The Wounded

Chapter 7

The fire had claimed everything that had once been Malfoy Manor. Severus was named by the school as his godfather and head of his House to assist him in the burial procedures for his parents. Hermione had to take on all of the classes herself, once again while this was happening. She was beginning to wonder if Draco would ever be allowed just to be a 17-year-old boy.

"Can you believe that Malfoy was not in class again?" she heard Ron talking to Ginny in the hall outside of Potions.

"Things have been rather peaceful without him around. But it's not right to talk like that. Both his parents were just killed in a fire, Ron," Ginny admonished him with a tight smack to his arm.

"Yeah, whatever," Ron mused.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione spat out. Her eyes were on fire. And both Ginny and Ron backed up a step seeing their furious friend storm from the Potions classroom. "I used to think Malfoy was the most inconsiderate prick in this school, but even he did not dare speak badly when my parents died! You have nerve! What if all of your family died in an instant? Hmm? Would you like him talking about you? Wondering where you were instead of in class? Hmm?"

"Hermione! Listen to what you are saying!" Ron said exasperated. "This is Malfoy we are talking about! Damn, you think you got it for the bastard!"

"What's the matter Ron? Jealous? Funny, you have gone from not talking to me at all, to making wild accusations! I have no feelings for Malfoy, but I would not wish this on my worst enemy! Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy may not have been our friends by any stretch of the imagination, but they were his parents! Would you have dared to make these type of comments when my parents were killed? Did you offer up anything to help me through then? No. So I suppose this should not surprise me you self centered, egotistical prat! Get away from me before I really make you beg MacGonagall for mercy!" Hermione hissed.

Ginny realized what was going on. Hermione could relate to the pain that Malfoy was going through and Ron had just firmly stuck his foot in his mouth again. She tried to pull Ron away, but Ron was not going to have any of it.

"Hermione! You listen up! Before all this happened you and I were, well, I thought we were gonna be something! Now, I don't even know who you are!" Ron spat out.

Great Ron, I didn't know your mouth was big enough for both of your shoes, Ginny thought as she tried harder to pull her brother away from a seething Hermione Granger.

"Ron, I am a teacher. I cannot date a student. I will say this only once, and when I am done you are to leave me alone, are we clear?

"You were not there when my life went to hell in a hand basket. You wouldn't even talk to me, now you are standing here crying about a teenage relationship that never bloomed? Oh get over yourself! I got over you the first three days when you were not there to help me get through all of it.

"You spread what happened all over Gryffindor Tower in your misery, and I was left to live with the consequences. Now you are crying over our relationship? Get away from me before I hex you.

" These conversations are highly inappropriate, the next time I catch you whining about Malfoy or me, I will deduct points and perhaps a detention or two with Filch will cool your hormones!" she spat harshly.

Shock let Ginny pull Ron away. Hermione tapped her wand on her arm as she watched him retreat from the dungeons.

"Well done," came from behind her as Pansy moved up next to her. "You have officially split up the Golden Trio."

"Shut up Miss Parkinson, I do not believe I gave you countenance to include yourself on a conversation about my personal life," she said harshly turning her glaring eyes at the Slytherin woman before her. "Surely you have something to do or do I need to find something for you?"

Pansy did not say anything, she just moved past her and into the Potions Classroom.

Yes, Hermione finally knew what it was to be like Severus Snape.

--

Hermione went to the funeral, but stayed to the back of the crowd. Severus, Goyle Sr., Crabbe Sr., Draco, Mr. Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini served as the pallbearers carrying the caskets down one at a time to the family vault. It was still intact, and Draco already had people clearing away the rubble from the house to have it rebuilt. It would never be the centuries old home it had once been, but Draco was insistent it would be rebuilt.

Draco was a mess before it was over. He had not shed one tear, and he had remained standing while his mother and father's graves were interned. He looked as if he had not slept in a week, and probably hadn't. Pansy Parkinson had tried to be a supportive person at his side only to be shrugged off.

The investigation into the burning of the house turned up that the house had been attacked and Lucius and Narcissa were dead before the house burned. The remnants of their wands were found quite some distance away from their bodies, suggesting that they had been disarmed. The bodies were too badly burned to know how they had died.

Aurors stood guard around the blonde wizard. Not leaving him a moment's peace with his family grave. As soon as the ceremony was done they ushered him off with Snape to the safety of the school.

Hermione went to the graves, leaving white lilies on both sarcophagi. While no names were etched just yet on them, it would not be long before these bodies laid rest to the rest of the world as Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. The tragedy of the last true remaining line of Merlin would be known by the entirety of the Wizarding World.

"Goodbye Lucius, and thank you," she said softly.

"I do not understand what you are thanking him for," the silky drawl came from behind her.

"You would probably not understand, but I am thanking him for being himself," she said quietly. "It actually eased me in certain times of pain."

"We need to get back to the school," he said indignantly. She was right, he didn't understand. She stood, and took his arm. Snape guided her to the apparation point, and apparated them both back to Hogwarts gates. Walking with her back into the school in his long, lengthy strides that she had to take two steps to each of his one.

Once they reached his chamber doors, he turned to her. "Draco is within, do you wish to see him?"

"Only if he is in mind for company, I do not wish to intrude," she said politely.

Severus nodded and opened the door, letting himself in. A few moments later he returned and gestured her within. She did not see him in the sitting room and looked at Severus.

"My bedchamber," he said quietly. She nodded and went into the room. Draco sat, eyes cast into the fire. One knee was lifted up, and his arm draped over it lazily. The other he leaned on. There was something very cold in his eyes, she couldn't quite make out.

"Mother is dead," he said coldly as she walked in. She moved to the chair near his and sat, just letting him ramble. "That is what he wanted wasn't it?"

"I do not know his intentions Draco," she said quietly. "I only know that Wormtail would not have been able to get away with as much as he had without consent."

"He'll come after me now, won't he?" Draco said as a tear slid down his cheek.

"No," she said softly. "He will not. You are free Draco."

"Free," he repeated. "Free to do what? If he wins, I lose, if he loses, I lose. I am the son of a Death Eater. That is all I will ever be seen as."

"No Draco, that is not true," she said quietly. "If he wins, yes, that is all you will ever be seen as." She did not elaborate, and he turned his eyes to hers as if dawn had just broken over Marblehead.

"Potter cannot win this," he said firmly. "Father said that Potter could not win. I believe him."

"I believe you are right," she said quietly.

"Then we are lost," he said sighing.

"No, we are not," she said looking over to him to catch his attention again. "Remember, I do not hold much in the way of prophecy to be accurate. There is always a hidden agenda in every prophecy. Trelawney's prophecy just seems a bit too strait forward. There is another who fits the criteria."

"Not Potter?" he said canting his head to the side.

"Not Potter," she said softly as she caught his eyes once again. "Now, live your life Draco. Your parents would not want you to wallow in self-pity. They would want you to live, and live well. Strive to do the things they could not, and make your mark on the Wizarding World in ways they could not. And above all else, stay true to yourself. Not your father, not your mother, but to yourself."

"I will try and remember that," he said. "Why did you stay at father's grave? He tried to kill you."

"Tried being the operative word there," she said raising a brow. "Do you doubt your father's ability so much that he would have missed on something as weak as myself at the time?"

"You almost died," he said trying to defend his father's image.

"Almost, but not quite. And your father very well could have just used the killing curse if he wanted me dead," she said keeping his gaze. "Your father knew there was more to the story than just the meaningless attacks. Trying to strike fear into the rest of the wizarding world by attacking muggles seems awfully cowardly, doesn't it?"

"Of course it does," Draco said with a derisive snort.

"I think your father was genius enough to realize that," she said looking off to the fire. "He stayed true to himself, in a time when I needed desperately for him just to be himself. It gave me the stability I needed to survive being taken by the Dark Lord. And for that, I needed to thank him. He never would have taken my thanks in life."

"I am not sure I understand," he said calmly.

"Let us just say, he would never and never did sully himself with a Mudblood. Instead he made sure that I survived when he should have been sullying his family pride by his Lord's orders," she tried to say it in the best way she could. Draco caught the hint and looked at her with pensive eyes. Seeing no deception, he sighed.

"Shall we be blunt?" he watched as she nodded. "Basically you are saying my father didn't take you when you were taken and well… raped. Right?"

"Right," she said quietly. "He was explicitly ordered to partake, so he faked it and whispered in my ear all the little things that would make the Lord let me live."

"So he wanted you to live," he said looking back to the fire. "I will respect that. Is that why he bought you the wand, and gave you some of the heirloom jewelry? So everyone would think that you were his whore?"

"I believe he was going to try and convince the Lord to give me to him. But the Lord had other plans for me. He just let me keep the jewelry. The wand was a gift for saving you," she said quietly. "I told him it was too much, but Severus said Lucius would be insulted if I tried to return it. If you would like the jewelry back, I perfectly understand. I certainly have not earned it in the way the world will think."

"Keep it," he said quietly raising a hand to her. "Father wanted you to have it for some ungodly reason. He wanted you to live, and I do not know that reason either. I'm hoping to ask him soon."

"What?" she turned her eyes to him suddenly.

"Father is alive, mother is dead," he said shivering. "The family heirloom ring has not come to me. It would automatically if he died. It has not."

"Do you know where he is?" she said. "Wait, do not say anything more."

"We have to go, now!" Severus said sternly, hissing as he grabbed his arm. Hermione stood and went to him quickly.

"Draco, stay here, and do not tell anyone about this," she said sternly. He gave a sharp nod and looked back into the bedroom fireplace.

--

"You summoned, My Lord," she said kissing the hem of his robe. Severus waited for her to finish before lifting the hem to kiss his robe himself.

"Tell me of the funeral," he ordered.

She went through every detail of the funeral arrangements, even down to her staying a few minutes later, not to be dishonest.

"Bellatrix said she heard you thanking him," he hissed. "And since we know that he did not pleasure you, he did not take you, and he did not desire you, I want to know what you were thanking him for!"

Hermione pulled out her wand and presented it to her Lord across both of her palms.

"It was a gift from Mr. Malfoy, sir, for getting his son and old friend pardoned," she said quietly.

"Has the boy dealt with their deaths?" the Lord asked.

"As well as can be expected," she sighed.

"I see you care for him," he said with a chuckle.

"No, but I do identify with his pain," she said honestly. "We have this much in common."

"Ah yes, you must still hate me for that," he said with an amused hiss.

"No," she said calmly. "I hate the Aurors, for not stopping you. It was their job to protect my parents. But it has been liberating since they have been gone, I am free in the wizarding world now. Not torn between two worlds."

"Well said," he bemused. "I have summoned you to tell you why they were killed."

"Yes sire," she said still kneeling, her foot was going numb.

"Rise," she privately thanked the fact he was reading surface thoughts.

"Thank you Lord," she said standing. Severus rose at her side and she looked at the red eyes of the man who had changed everything about her views on a world she once held as a magical mystery.

"Lucius was becoming troublesome. He demanded retribution for Wormtail's loyalty. He demanded I leave his Narcissa alone," he watched her eyes for a response. She complied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. "No Death Eater has the right to make such a demand."

"May I ask a question, my Lord?" she said quietly.

"Of course," he said rolling his fingers over his wand.

"Did you order Wormtail to kill Narcissa the night I found her?" she asked sincerely.

"No, of course not," he said sternly. "He was to take her, nothing more. But that does not matter now that they are both dead."

"Where is Wormtail now?" she asked submissively.

"In the dungeon," he replied warily. "Why?"

"I wish to recompense him with a bit of pain he took from her," she said sweetly. "And a little of my own that I suffered to prove myself to you."

"Oh you vicious little minx, who would have thought you so vengeful," he slithered out. "You may do what you will."

"Can I leave him to die?" she said smirking.

"Of course," he drawled.

"Can I have Severus' help?" she said smirking.

"Of course," he drawled barely interested.

"Thank you," she said bowing her head.

"Severus," he turned his glare to the black eyed man at her side. "You have been freed from your bond. Narcissa was forced to free you before she was so demurely removed from this earth."

"Thank you My Lord," he said smoothly without emotion.

"I expect you to take care of my Mudblood, she will prove useful in the future," he said smoothly. "But I think I will wait on your marriage. I may not marry you to her at all. I know you would not sully yourself with the likes of her. Just barely a woman, yet so tantalizing, so alive, so intelligent, so many things that you want."

"Do you wish me to leave her alone, My Lord?" he said with a smirk on his face.

"No, do what you will with her, if that is nothing, then so be it. She is to be used, any way you see fit. But do not leave her incapable of meeting my demands," he replied.

"I understand," he said with a smirk.

"Yes, I think you do. Tonight should be the time you take what you want, am I understood?" he said sternly.

"Of course," he said with a nod.

"I do not think you do," and Hermione watched as Snape endured his torture to ensure that he would do as he was ordered. Hermione could not let herself be noticed. Bellatrix went to add her own punishment into Snape's and Hermione rounded on Bellatrix, putting her sharp-ended wand into her neck.

"I would not intrude on our Lord's pleasures if I were you, Bellatrix," she said with a hiss. "If he is too damaged to do what he must tonight, it would very much change the course of events, would it not?"

Bella lowered her wand, and Hermione stepped away as the first of a bout of Cruciatus Curses struck her in the back dropping her to her knees. But she did not yell out, cry or even whimper for whomever was the caster. It was not strong enough to be the Dark Lord's curse. Rodolphus was the only other it could have been that would have reacted to Bella's being threatened. Another was added, and Hermione curled in on herself but still did not cry out.

"No! Stop!" a hoarse voice called. She did not recognize it. She was too busy reviewing the potion ingredients necessary in her mind to make Dreamless Sleep potion. Inside her mind, she could shut them all out, all the pain was surreal and dismissed as she reviewed books in her mind's eye. "Stop!" the hoarse cry came again as pressure on her body told her that she was being shielded. She indulged herself to feel the warmth of the being atop her body.

"My, my, my, what is this Severus?" Bella cackled. "Adoration and protection of the little Mudblood?"

"Bella," was the entirety of what the Lord had to say and she backed away quietly. "Severus, explain yourself."

"She will not recover well enough," he hoarsely spat out. "I cannot take what I wish if she is… broken in mind. Look at her, she is inside her own mind, hiding from the pain!"

There was a silence, and at the familiar tingle into her mind, she allowed her Lord to see the image of her sitting in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea and large volume she seemed enrapt in, and then firmly shut everything out of her mind entirely. Snape was making a play for her sanity, Hermione had to act the part.

"My, my, she is indeed shutting out the pain," he said with a smirk. "How wondrous. Snape take her from here, break her, and break that mind of hers open like bookbinding. I want to know everything in it when we next meet. For I shall be whole when we meet next. I want her pliable, but do not remove her personality until after I am whole. Do you understand? I want Hermione Granger, but I want to make her my puppet," he said with a smirk. "And you are so perfect a choice for that job."

"Yes, My Lord," Severus said with a coughing laugh. The cough was caused by his "punishment". But the laugh was sincere. Now came the test of what side Severus Snape would truly take.

Snape worked his way to his feet. With a Mobilicorpus spell he moved Hermione from the forefront and back to the apparition point.

--

Back inside his quarters, he put Hermione down on the floor. She gasped feeling the cold stone of the dungeons, Snape walked over her toward the potion cabinet.

"Where is it?" he hissed at her.

"Where is what?" she answered staggering to her feet.

"Do not get coy with me," he hissed. "Unless you wish me to truly show you what our Lord wanted."

"Oh do give it up Snape," she drawled. "It is in my room. In the fake drawer of my nightstand."

Snape walked past her again and into her room, he had been listening in at one point because he knew her password. Evil man, she thought with a smirk. He came back holding two vials of potion and presented one to her. She took it and uncorked it, drinking down the contents. It tasted heavily of Anise, as it was supposed to.

"How did you know?" she laughed as he took down his potion and his demeanor quickly returned to normal from his overtly stiff nature just to stay standing.

"The tome you were looking at in your mind, the page you were looking at was for this potion, but you really must come up with a better name for it," he drawled.

"We have to get word to the Order," she said quietly.

"Do you honestly think Moody will care to listen?" he said quietly. "No, we have to wait and use the opportunity. He does not want us on the battlefield, that is why he chose tonight to have me break you."

"Oh of all the biased, pig-headed…"

"Those things he may be, but he is also right. We cannot be on the battlefield, and neither can Draco apparently," he said raising an eyebrow. "He wants Draco angry enough to fight on the "wrong" side of the battle. There is probably some sort of clause that everything in Narcissa's will goes to Bellatrix should something happen to Draco before the reading of her will. If Draco dies tonight, he will get all of the Malfoy fortunes."

"Possibly," she chuckled. "But he has to get a hold of Harry first."

"Right," he smirked. "You go to Potter, get him stowed away somewhere safe, somewhere without him getting into trouble. Perhaps you can convince young Miss Weaselbee to help you."

"Oh Sod Off, Snape," she said rolling her eyes. "I know exactly how to get Harry to stay out of trouble, without insinuating sex on the poor virgin." She got up and headed for the door.

"Hermione," Snape called. She snapped her head to him; he had never used her given name. It was always Professor Granger, or Miss Granger or some derogatory term. "Be careful."

"You too," she said softly before she was gone out the door.

--

"Harry! I need you to listen to me! I know you think that this is where you need to be, but it isn't! I need you to listen!" she begged as Harry started making his way down the shifting stairs.

"He's full of glee, he's coming here, what is there to know?" he snarled at her turning on her fully. "What do you know?" He was being very demanding, but he was entitled to some semblance of truth.

"Do you have up your Occlumens?" she said firmly.

"Yes," he said crossing his arms as the stairs shifted again, giving her a few minutes anyway.

"You cannot kill him Harry," she said holding his arm. "If you do, you will die."

"Then I die Hermione!" he said as he tried to wretch away his arm.

"No! You will die, and he will live! I cannot give more detail than that, I just know. It's not you who is supposed to do it!" she said holding firmly to his arm.

"If it is not I, then who will? Not just anyone can kill him Hermione!" he said waving his arm free at last.

"Harry, please trust me. I have already spoken to the person who is supposed to do it. He knew, he's known all along. He's been being prepared just like you have, just in secret. Harry trust me on this. Dumbledore just let you take the fall so Voldemort would only come after you," she said with a soft sigh. "Fight if you must, but if you see him, run away! Do not face him or we are all doomed."

"Are you saying Dumbledore just used me!" he hissed angrily.

"Yes, Harry, that is exactly what I am saying. Ron and I will fight at your side, but you must let the one who is supposed to kill him, kill him. You cannot do it, he is made of you, and thus, you are his last means of survival," she said softly. "Please trust me Harry."

"Alright," he sighed. "Get the DA, we're going to fight."

"You got it," she said with a smirk.

--

There was smoke pouring off of the battlefield. Black cloaks were swirling and taking down numbers left and right. Students that were not prepared to fight were swept away into the dungeons to hide. Those that were willing along with instructors, ghosts and whatever else the magic of Hogwarts could muster were beginning to stain the battlefield red with their blood.

Hermione was cloaked and covered, able to keep her spells from bringing too much attention to herself. The Disillusionment charm was working wonders for keeping anyone from noticing her on the field. If Voldemort noticed she was here too soon, all would be lost.

She watched in horror as Greyback and Remus squared off, only to have Bill Weasley join in on Remus' side. Wormtail was running rampant through the field cowardly attacking those that were already down to make sure they were dead and looting the dead bodies.

Moody was deflecting curses and hexes like they were nothing. She mentally complimented him on his prowess, but his leadership skills desperately needed honing as he sent many an Auror to their demise against enemies they could not handle.

Minerva stayed in the school, keeping the wards up to keep the Death Eaters out. Hermione used her stealth and hidden identity to take out Crabbe, and Goyle. She relished in their death being agonizingly painful and slow as she used slicing hexes on their Achilles tendons so they could not run, then sliced open their forearms to let them slowly bleed out. Their screams for help only added ardor to the battlefield.

Draco made his appearance on the battlefield in his father's cloak, in all of his father's regal arrogance and demeanor as he began casting Unforgivables like they were a second nature to him. It did not bode over well with the Inner Circle of the Dark Lord's followers that he was fighting on the Order's side of the war. Using his spells to protect students that a month ago he would have rather seen dead anyway.

Harry poured out onto the battlefield eliciting slicing hexes, burning hexes, counter curses and defense spells. Ron was beside him throwing out a few punches to go along with his brutish spell casting. Ginny stood at Harry's side, casting some of the nastiest of spells. She really was sorted into the wrong house; she truly did belong in Slytherin despite her red haired heritage.

The fight began to concentrate on getting to Harry. Good. He was playing his part. The Death Eaters seemed to coil and maneuver, this was a well-practiced dance they had worked out to use in this battle. Taught in pain, and embraced whole-heartedly it set them up for the fall. Moody took no time at all deducing the best way to deal with the coiling of the Death Eaters to protect their Master, but Hermione could tell that was part of the plot.

Dumbledore had decided this scenario long ago. And now it was playing out in full detail, piece by piece. Harry cast out spell after spell, keeping them at bay. None of them were trying to kill him, and that left them vulnerable to attacks. The rest of the DA saw that there was safety hiding behind Harry, and they did. Using Harry as a shield they cast spell after spell at the oncoming enemy.

Hermione put her years of study to use. Casting away her disguise as the final moments of the battle were coming into play, as Snape did the same from the other side of the field. The Whomping Willow was out of energy to Whomp with. It was almost time. As Voldemort passed the tree, heading for the doors of Hogwarts, he caught sight of Snape.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Voldemort's wand pointed at the Professor, as another spell was launched at the Dark Lord from the children on the stairs causing the Lord to have to stop his spell on Snape and deflect it. Snape cast another spell, but it was just as easily deflected as if the Lord wanted to stifle a yawn. His ugly visage seemed less than entertained. Hermione launched her own spell that caused him to turn and look at her with a smile on those lips.

As time slowed even further, the Dark Lord Voldemort turned his bright red eyes on Harry Potter. Harry had himself ready and braced for battle. The moans of the dying and the dead around the battlefield seemed to deepen as the recording slowed to nothing. Voldemort raised his wand to the boy, who seemed unable to keep his eyes away from the red-eyed snake. As the words formed on the Dark Lord's lips a bright green flash overcame his form. Hermione jumped and ran for Harry, shoving him out of the way of the Dark Lord's final spell as it struck one disheveled and dying Luna Lovegood who was hiding behind Harry. She screamed and tore at her skin as Voldemort's body crumpled into a shivering mass of death throws.

Into view came one shaking and shuddering Neville Longbottom, his body and form having been shielded by Lucius Malfoy. Neville's wand was still smoking from the intensity of the Killing Curse he had thrown at the Dark Lord's back. He had climbed from his hiding place under the Whomping Willow. Just as Dumbledore had taught him to, just as the plan had called for. Just as Dumbledore's penseive told her she had let happen.

All Death Eaters fell, as the mark on their arms burned. Hermione looked on in horror as Snape fell to his knees, then to the ground as his screams added atop the nuance of all the other living Death Eaters. Neville cradled Lucius' form as Draco made his way across the battlefield to his father's side.

Luna fell dead; her body had not been preened to take on the Dark Lord's essence. It was not ready to hold that kind of power. Her mind not ready to face that kind of atrocity. A dark cloud rose from her body, and it was then that MacGonagall struck. Casting a curse of unknown power, the darkness was dissolved and dissipated into nothing more than ash. The scream of the Dark Lord could be heard over all of the Wizarding World.

Hermione found her feet, and ran to Snape. His body was shivering on the ground in an agony never meant for any man to live through. She curled him onto her lap, and pushed away his hair from his face.

"Severus," she said with tears in her eyes. "Severus, hold on!"

"No," he said softly. Rising up his right arm, he tucked her hair behind her ear. "It is over, Hermione." His body shuddered. Harry and Ron came running over to her and stopped short seeing her holding Snape so intimately. "You really do remind me of Lily…" his body was trembling now. Sweat lined his brow and his eyes glassed over. "You are …" he swallowed hard. "You are…strong my Lioness…" he whispered as he passed out from the pain. The boys watched as she panicked, pulling him up against her, trying to feel for a pulse, trying desperately to hear his heartbeat.

"Don't you leave you snarky bastard! No! Don't you do it!" she screamed. Holding him to her chest she tried desperately to make him hold on as tightly as she was. His form was without any elasticity, and just seemed to go wherever she threw it. She pulled him up against her chest and buried her face in his shoulder. Tears rolling down her face as she held onto him tightly. She saw Harry standing there, and looked at him with pleading eyes. Ron took off running to go find help. Harry knelt down and checked Snape for any signs of life.

"Ron went for help," he said softly.

"He cannot die," she said softly. "I need him alive Harry."

"Ron will get some help for him Hermione," he tried to reassure her.

Moody walked over; looking at the scene before him he rolled his good eye.

"Let him go, Granger," he said gruffly. "It's over."

"Fuck you Moody!" she hissed.

"Moody?" Harry said quietly.

"Let him die," Moody said sternly. "Him and Malfoy both deserve no less."

"Moody!" Harry stood up and looked at the old man before him in horror. "Unless you want there to be one more casualty on this battlefield today, I suggest you move away, now!" Harry threatened with every intention in his eyes.

"There is no help coming for them," Moody said, turning on his pegged leg and walking away. "They are as good as dead anyway."

"Harry, help me," she said softly.

"Stay here," he said as he ran off toward the school.

--

Never did she think she would see the day that the students of Hogwarts made such a statement. Numbers of them too great to bother counting carried the near dead bodies of two former Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape into the main doors of the school.

Nymphadora Tonks watched as the students that were able, walked with the bodies of their most hated professor, and most hated student's father above their heads into the school. When the doors closed behind them in a loud bang, it was clear that the students who would write this history would tell of two men, clouded in darkness, that saw light at the end of the day.