Chapter 1

My pulsed quickened as the sun set. My legs were itching to go, but I knew we couldn't leave until a plan was made. I paced from one end of the room to the other as they discussed meaningless plans. My thoughts were moving a mile a minute, to fast for me to keep up. My eyes darted to the clock. Every minute we talked was another minute towards failure. I noticed I wasn't the other one glancing at the clock. Why had I left you when you needed me most? Why did I leave you to battle him alone?

Artemis, finally having enough of just talking, stood interrupting whatever Lupin was about to say. "Why are we wasting our time talking? It isn't helping our chances. I suggest we fly over there and rescue him before we loss our chance. They aren't going to stay at that warehouse very long."

Suddenly the room became a flurry of movement. Each person gathering what they needed, picking up their wands. My footsteps echoed up the stairs as I lead the group out onto the street. I mounted my broom quickly and pushed off the ground.

We flew through the air fast as lightning; my anxiety speeding me in front of the group. Very soon the warehouse came into view. A few guards came into view as we edged even closer. I looked to my right, where Artemis flew. She looked at me briefly before nodding and diving towards the awaiting guards. I followed her lead and in a few minutes we had the guards sprawled on the roof unconscious.

I strode to the door about to open it when a hand fell on my shoulder. I turned quickly to see Artemis looking at me.

"Hayley, do not let your emotions take control of you. We need you as level headed and focused as you can be. Otherwise, you might as well stay here." Her voice was serious as she studied me.

"Artemis, I'll try my best to stay in control, but he is my brother. I can't promise my emotions won't take control, but I'm going in either way." I turned my back to her, opening the door and creeping down the stairs.

I stepped as lightly as I could, crossing the metal staircase. Below I could see several people in black robes moving around, talking with one another. A taller figure moved between them. His head was bald and he had a snake slithering along next to him. My anger spiked and I knew if I was down there I would have killed him.

The others crowded around me to look down as well. Neville's arm brushed against mine as he too looked over the edge. He must have felt my eyes on him for he instantly looked up. When our eyes connected, I felt my anger begin to slip away.

We were about to continue down the stairs, when a loud thud sounded behind us. I turned to see one of the death eaters, who had been unconscious, standing behind a now unconscious Seamus. I brought up my wand and sent a stunning spell flying at him. Sadly, before my spell hit he had yelled out "Intruders!"

Several people in the order rushed to the edge of the platform blasting spells at the death eaters below. I moved to where I could see what was happening and noticed the death eaters weren't even shooting at the people in the order. Instead they were shooting the bottom of the platform. My eyes widened as I realized what they were doing.

I began ushering people towards the stairs, but it was too late. The platform began to plummet through the air, speeding towards the ground. I reached towards the handrail as the impact knocked me off my feet. My stomach turned as the screeching of metal against concrete reached my ears.

The death eaters were closing in on us, preparing to descend. I brought my wand forward before yelling out the first spells that came to mind. Thankfully, two of the three shots hit their mark, knocking the death eaters onto their backs. I slid into the shadow, quickly surveying my surroundings. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were each now fighting a death eater and seemed to be winning. Voldemort was being preoccupied by several people from the order, and all of his death eaters appeared to be fighting someone.

My eyes continued to search for one specific person, though I couldn't seem to find him. I moved around the room continuing my search when the edge of a shoe caught my eye. I crept to the corner, wand ready, and stepped around. He was sitting on the ground and looked up the second the saw my feet.

"Hayley!" He cried silently as I bent down to untie the rope binding his hands and feet together.

"Harry, where is your wand?" I grabbed his hand pulling him up. He looked around the room quickly.

"There!" He pointed towards the opposite side of the room where a bleak gray door blended into the wall. "One of the death eaters took it in there."

I motioned for him to follow me as I crept through the shadows back the way I had come. We were almost to the door when I saw a spell come flying towards us. I cast a shield charm just before the spell hit. My eyes moved swiftly to the person shooting at us, Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Harry, go!" I yelled over my shoulder to him. I turned my full attention back to Bellatrix. She took a step towards me before yelling, "Crucio!" I rolled out of the way, a huge indentation where I had been standing moments ago.

She rapidly cast spell after spell. I tried dodging, but there were too many. I was propelled into the wall when one of her spells hit me. I cried out in pain as my head collided with the wall. I fell to my knees as my head spun and vision became blurred with tears. Her blurry figure approached me cautiously. I brought my wand up hiding it in the crook of my arm until she was so close she wouldn't be able to dodge.

"Reducto," I roared above the sounds of fighting. My spell hit her in the middle of the chest and sent her flying over several people fighting into a small group of death eaters.

My eyes roamed looking for someone who needed help. I saw Luna leaning against the staircase fighting Dolohov. I threw a spell at him temporarily distracting him and allowing Luna to finish him off. I jogged to her side moving around bits of debris.

"Are you okay?" I asked the second I got to her. She was breathing hard and looked very pale. She shook her head moving her hand from her side. I looked at the spot she had been covering to see a deep slash going down her side. I wasn't that great with medicine so I looked around hoping to find someone who could help.

"Tonks!" I screamed to her as she finished battling her opponent. I motioned for her to come over. She saw the blood on Luna's hand before I said anything. Tonks moved me to the side her wand already glowing. Seeing Luna in good hands, I found myself looking for someone else who might need help.

Turning my head, I saw none other than Draco Malfoy creeping up behind Kingston. I cast a curse, which barely skimmed over Malfoy's head. He spun around swiftly aiming a stunning spell at me. I brought up a shield rendering his spell useless.

"Serpantsortia!" I jumped a step back not expecting to have a snake after me. Thankfully, Mr. Weasley had seen the snake and immediately dispatched it.

"Finite incantartum." My spell missed Malfoy by barely an inch. We continued on exchanging spells until a rebounding spell hit him in the back of the head.

"Hayley!" I whirled around to see Artemis point behind me. I looked where she was pointing to see Voldemort escaping out an unnoticed door. Harry was right behind him, being slowed down by the battles going on around him.

The death eaters also noticed their leader leaving out the door and followed as quickly as their feet could carry them. I dashed after them knowing Harry would need the help. Everyone who could still fight was right behind me when we reached the door. On the other side of the door, the death eaters were expecting us. The second I stepped through the door I found my wand leaving my hand and was now unable to move. Someone had a hold of me and no matter how hard I fought and kicked he wouldn't let go.

I temporarily gave up trying to get away and turned my attention to what was going on around me. Most of us were being held by some death eater and whoever the death eaters couldn't hold were stunned.

A cruel, cold chuckle reached my ears. I turned to see Harry standing tensely in front of Voldemort. He appeared so calm. I wanted to hurt him. He was talking.

"Harry Potter, the boy who lived. I'm tired of always getting close to killing you and you magically escaping so let's make this interesting." I didn't like where he was going with this something told me this was going to turn very very bad. "Here's the deal. If you escape, I'll kill your sister, or one of your friends." Voldemort motioned for Ron, Hermione, and I to be moved so we were closer to him. Things were not going to be good.

Voldemort attacked Harry using the crucio curse. Harry leapt out of the way, but the curse instead hit Neville, who was being held right behind Harry. Harry and Voldemort exchanged spells back and forth for several minutes, neither was gaining any ground.

"Avada Kedavra!" "Expelliamus!" There voices echoed in the open air as the wand connected for the second time in their lives. The newer death eaters stared in awe at what was happening. The death eater holding me was one of the few new ones. I twisted savagely in his arms, and, caught by surprise, he let me go.

"Accio wand!" I shouted catching my wand as it flew at me. I turned to the death eater and muttered, "Stupefy." He fell with a gentle thump.

I glanced back at Harry, only glimpsing the side of his face before he rolled to one side. I pushed my way to the front of the group, seeing several craters, blood spatters, and other debris. I wanted desperately to help Harry, but when I looked at him I noticed something move behind him. My eyes focused on the movement and saw a death eater pushing his wand into Neville's temple.

Something glowing off to the side caught my eye. I gazed at it and smirked. Artemis had her wand in her hand and was aiming it at the death eater holding Ron. I concentrated on the death eater holding Artemis and at the same time she released her spell, I released mine. Both spells hit their mark and soon more and more people were being freed from the grasp of the death eaters.

I sprinted to the people who were stunned and used the countercharms. In no time, every Order of the Phoenix member had been freed. Harry, having been distracted, was now losing terribly. Voldemort moved forward his lips already forming his next spell when in a desperate act Harry cried, "Avada Kedavra!" I stopped in shock, unable to believe he had used that curse. The spell hit its mark and Voldemort fell.

Harry stumbled slightly, dropping his wand. "Sectumsepra!" A voice yelled. Then a second voice and then a third. "Sectumsepra!" Each time the spell hit Harry. He sunk to the ground blood pooling around him.

"Harry!" I ran to him my heart pounding in my ears. His breathing was ragged as his life's blood poured out around him. "Help! Tonks, Kingsley, Lupin!" My panic rose until I could hardly breathe let alone speak. People were crowding around me. Tonks and Kingsley were trying to attend to Harry's wounds.

"Enough!" Harry cried catching everyone off guard. "I'm done. I've done what I was meant to and now... I'm ready to go."

"What about your daughter? What about Rose?" I choked out through the tears pouring freshly down my face. I was trying my best to reason with him, but looking into his eyes I realized he just no longer had the will to live.

"Ginny will take care of Rose. Besides, you will be there. You can help her now that the world is safe again." His voice was getting softer with every word; his breath becoming weaker.

"I love you, Harry. Ginny loves you. Don't die now. Not after you've come so far. Not when the world is finally safe. Don't leave us!" I sobbed unable to just allow him to die.

"Goodbye Hayley. You were the best sister I could ever wish for. Tell Ginny and Rose that I love them, and I am proud of them." Harry's head lulled to the side as his eyes drooped closed.

Over the last several hours, a storm had been brewing, and now let its fury free. As the last breath, left Harry's body a lightning bolt struck down from the heavens making the Earth tremble with the grief of those left behind. Rain began to fall in bitter, cold sheets, washing away all the mud, dirt, and blood. The order had rounded up the death eaters and the ministry was on the way, but everything around me had become so… dreamlike.

The Darkest Hour Is Always Just Before Dawn Breaks.