This was the beginning of the end. She knew that. There was no changing it, no going back. She accepted that, embraced it even. No matter what happened, the world was going to change on this night, for better or worse depended on the battle before them.

She could only be thankful that she had the people that she loved most in the world standing beside her, ready to face the battle head on.

Please, Merlin, allow us to come out of this alive. Please let us be the ones who win this showdown. The world has already had enough evil in it to last for eternity. The innocent don't need this evil visited upon them in the night as well.

That was the prayer that she sent up on bated breathe as she drew her wand out of it's special pocket sewn into her jacket.

It had begun.