Simplewhiterose – I took one of your ideas and made it into a chapter title, and I will use Casting Shadows as the name of my next story. Thanks for the ideas. I'm sad to say that this is the last chapter, but I will post the first chapter of the sequel on this story, so I hope you like it. Thanks for reviewing.

Percyjacksonfan135 – Thanks for reviewing and the sequel will be posted soon.

READ THE AUTHOR NOTE…

Author's note: I can't believe it's actually here. I'm sad to say that this is the finale, but the first chapter of the sequel will be posted soon. It will be called CASTING SHADOWS thanks to the suggestion from Simplewhiterose. Hope you all like it.

The Coming of Dawn

Hermione:

My heart was pounding in my chest as I watched the action slowly unfold before me. First of all came Voldemort, Luke – sorry, Chronos – and their minions, including Draco who, if he had been any more obvious, would have been found out as a traitor. They stood silently, watching the Empire State Building, with sardonic smiles curling most lips as they murmured amongst themselves.

"Will the giants keep the Gods busy for long enough?"

That came from Draco, his voice strangely loud, as if he knew I was listening, which he probably did. That was confirmed when his eyes briefly flickered in my direction before moving away again. I mean, could this boy be any more obvious?

"Of course," was the snapped response from the Dark Lord as they began to move as one, heading for the doors. They were stopped, however, as out of the gathering clouds in the sky flew many chariots and even a Pegasus or two. To my utter horror I could see Buckbeak – sorry, Witherwings – amongst them, which meant that Harry, Ron and Ginny were here. If they saw me, they would try and stop me and I couldn't allow that.

Percy jumped off his pure black Pegasus and patted its nose lightly before it flew into the night, presumably to get reinforcements. Amongst the Camp Half-blood members and my classmates, I could see members of the Order of the Phoenix, and even some members of the Ministry of Magic.

As McGonagall twirled past, in an intricate dance with a masked Death Eater, I was jolted back to the present and my eyes snapped onto Luke. He was standing in the centre of the melee but nothing was hitting him. I presumed it was due to the wards he had obviously put on himself before entering the battlefield. On his right and slightly behind him stood Lord Voldemort, a sick, twisted smile on his face as he surveyed the dead and the dying. In the same position on his other side stood Draco, and his expression was the complete opposite to his Lords. His eyes were wide and scared, while his hair was plastered to his sweaty forehead.

I wanted to fight with my classmates, and as I saw Lavender fall dead to the ground that feeling became almost unbearable, but I had to keep a level head. If I died before reaching Luke then all was lost. There was no-one else who could do what I could. I had to at least try.

"I will enter Mount Olympus and make it my own," Luke murmured to his two faithful companions, who both nodded sharply, flanking his sides as they made their way to the entrance.

I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of what I would have to do, and I followed them quickly.

XxX

Percy:

"Come on," Percy murmured quietly as all the demi-gods who wished to – which was all apart from those in the Ares cabin, by Clarisse's order. Percy leapt silently onto his black Pegasus' back and waited while his companions did the same thing.

"You know where to go, Blackjack."

The horse whinnied before leading the way into the sky as they set off.

This was the beginning of the war. This was the beginning of the end.

XxX

Ron:

Unlike most other people, Ron wasn't listening to Percy. Instead, his eyes were focussed on the dark-haired demigod by his side, whose eyes were similarly on him. He mouthed a quick good luck, which she returned, but neither eyes drifted from the other, even as everyone else set off.

With a small bounce in his step, Ron made his way over to her, his heart pounding a mile a minute – an expression he had learned from Hermione. If he was going to die today, then he would tell Thalia how he felt, nothing could stop him.

"Hey," he murmured breathlessly as their friends became mere spots on the horizon, "I wanted to tell you something."

"Same here," she whispered back, "But you go first."

"I…" Suddenly this didn't seem like such a good idea, but he was here now and risking the life of his best friends by not being with them, so he had to make the most of it.

"Thalia, I really like you."

There, that should do it.

She grinned impishly back at him, her mouth forming the words that would either make or break him.

"I like you two."

Grinning widely, he quickly said, "If we survive this, will you go out with me."

"It would be my honour."

With those words, they both took their personal mode of transport and began to move, flying across the clouds next to each other, eyes still on each other's, massive smiles on their faces.

XxX

Harry:

Harry jumped unceremoniously from the Pegasus his brother, Percy, had given him. It was called Argentum because of the silver lining of its wings.

"Wait here," he ordered softly and, after receiving the affirmative answer from his horse, he quickly left. He had found that he could speak to, and understand, the Pegasus', and even horses, because his father, Poseidon, had helped to create them.

He took a deep breath as he surveyed the carnage already littering the front of the building. The mortal muggles were all sleeping in their cars pulled onto the sides of the roads.

He could see Luna and Ginny off to one side, fighting for their lives against Bellatrix Lestrange. Even though there was two of them and only one of her, it was clear that they were losing drastically. Lupin quickly jumped into the fray and the three of them beat Bellatrix back. On the other side of the way Percy and Annabeth were back to back, fighting off hoards of monsters that tried to enter the building.

Shaking his eyes away from them, Harry concentrated on his enemies, feeling the familiar hatred burn in his heart as faces flashed before him.

Tonks

Kingsley

His parents

Sirius

…

With a furious roar, the water in the sea just visible on the horizon quickly flew up and doused all of them in its furious deluge, and many of the weaker-minded enemies turned to face him, their eyes blank as they waited for his command.

"Kill," he ordered, his voice oddly expressionless, the hatred still burning brightly in them as he searched for a familiar bushy head in the throng.

There!

Quick as a flash Harry began to run towards the Empire State Building just as the door slammed shut. Malfoy and Voldemort were waiting outside, and as his eyes caught the youngest Malfoy's he saw something he never thought he would. Fear! Malfoy was scared of what was going on in there, and Harry turned to seek another way into the fearsome building.

XxX

Hermione:

I was still shocked that Draco and Voldemort hadn't seen me as I entered after Luke, but I supposed Draco had seen but decided not to say anything. That was the most likely solution.

I followed Luke silently, watching his every move as he took the elevator up to the 600th floor where Mount Olympus resided. As soon as the lift returned, I ascended and was out in a flash once I'd reached the top.

Luke wasn't facing me, he didn't even seem to realise that I was there; he was too busy destroying the chairs of the Gods.

I took a deep breath before coughing slightly to make myself known. He whirled around, his golden eyes narrowing as he saw who it was.

"Luke," I breathed, taking one solitary step forward, but a sword was instantly at my throat, his eyes wide with something akin to fear.

"Luke, I know you're in there. Chronos may have taken your body, but I know you. Fight it, please. For me."

"Foolish child," Chronos sneered in an eerily echoing voice, "Luke is merely a shell, a shell that will be discarded as soon as I am done with him."

I ignored the evil entity in front of me and instead continued to speak to the soul I knew still resided inside. I played my last card; the one I knew would get Luke to break Chronos' control.

"I love you."

My voice was quiet, pleading, and I felt a unfamiliar feeling of dread and hopefulness as his eyes turned blue for a moment.

"You mean it."

Instead of replying, I sidestepped his sword and pressed my lips to his, feeling the power coursing through my body as Chronos entered into me. I had no sword on me so, as Luke was too surprised to do anything, I grabbed his and, without another thought, plunged it into my soft body.

The pain was indescribably and felt like it was ripping into me. I was dimly aware of screaming, the sound loud in the oppressive silence, and I could hear some sort of commotion around me as I collapsed in a heap on the floor. My eyes felt heavy; it was so easy to just give in.

And give in I did.

XxX

Luke:

I felt like a veil had been ripped from my eyes as I saw Hermione lying in a puddle at my feet. I was aware of breathing one, horror-filled word.

"No!"

I saw Potter, Weasley, Weaslette, Jason and a few other people I only vaguely recognised enter the room, but my eyes stayed firmly on the dying Witch at my feet and suddenly the truth hit me like a tonne of bricks.

It was my fault she was dead.

I was the reason Hermione had had to do what she did, and I would have to live with that.

I hadn't cried for years, but now I felt the salty tears make their way down my cheeks as I dropped to my knees at her side, cradling her head on my lap.

Hands came under my armpits, attempting to make me stand, but I wouldn't. I was too far gone. One word was reverberating in my mind.

Dead!

Dead!

Dead!

Dead!

And it was all my fault.

There you have it, people. It is finally finished. Hope you all liked it and remember, there will be a sequel, the first chapter of which I will add to this story once I've finished writing it so that you can see if you want to read it.

Adios for now and thanks for reading.