Chapter 75: The Battle of Hogwarts

I asked you this question before," Severus said quietly behind him. "Have you ever expected so much that mayhaps you took too much for granted?"

"Perhaps," Albus answered without turning around to look at him. "Have you ever thought that maybe you expect so little that you too little for granted?"

"Enough games, Dumbledore," Severus said coldly. "What happened, happened… and I think that you owe me an explanation."

"Oh, I owe many people that," Albus sighed as he shut his eyes.

Why did any of this have to happen?

Where did it go so wrong?

The images played out in his mind's eye as he thought it all over. He could see it all so clearly… though he had only seen it hours ago, it felt like decades.

He thought of the moment were the students were gathered in the Great Hall where the teachers and the members of the Order of the Phoenix standing to face them. Minerva then called to them all that there would be an evacuation and that the students needed to remain calm as they left the castle.

When asked, she confessed that if any of them were of age, they were allowed to remain and fight if they wished. But Albus had wished and hoped that they would leave. He did not want ones so young to be forced to fight.

But Minerva's last few words were drowned out for Tom had sent them a message… one that echoed throughout the castle, spreading to the town of Hogsmeade and across the grounds…

Tom had given them one demand…

To hand over Harry Potter… or fight… they had one hour to make up their minds.

Of course… Hogwarts had its answer. Where there were some at the Slytherin Table whom called out to grab hold of Harry when they saw him. All at once, the rest of the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws jumped up to shield him from the Slytherins, each and every one of them with their wands drawn—daring them to try anything.

It almost made Albus laugh to see the look of astonishment on Harry's face when he saw that. Even after all this… did he not realize just what he meant to the people of the wizarding world? He was hope… hope to so many people. And Albus wanted to believe that he would continue to guide them to a future that they could no longer see…

Afterwards, most of the students were escorted out of the Great Hall and to the passage that would be able to take them to the Hog's Head. However, there were some students staying… a number from all the tables but Slytherin remained behind to particulate in the upcoming war. There were even some who were underage that wanted to stay until Minerva had to almost throw them from the hall.

Already they were starting to come up with plans on how best to protect the school. Kingsley was the first to step forward and took charge.

"We've only got half an half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast," he had called to those who remained. "A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers - Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor - where they'll have good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile Remus" - he indicated Remus - "Arthur" - he pointed toward Arthur, sitting at the Gryffindor table - "and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances or the passageways into the school -"

The Weasley twins both volunteered for that at once, and Albus knew that they couldn't have asked for anyone better to do such a job.

As everyone got up and started to divide up into troops, Minerva went to Harry, quickly reminding him that he was supposed to be looking for something. Apparently, his worry for Ron and Hermione, had driven the matter out of his mind.

Harry jumped to his feet, already running out of the Hall and had to fight his way through the flood of students. Albus wasn't sure about where it was that he thought he was going, but it was clear to him that he had no more idea where the diadem was than he did. As if hoping to get an idea, Harry had pulled out the map and stared at it, but when he didn't seem to come up with anything new he put it away and leaned up against the wall. His hands were pressed tightly over his face as he was thinking hard about where he should go next.

Albus had thought about it as well… if Tom was so sure that he would go to Ravenclaw Tower then the feared that Harry already knew that his Horcrux had something to do with that House. But that still didn't tell them were the diadem was…

At that moment, Harry had suddenly leapt up to his feet, his eyes wide and Albus had to move out of the way as Harry went running passed him… even though there was no point in doing so. He didn't know what kind of idea that Harry had all of a sudden, but he followed after to see for himself what it was about.

He ran back the way that he came, fighting his way through more students as he stared around, clearly looking for someone. Meanwhile, Albus felt his heart ache for the younger students, who were terrified, calling for their friends and family in desperate voices. These were children… why did any of this have to happen?

He just continued to watch over Harry until he found who he was searching for apparently, calling for Nearly Headless Nick. Confused, he watched as the Gryffindor ghost was more than happy to see Harry, trying to grasp hold of his hand, only to pass through with his own.

"Nick, you've got to help me. Who's the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?" Harry had asked quickly and Albus understood at once what he was planning. If the diadem had been missing for centuries, then who better than a ghost to ask if they had ever seen it. However, he wouldn't be the first one to ask her if she knew anything about the diadem… he wasn't too optimistic that even if she knew anything about the diadem, she would tell him.

"The Gray Lady, of course; but if it is ghostly services you require -?" Nick answered, and he had looked both surprised and offended that he wasn't the one that Harry needed to speak with.

"It's got to be her - d'you know where she is?" Harry pressed him desperately as Nick looked around and then pointed out the ghost of a young woman with long, flowing hair. Harry looked to see where he was looking and the Grey Lady caught sight of Harry watching her before she drifted away through a wall. Leaving Nick behind him, continuing to look baffled, as Harry sprinted after her, able to catch up at the end of a passageway and calling out for her to come back.

At his plea, she hesitated and stopped to look back at him. Harry sprinted across the passageway, stopping when he was in front of her and asked, "You're the Gray Lady?"

She had nodded once.

"The ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"

"That is correct," she answered coldly.

"Please," Harry gasped, "I need some help. I need to know anything you can tell me about the lost diadem."

Albus had looked to her, knowing that the Grey Lady was not known as the friendliest of the ghosts here at Hogwarts, but he hoped that she would make an exception just this once. But she did not look that way when she smiled a cold smile and told him that she could not help him. But as she began to drift away, Harry shouted at her not to leave. He tried again, trying to find out what she knew of the diadem and if it was here.

The Grey Lady wasn't impressed, telling him how generations of students had asked her that same thing until he interrupted by shouting at her that he needed her help to defeat Voldemort. The Grey Lady lost her composure and that was when Albus learned the story…

That the Grey Lady was none other than Helena Ravenclaw… Rowena's own daughter. All these years and he never knew…

She explained that the diadem bestows wisdom upon the wearer. Yet she doubted that it would increase his chances of defeating Voldemort. Harry then said fiercely that he wasn't interested in wearing it, and that if she wanted to see Voldemort defeated, if she cared about Hogwarts at all, then she was to tell him what she knew of the diadem.

When it looked like she still would not say anything and Harry let out a frustrated sigh as he made to leave… but to his greatest relief, she spoke again.

That was when the Grey lady… or rather Helena, told him her story.

"I stole the diadem from my mother," she had said and Albus's jaw had dropped at those words.

It turned out that Helena had yearned to be cleverer, more famous than her mother. So she stole the diadem and ran away with it. Rowena was too proud to admit that her own daughter had stolen it, merely pretended that she had hidden it away from everyone. But then when Rowena grew ill, an illness that was to claim her life, she wished to make peace with her daughter before she died.

She then sent a man, who she knew secretly loved Helena, to find her and bring her back. But when he had finally tracked her down to the forest that she was hiding in, and when she refused to return with him, the baron stabbed her in a fit of rage.

"The Baron? You mean -?" Harry gasped out, his expression looking just like how Albus felt.

"The Bloody Baron, yes," Helena confirmed, and she lifted aside the cloak she wore to reveal a single dark wound in her white chest. Albus felt a cold chill when he saw it. "When he saw what he had done, he was overcome with remorse. He took the weapon that had claimed my life, and used it to kill himself. All these centuries later, he wears his chains as an act of penitence ... as he should." she added bitterly.

"And - and the diadem?" Harry asked and Albus held his breath as he listened.

"It remained where I had hidden it when I heard the Baron blundering through the forest toward me. Concealed inside a hollow tree," Helena admitted.

"A hollow tree?" repeated Harry. "What tree? Where was this?"

"A forest in Albania," she admitted, "A lonely place I thought was far beyond my mother's reach."

Albania…where Tom was rumored for many years of his exile. Albus now understood… a part of him had always wondered why Tom spent so many years in Albania… now he knew… he must have found out that the diadem was last seen there. Which means…?

"Albania," repeated Harry in wonder before he asked, "You've already told someone this story, haven't you? Another student?"

She closed her eyes and nodded, hanging her head in shame.

"I had... no idea... He was flattering. He seemed to... understand... to sympathize..." she tried to tell him.

Oh, yes… Tom Riddle had a gift alright. And he would have understood Helena's desire to possess such a powerful object which rightly belonged to another, even if that person was her own mother. So Tom managed to discover where the diadem was from her, he had travelled to Albania to retrieve it. When this happened… he didn't know. Perhaps it was after he started to work at Borgin and Burkes…

As well as after his defeat, he needed a place to hide for ten long years before he started to try and regain strength.

"Well, you weren't the first person Riddle wormed things out of," Harry muttered. "He could be charming when he wanted..."

More so than any other person that Albus had ever met. Except for perhaps… Albus hung his head, much like how Helena had a moment ago… except for perhaps… himself.

Still, there was still the matter that they knew not where the diadem was… and when could Tom have hidden his precious Horcrux inside the castle if…?

"—the night he asked for a job!" said Harry suddenly and Albus looked at him in confusion.

He wasn't the only one for Helena asked, her eyebrows raised, "I beg your pardon?"

"He hid the diadem in the castle, the night he asked Dumbledore to let him teach!" said Harry, excitement on his face.

Albus felt the need to kick himself for not thinking of it. Of course! It all made sense! There was one other time that Tom had been in the castle after he left… and that was the night that he returned to for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job!

And Harry had finished his train of thought by reciting, "He must've hidden the diadem on his way up to, or down from, Dumbledore's office! But it was well worth trying to get the job – then he might've got the chance to nick Gryffindor's sword as well!" He then looked to Helena and cried out, "thank you, thanks!"

She just stared after him in complete bafflement as he went running off, checking his watch to see that it was five minutes until midnight. Still though, Albus could not think of where Tom could have hidden the diadem… After all, generations of students had been searching for it as well and no one ever found it. Tom couldn't have hid it in Ravenclaw Tower… but if it wasn't there then where would he figure it would be safe enough to leave a piece of his own soul?

He had been forced out of his thoughts once again when there was a loud crashing sound. Harry slammed himself against the nearest wall as someone large and harry came flying through the window, just in front of him.

But Albus could not help but smile when he recognized who it was. Hagrid was pushing himself up to his feet as he let Fang jump down from his massive shoulders. The hound was the first to see Harry and leapt at him, jumping up to lick his face as Harry called out Hagrid's name joyfully.

"Harry, yer here! Yer here!" Hagrid called, and his own face breaking into a grin as he scooped Harry up in a hug, crushing him so much that it looked like he was trying to break him in half. But then he went back to the window to shout to Grawp that he did a good job and that he will see him in a moment so he had to be good until then.

But already he could hear the beginning of fighting breaking out across the grounds. It had tolled midnight and Tom had launched his attack… this was it… the beginning… of what might be the end.

"Blimey, Harry," panted Hagrid, "this is it, eh? Time ter fight?"

"Hagrid, where have you come from?" Harry asked in concern.

"Heard You-Know-Who from up in our cave," said Hagrid grimly. "Voice carried, didn't it? 'Yet got till midnight ter gimme Potter.' Knew yeh mus' be here, knew what mus' be happenin'. Get down, Fang," he added to the hound who was trying to jump back up to him, "So we come ter join in, me an' Grawpy an' Fang. Smashed our way through the boundary by the forest, Grawpy was carryin' us, Fang an' me. Told him ter let me down at the castle, so he shoved me through the window, bless him. Not exactly what I meant, bu' – where's Ron an' Hermione?"

"That," said Harry, and worry was etched on his face, making him look much older than seventeen, "is a really good question. Come on."

Albus sighed in despair as he had followed after them, already the sounds of shouting and windows being smashed apart could be heard. There were flashes of light going on outside that made the broken shards of glass light opaque as they passed. The forces raging against each other were so much that they were making the very floorboards that they ran across shake.

His heart hurt so badly that it felt like he was being tortured on the inside to think of the school now a battlefield. They ran up the passage ahead as they passed the stone gargoyles that guarded the entrance to the staffroom, already they were smashed to pieces, moaning as they passed, "Oh, don't mind me . . . I'll just be here and crumble. . . ."

But as Harry ran on, his eyes suddenly widen, and Albus knew that look. He had seen it enough times to know that it meant that Harry had figured something out. He slowly stopped running and stood there in shock as whatever he was thinking of was continuing on inside his head. Hagrid asked him what was wrong, but it wasn't until Pomona and Neville both came running passed them with at least half a dozen others, did he snap himself out of his thoughts. Their comrades continued on, with each one wearing earmuffs and carrying potted plants that he recognized at once as…

"Mandrakes!" Neville bellowed at Harry as they thundered passed him. "Going to lob them over the walls – they won't like this!"

No, they wouldn't. Hopefully, they wouldn't be heard by anyone on their side. But now Harry went running off, with Hagrid and Fang galloping behind him. But it was different this time… Harry seemed to have purpose, he seemed to know exactly where he was going.

But once they reached the end of this corridor the loudest explosion yet, which caused the entire castle to shake and a gigantic vase was exploded off its plinth, almost hitting Harry in the process. Albus knew it could only mean one thing. That Tom's army had forced its way through the protective enchantments and were now entering the grounds themselves.

Hagrid and Fang had become separated from Harry after Fang got scared and went running off, with Hagrid having to go chase after him. But Harry continued to run forward anyway, heading back up to through the castle, heading up the nearest flight of stairs.

After passing by Lee Jordan and Fred Weasley, as well as a whole group of students, standing next to a statue which held a secret passageway, he followed after Harry until they ended up crossing paths with someone whom he had a feeling would join the battle.

"I've had hundreds of kids thundering through my pub, Potter!" Aberforth grumbled loudly when he saw him.

"I know, we're evacuating," Harry said, "Voldemort's –"

"– attacking because they haven't handed you over, yeah," Aberforth answered back with a roll of his eyes. Albus knew it, he just wanted to complain about it to someone before the real fighting broke out. "I'm not deaf, the whole of Hogsmeade heard him. And it never occurred to any of you to keep a few Slytherins hostage? There are kids of Death Eaters you've just sent to safety. Wouldn't it have been a bit smarter to keep 'em here?"

Because it wouldn't be right to have children continue to suffer for the sins of their parents.

"It wouldn't stop Voldemort," said Harry and as Aberforth tore down the same way that Harry had just come from, he called after him, "and your brother would never have done it."

Albus had smiled at that, he could not help it… if nothing else, he knew that Harry thought that much of him. He followed behind him, and it was when they rounded around the next corner did they find them, Ron and Hermione were there with their arms full of basilisk fangs and Ron with a broomstick tucked under his arm.

"Where the hell have you been?" Harry shouted, skidding to a halt in front of them.

"Chamber of Secrets," said Ron so calmly, and Albus could not help but chuckle. But he supposed that this time the trip into the chamber wasn't nearly as bad since he knew that his sister wasn't town there and the basilisk was dead.

Harry stared at them as they explained where they had been and why. After he left them before, they realized that without the sword they had nothing to finish the next Horcrux, and they still hadn't destroyed the cup yet. That was when they realized that they had been standing right on top of a way to destroy them from the start. That the remains of the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets could be used.

Ron then proudly made a strangled hissing noise, showing that he just copied what Harry did when he opened the locket. He confessed that it took a few tries, but they got there in the end.

And that was when they showed him the remains of the cup, explaining that Hermione had finished it off fairly easily. Albus wasn't surprised… though the cup was still dangerous, it had been left alone for many years and was nowhere near as powerful as the locket had been.

"Genius!" yelled Harry.

"It was nothing," said Ron, though he looked delighted with himself. "So what's new with you?"

But just then there was an explosion from overhead: All three of them looked up as dust fell from the ceiling and they heard a distant scream.

"I know what the diadem looks like, and I know where it is," said Harry, talking fast and Albus stared at him in shock as he explained, "He hid it exactly where I had my old Potions book, where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries. He thought he was the only one to find it. Come on."

It took several minutes for Albus to catch up with what he was saying. A place where everyone had been hiding stuff for centuries…? And then it hit him… oh, that boy was brilliant. These three… were all brilliant…

But the praise the he was thinking of was interrupted when the walls shook around them. Harry quickly led them through the hidden entrance to the Room of Requirements. There were only three people in there this time… Ginny, Dora,and Mrs. Longbottom—all of them looking ready for a fight.

"Ah, Potter," she said crisply, looking up when he entered. "You can tell us what's going on."

"Is everyone okay?" said Ginny and Dora together.

"'S far as we know," Harry explained. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"

In the end, one by one the three of them left the room, for they needed it to be empty if they were to try and search for the diadem. Mrs. Longbottom had asked about her grandson and Dora asked about Remus, when they explained where they were, both women went speeding off to search for their loved ones.

Harry had then turned to Ginny, saying, "Ginny, I'm sorry, but we need you to leave too. Just for a bit. Then you can come back in."

Oh, she didn't look like he should be sorry at all. She couldn't have been more delighted in the thought of being allowed to leave. But as she went running up the stairs as fast as she could after Tonks, Harry called back that she was to come back in a moment.

Not going to happen… That girl was a free-spirit and though she loved Harry, she wasn't going to let him just order her around.

"Hang on a moment!" said Ron sharply. "We've forgotten someone!"

"Who?" asked Hermione in surprise, staring around like she thought that someone else was hiding here.

"The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?" he asked worriedly.

"You mean we ought to get them fighting?" Harry asked him before Ron shook his head and told them that they should get them out instead, since they couldn't order them to die for them. He seemed to have finally said the right thing. For Hermione dropped the fangs that she was carrying and flung her arms around him before she gave him a kiss full on the mouth.

Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet. Albus could not help but shake his head and laugh. Of all the times for them to admit that they were in love…? Yet, he reasoned with himself, there probably wasn't another better time to do so.

"Is this the moment?" Harry asked weakly, but the two of them ignored him completely until he shouted out at them, "Oi! There's a war going on here!"

At last, they broke apart, yet they were both smiling as Ron, who looked like he had been hit over the head by something heavy.

"I know, mate, so it's now or never, isn't it?" Ron asked, beaming brightly.

"Never mind that, what about the Horcrux?" Harry shouted. "D'you think you could just – just hold it in until we've got the diadem?"

Albus's smile was so great that it hurt. But he did not mind, for he needed that moment. It was too bad that his good mood did not last long for they still had a job to do. As the war raged around them, they went back outside in the hallway were they left Dora, Ginny, and Aberforth—who had come running their way.

"They'll be all right," said Harry, though he knew they did little to comfort anyone. His eyes were focused on Ginny as he said to her, almost pleadingly, "Ginny, we'll be back in a moment, just keep out of the way, keep safe – come on!" he then added that last part to Ron and Hermione.

They walked back and forth, waiting for the door to appear, and when it had, they slipped inside. The sounds from the battle outside died down almost instantly… the silence almost deafening. They were in a place the size of a cathedral with the appearance of a city, its towering walls built of objects hidden by thousands of long-gone students.

"And he never realized anyone could get in?" said Ron, his voice echoing around them.

Albus had to agree… even Tom should have been able to realize that the doors will open for any who truly have need of it… all of these objects here was proof of that.

"He thought he was the only one," said Harry with a shrug. "Too bad for him I've had to hide stuff in my time… this way," he added. "I think it's down here . . . ."

They sped off up adjacent aisles; towers of junk, of bottles, hats, crates, chairs, books, weapons, broomsticks. . . .

"Somewhere near here," he heard Harry muttering. "Somewhere… somewhere…"

Deeper and deeper into the labyrinth he went, looking for one object in a room of thousands… all three of them forced to split up and search and he followed Harry as he headed down one of the many aisles.

This reminded him of when they were in Gringotts, searching for one thing in a room that was packed with treasure. Though, he hoped that things would end better this time around. At least they had no fear of being burned alive in a mountain of gold.

Harry had given them a description of the diadem, telling him that it was in a potion's cupboard and that the diadem was on top of it on a stone warlock with a dusty wig. Albus had no idea how Harry knew that, but that was a solid fact that he had seen it before. It was like fate had been playing out for longer than he thought.

Harry then turned another corner and stopped dead when he spotted it. A battered potion's cupboard was right in front of him… and there… on the top of it stood a stone warlock with both a wig… and a tiara…

Yes… they had found it at last.

He felt hope rising up inside him… at least until he heard a voice behind them say, "Hold it, Potter."

No… no, no, no… they were so close! He turned around to see that standing there was young Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle, all three having wands pointing right at him.

This couldn't be worse right now. Though Draco clearly did not wish to be part of this war any longer, and though he might have spared Harry from being handed over to Tom back at the manor, they did not have time to deal with them at the moment.

"That's my wand you're holding, Potter," Draco said coldly.

"Not anymore," panted Harry, tightening his grip on the won wand. "Winners, keepers, Malfoy. Who's lent you theirs?"

"My mother," Draco answered coldly and Albus nodded in understanding. Of course a mother would be more concerned about her son's safety than her own. Harry suddenly let out a harsh laugh, more out of exasperation than anything else.

"So how come you three aren't with Voldemort?" he asked.

"We're gonna be rewarded," Crabbe spoke up in a surprisingly soft voice. However Albus noticed how he was now talking much like how a child would speak like he had been promised a large bag of sweets for doing something good. "We 'ung back, Potter. We decided not to go. Decided to bring you to 'im."

"Good plan," Harry spoke up sarcastically. Though Albus knew that Harry could outduel any of them, he was still outnumbered. Harry seemed to realize this as well and was slowly just moved back until he was right alongside the cupboard, just in arms reach of the diadem.

"So how did you get in here?" he asked, trying to keep them distracted.

"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year," Draco spoke, suddenly sound tired. "I know how to get in."

"We was hiding in the corridor outside," Goyle added in a grunt as he gave him an unpleasant grin, "We can do Diss-lusion Charms now! And then, you turned up right in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum! What's a die-dum?"

"Harry?" Ron's voice echoed suddenly from the other side of the wall to Harry's right. "Are you talking to someone?"

Crabbe heard it and pointed his wand to a mountain of junk and caused it to crumble, falling into the next aisle where Ron was.

"Ron!" Harry bellowed, as Hermione screamed when the sounds of countless items crashed and broke on the ground. Harry then pointed his wand at it, calling it to steady itself as Draco yelled at Crabbe to stop it when he tried to repeat it.

"No! If you wreck the room you might bury this diadem thing!"

"What's that matter?" said Crabbe, tugging himself free of Draco's grip. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wants, who cares about a die-dum?"

"Potter came in here to get it," Draco snapped back, "So that must mean –"

"'Must mean'?" Crabbe demanded furiously, "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, Draco. You an' your dad are finished."

"Harry?" shouted Ron, from the other side of the junk wad. "What's going on?"

"Harry?" mimicked Crabbe in a sing-song voice. "What's going on – no, Potter!" When he saw Harry lunging for the tiara, Crabbe called out, "Crucio!"

But though the torture curse missed Harry, it hit the stone bust and caused it to explode, the diadem flew upwards and feel out of their sights among the pieces of the countless other objects. No… no… they came so close only for it to be ruined now?

"STOP!" Malfoy shouted at Crabbe, his voice echoing through the enormous room. "The Dark Lord wants him alive –"

"So? I'm not killing him, am I?" yelled Crabbe, throwing off Malfoy's restraining arm. "But if I can, I will, the Dark Lord wants him dead anyway, what's the diff –?"

Doesn't he realize what he's doing? What he's saying? Albus shook his head, already seeing that it was too late for this young man. He had made his choice… the damage that this war has done to children… to turn them into something like this… it ached him.

But then Hermione came running out from behind a corner, seeing what was going on. She shot a Stunning Spell at Crabbe, only for it to miss when Draco pulled him out of the way.

"It's that Mudblood!" Crabbe shouted out, turning his attention onto her, "Avada Kedavra!"

Albus's eyes burned with rage at the sight of it. They were classmates… they knew each other for six years… even though they weren't friends, even if they didn't like each other… he was still willing to kill her?

How could he do that?

To his relief, Hermione dove to the side, missing the spell entirely. Harry, now turned his full attention onto Crabbe, rage in his own face to have seen that Crabbe had been aiming to try and kill her. He shot a Stunning Spell this time, but though Crabbe lurched out of the way, he managed to knock Draco's borrowed wand out of his hand, causing it to roll out of his sight.

"Don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!" Malfoy yelled at Crabbe and Goyle, who were both aiming at Harry: Their split second's hesitation was all Harry needed to disarm Goyle. However he should have been paying more attention to Crabbe, for he was the real dangerous one right now.

Draco jumped out of the way as Hermione sent another Stunning Spell and Goyle jumped up to try and fetch his wand from a mountain of junk. Ron had appeared at that moment at the end of the aisle and shot a full Body-Bind Curse at Crabbe, only to miss it.

Once again, Crabbe shot another Killing Curse at them, which Ron had the sense to dodge. Though it was now just Crabbe against the three of them, all of which still had their wands. Draco was forced to hide behind a wardrobe as Hermione managed to succeed in stunning Goyle when she went running at him.

"It's somewhere here!" Harry yelled at her, pointing at the pile of junk where the tiara was lying somewhere on top of it. "Look for it while I go and help R –"

"HARRY!" she screamed, her attention no longer on finding the diadem, and Albus could not blame her.

Crabbe… that fool…

He unleashed something that he could never hope to control…

Fire began to burn from the end of Crabbe's wand… flames of abnormal size that began to twist and turn in midair. As they turned a corner the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent upon killing them. Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: Flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries on which they were feeding was thrown up into the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno and everything that they touched crumbled into nothing but soot and ash.

Fiendfyre! Some of the most devastating magic that could ever be used. A fire that once unleashed cannot be controlled. They had to get out of there. The fire was sure to destroy the Horcrux, their biggest concern should be their safety! And if they didn't get out soon, then they would all die a horrible death.

Harry was trying to put out the fire, but it was no good, this fire wasn't going to be stopped for anything until there was nothing left to burn.

Draco called for them to just run, grabbing hold of a stunned Goyle and tried to drag him along as Crabbe up and left them all.

The fire was right on their heels, Harry, Ron and Hermione were separated from the other three as they were trapped by more monsters made of flames. Their claws and horns twisting from the fire and soon they were surrounded on all sides by the cursed flame.

"What can we do?" Hermione screamed over the deafening roars of the fire. "What can we do?"

But they just happened to get lucky having been stopped in this aisle… for there were actually a pair of ancient looking broomsticks, something that Harry spotted at once and grabbed hold of them. He tossed one to Ron—who had Hermione climb up behind him, before they kicked off into the air.

They kicked off into the air, just barely missing the horned beak of a flaming raptor that snapped its jaws at them. The smoke and heat were becoming overwhelming: Below them the fire was consuming the contraband of generations of students. Albus looked around everywhere, but he could not see those three foolish boys and he shut his eyes in grief. All he could see was a sea of flames…

What a terrible way to die . . . . He had never wanted this . . . .

"Harry, let's get out, let's get out!" bellowed Ron, though as they all swung around in the air, they heard it… there was a scream of terror over the roar of the fire and they looked around at once.

"It's – too – dangerous –!" Ron yelled, but Harry had already spun about, his eyes searching below them… and Albus spotted them at the same time that Harry did. Draco was there with Goyle still Stunned, perched on top of a pile of desks that were already starting to turn to ash in this chaos.

Albus looked at Harry, knowing that this was his choice…

But Harry did not even need to think it over…

Albus watched… the sounds of the fire drowned out until it was as if he had gone deaf. Harry dove after them, and Draco, having seen him, reached up desperately for help.

Nonetheless the pride inside him couldn't have been any higher. No matter what happened, he would always believe that despite all the damage that had been done to him, Harry still remained a good person, inside and out. Even after all that had happened… all that Draco and his friends had done to them, he still chose to risk his life to help him.

"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" roared Ron's voice, forced to fly towards them when a flaming chimaera bore down upon them. But he and Hermione made it to Harry's side and pulled the unconscious Goyle up onto their broom as Harry lowered down slightly for Draco to climb up behind him.

Draco was screaming at Harry to get to the door, and all five of them were doing just that. There were no signs of Crabbe, but it did not matter any longer… for almost the entire room was now in flames and the smoke was making it almost impossible to see anything… there was nothing that they could do to help him at this point…

Anything that wasn't destroyed were flung up into the air as the cursed fire cast them high… and that was when Harry stopped in midair for a brief moment. Albus wondered what it could have been to distract him, and when he looked down, he saw it as well…

A tiara also being thrown up into the air. Of all the things it had to be…?

"What are you doing, what are you doing, the door's that way!" Draco screamed, but Harry ignored him as he swerved and dove for it. The diadem seemed to fall in slow motion, turning and glittering as it dropped toward the maw of a yawning serpent…

However Harry reached out and snatched it up with the skills that only a Seeker could have done. He had the diadem, and he rose up quickly into the air as he went zooming off as fast as he could in the direction where he last saw his friends going off in. Draco was terrified, screaming as he hung tightly onto Harry when he saw the flaming serpent coming after them.

But as they burst through the smoke, they found the door and escaped just outside the room, where Ron and Hermione were already waiting for them. As soon as Harry and Draco were out and collided with the wall across the corridor, the two of them slammed the door shut, where it vanished, leaving them all gasping for air and coughing violently.

Thank god… Albus almost sobbed in thankfulness to see that they were safe.

Draco rolled off the broken broom and retched, fighting not to vomit all over as Harry rolled over and sat up to look at Ron and Hermione. All three of them were covered in ash and smelt of burnt hair.

"C-Crabbe," Draco as soon as he could speak, crawling over to where Goyle was still out cold. "C-Crabbe . . ."

"He's dead," Ron snarled at him.

Albus shook his head. He knew it to be true… there was no way he could have escaped those flames… and though he hated to think like it, but the fact was that he had no one to blame but himself for what became of him.

For several long minutes they all panted and continued to cough as they breathed in fresh air. But then there were several bangs that were loud enough to shake the whole castle just as the ghosts of the Headless Hunt came racing through the corridor. Harry pulled himself up to his feet and stared around him as he could hear the screams echoing from the ground.

But there was only one thing on his mind at the moment.

"Where's Ginny?" he said in a panicked voice, staring around wildly. "She was here. She was supposed to be going back into the Room of Requirement."

Albus went and quickly searched for her and saw that she was still alive, but she was on one of the lower levels, fighting for her life with other students against Death Eaters.

"Blimey, d'you reckon it'll still work after that fire?" asked Ron, but he too got to his feet, rubbing his chest and looking left and right.

Albus honestly did not know if the Room of Requirements would be permanently damaged from all that. But the fire was trapped inside it… eventually it would die out when there was nothing left to burn… but that was not the important thing right now.

Ron was suggesting that they split up and look for her, but Hermione pulled herself up, telling at them no, that they should remain together. Yes, he agreed, that was best for them now. Draco and Goyle were no longer able to fight and no longer a threat without their wands, so they had no need to worry about them now.

That was when Hermione asked what it was on Harry's arm, and they all looked to see the object that they worked so hard to find.

Harry held it up for them to see… the diadem was blackened with soot, but as he looked at it closely he was just able to make out the tiny words etched upon it; WIT BEYOND MEASURE IS MAN'S GREATEST TREASURE.

That was when something began to leak out from the Horcrux. Albus could not tell for sure what it was… but it was like it was bleeding to death… it shook in Harry's hands before it started to crack… the echo of a scream coming from the remains of it before it shattered apart completely.

It was gone… like a pitiable creature had just been put out of its misery…

"It must have been Fiendfyre!" whimpered Hermione, her eyes on the broken piece.

"Sorry?" Harry asked her in confusion as he looked at her.

"Fiendfyre – cursed fire – it's one of the substances that destroy Horcruxes," she gasped out, "but I would never, ever have dared use it, it's so dangerous."

And that was a wise choice. For he doubted that even someone as talented as Hermione Granger could have mastered such a dangerous spell. That fire… will destroy everything in its path… it's impossible to control it completely. It will simply devour anything and everything until it eventually burns out.

"How did Crabbe know how to –?" she gasped.

"Must've learned from the Carrows," said Harry grimly.

"Shame he wasn't concentrating when they mentioned how to stop it, really," said Ron bitterly, "If he hadn't tried to kill us all, I'd be quite sorry he was dead."

"But don't you realize?" whispered Hermione, her eyes wide with amazement, "This means, if we can just get the snake –"

Then they would soon see the end of this war. But there was still a ways to go…

But she broke off as yells and shouts and the unmistakable noises of dueling filled the corridor. Harry looked around and his heart seemed to fail: Death Eaters had penetrated Hogwarts and he saw that it was Fred and Percy Weasley who backed into their view. They were each dueling men who were hooded and masked.

The three of them charged forward to help them.Jets of light flew in every direction and the man dueling Percy backed off, fast: Then his hood slipped and they saw a high forehead and streaked hair of Thicknesse…

"Hello, Minister!" bellowed Percy, sending a neat jinx straight at Thicknesse's chest, causing him to drop his wand in pain, "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

Albus couldn't help but laugh. This was a new side of Percy Weasley, and having just made up with his family seemed to be almost like a rebirth for him.

"You're joking, Perce!" shouted Fred as the Death Eater he was battling feel as the trio came running up and each hit him with a Stunning Spell. While Thicknesse had also fallen at that moment, tiny spikes growing all over his body so that it looked like he was turning into some kind of sea urchin.

Fred turned around to give Percy a gleeful look.

"You actually are joking, Perce… I don't think I've heard you joke since you were –" but he never had a chance to finish his sentence… nor would he ever again…

At that moment there was an almighty explosion right behind them. The wall had been blown apart and the force was so great that it sent some of them flying through the air as pieces of stone and wood collapsed around them.

There was a thick smoke in front of them, making it impossible to see. But Albus knew that whatever caused that attack had blown apart parts of the castle. The five of them were blasted down the hallway as the walls continued to crumble away in front of them. Harry was fighting his way out from underneath some broken ramparts, bleeding heavily as he tried to pull his way free.

"No – no – no!" Percy's voice was screaming over the noise. "No! Fred! No!"

No…

Albus knew that kind of cry anywhere… he shook as tears began to run down his face. How could someone so young and full of life just…?

Harry rushed to Hermione, helping to pull her out of the wreckage before they crawled over the destroyed pieces of the wall to see what was wrong. But as the smoke cleared, he saw them… Percy was shaking Fred, screaming at him to snap out of it as Ron knelt beside him…

Fred Weasley just stared up passed them like a doll's… unseeing… empty… while the traces of a smile was still there… his last smile…

Albus sighed miserably as he walked a few feet in this mist as Severus watched him with a critical eye. Hard to believe that all happened mere hours ago.

"What do you intend to do now?" Severus asked him.

"I will wait," Albus explained. "I must speak with Harry again."

"And what makes you think that the boy will be here soon?" Severus asked him.

"I think that we both know the answer to that, Severus," Albus said, finally turning around to look at him. "But as for you… I know that my word means next to nothing now… but know that I am truly, truly sorry for all that I put you through."

Severus just glared back at him.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it," he snapped and Albus shut his eyes as he looked down sadly.

"I know," he answered, "There is nothing else that I can say, but… I'm sorry. If you wish to harm me, to say anything you want, I will let you. I deserve nothing less."

"I wish I could," Severus said, shaking his head. "But that won't change anything will it?"

Albus just looked long and hard at him. No, he knew that it was too late to do such a thing. Yet… Severus was here, he was at free from his grief and hatred… he could, at last, move on. Though it was tragic what happened to him, and though the guilt inside him felt like it was tearing him apart, he could not help but be grateful that Severus was at long last free.

"You aren't moving on yet?" Albus asked curiously.

"I will," he said, "There's nothing left to hold me here. In a way… perhaps I am glad to put an end to this ridiculous charade. The only one whom I ever truly cared about was gone from this world. I only stuck around to make sure that her sacrifice wasn't in vain. Now it seems that all of that amounts to nothing."

"Not so," Albus said softly. "There is still a chance."

"Once again… moving pieces on a board that only you can see," Severus stated coldly.

"I had a brilliant mind…" Albus said softly. "And it is for that reason that I lost so much and caused the suffering of so many souls. This, I do not deny. But I cannot change it no matter how much I wish I could. I could think and plan ahead… I only did what I hoped was right. My greatest regret is that I never thought to question myself more. And for that, I am sorry."

Severus gave him a nasty look before he sighed, turning his attention back to the mists.

"Rest now, Severus," Albus said to him. "I will remain behind for a while yet… but you… you have earned your rest."

"Not just yet," Severus said softly. "I can wait until I see the end of this war before I move on as well. I don't think… I don't think I can face her until I do."

They were in silence for a time before Albus sighed.

"Severus… you regret what you did all those years ago," he stated, "And though I don't think she will be happy with how you treated her son, I think that Lily will forgive you. And I think that she is grateful for all that you sacrificed to make sure Harry survived. It's time that you let go… please… for her sake then if nothing else, let go of your hate."

Severus did not turn around to look at him before he asked, "What is it that you want? Why stick around after all this time? It must be important."

"What I want?" Albus repeated sadly as he thought that over. He had told himself before that he wanted to see the end of the war as well, it was his duty to do so. But as he opened his mouth to tell him that, the words somehow got lost on his way from his mind to his mouth… instead, his heart spoke up…

"Forgiveness," he answered simply. "I wish… to be forgiven…"

"By who?" Severus asked coldly.

Albus sighed again, feeling tired once again as he looked up at the sparkling mist as he answered, "Everyone."

"Well, if that's the case, then I haven't forgiven you," Severus stated simply, "Nor do I have any intentions of doing so."

"I don't expect you to," Albus answered back, not the least bit surprised.

"But…" Severus added carefully, "I do appreciate for all that you have done for me over the years. Not many… not many would have given me a second chance."

Albus smiled kindly at him when they both turned to look at each other. They just looked at the other in the eye, not saying a word, yet some sort of understanding did seem to pass between them.

"Good night… Severus," Albus said simply. And without another word, his old friend walked off into the mists. Albus knew that he wished to be alone for a while. Though he longed to see her again, Albus suspected that he was nervous to face Lily again after all that has happened. But he was sure that it would not be too long before Severus was able to cross over. And Albus wished him nothing but peace…

He thought again of all that had happened so far… he had greeted Severus but moments ago, helping to explain where they were and what had happened… and how much more there was to do.

He sighed as he thought more of the war… the images in his mind as he was forced to watch people just tear the other apart. Fred Weasley was just the first of many who died in that time…

He sat in the chair of the room that was both his office and not…

Just reflecting on all that he had seen as the glowing mist offered him no comfort.

He had risen and greeted countless people whom he knew and cared about all night. Each face brought terrible pain as he knew that their bright, young lives were gone from the world. Why did any of this have to happen? How could one person have sparked such a needless war? They spilled so much blood… over a war that never should have happened?

His mind raced as he thought of the other scenes that he had seen… With one Horcrux remaining, Harry, Ron, and Hermione continued their pursuit of Nagini, but before they could go search for it, they witnessed the death of Fred Weasley. This incensed Ron and Harry, but Hermione reminded them that only they could finish Voldemort and that to obtain the final Horcrux they would have to do their share of fighting.

They found out with fury that Voldemort wasn't even bothering to fight, instead, he was hiding in the Shrieking Shack and had just demanded Lucius to bring Severus to him. Albus had an intake of breath, knowing no good could come from Tom wanting Severus.

They fought their way to the Shrieking Shack. Along the way, they all witnessed many scenes of horror.

He remembered how he followed those three through the broken castle, the corridors full of duelers—he thought of how Dean Thomas had won himself a wand and was dueling with Dolohov and how Parvati Patil battling her hardest against Travers.

He thought of how Peeves zoomed overhead as he dropped Snargaluff pods onto Death Eaters… Yaxley in combat with Flitwick, while Kingsley right beside him. Neville came running out with armfuls of a Venomous Tentacula and threw them around the nearest Death Eater while students ran in every direction as they carried or dragged their wounded friends and family.

How Hermione had blasted Fenrir Greyback from the weak form of Lavender Brown who was groaning on the floor… Sybill, who was overhead, enchanting crystal balls to fly through the air and smashing right into Greyback head and out of windows…

That was when the front doors burst open and entire tribe of the spiders from the forest came flooding in. The spiders had taken no one's side, merely attack everyone in their path as they scattered.

Their side was more leaned towards Stunning rather than killing… while the Death Eaters did not seem to care who they hit… they were holding nothing back as the blood threw in mists upon the air and the Hourglass which kept the House points for Slytherin shattered and the green emeralds rattled across the floor.

He remembered how Hagrid came thundering down the stairs with his umbrella in his hand, screaming not to hurt the spiders.

"HAGRID, NO!" Harry had screamed out, jumping out from under the cloak and tried to run to him to get him to stop, "HAGRID, COME BACK!"

But Hagrid had already vanished among the flood of spiders, who were forced to retreat from the spells that were being constantly fired at them. On the grounds, Voldemort's Dementors were waiting. After having seen so much pain and death, Harry could not summon the happiness required to conjure a Patronus. Neither could Hermione or Ron.

In fact, it grew so desperate that Albus was terrified that Harry actually wanted them to come… to just finish him off forever…

Which was why he was thankful when their friends came running in to help them, each with their own silver Patronus there to guide them. And it was young Luna who turned to Harry, reminding him that they were still there with him… still fighting with him…

It seemed to have taken every ounce of strength that Harry ever had for him to call forth his stag Patronus. But it worked, it was glowing brightly as ever and it was more than enough to scatter the Dementors like he had done before almost four years ago…

They then sprinted the rest of the way to the Whomping Willow, heading down into the secret passage to take them to the Shrieking Shack…

It was there that they witnessed Voldemort order Nagini to kill Severus Snape, as he believed that Snape was preventing him from being the true owner of the Elder Wand. Before he died, Snape gave Harry memories to view in the Pensieve and asked him to look into his eyes.

Albus's mind thought to that moment…

He had stayed close beside the three of them that entire way through the passage. Though he knew not what they were planning on doing once they reached the end… though it was true that Nagini was there waiting for them at the end of the tunnel, so was Tom.

What were they to do?

And Harry… he still did not know the full truth… he did not know what needed to be done to destroy Tom once and for all. Severus was there… Albus did not like what was going to happen now… though he could vaguely see where it was going…

The three of them slipped to the end of the tunnel, quietly hiding down behind a crate that was right in front of them, in the room where Tom was with both Severus and Nagini…

The snake was still in her enchanted sphere which hung in the air, and there, sitting at the edge of a table was Tom… playing with the Elder Wand in his spider-like hands. With Severus was standing just inches away from them, and he was bravely speaking to Tom.

"...my Lord, their resistance is crumbling-"

"-and it is doing so without your help," Tom said in his high, clear voice. "Skilled wizard though you are, Severus, I do not think you will make much difference now. We are almost there...almost."

Albus stepped into the room to stand next to Severus, hoping that he could somehow sense his presence there and to give him some comfort.

"Let me find the boy. Let me bring you Potter," Severus stated calmly, "I know I can find him, my Lord. Please."

Albus gulped hard as Severus strolled past the gap in the door where the three were hiding. Just then, Tom stood up, his eyes glowing darkly as his pale face gleamed in this near darkness.

"I have a problem, Severus," Tom stated flatly.

"My Lord?" Severus asked, looking at him as Tom held up the wand and spun it in his long-fingers as he looked at it curiously.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?" he asked, as if he expected Severus to fix this and Albus felt a sick feeling in his stomach at what was going to happen.

"My—my lord?" Severus asked in confusion as Tom let out a sigh that was more of a hiss. "I do not understand. You—you have performed extraordinary magic with that wand."

"No," Tom said, and Albus knew that this little fact must have been driving him crazy, not having the wand work properly for him. "I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary,but this wand...no. It has not revealed the wonders it has promised. I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all those years ago."

Because that wand will never obey him… for he was not the wand's true owner…

"No difference," he sighed again as he started to move almost ghostly around the table. "I have thought long and hard, Severus...do you know why I have called you back from battle?"

Severus glanced towards Nagini before he said in a surprisingly calm voice, "No, my Lord, but I beg you will let me return. Let me find Potter."

"You sound like Lucius," Tom said, his tone with only a hint of annoyance there. "Neither of you understands Potter as I do. He does not need finding. Potter will come to me. I knew his weakness you see, his one great flaw. He will hate watching the others struck down around him, knowing that it is for him that it happens. He will want to stop it at any cost. He will come."

Maybe… but he only understands one part of Harry. Tom could never understand why Harry fights… why he continues and will continue to do so. His 'great flaw' as Tom called it is rather his greatest strength. For he has something that Tom will never have and that makes him a stronger man than Tom Riddle will ever be.

"But my Lord, he might be killed accidentally by someone other than yourself-" Severus began.

"My instructions to the Death Eaters have been perfectly clear," Tom said casually, "Capture Potter. Kill his friends-the more, the better-but do not kill him."

That means nothing… after all, young Crabbe had tried to do so only earlier… and ended up paying the ultimate price for it.

"But it is of you that I wished to speak, Severus, not Harry Potter. You have been very valuable to me," Tom said. "Very valuable."

"My Lord knows I seek only to serve him," Severus stated, "But-let me go and find the boy, my Lord. Let me bring him to you. I know I can-"

"I have told you, no!" Tom hissed loudly and Severus fell silent at once as Tom turned to face him with a swish of his black cloak, impatience in his eyes as he glared at him. "My concern at the moment, Severus, is what will happen when I finally meet the boy!"

"My Lord, there can be no question, surely-?" Severus began before Tom interrupted.

"-but there is a question, Severus. There is," he said as he continued to slide the Elder Wand through his fingers, still gazing at Severus as he asked, "Why did both the wands I have used fail when directed at Harry Potter?"

Severus was looking surprised that he would ask him that and said, "I—I cannot answer that, my Lord."

"Can't you?" Tom asked as he looked at him.

"My wand of yew did everything of which I asked it, Severus, except to kill Harry Potter," he complained softly, "Twice it failed. Ollivander told me under torture of the twin cores, told me to take another's wand. I did so, but Lucius's wand shattered upon meeting Potter's."

"I—I have no explanation, my Lord," Severus gulped down, growing more and more nervous as Albus watched how his black eyes kept looking at Nagini, still in her protective sphere. He knew what Severus was thinking of… of how he told him when Voldemort grew concerned for Nagini's safety was he to tell Harry what he needed to.

The time was now… and Harry was just behind him…

What were they to do with Tom right there?

"I sought a third wand, Severus," Tom explained softly, "the Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from its previous master. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore."

Severus had that famous stoic expression to hide his emotions. His face was white and he looked so much like a marble statue that it was almost a surprise when he spoke.

"My Lord-let me go to the boy-" Severus pleaded now and it was clear that Severus had just realized what was going on.

"All this long night when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here," Tom spoke in hardly more than a whisper, "wondering, wondering, why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner...and I think I have the answer."

Severus was growing paler by the moment and had actually started taking a few steps backwards. Albus wanted to yell at him to run, to flee this place… but Tom would never give him that chance to do so.

"Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen," Tom said when tears began to leak out of Albus's eyes as started to shake violently.

"My Lord-" Severus gasped out.

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master," Tom went on, his eyes looking at him curiously, like how a child would when wondering just what was going to happen next in a storybook. "The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine."

"My Lord!" Severus gasped out as he held up his own wand.

"It cannot be any other way," Tom said. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last."

He swiped the wand through the air, though it did nothing to Severus… whose expression was one of relief for a brief moment. But attacking him was not Tom's intention… rather he caused the cage to go flying at Severus, entrapping his head and shoulders before Tom hissed out in Parseltongue:

"Kill."

What happened next was like it was in slow motion. He saw how Severus had gone pale as a sheet and his eyes widen with shock before Nagini fangs pierced his neck.

No one…deserves to die that way. And all that Albus could do was wipe his tears of remorse… tears of regret… and he cried openly when he heard Severus's scream of pain.

"I regret it," Tom said coldly from behind him as Severus dropped to the floor.

But Albus did not turn to look at him. That was all that Tom felt… he had lost someone whom he saw as a valuable servant but held no true sadness or remorse for what he had done. Albus just knelt at Severus's side as Tom slowly left, having pulled Nagini back into her protective cage.

Severus trembled in terrible pain as the blood gushed out from his neck, his eyes already turning cloudy. Albus knelt there, wishing that there was something, anything, he could do to help… or at the least to take away the pain.

It was then that the crate that hid the three of them from view rose up about an inch into the air and silently drifted out of their way. Harry had then pulled himself up, into the room before he slowly walked up to where Severus lay.

"Harry…" Albus whispered, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't hear his words. "It's alright… please… just listen. Severus has a message that he must give you… come closer."

If nothing else, he did not want Severus to die alone. Even if it was with someone whom he blamed all his unhappiness on, he wanted Severus to be able to know that there was someone there with him. Though Harry could not hear him, it was as if his intent was known, for Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak before he knelt down on Severus's other side, opposite of Albus. For a moment, the two of them both looked down at Severus, whose black eyes widen in shock at the sight of Harry there.

As Harry bent over him, Severus seized the front of his robes and pulled him close as he tried to speak. What came from his mouth was a terrible rasping, gurgling noise that he knew to be blood filling his lungs. But he did managed to choke out the words…

"Take...it...Take...it..." he gasped out, and Severus released his memories, they gushed from his mouth, ears, and even from his eyes like tears… and with so much, he knew that they were much more memories than just the one where he told Severus what must be done.

Hermione conjured up a small flask from thin air and pushed it into Harry's hands, her own shaking so badly that she could hardly hold it. Harry carefully collected every memory that Severus had and placed them into the flask…

By this point in time, Severus was almost gone… barely able to hold onto Harry's robe… yet he had enough strength left to make one last request…

"Look...at...me..." he whispered.

That was all that he wanted… to see those eyes… Lily's eyes… one last time… those eyes to be the last thing he ever saw with his own.

Harry turned to look at him… but then the life faded from Severus's face as his hand slacked… and fell with a dull thud to the floor.

Albus lowered his head in grief… his eyes shutting so that he could not see anything… only the pain inside him that made him feel like he was being stabbed over and over with a knife…

Albus continued to stare at the mists as those events played over and over in his mind.

"Severus…" he sighed sadly before he pushed himself to his feet, ready to great more old friends as they arrived. "I am so sorry…"

*Later*

"Why?" Remus asked him, staring at him in nothing but horrified shock. "Why did you do this? Out of everyone… I always thought that you cared about Harry. I thought… I thought that you loved him. And now… now I find out about this?!"

His voice was steadily rising with every word and his hands were curled up into fists as tears appeared in his eyes. Until, at last, he was shouting at him, "YOU MEAN YOU SET HIM UP TO DIE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!?"

"Remus," Albus whispered, "Please, listen to me. I know that you are upset, but let me explain."

Remus was panting hard, and the only thing that seemed to be keeping him from attacking him was Dora's calming influence that she had on him.

"Albus, please tell us what this is all about?" she asked firmly. "I think that we deserve to know!"

Albus sighed grimly as he told them all that he could… told them what he had planned from the start, and how he hoped that what he prayed for would work. Remus and Dora both just stared at him as if seeing him for the first time.

"Intelligence… reason… even simple thought…" Remus said softly. "You know that most people take these things for granted… but I am not one of them. Because I know what it's like to have your mind trapped inside the body of a monster. To lose your own sense of self from time to time… but I wonder if I am the monster this time… if the monster was in control of himself all this time?"

Albus shut his eyes as he nodded in agreement.

"I know," he confessed, "I know and I do not blame you. More than once I thought of that myself. Were it the other way around, I know that I would not forgive myself either. In fact, I have yet to do so. But know that I only ever thought of what was best. I tried before to put Harry's safety before anything else and it ended only hurting him in more ways than I thought possible."

"Even if it works, I cannot forgive you for the pain that you are going to put him through," Remus said, turning away from him.

"Of course not," Albus said sadly. "But all that I ask is that you be there to support him when he asks for it."

Remus blinked before he turned back to him in amazement before Albus explained just what it was that he left for Harry inside the Snitch.

"If I know him as well as I think I do," Albus explained, "Then he will figure out the clue that I left for him. I did this to help give him the strength that he will need. And I think that seeing you will help to do that."

"Why not you?" Remus asked, and his expression was that of confusion now.

"Because… because I think that I will be the last person that he wishes to see," Albus confessed shamefully. "Remus, please believe me when I say that if there was something different that I could have done, have found some other way out of this, then I would have done it. But now… as cruel as it may be, Harry does have a chance to survive. I don't care what he thinks of me, or if he ever forgives me for it. So long as he survives… so long as he no longer has to suffer like this… that is all that I want. Can you understand that?"

Albus did not mean to put so much emotion into his voice. But now that they were so close to the end, he could not help it. He just wanted Remus to understand, for he knew that Remus was another whom had always cared about Harry and would be furious for what he found out.

Remus stared at him, also taken aback by his sudden emotion, but he lowered his head slightly as he seemed to think it over.

"You really did care about him all along," Remus said softly, his eyes holding a stoic expression as he looked at him. "In your own, messed up way, you just wanted to ensure that he will survive this war. You were being cruel… to be kind?"

"Is that what you want to think about me?" Albus sighed sadly. "Would that make it easier? The truth, Remus, is that I cannot promise that it will work. That it does not excuse that most of the suffering that Harry has suffered in his life is… is because of me. Everything that I have done, I did to try and protect him… But it seems that my protection had done more harm than good. Nevertheless… I cannot deny that I have grown to care about him. I hope that you can believe that much."

Remus stared long and hard at him before he said, "I don't doubt that fact. But it is your methods that I cannot stand. If there is a chance for Harry to survive, why not tell him that? Let him know that he may not have to die?!"

"He must believe that he is about to die," Albus said thought the words made him feel like he was about to start screaming in pain. "I believe, that should Voldemort believe that he has won, he will truly and finally be defeated once and for all."

There was silence for a moment as those words sunk it.

"Harry will not run," Remus finally said in a soft voice.

"No, he won't," Albus agreed. "But he will need support. And that is where you will come in. You always did your best to help him… as a teacher and as a friend. But this is something that only he can decide. Please, support him in any way that you can. He will call upon you soon enough, I am sure of it."

Remus bit his lip before he sighed grimly, taking hold of Dora's hand in his own shaking one.

Dora then looked up and asked, "But… what will happen to him after? I mean, even if he's alive, he'll still be surrounded by Death Eaters!"

"Pray," Albus answered, unable to give her a better answer. "Just pray for him, for those who are left behind. But I have faith that he will come through. He always does in the end. I have faith in him, and I hope that you will do so as well. Take your anger out on me, but just support him from afar."

"There's… there's nothing else that I can do now," Remus muttered bitterly. He looked up at the mist, staring off into the distance. "You know that it may be safer for you here," he suddenly added, "Lily is going to kill you when she gets her hands on you."

Albus actually chuckled. "Oh, I know that I won't be escaping her wrath when I greet them. And if she could, I suspect that she would tear me apart limb from limb."

That was when he remembered something else and sighed, "And Remus? Dora? I am so sorry… after you just had Teddy…?"

Both of their faces were turned grief-stricken at the mention of their son's name.

"We're sorry too," Remus said softly. "That he will never remember us… but we… we died to create a world to keep him safe in. Where he can grow up in a time of peace. I hope… he will understand… someday."

"Mum will take care of him," Dora added, her eyes watering up with tears. "She… I know she will. She won't take no for an answer."

"And… Harry… if he… survives," Remus said, wiping the tears away from his eyes as they fell. "He…"

"He will make sure that Teddy will have the childhood that he never had," Albus finished for him. "And for that, I blame myself. But you couldn't have picked anyone better to take care of your son for you."

"But… will he make it out alive?" Dora asked worriedly. "You said so yourself that there is a good chance that he may not come out of this alive."

"We shall have to see," Albus told her sadly. "I suspect that I will meet with him myself soon enough. Though I doubt that he will be pleased to do so… but I will take anything he has to say to me. I don't expect forgiveness. But everything that I did…"

"You did for the greater good?" Remus asked.

Those weren't the words that he was going to use, but Albus could not help but flinch. It seems that he truly hadn't learned anything from his mistakes. Or at the least, continued to make the same mistakes…

He looked at Remus, whose face mirrored his sadness. He then looked up into the distance with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Remus?" Dora asked curiously.

"I see them…" he stated softly, still staring forward. "They're far away… but I can just make out their forms in the distance… my friends…"

"Cousin Sirius is also there. And dad…" Dora added, and she rested her head against his shoulder. "I… I don't know…"

"It is a lot to take in," Albus nodded, having been refraining himself from looking in that same direction for more than once he could have sworn that he saw his family looking back at him just beyond the mist. "But it's time… you deserve to rest."

Remus and Dora both looked at him long and hard before they began to walk forward, making to just walk passed him. But as Remus stood right next to him, he stopped.

"You really do care about Harry don't you?" Remus sighed again as he looked back at him in the eye. "I guess… you just did what you thought was best. Even if I can't stand it."

"What would you have done differently?" Albus asked softly. "If I could change it, I would give anything to do so. But you are right…" he shut his eyes as he confessed softly, "He's like a grandson to me. And to see him hurting like this is more painful than any kind of wound."

Remus blinked at him before he turned away to ask, "If Harry forgives you, then so shall I. But…?"

"But I don't expect him to," Albus agreed quietly. "Nor do I expect you to do so. We shall soon see."

Remus took hold of Dora's hand, both of them sharing a sad smile before they nodded, heading off together into the mist to reunite with their loved ones.

Albus stood there alone for some time before he sensed it… the time was here…

*Later*

Albus knew what was to happen now… he knew for the battle was given a brief respite. Tom had called to all that he will give them one hour… he called to Harry directly, taunting him that he had let his friends die for him rather than face him himself. He will give him one hour to meet him in the Forbidden Forest and should he refuse to come, then he will kill everyone that he cared about.

Harry had gone to his Albus's old office, having guessed the password at once… almost like he knew it from the start…

Albus could not bear to bring himself to watch Harry discover the cold, hard truth…

He waited in his office… knowing that Harry would know what to do when he reemerged.

And when he did… the expression on the young man's face was like someone had ripped out his own heart. There was no emotion there… just a blank, lifeless look…

All of a sudden, he resembled an old man… this war had gone on for decades… and look at what it had done to the innocent children of this generation? Harry knelt on the floor for what felt like an age, before he finally, and slowly, pulled himself to his feet… and he was shaking. Albus did not blame him, wishing that he could do something to give him some comfort… but Harry had to believe this… he had to believe that he would die if he went out to face Tom…

If he knew… then there would be many others were going to die tonight… this sacrifice could save the lives of many others that he loved…

All that he could do now was just stand with him, even if his presence could no longer be felt. He did not want Harry to believe that he never cared, that he only ever saw him as a pawn. But there was nothing that could be done or said.

And he knew how determined that Harry was to rid the world of Voldemort… he would not allow anyone else to die to protect him. He watched as Harry looked down to the battered watch to see that it was nearly four in the morning… he had half an hour left to make up his mind…

Yet it was already made up.

Harry slowly pushed himself to his feet, pale as a ghost, however there was a look of steely determination there. And he didn't look back once as he left the room, shutting the door behind him. Everyone was downstairs, seeing to the dead and the injured… to heal their wounds or mourn those they had already lost… Harry was able to walk through the corridors without meeting a soul.

Still, he pulled the Cloak over himself again, and Albus could not help but remember when he had still been a young child and he first started to sneak out at night with the Cloak. How far away that seemed now… how innocent he had still been…

He watched as Harry reached the front doors, where people were moving bodies inside… and he felt tears fall all over again with each young face he saw, including young Colin Creevey, who had snuck back inside to join the battle even though he had been underage.

Neville and Oliver Wood were both carrying him back inside when Oliver said that he could manage to carry him the rest of the way. And then he heaved Colin's tiny body over his shoulders and trooped him over to the Great Hall where they were putting the rest of the bodies.

Neville leaned against the doorframe for a moment and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand—and it was here he saw that Harry wasn't the only one who looked like he had aged a hundred years in one night. As Neville bent over another body, Harry pulled off his Cloak approached him. Albus had wondered what it was that he was going to say, and he learned of Harry's intent… while he did not tell Neville about the Horcrux's, but had instead asked Neville that if he ever had a chance… if Ron and Hermione were not able to do so…

"Kill the snake?" Neville asked.

"Kill the snake," Harry repeated.

"All right, Harry," Neville nodded before he asked, "You're okay, are you?"

"I'm fine," Harry lied, "Thanks, Neville."

As Harry made to leave, Neville seemed to sense that something was wrong and he reached out to grab Harry's wrist to stop him.

"We're all going to keep fighting, Harry," he reminded him firmly, "You know that?"

"Yeah, I -" Harry began, however he no longer seemed able to speak. Neville seemed to understand, for he patted Harry comfortingly on the shoulder before he walked away, looking for more bodies that have yet to be found.

Harry swung the Cloak back over himself, though Albus followed after him still, knowing which way he would be heading. Yet they hardly took more than a few steps when they ran across another… and of all the people that it could have been…?

It was Ginny…

She was crouching over a girl who was whispering for her mother. Ginny tried to comfort her, but the girl was shaking her head, telling her that she just wanted to go home, that she didn't want to fight anymore.

He knew that Harry had stopped, that he was looking at her… and perhaps Ginny sensed he was near as well… for though she was trying to help the girl up, she was looking around… in the direction that Harry was in…

But Harry seemed to have pushed himself away before he gave in to the urge to call out. Instead, they headed to the forest where the Dementors that were gliding amongst the trees were sucking in any hope that was around them.

That was when he felt Harry stop again and watched as his hand appeared from under the cloak… and in his fingers he held the Snitch…

He knew that Harry would figure it out in the end…

I open at the close.

I open at death.

The hand then disappeared under the cloak again, yet Albus could see him now so clearly… as if there wasn't a Cloak at all. Harry pressed the Snitch to his lips and he heard him whisper, "I am about to die."

The words were like a shout to his ears as he watched as the Snitch opened up to reveal the Resurrection Stone that he had left for him, to help comfort what he would believe to be his final act. He watched as Harry lit his wand and stared at the stone before he turned it over in his hands three times…

Albus did not come… he was not called…

He was not surprised.

Yet he didn't need the stone for him to continue to stay next to Harry, even if Harry grew to hate him.

However, there were four others that did appear to greet him.

Albus felt like an intruder as Harry was surrounded by his mother, his father, Sirius and Remus… and he was looking at each and every one of them. One by one, they appeared before him, each one having a loving smile when they saw him there… and out of all of them, it was Lily who had the biggest smile.

Yet it was sad as well…

"You've been so brave," she whispered sadly, just staring at him like she could never look at him enough. And it looked like she wished nothing more than to reach out and touch his face at that moment.

"You are nearly there," James added softly as he came to stand next to his wife and son. "Very close. We are . . . so proud of you."

Yes… Albus knew that much… he truly was their son, through and through.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, and for the first time Albus could hear the suppressed terror in his voice that caused his heart to ache. Albus knew that he was afraid… it was only natural for you cannot ask anyone what it is like. But it isn't as bad as you would think…

"Dying? Not at all," Sirius asked kindly, looking younger and happier than Albus had seen him since before the Potter's died and he was imprisoned. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

"And he will want it to be quick. He wants it over," Remus added, and he, all of them, kept quiet about there was a chance that he may not have to die. Though he could tell that they hated the fact that they could do no more to comfort him.

"I didn't want you to die," Harry spoke up, looking around at them all with a pleading look in his eyes, asking for them to understand that this was never what he wanted. "Any of you. I'm sorry -" and he seemed to be speaking with Remus more than any of them, "- right after you'd had your son . . . Remus, I'm sorry -"

"I am sorry too," Remus said, showing that he did not blame Harry in the slightest for what happened. "Sorry I will never know him . . . but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."

Harry looked at each of them sadly once more before he asked softly, "You'll stay with me?"

But they never left. They had always been right here, by his side, and that will never change.

James just smiled gently at him as he reassured him, "Until the very end."

And not until the end… they will always be here… beside him…

"They won't be able to see you?" Harry asked.

"We are part of you," Sirius added. "Invisible to anyone else."

His words seemed to comfort him as he looked to his mother, saying to her more than the others… "Stay close to me."

Together they set off, passing the Dementors without trouble, his family shielding him from their dark chill, and walked through the forest that Harry had stepped through on multiple occasions. As they walked on, they travelled deeper into the forest, eventually coming across Yaxley and Dolohov, who were keeping watch for him. With all of them hidden from their sights, they could not see anything, but they seemed to sense that time was almost up.

They retreated into the trees, heading back to their master to inform him that Harry wasn't coming. Lily smiled at Harry as James nodded in encouragement and they followed silently behind them. They soon came to a place where there were remains of a vast spider web and Albus understood why the spiders had swarmed out of the forest so suddenly, their home had already been taken over by the Death Eaters.

Tom was standing in the middle of the clearing where a fire had been set. He was still holding Elder Wand, his head bowed and Albus knew that he was counting the minutes down in his mind. Meanwhile, Nagini remained in her protective cage, floating behind his head—the atmosphere was that of extreme tenseness.

All around him was most of his army, his Death Eaters both battered and unscathed as well as a couple giants, but all of them watching him nervously, as if they were wondering what they were going to do if Harry did not arrive. Out of all of them, Albus noticed both Lucius and Narcissa most of all, both full of fear of not knowing if their only son was still alive or not.

Yaxley and Dolohov entered the circle around Tom at that moment, drawing everyone's attention at once.

"No sign of him, my Lord," said Dolohov anxiously as Tom continued to pass the wand through his long fingers, an unreadable expression on his face.

Bellatrix drew close to Tom, the only one brave to speak, "My Lord -"

Tom silenced her merely by raising his hand before he spoke in his high, clear voice, focused on the fire in front of him, "I thought he would come, I expected him to come."

None of his servants dared to say a word, terrified that they might be killed if they spoke up now. Harry remained behind a tree for a moment, and Albus could hear his breathing next to him before he pulled his Cloak off him, tucking it safely under his robes along with his wand.

"I was, it seems . . . mistaken," Tom said.

"You weren't."

Harry spoke loudly, and he was able to do so without having any fear in his voice. The Resurrection Stone slipped from his hands and the images of Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus vanished from Harry's sight—though Albus knew that they continued to stand at his side…

The giants roared as the Death Eaters rose together, and there were many cries, gasps, even laughter. Tom had frozen where he stood, and he stared as Harry moved toward him, with nothing but the fire between them.

When Albus looked around, he saw that Hagrid was also there, bound and trussed to a tree—having been found after he was dragged out by the hoard of spiders. But as soon as he realized that Harry was there, his eyes turned panic-stricken as he screamed out, "HARRY! NO!"

In his desperation to get free, he was causing the whole tree to start shaking as he continued to shout out, "NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT'RE YEH -?"

"QUIET!" shouted Rowle, silencing Hagrid with a flick of his wand as they all continued to stare from Tom to Harry and back again.

Albus saw Harry's eyes flicker to Nagini, yet he knew that even if he tried something he couldn't hope to break that sphere so long as the snake was inside it. Instead, both Harry and Tom just stood opposite each other, with only the flames of the fire between them.

Albus then drew up to stand right next to Harry once again, unable to stop himself from softly whispering words of comfort to him, letting him know that it will be alright. Tom just stared at Harry as he very slowly raised up his wand, pointing it directly at Harry's chest, where his heart was.

"Harry Potter," he said very softly. His voice might have been part of the spitting fire and everyone around them was watching with baited breath, wondering what was going to happen. "The Boy Who Lived."

His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry just continued to stare back at him, without showing an ounce of fear…

Tom then cried out the spell… and then there was the flash of green light…

And Albus let out a prayer… hoping that his one wish would be granted… just this once.

(Sorry for the ridiculously long wait. But I moved to a new state and going into my third month of college so I haven't had much time for writing. I did manage to do this chapter before, however there was a power outage and I ended up losing that whole chapter. So, here's this one, which I think worked out even better than the old version. Anyway, I promise that the next two chapters will come out much quicker. Yes, I have one chapter and an epilogue left to do. The next chapter will be the King's Cross scene… I hope that you are all looking forward to seeing it.)