forty-six

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"Lies."

Marina couldn't control her body; she put her wand up to Lucius' chest and fired a spell that pushed him to the ground. He didn't say anything before he waved his wand around him and disappeared, probably getting out of the castle before her anger got the best of her and she hurt him more. It was not like she wanted to hurt him. She just lost control sometimes.

"Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies." She repeated the words as she paced the corridor.

Please let it be a lie. There was no way she had killed the woman who had taken her in when she was a child. The woman who had raised her when her mother wasn't there. The woman who had held her and dried her tears when she was lost. The woman who had given her all her knowledge and advice. The woman who would never break apart from a hug. Lucius had to be lying. He probably wanted to make her head spin so that she wouldn't be able to fight Tom if it came to that.

So many deaths. Only sufferings and bodies left after Tom's wrath. She looked down at her Dark Mark and nearly puked. Without her wanting to, with her mind screaming no, she dug her nails into her arm and scratched around the black skull until blood was pouring.

"Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies."

Someone took a grip around her wrist. They mumbled something about her needing to calm down. She looked up and met Ron's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Hermione, who stood behind Ron, asked worryingly.

Marina looked between them. "You heard about the fire at Malfoy Manor. Do you know who died in it? Were the names published in the papers? Did the Order say something?"

"A dozen people, but-"

"Narcissa." She gritted her teeth together. "Did Narcissa Malfoy die in the fire?"

Ron's eyebrows shot far up his forehead. "We thought you knew..."

Perhaps Ron and Hermione had gotten used to drying other's tears and calming them, as Harry had been unsteady for the last year, for they were able to help Marina get rid of the pain in her chest quickly.

She tried to gulp her misery and not think about her grief when Harry came walking down the stairs from Dumbledore's office. Everyone looked at him, but he looked at the floor. Trails of tears had cut through the ashes on his face.

"We won't let you give yourself up," said Ron, his tear-filled eyes scared but determined. "We'll keep fighting."

"No," answered Harry.

Marina realized that he knew; whatever had been in Snape's memory had taught him that he was a Horcrux. So she tried, and at the same time revealed that she knew about him being a part of Tom, "We can still beat him if he has a Horcrux, Harry, we don't have to kill him. We just need to get him somewhere he can't hurt anyone."

He shook his head. "No. It doesn't work like that. You know it." He looked at his two best friends now. "I think I have known for a while now - that I have to give myself up - and I think you have, too. Voldemort wants me to go to the Forbidden Forest. I don't have much time."

It didn't hit Marina that he was actually going to die before Hermione burst into tears and threw her arms around him. Unlike her, he had no Horcrux. When he closed his eyes, he wouldn't open them again like she had. He was about to sacrifice his life to end Tom.

"I'll go with you!" Hermione cried.

"No," he said. "It's too dangerous. He'll kill you."

Marina tried to ignore how fragile her voice sounded when she spoke, "He can't kill me. I'll follow you to the forest."

"Are you mad?" roared Ron.

"Hey, we saw that Voldemort had the locket around his neck," Harry said. "When he is going to kill me, he'll get distracted, and Marina can sneak up on him and get the Horcrux. She'll borrow my Cloak. We- you need that Horcrux to win."

"Yeah," she went on to support his words, "and he doesn't even know I'm alive. He'll kill either of you in an instant."

"And the snake?" Hermione whimpered.

Marina put Nagini down on the ground behind a statue of stone that hadn't been brought to life, and put a Sleeping Charm on her. Nobody would find her while she was in the forest, and Tom couldn't see where she was.

Harry asked, in Parseltongue so that Hermione and Ron would not understand him, "Are you worried what's going to happen to you when she dies?"

Marina nodded. She hissed back, "But we have to kill her anyway. She is, after all, Tom's Horcrux, and we need to destroy every Horcrux he has made." She then spoke normally to Ron and Hermione, "We'll take her down when I come back and the locket is destroyed."

There was a moment of silence. Ron hugged Harry one last time. None of them spoke. They didn't need to.

Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak over him and Marina, and they descended through the floors, at last walking down the marble staircase into the Entrance Hall.

"Do you want to say good-bye to anyone?" Marina asked him as he looked back at the castle. She tried to imagine how devastating the rest of the Weasleys were going to feel when they heard that he had given himself up. But Harry shook his head, and she understood why. It would be too hard to look at them now, and they would presumably beg him to stay, which would only make it worse.

Neville nearly walked into them. He was one half of a pair that was carrying a body in from the grounds. Marina glanced down: the body belonged to Colin Creevey. He was tiny in death.

She looked at Harry again when Neville and Oliver Wood had carried Colin away, and then reached out to take his hand. She felt his fingers tremble, and him making an effort to control them. He was so scared.

They moved on, passing Hagrid's hut that loomed out of the darkness. Marina felt a dull blow to her stomach when tears began to roll down Harry's cheeks. She didn't want his last thoughts and words to be about death; she had come to help him calm down and feel less anxious before going into the forest. They had been apart for months, so she now looked through her memories in search of a happy or funny moment she could tell him about to distract him. However, every memory she had made the last year could be linked to sorrow.

So, desperate to make him cheer up, she chuckled, "So what are you planning on doing when you get to him? I'd tell you to punch his nose - oh, wait..."

He gifted her a weak smile. "I have missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too," she answered, and reached out to wipe away one of his tears. "In fact, I missed you so much that I had to dress up like you." She recalled the day at the Manor, trying to push the thought of Narcissa out of her head. "Your eyesight is so bad that I couldn't see a thing. I sorta regret all those times we play-dueled and I threatened to Accio your glasses."

A short laugh. It was enough to make the tears stop for a minute. "Dressing up as me was brilliant, but I would've preferred to have you by my side instead." His voice shook.

"What, third wheeling Ron and Hermione wasn't fun?" She could feel his muscles relax a bit. "Wow. I thought watching them snog for eight months would be quite amusing."

They were getting dangerously close to the edge of the Forest when he lost his smile. "You said you were killed, right?" He gulped. "Did- did it hurt?"

"No." They stopped walking, and she turned to him. "No, I didn't even notice it. Suddenly it was over."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

Her heart sunk. "I'm sorry I let him get inside my head." If Tom hadn't seen them hiding at Grimmauld Place that January day, everything would have been different.

"And... and afterward..."

She understood what he was asking: what happened in the afterlife? But she wouldn't know. Darkness was everything she had seen - a black pit like a deep sleep - but she hadn't been visiting the real afterlife. She had been somewhere between life and death. Besides, would it calm him to hear that he was about to face eternal darkness? Of course not.

"I saw everyone and everything I loved." Marina was almost scared of how easily lies dripped off her tongue. "You'll probably get sent to a Quidditch pitch right away..."

"Quidditch? I was thinking I'd see you," he said, then turned serious. His eyebrows knit together, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small ball. "Wait..."

"What's that?"

"It's the first Snitch I caught," he explained. "Dumbledore gave it to me."

"I open at the close," she read the words engraved in it out loud. "Did he want you to use it before your death?"

Breathing fast and hard, he put the Snitch up to his lips and whispered, "I am about to die."

The metal shell of it broke open. She pointed her mother's wand at it and murmured, "Lumos." Inside the Snitch, laid a black stone.

"The Resurrection Stone," Harry huffed. They looked at each other as he took the stone out of the ball, and turned it over in his hand, three times.

She could hear slight movements around them and twigs snapping. Bringing her hand up to his face to wipe away his last tears, she nodded slightly. Her eyes and touch left him, and she looked around. Those surrounding them were neither invisible nor truly flesh, she could see that.

Sirius was tall and handsome, dressed in the robe he had been wearing when they fought Death Eaters at the Ministry, and he had fallen. His hands were tucked deep into his pockets as he grinned. He looked younger than she had ever seen him.

Lupin stood beside him. He looked healthy. There were no bags under his eyes, and his hair was thicker and darker. The suit she had been gripping and crying on an hour ago fit him better now.

Behind him stood a man that was exactly the same height as Harry. His hair was untidy and ruffled.

"Is that your father, Harry?" Marina said. "Well, you look a lot like him. You're almost identical. Except the-"

"Eyes," Harry responded. "Yes, I know. I've got my mother's eyes."

Marina, who hadn't even seen his mother, responded with a shrug. "I was going to say that you were missing his style, but okay."

Harry's father snickered. "Nice."

Why hadn't she expected him to reply? She felt blood rush to her cheeks. Perhaps a part of her had believed the people surrounding them were only recollections or figures. Harry laughed when he saw her turn red.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Potter," she pressed out.

A woman stood behind Harry. She had bright red hair and green eyes like Harry's. It calmed Marina to look at her gentle smile. "You're so brave," she told Harry.

"You are nearly there," said Harry's father.

Marina could tell that Harry was still filled with fear by the way he reached for her hand again. He whispered, "You promise it didn't hurt?"

"I promise," she breathed.

"Dying? Not at all," said Sirius. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

She turned to him, and a playful smile crept on her lips. "Okay, Uncle, I get what you're trying to do, and I will let you continue with it, but I just need to address the elephant in the room before you proceed: where were you when I died?"

Harry laughed again. That was all she had wished for. Seeing his mother chuckle, too, was a bonus.

"He will want it to be quick," said Remus once the laughter had died out, and Harry had grown anxious again. "He wants it over."

Both Marina and Harry turned to him. Harry was the one to speak. "I'm sorry, Remus. Right after you had your son... I'm so sorry..."

"I am sorry, too," he answered. "Sorry I will never know him... but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."

Marina looked at him. She wanted to tell him that she was going to keep an eye out for Teddy, make sure that he grew up healthy... However, she wasn't sure if she would ever get the chance to. If Nagini died, she would probably go down with her.

"I never wanted any of you to die for me," Harry spoke. She turned to him again. She had never expected any of them to die young. By the end of the night, they would most likely be two corpses. "You will stay with me?"

"Until the very end," answered his father.

Harry turned to Marina. One last time, he held her face in his hands. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried her best not to burst out crying.

"I know I swore I'd marry you..."

She put her hands over his. "You're the love of my life, Harry."

"I'm sorry we didn't have more time together." She opened her eyes and met his as he spoke. "I want you to keep fighting. I want you to win against Tom, and live long and happy."

He gave her one last kiss. It was of blood, dust, and salty tears. Then he stepped out of the Cloak.

"Harry..." Her good-bye hung from her lips.

"Stay close to me," he said quietly. And he set off.

James, Sirius, and Lupin followed right behind him, but Marina and Lily walked further behind. Marina did it to have control over everything that was going on. She supposed Lily did it because she felt her pain. She glanced and smiled her way, and stepped with her so she wouldn't feel lonely.

The Forest where Harry would be offered eternal sleep was dark and seemed to never end. They arrived in the heart of it with a gush of wind.

Tom stood tall, most of his followers falling in an awkward formation behind him. Some of them were still masked and hooded, while others showed their faces. Marina stared at them. These were the men and women she had used to look up to; the ones who had trained her, bowed to her, called her Dark Lady. Now they were about to kill the person she loved the most.

She saw Fenrir, chewing his long nails; Goyle, who she had nearly tortured at the Manor; Crabbe, looking at Harry with hunger in his eyes; Lucius, his eyes sunken; lastly, Draco. He looked similar to how he had looked during their sixth year when they were fixing the Cabinet: tired and defeated.

Tom hadn't noticed Harry yet. His long, white fingers curled around his wand. "I thought he would come. I expected him to come."

Bellatrix emerged from the dark. "My Lord..." Marina felt her chest fill with hate and disgust.

"I was, it seems... mistaken," said Tom.

"You weren't," said Harry loud and clear. He didn't sound afraid at all.

He dropped the Resurrection Stone to the ground. To Marina's surprise, his parents, Sirius, and Lupin did not disappear; they still surrounded her as she watched him walk to his death.

"HARRY! NO!" Hagrid's voice was easy to recognize. She twisted her head his way. He was bound and trussed, tied to a tree nearby. His massive body shook the branches overhead as he struggled. "NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT'RE YEH-"

"QUIET!" screamed Tom. He flicked his wand, and Hagrid was silenced.

Bellatrix had lunged forward, and was now dancing and spinning in front of Harry. "There you are! Now we can kill you like we killed your pretty little girlfriend!" She pointed her wand at him. "Tell me, boy, how does it feel, losing everyone you love, knowing that you are the reason why they die?"

Harry was looking at Voldemort. If he had an opinion on Bellatrix's attitude, he didn't offer it.

Marina took several steps forward. She could glimpse the locket around Tom's neck, shining in the little moonlight that reached it in the deep forest. How had Harry expected she would be able to retrieve it? Was she supposed to jump and take it when he said the Killing Curse? There was no way she could. There were Death Eaters all around him. Someone would understand that she was there.

Tom tilted his head to his side and smiled. Marina gave a great shiver when she realized that that was the same motions she had performed before killing the Death Eater that had attacked her in the castle. Tom was, after all, the one she had believed to be her father for many years. She had adopted many of his habits.

"Harry Potter," he said, very softly. "The Boy Who Lived has come to die."

He raised his wand. Marina covered her ears, not wanting to hear the Killing Curse leave his lips. She saw his mouth move, but before she could see the green light leave his wand, she had turned and set off.

She ran as far as her legs could carry her, then she collapsed on the ground.

She balled up the front of her jumper, forced it into her mouth, and screamed. She cried until her throat began to hurt, and she knew it would soon be gone. Open your eyes, she told herself. Pinch your arm. This is only a nightmare. You're going to wake up soon. He will be in your arms. You will kiss him again. Yet the sun woke, and she didn't. It's not a nightmare if you can't wake up.

All the emotions she had held back in front of Harry poured out of her. She hit the cold, hard ground with her fists.

A twig snapped. It wasn't her doing. She was sure the sound came from behind her. Elbows on her knees, her hands wrapped around the ends of the Invisibility Cloak, making sure she was completely hidden, she sealed her lips shut, trying to not make any noise.

Her first thought was that she had screamed loud enough for the Death Eaters to hear her. She was far away from them, by the edge of the forest again she supposed, since the trees around her were thinner and there was more light that shone on her, but maybe her voice had traveled with the wind and reached them.

After two minutes - she had counted the seconds, trying to hold her breath - she dared to stand up and look around. Her mother's wand was still in her pocket. If any Death Eaters were near her, she could manage to draw it and stick her hand out from underneath the Cloak.

Finally, her eyes found him: the nearly transparent Sirius standing by her side.

"Why can I still see you?" she asked. Her voice didn't sound like her own anymore. It was too raspy. "I shouldn't be able to see you anymore."

Harry had laid the Resurrection Stone down on the ground before he had died. Why was she still able to see a ghost, then? When she thought about it, she began to wonder why she had even been able to see and communicate with the ghosts of Sirius, Lupin, Lily, and James in the first place. They had shown themselves to Harry. They lived inside of him - inside his head. The only reason why she should be able to see ghosts, or spirits of those who had passed away, would be because she was walking the fine line between life and death.

Her theory was confirmed when, from behind Sirius, came another young ghost walking toward her.

She immediately recognized the new ghost. How could she not? It was like looking in a mirror. He had the same raven hair like her, the same brown eyes, the same dark look. Regulus looked handsome and charming even in death.

"I'm so proud of you, Marina," he whispered, his voice firm and deep. She gazed at him, worrying that if she looked away, he would disappear. He was very young; he didn't look older than her at all.

"Someone killed Nagini," she guessed. That was why she could see them: her Horcrux had been found

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