The End of Hogwarts.

Shadow stood on one of the ruined towers, looking at the dust falling to the ground. She looked up at the night sky, watching the stars coming out. People were slowly coming out of the Forbidden Forest, shaken at having been inside the school as it started to collapse around them.

Holly limped across the grounds, wondering if the rules had changed, and if now you could apparate in Hogwarts. Before she could try she glimpsed a figure above her. With further looking she could see purple hair, and so sighed with relief. Shadow was okay. She held a bloody hand up to say hello.

Shadow looked down from the ruined tower and saw Holly. She dropped down, landing silently.

Holly nodded in her direction and kept on limping toward her.
"Hello," she said quietly.

Shadow walked soundly, silently towards her friend, her hood covering her face.

"Didya get hurt?" Holly panted, having to lean against the wall of the castle to stop herself falling over.

Shadow shook her head and looked over Holly, noting the injuries. She summoned her magic and allowed it to heal Holly's injuries.

Holly felt a bolt of magic hit her, and the injuries she had recieved during her particular fight began to heal.
"Thank you," she muttered, "God bless the day I decided to annoy you in the library huh?"
She was talking about the first day they had met.

Shadow smiled sadly, nodding.

Holly closed her eyes and pressed her back to the wall again.
"Where were you tonight?" she asked, eyes still closed, trying not to think of all the possible dead friends she would have to see later.

Shadow didn't make any moves.

Holly glanced at her.
"Shad? Shadow? You alright?"

Shadow looked at Holly and shook her head.

Holly swallowed and grimaced to stop herself yelling out with the pain in her head.
"Can you like, project your thoughts and tell me what the matter is?"

Shadow concentrated hard, her palm in front of her, an orb of magic hovering above it. She used her mind to make it into a humanoid shape. The magic figure acted out what had happened. It fell to its knees, holding its head, a mini wall of magic eutptig from it. The magic then turned into a replica of Hogwarts and crumbled. Shadow allowed the magic to fade.

Holly furrowed her brow.
"Was that you?" she asked, "And you.... like...I dont know. Well what about all the hooded figures that started fighting with us? Where did they come from?"

Shadow put two fingers on Holly's temple, closing her eyes and transmitting a memory, the memory of what happened.

Shadow was running along the corridor in one of the towers, running away from a group of hooded figures. She tripped, falling heavily onto the ground. A figure grabbed her, pinningher arms behind her back and lifting her back to her feet before dragging the girl into a room, locking the door. Shadow was thrown to the groud, but then she scrambled back to her feet, glaring into the illusioned eyes of a demon. She felt her anger boil, but it was too late when she realised. She fell to her knees, the anger seeming like it was ripping her mind apart in her demonic rage. She screamed silently, unable to speak, as her magic gathered and exploded out of her, destroying the school.

Holly stepped away quickly, nauseated.
"It was you?" she whispered, "Well it was YOU as such but....another demon? Do you know 'em? Flip.....ive never seen you that angry before...."

Shadow nodded, turning away.

Holly looked around blindly, trying to shake off the image she had just seen.
"Shadow," she said after a moment, voice hollow, "I havent seen anyone in ages.....not Hayley...Nat...Phoenix....I havent seen Riley and George in hours.....do you think...."
She trailed off, eyes sad.

Shadow put her fingers on her temples and used a mental scan to find the others.

Holly bit her lip, glancing around the darkened landscape hopefully.

Shadow shook her head, having sensed nothing.

Holly collapsed against the wall and took a deep breath with her eyes closed.

Shadow fell to her knees, tears coming out of eher eyes.

Holly couldnt bring herself to speak, and so just stood there by the wall, shuddering and crying.

Shadow couldn't stop her tears, and magic started to crackle around her.

Holly did not notice this, for her eyes were clamped shut. In her head she was running over the last time she had seen the two.
She was fighting in the forest. Everything was pitch black and it was dangerous to fire random hexes for fear of hitting another Hogwarts student. In the corner a little girl lay, barely able to breathe. Holly glanced at her worried, but a hooded figure was advancing on her. "Ill see to her," George said, hurrying over. Holly nodded and began dueling with the figure. Out of no where Riley appeared, quite hurt. "Jeezuz," Holly said concerned.
"Dont worry about me," Riley said bracingly, "Look, you holding up okay?"
Holly nodded shaking. "Im scared," she whispered.
Riley nodded. "Me too."
They looked at each other for the longest moment and then without warning, Riley leaned in and kissed her. After a moment, they broke apart. "Ill find George," he promised, and left.

Shadow managed to get a grip on herself and looked up, her tears still glistening on her cheeks. She looked up at the stars, reading them for answers.

Holly swore. Then she swore again. Continulously, Holly swore into her hands, and then she sunk down the wall, waiting, wondering.

Shadow stood up and walked away.

Holly didnt have it in here to follow, so she just watched.

Shadow drew a thin sword that had been hanging by her side and examined it carefully.

Holly hugged her knees, shivering.
"W-who were the people in the- Shadow?"
Holly looked up at her, looking at the sword.
"Dont do anything stupid," she muttered, looking down again.

Shadow looked at Holly sadly. She used her magic to write in the air.
If I don't, they will. Goodbye. Shadow raised the sword, putting the tip over her heart.

Holly choked and stood up quickly.
"Shadow dont! We've fought them off millions of times before! This is no different! If you go I'll have no one!"
It was an incredibly selfish thing to say, but what could she say.

Shadow looked at her sadly, but the sword dropped from her hands. She fell to her knees and hands again, her shoulders shaking as she cried.

The sight made Holly want to collapse in a similar way, but the thought of the sword plunging through her flesh was incredibly tempting, so Holly looked away from it to the ruined Hogwarts. After a moment she fell to her knees next to Shadow, now nearly dry eyed. "Thank you," she murmured.

The words they will kill me appeared in the air.

Holly looked at the words for a full minute, until they seemed to disappear.
She looked at Shadow.
"I'll fight for you," she promised, "I might not be much good.....and there may not be many survivors...."
She indicated the deserted grounds.
"But........I'll try.....I promise."

Shadow looked up at Holly, and tried to smile her thanks.

Holly nodded once to show she understood.
"You're shivering," she pointed out and went to hand her her own cloak when she realised it was torn in several places, which explained part of her own shivering.
"Oh....well....lets walk around a little to warm up," she suggested, determined to keep the subject off of the deceased.

Shadow got shakily to her feet, trying to calm down before she had anotheroutbreak.

Holly nodded at Shadow encouragingly, blinking fiercely and beginning to walk.

Shadow walked alongside her friend, head bowed, feeling rain start to fall.

Holly glanced upwards and said, "Want to know something Ive never told anyone?"

Shadow looked at Holly. She used her magic to write in the air again.
It's not like I can tell anyone.

Holly nodded and then said softly, thinking, "My real name's Katalynn....but after my mum and dad died I started getting people to call me by my middle name....Holly. Cause anytime someone called me Katalynn id think of them and.....breakdown...."
She glanced at Shadow.

Shadow raised an eyebrow and projected her thoughts quietly.
I know how you feel.

"Oh?" Holly said, having to squint from the rain, not heavily plodding down on her head. She put her cloaks hood up. "I look like your sister now."