Major Character death warning.
"I knew this was a terrible idea!" I growled to myself as I watched as the roof of Gringotts quite literally exploded and a Dragon broke through. The people on the street screamed and ran from away as rubble rained down around them. I just stood and watched as my mate was flown away by a literal man-eating beast. Moony wasn't even able to comment as he continued to communicate in a series of growls as he had done since Hermione had left us in the alley to attempt the impossible.
Apparently not so impossible, though. I thought to myself as the three had succeeded, according to the messages I had gotten through the bond. They trio had successfully broken into the goblins bank, with the help of Polyjuice, Transfiguration, an invisibility cloak, and a goblin in order to retrieve the Horcrux hidden in the Lestrange vault. They then broke out with the help of a tortured looking dragon.
'Go and wait at Shell Cottage, I'll send a message once we can safely leave the dragons back. Oh, and Griphook doublecrossed us, he took the sword before we could destroy the cup.' Hermione told us through the bond. While I didn't like it, there wasn't anything else for me to do. So, I Apparated back to Shell Cottage and sat on the sand, staring at the water and waiting to hear more than the message of 'still safe' or 'I love you'.
It was almost three hours after they had left the bank that she yelled. 'We've got to jump!'
'What!?' I shouted back at her but there was no reply, just her adrenaline and fear coursing through the bond.
'We're safe, you can find me now!' She chattered soon after. Concentrating on the bond, I moved quickly out of the protective wards and twisted on the spot, opening my eyes to the sight of three half-dressed teens as they each changed out of sopping wet clothes, their backs to one another.
"What happened?" I asked, moving towards Hermione and casting warming charms on all of them.
"Dragon started dropping altitude, figured we better get off while we could before she landed, and we became lunch." She told me, as if it were obvious.
"Argh!" Harry screamed, clutching his forehead as he dropped to the floor. We rushed to his side.
"Harry?" Hermione questioned. "Tell us what you're seeing!" She said.
"He knows!" he said through gritted teeth. "He's going to check on them. The last one is at Hogwarts., something belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw." He explained, panting as he stood. "We have to go!" He said urgently.
"How are we supposed to get there? They've got all the tunnels blocked." Ron asked.
"We'll go to Hogsmeade and work it out from there." Harry said.
"We won't all fit under the cloak and none of us should be seen!" I said, this was going to end badly.
"Hermione and I will go under the cloak and then she can signal for you to follow once we have a safe space." Harry said, Hermione bit her lip.
"Harry, I'm not sure, we don't have a plan."
"When have our plans ever worked out? We plan, we get there, and everything turns to hell! Might as well skip the first part." He snapped, Hermione sighed.
"Alright, Harry, we're in this with you, if that's what you say we need to do, then we do it. Just give me a minute." She said and pulled me off to the side.
"I'm worried, something feels dark and heavy!" She said to me.
"I know, Mine, but you said it, we are with Harry and we need to destroy the last Horcrux before this can end." I sighed, kissing her softly.
"Just hold me for a minute?" She requested and so I did.
When Hermione sent through the bond for us to come, I closed my eyes and followed the magic with Ron letting me lead him to our destination. I was shocked to end the journey in what seemed to be a back room of the Hog's Head standing in front of Abe the barman. The room had no windows and the walls held only one large portrait, which seemed to contain a woman who was walking away from them.
"Remus, Ron, this is Aberforth Dumbledore." Hermione introduced.
"As in the headmaster's brother?" Ron asked incredulously, the man nodded gruffly.
"We're on a mission, from your brother. We have to get into the castle!" Harry said
"A mission, hey? Nice cosy one with lots of hot meals and warm beds." He said while eyeing the group.
"Look, it's important!" Harry said defensively.
"He made everyone feel important. Feel special, bet you didn't even question it, did you? Just followed his word, like so many others. You should give up kids, go find somewhere far away to hide and just leave it."
"Why should we? You're still here, still fighting."
"Yes, but I'm old and set in my ways, those idiots don't bother me much as long as I keep them in drink."
"Sir, it really is important!" Hermione pleaded softly, Abe looked at her, his face softening as he really took the time to take in her appearance.
"I'm sure it feels that way love, he always made it feel important. If you really need to get to the castle, I won't stop you. But just know the people who did things for my brother usually wound up dead." He told them before he looked back at the portrait. The woman was growing bigger once more, but she wasn't alone anymore. Soon the portrait swung open and out of a hidden tunnel came a dishevelled and bloodied Neville Longbottom.
"Neville!" Hermione cried before moving forward to greet him, I wondered what had happened in the castle for the teen to look the way he did now.
"Hey guys, long time no see!" He grinned at them with his split lip and swollen eye. The dark-haired teen had matured since the previous summer, Remus noted, and now stood just over six foot. His cheek held a long healing gash and he was favouring his right side.
"What happened to you?" Ron asked, coming over to pat his old dorm mate on the back.
"Ahh, the Carrows…didn't take too kindly to us standing up to them. Listen Abe, we'll be sending a few more through tonight." Neville said to the man with familiarity.
"I'm not a ruddy train station!" He grumbled but nodded anyway.
"What do you need?" Neville asked the quartet.
"We need to get into the castle and then we need to find something!" Harry told the boy.
"Well, right this way," he gestured, leading them into the tunnel. The tunnel itself seemed to be carved straight from the earth, just large enough for Ron, who was the tallest of the five to walk through at full height without hitting his head.
During the journey underground back to the castle Neville caught the trio up on what had been happening at school while they had been MIA. Remus wasn't sure who had been worse off.
"Of course, they started trying to use our families to get us to behave, you can understand their thinking." Neville began. "Anyway, they went after Gran pretty early on. Little old lady living by herself." Remus scoffed, he had met Augustus Longbottom and she was wicked with a wand. "Probably thought that she'd give them no trouble, only sent a pair of them. 'Course she took them out and has been on the run ever since. Sending me letters when she can. Says she proud of me and to keep up the good work." Remus could hear the smile in his voice. "Alright, just wait here for a second." Neville told them after a short climb, he pushed open the portrait and stepped out of the tunnel while the other three took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the sudden onslaught of light. "Oi, listen up you lot! I've got something for you!" He shouted at the gathering of teenagers.
"Not more of Aberforth's cooking, I hope!" A voice that he recognised as Seamus shouted, a few others laughed in agreement with him.
"Not quite." Harry said while stepping out of the tunnel, followed by Ron, Hermione, and Remus. The gathering immediately erupted into cheers and applause. Ginny came running at them and Harry barely managed to stay standing as she gripped him in a fierce hug.
"Oi, what am I, chopped liver?" Ron said as his sister ignored his presence.
Ginny gave a watery laugh and moved over to hug Ron before hugging Hermione and surprising me by wrapping her arms around me. A young man connected to the wireless announcing, 'Lighting has struck, I repeat lightening has struck!'
"Alright everyone, listen up! We need to find something, something hidden, we don't know where, but we know it once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw and that it's here in the castle." Harry addressed the group with his arm firmly around Ginny's shoulder.
"Well, there is the lost diadem of Ravenclaw." Luna supplied.
"Yes, but it's lost, Luna." Cho put in.
"No it's not, can anyone show me what it looks like?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Hang on, I've got a picture of it in one of my books. Hold this for a second." she said, holding the bag out to me.
"What are you thinking Harry?" I asked as Hermione summoned the book she required.
"I'm hoping that if I see it, it might trigger something through the connection while he is still so upset."
"Here it is!" she said, presenting a picture of a tiara fashioned in the shape of a Raven with a large gem in the centre and small diamonds lining the wings. Along the bottom it had the words 'A wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure!'
I watched Harry's face as he concentrated on the picture. "I know where it is!" he gasped after a moment.
"Well then, where is it, mate?" Ron asked.
"It's in here, in another version of the room. I've even seen it before, I've touched it!" He said.
"How?"
"When I came in here to hide Snape's book." Harry explained.
"Well then, I guess we better get everyone out of here so we can get the room to change." I said while looking around at the room full of my former students for the first time. Neville was not exaggerating in his stories, I thought with a frown.
The door opened and we all raised our wands at the newcomer. I lowered mine immediately when I realised it was Dennis Creevey, looking red faced and dishevelled. He spotted us immediately and rushed to join us at the front of the room.
"The Headmaster knows you were in Hogsmeade and that you'll be trying to enter the school! He's calling for a full assembly!" He told us, the room broke out in whispers.
A plan was formed and soon everyone was moving off as required.
"How are we going to destroy it?" Hermione asked while biting her lip.
"What about the basilisk?" Ron suggested, "we know where the body is, why don't we go get some more fangs?"
"That's brilliant, Ron!" I said, Hermione nodded in agreement.
"We could ask a house elf to pop one of us down there while Hermione and I search for it. Remus, they have alerted the Order, they are coming! Gather them and meet us in the Great Hall. We can confront Snape and take back the castle. Maybe we will get lucky and kill the arsehole!" Harry said before ordering us all into action. I kissed Hermione swiftly, squashing the instincts I had to take her and run far away.
"Be careful you three, I expect my wife back in one piece!" I growled warningly
"I'll look after her!" Harry promised, I felt Hermione's eye roll at the thought of needing to be looked after.
'We should tell them.' She said to me.
'I suppose.'
"Not just her." I told him. "Them." I placed my hand on her stomach and Harry looked at us both, wide eyed. He nodded.
"Them." He agreed. "Congratulations!"
"Wow!" Ron exclaimed. "Congrats!" He nodded before greeting the house elf he had called and popping away.
'I'll see you soon, Mine.' I nodded to her and turned to leave.
"Wait Remus, take the cloak!" Harry said while shoving it into my hands, I nodded my thanks before throwing the familiar fabric over myself and dashing down the hallway.
With everyone gathered in the Great Hall it was easy to get into the Headmaster's office and floo Sirius. It did not take long for them to gather everyone through Patronus as everyone was already waiting and bring them through into the office.
"Alright everyone, Snape has everyone gathering in the Great Hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione are here to, and we're going to go confront them and take the castle. Voldemort is coming here so we need to get the students to safety!" I addressed the group at large and was immediately bombarded by questions. "We don't have time!" I growled. "This is what we've been waiting for. This is going to end tonight, one way or another!" With that I turned and swept from the room. Sirius came up beside me and grinned at me.
"Long time, no see, Moony! Heard from Bill earlier. Are you alright? Is she?" He asked, I swallowed loudly.
"She's pregnant!" I said quietly, Sirius gaped.
"You sure do pick your timing well, how did you even get time to?" He gestured and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Sirius, I need you to promise, if anything happens to me, not just tonight, but ever, you will look after them. The baby and Hermione!" His raven-haired friend watched him for a moment, feeling the weight of the situation.
"Of course, I will! But I really hope I don't have to!" He swore.
"Neither do I, Padfoot." We met with the trio just outside the Great Hall and Harry threw open the doors and went inside with us striding in behind him.
"It seems, Headmaster that you still have a bit of a security problem!" He shouted; wand raised. "How dare you stand where he stood! Tell them, Severus. Tell them how he stood there, ill and unarmed. Tell them how he begged you to save him and you killed him!" One day I would tell Harry the truth about the man he hated.
Severus did not try to defend himself, instead, he stepped forward and raised his wand, only to have Minerva step between him and the students.
"You will not harm another person in these halls!" She shouted, light bursting from her wand. Severus shielded her attack, stepping further and further back with each spell she cast. Then he turned and launched himself out the window, transforming into almost smoke as he fled into the night.
The hall erupted in cheers and the other Professors quickly subdued the Carrow twins before they could cause any problems.
A shriek filled the room and a terrible pain filled his head as a cold voice seemed to both surround him and fill him. Hermione cried out and he reached out to grab her as her knees buckled.
'I know that you are preparing to fight. 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 none shall 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.' Voldemort's voice rang through the castle and village bellow.
Silence rang out once the voice stopped, only the occasional sniffle could be heard.
"Well, what's everyone waiting for? Someone grab him!" The Slytherin girl, Pansy Parkinson shouted while pointing at Harry, but nobody moved. Then after a moment, Ginny stood in front of Harry, followed by Ron, then Hermione and I, and soon a majority of the hall stood facing less than two dozen students.
"Hagrid and Mr Flitch, please escort these students to the dungeons. Flitwick, go with them and ward them into the common room. We shall deal with you all later!" Minerva said, the three men moved to take the small group out of the hall, she then turned to face the masses. "Now, we need to evacuate the younger students. Anyone who is of age that wishes to stay, we cannot stop you, but I must warn you that people will die here tonight!" She said sadly. "Can anyone help evacuate the students to safety?"
"We can, we've snuck out of this castle enough times to know some tricks. The Weasley twins stepped forward, Minerva rolled her eyes.
"Very well, Poppy, Pomona, Slughorn, please assist these two in getting the younger students out." Once they had all been escorted from the hall she turned to speak to Harry. "What do you need?"
"We just need to fight him; we need to kill the snake and then I need to fight him!" Harry told her. She looked at him solemnly with her lips thinned but she nodded at him.
We began to organise into groups, I moved quickly with Sirius and Kingsley to the northern side of the tower. Each of us adding our power to the defensive wards being erected around the castle.
"Where is Hermione?" Sirius asked.
"She had to go check if a theory was right." I sighed. "She asked me to stay with you and help defend the castle."
The battle began quickly after that and it wasn't long before dark creatures and wizards flooded the grounds. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew Hermione was working her way towards me as I battled with three men, cutting one of them down with a slicing hex.
Then I could see her coming across the grounds, Harry and Ron flanking her. I spun and ducked as I fought, and another man joined his comrade. I gritted my teeth as sweat poured off me. I heard her scream before I felt the spells impact and then as easy as falling asleep, I know no more.
Hermione's cry of anguish filled the grounds as her mate fell to a killing curse. Those around her were forced to stop as the young girl fell to her knees, a pulse of magic bringing everyone around her to the ground. She let out a loud scream that made those who heard it feel as if their own hearts were breaking before she collapsed on top of her mate, unconscious and barely alive.
"Hey Mione, it's been three days now and the healers say they don't know if you'll wake up. But I was finally allowed to come and see you. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I brought you into this. I should have sent you away, somewhere safe!" Harry cried at his best friend's prone form. She was laid out in a private room, having been unconscious since she fell on top of Remus in the middle of the battlefield. "Neville killed the snake and I was the last horcrux, pretty sure you figured that out, though." He said with a dry laugh. "I don't blame you for not telling me. The stone was in the snitch, I figured it out right before I had to face him. I saw them Mione, I saw my parents and Cedric. I saw Remus, he said he loves you and he will see you again soon, he's waiting for you!" He sighed, tears running down his cheeks. "We lost Fred and Tonks, Colin and Lavender too. So many died!" He took a shuddering breath before continuing. "Mrs Weasley got Bellatrix when she tried to attack Ginny and Luna. And Snape. Snape was a hero; he gave me his memories before he died. Voldemort killed him. It's all so fucked up Mione, and now you're here and I don't think you're coming back!" He cried.
"Hey Mione, wow you're getting big!" He said. "Not even going to wake up to smack me for that one, hey?" He shrugged and frowned. "The healers say there's still no change but your pregnancy is progressing as it should. Found out today, its twin girls, I know you were there, you heard them. Sorry I haven't been around every day; training is kicking my butt. Everyone is doing well though." he sighed. "As well as can be expected. Sirius and Amelia are getting pretty close. He is getting ready to be responsible for these girls. I'm glad Remus asked him and not me. I don't think I could handle babies yet. Of course, I would have, but Sirius is the safer choice. That's a weird thing to say, but it's true. He said he came to visit last week and read to the babies. Told them stories about you all. I'm glad. Ron's sorry he hasn't been here; he is still struggling. Susan is helping him though; she seems good for him. He is working with George; they are going to re-open the shop soon."
"Been a boring couple of days, not much to tell you, except well, Ginny said yes!" Harry smiled softly at his friend's peaceful form. She had not woken since the final battle and the healers didn't expect her to. It was a popular theory that she too would pass once the babies inside of her made their way into the world. "You were right, she loved the ring, and then she cried that you wouldn't be there, but well..." he sighed, rubbing his hand that wasn't holding hers through his hair. "Sirius and Amelia have made it official; the house is lovely, big back yard. Neither wanted to live in their family manors. They've got the nursery set up for these little ones. It beautiful, built mural of you and Remus in your wolf forms and a few photos of the two of you. They won't let them grow up not knowing you." He sighed and sat there. He came and sat in her room at least every few days and talked to her. When he ran out of things to say he would usually read stories to the babies. He looked at the large swell of her belly and sighed. It wouldn't be long now, and he would have to say goodbye completely.
A soft knock at the door had him turning his head to find Ron, Ginny and Susan standing there.
"Any change?" Ron asked, Harry shook his head, his throat too tight to speak. Ginny came forward and kissed him on the head before turning.
"Oh, Mione, the ring is perfect! I wish you could see it." She said while stroking her friend's hair back gently.
The four fell into silence for a moment. "Would you like me to read to them today?" Susan asked from her spot at Ron's side.
"No, its okay, I like doing it." He said before picking up the book they had found in Hermione's belongings and began to read, hoping she could hear him.
Hope Aurora Lupin and Jean Alexis Lupin
Born 30.12.1998
Author Notes: I'm sorry, blame society and the world climate and my horrible depressing work ATM. I may add a small outtake of their lives if it comes to me or do an alternative ending. It took so long to write this because I lost time, I lost inspiration and I lost focus. In the last few days this has been filling my head and while I wasn't sure this was how I wanted it to end. Once I got the words out though I knew this is what it was if I may be hated just a little for it. So if you got this far Thank you! And if you've been with me since the beginning that's for sticking with it! Entire work betas by Darkness93