Mayhem at the Ministry: Part 2

Thanks again go to my beta Drusilla. She is the greatest!

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Chapter 19 - Mayhem at the Ministry: Part 2

Snape spun around just in time to avoid the hex aimed at him and to return a Killing Curse at the offending Death Eater. His aim was as precise as ever, striking the man square in the chest.

He had killed so many of them already, and he was wondering where Harry-Bloody-Potter was, hoping that wherever the hell he was, he was preparing to kill off the pain-in-the-arse poor excuse for a Dark Wizard.

The only Death Eaters remaining in view were the younger, less experienced members of the Dark Lord's army; thankfully, all of the senior members were already dead or unconscious. Severus found that it was getting rather monotonous and boring, and he just wished that the War would end. His battles were starting to become like taking candy from a baby.

The only two Death Eaters that he yet to encounter were the ones who were probably directly at Voldemort’s side on a higher level of the Ministry building. Grumbling, he stunned another Death Eater from across the over-sized foyer and spotted Hermione as she bound another on the ground. 'That's my girl,' he uttered under his breath, but stopped short.

Bellatrix came out of the shadows and approached Hermione from behind. 'Hermione, watch out!' he bellowed across to her.

He watched as his beloved turned just in time to avoid a slicing across her back, and instead, took the blow to her shoulder. He heard Bellatrix laugh as she stumbled slightly with the pain, although Severus could see that she did her best to disguise it.

He Stunned and hexed as many of the Death Eaters as he could, intending, when his path was clear, to assist Hermione. He looked up just in time to see Draco Malfoy fall at the wand of Bella. His stomach wrenched at the sight of the innocent young man falling, and he dropped his eyes to the floor for a fraction of a second as a mark of respect.

'Avada Kedavra!'

Severus’s head jerked towards the voice, immediately thinking the worst, but instead, it was not Hermione falling to the ground, but her opponent. He watched, stunned, as Bella's body hit the ground with a satisfying thud.

'Sweet Merlin, she did it,' he uttered to himself softly, looking at Hermione as she towered over the fallen body of her opponent, her mouth pressed in a thin, confident line.

After recovering from the initial shock, he went straight to her and soon had an armful of crying Hermione, who muttered inanities into his robes, sobbing. Snape held her and stroked her hair gently, whispering soothing words, and for a moment, it seemed as if it was just them and nobody else. 'It's alright, my brave little lioness. You did the right thing,' he crooned softly.

'I know. I j… just scared myself. I think I actually enjoyed that to some extent. Too much,' she replied honestly, ducking her head in shame.

She finally let go of him and wiped the tears away. 'I'm sorry. We should go. I have to find Harry. I said I would be there with him when it… when he destroys Riddle,' she apologised.

'Fine, we'll go find our saviour,' he teased lightly, pointing his wand over his shoulder, and wordlessly stunning a passing Death Eater.

Hermione managed a weak smile for his efforts and held onto his free hand as he cast a strong shielding spell around them both. As long as he was alive, he would be the one protecting her. They walked in silence to the top floor of the Ministry building together, hexing as many Death Eaters as they could and running into various Order and Ministry members along the way.

They heard a scream and hurried towards it. Voldemort had Harry at his mercy, writhing around on the floor like a maniac, shrieking in pain and calling out his parents' names. Instinctively, Hermione began to rush forward to aid her friend as he screamed in agony, but Snape held out an arm and held her back. 'You're no use to Harry dead, Hermione,' he said rationally.

Hermione stopped struggling in his grip and conceded reluctantly, standing by watching her best friend enduring such torture.

'This is how the Dark Lord works, Hermione,’ Severus explained gently. ‘He uses the ones you love against you in his own personal vendetta to have revenge on his Muggle father. He doesn't have a heart, so he doesn't feel anything for anyone, ' he said hatefully, resting his hands on her shoulders.

He touched his wand to her bleeding shoulder, closing the wound in an instant. 'It is so simple, sickeningly brilliant, and people fall for the same tricks every time,' he added.

Hermione closed her eyes as Harry's cries became louder. She couldn't watch. She curled into Snape's embrace and put her hands over her ears. 'I can’t watch this,' she said with an escaped sob.

The cries suddenly subsided, catching them both completely unaware.

'Expelliarmus!'

They didn't have a chance. Snape's wand flew out of his hand in an instant and fell at the feet of the Dark Lord, all in the space of a few seconds. Hermione gasped, and her eyes flew open just in time to step away from Snape and see Harry getting groggily to his feet. Voldemort began to walk towards them.

'Hermione, get behind me,' Snape ordered Hermione in an urgent whisper.

Hermione quickly looked between Voldemort and Snape and could only see violent electricity between her beloved and his former master. However, Snape didn't have a wand. 'I won't. You don't have your wand,' she answered, silently aware of Harry slowly approaching from behind them.

She didn't have any time, however, to spare another thought, because no sooner had she thought about the danger of the situation than Voldemort had yelled 'Crucio!' with his wand aimed directly at her. She doubled over with the pain and fell to the ground, writhing in anguish.

Snape held up a hand and bellowed 'Expelliarmus!' at Voldemort, whose wand then flew straight into his hand. He quickly used it to end the curse on Hermione with a clear 'Cruciata!'

Harry joined Snape at his side. Snape handed Harry Voldemort's wand, which Harry immediately aimed at his torturer. The Dark Lord still seemed to be in shock that he had been disarmed by a mere Potions master.

'You… you couldn't possibly. How? Wandless Magic, Snape?' he stammered as Snape raised his hand to him once more.

'Pathetic!' Snape spat. 'Without your wand, you're nothing, you miserable excuse for a wizard. You honestly were just wasted potential. You could have been great, and you threw it all away. And for what, exactly? Petty revenge? At least I now have something to live for.'

'And what's that, Severus?' the monster replied.

'Love,' he said simply, turning away from him and looking at Harry. 'Finish him, Potter.'

'With pleasure,' Harry sneered hatefully.

He stepped forward and raised the wand to make the final blow, but was too late. Voldemort had his hands inside his robes fast, withdrawing a knife and throwing it at Hermione. The knife hit her in the side, puncturing her lung, just as she was clambering to her feet after being Crucio’d

'That was for you, and your love, Severus,' he spat.

Hermione stumbled, looking down, her vision spinning in and out of focus as the blood drenched her robes. It coated her fingers as she grasped desperately at the knife. She yanked it out of her side with her last remaining energy and fell, once more, towards the ground. She felt Snape catch her in his arms before she hit the ground. She heard him whisper to her, ‘It’s alright Hermione. Stay with me, please, love. Just hold on.'

She tried to reach up and touch his face, to reassure him that she was fine. However, all she could see was a blur, and no matter how hard she tried, her fingers would not reach. She felt as if she were falling away from him. 'Severus...' she spluttered.

The last thing she heard, before her world went black, was her name being called out, a high-pitched laugh, and then two male voices boomed in unison, 'Avada Kedavra!'