Fic: Brave New World (27/28): Harry Potter
Title: Brave New World
Author:
patriciatepes
Artist:
twisted_slinky
Fandom: Harry Potter
Chapter: Prev | Next
Rating/Contents: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters. Making no money here, as they all still belong to their prospective owners.
Summary: Partially DH compliant, most AU. Voldemort arrived at Malfoy Manor quicker than expected, and like that, the war was over. Now, Hermione is Snape's "assigned companion," and as determined as ever to stop Voldemort and save her friends. But that's hard to do in Voldemort's new world…
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Terror's End
It was the sound of concerned murmurs that drew Hermione's eyes up. For one shining moment, she dared hope that Harry had somehow, miraculously, survived the Killing Curse a second time. But it wasn't Harry that drew the concern, but Voldemort. The Dark Lord's body had been blasted off the stage, and he lay several feet away from the stairs. Bellatrix had, obviously, been the first to run to him. She knelt over him, saying things Hermione could not hear from this distance. It took several moments, but finally, Voldemort rose. Hermione had to admit more than a passing disappointment at this revelation. He gestured Bellatrix off of him, pointing toward the cage.
Hermione forced herself to stare at the cage, and at Harry's crumpled form. Bellatrix took the stairs quickly, racing over the golden prison. She bent, reaching through the bars. Hermione was still gripping Snape's arm, and he was just now gently prying her loose. She didn't take offense. She knew what he meant by it. It was almost time.
Bellatrix whirled to the crowd, a triumphant smile plastered all over her beautiful-but-gaunt face.
"He's dead!" she roared into the crowd.
The reaction was instead. Those who were followers of Voldemort returned her roar with a gleeful one of their own, while the resistance members tossed off their cloaks. The first curses that flew were not from the Death Eaters, but from the resistance using the upper hand of surprise. Hermione tossed her cloak to the ground, seeing the Snape had vanished his mask and done the same.
"Traitors!" Voldemort shrieked.
There were so many resistance members. Hermione had mere moments to be astonished… but astonished she was. Not even half of the number present had been at the meetings. But, she supposed that made a kind of sense. Perhaps the meetings had been the council, of sorts, deciding and planning and then passing the information along. It didn't matter now, though. All that mattered were there a lot of familiar faces, taking down Death Eaters even in her singular moment of thought.
Snape caught her about the waist, pressing his lips to hers in a quick and breath-taking kiss. She blinked at him when they parted.
"Good luck," he said.
"See you when it's over," she returned.
They separated, Hermione blasting her way towards the bulk of the fight, while Snape-and Draco, she noticed-blasted their way toward Voldemort. Hermione came to a stop, after blasting at least four or five Death Eaters off their feet, back to back with a familiar face-Tonks.
Her hair was red-like the color of an apple, not a natural ginger-and spiked short. They stood back to back, lobbing spells at any and all Death Eaters that attempted to take them. She did a double-take at the witch behind her. She did some quick math.
"Didn't you have a baby?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Tonks replied, casting a spell that sent an approaching Death Eater flying over the heads of everyone and crashing into the far wall.
"Why in the bloody hell, then, aren't you with the baby? Why are you here?"
"My son needs to know what I stand for. A world where he can be accepted, no matter what his blood contains. And if I die for that cause? Well, he'll know I died for him, to protect him."
Hermione knew then and there that Tonks was not going to die, not if she could help it. They continued fending off Death Eaters, spells all the colors of the rainbow and then some flying all around them. Several seconds later, she felt Tonks go rigid behind her.
"Tonks?" she asked, alarmed.
"It's Harry," she said.
They switched spots, Hermione's heart leaping into her throat. Had he survived? Was he alive, only playing possum? But once her eyes found the stage, she found her hopes dashed as well. Instead, Tonks' meaning was more correctly put as "Harry's body." Bellatrix was inching closer to it, throwing off the spells of those too young to even be in this fight as easily as she might swat a fly. Hermione heard Voldemort's cackle and turned her eyes, for a moment, in that direction. Draco had made contact with the Dark Lord, with Snape at his side, and the two were throwing and defending spells as quickly as they could to keep up with Voldemort. But, thankfully, they appeared unharmed thus far.
"She'll desecrate his body. You know how she is," Tonks said. "Get to her."
Hermione nodded, once, and began to weave through the crowd. There were plenty of resistance members holding their own, so she avoided taking the time it would to throw spells. The advantage of surprise had aided them well, as they had dealt with enough Death Eaters to bring the numbers down to an even scoring. Hermione ducked behind a Death Eater battling with Neville, and shoved her shoulder into his back to throw him off balance. Off to her right, Ron appeared to be battling a man with dark hair and a face that resembled that of a dog. Hermione wondered, for a moment, if that was Ron's father-in-law. But she had no time.
She was anxious that she couldn't see the fight with Voldemort-couldn't see if Draco and Snape were okay. But she had her goal. She watched her friends fight as she wound through the crowd, casting spells and shoving where it would be useful to do so. She had made it to a cluster of Weasleys-Fred, George, and Percy. She stood back to back with them, and Fred grinned at her.
"Oy, Hermione. So, how's things?" he drew out.
She couldn't help but grin. "Not bad. Trying to get to the stage, though, is turning out to be Hell."
"Yeah, not to mention Bella up there guarding it like a dog with a bone," George answered.
Hermione glanced around, throwing an almost causal curse at a Death Eater who had broken off fighting with one of the younger members of the resistance to take a turn at her. It was his mistake. In the distance, on the stage, she noticed a flash of red hair making it up the stairs. Her stomach tightened.
"Ginny's not here, is she?" Hermione asked, jerking her head toward the stage.
Fred turned, looking with a wide grin on his face. "Nah, Ginny's safe and sound. That's Mum."
Hermione's chest loosened. Mrs. Weasley could take care of herself. After all, she had raised the twins. A cry from behind her made her jump.
"Fred, watch out!" Percy yelled, diving in front of the twin.
Hermione turned just in time to see the flash of green light strike Percy in the chest. Her eyes doubled in horror.
"Percy?" George asked, while Fred let his anger loose, returning the favor of death back on the Death Eater who had just taken their brother from them.
Hermione pursed her lips. She backed away from the scene, knowing that grief was a powerful weapon-and a thing they should have just to themselves, just for a moment. She fought her way closer to the stage. She passed by Lee Jordan, fighting two Death Eaters at once-and just barely breaking a sweat-and she passed a younger Hufflepuff as they successfully restrained Gregory Goyle. But the most heart-wrenching sight she passed by-wishing she could pause but knowing she had no time-was Remus Lupin, lying on the floor, his eyes wide with the shock of demise. She hoped whatever follower of Voldemort had caused his Death, had deprived a child of its father, had met a gruesome end.
It seemed an age, but she mounted the stage, leaping up from the front of it. Mrs. Weasley was hard at it, lobbing shot after shot back at Bellatrix, putting the dark witch on the defensive. But Bellatrix was smiling, laughing with every other spell deflected.
Hermione dared glance over to the left, where Voldemort was still battling with Snape and Draco. They looked tired-Draco and Snape, unfortunately-but not injured. Voldemort was looking decreasingly arrogant. Perhaps they were holding their own? She put her attention back on Bellatrix as she edge closer to the cage. Hermione joined the fray.
"Get away from him!" she shrieked, throwing a Stinging Curse at the witch's free hand as she reached toward the cage.
Bellatrix lobbed a spell back at her, but Mrs. Weasley stepped in, deflecting it was relative ease. Bellatrix cackled as both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley threw curse after curse at her, occasionally having to deflect one of hers.
"Poor Potter," Bellatrix teased. "I wonder how much fun I'll manage to have with him now that he's dead? Probably won't make as much noise now, huh?"
"Affligo!" Hermione cried, and Bellatrix's head flung to the left, as if she had been struck. She came back grinning.
"Didn't like that, did we? Well, that's the plan. And then, when I'm bored with Potter, I'll have some fun with some of the traitors."
"It's funny that you think you'll win," Hermione spat.
But Bellatrix was unfazed by her words. She grinned wider. "I wonder what I could do to a pregnant girl?"
Hermione could almost feel the heat of Mrs. Weasley's rage roll off of her.
"Not my daughter, you bitch!" she screamed, followed immediately by the Killing Curse.
It was too fast. Bellatrix couldn't block it, and the force of its casting sent her lifeless body hurtling off the stage. Voldemort let out a terrible shriek.
##
Snape was somewhat surprised by Voldemort's reaction to Bellatrix's death. It was almost as if he actually cared for her-though all who knew him best knew better. He rebounded spell after spell, not even trying to cast one to damage Voldemort, all in efforts to ease Draco's attack.
"Traitors! Was I not loyal to you, Severus? Was I not a fair and just lord?" Voldemort demanded.
"You tried to have me killed, for the sake of a wand," Snape spat.
Voldemort turned his cold eyes on Draco, who was perspiring a little, making his white-blond hair fall in strings about his face. "And you, Draco? What offense did I cause you?"
"My mother," was all Malfoy replied.
Voldemort gazed back at Snape, apparently realizing a losing battle when he saw one. He had, indeed, lost Draco the moment he had killed his mother, threatened his unborn child. These were easy things to understand. But the Dark Lord still looked puzzled over Snape.
"Severus," he hissed. "You could have simply begged forgiveness. I would have forgiven you. You've been my most loyal servant, defying and killing Dumbledore for me."
Years of playing the loyal follower, years of keeping it all locked up inside, finally broke loose. Snape kept just enough control to keep his spells steady and focused. After all, his anger was no good if he was killed in the middle of releasing it. But his face contorted into a snarl.
"Loyal? Loyal? I haven't been loyal to you for years! I've played you like a fool, Voldemort," Snape roared at him.
"How dare-"
"You killed her!"
Voldemort blinked, taken aback. "Who?"
This did nothing but further fuel the rage in Snape's heart. "Lily!"
Spells were flying, but this conversation was obviously taking its toll on Voldemort. Draco was able to hit him on the shoulder with a hex. Voldemort hissed, shooting a spell back at Draco, but Snape stepped in front of the boy and deflected it.
"Lily Potter? The boy's mother? That mudblood is the reason for your defection?" Voldemort asked now, seeming truly puzzled.
"Do. Not. Call. Her. That. I loved her. And you took her from this world. And I swore to protect her son, the last bit of her left in this universe. And now you've taken that too. So now, you'll die, as you should've years ago."
Voldemort laughed, its high-pitched coldness seeming to surround the room and its occupants.
"Fools! I am the Master of Death! You've no idea the measures I've taken-"
"Your Horcruxes?" Snape asked. "Gone. Potter was the last of them, actually."
Voldemort blinked. "Lies!"
"Really? Did you also know that the Elder Wand won't work, at least properly, for someone who is not its master? Nor will it act against its true master."
"You, Severus?" Voldemort sneered.
Snape smirked. "No."
All of a sudden, Snape stopped. The pause made Voldemort hesitate, just a moment, trying to anticipate what the former Potions master would do. But Snape was a master of Occulmency, to the point that it was almost second nature to keep his guards up. Voldemort didn't see the idea cross his mind, as Snape dipped his wand low, shooting a Stunning Spell at the Dark Lord. The spell hit the wrist of Voldemort's wand hand. And he only barely registered Snape shouting, "Now, Draco!"
"Avada Kedavra!" Malfoy shouted.
The Killing Curse hit Voldemort square in the chest, right over his heart. It took only a moment. His eyes went wide and white, all light leaving those red slits. He tumbled backwards like a marionette freed of its strings. His body thudded on the floor. And all sound in the room stilled. Then, finally, a great cheer rose up.
Voldemort was truly and finally gone.
Author:
patriciatepes
Artist:
twisted_slinky
Fandom: Harry Potter
Chapter: Prev | Next
Rating/Contents: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters. Making no money here, as they all still belong to their prospective owners.
Summary: Partially DH compliant, most AU. Voldemort arrived at Malfoy Manor quicker than expected, and like that, the war was over. Now, Hermione is Snape's "assigned companion," and as determined as ever to stop Voldemort and save her friends. But that's hard to do in Voldemort's new world…
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Terror's End
It was the sound of concerned murmurs that drew Hermione's eyes up. For one shining moment, she dared hope that Harry had somehow, miraculously, survived the Killing Curse a second time. But it wasn't Harry that drew the concern, but Voldemort. The Dark Lord's body had been blasted off the stage, and he lay several feet away from the stairs. Bellatrix had, obviously, been the first to run to him. She knelt over him, saying things Hermione could not hear from this distance. It took several moments, but finally, Voldemort rose. Hermione had to admit more than a passing disappointment at this revelation. He gestured Bellatrix off of him, pointing toward the cage.
Hermione forced herself to stare at the cage, and at Harry's crumpled form. Bellatrix took the stairs quickly, racing over the golden prison. She bent, reaching through the bars. Hermione was still gripping Snape's arm, and he was just now gently prying her loose. She didn't take offense. She knew what he meant by it. It was almost time.
Bellatrix whirled to the crowd, a triumphant smile plastered all over her beautiful-but-gaunt face.
"He's dead!" she roared into the crowd.
The reaction was instead. Those who were followers of Voldemort returned her roar with a gleeful one of their own, while the resistance members tossed off their cloaks. The first curses that flew were not from the Death Eaters, but from the resistance using the upper hand of surprise. Hermione tossed her cloak to the ground, seeing the Snape had vanished his mask and done the same.
"Traitors!" Voldemort shrieked.
There were so many resistance members. Hermione had mere moments to be astonished… but astonished she was. Not even half of the number present had been at the meetings. But, she supposed that made a kind of sense. Perhaps the meetings had been the council, of sorts, deciding and planning and then passing the information along. It didn't matter now, though. All that mattered were there a lot of familiar faces, taking down Death Eaters even in her singular moment of thought.
Snape caught her about the waist, pressing his lips to hers in a quick and breath-taking kiss. She blinked at him when they parted.
"Good luck," he said.
"See you when it's over," she returned.
They separated, Hermione blasting her way towards the bulk of the fight, while Snape-and Draco, she noticed-blasted their way toward Voldemort. Hermione came to a stop, after blasting at least four or five Death Eaters off their feet, back to back with a familiar face-Tonks.
Her hair was red-like the color of an apple, not a natural ginger-and spiked short. They stood back to back, lobbing spells at any and all Death Eaters that attempted to take them. She did a double-take at the witch behind her. She did some quick math.
"Didn't you have a baby?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Tonks replied, casting a spell that sent an approaching Death Eater flying over the heads of everyone and crashing into the far wall.
"Why in the bloody hell, then, aren't you with the baby? Why are you here?"
"My son needs to know what I stand for. A world where he can be accepted, no matter what his blood contains. And if I die for that cause? Well, he'll know I died for him, to protect him."
Hermione knew then and there that Tonks was not going to die, not if she could help it. They continued fending off Death Eaters, spells all the colors of the rainbow and then some flying all around them. Several seconds later, she felt Tonks go rigid behind her.
"Tonks?" she asked, alarmed.
"It's Harry," she said.
They switched spots, Hermione's heart leaping into her throat. Had he survived? Was he alive, only playing possum? But once her eyes found the stage, she found her hopes dashed as well. Instead, Tonks' meaning was more correctly put as "Harry's body." Bellatrix was inching closer to it, throwing off the spells of those too young to even be in this fight as easily as she might swat a fly. Hermione heard Voldemort's cackle and turned her eyes, for a moment, in that direction. Draco had made contact with the Dark Lord, with Snape at his side, and the two were throwing and defending spells as quickly as they could to keep up with Voldemort. But, thankfully, they appeared unharmed thus far.
"She'll desecrate his body. You know how she is," Tonks said. "Get to her."
Hermione nodded, once, and began to weave through the crowd. There were plenty of resistance members holding their own, so she avoided taking the time it would to throw spells. The advantage of surprise had aided them well, as they had dealt with enough Death Eaters to bring the numbers down to an even scoring. Hermione ducked behind a Death Eater battling with Neville, and shoved her shoulder into his back to throw him off balance. Off to her right, Ron appeared to be battling a man with dark hair and a face that resembled that of a dog. Hermione wondered, for a moment, if that was Ron's father-in-law. But she had no time.
She was anxious that she couldn't see the fight with Voldemort-couldn't see if Draco and Snape were okay. But she had her goal. She watched her friends fight as she wound through the crowd, casting spells and shoving where it would be useful to do so. She had made it to a cluster of Weasleys-Fred, George, and Percy. She stood back to back with them, and Fred grinned at her.
"Oy, Hermione. So, how's things?" he drew out.
She couldn't help but grin. "Not bad. Trying to get to the stage, though, is turning out to be Hell."
"Yeah, not to mention Bella up there guarding it like a dog with a bone," George answered.
Hermione glanced around, throwing an almost causal curse at a Death Eater who had broken off fighting with one of the younger members of the resistance to take a turn at her. It was his mistake. In the distance, on the stage, she noticed a flash of red hair making it up the stairs. Her stomach tightened.
"Ginny's not here, is she?" Hermione asked, jerking her head toward the stage.
Fred turned, looking with a wide grin on his face. "Nah, Ginny's safe and sound. That's Mum."
Hermione's chest loosened. Mrs. Weasley could take care of herself. After all, she had raised the twins. A cry from behind her made her jump.
"Fred, watch out!" Percy yelled, diving in front of the twin.
Hermione turned just in time to see the flash of green light strike Percy in the chest. Her eyes doubled in horror.
"Percy?" George asked, while Fred let his anger loose, returning the favor of death back on the Death Eater who had just taken their brother from them.
Hermione pursed her lips. She backed away from the scene, knowing that grief was a powerful weapon-and a thing they should have just to themselves, just for a moment. She fought her way closer to the stage. She passed by Lee Jordan, fighting two Death Eaters at once-and just barely breaking a sweat-and she passed a younger Hufflepuff as they successfully restrained Gregory Goyle. But the most heart-wrenching sight she passed by-wishing she could pause but knowing she had no time-was Remus Lupin, lying on the floor, his eyes wide with the shock of demise. She hoped whatever follower of Voldemort had caused his Death, had deprived a child of its father, had met a gruesome end.
It seemed an age, but she mounted the stage, leaping up from the front of it. Mrs. Weasley was hard at it, lobbing shot after shot back at Bellatrix, putting the dark witch on the defensive. But Bellatrix was smiling, laughing with every other spell deflected.
Hermione dared glance over to the left, where Voldemort was still battling with Snape and Draco. They looked tired-Draco and Snape, unfortunately-but not injured. Voldemort was looking decreasingly arrogant. Perhaps they were holding their own? She put her attention back on Bellatrix as she edge closer to the cage. Hermione joined the fray.
"Get away from him!" she shrieked, throwing a Stinging Curse at the witch's free hand as she reached toward the cage.
Bellatrix lobbed a spell back at her, but Mrs. Weasley stepped in, deflecting it was relative ease. Bellatrix cackled as both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley threw curse after curse at her, occasionally having to deflect one of hers.
"Poor Potter," Bellatrix teased. "I wonder how much fun I'll manage to have with him now that he's dead? Probably won't make as much noise now, huh?"
"Affligo!" Hermione cried, and Bellatrix's head flung to the left, as if she had been struck. She came back grinning.
"Didn't like that, did we? Well, that's the plan. And then, when I'm bored with Potter, I'll have some fun with some of the traitors."
"It's funny that you think you'll win," Hermione spat.
But Bellatrix was unfazed by her words. She grinned wider. "I wonder what I could do to a pregnant girl?"
Hermione could almost feel the heat of Mrs. Weasley's rage roll off of her.
"Not my daughter, you bitch!" she screamed, followed immediately by the Killing Curse.
It was too fast. Bellatrix couldn't block it, and the force of its casting sent her lifeless body hurtling off the stage. Voldemort let out a terrible shriek.
##
Snape was somewhat surprised by Voldemort's reaction to Bellatrix's death. It was almost as if he actually cared for her-though all who knew him best knew better. He rebounded spell after spell, not even trying to cast one to damage Voldemort, all in efforts to ease Draco's attack.
"Traitors! Was I not loyal to you, Severus? Was I not a fair and just lord?" Voldemort demanded.
"You tried to have me killed, for the sake of a wand," Snape spat.
Voldemort turned his cold eyes on Draco, who was perspiring a little, making his white-blond hair fall in strings about his face. "And you, Draco? What offense did I cause you?"
"My mother," was all Malfoy replied.
Voldemort gazed back at Snape, apparently realizing a losing battle when he saw one. He had, indeed, lost Draco the moment he had killed his mother, threatened his unborn child. These were easy things to understand. But the Dark Lord still looked puzzled over Snape.
"Severus," he hissed. "You could have simply begged forgiveness. I would have forgiven you. You've been my most loyal servant, defying and killing Dumbledore for me."
Years of playing the loyal follower, years of keeping it all locked up inside, finally broke loose. Snape kept just enough control to keep his spells steady and focused. After all, his anger was no good if he was killed in the middle of releasing it. But his face contorted into a snarl.
"Loyal? Loyal? I haven't been loyal to you for years! I've played you like a fool, Voldemort," Snape roared at him.
"How dare-"
"You killed her!"
Voldemort blinked, taken aback. "Who?"
This did nothing but further fuel the rage in Snape's heart. "Lily!"
Spells were flying, but this conversation was obviously taking its toll on Voldemort. Draco was able to hit him on the shoulder with a hex. Voldemort hissed, shooting a spell back at Draco, but Snape stepped in front of the boy and deflected it.
"Lily Potter? The boy's mother? That mudblood is the reason for your defection?" Voldemort asked now, seeming truly puzzled.
"Do. Not. Call. Her. That. I loved her. And you took her from this world. And I swore to protect her son, the last bit of her left in this universe. And now you've taken that too. So now, you'll die, as you should've years ago."
Voldemort laughed, its high-pitched coldness seeming to surround the room and its occupants.
"Fools! I am the Master of Death! You've no idea the measures I've taken-"
"Your Horcruxes?" Snape asked. "Gone. Potter was the last of them, actually."
Voldemort blinked. "Lies!"
"Really? Did you also know that the Elder Wand won't work, at least properly, for someone who is not its master? Nor will it act against its true master."
"You, Severus?" Voldemort sneered.
Snape smirked. "No."
All of a sudden, Snape stopped. The pause made Voldemort hesitate, just a moment, trying to anticipate what the former Potions master would do. But Snape was a master of Occulmency, to the point that it was almost second nature to keep his guards up. Voldemort didn't see the idea cross his mind, as Snape dipped his wand low, shooting a Stunning Spell at the Dark Lord. The spell hit the wrist of Voldemort's wand hand. And he only barely registered Snape shouting, "Now, Draco!"
"Avada Kedavra!" Malfoy shouted.
The Killing Curse hit Voldemort square in the chest, right over his heart. It took only a moment. His eyes went wide and white, all light leaving those red slits. He tumbled backwards like a marionette freed of its strings. His body thudded on the floor. And all sound in the room stilled. Then, finally, a great cheer rose up.
Voldemort was truly and finally gone.