Disclaimer- I don't own anything, neither does the author of this chapter.
By Amber Gryffindor House
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THE LAST BATTLE!
18 year-old Hermione looked at the Ancient Runes translations she held in her hand. The Famous Four had found the parchment where they had met Robert Anthony Brindle (R.A.B and destroyed the last Horcrux. The Runes seemed familiar. Thank Godric Gryffindor she had taken Ancient Runes for almost five years.
And you all thought it was useless! She exclaimed as she pulled a chair up to the nearest desk in the Common Room. Ron and Harry leaned over her shoulder, trying to read the strange symbols.
"Oh, no," Hermione whispered.
"Hermione, what is it?" Harry demanded.
"Listen," She said running her index finger over the far left text. "And we shall meet when the moon raises after the seventh bright moon wanes in this celestial year. And we shall meet where no person dwells, a place forbidden, where the foulest creatures lurk."
"So?" Ron commented.
"So, that means they will meet the day after the seventh full moon at midnight. Thats tonight and its already past 11! And where no person dwells a place forbidden THE FORBIDDEN FOREST!"
Harry dashed up to his dormitory and grabbed his invisibility cloak. Without another word he, Ron, and Hermione walked through the portrait hole. Harry threw the cloak over them and they rushed down seven flights of stairs.
They crept across the grounds, past a small, familiar hut where Hagrid slept peacefully, and into the forest no student was supposed to enter.
Little by little, the light cast from the moon disappeared and the trees began to grow close together. The teens were draped in darkness.
"Lumos," Harry thought, trying to maintain silence (which was becoming increasingly difficult). No only were they trying to hide three rather tall teens under an invisibility cloak that could barely cover two children and a baby dragon, but the roots of nearby tree were becoming unruly, causing Harry, Ron, and Hermione (But mostly Ron) to trip.
After half an hour of "Ow, Ron! Thats my foot!" from Hermione, "OW! Ron! Thats my foot!" From Harry, "Harry you'll kill the spiders, right? Like you did in the maze?" from a very frightened Ron, and "Shut up! You guys are louder then something really really loud!" from Harry, the three of them could see a clearing in the distance.
An empty clearing.
Harry pulled the cloak off of them and headed out into the middle of the clearing.
"Right here, Hermione? Are you sure?"
Hermione nodded absolution. Harry walked back over to his group on the very edge of the clearing.
"Hide. You guys needn't get involved."
Hermione picked the cloak up off the ground and pulled it over Ron and herself. Harry walked back to the middle of the clearing. There he stood for no more than a few seconds when he heard a rustling nearby.
He gripped his wand tight in his hand as Voldemort stepped into view, shortly followed by three cloaked and masked Death Eaters. But Harry knew who they were. Draco and Lucius Malfoy. Three of the people Harry hated most were standing before him.
Hate flashed in Voldemorts red eyes as he advanced on Harry, wand raised. Harry, too, raised his wand.
"Looking for a duel, Potter?" Voldemort hissed.
"I know more than you give me credit for, Voldemort." Harry smirked. Voldemort didn't know he had no Horcruxes left untouched. Voldemort hadn't any idea how well Lupin had taught Harry Occlumens and how to duel. Voldemort knew nothing of the fact that one of his favorite Death Eaters hadn't died, but helped Harry destroy Hufflepuffs cup. In fact, Harry knew quite a bit more then Voldemort knew.
"Now, Harry. We bow."
Harry bowed without breaking eye contact and raised his wand in defense position. Voldemort raised his wand in attack position.
Harry's mind was racing. 'What if Voldemort used the killing curse? There was no way to deflect it. Dodge it maybe, but deflect it never.' Though Harry's wand was raised in defensive position, he was the first to act.
"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Harry thought. Voldemort fell to the ground, bleeding as if he were slashed with 10 knives. Lucius rushed over to Voldemort and began tracing his wounds. Draco at a feeble curse at Harry who dodged it easily.
"GUYS!" Harry yelled in the direction of the last place he saw his friends. "Malfoy Sr. mustn't heal Voldemort!"
Ron and Hermione appeared suddenly and rushed over to Lucius sending curses his way until, finally, he stood and began firing back.
Suddenly Bellatrix Lestrange walked amidst the small battle and began dueling beside Lucius with Ron and Hermione. Harry dodged every curse Draco sent, and still more Death Eaters were appearing all around them!
Quickly, Harry turned to see Ron and Hermione fighting 5 Death Eaters. Not to mention Voldemort was no where to be seen.
"AHH!" Harry cried out in frustration. He began venting his anger on the 6 Death Eaters still in the forest, starting with Lucius Malfoy.
Still, 4 Death Eaters surrounded Ron and Hermione. Harry was trying to help his friends but Bellatrix was obviously intent on dueling him.
Hermione, Ron managed to say before dodging a purple tongue of flame. If we
(IMPEDIMENTA) don't make it!
"Ron! No good byes!" Hermione yelled back as she sent the Freezing curse towards the nearest cloaked figure. Just one Death Eater remained dueling them.
"I want you to know" (WATCH OUT!) Ron yelled. Hermione wanted to move, run, scream, but as her imminent doom in the form of a bright blue light drew nigh she stood. Perfectly still; frightened beyond movement. It wasn't a second thought for Ron. He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her aside, being hit squarely in the chest with the Breathless Curse. He fell to the ground. The only Death Eater left to battle turned his attention to Harry, who was on his hands and knees, panting.
Hermione knelt beside Ron, tears falling down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him, whispering in his ear.
"Ron, you're so stupid! Why did you do that?" She sobbed. Ron wrapped his arms around her, his breaths growing shorter, shallower, and more forced.
"I need you to know," He said in a feeble, weak voice. "That I will always love you." He kissed her cheek and closed his eyes, knowing what fate was waiting for him in just a few more moments.
"Ron no please," Hermione sobbed into his shoulder. "I love you, too. Please don't leave me! Please, Ron I love you I love you!"
Softly she heard Ron's last breath slip from his body.
"NO!" She yelled. "No…" She whispered pulling Ron's body closer.
Harry knelt beside Hermione and wrapped one arm around her shoulders.
For how long they both sat there, they couldn't recall. The night had been a failure. Lucius Malfoy and Lestrange both Disparated with Voldemort. Draco Malfoy broke his own wand and ran. Voldemort hadn't died, but Ron had.
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Again, great chapter by someone else. I had to change a few small things, but this is probably 99 Amber Gryffindor House's original chapter. I did change Snape into Lucius because Snape is innocent.
I'm sad to say that this story is really losing steam, so I'm going to finish out January and change the title to 31 Ways...
Please don't send anymore chapters. I have one or two that people have sent me that I'll use, but I really want to finish the story on my own. I would be honored if people started their own stories to finish out the year. Consider yourselves challenged!
