19 Lake

As time passed Professor McGonagall was able to slowly piece together the battle.

She watched as even first and second years cast spells and hexes at the intruders. A few panicked and ran but most fought on with whatever pitiful spells they could muster. Even the squib Filch crept through the mayhem and dragged injured students to safety.

Severus Snape had called to account many of the worst of his followers while defending Harry's back during the duel. Dolohov, Macnair, Bellatrix LeStrange and Lucius Malfoy had fallen. They would never lift a wand to anyone again.

Of all the memories in the pensieve only Neville Longbottom's showed any trace of Severus Snape.

Minerva McGonagall felt pride swell inside her as she watched Padma Patil, Luna Lovegood and a ragged Hermione Granger cross their wands together and deface the Dark Mark, rallying the students to fight on.

The Headmistress watched the pensieve closely and repeatedly.

She gasped as Harry's patronus deflected the Dark Lord's fading Avada Kedavra curse. Clearly, infusing himself with Harry's blood had undone some of the dark magic strengthening Voldemort.

Voldemort had absorbed a lot of spells and over half a dozen sword thrusts from his battle with Harry. She watched as Harry, realizing the fiery sword could wound but not kill, cut Voldemort's wand in two.

There was a huge footprint on his torn robes. The serpent-killing potion from the bludgers had mottled his grayish skin. He had stopped moving by the time the huge blond Death Eater stood astride his master and cast the immobilizing spell at Harry.

Seamus visited Harry, Hermione and Ron at Madam Pomfrey's.

"Your wand, Harry," Seamus laid Harry's first wand on the little table by his bed. "The remains of Voldemort's wand have been destroyed. No one can find him but you hurt him pretty bad . . . and McGonagall threw the sword into the lake."

"Why?"

"The sword was still hot long after the battle. The lake was the only place that would accept it. The merpeople are guarding it."

"Something like the Arthurian legend," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"I've got your other wand with me Harry. I'm sorry it didn't work better for you but with Mr. Olivander gone it was the only phoenix core wand I could find. At least it didn't lock." Seamus said sadly.

"I took Voldemort by surprise with that wand. He never had the better of me after that. I don't think I would have been able to get close enough to destroy his wand without that advantage." Harry shifted in his bed. "I know you and Hermione went to an awful lot of trouble Seamus, but that wand isn't quite right for me. With Voldemort's wand destroyed, I can use my own wand against him now."

"Harry, you knocked Voldemort down with that wand in your hands. What's this 'never had the better of me' rubbish?" Ron shouted excitedly.

"Ron, how's your arm?" Hermione steered the subject away from wands.

"Madam Pomfrey says it will heal up, but not anytime soon," Ron moaned.

Mad-Eye Moody stumped in on a proper metal leg. "Kingsley sends his regards from Saint Mungo's, Harry."

Moody looked to Seamus.

"Mr. Finnegan had the right idea and it nearly worked. A Black Phoenix wand sounds exotic but almost no one can properly use it. The wand must have been sold a dozen times before he stumbled across it. Ironic, isn't it. He never would have found it, if not for the attack near Knockturn Alley. Then he and Miss Granger invented Granger's Sieve and used it to improve the wand. Horace Slughorn has the Ministry eating out of his hand because of it, which can only mean good things for the school. We need more failures like these."

"Is there any word on Hagrid?" Hermione asked Moody.

"There's been no change, it doesn't look good. I can't promise anything but I'm off to seek a healer of giants. I'm sure she'll prefer helping Hagrid to warming a cell in Azkaban."