Beginning of the End

Chapter 1

Krystoff and Antoine had been out for about a week now. Thaddeus and I have been visiting them in the infirmary at Hogwarts, since its the only safe place left since the attack on London; which crippled both Saint Mungo's and the Ministry offices. Lupin's here too, he's not left Twine's side since the attack. All I remember is that Antoine and I uselessly shot the Dark Lord, and then we both blacked out.

Thing is, I'm up, and Antoine is still in a coma. I looked at Thaddeus and I ask the question quietly, "What is the similarity between Antoine and Krystoff that what happened in the tower affected them so? You told me everyone blacked out."

"Everyone did, love," he said, slowly, "and everyone woke up or withered away from the coma...except those two." I had forgotten. McGongall's body couldn't take the shock of whatever blanketed us when we attacked the Dark Lord, and including Dumbledore, who had tried to save Harry one too many times, she was the fourth teacher to die from Hogwarts. That's right, fourth. Sibyll Trelawney died after the Death Eaters tried to simulate her Seer trances with Legilimency. Antoine had predicted it would be a failed experiment. It's a shame he's not up so he can be insufferable and right at the same time. Severus Snape...is presumed dead, never found on either side, along with our snitch, Draco Malfoy.

"You didn't answer my question, love," I noted, "not all of it, anyway."

Thaddeus shrugged. "What do we do now is a better one, anyway."

It's funny. All the Death Eaters are dead or captured. Our side has pretty much won except the only man who matters, the reason why we risked it all to get, killed the Boy Who Lived. There should be no tomorrow. However, Lord Voldemort, the man who would rule all of wizarding England, and turn it into all purebloods, has completely failed to make an appearance. And now everyone, including the younger remaining members of the Order, Lupin, Kingsley and Tonks, have no clue what to do, and the others, like the Weasleys, were mourning what they had lost.

"Do you think Voldemort is going to show, Thad? Love, do you think it's really an issue?" He was the best gauge we had when it came to tactics.

"No. He's going to let us go back to normal and show up then," Thaddeus shook his head. "I think the world is going to declare Voldemort gone, having surrendered without showing his face, and when it's all done, he'll show."

"So, what do we do now?" I asked quietly. "England's in shambles."

"We mourn our dead and lead," Remus Lupin said roughly for the first time, "Be grateful for what we do have and rebuild society, keep an eye. Constant Vigilance, as Moody would of said." There was a terse chuckle. Moody had died when one of the power cables used to fry the gargolyes fell on him when he was watching for attacks.

We all looked at each other, and then, Antoine opened his eyes wide, and a voice croaked out, "He will rise again from the Phoenix's ashes, through the light and the dark and the light again, the one who has betrayed twice, the one who has the most to gain in loss ." Antoine then closed his eyes, resuming his coma-like state. Remus shook him, asking him to wake up quietly.

"The Sight," I mumbled. "Twine's never exhibited before, except for the occasional dream and that bizarre talent he has for sensing danger...almost a bit too late."

"Don't you think you're being cruel, love?" Thaddeus asked, softly.

I sighed, "Yeah...but picking on him reminds me he's here, instead of...gone." I felt like I was going to cry, and Thaddeus held me, looking at Antoine.

"A prophecy? Isn't it over? Haven't we lost?" Thaddeus asked confused, "The thing I hate, love, is that there's too many varibles, too many things that can go wrong. You eliminate those at any cost, but here, they're muitiplying."

Madam Pomfrey interrupted then. "I have some good news," she said, seeming to be even slightly frowning at Remus trying to rouse Antoine. "Your friend, Krystoff...he's just left the coma. He's awake now, and he wants to see you." * * * *

We've got the dumbest owl anyone's ever seen. It should of been a monkey by all rights, but the animagus form doesn't lie, he's an owl. The first words out his mouth were, "So...what did I miss?"

Not 'where am I?', 'how'd I get here', 'and isn't Antoine supposed to be with you?'. 'What did I miss?'. I restrained the urge to bop him. "Nothing much. We just lost the Boy Who Lived, but that's not a big thing. Go ahead and go back to sleep."

He blinked twice. Perhaps THAT's the reason for the animagus form. "Aren't we supposed to be dead, then?"

"All the Death Eaters are dead or captured," Thaddeus explained with preternatural patience, and might I add, calm.

"Even that Bellatrix bitch that sings?" Krystoff blinked, "You must mean, they've gone, and we think they're dead, right?" He sounded confused. Dammit, didn't he know how much we worried about him, and all he can do is ask mostly repeating pointless questions about things that've passed already?

"No. Bellatrix was killed by Neville Longbottom. He Crucioed her to death. Fitting, considering she was a torturer," Thaddeus explained as if Krystoff was in class and he was teaching, "and she expired soon after the fifth or sixth one in a row. Must of had a lower pain tolerance than anyone thought."

"Where's Neville now?" Krystoff asked, sounding curious.

"You ask about Neville and Antoine's in a coma?! Don't you care at all?!" I fumed, finally having had it out with him.

"Antoine's in a coma? Is he ok?" Krystoff now acutally did sound concerned, but his face remained impassive.

"He's in a coma!" I shouted. "How OK can he be?"

"Love," Thad said quietly, "unless I miss my guess, Antoine will be up soon, so calm down. Krystoff, the last time anyone saw Neville was after he woke up. He was headed for London and Saint Mungo's. I think he wanted to pay his respects and think about what he had done."

"What he had done?" Krystoff blinked. "Wasn't the reason his parents were in Saint Mungo's because of her? Didn't the attack on Saint Mungo's made to destroy morale? I'd think he did the right thing, personally. It was time she got some sort of justice coming to her."

"Justice has heavy implications, Krystoff," my husband continued, "and Neville took justice into his own hands that day. Antoine had a prediction while he was in coma, and I think it means the beginning of the end for our world as we know it."

We were silent after that proclamation. The implications of a future world built on a prophecy were horrific.