Chapter Forty-Nine: The End of It All

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie watched as Hermione and Ron disappeared from view. "The snake." She looked up at Marcus. "What's so important about the snake?"
Marcus shrugged. "I have no idea."

She looked over at Marcus, who was now studying the injured in the room. He was lying, he was just simply lying. He knew what was going on. She took a sip of water. They were in all in this together and shutting someone out was not the answer.

Katie moved to the side as more of the dead were being placed in the Great Hall. She looked at the bodies, not knowing any of them. They were all so young, far too young to die.

Outside, the battle was still silent. She looked up at the giant clock over the Great Doors. The hour was almost over and soon the battle would start up again. Through the holes in the walls, she could see that the sun was starting to come up. It was a shame to have such a beautiful on such a tragic day, but it was good to have some beauty in light of recent events.

She sat her cup down on the nearest table and made her way through the masses. So many eyes were trained on the clock, the Hall holding its breath as one. In a few minutes, they would know the truth. They would know if Harry Potter had given himself up or if You-Know-Who himself would enter the castle. No matter want happened, they still had one hell of a fight ahead of them.

Marcus put his arm around Katie. "Don't look."
Katie turned to him. "Look at what?"
He nodded up at the clock. "If you don't watch, then you don't know how much time we have left."

"I know, but what else am I supposed to do?" She looked around the Great Hall. So many people, so many people who she loved.

"Keep busy and keep moving."

"I'm not a Healer, you know that."

"True, but you could help your husband by making sure that he has plenty of water."

"Oh, is that all he wants?"

"Well, if you are offering."
She hit him playfully on the arm. "It's far too public for that and, besides, my dad is watching you."
"All the more reason." She could feel his smile on her without even looking.

The clock was still clicking down, the minutes were flying away, all too quickly for her liking. The nervousness in the Hall had skyrocketed, along with the nervous laughter.

"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 your hero is gone.

"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 mare 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 join me in the new world we shall build together. (Rowling 729)

The room was so silent that you could hear almost every breath that people took. Katie looked over at Marcus. Was it true or was this just some kind of a game that the Dark Side was playing? It couldn't be over, this couldn't be the end of it all.

Outside, she could hear the happy sounds of the Death Eaters. It was true and here they were ready to overtake them. Everyone in the Hall looked at each other. Was there any point in trying to fight them? The Dark Side had the numbers and were just as strong as ever. They didn't feel the loss of life, they didn't know what it was like to suffer from the death of someone you cared.

The doors burst open, revealing the smiling faces of the Dark Side and Hagrid, bound, carrying Harry's limp body. This really was the end. Katie closed her eyes as scream filled her ears. No, no, no! This couldn't be how it ended. This just couldn't be. The path had to have just a little more distance to it, there just had to be a little more somewhere.

She opened her eyes, only to find that nothing had changed. It really was over. Harry Potter was dead and the Dark Lord was making them surrender themselves to him, to do who knows what with him.

She looked up at Marcus. He was traitor in their eyes and the fact that he was here was more than likely going to be killed. She reached over and took his hand into hers. This was not how it was going to end, the show wasn't over yet.

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at me feet, where he belongs!" (Rowling 730)

Katie watched as Harry was lowered into the soft glass, just outside the school. He really was dead, all of the life sucked out of him.

"You see?" said Voldemort, walking back and forth over Harry's body. "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!" (Rowling 730)

Katie gripped Marcus's hand as the crowd pushed them forward. It was like whatever spell that had been placed over them was broken and the masses were now pushing their way closer to the scene unfolding in front of them. Everyone was yelling as the Dark Side, saying that Harry Potter wasn't dead, that the fight would still go on.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was relish in his for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself-" (Rowling 731)

Neville Longbottom pushed his way through Marcus and Katie, with a fierce look on his face. His wand was out and it appeared that he was going to single handily take on the entire Dark Side. He took off running over the other side. Voldemort, with a giant smirk on his face, pointed his own wand at Neville. There was a loud bang and, the next thing Katie knew, he was on the ground with Voldemort standing over him laughing.

"And who is this?" he said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight in the battle that is lost?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Volemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected, standing in the no-man's-land between the survivors and the Death Eaters. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled into fists.

"So what if I am?" Neville said loudly. (Rowling 731)

Katie caught Marcus's eye. She was sure that he had no idea who Neville was, but he looked just as shocked as she did. It took a lot of courage and guts to stand up to someone like this, more than she could ever dream of having.

"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," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" (Rowling 731)

Katie found herself joining in on the cheers. There was just something electrifying about it all. This wasn't the end, far from it. This wasn't the path to the of it all, this was the path to a new beginning, a new era full of hope.

Voldemort looked at his Death Eaters, his frown deepening. He was losing his grip.

"Very well," said Voldemort, the danger in the silkiness of his voice was laced, more powerful than any curse. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it." (Rowling 732)

Marcus and Katie each looks. She stared back at the scene unfolding in front of her. A blast of flame had Neville surrounded, the Death Eaters cheering Voldemort on. Katie winced. It looked very painful, but Neville was not moving, he was just staring the Dark Lord right in the eye.

"Potter," Marcus muttered, pulling his wand out. "He's gone!"

Katie looked around. Hagrid's arms were empty and he was looking around, his eyes big, lost in confusion. He seemed to be saying something, something that she couldn't see or hear.

She reached into her own pocket for her own wand. "When he realizes what's going on, all hell is going to break lose."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, I know." His eyes never left Neville.

Katie tightened her grip on her wand as she scanned the crowd. No one else had realized what was going on, they were stilled trained on Neville.

A few of the Death Eaters were now staring at Hagrid's empty hands, slowly backing away. Their mouths were open and they had a feared expressions on their faces. She watched as a few of them slipped away from the group, without any of them realizing that they had left.

She nudged Marcus and pointed at the running Death Eaters. "They know it's over. We've won."

"It's not over, yet. The Dark Lord is still standing."

"Yeah, but it can't go on much longer. Killing Harry was the only reason that they were holding on for. Ideology doesn't mean hardly anything to these people anymore." Katie paused. "You know as well as I do that a lot of them were threatened."

"I know."

A few more Death Eaters took off running, they were not as subtle as their successors. By now about half of the Dark Army was watching, some of them looking like they wanted to follow, others looked like they wanted to murder the deserters.

Many people next to Katie were also pulling out their wands, staring. How could Lord Voldemort not realize that something was going on? How could he not see that his own men were running?
Marcus had tightened the grip on his wand, his knuckles were white. "It's going to happen. Get ready."

Katie nodded. "I know. All hell is about to break loss."

Marcus nodded, his jaw clutched. "If it gets too bad, we run. I don't care how badly beaten they are, some things are not worth dying for."

She stared at Marcus. Was he for real or did death really scare him that much? She stared at his eyes, but there was nothing. The threat of death changed people and with his recent dance with it, she didn't really blame him.

She gave his hand one final squeeze. No matter what, this wasn't the end of it all. There was still time for one last ride.

Only one more chapter and the epilogue! So, I didn't have my book for the last couple hundred of words and I had to make it work the best I could.