Hi all, an update in 2 days—because everything is already written, I've decided there's no point in waiting. I'll admit that this is my least favourite chapter because it's more plot advancing than about emotions, which is what I like to write, but it's necessary for the story, so bear with me and the next chapter will be up promptly. Thanks for the lovely reviews—replies at the end.

Chapter 6: The Battle of Hogwarts

Hermione locked the dungeon behind her and sprinted to catch up with Ron. She contacted Harry as she ran up the stairs, close behind Ron.

"I can't get a hold of Dumbledore!" panicked Ron.

Ron's heart was racing—they were on their own. He never thought Hogwarts would be infiltrated and now, they didn't even have the Headmaster to defend it.

The scene transpiring before them as they rushed into the main entrance terrified them. Bright flashes of coloured lights danced through the air, black robed, white masked figures swirled around the room, aiming their wands at the inexperienced, teenaged graduates and students. They were outnumbered three to one.

Hermione squeezed Ron's hand. "We can do this," she whispered before charging into the hall, yelling a curse at the nearest hooded figure.

"Stupefy," yelled Ron, as a man came up behind Ginny.

"Thanks," muttered Ginny, catching her breath, before sending her next curse.

Ron was throwing curses and hexes in every direction, trying hard not to hit the wrong people.

"Watch OUT!" screamed Hermione as purple light came shooting at Ron. Ron jumped out of the way and hit the Death Eater with a curse. He couldn't even remember what curses he was yelling, he had lost count.

The purple light slashed his upper arm and blood soaked his robe.

"Damnit!" cursed Ron as Hermione came running up to him.

"I'm ok," mumbled Ron as Ron and Hermione stood, backs pressed together, attacking approaching Death Eaters.

Ron's blood began to seep onto Hermione's sleeve. Ron noticed her staring at the red stain intently.

Ron looked at her, questioningly. "What is it?" asked Ron.

"I can't believe I didn't see it before!" exclaimed Hermione just before green light came at her. Ron pulled her down, his heart beating; that was the killing curse.

"Incendio," yelled Hermione from her crouched position.

"See what?" whispered Ron after sending a Petrificus Totalus curse towards an oncoming hooded figure.

Hermione touched the blood on his arm. "The blood, it can't be anyone's blood. It has to be pureblood. That's why mine and the patient's blood didn't work."

Ron looked down at his bloody robe and shook his head.

"Voldemort's sadistic joke," muttered Hermione. She got up to send another curse but found herself flying across the room, hit by a curse.

"Hermione!"

Hermione got up, slowly and tremblingly yelled another curse.

Ron began working his way towards Hermione as he heard the words, "Avada Kedavra!"

"Mobilarbus," yelled someone and Ron felt himself get moved out of the path of the deadly green light.

Ron got up and looked in the direction of the person who just saved him. "Harry!" Temporary relief overcame him—the rest of the Order had arrived.

"We're here," said Harry, before shooting a curse at someone.

"Thanks, mate," said Ron as he began to fight again.

As the fight continued, the Order members were able to push the fight out of the castle and into the courtyard.

Ron noticed a hooded figure sneak towards the great hall as everyone was fighting outside.

Ron quietly followed him. What did this man want?

The man led Ron towards Dumbledore's office. He then turned the corner. Ron followed him around the corner but the man wasn't there. It was a dead end and the only place that he could have gone into was Dumbledore's office.

'How did he get in there?' wondered Ron, worriedly.

He whispered the password and with his wand raised, he entered the office. No one was there.

"What the hell?" muttered Ron.

Suddenly a rat scurried into the room. Ron jumped back, startled. "Shit" muttered Ron, realizing what happened. The rat seemed to smile and quickly morphed into a man.

"You," hissed Ron as he opened his mouth to curse him.

"Expelliarmus," yelled Petergrew in a squeaky voice. Ron's wand flew out of his hand and landed on the floor by Petergrew.

"Thanks for letting me in, former master," he snickered.

He let him in! Petergrew knew he was following him. Ron scowled. How could he have fallen for the trick?

"Now, what did Master want? Only a Gryffindor can retrieve it, he said," muttered Petergrew to himself. "Ah, right."

The nervous man looked around before his eyes landed on the sorting hat.

Ron didn't move, wanting to know what the rat-like man wanted.

Petergrew walked up to the hat and put his hand in it. He pulled out his empty hand, looking confused and very nervous.

Ron ran for his wand and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus."

Petergrew fell to the floor and turned into a rat.

"Oh, no you don't!" muttered Ron.

He mumbled something and caught the rat in a cage.

The rat scurried about, trying desperately to get out. Ron laughed, in spite of himself.

"Now, what did you want?" asked Ron as he walked over to the sorting hat. What could possibly be in the hat? Suddenly, as he put his hand into the hat, a sword appeared in his hand.

"The Gryffindor sword?" muttered Ron as he pulled it out, wondering how it appeared in the hat. "Is this what you wanted?" demanded Ron, looking at the rat.

By the rat's increased desperation at the sight of the sword, Ron's question was answered.

Grabbing the cage, Ron ran out of the room. "What did Voldemort want with this sword?" wondered Ron.

He threw the caged rat into a broom closet. "We'll deal with you later."

'What now?' thought Ron. 'I have to get out there and help!'

"Accio broom." Ron's broom came flying towards him. He hid the sword within his robe, jumped onto the broom and flew up to a window. Using his wand, he opened the window and flew towards the courtyard.

As he approached the courtyard, he could see figures fighting and bright lights speeding through the sky. Many bodies lay motionless. Near the forest, he could see a couple of hooded figures dump the contents of a sack into a ditch. 'What's that about?' wondered Ron, in passing.

He noticed Hermione a few feet further and flew towards her.

"Ron, where have you been?" panted Hermione as she ducked a spell.

"Catching a rat," said Ron as he began to send curses in all directions. "Where's Harry and Ginny?" asked Ron as he scanned the area.

"I don't know," replied Hermione, worriedly. A loud crash came from the main entrance of the castle.

"Someone is still in there!" exclaimed Ron. He got back onto his broom.

"Where are you going?" asked Hermione, ducking a purple light.

"I'm going to see what's going on." Ron flew into the air and towards an open window. As he entered the great hall, he gasped.

It was Voldemort. Harry was lying on the floor, near the teachers' table. He could see Ginny running towards him from the corner of his eye.

Ron flew towards Harry, who had begun to stir, pushing himself up with his hands. Voldemort saw Ron and smiled, slightly annoyed.

"Forget it boy. This fight is with Harry," said the Dark Lord as he pointed his wand at Ron and muttered the killing curse. Ron moved out of the way.

"You can't escape me that easily, boy. Avis!" As Voldemort muttered the spell, three huge, threatening birds came out of his wand and towards Ron.

"Great!" muttered Ron.

x

Voldemort turned his attention back to Harry with a smug smile playing on his face.

Harry got up, just as Ginny came up to him and grabbed his hand tightly.

"What are you doing," shot Harry, angrily.

"I have an idea. What's the one thing he lacks, Harry?"

Harry gave her a frustrated look and tried to shake her off.

"Love, Harry. He doesn't understand it and that's what will weaken him, while making you stronger."

"Ginny, now isn't the time for romantic notions."

"I'm staying with you and that's final. I love you, Harry. Trust me."

Harry sighed. Ginny felt pain shoot through her hand and through her body as Voldemort sent a curse towards their locked hands. Ginny didn't budge.

"We make each other stronger," whispered Ginny. "Our love will see this through."

Harry nodded, deciding to take faith in what Ginny said. He could feel himself strengthen as Ginny squeezed his hand, as if her love was flowing through his body from her hand like electricity.

He looked up in the sky and his face fell as he saw Ron battling with three massive birds.

"I have to end this," thought Harry, lifting his wand in Voldemort's direction.

x

Ron dipped between two birds that were flying towards him. They crashed and stumbled, losing altitude. He shot a curse at the bird as it soared towards him again. Another bird grabbed his arm and threw him against the wall.

He hit the wall, his broom still between his legs. He could hear his bones crack. He winced in pain but kicked up back into the air.

"Reducio."

The bird coming at Ron suddenly shrunk to the size of a chick. It squawked and flew away. Another bird grabbed Ron's wand and flung it out the window.

He dipped again, causing the bird to collide with the wall. It fell to the floor but Ron could see it trying to lift itself up. He felt himself losing altitude. The bird began to approach him and without his wand, he was helpless.

Just as the bird's large claws approached his shoulders, he heard a voice behind him yelling, "Incendio."

The bird burst into flames and screamed as it hurdled to the ground.

Ron pivoted on his broom to see who destroyed the bird. It was Snape.

He was standing in the doorway, clutching his wounded side. He lowered his wand slowly and buckled onto the floor.

Just as he turned his head towards the last remaining bird, it grabbed him by the leg, flinging him off his broom and against the wall. It loomed over him, ripping at his robe and his flesh and sinking its claws into his body. Ron struggled, trying to get free, pain seizing him.

x

A loud cackle echoed through the room. "Your brother is dead," laughed Voldemort, seeing that the bird was about to literally finish eating Ron alive.

Harry's heart seemed to fall out of his chest. He could feel Ginny's hand weaken around his own. Ginny looked into Harry's eyes, tears pouring down her face. "We have to keep going, keep fighting," whispered Ginny, her voice barely comprehendible.

x

Though it appeared as if the bird had finished the job, Ron was still alive.

'How am I going to get out of this?' thought Ron, desperately trying to free his arms from the bird's claws. He clamped his teeth over the bird's neck. The bird screeched in surprise and moved one claw off the floor—the one imprisoning his right arm.

He reached for the sword in his robe and slowly and painfully brought it out. Gathering his strength, he rammed the sword into the bird's torso. The bird let out a horribly high shrill and collapsed on top of him.

Ron tried to push the heavy dead bird off him with the sword.

He looked at the sword, thoughtfully. Then realization grasped him. The sword! Voldemort must want the sword because it poses a threat to him. He couldn't imagine the sword being a useful tool for Voldemort, which only meant it must be useful for his enemy—Harry. He had to get the sword to Harry.

Channeling all his remaining strength, he ignored his gushing wounds and broken bones and heaved the bird off him. He crawled to his broom, unable to walk. Struggling, he mounted it and unsteadily rose from the ground.

Ginny and Harry still held hands tightly. Harry's mind was fighting its own battle—giving into the despair of losing Ron or using his rage to avenge Ron's death. The rage and Ginny's constant love and her own rage at losing Ron, rushing into his mind gave him the power to continue. They had stubbornly stayed together and refused to give up the fight.

"Ron!" exclaimed Ginny, as she saw him lift up on his broom. "He's alive!"

xxxx

Hermione stumbled as she moved, trying to avoid an oncoming curse. She had been driven near the forbidden forest as Death Eaters continued to attack her.

Despite their efforts, she had been able capture and disarm numerous Death Eaters. A trail of unconscious masked bodies lay in her wake.

'But they're still coming,' thought Hermione, exhausted.

"You think you're so smart, mudblood? You may have defeated those idiots, but not me!" yelled a man, as five Death Eaters cornered her. She had nowhere to move. They had formed a semi-circle around her and behind her was a deep ditch.

"Incendio," yelled Hermione. One of the men cornering her burst into flames. He began to scream as he stumbled away.

"Idiot!"

Hermione fought with the men, desperately trying to get away from the dangerous ditch.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione bent down, to avoid the curse. Losing her balance, she fell into the ditch. Hermione's heart raced as she felt the air rush by her. 'I'm going to die,' she thought.

"Burn it," ordered a man.

Hermione's head hit a rock as she landed at the bottom of the ditch.

"Incendio Engrodio!"

Flames came rushing into the ditch. She placed her hand over a small rock, trying to lift herself. Just as the flames hit the ditch bottom, Hermione disappeared. The ditch went into flames, no one noticing her disappearance. The flames danced, higher and higher, rising above the hole, licking against the sides.

"One less mudblood to pollute our world," smiled one of the men who had ordered the burning of the ditch, as he walked over all the hooded figures that Hermione had rendered unconscious.

xxxx

"Harry!" whispered Ron, as he approached him on his broom. He lowered his broom, grabbed the sword and slid it to Harry. Harry looked at it, momentarily confused.

Ron didn't linger to explain anything. He sped by Voldemort's face, causing the skeletal man to stumble. He then made a sharp turn in the opposite direction of Harry to distract the Dark Lord. Voldemort caught his balance and pointed his wand at Ron. "Don't want to die, do you?"

As Harry took a hold of the sword, he felt stronger, like Godric Gryffindor was pushing him along. With his hand still intertwined with Ginny, he felt invincible.

"Avada K—," began Voldemort, pointing his wand at Ron, who was losing altitude, his energy draining out of him as the pain of his wound and broken bones where finally taking effect.

Harry plunged the sword into Voldemort's back and then pulled it out. Voldemort slowly turned around.

"You think you can kill me with a measly knif—," started Voldemort. His voice trailed off as he saw what Harry held in one hand and who he held in the other hand.

Harry stabbed him again. Voldemort felt the courage of Godric Gryffindor and Harry as the sword pierced his heart.

He felt Harry's love for Ginny and Ginny's love for Harry, even stronger because they held on so tightly.

He felt the love Harry had for everyone close to him—Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys, Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, his parents that he never had a chance to know.

The love, it was poison to him.

Voldemort collapsed. His eyes bore into Harry's. He was dead—his face set in an expression of shock. He was finally defeated.

Harry looked at the dead body in disbelief. It was done. They did it. He couldn't comprehend it.

Ginny finally let go of his hand, which was covered in her own and Harry's blood. She flung her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him, her tears falling into his hair.

"You did it!" whispered Ginny into his ear.

"No, we did it. You, Ron and I. I couldn't have done it without you or Ron," corrected Harry.

"Ron!" exclaimed Ginny looking into the air.

Ron plummeted to the ground as his eyes fluttering shut as he drifted into unconsciousness. His body hit the ground with a thud.

Ginny ran over to him and placed her fingers on his neck. "He's alive, but barely."

xxxxxxxx

As I said, this is my least favourite chapter because I'm not very good at writing action, but it needs to be told in order to move the plot forward. I know I'm not very good at writing action or coming up with a feasible way to kill Voldemort but the story demands that he dies.

The story is not over yet! Please review and I'll post the next chap very soon—the first chapter of Part 2. Here's the Part 2 summary.

PART 2: The Lost shall be Found (Chapter 7-13): The war is over but for Ron, the price of victory is too high to endure. Life passes him by meaninglessly. Only one person can save him from his emptiness but she is nowhere to be found until one day when everything changes, throwing Ron into an emotional rollercoaster that he cannot control.

Review Replies

Silverthreads: I'm very big on the small cliffhangers for this story. I don't know why, they just seem to work in certain areas. Yeah, Snape's part was small but like you said, very important to the plot. He saved Ron in this chapter—he seems the type who hates being in debt and is happy to promptly pay Ron back for saving him. Your story is amazing. I really need to get started on the squeal, I'm very excited. Thanks for the lovely review. Weasleygirl-ca.

dancerrdw: Thanks so much for the wonderfully unfailing reviews. It's so nice :D. I hope you like this one. Weasleygirl-ca.

goblin monkey: Chapter 5 was one of the best ones to write. It has so much emotion and I love to read and write about emotions. Two cliffhangers in a row—they're just so much fun. Not much of a cliffy here, but it's not over yet. Thanks so much. Weasleygirl-ca

ilovefireyredheads: Ron is the only red head, really, he's the best. With all the Ron bashing that goes on, it's nice to see the Ron love :D. I'm honoured that Destined is on your favourites list, thanks so much! Weasleygirl-ca.

AmyChris: Hello fellow Canadian (guess what the 'ca' in my name stands for, lol. Thanks for the review. Weasleygirl-ca.

onesongglory9: Hi Lauren, I must thank you for the lovely long review. Mature writing? Thank you! I wrote this years ago, when I just first came into the fanfiction world and so it's kind of like my 'coming out story', lol. But I didn't find this site until recently. Again, thank you, Weasleygirl-ca. BTW, when you say Calgary, do u mean the city of Calgary?