Memorial

[jncar]

Title: Memorial
Author: jncar
Rating & Warnings: PG-13/R, violence, gore, swearing, multiple character deaths
Prompts: Gubraithian fire; Mad-Eye, Ron, Bellatrix; Strip; Mystery/Suspense
Word Count: 7,897
Summary: After receiving a cryptic warning from Snape and discovering that Harry and several of his friends have gone missing, Remus must lead the Order on a search through a dark and nightmarish battlefield in the faint hope that they are not too late.
Author’s Notes: This is my first, and probably my last, attempt at a "Final Battle" fic. I really feel like this would be much better if I had a week to work on revising it, but since I don't have a week this is as done as it's going to get, so here it is. Not my best work, and my first attempt at mystery/suspense, so concrit would be appreciated. According to the HP Lexicon, Gubraithian fire is a "spell to make the object burn forever."



Memorial

Remus read the parchment over and over, committing it to memory before burning it. Severus’s message was simple-its implications chilling. The Dark Lord knows what Potter has been doing. He won’t wait much longer to act. Take precautions.

Remus still didn’t entirely trust Severus. The information he had given them over the past year had helped to protect the Order and Harry on several occasions, but he had not yet given them any information that could grant them a real success. The Death Eaters remained one step ahead of them at all times, and Remus was beginning to suspect that that was exactly how Severus wanted it.

Long after the message had disintegrated into ash, he continued to stare into the fire, watching the dancing flames.

Harry was almost done with his quest-only one Horcrux remained, and he was close to finding it. At this point, an over abundance of caution could do just as much harm as good.

But on the other hand, doing anything to risk Harry’s safety now could be catastrophic.

Remus looked away from the fire, and leaned back in his chair to stare out the window at the dark sky. Thick clouds hid the waning moon. It looked like a storm was brewing.

There was always a storm brewing.

He was beginning to wonder if the war would last forever. He wondered if he would ever be free of it-free to live a normal life. He wondered if normal was even possible for him.

He sat up straight in alarm when Minerva’s Patronus burst into his room, interrupting his thoughts. He touched it with his wand, and her voice came spilling forth: “Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, and Ernie Macmillan have vanished from school grounds. None of them have been seen for more than an hour. I fear they may have gone in search of Harry.” Its message delivered, the Patronus dissolved into a swirl of white mist and disappeared.

Minerva’s suspicion was likely correct. Remus recalled that all of the students listed had been part of Harry’s secret defense organization during his fifth year, and he was sure that any of them would run to Harry’s aid at a moment’s notice. The real question was: had they gone to find Harry of their own impulse, or had he called on them for help?

Remus pulled out his wand and sent a Patronus message to Harry, asking if he was safe or if he needed assistance. He waited ten minutes, with no reply. He sent a second Patronus. There was still no reply.

Finally, he sent a Patronus to Hermione. Again, there was no reply.

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Ever since Dumbledore’s death last year, Remus had felt as if he’d been stripped and left naked in the midst of a raging blizzard. And if something were to happen to Harry, he was sure that the blizzard would bury him alive. He couldn’t let that happen.

Remus Apparated to Hogwarts, and met Minerva at the gates. The night was growing darker, with the storm clouds blocking out the stars.

“Have you found any clues as to where the missing students might have gone?” he asked.

“Only one,” she said, leading him up the path to the castle, with the wind whipping around them. “One of the students reported seeing a glowing silver stag charging across the grounds.”

Remus froze. “Harry’s Patronus?”

Minerva nodded. “I believe so. From what the student said, it was sighted less then an hour before Ginny and the others disappeared.”

Things were going from bad to worse. “Harry summoned them,” said Remus. “He must be doing something that he knows we wouldn’t approve of-something that we would try to stop. But he needed help, so he summoned them.”

Minerva’s eyes widened. “Do you really think so?”

Remus nodded sharply. “It’s his way. You know it is. I’ve sent two Patronuses to him tonight, and one to Hermione. Neither of them responded. They’re doing something that they don’t want us to be a part of.”

“We’ve got to find him.”

Remus turned away, looking at the dark sky. His instinct was to agree with her-to find Harry and charge to his rescue. But Harry wasn’t a boy any more. He was a man. A man who’d accomplished more in the past year than hundreds of other wizards would in their entire lives. And if he was calling on his school friends for help, then whatever he was doing couldn’t be too dangerous-could it? Did Harry’s distrust of other adults really go deep enough to put his friends in danger?

At that moment the pendant hanging from the cord around his neck began to glow, emitting an uncomfortable almost-painful heat. It was the signal from Harry to assemble the Order at Headquarters-their less permanent version of the Dark Mark.

Remus turned to see Minerva clutching at her own pendant. “He’s calling us. You should stay here in case you’re needed at the school.”

She shook her head. “Not tonight. I have a bad feeling about tonight, Remus. I need to be with the Order. I’ll have Pomona, Filius and Horace look after the school in my absence.”

He nodded. The haunting warning from Severus still lingered in his mind, and Minerva was an accomplished fighter. They might need her skills before the night was out. While Minerva went to inform the three heads of house of the situation, he went to the hospital wing to collect Poppy. They rarely asked her to join them in the field, but he was afraid that they may need her services tonight.

Remus and Poppy met Minerva by the front gates, and they Apparated together to Headquarters. Most of the others had already arrived. But there was no sign of Harry, Ron, or Hermione. The words of Severus’s warning leaped into his mind: He won’t wait much longer to act.

All of the Order members huddled, grim-faced and twitchy, in the kitchen of the Grimmauld Place house. Remus strode to the head of the table, and looked around at all the faces staring at him. He could tell that he wasn’t the only one feeling stripped and half-buried in the storm.

Every single face looked worn, weary, hurt, and afraid.

They couldn’t lose Harry now, he thought. The Order wouldn’t survive it.

“It’s been nearly twenty minutes since he sent the signal,” said Remus. “If he was going to come, he would be here by now. We need to prepare for the worst-he’s trapped somewhere, under assault, and it’s up to us to rescue him.”

He heard the sharp collective intake of breath as he confirmed their worst fears. Tonks, standing at his side, silently reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. He looked over to catch her eye, and the strength and confidence that he saw there was exactly what he needed to continue.

He looked back out at the Order. “A select few of you know that I’ve created a special tracking device, adapted from the principles behind the Marauders Map. We’ve been using it to keep track of Harry’s travels. We’ve kept the existence of this device a secret from most of you, in order to protect it. The more people who know of it, the likelier it is that Voldemort could extract it’s location from one of you. But tonight-tonight finding Harry is far more important than keeping the map a secret. Alastor?”

With a frown, Moody stepped forward and pulled a large, folded parchment from his cloak. He spread it open to reveal a detail map of England, with both Wizard and Muggle locations marked. Remus tapped the map with his wand, leaned over to hold his face within an inch of it, and whispered the password over it. Best not to give too much away.

He straightened up, and watched as a bright red dot flared up and began to glow on the map.

“He’s at Godric’s Hollow,” said Moody.

“Why?” asked Minerva. “Why go back there now?”

Remus’s lips tightened and he took a deep breath through his nostrils. “It doesn’t matter why. All that matters is that he is there, his friends are most likely there, and they need our help.” He looked around at all the faces staring at him. He ached for every friend that should have been there and was missing, and he feared for the friends that were there-both the old and the new.

“We’re going after them,” he said. “All of us.”

Before the implications of his statement had time to sink in, he continued. “Be prepared for battle conditions. I’ve had a tip from a reliable source that Voldemort is planning something large. He wants to finish Harry off, once and for all. We can only assume that whatever is happening at Godric’s Hollow, it has something to do with that plan.”

He let that statement hang in the air for a moment before continuing. “There is an old wishing well on a hill on the north side of the village. Hestia, Percy, Charlie, Angelina, Dedulus, Tonks, Poppy and Molly will Apparate there under my direction. Bill, Fleur, Kingsley, Minerva and Lee will Apparate to the grove of trees just to the south of the village, under Alastor’s direction. From there we will work our way into the village, searching for Harry and the others. Poppy and Molly-I want the two of you to stay behind at the well, to set up a healing station. Be prepared to administer emergency treatment for casualties.”

Poppy nodded gravely, but Molly’s face was white. “Are you sure we should all go? Shouldn’t someone stay here, just in case the children come back?” Her voice was trembling, and Remus could see the silent accusation in her eyes. He couldn’t blame her for not trusting his judgment, after what had happened to Arthur and the twins.

Before Remus could reply, Bill spoke up. “She can stay here. Fleur will take over for her with Poppy.” Remus nodded. It was right of Bill to protect his wife and mother. He would do the same for his own wife, if he could.

“All right. Fleur will come with us to the well,” he said. “Dedulus-you’ll switch to Alastor’s team. Molly, if any of them do come here, be sure to send us word immediately.” She nodded.

Remus gritted his teeth. There was no time to lose. “Everyone who isn’t familiar with the Apparition sites, position yourselves to go side-along with those of us who are.”

Several bodies shifted as everyone arranged themselves for the trip. Molly stepped back into a corner, her eyes shifting obsessively back and forth to take in her children, as if she were memorizing their faces.

“Ready?” he asked. Everyone nodded. “Apparate on my mark. One. Two. Three. Now!”

Remus felt the familiar squeezing tug of Apparition, and then his feet were once more on solid ground as he appeared on the hillside. A cold, heavy rain was pouring from the dark sky overhead. Though he was outside, it was as black as a dungeon, except for one thing.

A brilliant, swirling column of golden flame was rising in a bright spike from the east side of the village. The torrential rain appeared to be having no effect on it.

A cold jab of fear pierced his heart. What had happened? What if they were already too late?

Immediately he drew his wand, and watched as the others did as well. They fanned out around the well, checking for any sign of danger.

“What the hell is that?” asked Charlie, pointing toward the pillar of flame towering over the village.

“I don’t know,” called Remus. “But whatever it is, I’m sure it has something to do with Harry.”

“This position is secure,” said Tonks, stepping up on his left. “Poppy and Fleur should be safe to stay behind.”

“Poppy-you and Fleur should Disillusion yourselves and find a safe position near the well to wait. If there are any casualties we’ll send them to you as quickly as we can. The rest of you, fall in behind me. Charlie-you take the rear. Keep your wands at the ready-we’re likely to encounter enemies in the village. We’re making for that flame.” He spoke as loud as he dared to be heard over the sound of the rain.

Remus grasped Tonks’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze, and feeling the still-unfamiliar gold wedding band pinching his fingers. They hadn’t had a ring ready for their impromptu wedding on his birthday in March. Tonks had only given it to him two weeks ago, and he hadn’t yet gotten used to it. Now he had no way of knowing if he would ever have a chance to get used to it.

“I love you,” he whispered into her ear.

“I love you, too.”

After squeezing her hand one last time, he released it, and called, “Let’s go!”

He began to pick his way down the rocky hillside, walking carefully to avoid tripping in the near-blackness of the night. His heart was pounding, and his mind raced. Don’t give in to fear. There’s no time for fear-only time for action. Don’t think about the small army of Death Eaters that is likely waiting for us in the village, already doing unspeakable things to those kids. And absolutely don’t think about the fact that I am leading her into danger as well. Don’t think about what might happen to her. I’ve got a job to do. There’s no time for fear.

As they approached the outskirts of the village, the light of the towering golden flame intensified, flickering eerily over the rain-drenched surface of the cobbled streets.

“Fan out-wands at the ready,” he said, still surprised when they followed his orders immediately. I’m no leader. Good God, what am I doing? What am I leading them into?

They walked forward over the slick street. The houses on either side of them were dark, and appeared to be abandoned. The entire village was unnaturally silent, except for the sound of the rain.

Just ahead of them, the side of one house was marred by a gaping hole, and debris littered the street.

“What happened here?” muttered Angelina.

“Whatever it is, let’s hope we’re not too late,” replied Tonks. Angelina nodded in reply, clutching her wand tighter in her hand. She was one of the newest recruits to the Order-she had joined up after the hearing about what happened to the twins. She hadn’t yet been in battle. Remus didn’t want to lose anyone else under his command-it still hurt thinking of those who were gone. He shook the thought from his head. There’s no time for this. I have a job to do. I have to find Harry. He has to be all right.

They continued down the narrow silent street, walking steadily toward the beckoning column of fire. More of the buildings around them appeared to be damaged-there were broken windows, blasted walls, and odd bits of rubble strewn in their paths, but there were no signs of any living beings or creatures anywhere.

There was nothing but the sound of their own footsteps slapping in the puddles, the pattering noise of the falling rain, and the beckoning glow of the swirling golden flame.

The signs of recent battle were everywhere, and in the eerie silence Remus couldn’t help but conclude that whatever had happened here, they had arrived far too late to stop it. Dumbledore never should have left him in charge of the Order. Once again, he had failed.

Hestia let out a small shriek. They all jumped, wands pointing in her direction.

She stood, trembling, looking at the closest pile of rubble. “Look!” She pointed.

It took a moment for Remus to see it-emerging from the mound of tumbled bricks was a single human hand, stretched out and twisted as if clawing for freedom.

He stepped toward Hestia. “We all knew we might see things like this. You can’t let it shake you. We have to get to that fire!”

Hestia nodded, and clenched her teeth, but she continued to stare at the hand with a haunted look in her eyes.

“Come on! Let’s keep going!” he said, resuming their course toward the flickering golden flame that dominated the sky.

He led them past another tumbled building and through a narrow alley to the main street of the village.

The rain began to slacken.

Though Remus had walked this street many times in the past, it was nothing like he remembered. The golden light from the column of flame reflecting off of the dark windows of the shops and offices all around them transformed the normally cheery village into something bleak, and surreal.

Remus heard a strange sound to his left. He held up his hand to signal a stop to the others. They halted immediately.

He heard the sound again. It was someone crying-a man.

Remus gestured for Charlie and Tonks to follow him, and slowly made his way toward the shop from which the sound seemed to be emanating. The door had been blown to splinters, but the shop was otherwise intact. Remus flattened himself against the wall just to the side of the empty doorframe, with Tonks doing the same beside him. Charlie moved to the other side of the opening.

They waited.

This was definitely where the crying was coming from. A low incessant sobbing.

Remus looked at Charlie, and held up his hand, using his fingers to silently count down from three. “Go!” he said.

He rounded the corner and charged through the door with Charlie and Tonks close behind him.

It was a Chemists shop. Boxes of pills, ointments, and sticking-plasters littered the ground and mingled with packets of sweets and bottles of fizzy drinks.

Though any occupants of the shop would surely have heard their entrance, the sobbing continued unchanged.

Remus slowly moved further into the shop. He rounded a corner into the back aisle, and saw the shadowy form of a sobbing man sitting on the shop floor, holding another person in his arms.

The man didn’t move from his hunched position as Remus drew near. He was clearly no threat-more likely he was another innocent victim of the night’s events.

“Lumos,” muttered Remus. A ray of light shot from his wand, illuminating the man on the floor in front of him.

It was Draco Malfoy.

And in his arms he clutched the body of his mother, her lifeless eyes wide, staring blankly into space.

At the sudden flash of light, Draco finally looked up. His once well-groomed hair was long and ragged, plastered to his head in a damp tangle. His face was streaked with tears, blood, and ash.

He stared at Remus, his chin trembling. Then he shook his head, hunched back over his mother and resumed his sobbing.

“Draco? Draco-what happened here?”

The boy didn’t respond.

Remus tried again, crouching down beside him. “Draco?”

Tonks slipped next to him. She extended her wand, and hit Draco with a silent Stunner. He slumped over his mother’s body, unconscious.

Remus started to his feet, looking at Tonks in surprise.

“That should keep him down for an hour. Maybe longer. We’ll send someone back for him later. You know we don’t have time for this right now, Remus. We have to keep going.” Her eyes were hard, her face set and impassive in what Remus had learned to recognize was her way of controlling her pain and fear until she had the leisure to work through it.

“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s go.”

They headed back onto the street. The rain had slowed to a fine drizzle.

The dancing light of the fire was all around them, reflected from every dark, wet surface.

Remus gestured for his team to follow him, and set off for the towering flame once more. Remus quickened his pace to a jog. He felt a driving sense of urgency though a nagging voice in his head chided him that he already knew he was too late.

They passed a few more bodies in the street, and slowed only long enough to check that they did not belong to Harry or any of the other missing students.

They turned down a side street heading east toward the undying fire.

As they jogged past a battered-looking house, a voice called out, “P..Professor Lupin?”

Remus skidded to a halt, and looked over his shoulder. Neville Longbottom stood in the doorway, his wand raised.

“Neville! Thank God!” said Angelina. “What the hell happened here?”

“A fight. There were lots of Death Eaters. We got separated from the others, and we hid.”

“But why were you here in the first place?” said Percy, his frown looking menacing beneath the patch he now wore over his left eye.

Neville cringed.

“Please, Neville,” said Remus. “It’s important that you tell us as much as you can.”

Neville nodded. “Ginny said that Harry needed our help, so we came. They said that Snape showed up and gave Harry some sort of relic from You-Know-Who, and they destroyed it.”

“Snape?” said Remus, in shock. This must have happened at nearly the same time that he received his message from Severus. Had it all been some sort of ploy? A device to lure them into rash actions, or lead them into a trap?

Neville continued. “I don’t know why Harry was working with Snape. It didn’t make sense. I thought they were crazy, but Harry seemed to know what he was doing, and I trust him. So I helped. They were going to lure You-Know-Who here for some sort of show-down. We were supposed to evacuate all the Muggles before the Death Eaters got here, but they came sooner than we expected. There were so many of them…” His voice was shaking, but he stood firm and strong.

“Where’s Harry, Neville?” asked Remus. No wonder Harry didn’t answer my calls-there’s no way I would have supported this plan. Merlin, please let him be all right.

Neville pointed. “He was there. Where the fire is. I don’t know what happened to him. We were too far away to help.”

“Where are the others?” asked Percy.

“I don’t know.” Neville shook his head. “We were separated in the fighting. Bellatrix was here. I tried to fight her. I tried…but I wasn’t strong enough.” The boy looked heart-broken. “And then Luna needed me. Her leg is broken…I don’t know how to fix it.”

“Are they still fighting?” Remus asked, hoping against hope that Harry may have somehow escaped.

Neville shook his head again. “I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anything for nearly half-an-hour, until you came along.”

Remus could feel his heart freezing in his chest. They were too late. Once again, Snape had betrayed them. It was over. The tower of flame was Harry’s funeral pyre. They were all lost.

Don’t think like that, man! There’s still hope. There’s always hope. She taught you that. He looked over at the steady, stoic figure of his wife, and took a deep breath.

“Where’s Luna?” he asked.

“Inside,” replied Neville. He led Remus into the shop, and Tonks, Percy and Angelina followed, leaving Charlie and Hestia to stand guard.

Luna was stretched out on a bench against the shop wall, her leg crudely splinted.

“Hello, Professor,” she said with a weak smile.

Remus did his best to smile back. “Hello, Luna. That doesn’t look too bad,” he said, glancing over her bloody, crooked leg.

“There were Death Eaters. I knocked a wall over on one of them. I think he died,” the girl said in a sad, lilting voice. She stared up at Remus with a haunted look in her wide eyes. “I’m a killer, now. Will they send me to Azkaban?”

Remus’s heart swelled at the brave regret on her tear-stained face. He shook his head. “No. No, Luna. They won’t send you to Azkaban. I’m certain of it.”

She smiled again, the same sad smile. “Good,” she said simply.

“Neville,” said Remus. “Did you see the wishing well, on the north side of the town?”

Neville nodded. “Yes. We went by it on our way into the village.”

“Good. Madam Pomfrey is waiting by that well with a healing kit. You need to take Luna there. Now. Do you remember it well enough to Apparate?”

“I…I do.”

“Wonderful. Apparate Luna there and Madam Pomfrey will take care of her.”

“But…” Neville stepped toward him. “I want to help you. Please?”

“Right now the most important help you can give is to get Luna to safety. Do you understand that?”

Neville nodded again, with a reluctant look on his face.

Remus reached out to grip Neville firmly on the shoulder. “Thank you.” He squeezed his shoulder and gave a short nod. “Now go help your friend.”

Neville stepped back to Luna and took her by the hand. He looked at Remus one last time, and then they both disappeared with the sharp crack of Apparition.

Remus looked at the empty bench for a moment before turning back to the rest of his team. He could see the see his own fears echoed in their eyes. But he wouldn’t concede defeat. Not yet. Not as long as he could still hold a wand to fight with.

“Let’s go.”

They headed back down the narrow side street, drawing ever closer to their fiery destination.

Soon there was only one row of cottages in between them and the column of flame.

“Remus! Over here!” called Hestia.

Remus and Tonks ran over to where Hestia was standing beside a low stone wall. Two motionless bodies lay concealed on the other side. They were wearing Hogwarts robes.

Remus leapt the wall, and crouched down next to the first body, while Hestia ran to the second.

Remus rolled the body over to see the boy’s face. It was Dean Thomas. His robes were tattered and smeared with blood. His skin was already growing cool to the touch. He was dead, with no chance of revival.

Remus closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, fighting against the surge of rage and frustration flooding through him. Why hadn’t Harry called on him? Why hadn’t Harry trusted him to respect his plans? He and the other Order members could have prevented this tragedy. He didn’t trust me because he knew I would never have let him risk himself like this. And he was right-I wouldn’t have. My failure to earn his trust cost this boy his life. And who knows how many other lives? If Severus is in any way responsible for this, I’m going to make him pay.

“He’s dead,” said Remus softly.

“This one’s alive!” said Hestia.

Remus looked over to see her leaning over the unconscious form of Seamus Finnegan. His chest was rising and falling steadily. But he too was battered and bloody.

Remus rose to feet. “Hestia-take him to Poppy and Fleur. The rest of us are going on to the fire.”

Hestia opened her mouth, as if to protest, but then closed it and nodded.

Remus turned his back on his old students, fallen on the field of battle, and leaped over the wall once again. Behind him he heard the crack of Apparition as Hestia transported Seamus to safety.

He looked into the eyes of his team members, seeing their fear and weariness.

But Tonks’s eyes were as strong and encouraging as ever. He still didn’t know how she did it-but he loved her for it.

Looking steadily at her, he said, “Let’s finish this.”

Remus led them at a swift jog across the street to the final row of cottages separating them from the column of flame. Crouching down, wands held steadily in front of them, they slowly and quietly made their way between two of the cottages, and stood poised at the edge of the clearing where the flame rose.

The first thing that struck Remus was the waves of heat emanating from the tower of flame. The thin drizzle of rain appeared to be evaporating into steam as soon as neared the golden blaze. He could feel the heat dancing across his face, contrasting with the chill of his rain dampened clothing.

The second thing that struck him was the bizarre, unnatural symmetry of the burned-out clearing. The ground around the column of flame was bare and blackened, and appeared to form a perfect circle. The flame itself was rising from a perfect circle, no more than four feet in diameter. It began as an exact cylinder-only beginning to swirl and writhe once it reached high into the sky.

Something was lying on the ground at the center of the cylinder of fire. Something small, and black.

Remus and Tonks stood at the fringe of the clearing, carefully surveying it for any signs of life. It appeared to be abandoned.

Remus caught his wife’s eye, and she nodded at him. He nodded back, and they stepped together into the clearing.

There was no sound in the clearing save for the soft crunching of their footsteps on the bare earth. The fire itself burned in silence.

The others fanned out behind them. There was still no sign of any other human beings. In spite of the devastation caused by the flame, the clearing felt eerily familiar to Remus. Had he been here before?

Remus slowly pushed forward into the cloud of heat surrounding the fire. He was determined to see what object lay at the center of the inferno.

He edged as close as he cold bear, peering down through the golden flame.

It wasn’t just one object. It was two-both of them thin, straight, and dark. They were wands.

A low, mirthless laugh rang out over the clearing. Remus looked up to see a solitary figure emerging from the trees to his right.

“So you’ve finally come, have you? Come to see all that’s left of your Chosen One?”

It was Bellatrix. Her long, dark hair was tangled and damp, her robes tattered and torn. A wound in her neck oozed blood, and her left arm hung useless at her side-nothing was left of her hand but a mangled, bloody stump.

Her mocking words struck a chill in his heart. Could one of those wands really be Harry’s? Was it really all that was left of him?

Bellatrix strode lazily toward them, her wand outstretched in her right hand, a demented grin on her face.

Remus saw Tonks tensing up beside him. “She’s mine!” she snarled, darting toward her aunt.

Bellatrix easily blocked Tonks’s first hex, and returned fire with a hex of her own. Tonks cast a Shield Charm to protect herself and darted closer to Bellatrix, running dangerously close to the fire.

Remus started forward to follow his wife when two men burst from a nearby alleyway. It was Donovan and Carrow-Death Eaters both.

“Look out!” Remus cried to his team as both men began to fire hexes.

He cast his own Shield to block a hex from Carrow, while Angelina was knocked to the ground by a Stunner from Donovan. Remus could only just see his wife out of the corner of his eye, as she continued her duel with Bellatrix.

Charlie hit Carrow with a violent Stunner, sending him reeling, and Remus finished off the job with another Stunner, knocking him unconscious. Just behind him Percy hit Donovan with a Full Body Bind, and the tall man toppled stiffly to the ground.

Remus left the others to finish of the fight, and ran toward the far side of the pillar of flame where Tonks and Bellatrix were still dueling.

Tonks had driven Bellatrix to within a perilous distance of the fire. The older woman-weakened by her wounds-was desperately fending off Tonks’s attack.

She’s going to kill her, Remus realized as he drew near. He could see the grim determination in his wife’s face.

With a final sweep of her wand Tonks broke through Bellatrix’s defenses, and blasted her with a powerful Stunner.

Bellatrix flew backwards, directly into the fire.

She landed on top of the two wands, and her body was instantly engulfed in flames. Remus watched in horror as the ravenous fire smothered her, quickly turning her full body into a shriveled, blackened skeleton. In just a moment more the fire had consumed her bones as well, leaving no trace of the woman behind-not even ashes.

Remus reached for Tonks, pulling her away from the hungry flame. Her face was red from the heat, and beads of sweat glistened on her skin.

She stood staring at the fire with a look of astonishment on her face, as if she could hardly believe what had happened.

Before Remus had a chance to speak, a new group of people emerged from the houses across the fire. Remus sprang to attention, his wand poised for action, but as soon as he got a good look at the new arrivals he relaxed, and took a deep breath of relief. It was Moody and his team.

“Remus!” roared Moody. “Are all your people safe?”

Remus strode toward him. “Yes. We found some of the missing students, and Hestia took one of them to Poppy. The rest of us are here.”

Moody nodded. “We found one, ourselves. The Macmillan boy. He was wandering around in a daze-wouldn’t tell us thing. We had the Jordan kid take him to Poppy. Looks like there was a hell of a fight here tonight. We ran into a few strays Death Eaters, but they were easy to mop up. Dedulus is guarding them until the MLE boys get here. Have you found any sign of Potter?”

Remus shook his head. “No. Not yet.”

Tonks strode forward. “Bellatrix was here. She said that this fire was all that was left of Harry. And there’s a wand in the middle of the flame.”

“God, no,” said Minerva softly. “It can’t be.”

“We don’t know anything for certain,” said Remus.

“Where’s Bellatrix now?” asked Moody.

Remus glanced at the still-dazed look on his wife’s face. “She fell,” he said. “Into the fire.”

Moody nodded curtly. “Good riddance.”

Bill stepped forward. “Have you found Ron and Ginny yet?”

Remus shook his head. “No. Not yet.”

Moody was peering into the flame. “There’s two wands there. If one of them is Potter’s, who’s is the other one?”

Remus could feel his anger rising. “We don’t know that one of the wands is Harry’s! Bellatrix might have been lying. The other kids managed to survive-why not Harry? He still might be out there somewhere!” The look of patronizing pity on Moody’s face was almost unbearable.

Remus glared at him. “Is it wrong of me to hold on to hope, Alastor?”

Moody scowled. “Yes. It is. We don’t need hope right now-we need answers.”

“We need to find witnesses who can tell us what really happened here.”

“What about Donovan over there? He’s still conscious, isn’t he?” Moody peered at the Death Eater lying prone on the ground.

Before they made a move toward Donovan, a shouted conversation to his side caught Remus’s attention.

“I don’t care about the bloody fire!” Bill yelled at Kingsley and Minerva. “We need to find Ron and Ginny now!”

“Just calm down!” yelled Moody, striding toward Bill. “Let me have a look around before you get too worked up.”

He paused, his magical eye spinning wildly in its socket. After a moment he froze, spun on his heel, and pointed off into the darkness away from the village. “They’re over there, hiding under some trees, behind a crumbling wall. They’re under an invisibility cloak.”

Bill took off running in the direction Moody was pointing, with Charlie and Percy following close behind. Remus fell in after them. Maybe Ron and Ginny would have the answers he was looking for. Please let them be alive. The Weasley family has already lost too much in this war.

By the time Remus reached the low crumbling stone wall, Bill had already leaped the wall and grabbed Ron in a giant bear hug. The invisibility cloak was lying pooled on the ground beside them. Ginny was sitting on the ground, cradling Hermione’s head. Hermione seemed to be unconscious, and Ginny had a large cut on the side of her forehead.

Ron looked shaken and deeply upset, but Ginny wore a grim, stoic expression.

Minerva and Moody had followed him into the woods, and arrived at the wall just after Remus.

“Ron, Ginny-are you all right?” asked Percy.

“Of course they’re not all right!” shouted Bill. “Just look at them.”

“Hermione needs a Healer,” said Ginny softly. “Ron and I will be fine.” Ron shook his head silently.

Moody stepped forward. “I know this is a hard time for you-but it’s crucial that you tell us what happened to Harry.”

“He’s gone,” said Ron softly.

“What do you mean, gone?” replied Moody.

Ron glared at Moody, his expression brimming with anger and frustration. “He’s dead! That’s what you wanted to hear, right? He’s dead.” Tears welled in the corners of his eyes.

Minerva gasped, and Bill, Charlie, and Percy stared at Ron with wide eyes and pale faces.

Remus felt as if he’d been stabbed in the guts. He felt sick and dizzy.

Harry was dead. Everything was lost.

Remus had failed the trust Dumbledore had placed in him. And, even worse, he had failed James and Lily yet again-he had lost their son.

“How did it happen, lad? Tell me how it happened.” Moody’s attempt to soften his tone was only partially successful.

Ron shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. “We never should have trusted Snape. I don’t know why he did. Harry wouldn’t even let us hear what they were talking about. And when they were done talking, he had his mind made up. He was going to use Snape to lure Voldemort here, and kill him.” Ron choked on a sob, and turned away, shaking silently.

Finally, he spoke again. “I tried to help him.” He shook his head. “There were just too many of them. It was all we could do to protect ourselves. He told us to run-but I couldn’t leave him. I didn’t know! I didn’t know what he was going to do! They were fighting so fast-I couldn’t keep track of what was going on. Then suddenly they were face to face, and Harry was grabbing him, and they crossed wands-like they were fighting with swords. And the wands started to burn. I thought the rain would put it out, but it didn’t. It just burned hotter and hotter, and they were both on fire. I tried to put it out! I tried to help him…” Ron broke down into more wracking sobs.

“Who!?” said Moody. “Who was Harry fighting? Was it Snape?”

“It was Voldemort,” said Ginny, her own voice cracking with emotion. “You don’t need the whole story. Just know this: Harry knew he was going to die. I could see it is his eyes when I came to him tonight. That’s why he called on me, and the D.A., instead of the Order. He knew you wouldn’t let him sacrifice himself.” She paused, and looked straight into Moody’s natural eye. “He’s dead-but he didn’t die in vain. He took Voldemort with him.”

Remus felt as if time had stopped. All of them were frozen, staring at Ginny, trying to comprehend what she had just said. The moment was broken by another of Ron’s sobs.

“Can it really be true?” said Minverva. “Have we really won?”

They all stood in silence. Remus’s mind was spinning. Over. It was all over. They were finally free. But at what price?

Percy broke the silence. “What happened after… you know?”

Ginny spoke again. “The Death Eaters didn’t know what to do once Voldemort was gone. Most of them ran away, but a few turned to attacked us even harder. That’s when Hermione was hurt. I thought we were all going to die. But Snape jumped in to protect us. He fought them off long enough for us to hide.”

“Severus?” said Remus. “He fought for you?”

Ginny nodded. “And died for us.”

Remus took a deep breath in shocked surprise. It was almost beyond comprehension.

“Where is he?” asked Minerva, gently. Ginny pointed.

Remus and Moody both sent streams of light out of their wands in the direction that she indicated.

There, lying on the ground was Severus’s body. And just beyond it was the body of another Death Eater.

“Is that big bloke the one who killed Snape?” asked Charlie.

“Yes,” whispered Ginny.

“If he killed Snape, then who killed him?” asked Percy. He and his brothers all turned to stare at Ron, who was quietly weeping.

“I killed him,” said Ginny with a cold, harsh tone in her voice.

Remus took in the varied looks of shock and horror on the faces around him. Then he looked away.

It was too much. It was all too much. He couldn’t take it any more. He turned and slowly picked his way back through the dark woods toward the still-burning flame that was the only remnant of Harry and Voldemort.

He trudged back into the clearing, and paused, feeling the warmth of the fire on his face.

He stood still, staring into the flame.

Tonks jogged up to him. “Remus-are the kids okay?”

He nodded slowly. “They’re alive.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What happened?”

Remus took a deep breath. “She was right. Harry’s gone-consumed by the fire. But he took Voldemort with him.”

“My God,” she whispered. “It’s over. We won.”

A hollow, bitter laugh erupted from Remus’s throat. “Yes. Yes, we won.”

At that instant the clearing erupted into chaos as more than a dozen Aurors and Magical Law Enforcement officers arrived, with Scrimgeour leading the way. As they swarmed over the Order members ringing the pillar of fire, Tonks laid a hand on Remus’s arm and said, “I’ve got to go help them. Will you be all right?”

He nodded, and she walked away to share the good news with the Minister of Magic.

Remus stayed where he was, watching the flame.

When he was approached by MLE officers, he answered the questions that were asked of him, and then turned back to watch the flame.

He vaguely noticed Neville and Lee arriving at the clearing, Neville breaking into tears when Kingsley told him what had become of Harry, and Minerva taking Neville in her arms like a son. But his eyes stayed on the fire.

At some point someone must have brought Ron to the clearing, because Remus saw him across the fire, Bill at his elbow, being interrogated by Scrimgeour.

Remus didn’t want to see Ron. He didn’t want to see anyone. He shifted his eyes down, to stare at the blackened, crossed wands at the center of the flame.

What kind of victory is it, when it costs young men like Dean Thomas their lives? What kind of victory is it, when it turns girls like Luna and Ginny into killers? Even his own wife was a killer that night-and he’d let it happen. He could have stopped it, but he didn’t even try. What kind of a leader was he, to let these things happen?

First it was Sirius, Emmeline, and Dumbledore. Then Elphias, Hagrid, Arthur, Fred, and George. Now, finally, it was Harry.

How could I let this happen to James’s only son? Why couldn’t I protect him?

He felt more naked then he ever had before. He saw now that the blizzard had buried him weeks ago, and he hadn’t even realized it until the heat of this fire had melted it away.

Staring at the flames he felt the waves of sorrow, regret, anger, and frustration washing through them. But soon, they were replaced by something else: relief.

He didn’t have to fight anymore. He didn’t have to be a leader. It was over. And he was relieved.

How can I feel relieved at a time like this? What kind of monster am I?

He felt a hand on his arm. He turned away from the flame. It was Tonks.

“Remus,” she whispered. “Are you all right?”

He looked down into her dark eyes, as amazed as ever at the love they held in their depths. “Will any of us ever be all right?”

Instead of answering, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest. He returned the gesture, holding her close.

He heard Bill’s voice ringing out from across the clearing. “Just leave him alone! Can’t you see he’s been through enough tonight?”

“We need to be sure we have all the facts, so that I can address the public with the proper information,” said Scrimgeour.

“Voldemort’s dead, and Harry’s dead. Those are the only facts you need,” said Bill.

“Can’t you put it out?” said Ron suddenly. He was looking at the fire. “Shouldn’t somebody put it out?”

“Put it out?” boomed Scrimgeour. “We’re not going to put it out! This flame will burn forever-as a memorial to Harry and all the other heroes who lost their lives in this conflict.”

“A memorial?” said Ron, sounding sick. “This is the fire that killed my best friend, and you want it to be a sodding memorial!?”

“Now calm down son…” said Scrimgeour.

“I’m not going to calm down until you put that fire out! Put it out!” Ron marched toward the flame, his wand clenched in his hand.

“This is a Gubraithian fire, Mr. Weasley. You’re not going to put it out with a simple Aguamenti. Whether you like it or not, this sight will be a memorial.”

“I don’t want a fucking memorial!” screamed Ron. “I want my friend back! I want my friend back…” Bill pulled his youngest brother into a tight embrace. Ron collapsed back into sobs, and Bill gave Scrimgeour a venomous glare.

Remus and Tonks both stood watching the scene play out, still clinging to each other. When Bill finally led Ron away from the clearing, Tonks looked up at Remus. “I don’t want to be here anymore,” she said. “Let’s go home.” The pain and sorrow of the night’s events were finally showing on her face.

Remus nodded. Maybe things would feel different tomorrow. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so lost-so naked. Maybe tomorrow he would be able to make sense of things.

He glanced around the clearing one last time, and at last he realized why it looked so familiar.

The houses, the trees, the walls-he’d seen them all dozens of times before. He’d even sat and studied them on long lonely afternoons.

This was the spot where the Potter’s cottage once stood. This was the spot where, as a baby, Harry had cheated death.

And now it was the spot that would burn forever.

Remus closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see it anymore.

“Yes,” he said. “Let’s go home.”