Ron and Hermione run down the ramshackle remains of the great staircase. Debris lying at their feet, suddenly a figure came careering towards them. It was Harry, he grabed Ron's arm.

"Is it done?" Harry demanded with shallow breaths that hurt his heaving chest.

Ron held up the remnants of Helga Hufflepuff's cup.

"Just the snake left". Ron said smiling.

"Well done mate". Congratulated harry hitting Ron in the arm.

"It was Hermione actually. She was bloody brilliant." He said turning to face his bushy haired friend.

Hermione just blushed and smiled

"Well done Hermione. I knew you had it in you." Harry hugged his dear friend.

"I'm sure you did." She replied, smiling all the same.

Just then the head of a stone soldier came hurtling through the hall and almost knocked Ron from the staircase.

"Bloody hell! Talk about losing your head." Snapped Ron angrily.

"Begging your forgiveness little master" Replied the head when it stopped rocking back and forward.

Suddenly Ron was pulled down out of sight.

"Ok we have to go. I know where Voldemort is." Whispered Harry.

"Where, where is he Harry?" All colour had drained from her face.

"He is with Severus-" Harry began to explain.

Ron made to stand up.

Again, Harry pulled Ron out of sight "He isn't in the headmasters office! He is in the boat house."

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks but did not utter a sing word.

Harry turned and looked out of the door-less frame that once held magnificent oak doors.

The view was filled with flame and lifeless limbs, dust and blood mixed on the ground. Large giants twice the size of Grawp brandished clubs, while death eater's moved in clouds of smoke creating flashes of green light. And the dementors, they moved among the injured and tried to rid them of their souls.

Yet some fought on, Cho Chang cast a patronus over a first year Hufflepuff who lay trapped under rubble from the astronomy tower.

"We mustn't stop for anything!" Warned Harry.

The others nodded and quickly followed Harry in to the cobalt blue night.

They ran past groups of underage witches and wizards fighting the darkest sorcerers in the world. Harry was only slightly aware that Processor Flitwick was battling Rodolphus lestrange. He had also glanced that Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Cho where casting patronuses to protect those who lay unconscious. Suddenly Harry was forced to dive to the left behind one of the broken pillars from the nearby viaduct.

For a split second harry had wondered who had died when it was blown up, but now was not the time to be concerned for the dead. Now he must worry about the living.

He looked around in all the confusion for Ron and Hermione. Through the dust his eyes found them, Ron with his arm over Hermione's head as they hid inside a bell that had fallen from the clock tower and was no doubt levitated as a weapon.

Harry gestured for Ron to move, but Ron made a motion as if to swing a beaters bat. Harry looked up and there, just as stunned to find its self at Hogwarts, was a troll.

Harry looked around there was no way of causing a safe distraction that would not put others in danger. There was nothing for it they would have to run for it. Harry motioned this to Ron who intern explained it to Hermione.

It was now that Harry noticed Hermione had no wand. She had dropped it in her hurry to get to safety.

Ron and Hermione got set, then using the noise of an explosion they ran. Harry was in the lead when he heard Hermione scream "No!"

Harry turned and saw Hermione's limp body land on the ground at lavender Browns feet.

Fenrir Greyback launched at Lavender, his teeth still dripping Hermione's blood.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lavender screeched.

Fenrir Greyback crumpled to the ground mid leap.

Ron and Harry ran over to the young women.

Ron gently placed Hermione's head on his lap. Her eyes saw him but her lips couldn't express the words she wanted them to, the words she had waited so long to say. The words she held in every time they were together.

Had they really, only just, shared their first kiss only minutes ago?! Blood gushed from the wound in her neck. It drenched Ron's jeans.

He stroked her hair. "I know, I know you don't have to say it. I know." Ron whimpered.

Lavender's hand covered her mouth.

"Why would she do that?" Lavender asked through her fingers.

"One minute I was fighting a death-eater that way-" Lavender pointed behind herself without meaning to. "The next I turn around and she is …." Lavender indicated the outstretched Hermione.

Harry took Lavenders hand, "Don't Lav!" Harry and Lavender had been dating for the past two years, being away from her while he was in hiding had been hard enough. The idea that it could be him cradling Lavenders head as she died was too much to bear.

Lavender pulled away and shot a stunning spell across the quad to stop a death-eater from attacking them. Suddenly Luna was there, she knelt by Hermione's side.

Luna raised her wand, slowly, gently she waved it over Hermione. As she did she whispered in a sing song tone. "Palative, Palative Palative. Go to the great beyond. Palative Palative Palative. Where our loved ones are never truly gone."

Hermione's eyes closed and the blood from her wound stopped gushing.

A bolder headed straight for them Harry lifted his wand and just as it was inches away from them Harry transfigured it into a ball of feathers.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Before the battle, When Harry, Hermione and Ron were captured by snatchers and taken to the Malfoy manor.

When Hermione had been upstairs, tortured by Bellatrix, Harry and Ron had found Fleur Delacour dying in the basement.

Harry had met Fleur during the tri wizard tournament. She had come from Beauxbatons school as the French contender.

"Aidez" The sound gave them a fright.

Ron had clicked his putter outer. The room was light by a dull bracket torch that hung on the wall.

In the middle of the floor lay a pale body.

"Harry I think it's a person"

"'Arry? Arry Putter?"

"Flur?!"

Harry and Ron ran over.

"Arry, tiz you!" Fleur's lips spread into a faint smile.

"Mes amies" She whispered. Harry took Fleur's hand. Though it was not cold it lacked warmth.

Both young men sat there no notion about what to do next.

Screams sounded from above.

"What are they doing to her?" Ron asked standing up.

Harry looked at the scars that crisscrossed Fleur's body.

Suddenly Fleur became more lucid.

"Arry you must escape. Zere is too much danger ere for you." Worry creased her already pained face.

"Sh, Fleur we will all get out of here." Harry said squeezing her hand.

"No Arry, not me. You must leave zis place." Though her voice was weak there was a note of determination.

Harry smiled at her and tried to make her more comfortable.

"Harry I can't take this!" Ron covered his ears as Hermione's screams rang in the very walls that imprisoned them.

"Zave 'er Arry" Suddenly Fleur began to glow a glowing blue.

"Eh Ron mate." Harry called.

Ron stopped pulling on the bars that kept them trapped. He turned and saw the glowing aura.

"Harry what's happening?" Asked Ron as he kept his distance.

Harry let a loud gasp and the light entered him.