Chapter Twenty One: Gloating

Hagrid was sobbing behind me, and I focused on that, to keep myself sane. Voldemort had killed my entire family, my friends, had killed Harry in front of my eyes, and here I was, walking behind him as a prisoner-of-war. The leers from the Death Eaters broke into my concentration and I looked up from my feet.

“Alicia!” A male voice shouted, shock and anger evident in their tone.

“Ronan!” I answered immediately, finding the chestnut coloured centaur among the watching herd. We both moved towards each other at the same time and were stopped immediately. Bane put his arm out silently, catching Ronan across the chest as Bellatrix caught my hair and yanked, causing me to stumble.

“Are yeh happy now, tha’ yeh didn’ fight, yeh cowardly bunch o’ nags? Are yeh happy Harry Potter’s d- dead…?” Hagrid said, breaking down into sobs again. I felt eyes flickering from me to Harry, who was in Hagrid’s arms, looking for the truth as my own tears restarted, sliding silently down my cheeks, hidden behind the straight curtain of navy blue hair.

The walk continued through the trees of my childhood with the soundtrack of monsters and murderers playing around me. As I managed to stop my tears, we hit the edge of the forest, right in the front of the castle doors. The Dementors seemed restless, watching greedily as the group spread through the trees. I was shoved to the front, and forced onto my knees, where I stayed- silent and staring at the grass.

“Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone” Voldemort lied, his voice magnified so that he could be heard inside. As he paused, I turned to glare at him as he stood behind me, spitting angrily. Bellatrix cackled quietly as my punishment was administered by Fenrir Greyback and herself. A wave of Voldemort’s hand stopped it and I collapsed at his side. “The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters,” my breath caught and I could hear the smile in Voldemort’s voice as he continued. “And you have lost your Seer. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered as will every member of their family.” I thought of all my friends who had already lost so much. “Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together”

Another wave of his hand and the line of Death Eaters moved closer to the castle, someone kicking me along with them, so that I felt the bruises start to form on my ribs and face. I waited silently as they stilled, curled into a ball at the side of Voldemort, as the sound of footsteps echoed from the Entrance Hall.

“No!” McGonagall’s scream ripped through me, and I twisted round, so that I was facing the doors.

“No!”

“No!”

“Harry! HARRY!” I reacted more to Ron, Hermione and Ginny’s voices, attempting to push my top half up off the ground, my head hanging down low.

“Alicia!” Jamie’s voice was strong and furious, and I looked up, hunting the crowd of familiar faces for him, but failing as my arms gave out and I hit the grass again. “You *******s!” Jamie shouted as his parents caught hold of his arms. The shout worked as a trigger, setting off more insults from those around him, then spreading through the survivors.

“Silence!” Voldemort screeched, following it with a silencing charm. “It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!”

I saw Harry appear beside me and reached out a shaky hand to the arm that fell towards me limply. I touched wrist, expecting it to be cold and still. But it was warm. And I could feel a strong pulse.

‘Harry James Potter! Are you alive?’ I demanded, digging my nails into his skin. Receiving the response was nothing short of a miracle.

‘Don’t react, Alicia! We need to keep it a secret!’ Voldemort had been pacing behind us, gloating to the crowd again.

“He beat you!” I heard Ron yell, breaking the spell so that the yells and shouts could be heard again, until a second silencing charm wiped them out.

‘Harry, the charms aren’t holding! You’ve done what your mum done for you, but on a bigger scale!’ I thought, feeling my spirit mend itself at the knowledge that Voldemort wouldn’t be able to deal any major damage to anyone. I managed to push myself onto my knees as Voldemort started speaking again, only to interrupted by a lone figure flying towards us from the opposite crowd.