Nearing the End: Part 3

Disclaimer: I've borrowed some of J.K.R.'s characters, but I'll Scourgify them later and send them back.

Thanks go to my lovely, brilliant, reliable beta, Charmed Nay. Without her, I doubt I would have continued writing fanfiction all those months ago.

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"What's the meaning of this?" Molly asked, staring at the group of teenagers who all walked into the kitchen together. She looked over to Arthur. He shrugged uncertainly. "It's a bit early for you lot to be up, isn't it?"

"We've decided to get a spot of breakfast in before practicing," Ginny announced boldly, taking a seat near her father. Draco moved to help her settle her in, and when he moved away, she smiled brightly at her mother. "Something smells delicious!"

"Practice what?" both Weasley parents asked in unison.

"Oh, you know," Pansy added, "spells, enchantments, defensive jinxes..."

"For?" Molly asked, a worried expression settling over her face. "You don't think that any of you will be going tonight?"

"I will go," Draco said firmly.

"As will I," Ginny said.

"You most certainly will not!" Molly exclaimed. "What with a baby on the way and all. You'll be staying right here!"

"Nor do I feel that we should allow you to go, Draco," Arthur said as kindly as he could.

"You forget, sir, that I became of age last June. I am entitled to make my own decisions," Draco said respectfully. "I will redeem the Malfoy name and prove that we have washed our hands of the Dark Lord once and for all."

"Yes, well, even so... I strongly recommend that you stay here with Ginevra, as she's not going to be of age until August," he replied, looking at both of them. "And will be staying here."

"I won't," Ginny said confidently. "I'm going to go and fight alongside Harry like Ron would be doing if he were here. Would you tell him he couldn't go?"

"Well," Molly said, sounding harassed, "he went trailing after him last time and is now dead! I'll not be losing another... Oh, Harry, dear, don't look that way. I didn't mean..."

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry held up his hand, "I didn't ask for them to come. They've decided this on their own."

"I am going with him," Pansy said, stepping forward.

Hermione moved to stand next to Mrs. Weasley. "As am I. My place is with Harry."

"I am not certain," Dumbledore said, entering the room from the back exit with Professor McGonagall, "that Severus would agree."

Nodding politely, Hermione said, "Yes, but he seems to forget that I have been of age for well over a year, and though I don't need it, I have my mother's approval."

"Besides," Harry said cheekily, "Hermione's threatened to not make the Portkeys if she can't go."

Molly gasped. "Your mum is going to allow it after what happened?" She sat down across from her daughter and put her head in her hands.

"Mum," Ginny said, reaching across the table to hold her hand, "are you and Dad going?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"There it is then. We'll all go together." She smiled. "If I don't do this, I'll not be able to forgive myself. You know what the prophecy said."

"But that could be rubbish," Arthur said. He looked to the headmaster. "Don't you agree?"

"Oh, indeed. It could very well be," he said noncommittally.

"But that's not likely," Draco said, stating the unsaid words for him.

"No, young Draco, I don't think it is," Dumbledore said, conjuring extra chairs.

Draco nodded. "The visions showed us alive after Potter wins his duel... from what we were told."

"Yes."

Everyone looked to Molly and Arthur. The parents were gazing into each other's eyes as if holding a silent conversation. Suddenly, Molly sighed and nodded. Arthur turned to everyone. "All right, but we'll only agree to allow it if you carry Portkeys with you and get out of there if things get too... violent."

Busying herself with getting the food she'd prepared to everyone, Molly's expression hardened with determination. Nothing was as it should be any longer. War had hurt her family on more than one occasion. She'd lost her brothers and friends to Voldemort's followers the first time round, and she'd already lost a son and other close family friends this time. He'll not take any more of my children! she vowed, though Ginny's point about the prophecy and Draco's point about the visions did make her feel better. Perhaps they would do just fine.

She looked up to glance at Harry. He seemed quite confident about what would happen. What had changed things? Hermione's presence? The centaur visions? He'd been so badly shaken and hurt after the last confrontation, Molly would have wagered that he would have shied away from meeting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named again. His deep green eyes met hers, and the unfaltering smile he gave her melted her heart. This boy... this young man would win. He would rid the world of the man who'd indirectly ruined her family. She smiled back and motioned for him to sit down, scooping a healthy portion of eggs down into his plate first. He needed his strength after all.

"My, what a houseful!" Jane said, entering the room. "I thought I'd overslept, but it seems I'm the last one to wake."

"Have a seat over here," Minerva said, conjuring a comfortable chair for the woman. "Tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee please."

As breakfast progressed, others turned up: the twins, Bill and a fully recovered Fleur, Tonks and Lupin, Moody, Shacklebolt, and even Charlie. Hermione and the others went out back and began practicing different evasive enchantments, countercurses, and anti-jinxes. Neville joined them shortly after they'd started. After nearly an hour, Lupin came to them and told them that they'd all been invited to the Order meeting.

When Hermione made to pass him, he reached out and touched her shoulder. "A word please?" he asked politely.

"Of course," she said, not truly wanting to talk to Lupin. She didn't hold a grudge against him, but she didn't want to speak about her father at the moment. That would only lessen her determination and bring on sadness. Grieving could wait. Other things were at hand.

When they were alone, he said, "I just want to express how sorry I am for not doing a better job as an Order member and friend to you. I just..."

Hermione smiled. "I know that you and Tonks did what you could to save him." She patted his arm in hopes of comforting the forlorn man. "It's not like you and Tonks were off shagging while Nagini attacked my dad. The Healer at St. Mungo's said that if he would have been standing with him at the moment of the attack, he likely couldn't have saved him. Please don't blame yourself."

Lupin turned an even paler shade of white and simply nodded. "Th-thank you for your kind words, Hermione. Let us join the others."

For some reason, she didn't think that her words helped to soothe the fellow. She watched as he took his seat near Tonks, shoulders slumping as he whispered something to his lover. She, too, paled and eyed Hermione curiously. Hermione smiled, but received a blank stare in return.

Looking away from the odd pair, she gave her attention to Dumbledore, who was standing at the front center of the room. Nearly everyone quieted down in anticipation of the meeting, but Fleur's voice rang out suddenly.

"It ees what I 'ave decided, Bill. 'E ees the reason my sister is gone, my Gabrielle. I am going, and zat is final."

"We'll talk about it after," Bill said, cheeks reddening as he noticed everyone's stares.

"I theenk you will talk, and I will not listen."

Clearing his throat, Dumbledore began talking, likely hoping to avoid any more confrontations. "Everyone here already knows why I've called this meeting. Tonight we are going on the offensive and will bring the fight to Voldemort for what I hope is the final time." All eyes gazed at Harry. "I have every confidence that Harry is ready to do his part. Now, my friends, it is time that we do ours."

"We didn't have enough warning last time to truly help as we should have," Kingsley said, eyeing Harry. "But that won't be the case this time."

Everyone murmured agreement before Dumbledore continued. "Severus has left something in Miss Granger's possession that will enable us to know the exact location of Voldemort, and since she has been at this location, she can make Portkeys for us."

"How can we fully trust that You-Know-Who will not be waiting for us? What if Portkeys won't work?" Moody asked, eyeing Hermione closely.

"The Apparition site is outside the castle's grounds. I take it that nobody can just Apparate inside...even the Death Eaters. Portkeys do work from inside. I've seen them used before." She looked at all the faces...familiar ones and strange ones...before continuing. "He has no idea that we will be coming. I have faith in that."

"If you wouldn't mind, why don't you come up and draw a diagram of the grounds so that we can begin making plans," Dumbledore said, conjuring a blackboard and chalk.

"Sure," she said, nervously moving up to the front. "There is a great cliff all along the backside." She began drawing and explaining the grounds. The countdown to the battle had finally begun. Within eleven hours, they would be there... in the midst of a battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neville extended his hand to Harry. "This is it, Harry. We're going to stick by you and do what needs to be done."

Harry took his hand and shook it firmly. "You know, Neville, I never did get a chance to thank you for what you did for me back at Hogwarts. You avenged Ron..."

"And my parents," Neville inserted.

"Yeah, and you tried to help me with Voldemort." Harry smiled. "I'll always be grateful."

"You would have done the same for me," he replied. "In fact, you already have... many times over." Looking to everyone else, confidence and determination shining through his expression, he added, "Some of us might not live through this night, but as long as we win, our lives are worth it. It's time that V-Voldemort is destroyed once and for all."

Draco walked up and extended his hand. Neville looked down at it for a moment and then took it firmly. "Not bad, Longbottom," Draco said with a nod.

"Glad to see you with us, Malfoy," came the reply.

Hermione finished making the last of the Portkeys and sighed. "Okay, does everyone remember everything?" Her friends nodded. "Let's do this. Now, the few of us...Harry, Neville, Ginny, Draco, Pansy, and me...will Portkey into my old chambers that I shared with Severus and wait for a couple of minutes before leaving."

"Don't forget the Disillusionment Charms for your walk to the main hall," George said.

"Check," Ginny said.

"And don't forget the protective enchantments," Fred added.

"Done," Pansy said with a smile.

George took the box of Portkeys, saying, "I'll hand these out to the different groups."

"Going in from all different positions should really help with the surprise," Draco said, seemingly to reassure Ginny.

"I know. I just assumed we'd all go running in together. It seemed less... dangerous that way," she admitted. "Not that I'm scared, mind."

"We're all a little frightened," Hermione said, looking at her friends openly. "Even me. We don't know what to expect. Severus' parchment said that he was feeling nervous and apprehensive. There may be many Death Eaters there. We don't really know, so it wouldn't do to all go at them at once, enabling them to see us right away or get off some hexes or escape."

Dumbledore entered the room. "I trust that everyone is ready?" he asked, gazing mostly at Harry.

With a confident nod, Harry answered, "Yes, sir, we are." He pulled his wand out as if he were about to duel at that moment; everyone else quickly did the same...just in case.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, "remember to wait those couple of minutes in the chambers. We want Voldemort to see some of us first for the distraction." His gaze landed on Hermione. "See to it."

"I will," she agreed. She'd have to make certain that Harry didn't go rushing off. "Everyone has memorized every corridor and entrance that I put on our maps. We should be all right."

"Come. I'd like to make one final speech before we all take our positions."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus sneered, nudged the fallen man with his boot heel, and shook his head in disgust. "How dare you think to betray our Lord!"

The young man said nothing, only gazed back defiantly. One of the Death Eaters behind him spoke on his behalf. "Please, my Lord, he is my daughter's husband. Spare his life, and I will do what I can to make up for his treachery."

Noting that his Lord had risen, Severus quickly moved aside to allow him to pass. He hated that young Pucey had been found to be the spy that had tipped off the Order about Hermione's parents, but there was nothing that he could do to help him without jeopardizing his position. He'd spent the day making a very dark potion that his Master planned to use on Tonks and Lupin. He imagined that Pucey would get a goblet of it as well.

The Dark Lord circled Pucey once before making his way to stand before the boy's shaking father-in-law. "Nagini has been killed." He pointed a long skeletal finger towards the shaking boy. "He is at fault for warning them."

"Wh-what proof, my Lord?" the man asked nervously, cowing slightly at the rage in his Master's eyes. "I... fear someone has set him up. Surely he wouldn't have warned anyone about that dirty Mudblood's..."

The man abruptly ceased talking as Severus began to stride forward, wand raised menacingly.

"Snape, I didn't mean..." he stammered.

"Enough, Severusss," hissed the Dark Lord. "His punishment for questioning me will be to watch his daughter's husband suffer." He paused for a moment. "And then he will share the memory in a Pensieve with his daughter."

Severus nodded and held his wand at his side. It wasn't that the man had questioned his Master; it was that he dared to speak of Hermione in such a way. He would pay for that later.

"Crucio," intoned the Dark Lord darkly. As Pucey began writhing, though keeping relatively quiet, their Master gestured for everyone to kneel. When all were down, he released the hex. "Now, boy, is there anything you would like to say?"

Pucey's eyes met Severus' boldly. "You don't deserve her," he said slowly. "How could you let this happen to her?"

Severus' brow furrowed. Why would this boy care about Hermione or her family? "Explain yourself," he said quietly.

"No," came the impudent reply.

"Curse him," the Dark Lord urged.

Severus lifted his wand, but instead of casting an Unforgivable, he used his Legilimency to try to see why the boy was fond of Hermione and had tried to save her family. After a few flashes of his wife and other memories, he saw the one he wanted. It seemed that Pucey and Hermione had had a long talk, and the boy had been honestly impressed with her, obviously wishing her luck for the future. Quickly, releasing the spell, Severus gazed at him for a moment, aware that everyone was watching them.

He finally managed to regretfully say, "She has to be taught the ways of our Lord in whatever means possible. You should not have interfered."

"Correct," the Dark Lord said before casting another Cruciatus on Pucey. His slitty eyes settled on Severus. "I am satisfied with your assessment of things and glad that you understand."

Bowing his head in acquiescence, Severus closed his eyes and thought of Hermione. The Order members and select Aurors would be upon them within minutes. He hoped that she'd kept her promise and remained behind. He truly needed to keep his wits about him for the confrontation. There were many Death Eaters present, so it wouldn't be as easy as he'd hoped.

"What the...?"

Looking up, Severus noted that his Lord was gazing towards one of the entrances as if expecting someone to enter. Shite. He's placed Stealth Sensoring Spells upon the place. He knows we've been breached.

"On your feet, everyone, for we are not alone any longer," he said, flicking his wand to end Pucey's curse. Their eyes locked. "Severusss," he said, "Dumbledore has come. My sensors have detected him...among others. It appears that your concubine's memory might have been penetrated, and they were able to find us."

"No, my Lord, they did not tamper with her." He nodded to Pucey. "Could it be that he told them where we were located?"

Nodding, his Master said, "That could be." His expression hardened. "If it is the girl's fault, Severusss, I will punish her accordingly."

Severus nodded, raising his wand arm. "I will protect you, my Lord."

"It's been coming down to a confrontation with Dumbledore and me for a long time. I've never wanted to do it on his terms, but I fear the time is upon me." His cold smile sent chills down Severus' back. "He's weak because of your potion already, and after the last meeting with us, his confidence has likely faltered. He's old and will be defeated. Even so..." Motioning for the others to pay attention, he said, "Dumbledore has found us and thinks to take us by surprise. Do what you must to take him down and any that walk at his side."

"You can try," said the firm, cool voice of Albus Dumbledore from the entrance behind them. At that moment, several of the doorways filled with Order members and Aurors, all moving in quickly with wands drawn. "But I doubt you will succeed."

In the instant before fighting commenced, Severus noticed the shocked faces of his fellow Death Eaters and the fierce determination of the newcomers. He wondered where Potter was before a few hexes began circulating, nearly hitting him. He quickly began using Shield Charms for himself and his Lord so that it seemed he was still loyal. In the midst of things, he was able to disarm numerous Death Eaters without anyone being the wiser. It seemed that nobody dared to want to face the Dark Lord, aside from the headmaster.

Where the bloody fuck is Potter?

Once Dumbledore was finally able to make his way over, Severus noticed a change in his Master's demeanor. It was as if he truly did fear the older man. From the hard expression on Dumbledore's face, Severus could understand the man's fear. He was definitely a force to be reckoned with...no matter his age.

"Stand aside, Severus," Dumbledore said.

"Remain," the Dark Lord countered.

Severus had never been more confused in his life. Was Dumbledore truly wanting him to out himself? They'd spoken beforehand, and they'd mutually decided to keep his treachery a secret until the very end. He hoped that any Aurors would not interfere, but he doubted that they would know that he was doing as instructed only. It wouldn't be long before he was taken down in their attempt to aid Dumbledore... or Potter...wherever he might be.

"I will not stand aside, Headmaster," he said firmly.

"There you have it, Dumbledore. You thought he was your man, didn't you? All this time you'd hoped that you could trust Severusss." His cold, high-pitched cackle permeated the air. "He's my most trusted servant and most loyal advisor!"

With that said, the pair began to face off. Just as Severus predicted, more hexes were sent in their direction. He was grateful for them, as it kept him from truly interacting with the two men who both wanted his loyalty. Just as he was feeling better about things, the Dark Lord spoke the one word that truly made a difference to the battle's outcome.

"Potter!"

That's when everything changed. He turned to look in the direction his Master had indicated, and the breath was nearly knocked out of him. Hermione was at Potter's side...along with Draco, Pansy, Ginevra, and Longbottom. "Damn it!" he bellowed as a Stinging Hex caught him in the back. "Finite!"

The crowded room shifted somewhat as hexes were cast about, leaving an open path for Potter and the others to trek through to reach the Dark Lord. Dumbledore was busy fending off a few Death Eaters that had come round to assist their Master.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Potter taunted as he made his way forward, all of his friends helping to deflect hexes sent their way.

"Hermione!" Severus yelled furiously. "What is the meaning of this?" She wasn't supposed to be there.

The Dark Lord turned away from Dumbledore, confident that his followers could handle him as they'd done during the previous battle. "It appears, Severus, that she's chosen her side. She will pay for that." He used a room-sealing charm to make certain that nobody could enter or leave.

Longbottom, who must have had a protective charm on his person, began dueling with a nearby foe, and another quickly engaged Parkinson, causing Draco and Ginevra to stop and help her. Hermione and Harry found their way to them without any trouble.

"So... still alive then, Potter?" The Dark Lord snorted when Potter nodded impudently. "Not for long, boy. Not for long."

Both Severus and Hermione were thrown back as a magical sphere surrounded the Dark Lord and his nemesis, leaving enough room for the two of them to duel. As Severus stood, an orange jet of light hit him, and his arm felt as if it were on fire. Another light hit him, and his wand flew from his hand.

Eyes wide, he looked up to see Pucey towering over him. Somehow he'd managed to take someone's wand and had decided to use it against the Death Eaters...or against Severus at any rate. He lifted his wand once more, eyes alight with hate. "Ava..."

"No!" yelled Hermione frantically, flicking her wand. "Petrificus Totalis!"

The jet of light hit Pucey squarely in the chest, knocking him down in the process. Severus scrambled over to get his wand just as an Auror approached and tried to hex him. In self-defense, he sent a Slicing Hex at the inexperienced girl, causing her to drop her wand. "Stupefy!" he said as an afterthought.

"You fucking Mudblood!" Pucey's father-in-law bellowed at Hermione. "It was he who tried to help your parents!" He began to flick his wand, but the words of his spell never left his mouth as Severus collided with him physically, knocking them both down.

"You will die," Severus said furiously, hitting him and grabbing for the man's throat with his hands.

"Severus, no! Aurors are about! STOP!" Hermione shouted in a panic, trying to pull him away from the man before he snapped his neck as she'd seen him do to Rodolphus.

Severus shrugged her off of him, causing her to fall backwards. Only when she yelped in pain did he realize what he'd done and released his grip. He Stunned his foe and broke the man's wand before turning to assist her.

"Where does it hurt?"

"My ankle."

"A sprain," he said after checking it. He quickly healed it and pulled her up, gathering her close to him with one arm while using the other to defend them against hexes sent their way. "I will keep you safe."

"Not again, Severus, no," she said shakily. "I can't let you get hurt or... help him. Y-you will have to trust me on this."

"What do you mean?" he asked, releasing his hold on her to eye her warily. It was then that he noticed her wand was pointed at him. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Potter being flung backwards by a hex the Dark Lord sent his way, and at that very moment, his Lord noticed their altercation.

Thinking his most trusted servant was about to be captured by his concubine, he sent a Disarming Spell at her, knocking her over and flinging her wand back towards him, though he didn't pick it up.

"She has betrayed us, Severusss, betrayed you. Finish her," he urged.

Still shocked that she was about to hex him, Severus stood there staring at her blankly. She scrambled up, and realizing that she was wandless and facing the tip of Voldemort's wand, she called for her wand. It wouldn't leave the Dark Lord's magical sphere.

"No," she moaned.

"Hermione, run!" Potter yelled, shooting a hex at the magical barrier. It flickered, faded, and dissipated completely, but the magical repercussion sent the boy sprawling down on his side.

She ran to help him. "Get up, Harry. Fight him!"

"You remember what I said I would do with you, girl?" the Dark Lord asked. He lifted his wand and slashed the air in sharp jabs, sending a dull, cream-colored jet of light shooting towards Hermione.

Severus had been spurred into action a moment before that, already knowing that her punishment would be immediately meted out. He couldn't allow that to happen. Not to his Hermione. As if in a move practiced many times, he reached her in time to shove her and Potter aside and be hit by his own Lord's hex.

"Severusss!" the Dark Lord hissed furiously.

The last things he saw were a determined, angry Potter jumping up with a sequence of hexes from his wand and a crying Hermione, who had crawled over to clutch his body to hers. And so the centaur's visions have come to pass, he thought sarcastically.

"No, Severus, no. Don't you dare leave me..." she moaned. "Severus, I love you. I'm sorry."

Oh, how he wished he could return her words of regret and love. He felt her tears touch his cheeks, smelled the tangy scent of her shampoo waft down to his nose, and the world slowly went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you think you can truly defeat me, boy?" Voldemort asked incredulously.

"I don't think I can. I know that I can." Harry could hear Hermione's pitiful wailing and knew that he had to fight for her. For Snape. For Ron. For Gabrielle and Hagrid. For everyone that had been lost. "Accio Hermione's wand!" he called confidently, having practiced with her wand earlier. The wand near Voldemort's feet zoomed into his outstretched hand, and he positioned his body into a stance fit for a ninja wielding two swords.

A high-pitched cackle came from Voldemort. "You can't face me with one wand. Now, you think two will help you? So be it!"

" Locomotor Mortis!" yelled Harry, bravely starting the confrontation.

"Protego!" Voldemort said, neatly parrying the hex. "Such child-like hexes. Crucio!"

Harry dodged the jet of light and yelled, "Locomotor Voldemort's throne!" The chair that the Dark Lord favored slid closer. " Wingardium Leviosa !" It then rose up and hovered above them for a moment. Harry flicked his wand and sent it zipping towards Voldemort.

Just before it could collide with the surprised wizard, Voldemort yelled, "Reducto!" and the chair was blasted to pieces midair.

"Incarcerous!" Harry yelled, sending thin, snakelike cords from the tip of his wand to surround his opponent.

Laughing wildly, Voldemort turned the cords into tiny snakes and sent them towards Harry.

" Syysssethssykaasssss!" Harry said in Parseltongue, halting the small snakes. "Engorgio! Engorgio!" They grew into larger snakes and were directed back towards their maker with a few quick words from Harry.

As if bored, the Dark Lord directed them to attack a nearby Auror. "No snakes for us it is then, Potter." He quickly conjured another thick chair, which ran on its legs at Harry the moment Voldemort whispered, "Oppugno!"

Tripping in his haste to back away, Harry rolled to the side just as the chair ran by. "Incendio!" he called, quickly realizing his error, for he now had a flaming chair barreling after him. He stood and tried to move away. Hopping around to avoid Voldemort's continuous hexes and the fiery chair, Harry put the chair's fire out with a simple Extinguishing Spell, not realizing that the bottom of his robes had caught fire. He then sent a Tarantallegra to the chair's legs and watched as the smoking, charred chair danced away from him and into the nearby crowd.

After a few exchanges and near misses with Voldemort, he felt the fire of his robes burning against his flesh. He used a Flame Freezing Charm so that the fire would only feel like a warm breeze, giving him time to shrug out of his robes and dodge Voldemort's hexes when he could. With a minor stroke of luck, he hit Voldemort with a hex. Unfortunately, it was only a partial hit with a Severing Charm, putting a gash in Voldemort's face.

"You little bastard!" the man raged furiously.

"You're the bastard if I remember correctly!" Harry yelled, appreciating the extra time it gave him to completely shrug out of his robes and cast a quick Extinguishing Spell to stop the fire. Seconds later, Harry found himself upside down; it was obviously the curse Snape had created years earlier.

He immediately muttered, "Liberacorpus," and was dropped to the ground just as a Killing Curse flew towards the spot he'd been dangling from. Another jet of green light was headed for him, though he was still on the ground in a heap. "Mobilicorpus!" he yelled, pointing his wand at a nearby fallen Death Eater. The body moved in front of him just in time to take the Killing Curse. Jumping up, he shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Unfortunately, Voldemort had been in the midst of his own hex. The brother wands' hexes collided midair as they once had a couple of years prior.

Harry, however, didn't plan on waiting around to see which wizard had more determination, noting that Voldemort was already trying to force his wand's magic back against him. He flicked Hermione's wand and shouted, "Sectumsempra!" The powerful Slicing Hex hit Voldemort in the chest, flinging him back and breaking the shared magical hold on their wands. Harry ran forward, flicking both wands, but he was felled by a Tripping Jinx aimed at him from Voldemort's wand.

To his horror, the Dark Lord disappeared, causing him to jump up and turn around in circles anxiously. A sudden burst of pain exploded throughout his back, and his scar felt like it was cracking open. His first thought was that the Dark Lord had once again possessed his body, but then he realized that he was bleeding and had been hit by a hex. Voldemort was behind him and laughing manically as Harry hit his knees in pain.

Fawkes swooped down from out of nowhere and clawed at Voldemort's smooth, hairless head before vanishing in a burst of flames, evading well-aimed hexes sent by his prey. He reappeared over Dumbledore off to their right and assisted him with his foes, as was normal. The Phoenix was the first one to try to aid Harry in his fight with the Dark Lord during their entire confrontation. It was as if everyone knew to back off...Death Eaters, Aurors, and Order members.

"Fucking bird!" shouted the Dark Lord. "I'll roast you over an open fire!"

Harry spun around and shouted, "Impedimenta!" stopping the man before he could get off another curse. This spell hit Voldemort in the chest, and he was clearly surprised at his inability to dodge it. It was Harry who now had the upper hand. "Incarcerous!" He quickly stood, whooping for joy.

Voldemort was once again wrapped around with thin cords. However, in eerie sluggish motion, the cords turned from white to red and broke away, releasing the enraged wizard. "Finite," he said slowly, pointing his wand at himself. Both wizards were breathing heavily and bleeding from wounds. "You've been practicing."

"I have," Harry said.

"Why be Dumbledore's lackey? Join me, Potter. Together we could do great things. We'd never be stopped," Voldemort said, attempting to sway Harry. "I could show you ways to obtain an immortal life. We could bring back your parents."

"NO!" Harry yelled, using both wands to conjure imitations of the two Taurus statues that were in the corridor that led from Hermione's rooms to the hall they were in. Once the two white, marble bulls were at his side, he said, "Oppugno Voldemort," and directed them towards his adversary.

The bulls were charging the Dark Lord, but he easily deflected their rampaging with a few flicks of his wand. However, he didn't realize that Harry was moving in for a hex. Just as he banished both bulls from him, he was hit with a strong Blasting Curse, causing him to fly back and slam into the far wall. In a daze, he bewitched a few nearby goblets to pound at Harry's head to gain some time, but it wasn't long before they were thrown aside.

"This is the end for you, Potter. Crucio!" Voldemort said quickly, taking advantage of Harry's distraction.

Unfortunately for Harry, the hex met his body and quickly caused him to drop down to his knees in agony. He could hear someone yelling in pain and realized that it was he. "Arrggh!"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Voldemort asked scornfully, weakly getting to his feet and slowly moving towards Harry. "You should have taken me up on my offer. I'm afraid I shall have to rescind it now that I see how weak you truly are. For a moment there..."

Suddenly, the pain stopped. Harry looked up to see that his foe's narrowed, red eyes were trained on someone else. He quickly realized that Tonks had come round and was nearing him, but she was in the midst of a duel with a short, squat Death Eater.

"You!" Voldemort raged suddenly, flat nostrils flaring. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry took his chance and raised his wand. In the space of a few seconds, he saw Ron's head being cradled in Hermione's lap, Hagrid's happy smile as he waved goodbye to Harry for the last time, Gabrielle's shy blush as he kissed her, and Hermione's tear-streaked face as she held her dead lover. He hated Voldemort. Voldemort had killed everyone that meant something to him, and if he wasn't stopped, the killing and tyranny would continue.

"Die, you bastard! Avada Kedavra!" Harry shouted loudly, putting all of his hate and emotion behind the curse and watching as the vibrant green light shot out of the tip of his wand as if in slow motion, steadily making its way to its shocked recipient, who had turned around the moment he heard Harry's bellowing voice.

"Potter," Voldemort said just as the spell hit him. Eyes wide, mouth agape, the self-proclaimed greatest wizard of the age met his demise.

Pansy, who was running up to help Harry, paused as the green spray of light hit the man that had ordered the death of her father. In horror, she watched as a white blinding magic bounced back and hit Harry, causing him to fall and shaking the foundation of the castle.

"NO!" she screamed running forward. "Not Harry, too!"

The entire room shuddered with the force of the magic that had been released as both Voldemort and Harry fell. A large portion of the ceiling began crumbling and falling down on those below. Draco pulled her close to him just as a huge chandelier fell to the spot she'd been standing.

"All right?" he asked.

She nodded and smiled as Ginevra hugged her with relief. "Harry!" She pointed to the center of the room, which was being steadily rained with falling stones. In that instant, her heart nearly stopped beating. Harry rose from the wreckage, looking worn, but he was alive.

Harry looked down at the body of Tom Riddle and sighed with relief. It was over. Everyone had been avenged. Those still alive had been saved. Although he had to become a murderer to see it done, the Wizarding world would live peacefully... without the Dark Lord wreaking havoc.

As the dust settled and the building stopped crumbling, Harry looked around. Draco, Ginny, and Pansy had made their way to his side.

"You did it!" Ginny shouted triumphantly, hugging him and then breaking into a little crazy victory dance. "HE DID IT! HE DID IT! I KNEW HE WOULD!"

"All right, Potter?" Draco asked.

"All right," he replied with a small smile.

Draco took Ginny by the hands and joined her in her wild, nonsense dance, laughing happily, knowing that his family now had a chance to begin anew. The prophecy had been right. The seventh daughter of an old family line would be on the right side of the war, and their child would be one of the first born after the war. They would have a hand in changing things. Forging new alliances between families and people who had been enemies not long before.

Harry looked at Pansy expectantly and held out his hand. She took it, pulled it up to her mouth, and kissed it...another unlikely alliance coming to pass.

"You did it," she whispered.

"We all did it," he said, looking around. It seemed that the Order and the Aurors had been able to get most of the Death Eaters bound with magic with minimal losses.

"It worked out better than we imagined."

He pulled her to him roughly, picked her up, and spun her around, laughing happily. They joined Draco and Ginny in their victory dance, feeling the happiest they'd felt in a long time. Harry stopped when he spied Hermione, however, for she was still where he'd left her before he began battling Voldemort in earnest. She was rocking back and forth, holding Snape's head against her chest, crying, mumbling, and kissing his pallid face.

"Hermione," he breathed, releasing Pansy and moving towards his friend in hope of comforting her.

"H-Harry," she said as he neared. "L-look what h-happened... Mum was right..."

He stooped down, not knowing what to say or how to make things right for her. She'd lost nearly as much as he had in this war. The only thing he could offer was the coming years of peace, which he'd made possible by killing Voldemort. He opened his arms to her, but she refused him, shaking her head adamantly, clutching Snape even tighter. This was not going to be easy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unbeknownst to those who had just fought in the battle, there was a new image in the sky, not viewable by the naked eye. Far away in the constellation of Taurus, light shining from the bright star, Merope, and others in the group of stars known as Pleiades...or the seven sisters...was reflecting on some escaped gases of a nearby nebula. The image created was that of a lightning bolt, which looked much like the one on Harry Potter's forehead.

Reporters for the Daily Prophet, after conversing with an injured Auror, were already writing up recounts of the final battle and scanning pictures of the ghostly image taken with their powerful Wizarding telescopes. To put an interesting spin on things, they likened the bright star, Merope, to represent Tom Riddle's mother, Merope Gaunt, and decided that she'd made known the true victor...and the greater wizard...by helping to reveal the lightning bolt image in the sky before calling her devil's spawn home to her once he was defeated.

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Southern's Notes: Well, there you have it. I hope you saw most of the visions that Bane gave us in here. There will be another chapter to tie up some loose ends and then an epilogue...if all goes well on my end, which it should. I've not started writing the next chapter yet, but I will do so shortly.

I would really like to know what you thought of the duel with Voldemort (I had fun with that!) and of the chapter in general. Though Hermione had good intentions, I think she made things worse by trying to help Severus.

Cheers go to Titania for guessing that the image in the sky would be a lightning bolt, and I'd like to send cheers to JuneW for realizing that Tom Riddle's mum's name was Merope. Pays close attention to plot, that one.