"So now we have a plan?" George hissed to me as we hurried back up to the Room of Requirement. 

"Absolutely." I said. "Someone gimme their wand." 

Terry handed me his again, and I raised it. I'd seen Sirius, Emily, and Lupin communicating this way, and I only hoped I'd learned it by association enough... 

But I needn't have worried. I was a pro at the Patronus Charm. "I'm here, bitch." I spoke to my shimmering puppy. "Get ready to have extreme banter back in your school. Oops, sorry, I meant MY school. You dumb whore." 

Then I waved Terry's wand, sending my Patronus off to relay my message to Snape. 

"Perfect." I said. 

The three boys stared at me. 

"Wow." Fred said simply. 

"I love you, Softpaw." Terry told me, and I beamed as George pushed open the door to the Room of Requirement. 

It was packed, far more crowded than when we had last been in there. Kingsley and Lupin were looking down at me, as were Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Bonnie and Connie, Cedric, Cho, Lewis, Kurt, Bill and Fleur, and Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"Daisy, what's happening?" Lupin said as I hastily stepped away from George at the sight of his parents. 

"Voldemort's on his way, we're triggering Snap so that he'll get everyone down into the Great Hall - what're you doing here? How did you know?"

"We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army." Lee explained. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Daisy, and the DA let the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed."

"Okay, well, Snape'll be calling everyone down soon, because he'll know I'm here." I said. "But Riddle's coming. So change of plans, we're not just chasing Snivellus out anymore; we're fighting." 

The room was quiet, solemn, an air of determination and resolve hanging around us all. 

Then there was a scuffling and a great thump. Someone else had clambered out of the tunnel, overbalanced slightly, and fallen. He pulled himself up on the nearest chair, looked around through lopsided horn-rimmed glasses, and said, "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I -" 

Percy spluttered into silence. Evidently he had not expected to run into most of his family. There was a long moment of astonishment, broken by Fleur turning to Lupin and saying, in a wildly transparent attempt to break the tension, "So - 'ow eez leetle Teddy?"

Lupin blinked at her, startled. The silence between the Weasleys seemed to be solidifying, like ice.

"I - oh yes - he's fine!" Lupin said loudly. "Yes, Tonks is with him - at her mother's -" 

Percy and the other Weasleys were still staring at one another, frozen.

"Here, I've got a picture!" Lupin shouted, pulling a photograph from inside his jacket and showing it to me, Terry, and Fleur, who all saw a tiny baby with a tuft of bright turquoise hair, waving fat fists at the camera.

"Awww!" Terry and I cooed. 

"I was a fool!" Percy roared, so loudly that Lupin nearly dropped his photograph. "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a - a -" 

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron." Fred said.

Percy swallowed.

"Yes, I was!"

"Well, you can't say fairer than that." Fred said, holding his hand out to Percy.

Mrs Weasley burst into tears. She ran forward, pushed Fred aside, and pulled Percy into a strangling hug, while he patted her on the back, his eyes on his father.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Percy said.

Mr Weasley blinked rather rapidly, then he too hurried to hug his son.

"What made you see sense, Perce?" George inquired.

"It's been coming on for a while." Percy said, mopping his eyes under his glasses with a corner of his travelling cloak. "But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time. I managed to make contact with Aberforth and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it, so here I am."

"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these." George said in a good imitation of Percy's most pompous manner. "Now let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death Eaters'll be taken."

"We're not fighting right at this instant, not yet, surely?" Hermione said in alarm. 

"Learn to take a joke, Mynee." I patted her on the back. 

"So, you're my sister in-law now?" Percy said, shaking hands with Fleur as they hurried off toward the staircase with Bill, Fred, and George, the latter two telling them the plan. 

"You good?" Terry asked me, his hands on my arms as Fred and George glanced back at me, anxiety flashing across their faces simultaneously, before glancing back at Percy and Bill. 

"I'm good." I told him firmly, straightening my Gryffindor tie. 

"You better be." Terry said, squeezing my arms. "I need you to be safe." 

Harry led another group of people past, following the Weasleys, and Sirius and Emily laughed with Lupin at the back of the group. I watched them, a weird sense similar to grief welling up inside me. I forced it down. 

Terry was consulting the Marauder's Map. "Okay, Softpaw, they're on the move. Go join in." 

"I'll see you soon." I told him, giving him a quick hug, then scurried off in the direction of the main staircase. 

I reached the silently marching block of students, all dressed in their uniforms, still disheveled from being forced out of bed. I slipped in beside that brave Ravenclaw kid who'd prodded Alecto with his foot, Frankie, and he turned to me with amazement in his eyes. I put a finger to my lips, and little Frankie nodded furiously, grinning widely. 

The Hogwarts students continued marching down from the Grand Staircase, while I looked around; we were being watched from above by the Death Eaters who had been stationed at the school to patrol. I kept my head down, hoping that none of them would notice me, would recognise me. We filed into the Great Hall, moving into four blocks facing the staff table. I shuddered as I remembered all those meal times when Riddle would put me in his lap, feeding me and watching over all the students coolly. 

Snape strode down between the blocks of students to the front of the Hall, his robes billowing behind him. I had to hold back my sniggers as I was reminded forcefully of me, Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Dean chanting the Darth Vader theme tune at him in class, years ago. Seriously, what was wrong with me? Why was I thinking of that right now? 

"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour." Snape said at the front of the Hall. His voice travelled down the vast room without effort. "It has come to my attention that earlier this evening, Daisy Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade, and that she is now in this very castle." 

Some members of the crowd gasped around me. 

"Now, should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid Miss Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression." I glanced around at the teachers, and some of them, including Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn, looked nervous. "Furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward, will be treated as equally guilty." 

The students stayed silent. I shifted. Frankie was breathing quick beside me, and he was bouncing on his feet eagerly. 

"Now then. If anyone here has any knowledge of Miss Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward... now." 

Everyone in the hall stayed absolutely silent. 

"I think I can help you with that, Snap." 

I stepped out into the open, moving into the centre of the Hall, grinning. I was feeling strangely elated. All of the students turned towards me in surprise. Even Snape looked surprised. Everyone's eyes were on me, and I felt a swell of pride inside me; this is what I was meant to do. Take a stand. Rebel. Fight. 

"It seems that despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster." 

The two entrance doors of the Great Hall opened, and Terry, Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Kylie, Hermione, Bill, Fleur, Percy, Sirius, Emily, Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, Draco, Blaise, Seamus, Ginny, Louis, Neville, Dean, Lee, and Mr and Mrs Weasley entered, the rest of the DA filing in behind them. 

"And I'm afraid it's quite extensive." I smirked briefly, then stepped forward, my expression turning down into a glare. "How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him! Tell them!" 

Snape hesitated for a moment, then drew his wand and pointed it at me. I raised my hand, bright white light spilling from my palms already, but I was pushed aside by Professor McGonagall, her wand pointed at Snape. Snape seemed to draw back, but repointed his wand at her. The members of the Order and the DA had their wands at the ready as well, and I kept my hand raised, my eyes on Snape. 

The two burst into battle, Professor McGonagall shooting flames at Snape, who did nothing but deflect her attacks while slowly moving backwards. Spell after spell was shot at him, which he knocked back towards the walls, the windows, and into the enchanted ceiling, extinguishing the lamps on the walls. Professor McGonagall backed him into the staff table, then Snape blanched as she bore down on him. 

I, and several of my fellow students, gasped as Snape morphed into a black cloud, smashing through the high window behind him, and flying out into the darkness beyond. 

"COWARD!" Professor McGonagall shouted after him, bracing her hands on the edge of the staff table. After a moment, she turned her back to the broken window and waved her wand twice to light the fires on the walls; the Great Hall was lit again as the students cheered. 

I cheered along with them, pumping my fist into the air, and I leaned over to high-five Frankie. He squealed, turning to his friends after, and I smirked to myself as I knew that I had just given him the highlight of his summer. 

"Alright! Settle down! Settle down!" 

The Great Hall quietened. I winked at Terry, who grinned at me. 

"It appears that your Headmaster,

to use the common phrase," Professor McGonagall said, "has done a bunk." 

Cheers rose again from all Houses, even Slytherin, though still significantly less than the other three. Even Professor McGonagall couldn't help but smile. 

But then my scar seared and the Great Hall vanished. I was looking through the high wrought-iron gates with winged boars on pillars at either side, looking through the dark grounds toward the castle, which was ablaze with lights. Nagini lay draped over my shoulders. I was possessed of that cold, cruel sense of purpose that preceded murder. 

I gasped out, pulling myself back to my senses, and stumbled forward. "Professor... Professor..." 

"What is it, Miss Potter?" Professor McGonagall lay a hand on my shoulder, and I shivered weakly. "What is it that you need?" 

"He's here!" I breathed, and her face paled. "He's at the gates -" 

"We will make preparations." Professor McGonagall said. "We will continue defending the castle and start evacuations - go search for this diadem and fulfil your job." 

I nodded, straightening up with effort, and made eye contact with Terry across the hall. 

"Oh, and Miss Potter?" 

I turned back to her as I stepped off the staff table platform. 

Professor McGonagall smiled. "It's good to see you." 

"You too, Professor." I said, and a grin crept across my face despite everything. I leapt down towards my group, grabbing Fred and George's sleeves as Terry followed along, carrying Gryffindor's sword, hurrying out of the Great Hall as a loud clamouring started up around us. 

"The last place I saw the diadem," I said as I tugged the boys through the Entrance Hall, "was in Riddle's quarters. We might as well start there." 

"What's happening, Softpaw?" Terry interjected. "I saw your face; something's wrong." 

I leapt down the stairs two at a time, descending into the dungeons, heading straight for Riddle's quarters. Fred and George kept up with me fine, their long legs helping, but Terry scurried to follow. 

"I saw him." I said. "He's here, he's at the gates. He's waiting for something. I don't know what, though." 

I felt rather than saw all three of the boys glancing at each other, but I ignored them, striding down the corridor with purpose, until I reached the door that I was all too familiar with now. 

I heard a sharp intake of breath. 

"This is it, huh." Fred said lowly behind me. "This is where he held you." 

"Yeah, well." I said. "Let's not think about that just now. C'mon." 

To my surprise, the door swung open when I placed my hand upon it. I moved into the room beyond it, taking a deep breath. 

There, the office door, ajar, and Riddle's desk a dark shape in the darkness beyond. There, the fireplace, and before it, the rug on which I had been tortured for disobeying him, and to hate the thought and sight of Terry and Fred. There, the armchair, in which I had given Riddle many lap dances and had a miscarriage. 

"It's not in here." I said. "Obviously." 

I pushed open the door to the bedroom apprehensively. I stepped in, gazing around fearfully at the chest of drawers, which had been left open, showing an extensive collection of lacy lingerie that Riddle had made me wear; at the door to the bathroom, where I had been forced to undress my first night here; at the smaller rug beside the bed, where I'd been broken that same night, and had, many many months later, crouched to willingly swallow his come; the bed, where I'd been fucked, used, seduced, and changed so drastically that I hadn't even recognised myself anymore... 

Fred and George were close on either side of me, both staring at the bed. Their hands, at almost the same time, felt down my sides and found my hands, taking them tight in their own, squeezing hard. 

Then Terry entered the room, glanced around once, and said, "Wow. That was easy." 

"What?" 

The Ravenclaw turned to me, grinning. "It sat on the shelf above the bed, right?" 

"Yeah - but how'd you know -?" 

"Because it's still there." Terry said happily, marching over to the side of the bed and drawing his wand. "It's under a very strong Concealment Charm. He's an expert, but I think I can break it." 

He handed me Gryffindor's Sword and clambered onto the bed, aiming his wand at the seemingly empty shelf above and muttering incantations. Fred hissed, and George took a step back, shaking his head. 

"Bro, how you could even TOUCH that bed is beyond me." Fred muttered. 

We all stood in silence for a moment, watching Terry or gazing around the room with disgust. Then George turned to me and Fred. 

"Listen, I overheard you guys talking about having kids earlier." 

Fred smirked; I opened my mouth, ready to reassure George that if he didn't want kids, then we didn't have to, but he hurried on. 

"How many kids are we talking here? Because if it's more than three, I am definitely having more than one with Daisy." 

Fred raised an eyebrow. "What if I only allow you to come inside her once? Then you can only have one. Better make it count, mate." 

"That's not fair." George insisted. "If we're both dating her -" 

"Ah, but, you see, Georgie," Fred drawled, "she was mine first. And we have a special connection. Plus I'm the dominant twin. Those three things mean I'm the boss in this threeway." 

"Guys, I'm right here." I said. 

Fred paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Calm yourselves, you two. I'm only messing around. Obviously I'm going to let George come in you..." 

I raised an eyebrow this time. 

"...Sometimes." 

George started forwards angrily. "Right -" 

"Whoo - fucking - HOO!" 

We all spun around. Terry had thrown his arms up, a triumphant smile dominating his face. Ravenclaw's diadem was in the middle of the shelf, gleaming down at us, and in front was my wand. 

"Two birds with one stone." Fred said cheerily as Terry chucked it down to me. 

And just then, my forehead split open. I cried out in pain, falling to my knees; a high, cold, painfully familiar voice whispered in my head: Destroy it, and you destroy us, my love... Destroy it, and I aim to kill the next time my eyes meet yours... 

I forced myself to stand, bracing myself against the twins, who had reached down to help me up. I heard their pleas for information as if underwater, muffled and far away. 

"He says he'll kill me if we destroy it." I murmured. "He's done, he knows that if I destroy another Horcrux then I'm serious about wanting him dead. He knows there's no chance of me ever believing I'm in love with him again..." 

I looked up into Terry's eyes. And I held out the sword. 

"Do it." 

"With pleasure." Terry said with relish, and I opened my mind completely, letting Riddle in, letting him watch as Terry swung the sword high above his head, his normally warm and mischievous eyes glinting with dark vengeance. 

And the sword crashed down. The diadem, which had been tossed onto the stone floor of the bedroom, shattered into two pieces. I leaned down, picking them up; a bloodlike substance, dark and tarry, seemed to be leaking from the diadem. Suddenly I felt the things vibrate violently, then break apart in my hands, and as the two pieces did so, I thought I heard the faintest, most distant scream of pain, echoing not from the grounds or the castle, but from the thing that had just fragmented in my fingers.

You see that, Riddle? I destroyed my wedding tiara. I'm not yours. Not anymore. In fact, I never was in the first place. 

~~~ 

"...Evacuation will be overseen by Mr Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organise your House and take your charges in orderly fashion to the evacuation point." 

Many of the students looked petrified. However, as Terry, Fred, George, and I reentered the Hall, grinning and exhilarated from destroying another Horcrux, Louis shouted, "And what if we want to stay and fight?"

There was a smattering of applause.

"If you are of age, you may stay." Professor McGonagall said. "We have already placed protection around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your prefects -" 

But her final words were drowned as a different voice echoed throughout the Hall. It was high, cold, and clear. There was no telling from where it came. It seemed to issue from the walls themselves. Like the monster it had once commanded, it might have lain dormant there for centuries.

"I know that you are preparing to fight." There were screams amongst the students, some of whom clutched each other, looking around in terror for the source of the sound. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

There was silence in the Hall now, the kind of silence that presses against the eardrums, that seems too huge to be contained by walls.

"Give me Daisy Potter," said Tom Riddle's voice, "and they shall not be harmed. Give me Daisy Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Daisy Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."

The silence swallowed us all again. Every head turned, every eye in the place seemed to have found me, to hold me forever in the glare of thousands of invisible beams. Then a figure stepped out from a mass of Slytherins and I recognised Greg Spieler as he raised a shaking arm and screamed, "But she's there! Potter's there. Someone grab her!"

Before I could speak, there was a massive movement. Fred, George, and Terry stepped in front of me, then the Gryffindors in front of us had stood facing, not me, but the Slytherins. Then the Hufflepuffs stood, and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws and a large portion of Slytherins, all of them with their backs to me, all of them looking toward Spieler instead, and I, awestruck and overwhelmed, saw wands emerging everywhere, pulled from beneath cloaks and from under sleeves.

"Thank you, Mr Spieler." Professor McGonagall said in a clipped voice. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr Filch. If the rest of your House, whom are not of age and are not fighting, could follow."

I heard the sound of the smaller portion of Slytherins trooping out on the other side of the Hall.

"Ravenclaws, follow on!" Professor McGonagall cried. 

Slowly the Hall emptied. A number of older Ravenclaws and Slytherins remained while their fellows filed out; even more Hufflepuffs stayed behind, and half of Gryffindor remained, necessitating Professor McGonagall's descent from the teachers' platform to chivvy the underage on their way.

"Absolutely not, Creevey, go! And you, Barnock!"

Colin and Louis made as if they were going to leave, then doubled back sneakily as Kingsley stepped forward on the raised platform to address those who had remained behind.

"We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast. A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. The Professors are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers - Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor - where they'll have good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile Remus" - he indicated Lupin - "Arthur" - he pointed toward Mr Weasley - "Sirius" - Sirius raised a hand, grinning around at everyone - "Emily" - Emily waved enthusiastically - "and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organise defence of the entrances or the passageways into the school -" 

"Sounds like a job for us." Fred called, indicating himself, George, Terry, and I, and Kingsley nodded his approval.

"Alright, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!" 

The four of us joined Sirius, Emily, Lupin, and Mr Weasley as we climbed up towards the staff table, and we discussed where to go. Fred, George, and Terry were each taking a group to a secret passageway, where they'd defend the castle from Death Eaters. I decided to go with my own group towards one of the main entrances to the castle: the wooden bridge leading over the chasm.  

"Don't worry." I told my three best friends. "I'll come find you once the fighting's started." 

"Daisy," Fred said, his voice cracking, "I love you." 

"I love you." I told him, reaching out for him, and I planted my lips on his. We kissed, hard, our hands holding on tight to each other's faces, crushed against each other, then we parted. Fred's deep brown eyes stared deep into mine with a passion so intense it took my breath away. 

"I need you to stay alive." Fred said huskily, and I knew it was because he was trying not to cry. "I need you... please. Stay alive. For me." 

"Listen, baby," I whispered, pressing my forehead against his, "I'm not leaving you. I'll never leave you. I'm always gonna be right here." 

Fred choked back a sob, gazing into my eyes. He leaned in again, kissing me, desperation and fear and love all mixed in the way his lips moved against mine. Then we broke apart again, and the kiss had reignited the flame inside me. I grinned at him. 

"Let's get ready to fight, Freddie!" I said loudly, the excitement charging in my chest. "C'mon, baby, we've been waiting for this!" 

Fred stared at me for a second, then a grin unfurled on his face too. "We have, that's right. That's right, princess!" 

He reached out for my hand. Professor McGonagall was gesturing for me to join her and the others, and I turned back to Fred, squeezing his hand. I beamed at him, and he returned the gesture, his mind-numbingly handsome smile making my head spin dizzily. 

"Go get 'em, baby girl." 

I gave his hand one last squeeze before stepping off the platform to join Professor McGonagall. Everyone in the hall had been watching, and a loud 'awwww' rang out around the room. I shook my head, grinning. 

Then another hand grabbed mine, just as I had increased my pace to keep up with my professor. I turned to see George; amazed, glancing around quickly at everyone watching, I opened my mouth - 

"Daisy," George said hurriedly, "I don't want to let you leave and possibly never see you again without - without -" 

And he struggled with himself for a moment before making a decision - his lips descended on mine, and a huge gasp rang out around the hall. I thanked the stars that Mr and Mrs Weasley, along with Sirius and the other leaders, had already left the Great Hall and weren't here to witness this. I let George move his lips with mine, feeling the similar passion to Fred's, before we broke apart, resting our foreheads on each other's, melting as his warm eyes gazed into mine. 

"I don't care that they're all watching." George whispered. "Not anymore. Not when I have you." 

And with that, he'd stepped back, and I was ushered away by Professor McGonagall. 

I barely had time to calm the fluttering in my heart as me, Neville, Seamus, and Ginny flanked Professor McGonagall as she swept out of the Great Hall and into the courtyard. Professor Flitwick and a few other members of the DA - Dean, Lavender, Parvati, Ernie, Justin, Susan, Anthony, Katie Bell, and Cho Chang trailed after as Neville and I discussed the plan, cheekily grinning at each other. 

"Let me get this straight, Professor. You're giving us permission to do this?" I said. 

"That is correct, Miss Potter." 

"To blow it up. Boom." 

"Boom." Professor McGonagall confirmed. 

My grin widened. "Wicked." 

"Um... exactly how do you propose we do this, Daze, Professor?" Neville frowned. 

"Why don't you confer with Mr Finnigan. As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics." 

Neville, Ginny, and I glanced back at Seamus. He grinned too. 

"I can bring 'er down." 

"That's the spirit." Professor McGonagall said. 

"You realise, of course, that nothing we do will be able to keep out You-Know-Who indefinitely?" Professor Flitwick squeaked, his wand out. 

"That doesn't mean we can't hold him up." Professor Sprout said, and her and Professor McGonagall exchanged a knowing glance. 

"And his name is Voldemort, Filius. You might as well use it. He's going to try to kill you either way." With that, Professor McGonagall wheeled, raised her wand, and pointed it in the direction of the Great Hall. "Piertotum Locomotor!" 

Instantly, all along the corridor inside, the statues and suits of armour came to life on their plinths, creaking and thudding as they stepped off, marching out. More statues and suits of armour paraded into view from the other corridors, marching out. 

"Hogwarts is threatened! Man the

boundaries and protect us! Do your duty to our school!" 

As the statues thundered past, heading toward the viaduct, Professor McGonagall watched with evident pleasure. I grinned and nudged Ginny. 

"I've always wanted to use that spell." Professor McGonagall beamed. 

Several yards off, Professor Flitwick held his wand aloft, his face grimly determined. Momentarily a disturbance troubled the atmosphere above; a thick, sheet-like surface spread across the sky above, like a dome. Professor McGonagall and the other teachers stepped forward to assist, wands raised high. Together, they conjured...

"Protego Maxima..." 

"Finato Duri..." 

"Repello Inimicum..." 

...a magical shield, which expanded ever outward, blooming over the castle grounds, while far below the statues marched the length of the viaduct and took their positions along the perimeter, still as sentinels. 

"Let's go." I said, taking Ginny's hand, and sped off towards the wooden bridge. The others followed, hot on our heels. We got to work as soon as we reached it, wands out, casting - it felt good to have my mischievous Dogwood back in my hand. 

"That's it. I want a charge on each and every joist." I heard Seamus order. 

I peered below. Down amongst the pilings, Seamus directed Katie, Cho, Lavender, and Ernie in placing pyrotechnical spells on key pressure points.

"You do know what you're doing, don't you, Seamus?" I called. 

Seamus winked and gave a thumbs-up. He seemed to be enjoying himself, perhaps inordinately so. I gave a thumbs-up back. Beside me, Neville exhaled, shaking his head.

"Blimey." He said. 

I paced the length of the bridge, chatting with my classmates, giving them motivational pep talks as I tried to quash my own nervousness, though it wasn't hard; the thrill and anticipation of the nearing fight was exciting me. 

"Alright, Dean?" I grinned down at him, and he grinned back up at me. "What's crackalackin', Susan? Keep it up, Neville, you're doing great, fam. Love ya, Lav." 

I stopped at the end of the bridge, and peered back along to where Ginny stood at the far end. 

Seeing me, she raised her hand to wave... then went still, her hand suspended in the air, looking past me as a howling rose in the air like a crude battle cry. I turned, my eyes widening as I watched hundreds of Death Eaters and Riddle's supporters rolling in an angry wave over the hill opposite.

"There she is! There's Potter!" 

"Not good." I commented to myself. 

The sea of Riddle supporters closed on the bridge, their howls deafening. As I looked on in terror, a volley of magical rockets laced the night sky, my skin throbbing with a kaleidoscope of light; red, blue, yellow. I glanced up, watching as the bombs struck the shield and the sky shivered like water. 

But then, faint hope displaced dread as...

THWACK!

...teeth bared, the first Riddle supporter ran flat into Professor Flitwick's shield and bounced back.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

One after another, the supporters bounced back. A grin bloomed on my face.

"Ha! Ha!" 

A man who I recognised as Scabior stopped short, eyeing the area ahead warily. I began to laugh, in faint disbelief at first, then harder, almost maniacally, consumed by a fear turned to ecstasy. 

Hoarsely, I bellowed at Scabior, "Yeah! You and whose army!" I grinned, raising my wand and, with a triumphant whoop, whipped my arm too vigorously into the air and accidentally fired a random spell into the night sky. 

"Woah! Easy up there!" 

I looked down and saw Seamus, clinging to the side of the bridge at the far end, glaring jokingly up at me.

"Sorry!" 

Then my forehead split open again; I felt my knees crash into the wooden floor of the bridge as I sank into Riddle's head again. I looked down at a pocketwatch; it had just struck midnight. Impulsively, violently, I drew my wand and pointed it to the sky. If they were not going to give me Daisy Potter... then they would pay. All of them. And especially those two Weasley blood traitors. 

My arm swept forth. A crack of thunder shook the grounds. The sky turned white. For a moment, everything was frozen, still... then an eruption of sound and fury rolled over the grounds.

And then my arm dropped, and Flitwick's shield shattered. 

I gasped, coming to on the floor of the bridge. I staggered upright, bracing myself against the wall. 

"You alright, Daisy?" Someone called from the far end of the bridge. 

"'M all good!" I yelled back, though somewhat shakily. 

My eyes raked the fiery nightscape before me, then shifted to the more immediate vicinity. I went still. Scabior and the supporters were rising. Moving forward. Toward... me.

"Not good." I repeated. 

I started to back up slowly, then turned on my heel and pelted back up the bridge as plumes of flame rained down from the sky. Enemy spells skittered at my feet. I glanced back quickly, seeing Scabior and the others closing in like a herd of wild beasts.

"Ready!?" Ginny yelled. 

"Are you bloody joking?!" I yelled back. 

Ginny lifted her wand, ready to detonate the spells, when Seamus popped up beside her, a rather maniacal gleam in his eye.

"Oh Godric -" 

Seamus raised his wand, and set off the charges. Instantly, one bridge section after another exploded, rolling up like a carpet. Riddle supporters fell from sight, plummeting into the darkness. I glanced over my shoulder, saw Scabior closing in on me, then looked back towards Neville, who stood frozen, wand raised, looking at Seamus, whose face was blooming with fanatical ecstasy as he watched the charges detonate. 

As Seamus howled with pleasure, I, wheezing painfully at this point, glanced back and saw that Scabior had closed the distance, was coming fast when - KA-BLAM! - he was catapulted into the air. Nice - I was momentarily relieved, then realised, to my dismay, that the bridge was falling away with increasing speed. 

The remaining spells began to discharge, tripping off like firecrackers, one section after another vanishing, including the section under my feet...

I screamed, flying through the air, and managed to latch myself onto the edge before me. 

"Guys!" I squealed. Hands reached over, scrabbling, tugging me up, and I staggered to my feet beside Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny, panting heavily. 

"Well done, Seamus!" I said sarcastically. 

Seamus grinned. "Told yeh I'd bring 'er down." 

As I glowered jokingly at him, I shook some ashes from my hair, then grinned. 

"What?" Ginny said. 

"That was kind of exciting." I giggled. 

Seamus grinned and winked knowingly. Ginny shook her head.

"Mad. The both of you." 

Just then, a thundering rumble almost sent me tumbling off the bridge again. As Ginny steadied me, we all peered into the distance: giants were approaching along the main bridge.

"Not. Fucking. Good." I said. 

~~~ 

We'd all split up back inside the castle, and I was sprinting around, trying frantically to find Terry, Fred, George, or Harry. Movement was all through the corridors all around: people were running, shouting; through the windows, I could see more flashes of light in the dark grounds.

Professor Sprout thundered past followed by Neville and half a dozen others, all of them wearing earmuffs and carrying what appeared to be large potted plants.

"Mandrakes!" Neville bellowed at me over his shoulder as he ran. "Going to lob them over the walls - they won't like this!"

As I reached the end of this corridor, the whole castle shook, and I knew, as a gigantic vase blew off its plinth with explosive force, that it was now in the grip of enchantments more sinister than those of the teachers and the Order. 

"Potter!"

Aberforth Dumbledore stood blocking the corridor ahead, his wand held ready.

"I've had hundreds of kids thundering through my pub, Potter!"

"I know, they're evacuating." I said. "Voldemort's -" 

"- Attacking because they haven't handed you over, yeah." Aberforth said. "I'm not deaf, the whole of Hogsmeade heard him. And it never occurred to any of you to keep a few Slytherins hostage? There are kids of Death Eaters you've just sent to safety. Wouldn't it have been a bit smarter to keep 'em here?" 

"Fair point!" I called as I passed him, elated and terrified in equal measure. "But I'm not like him; I don't keep people hostage." 

As the walls trembled again, I paced past the wall I'd paced before many times, and burst into the Room of Requirement. It was empty except for an elderly witch wearing a moth-eaten hat, whom I recognised as Neville's grandmother.

"Ah, Miss Potter." She said crisply as if she had been waiting for me. "You can tell me what's going on."

"Oh my Godric - are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"

"I was the last to come through." Mrs Longbottom said. "I sealed it, I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?"

"He's fighting." I said.

"Naturally." The old lady said proudly. "Excuse me, I must go and assist him."

And with surprising speed she trotted off through the door. 

Dread was filling me now. Where were they, where were they... 

I burst out of the Room of Requirement and hurtled around another corner. I nearly shouted in relief as I found Fred and a small knot of students, including Lee, Harry, and Ron, standing beside another empty plinth, whose statue had concealed a secret passageway. Their wands were drawn and they were listening at the concealed hole.

"Nice night for it!" Fred shouted as the castle quaked again, and I flew into his arms, dry-sobbing. "C'mon, baby, I'm okay - I'm so glad you're okay too, but I was watching from that window over there, I knew you were alright -" 

I shut him up with a kiss, which he responded to enthusiastically. 

"Guys." Harry said behind us, and Fred withdrew his hands from my ass, his eyes gleaming mischievously. 

"Sorry, little bro." 

"Little bro?" Harry queried, cocking an eyebrow at my boyfriend. 

Fred smirked. "Yeah. Soon enough." 

"'Cuz they'll be mArRiEd!" Lee said in a cutesy voice, and everyone burst out laughing. Harry grinned, rolling his eyes. 

"You guys are too much." He said, but his eyes were twinkling. 

"Indeed."

"Naturally!" 

The situation within the castle had deteriorated severely in the few minutes that we'd spent messing around: the walls and ceiling were shaking worse than ever; dust filled the air, and through the nearest window, I saw bursts of green and red light so close to the foot of the castle that I knew the Death Eaters must be very near to entering the place.

"You've got the sitch handled here?" I asked Lee and Ron, and they both nodded. "Fred, Harry? Can we go find George and Terry, please?" 

The anxiety was evident in my tone; my boyfriend and my brother exchanged a glance, and nodded. 

"Yeah, c'mon, baby girl." Fred took my hand, and we hurried off down the corridor as Lee and Ron turned to Bonnie and Connie. 

We turned the corner and saw Ginny standing with Louis and Colin, all three with their wands drawn at the next window, which was missing several panes. Even as I watched, Ginny sent a well-aimed jinx into a crowd of fighters below.

"Good girl!" A figure running through the dust toward us roared, and I saw Aberforth again, his grey hair flying as he led a small group of students past. "They look like they might be breaching the north battlements, they've brought giants of their own." 

Fred, Harry, and I charged down the next corridor. Panic was thumping through me now; where was he? Where was George... 

"Guys!" My voice was breaking in desperation. "Guys - what if he's hurt - what if -" 

Fred glanced at me sideways, and a knowing smile broke out across his face. 

"You talking about Georgie?" 

"What's it matter, F-" 

But I broke off as yells and shouts and the unmistakable noises of duelling filled the corridor beyond. We rounded the corner and my heart seemed to fail: Death Eaters had penetrated Hogwarts. Terry, George, and Percy had just backed into view, all of them duelling two masked and hooded men.

Fred, Harry, and I ran forward to help: jets of light flew in every direction and the man duelling Percy backed off, fast; then his hood slipped and we saw a high forehead and streaked hair - 

"Hello, Minister!" Percy bellowed, sending a neat jinx straight at Thicknesse, who dropped his wand and clawed at the front of his robes, apparently in awful discomfort. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking, Perce!" Fred shouted as the Death Eater George and Terry were battling collapsed under the weight of three separate Stunning Spells. Thicknesse had fallen to the ground with tiny spikes erupting all over him; he seemed to be turning into some form of sea urchin. Fred looked at Percy with glee.

"You actually are joking, Perce... I don't think I've heard you joke since you were -" 

The air exploded. We had been grouped together, me, Terry, Fred, George, Harry, and Percy, the two Death Eaters at our feet, one Stunned, the other Transfigured; and in that fragment of a moment, when danger seemed temporarily at bay, the world was rent apart, I felt myself flying through the air, and all I could do was hold as tightly as possible to Fred, feeling my wings burst out of my back to wrap around us, attempting to shield us; I heard the screams and yells of my companions without a hope of knowing what had happened to them - 

And then the world resolved itself into pain and semidarkness; I was half buried in the wreckage of a corridor that had been subjected to a terrible attack. Cold air told me that the side of the castle had been blown away, and hot stickiness on my cheek told me that I was bleeding copiously. I stood up, swaying, more frightened than I had been that day, more frightened, perhaps, than I had been in my life... something was wrong... I could feel it... 

Then I heard a terrible cry that pulled at my insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause. Then I realised that it was coming from me. 

As I collapsed onto him, his eyes wide open and glazed over, empty of life, dead... the pain shattering me, the grief and aching tearing me apart... I thought I might be dead too.