Chapter Thirty One

Harry looked at his friends. "I have to go," he said quietly to Hermione, who nodded as Elaine realized it was she holding her hands. Harry was gone, and Elaine could only look at Hermione now.

"Where - where's his body?" she whispered.

"The shrieking shack," Hermione said gently. Elaine pushed her hands away and stood, a wave of dizziness sweeping through her. "Elaine, what?"

"I have to go to him," Elaine told her. She looked over at Pomfrey, who started moving toward them. "He - he can't be dead."

"Who's dead?" Fred asked, stepping forward.

"Se-Severus," Elaine gasped, as the pain hit her. Fred looked horrified. "I have to go - go see. Please."

Fred took Hermione aside. "I'll go with her," Elaine heard him say, and she saw Hermione nod her head. Fred gripped her arm and the two left the hall, making their way slowly to the entrance of the Forbidden Forest, where the Whomping Willow stood.

"He's in there somewhere," Elaine said, looking out into the dark forest. Fred knew she wasn't talking about Severus. "Harry will go to him." Fred only nodded. Elaine looked to him. "Why?"

"He saved my life," Fred responded, levitating a stick and using it to somehow freeze the Whomping Willow. "After you?"

The trip was agonizingly slow. With each step closer to Severus, the grip that had taken over her heart tightened until her breath was shallow gasps, and by the time they reached the shrieking shack, she was barely breathing at all.

He was there. A large gash was in his neck, through which blood was seeping.

The blood... Blood was everywhere.

Elaine let out a cry, dropping on her knees next to him, dropping her head on his chest. "Oh merlin," she sobbed, not caring her pants were getting soaked with his blood. "Oh Severus."

"Elaine." Fred's voice came from behind her, but she ignored it, sobbing. She sat there for a long time, until suddenly she realized something.

She jerked her head up, staring into Severus's still face. "Severus," She breathed. "Severus!"

"Elaine he's breathing," Fred stated, dropping to his knees beside her and yanking out his wand, conjuring gauze and pressing it onto the hole in his neck. At the contact, Severus's body jerked, twisting in pain. "I'm sorry Professor," Fred whispered, not relenting on the pressure. "Elaine. Can you do a patronus?" Elaine nodded. "Send one up to Pomfrey, we need blood replenishing potions. Do it now!"

Everything sped up. Before she felt like she'd even taken another breath, Severus was being levitated back to the castle and was in the Great Hall, along with the other wounded. She was seated by his side when Neville came rushing in.

"Neville, what is it?"

"It's Harry, I think he's gone to-"

The dark lord's magnified voice echoed throughout the hall, interrupting whatever Neville was trying to say. Elaine heard the words, but she had nothing left in her to grieve, to react as - "Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that he is gone."

Elaine saw a mass exodus of the great hall, as all of those who could still stand rushed to the Hogwarts entrance to wait. Elaine looked back down at Severus's still form, then back up at Madame Pomfrey, who was working hard on him. "Go," the woman said. "I have him. You go." Elaine nodded sharply as the dark lord's voice continued.

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My death eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will oim me in the new world we shall build together."

Elaine reached the entrance, and she could see a line of death eaters marching toward the castle, Hagrid with him, holding something in his arms, holding -

"NO!" Elaine heard Minerva scream, and Elaine willed herself to stay standing as more screams filled the night. Tears seeped down her face as she beheld her brother's still form.

"Silence!" The dark lord screeched, and there was a flash of light and they were all forced quiet. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!" Elaine watched as Hagrid, silent sobs wracking his body, placed Harry gently onto the grass. "You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"You lie!" Elaine screamed, finding her voice finally, not stopping to ask herself how she'd broken the dark lord's silencing charm. "Harry never wanted anyone to die for him!"

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, Elaine Davies," The dark lord hissed, joy evident in his voice. "Killed while trying to save himself-"

Neville lunged forward and was promptly disarmed, the dark lord throwing his wand aside with a laugh. "And who is this? Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Bellatrix laughed, and the dark lord turned to look at her. "It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord!" She cackled. "The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes," The dark lord stated, looking down coldly at Neville. "You are a pureblood, aren't you my brave boy?"

"So what if I am?" Neville responded defiantly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," was Neville's response. "Dumbledore's army!" A resounding cheer came from the crowd, and Elaine could see the dark lord's anger grow. And she watched, silent and unmoving, as he summoned the sorting hat and crammed it on Neville's head, as he set it on fire.

A loud war cry sounded from the boundary of the school, and chaos reigned again, the battle recommencing. Elaine found herself face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange, who cackled again at the sight of her.

"If it isn't the traitor!" She giggled, shooting the killing curse at her. Elaine dogged and it struck a beam, the beam falling and causing the people underneath to scatter. "How is that lover of yours? Dead, isn't he?"

Elaine didn't have words, she could only hiss spells in the bitch's direction. Hermione and Ginny had joined her, all three of them battling the dark lord's second in command, and a killing curse came so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch. Elaine raised her wand and had the killing curse on her lips, but she was shoved aside by Molly Weasley.

"Not my daughter, you bitch!" The redheaded matron screeched, and the two women were fighting, fighting to kill. Several students rushed forward to help, but Molly sent them all away, determined to take Bellatrix down herself.

The courtyard had dimmed, focus on the two battles - Molly and Bellatrix, the dark lord and his three opponents - Elaine was shocked to see Minerva, Kingsley, and Slughorn battling him.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" Bellatrix taunted, as she narrowly missed one of Molly's curses.

"You will never touch our children again!" Screamed Molly, and her next curse hit Bellatrix directly in the chest.

Bellatrix froze, her eyes seeming to bulge, and then she crumpled to the ground. The dark lord roared, lunging forward to Molly, but -

"PROTEGO!"

Elaine let out a gasp as she saw Harry appear, standing, his wand pointed at the dark lord, his eyes venomous.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry said loudly, his voice carrying. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

Elaine couldn't move, she was frozen to the spot as she watched her brother.

"Potter doesn't mean that. That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," came Harry's simple response. "THere are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good..."

"One of us?"

Elaine stood by Molly as they watched Harry and the dark lord - Voldemort - circle each other. They watched as they taunted each other, as they spoke of Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore is dead," Voldemort screeched, and Elaine struggled to focus as Severus was brought up. Harry spoke as if Severus was dead, and she recalled he'd left before she'd even gone down to retrieve his body and found him alive -

"Severus Snape wasn't yours," Harry was saying. "Snape was Dumbledore's, through and through."

Elaine could scarcely breathe as Harry spoke of Severus's love for her, of why he'd fought so hard for the past year - for her, for their lost child, for her child still away from her. She couldn't focus on their back and forth, and so was surprised to realize Harry was asking Voldemort to show remorse. "It's your one last chance. It's all you've got left, I've seen what you'll be otherwise. Be a man, try, try for some remorse."

And then-

"Expelliarmus!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Elaine watched their spells meet, watched Voldemort's wand fly high, watched Harry catch it - and watched Voldemort's form fall to the ground, completely still, his blank eyes staring at the ceiling.

It was over. Voldemort was dead.