Disclaimer – (See prologue)
Well, it's the last chapter for this part. I'm sorry that I didn't include the quote from the summary, but I will try and put it in somewhere in part two.
Chapter 18Hermione was in full-blown panic mode when she heard that from Severus. She desperately hoped that he would be all right. Even though he told her he would be before he left, she couldn't stop the thoughts taking over her mind.
She knew she wouldn't sleep, so it was pointless to even try. Everyone was to get up and meet in the Great Hall at seven the next day. They weren't sure what time Voldemort would show up, all he told his death eaters was to be ready by morning. Dumbledore asked everyone to try to get some rest, but just in case, they were all issued with a pepper up potion, something Hermione knew she would need.
She wondered how Harry was. Sure he said it didn't bother him, but he also didn't like to show fear. She made her way down to the common room, fully dressed to find Harry sitting by the fire, staring at the door.
She sat next to him, making him jump slightly.
"Sorry, Harry, it's just me, Hermione."
He smiled slightly and then let out a sigh.
"It's tomorrow, Mione. Tomorrow we will be fighting for a better world. I didn't feel scared last week, but now… I… I'm so scared, Mione. I don't want to die, especially if it means that psycho will still be alive to terrorise the world."
"Oh, Harry. Please don't think like that! It's ok to feel scared, it's natural, but it's just because you have to wait around. Tomorrow, you will remember what to do, you always do, and I've seen you do it! We've been through it before, Harry, we can do it again, one last time."
She gave him a reassuring smile and he returned it half-heartedly. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both thinking, when Harry spoke up.
"So why can't you sleep?"
Hermione paused. She could tell him the truth. Tell him everything. But did she want to give him something as big as this before he has to face Voldemort.
"I don't know, Harry. I'm just nervous, I guess."
He nodded and they both fell into silence again.
"Hermione, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What happened to you, those four years ago?"
She looked at him, shocked. She hadn't expected him to ask that. She sighed. He would find out the truth sooner or later. So she told him… everything. He surprised her when he didn't interrupt and surprised her further when he smiled when she finished.
"Aren't you mad at me?"
He shook his head and replied, "Not really. I suspected something was going on with you. But I must admit, I never thought it would be Snape."
"You won't tell Ron will you? I was planning on telling you guys after the war. I didn't want you to have too much on your mind."
"Of course I won't tell him. Just promise you will tell him after tomorrow though."
"I will. I'm just worried he will go mental."
Harry shrugged. "Probably."
They both stayed up most of the night, talking. But finally at around three in the morning, they fell asleep. Ron, a half-asleep Ron, waked them up. He told them that they would need to be in the Great Hall in fifteen minutes.
Both tired, from only having three hours sleep, dragged themselves up off the couch. At that moment in time, they were all grateful for that pepper up potion. However Harry, who had taken the potion, looked very pale.
Everyone looked the same in the Great Hall: nervous and apprehensive. Hermione felt no different. Her stomach felt like a huge knot and she felt that she would throw up her toast. But she forced it down, knowing she needed the energy.
People were looking around nervously as the time drew on. Hermione couldn't see Severus anywhere, so she assumed that Voldemort must have rounded his followers up last night. That made her feel slightly better, knowing that Voldemort wouldn't hurt them the day before the battle.
She felt her stomach lurch when Dumbledore stood up from his seat. All eyes were instantly fixed upon him.
"I have dropped all the wards, except for the apparition one. They should be here very soon. I can feel their presence as we speak. Please get yourselves ready and good luck."
There were a few panicked voices around the hall as everyone rushed around making preparations. The four large tables had vanished. She looked over to Ron. He looked a nervous wreck.
"Do you remember the spell?" She asked, softly.
He nodded, still looking scared. She gave him a brief hug.
"It will be ok, Ron. Do you have the potion?" He pulled out the two vials from his robe and she smiled. "Well, as long as you keep that charm up, we won't get hurt. Don't worry."
"But what about Ginny?"
"She'll be ok. She's with Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary. Dumbledore has warded the whole place. No one but us can get in there."
He looked relieved at this and relaxed slightly. Hermione looked around. Everyone had gone and she looked at Dumbledore in confusion.
"Sir, where is everyone?"
"I've cast an invisibility charm over them. They are our surprise. When Voldemort sees we don't have many people around he will immediately attack, then the charm will be taken off, hopefully confusing his followers."
Hermione smiled. "Good plan. When will he arrive?"
Dumbledore paused for a while and replied, "In about five minutes, I believe. They have arrived and are making their way up to the castle now."
They walked to the middle of the room where the rest of the Hogwarts staff was stood, along with the Weasleys, Remus, Tonks and Harry. Next to Fred and George was a huge bag.
"What's in there?"
"A new invention. A spell bomb. We've modified these ones for this event only. You just throw it at a death eater and even if you have the worst shot ever, you will never miss. They've been charmed not to hit anyone on our side so if they're headed for one of us, it will move around us and head for its target."
"What does it do?"
"Lots of things. Blinds them, confuses them, stuns them, you name it!"
"Wow."
Hermione was impressed with the twins' creativity. They could take the most stupid idea, make it work and improve it.
She was roused from her thoughts when the doors flew open. She tensed immediately as tons of death eaters flooded into the hall, lead by Voldemort. She quickly took her place next to Harry and Ron.
She noticed, with relief, that there weren't as many of them as they had. She noticed Severus' tall, thin frame standing next to Voldemort. She knew it was him, even with the mask.
Voldemort laughed. "So this is your so called army? A few old teachers and children. This will be fun! You all know what to do! Leave Potter alive and kill everyone else. GO!"
The death eaters took this as their queue to attack. Spells were flying everywhere, Fred and George throwing spell bombs at a fast pace. As soon as they crossed the invisible barrier, the charm broke on the supporters, who advanced on the death eaters, taking them by surprise.
The battle continued furiously, spells bouncing off Harry, Ron and Hermione, who returned fire with just as much anger. Hermione's heart leapt to her throat as she hear someone scream 'TRAITOR!' She prayed Severus would be ok.
The air was tense, the presence of magic everywhere. The death eaters were slowly backing down, but still fought with stubbornness. Voldemort was now fighting Harry. He wasn't getting far though, as the spells bounced off the shield Ron was still holding. Hermione fired spells at death eaters who tried to sneak up on unsuspecting victims.
Voldemort was furious as Harry increased his anger by laughing at him. Suddenly the shield wore off and Hermione spun round in time to see Ron downing the potion. She looked back at Voldemort who was grinning madly. He raised his wand at the now unprotected Harry and fired the killing curse straight towards him.
To Hermione's relief the curse bounced of the recast shield and hit Voldemort full force in the chest. He fell to the floor with a scream, smoke surrounding him, which took the shape of a snake.
More screams filled the room and Hermione turned to see the death eaters clutching their left arms.
Hope swelled up inside Hermione when they fell to the ground. She hoped, for Severus' sake, they had passed out.
Cheers went up in the air from the light side. People hugged each other, Aurors went around gathering up the fallen death eaters and Harry just looked on in a daze.
"HARRY!"
Hermione and Harry turned to see Ginny running towards them. A look of relief crossed Harry's features and walked up to Ginny. His look of happiness was soon replaced with anguish when Ginny was suddenly surrounded by the green light of the killing curse from a conscious death eater.
"GINNY!"
Hermione quickly stunned the death eater and rushed to Harry's side, next to Ginny's lifeless form. He was bent over her, tears streaming down his face and shaking uncontrollably. The Weasley family had gathered around them. All were hysterical at the loss of the youngest Weasley.
"Ginny, please. I need you, please don't leave me!"
Hermione stood up, unable to listen anymore. She wiped the tears from her eyes and ran out of the Great Hall. She took a few steadying breaths and pulled out her time turner. She needed to bring Ginny back. Harry had suffered too much already without adding her death as well.
She cast the spell Dumbledore taught her to activate it and then suddenly she felt the familiar tug as she watched the past four years fly by with alarming speed.
She closed her eyes, feeling nauseous at the spinning feeling. She opened them again when she felt something soft underneath her. She was sitting in her bed at Grimmauld Place. She looked around, noticing the vial pressed into her hand. It must have been the potion she took! That meant she was still pregnant! She looked at her hand, pressed on her stomach and she then knew what she had to do…
WOOO! Part one over! Look out for part two, which should be up in a few days time. It's called 'Past Meetings'. I hope you have enjoyed this part, so let me know what you think!