The first loud crack of sound came from a little ways behind me, and when I turned my head, I saw Viktor Krum standing there, as dour and sullen as ever, but his wand was in his hand and there was a look of ferocity in his expression I was unaccustomed to seeing as he then looked directly at me. "Mia, I haff come as you asked. More vill follow." And so they did. After Viktor appeared, it was like a rushing wave. Since the spells protecting Hogwarts were broken, people could apparate directly into the castle grounds. They came slowly at first, like the first drops of rain and then in constant waves like a downpour. They were everywhere, people and friends who had risen to the call of the phoenix, responding to the message which summoned them to fight against Voldemort, and they were all prepared to do whatever it took to finally crush him.

Not just our own people either. They came from all over the world. Madame Maxime appeared with a large cluster of her best students, as well as those I had made friends with during their visit here at Hogwarts, and the same was true for Durmstrang. The Ministers of several countries had sent some of their own aurors to help, and as more faces began to fill every empty space available until Voldemort was completely surrounded, I couldn't help but cry out with joy. This was it. All of our hard work, come into fruition. Even the parents of the students were turning up, the news having spread and they seemed as terrifying as even the strongest auror at the threat to their children.

Then the creatures started to appear. Hippogriffs and centaurs, unicorns and thestrals, all manner of beings and birds diving through the skies and galloping across the grounds to help in the battle, Grawp reappearing as he bellowed for Hagrid only to be set upon by the giants who were still alive, all of them bellowing and diving for the smaller giant but they were waylaid by attacking beasts, Buckbeak seemingly leading the hippogriffs in clawing at their eyes. A hoot sounded and I looked to see Orion leading the flock of owls back into the fray, circling overhead ready to dive as then, in the mass of confusion and everyone gasping and turning, Harry disappeared.

It was only when Hagrid bellowed did I take notice, seeing that Harry had vanished and Hagrid was searching for him. Everything seemed to happen all at once. I launched an attack on Voldemort and quickly drew his attention as the rest of his followers scattered, being forced to fight as attacks came at them from all sounds, their numbers now severely diminished in comparison to ours. Everyone retreated back into the castle in order to escape the mass confusion of spells firing in every direction, the Durmstrang students led by Viktor and even Ivan – my Yule Ball date – were using their own knowledge of the Dark Arts to crumble the flanks of the Death Eaters and secure everyone's retreat before following.

Voldemort, now distracted by me as we parried blows with a ferocity fuelled by our own rage, did not see Neville pull off the Sorting Hat and draw a glittering sword from within it, though out of the corner of my eye, I saw the flash of silver as Neville grabbed it, then with a giant leap and swing, sliced through Nagini's neck to severe the head as she had slithered too far away from Voldemort, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. The snake's body roiled and convulsed as the head flew of and now, Voldemort was screaming. Taking the opening, I ran to Neville and grabbed him, swinging him around in order to chase him back into the castle as I flung out my hand with my wand to call out a spell, choosing the largest rock before us to transfigure it into a massive fire breathing dragon and put up a shield charm behind us, covering our escape as the fighting giants made it too dangerous to stay outside.

With a roar the dragon, a Swedish Short-Snout, released a torrent of flames in order to scatter more of the Death Eaters and force Voldemort back momentarily before I then waved my wand and had it go after the giants to help Grawp and the others, still dragging Neville inside by the scruff of his shirt and to his grandmother, who was waiting for him proudly. "Nice dragon Mia!" Charlie yelled to me with a grin, also having shown up and was helping to herd people to safety as everyone was screaming and running. I barely managed to toss him a grin.

There was a mass of panic, people running in all directions as more fighting broke out once more as the Death Eaters also sought sanctuary within the castle walls, only to be met by a furious onslaught of witches and wizards seeking to finish them. As I staggered into the Great Hall, the kitchen entrance burst open and out poured the house-elves, led by Dobby and Kreacher who were both crying out different calls to arms, wielding knives, forks, pans and pots for weapons. Dobby was cheering for Harry Potter, and Kreacher for his Master Regulus Black and his Mistress Euphemia. I couldn't help but feel touched.

Jolting to the side, I quickly returned fire at a Death Eater who looked like she had already been mauled by something with tentacles, angry red welts blistering her face and neck. She was finished off in an instant, allowing me to search in hope for any sign of Harry, because the only way he could have disappeared was if he were alive. Not dead. Not dead. Another spell flew close to my ear, a second quickly following but then someone slammed against my shoulder and with a firm slash with their wand, flipped the attacker upside down and dropped them on their head, making me blink in shock to find none other than Draco Malfoy beside me. Now it was my turn to be speechless. He didn't smile, but the mere fact that he was fighting on our side was enough, so I clasped my hand around his neck and gave him a firm shake as a gesture of brotherhood before leaping back into the fray.

Draco continued fighting and I caught sight of his parents yelling for him, not even raising their wands to pick a side, merely desperate to locate their son so I shouted their way. "OY!" Lucius heard me, snapping his head around and I pointed to where you could just about make out a mop of pale blond hair in the distance. Seeing it, Lucius grabbed his wife and they dove straight into the fray, now drawing their wands in order to fight off anyone who attacked their son, and that's how the Malfoys suddenly became one of us. Crazy.

Amongst the battling confusion, I heard the distinctive bellow of Molly Weasley in all her glorious fury which drew more than one pair of curious eyes towards her. "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" It caused me to wheel around and dive forwards, seeking out the trouble to find Molly pushing Ginny, Luna and Hermione all aside to take Bellatrix on herself. My parents were all nearby, fighting Death Eaters of their own, but Molly proved more than capable of handling Bellatrix Lestrange, quickly demonstrating that she was much more than a simple house-witch, and soon enough, Bellatrix was struggling to keep up. I laughed brightly, unable to help but relish in the fact that Bellatrix, who had sworn so often to prune the rotten branches of her family tree, was being overpowered by a woman she viewed as beneath her. A mere blood-traitor.

My attention diverted to Voldemort as all others pressed themselves against the walls in order to observe the two final fights and, making my decision, I dove for Voldemort. Seizing McGonagall by her arm, I pulled her out of the way and erected a powerful shield which rebounded the curse he'd sent at her then took over as she struggled for breath, though I felt her trembling hand upon my shoulder as she offered me words of encouragement. "Show him the pride of our house! Godric Gryffindor!"

"As you wish, professor!" Now I could feel the thrill of exhilaration, the euphoric rush I felt at the sense of danger and turned it into something fun and challenging. My smile grew further and further as I joined Kingsley and the potions master Slughorn in battling Voldemort until Slughorn had to drop out due to exhaustion, collapsing where he stood and had to be pulled out of the way by Arthur and the twins. Then it was just me and Kingsley, the two of us fighting together, side by side whilst Molly continued to face Bellatrix.

"Get him Mia! Under! Good!"

"Kingsley, as much as I appreciate the duelling lesson, maybe now's not the best time!" I crowed cheerfully, dancing and practically skipping around which only seemed to infuriate Voldemort more, as he was able to see that I was enjoying myself and didn't have one shred of fear of him at all. He bellowed, launching a curse which rebounded off my shield and went straight for Kingsley, making me scream instinctively. I blasted Kingsley out of the way, sending him flying across the room and squeaked. "Sorry!" Now I was angry, turning back to Voldemort as someone shouted to tell me that Kingsley was alright. "You'll pay for that."

"But it was you who hurt him, girl." Voldemort responded coyly, the slithering hiss of his voice making me shudder with contempt.

"Still, I'll make you pay anyway." Then I created lightning from my wand, the intense sparks and booms of sound shooting across the room to strike Voldemort in the arm, causing him to scream and it went limp beside him. Too bad it wasn't his wand arm. Still, it roused a thunderous cheer from the spectators and, with the full force of their faith behind me, surged once more into the fight. Our movements became a passing blur, exchanges of light and delayed bursts of sound following several spells behind as the fury of our exchange increased.

Our spells met at one stage, colliding between us and we were both flung backwards. I somehow managed to twist and land on my feet, though I felt a shooting pain rise up from my heel all the way to my knees from the force and I had a bad feeling I'd cracked a few bones. No matter, it was only pain. Voldemort was right there, I've almost got him. Lashing out, I created a long whip of fire, something I was particularly fond of doing and slammed it against the ground as Voldemort rolled out of the way, rising quickly to his feet to then deflect each strike as I whirled the whip around with artistic motion before Voldemort then made it burst into ashes, which he then turned into a black shroud and sent it flying at me.

Fawkes cried overhead, watching the battles below and ready to dive at any second, but I held my ground. Whipping the smog away, I dove below the killing curse and turned onto my back, firing a spell from the ground before then launching myself back onto my feet, waving my wand to fix my legs from any breakages so that when I landed, they didn't hurt so much. Meanwhile, Bellatrix had been taunting Molly, cackling and laughing until finally, Molly's curse hit her full in the chest, turning her to solid stone, freezing the expression of shock on horror permanently onto her face until she was blasted away and became nothing more than rubble. It was so quick that I barely saw it happen, and when the realisation hit Voldemort that he had lost his last and most faithful supporter, he released a deadly scream and a powerful blast that slammed against me which I could not guard against in time.

Flying backwards, I hit the ground and felt my shoulder crunch under me, tearing a choked gasp as I then clutched it but was already rushing to get up once more even as people ran to me. "No!" I shouted as Voldemort turned on Molly, Bellatrix's stone figure having burst into nothing more than dust, and aimed his wand at her. Two shouts rang out in the hall, one of them mine, and the other was the unmistakable dulcet tones of Harry. A double shield charm protected Molly Weasley from Voldemort and as I staggered forward, my eyes snapped onto Harry as he yanked the invisibility cloak off to reveal himself. Alive. Whole. Here. I almost burst into tears all over again.

"I don't want anyone else to try and help." Harry said loudly but I was already striding on over to him. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me." No sooner were the words out of his mouth, my arms were around him in a bear tight hug whilst both of our wands pointed at Voldemort, just to make sure he didn't try anything.

"You…are…the…most…stupid…man…I…have…ever…met!" Thumping my fist against him with each word, with added emphasis on the word 'stupid', I then gripped onto his shoulder. "Don't you ever presume you have to do anything by yourself. You've never been alone, not really." Glancing across to Voldemort, I shot him a scowl before then returning to look at Harry who was paying attention, but watching Voldemort as closely as possible. "You can call on us. Any of us, any time you like. It's not about sacrifice, or dying for the greater good, or playing to a prophecy that has no business interfering in your life. It's about standing together against dunderheaded prats like him." I got a rather strong sense of satisfaction calling Voldemort a prat to his face, and in the crowds, I heard my dad give a bark of laughter.

"You filthy scum!" Voldemort hissed, ruby eyes glinting all the more viciously and with a sporadic convulsion of his hand, launched the killing curse at the both of us. Harry and I both dove out of the way and I hit the floor, knocking my injured shoulder which caused a burst of pain so sharp it caused my vision to go black, turning to see another bright flash of green light and for a moment, I though death had seized me as everything remained dark and the sudden screams of people around me were cut off.

However, I then started to be able to see, my vision returning so that I could then blink and look up, grasping my dislocated shoulder. Someone was stood in front of me, a short, plump man with colourless hair, but before I could ask what Wormtail thought he was doing, he dropped to the floor and rolled onto his back, completely sightless and unmoving. "So this is the result of your choosing the weak, Wormtail." Voldemort mused as I gaped, unable to believe my own eyes. "Once a traitor, always a traitor. I should have expected as much, and you even died for such a pathetic little girl you once knew, out of sentiment. Death is no less than what you deserve." Hearing Voldemort speak about Wormtail that way, despite everything he'd done, flipped a switch inside me. I trembled, kneeling beside Wormtail who was staring upwards, his expression frozen on his face but instead of fear, I could see nothing but bravery upon his features.

Harry started to talk, distracting Voldemort from me as I lingered at Wormtail's side, still processing the fact that he, of all people, had jumped in front of the killing curse. For me. The man who was so desperate to live, to survive no matter what, even to the point of betraying his closest friends, sacrificed himself for a girl he had only known at a young age. Perhaps this was his way of redeeming himself, by saving me, and when I finally looked up, pale tears glistening upon my cheeks, I saw Remus and my father similarly frozen with expressions of shock, my mother clasping her hands over her mouth.

I looked back at Wormtail then drew his eyes closed and leaned in close to whisper to him. "You have absolved yourself, Peter Pettigrew. Rest in peace." Then with a wave of my wand, I laid him to rest at the back of the hall upon the hospital beds, where I then noticed that one in particular was absent. Snape was gone. Yet, I had a feeling he wasn't far away, my head turning in a bid to search as Harry continued to reproach Voldemort – Tom Riddle he now called him – for all of his arrogance and blunders, causing Voldemort to bellow.

"Dumbledore is dead!"

"Yes, Dumbledore's dead, but you didn't have him killed." Harry answered as I stood up and Fawkes came to land on my good shoulder, clicking his beak with concern but was also watching Harry and Voldemort, utterly transfixed as the rest of us. "He chose his own manner of dying, chose it moths before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."

"What childish dream is this?" All the same, Voldemort did not stir from his spot, and despite his proclaiming, did not stop Harry from continuing, his arrogance still being his downfall in wanting to know the truth. The real truth.

"Severus Snape wasn't yours. Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother, and you never realised it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a patronus, did you Riddle?" My thoughts and reasoning about Snape began to collide against each other in my head, rattling off the insides of my skull in a bid to keep up with Harry's revelations and find that I had been right in my instinct to trust him. He really was Dumbledore's man, from the very beginning. "Snape's patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realised, he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?" They were circling one another now, and I, like everyone else in the room, was holding their breath.

"He desired her, that was all, but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him…"

"Of course he told you that." Harry cut off the sneering drawl of Voldemort with a clear, crisp clarity. "But he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!"

"It matters not! It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them as I crushed your mother, Snape's supposed great love! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand! Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand, but I got there ahead of you, little boy – I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!"

"Is that so?" The snide tone that I had heard for the past seven years of my life filled the entire hall with resonance, causing Voldemort's triumphant gleam to vanish as a figure appeared from within the crowds, taking off his hood to reveal himself to all. Snape walked slowly towards us, observing Voldemort who could be seen gripping the Elder Wand more tightly in his grasp.

"How…how…how?"

"It appears you underestimated your enemies once again, Riddle." I announced boldly as I lifted my shoulder which supported Fawkes. "Phoenix tears. Dead useful, and considering you didn't even bother to wait around to make sure Professor Snape was finished, it was fairly easy to bring him back from the brink of death." This was a lie, I was almost certain I wouldn't succeed, but he didn't need to know that. "How many times is that I've messed things up for you? I've lost count. Honestly, I reckon I've probably caused you more trouble than Harry by this point. Why does he get the mad obsession and all the attention? It's quite unfair." Voldemort released a sharp scream and aimed a wild spell.

To whom it was meant, either myself or Snape, no one could be sure, but at the same time, we both produced shield charms and Snape had lunged forwards to instinctively protect me as his ex-student, the true nature of his character shining through as despite the fact that he was clearly in pain and still severely injured and weak, he held out his arm before me and held himself up tall and proud. A rush of respect swarmed me as I glanced at Snape then looked back towards Voldemort as Harry continued with his talk.

"You may have gotten the wand, Riddle, but before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done…think, and try for some remorse." The shock and astonishment that Voldemort now wore on his lipless face surpassed all other expression of surprise thus far. The idea of trying to feel remorse, feel anything for that matter, was completely beyond him. "It's your last chance. It's all you've got left, I've seen what you'll be otherwise…be a man…try, try for some remorse."

"You dare-?"

"Yes, I dare, because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle. That wand still isn't working properly for you, because you tried to kill the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore." Harry began to explain and for the first time, I saw genuine fear began to creep upon Voldemort, and it was a wonderful sight to behold. I inched closer, wanting a better look but Snape held me back still, keeping us both a fair distance away from Harry and Voldemort.

"He killed…"

"Aren't you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!" This was the snag that caught me slightly, at first uncertain at what Harry could be insinuating, but then it all became clear as the words continued to fly back and forth.

"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand! I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!" Somehow, I received the distinct feeling that for all his self declaration of genius and cleverness, Voldemort was very wrong.

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand choses the wizard…the Elder Wand recognised a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance. The true master of the Elder Wand…was Draco Malfoy." I swore loudly to proclaim my shock.

Voldemort, after recovering from his astonishment, merely stated that he would kill Draco after Harry, but once again he'd missed the point. It was Harry who was now master of the Elder Wand, since he'd forced Draco's wand from him and taken it for himself, meaning that the Elder Wand should now recognise Harry as its new master. The tension in the air had reached its precipice, silence bursting in my eardrums as the crimson rays of sunrise finally peaked over the mountains and flooded into the Great Hall, the two wizards cast their spells.

Red and green streams of light burst and collided with one another and the sound which followed caused many to jump in alarm. Snape seized me and pulled me back further out of the way as my dad and mother came rushing over, dad pointedly dragging me into his own arms whilst we all watched, utterly transfixed as Harry and Voldemort maintained their spells. Time became somewhat obsolete, I had no idea as to how much time actually passed. It all seemed to be over in a heartbeat, yet I could have sworn I had been standing there for an age, watching with encouraging shouts in my heart to will Harry to victory, then before I knew it, Voldemort's wand was flying through the air and landed in Harry's outstretched hand.

I stared with my mouth hanging wide open, watching as the wand was disarmed and the killing curse rebounded upon its caster with a blinding green flash which felt as clean and sharp as the slice of a knife, finishing Voldemort with an unerring sense of finality. Everyone remained frozen, watching the body of Voldemort to see if it would rise up again, if he would move or even twitch, but when he remained as still as stone, en explosion of sounds came ricocheting from every direction. Most people sobbed as they cheered, the sense of victory and the promise of future safety causing plenty of eyes to become swamped with emotion.

Dad swept me up with a glorious shout though I cried out on account of my shoulder so he quickly dropped me and my mother fussed whilst sobbing, Leo bounding over with Remus and Tonks, both hand in hand as someone fixed the damage, and it took me a moment to realise it was Cedric. We were laughing, laughing and crying, and cheering and shouting, honestly I lost track of the kinds of noises we made as everyone launched at one another, strangers embracing at random just to share in the pure, resounding joy which cascaded about us. Even Severus Snape became included amongst the fray, McGonagall sweeping her way through from Harry to embrace him, many others also grabbing his hands to shake them, and Remus even patted his shoulder with a quiet murmur to him.

What struck me the most, however, was when my dad grabbed Snape by the hand in order to shake it, then pulled him into a firm hug too, making me jaw drop as he then released him quickly and looked him dead in the eye. "Thank you, for protecting Harry, and for saving my daughter. I misjudged you, most severely." Snape's lip curled, looking like he was not happy about any of this attention, but gave a curt nod of acceptance towards my dad, who swept away in order to see Harry. I managed to push my way through, Fawkes taking off in order to avoid the bumping of shoulders until I was standing in front of Snape, the crowds forming behind us to tightly encircle Harry which allowed us a little more space, but now that I was here, I didn't know what to say. I had a lot of questions for both him and Dumbledore, though only he was there to answer them, but as I looked at the distant, somewhat lost look in his eyes, I felt the brightness inside me wither a little.

"You really didn't want to be saved, did you?" I asked him quietly, my voice almost being carried away by the chaotic noise behind us. Snape tilted his head slightly, now looking at me from above his curved nose, studying me closely until slowly, for the first time ever, I saw the hint of a smile grace his mouth.

"Obstinate and wilful as always, Miss Black." Giving a laugh, I pushed back the hair from my face, my fingers getting caught on the matted curls which had become wildly messy throughout the night and I had to wrench my hand free.

"And unlikely to ever change." I agreed. After a moment, I held out my hand to him, looking him directly in the eye and after a moment of consideration, he accepted my hand and shook it lightly but with a firm grip. "Lily would be proud of you, and grateful for protecting her son. You are the bravest and strongest man I've ever known. You have my complete and utter respect, I hope you know that." This made Snape start slightly, surprised to hear such words and to hear them from me of all people. He let go of my hand quickly after that, but I chose not to be offended. "What will you do now?" Snape turned his head to look out the windows, observing the crimson light which was growing paler the higher the sun climbed, as if seeking the answer within the sunlit rays.

"Who knows?" He finally responded. His deep black eyes flicked to me once more and this time, of his own accord, he reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Lead them well, Euphemia." My jaw dropped slightly, but before I could reply he turned and walked away, using the mass of celebrations and euphoria to slip away unnoticed by everyone save myself. Part of me wanted to stop him, wanted to make him see that he didn't have to ostracise himself anymore, but then I felt that it was probably what he wanted, to be alone with his unwavering love for the woman who had married another man, and had sacrificed her life to protect her son.

Such a powerful love, I had no idea how Severus Snape had managed to endure all these years with such devotion, but now that I had seen it, it made me yearn for something just as pure and undying. Within moments he was gone, and a mere second after he had vanished from sight, I found myself being pulled into the crushes waves of people, dragged to the centre where I then launched myself onto Harry where we grasped onto one another with fierce emotion, sharing quietly together for a few moments all that we had endured, both together and alone, and understanding one another in ways I would never have expected when I had first met him all those years ago in this very same hall. It felt like a lifetime ago, but when we broke apart, beaming at one another, we were soon flooded with our friends and loved ones, and as everyone continued to cheer and chant Harry's name until voices were hoarse, everyone looked forwards to the days of peace that were surely to come.