Chapter forty four; The Battle of Hogwarts, Part Four

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Olivia was practically numb as she sat on the stone steps outside the Great Hall whilst being healed by Madam Pomfrey. Staring blankly ahead, tears continued to drop down her cheeks effortlessly. She couldn't bring herself to look into the Great Hall, she could still hear Molly Weasley sobbing over the loss of her son.

It was clear that everyone had lost hope. Nothing was looking up for them at the minute with more losses than survivors.

Madam Pomfrey could practically feel the negative energy dispersing from Olivia as she sat to the side of her. The healer sighed quietly, "You're looking rather glum young lady."

Olivia never tore her eyes away from the ground and rose her brows, "Well there's nothing to be happy about."

Madam Pomfrey swallowed hearing the bitter tone behind her words. She paused before she thought of what to say next, "Everything will start to look up once we've won the fight."

Olivia had to admire her optimism that they would come out victorious but she couldn't agree with her, "No." She shook her head, "For everything to get better I have to make it through the night and I don't think I will."

"You know Olivia." The healer began, "There is light in even the darkest parts of the world, you just need a little hope."

She met Madam Pomfrey's hopeful eyes and pursed her lips before pulling up the sleeve of her t-shirt to as far as it could go. Carefully, Pomfrey took her arm into her hands and traced the black veins in her arms before looking up to her, "What's this Olivia?"

Looking at the veins she answered, "It's time." She told her cryptically, "The time I have left."

"The last time something like this happened you—"

Olivia nodded, "—I know, I'd just been cursed."

"So what is it? What is this?"

She sighed, "In Professor Dumbledore's will he gifted me a special copy of the 'Tale of Olivianna Black' with the I hope I would find what I was searching for. I didn't realise what he meant at first, until a few hours ago when I accidentally preformed Legilimency on Professor Snape."

"What did you see?"

"Professor Dumbledore told Professor Snape that in order to reverse a curse it had to be done at the hands of the person who put it there in the first place."

"But that would mean Lord Voldemort would have to reverse it himself."

Olivia nodded and Madam Pomfrey exhaled loudly while patting her on the knee, "I think you're going to have to tell everyone Olivia."

She nodded again, "I was hoping I'd see Harry before.."

"I haven't seen him." The healer told her, standing up, "Sorry dear."

"It's okay." She said as the healer left, "Madam Pomfrey?" The woman turned around and Olivia smiled gratefully, "Thank you, for everything."

The healer smiled sorrowfully, "It was my pleasure Olivia."

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Charlie Weasley sighed, sitting down on a bench next to a boy he had never spoke to before.

Draco looked up from his hands to see the second eldest Weasley sitting next to him while rubbing his face and grew rather uncomfortable quickly.

He wanted to speak first but he didn't have words to say, they physically weren't there but as Charlie opened his mouth to start the conversation he relaxed somewhat.

"She's a bundle of trouble isn't she?"

Draco's face twisted in confusion, "Wha—?" He followed Charlie's eyes to see Olivia stood outside the Great Hall, pacing anxiously, "—Oh, yeah. It follows her I reckon."

Charlie rose his brows in agreement, "You're not wrong there."

The two boys watched her as she chewed on her thumbnail, constantly looking up the stairs. Draco frowned, "I don't think she'll ever come out of this."

"Don't be too sure." Charlie told him, "I've seen her pull herself out of worse."

"She lived with you after her father died, how was she?"

Charlie pursed his lips, "Alissa and I didn't sleep for the first week, she woke up screaming and crying every time she fell asleep." He told him, "Suppose she was preparing us for the twins, they do the same."

They shared a moment of laughter but it died quickly, "You have a family now." Draco voiced, "You could be at home, safe with your children yet you're here fighting."

Charlie nodded, "Alissa and I always knew, no matter what, we'd be here to help when the final battle came. We feel guilty for not being able to do much."

"But what if you—?" Draco couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"Died?" Charlie asked, looking to him. He shrugged his shoulders, "I know the twins have a wonderful family and regardless of what happened, they'd grow up in a happy environment. With our without us."

"But you've barely spent time with them." Draco countered, "I don't think I could ever have left them."

"It's personal choice at the end of the day and it doesn't mean we love them any less." He told him while looking over to his fiancée, "The twins have Godparents, or a godparent."

"A godparent?"

Charlie nodded solemnly, "Bill and Tonks, although it's only Bill now I suppose."

Draco nodded. He'd seen Olivia mourning the death of her own godfather and his cousin not to long ago, which brought him to remember there was yet again another child who would be brought up without parents. It was starting to become a pattern, a vicious circle.

"Their child won't have parents." Draco recognised out loud.

Charlie nodded, "Again, Godparents. They're all still living up to now."

He looked to Charlie, "All still living? Who are they?"

Charlie rubbed his hands together, "Well Alissa, but we've got the twins, then Harry and Olivia."

Draco blinked before looking out of the Great Hall to see Olivia couching down with her hands resting on her forehead, "Olivia's a Godparent?"

Charlie nodded, "She was Remus' Goddaughter and her and Tonks were like sisters."

He swallowed nervously while watching Olivia outside before voicing his thoughts, "I'm worried about her." Draco admitted, "She seems off, almost like she's hiding something from us."

"She probably is." Charlie countered.

"What?"

"Look at her." Charlie told him, "She's can't take her eyes off the stairs, she can't sit still. She's waiting for something, or someone."

After watching her for a few seconds, Draco looked back to Charlie, "She had a vision before, she said she needed to talk to Potter."

Charlie's brow rose, "Did she tell you what it was about?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders, becoming quite flustered all of a sudden, "She told us briefly that Professor Snape was dead and that she saw the Killing Curse being fired."

"Where was she?" Charlie asked quickly.

"I-I— She said she was in a forest I think, P-Potter was there. The Dark Lord said something about him coming to die with his friend."

The Weasley stood up quickly and scanned the room for Harry or his younger brother. Amongst the many faces in the Great Hall theirs weren't there and Charlie could feel his palms start to sweat. What if this was something? What if Olivia was about to do something drastic?

"Ginny!"

The youngest Weasley sibling ran over, called by her brother, as Draco stood up, "What's wrong Charlie?"

"Olivia." He said quickly, "What's going on with Olivia?"

Ginny looked over to the said girl. She was stood in the corridor still, in between the open doors of the Great Hall whilst looking down at something. It looked like she was looking at her left arm, however all Ginny could make out in the distance between them was black blurs.

Lights flickered in Ginny's head and she inhaled in shock, "The curse."

Charlie had to strain his ears to hear what his sister had mumbled so quietly and he was about to ask her to repeat herself when Draco beat him to it, "Wha-What did you say?"

Ginny Weasley looked to the both of them, "The curse, she's cursed. It's come back — well it never really left — but it's infecting her again."

Charlie shook his head rapidly, "I don't understand, Ginny, what are you—?"

"When Voldemort tried to make her a Death Eater and failed he cursed her. It spread through her body by her veins, that's how it reached her heart."

In shock, Draco looked to his girlfriend to find her already looking over in their direction. The pair locked eyes and Draco could see the emotion through the water in her eyes.

Charlie continued next to him, "So what your saying is this curse is spreading again?"

"It's possible." Ginny shrugged, "Ron told me her veins went black the first time it happened."

Draco looked at her left arm where her sleeve had been rolled up. Ginny was right, black lines covered the pale skin like a blanket. He looked to Ginny with wide eyes, "So if the curse is spreading again does that mean—"

"OLIVIA, NO!"

In the blink of an eye Charlie was running towards Olivia and she was mouthing something in Draco's direction with a sympathetic look on her face. It wasn't until Charlie dashed off did Draco realise what was going on and by that time, it was too late.

Olivia was gone.

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The cool air hung on Olivia's shoulders as she wandered further into the Forbidden Forest. Harry was either already here, with Voldemort, or he was somewhere in the castle. Either way, Olivia was running out of time and she needed Voldemort to undo the curse and Harry to show up before they even stood a chance of beating him.

If Olivia's theory was correct, aside from the snake, Harry was the last Horcrux. It explained how he and the Dark Lord were able to look into each other's minds, why Harry could talk to snakes, hear Horcruxes.

Olivia needed to face Voldemort herself before she could help Harry, she had to bring herself forwards to have the curse reversed.

Was what she was doing stupid? She didn't know.

She paid no mind to where exactly she was going and walked into an opening in the trees. It wasn't until she looked up did her heart leap out of her chest.

"Olivianna Black, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The chilling voice caused her to shiver.

Every fibre of her body screamed at her to turn around and run. Every voice bar one told her to cast a spell as a decoy and apparate the hell out of there. There was only a small fraction of her body that wanted to be there, standing in the Forbidden Forest, quite possibly waiting for her demise. That coaxed her to stay, however, that voice was one she hadn't heard in some time — and at that moment it was comforting to hear.

It was the voice of vulnerability and it was a voice she welcomed greatly, especially after struggling to feel emotion for the better part of two years.

It had come to a time where Olivia physically couldn't hold herself as an emotionless person anymore. It had taken its toll on her — not that she had done it by force, but it was the Dark Lord who was to blame.

This was her time and regardless of what was to happen she was more than ready.

Releasing a steady breath she raised her head higher into the air, "There's something you can do for me."

The Dark Lord laughed as he stepped forwards barefoot, "Why should I do anything for you when all you've done is reject me? I don't owe anything to you."

"I know." She said casually, sliding her hands into her pockets, "But I know it's in your interests."

He haltered while walking towards her, "In my interests?"

"You and I both know what what you did that night was an accident. It wasn't meant to happen. I was supposed to become a Death Eater or I was supposed to die and for the better part of two years I've managed to defile you."

"Don't let her fool you My Lord, she doesn't know what she's talking about."

Voldemort sneered at the curly haired woman, "Clearly she does Bellatrix, or else she wouldn't be here."

Olivia fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead untucked her hands from her pockets and rolled up her left sleeve, "I'm dying." She blurted out, directing Voldemort's attention back to herself, "I'm cursed and the Dark Magic in my veins isn't mine."

Olivia quickly looked around the forest and found Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy stood off to the back, both watching the exchange intensely. It felt like forever, but eventually the Dark Lord picked up his feet once more, "You want me to reverse the curse?" He asked, "Why should I do that to help you?"

Olivia shrugged, "Isn't it obvious? You reverse the curse and take back what's yours. I'll probably die during the process anyways."

Voldemort grinned and appeared in front of Olivia some short seconds later, taking her arm into his cold hand, "And what of your companion, where might the great Harry Potter be hiding?"

Trying not to cower away in fear, Olivia stood taller and swallowed, "He'll be here."

Voldemort's grin widened and he pointed the tip of the Elder Wand to Olivia's exposed forearm while staring directly into her soul. Nothing seemed to be happening until..

It wasn't how she remembered the pain. This time it was more of a hot searing pain whereas last time it was like being stabbed. Her knees went almost instantly and the only thing keeping her up was Voldemort's iron grip on her arm.

It was like having her soul sucked out by a Dementor and being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse at the same time.

To those watching it was horrific and to those hearing it was unbearable.

Her deafening scream of agony reached the castle and its occupants taking refuge inside and it reached another lost soul in the Forbidden Forest, ready to sacrifice themselves also.

To Olivia, it felt as if it took forever for Voldemort to finish. Hours could've passed before he released her and she collapsed down on the ground in a heap. Her breathing was heavy and blood trickled down her hand.

Lying down on the ground, looking up through the trees, she felt every ounce of her energy being pulled from her body. It could've been visible, little white clouds floating up towards the sky and dispersing into the air. She had accomplished her task of having the curse removed, but would she make it through the part of actually surviving afterwards?

Olivia was beyond desperate to just get up and crawl away but she physically couldn't. Her body hurt too much and her mind swirled with too many thoughts to disapparate.

It wasn't until a shadow crossed over her did she fix her eyes on the source.

A tall figure stood above her, looking down at her with a sympathetic smile. His vibrant green eyes peered through the lenses of his glasses and his face came closer towards Olivia's.

Harry crouched down in front of his friend and looked down briefly at her arm. The black lines were fading quickly, but so was she. Rolling the small item in his hand, he looked down to his palm before picking up Olivia's left hand and holding it.

Though her eyes were open and her pupils were fixated on the trees above she wasn't present in the moment. She was lost somewhere in her mind and the foreign touch engulfing her left hand pulled her back.

Harry smiled down at her when she met his eyes, "This is what you were looking for all along?"

Tears welled to her eyes and she nodded,
"I'm sorry." She croaked.

"Don't be." Harry told her, "I'm proud of you."

Olivia nodded and squeezed Harry's hand, "I'm sorry that it's come down to this, after years of running and fighting we realise too late what really has to be done."

Harry understood what she was really trying to say and swallowed harshly, "It has to be done."

"What do you think will happen?"

With uncertainty he answered her, "I don't know."

Olivia's eyes drifted away from his when the space around her started to lighten. She smiled brightly, staring into space before meeting Harry's eyes again, "Thank you, Harry."

He laughed, "I don't know why your thanking me, I would've died years ago if it weren't for you saving my arse."

"I know." A faint laugh escaped her, "So don't you ever forget it, Potter."

Just as he was about to reply the cause of his and Olivia's predicament spoke up and his voice carried through the space loudly. Although by the time Harry looked back down Olivia's eyes were already closed.

"So you've come to join your friend? Harry Potter has come here to die."

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We're nearly at the end...