Draco Malfoy stood near Ron and Hermione, looking even more frightened than the distressed duo.
"Please!" Lucius cried. "Master! All my life-my life! Dedicated to your service...loyally following orders! Loyal...all my days! Please-"
"Silence." The voice was quiet, but was cold and foreboding. "You have failed Lucius. And now you beg for mercy. Death Eaters do not beg. And I am not merciful." The Dark Lord raised his wand and set a bolt of green light shooting for Lucius Malfoy. It hit him squarley in the chest.
Draco screamed and began running forward, but was grabbed by the cuff of his sleeve by none other than Hermione Granger. She bore no love for either of the Malfoy family, but tears fell freely from her eyes. Malfoy fell to the ground, his chest heaving. "Just...nothing...killed him like...he was nothing at all..."
Voldemort turned to face Harry. “Avada Kedavra!,” he shouted, just as Harry lunged out from the way.
The Dark Lord clenched his wand with his long, white fingers. They trembled as his body shook with the sound of his laughter, surprisingly high and shrill. "Defend yourself Potter. Defend yourself or die."
A long bead of sweat ran its way down Harry's forehead. His face was pale, and twisted in pain. His chest rose up and down, up and down, in very uneven intervals. He stared at the crumpled body of Lucius Malfoy, as a sudden thought occurred to him, both a relief, and a terrible truth.
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted, more loudly this time. Once again, Harry dodged. In his mind, he replayed his conversation with Dumbledore, a year before… “Just love?” Harry had asked. “Is that all I’ve got?”
“Yes Harry,” he had answered. “Just love.”
"I won't kill you." Harry said, his words sounding stupid even to his own ears. "I will not use the Avada Kedavra."
Malfoy raised his head to gape at Harry in wonder. “You’re a-a fool. You can’t win; you have to use the curse. He’ll kill you, just like he killed him…” He choked, and fell into a ball on the cold, hard ground, twitching at a frightening speed.
Hermione looked completely disturbed at the writhing boy. She pulled her hand out of Ron’s, which she had been clenching tightly in a terrified panic. “We’ve got to help him!” She hissed to Ron urgently. The scene played before her eyes: The green bolt of light shooting from Voldemort’s wand…dodged by Harry…a bolt of red from his wand…only to be swiped at like a mosquito by the cackling Dark Lord…
“You’re right,” Ron replied. His voice was eerily quiet and calm. “Protego- the mirror spell…?”
“Oh Ron! That won’t stand against Avada Kedavra!”
“We have to try,” said Ron. “Both of us together…it’s the only way!”
Hermione thought for a moment. “All right…for Harry.”
Malfoy slowly pulled himself to his feet. “Count me in.” Tears ran into his mouth as he spoke.
Ron looked shocked, but Hermione did not. She nodded. “On three,” she said shakily.
Voldemort raised his wand…
One…
He opened his mouth…
Two…
…Sent a flash of green hurtling toward Harry, the boy who lived.
Ron, Draco, and Hermione shot their bolt of red speeding toward Voldemort. Harry raised his wand, and sent one following the others.
Voldemort’s eyes opened wide in shock, and flinched ever-so-slightly, his spell moving with him. Heading straight for…
“Don’t move!” Hermione shrieked, just as the killing curse hit the three full on.
Harry screamed.
Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy were sent flying, just as the green bolt of light seemed to turn in mid-air. Harry knew at once that the mirror spell had succeeded, though he was not sure that his friends had come out on top.
He heard Voldemort cry out in alarm, but did not turn to look. He sprinted to his friend’s side, immediately feeling their pulses. Ron…Hermione…alive! Simply unconscious! In relief and complete exhaustion, he collapsed on top of them, with out looking back for a glimpse of the Dark Lord…and with out a glance at Malfoy. Perhaps if he had looked, he would have found the boy unusually pale, limp, and without the constant beating of his pure-blooded heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny Weasely sat, listening intently to the sound of Luna Lovegood’s voice; though it did not seem to be Luna’s voice at all. It was a low, trembly-sort of voice…much too deep and much too high all at once.
Neville Longbottom crouched near Luna and Ginny, looking terrified. “Luna really is…” he began ”,she really is a seer!”
“Sssshhhh!” Ginny hissed. “Listen!” With quiet all around, Ginny and Neville could still hardly make-out Luna’s mutterings.
“They approach Hogwarts…Silently…the deed…bringing much rejoicing…has been fulfilled…All… well.” She spoke more words, but only bits and pieces were identifiable.
Then, all at once, her eyes became dreamy, her expression normal.
“Wow Luna!” Neville shouted. “That was amazing!”
“Wha-?” Luna simply looked confused.
“The deed that will bring much rejoicing has been fulfilled…” Ginny said slowly, the burden lifting from her heart. “All is well…” She blinked, then smiled a true, genuine smile. “Harry…Ron…Hermione…they’re all right! Voldemort, he’s gone!” Ginny felt a flutter in her stomach just thinking about Harry.
“Are you sure?” asked Neville. “She could have meant…anybody…” he referred to Luna, who still looked bewildered.
“Yes I am sure,” said Ginny defiantly. For, through all Luna’s rambling, the last word she had uttered-Ginny felt sure-had been “scar”.