Disclaimer: I own nothing except Rebecca and don't plan on making any money off of this. If anything sounds familiar at all in this chapter, it's taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Author's Note: Finally, the end of Chapter 7! *blows kazoo, throws confetti* A lot of the Battle of Hogwarts was left intact with some changes made. Hopefully you all like what's here. I enjoy comments. The next chapters are where everything come directly from my mind.


The Doe Patronus, December 26, 1997

So far, the only thing Rebecca had done during the winter holidays was to anger Tom. She couldn't find the students that he believed were still hiding in Hogwarts somewhere. She also didn't manage to get any information from the capture Luna Lovegood about the students' whereabouts. Luna also would not tell where her father's home was, as it was Unplottable and held a Secret Keeper who was clearly not Luna. The younger Ravenclaw hadn't flinched when Rebecca was torturing her for the information, nor when she told Tom that she didn't know where Luna's home was.

Though she did. You could see it from the Burrow if the day was clear and you were looking out the right window near the top level. But she wouldn't tell Tom that. And Luna took notice. Once they were alone, she muttered a "thank you" before passing out. Ollivander promised he would take care of her as best he could, and Rebecca promised that she would get them more food than the meager meals they fed Ollivander to keep his barely alive.

So her favor, while flimsy, was still intact for the most part. Tom was just not pleased, but there was little she could do about it. The students could not be found, even though she and Severus did their best to search for them.

"If they're in the Room of Requirement, we cannot get to them," Severus finally said to Tom one evening. "We can position someone outside of it forever, but if they are in that room, they will never need to come out."

That had earned Severus a sound Cruciatus, and Rebecca needed to help him back to the castle and into the lavatory. That was where he'd barked at her to leave him be and slammed the door in her face.

It had been a rough holiday so far, and Rebecca was not looking forward to the rest of the year. But she could weather it if Severus would stop becoming more and more sour as the days progressed. Even their time spent in silence felt strained, and she hated that. But it couldn't be helped. Severus was a difficult man to peg down, and Rebecca wondered if she would ever be able to do so.

Late the night before, Rebecca and Severus were sitting in his office. They had become accustomed to sitting, reading—or Rebecca doing her homework for holiday break while Severus read—since it was expected they would almost never be out of one another's sight during the break. Both of them clutched their left forearms at the same moment. The sensation was almost an explosion, the same pain that she had felt when Tom had first branded her with the Mark.

When they finally arrived at Malfoy Manor, Tom was slinging spells and curses with abandon, letting out cries that were incoherent in his rage. Everyone in his Inner Circle received a few curses that night. Harry Potter and his Mudblood friend had escaped again, and the redhead Weasley, the blood traitor, had not been with them.

"Find the Weasley boy!" Tom had shouted at them all. "Find him and you will have Harry Potter knocking down all barriers to get to him."

He had turned upon Rebecca then, grabbing her by both her shoulders and squeezing. Rebecca looked up at him, showing her fear but also defiance.

"You will go on the radio this evening, Rebecca Felan, and call to Weasley to give himself up to the Ministry," he spat. "You will sound desperate, and you will sound defeated. They know you are my captive, that you are still at Hogwarts, but they will believe that you are miserable." He shook her.

"Yes, my Lord," she said quickly. "It would be my pleasure."

And that is what she did, calling out to her friend to lure both him and her other friends into the clutches of the most powerful Dark wizard of this century. But she knew they would not come. Hermione would convince Harry that it was a ploy, a trap, and Bill would do the same for Ron. But she had done her job, and Tom was pleased with her, even going so far as to stroke her hair as her gift for doing her job well.

When she and Severus returned to Hogwarts and were safely secure in his office, Rebecca made a face.

"I want to cut off all my hair," she muttered. "Just so he'll stop touching it."

Severus had been standing next to her in the doorway, then looked down at her and raised an eyebrow at her statement. Slowly, his hand came up to touch her hair for a brief instant before he had turned away.

"A pity," she heard him mutter.

But she didn't ask for clarification on that statement. He had already been walking away, and it would only get him more aggravated with her. For now, she would take the possible compliment and sit in silence.

And that was what they did until the next night, when Phineas Nigellus sprinted into his portrait.

"I know where they are!" he shouted.

Ron wasn't with them yet, it turned out, but Harry and Hermione were not doing too well without him. Slowly, they were falling apart because of the new shared load with the Horcrux and their almost getting caught the night before.

"And Potter's angry because he wants to rescue you and then find his other friend, Ronald," Phineas explained.

"You must take the sword to them now, Severus," Albus' portrait said.

"I'm coming with you," Rebecca said, clutching Severus' arm as he made to turn and get the sword. "You promised."

"I don't have time to argue with you. Put on your cloak and hurry up."

His tone was even, but she knew the anger lay just underneath. Rebecca did as he said, and soon they were on their way, under a Disillusionment charm.

They arrived at the forest destination Phineas had told them about. Both were very quiet. Severus held the sword of Godric Gryffindor loosely as they left, looking extremely uncomfortable doing even that. Finally, he tapped her on the shoulder. The snow was falling gracefully by this point, and it was frigid outside. But Rebecca was pleased to be here, to be able to catch a glimpse of her friends to make sure they were all right.

"The pond," he whispered. Rebecca's immediately spotted the small thing, just in front of them. "Stay here."

Rebecca remained where she was, holding onto the edges of the tree and watching, waiting. Suddenly, the top of the ice cracked open, and a hole large enough for the sword opened up in the ice. Severus placed the sword in the water, and it was soon out of sight, sinking to the bottom of the pond. He covered the ice over once more. He couldn't make it too easy for the boy, and what if another person, as unlikely as that was, came along through this area before he was able to send his Patronus to Potter?

He made his way back to Rebecca. She must have heard him coming, for her hand reached out to find his own. Severus gave a huff and offered her his shoulder instead, which her fingers gently clamped onto.

"Now to find Potter," he whispered.

"That way," Rebecca replied quietly, nudging him slightly north.

"Did you have him chipped with a homing device? How very muggle of you."

"No, just a feeling."

Severus rolled his eyes, but set off in that direction anyway. They did come upon a clearing, but could see nothing. But Rebecca held still, so Severus didn't move as well. Suddenly, Potter came charging out of nothingness. Rebecca's hand on his shoulder clenched tighter, and he could feel her excitement growing as she stood beside him.

"Easy," he muttered, pulling her back into the trees.

Potter stood outside the wards Granger had most likely created. He remained there, looking angry, but thinking.

Severus slowly took out his wand and recalled his happy memory once more. The white light shot from his wand and went to Potter, slowly forming into the doe shape as if from nothingness. Rebecca watched on, hands covering her mouth. The Patronus was still as beautiful as she had been the first time Rebecca had seen her. Now, she slowly approached Harry, watching him watch her.

Then she turned, slowly leading him to the pond where Severus hid the sword. The doe turned to look at Harry once more, then disappeared. Beside her, she felt Severus' tension leave him. Harry looked on, confused for a moment, then peered into the pond. He must have seen the sword, as he began shrugging off his clothing quickly, taking his wand from his trouser pockets.

Soon, he was blasting the ice away. He tried to call the sword up to him with magic, but it didn't work. He muttered to himself. Harry must have known that wouldn't work, for without another pause, he dropped his wand onto his trousers and dove into the frigid water. He popped up above the water, gasping for breath.

Rebecca started forward, but Severus grabbed both of her shoulders and pressed down, holding her in place.

"Stop it," he whispered. "Potter must do this on his own."

Harry went underwater. Rebecca held her breath, as if she were giving her friend breath by doing so. It had been nearly a full minute, and she began pulling against Severus' grasp.

"Leave him, witch," Severus hissed.

"If he dies, how is he supposed to defeat Tom?" Rebecca asked. "Let me go!"

But out of nowhere, a huge crashing sound came from the bushes. Rebecca looked up to see Ron running toward the pond, having spotted the clothing lying on the bank in the snow. Rebecca grinned, watching as Ron pulled off his own shirt and dove in after Harry.

She watched tensely for a moment, but Ron pulled both Harry and the sword to safety. Ron gave a wave of his wand, and Harry soon began coughing up water that he had swallowed.

"My duty is done," Severus whispered close to her ear. His close proximity set her on edge, but not in the manner that others being close to her did. Her heart beat faster, and her blood rushed through her veins, but there wasn't fear there, not even the slightest.

"We must go," he continued, tugging on her arm.

"Just a minute more," she said. "I have to make sure they're all right."

"Potter lives, Weasley is with him, and Granger is not far off," Severus said, pulling her against him in his struggle to get her to move. "They do not need you, Rebecca. Not until they need to be saved once more."

Harry and Ron were talking, Ron looking sorry and pathetic as the two of them scrambled back into their clothing. But they were safe enough here. All they had to do was begin destroying the Horcruxes.

"Fine," Rebecca said, turning. But Severus had not moved, and she'd run into him.

They both paused for a moment, and she recalled that they had not been so close to one another since her induction into the Inner Circle, when they'd had to kiss. She imagined all she had to do was tip her head upward…

"Your clumsiness will be your death," Severus whispered. She could all but see him sneering.

He pulled away, grasping her wrist and pulling her along behind him. They were back at the castle once more, silent. And no longer invisible to the other.

This was why there was so much anger coming from him, Rebecca realized. Because he felt whatever was between them too, and he didn't like it. She wished they could talk about this, but all that would succeed in doing is forcing Severus into giving her the silent treatment once more, or perhaps more yelling. And she was so tired of getting yelled at from all angles.

"Thank you," she said finally. "For taking me with you. It meant a lot, seeing them safe."

She looked to him, hoping she could see the gratitude on her face. Severus was staring at her, giving her one of his penetrating stares.

"Yes. You would never have let me rest otherwise," he said, shuffling papers on his desk.

Rebecca settled on the couch in front of the fire, opening her Charms book. She wouldn't get much more out of him tonight. But he knew she was grateful, and that's all that mattered.

She understood what this was that she felt for him. Love. The emotion Albus had held over all others, the one that could protect. Certainly Severus was aware of this affection. That was why he was so irritable. But perhaps it was more complex. Rebecca didn't think that he would love her in return, not for the reason that Tom had said, but because he still held feelings for Harry's mum.

Everything made sense when she thought of Severus loving Lily Potter. Why he continued to protect Harry, why he had thought she was Lily and begged her forgiveness, why his worst memory was calling her a Mudblood… it all fit. And it made sense why he'd wanted to protect her, at first. But she knew that Severus saw them as two completely different people. He had never even seemed to slip when calling her by name, and he did not treat her much differently from other students, despite all her different qualities.

And his Patronus was a doe, what Lily's had turned into when she began to love James Potter. Though he was a difficult man to understand, Rebecca did know that his Patronus would not normally be a doe. She had little chance at standing up against his perfect memory of Lily Evans, not when he knew every single fault of her own.

Did Harry know? she wondered. Probably not. He was oblivious to most things. Well, she wasn't going to be the one to tell him.

She looked upon Severus Snape, who stared so intently at his paperwork that she thought it might explode. And she smiled a little before looking down at her Charms book. This situation was so completely nutters, she wanted to laugh aloud. But she kept silent, not wanting to disturb him. When this war was over, she would tell him. And then she would just have to see what happened.


Severus' Birthday, January 9, 1998

It was a careful arrangement, this meeting at Malfoy Manor, but at least it would be small. Just the Malfoys, Rebecca, and Severus. Those were really the only people who mattered.

But before they could settle for dinner, Voldemort had called upon Severus to ask him a few questions. Then he called Rebecca into the room.

"Does she not look splendid in her new dress, Severus?" Tom asked, eyes alight with some humor only he understood.

Severus looked to Rebecca, her brown silk dress picking up the little light in the room and shimmering. Her hair was done up nicely, held up with ornate hair clips that complemented her dress. The makeup she never usually wore subtly graced her features, and she tried to give him an easy smile. The dress was a halter top, showing off more skin than he knew she was comfortable with, but she wore it, and the brown heels, well. Narcissa had done a good job picking out a dress that would suit her.

"I am pleased with my wife-to-be," Severus said evenly, turning back to the Dark Lord to let him see the spark of interest in his eye. Not entirely faked, he unfortunately noted.

"She has a gift for you, I believe," Voldemort continued. "Give it to him, Rebecca. I'm sure Severus would appreciate it."

Rebecca's eyes flicked between Tom and Severus, but she stepped forward, small gift held in her hands. She presented it to him.

Severus took the gift from her, his fingers sliding over her own as he took the small thing from her hands. He watched her for a moment before undoing the bow, then slowly lifted the lid of the box.

"What is it, Severus?" Voldemort asked.

Severus blinked. "A nameplate, my Lord," he replied, barely able to speak. His eyes shot upward, trying to meet Rebecca's, but she stood there looking proud, chin held high. She should have consulted him first.

"A nameplate?" Voldemort asked, smiling widening. "What does it say?"

Severus waited just a moment before looking back to the Dark Lord. "Severus Marvolo Snape."

"It will go on our son's crib," Rebecca said, stepping forward and placing her hand upon his own. "A strong name for the strongest of our Lord's new followers."

She looked to Tom, smiling. Her eyes held the reservation she felt at such a bold move. But that was why he liked her. She made the moves first and asked questions later, not asking permission before jumping to conclusions.

Voldemort seemed to waiver between many emotions. Finally, he decided to chuckle. "A name I find little fault with," he said. "But before you name any other children you have, you will speak with me first, Rebecca."

His voice dropped a few octaves, his eyes getting a hint of a dark gleam to them. Rebecca quickly lowered her head in a mini-bow.

"Yes, my Lord."

"I will leave you to your festivities," Voldemort said, sweeping past them. "Other duties call me elsewhere."

Rebecca and Severus bowed as he left. Once he was gone, Severus turned to her, sneering.

"You wish to get yourself killed, witch!" he growled, holding the package tightly. "You should have consulted me before doing something so rash."

"And then miss out on the look on your face?" Rebecca asked with a raised eyebrow.

"This is not a laughing matter, Rebecca," Severus said, taking her upper arm in a tight grasp.

"Of course not," Rebecca said. "But he has to believe I'm all about this, doesn't he? And what better way to do that then with a nameplate like that? It shows I'm still defiant, that I care about you, but that his name also holds precedence in our lives."

Severus shook his head, letting go of her arm. "Stupid chit."

"Be careful how you talk to your fiancé, sir," Rebecca said, taking the step forward so he would be forced to look at her. "Others might be listening."

He glared at her until she turned from him. "They'll be waiting for us," she said over her shoulder.

Dinner was a quiet affair, with all of them speaking of things that did not truly matter. It was tense, even without Tom there. Then, nearing the end, they loosened up slightly, from the attempt at a festive air or too much wine, it was difficult to tell. Finally, Narcissa brought out the cake that she had had the house elves make.

"Vanilla cake with buttercream icing," Narcissa said as the cake slowly floated to a stop in the middle of the table. "I know that your tastes are simple, Severus, but I figured you wouldn't mind the icing too much."

"You're too kind, Narcissa," Severus said with the hint of a smile on his lips.

Once the cake was consumed, the Malfoys gave Severus their present: a lovely new set of robes. They were black, of course, but the material was much finer.

"And you can be assured that they won't catch aflame should you wish to brew again," Lucius said.

Severus nodded his head. "I appreciate the gift. Thank you, Lucius, Narcissa, Draco."

"Now for my gift," Rebecca said with a smile.

"I've already seen your gift," Severus said, holding up a hand towards her.

"No you haven't," Rebecca replied, feigning confusion.

Severus looked to her, about to be very annoyed should she be trying to play this trick in front of the Malfoys. But she was holding a different box, something much longer and thinner. He took it from her carefully, watching her face for a moment. But true to what he'd taught her, she gave nothing away.

Severus unwrapped the present to behold a quill. It was magnificent. A long, black raven's feather, reflecting the light to show its undertones of dark blue and purple. The feathers were still completely straight, the point very fine and an almost ivory color, along with the scoop.

"I've charmed it myself," Rebecca said. "It's self-inking, so you won't have to worry about ink wells. I picked black, but you may change it to whatever color with the proper enchantment. The quill itself will not grow ragged from use, and the tip will always remain sharp."

The elder Malfoys made the appropriate noises of appreciation at the look of the quill. Draco gave Rebecca a look, but she paid him no mind. She was concentrated on Severus and his reaction.

"It is lovely," Severus said, placing the lid of the box back upon the quill. "I'll be certain to start using it tomorrow."

His words were flat, and she could not read him. Rebecca felt slightly deflated, but managed to get through the rest of the dinner relatively well enough. By the time she and Severus were back in his office, she was extremely quiet, thinking he was angry about the gift for some reason, though she couldn't fathom why.

But he turned to her, watching her. It took Rebecca a moment, but she finally met his gaze. He was only a few feet from her.

"You gave me two gifts," he said.

"Yes," Rebecca said. "A fake one and a real one."

"You didn't need to get either."

Rebecca gave a little snort. "Of course not, because Tom wouldn't expect me to give you a gift."

"You didn't need to get this," Severus said, holding up the box with the quill in it. "It cost too much."

"What it cost is none of your business, and it's rude of you to bring up the notion," Rebecca said, stepping forward. "All it cost me was time, something I was willing to give."

"Why?"

His eyes were intense as he closed the gap between them. His brows were furrowed, his lips turned into a frown, and his nostrils flaring. They were only a few inches from each other.

"Because I thought that you deserved something nice from me," Rebecca said quietly. "Because it's not as though you saved my life or anything, and continue to do so every day. Or that you don't comfort me in your own way, get me to do better every day, even at the cost to yourself and your life."

She finally looked up to him, meeting his gaze, which had not softened in the least bit.

"And I'm not taking back that quill," she said firmly. "So you can shut up and accept the gift and pretend you're grateful, you git."

She poked him in the chest with her finger before she even realized what she'd done. Severus stared at her, face in exactly the same expression that it was before her outburst. Finally, he held up the box and removed the quill.

"Let us see, then, how well it writes," he said, his words sounding somewhat clipped. But she could see he was trying to contain his anger.

He turned and went to his desk and pulled up a blank parchment. With his back to her, he began scribbling on the parchment. After a moment, he turned, holding both the quill and parchment in one hand. His cramped, slanted handwriting that had become so familiar over the years stood out on the page, the black ink having not yet dried.

You are a simpering fool.

Rebecca smiled, unable to help herself. She looked up to him once more.

"You're welcome, Severus."


Birthday Celebration, March 20, 1998

Narcissa was helping Rebecca get ready, straightening and fussing with the dark green dress time and again.

"Really, it looks fine," Rebecca said.

And it did. In fact, it was probably one of the most beautiful articles of clothing she'd ever seen. The dark green color Narcissa had insisted on, as it made Rebecca's striking hair stand out even more, and complemented her eyes. The dress was a tight fit, which didn't appeal to her, but the way it accentuated her body made Rebecca feel… almost pretty. Even with her scars and Dark Mark showing. The dress had straps of a medium thickness that showed her tiny frame, but also the muscles that had been developing for the past three years during her training.

"You look stunning in any case, Rebecca dear," Narcissa said, standing back to look at her. "But a last touch…"

Rebecca's hand found the necklace that Severus had given to her this day last year. She wore it constantly, just as he told her to. But she hadn't needed it for protection, though she didn't mind wearing it at all. It was a comfort now, a reminder that she had someone still watching out for her just as she looked out for him.

Narcissa came back from the other side of the room with emerald earrings and matching bracelet.

"I know you won't take off that necklace, so I didn't bother bringing it over," Narcissa said quickly, slipping the bracelet over her wrist. "Nevertheless, these match perfectly. You're welcome to them, if you'd like- I hardly wear them as it is. Emerald isn't my stone, you see."

"Narcissa, I couldn't," Rebecca said, stopping herself from shaking her head, as the woman was putting the left earring into her ear. "You've already done so much for me."

"And we were, and still are, honored to do so for our family," Narcissa said, putting a hand on either of Rebecca's shoulders and giving her a smile. "For everything you've gone through, you deserve what little we can give you."

Rebecca tried to meet the older woman's gaze, but she knew how to play coy Slytherin well. Rebecca nodded.

"They're lovely, thank you," she said, putting a hand up to feel the dangling earrings. She smiled.

"Makeup… good. Dress, perfect. Accessories… You're ready," Narcissa said with a smile. "I'll have the necklace delivered at a later time. No need to worry about it now. We've got to get you to your dinner celebration."

They went down the stairs to find the men waiting for them. Tom was not around today, thankfully. Rebecca wasn't sure she could take much more of him. Her meetings with him were still weekly, and the past one had been disconcerting. Tom said that next month, she and Severus could begin trying to conceive.

"My plan is coming together," he'd told her. "And I would rather you be carrying Severus' child sooner rather than later."

When she had posed the issue to Severus, he had waved it off, looking completely unconcerned.

"We will simply tell him that the potions you've been taking have made it more difficult to conceive than we initially anticipated," he said. "The final battle draws near- I can almost taste it. Closer to the time, we will tell him that we were successful. We will not have to be concerned then, because he will not win."

"But, Severus-"

He'd rounded upon her, eyes intent. "Potter. Will. Win."

That had been all they'd said on the matter. So, in April, they would begin lying to Tom even more than they already were, and by the time May came around, they would be putting their lives at risk. But Rebecca knew that Severus' life was already in danger, more than he was willing to admit to her.

Tom had been unsuccessful in getting the information he wanted from Ollivander, or from any other wand maker, for that matter. And Rebecca had figured out why he was so obsessed with the answer to why he felt his wand was not fully powerful. He believed Severus killing Albus was inhibiting the Elder Wand's power. He wanted to be certain that his assumptions were correct before killing Severus, however. This was why he was giving permission for them to try for a child, because soon Severus would not be around to father any children.

But Rebecca had not brought it up to him yet. She suspected he knew, was just not telling her what he knew Tom planned. He wanted to die. And that made her heart wrench horribly, but also her Debt called to her to save him. She would find a way to save him, even at cost to herself.

Now, she brought herself out of her mind as she and Narcissa made their way down the Malfoys' grand staircase. When they reached the bottom, Narcissa drew Rebecca in front of her.

"Your birthday girl."

The men gave courteous applause.

Severus was unable to take his eyes off of her as she'd come down the stairs. The dress floated about her. Her hair, in soft ringlets, fell about her face gracefully. Legs were pale, smooth, and enticing. His lips thinned when he realized he was staring, and staring much too intently to simply be acting.

This was his student, the one he was protecting and risking his life for. His fellow Death Eater, fellow spy, and fellow Debt-holder. Only her Debt was not to someone who was dead… as of yet.

He could not help but recognize her beauty, especially with how Narcissa had dressed her and prepped her for her birthday night. This was going to be a difficult evening.

After Narcissa presented Rebecca to their small group, she announced it was time for dinner. Severus stepped forward and offered Rebecca his arm.

"You look… well this evening," he said.

She turned her brilliant smile upon him, and Severus felt a sense of pleasure bubbling up within him at evoking the look from her. But he schooled his features and led her behind the Malfoys to the dining room.

These thoughts were safe within his own mind, but he would not act upon them. It was in all ways inappropriate, and he did not desire to begin something, anything, like this with one of his students, no matter how much she acted like a peer rather than someone much younger than himself. No matter her kindness toward him. No matter how that kiss still came to him at night, even when they were under such stress.

He forced his mind blank, a mastery he attained during his practicing at Occlumency and Legilimency. His reaction to her was because of her close appearance to Lily, he told himself time and again. He had mistaken her for Lily once, in the summer before her fifth year, after he'd been Summoned by the Dark Lord and Albus had stupidly brought her into help treat him. Everyone else saw the resemblance, and when she'd first arrived at Hogwarts, it had been nearly more than he could take, seeing his old friend once more as an eleven-year-old.

But Rebecca Felan was no Lily, Severus knew. He pulled out Rebecca's chair and watched her sit down. She was not the woman who could hold his heart, even after all of these years.

He sat at the table beside her, no longer thinking on Lily or Rebecca's appearance. They had a dinner to get through, and then present-giving afterward. His own gift was stowed in his robes, shrunk to fit. And thinking on his gift to her made him…. Quickly, he stowed that emotion away.

Rebecca enjoyed herself during dinner, feeling more care-free than she normally would want to feel anywhere besides the Headmaster's office with Severus. And he was acting a little strangely tonight. She had nearly blushed at the way he looked at her as she was coming down the stairs.

But dinner was quickly coming to a close, and Narcissa was bringing out the desert that she knew Rebecca would want the most.

"Strawberry cheesecake," Narcissa said, smiling as the house elves made the cake appear on the table in the center.

Rebecca had eaten quite enough of the delicious courses for dinner, but her mouth nearly watered at the sight of the dessert in front of her.

"You'll have me bursting, Narcissa," Rebecca said as Narcissa flourished her wand to light the candles upon the cake.

"Be that as it may, before any of us are to overstuff ourselves, you must make a wish," she said with a smirk.

"Candles in a cheesecake, mother?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

"After a little snake told me that you've never blown out candles on your birthday cake," Narcissa said, eyes darting from Severus and back to Rebecca, "I figured anything was better than nothing."

Rebecca turned to the man sitting beside her. "But I-"

She had never told him that. He sat there, watching her, wondering if she was going to ask the question and make him lie. Instead, she paused and remembered where they were. She smirked.

"I can't believe you remembered that."

He shrugged. "My memory is a wondrous thing."

"Clearly."

"Your candles, Becca dear," Narcissa said, smiling.

"Yes, and don't forget your wish lest our Cissa faint," Lucius said.

Narcissa sighed, but stayed where she was, watching. All eyes turned to her, and Rebecca thought of the wish she wanted to come true.

There was really no magic in this act. It was a simple cultural expectation, a tradition that many people had. But still, she couldn't help but stop and think about it for a moment.

I want everyone to survive this war.

She took in a breath and pushed it from her lungs once more, the flames atop the candles snuffing out almost simultaneously. The small watching crowd clapped again, and the cake began to cut itself as the candles popped out of the icing.

A large-ish piece fell to Rebecca's plate. She waited until everyone else was served before picking up her fork and taking the first bite. And it was heavenly.

With dessert being close to finished, Lucius finally stood and excused himself. When he re-entered the room, behind him was a very large, wrapped package floating behind him. He set it down near the entrance of the room, turning to see Rebecca eyeing him suspiciously.

"A gift from Draco, Narcissa, and I," Lucius said, stepping aside and motioning to the giant thing with his arm. "We are pleased to have a talented, powerful young woman such as yourself in our family, Rebecca. Let this be an expression of our gratitude, though it cannot even begin to describe how much we care for you."

Rebecca looked up to him as she stood slowly, assessing each of his words. Every single one was true. There was no sarcasm, no acting. The truth. She approached Lucius and the gift quickly, taking Lucius up into a brief hug.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

She turned to the large gift, wrapped in what appeared to be magical green wrapping paper. She tore it off in pieces, and the picture slowly began to come together. Soon, a baby grand piano was before her. When she turned back to Lucius, Narcissa and Draco were standing beside him, watching her carefully for her reaction.

"It's… so beautiful," Rebecca said, looking back to the piano and running her hand across its smooth, unmarred surface.

"It's enchanted so that you may shrink it and take it with you," Draco said. "That was my idea. Mother and father got the best in Charms to do it."

"And it has an engraving on the keyboard cover," Narcissa said.

Rebecca leaned closer to see it. In silver lettering, the inscription read: To Rebecca Felan with Love from your Malfoy Family.

She turned back to them, feeling the tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "Really. I'll play it all the time."

Narcissa was the first to hug her, and that allowed Rebecca to get a hold on her tears. She then hugged Draco and Lucius, who held her for a moment.

"Keep Severus close to you," he whispered. "He is in danger."

"I know," she answered just as quietly. "I won't let anything happen to him."

"That is good to hear."

He released her, and Rebecca finally saw how ragged he and Narcissa looked. Draco did not wear it in the same way his parents did, they who were always under the thumb of Tom. Lucius' normally clean face held a few more whiskers than normal, and his movements had been somewhat jerky, as if he was lacking sleep. Narcissa looked put-together as usual, but her eyes held dark circles under them. And her hair was just slightly out of place. Of course Lucius would be aware of Tom's plans. He had to sit with the Dark Lord many more days than Rebecca herself did.

Severus stood, clearing his throat for a moment. "Though it will be difficult to follow such a gift, I must humbly try," he said, stepping forward. He was soon within a few inches of Rebecca, his long legs carrying him easily over the room. He held up a wrapped box. "I fear it's not as grand as your first gift."

"I'm sure I'll love it the same," Rebecca said, slowly taking the box from him.

She unwrapped this gift much more quickly, intent upon what he might have thought to get her. When she was past the packaging, she opened the box and moved the tissue paper out of the way—someone had to have wrapped this for him—and paused at the cover of the book inside the box.

The book was thick, and old. The cover, at one point, had been either brown or a bronze color, though now it was difficult to tell if it was one or the other. The spine was perhaps gold, which matched the faded lettering.

Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage.

Rebecca looked up at him briefly before she reached her hand into the box to tip open the book's cover. Inside the cover was his familiar script.

This Book if the Property of the Half-Blood Prince.

Rebecca grinned, letting the cover close. He stared at her intently, and she wished she could read his mind. Obviously, he'd gotten the book back somehow. Harry must not have taken it home with him after nearly killing Draco with it.

She lessened the distance between them, going up on her toes so she could give him a kiss on the cheek. A brave move, bold and daring, especially in front of the Malfoys.

"Thank you," she said, going back on her heels. "I love it."

"See that you keep it safe," Severus said, seeming normal even after the show of affection.

She nodded.

It wasn't much longer that the Malfoys were bidding them farewell. Severus offered to place the now tiny piano inside his robes on their journey back to the castle. The walk up was quiet, as they were Disillusioned once more. Finally, they arrived back inside his office, where he removed the spell and handed her the piano.

"There is no room for it here," he said. "So you must keep it small until you have your own space, whenever that may be."

"All right," she said, taking it from him.

He waited for a moment, looking her up and down. "Do you really like the book?"

"Of course." She held it close to her.

He gave a curt nod and was about to turn away when she spoke again. Severus looked to her.

"How did you know I'd never blown out birthday candles before?"

Severus paused. He could easily not answer her, make her wonder. But what would be the point of that? To get under her skin? He was certainly doing enough of that already.

"When I was attempting to teach Potter Occlumency," he said, "I saw many of his own memories. He remembered vividly you telling him that fact because it was something the two of you shared. And he felt closer to you because of that."

"But I told him that when we were first at Hogwarts, when we were eleven," Rebecca said.

"I do not want to make a guess at everything Potter remembers about you, Rebecca, but the two of you are close," Severus said. "I'm sure there are trifles that you recall about him as well."

She slowly nodded. "How did- but… Why did you remember?"

Severus did not answer immediately once more. To lie or not. To tell her the truth, or uphold their agreement of no more secrets?

"Because it is something the three of us have in common."

He turned from her, moving toward his desk.

"And do take that dress off," he said, his voice back to its usual tone. "You look ridiculous after Narcissa has gotten ahold of you."

Rebecca smirked, holding what used to be his book against her chest.


Visiting Malfoy Manor, March 28, 1998

Easter holidays. They were already here, just when it seemed they had just been on winter holiday. Rebecca had leave to return to Malfoy Manor once more to visit with everyone. Draco had been staying there until classes began once more on Monday.

The past few months had seen Rebecca growing closer to Tom. When she had wanted to enter the Inner Circle, she had wanted to bring it down with the chaos her entering would cause. Tom was a master at creating chaos on his own, but Rebecca's presence was tipping the scales. Bellatrix was even less stable than she had ever been before. Her favor hung by a thread. Greyback had been banished to the Snatchers and was no longer as close as he once was. He was no longer allowed to wear Death Eater robes or come to the meetings, and had very little contact with the Dark Lord at all.

The rest of the Death Eaters did not know what to think, it seemed. They were confused by their Lord's secretive ways, as he was away more often than not, always seeking something. Rebecca suspected her friends had already done away with a Horcrux and perhaps Tom felt it, but there was no way to be certain. Either that, or he was still searching for answers about his wand not working properly. Maybe even both. As much time as she spent with him, which was much more than anyone else in the Inner Circle now, she still had little clue as to that matter.

What she did know was that Severus was in danger, and Tom kept Nagini very close. The snake familiar was at every meeting Rebecca had with Tom. He did not allow anyone to touch Nagini, and only allowed Severus to have venom for making the potion to improve his strength. Though his body suited him well enough, Tom was someone who was never satisfied with anything less than perfection.

Nonetheless, she had plans. Plans for everything. And it was wearing on her.

Rebecca approached the manor. The gates recognized her and immediately allowed her entrance. When she entered the home itself, Rebecca sensed that there were others here besides the Malfoys. She took out her wand, running up the stairs to come upon the scene in the drawing room.

Draco knelt before someone who vaguely resembled Harry's shape, but it was difficult to tell from behind. Her eyes scanned the room. Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix, Scabior… and Greyback. Her eyes narrowed at him, and he grinned back at her, his teeth browned. She sneered, turning her attention back to the room. Ron and Hermione's widened, terrified eyes met her own calm gaze.

"Rebecca," Narcissa said. "Draco is trying to identify whether or not this… boy is Potter."

"Is he?" Rebecca asked, stepping further into the room, trying to see everyone at once. But she did not look at Ron and Hermione, not for another second. She could not spare them a glance, nor Dean or the goblin tied to her friends. Her mind raced as to how she was going to get everyone out of this situation unscathed. And she was going to need to use her position as Tom's newest and most beloved Death Eater in order to do so.

"Look upon him, girl, and the others in the room," Bellatrix snapped. "You knew them well. Tell us who they are."

"What did you see, cousin?" Rebecca asked Draco calmly, ignoring Bellatrix as she made her way to Draco and the kneeling figure.

"I- I don't know if it's them," Draco said quietly. Rebecca put a hand on Draco's shoulder.

"It's all right, I'll handle this," she said quietly, so only he could hear.

With a nod, Draco stood, returning to the fire, where his mother and father now stood. Rebecca turned her attention on the boy in front of her. His face was swollen, contorted, black hair long and unruly. Glasses sat upon his nose, but they were forced there. The scar upon his forehead was almost unrecognizable.

"He had his wand with 'im," Greyback said, stepping forward.

Rebecca stood and went to him, barely able to keep her body from trembling as she approached the werewolf. She took the wand from Greyback and turned back toward the boy who she knew to be Harry Potter kneeling on the ground. He had enough sense to keep quiet, and so did her other friends in the room. The wand was blackthorn, not his own.

"This isn't Harry Potter's wand," she said, tossing it back to Greyback carelessly. "Keep it for all I care. This isn't Harry Potter." She gestured to the boy vaguely.

Next, she turned her gaze upon the others. "I've never spoken more than a few words to the Gringotts goblins, so I couldn't tell you who this one is. The boy next to him is Terrence Higgs. He was in our House, Draco. He graduated a few years back." She held Dean's gaze for a moment. "We didn't know each other well, but I don't forget faces."

Dean nodded enthusiastically, keeping his mouth shut. Before Rebecca could say anything further, Draco piped up.

"Sorry I didn't recognize you before, Terrence," he said. "Must be the light."

Dean nodded curtly.

Rebecca looked, finally, to Ron and Hermione. Rebecca got very close to both of them, but said nothing. She poked Ron's forehead.

"This one is definitely a Weasley," she said. "But probably one of their cousins. Barney or someone is the closest name I can think of. There are so many of them."

Rebecca turned her gaze to Hermione.

"That one is the Mudblood Granger," Bellatrix hissed. "She matches the picture in the Prophet."

Rebecca turned suddenly to take Bellatrix in. The woman looked more ragged than she'd seen her in a while.

"I'm sorry, Bellatrix, I thought you wanted me to identify them," Rebecca said coolly.

The other witch sneered. Rebecca smiled before turning back to Hermione. She gave her friend an even look, and Hermione's lower lip twitched for a moment.

"She's as dirty as her blood," Rebecca said, snapping her wrist so that her fingers grasped Hermione's chin to tug it up to look at her.

Ron lunged at her, actually making it look good, but with a flick of her wand, Rebecca set him to rights. He could not go very far bound as he was, but she wasn't taking chances.

Rebecca drew Hermione close to her, her face directly in that of her friend's. She stared at the girl for a while.

"Where is Potter?" Rebecca growled.

"I- I…"

"I'll take care of the Mudblood," Bellatrix said. "I have an affinity for getting them to speak."

Rebecca whirled around. "Don't you remember that our Lord has been teaching me his art?" she asked. "He prefers that I do the torturing now, Bellatrix. You've grown… less than stellar at it, he says."

"Our Lord would never say such a thing about me!"

"But you have not been around as of late," Rebecca continued. "Haven't you wondered why that is, Bella?" She took a step forward, but the woman held her ground.

"I've already defeated you once in a duel, don't think I won't hesitate to do it again if you test me," Rebecca said, drawing upon her memories of Severus growling at students to perfect her tone. "And who will our Lord believe when he does arrive?"

Bellatrix sneered, but said nothing.

"Exactly," Rebecca said.

"I will summon our Lord to settle this, then!" Bellatrix said, lifting up her sleeve.

"I will call him, Bellatrix," Lucius said, stepping forward and slapping the woman's hand away from her own arm. "They have been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority—"

"Your authority!" Bellatrix said. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! How dare you! Take your hands off me!"

"This is nothing to do with you, you did not capture them—"

"Begging your pardon, Mr. Malfoy," interjected Greyback, "but it's us that caught them, and it's us that'll be claiming the gold if it's Potter—"

"Gold!" laughed Bellatrix, still attempting to throw off her brother-in-law, her free hand groping in her pocket for her wand. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his—of—"

Rebecca wondered how long it would be before any of them spotted Gryffindor's sword, especially Bellatrix. She was bound to recognize it at some point. She stood before Ron and Hermione, between them and Harry.

"STOP!" shrieked Bellatrix. "Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"

Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his own Mark. Bellatrix strode to the corner where the other Snatchers stood.

"What is that?"

"Sword," one of the Snatchers grunted.

"Give it to me."

"It's not yourn, missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it."

Bellatrix raised her wand and Stunned the man. He went down, but his comrades had their wands out before he was flat on his back. Rebecca stood back and watched, wand pointed at them.

"What d'you think you're playing at, woman?" Scabior asked.

"Stupefy!" Bellatrix screamed. "Stupefy!"

The four Snatchers went down with little effort. Greyback remained in a kneeling position, arms outstretched. One Stunning spell wasn't going to bring him down, but he wouldn't be bothering anyone for a few moments. Bellatrix snatched up the sword and leaned over to Greyback.

"Where did you get this sword?"

"How dare you?" he snarled, his mouth the only thing that could move. He bared his pointed teeth. "Release me, woman!"

"Where did you find this sword?" she repeated, brandishing it in his face. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"

"It was in their tent," rasped Greyback. "Release me, I say!"

She waved her wand, and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but appeared too wary to approach her. He prowled behind an armchair, his filthy curved nails clutching its back.

"Draco, move this scum outside," said Bellatrix, indicating the unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."

"Don't you dare talk to Draco like—" said Narcissa furiously, but Bellatrix screamed.

"Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!"

She stood, panting slightly, looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners.

"If it is indeed Potter—"

"Which I have already said it isn't," Rebecca said, sounding bored.

"You could be mistaken," Bellatrix snapped. "His face is swollen. He looks nothing like he might without the curse upon him."

Rebecca shrugged. "If you wish to summon our Lord when I've told you this isn't Potter, go ahead."

"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"

"This is my house, Bella, you don't give orders in my—"

"Do it! You have no idea of the danger we are in!" shrieked Bellatrix. She looked frightening, mad; a thin stream of fire issued from her wand and burned a hole in the carpet.

Narcissa hesitated for a moment, then addressed the werewolf.

"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."

"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except… except for the Mudblood."

Greyback gave a grunt of pleasure.

"No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!"

Bellatrix hit him across the face; the blow echoed around the room.

"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them—yet."

She threw Greyback's wand back to him, then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners, then dragged her by the hair into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across to another door. Rebecca stepped forward, giving Bellatrix an even look.

"Do I have to take another knife from you, Bella?" she asked. "Is this one poisoned too? Haven't you learned that it isn't an effective tactic when questioning prisoners?"

Bellatrix pointed her wand at Rebecca. "I've had enough of your sass! You may think you're a part of this family, but you are no Black! Your blood is as bad as hers," she shouted, motioning to Hermione, who laid on the floor trying to look as small as possible.

"Then why do I have the Mark?" Rebecca asked, stepping forward, shoving her own sleeve up to expose it. "Why am I closer to the Dark Lord than you are? Why has he chosen me to bear his next generation of followers, and not you, Bella?" Rebecca paused. "Why not you?"

Bellatrix's arm shook, but she did not lower her wand. The silver knife hung limply at her side.

"You know that you've fallen from his favor," Rebecca said. "Curse me, and he will be done with you, even if you do give him Granger. But you don't have Potter. Summoning our Lord here without Potter when you tell him you have him would not earn you any favors."

"Shut up!"

"No." Rebecca pointed her wand at the witch. Bellatrix did not flinch. "Back off, Bella. I will question the Mudblood. I will know if she's lying."

"Bella, she knew the girl for years," Narcissa said from behind them. "Don't tear apart this family."

"This is no family!" Bellatrix shrieked. "Our father is turning in his grave, knowing someone of her blood defiles our house's name!"

"Bella, Rebecca has all of the same rights as a Black, our Lord proclaimed it," Narcissa continued, stepping forward and pulling Bellatrix gently aside. "Let her do what he has taught her. It would be his wish."

"I'll just be borrowing this," Rebecca said, plucking the knife from Bellatrix's hands. "Don't worry, I'll give this one back." She smiled before turning to Hermione as Narcissa pulled a sputtering Bellatrix away.

Rebecca leaned over, taking a fistful of Hermione's hair and pulling up as quickly as possible, though her grip was not forcible. Her lips were next to her friend's ear.

"You need to scream as loud as you can," she whispered. "Our lives depend on it."

Hermione met her eyes as Rebecca quickly muttered a charm under her breath. Hermione's skin would be protected for a period of time from pain. She'd found the spell in one of the old books in the Headmaster's office.

"Where did you get the sword?" Rebecca asked, pulling harder on Hermione's hair.

"We found it!" Hermione cried, hands grasping at Rebecca's, her eyes shut.

Rebecca leaned forward and swept the knife over her shoulder in a straight line. Hermione screamed, making her pain believable as she tried to get out of Rebecca's tight grasp.

"I don't believe you!" Rebecca shouted. "The sword. Where did you get it?"

"We found it—we found it— PLEASE!"

Another slash across her shoulder, this one perpendicular to the first, meeting it shakily to form an "L." Hermione screamed again, louder than the first time.

"You are a liar! Filthy Mudblood and a liar! You've been inside Bellatrix's vault in Gringotts. That's why the goblin is with you. Tell the truth. The truth."

"No, we haven't seen the goblin until tonight," Hermione begged, looking up at Rebecca. "Rebecca, please! You know me!"

Rebecca grasped the knife tighter and brought it down on her shoulder again, drawing another line beside the "L." Hermione cried out, her voice growing shrill.

"What else did you take from my aunt's vault?" Rebecca asked, shaking Hermione by her hair. "What else, I said?"

Hermione said nothing, whimpering and letting tears fall down her face.

"Answer me!" Rebecca said, drawing the girl up from the floor to meet her gaze. Hermione shook her head as best she could, bawling her eyes out.

Rebecca set her back on the ground roughly, setting the knife to her skin and carving an "A" beside the "I." Hermione shrieked in pain, trying to pull away, but Rebecca held her still.

"How did you get into her vault?" Rebecca asked once she was done carving the "A." "Did the goblin help you?"

"We only met him tonight, I swear!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been inside her vault… It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

"A copy!" screeched Bellatrix. "A likely story!"

"But you know what the sword is," Rebecca said. "How do you know about it? Tell me the truth. You know I will know you're lying, Mudblood."

Hermione choked upon her sob, the blood running down her shoulder and arm. "Harry's pulled the sword of Gryffindor from the hat before," she said quietly, her voice thick with her tears. "That's how I know it's not the real one. I've seen it before. You've seen it before. You know."

Rebecca looked back to Bellatrix. "She isn't lying this time. Perhaps all Mudbloods aren't so useless after all. She raises an interesting point."

"That is the sword!" Bellatrix growled.

"We can find out easily!" Lucius said. "Draco, fetch the goblin. He can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

Rebecca looked to Draco and nodded. Her Slytherin friend made his way across the room and disappeared into the doorway Greyback had taken Harry and the others.

Rebecca turned her attention back to Hermione.

"Now that I've gotten you on the path to the truth, maybe you'll continue," she said. "Where is Harry Potter? Why aren't you with him or Ron Weasley?"

"They left!" she said, fingers clawing at Rebecca's hand in her hair. Rebecca shook her, and Hermione hands dropped as she yelled in pain. "They left me! They didn't want to be around me anymore. I was a burden to them, they said."

"Why?"

Hermione turned her face up to Rebecca, a look of loathing passing over her features. "Because they wanted to go back to the castle and try to rescue you. I said you were a lost cause. They didn't want to believe me. So they left."

Behind her, Bellatrix cackled. Rebecca didn't pay her any mind, smiling instead down at Hermione.

"As you can see, I'm not the one who needs rescuing," Rebecca said evenly.

Draco came back up the stairs with Griphook the goblin and dragged the nearly unconscious creature across the room toward Bellatrix and the sword.

"Not from my position," Hermione said, eyes defiant.

"Just for that, you get the last letter," Rebecca said, kneeling and carving the "R" into her skin slowly.

Hermione screamed again, holding it for the entirety of the knife touching her skin. Rebecca hoped her charm was holding up.

"Enough," Bellatrix said. Rebecca turned, letting Hermione face the door still so she would not have to face any of the people before her.

Soon, the Malfoys and Bellatrix were consumed with trying to get Griphook to identify the sword. Rebecca leaned over.

"Do you have dittany in your bag?" she whispered, lips barely moving.

"Yes. I still have it and my bag."

"Apply it as soon as you're out of here."

"You have a plan?"

"Not as of yet. I'm winging it."

"Comforting."

They had no more time to speak.

"Well?" Bellatrix said to Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"

Rebecca held her breath, staring at the goblin as he held the sword in his hands.

"No," Griphook said. "It's a fake."

"Are you sure?" asked Bellatrix. "Quite sure?"

"Yes," said the goblin.

Rebecca felt relief, and clearly Bellatrix did too.

"Good," she said, and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed another deep cut into the goblin's face, and he dropped with a yell at her feet, still clutching the sword. She kicked him aside. "And now," she said in a voice that burst with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!"

She pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.

Rebecca frowned. Bellatrix then turned to look upon her and the bleeding Hermione still clutched by her hair.

"And I think," said Bellatrix, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ron burst into the room, and Rebecca ducked, falling on top of Hermione.

"Expelliarmus!" he roared.

There was a flash of light above her. Rebecca looked up to see Bellatrix crawling toward her. She grabbed Hermione's hand and tugged upon her. Rebecca stood with her, helping to hold up her friend. Lucius was on the floor, Stunned. The others were in a duel, three on two. Harry was rolling behind a sofa as Bellatrix wrenched her knife out of Rebecca's grasp.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix cried.

Rebecca stood to her side, looking on as Bellatrix held Hermione against her, knife at her throat. Harry peered out from behind the sofa.

"Drop your wands," Bellatrix whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her bloody is!"

Ron stood rigid, clutching the wand he'd taken from someone, most likely Wormtail. Harry straightened, still holding Bellatrix's wand.

Rebecca raised her wand to Hermione's head. "She said. Drop. The wands."

"All right!" Harry shouted, and he dropped Bellatrix's wand at his feet. Ron did the same with the wand he held. Both raised their hands to shoulder height.

"Good!" Bellatrix leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"

"While I'm sure that would be frightening to Harry Potter," Rebecca said, "as I've told you, it's not him. You best hope our Lord isn't displeased when he arrives."

She was stalling, trying to draw at time and try and think of a plan to get her friends out and keep herself alive. But she was drawing a blank.

"Enough out of you," Bellatrix said, shoving Rebecca out of the way. "Be useful and get them bound."

Rebecca made her way to Ron and Harry, wand pointed at them.

Draco had Bellatrix and Wormtail's wands and was bringing them toward their side of the room.

"Now," said Bellatrix softly. "Cissy, I think once these heroes are taken care of, Greyback can have his fill of Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight."

Rebecca's eyes widened, knowing what Greyback would do to Hermione.

"Dobby, you're the only one I can think of," she whispered. "Dobby, we need you right now."

The situation seemed hopeless, her wand pointed at two of her best friends while a third one was being handed off to the same werewolf that had been terrorizing her for years.

There was a grinding noise that suddenly overtook the room. Rebecca looked up in time to see the chandelier tremble, then creak with an ominous jingling. It began to fall. Bellatrix was directly beneath it; dropping Hermione, she threw herself aside with a scream. The chandelier crashed to the floor in an explosion of crystal and chains, falling on top of Hermione and the goblin, who still clutched the sword of Gryffindor. Glittering shards of crystal flew in all directions: Draco doubled over, his hands covering his bloody face.

Rebecca turned to face the two boys, who were already moving forward. She pursued Ron, who was pulling Hermione out from wreckage. She pointed her wand at him. From behind her, she heard Harry yell, "Stupefy!"

It hit her in the back, bringing her down. She gave Ron a look, and he kept pulling at Hermione. Rebecca watched as Greyback was lifted off his feet from the force of the next Stunner Harry cast. Narcissa was dragging Draco out of the way, she noticed from the corner of her eye. Then, Narcissa's wand and eyes were drawn to the doorway.

"Dobby!" she screamed, and even Bellatrix froze. "You! You dropped the chandelier—?"

The tiny elf trotted into the room, his shaking finger pointing at his old mistress.

"You must not hurt Harry Potter," he squeaked.

"Kill him, Cissy!" shrieked Bellatrix, but there was another crack, and Narcissa's wand too flew into the air and landed on the other side of the room.

"You dirty little monkey!" bawled Bellatrix. "How dare you take a witch's wand, how dare you defy your masters?"

"Dobby has no masters!" squealed the elf. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

"Ron, catch—and GO!" Harry yelled, throwing one of the wands to him. He rushed past Rebecca to tug Griphook out from under the chandelier. He gave her a worried glance, but she moved her eyes toward the others and looked back to him quickly, the only thing she could do at the moment. Harry hoisted Griphook up onto one shoulder, the sword still hanging from the goblin's grasp. Harry seized Dobby's hand and spun on the spot to Disapparate.

Bellatrix screamed and took aim, throwing her knife at the place they were disappearing. The only thing Rebecca could see was the knife disappearing along with the people, and a rush of dread filled her. Would the knife hit? How would it be affected by the Disapparation?

But there was no time to think about that. She set her mind to work, placing the images and sounds she wanted protected from Tom for when he arrived. Soon after her friends had Apparated to safety, the Dark Lord entered the room, robes sweeping as he flourished his wand. But when he looked about, he saw Greyback lying on the ground, Rebecca splayed face-first near the broken chandelier, and Narcissa and Draco tending to Lucius while Bellatrix cried out in agony.

"My Lord," Rebecca said weakly, still unable to move from the Stunning spell.

Tom waved his wand, and she was able to stand shakily, clutching her wand still.

"What happened here?" he asked, drawing close to her, then taking her arm and pulling her close, so that their eyes could meet.

He saw the scene play out as she wanted him to, did not see her recognizing each of the prisoners.

"I told Bellatrix not to summon you, my Lord," Rebecca said, breathless. "It was the Granger Mudblood, but it was not Potter or Weasley, I swear to it."

"You tell it truthfully, Rebecca," Tom muttered, pushing her away from him so he could turn to Bellatrix.

"Bella!" he called. The witch finally stopped her screaming and bowed low.

"My Lord!" she said. "Potter, he—"

"That was not Potter," Tom said, taking another step forward. "I told you only to Summon me only for Potter."

"But the Mudblood, it was her. And the Weasley that was with them—"

"Are not. Potter." His bony finger pointed to Rebecca, who stood, appearing dazed. "Rebecca saw Potter and his friends on a daily basis. She knew them. If she said they were not who you and Greyback claimed them to be, then why did you Summon me?"

"My Lord, I—"

"Silence!"

His voice reverberated off the walls of the drawing room.

"I have grown weary of you, Bella," Voldemort said with a tired voice. "Weary, indeed. You have disobeyed me for the last time."

Bellatrix fell to her knees, crawling toward him. "My Lord, please. I have been a faithful follower to you for many years. Please…"

"That is why I am not going to kill you, Bella," Voldemort said. "But should you displease me just once more, even for the slightly infraction, I will not be so merciful."

"My Lord, thank you…"

"Crucio!" Voldemort called, raising his wand as the witch was about to touch his feet.

Rebecca fell to her knees, feeling weaker than she imagined from the Stunning spell. And the magnitude of what she had done was finally hitting her. How great the danger was. How much she could have lost had she not held so much confidence. A hand was upon her shoulder, and Rebecca turned her head, the world swimming.

"I'll get you back to Hogwarts once we're dismissed," Draco said. "But I'll need to borrow your wand. Whoever they were took it, Greyback's, and Aunt Bellatrix's."

Rebecca nodded vaguely. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Draco said. "I was growing out of the wand anyway. At least we have Ollivander."

"Something tells me not," Rebecca said. "Or Lovegood." She closed her eyes in an attempt to make the world stop spinning. "If they took the goblin with them, they got the other prisoners out, too."

"Bloody hell," Draco said.

Their voices were quiet, to not draw Voldemort's attention as he continued to torture Bellatrix. Finally, he rounded upon Greyback.

"Insolent wolf!" Voldemort cried. "Crucio!"

Greyback shuddered and hit the ground, having a fit as the curse hit him. The scream that came from his mouth was more than Rebecca could take. She pitched forward.

"My Lord!" Draco called, reaching forward to grab Rebecca's shoulders. "I must get my cousin back to the castle—she's unwell."

Voldemort rounded upon Draco, fury in his eyes. He raised his wand.

"Do not interrupt me!"

"My Lord," Rebecca said, managing to look up at him. She needed an explanation, needed one now. "My Lord, my apologies. I know you told me to wait, that I was not to… But, my Lord, I'm pregnant. That is why I'm unwell."

The attention dropped from Draco as quickly as Tom's wand did. His eyes were alight with something entirely different, even in the midst of the groaning from Bellatrix and Greyback in the background.

"Then she needs rest, Draco," Voldemort said, his voice suddenly gentled. "Get her to Severus. He will treat her for whatever wounds she's sustained."

"Thank you, my Lord," Draco said, bowing his head. He picked up Rebecca's wand and began helping her from the manor.

Once they were downstairs, out of hearing range of everyone else, Draco glanced at her. "Are you really pregnant?"

"You said we shouldn't talk in your house," Rebecca said.

Draco nodded, then lifted her wand and Disapparated to outside the gates of Hogwarts. When they appeared again, he had to hold Rebecca tightly to keep her standing. After a minute, Rebecca opened her eyes and saw Draco watching her cautiously.

"And it's none of your business," Rebecca said. "Now help me up to the castle."

"I just thought… the way you and Severus are together—"

"Drop it. I feel too awful for this conversation."

Draco kept quiet until they were in the gates and nearly up to the Entrance Hall. "I know what actually happened in there."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Neither do I."

Rebecca glanced at Draco and shook her head. "Enough Slytherin mind games, just get me to the Headmaster's office. I'm sure your parents will send your things along later tonight, along with a new wand."

They made it up to the Headmaster's office, where Draco helped Rebecca into the room. Upon seeing her, Severus stood and rushed to the two.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Long story short: she was Stunned," Draco said, handing her off to Severus, who took her to the nearest chair and set her down.

"That will be all, Draco," Severus said, turning to his godson and giving him his best glare.

"Thank you, Draco," Rebecca said.

"Welcome, Becca," he replied, backing away from Severus. He then turned on his heel and left the room, presumably for their shared dorm.

Severus turned to her once he heard the door lock automatically behind Draco. "Show me."

Rebecca let her guards down, opening up to him.

Severus was overwhelmed with her emotions, with her pain, and with the images she was showing him. It was almost too much. But after a few minutes, he understood what happened.

"Shit," he hissed. "Rebecca, what you've done is very dangerous. It can't be taken back."

"I had to say something or he was going to curse Draco for trying to help me," Rebecca said. "I didn't know what else to do, Severus."

He held up a hand. "We will talk about this momentarily. Let me get you a potion to help with your issues from the Stunning spell."

Rebecca closed her mouth and watched him as he crossed the room. She made her way to the chair near the fireplace and sat heavily in it. Though Tom had done some magic to remove the Stunning spell from her, its effects were a little more difficult to shake for such a relatively simple spell.

Severus came back into her line of sight soon enough, holding a vial of what she assumed was a painkiller of some kind. Perhaps a relaxant. Anything at this point would be fine—she didn't really care. She took it from him, her arm feeling heavy, and didn't pause to find out what he'd given her.

He looked on as Rebecca gulped the potion down. She looked about as tired as he felt at the moment. She rested her head on the chair for a moment, eyes closed, before opening them again. Her green eyes found his immediately, and she suddenly seemed to have clarity of mind.

"You know Tom is going to kill you."

Her words hung between them. Severus didn't dare to speak. She looked fragile enough already for him to say anything.

"You know."

She sighed and shifted in the seat, taking off her cloak and letting it fall to the floor. The relaxation potion he'd given her would help with her nerves, with the Stunning spell. But it wouldn't stop her brain. Rebecca looked up at him once more, and Severus kept his face passive and his lips shut.

"You don't want to fight him anymore."

She leaned against the back of the chair once more, her green eyes peering upon him as if able to read his thoughts.

"Is it because of Lily?"

Despite himself, a jolt went up his spine. She knew. Somehow, she knew. Severus had always understood that she was far cleverer than the average student, but there was no way she could have inferred all of this.

"No one told me," she said, pulling her legs up onto the chair. Her heels rested on the edge of the chair, her elbow on one of the arms. Her fist propped up her chin, allowing her to look at him. "I've observed, remembered things no one cares to. Just like you taught me."

She's become a tool against my defenses, Severus found himself thinking. And he had trained her to do just that: get around all defenses. He remained standing, intrigued that she was still speaking and that he had not snapped at her already.

"When you called me Lily that night during the summer, after you'd been Summoned," she began, eyes not leaving his, "that's when I began to wonder… about everything. Then what Harry told me of your memory. Then how you're so protective of Harry. Yes, you made a promise to Dumbledore, but it was more than that. And your Patronus is a doe. James Potter's was a stag, just like Harry's. I made an assumption as to what Lily's was."

Severus closed his eyes for a moment. His most closely guarded secret, so easily deduced by someone half his age… but perhaps with the same level of intellect. Still he complimented her, even when she deserved to be verbally torn apart. But he found that no matter how much he wanted to, he could not speak. He opened his eyes and let them glare at her, but onward she ploughed.

"I won't tell anyone. I suspect you won't want it."

Her gaze flicked up and down, taking in his posture. Hands crossed before him, fists clenched. Brow crinkled. Eyes sharp, glaring. Nostrils flared. Cheeks slightly flushed.

"But that does leave me a bit miffed," she said, letting her hand fall away from her chin. Her head stayed up of its own accord. The relaxation potion was strong, but her will was greater. "Why me?"

There he stood, unmoving. His lips thinned.

"Is it because I look like Lily?" she asked. "Is it because you know the truth? That I'm her second-cousin. Am I another part of settling your Life Debt?"

His fists shook. But nothing more.

"No. Your Life Debt was to James Potter. But you feel you owe Lily, too. That's why you watch after Harry. Because of her. Not his father."

When had she become able to read him like a bloody book? What had he created?

"Enough," he said, his voice low and barely audible. "You overstep your bounds."

"I overstep no bounds, Severus," Rebecca said, moving her head so that it turned to the side. She looked at him out of her left eye now, and nothing more. "You placed us on equal level. No secrets."

"Then you simply do not understand when it is best to keep your infernal mouth shut."

Rebecca smirked. "You know I can't let you die, Severus," she said evenly, her voice just above a whisper. "I too owe a Life Debt, and I won't be paying it as you've been paying yours."

She didn't even move when he was suddenly stooping over her on the chair, a hand gripping either arm. Rebecca looked at him out of her left eye, noting that his aggression had grown. His eyes were nearly glowing with his anger. But her tiredness coupled with the work of the potion didn't let the panicking signals reach her limbs, to force her to move. So instead of being intimidating, Severus merely received a chuckle in return for his efforts.

He took her chin in his hand and pulled her face about, forcing her to look at him fully. "I will not allow you to save me. This is one thing that you cannot muddle in, girl: my future. It is my decision."

"Death by Tom Marvolo Riddle," Rebecca said quietly, raising an eyebrow languidly. "Somehow that seems a cop-out for someone like you. You're a survivor."

"No longer."

The words shook as he said them. Then he pushed her back against the chair. He turned and went to his desk, sitting down in the large, comfortable chair behind it.

"You're too weak to go to your own dormitory," he said evenly, mask upon his face once more. "You may sleep in my quarters tonight. I will not have use for them."

"Thanks, but I'll stay here for now, by the fire," Rebecca said, snuggling farther into the chair.

She couldn't see him from her chair, as she faced the fire. She watched it crackle for a few minutes before feeling her eyes close. She didn't attempt to open them again. Her body and mind were tired, and she didn't want to fight with him anymore. Unbeknownst to Severus, she'd already begun her plan to save his life long ago, when Tom first had her torture Ollivander. But he didn't need to know that, or her true motives for wanting to save him, just yet. He would find out soon enough.

Rebecca dozed in the chair, unaware of Severus watching her from his awkward angle at his desk. All his could really see was some of her facial profile and her legs and feet. It didn't look a comfortable position to try to sleep in, but he'd gone to sleep in worse places.

Severus did not know how long the room remained quiet nor how long he stared at her profile, trying to figure out… something. What this was between them. What there couldn't be between them. How much she deserved better than the life Albus had offered to her that day, how he should have stood up for her as his student…

And then a burst of flames appeared above his desk. Severus shielded his face with his arms, but nothing further happened. There wasn't even an accompanying sound, just flames. But that was impossible…

Slowly, he lowered his arms, and there, upon his desk, stood Fawkes. The phoenix stared up at him, intelligent eyes looking him over. But clearly, Severus was not the one he was looking for.

The phoenix turned around and flapped his great wings a few times, landing on the back of Rebecca's chair lightly. The girl did not stir, not until Fakes landed in her lap. Her eyes shot open, and she was on guard. But her face relaxed for the first time this year, as far as he could tell. Then she smiled, the brilliant expression lighting up her face.

"Fawkes," she said, hand reaching forward tentatively. Was he even real?

The phoenix allowed her to pet his head gently. Then he stuck out one leg, where a parchment was tied to him hastily.

Rebecca's brows furrowed, and quickly she untied the parchment. When she was done, Fawkes perched on the back of her chair, looking over her shoulder as she read.

Becca,

Friends are safe, as are G, L, and O. D did not make it. Knife in Disapparation. H torn up, but fine. Send back word of your safety before friends go crazy and do something stupid.

Bill

Rebecca's fingers lost their grasp and the parchment fell to the floor. The same hand covered her face. She heard the rustling of robes, but she couldn't bring herself to look up.

Severus bent over and took up the parchment scrap. Cryptic, but understandable. And with Fawkes as the delivery method, there was no way it could have been intercepted anyway. Severus looked to Rebecca, who was not taking the news easily.

"I called him to us," she said. "Maybe Harry did. It doesn't matter," she added quickly. "Bellatrix killed two people I thought of as friends."

Severus opened his mouth, about to say that Dobby was not a person. But that was how Rebecca viewed him. The girl was so soft to be a Slytherin, but she was not raised as many of them had been. She valued friendship, bravery, loyalty over most things. But she was cunning, intelligent, and her loyalty made her a better Slytherin than most. Her ability to love, to care, made her greater. And that was exactly why she'd been chosen as his secondary spy.

Her hand fell away from her face. "Could you get me a quill and parchment, please?"

Without a word, Severus waved his wand and caught the objects he'd Summoned to him. He handed them to her. She leaned over the arm of the chair and scribbled on the parchment.

"Bill," she said when she was done. "I'm fine. Tell friends not to worry and H to calm down. D will be avenged, as will S. It's not his fault or anyone's. D made a choice." Her voice shook as she read it, and Severus was quite certain she was going to break down into tears. "This will be over soon. Tell H I'm sorry. Will send extra salve along with F for wounds. Burn this when you're done reading, as I'll do with yours. Love, Becca."

Fawkes hopped down from the back of the chair and put his beak to the parchment on the ground. It turned to ask within a second. The phoenix looked up to Rebecca, waiting. Rebecca, eyes brimming with tears being held back, glanced at Severus.

"I brewed some salve for wounds in Slughorn's," she said. "I put it in your—"

"I noticed," Severus said, making his way across the room to his personal cabinet. He returned and handed it to her.

Rebecca wrapped the parchment around the vial and handed it to Fawkes. "Please take this back to Bill."

Fawkes reached up with talons extended, plucked the items from her grasp, and disappeared in another burst of flames. Rebecca blinked after he'd gone before curling her legs up under her. She didn't look up at him, but she began speaking.

"Choosing death is so simple for you, isn't it?" she asked quietly. "But I think you underestimate the disservice you'd be doing to yourself if you chose to go so willingly."

"My life is not worth so much," Severus said, his voice deep. "I am, after all, the man who killed Albus Dumbledore."

"And I killed Charity Burbage," Rebecca said, finally looking up at him. "And by the end of this, I suspect I'll be forced to kill again. I've tortured friends, people who have done me no harm, and have undergone torture in return. You've done all of this and more. But we're both still decent people. Two Slytherins being manipulated to suit the needs of the wizarding world."

"My situation is much more complicated than you believe it to be."

Rebecca watched him, taking in how he neutrally stared back at her, all traces of his earlier anger gone. He looked relaxed, almost. After a long pause, she spoke again.

"I don't think you understand how much I would be unable to forgive myself if you died," she said. "And not because Albus ordered me to keep you alive. I could care less what he thinks anymore. I'm doing this for me now. For you. For Harry. For the safety of the wizarding world. Not for Albus."

His eyes widened just slightly, but he remained still otherwise.

"Like it or not, I would hate myself if you died and I didn't try to save you," she continued. "Everyone deserves second chances, Severus, even if you don't think you do."

He rolled his eyes. "There is nothing you can do to save me, chit. Once the Dark Lord decides on a man's death, he is done for."

He swept from the room, leaving Rebecca alone. She let her head flop back against the back of the chair once more.


The Final Battle, May 1-2, 1998

The month of April was difficult for everyone. Rebecca could feel her nerves fraying, her confidence slowly giving way to all of her fears. She knew it was drawing nearer to the time when Harry would need to fight Tom, and the latter would attempt to kill Severus. What was more, the next month would see her N.E.W.T.s, and Rebecca had absolutely no clue where she was going to be when they were going to be taking place.

She couldn't even look at Dumbledore's portrait. Seeing him just made her anger grow tenfold, and she had the strong desire to hex his portrait until it was no more. But she kept ahold of herself, just barely. Severus' strength fed her own. Even if it was simply an act, Rebecca couldn't help but appreciate his stalwart state, even if he didn't seem to appreciate her being around him anymore.

There were moments when she thought she could feel his gaze upon her, but when she would look up he would be engrossed in his book or paperwork on his desk that never shrank in size. Other times, he would say something almost kind to her, but would then he would turn cold once more. Now more than ever she didn't need this sort of thing weighting on her mind, but there was little she could do about it. Draco wasn't much help, seeing as he was as stressed as she was. And her communication with Harry and the others had stopped after that night at Malfoy Manor. Fawkes had not shown up again, and Rebecca felt a hole in her heart. The phoenix had been greatly welcome when he'd shown up, and she had rather hope he'd stay and help somehow. But it would have been dangerous for him. Fawkes was an extremely intelligent creature: he wouldn't put himself in danger for anyone beside Dumbledore.

It was late on the night of the first of May. Rebecca had not returned to her dormitory at Severus' bidding. He had a feeling that tonight was going to be something more than any other night's usual quietness. Rebecca obeyed, staying curling up in her chair near the fireplace with her book in her hands. Tom had ordered Severus to take extra care of Rebecca since she'd told him of her "pregnancy." Convincing him had not taken much, and there wouldn't be cause for worry for later, Severus told her.

"You are supposedly not far enough along to be showing," he said, "and there are no true means of magic to show whether or not there is life at this stage in any case. And if all else should fail, which I suspect it shouldn't, you can simply tell him you miscarried from the stress of the Final Battle, whenever that may occur. Though I suspect it will be soon."

And she believed him. She trusted his word over all others, especially now. Rebecca knew that she had come to rely on him, a terrifying prospect considering that all he truly seemed to want was death. But she had many plans to keep him alive, though she suspected she knew how Tom was going to attempt to kill Severus. Her plans, nevertheless, were intact. All she had to do was wait, her supplies discretely tucked into her robes.

About eleven at night was when Severus hissed, looking down at his Mark. Communication using the Dark Mark was a bit difficult, but it was an extremely quick method of getting in touch, especially since Death Eaters couldn't produce Patronuses. Severus was very quiet for a moment, then looked up.

"Alecto calls me to the Ravenclaw common room," he said, standing and approaching her. "You're coming with me. I will not have you leaving my side tonight."

Rebecca nodded, putting her book down and standing as well, fastening her cloak over her Hogwarts uniform.

"What's the matter?"

His face was unreadable. Then, a hint of irritation flashed when he raised his lip in an almost-sneer.

"Potter is in the castle."

He clutched her upper arm and led her toward the entrance of the Headmaster's office, pushing her out first and shutting and warding the door behind him. He paused for a moment before taking in a breath and walking down the stairs. Rebecca followed him quickly, just a step behind him.

"You think it's tonight, don't you?"

"Be quiet."

Rebecca bit her lower lip to keep herself from speaking anymore. He was nervous, but only slightly so. And in a moment, it could disappear completely, leaving him neutral once more. So she remained by his side, quiet, the whole fast-paced walk up to the Ravenclaw Tower. They were two floors below it when Severus paused, pulling her with him behind a suit of armor. Rebecca heard the footsteps—two sets. His eyes flicked to her, and Rebecca took out her wand at the same moment he did. Once more, he took her upper arm in his hand and pulled her against his side, staring down at her for a moment. She nodded. Stay close to him, like she didn't know.

"Who's there?"

McGonagall's voice. Rebecca closed her eyes for a moment, mentally preparing herself before she and Severus stepped out, almost at the same time, revealing themselves.

"It is I."

McGonagall had her wand pointed, ready for a duel. Severus and Rebecca's wands were held at the ready, though she wasn't quite certain she was as prepared as she might look for a duel with one of her professors. There was a large space around McGonagall, and Rebecca knew Harry was close. There had been two sets of footsteps. Stupid boy, not covering up the sound he would make.

"Where are the Carrows?" Severus asked quietly.

"Wherever I told them to be, I expect, Severus," said Professor McGonagall.

Severus took a step closer, and Rebecca did as well, staying pressed up against his side. He was stalling, trying to see if Harry was there and if he would come out. Probably so he could find a way for Rebecca to get him to safety. Rebecca looked about the corridor, but it would be impossible to see her friend if he was under his cloak.

"I was under the impression," said Severus, "that Alecto had apprehended an intruder."

"Really?" said Professor McGonagall. "And what gave you that impression?"

Severus flexed his left arm slightly, where the Dark Mark was branded into his skin. Unconsciously, Rebecca put her free hand onto his arm and stared at McGonagall.

"Oh, but naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "You Death Eaters have your own private means of communication, I forgot."

Severus didn't reply to her comment, instead looking about the corridor. Rebecca watched McGonagall, unsure of how tense the situation could get or how quickly a duel could arise.

"I did not know that it was your night to patrol the corridors, Minerva," Severus said.

"You have some objection?"

"I wonder what could have brought you out of your bed at this late hour?"

"I thought I heard a disturbance," said Professor McGonagall.

"Really? But all seems calm."

There was a pause. Rebecca could feel his arm tense under her grip, but she remained where she was.

"Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva? Because if you have, I must insist—"

Rebecca saw McGonagall twitch at Harry's name, and Rebecca raised her own wand just as her Transfiguration professor did so. She and Severus cast their individual Shield Charms, though she had thrown hers up before him. However, one appeared before her as well.

McGonagall was thrown off-balance at the power of their charms and her own spell bouncing off of them. She brandished her wand at a torch on the wall and it flew off its bracket. Rebecca heard movement, but could see nothing. She was about to cast Aguamenti when the fire-lasso that now flew at Severus suddenly turned into a great black serpent. McGonagall blasted it into smoke, which then re-formed and solidified in seconds to become a swarm of pursuing daggers. Severus grasped Rebecca around the waist and flicked his wand, forcing the suit of armor they'd hidden behind to step before them and intercept the daggers.

"Minerva!" said a squeaky voice. Rebecca saw, through the small slot between the suit of armor and its arm, Professors Flitwick and Sprout sprinting up the corridor toward them in their nightclothes, with enormous Professor Slughorn panting along at the rear.

"No!" squealed Flitwick, raising his wand. "You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"

Flitwick's spell hit the armor before them. Rebecca tugged on Severus' arm just as the suit of armor was coming to life. She sent a Stunner at the suit of armor, which stopped its arms long enough that they could escape.

"Run," Severus said into her ear.

He clutched her hand, and she kept up with him as his long legs pounded against the stone floor of the castle. Her heart pumped, hair flying behind her as the corridor flew by them. Three sets of footsteps followed them, but Rebecca didn't have time to turn around to see who it was.

At the end of the corridor was a classroom. Severus blasted open the door and hurtled through the opening.

"Trust me," he said, suddenly stopping just before the window and snatching her up, forcing her against him. "Hang on."

Without thinking, Rebecca wrapped her arms around his waist just as they reached the window. He dove from the edge, and a moment later, McGonagall's voice called out behind them.

"Coward! COWARD!"

Rebecca could feel the wind pushing against her, her hair in her face. They were flying. Her hands clasped him more tightly, though her wand, still grasped in her left hand, made the movement somewhat painful and nearly impossible.

"Oh gods," she said.

"I realize that flying is not your favorite, Rebecca, but do not squirm," Severus said.

"How did you learn how to do this?" she asked, staring at his chest, the familiar clothing in front of her face and not daring to look around. Riding a broom was certainly one thing. There she had control. Here, she could not falter in her grip or risk falling to certain death.

"The Dark Lord has his uses," Severus said.

She stayed quiet, focusing on holding onto him until they finally began descending, somewhere near the Forbidden Forest. When her feet finally touched the ground, Rebecca let him go, almost falling to the ground because of her shaking knees. She caught herself, taking in a deep breath before looking up at him.

"Next time, just tell me to hang on," she said. "You already know I trust you."

"There won't be a next time."

His words were short, almost clipped. He straightened his robes, then sighed, waving his wand to create a barrier between them and the rest of the world so they could speak. "You've told the Malfoys…?" he said quietly.

"I've communicated with Draco to the best of my abilities that if they do their best to help Harry and the Hogwarts staff and students that I'll be able to help them later. If I get out of Azkaban, that is," Rebecca said.

"You have Harry bloody Potter on your side," Severus said. "You will get out very quickly."

"Even if McGonagall has all the Slytherins leave, Draco's going to stay behind and try to help Harry in whatever way he can. I've given him our code word, so hopefully Harry recognizes it for what it is."

"Hopefully Lucius and Narcissa will do what they can to help not just their son," Severus muttered.

Rebecca nodded. "I'm sure they'll do what's right."

Severus waved his wand once more to rid them of the barrier. He opened his mouth to speak once more.

Suddenly, a voice echoed across the land, and presumably inside of Hogwarts' walls. It was high, cold, and clear. It seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once, and it commanded attention.

"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

Rebecca and Severus stared at one another, silent.

"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded."

A pause.

"You have until midnight."

The silence swallowed them again. Even the creatures of the forest weren't moving, weren't making a sound.

Then, Rebecca bent over, clutching her left forearm as her Dark Mark burned. After a moment, she looked up at him.

"Go," he said. "I'm sure I'll be along momentarily. He probably wishes to get you out of the fray, what with your state."

"Severus," Rebecca said, standing straight and taking a step toward him despite the searing pain in her arm. "I—"

"Go… Rebecca," Severus said.

She didn't hesitate, even at the irritation in his voice. Rebecca closed the gap between them and hugged him, holding onto him a moment against his will. When she next looked up at him, his brow was furrowed and his lips rising into a sneer, but his eyes did not hold the same emotion that the rest of his body was trying to convey.

"Thank you for everything, Severus," she said, heart pounding in her chest as hard as it had been when they'd been running down the corridor.

Rebecca stepped away quickly, pulling up her sleeve to expose her Dark Mark. She looked up at Severus once more.

"You're welcome," he whispered.

She paused, wanting to go to him once more. But she clenched her jaw and pressed her thumb into her Mark. Immediately, she Disapparated, appearing a few moments later in the Shrieking Shack. Her breath came to her quickly.

Tom stood before her, his robes looking somewhat rough around the edges. The Elder Wand he held in both his hands, one end each between a pointer finger. Nagini floated in a magical orb, floating next to him in the starry sphere.

"My apologies for my lateness, my Lord, but I had to get out of the castle first," Rebecca said, bowing.

He stepped toward her, reaching over to draw her up from her bow. His red eyes assessed her for damage quickly, but there was no emotion there. Except for perhaps greed.

She stood straight, looking him in the eye.

"Where is Severus?" he asked.

"We were not together when I heard fighting upstairs," she said. "I was making my way carefully to the Entrance Hall when I received your Summons."

"I must speak to you, Rebecca," Voldemort said. "But knowing you as I do, you will understand what I must tell you is in my best interests. And it will help you, as my follower."

"Of course, my Lord," Rebecca said, bowing her head once more.

Voldemort paused, his eyes flicking downward, looking at the Elder Wand lying in his hand. "You know the tale of the Deathly Hallows?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"What I hold is the Elder Wand," he said, clutching it almost desperately in his right hand. "I took it from Dumbledore's grave. I stole it from its previous owner. But it is not as powerful as it should be in my own hands. I suspect I know where I went wrong."

He paused, watching her carefully. The realization was coming over her face, but she did not appear upset.

"You already know what I'm going to say, don't you, Rebecca?" he asked, lifting his chin so he could peer down at her.

"I don't claim to be swifter than my Lord," Rebecca said quietly, slowly, "but I suspect that I understand where my Lord is going with this line of thought."

"Then you know what I must do to gain my full power," Tom said, stepping forward. His hand reached out to touch her stomach once more possessively. "You know what I must do to create a safe world for the next generation of my followers."

"Yes, my Lord. And I will never question you- not a step of the way. It is what you must do."

Voldemort grinned, his sharp, bone-white teeth gleaming in the darkness of the Shrieking Shack. "You are truly the best of all my Death Eaters, Rebecca," he said, pulling his hand from her stomach. "I knew that the potential I saw within you that day in the forest those years ago, when you thought yourself in the right on Dumbledore's side, would do me good one day. And you have shown me who my true followers are, shown me those who would seek to defy me once I've killed Harry Potter. You have offered me great devotion, and that will not go unrewarded in my new world."

"My Lord?" Rebecca asked, voice shaking slightly.

"Once your child is born, you will be given a position of prominence," Voldemort continued. "You will run Hogwarts in my stead, while I carry out my duties as the new Minister for Magic. You will train the students that I send to you. The purebloods will learn from you all that it means to be my followers."

"You're too kind, my Lord," Rebecca said, bowing her head low.

"It is what you have earned, Rebecca," he said. "The youngest Headmistress Hogwarts has ever seen will also be its greatest."

Rebecca smiled, though inside she felt restless, shaky. Tom beckoned to the chair beside him. It barely stood, but with a flick of his wand, it was repaired to nearly new condition.

"Sit," he said. "We will wait for a while. Potter still has fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, my Lord."

Rebecca took the seat, sitting up straight, her wand in her lap. He did not make to speak to her again, so they remained as they were, the minutes slowly ticking away. Rebecca could feel the small pouches of items throughout the pockets of her robes and uniform. Each pouch contained necessary items to save Severus. And she remembered which pouch would fix what ailment and knew how quickly she could get to each.

She watched Nagini for a while, with little else to do. Tom seemed to be listening outside the walls of the Shrieking Shack and paying her little mind. Nagini appeared, at first, to be quite a normal-looking snake, even if she was an abnormal size. In fact, she appeared to be a large python. However, no normal python was venomous. Rebecca couldn't recall any creature matching Nagini's description from Care of Magical Creatures. But she knew the snake was incredibly intelligent, but loyal only to Tom. All other humans she did not care about.

The snake possibly sensed Rebecca's gaze and moved her head so her unblinking eyes could stare at Rebecca. She made a low hissing sound.

"Nagini wishes to know why you watch her so intently, Rebecca," Voldemort said without looking at her.

"Admiring her beauty," Rebecca said. "I was also thinking that she is the most loyal of your followers, my Lord."

The lie rolled off her tongue easily with the obvious statement. Tom chuckled and did not speak again. And the minutes continued to slide by excruciatingly. Rebecca did not look at the snake again.

"It has been thirty minutes," Voldemort said quietly. He turned to face her and held out a hand. Rebecca placed her left hand into his and clenched her teeth. He pressed his thumb into her Mark.

"Attack," he said to her Mark.

He released her, and Rebecca let her arm fall back onto the arm of the chair, the tingling sensation still filling her body. Voldemort turned toward the wall that faced Hogwarts and stared, as if he could see it.

A moment later, Rebecca could hear shouts, screams, cries, and explosions and crashing sounds. The battle had begun, and she was not there. How much longer did she have to sit here? How much longer until everything would begin?

"Is Bellatrix among those fighting, my Lord?" Rebecca asked after a minute of listening to the distant fighting.

"All of my followers are fighting for me," he said. "She hopes to regain my faith in her through her whole-hearted participation. But I do not see the same in her that I saw so many years ago."

"I hope to never disappoint you so, my Lord," Rebecca said quietly.

"I suspect that you shall not, Rebecca," he said, still watching the wall as if he could see the battle. "You are vastly different from your Black family."

Rebecca looked at her hands in her lap. "Thank you, my Lord."

Another minute or two passed. Time did not seem to matter anymore. She spoke once more.

"Might I request a favor of you, my Lord, for when our battle is through?"

Finally, he turned to look at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Allow me to execute the werewolf," she said. "He has brought you nothing but shame, even in his meager position in the Snatchers. He will stop at nothing, as well, until he has me. And I will not stand for someone like him pursuing me."

"Greyback will be of little use to me once Potter is dead," Voldemort said, turning back to the wall facing Hogwarts. "You have my permission."

"Thank you, my Lord."

He did not respond. A whole five minutes must have passed before he spoke again.

"I will find you another, Rebecca," he said. "Your magic is too powerful to waste. But I will find someone who matches your magical prowess and personality entirely."

"I appreciate your doing so much for me, my Lord," Rebecca said.

"It is in both of our best interests that your children be as strong as they can be," Voldemort said. "And we will find matches for them all, however many you should bear. Your lineage will be powerful and plentiful. And you will be remembered forever. I shall never forget all of the services that you provided me, what you have already done and what you will continue to do. I have yet two more things to ask of you today, Rebecca."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Once I have killed Snape, I will need you to make certain that he is dead," he said. "Stay with him until you are sure his heart no longer beats. Then return to me in the Forbidden Forest. I will be there with the rest of my followers. I will stop the battle soon enough and allow those at Hogwarts time to do what they need with their dead and injured. I will be waiting in the Forest for Potter to give himself up, or I will attack Hogwarts again."

"Yes, my Lord," Rebecca said.

"I am going to suspect that he will come for you even now, Rebecca," Voldemort continued. "What you showed me… what the Mudblood said of him still wanting to rescue you…" He chuckled. "Such Gryffindor sentimentality. And he will still think you loyal to him."

"I'm certain of it, my Lord."

"Then I will use you to make him come. A trade. Your life and your child's for his." He turned around to look at her, eyes glistening with his mirth.

Rebecca smiled. "That is very clever of you, my Lord," she said. "I suspect that will get him to come no matter what."

"And then I shall be rid of him," he said. "And there will be nothing to stand in my way any further."

He turned around and approached her, reaching for her arm once more. "It is time to Summon Severus."

Voldemort pressed his thumb to her Mark again. The burning filled her nerves, and Rebecca squirmed slightly in the chair. "Severus, I have need of you."

He let her go again and turned toward the entrance. "Stand beside me, Rebecca. I want him to be able to see you."

"Yes, my Lord."

She stood beside him as he had indicated. Nagini flanked him on the left and she on the right. It was only a few minutes before Severus appeared before them, wand out and looking as though he had been fighting, though Rebecca suspected he merely appeared that way for Tom's benefit.

"My Lord," Severus said, bowing.

"Severus."

He looked between Rebecca and the Dark Lord, as if trying to assess the situation.

"How goes the battle, Severus?" Voldemort finally asked.

"Well, my Lord. I suspect they shall not be able to hold out much longer."

"That is good to hear."

"Will Rebecca be joining in, my Lord? I imagine she must be more than eager to fight for you."

Rebecca reached up and placed a hand upon her stomach, looking down at it at the same time.

"She will remain here," Voldemort said. "It is safer for her here."

"Of course," Severus said, sounding deflated.

There was quiet enough between the three of them that they could hear the battle continuing at the castle.

"Let me return to the battle. My Lord, their resistance is crumbling—"

"— and it is doing so without you help," said Voldemort in his high, clear voice. "Skilled wizard though you are, Severus, I do not think you will make much difference now. We are almost there… almost."

"Let me find the boy. Let me bring you Potter. I know I can find him, my Lord. Please."

Rebecca had never heard the word pass Severus' lips before, and it was disconcerting. Severus moved closer to Rebecca, standing before a pile of boxes.

Voldemort moved forward, stopping Severus in his tracks.

"I have a problem, Severus," said Voldemort softly.

"My Lord?"

Voldemort raised the Elder Wand, holding it as delicately and precisely as a conductor's baton.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?"

In her starry orb, Nagini slithered slightly, becoming more aware of her master's emotions. She hissed softly. Rebecca kept her eyes trained upon Severus, though her expression gave nothing away.

"My—my Lord?" said Severus blankly. "I do not understand. You—you have performed extraordinary magic with that wand."

"No," said Voldemort. "I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary, but this wand… no. It has not revealed the wonders it has promised. I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all those years ago."

Voldemort's tone was musing, calm. But Rebecca noted his body language changing subtly. He held his shoulders forward, making himself appear larger. The slits of his nostrils flared more frequently, and his eyes were slits.

"No difference," said Voldemort again.

Severus did not speak. He kept his looks trained, but Rebecca could see the sweat beginning to form at his hairline.

Voldemort began walking around the room, his pace measured and easy, like his voice. But each footstep struck the floorboards hard.

"I have thought long and hard, Severus… Do you know why I have called you back from the battle?"

Severus' eyes were fixed on Nagini, now that Voldemort was watching him directly.

"No, my Lord, but I beg you will let me return. Let me find Potter."

"You do not understand Potter as I do. He does not need finding. Potter will come to me. I know his weakness, you see, his one great flaw. He will hate watching the others struck down around him, knowing that it is for him that it happens. He will want to stop it at any cost. He will come to me. He will come to retrieve his friend." He glanced at Rebecca.

"But my Lord, he might be killed accidentally by one other than yourself—"

"My instructions to my Death Eaters have been perfectly clear. Capture Potter. Kill his friends—the more, the better—but do not kill him.

"But it is of you that I wished to speak, Severus, not Harry Potter. You have been very valuable to me. Very valuable."

"My Lord knows I seek only to serve him. But—let me go and find the boy, my Lord. Let me bring him to you. I know I can—"

"I have told you, no!" said Voldemort. His red eyes flashed as he turned sharply toward Severus. "My concern at the moment, Severus, is what will happen when I finally meet the boy!"

"My Lord, there can be no question, surely—?"

"—but there is a question, Severus. There is."

Voldemort halted, sliding the Elder Wand through his white fingers, staring at Severus.

"Why did both the wands I have used fail when directed at Harry Potter?"

"I—I cannot answer that, my Lord."

"Can't you?"

Rebecca could almost feel Tom's rage from where she stood. Still she looked at Severus, as if her gaze upon him might help him in some way.

"My wand of yew did everything of which I asked it, Severus, except to kill Harry Potter. Twice it failed. Ollivander told me under torture of the twin cores, told me to take another's wand. I did so, but Lucius' wand shattered upon meeting Potter's."

"I—I have no explanation, my Lord."

Severus still looked at Nagini. Rebecca could feel her anxiety growing. She had guessed correctly.

"I sought a third wand, Severus. The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from its previous master. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore."

Severus finally looked at Voldemort, his face much paler than it normally was. He spoke evenly, but Rebecca could detect the slight shake to his syllables.

"My Lord—let me go to the boy—"

"All this long night, when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here," said Voldemort, his voice louder than a whisper, "wondering, wondering, why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner… and I think I have the answer."

Severus did not speak.

"Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen, especially because you will not get to see how powerful a servant your child will become."

"My Lord—"

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine."

"My Lord!" Severus protested, raising his wand.

"It cannot be any other way," said Voldemort. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last."

And Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand. Rebecca waited when it did nothing. Severus looked relieved for all of one moment before Nagini's cage began rolling through the air. Before Severus could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and Voldemort began hissing to Nagini.

Rebecca stood stock-still, teeth biting on the inside of her bottom lip so Voldemort would not see. Her eyes began to water, but she pushed them back, kept her wand gripped in her left hand.

Severus let out a terrible scream. His face lost any color it might have had, and his black eyes widened as the snake's fangs pierced his neck. He failed to push the enchanted cage off himself. His knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

"I regret it," said Voldemort coldly.

He turned away from Severus, Nagini's cage following him once more. He nodded to Rebecca, who met his eyes and gave a curt nod in response. As Voldemort and Nagini left the Shack, Severus lay on the ground, hands pushing at the skin upon his neck, blood gushing from the bite.

As soon as Voldemort was outside the Shack, Rebecca rushed forward, right hand reaching into her robes for the Blood Replenishing potions and antidote she had made. Her left hand stowed her wand in her robes. She knelt next to him, hands shaking and tears forming in her eyes.

"Take this," she said, pushing the vial to his mouth.

Severus could not resist as she poured the Blood Replenishing potion first down his throat. She shoved her hand against the snake bites upon his neck, diminishing the flow of blood somewhat. She heard boxes moving behind her, and turned to see Harry climbing out of the entryway that led up to the castle. She turned back to Severus and saw that a silvery blue substance was falling from his mouth, eyes, and ears.

Harry was next to her, and Severus reached forward, grasping the boy's robes and pulling him close.

"Take… it…. Take… it…."

Rebecca glanced at Harry and nodded, tears falling from her eyes at her movement. A flask was procured and the was filled quickly with the substance. Rebecca brought the vial with the antidote in it up to her lips and uncorked it, spitting out the cork.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Saving his life," Rebecca said quietly.

Severus' eyes turned slowly toward her, his face drained of all color.

"You're going to take this," Rebecca said, holding the vial up to him.

With what appeared to be a Herculean effort, Severus turned his head, letting go of Harry's robes. His hand fell to the floor.

"Severus, I mean it," Rebecca said, pushing closer to him. Her fingers nearly slid off his neck, and she gripped him more tightly.

She stifled a sob when he still refused.

"Becca, he doesn't want it," Hermione said quietly from behind her.

"Becca, come on, let's go," Ron's voice said, and she felt him touch her shoulder.

She shrugged him off and leaned forward.

"You owe me at least one more thing," she said to Severus, who had closed his eyes to try and ignore her. "One last thing, Severus. And you already know why, so don't pretend you don't." Her words were quick, quiet, but she knew he could hear her. She didn't care that her three best friends were around her. She had to do this.

"A kiss," she said.

It was completely silent around her. Severus didn't open his eyes. "Fine," he whispered, voice gurgling.

Rebecca quickly took the antidote into her mouth and held it. Harry looked to her, almost stopping her. But Hermione's hand held him back. They watched as Rebecca closed the distance between herself and their former Potions Master.

Their lips met for the second time, and she could feel how cold he was. It nearly made her choke, but she pressed further, letting her other hand drop the empty vial. Her left hand still staunched the wound at his neck, and right hand came to cup the back of his head firmly. She pressed her tongue into his mouth forcibly, opening his lips and pouring the antidote from her mouth to his. She pulled back, her hand from the back of his head holding his mouth closed. The black eyes glared at her, but he could not spit out the liquid.

"Swallow," she ordered.

"Becca," Harry said.

The hand upon his wound quickly went to his throat and massaged. Severus swallowed, brows furrowed as best he could get them, and her hand was back upon his wound. Severus bared his teeth at her, but could say no more.

Rebecca's hand was quickly upon the vial of dittany. She uncorked this with her teeth as well. By the time she looked back up, Severus had passed out. But he would be fine.

"An effect of the antidote," she said. "And the blood loss, I imagine."

She sprinkled the dittany over his wound, and the skin bubbled and stretched over the wound, though barely so.

Quickly she took out the gauze she had also packed away. Hermione moved forward to help her, and together they wrapped his neck.

Voldemort's voice was suddenly filling the air again as they worked, but Rebecca paid it no mind. She needed to finish this quickly so she could get back to Voldemort and report Severus dead. The magic of the Life Debt she could feel pull from her core. But everything else she felt remained intact.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery."

The gauze was finally wrapped about his neck. The four of them listened as Rebecca gave Severus the remaining two vials of Blood Replenishing potion.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately.

"You have one hour. Dispose of you dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

"On it," Rebecca muttered, beginning to clean her hands of blood.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest.

"I also have a friend of yours, Harry Potter. Rebecca Felan. I know that she is dear to you. If you do not face me in the Forbidden Forest, she and her unborn child will die. And you will have no one to blame but yourself."

All eyes locked upon Rebecca, who had finished cleaning her hands and robes of blood at this point. She held up a finger.

"If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One Hour."

"Are you really pregnant?" Ron nearly shouted.

"No," Rebecca said with a roll of her eyes. "And he's not actually going to kill me. He's saying that to get to you, Harry."

Her eyes met his, and she saw raw fear.

"I think those are his memories," Rebecca continued. "Watch them—please. They were obviously important enough he wanted you to see them."

"What was… all of that?" Harry asked.

"Repaying a Life Debt," Rebecca said. "And saving someone I care about. You can understand that."

Harry paused, about to speak. But he finally nodded.

"He's not everything we thought about him, was he?" Hermione asked.

"No," Rebecca said. "He's not."

Severus appeared to be conscious, somewhat, and one of his lids lifted slightly and found her immediately. If it was possible for a man to be half-conscious and glare, he managed it. Rebecca bent close to him once more.

"It's gone," she whispered. He would know what she was talking about. Even more quietly, she said, "And I love you."

His black eye glared more harshly at her.

"You're welcome," Rebecca said, sitting back up. She found his wand only a foot or so away and placed it inside of her robes.

"I need you to take him back to the castle and see he's not hurt," Rebecca said. "Keep him under the cloak if you can, or at least hide him somewhere safe."

She handed Hermione a Sleeping Draught. "Give this to him if you need to keep him quiet. He's a bit suicidal."

They all stood up, and Hermione began to levitate the man. He seemed to have gone unconscious again, as his eye was closed.

"I have to get to Tom," Rebecca said, throwing her arms around Harry, Ron, and Hermione in turn. "I have to tell him Severus is dead."

"Don't go to him, Becca," Harry said.

All three of them had a hand upon her.

"I have to," she said. "If I don't, he'll suspect something is up."

"You're going to risk your neck for Snape?" Ron asked.

"Just as he's risked his neck for me countless times this year," Rebecca said, green eyes flashing at him. "I have to go now, and you three need to get back up to the castle. Watch the memories, Harry, please." She paused once more. "And you'll be fine, whatever you decide to do. We all have faith in you, Harry, especially me."

Harry nodded, slowly letting go of Rebecca. The other two followed his lead, and they turned away from each other. Rebecca felt anxious, not knowing if her friends would really keep Severus safe. But Hermione had seemed convinced, and she had always been a terrible actress. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, beginning to run into the Forbidden Forest.

She reached the clearing where they would be within a few minutes. It wasn't difficult to find, what with all the noise they were making. She walked from the tree line, and all eyes were upon her.

The Death Eaters formed a circle around Voldemort, who was in the middle. Nagini floated in her protective orb behind him. A large fire was burning in front of the whole group. Giants and other creatures were on the outskirts. Behind Greyback was Hagrid, chained to a massive tree to keep him in place. He looked up when Rebecca entered the clearing, but said nothing.

Rebecca approached Voldemort quickly. He held out his hand and pressed it upon her shoulder.

"He's dead, my Lord," she said. "It took a bit longer than suspected. But he will not cause you anymore problems."

Bellatrix, standing as close as she could get to the Dark Lord, looked Rebecca over once more.

"Very good," Voldemort said, moving Rebecca so that she would stand beside him. "Now we wait for Harry Potter."

Bellatrix was on Rebecca's side, still looking at her every so often.

"Snape," she said suddenly. "He's really dead."

"Yes," Rebecca answered, not looking at her.

"And you watched him die… with his baby in your belly?"

"Yes." Slowly, she turned and locked eyes with Bellatrix, hands upon her stomach. And she kept the woman's gaze, her own unwavering and neutral. Eventually, Bellatrix lowered her gaze and looked away.

Lucius and Narcissa were standing a few feet to their front, trying to console one another. Not seeing Draco, Rebecca assumed that he was somewhere in the castle still. Hopefully, some good had come of that. Greyback was biting his long nails farther away from the main group centered around Voldemort. Two giants stood even farther back from him. Rowle, the great blond Death Eater, was dabbing at a few wounds that were still bleeding.

There was only silence for the next fifty minutes. Then, Dolohov and Yaxley entered the clearing.

"No sign of him, my Lord," said Dolohov.

Voldemort's expression did not change. The red eyes seemed to burn in the firelight. Slowly he drew the Elder Wand between his long fingers.

"My Lord—"

Bellatrix had spoken.

Voldemort raised his hand to silence her, and she did not speak another word, but eyed him in worshipful fascination.

"I thought he would come," said Voldemort in his high, clear voice, his eyes on the leaping flames. "I expected him to come."

Nobody spoke. They were scared. Rebecca was scared, knowing how vengeful he could be on the wrong people. The quietness of the forest was pervasive, creeping into her bones and settling there to make her even more anxious.

"I was, it seems, mistaken," said Voldemort.

"You weren't."

Harry's voice carried as he stepped into the firelight.

The giant roared as the Death Eaters rose together, and there were many cries, gasps, even laughter. Voldemort had frozen where he stood, but his red eyes had found Harry, and he stared as Harry moved toward him, with nothing but the fire between them.

"HARRY! NO!"

Hagrid shook the massive tree to attempt an escape, to rescue Harry.

"NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT'RE YEH—"

"QUIET!" shouted Rowle, and with a flick of his wand Hagrid was silenced.

Bellatrix, who had leapt to her feet, was looking eagerly from Voldemort to Harry, her breast heaving. Rebecca looked at Harry, who stared back at her. The fear that she had seen in him before was completely gone. He looked calm, prepared, and… A cold chill went through her. He was ready to die.

She moved forward, and Voldemort caught her. Rebecca gave him a look, and Voldemort turned, clutching Rebecca tightly.

"I've come to trade myself for Becca," Harry said. "Don't hurt her. Don't hurt anyone else. It's me you want, Voldemort."

The Death Eaters all hissed and cried out at the blatant use of their Lord's name.

"I am a merciful man, as I've said," Voldemort said. "You have your deal, Harry Potter."

He drew Rebecca to him. "Act like his friend. Do not leave the clearing, no matter what."

He shoved her forward without waiting for an answer. Rebecca stumbled forward, catching herself and standing. She walked quickly to Harry, doing her best to look brave. He held his arms open and rushed to her, crushing her to his chest.

"Harry, don't do this," she whispered quickly, her own arms clinging to him desperately.

"It's fine, Becca, I know what I have to do," he said. "He's hidden in the corridor behind the Great Hall, behind the statue just behind the door. He's fine. His memories told me what I have to do."

"Thank you, but Harry, please—don't!" she said.

He was pulling away from her. Rebecca suddenly didn't need to act as she found herself rushing after him.

"Harry, what're you doing?"

"Becca, go back," Harry said, pushing off her arm. "This was a fair trade." His eyes widened as he turned to look at her. "I did this for you, Becca. For everyone. I love you. I love you all. Please, go."

He pushed her back gently.

"I love you too, Harry," she whispered. Then she took a few steps back, but she didn't leave the clearing.

But Harry wasn't paying any more attention to her. He stood directly in front of Voldemort, only air separating them.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort said very softly. "The Boy Who Lived."

None of the Death Eaters moved. They were waiting: Everything was waiting. Hagrid was struggling, and Bellatrix was panting.

Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Still Harry stood, without fear, waiting.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The flash of green light overtook the clearing, and Harry dropped to the ground. Rebecca stood still, her limbs shaking. She was just yards behind him. She'd watched him stand there, unafraid, could do nothing when Voldemort cast the spell. And now she had to move toward Voldemort, who had too fallen to the ground when he'd cast the Killing Curse.

She reached him soon, but others were already there. Bellatrix was whispering to him like a lover might whisper to another.

"That will do," Voldemort said when she kept pressing toward him.

Death Eaters shuffled backwards, but Bellatrix and Rebecca remained beside Voldemort as he stood.

"My Lord, let me—" Bellatrix reached toward him.

"I do not require assistance," said Voldemort coldly.

Bellatrix recoiled. Rebecca stood by him, waiting to see what he would do next. No one moved.

Voldemort turned to Rebecca then, looking as though he was still having trouble regaining his power.

"You and Narcissa, examine him," he said quietly. "Tell me whether he is dead."

"Yes, my Lord," Rebecca said quietly, bowing her head before rushing toward Narcissa.

She approached Narcissa, who was one of the people closest to the bodies.

"Our Lord wishes to verify Potter's death," she said.

Narcissa nodded, and they approached him. Rebecca could feel her hands trembling as they both knelt beside him. Rebecca pulled back one of his eyelids to see his eye rolled up in his head… though not quite as it should have been. But she kept her face neutral.

Narcissa had her hand upon his chest, her face very close to Harry's own. Their backs faced the crowd and Voldemort, so when Rebecca looked up, she could see Narcissa could feel a pulse. Rebecca put her own hand on his chest. His heart hammered.

"Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?"

Narcissa's whisper was barely audible; her lips were an inch from his ear, her head bent so low that her long hair shielded his face from the onlookers.

Rebecca heard Harry breath back, "Yes."

Relief swept through her, but she looked to Narcissa as normally as she could when the woman sat back up. They nodded to each other.

"He is dead!" Narcissa called to the watchers.

Now came the shouts of triumph, the stamping of their feet. Death Eaters everywhere sent fireworks into the air in celebration. Rebecca and Narcissa moved back toward the group.

"You see?" screeched Voldemort over the tumult. "Harry Potter is dead by my hand, and no man alive can threaten me now! Watch! Crucio!"

Rebecca watched on, trying not to reveal her pained expression as her friend's limp body was thrown into the air. His glasses flew off and crashed to the ground. When Voldemort was finished, every jeered and laughed.

"Now," said Voldemort, "we go to the castle, and show them what has become of their hero. Who shall drag the body? No—Wait—"

Voldemort waved his wand, and the chains unhooked from the tree and forced Hagrid forward. Voldemort led him to Harry and made him stand before the lifeless body.

"You carry him," Voldemort said. "He will be nice and visible in your arms, will he not? Pick up your little friend, Hagrid. And the glasses—put on the glasses—he must be recognizable—"

Rowle stepped forward and picked Harry's glasses up off the ground before slamming them back onto his face. Afterward, Hagrid leaned down and picked up Harry, enormous hands extremely gentle. The half-giant began to sob, great tears splashing down upon Harry. It was almost too much for Rebecca. But Narcissa's hands were upon her shoulders, pushing her forward, reminding her where she was. And her desperation to get to her son was evident upon her face.

"We have done what you've asked," she whispered in Rebecca's ear. "I have saved him, and Lucius has saved your Lupin friend. I know you will hold up your end."

Rebecca nodded.

"Move," said Voldemort, and Hagrid stumbled forward, forcing his way through the close-growing trees, back through the forest.

Everyone crowded around Hagrid. Voldemort raised his hand and called to Rebecca. She nodded to Lucius and Narcissa and went to him.

"Stay close to me," he ordered. "Do not leave my side if you can help it."

"Yes, my Lord."

They made their way through the forest, the giants lumbering behind them. Soon, they had stumbled upon a few centaurs.

"BANE!" cried Hagrid. "Happy now, are yeh, that yeh didn' fight, yeh cowardly bunch o' nags? Are yeh happy Harry Potter's—d-dead…?"

Hagrid broke down in fresh tears. The centaurs said nothing, merely disappeared into the forest. Some of the Death Eaters called insults back at the centaurs, but they continued forward. Soon, they reached the edge of the forest, looking up at the castle.

"Stop."

Hagrid came to a halt suddenly, as did the rest of the group.

Rebecca followed Voldemort to the front of the procession, staying less than a foot behind him as he'd bid her to.

A moment later, Voldemort magically magnified his voice once more.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that you hero is gone.

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will ever member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

There was silence in the grounds and from the castle.

"Come," said Voldemort. He moved ahead, Rebecca tailing him and Nagini, the giant snake wrapped around his shoulders.

Hagrid moved forward as well.

"Harry," Rebecca heard Hagrid sob. "Oh, Harry… Harry…"

The Death Eaters tramped up to the castle until they stood directly outside of it.

"Stop."

Everyone came to a halt once more. They spread out in a line facing the castle. They were met with an open Entrance Hall door, the staff and students of Hogwarts and members of the Order lined up, watching them.

"NO!" cried Professor McGonagall.

The sound was ragged, strained, and entirely something McGonagall would never have made normally. Bellatrix began cackling from wherever she was on the line.

"No!"

"No!"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all cried out. Then, the group standing inside of Hogwarts began yelling abuse at the Death Eaters.

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

Hagrid did as he was bid, still sobbing over Harry's body. Rebecca stood close to Voldemort, as close as she could get to Harry. She just had to wait for the right moment, and then they could get out of the fray, away from him…

"You see?" said Voldemort, striding back and forth behind Harry's body. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort and there was relish in his voice for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself.

Rebecca's heart suddenly leapt into her throat as Neville broke off from the group, running toward Voldemort. Another bang, and Neville was grunting in pain as he fell to the ground. Voldemort held Neville's wand in his hand, then tossed it aside.

"And who is this?" he said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

"It's Neville Longbottom," Rebecca said, loud enough so everyone could hear. She stepped forward. "He's been giving the Carrows trouble all year before he disappeared, my Lord. The son of the Aurors Bellatrix tortured, if you remember, my Lord."

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected, standing in the no-man's-land between the survivors and the Death Eaters. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled into fists.

"So what is I am?" said Neville loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.

"Very well," said Voldemort, his voice low. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it."

Voldemort waved his wand. Seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, something that looked like a misshapen bird flew through the air and landed in Voldemort's hand. As he lifted it by a point, Rebecca saw that it was the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Voldemort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still, then forced the hat onto Neville's head, so that it slipped down below his eyes. There was movement from the watching crowd in front of the castle, and as one, the Death Eaters raised their wands, holding the fighters of Hogwarts at bay. Rebecca held her wand steady, though her eyes were still flicking between Neville and Harry.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happened to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort, and with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames.

Screams split the dawn, and Neville was aflame, rooted to the spot, unable to move.

The people standing at the entrance of the castle all suddenly rushed forward, uttering loud war cries. At the same time, Grawp came lumbering around the side of the castle and yelled, "HAGGER!" His cry was answered by roars from Voldemort's giants: They ran at Grawp like bull elephants, making the earth quake. Then came hooves and the twangs of bows, and arrows were suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise. Rebecca knelt and clutched Harry just as he began moving to pull the Invisibility Cloak out of his robes. He looked up, smiling at her, as he pulled it over the both of them.

They moved as Neville did. In one swift movement, he broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him and he drew from its depths…

"Gryffindor's sword," Rebecca said.

The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the Entrance Hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet—

Harry and Rebecca cast two strong Shield Charms between Voldemort and Neville before the former could raise his wand. Then, over the screams and the roars and the thunderous stamps of the battling giants, Hagrid's yell came loudest of all.

"HARRY! HARRY—WHERE'S HARRY?"

Chaos reigned. The charging centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, everyone was fleeing the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements that had come from who knew where. There were great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort's giants, thestrals and Buckbeak the hippogriff scratching at their eyes while Grawp punched and pummeled them; and now the wizards, defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters alike, were being forced back into the castle.

Harry and Rebecca were back-to-back shooting as many jinxes and curses as they could. They were buffeted into the Entrance Hall. Rebecca knew Harry was looking for Voldemort. He was across the room, firing spells from his wand as he backed into the Great Hall, still screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses flying left and right. They cast more Shield Charms at the would-be victims as they entered the Great Hall with the rest of the fight.

There were more people storming up the front steps. Charlie Weasley was helping Horace Slughorn up, who still wore his emerald green pajamas. Charlie seemed to consider the man for a moment before Slughorn Stunned a Death Eater coming up behind Charlie. The Weasley nodded and slapped Slughorn on the shoulder before they both turned to the fighting again. It looked as though every family member and friend of every Hogwarts student who had remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and homeowners of Hogsmeade, had come back to fight. The centaurs Bane, Ronan, and Magorian burst into the hall with a great clatter of hooves. Behind them, the door the led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges.

The house elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the Entrance Hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers, and at their head, the locket of Regular Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, his bullfrog's voice audible even above this din: "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

They were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters, their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Rebecca looked Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spelled, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempting to escape, but swallowed by the oncoming horde.

As Harry and Rebecca dodged those dueling, Rebecca spotted Greyback dueling with Neville and Ron.

"I've gotta go, Harry," she said. "Good luck!"

She burst out from under the cloak before he could stop her, rushing through the crowd until she reached Greyback.

"He's mine!" she cried, casting a Shield Charm on either side of her, blocking Neville and Ron from the werewolf.

"Traitor!" barked Greyback, wand at the ready. "Crucio!"

Rebecca dodged the spell easily, shooting back a Stunner that hit Greyback square in the chest. He fell to his knees, and she sent another at him, sending him crumpling to the floor.

"Not so dangerous when I have a wand, are you?" Rebecca growled, stepping on his wrist to force him to release his wand. He growled as she took the wand and stowed it in her robes, then put him in a Body-Bind.

She turned back to the center of the Great Hall, where Voldemort was currently dueling Kingsley, McGonagall, and Slughorn at the same time. There was cold hatred on his face as they wove and ducked around him, unable to finish him.

Bellatrix was fighting too, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she dueled three at once: Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, all battling their hardest, but Bellatrix was equal to them. A Killing Curse missed Ginny by and inch, and Rebecca was already on her way over when Mrs. Weasley came out of nowhere, wand pointed and magic crackling around her.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, who all gave them room, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel.

Rebecca approached the girls and touched Hermione on the shoulder, getting everyone's attention.

But they watched with terror and elation as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, and the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

Rebecca felt her blood run cold. Fred. Her hand was already reaching into her cloak, drawing out the Black dagger she'd taken from Bellatrix's hands herself.

"You—will—never—touch—our—children—again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

Rebecca took aim as Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil. Rebecca took a step forward, pushing into the open space left for those dueling, and released the dagger. It soared through the air at rapid speed and hit Bellatrix square in the chest.

An instant later, Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's still outstretched arm and hit her just above the dagger, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, and she looked between Molly and Rebecca. The students around Rebecca all looked at her, too. Her whole frame shook, and she looked about ready to collapse. Then Bellatrix toppled. The watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

Rebecca ran to Molly, intent upon getting her out of Voldemort's way. Her wand was at the ready, about to cast as many Shield Charms as she could manage.

Voldemort's three opponents were blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air as Voldemort's fury exploded with the force of a bomb. Rebecca reached Molly, and the two turned toward the man as he pointed his wand at them.

"Protego!" Rebecca yelled, hearing her spell echoed in the now silent room. The force of the two charms expanded around her and Molly.

Voldemort stared at her, and Rebecca's chest heaved as she looked back at him, resolute. Then Voldemort turned to find the source of the second charm.

Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.

The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of "Harry!" "HE'S ALIVE!" were stifled at once. The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry called loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

Voldemort hissed.

"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither cane live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…."

Rebecca reached forward and pulled the dagger from Bellatrix's chest with one rough yank. Molly tugged on her arm, pulling her back into the crowd. The Weasley clan and Hermione embraced them.

"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taunt and his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry. They were still circling one another. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"

"Accidents!" screamed Voldemort, but still he did not strike. "Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harry said they circled. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people—"

"But you did not!"

"—I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

"You dare—"

"Yes, I dare," said Harry. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

Voldemort did not speak, but prowled in a circle.

"Is it love again?" said Voldemort, his snake's face jeering. "Dumbledore's favorite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter—and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?"

"Just one thing," said Harry.

"If it is not love that will save you this time," said Voldemort, "you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both," said Harry.

Shock flitted across the snakelike face, though it was instantly dispelled. Voldemort began to laugh, and the sound was more frightening than his screams; humorless and insane, it echoed around the silent Hall.

"You think you know more magic than I do?" he said. "Than I, than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"

"Oh, he dreamed of it," said Harry, "but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done."

"You mean he was weak!" screamed Voldemort. "Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!"

"No, he was cleverer than you," said Harry, "a better wizard, a better man."

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!"

"You thought you did," said Harry, "but you were wrong."

The watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one.

"Dumbledore is dead!" Voldemort hurled the words at Harry as thought they would cause him unendurable pain. "His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"

"Yes, Dumbledore's dead," said Harry calmly, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."

"What childish dream is this?"

"Severus Snape wasn't yours," said Harry. "Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you starts hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?"

Voldemort did not answer. They continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart.

"Snape's Patronus was a doe," said Harry, "the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realized," he said as he saw Voldemort's nostrils flare, "he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

"He desired her, that was all," sneered Voldemort, "but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him—"

"Of course he told you that," said Harry, " but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!"

Voldemort's eyes flashed to her for an instant. He brandished his wand in her direction, and Rebecca stepped away from the crowd, drawing his wand elsewhere.

"You," Voldemort said, his voice low.

"I'm not yours either," Rebecca said.

"You told me Potter was dead."

"I lied," Rebecca said.

But Voldemort did not attack, even still. He was afraid, Rebecca decided. He knew that his time was growing short. He didn't know what to do. She could see the panic in his eyes.

"And Snape?"

"I saved him," Rebecca said.

Voldemort roared with frustration, but still did not cast any spell. "You have chosen the wrong path, Rebecca Felan. I would have made you so much greater than you could be merely as Potter's friend."

"I don't have to listen to you anymore, Tom, so why don't you just shut it," Rebecca snapped, eyes flashing. She took a few steps forward, standing behind Harry and to his side a few yards behind him now. "By the way, I'm not pregnant. I was never going to bring in the next generation of your followers. I was never going to let you gain that power."

Voldemort raised his wand, but Rebecca already had a Shield Charm up, and Harry raised his wand in response. Voldemort stopped, looking between the two of them.

"I still defeated Snape," Voldemort said. "The Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter! He intended for Snape to be the true master of the wand! But it is mine now."

"That's what Dumbledore intended, but that's not what happened," Rebecca said.

The Hall went quiet once more. Harry did not look back at her, but she could practically see him thinking as the tension in his shoulders increased.

"Draco," Harry said. "Draco took the wand from Dumbledore before Snape even got there."

"Exactly," Rebecca said.

Voldemort sneered. "The tale says you must—"

"Defeat the wand's previous master," Harry said, wand still pointed at Voldemort. "You're missing quite a few points it seems, Riddle. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done…. Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle…."

"What is this?"

His red eyes were wide with shock before his pupils contracted to think slits. The skin around his eyes whitened.

"It's your last chance," said Harry, "it's all you've got left. I've seen what you'll be otherwise…. Be a man… try… Try for some remorse…."

"You dare—?" said Voldemort again.

"Yes, I dare, because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle."

Voldemort's hand was trembling on the Elder Wand, and Harry gripped the wand he held very tightly. Rebecca saw now that it was Draco's, the best wand he could possibly be holding at the moment. Surely Voldemort would recognize Draco's wand.

"The wand chooses the wizard," Harry said. "The Elder Wand recognized Draco as its new master before Dumbledore died."

Voldemort's chest rose and fell rapidly.

"But what does it matter?" Voldemort said softly. "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…."

"But you're too late," said Harry. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him."

Harry twitched the hawthorn wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone on the Hall upon it.

"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does… I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

Rebecca took a step back just as a red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both Voldemort and Harry's faces at the same time. Their voices shrieked out their spells at nearly the same moment.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided. The green jet met the red in an explosion. Rebecca watched as the Elder Wand flew high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. And Harry, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of scarlet rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.

Rebecca was the first to move. Her footsteps echoed in the silence Hall as she rushed to Harry and threw her arms around him. Their grips were crushing each other, and she was crying. Cheers and screams and the roars of the watchers rent the air. The fierce new sun dazzled the windows as they thundered toward him. Hermione and Ron were suddenly upon him. The Ginny, Neville, and Luna were there, and then all the Weasleys and Hagrid, and Kingsley and McGonagall, Lupin, Flitwick and Sprout.

"Harry!" Rebecca called into his ear. He nodded once over the tumult. "The Aurors will come! We need a new Minister!"

"Kingsley!" Harry called back into her ear.

Rebecca nodded. "You have the power, Harry! Use it! I need to—"

"Go!" Harry said, pulling from her and trying his best to push her through the crowd around them. "We'll come for you!"

Ron and Hermione suddenly were hugging her, but Rebecca could no longer take any of the noise, the crowd, the feeling of being trapped. She patted them as gently as she could and extricated herself from the crowd, running across the Great Hall, panting softly, wand still held tightly in her left hand. Her body was weary, her mind racing, thinking of all the possible events that could happen next.

The door behind the staff table opened without resistance. She stepped into the quiet corridor and shut out the sound. The first statue stood only ten yards away, and she rushed to it. Severus must have been Disillusioned, because there was nothing there.

"Finite."

He appeared just as she had left him. But both of his eyes were open. He had returned to his normal pale pallor, though his face still looked gaunt. In his features, Rebecca could see how tired he was. And he was still glaring.

Rebecca knelt next to him, finally stowing her wand inside her robes. He wouldn't be able to speak just yet. But she didn't need him to speak, perhaps didn't want him to.

"Glare at me all you want, Severus," she said quietly. "I don't regret it."

He decided that his looks were ineffective, she imagined, because he shut his eyes a moment afterward. It was perhaps twenty minutes later before the door leading to the Great Hall opened once more. Rebecca sat next to Severus' head, not touching him. Instead, she watched him, checking him to make certain he was as stable as he was going to get.

She looked up when the door opened, seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter. They were quiet, then all sat around her. None of them spoke for a while.

"I dropped the Stone in the forest," Harry said. "But we just got back from Dumbledore's office. He said it was for the better, especially since no one's likely to find it."

Rebecca nodded. "I agree."

"I'm keeping the Cloak, though."

Rebecca gave a tired smile and looked up at him. "I wouldn't expect any less."

Then Harry held up his newly-mended wand. "The Elder Wand fixed it. I'm going to put it back in Dumbledore's tomb, so its spell will be broken. No one else will die for it—not again."

"That's very noble, Harry," Rebecca said, her voice level in her seriousness. "You're doing the right thing."

He nodded.

"How is he?" Hermione asked.

Rebecca shrugged. "He'll need to go to St. Mungo's for monitoring. But I think we're going to be taken to Azkaban first."

"The Ministry's on its way," Ron said. "Dad's been in contact with the remaining officials over there by Floo. They took down the remaining Death Eaters at the Ministry and are headed here next."

Rebecca nodded.

"He'll go to St. Mungo's," Harry said. "I owe him at least that."

"We'll do whatever we can for you," Hermione said.

"I'm staying with him," Rebecca said. "There's no telling what will happen if he's left alone with anyone else. Someone could attempt to kill him before he gets a trial."

Ron opened his mouth, then closed it, as if he thought better of whatever he'd been going to say. Harry nodded.

"I understand… that I have power now," Harry said. "I intend to use it well, Becca. Just like you did. Just like Snape."

Rebecca smiled. Then she looked to Ron. "I—I'm sorry. About Fred."

Ron looked to the floor, nodding. "There was nothing anyone could've done," he said quietly. "Percy did get Rookwood back. And Draco…" He shook his head. "I dunno what to think of that."

"Draco abandoned Crabbe to help us escape the Room of Requirement," Hermione said quietly. "Crabbe had cast Fiendfyre, and we couldn't escape it. He kept pushing us forward until we found some discarded brooms, then he led us out."

"He helped Percy hunt down Rookwood," Harry said. "Called him over so that Percy could attack him."

"Lucius Malfoy saved Lupin," Ron said. "He tried to help Tonks, but he wasn't fast enough…"

"Tonks?" Rebecca asked, feeling her hands clench. "Who?"

"Bellatrix," Harry said.

"I never thought I'd be glad for someone to be dead," Rebecca said, her eyes closed. "How is Remus?"

"Still in shock," Hermione said. "But Teddy is with Andromeda. He'll… he'll heal."

Harry was going to speak when another eruption broke out in the Great Hall. Rebecca took out her wand and Severus' from her robes. Severus wasn't moving, but his chest still rose and fell with his regular breathing. Rebecca handed Harry their wands.

"Give them over," she said quietly. "Tell them we're coming willingly."

Then she grabbed Severus' arm gently, leaning over him to shield the worst of his injuries from view as she watched the door. Her friends looked to her. Harry saw her face change, her features going from his friend to the spy he didn't know or understand. But she still looked shaken, shocked. How would she cope in Azkaban?

But there wasn't time. The door opened, and three Aurors entered the small corridor, wands pointed in all directions. Harry, Hermione, and Ron rose slowly, and Harry held out the wands.

"Rebecca Felan and Severus Snape are here," Harry said. "He needs to be taken to St. Mungo's, and Rebecca is to go with him."

"Are they both injured?" the nearest Auror asked, stepping toward Harry.

Harry pulled the wands from him before he could snatch them away. "No," he said. "But they're both under my protection, if you catch my meaning. I want them to be taken care of."

"They will still need to go to Azkaban to await trial," said the Auror before him. "They both bear the Dark Mark."

"They understand that," Harry said. "And they'd like it to be noted that they've given themselves up willingly."

He slowly extended the wands out to the Auror, who took them and stowed them in his robes.

"Should anything happen to them or their wands, I'd be very displeased," Harry said sternly, looking directly into the eyes of the Auror in charge.

The Auror broke eye contact with Harry quickly, but gave a curt nod in response. He motioned for the other two Aurors to collect Rebecca and Severus. Rebecca clutched his arm more firmly, her other hand holding onto his protectively. He still did not respond.

"Get up, we have to levitate him," said the second Auror.

"Then you'll need to levitate us both," Rebecca said calmly, staring at the man. "I'm not leaving his side."

There was a long pause.

"I don't trust anyone in the Ministry," Rebecca said. "I think it's easy to understand why after this year. I won't have him hurt." Her eyes narrowed just slightly as she looked between the Aurors.

"Levitate them both," the Auror in charge said. "Just get on with it."

The second Auror flicked his wand, and Rebecca rose into the air with Severus. They slowly passed Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who watched her leave with sad expressions.

"I'll be fine," Rebecca said as she passed them. "Don't worry."

But already she could feel her heart sinking. Azkaban.