Scott stood in the seventh floor corridor, pacing patiently. Neville had informed him something was about to transpire and told Scott to keep watch while he remained inside the Room of Requirement with the rest of Dumbledore's Army. About half an hour after Neville had told him something was up, a familiar Patronus galloped toward Scott and spoke.

"The boy was sighted in Hogsmeade," said the Patronus in Snape's voice. "It will happen tonight. You are to do everything you can to keep the school and students safe while I keep the Dark Lord at bay. Do not reveal your true intentions to Him until the time is right. I am calling for the school to meet in the Great Hall in twenty minutes' time. Blend in with the students and be prepared to assist the staff in protecting the school from the Dark Lord. Good luck in your mission. This is likely the last time you will ever hear from me. Be careful."

The doe faded and Scott turned around. As if waiting for him, the doors to the Room of Requirement appeared in front of him. He entered the room and found all of Dumbledore's Army standing up and staring at Harry, Ron and Hermione, who looked tired, but ready to fight. Everyone turned and looked at him, expecting his report.

"What's up, Scott?" Neville asked.

"Snape knows that Harry was spotted in Hogsmeade," Scott explained. "He's calling for all the school to meet in the Great Hall in ten minutes."

"OK," said Harry, suddenly seeming determined. "We'll all go to this meeting. Neville said he's sent word to the rest of Dumbledore's Army and to the Order. Scott, you stay here with Ron, Hermione and Ginny and get them gathered and then come to the Great Hall. The rest of us will go to this meeting. I'll blend in with them and reveal myself to Snape. Hopefully we can drive him and the Carrows out of here and give us time to search for what we're here for and we can get the staff on our side."

Scott nodded. "You all go. We'll take care of everything here."

Harry led most of the occupants out of the room, leaving Scott, Ron, Hermione and Ginny behind to wait for the others to arrive. Over the next 15 minutes, the rest of the room filled up with Kingsley, Lupin, Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnett, Bill and Fleur, Fred and George and Molly and Arthur.

"Scott, what's happening?" asked Lupin once everyone was gathered in the room.

"Harry's going for Snape," Scott replied. "Voldemort's coming and we're going to barricade the school once Snape and the Carrows are gone."

"What first, Scott?" asked George.

"Harry's blending in with the rest of the students to go after Snape," said Scott. "We should all get down there and see about helping Harry and getting the students out of here safely and preparing for battle. Wait for my signal outside the Great Hall."

Everyone except for the Weasley family quickly cleared the room, everyone drawing their wands and looking eager to fight. Just as the room was clear, the portrait hole everyone was using to enter the Room of Requirement opened and Shirley came barreling out of it.

"I haven't missed anything, have I?" she asked as she regained her footing.

Scott rushed up to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Nothing yet, Mum," he said, barely concealing his tears. "I'm glad you got my message."

"Of course, dear," Shirley replied as she broke apart the hug and pulled out her wand. "Dubba and I have been doing all right in the place where I've been staying, but I came as soon as I felt the coin burn."

"Then let's do this," Scott said, turning to leave the room. He saw the Weasley family, along with Lupin, standing near the exit. Molly seemed to be struggling with Ginny.

"You're underage!" Molly shouted at her daughter as Scott and Shirley approached. "I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!"

"I won't!"

Ginny's hair flew as she pulled her arm out of her mother's grip.

"I'm in Dumbledore's Army — "

"A teenagers' gang!"

"A teenagers' gang that's about to take Him on, which no one else has dared to do!" said Fred.

"She's sixteen!" shouted Molly. "She's not old enough! What were you two thinking, bringing her with you — "

Fred and George looked slightly ashamed of themselves.

"Mum's right, Ginny," said Bill gently. "You can't do this. Everyone underage will have to leave, it's only right."

"I can't go home!" Ginny shouted, angry tears sparkling in her eyes. "My whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and — "

Her eyes met Scott's and he shook his head sadly at her.

"Fine," she said, staring at the entrance to the tunnel back to the Hog's Head. "I'll say goodbye now, then, and — "

There was a scuffling and a great thump; someone else had clambered out of the tunnel, overbalanced slightly and fallen. He pulled himself up on the nearest chair, looked around through lopsided horn-rimmed glasses, and said, "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I — I — "

Percy spluttered into silence. Evidently, he had not expected to run into most of his family. There was a long moment of astonishment, broken by Fleur turning to Lupin and saying, in a wildly transparent attempt to break the tension, "So — 'ow eez leetle Teddy?"

Lupin blinked at her, startled. The silence between the Weasleys seemed to be solidifying, like ice.

"I — oh yes — he's fine!" Lupin said loudly. "Yes, Tonks is with him — at her mother's — "

Percy and the other Weasleys were still staring at one another, frozen.

"Here, I've got a picture!" Lupin shouted, pulling a photograph from inside his jacket and showing it to Fleur, Scott and Shirley. Scott saw a tiny baby with a tuft of bright turquoise hair, waving fat fists at the camera.

"I was a fool!" Percy roared, so loudly that Lupin nearly dropped his photograph. "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a — a — "

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," said Fred.

Percy swallowed.

"Yes, I was!"

"Well, you can't say fairer than that," said Fred, holding out his hand to Percy.

Molly burst into tears. She ran forward, pushed Fred aside and pulled Percy into a strangling hug, while he patted her on the back, his eyes on his father.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Percy said.

Arthur blinked rather rapidly, then he too hurried to hug his son.

"What made you see sense, Perce?" inquired George.

"It's been coming on for a while," said Percy, mopping his eyes under his glasses with a corner of his traveling cloak. "But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time. I managed to make contact with Aberforth and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it, so here I am."

"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these," said George in a good imitation of Percy's most pompous manner. "Now let's get downstairs and watch Harry drive Snape out of here."

"So, you're my sister-in-law now?" said Percy, shaking hands with Fleur as they hurried out of the room with Bill, Fred and George.

"Ginny!" barked Molly.

Ginny had been attempting, under cover of the reconciliation, to sneak out, too.

"Molly, how about this," said Lupin. "Why doesn't Ginny stay here, then at least she'll be on the scene and know what's going on, but she won't be in the middle of the fighting?"

"I — "

"That's a good idea," said Arthur firmly. "Ginny, you stay in this room, you hear me?"

Ginny did not seem to like the idea much, but under her father's unusually stern gaze, she nodded. Arthur, Molly, Ron, Hermione and Lupin then turned to leave the room, too. Scott nodded at Ginny before following them out with Shirley. When they reached the Great Hall, Scott stepped to the front of the group gathered in front of the doors and listened in.

"…If anyone here has any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward," came Snape's drawling voice from inside the Hall. "Now."

Several seconds of silence followed this before Scott heard dozens of gasps ring throughout the Hall.

"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster," said Harry. With that, Scott opened the doors to the Hall and burst into it, followed closely by the Order. All of them drew their wands upon entering the room, and gathered behind the student body.

"And I'm afraid it's quite extensive," Harry said triumphantly before he started shouting angrily at Snape. "How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them how it happened that night; tell them how you looked him in the eye: a man who trusted you and killed him! Tell them!"

Snape glared at Harry for a moment before he drew his wand and pointed it at him. Quick as a flash, Professor McGonagall pushed Harry to the side, drawing her own wand and pointed it at Snape. The students rushed to get out of the way. Snape hesitated for a moment before he pointed his wand at McGonagall. Behind Snape, Alecto and Amycus pointed their wands at McGonagall and the Order members, who in turn pointed their wands at Snape and the Carrows.

McGonagall waited a few seconds before she sent a jet of fire at Snape, who hastily blocked the attack. She waited a few more seconds before attacking again. She continued shooting fire at Snape, who kept blocking her attacks. Snape slowly moved backward as McGonagall advanced on him. As he got closer to the Carrows, two of the curses McGonagall shot at Snape backfired and hit both of the Carrows, knocking them to the ground, unconscious. After several more streams of fire, Snape swished his robes, and Disapparated out of the Great Hall in a cloud of black smoke, crashing through the windows behind him as he escaped.

"Coward!" shouted McGonagall.

The students began to cheer as McGonagall turned around, waved her wand and lit the torches around the Hall. As she did, Harry slowly collapsed to the ground beside her as the Hall went dark again. It was if hundreds of ghosts were descending on the place. Out of nowhere, the slither of a cold voice filled the Hall.

"I know that you are prepared to fight," said Voldemort. "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. Give me Harry Potter and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."

The silence swallowed them all again. Every head turned, every eye in the place seemed to have found Harry, who had stood back up, to hold him frozen in the glare of thousands of invisible beams. As the light returned to the Hall, a voice rang out from the Slytherin students.

"What are you waiting for?" shouted Pansy Parkinson. "Someone grab him!"

Before Harry could speak, there was a massive movement. The Gryffindors in front of him had risen and stood facing, not Harry, but the Slytherins. Then, the Hufflepuffs stood, and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws, all of them with their backs to Harry, all of them looking toward Pansy instead.

Suddenly, Argus Filch came running into the Great Hall, carrying his cat Mrs. Norris, and shouting, "Students out of bed! Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!"

"They are supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!" McGonagall snapped.

"Oh…" said Filch, stopping in his tracks and looking embarrassed. "Sorry, ma'am."

"As it happens, Mr. Filch, the timing of your arrival is most opportune," McGonagall said as she approached the Slytherins. "If you would, I would like to please escort Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin House from the Hall."

"And where is it I'll be leading them to, ma'am?"

Scott stopped listening as McGonagall explained the evacuation plan to Filch, who led the Slytherins out of the Hall once she was finished. The Order members who had arrived gathered at the front of the Hall with the rest of the staff and started talking quietly.

"Ravenclaws, follow on!" cried McGonagall.

Slowly the four groups of students dwindled. The Slytherin group was completely deserted, but a number of older Ravenclaws remained standing while their fellows filed out; even more Hufflepuffs stayed behind, and half of Gryffindor remained standing, necessitating Professor McGonagall's descent from the teachers' platform to chivvy the underage on their way.

"Absolutely not, Creevey, go! And you, Peakes! You, too, Wolpert!"

Scott turned at the sound of a familiar name. He saw Nigel walking away sadly and hurried over to him.

"It's gonna be OK, Nigel," Scott said as he pulled Nigel into a hug. "It's best for the underage students to stay out of here while we sort out what happens when Voldemort arrives."

"I know," Nigel replied softly. "I just hate to not know what's going on."

Scott nodded as he broke apart the hug.

"I'll send word as soon as everything's done here, all right? For now, just promise me that you'll stay away. I need to know that you're safe."

"I promise."

"Then go," Scott said. Nigel turned and hurried out of the Hall as Scott walked up to the teachers' platform.

"We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast!" Kingsley explained to the group that had gathered. "A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers — Ravenclaw, Astronomy and Gryffindor — where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus," — he indicated Lupin — "Arthur" — he pointed at Mr. Weasley, standing with the Gryffindors — "and I will take groups to the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school — "

"Sounds like a job for us," called Fred, indicating himself and George, and Kingsley nodded his approval.

"All right, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops! First, we'll get the area around the castle secure."

McGonagall led a group of Order Members and older students to the entrance hall. Scott was listening as she gave instructions to Neville and Seamus for defending the Covered Bridge.

"Let me get this straight, Professor, you are actually giving us permission to do this?" Neville asked, sounding incredulous.

"That is correct, Longbottom," McGonagall replied.

"To blow it up? Boom?"

"Boom!"

"Brilliant! But how on earth are we going to do that?"

"Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnigan?" McGonagall suggested as the reached the top of the stairs outside the front doors. "As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics."

"I can bring it down!" Seamus said excitedly.

"That's the spirit, now away you go," McGonagall said, shooing them away. Scott, Shirley, Molly and Professor Flitwick stood next to McGonagall as the rest of the defenders took their positions.

"You do realize, of course, that we can't keep You-Know-Who out indefinitely?" Flitwick asked.

"That doesn't mean we can't delay him," McGonagall replied, slightly impatient. "And his is Voldemort, Filius, you might as well use it. He's going to try and kill you either way."

At that, McGonagall turned around and raised her wand toward the inside of the school. As she did so, Shirley and Professor Flitwick made their way down the stairs to take their positions to set up the defense.

"Piertotum Locomotor!" McGonagall shouted into the castle.

Moments passed before a large group of animated statues began marching down the steps, heading for the bridge.

"Hogwarts is threatened!" McGonagall shouted as the statues marched beside her, Molly and Scott. "Man the boundaries! Protect us! Do your duty to our school!" She then smiled and spoke in a quieter voice to Scott and Molly.

"I've always wanted to use that spell!" she said happily.

Scott smirked at her as he and Molly descended the steps to take their places. Once they were situated, everyone in the group pointed their wands to the heavens. Scott mimicked them.

"Protego Maxima!" Scott shouted, causing a silver streak to fly above him. "Fianto Duri! Repello Inimicum!"

He repeated the spells several times as a massive shield formed above the school.


Hours later, during the ceasefire Voldemort had called, giving Harry an hour to surrender himself, Scott was assisting Madam Pomfrey tend the wounded when Voldemort's magically magnified voice rang through Hogwarts again.

"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 your 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 every 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."

Scott and Madam Pomfrey looked at each other sadly before they stood up along with the others in the Great Hall who weren't injured or dead and left the Hall. Once outside, they could see Voldemort's army standing in front of them. Scott saw Hagrid carrying Harry, apparently dead, in his arms.

"NO!"

The scream was the more terrible because Scott had never expected or dreamed that Professor McGonagall could make such a sound. He heard another woman laughing nearby and knew that Bellatrix gloried in McGonagall's despair.

"No!"

"No!"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron's, Hermione's and Ginny's voices were worse than McGonagall's.

"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!"

Scott watched as Hagrid gently lay Harry's unmoving body onto the grass.

"You see?" said Voldemort. "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, "killed while trying to save himself — "

But Voldemort broke off; Scott turned to look, hearing only a scuffle and a shout, then another bang, a flash of light and a grunt of pain as he saw Neville had tried to charge at Voldemort.

"And who is this?" Voldemort 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?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"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 in fists.

"So what if 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 Charm seemed unable to hold.

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

Scott watched as 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 half-light and landed in Voldemort's hand. He shook the mildewed object by its pointed end and it dangled, empty and ragged: 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 were movements 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.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens 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.

And then many things happened at the same moment.

They heard uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, 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 ant the twangs of bows and arrows were suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise.

In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle —

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.

Before Voldemort could act, Scott screamed, "NO!" and pointed his wand, casting a shield charm between Neville and Voldemort, who turned, shocked.

"What do you think you're doing, Scott?" Voldemort demanded as Scott started to approach him, his wand still raised.

Scott didn't answer until he stopped when he was about twenty feet in front of Voldemort. Nearly everyone was holding their breath and waiting.

"I'm afraid that despite your everlasting trust in me, I was working against you the whole time, my Lord," Scott said. Voldemort looked both astonished and livid. "And I'm afraid the consequences will be quite extensive."

Voldemort snarled at Scott and raised his wand. Scott was quicker and shot a stream of fire at him just as McGonagall had done to Snape. Voldemort barely blocked it before Scott continued attacking him. Voldemort managed to block all of Scott's attacks, but seemed unable to fight back. Changing tactics, he quickly swished his robes and Disapparated. Scott stopped, listening for Voldemort, who reappeared behind him. Scott turned quickly and fired a silent stunning spell at him while Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at him. Their spells locked for several seconds while Voldemort glared at Scott. Without warning, Voldemort broke his spell and before Scott could recover, he slashed his wand in the air like a sword.

Scott stopped and looked down at his chest, which started to bleed as if a sword had cut him. As the pain registered, he looked back at Voldemort, who smiled nastily at him. Scott's knees buckled and he fell to the ground, dropping his wand.

"NO, SCOTT!" Shirley shrieked, rushing forward and drawing her own wand, engaging Voldemort in a duel. She managed to hold her own for a little longer than Scott before she was blasted away from Voldemort, knocked unconscious. Scott watched as Voldemort turned to face McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley, who ran toward him with their wands draw. He began dueling all three of them at once.

"Hold on, Scott!" came Nigel's voice from his side. Scott hadn't noticed Nigel approach him. Nigel was bent down over him, trying to stop the bleeding. "Help will be here soon!"

Nigel glanced around, desperate for help, as the tears flowed down his face. Suddenly, Ron and Hermione appeared next to him and Hermione bent down next to Scott. Meanwhile, the full scale of the battle recommenced and Scott heard several screams and shouts as bodies fell to the ground nearby.

"I've got some Dittany here," Hermione said as she rummaged her bag. "It'll sting a little bit, but should heal your wounds. Just give me a minute."

Scott closed his eyes as Hermione sprayed the Dittany on his wounds. He let out gasps of pain as his cuts were repaired and the scarring formed over his wounds. After several seconds, Scott felt back to normal.

"Thanks, Hermione," he said as he sat up and reached for his wand. He looked over just in time to see Ginny and Luna dueling Bellatrix. Hermione stood up quickly, drawing out her wand and rushing over to help Ginny and Luna face Bellatrix. As he watched their duel, Nigel helped Scott stand up and over to where Shirley had fallen. She woke back up as soon as they bent down next to her.

"Scott! Oh, are you all right, darling?" she demanded, pulling Scott into a gentle hug.

"I'm fine, Mum," Scott replied. "Hermione had some Dittany on her."

Just then, they all heard someone shout, "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

They turned and watched Molly throw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms, to confront Bellatrix, who spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Molly to the three girls and with a swipe of her wand, she began to duel. Scott watched with terror and elation as Molly Weasley's and slashed and twirled and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill.

"No!" Molly 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 and 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?"

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

Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil and suddenly Scott knew what was going to happen before it did.

Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge. For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened and then she toppled and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

Scott felt as though time had slowed. He saw McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury of at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly. Scott quickly reached for his wand and was about to case a Shield Charm when someone beat him to it.

"Protego!" roared a voice and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry suddenly appeared, pulling off his Invisibility Cloak.

The yells 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.

Scott watched with bated breath as Harry revealed everything to Voldemort: Snape's allegiance to Dumbledore, Scott's own loyalties to Harry and Dumbledore, and his decision to serve as a spy for Dumbledore, and the truth about something called the Elder Wand.

"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."

At the same time, Harry and Voldemort raised their wands at each other.

"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. Scott watched Voldemort's green jet meet Harry's spell, saw the wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air. And Harry, with the unnerving skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward. 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.

One shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: and then the tumult broke in the hall as the screams and the cheers and the roars of the watchers rent the air. Scott hurried forward and embraced Harry with Ron and Hermione, their cheers as deafening as the crowd around them. Once he had hugged Harry, Ron and Hermione, Scott broke away to sit down with Shirley and Nigel.

"So, when did you come back here, Nigel?" Scott asked.

"When Professor Slughorn came through Hogsmeade to really as many people as he could. We all heard You-Know-Who's voice magnified about the ceasefire and Slughorn thought it would be a good idea to bring in all of us as backup."

"Even though Professor McGonagall told all of you students not of age to stay away?" said Scott, sounding slightly cross.

Nigel looked at him and shrugged. "Couldn't help myself," he said.

Scott laughed and put an arm around Nigel, pulling him into a one-armed hug.

About twenty minutes later, Harry and the others approached them.

"You have a minute, Scott?" Harry asked.

"Sure," Scott replied, standing with assistance from Nigel.

"Are you sure, darling?" Shirley asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine, Mum. I promise. My job is done, anyway."

Shirley gave him a kiss on the cheek before sitting back down with Nigel. Scott followed Harry, Ron and Hermione out of earshot before they all turned to each other.

"You played a pretty dangerous game," Harry said with a grin.

Scott smirked back at him. "Yeah, well, what are you gonna do about it?"

Harry pulled him into a hug. "All I'm gonna do is say 'thank you.' It took a lot of guts for you to do what you did."

"Trust me: I knew the risks when Dumbledore asked it of me. I'd do it again if I had to."

"Did Dumbledore seriously ask you as a first year to do all of that?" Hermione asked.

Scott nodded. "He called me into his office a little before term was over and asked if I could keep an eye on things with Quirrel. It wasn't until you had stopped him that I agreed to take on my assignment. So, yes, I was a first year, but I was pretty damn close to being a second year, if that's any consolation."

Harry and Ron laughed, and Hermione smiled nervously.

"I still can't believe Dumbledore asked you to do that at such a young age," she said.

"Oh, it was nothing. I was happy to do it. Besides, with Snape training me, I was in good hands."

"You were brilliant," said Ron, thumping Scott on the back. "Bloody brilliant."

"Thanks, mate."

"But really, you're one crazy son-of-a-bludger," said Harry with another grin. "But I guess that's a good thing since you helped us defeat Voldemort."

Scott laughed. "I'll take that," he said. "Listen, you lot go and do what you need to. I'm gonna go sit with Mum."

News crept in from every quarter as the morning drew on: that the Imperiused up and down the country had come back to themselves, that Death Eaters were fleeing or else being captured, that the innocent of Azkaban were being released at that moment and that Kingsley Shacklebolt had been named temporary Minister of Magic.

Shortly after that latest news, Professor McGonagall approached Scott, Shirley and Scott.

"Scott, my dear boy, are you doing all right?" McGonagall asked.

"I'm fine, Professor," Scott replied. "Are you all right? I know taking on Voldemort and being blasted away like that can't have been easy."

"I'm all right, thank you. I was actually hoping to talk with you about your career endeavors after Hogwarts."

"Yes?"

"I understand you spoke to Professor Flitwick about becoming a Hogwarts teacher after you finished your studies. Is that a career path that still interests you?"

"It is."

"Well, as I have been named Headmistress by our new Minister, I would like to offer you a position as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

McGonagall beamed at him. Shirley opened her mouth in a perfect, comical "O." Nigel looked from McGonagall to Scott, who merely looked shocked.

"As in, the full instructor of the subject? Meaning I won't be a teaching assistant?"

"That's right," said McGonagall happily. "I saw you take on Voldemort on your own and you managed to stand your ground against him far longer than most people your age, Scott. I also heard of your role in bringing about his defeat when he and Harry were talking. That alone qualifies you to take on this position on your own, as soon at you would like. So, what do you say, Scott? Are you up to this challenge?"

Scott looked at his mother and Nigel, who both smiled at him encouragingly before Scott turned back to McGonagall and nodded.

"Yes, Professor. I accept this position."