Disclaimer: All rights belong to JKR.

A few days passed away since he watched his daughter die. Her body was burned as if they were pagans. Perhaps her faith protected her.

Severus skimmed the rows of books sitting on his shelf. There must have been hundreds. He had smuggled them away from the libraries that the war destroyed. He came across a plain, black book titled Poe's Short Stories. Several people have read from it. Even Lucius took a morbid interest into it. He plucked it off the shelf and sat down in front of the fire. The book looked beaten and ordinary. Snape waved his wand over the pages of "The masque of the Red Death." The fine hand writing of a woman appeared.

Snape remembered the eve of Granger's execution. She was in the dungeons for three months. He went down to inform her of her demise. It was only the least he could do.

"Your execution will be tomorrow," he said in his usual flat tone.

"Ok," she said. Her stoic manner was beginning to fail. "What will happen?"

"Considering who you are," Snape paused. An agony filled his heart. "I am sorry. You will most likely be tortured and humiliated before they allow you to die."

Hermione let out a soft whimper. "What happened to him?"

Snape did not answer. The question was not meant for him. Here was the brightest witch in her class and now she was a broken woman. She was lost and alone.

"Do you know if he is still alive?" she asked through tears. "Is he free?"

"He is," Snape answered.

Hermione gave him a small smile of hope. "I wish I could see him one last time."

Snape sat across the table from her poised in his emotionless manner. He knew she would not be the last to suffer and die within the walls of the school. Their stories had to be told. If all was forgotten then the chaos would never end.

"I have brought a book of short stories by an author named Poe," he said quietly. "I cannot guarantee when, but if you like, you can write on last letter to him in this book. Your words can be hidden within the pages until I can get it out."

A weak smile formed on her face as he placed the book in front of her and handed her a quill and a pot of ink.

The pops of the fire pulled him back to the present. He could smell the potions still brewing. Perhaps this desperate act of escape would give Karis' spirit peace. I twould not waste her memory at least. Granger would not be saved as well as Karis but others had a chance.

Dear Viktor, It feels like ages since I have seen you last. I am sure by the time you read this you will know that I am already dead. But I will be far from it. What I did for our cause will live on.

There has been so much death in this war. We were so young when it started. I guess innocence is the first casualty of war. It is sad to think there are children who have never felt safe and protected in this dark world.

This is my last testament. These are my memoirs. My life feels so useless now. I spent all of my life trying to get the best grades and the most recognition. Now I look back on it all and see it was all for nothing. All of my accomplishments are meaningless.

I spent my years at Hogwarts with two friends who were everything to me. They are complete strangers now. Harry has sentenced me to die and Ron has left behind all emotion so that he can do what he must do. I cry every time I think of how this war has torn us all apart. I tried not to blame myself or Harry for what happened. If I blamed myself I was useless to our cause. If I blamed Harry then our friendship meant nothing. Love would have no power. I kept reminding myself that he was made into this monster named Belial. There was no choice for him. Some how I found myself blaming Ron, but one of this was his fault. There was no one else. He and Bill are the only ones left alive in his family who are not captured. Falsely I accused his strategies of being ill planned and poorly executed. Blame had to go somewhere. Blame soured our friendship but it was ultimately the war that tore us apart. Please stand by him until the end. He is the leader of our cause and I have faith that he can see us, I mean you and the Order through this.

Yes, I said faith. Faith is a word Karis taught me before her capture and helped me embrace in the darkness of the dungeons. Faith will see me through until my final house as it has comforted me in my loneliness. There is no logic to it but it is now essential to my soul. Faith is also what will end this war. Faith and love are your two greatest weapons. You must keep the Order alive. The darkness must pass from our world for there to be a future.

If you ever see them again, please tell my parents that I love them and thank them for everything that they taught me and all the love they showed me. Tell Ron that I am sorry for all of the harsh words. He needs to know that I still treasure our friendship even in the face of death. I do not want anything between us left unresolved.

I have on last confession Viktor. I love you. When you first entered my life during the Tournament, I did not know what to do. You returned to Bulgaria and I remained here. Harry needed me and I thought there may have been a future for Ron and me. I have known that I loved you for so long but there was always the war. Love was put to the side for the time being. The only regret I will die with is not telling you sooner. Karis has admitted to living her cursed life to its fullest. I am guilty of not doing so. Even if it was only for a second I wish I could be held in your arms. I wish I could feel your breath on my face and smell your hair. I want you to go on through. Please move on with your life and do not become and empty shell as Ron has. Some love and happiness must survive or what are we fighting for.

I look back at my life and worlds I have written. Though my accomplishments are void and my love untold I had a good life. I fought a good fight. Death is waiting for me in the shadows. It does not frighten me in the shadows. It does not frighten me now after I have written these words. I must go with my head held high and face them with my love, faith, and memories as my shield. I will say it one more time, I love you Viktor. Please remember me so that I do not truly die…Love, Hermione.

Snape closed the book. He had never read her words. The book was disguised and then tucked nearly away amongst its brethren. She truly was the brightest witch of her generation. A jewel of there world was destroyed the day she died.

When she asked if "he" was still alive he knew she meant Viktor and not Weasley. In his few meetings he had with the Order he watched Weasley and Granger deteriorate under the constant beating of the war. Snape only wished she meant Ron. He did not have the heart to tell her Krum was killed a month before in his failed attempt to rescue her. If innocence was the first casualty of war then love must be close behind.

After he murdered Dumbledore he watched their world fall apart. It was not hard for the Dark Lord to capture the boy and the next five years were utter hell. Darkness fell like a heavy net ensnaring everyone. The earth was dying. Magic was a wonderful thing. Even Muggles needed the illusion of magic fir their minds to be free. However, only so much magic was meant to be in the world. Otherwise everyone would have been born with their ability.

Voldemort disguised his plan as a means to return to the pure blooded society treasured by Salazar Slytherin. Tom Riddle despised his Muggle heritage. He hated his father for abandoning him and his mother. But Tom was filled with nothing but hate. He hated his mother as well.for dying and sentencing him to a life in a filthy orphanage. As the years rolled on in the second war his true intentions became known. The signs should have been obvious. He recruited giants and werewolves along with dementors. Tom Riddle wanted everything. His "Pure Blood" campaign was nothing but to attract young fanatics.

Now Severus sat in his library pondering the love letter written to a dead love who never knew. Viktor Krum died never knowing Hermione Granger was in love with him and she died believing he was safe. He did not know which was more tragic.

He tried to push these thoughts aside. There was work to be done. In less than two weeks he would escape with what Order members who were present. He knew the only reason he was escaping was because of Kari. He had the means to escape now. Colin was almost finished with one batch. Brewing the potion ws tedious and they could not do too much at a time in fear of being discovered. The wheels of his plan were in motion. He got up and strolled into one of the labs. Colin was carefully monitoring the progression of the potion.

"Is it going well?" Snape Asked him.

"Very," Colin answered shortly. "We need more ashlace."

"Is there something else wrong?"

Colin took his eyes from the cauldron for a moment. He stared into the former Potions Master's eyes and went back to the potion. "How many people have died from your dungeons?" he asked.

"Too many," was all snape could answer.

"IF you hadn't saved me, would I be there as well?"

"Perhaps," Snape replied.

Colin did not answer. He tended to the potion until it turned a pale shade of green. The usual uncomfortable silence fell between them. Hermione was tortured by the darkness of the dungeons and the unknown. Snape knew Colin died a bit everyday because of his guilt. He was practically a prisoner but he enjoyed a soft bed and warm chambers.

"It won't be much longer," Snape said trying to comfort him. "We will soon be free."

"What about Hermione and Karis? They died as prisoners. Even though I was not here when Hermione died I have still managed to hear whispers of her execution."

"Where are you going with this/"

"I don't know," Colin said franticly. "I know we are saving lived but I cannot forget the faces of those who died within these walls."

Snape listened carefully tapping a battered book against the desk. Colin was young and foolish. Not everyone could be saved in war and to dwell on it for too long would welcome insanity.

"Here," Snape said handing him the book. "I want you to read "The Masque of the Red Death." Once you have and learned the words, I want you to hide it away. Keep it safe until we leave." Snape then excused himself for other duties.

Colin was confused. He opened the book and could see the faded text of the story. The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.

Note: "The Masque of the Red Death" was based on the Black Death or possibly the outbreaks of cholera. In short, it is about Prince Prospero who foolishly tries to avoid death by locking himself in his castle with his friends. In the end, you cannot escape death. Also, I have read that even though Poe's stories dealt a lot with guilt, he did not believe in guilt. He believed that guilt was nothing more than man's desire for self-destruction. Please do not quote me on this since I read it some months ago and I have been unble to find it.

Next Chapter: Snape receives a request from the Chosen One.