Work Text
Chapter One
May 9, 1998, 3:42 PM
Hogwarts Castle
Brightly colored spells whizzed past Louis, screams filling the air. He felt Harry at his back and he reached for his hand. Harry squeezed once, twice, three times. ‘I. Love. You.’ Louis saw a red beam heading for him and threw up a shield spell before shouting ‘Reducto’ and the Death Eater in front of him fell, screaming in anguish. Louis only had time to blink before he saw Bellatrix Lestrange come running towards him, a curse on her lips. He felt Harry’s long hair brush his shoulder as he turned and looked back. Harry squeezed his hand before twirling them around and shouting a curse, all Harry’s anger exploding through his wand. Louis felt it in his soul, resounding through him. He looked over Harry’s shoulder and saw a green beam hit the woman in her chest. She had a twisted smile on her face as she fell, her hand and face turning death white.
Then the atmosphere went cold and still, Death Eaters falling back. Louis felt Harry stiffen at his back, fear bubbling at his throat.
“Stop this, Tom.” Harry said. “Call them off.”
“Harry Styles.” A voice hissed out. “And the traitor, Louis Tomlinson.” Louis spun on his heel, but Harry blocked him. “Are you ready to meet your parents, Styles?” Louis gripped Harry’s hand.
Harry looked back at him. “Always and forever, Lou.”
“Always and forever. See you on the other side, Haz,” Louis said, echoing the words Harry had said to him. Harry squeezed his hand back and raised his wand.
“Ready to duel, Styles?”
In response, Harry shouted. “
Expelliarmus
!” and red magic shot from his wand. Voldemort smirked, his horrid lipless face twisting into a grotesque mask.
“
Avada Kedavra
!” And then green magic met red.
Harry was exhausted, Louis could feel it. He fed his magic to Harry across the bond, but it wasn’t enough. Harry’s hand dropped, and the beam hit his chest. Louis screamed as Harry fell back into him, time slowing down around him. Louis was knocked down, Harry’s body covering him. Louis felt the darkness in his soul grow as he choked down a sob. Harry’s hand twitched one last time around his. Louis wrapped an arm around Harry’s torso when they hit the ground. It was still silent, still still, still cold around Louis, and he felt his soul hurting. He sobbed once and pressed a kiss into Harry’s hair.
“Harry, please,” Louis whispered, but it was too late. Louis sobbed once, twice more, but it was no use. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to breathe, but he had
promised
Harry.
“If something happens,” Harry had said, “You gotta do it, Louis. Promise me.” And Louis had.
That’s what prompted Louis to shoving off Harry and grabbing the green eyed boy’s wand. He stood up, and as he did, all the sounds around him grew louder. Screams, sobs, from behind him, cheers and a cold, harsh, maniacal laughter in front of him. Louis wiped his eyes and took a breath, summoning strength from inside himself.
“Hey, snakeface?” Louis shouted. Voldemort turned to him, a grin cutting across his face. Louis raised his wand felt all his anger and sadness rush to his hand.
“ AVADA KEDAVRA!” he shouted, and the beam hit Voldemort’s chest. The Dark Lord was thrown back, and then disintegrated in front of everyone’s eyes.
It fell silent across the courtyard. Louis’ chest started heaving, and he stared down the area where the most feared wizard had finally been defeated. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
It was over. Voldemort was dead.
Louis felt a laughter rise from his chest and he let the hysterical sounds fall from his mouth. Zayn appeared from nowhere next to him, and Louis met his eyes and then the laughs turned to sobs.
It was over and Harry was dead.
May 9, 1998, 5:06 PM
Slytherin Common Room
Zayn ushers Louis into the familiar common room, empty and dull. Cups of tea,still hot from absently minded casted warming spells,sit next to half written essays, books open on tables, a fire still blazing in the grate. It’s like everyone in the room had vanished where they stood, and their items waited for them to return. Louis hasn’t been in this room in a year, since that last day of sixth year. He feels as if he had aged ten years since then, a whole childhood gone. His body feels heavy. He vaguely remembers someone pouring a vial of something vile down his throat some time ago, when he sat next to…
Louis starts shaking, hysteria rising beneath his chest, fighting against the potion. Zayn wraps an arm around his shoulders and half carries, half drags the smaller boy to the couch. The door to the room opens and Louis jumps slightly.
“It’s just Pez, Lou,” Zayn whispers. Perrie appears in front of them, tear tracks down her cheeks, her dirty hair tangled in a bun. Niall and Liam are with her, their faces muddy. Liam has his arm cradled in a sling. Niall has a cut oozing on his forehead, Perrie is still twitching from the after effects of a Cruciatus, and Zayn’s wincing with every breath, his ribs twinging as they heal.
But they’re alive. Liam sits next to Louis, while Perrie and Niall collapse on the other side of Zayn. There’s beds upstairs, there’s cleaning to be done, Death Eaters to round up, bodies to identify and bury, healing to do. But Louis is too exhausted to think about doing any of that, too exhausted to anything but give into the numbness the potion is forcing on him. He leans his head on Liam’s shoulder, and closes his eyes. Someone, it sounds like Zayn, widens the couch they’re on into a bed. A feminine voice, Perrie, conjures up some blankets. They’re squished, the couch-bed not big enough for six...five but they’ve slept in worse conditions. At least it’s warm and soft. Louis pulls one of the wands away from his chest and casts a protective shield around them, just in case, because the potion hasn’t dulled the paranoia in his veins, the feeling that’s been haunting him since he was fifteen. Then he closes his eyes and sinks into the couch-bed and sleeps. The rest of the group follows him down, the battle knocking them out better then any Dreamless Sleep.
June 26th, 1998, 9:04 AM
Headmistress McGonagall’s Office
“So, Mr.Tomlinson, I was wondering if you plan to return to Hogwarts this fall. We haven’t received an owl from you yet.” Professor McGonagall peered at Louis over her spectacles. He was somber, focusing his attention into his teacup.
It had been one month, two weeks and three days since the battle. They’ve had countless funerals, too many really, buried in the brand new Hogwarts Cemetery. And they had rebuilt Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Others worked on Diagon Alley. A team cleared out the Ministry, where a new Minister had been instated, Amelia Bones.
Louis hadn’t slept much. He attended every single funeral, paid for those who couldn't afford it, including Niall’s brother, Fred. That was a hard one to sit through. He had to leave halfway through, joined by Zayn and Perrie.
They never really went anywhere without each other, him and Zayn and Perrie and Niall and Liam. They slept in the same room, the fifth years Slytherin male dorms, often in the same bed. They are together, rebuilt Hogwarts together, attended funerals and Ministry hearings together. When they separated, Louis panicked, desperately counting heads until two blondes and two brunets brushed his shoulders. They woke up to the same nightmares, hands reaching out to stop another curse, another spell, another death.
Louis reluctantly left them one day, disappeared into courtroom surrounded by the Wizgamot, Professor McGonagall standing at his shoulder.
‘A formality.’ She whispered, ushering him. The Wizgamot looked smaller than he remembered but they all stood up and clapped for him. Kingsley Shacklebolt led them. After the court had settled back into their seats, he read out the charges against Louis.
‘The Wizgamot has gathered today to judge Lord Louis Styles-Tomlinson, of the Tomlinson’s, of grave matters levied against him. Defendant, Louis Tonlinson, age 18, born to the late Lord Mark Tomlinson and Johannah Deakin, neé Black. The charges are as followed.’
‘A Death Eater.’ To this, Louis pulls up his sleeves. The only marking on his arm was the silvery black rope around his wrist, fading darker and darker each day. ‘Cleared.’
‘Allowing Death Eaters into Hogwarts.’ But it wasn't him, not his idea. It was Nott who did it. It was Louis’ task but Nott understood him and did it for him. Covered him while he ran with Liam and Zayn and Niall and Perrie and Harry, to the dark forest, where they disappeared. Nott was dead too. He had been killed for helping Louis, allowing him to escape.
Kingsley cleared his throat. ‘We have testimony, given to us by the portrait of Professor Dumbledore, that this was not your doing. Cleared.’ Louis blinked and twisted his ring around his finger.
‘Finally, the death of Professor Albus Dumbledore.’ Louis bit his lip. That was his task, his
real
task, but he had failed. Severus had to do it for him. ‘Cleared.’ There was no explanation for this one. There needn't be.
‘Louis Tomlinson, you have been cleared of all charges. Your estate and inheritance will be restored to you. The estate of the late Harry Styles-Tomlinson, including the Black estate, will also be restored to you, his soul bonded. And Lord Tomlinson-Styles?’
Louis looked up at Kingsley,who was standing over the courtroom. ‘You have our deepest gratitude.’ Louis forced a clumsy smile on his face and nodded. Professor McGonagall placed a hand on his shoulder and led them out, to where his friends had gathered.
‘Cleared,’ was all he said before Perrie wrapped her arms around his neck, tears soaking through his collar.
Then they went down a ceremony in the big, open entryway of the Ministry, where they were each awarded an Order of Merlin, first class. They pressed a box labeled Harry Styles-Tomlinson in Louis’ hands after hanging a medal around his throat. He looked into the crowd. There wasn't a single dry eye.
“
Mr. Tomlinson?” McGonagall's voice pulled Louis away from his thoughts.
“I’m not staying.” Louis cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’re reopening, but I can’t stay. It would be...too difficult.” His hand darted to his left wrist, tracing the black ink around his wrist.
“Will you be working at Harry’s Home?” An orphanage. Louis set it up during the reconstruction, for war orphans.
“No, I trust Steve with that. He’s going to run it for me. He can handle it.It’ll open in a month. I’ll come back for that.”
McGonagall stirred a cup of tea in front of her. Louis peered around the room, until he met the eyes of the second to last portrait. Dumbledore looked at him and nodded his head. He was seated in a winged chair, a bowl of lemon drops next to him. Then Louis eyed the next one, dreary and stark. Severus, his godfather, the man who taught him potions and shades of grey magic, lifted his lips in a twisted smile. Louis nodded back, before turning to McGonagall.
“I’m going to visit my mother. Stay with her. Meet my siblings. Try and be...normal, I guess.”
McGonagall leaned back and looked at the boy, the man really, in front of her. She remembered when he first came to Hogwarts, a sneer permanently etched on his face, contrasting the slight curves of baby fat on his cheeks. The ease he took to magic and classes, securing the second place in his year, right behind Liam Payne, the book smart muggleborn. He had been a bully, arrogant and bratty. He got meaner the second year. Snape told her Louis had stayed with his mother over the summer, and demanded to come home after a week.
After that, Louis went down hill. His work was fine, better than fine, but she would see him in the library late at night, or picking on other houses. She never saw him having fun, outside of Quidditch.
Until the end of fourth year, when he just...changed. McGonagall couldn’t explain it, Louis had become quieter. He stopped picking on people, stopped sneering. He wasn’t nice in the way other people were, but he wasn’t mean. He would disappear at odd times. He dropped out of Quidditch his sixth year, the year his grades dropped and his classes went unattended.
But sometimes, when she was was walking around the castle, she would see him disappear around a corner, or appear in front of her in a hallway. Louis would have a light smile on his face before he waked away. Harry Styles would show up in the same area, grinning at her for no reason. Sometimes, Louis would glance at Harry and his eyes would soften. Sometimes she would catch him tugging on his collar, covering up his neck.
Even their groups of friends, the Golden and Silver trio, were nicer to each other. Amicable even. It was some sort of miracle, causing waves among their respective houses, where for the first time she could remember, the Slytherins and the Gryffindors were cool towards each other.
Louis cleared his throat. “I’m going to visit my mother. In America. See the girls. She just had a pair of twins, figured she could probably use some help. And you know, getting away from England. I need that.”
McGonagall set down the cup in her hand. “You’ll always be welcome here, Mr. Tomlinson.”
“Thank you, Prof...Headmistress.” Louis stood up and adjusted the sweater he wore. It was a dark red, warm and hand knitted. He brushed a hand down the gold ‘H’ on his chest, and tugged on the hem from where it bunched around his hips. . “I have to go pack. My flight leaves in two days.”
McGonagall stood as well and walked with Louis to the intricate door. She placed a hand on his shoulder. Louis swallowed and looked up at her. “I know you’ve been told this...too many times over the past few months. But thank you, Mr. Tomlinson. Really. For what you did, and how you’ve helped with Hogwarts, and the Wizarding World this past summer. You’ll always have a place here.”
Louis half smiled at her and nodded. He stuck a hand out and they shook hands, before Louis turned the golden handle and walked down the staircase.
On his way back to the dorms, Louis took the long way, through the courtyard and into the entryway to the Great Hall. He stepped out the big double doors and paused on the steps. It was balmy and about as warm as it would get. But it wasn’t raining, for once.
It had been, that night.
Rain had poured down as thunder rumbled overhead
.
It was almost ominous, or something out of the mystery novels Perrie pretended she didn’t read. Louis waited in the tower, nervous heat in his stomach. He gripped his wand in his shaking hand.
Harry was going to kill him, if he could even look at him after this. Not that they had talked much these past few months.
Deep within castle, Theodore Nott was letting in Death Eaters. They were filing in the Room of Forgotten Things. And he was the only person who knew.
Louis tapped his wand against his forehead.
What was he doing?
He was startled out of his thoughts when someone touched his shoulder. Zayn looked at him, his dark eyes narrowing in concern. Liam stood behind him, biting on his thumbnail.
“Louis?”
Louis reached up and grabbed Zayn’s forearm, his dull fingernails digging into the expensive fabric. “I fucked up, Zayn. I really fucked up. I don’t...Zayn, I don’t know how to fix this.”
“What did you do. Louis?” Liam took a step forward.
“He threatened my mother and the girls, he threatened you and Perrie, he said if I didn’t do it, he would torture everyone, he would make everyone suffer in front of me. I didn’t know what to do.”
“Voldemort,” Zayn said. Louis nodded and bit his lip. “Why didn’t you talk to me?”
“He was going to torture everyone, Zayn! I thought I could handle it, but people...people are gonna die, Zayn.”
Liam’s eyes went wide in shock. “What do you mean?”
Louis ran his fingers through his hair. “He was going to make me bring Death Eaters in. I tried to refuse, but...Theo took over. He’s letting them in. I should’ve stopped him, Zayn. Or I should’ve just done it.”
“Death Eaters? In the castle? We have to stop this!” Liam turned towards the door. “I'm going to get in touch with the Order.” He disappeared without a word. But Louis felt his anger on the other side of the wall.
Louis took two steps back until he hit the wall and sank against the ground. He was exhausted. He could feel the bags under his eyes and his sunken cheeks.
“That's not all.” It wasn't a question that came from Zayn’s lips. Louis shook his head.
“Over Christmas, when
he
found out Nott was doing this, he gave me another order. And he said if I didn't do this personally, he would make me kill my family.”
Zayn knelt in front of Louis, placed his hands on his knees.
“I have, I have to, Zayn, I have to kill Dumbledore.”
It was Zayn’s turn to grip. He dug his nails into Louis’ trousers. “Is he mad?”
Louis let out a sharp bark of laughter.
“You’re 17! And Dumbledore one of the most powerful wizards known to man! WHat does he expect you to do?”
Louis fisted his hair and rested his forehead on Zayn’s hands. “Fail, Zayn. He expects me to fail. To punish my father for the Ministry, to punish me for not stopping Harry, to torture us, because he can, because he’s mad. Take your pick, Zayn. He expects me to fail, and die in the process, or live so he can torture me. I don’t...I don’t know what to do.’
“Why didn’t didn’t you tell me? Or Perrie? Or Harry?”
Louis looked up at Zayn. Blue eyes met brown. Louis bit his lip. “What was I supposed to say, Zayn? To you? To Harry? You couldn’t stop him. And Harry...I can’t lose him, Zayn, and he would’ve hated me. He probably still will.” Louis swallowed around a sob.
Zayn rubbed his thumbs around Louis’ knees. “We have to fix this, Lou.”
Louis’ tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. “How?”
“I don’t know.”
There was a crack of apparition behind Zayn, and Harry stumbled in, supporting Dumbledore with an arm around his waist. The old wizard gripped Harry’s arm weakly. The concern that filled Harry’s eyes when they landed on Louis and Zayn curled into the corner. Zayn stood up first, before helping Louis to his feet.
Louis gripped his wand, his nerves turning to steel.
“Lo..Tomlinson, what are you doing here?”
Louis raised his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore. “Step away, Harry.”
“Louis, what are you doing! Put that down. Help me, we got to get him to Snape.” Harry reached out for Louis, who swallowed deeply.
“Zayn.”
The dark haired Slytherin scurried forward and tugged on Harry’s arm. “Come on, Harry.”
Harry pulled his arm away. “What are you two doing, help me!”
Zayn grabbed Harry’s shoulder and detached him from Dumbledore, before dragging him to the corner. Louis stepped forward, his wand shaking in his hand. He couldn’t look at Harry. He could only focus on Dumbledore, who in the absence of Harry, stumbled to the window for support.
“So, Mr. Tomlinson. This is your task.”
“How did you know?”
Dumbledore reached a hand out, palm facing Louis. “You don’t have to do this.”
Louis blinked and his eyes started to water. He felt Harry’s eyes on him. “He’s going to kill my mother. He’s going to kill the girls. He’s going to torture Harry. I have to. I don’t have a choice, don’t you see!”
“He set you up to fail, Louis.”
Louis choked back a sob. “You don’t think I know that?”
Harry struggled in Zayn’s grip. “What are you talking about, Louis? What is happening?”
Dumbledore focused his eyes on Louis. “Voldemort told Louis he has to kill me. But you don’t, Louis. We can protect you and your family. Just put down the wand, and we can help.”
Louis shook his head. “No. You can’t.” But his hand had a mind of it’s own and started lowering to his side.
Until the door opened with a slam and heavy footsteps came barging in. He heard Bellatrix’s maniacal laughter first, followed by Greyback’s howls. Louis whipped his wand. “
Expelliarmus
!” And Dumbledore’s wand flew to his hand.
“Kill him, boy!”
“Finish him! It’s what your Lord wants!”
“Louis, don’t do this. Please.”
“
Avada Kedavra!”
The last voice belonged to Severus Snape. It hit Dumbledore full in the chest, pushing the weakened man against the window ledge, before falling heels over head. He landed with a crash. Someone screamed. It took a minute before Louis realized it was him. Louis ran to the ledge and peered over. He saw Dumbledore’s body against the ground. Further on, a group of adults ran down the lawn, headed towards the doors of Hogwarts.
Louis felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped. He turned and collided immediately with Harry’s chest. Behind Harry, Zayn was testing the bonds wrapped around Bellatrix and Greyback, both Death Eaters groaning from gags.
“Come on, Louis, we got to go.” Harry tugged on Louis’ shoulder and Zayn joined them in the doorway.
“Where are we going?”
“You have to go away, Louis.” Severus appeared at Zayn’s shoulder. “Run. Hide. Find the Horcruxes.” The last part was directed at Harry, who nodded. “Grab your friends and run.”
Louis reached out and grabbed Severus’ hand. “Mother?’
“She’ll be safe. Now go. Harry can’t be found.”
With one last squeeze to Severus’ hand, Louis ran down the staircase, Dumbledore’s wand in one hand, his own in his holder. They rushed past Order members battling Death Eaters, students running to safety in classrooms, and bodies twitching on the floor. On the second flight of stairs, they found Liam coming up to them, a rucksack in his hand. Zayn grabbed Liam’s free hand and Liam turned on his heel and followed them down.
“Niall!” Harry shouted as he saw the blond, fighting a Death Eater, defending himself and Ginny behind a shield. “Come on!”
Ginny pushed Niall over to them, her bright blond hair reflecting the spells whizzing past them. “I got this, go!” Niall pressed a kiss to Ginny’s cheek and joined the group racing to find Perrie. They saw her in a classroom, guarding the door with Cho Chang, children behind them. Louis could hear them crying.
Zayn grabbed her wrist. “Come on, Pez, we’re leaving.”
“I can’t leave them, Zayn!”
Louis threw up the wand in his hand and cast a ward against the door. Only Cho would be allowed in. Everyone else could only leave. “I got them, Perrie, come on, we have to go. Now!”
The blonde ducked into group, grabbing onto Harry’s hand. The two trios hurried out the double doors and to the forest. They ran until when Louis looked back, he couldn’t see the Quidditch pitch or the Towers. “We can apparate, Harry.”
“Where?” Niall’s uncertain voice panted out. He was gripping Liam’s shoulder, stedying himself. Perrie leaned against a tree, fingernails digging into Zayn’s palm. Harry wrapped an arm around Louis’ shoulders, encouraging the shorter boy to lean against him. Louis stiffened a little.
“Grimmauld Place.” Harry’s voice was decisive.
Louis nodded. “Grimmauld Place. For now.”
Harry gripped Louis’ shoulder. Zayn went over to Liam, who pulled him into a hug. Niall and Perrie met up in the middle, holding each other’s hand.
And then they disappeared.
They started a year long adventure of camping and running and searching. They broke into the Ministry, they were possessed by a Horcrux. They were captured, and escaped with a house elf. They rode a dragon into battle.
And then they watched Harry die, and Louis hysterically laughing on the battlefield.