Call Me Psyche - Dramione

27

Author Note: Another short chapter. I'm doing my best! Only one more chapter left after this one. Leave comments to have input into the ending. DDD

At the sound of the voice declaring Harry Potter dead, everyone inside Hogwarts castle who could still stand ran outside, wands drawn in a mass vibrating with fear and disbelief. Professor McGonagall, Ron, and Hermione barely had time to call out in horror at the sight of Hagrid carrying Harry's limp body when the entire crowd was struck with a silencing spell.

With quiet tears on her face, Hermione clung to Draco's hand with both of hers. His heart was drumming, mind racing, eyes flicking over the mob that had invaded the courtyard with the Dark Lord, looking for his parents.

They were more haggard than he had ever seen them, but alive, at the front of the mob near Hagrid and the body. Draco spotted them just as Hermione broke from her stupor of grief and pulled the hood of Draco's robe over his too-conspicuous hair, hiding him.

But Narcissa had already seen him. Draco saw recognition flash across her face. She took Lucius's by the elbow and squeezed it, almost a pinch, a nod passing between them. Her eyes narrowed as she peered through the distance at Draco.

They were scheming something.

No. What were they going to do? Had the Dark Lord figured out Draco was master of the Elder wand? Were they going to turn him in to save themselves? They'd already lost him to Hermione. They knew that. Now that he had made his choice, what would theirs be?

There was no more time to think. The silencing spell wouldn't hold. Filled to the brim with anguish, Ron broke through the Dark Lord's magic with just his will and his voice, a savage cry tearing out of him, raising a shout of defiance from the rest of the crowd. For a moment, the Dark Lord's taunting was overwhelmed.

And then Longbottom was running at him like a brave fool. The Sorting Hat was there too, flung onto Longbottom's head, and set aflame.

Before anyone could react to that, reinforcements were arriving, grown witches and wizards roaring and streaming onto the castle grounds in support of the Order and the students.

Most astonishing of all, as the fighting was recommencing, Longbottom bounded to his feet, throwing the hat aside. In its place, a sword was flashing in Longbottom's hands. He hefted it and smote off the head of the green, murderous demon of a snake.

The horcruxes – they were gone. The Dark Lord was a wizard as mortal as any other.

But Potter was gone too. His body was no longer lying at the feet of the Dark Lord as he fumed and snarled.

Hagrid was howling for Potter, but now the air was thick with Centaurs' arrows and with flying creatures diving and scratching at the surviving Death Eaters as they fled.

Not willing to find out whether that Buckbeak creature could tell which side he was on now, Draco hauled hard on Hermione's arm and chased after the rest of the mob streaming into the castle.

Inside, the fight raged on. Ron was battling the same werewolf that had lusted after Hermione and mauled Lavender Brown. Dora was standing over Remus's cot defending him. The Dark Lord was fighting Kingsley, McGonagall, and Slughorn all at once.

Draco had lost sight of his parents outside. They must have run off home, whatever scheme they had now frustrated. Of course they had. He assured himself of it as he knelt by Longbottom to treat his burns with the healing wand.

"That was brilliant, Longbottom," Draco was saying. "I'm not sure you understand how vile, how wicked that thing was – "

He couldn't finish. Silence had fallen over the hall. It was not the Dark Lord's spell this time. It was Potter, not dead but standing on his feet, alert and alive and squaring up, Draco's hawthorn wand still in his hand.