Chapter 9

Over

Harry clutched his wand and sword in his right hand, and Vanessa's tiny hand in the other. He had lost the sorting hat amongst the fighting, it had been helping him look over his shoulder and other such necessary uses. The two standing in the doorway of the Great Hall were covered in dirt with various scratches about them. Their eyes were red from tears that had just recently subsided.

Ron stood next to the overturned Gryffindor table. His hair was ratty and wet and his eyes were weary from being awake so long. He blinked in disbelief at seeing Harry. "Harry? Is that really you?" coughed Ron.

Vanessa let her hold go and Harry released her palm. "Yeah mate, it's me," said Harry beaming at spotting his best friend. "Where's Hermione?"

A weak voice sounded from the side room. "I'm here Harry," sobbed the voice. Ron gasped as Hermione walked out of the side room, led by Draco, their hands firmly laced.

"Hermione?" questioned Harry. Despite him knowing this would happen, he was still shocked by their connection. She nodded silently; slowly she pulled out her wand. Harry looked at her saddened face and then to Draco's. Draco's gray eyes took on a new conviviality, yet they were helpless, scared, and miserable.

A single death eater strolled into the Great Hall, a hood shielding his features. "Oh, pardon me," came the cool voice of the unknown death eater. "It appears as if I'm interrupting something."

Hermione felt the heat of Draco next to her ear. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Hermione wept. She didn't want to kill Harry, but magic brought her wand up. Harry stared at her, horror in his eyes. He was frightened beyond belief, too frightened to move. Hermione's face burnt with tears.

Ron watched hardly knowing what was going on except for the heavy ache in his heart.

Draco looked around powerlessly as the death eater laughed maniacally. He recognized that laugh.

Hermione closed her eyes as magic forced her to yell the incantation. "Avada Kedavra!" Hermione felt her body turn slightly under Draco's direction.

Harry watched in awe as the green light went full blast into Lucius Malfoy, his hood blown off just seconds before the light hit.

Hermione no longer felt bound as Draco merrily kissed her. Her eyes were still closed. "Hermione! Open your eyes!" exclaimed Draco.

Hermione opened her eyes uncertainly to see Harry, Ron, and Vanessa staring at her, wild expressions on their faces. She looked to where her wand was pointed. To the dead body of Lucius Malfoy. "Draco!" yelled Hermione happily leaping into his arms. Her legs were wrapped around his thighs as he held her up. She bent to put her forehead to his. "I love you. I can't believe you did that, just for me." She planted her lips against his. They continued to kiss until Hermione became fully aware of the eyes on her. She hopped off her perch and laughed giddily.

Harry was stunned by how in love she was. This wasn't anything like his dreams had been. Harry smiled as a fresh blush tinted Hermione's cheeks. Even Ron warmed to her, no matter how hurt he was deep down.

Vanessa ran to her cousin and hugged him tightly. To her, this was the Draco she'd seen all along.

Harry and Ron walked towards Draco. "Glad to see you've turned over a new leaf," said Ron, almost cheery. Draco nodded. The scraggly lot of them was now in a silent agreement of friendship.

A clapping sound echoed from the doorway of the Great Hall. "Lovely show, really brings a tear to my eye," hissed Voldemort, in all his villainy. His red, slit eyes mocked their new friendship.

Hermione gave a yelp and jumped back into the protection of Draco's arms. He shielded her from the Dark Lord.

Harry looked behind Voldemort as the gigantic doors began to shut, Crucians filling the corridor outside. Through the crack he could see the red of Ginny's hair as she fought and the gleam of Dumbledore's eyes. He was fighting his way to the doors, but couldn't make it.

Voldemort hissed in delight. "Now, Harry, let me have a look at you before I kill you."

Vanessa watched Harry turn his face to the ground defiantly. She knew she would have to step in soon.

"Tisk, tisk Harry, where are you manners?"

Harry glared at Voldemort, looking up only to show his hatred. "You'll never win you know?" sparred Harry.

"What's this? A rebellious cry?" taunted the Dark Lord.

"You'll never win," said Harry simply.

"Silence!"

"You know it too! You'll never win!" screamed Harry.

"I said silence, now pay for your tongue," commanded Voldemort. "Crucio!"

Harry writhed in pain as his friends were also forced into the same agony.

Vanessa watched, doe-eyed. Time slowed down just as it had done before Carter's death. Vanessa contemplated what Harry had made her promised him. She remembered what he said about the prophecy. What she had to do to save the world. Vanessa cried, why did it have to come to this?

Harry screamed through his pain. "VANESSA NOW!"

Vanessa pointed her maple wand at Voldemort and yelled "Avada Kedavra!" Yet it did not work. Her powers were not yet strong enough. She knew that all along. The green burst didn't even make Voldemort flinch. In her heart she knew what she had to do. She repeatedly told herself it was for the better as she aimed her wand at the twisting Harry and once again screamed the incantation. Harry fell limp as the light devoured him.

Voldemort cackled, lifting the Cruciatus Curses. "I may yet have another death eater on my hands."

Ron's face went red with rage and tears. "HOW COULD YOU!"

Vanessa watched Voldemort in dismay. "You don't understand Ron!"

"I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY WELL! YOU JUST KILLED HARRY FOR YOUR OLD CHUM VOLDEMORT!"

Something was wrong, Vanessa could sense it. She ran straight for Voldemort, pounding her fist on his chest. "NO! You're supposed to be dead!" she bawled. "The prophecy!"

"What's this?" asked Voldemort rhetorically. "Me? Dead? Oh, my dear, I think you are blindly mistaken."

"NO!" shrieked Vanessa. She was gradually silenced by Voldemort's grip tightening around her neck.

"No! Harry!" yelled Luna. "Wake-up! If you don't we're both dead! Wake-up!" Images of the sunrise over the lake, Crucian swords, roses, everything form the school year came speeding through his mind.

"Harry wake-up!" Was that his father? Memories of Sirius and earlier years filled his head.

"Harry! Harry!" Luna cried earnestly, "Please, Harry, my body's still in battle!" Ginny's smile came into view and he returned it goofily. She held out her hand and began skipping to a light brighter than the sun. "Harry! Come on!" yelped Luan through Ginny. The light reflected off of Ginny's hair perfectly, Harry observed. Luna came into view to the right of the light Ginny was now running to. A pained expression covered the blonde girls face. "Please Harry, the Crucians are hurting me!" She extended her snow-white hand, but Harry didn't care. He wanted to continue following Ginny to the glorious light up ahead.

"Harry!" That most certainly wasn't his father. It was himself. "Follow Luna, Harry, save everyone." But Ginny's radiance was all he could focus on. "Follow Luna to save Ginny." With that he immediately latched onto Luna's hand. "I have to save Ginny."

Harry blinked, he wasn't dead. His will was too strong and Vanessa wasn't powerful enough nor did her heart truly want him to die. Pain coursed through his tired body as the realization of the scene was coming to his head bit by bit. It's the only way to save Ginny, he thought.

"Let her go!" shouted Hermione breaking free of Draco's defending grasp.

Voldemort lowered his hand and Vanessa fell to the floor, coughing and spluttering. "And what do you suppose I do in turn, mud-blood?"

Hermione gulped, she hadn't thought this far ahead.

"Hmmm…" interrogated Voldemort. "Times up, goodbye." The slit-eyed demon raised his wand to point at Hermione.

Ron leapt gallantly in front of Hermione as Voldemort began to form the curse. "Avada-."

"I love you Hermione," murmured Ron quickly.

"I'm so sorry Ron, please forgive me."

"I already have." Hermione hugged him, not realizing the wave of green coming towards them.

Ron pulled away, smiling gleefully. He felt complete as he turned around to sacrifice himself to the blinding light. All to save Hermione.

Hermione fell to the floor sobbing over Ron's lifeless body. "Why Ron?"

Draco walked up to Hermione and knelt beside her, wrapping his arms around her. Trying to ease her pain. She turned and cried into his arms.

Vanessa stared in astonishment. Another soul was gone. Another sacrifice for love. She longed for Carter's soft touch, the touch she knew she'd never feel again.

Hermione realized how unkind she'd been to Ron. "My God Draco, I'm a monster," she said in an undertone so light that it hardly escaped the robes she spoke into.

Harry steadily grabbed his sword and wand and began to stand up.

"My how courageous of that Weasley," jeered the Dark Lord. "I'd hate to see him if he found out I was going to kill you anyways mud-blood."

"Leave her out of this!" commanded Harry, anguish filled his heart. He was crying. He had watched impotently as his best friend was murdered. "This was between you and me!" roared Harry, his voice already hoarse from lack of sleep and water. "This is still between you an me."

Voldemort was shocked to see Harry walking, very much alive. "You're supposed to be…"

"Dead?" finished Harry menacingly. "According to you, I should have been dead for the past sixteen years of my life!"

"No matter," stated Voldemort. "I suppose I will have to kill you myself. Avada-."

Harry raised his wand and shouted the incantation, exactly in time with Voldemort. The result: another wand lock. A green light was quavering on a thin yellow line toward Harry's wand. "No…" said Harry, concentrating on willing the light towards Voldemort, their wands humming. Harry took up Godric Gryffindor's faithful sword and pushed his wand and the burst of green forward to the Dark Lord. It truly was a duel to the death.

Voldemort glanced around in horror. His scarlet eyes revealing his fear. He had no other weapon. He watched uneasily as the green light and the gleam of the sword came towards him.

Ghostlike figures flowed from Voldemort's shaking wand. Harry gasped, he had nearly forgotten how this had happened the last time. A tear fell down his face as Ron's freckled cheeks and red hair came into sight. He was smiling, content with his choice. His eyes were telling Harry that he was capable of defeating the evil that had plagued the wizarding world for years. His eyes gave Harry strength and he wasn't going to wait any longer to see his parents. Ron was reason enough to end it.

Harry couldn't contain himself and his hate any longer. He shoved the sword through Voldemort. All his hurt, fury, and sorrow fueling that single thrust.

Voldemort saw the blade drive through his chest and panicked. His fright caused him to error as he lost thought of the wand lock. The green flew at him and his red eyes became enormous from fear and his small nostrils flared in relentless detestation. Ron disappeared, waving at Hermione. Harry pulled back, horrified. It wasn't the typical Killing Curse. This one was far more damaging (due to the wand lock) as Voldemort was disgustingly deteriorating from the inside; the green light eating away at him. The Dark Lord shrieked inhumanly as he disappeared from the world. "PLEASE HARRY! DON'T DO THIS!" begged what was left of Voldemort. "YOU COULD BE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE." His pleads trailed off as the spell took control of his face.

Harry fell to the floor beside Vanessa, who'd laid still, breathing heavily. He was exhausted as he saw figures break through the entrance. The servants of Voldemort no longer existed. They were either dead or had retreated. Ginny ran to Harry's side as his eyes closed wearily. She kissed him, forgetting they had ever broken up. Harry fell asleep, his head resting in Ginny's lap as she stroked his jet-black hair. It was over.

It was the week after and all the students had recovered from the battle. Harry walked into the Great Hall after being in the hospital wing for the last week. It was back to the way it had always been, minus Ron. Perfectly unusual.

Hermione, Vanessa, Draco, and Ginny clapped loudly as Harry made his way to the front where they were standing. Spurred by the clapping, the rest of the student body joined in.

Dumbledore walked from his seat to address the students. "I'll have it be known that Mr. Harry Potter has received the Godric Gryffindor Award for outstanding leadership and excellence. It is the highest honor bestowed on a Hogwarts' student. Congratulations Harry. He fought valiantly through the Battle of Hogwart's which was a substantial victory." Cheers erupted from the students. Dumbledore continued his speech, giving awards to Hermione, Draco, Vanessa and many other students. When he had finished his awards ceremony his face saddened. "Now we've gone through horrific times before, but none more horrific than this recent attack. We've departed with many superb students and a few exceptional professors." He bowed his head. "Please, hold yourselves in silence to remember and honor those who have fallen."

Tears poured silently out of the new band of friends' eyes. They all had ghastly memories of last week's events. Hermione found herself in Draco's arms, and Ginny in Harry's. Vanessa stood alone, staring at where Carter had normally sat in the Great Hall, remembering him in her heart.

When the moment of silence came to an end, Dumbledore let the students eat. Harry stood a moment barely thinking enough to sit down. His mind was still racing from missing fellow students. His best friend. Harry was about to leave for his seat when he saw something glinting at the bottom of the school banners upon the back wall. He approached Dumbledore. "May I Headmaster?" questioned Harry motioning to the banners.

"Of course Harry."

Harry walked to the banners. Names were now written on them. He traced the embroidered words on the Gryffindor banner. 'IN LOVING MEMORY.' Underneath it continued. 'May these students never be forgotten.' Harry's eyes welled with tears as he found the name he was looking for. He let his fingers trace the golden thread. 'RONALD WEASLEY: 1980-1997.' Harry took off his glasses, trying without effect to wipe the tears. "You'll always be my best friend."

Harry turned away teary eyed when a outsized hand was laid upon his shoulder. It was Hagrid's of course. His kind eyes looked upon him in concern and frustration. "Blimey Harry,"

"What?" inquired Harry trying to stop the river of tears. Ron was really gone. Forever.

"It's gone…"

"What's gone?" Harry was mystified as ever and was starting to wonder why Hagrid was staring at Harry's forehead so intently. After all, it was only a scar.

THE END