Chapter 29: The Battle of Hogwarts

May 1998

Amaryllis and Tonks were currently battling against Bellatrix and Scabior, while Remus and Kingsley held their own against Fenrir and Dolohov.

"No, you don't understand," Rye heard a familiar voice shout not far from her person. "I'm on your side!" she then heard a large thudding noise as if someone had fallen over.

The eldest Malfoy child followed the sound to see several deatheaters pursuing her one and only brother.

"Draco!" she moved as fast as her feet would carry her, having no choice but to desert her cousin.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Amaryllis petrified one of the three men headed towards them. "Where's your wand?" she turned to Draco quickly, not seeing why he wasn't fighting.

"Potter took it," he told her honestly, keeping his eyes on the two remaining men.

Knowing there was zero time left for more questions; Rye merely shook her head and struck another deatheater down.

"Stay with me," she ordered, taking Draco's hand tightly within her own.

Two plus years worth of resentment seemed to vanish as the boy merely nodded, reciprocating the hold just as strongly.

When Lucius Malfoy's wand flew from his pale hand, he turned to his old friend, disbelief etched upon his aristocratic face.

"You dare stand against me?" his eyes narrowed at the man who had ceased his attack on Minerva.

"Had you chosen the right side, I would not," Severus enlightened the foolish pureblood.

"Severus, please," Narcissa pleaded, not wanting to see her husband harmed.

"It is you who has chosen incorrectly," Lucius told the potion's master, ignoring the fact that two wands were currently being directed at him. Minerva clearly didn't see the need to point hers at the other woman.

"I did not wish for it to come to this," Severus spoke truthfully prior to doing what needed to be done. He was very aware that the blonde would only continue trying to hunt down his daughter; whom he deemed a traitor.

"Severus-" Narcissa tried once more, unfortunately, to no avail.

"Avada Kedavra!" he cast the curse swiftly, thereafter watching Lucius fall to the ground; dead.

Luna, Ginny, and Neville kept close in the midst of this battle. The youngest girl of the trio knew that she would only be in Harry's way, so she decided to stay with her redheaded best friend.

Making their way over to Dean and Seamus (who appeared to have their hands full) they were momentarily halted.

"Behind you, Luna!" Ginny warned.

Not reacting quickly enough, Neville managed to come to her aid in time and saved Luna from the Cruciatus curse.

"Thank you, Neville," she hugged him appreciatively.

"Don't mention it," he said shakily.

"Come on," Ginny pressed, as they still needed to go and help their fellow classmates.

"Right behind you," Neville spoke for both Luna and himself, soon after following his girlfriend deeper into the fray.

Haley ran through the first floor corridor for the last time. It was a lot like her brother's first year: again, she was chasing after the boy, fearing for his life.

"Harry!" she screamed upon noticing a red stream of light heading his way.

Looking in the direction his sister had pointed him to; Harry was successfully able to deflect the curse.

Making their way down to the entrance hall, he also managed to save Hermione from an undesired fate by keeping her from turning a corner too quickly.

"To your left!" Maggie called out from across the courtyard the quartet had just stepped onto.

Ron was the first to see the giant spiders headed their way.

"Reducto!" Haley and Hermione acted quickly, casting the acromantula away.

Once the path had been cleared, the first girl made quickly her way towards Maggie.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked just seconds before throwing her arms about the blonde.

"I'm fine," her oldest friend assured, returning the embrace fiercely. "Any luck?" she asked, simultaneously peering about for any oncoming attackers.

"Just two more to go," Haley told her, referring to the number of horcruxes left.

"Brilliant," Maggie smiled truly for the first time in months and then watched as the other girl set off after Harry.

"Fred!" the shouted name stopped Haley in her tracks. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione continued their journey to the boathouse, she retreated back into the courtyard.

Frantically looking around, she finally set eyes on the boy she'd grown to love.

Haley tried running to him, only to find herself rooted in place as she watched Fred die at the hands of Amycus Carrow.

Shell-shocked, yet filled with fury, she blindly set off after the deatheater; revenge on the forefront her mind.

"Expelliarmus!" a female voice called out, sending Haley's wand flying from her hand.

Coming to her brother's aid, Alecto diverted the duel to come. "I don't think so, little girl," she smirked.

"No!" Maggie saw the two siblings point their wands at Haley. She grabbed onto George (who also had wanted nothing more than to avenge Fred) and rushed over.

"Stupefy!" she knocked Alecto down, preventing her from harming anyone.

Enraged by what had happened to his sister, Amycus did the one thing he knew would affect Maggie the most. Rather than kill the former Ravenclaw, he aimed his wand at the person she seemed to keen on saving, and cast his favorite spell.

One Hour Later

After the conversation between Albus and Severus had been reiterated to him, Harry knew what needed to be done.

So, while everyone else had entered the Great Hall to grieve, (a place he chose to not enter for he didn't wish to see who hadn't survived) the boy who lived made his way into the forbidden forest.

Crossing the courtyard, Harry couldn't help but to ask the question that had been on his mind since he entered the boathouse earlier.

"Have you seen her?" he turned to the man who had taken care of him for so many years.

Severus shook his head, his obsidian eyes more haunted than they had ever been. He hadn't desired to tell Harry of his fate…and he did not want to think about where his daughter may or may not be.

"I should go alone from here," Harry said once the pair reached Hagrid's hut.

"No," the man refused him. "I shall walk with you until the end."

"Severus-"

"You cannot convince me otherwise," he spoke sternly, yet softly. The potion's master had lost so much throughout his life; he simply did not care about whatever consequences would come his way when he faced his old master for the final time.

Harry sighed in defeat, but understood just the same. If the roles had been reversed, he wouldn't have done any differently.

Knowing this, the duo carried on side by side.

"I'm ready to die," Harry's thoughts were voiced aloud as he took out the golden snitch Albus had gifted him.

Severus merely eyed the object curiously and watched as a tiny stone emerged from it.

"That is-"

"The resurrection stone," Harry finished, not as taken aback by its presence. He placed the Hallow into the palm of his hand and closed his eyes. Moments later, Lily, Sirius, James, and Haley could be found standing before both him and Severus.

"Mum," Harry rushed to the woman who extended her arm for him, not taking notice to his sister just yet.

When his hand went through hers, his heart sank.

"Lily," Severus too had not seen Haley at this point.

"Sev," she grinned warmly. "Thank you for watching over Harry," she carried on kindly, meaning every word, "and I'm sorry for not telling you about our daughter. It was wrong of me. I am glad that you managed to find her and I promise to continue caring for her now."

"Lily, I-" he then remembered the last of her sentence.

"Hi, dad," Haley waved, catching both his and Harry's attention.

Severus nearly fell to his knees.

"Haley…" Harry choked out, his eyes rapidly filling with unshed tears.

"I'm fine," she reassured first and foremost. "Don't be upset for me, Harry," Haley smiled sadly at her brother. "I've got Fred over here with me," she laughed lightly, "Funny how it took death to get us together."

Harry barely forced out a chuckle at that.

"Lockhart is here, as well," Haley surprisingly didn't seem disgusted by that. "He forgave me for what happened in the Chamber and showed me how important it is to let old resentments go," she looked at Lily (the woman who she couldn't forgive for the longest time as she hadn't told Severus about her existence). "He's not so terrible once you get to…" Haley paused and corrected herself, "Well, he's an okay person."

Sirius let out a laugh at that, unable to contain himself.

"And I'm with mum," she carried on, turning to Severus. "I see now what you've been saying, dad," Haley told him, a knowing look upon her face. "She really is lovely."

The man's expression lightened slightly at his child's comment.

"I also see now what Lily has been saying," James spoke up for the first time, facing Severus, "you are an honorable man," he complimented his past rival.

Severus nodded his head in acknowledgement, no longer holding such an intense grudge against the eldest Potter.

"Your daughter isn't too bad, either," Sirius said in a joking manner.

"Shame I can't say the same for you," Haley couldn't help but to retort, a smirk in place.

"She is so much like you, Sev," Lily told him, "You should be proud," she said, not at all sarcastically.

"I am," he smiled, his expression still disheartened by the loss of said girl.

"Does it hurt?" Harry suddenly questioned, standing before Sirius. "Dying," he clarified.

"Quicker and easier than falling asleep," his godfather promised, comforting the boy more than he knew.

"You're nearly there, son," James' eyes shined with pride and admiration.

"You've been so brave," Lily shared her husband's feelings.

Harry appreciated their words, but couldn't shake the guilt weighing upon his shoulders.

"I never wanted any of you to die for me," he gazed at the quartet. "Haley-"

"Love, Harry," she interrupted him. "We all sacrificed ourselves for love," Haley knew exactly how to make him feel better, as she'd had much practice over the years. "Mum and James did their jobs by protecting you, as did Sirius," she refreshed his clouded memory, "Had the situation gone differently, you can't say you wouldn't have done the same," Haley pointed out before finishing, "And I also did the right thing by trying to avenge Fred. None of us died in vein."

Harry immediately felt more at ease, knowing she was being honest.

"You must let him continue this journey on his own," Lily spoke to Severus. "Let us take it from here," she pleaded, not wanting him to join Haley and herself just yet.

Recognizing that there was no point in arguing, he reluctantly agreed to retreat back into the castle.

"I love you," Haley said to both her father and brother. "Both of you," she smiled lovingly at the two.

"We love you too," Harry spoke for them. "So much," he said the words sincerely.

"Go on," she urged nicely, "it's time to finish what we started."

He smiled at her before turning to face his mum once more, "Stay with me?" he asked Lily.

"Always," she vowed.

"Until the end," his father swore, as well.

It was then that Harry welcomed death like an old friend.