There were three main rules to a reasonably safe life at Hogwarts: the forest is forbidden, no magic should be used in the halls, and never interrupt one of Professor Snape's classes.

Draco was about to break one of those rules, unspoken as it might be, but he deemed it a good cause. Timidly, he knocked on Snape's door, trying to think what lesson he might be interrupting. When Snape opened the door, Draco saw the second year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Nothing important, then.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware it was visiting hours, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco straightened his shoulders. "I need to talk to you alone. It's important."

Snape stepped out into the corridor, closing the door. "I should hope so. What is it?"

"Harry's gone. I need you to help me Apparate."

Snape blinked. "Back up a second. He's gone?"

Draco nodded. "Left a note and vanished. I think I know where he is, and you're the only one I trust to bring me there. I...I think time is of the essence here."

Snape reacted to Draco's tone. "Very well." He dismissed his class and began walking, Draco falling into step beside him. "You do know we have to leave Hogwarts grounds; it might help if I knew where you would like us to go."

Draco's voice was hollow as he responded, "The Final Battlefield."

**********

The wind whipped around Harry as he landed at a place that a part of him had hoped he'd never see again.

He stepped forward, hand brushing against a stone. 'Where it began, where it ended.'

Harry walked blindly, not stopping until he reached a particular gravestone. Sitting, he began to talk to it, using his own voice to combat the stifling silence.

"Was there anything any of us could've done differently? Could I have stopped this when I was taken here and used to resurrect him? If I had been older when he killed my parents, could I have done something then?" His fingers traced the name carved into the stone. "If you could've seen what would happen in the future, would you have sired him?"

Harry laughed, a bitter sound. "It's over. The battle has ended, but has it really? No one was happy while I was around-have I outlived my usefulness? Should I just die now, in hopes of letting the rest of the world live in peace?"

A gasp shattered the stillness of the air; a gasp that Harry did not hear.

**********

Draco and Snape appeared in the graveyard. Snape drew his robe closer to his body, shivering as much from memories as from the biting wind.

Draco ignored the chill, his focus on a slim form several feet away. He could almost feel the despair radiating off of Harry. Beside him, Draco could see Snape swallow, reacting to the utter hopelessness that Harry was projecting. 'I should do something,' Draco though to himself, but he was unable to move, unable to speak.

Snape took a step forward. "Might I inquire what you are doing here?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Harry didn't turn around to acknowledge the speaker. "This is where it all began-only fitting that it should end here."

"But it has ended, Harry. You defeated Voldemort."

"But at what cost? No, there is still a battle raging."

"What battle?" Snape was doing his best to keep Harry focused on him, and not on whatever plans he feared that Harry had.

"The one that rages every day." Harry didn't raise his voice, nor was there any emotion to it at all. He spoke calmly, as if discussing Quidditch scores. "They...they want it all. They wanted Voldemort dead. I gave them that. But they hate me for giving them what they want. Should I not have killed Voldemort? Because anything less than what I did would have resulted in that. You know that, and I know that."

"Of course, Harry."

"So why don't they?!" Harry's voice finally cracked, and Snape and Draco could hear the suppressed anguish. "This wasn't a petty childish rivalry here-this was as close to ultimate Evil as we can get! How could they think that anything less than an Unforgivable would even affect someone who *revels* in the use of those same curses? How could they consider his death something that should be punished? These are *Hogwarts* students-they knew as well as I did what needed to be done! Or they should've. But they don't. They instead choose to hate me for ridding the world of evil. I give up. Unless I end this, they'll never heal-and they deserve that chance."

Draco finally found his voice. "How, Harry?" he rasped, voice raw with emotion. "How are you going to end it?"

Harry laughed. "It began with me, and so shall it end with me." He drew a dagger out of his robes. He glanced over his shoulder at Draco and Snape. "Only fitting, I suppose, that two of the people who were there should witness this. Too bad Ron and Hermione aren't here-bet they'd love to see this show." With those words he positioned the dagger to drive it home.

"No!" Draco shouted. He ran to Harry, intent on knocking the blade out of his hand. 'Almost there...almost....'

Draco reached Harry just as the blade penetrated Harry's flesh. Frantically, Draco pulled back on Harry's arms, trying to minimize the damage done, but there was still blood, so much blood.... His hands went to cover the wound as he called out, "Help me! Please, help me!"

Snape was by his side in an instant. He conjured up a bandage, but shook his head. "This damage is beyond me-we need to get him back to Hogwarts." Carefully, trying not to jostle the boy, Snape lifted Harry into his arms. Making sure Draco's hand was on his shoulder, he Apparated away, hoping he'd get back in time.

**********

Snape ignored the gasps, the questions, as he walked down the corridors with the bleeding boy in his arms. His attention was focused on two things alone-get Harry to the medical wing quickly, and making sure that he didn't lose the extremely pale Draco behind him.

Draco hadn't said a word after his plea for help. Instead, he grasped Harry's hand, watching him, hoping he'd hang onto life. He looked up from Harry's face, and noticed they were almost to the Hospital Wing. 'Just a bit more, Harry, hold on a minute more....'

Snape gently separated Draco from his burden. "Wait here, please. You know how Madam Pomfrey feels about unnecessary people in her hospital." He squeezed Draco's shoulder in an oddly reassuring gesture. "Everything will be fine."

Draco watched as Snape and Harry disappeared, then leaned against the corridor wall, still in shock. He closed his eyes, collecting himself, until he heard a voice-one he couldn't ignore.

Neville Longbottom was walking by the Hospital Wing when he spied Draco, covered with blood and trembling. "Malfoy? What in Merlin's name happened to you!"

Draco's eyes flew open, and the numbness he had been feeling was quickly replaced by anger. He held up his hands, coated in Harry's blood. "See this, Longbottom?" he whispered hoarsely. "This is your handiwork, after all-yours and the rest of this school's. You should be rejoicing right now."

Neville blinked. "Have you lost it, Draco? I did nothing to you-"

"But you did plenty to *Harry*, didn't you? Didn't Granger and Weasley tell you? Harry left. He was found by Snape and I, and do you know what we found?" He continued before Neville could open his mouth. "We found Harry Potter, the person who saved us all, attempting to kill himself, because ignorant *bastards*
like you were judging him on a situation that was unavoidable and was our only hope! He is in there right now, and I don't know if he's going to live or die, and it's *your fault*!" Draco collapsed to his knees and began to cry for the first time since finding Harry.

Footsteps approached him, but Draco didn't acknowledge them. He heard the murmured sounds of conversation, but he wasn't aware. All he knew was the pain that was finally breaking over him in harsh, unforgiving waves. 'Harry...don't leave us...don't leave *me*....'