Harry stood, facing the Dark Lord Voldemort. He gripped his wand tightly, his hands shaking as pain shot through his body. Voldemort was toying with him, weakening his resolve before the final blow. Harry knew what his fate was, and focused solely on taking the Dark Lord with him.

"You are weak, Harry," said the pale figure, his lipless mouth forming a smile. "You're friends are gone, and you're all alone. You cannot possibly win."

"I don't have to win," said Harry, concentrating on his next move. "I just have to stop you from winning."

Voldemort laughed at this, setting his feet for his next attack. "All right, Harry. I'm through playing games. I'm going to end this now. I'm sure you'd thank me, but you'll be dead so I guess I'll never know for sure. Good bye."

Harry cast his spell seconds before the Dark Lord, and again their wands met. Harry's arms began to shake as violently as they had his fourth year, and he silently prayed that Voldemort's victims would stay away. He didn't want to see who Voldemort had killed in the past three hours of the battle. He didn't want to know who had gone before him.

A head began to emerge from the end of the Dark Lord's wand, but before the body could follow, Voldemort's wand seemed to flicker out, allowing Harry's curse to hit it's mark. Harry watched Voldemort stumble and fall to his knees, looked around feverishly for the origin of the curse. He saw Piper standing nearly ten yards away, her hair flowing behind her. Harry noticed it was clumped together and crusted with blood.

"Finish him, Harry!" she screamed, her wand still at the ready.

Harry turned back to Voldemort, who had returned to his feet and was pointing his wand at Harry. "Expelliamos!" he yelled, casting Harry's wand into the grass. Harry watched helplessly as Voldemort's wand fell on Piper.

"What a surprise, Piper dear. It's bee far too long." His lipless mouth formed into a smile. "Good bye, dear. Avado kenarva!" he said, green jet's shooting from his wand. Harry was forced to turn his head away from the bright contact of Voldemort's curse to Piper; when he turned back, Piper lay very still on the ground.

"Accio wand!" he screamed, his wand instantly in his grasp. Again, the two wands met midcurse, and the head began to emerge from the tip of Voldemort's wand. This time, a body did follow. A man fell to th ground, stood awkwardly. Harry recognized him instantly.

"Professor Lupin," said Harry, watching his old professor looking around awkwardly. His eyes fell on Voldemort, then on Harry. He seemed to instantly understand.

"Hold on tight, Harry," he said, smiling weakly. "Ron and Hermione are still out there fighting. Don't let them down."

Harry nodded, though he knew this Lupin was only a reflection of his friend. He only hoped what Lupin had said about Ron and Hermione was true.

"Expelliamus!" The wands instantly parted, and Harry was thrown from his feet. He looked around aimlessly for his fallen professor, saw Voldemort laying on the ground, moaning softly. His gaze shifted away from the Dark Lord, falling on a very welcomed surprise.

Piper was alive, leaning on her arm to hold herself up. Her wand was in front of her, though the hand that held it was slowly falling to the ground. She looked at Harry, trying to tell him something, though no sound escaped her mouth. Her body seemed to give out, and she again laid motionless on the ground.

Harry, though, knew exactly what she had said.

"Now!"

Harry stood quickly and pointed his wand at the Dark Lord. "Avado kenarva!"

Green jets erupted from Harry's wand, erupted against the Dark Lord. He was flung backward, falling spread eagle on the ground some ten yards away.

Harry ran to Piper's side, turning her over and lifting her into his arms. He shook her, called her name, trying to make her wake. Finally, her eyes opened slightly, and a smile crossed her lips.

"I've never...been so happy...to be so wrong," she mumbled.

"Me too," said Harry, watching as she slowly closed her eyes again. He fought back tears, looking around at the empty field. He was alone there. The rest of the wizards continued their fighting on far away fields, oblivious to the fact that the Dark Lord had fallen.

Harry looked back at the body of his foe, mumbled, "Accio wand." As the wand began to release itself from Voldemort's grasp, the pale fingers clasped firmly around the wood.

Harry stood immidiatly, his wand at the ready as Voldemort slowly rolled onto his side. Harry stepped closed to his foe, listening to the rasping breath. He stopped some ten feet from the Dark Lord as the dark slits that were his eyes fell on Harry.

"You...will live to...regret this." With that, he shouted a final spell that Harry easily blocked, the apparated. Harry stared at the spot where Voldemort had lay, his hands shaking.

He forced his gaze away, saw that Piper had not moved from where he'd dropped her in his haste to face Voldemort again. Harry shoved his wand into his pocket, ran to the fallen girl, and gathered her in his arms. Slowly he began to walk. The field where many wizards had fought not moment ago had fallen silent as the Death Eaters apparated away to join their leader.

Piper lay motionless at the end of the hospital wing. Harry glanced down from his seat between Ron's and Hermione's beds every few minutes, wondering when she would stir. Dumbledore had not left her side since Harry had stumbled onto the grounds with her in his arms. The old man had not slept in several days as he waited for her to respond to Madam Profrey's treatments.

Ron lay propped up against several pillows, munching on a sizable sweet sent to him by Mrs. Weasley. "He hasn't moved in days. I woke up last night and he was just sitting there, staring at her."

Hermione looked up from her book, looked down at Piper, then back at her friends. "He's using a healing technique with her. I heard he and Madam Pomfrey talking about it."

Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses. Ron and Hermione were responding well to the treatment potions, but nothing had drawn so much as a stir from Piper. Harry knew the blocking spell she had used had drained her significantly the first time she'd used it on him in the clearing, but she'd perfected it since then.

The amount of power behind Voldemort's curse, though, could have been more than she could bear. She'd blocked his curse, and even been able to cast one of her own afterward. It said much about her own power, though Harry wondered how much she could really take.

"Harry?"

Harry lifted his face, his glasses falling low on his nose. Hermione was looking at him, concerned.

"Are you sure he used the Unforgivable Curse?" she asked, putting her book aside. "I mean, she was able to cast a spell after she'd been hit. She should have died..."

"I told you she blocked it," said Harry, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"I know, but what blocking spell could possibly be strong enough...?"

"Trust me, Hermione," said Harry, standing, "this one was strong enough. I'll be right back." He chanced a wink at Ron, who's face contorted into that of panic.

Harry turned quickly and walked to the end of the hall, feeling Hermione and Ron's eyes on his back. He justified his exit with the fact that the two would want time to be alone, having nearly lost each other in the fields. Harry almost smiled at the thought that Ron was finally going to ask Hermione to marry him. Harry himself had pushed him forward in it, saying that the final battle could happen at any time, and who knew who would survive it. Ron had tried to push this aside, but Harry pushed him on.

A chair appeared next to Dumbledore as Harry approached. He sat, his hands on his knees as he watched Piper. Her breath was shallow, but she seemed to be resting. Dumbledore's eyes never left the girl's still form.

"Headmaster," started Harry, when silence had hung too long between them. The old man's wrinkled hand raised to stop him, and Harry's mouth clamped shut.

"Piper will wake when she is ready." He nodded his head, as if convincing himself of this. "She has to recover on the inside before she can on the outside."

Harry instantly thought the old man and finally lost his marbles, but remained silent. Minutes passed, but neither spoke.

Piper's eyes began to move beneath their lids, and Harry sat forward hopefully. The movement ceased, and he leaned back.

"Nadapass is a very powerful blocking spell," said Dumbledore, softly. "I've no doubt Voldemort used the same spell to block you." He pushed his half-moon glasses further up his nose. "I have never been successful with it, yet she was. How did she learn to..." The old man drifted into soft mumblings.

Harry started to explain about their meetings in the clearing, but Dumbledore raised his hand again.

"I know you two practiced spells on each other. I can't say I approve of your choice of subjects, but I'm glad with the results." He put his hand on Piper's shoulder, saying, "She'll wake soon."

He suddenly felt unsure if the Headmaster was angry or pleased he'd finally succeeded in slaying the Dark Lord. Not so much that he'd done it, Harry mused, but how he'd done it.

"I never used..."

"I know."

Dumbledore sighed, as if invisible weight were being added onto his shoudlers. "I should imagine you'll need more training in the coming year. Voldemort will return, Harry."

"I know, sir."

Dumbledore nodded. "Once more, Harry. That's all I'll ask of you. Once more." Harry nodded, knowing his next confrontation with the Dark Lord would indeed be his last.

Harry fell silent, confident of the silent understanding between them. He reached out and placed his hand on Piper's, feeling how very cold it was. He was exhausted, decided to rest his eyes only a moment. He felt his body leaning forward, his head resting on the bed next to Piper's body, his hand still on hers.

He stirred what seemed like minutes later to Hermione's squeal. He sat up quickly to see Hermione jump onto Ron, who fell back onto his bed, in her excitement. Dumbledore was no longer at his side, his chair having disappeared as well.

Harry felt pressure against his fingers, turned quickly to see Piper smiling up at him. He smiled broadly, though no words could escape his mouth. She lay still, her eyes never leaving Harry's. A single tear slid from the corner of her eye, and she squeezed Harry's hand with all her strength.