BORN TO DIE ╱ DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
095 ━━━━ ❛ department of mysteries ❜

As they entered the Ministry, they ran through it, going straight to the lift. They got inside, and it dinged once they had reached the floor they wanted to be on. "Department of Mysteries," a feminine voice echoed from the PA as the door opened. They all stood inside the lift, looking down the long corridor, which consisted of sleek black tiles that went from the floor to the ceiling. At the end of the journey was a door, and from how Harry had described it, that was the door he'd seen in his dreams.

Slowly, they stepped out of the lift, their eyes focused solely on what was in front of them. Their breathing was heavy, riddled with anxiety of what they might find, and the sound was quite apparent in the otherwise quiet department. Then Harry broke the silence by saying, "This is it."

They began walking towards the door, with Olivia and Harry in front, keeping quiet so they wouldn't get caught. Once they reached the door, Harry opened it, and they tried their best to remain quiet as they entered, not wanting to get caught there. Their wands were glowing at the tip from them casting Lumos, giving just enough light to guide their path.

Inside, the large room was completely dark besides the light coming from their wands, which allowed them to see each other and the shelves crowding them, all lined with what looked to be glass orbs. Olivia immediately recognized them to be prophecies, concluding that they were in the Hall of Prophecy, but it was still shocking to her how many there were exactly. The shelves went from floor to ceiling, and there was no counting how many rested on each.

Before they could take more than two steps, there was a sound of rumbling, which startled them and made their breathing heavier. They all quickly looked behind them and at the door. But there was nothing there, so they focused on Harry, the lot of them feeling a sense of nerves, knowing that this wasn't going to be an easy task. (Was it ever?)

After that, Harry rushed down the length of the room, trying to find the shelf he'd seen in his vision.

92...

93...

94...

95...

When he finally came to a stop, there was nothing there. He looked down to the ground, letting the light from his wand shine on the floor. The others stood a little bit behind him, waiting for him to tell them if he found anything or not. He turned around, and the confusion was clear on his face, letting Olivia and the others know what he was thinking.

"He should be here," he finally said, his voice echoing around them.

"Harry," Neville muttered, looking up at the glass balls on one of the shelves. "I-It's got your name on it." He glanced over at the one beside the one that supposedly had Harry's name on it and added, "And this one has Olivia's."

Olivia's brows knitted together instantly, leaving her feeling completely and utterly confused. There was no way her name was on a prophecy. No bloody way at all. Harry? She could understand that. But why her? Neville must've been mistaken. That was the only logical explanation.

She walked over to the shelf Neville was staring at, preparing herself to see a name similar to hers but, in fact, not hers. But there, sitting on the shelf next to the one marked with Harry's name, was a prophecy, glowing brighter as she approached, and clearly labeled with her name. Olivia felt her heart drop as she swallowed down the lump in her throat, her eyes flickering over the tag, noticing that her name wasn't the only thing on it.

L.Ó.S. to S.Ó.S.
Dark Enchantress and
(?) Olivia Mallard

Her name was written with red ink, alerting that it was written after the original text. Her brows furrowed as she held the tag lightly in her fingers, wondering who those initials belonged to and who this dark enchantress was. Flipping the small tag over, which was tied to the holder of the glass orb, her eyes landed on a date written on the back and in the same black ink.

5 August, 1879

She assumed it was the day the prophecy had been spoken. And with some quick calculations in her head, she realized that it was exactly a century and three months before she was born. Her brows furrowed even deeper as the thought echoed in her mind, banging against her skull and giving her a headache.

She had a prophecy...

But why? Was this what her parents had been keeping from her all her life? Was this what Snape had whispered to her mother about that one night they creeped into her room while they thought she was sleeping? How could a prophecy that was spoken so long before she was even born, before her grandparents or parents were even born, more-than-possibly even her great-grandparents, have her name on it? Question after question ran through her mind as she breathed heavily and stared up at the glass orb.

Harry came by her side a second later, staring up at his own prophecy, feeling much in the same state as her. His glowed too as everyone stared at the two of them, also seeming confused. Olivia and Harry raised their hands to grab the glass orbs off their holders, but before the boy did, he sent a glance back at the others, clearly wondering if he should or not.

Olivia, on the other hand, just grabbed hers, wanting—no, needing to know what this so-called prophecy was about.

She took a step back as Harry grabbed his, staring down at the glass ball. She turned it between her fingers, examining it closely, before it finally started speaking. A face she couldn't quite make out appeared in the fog inside the glass, and the voice that came along with it was nowhere near familiar to her, but she could tell it was that of a wizard.

In the depths of death and destruction, on the grounds of teachings, the one born of chaos and darkness shall rise. The dragon's heart will awaken, unleashed by a dark mind matched with soulless eyes. Beware of the enchantress who weaves her spells, as fire reigns and the chosen one battles, for her path shall be fraught with challenges and choices. Her actions will shape the fate of all who dwell in the realm, for the one born of sinful blood shall hold the key to both chaos and salvation.

Her brows knitted once more because the words made no sense to her; none of it made sense to her. She was trying her best to understand what it could mean, but questions still rang around in her mind with no answers to go along, not helping her one bit. Why did she have a prophecy? What was this talk about the one born of chaos, darkness, and sinful blood? The dragon's heart will awaken? What did that even mean?

She barely got another second to try to decipher the meaning when Hermione called out, "Harry!"

Olivia turned around swiftly, her attention going from the girl to the boy next to her, seeing him turning to his best friend as well, still holding his prophecy. Olivia hadn't even heard what his prophecy had to say, having been too enthralled with her own, which she tucked into her bag for safekeeping before grabbing the tag off of the holder and doing the same with it. Then she and Harry moved towards the others, focusing on what they were staring at.

Or rather, whom they were staring at.

In front of them was a person wearing all-too-familiar black robes and a silver mask.

A Death Eater.

The group had their wands raised in an instant, still glowing at the tips from the cast of Lumos, as the person slowly approached.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked sharply.

"You know, you really should learn to tell the difference between dreams..." The Death Eater's voice was distorted from behind the mask, but as the person pulled out the cane from behind their back and removed their wand from the top of it, Olivia knew exactly who was in front of them. Lucius. Her eyes narrowed as he continued to move closer, taking only a couple more steps. Her suspicions were confirmed, however, when he came to a stop, waving his wand and making his mask disappear in a cloud of black smoke. "...and reality."

Some of the others faltered a bit at the sight of the Malfoy man, with his pale blonde hair and gray eyes, but Olivia just glared at him even harder and took another step closer, her shoulder brushing against Harry's.

"You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see," Lucius continued, sounding as if he knew everything in the world and they knew nothing. She was certain he thought so. "Now hand me the prophecy." His tone went flat and stern, almost like how Olivia suspected he spoke to Draco when he was getting onto him for doing something he deemed wrong.

"If you do anything to us, I'll break it," Harry threatened, not bowing down to Lucius's demands.

Suddenly, there was a deranged cackle from beside Lucius, sending a bit of shivers down Olivia's spine as she watched the man boredly turn his head over his shoulder. His cane rested in one of his hands, the bottom of it against the dark-tiled floor, and his wand was in the other, remaining aimlessly pointed at them.

"He knows how to play," the voice of the one who cackled taunted as none other than Bellatrix Lestrange slowly walked towards them. She was no longer dressed in her Azkaban uniform but instead in a black, laced-up dress. "Itsy-bitsy... baby," she added, coming closer to them as Olivia's hand tightened around her wand. "Potter." She spoke his name like Draco did, as if it offended her to say it.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville noted.

"Ah, it's a family reunion," Olivia chimed in boredly, then carelessly smirked. Her attention flickered between Lucius and Bellatrix, who both trained their gazes on her. "It's quite a pity Draco couldn't be here... and Narcissa."

"Don't speak of my wife or son," Lucius demanded, gritting his words out through his teeth, his annoyance clear as day.

Olivia's expression turned innocent as she raised her brows. "Ooh, did I hit a nerve?" She already knew the answer when Lucius sneered at her, much reminding her of Draco, and she smirked once more. "I did, didn't I?"

"Neville Longbottom, is it?" Bellatrix asked rhetorically, ignoring Olivia and focusing on the boy who had identified her before Lucius or Olivia could hex each other. "How's mum and dad?"

"Better, now they're about to be avenged," Neville replied, taking a large step forward and pointing his wand right at Bellatrix. He couldn't actually do anything, however, as Bellatrix sharpened her stance and raised her own wand at the boy because Harry placed his arm in front of Neville, not allowing him to move any further.

Lucius slowly raised his hands defensively. "Now, let's everybody just calm down." He spoke slowly, seeming ready to strike at any sudden move, like a serpent. "Shall we?" He raised his brows, and Neville reluctantly lowered his wand. "All we want is that prophecy," he admitted, gesturing to the glass orb in Harry's hand.

"Why did Voldemort need me to come and get this?" asked Harry.

"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix whispered harshly, her eyes wide in a crazed gaze.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "It is just a name, nothing more or less."

"You filthy half-blood!" she shouted, ignoring Olivia.

"It's all right," Lucius interjected, his tone calm. His only goal seemed to be getting the prophecy and not risking letting them escape with it or it being lost or broken. Bellatrix seemed to be on the same mission, just less controlled with her emotions. She had just spent fifteen years in Azkaban after all. "He's just a curious lad. Aren't you?"

Harry simply didn't respond.

"Prophecies can only be retrieved by those about whom they are made," Lucius went on.

The ones behind Olivia and Harry began to look around nervously, the sound of footfall coming from all around them causing their heart rates to pick up.

"Which is lucky for you, really." He paused as the footsteps got louder and louder. "Haven't you always wondered what was the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord, hm?" Lucius and Bellatrix slowly eased forward, and Olivia tightened the hold on her wand and her bag at her side. "Why he was unable to kill you when you were just an infant?" A few more steps, with his hands still raised, before he finally came to a stop. "Don't you want to know the secret of your scar?" He quirked a brow. "All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand. All you have to do"—he glanced down at the prophecy—"is give it to me. Then I can show you everything."

Olivia looked over at Harry, who was staring at the floor in thought. She hoped he wasn't considering taking Lucius up on his offer. It was clearly a trick to gain the prophecy, but she couldn't fully blame him for wanting to know everything. The Order seemed to want to keep both of them out of the loop on the important things, undoubtedly including the prophecies in which they held, and Lucius was offering to reveal what it all was. But she would never trust Lucius, no matter what he, or any one of his fellow Death Eaters, could give her.

The ones coming from each aisle of shelves grew louder with each step as they neared. The others continued to look around, pointing their wands at the approaching Death Eaters, dressed in their black robes and silver masks, like Lucius had been.

"I've waited fourteen years," Harry said, still looking down at the prophecy he held, as Olivia, too, looked around them, suddenly feeling crowded.

Lucius tsked in understanding as he knitted his brows sympathetically. It was clearly an act. "I know," he responded, obviously thinking he was winning Harry over.

"I guess I can wait a little longer," the boy added. "Now!" He took a step back, raising his wand to Lucius and Bellatrix as Neville and Olivia did the same. "Stupefy!" the three of them cast, though their efforts were blocked by the two in front of them.

"Stupefy!" the others called out at different times, focusing their wands on the other Death Eaters. Then they all grouped together again, as the Death Eaters disappeared, and began running away, trying to make it back to the exit. But they hadn't gotten too far when Lucius appeared in front of them in a cloud of black smoke. His hand was held out, demanding the prophecy.

They backed up, running in a different direction and away from the man. They all got separated, running down different aisles and trying to stay away from the Death Eaters. Olivia could hear Neville petrify someone as she continued to run, holding her bag to her side tightly, the strap dug into her shoulder. Eventually, she exited the aisle she was in, coming to meet Harry, Hermione, and Weasley again. But, before they could even blink, two Death Eaters appeared, one in front of Hermione and Weasley, the other in front of Harry and Olivia.

"Stupefy!" Harry and Olivia shot the spell at the one in front of them, causing the Death Eater to disappear in a cloud of smoke like they'd appeared to begin with. Then the four of them began running again as the other one followed them. Hermione and Weasley both sent the same stunning spell at the person, but they were blocked with a wave of the Death Eater's wand.

As they ran, a Death Eater, unmasked and familiar-looking (though Olivia couldn't place his face), appeared in a blur of smoke beside them, and Harry and Olivia looked over at him as he grabbed onto the former's arm. Olivia aimed her wand at him, but with her and Harry running side-by-side, she couldn't get a good angle to stun the man without hitting the boy in the process. Hermione and Weasley kept blocking off the Death Eaters, and then the sound of glass orbs falling off the shelves rang in their ears as Hermione directed them to hit the Death Eater on their tail. Harry finally got his arm free a second later and cast, "Stupefy!" causing the Death Eater to fly away in his smoke.

That was when they all ran into each other, regrouping as Hermione let out a scream, startled by the sudden presence of the others. They focused down the column between the lined-up shelves, seeing a form of black smoke make its way back to the ground. "Reducto!" Ginny called out, pointing her wand at the Death Eater. A ball of bright blue light trailed down the length of the aisle, going straight for the person. And when the light hit its target, it burst even brighter, lighting up the area around them before it slowly dimmed.

Ginny lowered her wand slowly, all of them breathing heavily with their eyes trained ahead, waiting for something—anything—to happen. Then the sound of glass shattering echoed around as the prophecies from the top to the bottom of the room began to fall from the shelves and onto the floor. The room rumbled around them as more and more fell, and their eyes were widened focused on what was happening, almost frozen in place.

"Get back to the door!" Harry ordered, and they wasted no time in running in the opposite direction of the chaos, just barely escaping the crashing glass and shelves that seemed to pick up pace as they went. They turned left, trying to get out unharmed and with Harry's prophecy intact. Their breathing was heavy as they finally reached the door, the shelves behind and beside them crashing down as Harry pushed it open.

They all jumped through the door, needing to escape the Death Eaters, shattering prophecies, and falling shelves. They needed to get back into the main part of the Department of Mysteries so they could leave. But instead, they found themselves falling down a rabbit hole while the door closed loudly behind the last one out.

Quickly, Hermione and Olivia used a nonverbal levitation spell to catch them before they hit the ground and crushed themselves flat. Then they removed it and easily let themselves down to the ground, the force of impact nowhere near what it could've been. It took another second, but they stood up from the stone. Harry was still holding onto his prophecy, and it was luckily still intact, and Olivia checked her bag to make sure hers was much the same (it was).

"Department of Mysteries." Weasley let out a breath. "They got that bit right, didn't they?"

Olivia looked over at him, then focused on what was in front of them. It was a large arch, with a white smoke veil sort of thing in the middle of it. She couldn't quite place what it was. She'd never seen anything like it before. But she could hear the whispers coming from it, and her brows furrowed at that.

"The voices," Harry began, his emerald green eyes, from behind his circular glasses, also focused on the large arch in front of them. He walked a bit forward, while Olivia only took a couple of steps closer, and the others stayed behind. "Can you tell what they're saying?"

Hermione glanced over at Weasley before focusing back on Harry. "There aren't any voices, Harry," she said matter-of-factly, sounding a bit worried, which confused Olivia, her expression showing that much. Could Hermione not hear them? If she couldn't hear them, then how could Olivia and Harry? More questions that she had no answers to. It was starting to become a common occurrence, that was, and it was driving Olivia mad. "Let's get out of here."

"I hear them too," Luna admitted, looking up at the archway.

Olivia glanced over at her, now feeling safe to admit that she could too, not wanting the others to think she and Harry had completely gone mad and were alone in that. "As do I," she confessed, causing Luna to meet her gaze with soft eyes. She was certain the girl looked at everyone and everything like that, but it still provided her with some comfort.

"Harry," Hermione repeated, still sounding concerned. "It's just an empty archway."

Olivia felt even more confused. Could the rest of them not see the veil-like cast in the middle of it? Were she, Harry, and Luna losing their minds? No, that couldn't be. What did the three of them have in common that the others didn't? She thought to herself. Death. They had witnessed death firsthand in their lifetimes, while Neville, Weasley, Ginny, and Hermione hadn't.

"Please, Harry. Olivia," Hermione pleaded.

Harry turned around and lifted his wand into the air. "Get behind me," he told them, and Olivia mimicked his actions, turning around and raising her own wand as she watched Death Eaters in the form of smoke fly down to them. The others moved behind her and Harry, pointing their own wands forward as well, preparing for another duel.

Death Eaters swarmed them, blocking out their vision with the clouds of darkness, hitting them, and not allowing them to cast any spells. Olivia fell to the ground, having been knocked down, and her wand fell from her hand. She struggled to get to her knees as she felt around for the length of Willow Wood. But eventually she grabbed hold of it once more, just in time for the Death Eaters to stop their attack.

When the darkness was lifted from around her, she saw Harry on the ground, but no one else was around them. Well, not directly beside them on the ground, that was. She and Harry stood, ignoring their cuts and forming bruises, and looked around the room they were in.

At the edge of the large stone that they stood on were Death Eaters, feet apart from each other, holding onto each of the others with their wands pointed at their necks. Bellatrix held Neville, while one man, whom Olivia didn't know the name of, held onto Weasley; two men, whom she believed to be the Lestrange brothers, one being Bellatrix's husband, had control over Ginny and Hermione; and another, whom she also couldn't place either, held Luna.

Then Lucius's confident laugh caught her attention, and she and Harry focused in front of them, watching the man approach. "Did you actually believe... or were you truly naive enough to think"—his cane clicked on the ground as he used it to walk closer to Olivia and Harry—"that children stood a chance... against us?" He brushed past the two, looking around at his fellow Death Eaters. Then he slowly turned to face Olivia and Harry, who did the same with him. "I'll make this simple for you, Potter." He held out his hand like before, but Harry didn't budge. "Give me the prophecy now, or watch your friends die." His voice echoed as he enunciated the last word, trying to make his threat harsher.

Harry clenched his jaw as he looked around at the others, who were still being held by the Death Eaters. Olivia did the same, wondering why she hadn't been grabbed. Perhaps there hadn't been enough of them. Her mind then moved onto another thought. It wasn't her place to make this decision for Harry, but she wouldn't give up the prophecy, no matter what Lucius threatened. She knew the man well enough to know that his bark was more lethal than his bite, though she wasn't so sure about the others. And perhaps she was a fool for thinking that she could win against them without any casualties, or perhaps not. Either way, she was never going to cower to a Death Eater, the scum of the earth, like they thought her, anyone with the same beliefs as her, or any non-purebloods to be. She focused on Harry again, noting his heavy breathing as his eyes found hers for a split second before he slowly focused on Lucius again.

"Don't give it to him, Harry!" Neville called out, even though the woman who tortured his parents beyond repair was holding her wand to his temple. Bellatrix shushed him, smacking her wand against his throat.

Harry looked down at the glass orb in his hand, lifting it slightly like he was contemplating giving it to Lucius. Then his eyes found the man in front of him, not even daring a glance at the girl beside him. He just stayed like that for a second before he raised his hand and handed the prophecy to Lucius, which Olivia mentally cursed at.

Lucius looked like he held the secrets to the world in his hand as he focused on the glass orb he was holding. He lifted it higher, inhaling deeply, while Harry and Olivia noticed a bright light appear from behind him. Footsteps came closer, and Lucius turned around in confusion.

Sirius stopped in front of him, looking stern. "Get away from my godson," he told him, and then threw his fist into Lucius's jaw.

A delighted look took over Olivia's expression as she heard the Malfoy man grunt and watched him fall to the ground. She couldn't relish in the action for too long, though, because another ball of bright light hit the ground, then flew to the other Death Eaters around the room, knocking them away from the D.A. members.

Lucius hit the ground, and the prophecy fell from his hand. He tried to catch it, but he just wasn't quick enough. The glass orb shattered on the ground, a cloud of blueish-white smoke puffing out in front of the man, who looked as if he had just lost everything.

To him, he probably had.

Bellatrix moved into a cloud of dark smoke before this light could get to her. The light moved to the front, and then Tonks appeared from it, looking around as other Order members appeared in beams of light as well, including Olivia's parents.

Olivia, Harry, and Sirius were on the ground with their backs pressed against the stone of the large arch when the man waved his wand, deflecting the spell being sent their way by one of the Death Eaters. Then he grabbed Harry, who grabbed Olivia, and pulled him behind the archway.

"Now listen to me," Sirius began, his words rushing out as spells and curses continued flying all around them. "I want you two to take the others and get out of here."

"What? No, I'm staying with you," Harry argued, his tone soft. Then he glanced at Olivia, and so did Sirius. "Olivia can take them."

Furrowing her brows, Olivia looked at the boy like he was an idiot. "You two have gone bloody mad if you think I'm leaving," she retorted.

"You've done beautifully," Sirius told Harry, and then his eyes found Olivia. "Both of you." He paused for a moment, his hand resting on the boy's shoulder. "Now let me take it from here."

"Black," a voice said harshly from behind Sirius. The three of them looked over, Sirius turning around, only to see Lucius sneering at the wizard who had gotten the better of him and cost him the prophecy. Lucius quickly pulled his wand from the top of his cane, his heated gray eyes not even leaving the man in front of him as he did so.

Olivia, Sirius, and Harry hastily aimed their wands at the Malfoy man as another Death Eater landed beside him in a cloud of darkness. Lucius shot a curse in the direction of Olivia and Harry, but before it could hit them, Sirius reached his arm out, blocking it with a wave of his wand. Then the other Death Eater cast something their way, and Sirius deflected that as well. Harry shot a spell at them, and so did Olivia, both of which were evaded, and Sirius added onto it. The battle continued as Bellatrix flew around in her smoke, cackling as she circled the room, fighting against one of the Order members.

Eventually, Sirius hit the other Death Eater that was dueling alongside Lucius, and Harry got Lucius with, "Expelliarmius!" causing the man's cane to fly from his grasp.

"Nice one, James!" Sirius praised him, not even realizing his slip-up.

Olivia did, however, but she did not have time to think about it. She and Harry watched as Sirius moved forward, battling against Lucius. The room was suddenly so silent, it felt eerie. Sirius disarmed Lucius with a wave of his wand, sending the other wizard's wand flying out of his hand and behind him. Then Sirius hit him with a nonverbal spell, and Lucius followed his wand, being tossed backwards and away from them.

A prideful smirk came across Olivia's lips, finding entertainment in Lucius being bested, as she glanced over at Harry, seeing him smiling brightly at his godfather, clearly proud of the effortless dueling.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A green light shot across the room as Bellatrix's voice caught in Harry and Olivia's ears, and the girl felt her heart drop. The smiles instantly fell from their faces as they watched the light hit Sirius in the center of his chest, just in the blink of an eye. The two teens looked over, seeing Bellatrix standing a ways away on a taller stone, staring at them as Sirius swayed on his feet. They focused back on the man quickly, seeing him focused on them with glazed-over eyes before he entered the Veil behind him, letting out his last breath. He was pulled even further into the transparent, silk-like center, and then he was gone, fading away.

Olivia just stared confusedly at where he'd been, her eyes brimming with tears and her jaw slack as she blinked over and over. It wasn't possible. There was no way he was gone. No, he couldn't be. Could he? He had just been right there, fighting alongside her and Harry—in defense of them. How was he gone? Just like that, in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

Dead.

He was dead.

He was...

Dead.

She couldn't wrap her mind around it as she looked over at Harry, who seemed to be in the same state as her. In an instant, Remus came up behind the boy, holding his back to his chest.

"No!" Harry shouted, his voice full of emotion as Sirius's death finally hit him.

Olivia flinched, watching him as Remus held him back.

Harry began sobbing, his shouts and screams being those Olivia could feel in her bones.

He was dead.

Sirius was dead.

Harry's screams proved as much.

As the boy continued to shout gut-wrenchingly, Olivia couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and she felt the wetness coat her cheeks. She shook as she lifted her arms to cover her ears with her hands, not wanting to hear (or be able to handle) Harry's bellows and grief. Then a hand fell on her shoulder, and she already knew that it was her mother from the coldness of her skin.

"No," Olivia mumbled, swallowing her sobs. She dropped her hands to her sides, one of them still clutching her wand, and shrugged her mother's touch off of her.

"Olivia..." Clodagh reached forward again, grabbing her daughter's arm.

Olivia didn't meet her gaze and moved away from her again, pushing away her arm. "Don't touch me."

Clodagh didn't listen and took another step forward, trying to grab ahold of her again.

This caused Olivia to whip around to face her, glaring at her with fury. "I said don't touch me!" she shouted, no longer crying but now feeling angry. She watched as her mother opened her mouth to speak, but before a word could escape, a chuckle rang in Olivia's ears, and she turned around quickly, only to see Bellatrix retreating from the scene with a callous smirk on her face.

Harry then broke free from Remus's hold and rushed past Olivia, following the witch. The girl didn't hesitate to follow either, despite her mother calling after her. Olivia and Harry ran into the main part of the Department of Mysteries, and Olivia tossed her bag down beside the wall as she gripped her wand tightly in her hand. She rushed after Harry and Bellatrix as the woman said in a sing-song tone, "I killed Sirius Black!" Then she let out another cackle. "You coming to get me?" she taunted, looking back at them.

"Crucio!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at the deranged witch.

"Avada Kedavra!" Olivia added, doing the same as him.

Unluckily for them, Harry's use of the Cruciatus Curse, coming out from the tip of his wand in the form of a stream of red, only caused Bellatrix to fall to the floor. The green light from Olivia's wand whirled past her and aimlessly hit the wall of one of the fireplaces, bouncing off the tiles before it went past the two teenagers and died out. They continued to run towards her, their wands pointed at her as she lay on the ground. She flipped over so that she was looking up at them, her chin wobbling as if she were sad and about to cry.

They just stared down at her, both panting with rising anger. Olivia's grip was tight on her wand, and her hand shook because of it. She had used the killing curse just then, but she didn't know if she could do it again. Not that she wouldn't mean it—the witch had killed Sirius, after all. But she swore to never be like everyone thought she was—a dark witch, one that used the Unforgivables like it was nothing. Like a Death Eater. She had to prove them wrong, but she wanted Bellatrix dead more than anything. And she knew Harry wanted the same.

Still, she continued to hesitate.

Harry seemed to be in the same battle, fighting his desire to take a life for a life and avenge Sirius by killing his murderer and his desire to be good and not like Voldemort or the Death Eaters. Not like Bellatrix.

A sudden chill crept down Olivia's spine as breathing fanned over her and Harry's necks. Then the witch on the ground began laughing, her frightenedness no longer there. "Do it!" a voice demanded from behind them.

Olivia and Harry quickly turned around, their gazes focusing on Voldemort. Harry went to send a spell the Dark Lord's way, but before he could, Voldemort waved his hand, and Harry's wand fell to the ground.

At the same time, Olivia's anger refired, and she flicked her wand in Voldemort's direction, another round of the green stream of light coming from the tip of it as she said the curse. It did nothing, though, because Voldemort quickly moved out of the way. His attention found Olivia again, and he waved his hand, disarming her like he had Harry. Then she felt a pull on her body as Voldemort lifted his long-nailed hand, dragging her towards him while she fought against it.

When she was in front of him, he grabbed onto her face, his touch burning her skin like he had in the graveyard and his nails digging into her cheeks. He sneered at her, lifting her slightly off the ground, only the top of her boots grazing against the tile floor. "So weak," he stated as if he were disgusted with both of the ones in front of him. His red eyes were on Olivia, then they moved over her shoulder and trained on Harry. The girl continued to fight against his hold, though it made no difference because he was too strong compared to her. She winced at the searing pain on her face from his touch and the sharpness of his nails.

It was then that one of the fireplaces lit up green as someone came through via Floo. Voldemort focused on the fireplace as Olivia turned her head to see it as best as she could. From the flames appeared Dumbledore, looking over the scene in front of him.

"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom," the older wizard began, taking a step forward and holding his wand in his hand.

Olivia turned to Voldemort again; her attention, however, focused over his shoulder. Her eyes locked onto her parents, who were standing in the doorway she and Harry had run through during their chase of Bellatrix. Her mother looked shocked to see the dark wizard, or maybe it was him holding her daughter by the face and digging his nails into her skin that made her eyes wide.

No, wait, she appeared to be scared.

Olivia's brows furrowed, and she looked over at her father. He just had an expression of surprise and worry on his face, glancing over at his wife, who seemed frozen in place, like her shoes were glued to the tiles she stood on.

"The Aurors are on their way," Dumbledore added.

Voldemort's expression didn't even flicker as he tossed Olivia to the floor, finally letting her breathe now that she was away from the awful stench of the dark magic coating him. She fell on her hands and knees as the burning on her face calmed down. She breathed air into her lungs and looked around, trying to find her wand, her chest rising and falling heavily. When she couldn't spot it, her gaze fell on her parents once more, who were both now staring at her on the ground. The scared and surprised expressions were still apparent on their faces. But, even as their eyes locked with hers, her father tugged her mother back around the corner, hiding her from the sight of anyone else.

Olivia was glad she hadn't thought they'd help her.

Disappointment was always the worst.

"By which time I shall be gone, and you..." Voldemort began, then paused, taking a step away from Dumbledore and Olivia as he callously smiled. He waved the hand holding his wand as if he were presenting something to them. "Shall be dead."

No one got a second to blink before both Voldemort and Dumbledore were waving their wands, sending spells at one another, while Bellatrix slid into one of the fireplaces, escaping in the flames. Harry fell to the ground, close to Olivia, his back hitting the side of another fireplace. Red light shot from Dumbledore's wand, while green came from Voldemort's. The power of the magic blew around the room, crackling like a fire and electricity. Olivia crawled away from her spot on the ground and closer to Harry as she continued to search for her wand, letting out a cough due to the odd feeling that she was growing accustomed to in situations like this one.

She felt so weak.

She saw the boy covering his head as tiles fell down around him from the shots of magic—that were almost lightning-like—hitting them. The streams of light continued to fight against one another, with the power coming from both of the older wizards. She placed her back against the side of the fireplace, sitting beside him and behind Dumbledore, who was still in the midst of a duel. They watched as Voldemort removed his wand from the battle, ending the streams of light. Then he breathed out fire, forming the shape of a snake, letting out a cackle at the shocked look on Dumbledore's face.

Dumbledore stumbled back a few steps as the large fire snake came his way, and he waved his wand, fighting it off as best as he could, while Olivia and Harry just stared up at it. Dumbledore got control over the fire as Harry ducked his head down at the feeling of the heat, which wasn't really bothering Olivia that much, and sent it back in Voldemort's direction. The Dark Lord simply deflected it, dismissing it from the room. Then Dumbledore waved his wand, gathering the water from the fountain behind his opponent. He wrapped Voldemort in it, forming it into a ball with his wand and his other hand, and held it in the air with so much control—more than Olivia had ever seen in person.

She and Harry stood up, though she still felt weak. (She was sure he did too.) They came to Dumbledore's side, their eyes trained on the ball of water. Voldemort began breaking through it again, and Dumbledore tossed a force in Harry and Olivia's direction, pushing them down to the ground again as they let out grunts from the impact. The ball of water fell to the tiled floor, unraveling and letting Voldemort escape. He shot a wave of darkness Dumbledore's way in an instant, which the former Headmaster simply blocked with a blue light from the tip of his wand.

Voldemort retrieved the magic, bringing it back to him as it formed a black and blue glowing ball at the front of his chest. Then he shouted as he threw his arms out, letting the magic go and cross the room. The force of the power knocked Dumbledore on his back and shattered all of the glass around the room. Harry and Olivia ducked their heads down to the floor. And when they looked up again, they saw the dark wizard pointing his wand in their direction as all of the glass rose from the ground and flew towards them.

Dumbledore pointed his wand forward, placing a magical shield in front of them, and as the glass passed through, it turned into harmless powder. He, Olivia, and Harry got up from the floor after that, focusing on Voldemort, who looked less than pleased that his efforts didn't work and stood up straighter. A whirl of air then spun around him, almost looking like a tornado, the pressure from it blowing back their hair and making it hard to watch.

And then he was gone.

"Accio wand," Olivia said quickly, holding her hand out for her wand to fall into. It only took a second before she was holding the familiar piece of Willow Wood, feeling her magic grow stronger. She let out a short breath and looked across the room, seeing her bag still sitting in the corner. She was thankful it looked safe after everything that had gone down.

The sound of Harry choking beside her caught her attention in an instant. She looked over at him with concern as he fell to the ground. She went to her knees quickly beside him, resting her hand on his back with worry brewing in her mind. Dumbledore turned around as Olivia looked up at him with a scared expression. Harry lifted his head, seeming like he was fighting something as Dumbledore knelt as well, and that was when the burning feeling came back against the palm of Olivia's hand. She quickly removed her touch from Harry's back; her brows knitted even tighter as he focused on Dumbledore in front of them.

"You've lost, old man," Harry said to Dumbledore, though it wasn't Harry's voice escaping his mouth. It was Voldemort's. And then the boy jerked, shouting out a loud and pain-filled groan. Olivia moved back from him slightly, suddenly feeling a bit lightheaded, watching as he continued to twitch and let out shouts.

"Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, causing his former student to look up at him before letting out another groan. "Harry, it isn't how you are alike. It's how you are not," he continued, staring at the boy as he fought against Voldemort. "Harry?"

Olivia watched with concern as Harry finally stopped jerking and settled on the ground, his head resting against the tiles. She looked up once more, her expression twisted in fright as she found the others entering the room, staring at them. She focused back on Harry a second later, placing her hand on his shoulder, though the searing pain was still faint. He stared at the others for a moment before he turned his head up to Olivia, seeing her give him a soft smile.

"You're the weak one," he said in a strained voice, causing her to furrow her brows in confusion. "And you'll never know love or friendship," he added, and she realized he was speaking to Voldemort. Or at least she hoped he was. "And I feel sorry for you."

A second later, he shouted in pain, and then again as he was thrown on his back and away from Olivia, who held her hands up in shock. After that, she watched a cloud of darkness escape his chest, and he settled down again.

Voldemort appeared once more, hovering over Harry. "You're a fool, Harry Potter," he told him, then pointed his wand aimlessly at the younger wizard. "And you will lose everything."

The sound of the fireplaces coming to life with flames caught their attention. Aurors stepped out as Olivia focused on them, including her parents, who were now wearing their badges. She realized that they must've left when they disappeared around the corner and came back through the fireplaces with everyone else to keep the fact that they were a part of the Order a secret from Fudge and the other Ministry workers.

Voldemort looked up, focusing on the lot of them as well, and they all stopped in their tracks at the sight of him. He vanished in a whirl of air not a second later, only letting himself be seen for long enough to confirm that he was, in fact, truly alive and back.

"He's back," Fudge said sharply, with Prefect Percy (though he was no longer a Hogwarts Prefect and worked for Ministry now) and Dawlish, both of whom had been in Dumbledore's office when D.A. had been discovered and Umbridge was trying to get the wizard sent to Azkaban. They walked forward as Dumbledore moved to hold Harry in his arms, looking up to find them.

After that, they were all questioned, and before Olivia could leave with the others to go back to Hogwarts, Dumbledore pulled her aside as she walked over to her bag. "Miss Mallard," he said quietly, his aged voice too familiar. She turned around to face him with raised brows. He looked around, making sure no one was staring at them, and then focused on her again. "Here you go." He handed her a silk, black bag, only big enough to fit...

She took it, still giving him a confused look. He couldn't possibly know, could he?

Dumbledore raised his brows knowingly, nodding to her bag, which still sat against the wall, surprisingly and thankfully, not damaged. She looked over to it as well, realizing that he did know, and then they met each other's gaze again before he walked away, and she followed him with her eyes.

How did he know?

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
so uhm... olivia has a prophecy 😋

it's so crazy to me that this is finally being published bc it is really the turning point for this fic! this chapter is quite important and i'm so excited yet nervous to have it out for you all to see. i really hope you enjoyed it !!

also, we won't discuss how it took me forever to write olivia's prophecy LMAO- i hope you all like it, and i'm curious as to what you think of it! any theories?

oh, and i'd just like to let y'all know that i sobbed over sirius's death during each round of editing for this chapter lol

make sure to comment and vote 🫶🏻

kisses.

━━━━━━━━━━ born to die,
© -LOSTGARDENS,        oct 2024

word count: 7891.   written: 7.17-27.24.   published: 10.1.24.