I'm just going to finish this as fast as possible because I've been a real jerk about updating.

This one is going to randomly change POVs…be prepared.

Chapter 32: Voldemort

Even as Dumbledore strode to Lavender in an effort to aid her, Harry knew that it was hopeless. He knew that he, Harry, had been responsible for the death of a student. No one moved, but instead watched Dumbledore as he performed his magic. An assortment of lights and enchantments circled the girl as the Headmaster tried to resurrect her. Everyone was silent while holding their breath, waiting for the impossible.

Harry could see a tear slowly descend into Dumbledore's beard as he dropped his arms in defeat.

"Perhaps Poppy could try something…?" Professor Flitwick inquired.

"No, not even the greatest medi-wizards of St. Mungo's can do anything," Dumbledore said, straightening his robes before moving on to the next student. Dumbledore glanced back to the other professors who had yet to move, "There's nothing to be done for her, but there is plenty to do for the others."

The teachers glanced at one another before scattering to help the fallen students from both the DA and the Serpents of Salazar. Harry was only vaguely aware of his surroundings as he sat in stunned silence. The sounds around him became muffled and his vision blurred while the battle replayed itself in his mind. Somewhere inside, Harry knew that he should be helping the teachers with aiding students and properly apprehending the Death Eaters who were still left unconscious. He didn't move; he couldn't move as the guilt washed over him.

"Harry." It was Hermione. "Harry, please look at me."

She was kneeling beside him, with a hand placed hesitantly on his back. Harry eyes moved to the floor and he refused to speak.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, Harry could tell by her voice that she was choking back tears. "It's not your fault, nothing that happened here is your fault. Lavender-" she stopped herself and she sniffled. "L-Lavender…she…oh, Harry, she did want to help so much." Hermione began to openly weep, and yet Harry could still not bring himself to move. "H-Harry, p-please say something!" she cried. Harry was only vaguely aware that Ron had arrived at Hermione's side. With each passing second, he felt himself become more detached from the world.

"Hermione, c'mon, you need to have the professors take a look at you," Ron said.

"I'm fine, Ronald! I'm fine!" she shrieked between sobs. "I'm fine," she repeated again and again, each time weaker than the last. Hermione began to rock back and forth and her sobs started to escape from her throat.

"Hermione…" Ron started. "Stop trying to be strong…please. Harry, can't you convince her?" Harry remained silent. "Harry, you okay? Oye, Harry! What's a matter with him? Is he in some kind of shock?"

"I don't know, he hasn't said a word," Hermione whispered, regaining her composure. "Get help," she ordered.

"What about you?"

"I told you that I'm fine! Now go!"

It wasn't long before Ron returned with Madame Pomfrey.

"He's just sitting there," Ron stated. "Hasn't said a thing."

"Both of you go and get yourselves out of Hogwarts. Floo to the floostop the other students took, and take some of your friends with you. I'll take care of Mister Potter," Madame Pomfrey said. "Go on, he'll be quite all right."

Ron and Hermione exchanged hesitant glances before slowly walking away in search of a fireplace. No words passed between them as Ginny and Neville joined them. Nothing could be said that could change the events that had transpired. They move mechanically to a massive fireplace in one of the rooms branching from the Great Hall, and Ron, in a monotone, muttered their destination as the green flames exploded around them.

When the students landed at the floostop, they did not recognize their surroundings. They were in a large room consisting of hundreds upon hundreds of makeshift beds that the other students sat upon. When Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville arrived a hush fell over the room and everyone glanced over to see who had come. Ginny could hear whispers travel across the room from student to student: "It's Harry Potter's friends". Parvati Patil stood up and approached the group in a hesitant, yet panicked, manner.

"Have you guys seen Lavender? I've been looking for her since I got here. Did she stay with you?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione glanced at Ron, who in turn looked at Neville. No one knew what to say. Parvati stared at them, in a way the implied that she knew the truth, but refused to accept it.

"Where is she?" she cried. "What did you do?"

"Parvati…" Hermione started. "Parvati, I am so sorry."

Parvati took a few steps back in horror. "No, no, no…NO!" She shook her head in disbelief, then without warning, she rushed forward and slapped Hermione across the face. Ron grabbed Parvati's wrist.

"Ron, stop," Hermione ordered. "Let her go, let her do this." Hermione's cheek was burning red, yet she refused to retaliate against Parvati. Ron, though looking skeptic, let go.

"What is wrong with you?" Parvati shrieked. "YOU DID THIS! IT'S YOUR FAULT! IF YOU HADN'T CONVINCED HER TO JOIN YOUR STUPID CLUB, SHE'D STILL BE ALIVE! HERMIONE GRANGER, I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" With her hands balled into fists, she started to hit Hermione in the chest. Hermione closed her eyes, and waited for Parvati to exhaust herself. Ron wanted desperately to end this madness, but he wanted also to respect Hermione's request. As he stared, he could tell that Parvati wasn't very strong, so he doubted any real harm could come to his friend.

"I hate you," Parvati gasped, her punches growing weak. She looked up into Hermione's eyes and stopped, cupped her hands over her mouth, and stood shaking before the girl she had just condemned.

"Hermione…" she whispered. "I don't know…I don't know what I'm doing." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I didn't mean it, I didn't mean any of it. Oh god, what am I doing? What have I done?" She reached up and cupped the cheek she had slapped. "I am so lost," she whispered, the tears now flowing down her cheeks.

Parvati's knees buckled and Hermione tightly embraced her as they descended onto the floor. Parvati clenched the other girl's robes as she screamed into her shoulder. Hermione could only rock the girl as tears of her own began to run down her face. Ron turned away and wiped his sleeve over his eyes and Ginny sniffled quietly to herself, clenching Neville's hand within her own.

BACK AT HOGWARTS

Dumbledore didn't know where to begin. He had already informed Lavender's parents of her death, and he knew that he must also inform all the parents that Hogwarts had been compromised by dark forces. He was relieved to know that the Serpent's Stone had been recovered from the body of Voldemort, and that no spell had been done with it. Dumbledore was, however, perturbed by the nature of Voldemort's death. He could see that he had been stabbed with a knife designed and forged with remarkable magic, yet he could not determine whether Voldemort had truly died. Upon further investigation, it became clear that the body was indeed dead, but in this realm of wizardry, that meant very little. Dumbledore was not convinced that the Dark Lord had been vanquished. He heaved a sigh, and turned to look at Harry.

"Poppy, how is he?"

"Better, Headmaster. He just needs some rest, but other than that, there was no real damage done. He was just a little…spooked by these…events."

Harry looked into the eyes of Dumbledore. Dumbledore himself could see that Harry harbored resentment towards the man he had once admired.

"Harry, let's not even talk about this now. Just go and get some rest. Everything is fine, we're safe; it's over. This battle could not have been won without losses. But thanks to you and the sacrifices of your friends, the side of the light holds much more promise of ultimate victory than ever before. Go now, and don't speak of these events to any student who was not present here today. Rumors are the last thing to start."

With that said, Dumbledore strode away to tend to pressing matters. Harry began the journey across the Great Hall to the nearest fireplace. He saw Minister Bones speaking with Dumbledore, Aurors taking the Serpents of Salazar and the Death Eaters into custody, and he also saw the body of Lavender Brown. He forced himself to look away, even when he heard the shriek of who must have been Lavender's mother.

Harry noticed the look in Dumbledore's eyes when he had spoken to him. He saw the way Dumbledore inspected Voldemort's body. He knew something was wrong. Somewhere inside, he was certain that the Dark Lord still lived; Harry could feel it. The connection he shared with Voldemort was strong enough to tell him that Voldemort lived on.

"Minister," Dumbledore said as he watched Harry disappear into the green flames of the floo network, "we must prepare ourselves for Voldemort's return."

"Isn't he dead, Headmaster?" she asked.

"I don't believe so."

"Then we will make certain that he will never rise to power again," the Minister of Magic said.

"Easier said than done, Amelia, much easier said than done. We must take measures in attempts to keep him from rising, but also prepare for a time in which he is successful. We must make every precaution."

"It shall be done. I trust your judgment more than any other," she said. "I must return to the Ministry, farewell."

Minister Bones stepped out of Hogwarts and began the journey to the Ministry. Dumbledore looked on and did not bother to hide his tears even as Professor McGonagal came to his side.

"Another student gone, Minerva. When shall this end?"

"You know it won't until Voldemort is truly gone."

"I do. I should attend to the parents. Excuse me," Dumbledore sighed and went to the Browns, who were currently being comforted by Professor Flitwick. Headmistress McGonagal remained standing, looking to where the Minister of Magic had left over the landscape of Hogwarts.

Ron and Hermione were able to get Parvati to bed before Harry's arrival. When he did step from the fireplace, Hermione was the first to see him. She did not call out to him, but instead quietly made her way before him. Many of the students had managed to drift to sleep, and she did not want to wake them.

Hermione took Harry's hands into her own and she looked up into his eyes.

"Hermione," he croaked.

"Shhhh, it's okay. You don't need to say anything. C'mon, let's get out of here."

Harry allowed himself to be led out of the room. "Where-?"

"I've gathered that we are somewhere in the Ministry of Magic," she answered. "I have no idea where, but at least it's safe."

Harry could only nod as Hermione pushed open a door that led to somewhere bearing remarkable resemblance to the Gryfindor Common Room. Harry and Hermione each took their own respective seats facing each other, though Hermione still grasped Harry's hands within her own.

"He's still alive, 'Mione. I didn't kill him."

"What? How do you know?" she gasped. Harry looked directly into her eyes.

"I know. That's all I can say. I can feel it; I just know he's alive. Somewhere."

"Oh Harry, what are we going to do?"

"We have to find him. Find him and kill him."

"Harry, we can't. You know we can't. We won this battle. The Serpent's Stone is safe. Last time Voldemort was beaten, it was years before he recovered! It shouldn't be our concern anymore, at least not now."

"Then when should we care? After he comes back? After he kills more people? He's come close to killing you already; or don't you remember that? The Department of Mysteries, when he attacked your neighborhood, and now. We've been lucky; others won't be. We need to take action! We have to protect those who can't protect themselves."

"That's not our job, Harry."

"Yes, it is. In fact, it's more than our job; it's our destiny. Don't you see? This has all been foretold! I have to face him and either him or me will die."

"I don't think I could watch that. I know that you think you have to-"

"I don't think, 'Mione. I know. It's the prophecy; it's what will happen. We will face one another, and one of us will die."

"I can't, won't, go with you to see you die," Hermione said.

"Wait, what are you saying?"

"I refuse to follow you into your impending death. I will not go in search of a man that has a fifty-fifty chance of killing you!"

"So what does this mean? You won't stay with me? Are you going to abandon me now, after all this?"

"I am not abandoning you, I'm just trying to protect you. You may believe in your destiny to fight a wizard more powerful in magic than you, but I do not believe that that is your chosen path. You have the right to choose your destiny. We will face him when you are ready, not some random time just because someone long ago said that you had to. We will be prepared and with friends, able-bodied friends, who can help us," Hermione said.

"I know you don't believe in Divination in any form, but that doesn't change the fact that my destiny is forged in stone. Nothing can change it, not even you. I have a fate, Hermione, I've learned to accept it and you should too."

"I can't go with you if that is the only reason why you want to fight him: because you think you have to."

"I don't think I can do this without you. I don't want to go unless you're there beside me," Harry said.

"I won't. I can't…I don't know what else to say."

"Then I guess this conversation is over," Harry stated, dropping her hands and walking out of the room.

"Yes, I guess it is," Hermione said to his retreating back, a tear sliding down her cheek.