All around him, Harry could hear screams and yelling, his friends and other students calling out to him, afraid that he would be hurt. He remained very calm, looking straight into Nagini's eyes, which were now Voldemort's, knowing that the last thing he wanted to do was openly panic. He knew that this was bad…if Voldemort was possessing the snake, it must be because he had found the locket missing. Now he would be more determined than ever to keep Harry contained, to protect Ravenclaw's diadem that he still believed to be in the school library. He would not be far away…he would arrive at the castle in minutes.

Harry held up his hand, bringing the screams and yells to silence. Slowly looking away from the snake, he found Professor McGonagall, who was still protecting the students in the Great Hall. Concentrating hard, he looked at only her, knowing that he could not afford to accidentally speak in Parsletongue.

"Professor," he began slowly, relieved to hear his own voice coming out. "You need to lock down the castle. He's coming now, he'll bring others."

"We are locked down, Potter," she said faintly, indicating to the large front doors. "The grounds too…it must have gotten in before we finished."

Giving a short nod, Harry glanced back at the snake, which was thumping its tail and flicking its long tongue out to taste the air. Looking to Hermione now, Harry could see that she already had her hand deep in the bag, ready to remove Gryffindor's Sword. They were thinking the exact same thing, and to Harry's relief so were Ron and Ginny. Now that the attack had concluded, Ron had released her, and they now stood side by side Hermione, watching carefully.

"What do you want us to do?" Ron asked slowly, never taking his eyes off the snake.

Harry didn't reply for a moment, trying to think. The moment that Voldemort saw Gryffindor's Sword through Nagini's eyes, he would know that they knew her true value, and he and Nagini would flee immediately, or worse, fight them. But even as he looked straight at her, Harry knew that he would not be harmed…Voldemort still wanted him alive, for the moment anyway. He wanted Harry's death to be at his hands, not from a poisonous snake bite.

Looking straight back to his friends, Harry concentrated on them again, carefully choosing his words. "Don't show her the sword. I'm going to take her head, make sure she doesn't bite anyone. We need people to hold her down," he concluded, looking back to McGonagall. "I don't think we should use magic against her."

"Listen carefully, please," she called out, turning back into the Great Hall. "I need a dozen or so students with muscle!"

There was a slight murmur of assent from around them, and from the corner of his eyes Harry could see students and a few Order members who had arrived at the top of the stairs. The stronger of those slowly made their way downstairs, putting their wands safely into their pockets as they moved to surround the snake. Students from the Great Hall came out also, Harry instantly recognising Coote and Peakes who were Beaters on the Quidditch team. In less than a minute there were twenty or so students in place, each of them wearing their own expression of terror or excitement.

Harry was looking between his friends and the snake, who acted only to push Harry further and further into the corner, apparently unaware of what was going on. Looking back to his friends, Harry watched as Ron and Hermione swapped positions, Ron putting his hand inside the bag and taking hold of the sword, stronger and more able to wield it than Hermione. Harry caught Ginny's eye, hoping and praying that she would stay out of it, but just like everyone else she was tucking her wand away and rolling up her sleeves, looking at him and daring him to stop her.

Taking a big step forward, Harry seemed to surprise Voldemort by his confidence, and Nagini reared up at him in response, darting her head towards him in a daring move.

"NOW!" Harry shouted, close enough to simply reach out and touch the snake.

Nagini lunged at him, snapping her jaw threateningly and giving Harry the perfect opportunity. Carefully reaching between the four large fangs, Harry took hold of her top and bottom jaws, using all his strength to viciously pull them apart. Locking his elbows against her head he put his full weight on her and wrestled her to the ground, hearing heavy yells and thumps as the others piled on top of Nagini's long body. Uselessly snapping her jaws on his hands, Nagini thrashed about angrily, throwing off a few of the students. Harry could hear Ron yelling out instructions, calling for more people who came running. Ginny dropped to her knees by his side, ready to help him.

"Move your hand!" she shouted, pushing against the hand that was struggling with Nagini's bottom jaw.

He wanted to shout right back at her, to tell her to move out of the way to where she couldn't be bitten, but there was no denying that he needed her help. They carefully coordinated their hands, Ginny replacing his one with both of hers, allowing Harry to use both hands on Nagini's top jaw. Together they struggled, Nagini rearing up against them again and again as they struggled to keep control of her. There was another thump and grunt from behind Harry, Neville Longbottom arriving on the scene and kneeling down just behind Harry.

"Ron!" Harry shouted, looking around for him. Where was he? Harry's hands were slipping, and so were Ginny's. They couldn't hold on much longer.

Desperately, Harry readjusted his position, pulling his leg out from underneath him and pushing his foot into the back of Nagini's jaw. The sturdy boots he had borrowed from Remus held up nicely as Nagini fought them, trying to close her jaw around his foot, and in the back of his mind he knew he would have bruises later on. Glancing down at Nagini properly, Harry could still see Voldemort looking out at him, making his heart skip a beat as he sensed Voldemort realising what was going to happen. Ron suddenly appeared out of nowhere, beginning to draw the sword out of the bag.

"No, wait!" he shouted, realising a moment later that it was in Parsletongue. His shout of nonsense was enough to make Ron hesitate, allowing Harry a moment to concentrate properly. "Not yet, just give us a minute."

Harry threw his knee hard across one of Nagini's eyes, blocking half her vision, but unable to move much further. "Ginny," he panted, hauling Nagini's top jaw up again. "Ginny, put your foot here! Put your foot on her eye!"

"Okay, okay!" she cried, she too readjusting her position. She roughly pushed her foot over Nagini's remaining eye, struggling to hold onto the bottom jaw.

There were shouts and yells all around, Nagini still managing to throw off many of her subduers, and for a moment she nearly dislodged Harry, Ginny and Neville, but they just managed to hold on. Harry's body was in great distress, his strength running out and his arms and shoulders screaming in pain. He and Ginny held on by their fingertips.

"Now, Ron!" Harry gasped. "Now!"

"I can't!" he shouted as he withdrew the sword. "I can't get through you lot!"

Groaning, Harry used the last of his strength to open Nagini's jaw right up, providing Ron a clear zone in the top of her mouth. "Don't get any of us!"

As he spoke, blinding pain shot through Harry's scar, almost making him lose his grip on Nagini. He clenched his eyes closed, not seeing as Ron drove the sword through the roof of Nagini's mouth, only feeling the snake rear up against them all with an amazing last show of strength. Suddenly there was intense heat, his fingertips blistering and burning as he held onto Nagini, his jeans burning at the knee where he knelt over Nagini's eye. There was a loud wail, louder than all the screams of those being burnt, ear piercing enough to shatter the Gryffindor hourglass, and brilliant red rubies showered down over them. Beneath his very hands the snake's body burnt and disintegrated into nothing, leaving those on top of her to fall hard against the stone floor.

The loud wail stopped, but the commotion didn't. Harry could feel pain, could hear it from those around him, and could smell the nauseating smell of burnt flesh. He wanted to lay down and submit to the pain in his hands and knee, but he pushed himself up and looked around, seeking out Ginny in the tangle of people around him. She was gone, and Harry staggered to his feet in search of her. He found her moments later, crouched down by Ron who lay motionless by the doors to the Great Hall, his eyes open and glazed. Ginny was shouting at him, shaking him hard as others came to their aid, pushing her aside roughly.

Harry wanted to run over, to shake Ron for himself and ensure that his glassy eyes were just a joke, a misunderstanding, but he turned around instead. Hermione was on the ground a few feet away, her gasps of pain diverting his attention. She was trying to get up, but she couldn't seem to move more than a few inches, her strength waning. As he ran over to her, Harry could see the blackened parts of her clothing, and the bright red parts of her skin, and he withdrew his wand as he collapsed to his knees beside her.

"Augmenti!"

All around him help was coming, students and teachers conjuring heavy streams of water to soothe the burns of those who were hurt, a few of them wondering out loud what had happened to the giant snake that had scared them. By his side, Hermione gritted her teeth and cried as Harry poured water all over her, trying to help her. Looking her over, Harry saw the skin on her exposed stomach, which was dark red and blistered, and he knew she would need more than a stream of water to help her. Wishing he didn't have to hurt her, Harry pulled one of her arms around his shoulders and hauled her to her feet, doing his best to keep his wand pouring water.

"Go!" he shouted at her, already setting off and half dragging her. "Move, Hermione!"

There was a Prefect's bathroom not too far away, and Harry had not been the only one with the same idea, and so he hauled Hermione along with him as he and others moved towards the first floor. Hermione kept up with him, staggering up the flight of stairs and limping down the hallway, still being half dragged by Harry. Each step seemed to take a lifetime, giving Harry ample time to think about what had happened, about the way the castle walls were beginning to shake. Had Voldemort felt that? Harry certainly had felt Voldemort, his scar was still burning. If anything, Voldemort knew that Nagini was dead, that she had disintegrated in a fiery blaze right beneath those who were holding her down.

"Ahh!" Hermione cried out, her legs giving way as she clung to him for support. "Harry…ahhh I can't…

"Here, I'll help!" another student said, rushing over to them.

"Keep the water on her," Harry instructed roughly, replacing her arm around his shoulder and hauling her up into his arms. He could barely hold her, and he knew he was still causing her more pain, but there was nothing he could do. They weren't far away now, the Prefect's bathroom had suddenly appeared at the end of the corridor, as though Hogwarts itself knew what they needed.

The other student poured copious amount of water all over Hermione, almost making Harry slip over as they ran down the last of the hallway. Others had miraculously beaten them inside, and the swimming pool sized bathtub in the centre of the room was already half filled with water. Somehow Harry managed to make it down the steps with Hermione in his arms, and he simply couldn't move fast enough to get her to the water. As they reached the water line Harry dropped her legs to the ground, and together they collapsed into the cool water, Hermione crying out in utter relief.

Closing his eyes, Harry too sighed in relief, having forgotten about his own burns. With her arm still around his shoulder, Harry moved Hermione further into the water, gently picking up handfuls and trickling it down the front of her shoulder, which was also red raw. She was scarily silent now, her eyes closed as she rested her head in the crook of his neck, her body trembling violently as more people splashed into the water around them, giving their own shouts of relief. Looking over her properly now, Harry could see the blackened parts of her clothing where she had been burnt, the material clinging to her burnt skin underneath. A few patches on her front, the extent on her arms and legs, allowing Harry to picture exactly how she had been holding Nagini down with her entire weight as the snake burst into flames.

"Hermione?" Harry whispered to her, her silence making him worry.

She sniffled, trying to catch her breath to reply. "Is Ron alright?" she managed to ask, opening her eyes.

"He's fine," Harry lied, not knowing what to tell her.

"Oh God," she moaned, detecting his lie. "What happened to him?"

"He's fine," Harry insisted. Trying to distract her, Harry unwound her arm from his shoulder and placed it into the water.

"Harry-" she cried in fright, struggling as she felt her strong grasp slipping away. "Don't!"

"You need your arm in the water," he insisted, pulling away from her just long enough to adjust their position. He pulled her back against him, hooking his elbows under her armpits. "Don't worry, I've got you. I won't let go."

She was still moving, her burnt hands pushing against her clothing. "Help me get this off," she pleaded, her voice high pitched and strained.

"No!" he said firmly, trying to gently keep her hands under control. "Stop it, you'll lose half your skin!"

Appearing out of nowhere, Ginny splashed into the water beside them and took hold of Hermione's wrists. Plunging her hands back into the water, Ginny looked at her sternly. "Keep them under water," she instructed her.

Harry looked at Ginny imperatively, not wanting to say Ron's name out loud in case the worst had happened, but desperate to know. She seemed to understand his look, and immediately nodded as she began to address Hermione again.

"Ron's fine, alright 'Mione? He's on his way here now, he's just a bit unsteady on his feet," Ginny told her, turning to address Harry now. "He says you owe him a drink."

Harry forced himself to laugh, hiding the relief he felt. He could still see Ron's glassy eyes now, looking at him accusingly as he picked up Hermione and ran. Ridding himself of that thought, Harry began to slowly move backwards, the enormous bathtub filling with water that had reached their shoulders by now. Ginny took Hermione's feet, and together they shuffled themselves back a few inches. Someone yelled for the water to be turned off, the injured occupants finding enough water to treat their burns. As the sound of the rushing water disappeared, eerie quiet filled the room. Despite what had just happened, there were only a few curious murmurs and whispers around the bathroom, punctuated only by the heavy pain filled breaths of those injured.

The castle walls gave a mighty shake, harder than the first they had felt as they ran towards the bathroom, and this time dust began to fall from the ceiling. Harry looked to Ginny, scared for her, knowing that she wouldn't leave as long as he was there too. Was that what he would have to do? Leave the castle just to make sure that she was out of harm's way? Harry was completely conflicted, the memories belonging to Snape reminding him of what he needed to do. This was the perfect time, after all. Nagini was gone. Nagini was gone...there were no Horcruxes left. His death would ensure that Voldemort became vulnerable again, able to face certain death in his absence. That's what he had to do that day…it's what he wanted to do, for people like Ginny, and Teddy, who would be freed through his death.

"Are you hurt?" Harry asked, looking Ginny over critically.

She shrugged, raising her hands up from the water and showing him her burnt fingers and palms. "A little, but my trainer got the worst of it I think. The sole melted right into my sock. You?"

"It got my knee," Harry said, and he carefully raised his leg out of the water, cringing as he saw the burn. Putting it back under the water, he twisted round to see his other foot beneath the water, raising his eyebrows when he saw that his boot had melted into a strange looking lump. He flexed his toes, but felt no pain. "My hands too."

It was at least ten minutes before help arrived, Madam Pomfrey leading a small group of students and Order Members, each armed with copious amounts of healing supplies. Harry, Ginny and Hermione stayed where they were in the water, content to let everyone else be treated first. Hermione simply did not want to move, and she lay against Harry's chest in the same position he had put her in. A few minutes later Ernie Macmillan made his way over to them in the water, looking at them and wondering where to start.

"Weren't you up on the seventh floor?" Ginny asked him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I was…but we heard the commotion elsewhere and came down…Dumbledore's Army and all that, you know…" he trailed off sheepishly. "Professor Tonks is ready for Hermione."

"Professor Tonks?" Harry said in outrage, looking towards around the room. A moment later he spotted Tonks, who knelt down beside another student who had been burnt, healing burns that extended up across his shoulder and neck. "What's she doing here?"

"I dunno," Ernie shrugged, gently taking Hermione by the knees as he and Harry carefully moved her towards the edge. "She's in the Order isn't she?"

Impatient to hear who Tonks had left Teddy with, Harry helped lift Hermione up over the edge of the tub, carefully laying her out across the tiles as Tonks got up and came over. Harry watched her approach, furiously hauling himself up and out of the water.

"Where's Teddy?" he demanded, throwing his hands in the air.

"He's safe, get back in the water!" Tonks said roughly, seeing the burn on Harry's knee.

"Who did you leave him with?" Harry asked, ignoring her instructions.

"He's fine!" Tonks replied defensively, looking Hermione over with a grim expression. "Stay nice and still, Hermione. Damn it, Harry! Get back in the water!"

Wanting her to concentrate on Hermione, Harry reluctantly slipped back into the water and moved to be closer to Hermione and reassuringly putting his hand on her arm. He watched as Tonks began to heal her burns, while Ginny moved past him in the water and pulled herself out. She stood by the edge of the tub and dried herself off, watching as Hermione's burns began to heal. Around them, Madam Pomfrey and other Order Members worked on everyone else, and within minutes it seemed that everyone was getting back on their feet.

"Harry," Tonks motioned to him, helping Hermione sit up, her skin restored and leaving large holes in her clothing. She got to her feet unsteadily, leaning on Ginny for support.

Climbing out of the water, Harry wearily laid out his leg for Tonks, and the moment she pointed her wand to it Harry began to feel relief. Soon the skin on his knee was bright pink and still sore, but perfectly healed. His burnt fingers received the same treatment, as did Ginny's, but even after Tonks had quickly moved on to help the last injured person, Harry stayed frozen where he was. His entire head was pounding, and he felt nauseas and feverish. Was he going into shock? It certainly seemed fitting, considering that they had just destroyed Voldemort's final Horcrux in the Entrance Hall, completely on a whim. Voldemort was here now, Harry could feel his presence as sure as he could feel Ginny beside him. He had a fleeting thought about Hogsmeade, suddenly knowing that it was overrun with Death Eaters, that all attempts of evacuation had come to a halt. He didn't need to question how he knew this.

Voldemort was telling him. Taunting him. He had arrived at the castle alone, but now with the death of Nagini, Voldemort was out for blood, specifically Harrys. The Death Eaters had been called, and they in turn had called their supporters, and they had arrived in the hundreds. As though he were flying his broomstick high over the grounds of Hogwarts, Harry could see them there, milling around and awaiting instructions, excited by the possibility of battle with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. For now they made no move to attack, only surrounding the castle on all sides and forming a strong fortress. But Hogwarts' protection was still in place. They could not come any closer for now, not even Voldemort, as though an invisible dome had been placed over the entire castle.

"He's alright, leave him alone… I said leave him alone, Ginny!" came Ron's voice from out of nowhere, penetrating through Harry's vision.

As much as he wanted to jump up and see that Ron was alright, Harry ignored his voice and stayed unfocused, not wanting the vision to end. Voldemort was nervous, that much Harry could detect. Dumbledore had discovered his secret, and his most well protected Horcrux, Nagini, had just been destroyed by the old fool's puppet. There was no time to dwell on how the boy knew of Nagini's true place, for his final Horcrux was still in dire jeopardy. Potter knew of Ravenclaw's diadem, perhaps had even traced it to its hiding place in the library, on a high shelf in an old edition of Hogwarts, A History. There it should have remained undiscovered…he alone had been the first to touch the book in many hundreds of years…even the Library Madam rarely ventured that far into the library…a library of which no one had ever found the last shelf.

There was a deal to be done, if Potter knew as much as he suspected he did, though he wondered just how much there was to gain from today's efforts. The Horcrux of course would be recovered….but the Dark Lord wondered if he would even get Potter himself? Would Potter offer himself up in place of his classmates? That didn't matter. Once his Death Eaters invaded the castle, someone would to get their hands on Ginevra Weasley, the unfortunate young witch whom he loved. That would be more than sufficient to encourage Potter to come forward and kneel at his feet.

It felt like it took longer for Harry to come round this time, and he still felt sluggish and slow when he finally took a deep breath, clearing his head as he got to his feet. The Prefect's Bathroom was empty now, save for Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Tonks, who appeared to have been waiting for him to rouse. Rubbing his forehead, Harry looked at the ground as he spoke, too dizzy to raise his head.

"How long have I been out?" he asked.

"Almost twenty minutes," Hermione replied, her voice a mere squeak.

"Voldemort's here…they all are," he said in reply.

"Yeah, we know," Ron said impatiently. "Like we said, you've been out twenty minutes. Can we say his name, you reckon?"

"Makes no difference," Harry shrugged, finally raising his head. He looked to Ginny and smiled grimly, taking her hand and feeling her healed fingers that were still bright pink. "He knows where we are….he still thinks the Diadem is here….thinks we can make a deal."

"Make a deal for what?" Tonks asked sharply, ushering them out into the hallway.

"For the Diadem!" Harry snapped impatiently.

"No, what do we get out of this? They're not going to leave!"

"We just need to get Hogsmeade," Harry mused, trying to think rationally. "If they leave Hogsmeade, we can just send students straight there…we won't even have to stagger the numbers, the locals can help evacuate them. We need them to clear out of Hogsmeade."

The corridors were sparse, most of the students having finally moved to the third floor and higher, waiting to be evacuated. Following Tonks, they made their way back to towards the Great Hall, to where the Order and Dumbledore's Army were supposed to be meeting. Harry fell back into step with Ron, taking his elbow and making him slow his pace a little. Ron looked at him funnily, glancing forward to check on Hermione before looking at Harry again.

"What?" he hissed crankily.

"Are you alright, what happened to you?" Harry asked quietly.

Ron shrugged, his expression softening. "I dunno….think I hit my head, got bit of a lump going on back there. I'm alright though…what?"

Still holding his elbow, Harry slowed Ron down even more, allowing some space to come between them and the girls. He had to speak quickly, any minute they would turn around in search of them, and ask what they were talking about.

"If something happens to me-"

"Merlin, Harry," Ron snapped under his breath, looking at him imploringly as they walked. "Don't talk about stuff like that, nothing's going to happen!"

Little did Ron know.

"If something does happen," Harry continued impatiently. "Ron! Listen to me! If things go wrong, make sure Ginny doesn't do something stupid!"

Ron looked highly uncomfortable, his eyes focused straight ahead as they walked. "I know what you're getting at, and I won't let you do it," he stated with conviction, as if it were really that simple.

"No?" Harry growled, pulling Ron to a dead stop. Ron had to understand…he really did, he was the only person Harry trusted to put Ginny's life ahead of his. "If things go badly, you'll have to choose between stopping me, and stopping her! She's your sister!"

Ginny had stopped further down the hallway, almost as if detecting the tone of their conversation. "What's wrong?" she demanded, leaving Hermione and marching back towards them.

Harry ignored her, staring Ron down, waiting for his reaction. He gave no indication that he understood what Harry meant, what the implications of each decision could mean, which only made Harry more nervous. Did he understand? Would he do it?

"Nothing's wrong," Ron said sharply, turning away from Harry and marching back past his sister. He quickly caught up to Tonks and Hermione, and he promptly took Hermione's hand as they walked.

"We were just talking," Harry said before Ginny could ask.

"What about?" she said lowly, accepting his hand as they quickly followed.

"About what happened," he replied, biting his impatience. "About the snake, and Voldemort."

She nodded at him slowly, but Harry did not like the look of suspicion she gave him. They quickly caught up to Ron and Hermione, who was still feeling the effects of her extensive injuries, despite how well they had been healed. She walked sluggishly, as though half asleep, and Harry suspected that Tonks had given her something for the pain. His knee and hands were still aching, and he didn't want to think of how sore Hermione's skin must be.

Ron didn't look at him as they walked, his eyes focused ahead of him or on Hermione, and only when they reached the landing above the Entrance Hall did Ron turn back to Harry. There was a busy flurry of activity down there, students and Order Members alike running in and out of the Great Hall, Professor Sprout wrangling a Venomous Tentacular into the corner where Nagini had cornered Harry. Behind her, anxious students stood holding potted Mandrakes and Snargaluff pods by the arm full, their ears covered by earmuffs just in case.

"McGonagall has the sword," Ron informed him, helping Hermione walk down the stairs. "The bag too."

"Good," Harry nodded, having not even thought of that. Three suits of armour rushed past them down the corridor, clipping Ginny on the elbow as they went. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she grimaced, releasing Harry's hand to hold onto her elbow as they ascended the stairs.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the four of them carefully meandered through the fallen rubies, sapphire and gems that had fallen from the house hourglasses, where only the emeralds of Slytherin house remained untouched. They headed into the Great Hall, not at all surprised to find Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley consulting the Marauders Map, which was spread out across Gryffindor table.

Around them stood various students and members of Dumbledore's Army, ready to fight and defend the school. Dotted in amongst them were older students Harry recognised, like Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson, Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe. There were others too, and a few of them he recognised from the Order meetings at Remus' cottage. They were considered the outer Order, not completely involved in the inner workings of a plan such as the one intended to be carried out that day. Now they had been called in as defence, though how they got inside the castle Harry didn't know.

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall said, placing her hand on his shoulder as he made his way over to Mad-Eye and Kingsley, Tonks beating him there. He turned around, and McGonagall thrust Hermione's beaded bag to his chest before heading off again. "I believe this belongs to your lot."

"Yes, thank you Professor," Harry said distractedly, looking around for Ron and Hermione who had suddenly disappeared. A few yards away stood Mr and Mrs Weasley and George, who each engulfed Ron and Hermione into tight hugs. Turning to Ginny who still stood by his side clutching her elbow, Harry could see that she wanted to go over. "Go see them, I'll be with Kingsley."

"Okay," she agreed breathlessly, grateful for his understanding. She kissed him swiftly on the cheek and then disappeared into the flurry of people, and Harry tried to keep track of her and her family as he too moved off.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, pushing his way towards Kingsley. He looked down at the map, his eyes popping for a moment as the chaos around the castle registered.

The three seasoned Aurors appeared calm and in control, hardly rattled by the shoddy evacuation and grounds full of Death Eaters.

"We're completely surrounded," Kingsley began calmly. "Hogsmeade included. All evacuations have stopped…we hardly even got started."

"Where is everyone? Where're all the students?"

"Still in the corridors," Kingsley explained, unfurling the map to quickly show Harry the second and third floors that were crowded with students and teachers, who appeared to be moving around amongst them. Finally Kingsley showed them the seventh floor, where they had left Amos Diggory and Diggle to organise the students there. More teachers and adults where there now, but there was no sign of movement or progression, the evacuations completely halted. Harry's heart skipped a beat when he saw a dot labelled with Sirius' name, which also moved amongst the students.

He swallowed thickly. "Is Sirius okay?" he asked, indicating to his godfather's dot.

"He's fine," Kingsley assured him as Mad-Eye took back the map and opened it to the grounds. "He went to find Sharon, we think she and the last group of students were caught up when Death Eaters arrived in Hogsmeade."

"Okay," Harry muttered, breathing a sigh of relief on the inside. If Sirius was up on the seventh floor looking for Sharon, then he couldn't be there when Harry made his next move.

"Nymphadora said you've got a deal for Voldemort?" Mad-Eye asked gruffly, his magical blue eye scanning over the tightly packed dots throughout the grounds.

"Yes," Harry hastened to explain, seeing Tonks wandering off. "He wants the diadem, he doesn't know we've destroyed it already. We can buy ourselves some time."

"The diadem? The Horcrux?" Kingsley asked to confirm.

"Yes, he thinks we're here to find it, not to evacuate students."

"Alastor, where's Voldemort on the map? Is he still by the Whomping Willow?"

"Yes, he's right there," Mad-Eye confirmed, pointing to the map.

Harry frowned and peered over to the spot indicated, somewhat surprised to see the name Tom Riddle scrawled by a small dot next to the Whomping Willow. He stood alone, with the exception of another solitary dot that made its way towards him. Snape was approaching him.

"What's Snape doing there?" Harry asked in dismay. If Snape was on their side, he should be fighting with them. If there was ever a time to blow his cover, it was now!

"He's playing him," Mad-Eye explained.

"Or playing us," Harry retorted hotly, forgetting about the memories. "How do we know he's not?"

"We don't know!" Mad-Eye snapped, his blue eye whirling around to where Tonks was returning with a slightly built boy from Slytherin. "But he's our best ally!"

"That's enough," Tonks said sharply, her hair turning to bright pink all of a sudden. She pushed the boy towards them, and he swayed and stood on the spot as though in a trance. "Will he do?"

"You read my mind, Nymphadora," Mad-Eye smiled, standing up straight and looking the boy over. "Who is he?"

"Marcus Belby. Remus caught him trying to attack students who were heading to evacuation. He and Sirius brought him down here with the rest of them making internal attacks."

It took Harry a moment to realise that Belby was Imperiused, and he began to understand what Tonks and Mad-Eye were getting at. When they asked him what he wanted Belby to say, the instructions came to Harry easily.

"Tell Voldemort," Harry began, speaking to Belby directly. "That Potter has what he wants, and that it is safe. Tell him to completely retreat from Hogsmeade and allow us to evacuate the students, and he can have it back. I'll bring it to him myself, you got that? Tell him, Potter will bring it to him."

Belby didn't respond due to the curse, but Harry knew that his message had been received loud and clear. Tonks gave him a short nod and flicked her wand at Belby again, who turned and marched away from them. Mad-Eye and Kingsley followed Tonks out of the Great Hall, while Harry stood on the spot and watched them leave, trying to comprehend the promise he had just made. When it was all over, he would have no Horcrux to present to Voldemort as a peace offering. This was going to be it, Harry knew that for sure. Just as he was trying to steady his nerves, Harry felt two hands shove him hard from behind, but he didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He would recognise those hands and that flowery perfume she had somehow managed to keep with her anywhere.

"Ginny-" he started before he had even turned around. "It's not what you think!"

"Don't!" she shouted at him, tears falling down her cheeks already. "Don't lie to me! You said you wouldn't do this!"

"When? I never said anything like that," Harry defended himself, not realising how those words would only implicate himself further.

"You said you were doing this for us! So that we could have a life together! You can't just give yourself to him, Harry! What about me?"

"It's not like that," he said calmly, coming closer to her and catching her hand as she tried to slap him in anger. "Stop, just listen to me!" he said loudly, catching her other hand and holding them tightly.

"You promised m-"

"It's not what you're thinking," he cut over her, forcing her against his chest and putting his arms around her tightly. She pushed against his chest angrily, trying to break free of his hold, but there was nothing she could do and so she relented, finally moving to hold him back just as tightly. "I've got nothing to give him, the Horcrux is dead. I'm not giving myself up," he lied. "It wouldn't do any good."

"I don't believe you," she said softly into his shoulder, fresh tears still spilling.

Looking over her shoulder, Harry felt the angry glare Ron was giving him, knowing exactly what Harry intended to do, still torn about his required role. Beside him, Hermione shared a similar glare, making Harry wonder if Ron had told her, or if she simply suspected him all on her own. Pulling Ginny away from him, he hastily brushed away the moisture on her cheeks, reassuring her.

"Stop it, okay? Everything's fine, we'll be out of here soon," he said, wondering whether or not he could slip away from her for a moment. "I'll be right back."

"Like hell!" she snapped, grasping his hand firmly and walking with him. "I'm coming with you, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Fine," he muttered in exasperation. He didn't have the time to think too hard about having her by his side. They quickly slipped over to the doors of the Great Hall, hanging back and peering around towards the front doors. The Entrance Hall was deserted, Mad-Eye and Kingsley giving Harry a stern look as he appeared in their sights. Ignoring them, he managed to keep Ginny out of sight as he looked out the front doors, where he could see Death Eaters a few hundred yards away.

Tonks stood outside, well and truly within their sights, but no one made any movement or threat to her. She held her wand raised, pointed at Marcus Belby who jogged out into the grounds before rounding a corner and disappearing. Every Death Eater in the vicinity watched Belby in curiosity, wondering what he was doing out there. Seeing Belby off, Tonks returned and came back inside, the grand front doors closing behind her and locking themselves with a series of loud clicks and clangs. Frowning at Harry in disapproval for exposing himself, Tonks led Mad-Eye and Kingsley back into the Great Hall, and together they headed straight back to the spot on Gryffindor table that held the Marauders Map. Unfolding it, they found Marcus Belby's dot on the grounds outside and watched as he jogged round the castle grounds.

Giving a short sigh of frustration, Tonks gave her wand a small wave, and Marcus Bebly's dot on the map accelerated in speed. The Whomping Willow where Voldemort and Snape stood was on the other side of the castle, and it would take a few minutes at best for Belby to make his way round there. Focusing on the dots representing Voldemort and Snape, Harry sat down at the table and rested his chin on his hand, wanting to know what was going on between the two. He forced himself to relax and breathe deeply, and a few moments later he began to hear the familiar voices.

"It's true, My Lord," Snape said with apparent shame and regret. "I knew of the boy's captivity, and I deceived you."

Though Harry could only hear them, he could picture Snape on his knees before Voldemort, apologizing and seemingly playing his role.

"I understand deceit from Lucius, his priorities are no longer with my cause, and are instead now focused on not being found out for his incompetence. But you, Severus? Why have you deceived me?"

"I did not understand the true implications of what the boy had stolen, and neither did Lucius. He thought maybe he could fix the problem, retrieve what had been stolen from you, and then give you the boy with a clean slate. He asked me for help, to use Legilimency to find where the thieved belongings had been taken."

"That still does not explain why you deceived me, dear Severus. It was not your mistake to cover up."

"No, My Lord," Snape agreed. "But I hoped that I could rectify the situation myself."

There was a long silence, and in that brief moment Harry felt Ginny sitting down beside him, her hand on his arm. He knew she was concerned, but he wished she would leave him alone to concentrate. He still couldn't see either of them, and risked missing out on valuable conversation.

"What is it that you are holding back, Severus?"

"My Lord?"

"I detect further deceit from you, Severus. Go on, tell Lord Voldemort what it is you are withholding."

There was another long silence, punctuated only by what sounded like a muffled moan. Snape was being tortured, held under the Cruciatus curse.

"I doubted you," Severus gasped through clenched teeth, giving an audible sigh a moment later. "I doubted that you would receive such bad news well, and feared that your anger may cloud your judgement."

"You doubted my judgement?" Voldemort asked curiously.

"Yes, My Lord. I did," Snape confessed, expertly covering up his greatest deciet. "I feared that you would act rashly, that you would interrogate Potter too harshly, much in the way Lucius did."

"You would have done differently?"

"Yes, My Lord. Potter has no concern for himself. Torture has little effect on him, we've known that for some time."

"You may rise," Voldemort said after a long pause.

A brief image flickered across Harry's mind, of Snape getting to his feet before Voldemort. Raising his pale hands, he put them on either side of Snape's head and tipped it forward, kissing him on the crown of the head.

"You've done well…my most faithful servant."

"Thank you, My Lord," Snape said, feigning humility and gratefulness.

"You know what to do now. Go."

"Yes, My Lord."

A ground shaking thump brought Harry back to where he was, and for a moment he thought he had fallen over. Blinking rapidly, he found himself still sitting at the Gryffindor table, Ginny sitting next to him with her hand on his arm. There was another thump, followed a few moments later by a third.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Ron asked loudly, standing with Hermione right behind Harry.

"I don't know," Kingsley murmured, the Great Hall breaking out into frightened chatter and alarm. Frowning, Kingsley consulted the map, shuffling through the many folds as a bright flash of white light outshone the sunny sky. "Shit, that was the wards."

"Where's Belby?" Mad-Eye asked hurriedly, working against Kingsley and looking for the spot they were at.

"Nowhere near Voldemort," Tonks answered, just as another few thumps rattled the ground.

"Make him hurry!"

"He's already sprinting!"

The thumps came in quick succession now, growing in force and sound as seconds passed by agonisingly slowly. The glass windows of the Great Hall began to shake as those inside began to panic, not knowing what was coming for them.

"They're attacking the castle already," Kingsley said loudly, finding the Great Hall on the map. Grabbing Harry, he indicated to a large round dot that was moving through the grounds at quite the pace, though he couldn't make out what the label was.

"Golgomoth?" Harry asked, taking Ginny's hand and getting to their feet. "What's a Golgomoth?"

"A Giant," Kingsley answered, scrambling to his feet also. "A really big one."

"And two more," Mad-Eye said, pointing to two other largely sized dots in the grounds. "They're coming at us."

"Shit," Harry muttered, tugging at Ginny's arm and pulling her over the bench seat. Taking one last look at the three large dots that were approaching the Great Hall, he snatched up the map and pushed Ginny towards the doors, hearing Tonks and Ron begin shouting.

"Everyone get out! Move further inside!" Tonks shouted, getting up on the tables and pointing towards the doors.

There was instant pandemonium, the message quickly getting across to the entire room, although no one understood the reason. Behind him, Ron and Hermione moved quickly, ushering other people out as they tried to keep track of Harry and Ginny, who were also trying to keep track of them. In the sudden rush to get out they found themselves separated, and Harry held Ginny's hand even tighter to ensure that he would not lose her. There was no time to think, only time to act, and so he dragged her up onto the Gryffindor table and leapt to the ground on the other side.

The ground shook in a constant rumble, and there were ear splitting loud growls that came from outside, an almighty crash coming a moment later as the first giant trampled through the far end of the Great Hall. The enchanted ceiling collapsed and shattered over them, and Harry lost track of Tonks. When the next giant crashed through the Entrance Hall and climbed onto the roof above, Harry realised they were trapped in the Great Hall. Still holding Ginny's hand, they climbed over the Hufflepuff table as a heavy pane of glass fell where they were only a moment before, and they quickly threw themselves against the far wall and crouched down.

The third giant appeared above them, his enormous leg crashing down through what was left of the ceiling and crushing the Hufflepuff table, missing Harry and Ginny by only a few feet. A moment later he was gone with a loud growl, but the person sized club he held swung into the stone wall above them, sending stone and mortar crumbling down on top of them. They dove out of the way, sliding under the remnants of the Hufflepuff table that was still upright, holding each other tightly as heavy stones fell around them. The sound was incredible, the attack never ending, and when he cracked open his eyes Harry could see the closest giant already high up on the roof of the first floor, swinging his club towards the windows of the floor above.

More glass and debris rained down on them, but all they could do was cover their heads, their wands in their pocket too far away to reach. There were shouts and screams all around them, combined with the cries and jeers of the Death Eaters who were entering the castle, and it was all too much to process at once. Clutching Ginny closer to him, Harry moved his body over hers as the table above them gave way under the weight of the falling stone. With her hands freed of his, Ginny wiggled about and withdrew her wand, struggling to point it to the wood and debris surrounding them.

"Protegro!" she managed to gasp.

The movement above them stopped just short of crushing them, and Harry breathed a grateful sigh of relief, dropping his head down onto Ginny's shoulder. They stayed there frozen for a few moments, listening to their surroundings and trying to catch their breath. There was just enough room for Harry to roll off of Ginny, and he moved onto his back beside her and tried to see through the thick haze of dust that was filling their lungs. He couldn't see anything, only a few rays of light to indicate that there was in fact a world outside this makeshift cocoon, but he could see enough to realise that they wouldn't be getting out of there alone. The load above them was too unstable to move themselves.

Glancing over at Ginny, Harry tried not to listen to the heavy footsteps of Death Eaters around them, or to the screams of fright and pain as the giants continued their rampage over the castle rooves. She was bleeding from her cheek, and he made to move back over to her, to stem the bleeding, but she moved before he did.

"Oh, Merlin Harry!" she cried, her face showing alarm and panic as she raised her hand towards his face, hesitating as though unsure of what to do. She slapped her hand down on his neck hard. "Don't move, just don't move at all!"

A/N Thanks for all the reviews, and again I'm sorry about the delay. If Phil DeLoof or Professor M are reading…email me before I cry!

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