"Expelliarmus!" said Harry, a split second after Snape's limp body hit the ground.

Voldemort laughed, a cold, cruel sound that echoed off the walls of the chamber. "And so he sacrifices himself for a disarming! Accio!"

His wand flew into his hand. "Do you like it?" he said conversationally to Harry. "I saved the phoenix feather core, you know. But I had to show you the memory, of course, of burning my old one. We couldn't have any more... mishaps."

Harry glared at him. "It doesn't matter, anyway," he spat. "Because I have no more of you left in me. The Dementors saw to that. You are mortal."

"I can still kill you, Harry, easier than you can kill me. You have too much love running through those filthy half-blood veins of yours. You will never have the power that I possess."

"And if you conquer the whole world," Harry retorted, "you'll never be able to enjoy it; you have too much hate running through your veins, which are just as half-blooded as mine."

"I want to torture you before I watch you die, you brat," Voldemort seethed, baring his teeth. "Crucio!"

"Stupefy!"

Jets of light shot out from their wands and met in the middle of the room.

"Priori incantatem," Hermione whispered, looking away from her fight with Alecto Carrow for a split second. "God, let him be alright..."

Ron, Stupefied by Antonin Dolohov, crashed into a wall, and their concentration was broken. Harry's spell hit Voldemort, and he went careening into one of the benches.

"Ennervate!" said Alecto at once, and Voldemort got to his feet.

"A duel between us," Voldemort said wispily, "will never produce results."

Harry stared.

"So we must make a choice." And out of midair, he grabbed Ginny by the hair, throwing her between himself and Harry. "Incarcerous!"

"Don't touch her," Harry demanded automatically, moving to her side.

Voldemort plucked her wand from her hand and watched her struggle for a moment, then turned to Harry. "Leave, and she'll live," he said gravely. "Stay and she dies."

"You're not leaving here alive," Harry said boldly to Voldemort, "and Ginny will walk from this room unscathed."

Voldemort raised his wand. "Have it your way. Avada--"

But Harry stepped in front of Ginny and put up his hand. The bullet of light hit his palm, and he fell, turning in mid-fall, meeting Ginny's gaze before his eyes closed.

"Harry!" screeched Ginny, falling to her knees. "Harry, no! Talk to me, Harry... open your eyes..."

"If it's any consolation, you're about to join him," Voldemort said darkly, and pointed his wand at Ginny, who was defenseless. "Avada Kedavra!"

Ginny just stared. Voldemort's eyes burned red with shock, two dying embers making one last valiant drive for survival before being extinguished by death's cold breath. His robes rippled as he absorbed his own Killing Curse, tripping backwards over Snape's body, and hit the ground, dead.

The Death Eaters stopped. "My Lord?" said Malfoy, kneeling at his side.

Natalya touched her wand to his forehead. "Ennervate!" she cried. "Ennervate!"

A shriek sounded, and Hermione dropped to her knees in front of Harry. "Oh, God, no..." She looked up at Ginny. "What happened?"

Ginny was numb with shock. "He died to save me," she whispered.

"Oh, Ginny." Hermione embraced her, and they rocked back and forth together on the stone floor, Harry lying beside them.

Ginny sobbed into her shoulder. "What am I going to do?"

"I don't know." Hermione was crying just as hard. She felt pressure on her shoulder-- it was Draco.

"He died saving us all," Draco said quietly.

"Bloody hell," came a voice, and at once they knew Ron had regained consciousness. Padma and Lupin knelt at his side. "Where's Harry?" He saw Sirius, who was huddled in a corner, his face hidden, and Professor Wingfield, who had little rivers running down her face.

Ginny burst into hysterical tears.

"Oh, no," Ron whispered.

"Come on," Tonks said. "This is no place to be right now."