All My Tears Cry Your Name
Tonight was the night.
After seven years of happiness, fights and tears, all their conquests and knowledge had come down to one thing. The Final battle with Voldemort.
Of course, from their fourth year, when Harry had first met the reincarnated Voldemort, the trio of friends knew it was coming. If truth be told they had had fears since the first year, when Harry had had his first confrontation when Voldemort tried to attain the Philosopher's Stone. But now, after all these years, it was finally the end of the battle. The battle was not only a physical one, so many people had been injured, yes, but there were the mental injuries, the depression, the grief of losing loved ones, people like Neville Longbottom's parents who had lost their sanity and their acknowledgement of having a family in the war. It was the battle of tears, freedoms, bloods, pasts, houses, old rivalries and most of all, a battle of hope, who could persevere? Who would have the most knowledge of spells, the most physical endurance, the most mental strength? This was a meeting of a discriminative, recessive cult who would fight against the multi-blood community, accepting of everyone, for the ultimate reward: freedom from persecution.
Everything they had ever been taught would be tested in the battle.
But the question was, as the philosophy rang true, would Harry defeat Voldemort, or Voldemort defeat Harry? Both had troubling pasts, great knowledge of spells, each with an army to back them, cultural beliefs overpowering them, and durable wands.
All had doubts, the young and the old, the weak and the strong, from both sides. Not all had fought in wars before. Lived through them, yes. But first hand experience? Well, all had suffered from at least knowing someone involved, but who could claim to have faced Voldemort's feared Death Eaters hand to hand? Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, the boy who lived, of course. This was not their first battle, they had first faced Voldemort's most trusted minions in the Ministry of Magic in Fifth year. They knew what lay ahead of them. They knew of the consequences.
"The Plan" had been devised by these three 17 year olds. Of course, some help had been offered by Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.
If they won, Albus was in control at Hogwarts. At the end of the battle, all injured, regardless of which side they fought for, would be brought back to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Death Eaters would be housed in the Room of Requirement, serving as a temporary prison until more suitable detainment was organised. The Dementors no longer kept guard over Azkaban, and finding someone capable was near impossible as the wizarding world faced Voldemort and his troops in this war. No one had time for organising things as prison cells. No one had time to even commit crimes any more. Frightened and fiercely loyal to those they loved, families either stayed at home, cherishing what could be their last moments together, or were constantly in offices, assuring any injured would be looked after, new Aurors being trained daily, they needed as many as possible who could fight for the light.
Back to the plan, and injured fighters for the Light side would be treated by Madam Pomfrey and new Healer recruitments and assistants, in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
It goes without saying, that all students would be locked in their common rooms with only each other for support. All years except two: the sixth and seventh years waiting in an empty classroom, ready for a call to battle if necessary.
Severus Snape was leading the spies within Voldemort's troops through the battle. Though the trio didn't know who these spies were, they were quite numerous and would not hesitate to kill Voldemort if possible. Yet it was not; only one could perform this task, fulfilling a prophecy decades old.
Harry Potter.
Stage One of The Plan was that Severus would tell Voldemort about a planned Ambush led by Dumbledore and several seventh years. He would tell of hearing Dumbledore telling Potter to sneak into Riddle's house from the forest behind.
In the reality of the situation, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley would lead hundreds of Aurors, Order of the Phoenix Members and general public members who wanted to fight, and they would wait in a magically-expanded clearing of the forest for an 'ambush'.
If all went to plan, the Death Eaters would try to head off an attack from the Light side and go to the forest.
They would arrive an hour after the Light side were ready and waiting for them.
So now, the trio were hidden on the edge of the clearing by shields, wards and glamour spells. The rest of the Light side also hid in these bushes, further back, watching, waiting.
Harry, Ron and Hermione had just placed silencing charms on the area, they couldn't risk making a sound.
Finally, after organising the troops into formations, they sat down to rest. They had had their work cut out for them with preparing for tonight, and needed to be rested.
"Guys, 50 minutes to go until the …" Hermione Granger's head was spinning. While trying to remember every single useful spell she could and repeating them in her mind, she also was thinking of all the times, good and bad that she had shared with 'her boys'. And they really were her boys; they would do anything to protect her, and she them.
The teenage girl reflected on all the years together, their first meeting on the train to Hogwarts was one memory the boys always teased her about. In fact, for two months at Hogwarts Hermione had been a know it all, trying to force her studies habits on to others. Ron had hated her for it, openly criticising her, yet this had led to them saving her from the Troll when they had finally become friends. In actual fact, Hermione had stayed a know it all, studying constantly throughout all their years at Hogwarts, and Hermione still tried to get Harry and Ron to study as much as her, to no avail. Being a muggleborn made her want to study hard. She wanted to impress the world with her knowledge of magic. She was going to be the best witch ever, and wanted the same for her friends.
As long as she and they got out of this alive.
Being a muggleborn - or as smarmy ferrets like Malfoy put it, a Mudblood - she was in more risk than others fighting tonight, not to mention being Harry's best friend as well.
The cause for which the Death Eaters fought was a pro-pureblood one. They aimed at a world of 'perfection'. A world with aristocrat purebloods and no muggleborns or half bloods. A world which would live on the fear of those beneath them. A Slytherin world of cunning and power-hungry testosterone trying to prove their worth. A world where the weak were squashed.
A world where the Draco Malfoy's of Society killed the Hermione Granger's of society without a second thought.
Thoughts of Malfoy caused Hermione to scowl.
"You know guys, I never saw Malfoy in the Transfiguration classroom. Actually I didn't see many Slytherins at all. Wonder where they were?" Of course, Hermione's voice was laden with sarcasm. What she wouldn't give to kill Malfoy here herself tonight.
Ron looked angered "Yeah well we saw it coming all along didn't we? What do you expect from a prat who is calling perfectly nice, smart, girls like you Mudbloods from his second year, and probably behind your back in first! The guy is intolerable. I'll kill him tonight."
"Actually guys, I think Malfoy -"
Harry was cut off. Death Eaters were approaching. Lifting the silencing spells surrounding the clearing, they gave the signal to those behind them, who continued to pass it on and wave after wave, jumped out of the forest, charging at their enemies, screaming out maniacally. Surprise was the first tactic, intimidation, their second. Unforgivables, curses, hexes, simple levitation spells, anything that came to their minds were aimed at the Death Eaters in a sea of black cloaks.
The fighters for the Light wore red. It was a symbol for the Courage and Bravery of Gryffindor. Also a colour of blood; even if they were bleeding to death, they would still look the same. They would not stop fighting even if their insides were falling out.
It was a sign of willingness to avenge their loved ones lost over the years.
The Death Eaters were surrounded, on all sides were row upon row of red-cloaked warriors, wands trained unshakingly on any who would move.
From in front of Harry, Ron and Hermione, a figure stepped forward, removing its mask. Everyone except the three young fighters flinched.
This was the confrontation before battle. Would the Death Eaters surrender their cause? Very few hoped so. Revenge was in their minds and hearts, on their lips, ready to be screamed out. Voldemort's demonic head and red eyes looked at them. "So, I see this was a planned attack. Severus come forward."
Severus Snape stepped forward to Voldemort who surely would kill him for the traitorous betrayal. As he walked to the Dark Lord, He ripped off his black robe, revealing red underneath. The Death Eaters hissed, their attention on Snape. While they watched with mirth to see what was going to happen to the man who betrayed their cause, they didn't notice movement within their ranks.
At least a fifth of the Death Eaters dropped their masks and slipped off their black cloaks, Voldemort turned around, stunned, with back to the trio as he looked on at his 'faithful' minions. They raised their wands and started firing hexes at the supposed allies.
As Hermione Granger looked at the traitors and new-found allies to the Light, she caught the eyes of Draco Malfoy.
Staring for a moment, he suddenly tore his eyes form her and spun, casting the killing curse on his father.
Hermione knew then that they could win this battle. If prejudiced little ferrets like him could turn their backs on their families and what they had been taught all their lives, she knew they had a chance.
Seeing Voldemort distracted, duelling with her potions Professor, she shoved her friend forward. "Go, Harry - now!"
She now ran forward also and her mind filled with spells that flew from her mouth rapidly, stunning, torturing, killing, and body-binding her enemies. One mantra ran through her head as she did this: Malfoy isn't evil. Malfoy isn't evil.
This was her hope.
Unbelievably, after all these years of fighting and name-calling, Malfoy was giving her the hope to continue.
Usually, Hermione may have felt guilty for killing so many people, even if they were Death Eaters. But not tonight. She was shouting of curses so quickly that she didn't realise what she said, didn't stop for a duel because she just wanted to stop everyone at once.
Running around for what seemed like hours, Hermione came across Harry dueling with Voldemort. It made her shudder to see a ray of light between them. Their magical auras both fighting for the magical survival of their owners.
It was just as Harry had described it to them after the duel in fourth year. Out of Voldemort's wand came figures, of Harry's parents, friends, allies. Everyone who had been slain at the hands of Voldemort. The number had grown impossibly since their last duel though. And this time, the ghostly figures were not only escaping Voldemort's wand.
Out of Harry's wand flew many transparent shapes that he had killed tonight, and during battle in their fifth year at the ministry and in sixth year' conflicts. Hermione had to turn away when she saw what death her friend had caused.
Yet almost instantly after this, she flew back into her crazy cursing spree, attacking Death Eaters standing around the two duelling wizards, trying to protect their master.
Finally realising that Voldemort and Harry were duelling, and Voldemort was at his weakest, Light fighters began to make their way to the pair. With the advantage of numbers, regardless of lack of dark-arts knowledge, the Light side was obviously suffering less casualties. Black figures littered the ground
Slowly and very gradually more and more Death Eaters dropped to the ground. Only a few dozen were left now, dripping with perspiration and obvious fatigue. The Death Eaters who survived ran off into the forest, abandoning their master for fear of their own lives. Or so was thought.
The warriors for the light cheered, but quickly became subdued as they remember Harry and Voldemort were still fighting.
Hermione watched from the outside of their protective ring as Harry became weaker and weaker. Ron joined her and, tears pouring down their faces, they watched as Harry broke the link and crumpled to the floor.
Voldemort was too fast for his enemies. He quickly cast powerful sheilding spells, and looked out from his protective barrier at the red crowd, laughing.
"You think any of you could truly defeat me? Lord Voldemort?" Laughing maniacally, he strode over to Harry, kicking him in the stomach.
A scream came from Hermione's throat as she saw Harry's eyes close with pain.
Hearing this, Voldemort turned around. "See, even the most powerful of you are easily scared, well -" It was ironic how "Lord" Voldemort was willing to accept that Hermione was one of the most powerful. Had any of his live followers still been in the clearing, shadows of doubt would have flickered across their faces. A mudblood, powerful?
Breaking the silence of hundreds of Light fighters' bated breaths; Harry whispered something, cutting Voldemort off.
"What was that? A last request? Ha!" Patronising and mocking Harry, Voldemort continued, "You pathetic boy. What did you ask for?"
"For you to die. Avada Kedavra!"
And that was it; the moment when all hell broke lose. Harry killed Voldemort, yes, but the Light side dropped their wands, and ran to Harry cheering. Had they known what was going to come next, they would have left Harry to suffer.
A second wave of Death Eaters flowed into the clearing, now angry to revenge their leader whom the Death Eaters who had left earlier had alerted.
Hermione and Ron were at the front of the crowd, running to Harry, not to congratulate, but to whisk him off to the Great Hall like so many others had been sent. The two friends didn't make it in time, freezing as a Death Eater ripped off her mask, and said 'Happy to see me Harry? Look into my face you weakling." When Harry looked up, he saw Bellatrix Lestrange, murderer of his godfather looking at him from two metres away. "Avada Kedrava," was screamed from her mouth, but it didn't hit target.
It hit Ron. He jumped in front of Harry, saving his friend from the Unforgivable. But the cold Bellatrix wasn't disturbed. "Well, there's one down at least, see you in hell Potter."
A stunned Hermione was left alone, her best friends dead, right before her eyes. Bellatrix turned to her and smirked. "Oops, did I break your heart? Perhaps I should calm your pain and kill you too?" As she raised her wand, her mouth forming the words, Hermione shut her eyes, accepting her fate, at least she'd be with her friends.
"Finally it's your turn to suffer for all the lives you've taken Bellatrix, Crucio!"
Hermione broke down then. She wasn't free from her grief, the killing curse never came, no flash of green light, a signal to let her go. She barely even noticed as Snape challenged Lestrange. It was too much. How could she go on without her boys? Ron and Harry had always been there for her, putting up with her many faults and loving her for who she was.
Suddenly, she found herself without any hope. What was the point of continuing? She cried for her friends, ignoring the chaos around her, she cried for loss of purpose in her life, for loss of hope.
Hope...
Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of her face. Hermione looked up through her tears into the face of Draco Malfoy. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, wiped away her tears with his hands and smiled at her.
It was the first smile he had ever given her.
Now, Hermione knew that when she had cried out for hope, she had unknowingly called out for Draco Malfoy. She drew in a deep breath, preparing herself, smiled back at him, then spun around, drew her wand and ran after Bellatrix Lestrange who had just stunned Snape.
She had found her hope.