Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoy this chapter of Always and Forever. We are nearing the end of this fan fiction; however, the Battle of Hogwarts has SO much information and events that I wanted to include that it is going to be stretched out for a couple of chapters. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 36

George POV

He felt exhaustion fill his bones as he sunk to the ground on his knees when the sinister voice filled his head once again. "You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery." George scoffed while the Death Eater who was in front of him stopped fighting and looked up to the sky, looking to his master's voice. "Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not with this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

The Death Eaters began to disparate and leave the premises. Angelina and George tucked their arms around Alicia's limp body. She was holding up, but barely. His throat was closing with worry as he thought of his own family's safety. The high-pitched voice filled the air again. "I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

"He's not going to turn himself in, is he?" Angelina looked up to George with worry in her eyes. They both remembered Harry sometimes as the small, wobbly legged eleven-year-old who was the youngest player on their team during his first year.

George shook his head while they carried Alicia to an empty cot in the Great Hall. Hopefully Madam Pomfrey would be here soon to see her, they weren't sure how much time she had left. "I'll stay with Alicia. Lee is going to find us. Go to your family, find them."

He swiveled his head around the Great Hall and spotted a small group of red heads. George ran over to them and saw with horror that someone was crouching over a body on the ground. His mother was sobbing over a figure. His feet began to feel like led with every step closer to the group. Who?

Ginny stood in front of George with a blank face. "You're okay?"

"Yes. Who… Gin…" He looked over his little sister's head but still couldn't get a glimpse of the body that was on the stone ground of the Great Hall.

"I—I—" She stammered and looked down at the figure. "I don't know how to tell you."

"Fred." He let out in a breathless whisper that took all of the energy out of his body. George collapsed onto the ground and wretched his stomach onto the ground. It wasn't there for long, so Ginny must've cleaned it with her wand. "No… it can't be… no…"

She helped him scoot closer to the body and he saw with his very own eyes his twin brother laying on the ground. He kneeled at Fred's head and began to stroke his hair while tears fell over his cold body. His blood went cold, and he couldn't think of anything other than Fred's unseeing eyes staring at the dark ceiling of the Great Hall. He didn't even register that his mother was lying across Fred's chest, crying and body shaking. His father was stroking his mother's hair, trying to offer her a fraction of comfort in the storm that their family was in.

He didn't even register when small hands began to stoke his cheek and whisper comforting words into his ear. He didn't register when Hermione's arms wrapped around his body and pulled him close against her curves, offering him a tight embrace for him to collapse inward to.

George clutched onto her body like she was an anchor in a sea. "You're okay." He whispered into her bushy hair.

"I'm okay." She whispered back. "You're okay."

"I don't know." He admitted as he glanced back down at his brother. "Physically, I'm okay."

The Great Hall seemed to disappear as he stared into her chocolate brown eyes. He held onto her face and stared into the deep pools that were holding him together by the fragmented pieces. George gulped and brushed a singed piece of hair away from her face. "What happened?"

"We destroyed the horcrux. There's only one left. It… it… it got close. But I'm okay, Georgie." Hermione assured him and kissed the palm of the hand that was cradling her face.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight. For the rest of the battle. For the rest of my life. I swear to Godric, Hermione. If I lose you—I—I—" George began to panic as he thought of losing the two most important people in his life. He had already lost Fred, he couldn't afford to lose his Hermione.

"Hey. Stop." She furrowed her brown eyebrows and looked deeply into his own eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, George. I promise you that."

They began to sob into each other's arms. The weight of the battle bearing down onto them. After what seemed like years, they separated, and Ginny collapsed into Hermione's arms while Ron was holding onto George. The group of Weasley's froze when Ginny let go of her best friend and let out a whimper. "Where'd Harry go?"

Hermione POV

The group staggered out into the courtyard as the group of Death Eaters came out with a cackling Bellatrix Lestrange leading the way. "Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort shouted with glee. "He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you all lay down your lives for him! We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."

"No!" Ginny screamed and was stopped from running forward by Bill and Mr. Weasley.

Hermione felt herself begin to sink but George kept her standing while the tears streamed down her face. Not Harry…

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, women, and child, will be slaughtered, as will every number of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

The Death Eaters began to approach the group and the castle with a look of pure happiness and excitement on their evil faces. Hermione felt her palm fill with sweat that clutched onto her wand. "I won't let you leave my side." George assured her.

"I know. I love you." Hermione said with a slight whimper.

"I love you too."

"SILENCE!" Voldemort screamed over the murmurs and cries that were filling the crowd. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs! You see?" Voldemort gloated as Harry's limp body was lying at his bare feet. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" Ron roared from beside Hermione.

The people who were defending Hogwarts began to roar and yell similar claims, telling Voldemort off. Hermione felt her own rage bubbling inside as she screamed that she would rather die than stop fighting for Harry and Hogwarts.

Neville ran forward and was taken down by a jet of light and a sound of pain. Everyone was silenced again. "And who is this?" Voldemort laughed. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

"Neville Longbottom."

"Longbottom… You are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?"

"So what if I am?" Neville spit out with rage covering the features on his bloodied and dirty face.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join when hell freezes over! Dumbledore's Army!" Neville raised his arms and the crowd cheered again before Voldemort accioed the Sorting Hat and smiled cruelly at the boy.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts!" Voldemort shrieked. "No more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He forced the beat-up hat on top of his head while it burst into flames. Hermione felt a scream escape her lips while Neville fought to get out of the flames. Before Hermione could act and help her friend, he broke the body-bind jinx and ripped the flaming hat off of his head, revealing the glittering silver blade of Godric Gryffindor. As Voldemort's snake was diving towards him, he sliced the head completely off with a shout of glory.

Hermione felt a smile reach her lips; despite the despair she was feeling from losing her best friend. Neville had done it! He killed the last Horcrux! There was still a fighting chance that they would be free of Voldemort's madness this time tomorrow. She gripped her wand tighter and gave a small and confident smile to George who seemed to be looking to her to read the situation. They could live…