Disclaimer In chapter 1

A/N It's here. And really awful too, if you ask me. But then again, my opinion doesn't count, right? I'm merely a slave writer striving to make you people happy. So here goes nothing.

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Hogwarts

Ron had linked an arm under Harry's, keeping his knees from giving out. They were carried by the crowd into the Great Hall where students and more Death Eaters were already packed in tightly. Harry's eyes rolled in his head as another shot of pain coursed through his body.

"Wait a minute," Harry gasped into Ron's ear.

"What is it?" Ron asked, his voice faint.

"Voldemort's. . . Voldemort's happy now. He was mad a second ago. . . ."

Snape went off to join the other teachers, and sat next to Voldemort's high chair, looking around the hall importantly.

Harry walked with his friends through the crowd, and lined up against the wall, trying their best to fit in.

Finally, the last Death Eater filed in. The Hall waited, with bated breath, for Voldemort to arrive. Harry kept his eyes on the doorway, his wand still in his hand, and waited with the rest of them. A few tense minutes later, a swooping figure appeared and strolled to the center of the head table. Everyone in the hall muttered "My Lord."

For a moment Voldemort just stood in silence, his eyes sweeping over his followers, daring anyone to speak. Harry's scar was twinging madly. And then, to Harry's horror, he pulled out his wand and pointed it strait at Harry's group.

"Come forward, Dumbledore," the Dark Lord hissed.

Harry was frozen. Suddenly the pain in his scar didn't matter anymore. The silence was unbearable, as every head in the hall turned towards them.

"Come now, Dumbledore, Snape told be all about your plan to save people. You really trusted him, didn't you? But he's been faithful to me since the beginning. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. No one can escape Lord Voldemort."

Harry's wand was slipping in his sweaty fingers. He didn't know what to do.

Dumbledore started to respond, "Except for Harry Potter, of course, Tom. . . ."

And then, a voice invaded his thoughts.

Stay here, Harry.

It was Dumbledore's voice, but it couldn't be! He was talking right now to Voldemort.

If Voldemort doesn't know you're here, we may get the opportunity to drive him from these halls. Tell Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville to wait for my signal. You will leave the hall as quickly as possible. I will summon the Order. Do not try to join in. It's your responsibility to get everyone safely out of here. Get them back to Hogsmeade, and to the cave in the side of the mountain. I promise I'll join you there.

Harry looked at his headmaster, but though he could not see his face, knew he wasn't looking at him. Harry didn't know how to respond, so he stayed silent.

This was it. This was the end. There would be no chance of survival after this. Harry was sure Dumbledore didn't have his wand in his hand, but even if he did, there was no way he could defend himself from thousands of Death Eaters.

Harry's breathing was becoming frantic. He needed to do something, he couldn't just leave. As Dumbledore stepped forward and continued speaking to Voldemort, Harry saw his hand slip slyly into his pocket, unnoticed by someone who was looking at his face. Dumbledore pulled off the mask and hood, and let the Death Eater costume fall to the ground as he revealed midnight blue robes. Looking down at the robes Dumbledore had just been wearing, Harry saw something glowing in the pocket. He didn't dare bend down to examin it, so tried to ignore it at the moment.

"You thrived here once, Tom, but you are not welcome in this castle any longer," Dumbledore said, striding forward as though he was still headmaster.

"You're mistaken. You are not welcome here any longer. I would suggest that you leave immediately."

Harry was watching Snape. Why hadn't he told Voldemort that the rest of them were there? Surely Voldemort would love to finish off Harry.

Dumbledore didn't falter in his walking, so Voldemort continued. "You cannot kill me, Dumbledore. Only the boy could, but too bad, I've gotten him out of the way now."

"I will ask you once again, Tom. Leave Hogwarts before you'll regret it."

"You have no power here, headmaster."

"Leave now. I do not wish to see your face here again," Dumbledore continued, his eyes twinkling threateningly.

"Crucio!" The light appeared from Voldemorts wand, and shot towards Dumbledore, though, in a flash, Dumbledore had raised his wand and blocked the spell. The light shattered and faded away.

"Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore called. It hit Voldemort, and the Dark Lord's body glowed white for a moment, and then faded. His wand was still clasped in his long, pale fingers.

Voldemort laughed. "You think you can defeat me with such petty spells? I misjudged you, Dumbledore. I thought you to be cleverer than that. My apologies."

Dumbledore started chanting some words in Latin, the syllables sliding over his tongue, and slashed his wand through the air. Voldemort was thrown backwards in a blaze of white light, and immediately several Death Eaters in the crowd leaped at Dumbledore, blocking Harry's view of his headmaster. He needn't wait for Dumbledore's signal, however.

Harry reached out for Hermione's wrist. "We have to get out of here. C'mon!" he said.

They ran from the hall, shoving their way past Death Eaters who were scrambling to reach Dumbledore first to have their shot with him. Harry reached the doors, and pulled them open. He shoved his friends out through it first, and right when he was about to follow them, someone seized his arm. He turned, looked into the masked face of a Death Eater, then looked down to see a gleaming silver hand tightly gripping his arm.

"Hermione! Get everyone to the cave! Hurry!" Harry shouted, for his friends were whipping out their wands and preparing to join the battle. But, thankfully, Hermione tugged everyone out of view, and Harry was left alone.

"I knew I recognized your voice," Wormtail said. He whipped Harry's mask off, and pulled down his hood. "Three years in your dorm with you, I should have recognized you sooner." Harry tried to wrench his arm from his grasp, but to no avail.

"You shouldn't try to run. We thought you were dead. Obviously Snape saved you that night. I knew all along he was a traitor. The Dark Lord will be most pleased when I turn Snape in. And as for you," Wormtail pulled off his mask and narrowed his eyes at Harry, "I'd like to thank you for saving my life that night. You see, it has come in most useful."

Harry twisted his arm, writhing to get out of his grip. Wormtail was holding Harry's right arm, Harry's wand arm, the arm that held Harry's only defense.

Wormtail tightened his grip, and Harry tried not to scream from the pain. He tried one final time to tug himself free, when he felt his bone shatter. Wormtail obviously felt the snap, because a wicked smile spread across his features. Harry screwed his face up in pain, and brought his left hand to his arm, trying to pry the silver fingers off. Instead, Wormtail easily threw Harry from him, Harry landing at the feet of another Death Eater who looked down, saw who he was, and kicked him hard in the chest. Harry scrambled to his feet, his right arm hanging useless by his side as he clutched his wand with his left hand.

"Stupefy!" Harry cried, stunning the Death Eater who had kicked him. Wormtail had his own wand drawn, and was walking towards Harry.

"Crucio!" Wormtail shouted. His aim was poor, and Harry easily dodged it. Instead, the spell hit another Death Eater who collapsed in a fit of screams. Everyone turned to the source of the screams, and eventually their eyes met Harry's face.

"You filthy, rotten, mudblood!" a Death Eater yelled. He flung himself at Harry, but before contact was made, the Death Eater had been stunned by a spell coming from Harry's left. Looking, he saw a Death Eater slowly lowering his wand.

"Snape, get out of here!" Harry yelled, clutching his right arm to his body.

"No," Snape said. "I have unfinished business."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry screamed. "Go!"

"I do not need you to save me, Potter," Snape said, peeling away his mask and lowering his hood. "I have had enough debt from your family already."

Snape raised his wand and, instead of pointing it at Wormtail pointed towards where Dumbledore and Voldemort stood battling. He pushed his way through the crowd, and Harry watched as he stopped, his wand pointed at the Dark Lord's heart.

"You told us to never look you in the face," he snarled, his face mere inches from the Dark Lord's. "You wanted us to be afraid of you, but I never was. I have been loyal to Dumbledore and Dumbledore only since 18 years ago, before you disappeared. I knew you suspected me, I knew you tried to read my mind, to see who I really was loyal to, but Dumbledore gave me Occlumency lessons. I learned to block you from my mind, something no other Death Eater has ever done. You never could prove anything. But now that you know, I want to show you what I really think of you."

"Severus —" Dumbledore said, walking forward.

"No, Albus," Snape said. "I thank you for taking care of me these past years, but this is something I must do. Stupefy!"

The spell shot through the air and connected with Voldemort's body, causing him to stumble backwards, but then regain his footing.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screeched. Snape deftly avoided it, and it hit a watching Death Eater who fell to the ground.

"Expelliarmus!" The spell was again absorbed by Voldemort.

"I did not teach you the Unforgiveable Curses for nothing, Snape," Voldemort said. "Why don't you try to fight me like a man?"

"I don't need to be illegal to duel, Voldemort," Snape said icily. Voldemort shot a Crucio at him which crumbled the marble at Snape's feet.

"Expelliarmus!" Snape yelled, just as Voldemort shouted a curse that sent a sword sailing through the air; a sword that had appeared from no where. Snape's curse dissappeared into Voldemort right when the sword pierced his body.

"No!" Harry yelled. Snape fell to his knees, his eyes wide in shock. Next thing Harry knew, he was running forward, towards Snape. The Potions Master had his hands wrapped around the sword, red blood spilling from the wound and coating his fingers.

Voldemort reached Snape before Harry, however, and gripped the sword's hilt.

Snape looked up at Voldemort, his eyes dazed, and then the Dark Lord twisted the sword, his eyes laughing at Snape. Snape let out a cry of pain, and then fell backwards. Harry reached Snape and bent over him, not caring that the battle had restarted, and Dumbledore was keeping Voldemort away from Snape and Harry, and not caring that spells were being aimed at him from the surrounding Death Eaters.

"Snape!" Harry yelled. He might despise the guy, but this was the man who had saved him from death and torture. Harry wasn't about to see him die.

"Do master your Occlumency, Potter," Snape said, still managing a cold glare. "It will come in useful some day."

"Snape!" Harry yelled again, unsure of what else to say.

Snape blinked slowly and licked his lips. "What do you say. Truce?" He extended a bloody hand, which Harry shook.

"Snape—" Harry started, Snape's hand still clutched in his.

"Please, don't get sentimental, Potter," he said, a smile curving his thin lips. "I already know how much you'll miss me."

Harry tried to smile back, but he couldn't. "Say hi to Sirius for me."

Snape nodded, coughed, and slowly, his hand slipped from Harry's and fell limply to the ground.

Harry had to fight down the bile rising in his throat as he looked away from the corpse. His hand found the sword's hilt, and he looked at the area of blade just below it, where he saw something engraved in the silver.

Salazar Slytherin.

Harry stood up and backed away from the body. He turned, and met a Death Eater which he easily stunned. He disarmed another, but he was becoming tired. The pain in his arm was still growing, and the battle was far from over. He ran towards the door, wanting to get as far away from Snape as he could.

He met Wormtail again, and, momentarily forgetting his wand that he now held in his damaged right hand, punched him with all his might with his left hand. Wormtail stumbled backwards and held his jaw where Harry's fist had connected with his face.

"You killed my parents, you filthy rat!" Harry yelled. He pounced towards Wormtail again and knocked him to the ground. He didn't care about his wand right now, all he cared about was causing the man as much pain as he deserved. Harry hit every inch of him he could reach.

The silver hand found Harry's throat.

Harry gasped for air, his wand falling to the ground with a clatter.

"It's time for you to die, Mr. Potter," Wormtail snarled, turning so that he was crouching above Harry.

Harry opened his mouth and tried to suck some air in to his lungs, but his chest was burning from lack of air, and no oxygen could reach it. He brought his left hand up to his neck, desperately trying to release himself. His world was spinning. He distantly saw the ceiling of the Great Hall above him, glowing pink in the setting sun. His vision was going black.

And he thought of Sirius.

TBC . . . .

-

A/N Sorry if that sword thing seemed a little odd, I watched Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring not too long ago, and I always pictured Snape dying heroically. In my mind I compared Boromir to Snape, and, well, that seemed heroically to me. I wasn't going to kill him off at all, actually, he just kind of. . . killed himself. Personally I believe that Snape is truly evil, and really on Voldemort's side, and there's a good editorial explaining why at Mugglenet.com . I think it's titled "What's Eating Snape?" but I'm not entirely certain.

On another note, I dared a friend of mine to write a depressing Harry Potter story since she can only write happy fairy tale stories. Her penname is okidokiboki if you wanna check her out. She's pretty good. Review for her too, please. The story I dared her to write is her most recent one.

Okay, next chappie won't be up for a bit.

peace

felony melanie

Oh, and I need to change my summary for this story. If anyone has a good suggestion, let me know. My summary isn't sufficient right now.