The Battle To End It All

It was around ten a.m. when everyone had awakened, had a bit to eat, and stood ready and as prepared as they were going to get.

"Now, as everyone knows, all of this depends on whether I can convince the Dark Lord it's not a coincidence that I'm reporting this supposed duel practice. Everyone is to take their places and actually appear to be dueling. And when I warn you via the Protean Charms, DO NOT appear to pause or otherwise acknowledge it. From that point on everyone had best remember their instructions for safety. Harry, as you will be protected underneath your cloak, I must stress once again that you keep your mind on the Protean charm, and make sure no one bumps into as you make your way to the Dark Lord. I will wait fifteen minutes before I go to a place that is suitable to lure the Dark Lord. Good luck," Severus said with a curt nod, and he swept out of the room to get his Death Eater garb. Everyone else filed out of the room, and one by one, the Order of the Phoenix Apparated to the field that a few years ago had held the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago.

~{}~

Severus tensed when he arrived at the meadow. He looked all around him, as if checking to make sure none of the Order had followed, before he lifted his sleeve and touched his wand to his Dark Mark. To do such a thing without a vitally important reason could mean death for even the most respected Death Eater. Moments later, Severus looked around as he was suddenly surrounded by Death Eaters. Twelve of them enclosed him in a tight circle and assessed him before one of them finally slashed a wand through the air. With a deafening bang, Lord Voldemort arrived, looking very peeved. He waved his wand swiftly, removing Severus' mask at the same moment that Severus knelt before him. "My Lord."

"Severus. It's not often one of my Death Eaters summons me. Few have lived after doing so. What could possibly inspire you to risk your rank and your life?"

"My Lord," Severus said, still kneeling since Voldemort had never bidden him to stand, "I have asked you here to share with you the Order's plan. After your wonderfully planned attacks against the Ministry, the Order was in an uproar. They immediately started to plan ways to prepare themselves for a coming battle, which they were determined to bring about sooner rather than later. They are now, even as I speak, practicing their skills of war – as they call it – in the field where the Quidditch World Cup was held the year you came back to us. The WHOLE Order, my Lord! I felt it would be stupid of me not to warn you. They assume that they've taken every precaution. But the wards around the field are nothing against your skills. I was thinking, if I might be so bold, that now might be the time to give them their wish. Let's go to war and wipe out the Order and those who stand with them once and for all, my Lord!"

Voldemort's face revealed nothing as he motioned for Severus to stand before him and proceeded to invade his mind. Voldemort's eyes glowed red as he watched what Severus had "seen" at last night's meeting after the attacks. The Order, rashly discussing their options, planning their "practice session," confident that they would be safe with the most basic of protection charms around them since the practice session would be so last-minute. Then the Dark Lord noticed Severus' own emotions, triumph and satisfaction as he rushed to alert his Dark Lord. Voldemort released his intrusion into Severus' mind so abruptly that the latter staggered a bit before falling back to his knees. Everyone in the circle was quiet while the Dark Lord stared at Severus, thinking.

Just when Severus was sure he was found out and was about to die, Voldemort bade him to stand with his brothers. "My, my, Severus. This is fortuitous indeed. And I agree with you. I do so tire of toying with those do-gooders, those Muggle-lovers. Yes, let's bring an end to their existence and show the Magical world that we are not to be reckoned with. The Ministry is weakened, thanks to your work. The Order is vulnerable. Let us summon the rest of the Death Eaters, and we shall bring and end to it. We leave as soon as they arrive," he said, summoning Severus and the others around him to explain what he wanted them to do.

~{}~

The Order members were on pins and needles on the inside, but agreeably, on the outside they were doing a smashing job of not showing it. All together there were over seventy members, ten of which were clutching Protean Charms to summon the Aurors, and anyone else who would appear at a moment's notice, to battle. Harry was breathing fast as he practiced keeping himself hidden among the others, weaving to and fro but always making sure to pay attention to the Protean charm that would warn him and the others that the Death Eaters were on the way.

Just when most of them were beginning to think Severus had died, the Protean Charms burned warm in their hands and they tensed mentally. The ten Messengers sent out the message for reinforcements, the charmed coin telling them to show up in ten to fifteen minutes. This was the plan that had been agreed upon to keep the Death Eaters thinking the Order was overwhelmed and simply somehow calling out for help.

There was loud series of pops as Death Eaters, hundreds of them, appeared all around. Some stood just inside the tree line, casting protective wards in preparation for the Dark Lord's own arrival. The moment the shock of the battle's actually beginning wore off, the Order sprang into position and started battling fiercely with the Death Eaters. Moments before Voldemort appeared, Aurors and other wizards and witches started arriving to help the Order fight. Some arrived too late, and the Dark wards that were finally in place for the Dark Lord kept them at bay, giving the Death Eaters an edge as the Order fought to get through the wards. Voldemort watched with a bored look on his face as Death Eaters fell all around him, only showing an ounce of emotion when he witnessed the fall of an Order member or two as well.

Severus, confident that his moment had arrived, said a prayer to Merlin, stripped off his cloak, and Apparated into the fray, his subsequent actions clearly stating that he was with the side of the Light. One, two, five Death Eaters fell at the flick of his wand, plainly shocked to see him fighting against them. Voldemort's eyes flashed red when he witnessed the fall of the seventh Death Eater, and then Severus smirked at him and nodded briefly before continuing to fight.

Severus, when he wasn't defending himself against oncoming spells, was slowly bringing down the wards around the Dark Lord, who had now joined the fray and was working his way toward Severus.

Harry, meanwhile, dodged bodies as they fell before him, keeping his eyes on Voldemort and slowly making his way forward each time he was given the go-head via his Protean charm.

Molly Weasley, Disillusioned, sat fretfully on the sidelines as she concentrated on the Protean charm linked to Harry, waiting for the right moment to get everyone out of there. She refused to look at the battle in front of her for fear she would miss the notice and kill everyone.

Remus, Hermione, and Ron now fought side by side as they advanced on the left side, Moody having fallen minutes before.

Luna Lovegood, who at first stood not far from Molly and was also Disillusioned, was dizzy from all the Apparating. She popped in and out of the battle, crouching over fallen comrades long enough to grab them and Apparate back to the Manor to deposit the wounded and then returning to help anyone else who was hurt.

With sweat pouring down his face, Severus almost sighed with relief as he brought down the last ward and messaged Harry to finally do his job. Harry, whose heart was beating fiercely, walked up behind Voldemort, raised his wand and the potion bottle with it, and quickly sent the message to Molly to get everyone out of there.

The Death Eaters paused, some of them noticing the bottle and trying to bring it down. Then suddenly every innocent wizard or witch was gone. The Death Eaters looked toward Voldemort and the bottle. Then as Harry disappeared, the bottle fell with a mighty explosion that even Muggles would notice.

~{}~

A mere fifteen seconds after being whisked by Portkey to a location several miles away, the field that was now littered with bodies rang with the sounds of pops all over the place as the Order and Aurors and other witches and wizards Apparated back to the scene to help contain it. Harry, arriving now in the open, walked up to the body of Voldemort, picked up the Dark Lord's fallen wand, and snapped it into pieces. Then Harry's wand flashed, and Voldemort's dead and mangled body burst into flames before their eyes. The cheering was riotous as others followed suit, some to celebrate the end, others merely to help get rid of the bodies.

The whole area looked as if it had been hit by a massive meteor, which was exactly what the Muggle Prime Minister would be telling the Muggle public. Aurors had even duplicated pieces of rock to put there as "evidence" so none of the Muggles who came to investigate would suspect the trickery.

As the scene was brought under control of the Aurors and a few Ministry officials who had not been present at the Ministry the day before, the Order members left the scene and went to check on family and friends who were now being treated at the Manor.

~{}~

The mood at the Manor was bittersweet. The injured were placed on beds in the foyer, the sitting room, the dining room... anywhere a cot could be placed, really. The dead, however, were laid on beds in the ballroom, some of them covered in sheets if their distorted bodies were too graphically injured for family to see. Many people had died, including, Moody, Hestia, nine Aurors, and Percy Weasley. Hermione cried with Molly and the other Weasleys as they paid their respects, wiped their eyes, and talked about what kind of service they should plan and how soon.

Severus, seeing that he was in the way more than anything, decided to retreat to the potions lab after a quick check on how the healing potion supply was holding up. Working on potions is the best I can do to help... everyone, thought Severus as he retreated below.

~{}~

A few hours later Hermione arrived at the lab. Unnoticed, she watched Severus work for a few moments. Finally she cleared her throat and walked into the room, stopping before him. They stood there just looking at each other for a minute before they finally succumbed and rushed at each other. Their kiss was exquisite as their every emotion showed through: how happy they were to be alive and together, how scared they'd been, how much they truly loved each other. When at last they pulled apart to breathe, they rested their foreheads together, their arms still wrapped firmly around each other.

"I was so scared for you, I didn't dare look your way," huffed Severus.

"I was scared, period. The moment you revealed yourself I thought surely the Death Eaters would gang up on you and kill you in seconds," replied Hermione.

"They were too scared of me before; to think I was truly an enemy, they wouldn't have dared. I was more concerned about Voldemort," he remarked, raising his hand to trace her neck.

"We made it, Severus, we're together, and alive!" she breathed as she shifted and buried her face in his neck, tears leaking down her face.

"Yes, Hermione. My Hermione, we made it," he whispered sweetly as he waited patiently for her tears to stop.

When the last tear had fallen, Hermione looked up into his eyes and stared at him for a moment before saying with a slight smirk, "So, if I'm right, you went into battle assuming you would die. What noble thing did you leave me in case you had died? I want to watch you destroy it," she said, smiling when his face revealed that she'd guessed correctly.

Recovering from her observation that was so out of the blue, Severus let her go and went to his desk to retrieve his potions book. When he sat down on a stool and she did the same, he held it up. "In this is every potion I have ever personally created, modified, or studied. I can't just let you destroy it. But I will let you read what I've written for you. But not now – some other time might be more fitting, I think," he said, flicking his wand and vanishing the book to a safe place where she couldn't get to it.

Hermione pursed her lips and tried to Accio it back, but to no avail. "What are you hiding from me, Severus Snape?"

He grabbed her wand and laid it on the table, then held her hands in his. "There will be time enough for me to share that with you. For now, we need to discuss a few things."

A/N: Muhahaha... I'm approaching the end, and I'm psyched!

I think... there is one more chapter to go before the end. I may also have an epilogue... or the finale chapter will be one as well as the ending... not sure, but I have started chapter 22! Please please please review. I'm so nervous about this one; was it too short? Did it happen too suddenly? I can't think of a thing I would change... Okay, I will stop rambling and let you review lol... *HUGS* EchoLynn