A/N: What can I say? This is the last part. The moment of truth. Please review, or else I'll never write a story again. ;) Just kidding.



Harry turned towards her as she ran towards him. The Death Eaters stood frozen in shock as she sprinted towards them, deathly afraid but screaming at the top of her lungs, hoping against hope that Harry might recognize her ..

"Hermione?" he said, the red glow fading from his eyes as Voldemort's wand slipped from his hand.

Hermione's heart burst into joy. He knew her!

"Hermione," he said, staring at her, "where are we? What's going on? A minute ago it was day, and now it's night!"

Voldemort let out a horrible scream of fury just as Hermione reached Harry. It made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

"NO!" he shouted, raising his hand and crying, "Accio!" His wand flew into his hand.

"NO!" he screamed again, his red eyes blazing with a fury that scared Hermione rigid.

Even the Death Eaters were backing away.

"Harry - your wand!" Hermione cried, forcing his wand into his hand. He closed his fingers over it almost unconsciously. As soon as he gripped it, something spread over his face, like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him. Realization.

Hermione's heart leapt. Maybe we have a chance ..

"STUPID GIRL!" screamed Voldemort, brandishing his wand at Hermione.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" screamed Harry, with equal force, and he whipped his wand around in a circle at the Death Eaters. Hermione could almost feel the anger radiating off him. One by one, the Death Eaters dropped to the ground, unconscious or dead, Hermione couldn't tell.

He and Hermione were left standing in the center of a circle of limp Death Eaters.

Almost unconsciously, Harry moved in front of Hermione and stared straight into Voldemort's flaming ruby eyes.

"I won't."

Harry's words, spoken softly, drove Hermione like an icicle. She lifted her own wand, facing Voldemort, ready to face whatever he threw at them.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screamed, losing his head.

The Unblockable Curse!

Hermione's mind shrieked that she was going to die ..

No! I won't! I won't! Harry won't give in, and neither will I! I won't give in! I won't give in!

"I WON'T GIVE IN!" she yelled, at exactly the same time as Harry.

Voldemort's curse bounced off them and shattered into a thousand green slivers.

Voldemort was staring at them, his eyes unbelieving.

"No .. not possible .. not possible .." he muttered.

Then he snapped back.

"All right, if one won't do it, then perhaps I need to kill you again!" he shouted, almost in self-defense. "Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!"

But the spells, like the one before it, bounced off the shield created by Harry and Hermione's wills.

Harry smiled at Voldemort from behind the shield.

"You can't do it, Voldemort," he said.

Beads of sweat were sliding down Voldemort's white face; he looked more resolute than ever.

"I said, you can't do it, Voldemort," Harry repeated, stepping closer to the Dark Lord. Voldemort took an involuntary step back as Harry advanced.

"You can't do it, Voldemort, because two are stronger than one," Hermione joined in. She felt a strange feeling, a feeling of immense power, in the shield. They were invincible together .. Voldemort had thrown his ultimate curse at them, and it had failed. Power radiated through the two; she could feel it coursing through both of them. She suddenly saw that Harry had taken her hand unconsciously.

Voldemort backed away slowly as they advanced, trying not to show fear.

"Two are stronger than one, Voldemort!" Harry shouted joyfully, repeating Hermione's words. "You can't defeat us as long as we stick together!"

Voldemort glared at him, his fury radiating through the mask of fear.

Suddenly, he turned and dived straight for them. Harry and Hermione hadn't expected this; Voldemort's physical attack without magic caught them completely by surprise.

Voldemort's wild dive separated their hands, and the shield flickered - Hermione bit her lip -- but held.

The Dark Lord whipped around, expecting to find their guards down, but the shield was still up. It was visible now, an aura of beautiful shimmery iridescence surrounding the boy and the girl.

"I will return!" Voldemort screamed. "I'll find you! You can't always be together!"

He pulled the Time-Turner out from beneath his robes. Neither Harry nor Hermione made a move to stop him as he turned it - and disappeared.

The shield flickered, then died. Harry and Hermione stood silently, looking at each other for a moment stretched into eternity, the Death Eater's bodies scattered all around.

Then, slowly, Harry stepped forward to Hermione. She blushed and looked away.

"Hermione .." Harry whispered. He took her hand. She looked into his bright beautiful green eyes.

"I can't believe I was so stupid all these years. ." he said, staring straight into her eyes.

Hermione said nothing. He had a cut on his cheek that was dripping blood.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said, taking both her hands. "I - I've always liked you too, except -- Krum, and .."

"You don't have to apologize, Harry," Hermione said. She felt weird: lightheaded. "You don't have to apologize," she said again.

Harry looked as if he was about to argue, but instead, he leaned forward and kissed her deeply. She felt herself returning it, putting her arms around him, and it was perfect, as if she and Harry were meant exactly for each others' arms.

They had nothing to say when they broke apart. They looked at each other, and smiled, and knew, but there was nothing to say because they both knew.

Hermione reached into her robes and pulled out the Time-Turner. She put out a hand and gathered Harry close to her, then turned it.

Time and colors whirled.

And Hermione had nothing to fear as she went back, facing the wild colors, because she had Harry at her side.



*

THE END