Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter or anything from the magical world. However, I own the plot of this story!

Chapter Seventeen

He had no idea how it had happened. He'd only been looking for Hermione and now, he was standing in the Forbidden Forest, fighting off a ward of Death Eaters, still looking for her. He knew that every member of the DA that still went to Hogwarts was here and he'd seen most of them, but why hadn't he seen Hermione or Ron? The two people he really needed to see seemed to be the only people he couldn't.

Another ministry wizard fell to the floor and Harry clenched his jaw. Voldemort had to be there somewhere. He had to be. His scar suddenly seared with pain and he cried out. A few people turned to look and it cost one or two their lives, but no one could do anything to help. Harry spun round and came face to face with the person who had made his life miserable right from the word 'go'.

"Long time no see, Harry," the Dark Lord drawled, smirking. With a hand still on his scar, Harry raised his wand, hoping that Voldemort couldn't see how much his hand was shaking.

"This is it, Harry. One of us is going to die tonight."

"Well it's not going to be me," Harry said, grinding his teeth together. Voldemort smirked again and lifted up his wand.

"Crucio!" Pain shot through Harry's body, but he wasn't going to give Voldemort the satisfaction of making him cry out in pain.

Come on… he urged himself, fighting off the pain. Just let me see her one last time.

"S-stupefy!" Harry shouted. Voldemort's eyes widened and he quickly conjured up a shield.

"Well, well, Harry. I can't say I was expecting that." Harry stayed silent.

"Nothing to say, Harry?" Voldemort sneered. Harry balled up his fist.

Hermione hid behind a tree as another spell was thrown at her and then quickly shot another one back, rendering the Death Eater unconscious.

"Take that, arse-hole," she hissed, climbing over the body. Looking around, she recognized a few people, but none of them were Harry. Why, oh why, did she have a go at him? The last thing she had said to him was 'you're pathetic'. He needed to know that she didn't mean it. Then she heard his voice, it wasn't far off and she hurtled through the forest to try and find him. There he was! In the clearing with – Hermione's heart sunk – Voldemort.

No, not yet, she pleaded, clinging onto the tree.

"Nothing to say to you," Harry hissed.

"No? You have things to say to other people, for instance, your pathetic excuse for a girlfriend." Harry tightened his grip on his wand.

"Have I hit a soft spot?" Voldemort sneered.

"Don't you talk about her like that!"

"Do you want to say sorry to her? Why don't you? Now?"

Hermione felt an invisible presence urge her forward, pushing her into the clearing. She fought against it with all her might, but it was having none of it. Harry went to take a step forward, but Voldemort pointed his wand at her.

"Not another step, Potter." Harry stopped instantly.

"Now, teenage romances are not normally my thing-"

"Let her go," Harry ordered, holding up his own wand. Voldemort smiled and Hermione screamed.

"Stop it!" Harry shouted.

"Lower your wand," Voldemort said, quietly. Harry did as she was told and Hermione fell back against a tree, breathing heavily. "Good, now, put your wand on the floor." Harry hesitated.

"Don't do it," Hermione snapped as he bent down. Voldemort pursed his lips and Hermione cried out in pain again.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand directly at Voldemort. The Dark Lord didn't have time to react before the spell hit him and he fell to the floor. Harry dropped to his knees, closed his eyes and screamed at the top of his lungs.

There. He'd done it. Now, he was a murderer. A groan came from the floor a few meters away and Harry quickly crawled over to Hermione.

"Are you alright?" he asked, helping her to her feet. Hermione smiled weakly and nodded.

"You did it," she whispered, looking round at Voldemort. "He's gone forever." She looked back at Harry to see him frowning.

"He'll never be gone."

"What-"

"He'll never be gone as long as I'm here. I'm the last Horcrux…" Hermione stared at him.

"But-"

"Didn't everyone always say that, Voldemort put a part of himself into me, though it may have been accidental, the night that he killed my parents?"

"Yes, well-"

"And…he never dies…that's why…" Harry bent down and picked up Hermione's wand, putting his own in his pocket.

"Voldemort's alive if I am…" Harry whispered, handing her, her wand and lifting her hand up so the tip of it was pointing at him. Then he looked into her eyes.

"You have to kill me…" Hermione looked absolutely horrified and shook her head.

"You have to," Harry pleaded. "I want you to do it."

"I can't," she whispered. "I can't do that."

"Please." Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head. He kissed her. She wrapped her free arm around his neck, holding onto him for dear life.

"Do it now," he breathed, against her lips. "Just end it all." Hermione pulled him closer to kiss him again, just as desperately as before.

"Now," Harry whispered. "Do it for me."

"Av-avada kedavra." Hermione dropped with Harry to the floor, still holding onto him and sobbing into his chest. She felt something slip down her wrist and looked to find both love bracelets on the ground beside Harry's lifeless body. She closed her eyes and screamed. Strong hands pulled her to her feet.

"Hermione, he's gone," Ron's voice whispered in her ear. "Let's go." Hermione pulled away.

"No! He's not gone! He can't be gone!" she shouted, dropping to her knees beside Harry, pounding his chest with her fists.

"He's not gone, he's not gone, he's not, he can't be," she sobbed, finally giving up and laying her head on his chest. The bracelets caught the corner of her eye and she picked both of them up, stood up and walked to the edge of the lake, then, with all her might, she tossed both of them as far as she could.

"You selfish bastard!" she shouted. Ron looked on hopelessly.

"I did what you wanted! Are you bloody happy now?" Ron went to say something, but decided against the idea.

"How could you do this to me?" Hermione screamed. "You left me alone, like you promised you wouldn't! I HATE YOU!" Ron ran forward as she dropped to the floor and pulled her into a hug.

"Come on, let's go-"

"No!" Hermione shouted, turned to face him.

"He's gone."

"No he's not!" Hermione screamed, punching him in the chest, over and over again. Ron grabbed her wrists and she tried to pull them free without success. Eventually, she gave up and Ron pulled her into a hug.

"How could he do this to me?" she sobbed.

"Shhh," Ron soothed, running his hand up and down her back. "It'll be fine." Ron led her out of the Forbidden Forest towards a group of wizards and witches. She felt strong arms pull her into another hug and knew that the Weasley's were all there, even Ginny. Ron was talking to someone a few feet away and when he saw Hermione looking at him he sent her a reassuring smile and mouthed the words 'it'll be fine'.

"What's that?" someone asked, pointing to the forest. Hermione turned to look and the golden light that had engulfed half the forest from the direction they had come. Slowly it died down and something moved at the edge of the line of trees.

"No way," Ron whispered, taking a step back.

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Don't tell me you hate me! There's another chapter! You'll regret saying it! I swear:D Nearly at the end of the story now cries I've had fun writing this and I hope you've had fun reading it. :D

Next chapter will be up TODAY!