The sounds of fighting in the entrance hall -- bellowed curses and counter curses, explosions and crashes -- carried up the marble staircase and around the corner to the corridor where Harry led his makeshift army.
As he paused at the corner before the staircase, he heard the languid voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt cry, "Expelliarmus!"
"Sounds like at least some of the aurors have made it in," he whispered to Arthur. "I'm going to have a look."
He crouched and made his way slowly to the staircase, eased his head around, quickly ascertaining that the Death Eaters were outnumbered but not by much, then crawled back to the others.
"Ready?" he asked, seeing much nervousness in the witches and wizards before him, but also a determination in each of them to finish things. "Let's go."
As they raced down the stairs, Kingsley saw them and yelled, "Finally decided to join us, eh Potter?"
"Can't take care of things on your own, Shacklebolt?" Harry shouted back as he fired off a stunning spell.
Minutes later and the room was clear, all Death Eaters in custody or simply dead. Harry approached the doors to the Great Hall and shoved them open.
"Harry, wait!" Hermione cried, rushing over.
"He's not in there," he said quietly. "I can't feel him."
The Great Hall was indeed empty, tables and chairs flung about the room.
"I need to see Kingsley."
They left the Great Hall and found Shacklebolt on the front steps to the castle, overseeing the transport of the captured Death Eaters. Wizards and witches in robes of all colors canvassed the greens, holding Death Eaters, helping injured.
"Where did all these people come from?" Harry asked. "That's more than just the aurors from the Ministry."
"France."
"I thought no one made it out of France, that it was a bloodbath," Hermione said.
"That's what we thought too," answered Kingsley. "We lost communication with our contacts in France after the attack, and everything we heard suggested that no one survived, but I think we were being fed information from Death Eater supporters within the Ministry to keep us from knowing what happened."
"What did happen?"
"Death Eaters attacked the Magical Authority in Paris, and it started off as a massacre but Spain and Germany both sent some help, and a few from the States showed up as well, and they managed to push back the Death Eaters. Once everything was stabilised there, they apparated here, to the Ministry rather, and someone arranged a portkey here."
"He must've known," Harry said. "That's why he ran."
Kingsley agreed. "He knew he was outnumbered. We could have taken the castle without their help, but it would have taken all day. They just speeded up the process."
"So what now?" asked Hermione, looking from Kingsley to Harry. "Voldemort still has Albus."
"And Draco and Severus," Harry added darkly. "But we don't know where he is."
Hermione said, "We took out most of his Death Eaters by killing them or capturing them, so either he'll go into hiding or stage one final showdown."
"I'm betting on the showdown," Harry said. "In which case, I'm sure we'll be hearing from him shortly."
Harry and Hermione went back inside to assess the damage and to help transport the injured to the Great Hall, which Madame Pomfrey had converted into a makeshift hospital wing. Casualties were fairly light on the side of the Order, though a good number of the aurors sustained more serious injuries. Hours passed with no sign from Voldemort.
A large group stood outside the Great Hall, determining who would remain at Hogwarts until the wards could be restored, when Harry collapsed to his knees, his scar splitting open, unable to move or speak, until a chilly voice issued from him:
"Your Headmaster is defeated and so are you. I am saving the pleasure of killing the traitors for you to witness, before I destroy you and the prophecy is complete!"
Harry writhed against the pain, pushed with all his might against the presence in his mind, but it did no good.
"You know where to find me. It will end where it began."
As quickly as it started, it was over, leaving Harry gasping for breath and everyone standing about him in shock. Ron recovered first and helped Harry to stand.
"Albus?" Hermione whispered. "He couldn't have....""He showed me an image of Albus on the ground, but we won't know if he's lying until we go there ourselves."
"Where?" Ron asked.
"Godric's Hollow. I'm sure he finds perverse amusement in choosing that place."
"We just need to decide who stays and who goes," Hermione said, matter-of-factly. "The sooner we get there, the better the chances that Draco and Severus are still alive."
"I'm going!" Ron quickly volunteered, as did most of the bystanders.
"Wait a minute, there's something else," Hermione said then hurried up the stairs without anything further.
"Where's she going?" Ron asked and Harry answered with a shrug.
Minutes later, she returned holding a silver, ruby encrusted sword, the sword of Godric Gryffindor. "I thought you might need this," she said, thrusting it into Harry's open hands.
"I have two portkeys ready," announced Arthur. "We'll arrive just south of Godric's Hollow and proceed to the Potter house. I've already contacted the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes; I'm sure we'll need them to control the Muggles."
There were nearly thirty in all that crowded around the two portkeys, and Hermione felt her stomach clench with fear. This was it, one way or another. She closed her eyes as the portkey took hold, opening them only after they arrived and she stumbled, bumping into Remus Lupin who grabbed her arm and kept her steady.
"Alright there?"
"Yes, thanks. Harry, do you know where we're going?"
Harry nodded. "I've been here a few times."
Night had fallen and the village was asleep as the group moved quickly and quietly, following Harry. He stopped at the mouth of a street and inhaled sharply. At the end of the street, over an empty lot, hung the Dark Mark, illuminating the area.
"He knows we're here," Harry said quietly. "We should evacuate the --"
A sharp scream interrupted him, followed by a Muggle woman flying through the air and landing on the pavement before them. Hermione knew without checking that the woman was dead from the impact.
"Looks like he already did," Ron growled, his wand hand twitchy. "Let's go get him!"
"We have to be careful, Ron. He might have more hostages."
"That he'll kill if we don't do something!"
"Ron's right," Kingsley said. "We have to get in there. Harry?"
"I'm ready. Let's finish this."
A dog barked as they advanced down the street, moving through the pools of light from the street lamps, the green glow of the Dark Mark a macabre beacon at the end of the street. As they neared the empty lot, the remains of the house became visible. Two dozen Death Eaters stood together and parted slightly to reveal Voldemort standing behind them. Harry slowed, and everyone with him.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort rasped, stepping forward. "Have you come to meet your death?"
"No, I've come to bring yours. Where are they?"
Voldemort motioned with a spidery hand for the Death Eaters to move, and half did so, revealing three figures on the ground: Albus, Severus and Draco. None of them moved.
"I fear Mr Malfoy is slipping closer to death as we speak. It is too bad I cannot provide his cure after all."
"He didn't want the cure, he wanted you dead," Harry said slowly, bringing his wand up. Out of the corner of his mouth, he muttered, "Keep me a clear line. I'm going after him."
"Right," Hermione whispered and aimed at the Death Eater to the left of Voldemort. "Whenever you're ready."
"You still think you have a chance?" Voldemort laughed, a high-pitched sound that jarred the nerves. "You will die pleading for your life, just like your parents --"
"NOW!"
Curses erupted from the street, catching many of the Death Eaters by surprise, but others recovered quickly and sent back shots of their own. Hermione sidestepped a purple spell streaking towards her and picked off another Death Eater. One by one the Death Eaters fell, until all that remained was Voldemort.
Harry crossed the distance and stood before him, shoulders back and wand out and ready, while Voldemort watched with him predatory eyes.
"So you have defeated my Death Eaters. But you cannot defeat me, for I am stronger than any who has come before."
"No you're not," Harry said quietly, his green eyes trained on Voldemort as he pointed his wand at Harry.
Voldemort's wand slashed through the air, a green jet shooting through the air, and Harry easily deflected it.
"You'll have to do better than that," he taunted.
Hermione pulled herself away from the witches and wizards surrounding them and went to Remus, who knelt beside Dumbledore, feeling for a pulse under the white beard.
"He's still alive, but barely. Same with Malfoy."
"And Severus?"
Remus nodded. "Strong pulse, but unconscious. I'll take them to Madam Pomfrey."
Before she could respond, a flash of golden light and a series of gasps brought Hermione's attention back to the duel and she herself gasped when she saw the streams of golden light surrounding Harry and Voldemort, just as Harry had described, as was the ethereal sound of phoenix song and the beads of light between the wands.
Harry's wand quivered and shook but he managed to hold it steady, putting all his might and effort into pushing the beads towards Voldemort. They moved slowly at first, then steadily gained momentum until one touched the tip of Voldemort's wand and it began to emit the shadows of spells, and quickly the inside of the golden dome was filled with his most recent victims.
Harry kept his wand locked with Voldemort's, and the beam grew stronger, the beads larger, the wands shrieked from the vibrations, and the Dark Lord finally began to show fear. Harry held tight to the wand with his left hand and raised his right over his head, palm open and facing Voldemort. Hermione could see his lips move but could hear nothing over the shrieking of the wands, and suddenly Harry moved his right hand forward, as if throwing a ball, and the world exploded in a brilliant haze of gold, throwing everyone to the ground.
It took her a moment to orient herself, but Hermione quickly sat up and saw Harry still standing, this time over the prostrate figure of Voldemort. His hands shook subtly as he pulled Godric Gryffindor's sword from his robes and placed the tip on Voldemort's chest and for once, the red eyes showed a glimpse of fear.
"If you kill me, you will be no better than I," he hissed.
"So be it."
Harry shoved until the sword struck the soft earth, Voldemort's screams piercing the air until they finally subsided and he stopped struggling around the sword. His face body began to transform, from the ghostly white skeleton to an old man, jet black hair tinged with silver and green eyes staring unseeing to the sky: Tom Riddle.
Without removing the sword, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the body and spoke in a language no one understood. When he was finished, he pulled the sword from Riddle's body and it crumbled to ash.
"Harry? Are you alright?" Hermione asked, rushing to his side, Ron quick to follow.
"Yeah," he murmured, still staring at the ground where Riddle had laid.
"What spell was that?"
"Something Dumbledore made me learn in seventh year to prepare me for the final battle. It's an ancient Welsh spell, supposedly one of Merlin's. You'll have to ask him what it does."
"Hopefully I can. Remus took them back to Hogwarts."
"Draco?" he asked, the hope burning in his eyes making her heart ache. "He's alive?"
She hesitated. "He's not good."
"I have to go, I need to see him."
"Of course. We'll go together."
Ron touched her shoulder and whispered, "Go on, I'll help clean up here."
Hermione thanked him and transformed a portkey and within moments they stood just outside the Great Hall at Hogwarts.
"Harry! Hermione!" Remus called as he rushed over, quite surprised to see them. "Is it over?"
Harry ignored him and went to search for Draco among the sea of hospital beds, leaving Hermione to answer alone.
"Finished. Voldemort's dead, for good this time."
A strangled cry slipped from Remus's lips and tears came to his eyes, which he hurriedly wiped with his hand.
"Severus is alright, Poppy says. He's over there," he said, pointing to the windows. "Albus should be alright, she says, after a long recovery.""And Draco?" Hermione asked softly, knowing the prognosis could not be good.
He shook his head. "She doesn't think he'll last the night. Go on and see Severus. We can talk later."
...
Poppy released Severus into Hermione's care, not having the time or patience to argue with him whether or not he needed to stay, but she trusted Hermione to keep him in check and so sent her off with a flagon of sleeping draught and instructions to make sure Severus actually took it, which he did, surprisingly enough.
Early the next morning, while Severus still slept, Hermione left the dungeons, looking for Harry. She stopped by the Great Hall but didn't see him. Poppy slept on a cot near her patients, and Hermione left to look through the castle. She went outside after a fruitless hour of searching and found him on the quidditch pitch, racing on his broom, so she went to the stands and watched him fly. After a while, he dropped back to the ground and joined her. She could see he had been crying. He sat quiet for several minutes and she didn't intrude.
"He died around four this morning."
Hermione grabbed his hand and entwined her fingers in his but still said nothing.
"He told me he loved me and for me not to blame myself, that he couldn't have lived with himself if I --" he broke off with a sob and he doubled up, dropping his head to his knees.
She pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him, and Harry clutched at her as sobs wracked his body. They sat like that for a long time until his cries abated and he sat up again, rubbing at his tears angrily, but he didn't push her away.
"I could have still gotten the countercurse! I should've made Voldemort talk before I killed him and threw away Draco's only chance!"
"He wouldn't have given it to you," she said softly. "He would have toyed with you and given you nothing."
"Maybe, but I could have tried."
He stared off into the blue sky and they sat in silence, until Ron's voice carried over the pitch.
"Harry! 'Mione! I've been looking for you for ages! Dumbledore's awake!""Thank Merlin!" Hermione breathed.
"He wants to see you, Harry."
"Shall we go?" Harry said, standing and offering his hand to her. "I suppose he wants to throw a big party tonight in celebration."
"Actually," Ron said as he neared the stands, a grin crossing his face, "I think he does."
Hermione laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"
...
A/N:
I sincerely hope this chapter was worth the wait. It's not quite the end, I still have a few loose ends to wrap up, so be patient, yet again. So please, let me know how it was, it took ages to write because nothing ever seemed right, and I'm still not 100 pleased, but near enough that I thought it best to put you out of your misery. Thank you so much, each and everyone of you!