Okay, so this post is the second to last one, cause I can't really think of anything else to write for it... But I'll start work on a Sequel soon

Chapter Twenty Three: Dying and Surviving

This fight was more intense than the first. I could feel anger and desperation emanating out of every fighter surrounding me. The unending wave of arrows forced the Death Eaters forwards, towards the remaining fighters and reinforcements. I was glad for the refilling spell I’d placed on my quiver, as arrow after arrow hit my targets, forcing Death Eaters to fall dead, stumble, or drop their wands and duck for cover.

Hagrid was the first to notice Harry’s sudden disappearance, then the rest of the crowd began to, searching the ground for the body between fighting as everyone swarmed into the Entrance Hall. The attack from the House-elves came as a surprise, especially with Kreature leading them, forcing me to think that Dobby should be there, and standing next to him.

My hunt for Bellatrix kicked up a gear, and I started elbowing people out of the way, pushing down hard on their heads to force them to duck spells and curses. I’d lost track of Jamie, and Ron, and everyone else, my mind focusing on nobody but her. Then I found her.

She was standing in the middle of the Hall, a few feet from Voldemort, duelling Ginny, Luna and Hermione. I scanned the room, taking in the long line of bodies at the other end.

Colin. Lavender. Tonks. Remus. Fred. Fred Weasley was dead, and Bellatrix was laughing as she duelled his little sister- his only sister. My soon-to-be cousin.

Without warning, I ran head first at the red-head, rugby tackling her to the floor.

“Alicia! Get off me!” She snarled, fighting against me.

“No,” I snapped, my voice a dagger. She froze and stared at me, fear in her eyes. “Ronan.” I ordered, and the Centaur took the girl off me.

“Be careful, Huntress,” he said quietly, his fingers brushing my forehead briefly. I nodded and then ran back into the middle of the hall, dropping to the floor and sliding towards the Death Eater, aiming to take her down.

“Mine. That’s what you are!” I yelled at her as I collided with her legs, knocking her down. She laughed briefly, before I resorted to Muggle fighting and starting landing punches on her.

“Letting your anger take control, pretty girly?” She cackled, covering her head with her arms. I hissed and went to punch her in the stomach area, but she had managed to reach her wand and I was shoved backwards. “Let’s go back to magic, shall we? I hate that barbarian way of fighting” I heard the blood-status comment but it just washed over me. I hadn’t realised that Ginny had escaped Ronan and rejoined Luna and Hermione until Bellatrix’s killing curse missed her by inches.

“HEY!” I screamed, aiming curse after curse at the witch, making her focus on me again. “You know, for someone who’s going back to Azkaban shortly, you’re not really putting up much of a fight, are you? Did you enjoy it in there?” I saw the small snarl appear on her lips. “I wonder what you’d have to think of though… I’m sure the image of your poor husband with one of my arrows through his heart isn’t really very happy, is it?”

“You’re going to die, Mudblood!” She screeched, pointing her wand at me. I laughed, my hair turning scarlet as I held my hands out to her.

“Take your best shot! You’ve had all night to do it!” I taunted, dodging each spell she aimed at me as I took slow steps towards her. “Hurry up, Bella! Time is ticking!” I ducked another curse and realised I had drawn a lot of attention from around the room. I could see students fighting against professors to reach me, Jamie was surrounded by his family, every eye bloodshot. “DO IT!”

“Not my daughter, you *****!” I heard Molly Weasley’s voice smother my own, and spun as a spell soared over my shoulder. At the same time, several pairs of hands grabbed me and pulled me out of the way. Bellatrix laughed at her new opponent and then finally managed to hit me with a curse.

Everything turned black. Pain racked my body from every inch of skin. I knew what was happening. My vision was becoming real. I was dying. I had tried to survive, like Firenze had told me to, and I managed to survive the Forest. I thought I would be safe. Obviously not.

Muggles say that their lives flash before their eyes. I guess that was what you could say was happening now. The blackness was interrupted by a still image, like a muggle photograph. Jamie. The pain increased, but I was focusing on something else, trying to make myself numb to it. It had always been Jamie, from the very first moment I saw him, heading down towards the vaults at Gringotts seven years ago. That one second glimpse was all I needed for my abilities to tell me that he was the one.

Harry. Ron. Hermione. Ginny. Neville. Luna. George. Alicia. Katie. Angelina. Lee. Oliver. Faces started to flash before me, showing me my friends futures. Children, marragies, grandchildren. They seemed so happy and carefree. At least I knew that Harry would survive the final confrontation with Voldemort. I watched as every person I knew grew old and had a family, waiting for Jamie’s future to appear. Then, as the pain reached an unbareable level, I saw it.

Jamie was sitting in a chair beside a fire, a small child sitting on his knee. The girl had his eyes. Their hair was the same colour. I watched as the image grew wider so I could see the rest of Jamie’s future family. One, two, three… I stopped counting the children and focused on the room itself. There, on the table beside Jamie’s chair, was a photograph. Of me.

Light blinded me as I opened my eyes, screaming. I was still in the Great Hall and the pain had suddenly cut off. Sunlight was pouring in through what was left of the windows, and Bellatrix was gone. I managed to stop the blood curdling scream and glanced around. Someone was moving her body out of the Hall, as well as Voldemort’s.

We had won. People were celebrating. Harry was walking towards me, a smile on his face. I looked up and found Jamie’s eyes, the worry disappearing from them quickly. Slowly, noises came into hearing. People were cheering. Jamie was asking if I was okay. Harry knelt down beside me and took my hand, saying it was all over. Hooves clopped against the floor as the Centaurs surrounded me. I found Firenze’s smiling face as he said two words to me.

‘You survived’

I smiled, and grabbed Jamie’s hand, forcing it down to just above my bellybutton, and saw his immediate understanding. I knew we’d argue about this- me not telling him sooner, us arguing all the time, me risking my life and the baby’s life by joining the battle, but I didn’t care.

No more secrets. No more fighting. No more hiding. We won. We survived.