned at every corner of the castle cast the entire scene in gold. As soon as Solange saw Harry, his body still as stone and his face coated in blood, all she wanted to do was touch him, to feel the heat return to his hands, the life return to his heart. She longed most of all to fix his glasses- which had gone askew on his face.
“Harry!” She sobbed hysterically, throwing herself forward. She didn’t care if she died as long as she could touch his body one last time. Instantly, trembling arms wrapped around her trying with the last of their strength to hold her back.
“No!” grunted the voice of her best friend George Weasley. “I already lost my brother tonight. I won’t lose you too!”
The severity of these words was just enough to force Solange to freeze to the earth. George had never sounded defeated in all their lives- and yet at this moment he looked to his best friend with absolute loss. He was bruised head to toe, it seemed, and still shook with disbelief- as if his heart was grappling to find its counterpart which had made its last beat hours before. Solange thought of what she herself must look like now, with Harry’s heart still as well. Her lip was badly cut, she could feel, and her usually shiny, coffee-colored hair was matted and darkened with dust and debris. Green eyes, usually as light and airy as sage, were clouded with despair.
George’s grip around her body loosened and he let her stand alone, returning to his somber parents’ side. Hermione and Ron were gripping each other nearby, silently sobbing in the other’s arms. Nobody’s eyes left Harry, but their screams rang out to the heavens.
“Harry!’
“It can’t be!”
“No!”
“Silence!” The Dark Lord hissed in his icy voice. “Anyone who speaks further will receive no mercy. Your family, your loved ones, all will face my wrath.” Finally, Solange tore her gaze away from her lifeless love and stared into the grim face of her Satan. Lord Voldemort and his remaining army stood tall and proud in front of the rising Sun- their identical, grand black robes rippling like flags of death in the wind. All their energy, all their evil, evil energy, was directed into their snakelike leader. Voldemort held his wand at his side, his red eyes scanning the scene before him appraisingly.
“Your hero is dead and none of your screams can bring him back. He died at my hand. He died like a coward.”
“You’re lying!” Solange burst out, stepping forward. She couldn’t contain her raging grief any longer. The row of smug looking Death Eaters in front of her mocked her with their every breath. “He defied you! He made you a mortal man and gave his life to make it that way!”
The Dark Lord didn’t reply immediately, which shocked everyone. The entire courtyard waited with baited breath, bracing themselves for an outburst of anger and a green jet of light that would sap the life straight out of Solange. Voldemort’s calmness was absolutely unnerving.
After a terrifying moment, he glided to Solange, who stood solid and breathed heavily with hatred and a desire for vengeance.
“Well, who do we have here...” He crooned. “Another imbecile who can’t learn from the mistakes of others? Haven’t you learned, little girl, what happens to those who put their life on the line for Harry Potter? Did you not believe my warning just now to be serious?”
“I have no family for you to hurt.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “My parents are dead, thanks to you, but not for any reason you can take pride in. They didn’t die at your hand. They supported you. They revered you. Drunk with pride, they still stood by you even after Harry destroyed you as a baby. My parents rotted to a state worse than death in Azkaban when I was but an infant. As soon as I was old enough to understand why they had abandoned me, I vowed to never make the mistakes they made.”
“Could it be, then?” His white lips curled menacingly up over his rotting teeth. “That this is the supposed daughter of Tamasa and Domenkos Nour? Ahh, I can see it now... You’re eyes are just like Domenkos’... and Tamasa’s hair...” Solange physically recoiled as his icy, elongated fingers brushed her face thoughtfully. It sickened her very core. “It is my... displeasure...” he chose his words carefully, “that they suffered the fate they did... The Nours were always most loyal to the Dark Lord.”
“My parents were evil human beings.” She spat. “They left their only daughter for their terrible beliefs. I may have his eyes and her hair, but I have courage that they never dreamed of.”
The Dark Lord dared to chuckle at this. “Courage I cannot deny! Come, Solange... Join our ranks. The Death Eaters could use more blood like yours...”
“In my heart exists the blood of a Gryffindor.” She snarled against his touch. “And I’ll gladly meet my death before joining the likes of you. For Harry!”
The crowd behind her roared in support, before a crack like a whip put an invisible choke-hold on every last one of them. The Dark Lord now turned his wand to Solange’s chest.
“Very well.” He said clearly. “On your head then.”
“Don’t touch her!” bellowed a voice Solange had feared she’d never hear again.
“Harry!”
And surely, Harry Potter was on his feet once more, wand at the ready, a steadiness had come over him like none that Solange had never seen.
“Potter! It’s impossible! How many times do I have to kill you!” roared Lord Voldemort.
“Each time you try you only bring yourself close to death. Solange is right- you’re a mortal man once more.”
Voldemort twitched uncontrollably as he yelled. “It. Is. Not. Possible! I am invincible!”
“You never learn, Riddle.” Harry said, his eyes dashing to meet Solange’s- his brightness mixing with her softness of green. “Only love is invincible.”
The Battle had raged on all night, and those who survived stood in straight lines, facing each other from opposite ends of the torn apart courtyard. Fire that sparked and burned at every corner of the castle cast the entire scene in gold. As soon as Solange saw Harry, his body still as stone and his face coated in blood, all she wanted to do was touch him, to feel the heat return to his hands, the life return to his heart. She longed most of all to fix his glasses- which had gone askew on his face.
“Harry!” She sobbed hysterically, throwing herself forward. She didn’t care if she died as long as she could touch his body one last time. Instantly, trembling arms wrapped around her trying with the last of their strength to hold her back.
“No!” grunted the voice of her best friend George Weasley. “I already lost my brother tonight. I won’t lose you too!”
The severity of these words was just enough to force Solange to freeze to the earth. George had never sounded defeated in all their lives- and yet at this moment he looked to his best friend with absolute loss. He was bruised head to toe, it seemed, and still shook with disbelief- as if his heart was grappling to find its counterpart which had made its last beat hours before. Solange thought of what she herself must look like now, with Harry’s heart still as well. Her lip was badly cut, she could feel, and her usually shiny, coffee-colored hair was matted and darkened with dust and debris. Green eyes, usually as light and airy as sage, were clouded with despair.
George’s grip around her body loosened and he let her stand alone, returning to his somber parents’ side. Hermione and Ron were gripping each other nearby, silently sobbing in the other’s arms. Nobody’s eyes left Harry, but their screams rang out to the heavens.
“Harry!’
“It can’t be!”
“No!”
“Silence!” The Dark Lord hissed in his icy voice. “Anyone who speaks further will receive no mercy. Your family, your loved ones, all will face my wrath.” Finally, Solange tore her gaze away from her lifeless love and stared into the grim face of her Satan. Lord Voldemort and his remaining army stood tall and proud in front of the rising Sun- their identical, grand black robes rippling like flags of death in the wind. All their energy, all their evil, evil energy, was directed into their snakelike leader. Voldemort held his wand at his side, his red eyes scanning the scene before him appraisingly.
“Your hero is dead and none of your screams can bring him back. He died at my hand. He died like a coward.”
“You’re lying!” Solange burst out, stepping forward. She couldn’t contain her raging grief any longer. The row of smug looking Death Eaters in front of her mocked her with their every breath. “He defied you! He made you a mortal man and gave his life to make it that way!”
The Dark Lord didn’t reply immediately, which shocked everyone. The entire courtyard waited with baited breath, bracing themselves for an outburst of anger and a green jet of light that would sap the life straight out of Solange. Voldemort’s calmness was absolutely unnerving.
After a terrifying moment, he glided to Solange, who stood solid and breathed heavily with hatred and a desire for vengeance.
“Well, who do we have here...” He crooned. “Another imbecile who can’t learn from the mistakes of others? Haven’t you learned, little girl, what happens to those who put their life on the line for Harry Potter? Did you not believe my warning just now to be serious?”
“I have no family for you to hurt.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “My parents are dead, thanks to you, but not for any reason you can take pride in. They didn’t die at your hand. They supported you. They revered you. Drunk with pride, they still stood by you even after Harry destroyed you as a baby. My parents rotted to a state worse than death in Azkaban when I was but an infant. As soon as I was old enough to understand why they had abandoned me, I vowed to never make the mistakes they made.”
“Could it be, then?” His white lips curled menacingly up over his rotting teeth. “That this is the supposed daughter of Tamasa and Domenkos Nour? Ahh, I can see it now... You’re eyes are just like Domenkos’... and Tamasa’s hair...” Solange physically recoiled as his icy, elongated fingers brushed her face thoughtfully. It sickened her very core. “It is my... displeasure...” he chose his words carefully, “that they suffered the fate they did... The Nours were always most loyal to the Dark Lord.”
“My parents were evil human beings.” She spat. “They left their only daughter for their terrible beliefs. I may have his eyes and her hair, but I have courage that they never dreamed of.”
The Dark Lord dared to chuckle at this. “Courage I cannot deny! Come, Solange... Join our ranks. The Death Eaters could use more blood like yours...”
“In my heart exists the blood of a Gryffindor.” She snarled against his touch. “And I’ll gladly meet my death before joining the likes of you. For Harry!”
The crowd behind her roared in support, before a crack like a whip put an invisible choke-hold on every last one of them. The Dark Lord now turned his wand to Solange’s chest.
“Very well.” He said clearly. “On your head then.”
“Don’t touch her!” bellowed a voice Solange had feared she’d never hear again.
“Harry!”
And surely, Harry Potter was on his feet once more, wand at the ready, a steadiness had come over him like none that Solange had never seen.
“Potter! It’s impossible! How many times do I have to kill you!” roared Lord Voldemort.
“Each time you try you only bring yourself close to death. Solange is right- you’re a mortal man once more.”
Voldemort twitched uncontrollably as he yelled. “It. Is. Not. Possible! I am invincible!”
“You never learn, Riddle.” Harry said, his eyes dashing to meet Solange’s- his brightness mixing with her softness of green. “Only love is invincible.”