The Battle
She sprinted across the corridor as fast as she could, vaulting over the collapsed wall and dropping to her knees in the rubble. Abandoning her wand, she clawed at the fallen stones with her bare hands, blood mixing with the dust that covered the floor and filled the air. All around her curses were being shot back and forth between the remaining fighters and Deatheaters, but she didn't care. All that mattered was reaching the body under the bricks.
From the corner of her eye she could see George helping her while Ron tried to dig Percy out, Harry standing guard over them, firing curses at anything that moved.
When the buried man's lifeless face came into view, Hermione could barely breathe.
"No," she whispered, reaching for her wand. "No. Don't you dare!"
Pressing the tip of the wand to his chest she started reciting every spell she could think of through her tears, praying to everyone from Merlin to God to Albus Dumbledore that it would work.
"Fredric Gideon Weasley I swear to Godric!" she cried angrily. "Don't you dare! You promised we'd be okay! You promised!"
As if he had heard her threat from beyond the grave, the redhead's eyes flew open and he gasped for air.
"Oh, thank God!" Hermione sobbed and rested her head on his chest.
"What-" Fred looked around him in confusion, taking in his crying girlfriend and twin. "What happened?"
"It's gonna be okay," George assured him. "Come on, let's get the rest of him out."
"Hermione!" Ron called from the other side of the rubble, his voice cracking. "Hermione, I need you!"
She crawled over to the other fallen brother and repeated the spells she had just performed on Fred. Unfortunately, Percy's injuries were far worse and there was nothing she could do.
"I'm sorry," she shook her head . "I'm so sorry."
"No!" Ron cried. "You fixed Fred, now fix him!"
"I can't," her voice cracked. "Ron, I'm not a healer. I've tried everything I know. I'm sorry."
Ron let out a guttural scream and slammed his fist into the closest wall.
"RON!" Hermione screamed and started towards him.
"No!" he held out a hand to stop her. "No, I don't need your help!"
As a hooded figure fled the scene, Ron bolted to his feet and ran after him, hurling profanities at the Deatheater's retreating form.
"Ron! Ron, come back!" Hermione started to chase him, but Harry grabbed her and pulled her to the ground as a curse flew through the window.
"We have to stop him!" she cried, scrambling to her feet again and leaping at Ron just before he could make it around the corner.
"Let me go!" he screeched. "Rookwood's getting away!"
"Ron, you can't!" Hermione cried. "You can't!"
"He killed Percy!"
"I know," she held tight to him. "I know he did, but we're the only ones that can end this! We need to kill the snake!"
"Hermione!" George called, pulling her attention away from Ron. "I need you!"
"Ron, please," she turned back. "We will fight. We'll have to, but you can't lose sight of our goal now. We're the only ones who can end it!"
He stared at her angrily for a few moments before finally nodding, allowing Hermione to turn her attention back to the twins.
"What?" she hurried back to them. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Fred shook his head and gritted his teeth. "I'm fine."
"Would you quit trying to be brave in front of her?" George snapped. "She knows you're a big baby and we don't have time!"
"He's right," Hermione agreed. "What is it? Where does it hurt?"
"My leg," Fred admitted. "The left one."
She knelt beside him and ripped open the leg of his trousers, letting out a shocked cry.
"It's broken," she tried to control her face. "Uh, okay, uh... I don't know how to fix this. We need to get him to Madame Pomfrey."
"Okay, help me dig the rest of him out," George started moving the bricks off again.
"I'm gonna be okay," Fred assured her.
"I know you are," she squeezed his hand. "I'm going to make sure of it."
"That's my girl," he gave a pained smile. "Percy?"
"I- I couldn't," Hermione shook her head, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry."
Fred nodded solemnly and reached for her hand. "You did your best."
"We need to go," Harry crouched beside them. "They're coming."
"That's it," George cried. "He's out."
"What about Percy?" Hermione asked, looking over at the body that was still half buried.
"We'll come back for him," Harry promised. "But we need to get Fred help. Come on."
He helped Hermione to her feet, while George transfigured a stretcher out of the rubble and levitated Fred onto it, wincing when his brother cried out in pain.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"
"It's fine," Fred panted.
"Hide," Harry instructed George. "Wait until it's safe and get him to Madame Pomfrey."
"Wait," Fred reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand. "Where are you going?"
"Kill the snake," she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Stay safe."
"Hermione, we've got to go!" Harry repeated.
"I know, I know," she nodded and turned back to Fred. "I'll be back for you. I promise."
"Be safe," he frowned.
"Hermione!" Harry snapped.
With one last look at Fred, she turned and ran off after the boys, back into battle.
- - PAGE BREAK - -
When Voldemort spoke, Hermione had to fight the overwhelming urge to vomit. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, feel it crawling across her skin, giving her an overwhelming urge to claw her own skin off if only to get rid of him. The sound of his voice in her head made it feel like her skull was splitting in two, it was one of the most unbearable pains she had ever felt.
And then he was speaking to Harry, telling him that he would be merciful if he sacrificed himself.
"Don't listen to him!" Ron was the first to speak.
"It'll be alright," Hermione agreed. "Let's go back to the castle and think of a new plan."
She led the boys back through the tunnel into Hogwarts, where they joined everyone else in the Great Hall.
The tables had been replaced by a dozen rows of cots, each and every one swarmed by friends and family, while everyone who could was trying to help Madame Pomfrey treat the injured.
Hermione easily zeroed in on the Weasleys and hurried over, Ron hot on her heels.
"Oh, Ron!" Molly sobbed and pulled her youngest son into her arms as Hermione made her way over to Ginny, pulling her into a hug.
She turned to speak to Harry, but he was nowhere to be found, and then she saw the bodies that lay on the floor a few feet away- Remus and Tonks. As a new wave of sadness passed over her, Hermione scanned the room once more for her best friend, but still saw no sign of him. She just hoped he wasn't going to do something stupid.
"Mione," Fred limped over to her with George's help.
"You should be lying down," she mumbled.
"It's fine," he assured her. "Come here."
He held out a hand and pulled her into his arms, allowing George to take her place hugging Ginny.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed into his chest. "I'm so sorry. I should have tried harder, I should have-"
"No," Fred shook his head sternly. "You did everything you could for him. This isn't your fault."
Hermione nodded but refused to meet his eyes.
"Hey," he reached down and lifted her chin. "It's not your fault. Say it."
"Fred-"
"Say it!" he snapped, making everyone jump.
"I'm sorry," his tone softened. "I'm sorry, but I need you to know that. You can't blame yourself for this."
"I know," she finally promised. "I know."
"Where's Harry?" Ginny asked, looking around the hall. "Wasn't he with you?"
"He was," Hermione nodded. "I don't know where he went, though."
"Oh, Hermione!" the Weasley matriarch suddenly seemed to notice the brunette and swooped in to hug her. "Oh, Hermione! Thank you!"
"For- for what?"
"The boys told me what you did, how hard you tried to save him. It just means so much!" She started to sob again, resulting in Fred and George prying her off of Hermione before she was smothered and passing their mother off to her husband.
Bill and Charlie joined their siblings, all hugging each other, trapping Hermione and Ginny in the middle.
Hermione felt awkward imposing on such a heartfelt family moment, but she got the feeling that none of the Weasley's were going to let her slip away and give them their privacy.
"You are family," Ginny whispered, as if reading her thoughts. "You're as much a part of this family as any of us."
"Thank you," Hermione bit her lip.
"I always wanted a sister," Ginny pulled her even closer.
"Me too," Hermione let out a watery laugh.
- - PAGE BREAK - -
"I can't just sit here," Hermione burst after a half hour. "I need to do something!"
"Me too," Ginny nodded. "Let's go help outside."
"We'll come too," Fred offered.
"You need to rest your leg," Hermione shook her head.
"My leg is fine."
"It was broken two hours ago," George cried. "Sit your arse down. I'll go."
"Please," Hermione stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Just rest for a while longer. I need to not have to worry about you for just a while longer."
"Low blow," he grimaced, but sat down and put his leg up again.
"Thank you," she smiled softly.
"I'll come," Ron got to his feet.
As they helped the injured into the castle and moved the dead bodies, Hermione kept a sharp eye out for Harry. She was desperately hoping that he hadn't done something stupid, but if their entire lives were anything to go off of, she knew the chances were rather low.
She had figured out what the problem was a while ago, why he could hear the horcruxes and see into Voldemort's mind, but she had desperately hoped she was wrong. Something told her that Harry understood too now, and his unending need to keep everyone safe was going to get him killed. Knowing this didn't make it hurt any less.
They had finished bringing in the wounded and she and Ginny were helping Madame Pomfrey administer pain potions when they heard it- the sound of hundreds of footsteps walking across the courtyard- and she knew. The hour had been up quite some time ago and nothing had happened. Harry had given himself us. As the footsteps grew louder, anyone who could got up and made their way outside, wondering what was going to happen next.
Nothing could have prepared Hermione for the sight that greeted her, though.
Voldemort lead the way, Nagini at his side, and right behind him was Hagrid- a limp form in his arms.
"Who is that?" Ginny demanded as they walked. "With Hagrid? Who is it?"
"No," Hermione whispered, tears already in her eyes. "Please, no."
Fred, seeing the pained look on her face was quick to put an arm around her, not sure if she was going to break down crying or try and off Voldemort herself.
"HARRY POTTER, IS DEAD!" The cold, high-pitched voice of Lord Voldemort rang out across the courtyard, followed by the malicious laughter of his followers and the pained screams of all those in opposition.
"NO!" It was Ginny's heart-wrenching scream that hurt Hermione the most. She reached out to stop the girl who had been about to charge at the murderers surrounding them.
"No! Let me go!" Ginny cried, struggling against Hermione and Fred as they held her.
"I'm sorry," Hermione sobbed. "I'm sorry."
Anyone who had still been inside came running at the sound of Voldemort's words, joining in the mournful screams.
"Silence!" Voldemort cried, a spell shooting out of his wand that made Hermione feel as if someone was squeezing her windpipe closed.
She wasn't paying attention to what Voldemort was spouting, her focus still on keeping Ginny from getting herself killed- her family had lost enough already today. It wasn't until Ron yelled at the Dark Lord and broke the spell that she looked up again, releasing Ginny. They joined in the crowd's yells and shouts of protest at Harry's death, until Voldemort cast another spell, silencing them again.
"He was killed trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," Voldemort said maliciously. "Killed while trying to save himself."
Hermione spat on the ground in an attempt to rid herself of this vile lie. She knew very well that Harry would never have run, that he would have walked into the forest with his head held high, ready and willing to die for the ones he loved. Now all they had to do was make sure that his death wasn't in vain. They had to kill the snake.
She was about to find Ron and make sure that he was still focused when Neville stepped in front of the crowd, drawing Voldemort's attention as he ran at him in anger. He was stopped with a quick shot from Voldemort's wand, his wand flying into the Dark Lord's hands.
"Who's this then?" Voldemort sneered.
"Neville Longbottom, My Lord," Bellatrix laughed excitedly. "The boy who's been giving the Carrows so much trouble. The son of the Aurors."
"Ah yes," Voldemort nodded. "I remember."
As Voldemort spoke to Neville, trying to make him pledge allegiance to the Deatheaters, Hermione made her way through the crowd to Ron.
"We have to kill the snake," she whispered.
"I know," he nodded. "Do you have anymore fangs?"
She nodded and pulled one from her jacket pocket to show him.
Before Ron could say anything else, they were interrupted by Neville's pained screams as Voldemort forced the Sorting Hat onto his head and set it on fire.
And then all hell broke loose.
The Centaurs came thundering into battle, their angry war cries drowning out Neville's screams and the maniacal laughter of the Deatheaters. Grawp came tromping into view calling for Hagrid. The Centaur's arrows soared through the air and into the opposing army, making the ranks scatter in alarm. Then Neville broke free of the body bind Voldemort had put on him and the Sorting Hat fell from his head. He quickly leaned down and reached into the hat, pulling out a silver blade with a ruby encrusted handle- the Sword of Gryffindor.
Hermione couldn't hear the slash of the sword over the screaming, but she heard the result as Neville cut the head off of Nagini and the Dark Lord let out a scream of fury!
Hermione was quick to pull her wand and start firing off spells at any Deatheaters that crossed her path, as their ranks fell back into the castle she could hear Hagrid shouting: "HARRY! WHERE'S HARRY?!"
As they passed through the Entrance Hall, she saw Kreacher leading an army of House Elves armed with knives and meat cleavers and took a moment to smile at the Elf's allegiance to his master.
As Voldemort's most loyal servants fell one by one, Hermione found herself duelling Bellatrix with Ginny and Luna. From the corner of her eye she could see McGonagall and Slughorn duelling Voldemort, but she didn't have time to pay attention as she heard Bellatrix scream the words they all feared most "Avada Kedavra!"
The spell flew past Ginny, less than a millimetre from her face as Hermione pulled her out of the way. Before any of them could fire back, Molly Weasley came thundering across the hall with an angry shout: "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
"Out of my way girls," Molly pushed them behind her. "She's mine!"
Hermione was so stunned by this change of events that she was almost hit by a stray spell, only to be pulled to the floor by Fred.
"Eyes up, Granger!" he smirked and helped her back to her feet.
"You- will- never- touch- our- children- again!" Molly enunciated each word, pairing it with a curse. Bellatrix laughed maliciously, and then she stopped, a stunned look on her face, as she fell to the ground- dead.
"NO!" Voldemort screamed angrily at the death of his closest follower, knocking the professors he had been fighting backwards with what Hermione was sure was the Cruciatus curse, and then he turned his anger on Molly Weasley. Fred, Hermione, Ginny and Luna all raised their wands to help the woman, but someone else beat them to it.
"Protego!"
"Harry," Hermione breathed deeply as her best friend threw off his invisibility cloak and stepped towards the centre of the room.
"He's alive!" Ginny cried.
"I don't want anyone to help me!" Harry called out. "It's got to be like this. Just me and him!'
"Potter doesn't mean that," Voldemort hissed. "That isn't how he works. Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"
"Nobody," Harry shook his head. "There aren't any more horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives and one of us is about to leave for good."
"One of us?" Voldemort sneered. "And you think it will be you? The boy who has survived all these years by accident, because Dumbledore was pulling the strings."
"Accident was it, when my mother died to save me?" Harry spat back.
They were moving in a circle, neither one breaking eye contact, both waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Beside her, Hermione felt Ginny's entire body tense up and reached for her hand.
"You won't be killing anyone ever again," Harry announced. "Don't you get it? I was willing to die for these people, to stop you from hurting them-"
"But you did not!"
"But I meant to, and that's what did it!"
As the words left his mouth, Hermione realized what he meant- Harry had made the same sacrifice that his mother had made 17 years before, and in doing so he had cast the same ancient spell that she had. He had protected them from Voldemort- forever. That was why Ron had been able to break the silencing curse and Neville hadn't been burned by the hat, why they had been able to fight off the remaining Deatheaters without losing anymore of their own.
As Harry continued to lay everything on the table for Voldemort, Hermione caught up as well, letting out a gasp as she realized what conclusion he had come to- what he knew that Voldemort did not. Dumbledore had planned his own death, he'd had Snape in his pocket from the moment Voldemort had announced his intent to kill Lily. The truths about Dumbledore's death and Snape's involvement unravelled, and with them, the reason that Voldemort really wouldn't be able to win.
Harry knew something Voldemort didn't, something important.
"So it all comes down to this," Harry continued to circle his enemy. "I am the true master of the Elder Wand."
As the sun rose outside, Voldemort's patience ran out and he raised his wand "Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!" Harry cried at the same time.
The bang as the spells collided filled the room, golden flames shot up in between them where the spells met and Harry gritted his teeth in concentration.
And then Harry's spell won out and the Elder Wand was flying across the hall into Harry outstretched hand and Voldemort fell backwards to the floor- Dead.
The room was engulfed by a heavy silence as everyone tried to process what had just happened- and then the celebrations began. Screams and cheers came from every corner of the room, all of them charging forward to embrace Harry, Hermione and Ron ahead of them all.
