☾✶☽

, quickly," said Snape.

He seized Draco by the scruff of the neck and forced him through the door ahead of the rest; Greyback and the squat brother and sister followed, the latter both panting excitedly. As they vanished through the door, Elara realized she could move again.

She threw the Invisibility Cloak aside as the brutal-faced Death Eater, last to leave the tower top, was disappearing through the door, Harry following suit.

Heat was pushing at her hands, begging to be let out.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

The Death Eater buckled as though hit in the back with something solid and fell to the ground, rigid as a waxwork, but he had barely hit the floor when Elara and Harry were clambering over him and running down the darkened staircase.

Rage tore at Elara's heart. Her thundering footsteps sparked as she pushed herself faster than she had ever gone before. She leapt the last ten steps of the spiral staircase and stopped where she landed, her wand raised: The dimly lit corridor was full of dust; half the ceiling seemed to have fallen in; and a battle was raging before her, but even as he attempted to join the surge, she heard the hated voice shout, "It's over, time togo!" and saw Snape disappearing around the corner at the far end of the corridor; he and Draco seemed to have forced their way through the fight unscathed.

As Elara plunged after them, one of the fighters detached themselves from the fray and flew at her: It was the werewolf, Fenrir. He was on top of her before she could raise her wand: She fell backward, with filthy matted hair in her face, the stench of sweat and blood filling her nose and mouth, hot greedy breath at his throat —

"Get OFF!" shouted Elara, shoving Fenrir away.

Heat poured out of her hands as Fenrir laughed backwards twenty feet, slamming into a stone wall and falling limp to the floor.

"Way to go, Elara!" cried Nymphie's voice.

Elara scanned the dusty crowd and found Nymphie's famous pink hair rustling as she effortlessly dodged curse after curse.

"Are you all right?" came strained voice behind her.

She whirled around on her heel to find Harry, panting and already bloodied.

"I'm fine," said Elara, already reaching out her hands to examine Harry's wounds, "But you — "

Harry pushed her hands away.

"I — I thought you were — "

Elara cracked a humorless smile.

"It'll take a lot more than some flesh hungry pedophile to kill me," Elara caught his arm, "Come on, we have to get to Snape."

Snape's name sparked something in Harry. He straightened up, nodded, and took off running. However, their feet met something squashy and slippery on the floor and she stumbled: There were two bodies lying there, lying face down in a pool of blood, but there was no time to investigate.

Elara now saw red hair flying like flames in front of her: Ginny was locked in combat with the lumpy Death Eater, Amycus, who was throwing hex after hex at her while she dodged them: Amycus was giggling, enjoying the sport: "Crucio — Crucio — you can't dance forever, pretty —"

"Can't she?" snarled Elara.

Before Amycus could turn around to see who the new opponent was, Elara's ever temperamental fire reacted to the sinister energy surrounding Amycus. Brilliant crimson and orange light shot out of her burning hand.

Amycus dropped to the ground, screaming in pain.

Ginny smiled gratefully before turning back into the fray, already shouting more spells at Death Eaters. Elara and Harry advanced to find Ron, Professor McGonagall, and Lupin, each of whom was battling a separate Death Eater. Beyond them, Elara saw Nymphie fighting an enormous blonde wizard who was sending curses flying in all directions, so that they ricocheted off the walls around them, cracking stone, shattering the nearest window.

Elara maneuvered between each duel to catch up with Nymphie. She sidled up beside her, and the blonde Death Eater sneered.

"The alleged 'Savior'," he said, his lip curled in distaste, "I expected a man, not a tiny, weak, woman."

Elara shrugged.

"Then prepare to get your ass handed to you by two women, you sexist fuck."

Nymphie snorted before shooting a spell at the Death Eater. He blocked it with a wave of his wand. Elara shot a flame at him all while dodging the curse he had shot.

"Am I gonna make you cry?" taunted the Death Eater, shooting a repertoire of spells at the pair.

Elara waved her hand, pushing away a curse.

"I wonder if your mother knows she raised a sexist virgin."

Elara moved with incredible speed, dropping low and sweeping his leg. His height made if difficult for him to balance. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. Nymphie, seemingly for fun, swiftly kicked him between the legs. The Death Eater groaned.

"You need. . . ." he panted, still willing to be a sexist asshole, "to act your age."

"Act my age? How do I care how old I am? The Ocean is old as fuck. It will still drown your ass with vigor."

Before he could respond, Elara picked up a piece of concrete nearby and swung it against his head. She barely had any time to react as Harry caught her arm and began tugging her along the corridor.

Elara put her head down and sprinted forward, narrowly avoiding a blast that erupted over her head, showering them all in bits of wall.

"Take that!" shouted Professor McGonagall, and Elara glimpsed the female Death Eater, Alecto, sprinting away down the corridor with her arms over her head, her brother right behind her.

She launched herself after them but her foot caught on something, and next moment she was lying across someone's legs. Looking around, she saw Neville's pale, round face flat against the floor.

"Neville, are you — ?"

"M'all right," muttered Neville, who was clutching his stomach, "Lara . . . Snape 'n' Malfoy . . . ran past . . ."

"We're on it!" said Elara, scrambling up from the floor and began to sprint along the corridor, ignoring the bangs issuing from behind her, the yells of the others to come back, and the mute call of the figures on the ground whose fate she did not yet know. . . .

She skidded around the corner, her boots slippery with blood; Snape had an immense head start. Was it possible that he had already entered the cabinet in the Room of Requirement, or had the Order made steps to secure it, to prevent the Death Eaters retreating that way?

She could hear nothing but her own pounding feet, her own hammering heart as she sprinted along the next empty corridor, but then spotted a bloody footprint that showed at least one of the fleeing Death Eaters was heading toward the front doors —perhaps the Room of Requirement was indeed blocked —She skidded around another corner and a curse flew past her; she and Harry dived behind a suit of armor that exploded. Elara saw the brother and sister running down the marble staircase ahead and aimed jinxes at them, but merely hit several bewigged witches in a portrait on the landing, who ran screeching into neighboring paintings.

As she leapt the wreckage of armor, Elara heard more shouts and screams; other people within the castle seemed to have awoken. . . .She pelted toward a shortcut, hoping to overtake the brother and sister and close in on Snape and Draco, who must surely have reached the grounds by now. Remembering to leap the vanishing step halfway down the concealed staircase, she burst through a tapestry at the bottom and out into a corridor where a number of bewildered and pajama-clad Hufflepuffs stood.

"Elara! We heard a noise, and someone said something about the Dark Mark —" began Ernie Macmillan.

"Death Eaters are here!" yelled Elara, knocking two boys aside as she and Harry sprinted toward the landing and down the remainder of the marble staircase.

The oak front doors had been blasted open, there were smears of blood on the flagstones, and several terrified students stood huddled against the walls, one or two still cowering with their arms over their faces. The giant Gryffindor hourglass had been hit by a curse, and the rubies within were still falling, with aloud rattle, onto the flagstones below.

Elara flew across the entrance hall and out into the dark grounds: She could just make out three figures racing across the lawn, heading for the gates beyond which they could Disapparate — by the looks of them, the huge blond Death Eater and, some way ahead of her, Snape and Draco . . .

The cold night air ripped at Elara's lungs as she tore after them; she saw a flash of light in the distance that momentarily silhouetted her quarry. She did not know what it was but continued to run, not yet near enough to get a good aim with a curse — Another flash, shouts, retaliatory jets of light, and Elara understood: Hagrid had emerged from his cabin and was trying to stop the Death Eaters escaping, and though every breath seemed to shred her lungs and the stitch in her chest was like fire, Elara sped up as an unbidden voice in her head said: not Hagrid . . . not Hagrid too . . .

Something caught Elara hard in the small of the back and she fell forward, her face smacking the ground, blood pouring out of both nostrils: She knew, even as she rolled over, her wand ready, that the brother and sister she had overtaken using the shortcut were closing in behind them . . .

"Crucio!" she yelled as she rolled over again, crouching close to the dark ground, and miraculously her curse hit one of them, who crumpled to the floor and screamed, tripping up the other; Elara leapt to her feet and sprinted on after Snape, following close behind Harry.

And now she saw the vast outline of Hagrid, illuminated by the light of the crescent moon revealed suddenly behind clouds; the blond Death Eater was aiming curse after curse at the gamekeeper; but Hagrid's immense strength and the toughened skin he had inherited from his giantess mother seemed to be protecting him.

Snape and Draco, however, were still running; they would soon be beyond the gates, able to Disapparate — Elara tore past Hagrid and his opponent, took aim at Snape's back, and yelled, "Stupefy!"

She missed; the jet of red light soared past Snape's head; Snape shouted, "Run, Draco!" and turned.

Twenty yards apart, he, Elara, and Harry looked at each other before raising their wands simultaneously.

"Cruc —"

But Snape parried the curse, knocking Harry backward off his feet before he could complete it; Harry rolled over and scrambled back up again as the huge Death Eater behind him yelled, "Incendio!"

Elara heard an explosive bang and a dancing orange light spilled over all of them: Hagrid's house was on fire.

"Fang's in there, yer evil — !" Hagrid bellowed.

"Lara, help Hagrid! Cruc —" yelled Harry for the second time, aiming for the figure ahead illuminated in the dancing firelight, but Snape blocked the spell again.

Elara turned on her heel and ran to Hagrid's side. Her trembling and tired hands raised as she fought desperately to control the raging fire before her. Anya's words echoed in her ear.

Fire will reflect how you feel. You must be calm to extinguish even the most powerful of flames.

Waves of calm crashed over her as she closed her eyes. A tingling feeling ran up and down her body as she started to lower her hands, only hoping the fire was obeying. The wind rustled her hair as the shouts faded away into the sea of darkness. The energy built up within her as she finally noticed the pendant searing.

Elara opened her eyes to find the fire was flying into the pendant. She staggered back, shocked at the amount of power she was feeling coursing through her. The last flame entered into the pendant.

She opened her hand to find a soft blue flame dancing over her skin. She stared at it with wonder.

A piercing scream drew her out of her catatonic state. Harry was kneeling in the grass, writhing around. Elara's eyes narrowed as she scanned the ground for someone with their wand up. The blue flames shot out of her hand towards an unknown person. Elara had not time to react or question the occurrence, as the person the flame attacked dropped to the grassy ground.

Harry struggled to stand up. Elara rushed to his side, supporting half his weight.

"Sectum — !"

Snape flicked his wand and the curse was repelled yet again; but Elara and Harry were mere feet away now and Elara could see Snape's face clearly at last: He was no longer sneering or jeering; he had a face full of rage.

"No, Potter!" screamed Snape.

There was a loud BANG and Elara and Harry were soaring backward, hitting the ground hard again, and this time her wand flew out of her hand. Elara help herself up with weak arms, wiping the ever pouring blood off her face.

Snape closed in and looked down on Harry where he lay, wandless and defenseless as Dumbledore had been. Snape's pale face was suffused with hatred just as it had been before he had cursed Dumbledore.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them — I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you'd turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, would you? I don't think so. . . no!"

Harry had dived for his wand; Snape shot a hex at it and it flew feet away into the darkness and out of sight. Snape seemed to forget Elara was there at all. Her arms kept giving out under her. The flames seemed to sap all the energy.

"Kill us then," panted Elara, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt. "Kill me like us killed him, you coward —"

"DON'T—" screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as finally realized Elara was there —"CALL ME COWARD!"

And he slashed at the air: Elara felt a white-hot, whiplike something hit her across the face and was slammed backward into the ground. Spots of light burst in front of her eyes and for a moment all the breath seemed to have gone from her body, then she heard a rush of wings above her and something enormous obscured the stars. Buckbeak had flown at Snape, who staggered backward as the razor-sharp claws slashed at him.

As Elara raised herself into a sitting position, her head still swimming from its last contact with the ground, she saw Snape running as hard as he could, the enormous beast flapping behind him and screeching as Elara had never heard him screech — Elara's arms kept giving out underneath her. Try as she may to return to her feet, all energy and strength was gone.

She felt Harry put an arm around her waist, lifting her up, before a snap of a beak and a rustle of wings made her stagger back onto the ground. It was Buckbeak, snapping at Harry. He jumped back, hands raised in front of him.

Elara peered at Buckbeak, who was looking at her with great curiosity. His beak ever so gently nudged Elara's shoulder, who again tried to get up, but stumbled. Buckbeak crowed sadly and knelt down on all fours, his feathered head gesturing to his back. He helped Elara onto his back, where she collapsed just as her knees gave out again. She wrapped her arms around the beast's neck, murmuring her thanks over and over.

"Hagrid," muttered Elara, still dazed, looking around. "Hagrid?"

Buckbeak moved forward to where Hagrid was standing, cradling Fang in his arms.

"Yeh all righ', Harry, Lara? Yeh all righ'? Speak ter me. . . ."

Elara lifted her arm to signify her sort of okay state.

"I'm all right," panted Harry. "Are you?"

" 'Course I am . . . take more'n that ter finish me. Besides, Lara was brilliant. Ne'er seen such power."

Hagrid put his hands under Harry's arms and set him upright again.

"Hagrid. . . . Your house," panted Harry.

"S'not too bad," said Hagrid hopefully a few minutes later, looking at the smoking wreck. "Nothin' Dumbledore won' be able to put righ' . . ."

Elara felt a searing pain in her stomach at the sound of the name. In the silence and the stillness, horror rose inside her.

"Hagrid . . ." began Elara, who was still struggling to sit upright.

"I was bindin' up a couple o' bowtruckle legs when I heard 'em comin'," said Hagrid sadly, still staring at his wrecked cabin. "They'll've bin burnt ter twigs, poor little things. . . ."

"Hagrid . . ."

"But what happened, Lara? I jus' saw them Death Eaters runnin' down from the castle, but what the ruddy hell was Snape doin' with 'em? Where's he gone — was he chasin' them?"

"He . . ." Elara cleared her throat; it was dry from panic and the smoke. "Hagrid, he killed . . ."

"Killed?" said Hagrid loudly, staring down at Elara. "Snape killed? What're yeh on abou', Lara?"

"Dumbledore," said Elara. "Snape killed . . . Dumbledore."

Hagrid simply looked at her, the little of his face that could be seen completely blank, uncomprehending.

"Dumbledore wha', Lara?"

"He's dead. Snape killed him. . . ."

"Don' say that," said Hagrid roughly. "Snape kill Dumbledore — don' be stupid, Lara. Wha's made yeh say tha'?"

"I saw it happen."

"Yeh couldn' have."

"I saw it, Hagrid."

Hagrid shook his head; his expression was disbelieving but sympathetic, and Elara knew that Hagrid thought he had sustained a blow to the head, that he was confused, perhaps by the after effects of a jinx. . . .

"What musta happened was, Dumbledore musta told Snape tergo with them Death Eaters," Hagrid said confidently. "I suppose he's gotta keep his cover. Look, let's get yeh back up ter the school. Come on, Harry. . . ."