Chapter 13- PART 1: Voldermort's Victim

A.n: Hi all! Sorry for a late update. I am SO fed up with my home computer so I'm using the school computers. Here is the next chapter in this story and it left off at a cliffy so...ENJOY! And Chp 14 is PART 2 and...well, I don't want to give anything away. Will Harry, Hermione and Severus beat Voldermort once and for all? Continue to read to find out!

Hermione looked up after impaling her attacker with thick icicles, she saw Harry pinned underneath Voldermort and the serpent sword being swung for a killing blow...

"HARRY!"

Severus looked up, blood streaming from his mouth as he heard Hermione's scream echo through the hall. He saw Voldermort bring down his serpent sword to slice Harry's throat and Severus saw Hermione's horror stricken face. He leapt up, grabbing a sword that was near him, didn't stop to think where it had come from, and he ran forward.

Snape neared them and lunged out with the sword and he heard a clink of metal hitting metal.

Harry looked up and saw Snape looming over him with a sword holding off Voldermort. Voldermort growled in hatred and brought back his sword and jumped backwards.

"How dare you..."

"Are you alright, Potter?"

Harry nodded and stood slowly and shakily. He noticed his wand on the ground near his feet and he picked it up.

"Let me finish him..."

Harry looked at the sword in Snape's hands and his eyes widened.

"Uh...Professor? Look..."

Snape looked at Harry's pointing finger and followed it. He noticed a few red gems on the hilt of the sword and the long shiny silver blade that shimmered in the light of the hall. Just near the base of sword, two words were engraved in the metal in a bold gothic scripting. It read: Godric Gryffindor. Snape's eyes widened and he was confused. How could the sword of Gryffindor be in his hands? He was a Slytherin. Where had it come from?

Voldermort snarled at the realization that he saw on Snape's face. Voldermort lunged at Harry, but Snape threw him the sword and Harry blocked the serpent blade. Snape ducked away and made his way down to Hermione, who was bravely fighting a Death Eater.

Hermione looked up and saw Snape descending the stairs and her heart warmed. He had saved Harry and he was alright. She dodged a blue ball that had barely missed her head by mere inches and she cast Flipendo at the masked assailant. He bowled over and crumpled to the floor. Snape punched a masked face and ran over to Hermione and hugged her fiercely.

Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes and she checked him over quickly.

"You're okay?"

"Only if you are, love."

Hermione gave him a smile and saw a Death Eater behind them. She sprung away from Snape and cast Flipendo at it. Snape turned around in surprise and then smiled at Hermione.

Both of them heard a growl of pain and looked up onto the landing and saw Harry sticking the sword right through Voldermort's gut. Hermione and Snape watched with awe as Harry pulled the sword out viciously and his eyes held pure anger.

Voldermort stumbled away from the railings and leapt at Harry, who dodged him quickly.

Suddenly, the door to the Grand Staircase opened and out came the group that had been defending the stairs. They all had a look of happiness on their faces and some were carrying the robes of Death Eaters.

In the front was Ron. He had such pride in his eyes and he marched forward and struck down a Death Eater. Hermione and Snape started to make their way up the stairs, fighting their way through the small mass of black that had formed, in order to protect their master.

Harry had Voldermort pinned to a wall and he was holding his wand to Voldermort's throat. Harry heard Ron's voice and he looked over his shoulder.

"Ron!"

Ron turned around and smiled at Harry. Hermione saw this and plowed faster through the mass. Snape was at her back and protecting her fiercely. Dumbledore and the rest of the Hogwarts teachers were coming back from the Great Hall and they were now cornering the Death Eaters.

Hermione made her way through and out of the corner of her eye she saw a black form crawl his way to Harry. She didn't really think anything of it until she heard a crack and saw a flash of red fall to the ground.

Hermione turned around and saw Ron laying face down on the cold marble floors. People screamed and Harry turned to Voldermort, who was holding his wand under Harry's arm and put the Gryffindor sword to his neck.

"You bloody bastard!"

Voldermort snickered and disappeared from under Harry's hold. Harry screamed in anger and Hermione ran to Ron's lifeless body.

"RON! RON! WAKE UP!"

Snape came around Hermione and put two fingers to Ron's neck. He felt no pulse. Hermione looked at him with desperate eyes and he shook his head. The look on her face broke his heart and he enveloped her in his embrace. Hermione cried her eyes out and Harry was left gasping angrily on the floor next to where Voldermort had escaped.

Dumbledore walked slowly up the steps and had a grim look on his face. He sighed heavily and flicked his wand slowly and Ron's body floated off the ground.

"We shall regroup and count our losses. We must prepare for Voldermort's next move..."

Harry looked slowly up at Dumbledore with teary, rage filled eyes and his fiery pain exploded in his scar...

A.n: I know...very short, but Part 2 will be longer...I promise.

Next chapter: PART 2: Voldermort's fall