"Strength in Numbers"

The minute an hour had passed since Voldemort's announcement, the few people by the doors to the entry hall noticed Hagrid being marched into the courtyard followed by Voldemort and his death eaters.

Slowly, those who fought for Hogwarts made their way outside to see whether or not they would have to fight again. Voldemort was not dead. Simply looking at him terrified Circi and she could see a body in Hagrid's arms. Draco came to stand beside her near the back of the crowd, his hand grabbing onto hers and his eyes trained on Hagrid.

Circi couldn't bring herself to look at the half-giant and scanned the death eaters to find her father on the front row beside Narcissa.

How many of those bodies belonged to him?

The thought made her feel sick but it was Voldemort's next words which made her almost certain she might just throw up her dinner.

"Harry Potter is dead!" There were gasps, screams, cries but, above it all, Circi could hear the breath catch in Draco's throat. She looked up at him and could see his lip trembling, tears threatening to spill, and she squeezed his hand. They would have to fight whatever was coming together because there was no way she could ever allow him to suffer alone again. "Now is the time to declare yourself to us," Voldemort continued, spreading his arm and still laughing along with his followers, "come forward and join us... or die."

Circi shuffled on her feet, feeling the stares of Lucius and Narcissa on the two of them. Draco seemed to shrink beside her.

"Draco. Circi." Lucius hissed, his voice stern as it used to be when reprimanding them. He glanced around at the death eaters nervously, extending his hand.

"Children," Narcissa said gently, nodding at them, "come."

Everyone was watching them. Circi could feel heat rising up her neck and blossoming in her head as Draco looked around him. He could feel their eyes as she did but they would never know how difficult this decision was. If there was one thing the Malfoy's valued most it was family. They both knew that.

Draco took a step forward and Circi grabbed his arm, stepping close to him.

"Don't do it," she told him with a low voice, "please, you have a choice."

He looked down at her, nearly crying. "Harry's gone," his voice cracked as he tried to whisper, "imagine if that was Mica."

She faltered at his words, just enough for him to tear free and walk across the courtyard where Voldemort commended him and allowed him to go to his parents. Circi held her breath when she met Lucius' eyes. She knew heartbreak when she saw it, and when she looked at Voldemort she recognised the murder in his gaze. Two pairs of hands landed on her shoulders and dragged her back into the crowd, shielded by bodies as Carmen pulled her further away from what was happening.

"What are you doing?" Circi hissed, trying to turn back. Draco was making a mistake. Living with them would be torture and another fight was sure to break out. Another massacre. Draco couldn't survive in this world; all he ever wanted was to survive and, right now, Circi knew that surviving at the expense of others was barely living. "He's making a mistake!"

"No," Carmen sighed, making her look up in disbelief, "he's heartbroken, couldn't you see? He can seek comfort in his mother without the threat of death." She looks at Circi, the same height in her two inch heeled boots, pity in her eyes. "You forget he's as much a child as you, even if he doesn't seem like it."

Circi pauses, they were in a corridor, able to hear one of the students give a righteous speech and she would bet everything she had that it was a Gryffindor. She approaches a window, now a floor up and able to watch what was happening.

"I don't understand why you dragged me away. I can take care of myself."

"Oh Circ," Carmen wraps an arm around her shoulders, "I promised your family I would get you out of here as soon as I can. They don't care how young you are when they find you, all they will care about is that you rejected them... and you just embarrassed Voldemort by denying him outright."

Circi's eyes widened, she glanced down at the arm of self-righteous disciples who would gladly see her dead... who had tried before.

The boy in the centre of the courtyard was holding the sorting hat. He reached into it as Carmen put a hand back on Circi's shoulder but, when he pulled a sword out of the hat and Harry rolled from Hagrid's arms, the witch let out a short laugh. She continued to cheer as Draco then broke free from his mother's arms, and tugged his wand from his pocket.

"Potter!" He yelled, voice straining with desperation as he tossed his wand to the Boy Who Lived.

Harry and Voldemort's spells clashed, lighting up the courtyard as the death eaters vanished in clouds of smoke.

Circi and Carmen cheered silently, hugging each other as Draco ran behind Professor McGonagall and into the castle. They ran down the rest of the corridor, headed for the staircase that would lead them to the front of the castle but, at the steps, they bumped into the boy himself. Upon seeing Circi, he drew her into a tight hug and they very nearly tumbled down the staircase when she hugged back.

"You came back," she announced, smiling into his shoulder.

"I found hope."

They pulled back as Carmen cleared her throat. Draco smiled at her and she nodded back politely.

"They're fighting again," she said, jabbing her thumb towards the window, "and I made a promise to get Circi out of here."

They joined her at the window, watching as the death eaters chased their allies into the castle, fighting by the entrance. Harry was nowhere to be seen, but Circi could see two retreating figures on the bridge.

Putting her wand in Draco's hand, Circi turned to Carmen.

"Go find Mica, protect her for me. I have Draco." Reluctantly, Carmen nodded. She looked at Draco for a moment, hesitating as he reassured her they would be okay, and then she hugged him briefly. It was brief but it warmed her heart to see them finally getting on. "Thank you," Circi called after her as she warned them to stay safe. Draco turned to Circi, who jabbed a finger towards their parents. "Ready to be a hero?"

He rolled his eyes, following her back down the corridor. Their way was hardly blocked by death eaters. The fighting seemed to be solely in the castle since their numbers had dwindled along with theirs. Draco was forced to duel two death eaters when they entered the courtyard, blocking one spell, stupefying one of them before dodging the killing curse and yelling 'petrificus totalus!' to freeze the attacker.

They sprinted for the bridge, passing by the dead unicorn.

"Dad!" Circi yelled after Lucius, who was stumbling over his own feet to run away. She pushed herself to catch up to him while Narcisssa had stopped halfway across the bridge. Draco was jogging after Circi when she finally caught Lucius' sleeve. "Don't go," she begged, clinging to his arm as he tried to pull away from her, "Please!"

He paused, looking down at his daughter who was now crying.

"You would abandon me..." he said slowly. She could see the betrayal in his eyes but she was not sorry. "Both of you." He looked over at Draco, who had turned around to ensure they weren't being followed.

The wind was battering them here, high above the black lake under a half moon. There were no clouds in the sky, only stars winking down on them. It might have been beautiful if so many people hadn't died that night.

"I would rather die than fight those I love, you can understand that, right?" Her knuckles paled as she clung to his sleeve, a tough leather shirt with intricate engravings that most death eaters wore. "I can't live knowing my family is dead because I was selfish enough to save my own ass."

Lucius reeled, as much as he fought to stay composed. His daughter, this child, had chased him down merely to insult him.

"Am I not your family, Circini? Did I not raise you?"

"You did. You taught me to stand up for myself, to love my family, but also to fear power. My mother was powerful and, still, you fear her. You taught me cruelty and hatred and how to make others hate me," she pointed at Draco, still holding onto Lucius for fear he would run away. But, she was already crying in front of him, "to hate us."

She glanced back at Draco, who was crying as well, before up at her father. For once in her life she could see regret in his eyes.

"There are people in that castle who love me," Circi continued, "and I love them. But I cannot fight for them. Please don't run away, help me."

Even as Narcissa came to stand beside them, Circi paid her no attention. A few years ago she would have been too proud to beg, too proud to grovel at her father's feet, but she wasn't against getting on her knees if he denied her still.

Lucius' blue eyes wavered, widening as he met her eyes. She may meet him exactly for height but, for a moment, her confidence faltered and she was just a child pleading with her father to show her that she loved him. For a moment, Circi let herself falter more so as he showed nearly no sign of relenting.

"Well, come on then," he rests a hand against her shoulder and squeezes gently before looking back at the castle. Glancing at Narcissa, he waits until she nods affirmatively and the four of them break into a job to head back to the castle.

In the courtyard, Circi could see the fighting happening in the entry hall. Witches and Wizards stumbled around the bodies on the ground, the death eaters cared very little for what they stepped on and she could feel anger boiling in her chest. Draco beat her to the door, wielding her wand, and she allowed him to take the lead while Lucius and Narcissa split off to show their change of allegiance by attacking the same people they had hosted for the last year.

Professor McGonagall approaches them, scowling. "You two..." She stands in front of them and glances between them and over at Lucius, who blasted a death eater out of Carmen's way. Raising an eyebrow, McGonagall looks back down at them. "It's good to have you back." Circi grinned, and the professor simply shook her head and ran off to assist some students.

In the corridor at the end of the hall Circi spots Serenity fighting alongside Lakita, the two standing back to back and watching the hallway while Hayley and Christian prevent any death eaters from advancing further into the castle.

Circi watches as Serenity holds out her hand, a bright light blasting down the hallway as she casts a spell down the hall. It looked as though they were winning. The death eaters' numbers were dwindling but, while Voldemort lived, there would be no end. Circi turned around, hearing a commotion in the courtyard, while Draco deflected an attack ahead of them.

Harry and Voldemort's spells were clashing in the middle of the courtyard again. Red met green and she knew she was witnessing the end of the war.

A white light exploded and blinded her momentarily, the fighting paused and everyone watched with bated breath as the light faded. Voldemort stumbled, his wand flying through the air and landing in Harry's hand as his skin started to flake away from his body.

Voldemort turned to ash before their eyes and Harry's shoulders fell and his head dropped. Catching her shoulder as he ran past, Draco ran up to Harry, pausing in front of him.

He paused, glancing at the castle as the remaining death eaters began apparating away. As the distraction caused most of the witches and wizards by the door to see what was happening, Circi watched as Draco said something quietly to Harry and the two kissed briefly and hugged.

Grinning as they stepped away from each other, she ran over to Draco and hugged him while Harry's friends came over to celebrate with them.

"Don't tell father," Draco said.

"You know I won't," she responded before giving him one last squeeze and running towards Mica's voice as she yelled for her.