Love Conquers All

After a few moments lament, Hermione was able to divert Harry towards the hospital wing.

"I'm not hurt, Hermione." He said morosely, contemplating the ill-aroused fates of his classmates and professors.

"Madame Pomfrey wants you up there." She said, taking a hold of Harry's hand. "Besides, everyone's already there."

Harry looked down at their intertwined fingers. It was a symbol of their friendship: long-lasting, courageous, genuine. But right now, it seemed more like a symbol of her sacrifices for choosing to remain his friend.

They had reached the hospital wing. Neville was closest to the door, seemingly asleep, while Ron, Ginny, Lupin, Tonks, and Luna were split between two beds placed beside each other. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up, probably hoping for a miracle. Ginny ran towards Harry, throwing her thin arms around his neck and letting her face nestle into his neck. It was one of those moments where the warmth of a loved one could further dilate your emotional state, and the tears he had been holding for so long reigned free.

Hermione parted from the pair. She felt as if everywhere she turned, there was more sorrow to be felt. On one bed lay Bill, Ron's brother, and on the other lay Silver; both in an epic struggle for their lives. Everything was a mess. Lupin, who had always had a reputation for being overly anxious and pessimistic, looked as if he had no life left in him. His eyes never left Silver's unconscious face – only on the rare exception when he would check on Bill. Tonks had her hand on his shoulder, comforting him whenever she'd feel his body tense; Ron waited for Hermione to come sit beside him; and Harry stroked Ginny's hair as she continued to weep into his shoulder.

Harry's teary eyes drifted towards Silver. He wondered why Lupin was still there, watching over her, when he very well knew there was no spell to bring the dead back to life. At that moment, Lupin looked up, noticing his inquisitive meditation.

"She's alive." He said, smiling faintly.

Harry could hardly believe him. "Lupin, as much as I wish that were true –"

"She is. Madame Pomfrey gave her some elixir of sorts.." Ron began to explain before Harry stepped forward, giving Ginny no other option but to separate from him.

"That's impossible. Malfoy killed her. I saw it with my own eyes." He said anxiously, reaching down to touch Silver's hand and surprised to find that it wasn't hard and cold like he expected.

"What do you mean, Harry?" Lupin questioned, "Draco killed her?"

"With the killing curse." Harry replied anxiously.

This had caught everyone's attention, and they all looked away from their own distractions to watch him.

"I saw the whole thing." He began to re-tell the events he had been able to witness but unable to intervene upon due to Dumbledore's spell to keep him hidden. He began with Draco's arrival at the tower and his intentions, the moment when Silver interrupted and almost changed his mind, and then to the climatic arrival of Bellatrix and Fernier.

"After Snape killed Dumbledore, Bellatrix wasn't happy. She told Draco he had to kill Silver, because she had seen and heard too much."

"Well, did he listen?" inquired Ginny impatiently.

It took Harry a few moments to set aside his anger, and give a factual account of what happened, really. "No, he didn't." his fests unclenched, "Bellatrix imperiused him into doing it. But I don't get it….he chanted the curse and…she received it – it killed her."

Lupin almost smiled. "A curse is just like any other spell, Harry. You've got to really mean it for it to work properly. Think of all those times that you've spoken the correct words, but haven't got the concentration or passion to actually put it in action. A curse is the very same. It can only be successfully preformed if it comes from deeply rooted hatred and loathing. You have to really want to murder someone for it to work….but to be able to convince yourself of that while being imperiused.." he trailed off, feeling overwhelmed with emotions, "…we've underestimated Draco, I'm afraid."

For the first time that night, there was a strange feeling in the air, and it wasn't of sadness and hopelessness. Ginny smiled and gently reached for Silver's hand.

"You mean to say, Remus, that the reason Silver is alive, despite being hit, is because Draco managed to outsmart the Imperius curse?"

Remus nodded, sitting at the end of his goddaughters bed & looking at her as if he were seeing her for the first time, "I'm afraid you were wrong harry," he looked at him for just a second, "draco has a heart, a rather strong one in fact, he'd just forgotten how to use it."

"It was love." whispered Luna distantly.

Around them Molly Weasley was in tears, both for Silver's and Bill's miracle. They were both alive.

"And once he reconnected with the only person who could teach him what it was to love, he learnt it was never really gone, just put on reserve until she came along again." Luna continued in a dreamy voice.

Hermione sniffled into a tissue, eyeing Ron surreptitiously to find him a bit out of sorts – struggling to keep his face relaxed.

Even harry, who had never imagined he would ever feel anything else but hate for Malfoy, seemed to have developed a new perspective on his life-long foe. "He really did love her then, didn't he?"

"He still does harry," Hermione blurted, still clutching on to her tissue, "But he thinks he's killed her!" She wailed in dismay, seeking comfort in Ron's shoulder. He put an arm around her.

Remus frowned, the wrinkles in his face becoming more evident, "He might be the only person to have ever accomplished such a feat, and he didn't even have the chance to learn of it."

"He will." Ginny said decidedly, "We'll find him, won't we harry?"

Harry stared into her face, analyzing each feature & saving it to memory for he liked to think of her often, especially when times were difficult and uncertain like today. "Regardless of what's happened," Harry began, "He is still a deatheater - has everyone forgotten about that?"

The group silenced, each fighting their own retrograding feelings.

"And hows Bill?" Harry said, breaking the pensive quiet.

Molly took a deep breath, "He was attacked by Fernier Greyback, Harry…he'll never be the same again, I'm afraid."

Remus looked at him, "There will most likely be some contamination but we can only tell the consequences of the attack when he wakes.."

At that moment, the doors swung open and Fleur De La Coeur came rushing in, her brilliant blonde hair messy and undone.

"Where iz my Bill?" she yelled desperately, "Where iz ee?"

Arthur and Molly stood, letting her take a look at their son. His face was mutilated. She had already somewhat expectant of what she would see, having been explained of her fiancée's condition prior to being let in to the infirmary to avoid any panic or shock.

"He was such a handsome boy," began Mrs. Weasley, "Of course…that doesn't matter…it doesn't…and he had so much..he was going to be married!"

"And what do you mean by zat?" Fleur said in outrage, "You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore? You do not theenk he will still love me?" She whimpered, clutching his hand to her chest. "I will fight for him!"

Mrs. Wesley looked on in shock, "it's not that dear…"

"Or did you theenk I would not marry him because of ow he looks?" she looked at her expectedly, "or per'aps you hoped? I am pretty enough for the both of us! These scars show zat my husband is brave, and I am proud to marry him."

The room was in complete surprise. They all exchanged glances with each other, waiting to see what would happen next, when with an impromptu invitation, Tonks spoke.

"You see! She doesn't care that he's a werewolf, yet here you continue to torment me and say you aren't good enough –"

"I'm not!" Remus interrupted. "Tonks, you need someone young, someone whole."

"I don't need that." She said with a strained voice, "I need you, Remus. Why can't you understand it?"

"I've told you, I'm too dangerous." He averted his eyes to Silver, trying to refocus his attention to where it was needed most.

"You say that, yet you let Silver live with you?" asked Tonks, lowering her voice, for she did not mean it as an ill-intended remark towards Silver.

"And you see what came of that? She spent a mere few weeks with me and then I had to send her away to Arthur and Molly to be taken care of. Don't you see? I can't even provide my goddaughter with the proper care she deserves." He said sadly.

Suddenly, Silver's lips moved. Ginny moved in closer from opposite of Remus, "What was that, love?"

"Y-yes….y-you have." She said slowly and with struggle.

Remus held her hand tightly and smiled. "Thank you."

Harry watched on from behind Ginny, anxiously expecting her eyes to open at any time, but her recovery was slow. She didn't talk after that. Instead, she fell asleep again, still lacking the energy to remain awake for too long.

"She's going to be alright." Said Harry to everyone in the room, "We all will."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Two weeks later.

Savannah finally graduated, leaving Hogwarts behind. Terry and her never made up, but he was there to hold her hand as she strolled around the school on the last day, for the last time. The shock of Silver's death hit the entire student body, but most especially the Ravenclaw's, like a ground-trembling earthquake. Consequently, Dominic and Blake finally admitted how they felt about each other, realizing that there was no better time than the present, and now had each other to mourn the death of their best friend. Luna planted a dandulip in Silver's honor - a rare flower that was said to be seen by those who have passed - although, she very well knew Silver wasn't at all gone, but she did it for the mere gesture. When questions were directed towards the newly bestowed headmistress, McGonagall, of what had become of Silver Potter, she would simply tell them her life wasn't taken in vain; she died courageously defending her peers, but unfortunately, a body was never found.

Upon the news that a service would not be held for her, Blake and Dominic took it upon themselves to hold a small funeral outside by the lake. All but one attended; Draco Malfoy was no longer at Hogwarts. He was now to fulfill his servitude to the Dark Lord - firstly by proving his worth, seeing as he wasn't able to kill Dumbledore as was intended. Despite the circumstances, there wasn't a single day that passed that he wouldn't think of her.

Once Silver was back to health, Ginny told her the entire story of that night, filling in the gaps of missing memories. What Draco had done to save her moved her to tears - tears that were both mixed with sadness and joy, because from now on, she wouldn't be allowed any contact with him. For her safety, Remus and the others had decided that her revival remain unknown to anyone outside of their small family. The year that lay ahead was turbulent, dangerous, and unexpected for them all, especially Harry and his sister. With the death of Dumbledore came the evil reign of Voldermort and there wasn't a single soul that was safe.

From that day on, news of Silver Potter's death was slapped in the front cover of every newspaper and magazine - it made headlines - and, along with Dumbledore's funeral, the news would be the most talked about story in history.

But if there was one thing Silver was certain of, it was that she would find Draco one day, and together, they would be happy again.

- To be Continued -

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited and alerted and anything else you could possibly do on the site. You're all too amazing for words!
Thank you for sticking it out with me and Silver, and hanging in til' the end of the year! (corny, i know)

Although, I am lacking a title for the next story, I do have the first few chapters written, so hopefully I'll be posting it up within the next two weeks.
I might get it in faster if you guys leave me really awesome reviews though :D
The next one will be a lot more grown up in the sense that it's more about their lives after Hogwarts...but i'll stop there because I don't want to give too much away!

Have a lovely week my loves x