Forsaking Fate

Demons within Us

Chapter 10

As the green light encircled his body, Harry screamed in agony. As suddenly as it had begun, the pain was gone and he was left lying on the floor panting. Feeling a warm liquid dripping down his forehead, he pressed his hand against the wound and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Harry, Harry, oh Merlin; please wake up!"

"Hermione?" he mumbled groggily.

"Oh thank God!"

"Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey's voice came to him as if through a haze. "Do you know what you were hit with?"

Blinking open his eyes, he starred up at the blurred shapes.

'Where are my glasses?' he wondered.

"What were you hit with?" she repeated slowly.

"Um . . . the Killing Curse. . ."

Realizing what had happened, he sat up abruptly.

"Excuse me?" Pomfrey asked.

"The Killing Curse; Voldemort threw it at me." Looking around he saw that the battle had ended leaving many wounded. "Where's Voldemort?"

Wincing at the name, the nurse replied, "Gone for some time now. He left with his monsters after cursing you."

"Where are my glasses?"

"Here Harry," Hermione replied in a choked voice, setting them in his hand.

Shoving them on, he glanced around.

"Ginny was hurt; is she alright?"

Immediately Hermione began to sob. "Harry," she gasped, "I'm so sorry. . ."

"No," Harry cried, jumping to his feet and running to where Ron was kneeling.

Reaching out, he gently touched her cheek before squeezing his eyes shut.

"I should have protected her," Ron whispered, tears running down his face.

"She saved me," Harry sobbed. "Why would she do something so stupid?"

Slowly raising his head to look at his best friend, Ron gaped at him. "Harry, what happened to your forehead?"

Touching the still bleeding wound, Harry muttered, "Got cursed."

"Oh." Looking back down at his sister, he sniffed. "Why Ginny?"

*****

Walking through the bodies that littered the ground, Destiny searched for white-blond hair in a sea of injured and dying. Spotting Draco leaning against the wall, she hurried over.

"Draco?" she moaned. Dropping to her knees, she pressed a hand over the gaping wound in his stomach.

"Desti. . ." he gasped, blinking his eyes open.

"Hang in there; help is on the way." Knowing that no healer could save her friend, she whispered, "Stanton, come to me."

Feeling a light breeze, she turned and watched as out of a shadow the vampire appeared.

"Yes?" he smiled, glancing around with interest at the sight of so much blood.

"Save him," she commanded, pointing to the blond.

Smile slipping from his face, he took a step back. "You're joking, yes?"

"Do it!"

Wide eyed, the vampire grabbed the boy and bit him just as his death rattle began. Sitting back on her heels, Destiny watched as the human in her friend died. When the exchange was complete, Stanton sat back and looked at her through endlessly sad eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," she snapped.

"You did this boy no favor. He will be hunted ruthlessly."

"Not if nobody knows."

"How can they not know? For two days this boy will be dead."

"Then for two days you will hide him. When those days are over, he will return with the excuse that he was ill and couldn't go to the hospital wing as it was too overrun by the injured. It will be busy around here and nobody will notice his disappearance."

Nodding, Stanton said, "It could work. While he sleeps I will get him a ring to protect him from the sun."

"Thank you. You have no idea the gift you've given to me."

*****

Harry had no idea how much time had passed as he sat with Ron and Hermione guarding Ginny's body until it could be dealt with. Glancing around, he caught a glimpse of Destiny hovering over Malfoy with another blond. Turning away, Harry was about to fall back into his misery when his head snapped back around.

'Destiny. . .' he thought.

Leaping to his feet, he ignored his friend's questions as he rushed to her side and grabbed her arm. As soon as his hand clamped down on her arm, he found himself sitting on the ground. Clutching his jaw, he realized she had hit him.

"Oh, it's you. Sorry," she said insincerely.

Rubbing where he had been hit, he said, "I need your help."

"The great Harry Potter needs little old me?" Sneering, she mocked, "I'm flattered, truly."

"Get over yourself. This isn't about us. Ginny's dead; I want you to bring her back."

Blinking, she muttered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do," Harry snapped loudly. Waving her hands about in an attempt to quiet him only caused him to speaker louder. "You can bring her back from the dead, I know you can." By now, people were staring and beginning to nudge those around them. "You're the Necromancer; help her!"

At this proclamation, silence filled the hall as the occupants stared in horror, some backing away.

Quietly, Destiny replied, "Even if I was a . . . whatever, which I'm not, those spells haven't been cast successfully in over a thousand years."

So quietly that Destiny almost didn't hear him, Harry replied, "Then how did you save me after I drowned?"

Feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of her, she swallowed convulsively.

"How do you remember that?"

"It's kind of hard to forget."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"You didn't want anyone to remember so out of gratefulness for what you had done, I didn't say anything."

"So you chose now, in front of a bazillion people to inform me?" she snarled.

Stepping back, he looked at his feet.

"I'm sorry but please, please save Ginny. I- I love her."

Pressing her lips into a thin line, she whispered, "For the sake of love . . . I'll try. Harry, you must understand though; I don't think this is going to work."

"Just try, that's all I ask."

Nodding, she walked to where the body laid, the crowd parting before her. Touching the girls forehead, she pulled her hand back as an empty feeling flowed through her. Shivering she turned to Harry.

"Her time has passed."

"Try, you little-," pulling out his wand, Ron pointed it at the Necromancer.

Calmly, as if she wasn't staring down the wrong end of a wand, Destiny replied, "She was meant to die today. If she hadn't been murdered she would have fallen down a flight of stairs or something. She shouldn't be brought back."

"But she can be?" Harry pressed.

"There is a very small chance-"

"Do it."

"I'm not God, Harry. She was supposed to die and we're messing with that."

"Do it," Harry repeated, pulling out his wand, "or you'll be joining Ginny."

Pursing her lips, she knelt back down. Placing one hand over the heart and the other on the forehead, she closed her eyes.

'Ginny, forgive me,' she thought, allowing the power to course through her.

Unaware of the wind or anything around her, her gaze searched the plains of the dead for the one soul she sought.

"Exanumum arbitratus dego. Vespillon arbitratus aspiro. Anima-" Faltering, she felt something brush against her. "Anima luruae-" Gasping for breath, she forced herself to finish. "-vita abscido. Cordis, battuo. Aspiro. DEGO!"

Three times through she forced out the incantation before breathing into the girls face. Feeling her knees hit the floor, she scrambled back.

Staring at the unmoving girl, Harry asked anxiously, "Well?"

Swallowing the vomit that was rising in her throat, she whispered, "Aspiro. Dego."

Immediately the body began to choke and force breath into the once still body. As the crowd cheered, Destiny backed away some more.

As the red head sat up, Destiny whirled away and ran to one of the house tables and began to search the floor. Finding what she wanted, she shoved her way through the crowd. Seeing who it was, they moved aside easily. Stopping a few feet from the teenagers, she gripped her finding tighter.

"Ginny, how are you? How do you feel?" Ron asked, helping the girl stay seated.

"Do you need something to drink?" Harry asked.

"No," Ginny replied serenely.

Losing control of his emotions, Harry pulled her into his arms. "Oh, Gin, I was so scared. Don't ever do that again!"

Grin spreading widely over her face, Ginny raised her arms to embrace him back. Taking her chance, Destiny lunged forward and grabbed the red head by the hair, yanking her head back. Raising the black steak knife, she brought it down fast, prepared to put it through her heart. Jerking to the side, a chunk of red hair was pulled free of her head as the knife missed its mark and sank into Ginny's shoulder. Shrieking, she jumped away.

"Oh my God!" Harry yelled, running to his girlfriend. "What is wrong with you?"

Reaching out to stop the blood flow, he froze when Destiny shrieked, "Don't touch her!" Staring in shock, Harry chose to ignore her. "That's not Ginny; it's a demon!"

Freezing, Harry watched in horror as Ginny pulled the knife from her shoulder and the skin instantly began to heal. Growling, the creature dropped the knife and lunged at the Necromancer. As she was hit, Destiny allowed herself to fall and rolled with it until she was on top. Punching the demon in the face didn't even slow it as it reached up and squeezed its hands around Destiny's throat. Choking, Destiny was attempting to pry the fingers off when something began to drag Ginny away by the hair.

Collapsing, Destiny felt her throat and blinked the stars from her eyes. Hearing scuffling noises, she weakly turned her head. There Harry stood, desperately trying to subdue the monster without hurting it.

"Ginny, love, I know you're still in there. Fight this thing!"

Snarling, the thing lunged again.

Rolling to her side, Destiny forced herself to climb weakly to her knees and looked around for help. None was forthcoming. All stood and watched the fight mesmerized, not a soul thinking to step in and help the boy fighting for his life, half blinded by the blood leaking from his wounded forehead.

Rising shakily to her feet, she steadied herself and used the last of her energy to grab the demon's head from behind and twist it around backwards. In the silence of the room, the snapping of bones echoed and then the thud of the body sounded as it hit the floor.

*****

Watching the Necromancer stagger away from the broken body of his dead girlfriend, she reached up and gingerly touched an already forming bruise on her neck.

"I told you she was dead," Destiny croaked. "Next time listen! I think I would know better than you what I was talking about!"

Turning, she staggered away rubbing her neck.

"Destiny!" Harry called.

The girl never paused.

*****

Once the girl was gone, whispers filled the room. Looking around, Harry spotted Sirius in the mass. Moving over to him, Harry gave a weak grin. Not receiving one in return, it slipped away.

"You gave her away," Sirius growled dangerously. "Do you know what you've done?"

Wiping blood from his eyes, Harry looked away. "I'm sorry. . ."

"Sorry won't give my daughter her life back. The Ministry will hunt her down now."

Shocked, Harry exclaimed, "Dumbledore won't let them!"

"He will hold them off," Sirius agreed bitterly, "but not forever. Sooner or later they will get her."

Horrified, Harry whispered, "No. . ." Shaking his head, Sirius walked away in search of his daughter.

*****

Not far from the Great Hall, Sirius found Destiny looking in a mirror, rubbing her neck.

"Des, are you alright?" Sirius asked worriedly, hurrying to her side. "I saw the whole thing but couldn't get through the crowd."

"Stupid cow bruised my neck," she mumbled.

Seeing she was fine, he said, "You need to leave here."

"No, it'll be fine."

Seeing she wasn't going to budge, he pleaded, "Alright, but promise me that if it gets even remotely bad, you'll leave. Promise or you come home with me now!"

Nodding, she pulled her hair out of its clip and let it fall around her shoulders, partially covering the neck.

"I promise."