Flames.

All you feel are the flames and smoke heating your body.

Your vision tries to come back to you, shouts sounding off in the courtyard.

It takes another full minute for you to come back to your senses.

When you finally open your eyes, you groan at the lack of light hitting you. It seems as though the entire sky is covered with dark clouds, not an inch of light seeping through. Jungkook's limp body is on top of yours, him groaning but unable to move. They used a knockback spell on him, and right away his limbs went numb. Probably broken too, but for now he can't feel the pain. "Jungkook," you mumble. The entire school is out here now. Professors and students alike, fighting for what's rightfully theirs. You need to join the fight.

"Jungkook I have to push you off," you say.

He groans again, "I-I can't feel anything."

"I know, I know. We're going to be gentle okay? I'm going to lightly push you off," you say, placing your hands on his shoulders. His wand isn't too far away. All you have to do is get him off of you then grab it and fight Chantelle. You have to kill him before it's too late. Before all your friends die... before Jimin dies.

The thought of Jimin's battered body motivates you to grip Jungkook's shoulders tightly. "I have to stop Chantelle. Can I move you?"

Jungkook appears afraid for a split second: but not for himself. For you. However, mere seconds later it passes and he gives you a determined nod. "Do what you have to do L/n," he whispers.

You give him a grateful nod and slide him off of you. He grunts at the feeling, lying down on the ground. "Don't worry, Tae will protect you," you tell him as the Hufflepuff comes dashing over.

"Jungkook!" he yells, instantly kneeling by the broken boys' side.

"Hey Tae," Jungkook greets in a pained, hushed voice.

Tae takes Jungkook's hand and holds it, turning to look back at you with angry eyes. "Kill that motherfucker," Tae mutters.

Although astonished (and even heartbroken) by Tae's anger, you nod. "I will. I promise... I will."

You join the fight mere moments later, knocking back numerous members of the Daunted, but not killing them. You can't bring yourself to use a killing curse, even in a desperate situation like this. This whole thing will lead to you needing therapy for several months. The least you can do is not kill anyone and amp up that therapy time to a few years. You may not feel the emotional pain right now... but you will. The pain of your own parents trying to kill you. Them trying to take the boy you love away. How will you ever recover?

Part of you wants to think it's your fault. Your brain yells at you that you weren't a good enough daughter - but everyone knows that's not the truth. The truth is something the other part of you doesn't want to admit. Something terrifying and horrible to think about. Your parents don't love you. They never have, and no matter how hard you try: they never will. You're not sure which is more terrifying; the idea that your parents don't love you, or that by the end of the day either you or them will be dead. Both are equally frightening to ponder.

As more Daunted start to fall, you glance around and notice that your side is losing despite the decrease in Daunted. The only way this ends is if Chantelle dies. "Where's Chantelle?" you yell to Namjoon.

He instinctively gets in front of you, "I have no idea! I've been looking for him everywhere but I-"

'Bam'

Namjoon goes flying back due to a knockback spell, landing on the concrete over a dozen feet away. "Namjoon!" you shout, but you don't have time to focus on him. If you take your eyes away for one second, you'll end up like your friend. So, you whip your eyes around to face the one man standing not too far away. "L/n," Chantelle's voice says. You grit your teeth and glare him down, the other students fighting around you becoming an afterthought. This is it. You need to stop him before he hurts your friends.

Latin spews from your tongue as you take the first strike. He blocks it within the blink of an eye, going on the offensive right away. You yelp when he strings together a complex series of spells, you struggling to block them. He seems to enjoy himself while beating you, disarming you after a few strokes. God dammit! You're weaker without your actual wand. It's nothing against Jungkook's - you're just used to the one you've used your whole life.

Chantelle does a small knockback, pushing you onto the concrete. "Y/n!" Tae's voice yells.

You pant, glaring up at Chantelle with pure hatred in your eyes. "Why aren't you killing me? Isn't that what you wanted?" you ask.

"The prophecy is that you are to kill me," he says, "not the other way around. I have no doubt that you'll do something to get the upper hand on me. That fight was too easy... but your parents?" Chantelle snaps his fingers. Within a flash, your mother and father come over and stand by his side.

"No," you whisper, blindly reaching for Jungkook's wand. Come on, it had to land somewhere around here! Your father flicks his wrist, knocking the wand away. Fuck! Fuck this! You grit your teeth and look up at the three of them. Your friends are engaged in combat, too occupied to help you. Somehow you have to defeat three fully grown and fully trained adults, two of which are your parents. Would you even feel comfortable defeating them? Hurting them? Fuck, maybe even killing them? With a gulp, you stare them down, but Tae's voice brings you out of your trance.

"Y/n! Here!" You whip around in time to see Tae throwing Jimin's wand to you and using his own to attack the three. Your father easily disarms Tae and sends him flying back. Now it's on you. You hop towards Jimin's black and copper wand, about to grab it when a spell breaks out and sends it flying to your right. "No," you softly say, running towards it despite your weak bones. Again, it doesn't work. A spell casts and your leg howls in pain, your body falling to the ground.

"She never gives up, huh?" Chantelle asks. Your parents snicker while you painfully crawl towards the shining wand. It's about two dozen feet away: there's no way you're getting to it. But you don't give up. Even if you get the wand, you wouldn't be able to beat them... but you have to try. You have to. You'd never forgive yourself if you didn't. With a huff, you drag yourself another few inches. Your mother comes over and steps on your back, holding you in place. A cry of pain leaves your lips.

Even though the wand is a good dozen feet away, you reach your hand out as if you can drag it to you. "How cute," your mother says, holding her wand up to your head.

"You'd kill your own daughter?" you ask.

"For the future? Yes," she replies, "I barely raised you. You're not my daughter." The words hit your heart so hard it breaks in half, the pain you feel physically now nothing compared to what you feel emotionally. You keep reaching for Jimin's wand and pray. Pray that a miracle happens. "Goodbye Y/n," your mother says.

Then a miracle actually happens.

Footsteps sound off, a flash of green and black entering your vision. A single figure kneels down to pick up the wand, the hand wrapping around the black and copper before grabbing it. All three of the ones holding you go still and watch as he takes it off the floor and brings it closer to his body. When you look up, your eyes widen, a new motivation hitting you. "No! Please! Run! Save yourself please!" you beg, crying hysterically. The Slytherin only stares at you, both dried and fresh blood pouring down his face. Despite all of that... he shoots you a small smile.

"Not this time," Jimin replies, preparing to fight...