A/N: Welcome to the feels chapter! I actually cried writing this chapter so I apologize in advance for the possible tears that you might shed. Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Tallyho!

Chapter 23:

"We need to move the body out of here," Hermione said. Harry nodded and put the vial in his pocket. Before he could find a way to pick up Snape though, Voldemort's voice appeared in the room.

Harry Potter, the voice said, you have allowed your friends to die for you instead of facing me yourself. I expected more of you. If you wish for no more of your friends to die, meet me in the Forbidden Forest to face your inevitable death. As for everyone else, you have fought bravely. I withdraw my followers and allow you time to put your dead and injured at rest. I promise, Harry Potter, that if you come to me, no one else will be harmed. You have one hour.

And then the voice was gone. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at each other for a moment in silence. Hermione was the first to speak. "Draco," she whispered in fear. That brought the boys back to life. Harry and Ron picked up Snape and carried him out of the shack and out of the tunnel with Hermione following close behind. As soon as they got him out of the tree, the boys readjusted their hold on Snape and carried him into the castle.

As they reached the Great Hall, Hermione almost fell in grief from what she saw. There were casualties everywhere. One half of the Great Hall was for the injured where they were getting healed by Madam Pomfrey and some other professors while the other half was for the deceased. Ron and Harry carried Snape to an empty space and laid him down. The trio took one last look at their former professor before going to find people they knew. Neville, Seamus, Luna, Blaise, Theo, Pansy, and a variety of others were on the injured side getting their wounds healed but there was no sign of Draco. Hermione looked to the casualties and saw Lavender Brown and Colin Creevey amongst the dead but, still, no Draco. She almost gave a sigh of relief before she saw the Weasley clan huddled in the far back of the Great Hall sobbing.

"Ron," she said, pulling the redhead's attention to his family. They immediately walked towards the rest of the Weasley family but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who they were crying over.

Lying on a small cot, pale as a sheet, was Fred.

Ron choked as he saw his older brother dead on the ground. He timidly walked forward and began to sob as he reached his family. George saw his baby brother and immediately pulled him into a tight hug as they cried for their brother. Hermione walked over and comforted Ginny who ran into her best friend's arms shaking and crying. Harry walked slowly to the Weasleys but stopped short when something caught his eye.

He looked down and saw that Dobby was on a cot. Tears welled up in Harry's eyes as he dropped to his knees next to the small elf. "Oh Dobby," he whispered, "I'm so sorry." He bowed his head in respect for the small elf and conjured him a small pair of socks and rested it under Dobby's hands before taking a deep breath and getting up to continue to walk through the hall. Harry saw movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to his right and found none other than Draco. Hermione must have missed him when she saw the Weasleys.

Draco's head was bowed and his shoulders were slumped in sadness. Harry approached him and saw who he was looking at. His breath caught in his throat as he saw who it was: Remus and Tonks. Harry put a hand on Draco's shoulder but the blonde didn't move. "I'm so sorry, mate." Harry said. "They were such good people."

Draco let out a shaky breath. "They just had a baby," he said as his voice cracked.

Harry nodded. Draco finally looked at him. "What am I going to tell Andy?"

Harry looked at him and fought the tears. "Tell her that her daughter died fighting so her son could live in a better world."

Draco ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about Fred and Dobby," he said. "I know you were close with them."

Harry swallowed hard. "Draco, I'm sorry to say that they're not the only ones we lost. Snape and Crabbe and Goyle are gone too."

Draco paled. "What?" his voice cracking.

"Crabbe and Goyle set the Room of Requirement on fire while we were retrieving the diadem. They didn't make it out." Harry explained as he led Draco to where Snape was lying. He sighed as he thought of his two friends who had perished. He shook his head in sadness. As they reached Snape, he choked back a sob as he looked at his godfather. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths before opening his eyes again. "Did… he do it?"

Harry nodded. "He knows you're alive too. I don't know how but he does. He's going to kill you, Malfoy."

Draco looked at Harry. "Then we better kill him first," he said, darkly. Voldemort had taken so much from him already: his father, his youth, two of his friends and now, Snape. Losing his godfather was the last straw. That monster was going to die long before Draco would; he decided that then and there. Sensing this, Harry pulled out the vial of Snape's tears from his pocket. Draco raised an eyebrow at the vial but Harry just shook his head. "Follow me."

Draco complied as Harry led him through the castle. They walked past the large gargoyle and continued into the Headmaster's office. Harry walked over to the pensieve and poured the tears into it. "These were Snape's. He told me to take them here. Care to join me?" Harry explained.

Draco nodded and stuck his head into the pensieve with Harry and was immediately transported to a time long past. They saw Snape's memories: he and Harry's mother, Lily, as children, their time at Hogwarts, Snape begging Dumbledore to hide the Potters so Voldemort wouldn't find them, the night Lily and James were killed, and the many conversations Snape and Dumbledore had. One particular conversation that stuck out was one with Snape and Dumbledore in the very room they were standing in talking about Harry himself. They heard Dumbledore tell Snape that a part of Voldemort lived inside Harry and the only way to kill that part of Voldemort is for Harry to die. Snape looked at Dumbledore horrified as he understood that Lily's boy would die. There would be no choice. His face changed though as Dumbledore explained that there was a chance that Harry could survive. It would depend on Harry but if he was hit with the killing curse, there was a possibility that the horcrux inside Harry would die but he would still live. It was a slim chance of working but Snape calmed at the news.

That was the last thing Draco and Harry saw before the scene in front of them ended and they pulled their heads out of the pensieve. Draco looked at Harry speechless as the latter sat down on the steps that led to Dumbledore's old desk. Draco sat down next to him and waited as Harry contemplated everything they had just seen. Draco needed some time to understand everything as well.

After a few minutes, Harry stood up. "I need to go to the Forbidden Forest."

"What?" Draco asked, standing up. "Are you insane? That's exactly what Voldemort wants!"

"And I'm going to give it to him. Voldemort won't be fully dead until I am. Besides, you heard Dumbledore, there's a chance that I could live through the killing curse!"

"Dumbledore was a lunatic! And so are you if you think you'll survive!"

"Don't be so quick to judge, Mr. Malfoy," a new voice said. "I was not lying when I said that Harry could possibly survive the killing curse."

Harry and Draco looked to the source of the voice and saw Dumbledore staring at them through his portrait that now hung above what used to be his desk. "How do you know this, Professor?" Harry asked.

The old man shrugged. "The source is not important. What is important, is that you succeed. I do believe that there is a way to survive the curse but you must fight it, Harry. You must fight it with all that you have. Only then do you have a chance of survival."

Harry nodded and took a deep breath as he pulled out the invisibility cloak out of his jacket and threw it over himself. He had stuffed it in his jacket when they changed back at Grimmauld Place. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. Draco looked back and forth between the portrait and Harry before shaking his head and groaning. He grabbed the other half of the cloak and threw it over himself.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Going with you," Draco grumbled. "To make sure this actually works." And Hermione would kill me if she knew I let you go alone, he thought to himself.

Harry bit his lip in contemplation before shrugging. He wouldn't mind the company as he walked to his death. The walk was silent as they made their way through the empty hallways. They could hear sobbing coming from the Great Hall but neither made a move to stop. They continued on to the forest, silence being their only companion. It was even as if Mother Nature knew that it was a sad day as there wasn't a sound in the world. It was dead quiet and Draco hated it.

They made their way deep into the forest before Harry stopped and threw the cloak off of him. Draco took it off himself and held it in his arms. "So this is it," he said. Harry nodded.

"Potter, I- I never thanked you for saving my life back at the bank."

"You would have done the same for me," Harry said.

Draco nodded in agreement. "Yes, I would have. Still, thank you."

"You're welcome," the brunette replied. They were silent for a moment as they contemplated what to say next. Harry spoke first. "Mal- Draco, I just want you to know that over these past few months you have proved yourself in many ways. And through our training, I've grown to trust you and I know Ron has too. I've even began to consider you as my friend. And, I hope, that if we make it out of this, we might be able to continue that friendship."

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You are such a Gryffindor." Harry snorted. "But, if I'm being honest, I've begun to consider you as a friend as well. Weasley too."

Harry smiled. "Well," he put his hand out, "it's been an honor to train with you and to call you my friend."

Draco shook his hand. "You too, Harry."

Harry paused for a moment before taking his wand out of his pocket and handing it to Draco. "Hold on to this for me, will you? I won't be needing it for the time being."

Draco hesitantly took the wand and pocketed it.

Harry turned around to walk away but stopped short and turned back to Draco. "One more thing: c-can you do something for me?" Draco nodded. "I- if I don't make it out of this, tell Ginny that I love her. I haven't had the chance to tell her yet but I want her to know that she was the last thing on my mind before I died."

Draco shook his head. "No. No way."

"Malfoy-"

"No. I'm not going to tell her because you're going to tell her yourself. You're going to survive, you're going to kill Voldemort, and then you're going to tell your girlfriend that you love her."

Harry smirked. "Now, you sound like a Gryffindor."

"It's what I get for hanging out with you lot so much. But I mean it, okay? I'm going to hold you to that."

Harry nodded. "I'll try."

"Try harder."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes before turning back around and beginning to walk deeper into the forest. Draco threw the cloak back over himself and followed Harry quietly. He kept his breathing quiet as they walked. Harry slowed as he approached Voldemort and his group. Draco moved aside and stood between some trees to watch the scene unfold in front of him. His breath hitched, however, as he saw his mother standing with Lucius and Bellatrix. She was looking around her nervously as Bellatrix kept glaring at her but otherwise looked fine. Draco breathed a quiet sigh of relief but held his breath as he saw Harry walk towards Voldemort. He saw Narcissa's eyes widen with fear as she looked at Harry.

"Harry?!" a familiar voice said. Harry looked to find Hagrid tied up amongst the Death Eaters. "No! What are you doing here?!"

Harry said nothing and just stared the Dark Lord down. Voldemort sneered. "Harry Potter. The boy who lived, come to die. Any last words?"

Silence. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Harry. "Avada Kedavra!"

A green light flashed and Harry fell to the ground. Draco had to muffle a cry as he watched his old-enemy-turned-friend die. His breathing was shaky and his eyes welled with tears as his mind was screaming. Narcissa was fighting tears and kept her breathing even but her eyes held pain and sorrow as she watched Harry lie on the ground lifeless. "You!" Voldemort said to her. "Check to see if the boy is dead."

Narcissa lifted her chin and nodded before walking to Harry. Draco quietly walked closer to Harry as well, hoping that their theory worked. He and his mother reached Harry at the same time, Draco still a few paces away as to not alert anyone of his presence. He was close enough though to see the small rise and fall of Harry's chest. Narcissa noticed this as she checked his pulse and gasped quietly.

He was alive! Their theory worked and Harry was alive! Draco held back the tears of relief that now threatened to spill over. Narcissa whispered quietly to Harry. "Are you okay? Tap your finger once for yes, twice for no."

He tapped his finger once. "Is- is Draco okay? Is he still alive?" Harry tapped his finger once again. Narcissa let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Stay absolutely still." she told him. She then stood up and faced Voldemort and said one word.

"Dead."