AN: I'm still working on Ten Years but this plot bunny wouldn't stop thumping around in my head so I decided to appease it a bit and just work on both stories. I also rarely write in first person but decided to give it a go, don't judge me too harshly.

Thanks to my beta, and good friend, Evvy.

I look down at the dark wet grass and it takes me a moment to realize it's soaked in blood, and that I am now covered in it. I find it hard to care, though, because Harry is gone so what does it matter? My own blood would probably soon be joining it and there was no reason for me to panic and try to get it off of me. I'm wandering aimlessly among the dead and still fighting, most had given up and left after Harry and Neville's deaths but the ones who remained behind fought with all they were worth knowing that this was the last stand and if they left they would all just slowly be hunted down and killed anyway. That was no life worth living, I knew it, they knew it.

It didn't take long for someone to notice me, it was a surprise though that it ended up being Voldemort. It was like a cold bucket of water drenched me and I snapped out of my daze, how could I have been so selfish? I wasn't the only one who lost loved ones today and I just gave up that fast. Immediately I felt shame coursing it's way through me, Harry was gone but so what? Why did it have to be Harry who kills Voldemort? The only Horcrux left was Nagini, I could have escaped and rallied a small group of survivors to at least attempt to destroy his Horcrux. At least that way he would be mortal again, it would have been a matter of time before he died from natural or unnatural causes.

"Potter's mudblood." The cold words brought my attention back towards the vile creature who had taken so much from me. I felt a wave of disgust and hatred for him that was so strong it surprised me, I didn't know I could feel these vile emotions so clearly. They were burning through my very being and were destroying whatever pity or forgiveness I could have lent to this monster or any of his minions.

"Tom Riddle." My voice came out mockingly as I called him by his real name, and I even dared to give him a sarcastic bow, I was going to die here so I may as well go down as bravely as I could, it was time to show everyone that the hat was not mistaken when it made me a Gryffindor. Hermione Granger was not so easily broken.

His red eyes glinted and his slitted nostrils flared, he was furious and it was my fault, at least I can die satisfied in this. My expression must have been smug because something he saw on my face seemed to set him off. One moment he was schooling his face back into a cold expression and the next I was on the ground with my limbs flailing and churning in the mud. While my screams tore from my throat as pain engulfed every nerve in my body a small part of me could appreciate the irony of literally being covered in mud made from blood.

And just like that the pain was over and I lay there panting, eyes wide open and staring at the sky wishing that this could all end now. I was so tired of running and being hurt I just wanted it to end so I could join the people I love. But fate had other plans, it seems that the quick deaths afforded Harry and Ron would be denied me.

Sure enough Voldemort began moving his wand, and a jet of orangish yellow light shot at me and tore through my leg, causing a large gash to appear, blood spilling out and soaking my jeans. While the pain was nowhere near as painful as his, or even Bellatrix's, cruciatus it still caused a scream of pain to leave me and my hands darted for the wound out of instinct, quickly trying to put pressure and stop the bleeding.

Voldemort's high pitched laugh broke through my pain laced mind and I glared up at him. I was unable to stand and I wouldn't have been able to tower over him if I could, but still I did my best to look down at him from my sitting position. He was filth, disgusting, evil, vile, depraved, loathsome, revoltin, hateful- Another shot of pain rushed through me as he once again sent the curse at me, this time it hit my abdomen and the pain felt unbearable. Oh Merlin why is this happening why me why everything, was this really going to happen? All the talk of love and light winning over darkness, was it always just hope people told themselves so they could ignore the truth?

For some unknown, unexplainable reason I began to laugh. It sounded wet to my ears and I realized that I'm laughing up blood, and for some reason I found that even funnier because I start to laugh harder even though it hurts. Oh sweet Morgana did it hurt, the pain wasn't phasing me anymore though, it was like my brain or body had had enough and wasn't registering it. My face tilted up and I literally laughed in Voldemort's face.

I may as well have been laughing in the face of death.

"You can't win." The words had pierced the night air and I knew that I spoke truth, because I realized why I was laughing. We didn't just tell ourselves love and goodness would win to give us hope, we said these things because they were true. No matter how dark the world got as long as there was a smidgen of light, it would grow, banish the darkness. It was like a never ending match of tug-o-war. Voldemort would fall, and yes eventually someone else would come along and upset the balance but they wouldn't last. History repeats itself after all.

"I already have. Your precious Potter is dead, I am immortal, there is nothing in the world that can stop me now." His words held their own conviction and as I slowly bled out and as I endured painful curse after curse, I refused to break my eye contact with him.

Finally, Voldemort tired of his games, and really it was about time because I had been so weary for so long myself. It was like a sigh of relief when the familiar green curse flashed my way and engulfed my very being, and right when the spark of life left my body it was a small victory knowing he could never make me hurt again.

And then the world ended.

AN: So, what did everyone think of the Prologue? Next chapter begins the Tomione, I promise.