I'm hiding. Hiding like the coward I am, to afraid to stand up to anyone. I ran up here after Harry saved me from the Room of Requirement.

I wish he hadn't.

I sit on my own in the silence and slowly growing light. Suddenly my mind registers the silence. The sounds of fighting, the screams and shouts, it's all stopped. I look up. I'm alone, at least, all that keeps me company are three bodies and a rat. Two death eaters and a student. I can't bear to turn the student over to identify them. I know this will only bring the reality of what is happening crashing down on me. The knowledge that someone I knew, someone I went to school with, is dead... I'm struggling to comprehend what exactly is going on. The last however many hours are a blur to me.

I haul myself to my feet, using the cold, stone window frame to support me. The glass was smashed when the fighting was here. I look out across what was formerly my school. From the Astronomy tower, you can see every inch of the grounds. At first I notice nothing, but I'm too busy taking in the massive destruction that has hit Hogwarts. It looks like... I can't even describe how awful it is. There aren't the right words in any language. I remember what Flitwick said in a Charms lesson a lifetime ago: that Hogwarts appears as a ruin to any Muggle. It couldn't look much different from what it's like now. I laugh quietly to myself, though nothing's funny. I just think it's strange how our brain supplies us with the weirdest of information at the weirdest of times. I look around more and realise that every person in the school has come out and is waiting on the steps outside the entrance hall. They are all silent. No one moves. I wonder why.

Then I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Someone is coming towards the school, through the forbidden Forest. I can see the trees shaking. Birds fly away. They must have a giant or something with them. The rustling nears the edge of the forest and the first of the party steps out into clear view. I can see that it is a Death Eater, but from where I am I can't make out the face.

Then I see the oaf Hagrid. He's carrying something. It looks like... A body. My head swims. It can't be. Hagrid's shoulders heave and I realise he's crying. I feel the blood drain from my face as my fears are confirmed. There is only one person who that body could be. I squeeze my eyes shut. The silence is deafening. This can't be happening, I can't believe that-

"Harry Potter is dead!"

I hear screams, terrible, agonising screams, but they are nothing compared to the scream building inside myself. My heart stops, I can't breathe, my whole world is spinning out of control.

My former master motions and Hagrid gently places the body of the boy I love on the floor. The boy I have hated, been taught to hate, fought, tried to kill, and love. I slide to the floor and tears stream from my eyes. The Dark Lord continues to talk but I am too numb to register his speech.

Without Harry, the Dark Lord will be able to take over the wizarding world- and the Muggle one. I realised a while ago that I didn't want this to happen. And all the time I've been following my father and the Dark Lord, hoping that Harry will finally defeat him and everything will be right again, too scared to act myself. But that dream is over. From now on there is only fear and pain and darkness. Now there is no one to stop him.

It took me too long to figure out how I felt about Harry and now he'll never know. Suddenly I feel a white hot pain in my chest. I realise it's rage- I'm furious at my father, the Dark Lord, myself, everyone I ever met or knew, and at Harry.

The anger passes and my head clears, then fills again with the sound of a battle. I'm confused. I thought the fighting was over a long time ago. I stand up again, shaking, and look outside. I'm amazed to see that people are still fighting. Maybe we can still win this without Harry. His body is hidden by the surging mass of people. They are dropping, dying, all over. It's a terrible sight. The fight starts to move back indoors. I can't bear to look but I can't seem to tear my eyes away. I watch with a grim fascination. Almost everyone who is still alive is inside now.

There's an abrupt swell in the volume of the sounds coming from the Great Hall. It sounds like cheering. I sit up, instantly alert. It could be the Death Eaters or the others. From here, I can't tell. Just as suddenly, there is silence. I have to know what is going on. Slowly I begin to walk. I stumble a few times as I head towards the Great Hall. As I get closer, I make out two voices. I strain my ears to try to identify them but I am still too far away. I quicken my pace a little, desperate to get there and to see for myself. I ignore the fallen that lie around me. Now I'm close. I turn the final corner and try to take in the scene in front of my eyes.

First I recognise the Dark Lord. He is standing in the middle of the Hall. Crowds line the walls, staring. I edge closer. He's talking.

"... against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you?"

I have to stop myself from gasping as I recognise the voice. Harry is alive! A tear drops down my nose. My heart feels like it will burst and I am giddy. I can't believe it. He beat the Dark Lord again. He may be able to do it once more, for the last time.

I hear my name and I immediately start to listen again.

"But what does it matter?" The cold, sinister voice fills me with dread. The Dark Lord could still survive. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: we duel on skill alone... And after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy."

I jolt as he says my name. I close my eyes. Harry can't die now, not after everything he's done.

"But you're too late," says Harry. I open my eyes again to see what is happening. I can't bear not knowing. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him."

Again, my name makes me jump. I remember that fight. It was then that I really decided which side of this war I wanted to be on. Harry is whispering. I can't hear him. Suddenly dawn breaks and as it does, both cast a curse. I can't look. I shut my eyes and walk back around the corner. I hear a huge bang and light floods the corridor next to me. It seems to last forever but it can't be more than a few seconds later when there's another silence. Only a second later, screams and cheers fill the dawn. I carefully peek around the corner again. Either side could have won. I see hundreds of people rushing to the centre of the room. Many of the crowd are in Hogwarts robes. I know what this means. Harry did it. I slide to the floor and sob. It's over. I no longer have anything to be afraid of. After a long time my tears and the noise in the hall subside. I stand up and slip into the hall unnoticed. I take a place at the end of one of the tables. I can't help seeing the fifty or so bodies, lying in a row. Those people were brave, braver than I have ever been. My eyes slide around the room until I spot Harry, sitting in the middle of a group of his closest friends. I see people walk over to talk to him.

Then Luna the Looney wanders towards him and speaks quietly into his ear. He nods. She moves away slightly and then shouts "Look, a Blibbering Humdinger!" and points. Everyone looks around to try and spot it. I bet those things don't even exist. I keep watching Harry until he disappears. I know about his Invisibility Cloak. The door to the Great Hall swings open slightly, then closes again. I stand up and follow him.