And here it is... The final chapter! I know it's a little late, but I've been swamped with school work, since it's mid-semesters in Australia right now. It feels so good for this story to be finished. I hope that this chapter is everything that you all wanted it to be. It isn't as intense as some of the other chapters, but I really wanted the climax to be last chapter, and for this to be the end of the climax and the final moments. I hope everyone enjoys it! I was super surprised that not many people had expected Hermione to be a horcrux! I left so many hints all over the place and I was actually worried I had spoiled my own story. I love you all and thanks so much for sticking through this roller coaster of a story!

The courtyard was silent. No one moved an inch.

"You're lying," whispered Harry.

But they all knew he wasn't. He had felt her change, the sorrow that had been in her soul after that night where she was left for dead.

Hermione stared unseeing at Voldemort, who was smirking in his usual wicked manner.

"Am I?" Voldemort jeered.

And the battle continued.

Hermione rushed towards the headmaster's office, knowing that there were things she had to do-

She pulled the memories out of her head and put them into the pensieve in front of her. Her thoughts would join Severus Snape's and together, they would forget this horrible nightmare called life.

She put her hand to her pocket, where she had picked up the stone only an hour before, when she had followed him deep into the darkness of the Forbidden Forrest. She knew Harry. She knew what he would do-

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

"Hermione," whispered a sorrowed voice in front of her.

"Abraxas," she cried back, "Abraxas."

They stared at each other's eyes and she wanted to take his hand in hers but she knew that he had no body. There was no one there but an apparition of a memory that was fresh in her mind, but dead in his.

"Did you know?" she asked.

"I had my suspicions," Abraxas said, "That he had done something to you. I felt the change, you know. I can see it in your eyes. I can see it."

"He'll never be mortal if I live on," Hermione whispered, a single tear streaking down her cheek.

"No," agreed Abraxas, "He won't."

"Will you wait for me?" Hermione asked, "Just a little longer."

"I've waited fifty years," Abraxas smiled, "I can wait more. We were married for life, Hermione. Violetta may have gave me Lucius, but you gave me love."

Hermione smiled sadly and brushed away her tears, "Then I know what I must do."

She turned to her left, seeing Tonks and Remus and CeCe.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered quietly, "If I hadn't angered him in the first place…"

"Tom is evil," CeCe said sternly, "He is a murderer because he is evil. What happened to me and James and Lily was never your fault. Never."

"But he had a family! A true family!" Hermione protested, hating herself.

"And he will have one when he is done with this life, waiting for him on the other said," said Remus. "His children, Sirius, his parents, us. We will be waiting for him. Just like we are waiting for you."

"You'll wait for me too?" she questioned, brokenly.

"Of course," said another voice from her right, "You are our family."

"Dad," Hermione cried, staring into the eyes of the deceased wizened wizard.

"Now," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling lightly, "I think there's one last thing to do."

The hat was in front of her as she stood on the astronomy tower. It had to be precise. There had to be no chance that she could be healed. No chance that she would survive.

In her left hand was death, and in her right hand was her life. As she brought the silver blade to her heart, she thought for one last time, falling from such great heights-

For what a beautiful way to die

Dearest Harry,

I know you are probably furious with me. I know that I've left you when you needed me the most. But Voldemort cannot live and he cannot die while I am alive. We both know this. One of us deserves to be happy, and that's why I've made this decision. I want you to live. To marry again. To have children. To be happy. Please. CeCe told me that you promised. She said you promised that you wouldn't give up. Please, do not break that promise.

Sirius and Remus say that you've got a whole life ahead of you to enjoy before you see us again, and I agree. Finish him off, and then you can be free. Marry Ginny. Or Daphne Greengrass. Or Susan Bones. Or whoever you fall in love with. Have a few dozen kids. Be happy while you are alive. Don't grieve for us. We will be here waiting on the other side for you. Before you know it, we'll be together again.

But not too soon, do you understand? Don't waste the beauty that has been given to you. Life is for the living, and the living can only live.

I love you, Harry, so much. You are the most important thing to me. But you need to let me go. Be a good godfather to Teddy. He will need you as much as you will need him. When he is old enough, Remus and Tonks want to meet him. I've left the stone in Dumbledore's desk, along with something that you need to see, to remember.

All my love,

Hermione

120 Years Later

He'd kept his promise. Nine children, forty grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren, with more on the way.

He'd been Minister For Magic, and Headmaster of Hogwarts. He'd raised his godson, and his children with his wife, Luna Lovegood. She was the only one who understood his loss.

They'd started a fund for the brightest students, the Hermione Granger Award of Excellence, for those whose academic prowess was comparable to the Heroine of Hogwarts herself. That's what they had decided to call her. She was revered for her sacrifice just as Harry had been decades before.

As the room got darker, and his eyes began to flutter shut, Harry remembered all of the things that he had seen, and had promised to Hermione Granger.

A door of pure gold opened before him and behind it, he saw the youthful, happy face of his best friend, her husband and the baby that had never been.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly, "Lily! James! CeCe! Luna! He's here!"

And then he saw his first wife, and his second, his mother, father, godfather and his werewolf mentor. His children hugged him tightly, and his mother smiled at him joyously, proclaiming how glad she was to finally see him.

"Is this heaven?" Harry asked.

Hermione smiled, "If you want it to be."

How was it? Were your questions answered? Did you cry? Are you glad that this story has come full circle? If you want to continue to give me some loving, I'm currently writing another Harry Potter story, Hermione/James ROMANCE. So, not as horrific and violent as this one in the least. If you want to check out some of my other Harry Potter stories, my stories Sweeter & Sweeter, Figure Eight and Dream on Little Dreamer are the ones I believe to be my personal best. Put me on author alert, and watch out for more stories under Tom/Hermione, Harry/Hermione and Abraxas/Hermione.