A/N: Ya! I am ALIVE! Sorry this chapter is sooo short. lol. This chapter has been hell for me! First I had complete writers block on it and then my computer decided to be an ass and I had to delete it. :cries softly: So I am going to try and get it all fixed again. lol. Anyway, hope this works. Thank you to all of my reviewers. I LOVE YOU! Stay with me here. I think it is getting somewhere. :)

Chapter 4

The Beginning of Battle, Part 1

Everyone had their eyes on Harry. He was their complete centre of attention. The words he had just spoken had an immediate effect on the crowed of students. Their faces paled and some of the girls had tears in their eyes though they had yet to fall. They all looked scared. Even some of the older students couldn't hide the deep sense of loss that they felt.

Harry didn't know how he could do this. Why where they all looking to him for the answers? He was just as scared as the rest of them.

"I can't give you anything more" he said to them.

That was when it started. Several small voices in the crowed started saying things like "but we have you!" "Ya! You can stop him!".

Before he knew it, they were asking him how to stop the Death Eaters outside and what was going to happen. They became so upset that Harry was worried they were all going to jump on him at one point. Their desperation was over whelming. It was almost claustrophobic in a way. It was even worse looking at the first and second years. Their young innocent faces were written with their fears right on top.

Harry's stomach flipped inside out as he looked at them. He felt as if he could be sick at any time and was even about to when Hermione squeezed his hand in reassurance. This simple gesture had a great impact on him. Suddenly he felt better, his stomach at peace.

On the other side of the hall McGonagall's voice rang across the crowed of students. "Everyone to their houses now!" she commanded breaking up the large amount of shouting that had arisen.

It took a few moments but they soon started heading off. Around the three, students all started towards their respective houses. Talking was replaced with the sounds of many feet as some headed up the stairs, down to the dungeons and across the halls. Hermione and Ron started up the stairs behind the rest of the school when they realized that Harry wasn't with them. Hermione looked back at him.

Harry was looking towards the door. As he looked he was suddenly over come with that strange feeling again, the feeling that he was ready. Not knowing what it meant he just tried to forget it, but then it hit him like a wave upon the sand. In his mind it all made since and he soon knew it to be true with his whole heart. Looking at the large wooden door that now separated the school from an army of Death Eaters he could feel him there. Voldamort. Harry could feel him waiting and watching knowing exactly what he now knew.

Harry's heart started to rise inside of him. He was now more scared then he had ever been up onto that moment.

Hermione looked down at the boy that had now become a man. Harry stood staring towards the door; his stance was rigged with tension. Something wasn't as it should be, this she knew. She wondered what he was thinking at that moment.

"Harry, what is the matter?" she asked him. Harry's bright green eyes locked onto her with an intensity and fear that shook her very heart. At that moment a sickening feeling over came her as she looked down at him. His cold pale face was all she could see. Everything around him seemed to turn to darkness. Hermione felt as if she was looking down into a tomb. Her whole soul shock at that moment as she realized what he was doing.

Before she could stop herself Hermione had run down the stairs and thrown herself into Harry's arms. She felt the comfort of his strong hands hold her tight as he was thinking the same thing she was. A silent tear ran down her cheek.

"Don't do this!" she whispered into his ear. "Don't! It doesn't have to be now!" More tears came running down her soft face. Hermoine had known about the prophecy for some time now but she never thought about what would happen when the time came.

Harry could feel the wet tears on his neck as Hermione spoke to him. He could feel his heart breaking inside. It took all of his will not to break down in tears before her, but he couldn't let himself. He knew he had to be strong, for both of them. Slowly and with much regret Harry pulled Hermione away so that he could see her face to face, see her warm loving brown eyes that had always given him such strength.

"This has to be," he said softly with much calm in his voice, a calm that he didn't feel. He ran a hand through her hair feeling its softness through his fingers. "This is something I have to do." The whole time his eyes never left hers.

Hermione just shook her head. "The whole time you said you didn't know what you would do with out me," she said as she held his hand as it slid down her face. "but what would I do without you?" she leaned her head against Harry. "Don't do this, don't do this."

Ron watched the scene in front of him that had just unfolded in front of his eyes. He saw his two best friends acting towards each other like he had never seen them do before. In his mind he was hurt that they hadn't told him about it, but soon he came to the realization that it no longer mattered. Things were happening around them that were far more important than why they had not told him of their relationship.

"So this is it mate?" he asked Harry. He knew Harry knew something that he didn't. The two looked up at Ron as he joined them. "This is what it comes down to? This last fight?"

Harry slide his hand down and grabbed Hermione's, "This is it." He knew he didn't have time to explain to Ron about him and Hermione and looking at him Harry realized his best friend had accepted it. He was grateful. He needed Ron with him if they were going to get through this.

"Well, you have us behind you, right Hermione?" Ron asked Hermione. She had stopped crying and her face was now calmer looking though he could see her mind hard at work.

She nodded at his words, "your right," Her voice was strong with her will to help him.

Harry looked at his friends in disbelief. He felt a sudden mix of emotions. As much as he needed his friends, he couldn't stand to have them in dangers way. If either of them were hurt in this fight, he didn't know what he was going to do. When he spook she tried to speak with authority and strength "No."

At that moment Professor McGonagall walked over to them in a fury. "What do you three think you are doing here? You should be up in your house with the other students." They could see that she was trying to keep herself together, but she was wearing out fast.

Harry looked at her. "I am staying professor" he stated to her. It wasn't a question.

McGonagall took a hard look at Harry. She could see that something was different about him and soon enough, just like it had done with the others, she realized too. Her face showed her deep sadness, a very rare occasion. "I can't allow it Potter," she told him.

Hermione then spoke up. "Actually professor," she said, "we are over the age limit. You can't really tell us whether we can fight or not. It is our choice." She knew she had just outwitted her. There was no way that she could stop them.

McGonagall looked at the three friends. They really were a site. She never though that any friendship could have out done James and Sirius' but these three had done it. In their eyes she could see their determination to stand beside one another no matter what happens. Harry was going to fight and they were not about to leave him. She gave a heavy sigh and said "Very well, you my stay. Fallow me."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked after their teacher.

"Well, this is it mates," Ron said in a upbeat voice, trying to lighten the mood.

"Right" Harry said in a much calmer voice. Hermione didn't say anything.

Slowly the "Golden Trio" headed out of the entry hall, the last to leave.