A wardrobe hit the ground with a crash, it's doors shattered, and the wood cracked and bent. The priceless artifact was destroyed; it's intricate design and rune work, which had taken years to develop, was gone in an instant. But it's current owner didn't care. The wardrobe was simply one more item in the storm that was his anger and his grief. Roaring, he grabbed at a nearby vase and hurled it at the closest wall as tears helplessly poured from his eyes.

Holly was gone. Holly had walked to her death while he slept, she was gone.

He swore clawing at the walls ripping his nails in the process, the pain didn't register and nor did the bloody streaks he left behind. All he cared about was destroying everything. Why had he slept, he'd known she'd been acting off that afternoon. Oddly affectionate and solemn around them all. Sirius should have known better, should have realized something was wrong, he should have guarded her door. If he had maybe she'd be alive right now!

All he'd wanted for her to be happy, he wanted her to leave this war and escape with her soulmate somewhere where Voldemort could not touch her. But he'd so selfishly thought only of how much he'd miss her when she was gone. And now this. A Horcrux, a fragment attached to her and Dumbledore- Sirius snarled, slamming a fist into the wall. He ripped at the tapestry of the Black family, where Holly's name had lain since he'd returned to the house.

Dumbledore had known. He had known what was within her, and he'd done nothing about it, he'd given them no warning, no sign, no chance to save her. If he'd known! Didn't the fool realize he was a Black!? Sirius knew a book on Horcruxes existed within Grimmauld places library and it might have had a sign of how to destroy the fragment while Holly lived. But he had kept it secret, and now Holly was dead, convinced that her only choice was to let Voldemort kill her.

He screamed again, felt it burn in his throat, and his vocal cords protested. But Sirius couldn't stop. His daughter was dead.

A room over, Hermione grabbed Ron as he dragged her across the floor in his rush to leave Grimmauld Place. In her pocket was that blasted collection of notes, Holly's death letter, and the proof of her trust in them. Hermione had very purposely read every word before she'd dare show the message to Ron and Sirius, and it was for a good reason. For as Sirius exploded in grief, Ron became determined.

"Wait!" she cried, heels skidding across the ground, "we can't!"

"Can't- the hell we can't! We're getting Holly back now!" Ron pushed on toward the doors noting that Walburga's painting was uncovered, but for once, she wasn't cursing at them. She seemed far too curious about the happenings of the house. Ron nearly sent a fire-ball toward the bitch, she was probably spying on them, likely happy this had happened.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed tears in her eyes, "this isn't getting Holly back, she wrote this hours ago. By the time I found it, Holly was already in Voldemort's hands-" a vase broke nearby, and Hermione did her best not to flinch as Sirius screamed, his anguish palpable in the magic twisting across Grimmauld place's wards.

"She was supposed to go to her soulmate!-"

Ron finally stopped and rounded on her: "Then what are we supposed to do, Hermione." He reached up and wrenched on his hair. Ron didn't know what to do. Holly was dead, Sirius had snapped, and he… he couldn't breathe.

"I'm Holly. Holly Potter, nice to meet you."

"No, no, I think… I think her soulmate will save her." Hermione insisted, "which means she'll be trapped without a Horcrux with Voldemort."

"Her soulmate, Hermione that's mad-"

"LISTEN TO ME RONALD!" Ron flinched back at her outburst, finally falling silent. In that moment of harsh breathing, all Hermione and Ron could hear was Sirius steadily destroying everything he could get his hands on. The pause only lasted a second. And Hermione was quick to break it now that Ron had finally stopped. "There is a chance Holly's soulmate saved her, and when she does, Holly will be trapped, alone, with an immortal Voldemort. We have to make sure she's not."

Ron's eyes went a bit wide, already shaking his head: "But- but Holly's soulmate hasn't fixed anything, she won't have the points for that-"

"No! There's a chance! She fixed Holly's scar from Umbridge, and scars always cost a fair amount, especially since that scar was a curse mark. That means she's got points now… so there's- there's a chance. So we have to ensure it's worth something. Because if Holly's soulmate saves her, she'll be with Voldemort, who is still immortal. We have to ensure he isn't, using the hints she gave us." Hermione shoved a hand in her pocket and pulled out the papers, she slapped her hands on the parchment and stared Ron down, trying to import to him how important this mission was. "She put her faith in us, gave us everything we need to find the other Horcruxes. Holly is counting on us, Ron!"

Silence fell, even Sirius seemed to have finally stopped.

"We need all the help we can get," Ron said and turned on his heel toward the floo. As Sirius had said in his rage, everything happening now was because of Dumbledore's secrets, and Ron refused to make the same mistake. He'd call his brothers, his sister, his parents, he'd call the DA, and the entire Order. They'd need everything together to succeed. "Sirius! Pull yourself together, we're going to save Holly, and we need you!" He hollered in Sirius' general direction as Hermione rushed to catch up already rescanning the papers so she could pass on everything they needed.

"Save her?" They glanced into the room where Sirius had destroyed everything. He'd stopped finally, with bloodied hands. The place looked like a murder scene, and Sirius didn't look much better.

"Are you coming or not?" Ron demanded harshly on purpose, hoping to snap the man out of his grief long enough for him to help.

"Yes." Sirius dropped the picture frame in his hands, and it crashed into the ground. "What do I need to do?"

Together they'd end this. Together, they'd save Holly… if there was any part of Holly left to save.

"thirty-two… thirty-three… thirty-four."

Severus couldn't peel his eyes from her body. Holly lay across the floor, her hair cascading across the ground, her arm twisted unnaturally, and her eyes hidden. Dead, that child had been killed, and Bellatrix was counting down the time until it would be permanent, unaware that she was also counting down the seconds until Severus followed, dropping for failing to protect her.

Each second seemed to match the beat of his heart. He had thirty seconds to live, and Holly's corpse lay there, yet all he could think about was Petunia's doll.

Petunia had carried the doll everywhere with her, it went to school, went to the grocery, to the cinema. It went everywhere, and Severus had gotten used to seeing it lying in Petunia's arms when he had the misfortune to see her. Before now, he hadn't made the comparison; the black hair, the green eyes, and the tanned skin from all the use the doll had gotten. The toy looked exactly like Holly. Unnaturally so, it matched that day Lily had gotten her Hogwarts letter. The day Petunia dropped it and had run off without it for the first time. It had landed exactly like Holly lay now, hair in its face, limbs at unnatural angles, its body still and growing cold.

She was seventeen years old, and he'd just escorted her to her death, all the while focusing on nothing but his own.

What had he done? Everything he'd done had been for Lily, for her forgiveness. He'd protected Lily's daughter, taught her what he could, and had gotten her killed. Lily would never forgive him now, and how could he blame her? The child she had died for… he was so blind. So convinced she was a spoiled brat for so many years until he'd seen the truth, and now-

He deserved this.

"Fifty-eight… fifty-nine…"

Severus closed his eyes.

"Sixty. It's time, my lord."

And opened them.

He was alive; he was- Severus shot his attention to Holly, but the girl remained motionless. Smart enough to stay still? Or had the vow spared him because of the circumstances?

"Severus." The mask remained on his face as he bowed his head toward the Dark Lord. Miraculously neither the Dark Lord nor the death eaters had noticed any slip in character while he awaited his death. Perhaps something could be salvaged from this after-all. Perhaps… perhaps he could do as Holly wanted for him and earn Voldemort's trust then kill the man himself when he was close. "yes, my lord?"

"Check her."

"Of course." He bowed at the 'honor.' If she was alive, the gods were looking out for her, for the dark lord to send him of all people, it was he to check if she was breathing. The one person who would lie to save her. Severus strode forward, dropping to a knee; he positioned his cloak exactly so to cover any movement she might make if he were to touch her. Reaching forward, he offered a prayer to Circe that Holly's soulmate had done the unthinkable. Almost hesitating, Severus slid his fingers under her hair and pressed them to her neck. And he waited.

Thump-thump

Oh god. Holly was alive.

Severus pressed down on her neck in some manner of comfort, then he pulled back. That she hadn't moved from her position was impressive and an excellent first step to them both surviving this day. It would be up to him now to ensure they did. "She is dead, my lord." He stated face blank.

Bellatrix cackled in delight crooning about Holly's pathetically useless soulmate. But the Dark Lord's suspicion was not removed by Severus' comment. Instead, he turned to the next of the Death Eaters… Narcissa. "Narcissa… check her."

"Of course, my lord."

Narcissa stepped forward, and Severus was immediately torn. She would give up Holly's state and Voldemort would immediately attack both her, and him for his lies. Quickly he started to plan their escape. Anti apparition wards covered the property, visitors had to walk through the grounds to get to the house and could only escape after walking out of them. To survive, he'd have to flee the ballroom full of death eaters, out into the halls, out the doors, and across the grounds. All with Holly in tow. This was made difficult by the doors being currently covered by the Lestrange's, Rabastan and Rodolphus.

Doing all that with the Dark Lord attacking them- they'd never make it.

Narcissa leaned down and plucked Holly's hand from the ground, her fingers pressing to the pulse point. Her eyes flashed slightly, but her mask was perfect as she gently placed Holly's arm to the floor and straightened. "Dead." She announced.

Never in all his years had Severus expected Narcissa Malfoy to lie directly to the Dark Lord. Lucius had been as loyal as any of them before the prophecy incident and his arrest. Now… now Lucius' was Voldemort's favorite target, and Draco was expected to take his place as a loyal soldier. And suddenly it made sense. To save her husband, who knelt next to the Dark Lord with a bloodied battered body, to save her son, who could no longer keep his hands from shaking. She had lied because she knew as much as Severus did, that Holly was the only hope left for the Dark Lord to meet his end.

Narcissa did not look at him, and he did not look at her as the Dark Lord laughed. He lifted his arms and basked in his complete victory, he had the school, the ministry, and now the only hope for the light was dead. As far as he knew, he had won. The Death Eater's joined him, celebrating, casting spells toward the roof and making fools of themselves. Except for Draco, who had paled while staring at his school rival, someone his own age, who had faced Voldemort without fear. Except for Lucius focusing on just staying up. Except for Narcissa, who knew the truth and was realizing exactly where Severus stood in this war. And except for Severus, who desperately needed a plan to get Holly and himself out safely.

"What shall we do with the body, my Lord?" Rabastan was the one who asked a smile carved across his face.

Voldemort lifted his arms, and silence fell, his Death Eater's bowing down before him. Narcissa returned to her son and knelt beside him, while Severus dropped on the spot beside Holly, and he saw a flash of green under her bangs.

"We shall display her for the world to see." Voldemort decreed, "we shall hang her in Diagon Alley, and all shall know of my absolute victory."

"My lord." Severus spoke up, daringly, "please, allow me to do this for you." This was his chance, he could carry her out himself. They could escape.

Voldemort paused, debating, then he smirked, "Severus, yes… you have earned this. With this, you shall show the world you belong to me." Possessiveness dripped off his tongue, and Voldemort strode forward. Beside him, green vanished as Holly subtly knocked her arm on his ankle in solidarity. Then Voldemort stood over him. Icy fingers slipped under his chin and wrenched his head up. Nails dug into his face possessively, and Severus twisted his occlumency, so it seemed as though he was delighted at the attention and the Dark Lord's complete victory. Sure enough, Voldemort's magic slammed into his mind even as the monster leaned in.

"You are mine, you will always be mine."

"Yes?" He answered as something brushed the back of his robes.

"That old fool never knew the truth, but he knew it in the end. You have always belonged to me," He laughed, "Potter was clueless, allowing you to lead her right into my grasp. How frightened she was."

Draco made a noise nearby knowing that wasn't true, as Narcissa tensed up able to see what Severus could not, to realize what was about to-

"Yes, my lord-" He cut off as Holly grabbed his ankle and dug her nails in, and a hiss echoed through the room. Severus, with Voldemort's claws digging into his cheeks, watched as Voldemort's eyes widened and dropped- then Holly barreled into his side, sending them to the floor in a cascade of limbs.

"She lives!"

Holly rolled to her feet and hurled a shield up and a spell from Voldemort crashed into it. Out of habit, Severus regained his own feet and placed a protective charm behind them as Bellatrix tossed a curse their way with a scream of fury. He tried to figure out what happened- and spotted the snake snapping at them.

"She tasted my heart-beat," Holly explained, "she told him I was alive." And how Holly hoped the clear understanding of what Nagini told Voldemort was because of some dormant genes and not because her death had been useless.

"She is mine!" Voldemort cursed Bellatrix, who shrieked and fell back. While behind by Voldemort's throne, Narcissa wrenched her husband to his feet and dragged him and her son from the room through a secret door within their manor, a pathway Severus noted as an escape route before he and Holly darted to the side to avoid a killing curse. Voldemort's action benefited them, it prevented the Death Eater's from attacking him so long as he was close to Holly. Using that, they might be able to escape.

"Protago!" A shining shield formed as two spells splashed against it, but it did nothing to the crucio that slipped straight through- and struck Holly directly in the chest. She dropped with a scream of pain. Voldemort followed up with a killing curse, and Severus hit the ground, grabbing Holly's body and rolling them to the side. Green cracked the flooring where they had just been. Severus launched to his feet, and Holly followed, not letting her shaking muscles stop her from defending herself.

Lifting his eyes, Severus locked his gaze with the Dark Lord, and he sneered.

Severus had lost track of how long he'd acted as a double agent. Every night he'd dragged his body into the school after several bouts of torture, and yet he'd still gone back at Dumbledore's request. Always Dumbledore's. He'd lost a full month when Holly had been fourteen, and the Dark Lord had revived; a month he'd been trapped in a magically induced coma because of what the Dark Lord had done to him. And he'd gone back. Severus learned his life was going to end because of a Horcrux Holly possessed, and he'd gone back. Now Severus had given himself up; he was no longer a spy, and the sheer relief he felt made him breathless.

He could side publicly to Lily's daughter, for as long as it took the Dark Lord to remember the tattoo set to poison and drive him mad.

"Move!" Holly was the one to drag them to the side as Nagini snapped out at his neck. Her deadly fangs missed him by a breath. Nagini… she had to be a Horcrux, if he could just kill her and escape.

Snarling, he snapped out his own spells uncaring that they Voldemort dodged them. He, unlike much of the Order, attacked with deadly intent, so even if he missed the Dark Lord, three death eaters fell permanently, their only chance of being saved being their soulmates. Nott dropped, and he deflected a spell from Avery who'd taken the opportunity to attack Severus when Holly was pushed away from him to defend herself. He reflected two more curses sending them toward the Lestrange's; unfortunately, he missed and backed off once again.

They were surrounded on all sides.

Holly scrambled back to her feet, racing through a set of spells that could only have come from Black. That was his aggressive style built on top of Holly's natural affinity for the Dark Arts. But her footwork was terrible. "We need to get to the door." Severus hissed at her, and Holly nearly rolled her eyes at him, that was pointing out the obvious, something he'd always punished her for. Knowing that, however, and accomplishing it were two different things. She was severely outmatched, and Voldemort was no longer holding back-

"Snake!" she cried, spotting Nagini going after Snape again.

Severus wrenched his leg back, avoiding Nagini's furious bite, he shot a cutting curse at it and watched as Voldemort used the first and only shielding spell Severus had ever seen him use to defend her. That confirmed it then, the snake was a Horcrux as much as Holly had been.

They couldn't escape, couldn't flee. They were trapped unless they managed to do the impossible and kill Voldemort. But little did Severus know, he was the only one actually trapped.

Holly knew it was there, that tempting flashing option available to her. That one-way path to a new world, the ability to transport to their home and away from her own. Not to their side, of course, but to closer than she'd ever been before. It would still be up to Holly to find them, to use the hints she'd been given. She could do it, she could leave and now… now she had no Horcrux to tie her to the world.

The Order could win the war without her now, the prophecy had been fulfilled. Hermione, Ron, and Sirius would have everything they needed to finish it, and if she managed to kill Voldemort here, it would be easy. But even if she didn't Holly had done her job, no one could say she hadn't. Holly had literally died for this world, and now she should be done. Yet, even as that option glared at her, Holly wasn't taking it because Snape, who she'd hated for years, was standing with her. If she left, then Snape would die, and that wouldn't be something she could forget.

How stupid. Holly was being a moron giving up a chance to find her literal soulmate because of a man who'd bullied her for almost five years because he'd thought she'd been a spoiled brat. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Holly twisted, and her spell met with Voldemort's and connected. Prior incantatem. She'd thought Voldemort would have replaced his wand by that point, somehow he hadn't, and Holly was taking advantage of it.

Energy surged between them, Holly's will against Voldemort's to win… and she was loosing. Holly had an out, she had an escape, and she knew it. Her will to save the magical world, to stay and fight, had evaporated. Voldemort's spell crept along the connection and green raced toward the end of her wand, but this time there was no encouraging words from her parent's ghosts to save her-

"Sectumsempra!"

Holly flicked her gaze to the side, and Nagini gave a dying screech. Voldemort cried out at the same time, responding to the death of his Horcrux. The genuine rage that overtook his face was actually comforting to Holly - she couldn't feel it splitting open her skull - even if it had his spell crawling all the faster toward her. It was going to reach her; she was going to- Severus' hand grabbed her own and hurled her palms upward, cutting off the spell and sending it into the roof. The force of it caused the ceiling above to collapse, and concrete collapsed toward them. Severus didn't waste a second and snatched hold of her upper arm, half dragging her toward the door past Nagini's body. Holly watched as he chain cast a dozen spells taking out Death eaters left and right in a clear lethal manner. Together they reached the door; when Severus shoved her to the ground avoiding a splashing green spell crashing where her head had been a moment before.

And something hooked her leg, Holly tripped as Severus hurled himself forward. And the doors slammed closed between them, leaving her face to face with Voldemort once again alone. All the while, that flashing option tempted her.

Bill was one hundred percent going to be fired. But some things were worth being fired for.

He jerked forward unexpectedly and snatched the collar of his - former - boss and wrenched the goblin straight off his feet. Ruthlessly he pressed the tip of his wand to his bosses head. Nearby Ron made a shocked sound but nothing else.

"Listen up." He hissed channeling all the protective fury his mother had given him. All for his family, his brother, and the too-small little kid Ron attached himself to on his first day of Hogwarts. "I know there is a Horcrux in that vault, and you will let us destroy it." He'd been in the vaults, he been passed that one before and he'd sensed it's malicious energy deep within his core. Bill was magically sensitive; it was the reason he'd taken the job he had. The ability to sense the magic in traps was part of the reason the goblins hired him, and it was the reason they kept him. Because of that, Bill had sensed the darkness in one particular vault years ago and hadn't even thought about it until Ron told him about the Horcruxes keeping Voldemort alive.

"You are fired, Weasley."

As if he cared by this point. To defeat Voldemort, it needed to be destroyed. And Bill would not fail.

At his side, Fleur's eyes burned, and she barked a noise that was more veela than human, she was at his back, prepared to figure out the rest of their lives after he'd been fired and banned from Gringott's later.

"Listen here, you little piece of- so help the gods if you don't let us into the vault right now." She snapped.

"I will not-

"NOW I SAID!"

"Potter!" Severus threw his body into the door, but the spell held fast. Thinking fast, he thought of another path, but no, he did not know where the secret exit let out so he could only use this door. He needed to get in this door, and to do that needed… needed that bloody elf! "Dobby!"

A crack sounded, and Severus didn't waste a moment. "If you want to save Holly, then you need to help me this instant. I need to be in that room. Now." By all the gods, Severus was thankful one of Holly's memories that he'd stolen during their occlumency training had been about that bloody elf. The very slave Malfoy had been tricked into giving up, would be the one to save Holly now, and end this war.

"Understood Professy Snake, sir!"

On the other side of the door, Holly was surrounded by death eaters while standing face to face to Voldemort. Taunting him slightly, she lifted her hand in the duelist stance Lockheart had accidentally taught her. "Surely you know how to duel Tom? Someone must have taught you?" It was a parody of her fourth year, but Holly was out of options, and everyone in that room knew it. There was no port-key, no one coming to rescue her. Her choice was to fight and stall until Snape could get out, then take her option to another world. She would leave everything behind, and have faith the hints she'd given her family would be enough to save them.

Hermione hadn't been kidding when she stated they might not be able to take anything with them. Holly literally had nothing on her but her wand, and it was cracking from the force of this battle.

Voldemort laughed at her amused now that it had come to this, his apparent victory: "I shall kill you as many times as it takes Potter and I shall enjoy every moment of it."

Holly forced a smirk and bowed low to her opponent, she didn't need to be pushed this time, she did actually know how it worked now. She knew the rules, which would not be followed. Voldemort surprisingly returned her bow, respecting her cockroach-like existence that refused to be extinguished.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Neville sprinted up the stairs cursing. "Why does this tower have to have so many stairs!"

"Out of spite," Ginny said in return, darting past him. Thanks to her quidditch training, she was in better shape. While Luna followed along at a swift pace behind them both, keeping watch for the Carrows. They had vanished halfway through the day, confusing and delighting the school until they discovered why.

Holly.

Ginny skidded to a stop outside the Room of Requirements and started to pace speaking and thinking about what they wanted.

"Give us the Horcrux hidden in the school. I need the Horcrux hidden in the school. Show me the Horcrux hidden in the school."

And a door appeared.

Holly had been right, a Horcrux had been hidden in their school. A piece of Voldemort that Luna suspected was the reason the defense professors kept dying. A malicious soul-fragment that she realized only then had been making her skin crawl every time she'd entered the room for their DA lessons.

Ginny grabbed for the door and shoved it open with all the confidence of a Gryffindor. She stepped past the threshold holding tight to the child she'd been as her childhood hero, the person Ginny desperately wanted to be, the baby she'd dressed up for at Halloween, stood over her, and saved her life. If Holly could do it, could walk to her death to protect them all, the least Ginny could do was destroy this soul-fragment that would try possessing her just as the diary had.

The room was empty, all for a single diadem innocently sitting in the middle of the room.

And they strode toward it together.

Mundungus Fletcher didn't see them coming, none of them.

He didn't see the elf that hit his leg and clung fast with a furiously violent scream. Its nails dug deep in his leg and demanded he returns some stupid locket. At the same time, the twin hellions snatched hold of his arms. One kicked the back of his leg and sent him into the ground while the other wrenched his arms behind his back, and they bore down on him. He had never been able to tell them apart like Potter could. So he had no idea that it was George at his back keeping out of sight, or that it was Fred snarling in his ear violence simmering just under his skin.

Then, from the nearby alley, Black appeared.

Mundungus had been told Black was innocent of his crimes, but at that moment, he understood why the world had been convinced he'd murdered an entire alley full of Muggles.

"Where. Is. My. Brothers. Locket."

He never should have tried to steal from that house; clearly, some of it had been cursed.

Nami didn't waste a moment as she launched off the Merry into the ocean below for the second time that afternoon. This time for her moron of a crew-member who had no respect for his life. Or for the peace of mind for his soulmate, if she was even alive.

It felt like hours ago that she'd saved her own soulmates life and confessed the truth to her crew. To Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro, who had listened relatively patiently as she spoke of her mother, her island, and the pirate Arlong. Luffy unsurprisingly hadn't cared at all as she poured her soul out, he had only asked her who he needed to beat up, and really, that was so him it was unreal. It was surreal to know he'd help her without knowing anything about her history and why she needed help. Meanwhile, Usopp's terror had made her own fear a bit more justified. It was still Zoro's fury over what she'd suffer that had given her complicated emotions. Truly she hadn't realized he cared that much.

Of course, it was shortly after that Krieg showed up, followed quickly by Mihawk of all people.

Usopp and Nami had been ordered to stay out of the battle - as if they'd actually interfere with a Shichibukai. Still, now that it was officially over, Nami didn't waste a second. She was the fastest swimmer, her practice forced by fishmen, and she didn't waste a second in diving to collect Zoro. Who may or not even be alive with how red the water was turning. It was a fishman frenzy waiting to happen.

She found his body sinking steadily while he struggled to remain conscious. Zoro could move unlike Luffy, but the excruciating pain from his open wound would ensure he drowned before he bled out. Nami surged toward him, reaching for his shoulders as he grabbed for her outstretched hands. He wanted to live; it was a relief to know, especially considering she'd been convinced he was suicidal after challenging a warlord to battle.

Nami grabbed under Zoro's shoulders, careful not to touch the open wound coating the ocean red. Her clothes would be covered in it, but she'd call the outfit a worthy sacrifice if he lived. Unfortunately, Zoro had far more body mass than Luffy did, and it was immediately a struggle to get them out of the water. Luffy was a small dead weight, but Zoro was a large one who could barely help her. Kicking with all the strength of her body Nami carted Zoro upward, her lungs burned. In her arms, Zoro's expression twisted in pain. He'd never shown her a weakness like that before… but nor had he fully trusted her before that day either, and he gasped as he inhaled water. His body jerked, trying to find air. When he couldn't, he went limp. A moment later, they breached the water.

Nami frantically glanced around for a bit of land that wasn't Krieg's ship- was Luffy attacking Mihawk?! Goddammit - right beside her, the Merry appeared, and Usopp leaned over the railings to offer her a hand. Nami gratefully took it, allowing Zoro's friends to take him before climbing up herself and shooing them away. There was no way the morons that got scurvy knew CPR, and even if they did, they didn't have the experience she did with it.

She didn't need to assess Zoro to know he wasn't breathing even if habit wanted her to check before she started pressing down on his chest, especially since he had an open wound in the middle of it. Nami quickly took Zoro's head and tilted it back: "Usopp! Hold his head here, all the way back, do you understand? If you move it, he's dead!" yes, she was scaring him, but she didn't have time to explain- god, how many times had she done this before? Sneaking away after Arlong was done with the villagers of her island and throwing herself into the water. Learning by trial and error exactly how to get drowned people back and succeeding only half of the time.

Nami pressed down as hard as she could on Zoro's chest, ignoring the blood coating her hands. He wasn't breathing, and no matter the damage she did to his ribs, she needed him alive to even think about fixing all that. She lost count - dammit dammit - Nami grabbed Zoro's face and breathed.

God, she was going to leave that morning. If she'd left, she wouldn't have been there to save Zoro from drowning, and she'd have left him with the moronic group who didn't know CPR. Hell! She was teaching it to them the second they were away from this chaos.

Zoro choked on water as he tried to clear his lungs, and she wrenched back and shot a look at Yosaku: "first aid kit, now!" the man bolted as Zoro stupidly raised his damned sword to give Luffy an oath of all things. But the moment his hand dropped, the moment Yosaku came flying over with the Merry's first aid kit, she slapped him.

"What the hell witch?!"

"You are not allowed to die!" she shrieked, "do you understand me?" None of them were allowed to do that, not after they gave her hope. Not after she'd finally found something to believe in, a path to her dream and a way to end her hell. These people, this crew had to make it, they had to! Because… one day soon she'd be free, one day she'd draw her map, and one day she'd introduce her soulmate to them, and they'd see the world and…

Zoro stared up at her as she cut open his shirt further to see the wound she had to stitch together- she had no idea how to do that, Arlong didn't cut people up he drowned them, and Nami hadn't had to stitch herself up ever thanks to her soulmate. Usopp amazingly seemed to be on top of that, he was mumbling to himself in a way that Nami knew meant he was talking to Kaya… who was training to be a Doctor. She'd have an idea of how to stitch up skin and if she didn't, she could figure it out and help them. Nami refocused on Zoro's face as he gave her a single firm nod promising her as he promised Luffy. Then he went completely limp, leaving his fate in his crews' frantic hands.

A commotion occurred behind Holly, but she dared not look back. She and Voldemort circled each other; every spell she cast was a desperate one. True, Holly had received training, but it wasn't enough to make up Voldemort's decades of experience. Voldemort was playing with her, making it seem like she had a hope in hell when they both knew she didn't. He was enjoying it, and she was helpless before his strength.

A spell glanced off Holly's arms, and she shrieked as the spell cut to the bone, and her arm went dead, perhaps permanently, Holly didn't know. She hurriedly transferred her wand to her other hand and kept fighting.

It was like fourth year but so much worse. Holly had always known how outmatched she was, but in this case, she understood all the spells he was using against her. She knew what everyone did, and if they hit her, she knew the consequences, the knowledge was terrifying.

Yet she didn't flee, some insane part of her must have had faith that things would work out.

"I told you not to touch it!"

"I didn't mean to- ouch!"

"Fleur, grab it hurry!"

Twisting her body, she caught sight of Snape, who apparently was abandoning all Slytherin qualities that afternoon. He was turning into a Gryffindor and throwing himself into battle against every death eater present. Not only that, it seemed he'd dragged Dobby along with him, and the little elf was destroying those who were foolish enough to attack him with a vengeance.

Holly felt a fissure of amusement, people always doubted House-elves were dangerous. She honestly knew very well that Dobby was a nuclear bomb hidden behind tennis ball eyes. Honestly, she was thankful he was on their side.

"I don't speak parseltongue!"

"None of us do, just… just hiss at it! Or something!"

"Oh sure Fred, I'll just spontaneously hiss the right words to open the dark muncher's soul piece-"

"Both of you shut up! The killing curse will destroy it."

"I can't use that curse."

"Can you, Sirius?"

"All you need is hatred, and I promise you this… I have enough of that. Avada Kedavra!"

Voldemort jerked suddenly as Holly narrowly deflected another attack, and to her shock, the spell struck true, sending the snake flying. Wide-eyed Holly pressed her advantage and watched as he shielded- he never shielded, why- Voldemort started attacking at triple the speed with… was that fear in his eyes? Holly watched his eyes dance to his snake, then to Lucius, Bellatrix, and- to her scar. His eyes flew wide in realization, and Holly was just as quick on the uptake. Hermione, Ron, and Sirius were destroying the Horcruxes, and Voldemort knew it. She'd have to kill him here otherwise he'd just make more.

She couldn't leave now.

"No!" Voldemort swore shooting the killing curse at her. Holly ducked narrowly, and the spell struck Bellatrix in the back, ending her existence far too simply for Holly to be truly satisfied. She rolled across the ground, exhausted beyond belief. Her limbs shook with the effort of merely standing, of getting her wand up, and she had no idea if that was the blood-loss or the prolonged fight she'd been forced it. Holly wanted so badly to just stay there, to sleep for a month. Holly wanted Sirius to hold her. For Ron and Hermione to be arguing nearby. She wanted her soulmate, to be in that world with all her loved ones. To be free.

"You will not hurt Holly Potter!" Dobby stepped in front of her, hand poised to snap.

"This is for Holly, screw you, Tom!"

"You can fuck right off to hell, Voldemort!"

"That is being for Master Regulus!"

Voldemort jerked as if he were responding to something that wasn't there, and Dobby's fingers snapped together, sending a glittering pink light toward him. Across the countryside, Voldemort's Horcruxes were ripped away all at once; and as a result, he paused, just for a split second. It was enough, enough for Dobby to Elf to blow Voldemort, the Dark Lord himself, up from the inside with a pink glittery spell.

Holly gaped as bloodied chunks littered the ground and started to disintegrate. At the same time, the Death eaters around them collapsed, clutching their arms, all of them… including Snape. Holly took a single moment to adjust to the fact that Dobby killed Voldemort and ended the war. Before she launched to her feet and rushed for her professor. She didn't know when the Death Eaters would recover, but when they did, they'd be violent and targeting her and Snape both. Neither of them was well enough for that battle.

She skidded to a stop and grabbed Snape's arm and turned to Dobby: "get us out of here, Dobby!"

The little elf didn't hesitate; he popped right beside her, grabbed her and Snape, and vanished with a subtle pop.

Holly landed on her knees inside Grimmauld place, then turned and threw up. Her stomach had, had enough; it rebelled from exhaustion and a little bit because of how gross Voldemort's chunky body had been. A shaking hand gathered her hair and held it before her stomach finally calmed, and she could lean back enough to realize it had been Snape to offer her that comfort. She didn't mention it, and he avoided eye-contact. Their odd camaraderie faltering now that the battle was over.

"S'gone?" she slurred a bit, glancing at his arm, and the man's expression twisted. He hadn't been confident enough to check, but now that she'd brought it up- he lifted the sleeve of his dueling robe, and they both looked down at his clear skin. The dark mark was gone. "So he's dead then."

"He is dead."

"…" she glanced at Snape from the side, "and Dobby killed him."

"And the elf killed him."

Holly exhaled a noise through her lips, her eyes crinkled, and she started to laugh. After all that, after all Dumbledore's plans, Dobby had killed Voldemort. She burst out laughing, sounding slightly hysterical and mostly relieved. It was done, she'd survived, and the prophecy was over. She could leave, she could go find her soulmate and be free for the first time ever. Holly had no idea what to do with the knowledge, she hadn't believed it was actually her fate, and the idea was suddenly terrifying.

"Three Horcruxes in a few hours… better than Dumbledore's record by a few years." Holly said, trying to contain her giggles and earned an actual snort of amusement from the bat himself.

"Looks like Black, Granger, and Weasley were good for something after all." He continued to stare at the unblemished skin on his arm, it was surreal. Since he'd been a teenager, he'd had it, that link to Voldemort, that sign of all his transgressions and now it was gone.

"We're alive."

"Yes…" He still couldn't believe it. Lily had obviously doused her daughter in liquid luck at one point, there was no other explanation for it.

"…can I go to bed now?" Holly slouched into his side too exhausted to move, and he bit back the reprimand. She deserved that at least.

"Yes, Potter, you may sleep."

"Mmkay." She was out in an instant, magically, physically, and emotionally exhausted. She dropped, and Severus allowed her to fall into him, it gave him better access to the mess that was her arm. Taking her arm in his hands, he pressed his wand to the wound and started to pull the curse from it. The injury would scar, but he doubted she would mind, Holly had plenty of scars, and this one was a scar of victory. And if she did care… her soulmate would likely repair it, considering they could afford to save Potter's life.

Healing the wound, Severus paused long enough to summon his Patronus. "Poppy, Potter requires a healer. The Dark Lord is dead. Come to base." He couldn't say Grimmauld, of course, and there was always the worry Poppy wouldn't come because it was him or that if she did, she would attack him on sight. It was a chance he had to take; for Potter and he were both severely injured from the battle.

He would like to stay awake wary of Poppy's arrival and the arrival of Black, Granger, and Weasley. But he could not deny how exhausted he was, and sleep claimed him the moment he stopped for more than a second. He passed out.

Of course, that was only long enough for Black to return with the twin Weasley's and to discover they were downstairs.

So about six minutes, really.