Sweat was accumulated on his brow. He was on the ground, panting heavily. His opponent was kneeling on the gravel from the latest blow he had inflicted on him. Harry never thought he could be in this much pain in one duel. Approximately a dozen Cruciatus curses were sent his way, half of them hitting their target; more than double of that number of killing curses were emitted from his enemy's wand. Harry had never been so thankful in his life for Quidditch reflexes.
He knew he wouldn't last much longer, so he had to act quickly as he wanted to make out of this alive. His inspiration for winning was now increased; not only if he won he would save the world . . . but he would also get to see his son's smiling face for as long as he would live.
With all the strength he could muster, Harry lifted his weak body off of the ground and faced his enemy. Voldermort was still getting off of the ground; this was his chance. Harry retrieved his wand from the ground and thought the most hateful thought within his memory. His parents . . . Sirius . . . Dumbledore . . . Hermione . . . James . . . Ron . . . Ginny . . .
"CRICIO!"
The Dark Lord's body writhed in pain as he collapsed onto the cold ground. He screamed in pain and anguish. Harry couldn't believe he was causing this . . . but it was what he needed to do. What his duty was.
All traces of guilt gone, he lifted the curse and moved closer to the shaking form. Voldermort looked into his eyes and said seriously, "Never thought you as the murdering type."
"When the fate of the world rests on your shoulders . . . it changes a person's outlook between what is right and what is easy . . . SECTUSEMPRA!"
Voldermort's body started emitting scarlet blood from its pores. His screams echoing around the grounds and gathering the looks their duel was magnifying. Voldermort's suffering was causing the battle around them to cease. And Harry couldn't have been less affected.
Harry lifted the curse and looked at Voldermort with a very dark shad of emerald overcoming his eyes. He eyed the pools of blood accumulated at his enemy's feet. It was enough that when he bent over, the red liquid splashed around his trainers.
As he bent down to the point where he was eye-level with Voldermort, he summed up all of his courage and spoke, "This is for my parents." —he kicked him— "This is for Sirius." —he punched him— "This is for Dumbledore." —he kicked him again— "And this is for ever trying to break up my family." —he lifted his wand to Voldermort's temple— "Avada Kedavara!"
Voldermort's mouth emitted one last scream of defeat as his eyes rolled to the back to his head. He was dead.
The crowd that now surrounded him stared to applaud and the remaining death eaters, vanishing into thin air. Harry got onto his feet and faced the smiling faces of his onlookers. He would celebrate later.
He walked towards where Ron was hovering and lifted the curse, causing him to fall onto the ground and become conscious. He stumbled to his feet and groaned when his body didn't take to the idea very well. Harry and him looked at each other and smiled. It was over. The war had come to an end.
They walked side-by-side into the crowd and received multiple smiles, hugs, and pecks on the cheeks from the survivors of the war. Which, thankfully, was so many that Harry and Ron were out of breath by the time they were inside the entrance hall of Hogwarts. They both stopped to sit on the stairs and looked at each other.
"It's really over." Ron said.
"Yeah . . . hard to believe, isn't it?"
"I know. It seems like this war has been going on forever . . . now that its over, it's going to be a big change."
The two were silent.
"I think we should get going back to Gin and Herms."
Harry smiled and nodded. They got up and started the walk to the Hospital Wing. Harry broke the silence, "I asked her to marry me."
Ron stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to face Harry with an awestruck look placed on his face, "Are you serious?"
"Yeah."
Ron grinned at him as he patted his back, "Congrats, mate."
Harry mirrored his smile, "Thanks."
They both turned and continued to walk, "How did you do it?" Ron asked.
"Well I sent asked Dobby to do me a favor a while ago, and that was to get my mother's ring from my vault. When he brought it, I've kept it on me and thought that the best moment to ask her was when I saw James and Hermione together. I could picture me looking at that for the rest of my life . . . so I wrote her a note asking her and put the ring on top of it."
Ron nodded.
"I was actually wondering if you would be my best man . . . only if she says yes, of course." Harry asked as he turned to look at him.
"Of course!" Ron exclaimed. "And don't worry about her answer . . . she loves you, mate, and she'll say yes in a heartbeat."
They, again, grinned at each other and shared a brief brotherly embrace before continuing the few steps to the Hospital Wing. Harry didn't know they were so close . . . he was too caught up with talking and such.
As he pushed open the doors he let his eyes go directly to the spot where Hermione was atop her bed, talking animatedly with Ginny. Harry started to walk towards him and made his presence known. Hermione immediately looked up at him and they locked eyes.
He was alive. He was actually alive! And practically uninjured save for a few cuts and bruises. Their eyes seemed to be connected for an eternity until Hermione felt herself sitting up and running towards him. Harry's arms felt so perfect wrapped around her and holding her tightly to him. She inhaled his scent and was thanking Merlin he was here.
When she pulled away from him after a few moments she looked into his eyes and smiled. "Yes."
Harry looked confused for a moment, "What?"
She just kept on smiling, "Yes!"
Harry's eyes widened, "Really?"
"Yes!"
"Yes?"
"YES!"
Harry kissed her passionately and heard a round of applause erupt from behind them. Turns out there were a lot of injured fighters in the battle looking for some treatment, and got to see the exchange between the two teens. They just smiled and continued to kiss as Ginny and Ron shared a meaningful look and joined the applause.
They pulled apart for air and smiled, "Were really getting married?" Harry asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Yes, Harry. We are."
Hermione pulled away from Harry and took James from his crib behind her and held him in her arms, "Here that, James? We're going to be a family!" James hiccupped in response.
The three of them sat down atop the bed and was quickly joined by Ginny and Ron. "Everything is going to change now . . . isn't it?" Hermione asked.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked at her and said in unison, "Yes."
"Now . . . to find me someone . . ." Ron said.
Ginny looked over at him, "Ya know . . . Luna Lovegood has been giving you the eye for awhile now . . ."
"Loony Lovegood?"
"That's not polite to call her that, Ron." Hermione interfered.
Ron rolled his eyes as Ginny continued; "She's really a sweet girl, once you get past all of that Crumple Horned . . . stuff."
"I don't know . . ."
"Oh come on, Ron."
Harry and Hermione listened to the exchange and were fairly entertained. Hermione looked up at the now crowded wing and saw a flash of platinum blonde hair. It couldn't be . . .
Harry followed Hermione's gaze and saw what she was staring at. Harry immediately got up and walked to the lone figure towards the middle of the room. They turned towards Harry and their eye's immediately widened in fear. They turned around and tried to remain inconspicuous while walking through the crowd, although Harry already caught onto their trail.
Harry finally caught up to them and placed a hand on their shoulder, turning them around to face him. He punched them square in the face and caused him to fall onto the floor and cover his bleeding (and probably broken) nose. Harry wanted this ferret to die for what damage he helped cause. As he prepared to punch him again, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him and hold him back.
"Let him go." She whispered into his ear.
"Hermione, this is the guy who made you be cooped up in that dungeon for almost a month."
"I know . . . but I also know that he wouldn't come into a room full of Auror's who wouldn't hesitate to throw him in Askaban unless he had a good reason." Hermione told him.
Harry hesitated before throwing his head down in defeat. Hermione released him from her grasp as Malfoy got up from the ground. He quickly waved his wand and mended his own nose. Maybe he was smarter than they all thought . . .
Hermione motioned for Harry and Malfoy to follow her to where Ginny and Ron were looking at them with a dumbstruck expression plastered on their faces. They sat down and Ron was trying his hardest not to jump Malfoy on the spot as Harry had done earlier.
"Talk." Harry said.
Malfoy remained silent.
"Talk, ferret. Hermione might have just saved your neck, but that doesn't mean I won't break it if you don't answer me."
Malfoy exhaled loudly and mumbled something incoherent.
"What was that . . . you're going to have to speak up . . ." Ginny said.
"I'm not as bad as you think I am." He answered.
"You've done a poor job at showing it." Ron said.
"I know. But I never really wanted to join them . . . it was my father. It was expected of me to follow in his footsteps. And the punishment for not was . . . well . . . I'd rather not mention."
"It was still your choice. You could've run away or something."
"He was being watched." Hermione said.
Everyone looked at her strangely as Malfoy spoke, "Yeah . . . I was. Practically since the end of fifth year. If I had done anything to show weakness, I wouldn't be here right now. But I realized that I had to break free soon . . . so I decided that I would double cross them during the battle. The smartest decision I ever made."
"How did you pull it off?" Ginny asked.
"I wasn't easy . . . but when a Death Eater's back was to me I fired and then blew my cover. But before anyone noticed I shot him down, I changed my appearance with a quick spell I learned in one of my father's old books. My hair was brown and my eyes blue; my cloak was also replaced with normal clothes. So I blended in with your side."
"Pretty smart, Malfoy." Ginny complimented.
Malfoy smiled and continued, "I only agreed to do the capturing on the terms that Granger wouldn't get hurt. I may have acted like I didn't care . . . but I did. And I am willing to accept whatever it is you have to throw at me for punishment for my actions."
"Well . . . I think you deserve a lot more than what I gave you . . ." —Hermione elbowed him lightly in the ribs— "But apparently you deserve our respect and compassion . . .?" Harry said more as a question to Hermione, who nodded appreciatively.
She turned to Malfoy and smiled at him, "I'm not going to lie . . . being captured was pretty traumatic . . . but I am willing to forget and forgive if everyone else is."
Ginny smiled and nodded and looked to Ron who looked very reproachful for a few moments. But after a glare from Ginny at his side, he reluctantly nodded. "But if you every turn on us . . ."
"Oh I won't . . . the Dark side is somewhere I don't plan on going for a while."
With that said the five of them started talking about normal things. When Malfoy heard about Harry and Hermione's news, he congratulated them and gave them both his condolences. They even let him hold James, who took to him immediately. That's when Harry finally began to trust him.
Ginny suddenly stopped talking and looked up and across the room. She smiled and looked at Ron, which caused everyone else to see what was going on. They got what she was implying when they saw Luna Lovegood walk into their little group.
"Hello." She greeted.
Everyone greeted her kindly and Ron moved over a bit to let her sit down next to him. Ginny smiled contently. "You look great Luna, how did your duels in the battle go?"
"Well enough." She said mystically, "I was sure that I could see a few Nargles hiding in the bushes . . . nearly got myself cursed for it, too."
Ron looked at Ginny annoyingly, but she just smirked. "Why is Draco sitting with us?" she asked, causing the group to laugh.
"He's with us, now." Harry explained to her.
"That makes sense. I thought I saw someone like you fighting a nearby Death Eater . . . but they had auburn hair . . ."
The group continued their conversation. And to Ginny's pleasure, Ron and Luna got up and were conversing in a nearby corner. "Speaking of Malfoy . . ." Hermione spoke up, James sleeping soundly in her arms, "You're going to need a place to stay, since your father is still out there."
"He could always stay with us." Ginny suggested.
Ron's voice could be heard from the corner, "Hell no!"
