Cost of Victory
The dawn broke slowly over the grounds of Hogwarts, casting a warm, golden light across the battlefield. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke and the faint, lingering traces of magic. After the intense battle, silence blanketed the scene. Around us, friends and allies regrouped, tending to the wounded and mourning the fallen.
Will and I stood side by side, exhaustion weighing on us, but there was a hint of relief, too. I turned to him, allowing myself a small smile. We had made it. Against all odds, we'd survived.
Will grinned back at me, the familiar warmth in his gaze somehow soothing the ache in my chest. "We did it, Nico," he said softly, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair from my forehead. "Looks like we're finally getting that break we deserve."
Before I could respond, there was a flash of movement from the trees—a lone Death Eater, one of Voldemort's last loyalists, aiming his wand directly at us.
"Will—!" I shouted, but I was too slow.
In an instant, Will's body jolted as a curse struck him full force. His eyes widened, surprise and pain flickering across his face before he collapsed into my arms. I dropped to the ground with him, heart racing as I pressed my hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat slowing beneath my palm.
"Will, no, no, stay with me," I whispered frantically, my voice cracking. My hands shook as I held him close, trying to stop the inevitable. "Please, you can't—"
Will's gaze found mine, a faint, trembling smile on his lips as he reached up to touch my face, his fingers brushing against my cheek. "Nico...it's okay," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm...I'm glad I got to fight this with you. I wouldn't change a thing."
"No!" I choked out, tears blurring my vision. "You don't get to leave me like this. Not after everything we've been through. You promised..."
He drew a shuddering breath, his hand slipping from my cheek as his eyes closed, his breathing fading until there was only silence. I sat there, numb, feeling like my heart had been ripped from my chest.
Will was gone.
I barely registered the sounds of renewed fighting as Voldemort's forces, realizing they'd lost, launched a final desperate attack. My body felt like it was moving on autopilot, every instinct urging me to get up, to fight, to finish what we'd started. But I was frozen, holding Will's lifeless body, feeling the hollow emptiness spreading inside me.
Then, above the chaos, a flash of light exploded in the center of the battlefield. I looked up to see Harry Potter, standing tall and defiant, facing Voldemort himself. Their wands clashed, sending sparks flying, and with a sudden surge of power, Harry disarmed Voldemort, his spell striking true.
Voldemort crumpled to the ground, his body dissolving like ash caught in the wind.
It was over.
The battlefield fell silent once more, the weight of Voldemort's defeat sinking in. Allies around me cheered and embraced each other, the euphoria of victory spreading through the crowd. But none of it reached me.
Nothing could break through the grief that held me captive.
As the crowd parted, a dark, towering figure emerged, his form casting a shadow over the land. Hades—my father. His gaze landed on me, and in his eyes, I saw a flicker of something like sorrow.
I gently lowered Will's body to the ground and stumbled to my feet, moving toward Hades as if in a daze. My heart pounded with a desperate, fragile hope.
"Father," I said, my voice cracking as I dropped to my knees before him. "Please. I'm begging you. Bring him back. Bring Will back to me."
Hades looked down at me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, there was silence between us, as if he were weighing my request. I could feel the others watching, but all I cared about was Hades' answer.
"Nico," he said quietly, his voice laced with an uncharacteristic gentleness, "you know that death is final. It is the order of the universe. Bringing him back would disrupt the balance."
"I don't care!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "You're the god of the Underworld—you can do this. I know you can. He didn't deserve this. We fought for the gods, for Olympus, for everyone. And now he's...gone." My voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't live without him, Father."
Hades' gaze softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw genuine sorrow there. He knelt before me, his hand resting on my shoulder.
"I understand your pain, Nico. But if I break the laws of life and death, it could unravel far more than you realize. The consequences would be dire."
I looked down, tears falling freely. Every part of me wanted to fight him, to scream and beg until he relented. But somewhere deep inside, I knew he was right. It was just the cruelty of it all—that we'd fought so hard, survived against impossible odds, only for Will to be taken away in a single, merciless instant.
Hades seemed to read my thoughts, his grip on my shoulder tightening. "He died a hero, Nico. And his spirit will rest in peace."
I let out a shuddering breath, my mind reeling as I forced myself to accept what I couldn't change. "It's not fair," I whispered, my voice hollow. "Please- you did it for me. Please do it for him. Dad... please."
I looked at Will, he laid still on my lap. There was nothing I could do, what could I do? Hades said nothing, "No," Hades agreed, his voice somber. "It isn't. But know this—you will see him again, one day, in the Elysian Fields. Until then, he will live on in your memory, and he will never be forgotten."
Hades stood, and the weight of his words settled over me, offering a cold comfort. I remained kneeling beside Will's body, my heart aching with a pain that felt like it would never heal. But I held onto Hades' words, clinging to the hope that one day, somehow, I would be with Will again.