Summary: When Voldemort successfully kills Harry in a surprise attack on Hogwarts, one man must make a sacrifice that will either save the world or destroy it forever.

Warnings: Eventual slash, HPDM, with other pairings down the line. Some slash, some het.

A/N: This idea popped into my head kind of randomly, and before I knew it had blossomed into a massive story. This will be a novel length fic and I plan on updating every Friday. I always appreciate reviews, and thanks for reading!

Prologue: Aberforth

The rain fell cold and hard, pelting the dry, cracked ground as if with vengeance. Trees buckled against the wind and rain, their limbs snapping in protest. I sat under the protection of an old, knotted willow tree, watching the scene unfold with squinted eyes, doing my best to outlast the elements.

I knew, with every aching bone in my body, that the next moments would decide the fate of us all. My trepidation of the matter heightened substantially as I heard a number of pops sound their way through the area, immediately followed by a storm of darkly cloaked silhouettes, their white masks eerily iridescent in the darkness. I could do nothing but hold my breath as they marched towards the castle. For the first time in many decades, I sank to my knees, calling out to a deity that I fervently hoped, for once, would hear my pleas. My cry was lost in the wind, my appeal falling on deaf ears. I let the rain soak me, not bothering to dry myself with the magic I was entitled to.

I longed to hide my eyes from the scene I knew was about to unfold. Desperation clouded my mind, and for the first time since his death, I wished for my brother to be alive again. Albus and I disagreed on many things, but I feared that he was the only one that could have defended the castle successfully.

My fears quickly became reality as the mass of figures reached the large doors of the castle, and it was only a few moments before they had blasted the wood to splinters. Screams pierced the air soon after, and I watched in a haze as the sickly green light radiated from the entrance to the castle. How many had fallen already? One? Two? A dozen?

I lifted a shaking hand to my temple, wiping away the wiry hair that had begun to obscure my vision. The field that stretched in front of the castle was empty. Death Eaters had infiltrated Hogwarts.

I clambered to my feet, my old bones screaming in protest, and ran. No longer caring for my life, I made the long trek to the castle, wind howling in my ears and rain drenching every last part of me. I slowed considerably as I reached the doors, my heart pounding against my ribs and my breath coming in short, desperate gasps. Bodies littered the torch lit entrance way. Some were Death Eaters. Most were not.

Biting back the wave of nausea that threatened to stop me, I ran towards the Great Hall, fire burning through my muscles and lungs. Scream upon scream echoed against the stone. I faltered just as I was about to reach the heart of the battle, my cowardice engulfing me. I set my head against the wall for a brief moment, letting the coldness of the stone revitalize me. I took a long, shaky breath, and took the few steps towards my greatest fear.

The sharp beams of spells danced through the air. The candles that previously had hovered in the air had fallen to the ground, the massive wooden tables lay in pieces, and there was a large black patch in the ceiling where an enchanted sky used to be.

I looked to the front of the room, horror encompassing me stronger than I have ever felt before. Voldemort, in all his glory, stood like a beacon of darkness, a single body laying at his feet.

With tears flowing freely down my face, I turned and ran back into the night, fearing collapse with every passing second. I barely made it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest before I fell to the ground, emptying the small contents of my stomach onto the soaked ground.

All hope had been lost. Our Savior was dead.