Well my dearies, here is the conclusion to my version of the Battle of Hogwarts – there will be a short epilogue later however, so this is our second-to-last chapter.

I hope you all enjoy and thank you for reading!

~Z

Chapter 26

After the World

No one in the tower dared move as they stared at the still form of the headmaster. Snape cursed softly under his breath.

"No!" Harry barked in denial, rising jerkily to his feet, "He can't be dead! I won't let that happen! Can't you do anything?" he angrily asked the other inhabitants of the room.

Snape turned melancholy black eyes on him. "Potter, there is nothing more that could be done…"

"Like bloody hell there was!"

"Harry –"Elena began, only to be silenced by a sharp glare in her direction. Draco made as if to sit up then, irritated with the Gryffindor, but Elena gently pushed his shoulder back; now was not the time to be fighting amongst themselves. Far below them, a battle still raged on between their allies and the true enemy.

Claudia approached Harry slowly. "I am truly sorry for what has happened…but we shall not let him die in vain. His legacy will live on as we continue to fight to vanquish this evil" Her voice was smooth and soothing to the high-strung teen and he gave a small nod of agreement.

"Sorry to interrupt, but do I not get a say in this?" a quiet voice cut in. Everyone in the room froze, no one daring to turn and look for confirmation of the voice's source.

After a few heavy seconds, Harry shakily turned his head, going white as a ghost with disbelief. "Professor…?"

Dumbledore leaned against the wall, a faint twinkle finally evident in his clear blue eyes, a tired smile curling his lips. Against his side, his loyal phoenix cooed and rubbed his head along his master's arm.

The tension in the room seemed to melt away, as if the tower itself had released a great sigh while its inhabitants' shoulders sagged with relief.

"Well, don't you all stand there and stare at me – don't we have a skirmish to win?"

Snape kneeled by Dumbledore's side. "Sir, you and Mister Malfoy and Miss Firenze are not in proper condition to join the violence downstairs. I would recommend that you all stay here – at least until the Countess' forces have pushed back our assailants"

"Like hell" Elena snarled, rising to her feet "My people need me".

"Elena" they all turned to face the elegant Countess as she began speaking "You have done enough my daughter – you have saved not only the life of your charge, but the life of the headmaster as well. If not for your intervention, the dark lord's control of Draco would have destroyed both of them for sure"

Elena dropped her chin at her mother's words, her cheeks going hot with embarrassment even while her mind refused to accept the acknowledgement. Her cerulean eyes took in her own haggard appearance – she looked as though she had been through hell and back, and felt the physical and mental exhaustion to confirm it.

The Arcadians probably already had the Death Eaters on the run…that is, if any of them had even survived. The day had, in the end, been a victory. Even if it had taken a while to reach that point.

She nodded silently in agreement as Draco rose slowly to his feet and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You did save us", he whispered, holding her close. For the first time in a long while Elena allowed herself to relax, her azure eyes sliding closed as she leaned against her charge. Perhaps she had.

Logan's cerulean eyes panned the Great Hall – nearly packed with students, teachers, and vampires alike. The cavernous room was a swirl of robes' colors, house divisions no longer evident as previous rivals gathered for comfort. The Arcadians spanned the perimeter of the room, most looking satisfied and content, very few bearing wounds of any sort; and even those were minor, not even comparable to training bruises.

The students and teachers talked softly with their saviors, the common enemy uniting the two separate races. Students didn't even blink twice when a vampire would smile broadly at a compliment and allow their fangs to be visible.

Logan's broad form stood in the main doorway to the hall, awaiting the return of the last patrol. He turned his head quickly when the sound of light footsteps reached his ears. Trinity approached, a victorious smile on her sharp features as she led the small group of Arcadians back to the others. "Everything is clear" she reported happily, "Very few escaped, and those that did will definitely have something to remember us by. We have tallied over thirty dead, and there are still probably more". Logan nodded with satisfaction, throwing an arm around his partner's shoulders with a lopsided grin on his face. "You did alright without me then?" Trinity laughed, her small fangs glimmering in the light of the rising sun, "Always."

The Great Hall was filled to capacity, every seat taken – even some laps taken.

At the head of the room stood the Hogwarts headmaster, a new vitality about him as his crystalline eyes swept the room with pride. Beside him stood Claudia, a long sapphire gown making her eyes practically glow as she smiled softly at her Arcadians spread out amongst the students in the hall.

At the Slytherin table sat both of her children, one of which had a small blonde girl snuggled in his lap, her eyes drooping with sleep, the other curled into the arms of a mortal. Never before had she seen such a beautiful sight – her eyes glistened with unshed tears at the simple harmony permeating the room.

"Students, teachers, honored guests" Dumbledore began speaking as the hall fell silent, "Today is a landmark victory for our cause in the war plaguing our nation – not only have our enemies' numbers been greatly diminished, but we have as well gained an immeasurably valuable ally in our guests from Romania. No longer will we live in an estranged, discriminatory lifestyle – this day marks a new dawning, for us all."

He waited patiently as a sudden applause died down. "I would like to take a moment to recognize one student in particular – she has, from the start of the year, been a secret trump card for our side. A silent ally and guardian. Elena Frost – or shall I say, Firenze – please stand up"

Elena froze as all eyes in the hall flicked to her direction, the color draining rapidly from her face. She did not move, that is, until Draco literally lifted her to her feet. She stood with her chin tipped downward in humility, not wanting to receive this praise for simply fulfilling her life's calling.

"Elena not only saved the lives of several fellow students, but my own as well. Through her courage and resourcefulness and fast-action, I stand before you all today. When we were at our darkest hour, she sent for her people to be our saving grace. The day may have very well ended on a much different note if not for the actions of this young woman. I hold her in the highest regard" he finished with a bright genuine smile, his blue eyes twinkling with praise.

The hall erupted into a chorus of cheers and applause – the greatest volume coming from Harry, Hermione, Luna, Logan, and the platinum-haired boy at her side. If it were ever said that vampires weren't able to blush, Elena would argue strongly against it. Her lips curved into a small smile as her fellows applauded her, the slender hand held in hers giving a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

Dumbledore was right – it was a new dawn, for all of them.

Review, would you kindly? (Kudos if you got the reference!)

I hope you are all satisfied with how things turned out – if not, well, I apologize haha. I suppose you can't please everyone!

Thank you all so much for reading!

~Z