Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): I had the majority of this chapter written before I finished Chapter 10 and just had to go back and flesh out the details. As an interesting side note, Draco's actions in both this chapter and the previous one were originally assigned to Snape. The reason for the change will become apparent the next time you see the blond Slytherin.

Chapter 37

At the Last

After what seemed an eternity, Harry realized he could still think clearly. Could dead men think? Ghosts apparently could but… The logical paradox inherent in that thought stopped him from questioning it further. He was still standing and could feel the warmth of Ginny's body against his own, her arms wrapped around him. His fingers could still feel the robes where he clutched her desperately to his chest, his last action pulling her out of the way of death. Surely a dead man couldn't feel that?

Opening his eyes slowly he looked around in astonishment. Time had stopped. His body, save his eyes, and everyone else was frozen in their tracks. At the very corner of his vision he could make out an eerie green light that he knew was the killing curse about to crash into his back. Glancing down he could see Ginny's eyes staring oddly up at him and clearly wondering what the hell he was doing. Her hair was frozen in mid air whipping around her head. He stared down into her sweaty, dirt stained face and longed to close the distance.

He glanced up again and could see a small part of the battle. Mostly smoke and clouds of dust obscured his lines of sight, but he could make out a few of the combatants still fighting desperately on both sides. He couldn't immediately recognize anyone before him, but as least two of them wore Auror's robes. Unfortunately four of them had the dead black robes of Death Eaters. They did not know yet their master was about to be destroyed forever and they would follow him to oblivion. He glanced back down at the reason he had survived this long, still frozen in his arms.

A moment later, to him at least, he could feel warmth growing in his forehead that reminded him of the many times his scar had brought varying degrees of pain. But instead of agony this actually felt…comforting. It was soft and surprisingly gentle, the first time he'd ever felt anything from the mark that didn't make him wince. Glancing as far up as his frozen neck would let him, he could he could just make out a bluish light coming from the lightning bolt shaped scar. This light seemed to flow from it like an ethereal river and coalesce a few feet in front of him. It was as if liquid was being poured into a human shaped mold as the light took form, first feet and legs before moving up. After it had mostly finished he realized what it was. Unable to speak he still thought with wonder.

"Mum?" It was much like her appearance in the graveyard as a specter of herself, only this time it was more substantial. As she finished forming before him, he quickly looked her over. It was her, but she looked…older. About…sixteen years older than the photos he had seen. Though she didn't speak either he could hear her in his head.

"Yes son." It was her…Lily Potter. Not an echo, not a ghost, but her essence as she was on this day. He nearly wanted to cry despite knowing he would soon be joining her in the afterlife. There were a million questions blowing through his mind, each fighting to be asked. In the end, he could only ask one.

"How…" She smiled slowly, clearly having known this would be the first question.

"I've been inside of you all this time, a little piece of me at least, watching over you. You see Harry," she unclasped her hands to reveal a small globe of sickeningly black and red light that he somehow knew was all that remained of Tom Riddle. The sphere became distorted a little as the presence inside tried to break free, a ghostly face appearing for a spit second followed by a low scream, just loud enough to hear but as horrible as a Dementor's. "You weren't just a Horcrux for Tom, you also carried a little of me. Not in a form which would stave off death as his did, but in one that would protect you from it." If it had been able to, Harry's mouth would have dropped in shock from the explanation. It was several moments in his personal time scale before he could think the next question.

"So…all that time…all these years…you're the reason I've always managed to survive." She shook her head in response, smiling.

"No son. All I did was protect you the night I died and keep this little piece from affecting you. Everything else you've done on your own. You always have been a very powerful wizard; I just gave you the freedom to be what you were born to be by sealing this little piece. And now that it's being destroyed, I'm afraid I too must say goodbye. Your father and I want you to know…we are so proud of you. Don't ever forget that. Oh…your father says to say hi to Mooney for him."

"Thank you. Tell dad I will." He hesitated for a moment before risking another question. "But mum…how come I'm not dead?" She smiled again, took a couple steps closer and cast a glance down to Ginny.

"Harry…you gave your life. You were willing to sacrifice yourself not for the world, not for your school, but for her. For one person. There is no greater sacrifice you can make. It's one Tom could never understand. That's the problem with losing your humanity…you forget just what humans are capable of. He never dreamed I would die to protect you and so never thought of what that might cost him. He also never conceived you would sacrifice your own life to destroy him and so believed himself once again safe. My death allowed you to live and be free. Now you are making the same choice for her. I'll be free to join your father and godfather and Tom will be destroyed." Harry felt a strange calm at the arrangement, that sense that it was meant to be once again washing over him.

"And…I?" He was the one being in the equation she hadn't mentioned.

"Get to live. The Killing Curse can only affect one person the way Draco is casting it. And that will be Tom." The sphere of light seemed to scream again while trying to break free of her palm and escape. "Our time is up son. We love you and we always will. Take care of her."

"We'll take care of each other." After a moment he added, "Say…can I keep the eyes?" She actually chuckled a little at his and nodded.

"Yes. I think she likes them just the way they are. Goodbye Harry, my son." Harry felt a single tear in his eye matching the luminescent one in hers.

"Goodbye Mum." With a final smile she strode forward and around him out of his line of sight. The world came back up to speed and he could just hear the scream as the spell hit the last remnant of Tom Marvolo Riddle's soul, destroying the last heir of Salazar Slytherin once and for all. Momentum carried him in a full revolution with Ginny still clutched to his chest so he could see Draco, the mask of calm completely shattered, staring at him with pure shock on his face.

The young wizard's wand was still raised from casting the curse and his eyes darted rapidly between Harry and the position where his mother must have stood as she finished her self appointed task. Harry smiled and nodded thanks to the man. He couldn't understand why Draco was suddenly trying to dodge out of the way in response.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry looked down in horror at realizing it was Ginny, having pulled loose from his grip, casting the spell at Malfoy. Not able to reach her wand he instead turned her whole body round.

"No! I told him to!" He heard Draco cry out, clearly hit but it was quickly drowned out in his head as searing pain crossed his side. He fell to his knees in front of her, his hand clutching the cut that had appeared below his ribs on the right side. She dropped her wand a heartbeat later and fell beside him realizing what she had done. He focused on her eyes trying to draw some strength from them This was the first time he had ever felt it himself and he now knew just how painful it was. It definitely didn't help that he was still bleeding from at least three other wounds.

"Oh Merlin! Harry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Rapidly he took deep desperate breaths and gritted his teeth trying to set aside the terrible pain. Years of receiving similar injuries at last paid off and he was able to nearly block it off. Having managed to get himself under control for the moment, he redirected his attention to her. Carefully he reached to her face and tried to calm her down.

"Ginny…Ginny…it's alright. I'm okay. It's not your fault. You were trying to protect me. Thank you. I…I told Malfoy to do it. It was the only way to finish it. I'll…I'll explain it all later. Okay?" Though still puzzled, she nodded slowly; clearly willing to agree to nearly anything knowing he was safe. Harry realized with a start that now free of his mother's help, he could no longer see. Ginny seemed to calm enough to see the problem as well.

"Harry…what happened?" She pulled the broken lens off his face and tossed them aside. "Here…use these." A moment later she slipped another set of frames in front of his eyes. To his shock they pulled the world into perfect focus.

"Ginny…what…?"

"Hermione told me you hadn't charmed the new pair so I kind of…held onto your old pair. Just in case… You know…in case I needed to beat some sense into you with them." Harry smiled at her and shook his head slowly at the foresight she had.

"Good thing you did. Tom crushed the other ones. Now…help me up?" Acceding to his request she moved to his injured side and took as much of the weight as she could manage. Despite the long and grueling battle, she still had a good deal of her strength left, perhaps more than he did. With a wave, each of their wands rose to their hands and they looked around for any remaining targets.

Together they stumbled toward where Draco had stood and found him gone, apparently run off to another fight or to flee. They did find a pale skinned arm, thin and lanky, oozing fresh blood from where it had been sliced off. The sleeve of its robe had been shaken back to reveal a Dark Mark, even now fading slowly as it writhed against the dying flesh. Harry felt no vindication that his suspicions about Draco had been correct. He had seen too much today for that to bring him anything other than dull acceptance. Turning away from the arm, they surveyed the rest of the field.

The battle was now seemed to be well and truly over. Though they still couldn't see much, the field had grown relatively quite. Though the smoke hid the wounded, it also meant disabled Death Eaters could be escaping. "This needs to go." Taking a deep breath, that sent fresh pain up his side, he raised his wand and cast. A second later a powerful gust of wind rose over the forest and swept across the field, collecting smoke and dust as it went. A small shield protected the pair as all the haze in the air was swept cleanly out over the lake. A second later he aimed at the Dark Mark that someone had set in the sky near Hermione's ball of light. With a second silent cast the mark was ripped apart and dissipated into nothing.

A short flurry of activity exploded across the field for a moment as everyone's view was cleared. Before either of them could move to help though, it was over. The final strike of what would likely be called the Battle of Hogwarts had been delivered and now all that remained was the clean up. Harry looked around and found a dishearteningly small number of fighters still on their feet. Only about a dozen were walking under their own power and a few more limped along.

Harry could see Neville standing strong, the lifeless body of Rodolphus Lestrange as his feet and the rest of his squad gathered around. All four of the dark followers that had tortured his parents were now dead, his vengeance complete. Luna appeared to be kneeling over the body of someone saying something for their ears only. Harry suddenly wondered where the rest of Ginny's squad had disappeared to and how Dean and Seamus would keep their promise if they didn't know where she was. He would track them down later and find out just what they had been thinking. Looking past the fallen giants, Harry could just make out the forms of several centaurs returning from the woods led by Hagrid and Witherwings, their quarry doubtlessly dead or dying.

While Hagrid immediately began bounding toward his brother, the centaurs started searching the field for the wounded to get them help. Harry didn't know if anyone had gone into tell the rest that the battle was over, but he would bet Madam Pomfrey was in the main courtyard trying to do what she could for the wounded. A couple Aurors and Order members, notably Kingsley Shacklebolt, were also searching the field, though they were looking for crippled Death Eaters to either end or apprehend. Harry's attention was caught by one particular Death Eater caught by the scruff of his neck.

Lupin, still in werewolf form but completely sane, was dragging the unconscious form of Peter Pettigrew toward the wall of the castle near the gate with his teeth. It seemed that had been designated the gathering area for the survivors and any strong enough yet to help them. Harry had only vaguely wondered where the rat of a traitor had gone and it now appeared he had been knocked out by the blast that scattered his master to the winds. Nodding toward the gathering group, Harry began limping closer with Ginny's help. Scanning the few people gathered, he tried to make out some he knew.

Tonks was there, her slender and now battered form watching defiantly as Lupin threw the little man down at her feet to keep an eye on. Most of the teachers were gathered near there as well. Harry could tell at a glance that more had joined them from within the gates that now stood open. Someone must have gone inside to tell them. McGonagall appeared to be the only one of those that had fought that wasn't injured. Firenze had joined his brethren in searching the field while the others tried to help survivors.

A loud sob that could only be Hagrid's drew his attention. Swiveling his head he found the man in mid field near one of the oversized bodies. He was leaning against the leg of his brother Grawp, who was now clearly no longer with him. Around his brother's fallen body though laid no less than five fallen giants and another was crawling slowly in what looked to be a futile effort to escape to the woods. Witherwings stood nearby, head bowed in respect, its battle done as well. Harry didn't know what it felt like to lose a brother he was just getting to know, but he could almost tell what it would be like to lose Ron.

Reminding him of Ron, a tangled mess of red hair passed nearby and he found Mrs. Weasley desperately searching the survivors. Molly had arrived with her husband and two oldest children when the Order had been summoned. Over the course of fighting they had been separated, on top of which the rest of the clan had been spread out to begin with. She now moved slowly though the field trying to account for her children. Having scanned the ground nearby, her eyes rose and fell on the pair, lighting up immediately. She took half a step toward them before turning back to the field to search for the others. Her head swiveled back and forth for a moment before a wave from Harry sent her off to continue her quest.

A few moments later they arrived at the group of survivors and injured that Madam Pomfrey was trying to help. Dennis Creevey was constantly at her side and demonstrating healing skills that seemed to surprise even her. They stepped away from an Auror who was now resting comfortably after their attentions. Of all people he also found Cornelius Fudge, his robes slightly singed as he nodded toward Harry and continued checking on his people. Harry's eyes again found Peter lying at Tonks's feet, Lupin sitting nearby nursing his injured leg. Harry pushed off of Ginny and found the strength to stand on his own. She threw a quick glance at him as he did so. "What are you doing?"

"Clearing an innocent man." He stepped closer to Tonks and glanced down at the nearly bald traitor. "Wake him up." He could tell she glanced to the others for direction.

"Harry…we should wait…"

"I said wake him." The fierceness of his tone made her swing to action and caused Lupin to half rise in her defense. She kneeled and pointed her wand at the man. A second later his eyes sprang open, painted first in confusion and then in terror at he saw Harry and then Lupin standing over him. Before he could react, Harry grabbed the color of dirty suit he wore and hauled him forcibly to his knees. He began spluttering nonsense a moment later, apparently trying to either excuse his actions or beg for his life. He was silenced a moment later as he felt the tip on Harry's wand burry itself in his neck. "Minister, Headmistress?" At his quiet request the pair stepped over and waited. "Tell them."

"Tell them what Harry?" The man was plainly terrified and could just squeak out the words as he spoke. Harry's voice on the other hand was rock steady and deathly cold.

"Tell them…who betrayed my parents to Voldemort."

"S…Sirius Black. Everyone knows that." Instead of answering, Harry's knee came up quickly and smashed the man right in the face. Even Ginny jumped at the sudden burst of anger though Lupin looked as if he wished he had been able to do it himself. As blood began to pour from the man's nose, Harry spoke again.

"One more chance Worm. Who…betrayed…my parents?" The man looked terrified for a moment before forcing out a squeaked answer to the deadly gaze in Harry's eyes.

"It…it was me! I was their Secret Keeper!" The gathered onlookers' eyes all widened at his admission.

"And Sirius was…?"

"Innocent! I framed him for your parents and for my death!" Harry relaxed a moment and turned to Fudge. The man was outright shocked at what he had just heard, but knew what he needed to do next.

"Well…in light of this new evidence…I can safely say all charges against Mr. Black will be dismissed and he will be fully exonerated. As for Mr. Pettigrew here…" Harry glance back down and removed his wand, letting the shaking form fall to the ground.

"Thank you Peter. Enjoy Azkaban. You're going to be there for a long, long time." Harry turned away from the man and headed back toward Ginny. He needed healing and rest; lots of both and he needed it very soon.

"Never!"

"Harry!" Ginny's wand was coning up and he wheeled around to find Peter lunging at him, the silver hand extended like a claw. Harry's wand rose to attack, but before he could launch a single spell, the man was knocked aside by a large grey blur. Lupin landed on top of his former friend before bouncing off and landing a few feet away, his mouth and claws trailing blood as he landed. The bite had been fierce, but there was no chance it would turn the victim into a werewolf as well. It was hard to turn into anything when half your throat was gone. The light faded from Peter's eyes and the number of Marauders left was reduced to one.

The man who had murdered his parents was dead, the man who had betrayed his parents was dead and the quest Harry had been given by Dumbledore was finished. He felt a great sense of calm settle over his body. It was over. After sixteen years…it was over. As Ginny reached him and took his arm, he could just make out thestrals emerging from the woods, there snouts seeking the fresh smell of blood.

"Potter!" They turned at the harsh call of his name to find Draco stalking toward them. His right hand was clutching the opposite shoulder, the whole left side of his robe caked in fresh and drying blood. He was speaking through gritted teeth at the pain of his missing arm. They both realized it had been the spell Ginny had cast in his defense that had removed Draco's limb. "Next time you get a bright idea, leave me out of it!" He turned and stalked away toward the medical staff. Harry realized at this point that it was pure rage keeping the man moving after that much blood loss. Ginny stared after him, stark fear on her face.

"Oh no. I…I did that… How could I?" She looked up to him, eyes wide. He smiled a little trying to comfort her.

"You were protecting me. He'll get over it. Madam Pomfrey will have him fixed up in no time." If she could handle everything he had gotten into over the years, a missing arm should be no problem.

"Yeah. Speaking of which…we need to get you over there."

"You'll hear no argument from me." Hobbling toward the crowd, Harry looked over the battlefield once again. They had won, but the cost was great.

"So Potter…made it through?" He turned to the familiar voice to find Professor Keystone walking slowly toward him. Though his shirt was singed in a couple places, that wasn't the most striking difference. For some reason he had a folded strip of black fabric as wide as his hand tied around his head like a blindfold. Professor Montoya was at his side with a hand on his elbow, apparently guiding him. Harry nodded slowly to the question. When he got no response, he spoke.

"Uh…yeah. You?"

"More or less. I'll live." Harry's curiosity, as well as many of the others', was peaked.

"What happened?" In response the Professor pulled free of his friend and reached behind his head to untie the blindfold. When is fell away to his neck Harry jumped a little and he could hear several others gasp.

"Turns out, even I can't block everything." Harry couldn't help but stare at the professor's eyes. Rather, where his eyes should have been. Instead there was a pair of sunken, blackened sockets staring out at nothing. The professor pulled the cloth back up and tied it tightly in place. "Damn near killed Sarah when she met me."

"Did…does that hurt?" Keystone's empty gaze moved slightly to look directly at her.

"Yes Miss Weasley. But I've been worse." He paused for a moment before turning slightly back to Harry. "We all lose something in battle, for better or worse. Mr. Potter lost his enemy, my ears tell me Professor Hagrid lost his brother, some people have lost their lives and I lost my sight. All told, I could be a lot worse off." His head cocked to the side for a second and his ears searched the area. "So tell me…do you feel better now that it's over?" Harry nodded before realizing he couldn't see it.

"Yeah. I feel…calm. A little bit at peace." The professor nodded, head still cocked to the side. Harry shook his head a second to clear his suddenly blurred vision. Damn old glasses.

"That's…good." Harry looked past him and found Ron a dozen meters off and approaching with the limp form of a bushy haired girl across his arms. Harry took a step toward him and stumbled. Forcing his knee to lock out he took another step and stumbled again.

"What…?" Ginny was at his side in an instant and Keystone was stepping quickly closer as well. "I…I…" The strong grip to one side made up for Ginny's to the other. His vision was blurring again and he couldn't make it clear. The professor's voice sounded right in his ear, distant despite the fact he was yelling.

"That's not inner peace, he's going into shock! We need some help over here!" Harry felt himself falling back onto the ground slowly, being laid down. He kept a death grip on his wand, whatever was happing, he might need it. His side was suddenly searing with pain and his chest felt tight. He was fairly sure he was loosing his mind when he heard Draco's voice.

"I'm fine! Help Potter! Now!"

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.