"Harry Potter… is dead!" Voldemort's shrill taunts earned a deathly silence among the Hogwarts students who stood at the steps of their beloved school. They hung their heads in disbelief, grieving their loss but accepting their fate. Except for a student, hovering behind the crowd, whose name wizards and witches around the world feared – Draco Malfoy.
"From this day forward, you put your faith in me, Harry Potter is dead!" Death Eaters erupted in cheers of joy at these words, they no longer had to serve their master in fear of Azkaban. They would help their Lord transform the world into a muggle-less place, just as it should be.
The dark lord faced the horrified students, "And now is the time to declare yourself, come forward and join us…or die!" Once again, the battlefield fell into silence.
"Come Draco, Draco" Whispered Lucius desperately.
Draco looked at his parents across the field, holding out their hands, beckoning him to join them. They disgusted him, the way his parents slaved for the Dark Lord.
"Draco, please – come." Narcissa called out, with slight urgency. By this time, all eyes were on him. He looked back at the people he'd grown up with for 7 years. Draco could see their eyes pleading for him to stay, giving him one last chance to correct his mistakes.
"No." Draco spoke, the authority evident in his voice.
"No?!" an exasperated Lucius shouted.
"ENOUGH!" Voldemort called for silence once again. "Anyone else?"
To everyone's surprise, Neville stepped forward. This resulted in mocking laughs from the Death Eaters.
"And what is your name?" Voldemort asked.
"N-neville Longbottom" Bellatrix sneered at a quivering Neville.
Once the laughter had died Voldemort spoke; "I suppose we can find a place for you with us, in our ranks – "
"I'd like to say something! Neville called, stopping Voldemort in mid-sentence.
"Doesn't matter that Harry's gone, people die every day! Friends, family..yeah. We lost Harry tonight, but he's still with us! (Neville gestured to his heart) In here. So is Fred, and Remus, Tonks, all of them. They didn't die in vain! (He turned to face Voldemort) But you will, because you're wrong! Harry's heart DID beat for us, for all of us! And it's not over..."
Neville pulled out the sword of Gryffindor from the sorting hat, as Harry, taking the end of Neville's speech as a cue, jumped from Hagrid's arms. Harry Potter was alive! Voldemort's face contorted with rage.
"Confringo!" Harry shouted, the spell directed at Nagini as he ran towards the inside of the castle, dodging spell after spell.
The war was not over yet.
"Come back and fight, FIGHT!" Bellatrix yelled at the retreating Death Eaters. Soon Voldemort would be standing with only a few loyal Death Eaters by his side. He needed to end this, and fast.
Meanwhile, the students and teachers hurried into the Great Hall to take cover. It was all happening too fast, but they didn't complain – there was still hope.
Harry hurried over to Ron and Hermione as Kingsley covered them, "We've got to kill the snake!" He called desperately.
Neville lunged towards Voldemort and Nagini, with the sword gripped in his hands however Voldemort was faster. He shot a spell towards Neville, causing him to be thrown backwards and into the castle.
"Neville!" called Hermione as she rushed to his side, Ron following behind her, keeping his distance. Harry's eyes never once left Voldemorts as he disapparated with Nagini.
Draco Malfoy stood in the middle of the Great Hall, staring at the scene unfolding in front of him. He had seen Neville take the curse and fall to the ground, he had heard Hermione's cry. Draco so badly wished he could help but they thought of him as a traitor, a Death Eater. They would never let him anywhere near them.
"Neville, Neville get up! Please, please!" Hermione screamed at Neville's weak body. Her pleading made no difference as he said his last words.
"H-Hermione, t-tell Luna that I-I Love her, t-thank you for being m-my family." Slowly, his heart came to a stop.
Hermione's sobs filled the room as she was forced away from the corpse. The war hadn't ended and they needed her, but she didn't want to fight.
Nobody noticed Harry slip out of the room.
"Well, well, well…what do we have here? Is it really Harry Potter without his petty little friends to help him?" Voldemort whispered in Harry's ear, making him freeze.
"Is it Tom Riddle without his petty little Death Eaters to help him?" Harry bit back. He turned to face Voldemort, quick enough to see the look of shock on the Dark Lord's face.
"How DARE you!" Voldemort shouted as he raised his wand towards Harry's heart. "Tonight, you will die. And I Shall be the most powerful wizard…of all time." A sly grin spread across his face as he yelled "AVADA KED-"
"EXPELLIARMUS!" A red jet of light erupted from the tip of Harry's wand, just in time to collide with Voldemort's green.
By this time, the commotion had gotten the attention of everyone in the Great Hall as they came pouring out to see the duel. They silently formed a circle around the pair. Some were crying as they begged Harry to win, some looked away in horror, not wanting to see the outcome.
What happened next, no one expected. An unnerving shriek, belonging to Bellatrix, pierced the tense blanket surrounding the circle.
Bellatrix forced her way through the huddle and into the middle.
Harry couldn't duel two at once, the Dark Lord already proving a struggle. He needed help desperately, but couldn't look away from his battle. He didn't want anyone else dying if they came to his rescue.
"Prepare to die, Potter!" She aimed her wand at Harry and yelled "AVADA KEDAV-". Bellatrix was hurled to the ground by a very angry looking Draco Malfoy.
"GET OFF ME, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Screamed Bellatrix, furious at being attacked.
"What I should've done long ago…" Draco pointed his wand at her chest and shouted "STUPEFY, STUPEFY!"
Bellatrix tried to move away from under Draco but the force of the spells had caused her to be on the very brink of death. This was a distraction to Voldemort as he looked away for not more than a second, but it was a vital second and a horrible mistake.
Harry had gained more time and the spell inched closer towards Voldemort. That's when he remembered. Voldemort had 1 more horcrux remaining; no one had killed the snake!
"DRACO, THE SWORD NEAR NEVILLE! KILL THE SNAKE!" Harry shouted, he was desperately hoping that Draco would listen.
Just as Harry called out to Draco, Ron and Hermione joined the circle, the sword of Gryffindor in their hands. They'd done it, they had killed the snake. Voldemort was now mortal.
"It's not me who will die tonight! It's YOU Tom!"
It had gone on for too long, with one final go, power surged through Harry. It had happened so fast that nobody knew what had happened. Just as quick as the duel had begun, it had ended. Both Voldemort and Harry lay lifeless of the ground, no sign of life in either.
Bellatrix screamed with what little life she had left and pointed her own wand at her chest. "Avada Kedavra" She whimpered.
Ginny Weasley rushed forward to Harry, holding him in her arms. "Please Harry, you can't leave us now." She whispered to him, trying to remain calm.
"I know Gin, and I don't intend to" Replied a feeble looking Harry.