Capítulo 5: Grim Acceptance

4:30 AM - Hogwarts, Scottish Highlands

An uproar reverberated from the distant boundary of the school, as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the walls, pelting towards the castle, uttering loud war cries. At the same time, a voice sounded out, its speaker lumbering around the side of the castle and yelled.

"HAGGER!" Its cry was answered by roars from Voldemort's giants: They ran at it like bull elephants making the earth quake. Then came hooves and the twangs of bows, and arrows were suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise.

Taking advantage of the havoc that spawned around me, I pulled Invisibility Cloak from inside my [Soul Dimension], swinging it over myself, and sprang to my feet, wand drawn once it hid me from sight; a harmonious melody instantly blossoming from it, silent to all but me, as magic bubbling at the top of my skin, made a connection with. It would seem the wand had not rejected me as I feared; responding to me in a way I - Harry - had never felt before, waiting at my beck and call, eager to serve its new master.

Under the safety of the Invisibility Cloak, I took a moment to look at what has happening around me; bile threatening to pool out of my mouth an onto the floor below at the stench I smelt, as I saw the bodies that dotted the floor around me, some peaceful looking as if passing away in their sleep painlessly, and other, others maimed and disfigured beyond recognition: Their intestines, and all it included hung out their guts, mixed with brains of the bodies that had their heads blown off near them. The grim nature of what I was witnessing hit me, as I slowly processed what I was seeing, eventually becoming begrudgingly accepting of it.

I realised the preconceived notions I had of this world when I gained consciousness in the forest were incorrect; as I based it off the show I binge watched a week ago before I died. Yet, I, like most, focused on the actions taking place on the screen, uncaring of the experiences the characters went through as it progressed, their eyes gradually getting darker and grim, watching, witnessing their loved ones perishing before their eyes, doing naught but clenching their fist in helplessness.

Yet as I focused on the memories I received, albeit the emotions in them numbed and subdued, I finally understood. This, like my own, was a dog eat dog world, with another tool in certain group of human hands: magic, a mystical energy, that enabled them to do the greatest of wonders, and the most vicious of evil. A tool, albeit one with substance and liveliness to it, that augmented the already existing emotions of mankind, whether it be good or evil, uncaring of how it was put to use. And as all tools, there were either those too scared to use it and those too weak to control themselves when using it, causing unintended side effects to emerge, and rarely few utilising it to its fullest potential.

'I promise that I will do what is necessary to ensure that I return, all in one piece, to my family.' I vowed to myself, fists clenched in righteous anger, memories of the childish fantasies I had not yet entirely let go yet, roaming at the edges of my mind, but subdued.

I was broken out of my internal pledge, by a scuffle sounding to my left.

'Neville.'

My mind instantly supplied the General Counter-Spell, magic seeping into my wand, eliciting a sudden trill from yet, when I saw it wasn't needed.

In one swift, fluid motion, he broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming hat falling off his head as he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle, swinging it ferociously towards the serpent at his feet - The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet, it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a silent scream, pieces of his magic leaving his body, further fracturing his already non-existent core, as the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet.

Hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, I cast a Shield Charm between Neville and Voldemort, reveling in the rush I felt casting for the first time, before the latter could raise the Elder Wand, and in my sight, a bright golden shield snapped into place. Hagrid's yell - probably the only one to notice my sudden disappearance - came loudest of all.

"HARRY!" He shouted. "HARRY-- WHERE'S HARRY?"

Chaos reigned. The charging centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, everyone was feeling the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements that had come from who knew where; I looked to see great winged creatures soaring at the heads of Voldemort's giants, thestrals and Buckbeak the hippogriff scratching at their eyes while the speaker of the voice I heard before, Grawp, punched and pummeled them and now the wizards, defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters alike were being forced back into the castle.

Still hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, I made my way into the entrance hall; searching for Voldemort and saw him across the room, firing spells from his wand as he backed into the Great Hall, still screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses flying left and right; I feel into the habit of casting more Shield Charms, relishing each time I felt the release of pent up magic leaving me, as [Realities Blessing] refilled my core instantly, and Voldemort's would-be victims, Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott, darted past him into the Great Hall, where they joined the fight already flourishing inside it.

And now there were more, even more people storming up the front steps, as I saw Charlie Weasley overtaking Horace Slughorn. They seemed to have returned at the head of what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who had remained to fight along with the shopkeeps and homeowners of Hogsmeade. The centaurs Bane, Ronan and Magorian burst into the hall with a great clatter of hooves.

Suddenly the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges. The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleaver, and at their head. They were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shim of Death Eaters their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere I looked Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempting to escape, but swallowed by the oncoming horde.

'Remind me not to get on their bad side.' I gulped.

But it was not over yet: I sped between duelers, past a struggling prisoners, and into the Great Hall.

Voldemort was in the center of the battle, and he was striking and smiting all within reach. Righteous anger spiked through me as I pulled on my core, ready to cast the multitude of offensive spells coming to my mind. Still, I could not get a clear shot, so I fought my way nearer, still invisible, and the Great Hall became more and more crowded as everyone who could walk forced their way inside.

As continued to push on I saw Yaxley slammed to the floor by George and Lee Jordan, saw Dolohov fall with a scream at Flitwick's hands, saw Walden Macnair thrown across the room by Hagrid, hitting the stone wall opposite, and slide unconscious to the ground. I saw Ron and Neville bringing down Fenrir Greyback, Aberforth Stunning Rookwood, Arthur and Percy flooting Thicknesse, and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son.

Voldemort was now dueling McGonagall, Slughorn, Kingsley all at once, and there was a cold hatred in his face as they wove and ducked around him, unable to finish him - Bellatrix was still fighting too, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she dueled three at once: Hermione, Ginny and Luna, all battling their hardest, but Bellatrix was equal to them, when a beam of green light shot out from her wand, bathing the surroundings in sickly green tendrils of magic.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" said... 'Is that Mrs. Weasley!'

'Ginny,' I suddenly remembered the budding feelings between her and Harry throughout the events Deathly Hallows, and the flood of memories that came rushing out at the thought of her, if anything, an indication of how he felt about her. 'It's the least I can do for him.' I thought, as I quickly changed directions to make my way towards her, but, it seemed, I did not need to do anything at all.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a simple swipe of her wand she began to duel. I watched with terror and elation as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twisted, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked, magic roaring in the air; both woman were fighting to kill.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, and I stood, invisible, torn between both, wanting to attack and yet to protect, unable to be sure that I would not hit the innocent.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

"You-- will-- never-- touch-- my-- children-- again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

Bellatrix laughed the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and suddenly I knew what was going to happen before it did.

Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's constricted arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

I felt as though everything turned into slow motion: I saw McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb, choppy magic bursting in what amounted to a final struggle, as he raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.