Chapter 34

Wolfsbane

Hermione screamed. Harry yelled. Ron gasped. Vainly Harry fought Greyback, who was smelly and gray and snarling, spattering blood and drool all over the boy. Hermione grabbed her wand and began throwing every spell she knew at the werewolf but they seemed to bounce right off him. She tried to stop her body from shaking, the tears from streaming down her face, tried to keep a clear head, but it was hard to adjust. Death had hit her like a train, and she hadn't even had time to recover. Had to think…had to think… How close was it to full moon? Her mind raced. Was it tonight? Ron was trying to curse the beast as well, to no effect. The Death Eaters had stopped fighting and were yelling at Greyback. "No! Fenrir! You can't kill him! He is the Dark Lord's! The Dark Lord will kill us all if you-"

Had…to…had to…

She saw Peter Pettigrew. Harry saw him too, struggling to get out from under Greyback, his nose bleeding all over the place. And he seemed to remember the same thing Hermione did, what Snape had said earlier about life debts…as the rat like man stood nervously in the crowd, Harry called out to him in a strangled voice. "…PETER! PETER….HELP!"

Pettigrew looked quizzically at Harry for a moment, then his eyes widened in surprise as his silver hand stretched forward and he was sent following it. He went up behind Fenrir, and punched him in the back with his silver hand. Fenrir gave an unearthly howl of pain, then shook his head, his cruel eyes narrowing on Peter. He turned on the watery eyed man while Harry scrambled for his wand. Pettigrew made a squeaky noise that reminded Hermione strongly of the sound he usedto make whenever Crookshanks came after him in rat form. Greyback lunged at Peter and bit his neck open. Peter jerked like a puppet whose strings had just been cut, gurgling and gasping, and with a last gesture jammed his silver hand into the man-wolf's stomach, and ripped the whole thing open as well. Both men fell to the floor, bloodied and dead. Snape made a faint noise of disgust.

Harry coughed, rubbing his neck and looking absolutely traumatized (which was how Hermione felt herself) as the platoon of Death Eaters eyed him, a vast majority of them smiling in a satisfied way. Ginny had rushed over to help, though she was clutching her stomach in a way indicating someone has cursed her, but it was obvious that they were greatly outnumbered, even with Snape on their side. Hermione, tears still wet on her face, clutched Luna's still warm, limp hand, certain she would be joining her soon.

The Entrance Hall doors crashed open, and Neville jumped through, looking very pleased with himself, and accompanied the entire Order of the Phoenix, Ministry officials, Hogwarts students and several other people Hermione didn't recognize, but suspected he had simply picked off the street. The tables were suddenly not only turned, but flung upside down.

Tonks fired off the first shot, and then all hell broke loose. Hermione eased herself out from under Luna's body, still trying not to cry any more. That would have to be for later. For now, she had to pretend Luna is sleeping. She wiped her eyes, steadied her wand and jumped into the fray.

Neville had gone straight for Bellatrix, who seemed to find the determined look on his face absolutely hilarious. "Oh, look, someone has come to avenge his dear mummy and daddy. You've been hanging 'round Potter far too long, you poor sod."

She dodged Neville's curse easily. "Seriously, it's very cute. But do you realize something, Longbottom. You're not Potter. You don't stand a chance against any of this." She shot a Killing Curse at him, which Neville ducked to avoid his face absolutely twisted with rage.

"You are absurdly incompetent," Bellatrix continued cheerfully, dodging another curse of Neville's at the end of her sentence. "But there's always one thing I've wondered," she said, sweeping her wand in a arc, and making Neville fall to his knees with an unseen spell. "Will you beg like your parents did? Cruc-

"STUPEFY!" Hermione called desperately. Bellatrix ducked so Hermione's curse went over her head, and next thing Hermione knew, her wand was knocked out of her hand and Bellatrix's was jammed against her throat.

"Hermione!" Neville cried, getting to his feet. Bellatrix laughed. "What's the big brave hero going to do now? Any spell you send at me, I'm going to block. I'm going to kill your little friend in front of your very eyes, just like I tortured your parents in front of you. And you will be able to nothing about it. Like I said, you're not Potter."

Neville sighed. "No. I'm not."

Then he raised his wand. "Reducto!"

Bellatrix's laugh died suddenly as the burst of light hit her. She was knocked directly into the table with all the plants Neville had been examining earlier, one in particular. The pot cracked and out popped the squirming green vines, which wrapped around the screaming death eater effortlessly and efficiently. They bound themselves around her arms and legs and shoulders, and finally wound around her neck, squeezing like a noose. She began to choke, until finally with a last gasp, she slid to the floor dead and the Devil's Snare retreated.

"Wow. Thank you," Hermione stared at her friend. Neville went over the table and picked up a card that had been resting beside the now cracked pot of Devil's Snare. It was in Professor Sprout's handwriting and read "In Case of Emergency."

"I remembered her taking precautions earlier this year," Neville said.

He stared down at Bellatrix's blank face with an expression to match. Hermione couldn't help but feel a little sick as she remembered Broderick Bode.

"It's odd," Neville sighed. "I don't feel any better. I thought I would."

Hermione tried to think of a response, but had to get out of the way as several combatants rushed past her. A Death Eater she thought was named Mulciber was pursuing Fred and George Weasley. She stunned him mid stride, and the twins gave her the thumbs up. It was odd, to see them here. So many people she recognized, so many people she didn't….all fighting. Neville saw a Death Eater running up the grand staircase and fled after him. She looked for Harry and Ron, and found them over in a corner of a room, cursing opponents like no tomorrow. Harry was looking very agitated. Hermione looked around once more. The battle has become distracted and so spread out there were now only a handful of people were still in the Entrance Hall. Snape and Ginny were still with them. Hermione looked at Harry again, who was rubbing his forehead. Ginny came over to them.

"Harry?" She said quizzically.

"Ginny…" Harry said through gritted teeth.

Something clicked in Hermione's head as Harry closed his eyes for a second. A moment before it happened, she saw what was coming

"Iloveyou," Harry said very quickly, and he stunned her. No sooner had Ginny hit the floor, than blindly and with his hand pressed to his forehead, he stunned Ron. Hermione used every bit of brainpower at her disposal and blocked Harry with her mind as the red flash of light turned to her. On instinct though, she pretended to fall unconscious. She had still not gotten the hang of the wandless blocking bit though, because she still felt unable to move her legs as she lay on the floor. She did let her eyes crack open a tiny bit.

Harry was shaking all over, his hands clutching his forehead as he attempted to keep standing. The doors to the great hall opened and the most horrible thing Hermione had ever seen stepped through.

She had seen Voldemort in the Pensieve, when they went in at Godric's Hollow, but it hadn't been anything like being in the room with him. The man's cold snake like red eyes turned on Harry, who fell to his knees, grunting with pain. Smiling liplessly, a smile that paralyzed Hermione, Voldemort raised his wand and…

…turned his head suddenly and his eyes fixed on the one person Harry had forgotten to Stun, Snape, who had raised his wand and pointed it at the Dark Lord, yelling "POTTER! GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU IDIOT!"

Voldemort emitted a Killing Curse at Snape, which intercepted the greasy haired git Harry had always hated so much and did just what it was designed for. A rushing sound, as if the sound of the life leaving Snape, filled the room and with a very empty sound, Snape dropped to the floor like a rag doll.

"Betrayal," Voldemort said coldly. "Disappointing."

Harry stumbled up as Voldemort surveyed the three unconscious bodies. Hermione's mind was blank with fear.

"They're…they're…dead…" Harry stammered.

"Don't lie to me, Harry," Voldemort said coolly. "I care nothing about your little friends. I just want to kill you. No more delays. No more running away. Will you agree to that, Harry? Will you agree not to run away screaming this time, and face your death?"

Harry nodded.

"And you tell the truth. Let's find a place away from all these bodies, we wouldn't want you falling over one and getting hurt."

Harry nodded again.

And they left.

Raven: There was…a prophecy, Robin. And it came true. It's all over now.
Robin: Yeah. It's the end of the world. But so what? We're still here—still fighting. Still friends.

-Teen Titans, The End Part Three