As the battle waged on, Harry fought with his friends alongside him, protecting him better than any spell could, though one friend stood out to Harry more than the rest. Ron and Hermione fought on either side of Harry, taking out foes of their own, as Neville and Luna watched their backs. Remus and Tonks defended Harry, blocking spells from all sides, but they were all in the background in Harry's mind. It was Snape who stood out in the foreground.
It was Snape that protected Harry from a stunning spell with a quickly cast Enervate, and it was Snape who blocked countless more spells and curses from hitting their target as Harry stood still in shock after killing a Death Eater, the man's blood covering half of Harry's face, hair, and torso.
Snape was also the driving force that moved Harry forward, even as he witnessed Bellatrix knock Neville unconscious with her new tactic of casting first Stupefy, then Crucio on her target.
And Snape was there at the very end, when Harry finally faced Voldemort. Ron and Hermione stood next to Harry, all their wands at the ready, while Snape guarded their backs from any Death Eater's scheming to pull a sneak attack on the trio.
Harry glared at Voldemort as he walked back and froth in front of them, giving his villainously prophetic monologue on Harry's defeat. As Voldemort turned to face the other direction and continue pacing, Ron tapped Harry upon the shoulder, catching Harry's eye and mouthing, "Avada Kedavra". Harry tapped Hermione's shoulder at a similar turn, and Voldemort turned three more times before Harry, Ron, and Hermione shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" in unison.
The blow from the three Killing Curses delivered Voldemort incapacitated, though it did not kill him, and Harry's scar seared with pain. He clasped his hands to it, and the pain dulled and finally disappeared after a few moments time. This was when Hermione spoke of her discovery of how to finally kill Lord Voldemort.
"We get the Protector spell as strong as we can," Hermione briskly said to Ron and Harry, "and then we cast Avada Kedavra at your scar." Harry had a part of his mind that doubted Hermione, so he thought to consult Snape. He and Hermione moved to help Snape get rid of the one Death Eater still struggling to attack Harry, as Ron watched the still seemingly unconscious Dark Lord.
After a short debriefing, Snape approved Hermione's plan, though he called it, "Slightly mad and not by the book in any way."
It was decided for— not Snape— but Ron to cast Avada Kedavra on Harry, seeing as Snape was able to put the Protector spell at its strongest. Harry thought he would be more frightened facing Avada Kedavra from Ron than from Voldemort, seeing as Ron's aim had a tendency to deteriorate in times of crisis, but Harry felt calm. With the soothing presence of Snape's hands on Harry's shoulders and the Protector spell encompassing Harry's torso, Harry looked fearlessly ahead as the risking plan was put into motion.
The green bolt of light was prominent in Harry's vision before it hit his forehead, and the pain from Ron's Avada Kedavra devouring Harry's scar was dulled because of it, but as the curse burned a new scar into his forehead Harry could not do anything to stop himself from emitting a bloodcurdling cry. Harry fell to his knees and clawed at his forehead as tears streamed down his face. Hermione kneeled beside Harry, trying to soothe him by rubbing his back and telling him he would be all right, and Ron apologized again and again, crying so hard that he could hardly breathe.
Snape stood behind Harry, staring down at the boy as he cried, watching with a pained look on his face as he shed a single tear. Harry felt the tear hit the back of his head, and the realization that Snape was crying for him and his pain alone stopped Harry's clawing hands. Harry lifted his head, looking first at Hermione, then at Ron, and finally turning to look at Snape. Snape straightened up and swiped the back of his hand across his eyes, and Harry did the same.
"I believe," Snape said, pausing to breathe in deeply in an attempt to remove the congested sound from his voice, "that you must cast the Killing Curse once more. The Prophecy calls for one of you to kill the other, and as far as I can tell, the Dark Lord is till alive, though unconscious." Harry nodded slowly, his mouth agape at hearing such human emotion coming from Snape, and attempted to stand on his shaky legs. Snape caught Harry under the arm before he had the chance to fall, and planted him firmly on his feet.
After emitting a long sigh, Harry straightened his shoulder's and back, pointed his wand at Voldemort's comatose form, and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" with more force and vigor than he had ever imagined he could have.
Harry Potter made a triumphant return to the base of the Order of the Phoenix— located a half mile from the battle field and adjacent to the Hospital tent, which had proven itself to be convenient several times over— and Harry's safe journey was all because of one Severus Snape hauling Harry across the half mile, considering that apparating two people was hardly possible at Snape's weakened state.
Ron and Hermione were those to thank for dragging Voldemort's corpse down to the base for a proper incinerating, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix looked on with joy as the celebration of the defeat of Voldemort began.
The Ministry of Magic's important figures soon appeared on the scene with port keys back to the Ministry, but the Headmistress of Hogwarts Professor McGonagall sent them away and requested port keys to someplace useful, namely Hogwarts. In a few moments time, the Ministry of Magic returned with the proper port keys, and Harry finally had a chance to relax as Snape laid him down upon an infirmary bed inside the Hospital Wing.
The next two weeks were utter chaos as the press snapped pictures of everyone and interviewed them all at least twice, Harry having been interviewed five times and Snape four, seeing as he was the double agent for the side of good. When things finally died down, it was summer time. Hogwarts was emptied of the press, and only the Order members were left on the campus.
It was then that Harry finally began to talk to Snape about that fateful final battle.
