Rating:
PG-13
House:
The Dark Arts
Genres:
Angst Drama
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Quidditch Through the Ages Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Stats:
Published: 07/16/2003
Updated: 07/16/2003
Words: 2,409
Chapters: 1
Hits: 2,074

Drink With Me

Aerie22

Story Summary:
The five best wizards from seventh year stand and wait for a Death Eater attack. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Ernie McMillan and Kevin Entwhistle reflect on the women in their lives. Songfic: ‘Drink With Me’ from Les Miserables.

Posted:
07/16/2003
Hits:
2,074


DRINK WITH ME

By Aerie22

The carnage had been unimaginable.

Over 200 Death Eaters, led by Voldemort himself, had invaded the school in the dark of night. Hagrid had been the first to die, defending against the invaders as they streamed on foot out of the Forbidden Forest. The half-giant's dying bellows alerted at least a few sleepless students and professors, who had raised the alarm immediately. But it was too late for the Hufflepuffs, who made a ground-floor stand around their common room but were overwhelmed. And it was too late for the Slytherins, despite heroic efforts of Professor Severus Snape, who died where they stood trapped in their own dungeons. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were isolated in their towers as Death Eaters destroyed their staircases.

On the first floor, the faculty, rallied by Dumbledore, beat back the attack and pushed the Death Eaters back to the ground floor and, cutting them off, forced them into the dungeons. More than half the Death Eaters died and most of the survivors had fled or hid before Dumbledore and Flitwick, who spearheaded the defense, were killed.

At that point, the tide would have turned but for one fatal flaw in Voldemort's plan. The Seventh Years.

It was a Thursday. And on Thursdays, the Seventh Years all were in the Astronomy Tower for their combined midnight class with Professor Andromeda Sinistra. As the faculty ranks began to break against the Death Eater counterattack, the Seventh Years came pouring out of the Astronomy Tower stairwell, led by Harry Potter, and pushed back the attack.

The Death Eaters, including Voldemort, now were trapped in the Dungeons, unaware that, only six weeks before, Dumbledore and several faculty members and senior Aurors had strengthened the Castle's defenses and cut off all possible magical entry and egress. The Floo system was sealed. The apparating wards doubled and redoubled. A lockdown charm had been put in place in case of emergency such as this. The only way out of Hogwarts was on foot.

But the only way in was on foot, as well. Owls had gone out to the Ministry and local Auror stations at the outset of the attack. But still, outside help couldn't be expected for at least an hour, maybe more. And the Death Eaters had to be contained.

The surviving faculty, a hobbling Alastor Moody, an injured Minerva McGonagall, a frightened but firm Andromeda Sinistra and a terrified but surprisingly resolute Sybil Trelawney, directed the surviving seventh year students to defensible positions around any possible outside exits from the dungeons. Others were sent in teams to search for surviving students and faculty and for hiding Death Eaters.

But the ranks of students were so depleted that only five were left to guard the entrance to the dungeons, themselves. The five best young wizards at Hogwarts. Harry Potter. Ron Weasley. Ernie McMillan. Kevin Entwhistle. Draco Malfoy.

* * *

Drink with me to days gone by

Sing with me the songs we knew

Here's to pretty girls who went to our heads.

Here's to witty girls who went to our beds.

Here's to them and here's to you!

* * *

Harry raised his wand and screamed a curse. The granite in the side wall fractured and a large chunk fell away.

"Geez, Harry! What the hell are you doing," Kevin yelled.

"Cover," Harry said in a cold voice.

Ron nodded and motioned Ernie to help him pull the large block, with the help of a levitating charm from Malfoy, into place.

Another blast shook the corridor and several other large pieces of granite crashed into the corridor. Soon, there was a low jagged wall of granite across the one exit corridor leading out of the dungeons. Any Death Eaters trying to escape would have to travel at least twelve meters of open corridor. And they would do so in the face of an onslaught from the five most powerful young wizards that Hogwarts had to offer.

Harry nodded. "Remove the doors to that closet and the one across the way," he muttered grimly. "And set up for anyone to duck into them in case they knock out our cover."

Ron and Kevin took care of a door each as Ernie, Draco and Harry watched down the corridor behind their make-shift granite fort.

"Hey!" Ron cried. "There are cases and cases of butterbeer in here!"

Draco snorted. "That's our Quidditch team stash," he growled. "Have one on me."

Ron grabbed a handful of bottles and distributed them to his comrades.

"Go easy on that stuff," Harry said, flipping the cork off his bottle with his thumb and taking a sip. "Keep a clear head."

"So where's Granger," Draco whispered, not able to speak in his customary drawl. He was finding it difficult to be nonchalant when his hands were shaking while trying to grasp his bottle and his wand.

"I made her stay with McGonagall," Harry growled, never taking his eyes off the corridor ahead.

Draco snorted in surprise. "Since when could you ever tell her to stay put," he asked, with only a small spark of his normal sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Since she found out she was pregnant," he said quietly.

Malfoy turned quickly to stare at Harry. "How...?"

Harry snorted, still staring ahead.

Ron chuckled softly. "The smartest witch at Hogwarts and the Head Boy Who Lived and they couldn't figure out how to pronounce Concipere Negans."

"We've been using contraceptive potions," Kevin muttered. "More reliable."

"How far along is she, Harry?" Ernie said softly.

Harry sighed. "Four months, maybe more."

Ernie nodded. "We're in the same boat. Hannah's a couple months late," he whispered. "Not that it matters. We were going to be married right after graduation anyway."

Harry took a deep breath. "Yeah. We planned to marry in the fall, after her birthday. Now, we'll just do it in a couple months, in June."

Kevin was staring down the corridor, breathing heavily. "Mandy and I were going to wait," he said in a hoarse tone. "Both wanted to continue schooling. But...well...with the war and all, we were thinking maybe not waiting." He stared quietly down the hall. "God, I do love her so," he muttered to himself.

Draco lay silent behind the blocks of granite, a cloudy expression on his face and his wand gripped so tightly his knuckles were white.

Ron looked around behind them when he heard a scream in the distance. Then he heard a couple familiar voices cheering and relaxed. He turned again to watch the corridor. "Lavender and I have been trying to decide. She wants to...right away. So do I, but I thought I'd let her continue to try to 'convince' me a little while longer," he said with a crooked smile.

Draco was slowly regaining his composure. "So you're going to be rich at last, eh, Weasley? Or should I call you Weasley-Brown," he said with a smirk.

Ron slowly turned his head toward the Slytherin. "Shut up, Malfoy," he growled softly.

Malfoy chuckled. "No offense. Just wondering if you and Brownie will be needing a hired hand."

Harry grinned for the first time since the ordeal began. "So working for Ron would be your first step toward a new Malfoy Manor, eh, Draco."

Ernie turned slightly toward Malfoy. "What about you. No wife after this is over?"

Draco suddenly sighed, his face clouding. "Can't afford one."

"You don't have to be able to afford anything if it's the right girl," Kevin whispered.

Draco was now breathing heavily again, but from emotion, not fear. "I wouldn't do that to Pansy."

"Would she have you?" Ron asked bluntly.

Draco sighed again. "I didn't think so. But after he threw me out, she stuck by me. I didn't think she would, but she did."

"Your dad?" Kevin asked.

Draco nodded. "Yeah. After I spit in Lucius' eye, Pansy was still there for me. And I won't marry her until I can give her something...a future, maybe."

Kevin had grabbed another bottle of butterbeer and flipped the cork. He raised it slowly with a tear in his eye. "Here's to the ladies. To Mandy."

"Hannah," Ernie said quietly.

"To my little Lavender," Ron said, also in a quiet tone.

"Pansy," Draco said, raising his bottle, his eyes down.

"To my Hermione," Harry said as he stared down the corridor.

* * *

Drink with me to days gone by

Can it be you fear to die?

Will the world remember you

When you fall?

Could it be your death

Means nothing at all?

Is your life just one more lie?

* * *

There was an explosion from somewhere just outside.

"What's that?!" Kevin yelled.

"Moody and McGonagall and the rest sealing any alternate route out of the dungeons," Harry muttered.

There was another explosion, and the sounds of large blocks of granite tumbling against the outside walls and hitting the ground.

"Moody's taking down the revetments from the North tower to bury them in," Harry said coldly.

"We gonna get out of this?" Entwhistle whispered the question on all their minds.

Harry shrugged. "There's at least fifteen, maybe twenty in there, including Voldemort. That's what the Bloody Baron told Moody. Wish we more. But they've got to get to us first. It's going to be like a shooting gallery down there."

Draco was breathing heavily again. "Maybe they'll send us some help."

Ernie blew out a deep breath. "Maybe. Probably not. Sealing the outside escapes won't stop them. Just delay them and make them easier targets if they try getting out that way. But we'll need people out there to wait and fight...if necessary."

"I hope Lavender is safe," Ron muttered.

"I'm sure she is," Harry said quietly. "She and Hermione."

"Mandy..." Kevin said, his voice suddenly cracking. He cleared his throat. "Mandy was told to go out with Steve Cornfoot and Terry Boot to look for stragglers and Death Eaters," he said hoarsely. "She's in the castle. God, I wish I was with her. Terry's such a..." His voice cracked again, his eyes clouding.

"At least I got to kiss her goodbye," Draco said absently.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron said softly. "We'll stop them."

Ernie's eyes never left the corridor. "I just want to be there when the baby's born."

"Me, too," Harry said, mostly to himself.

* * *

Drink with me to days gone by

To the life that used to be

At the shrine of friendship, never say die

Let the wine of friendship never run dry

Here's to you and here's to me

* * *

Ernie coughed once and looked down. "I wish Cedric was here," he said quietly.

Harry closed his eyes briefly at the memory of seeing Cedric murdered.

Ernie turned to Harry. "I never thanked you for bringing his body back. He was like the big brother I never had. I wish he was here. But I know I'm going to make him proud."

"I wish he was here, too, Ernie," Harry said, his voice showing some strain.

"I wish Steve and Terry were here," Kevin said quietly. "If only they'd worked harder in DADA classes," he said with a rueful smile. "But Steve was more interested in Arithmancy and Terry in Ancient Runes. God, how could I be best friends with such swots," he said, chuckling to himself.

"Weasley," Draco whispered.

Ron turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

Ron nodded and quickly shook the Slytherin's hand.

There was a sudden explosion at the end of the corridor.

"Here they come," Kevin cried.

"I love you, Harry!" Ron screamed.

"You'll always be my brother, Ron," Harry yelled as he tensed, wand in hand. "Hermoine," he whispered. "Hermione."

* * *

The fight was almost over when the Aurors and the other students arrived. Eleven Death Eaters lay dead, eight of them from Avada Kedavra curses from Harry and Draco, the only two of the five students who could deliver the death curse. One of these dead was Lucius Malfoy, dead by his son's hand. The rest were dead from trauma from being flung savagely around against the broken walls of the dungeons by powerful stunning and defensive curses. Seven others were badly injured and immediately taken by the Aurors.

And there was one more body at that end of the corridor. It looked like it had been split open, but nothing but a thick black fluid oozed out of what was left of the remains. A shattered wand of yew, containing the charred remains of a Phoenix feather, lay by the side of the body. Voldemort was dead.

So was Ernie McMillan.

And Draco Malfoy.

And Harry Potter.

Kevin Entwhistle lay on his hands and knees, panting and coughing painfully, with blood flowing down the left side of his face and bubbling out of a severely gashed right side, where at least two broken ribs had punctured a lung. Mandy cried out and was by his side in an instant, nearly toppling the mediwizard already at work.

Suddenly, there was a groan. "GERROFF ME!!!" came a painful cry from beneath the rubble.

"RONNNN!!!" came a scream, as Lavender hurdled over a bent Auror and began frantically trying to dig her love out.

Ron had survived with a broken leg, a broken pelvis, and a broken heart over death of his best friend.

Hannah and Hermione embraced each other in tears and slowly sunk to the floor, weeping inconsolably together.

But they would have something of their love that would survive their lovers' deaths.

All Pansy had was a key. Draco had given it to her just before leaving to defend the dungeons.

It was a Gringotts vault key. A vault that held his trust fund. About 8,000 galleons, he had told her. Enough to support her for a couple years, if she needed it.

Pansy turned and slowly made her way up debris-littered stairwells to the top of the now-ruined North Tower. She looked over at the Forbidden Forest as the first signs of a false dawn appeared. And shaking in grief, she threw the key as far as she could into the fading darkness.

* * *

Drink with me to days gone by

Sing with me the songs we knew

Here's to pretty girls who went to our heads.

Here's to witty girls who went to out beds.

Here's to them and here's to you!

* * *

--Aerie22