Hey guys! Here's the next chapter and I hope you like it! It's got a few twists and turns in it. Yay! Okay, I'd done talking. Go take a read, you crazy kids!

Blood-I felt it.

Filling my eyes, filling my ears and mouth, filling my brain until I was absolutely consumed by it. Nothing else mattered to me in that moment, I wanted blood and I wanted it bad. Never before had I felt that pull to drink this badly and I was not sure I could control it. I had to get my mind off of the blood. I had to think of something, anything, to distract me.

"Allie, look at me." I could hear Harry's voice through the thick red liquid that had filled my ears but I still couldn't take my eyes from the carnage below me. I took a step toward the stairs but I felt a hand go around my blood soaked wrist; everything was bloody now. The hand stopped me and then I felt both of Harry's hands go to my face. He held my cheeks firmly and forced me to look over at his red tinted face. "Allie, look at me."

Still, I couldn't focus on him; my eyes tried to get back to the sea of blood that was below me. I took another step but felt Harry pull on me again. I heard voices all around me, whether they were my friends or the others in the foyer I couldn't tell.

Blood, I wanted it so much. Just one taste wouldn't hurt anything, would it? Of course not. It was already outside of the bodies, just waiting for me to taste. That wouldn't hurt anyone. No foul, no bruise. Just one taste…

Suddenly, someone was in front of me, blocking my view of the scene below, and I looked up, with my red eyes still blazing, to see Lupin standing there.

"Allie, calm your mind. Focus." He instructed in a soothing voice. "You are not controlled by this. Harry needs you now and you are no use to him when you are like this. Fight it, you can do it."

Could I? I didn't think so but if Lupin believed I could then what the hell? I'll give it a shot. I focused up on my old teacher's face, staring first at his forehead that was covered in it's usual floppy mess of hair. Once I recognized that, I went down to his sad gray eyes that I had seen both smiling and chastising me. Then I saw his nose and his cheek, the left one sporting a long scar that he had gotten from Greyback when he was a boy. Finally, I saw his mouth and the stubble on his chin.

Hey, it was Lupin. And he was not covered in a blood red color.

I took a deep breath, blinking a couple times to clear my vision, before I nodded to him to signal that I was feeling better. "Thanks, Lupin."

The man nodded back to me. "You're welcome. Be careful."

I looked back at Harry then and smiled to him, letting him know too that I was okay. Harry nodded, before coming up and grabbing my hand. He started walking down the stairs, into the actions below, with Hermione and Red right on our heels. Just then, I heard Lupin's voice call me from the top of the steps. I look to Harry quizzically before running back up to my ex-teacher.

"What? Lupin, I'm fine, honest-"

The man cut me off with the shake of his head. "No, no. I know you are…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath. "There is just something I need to tell you before…before it's too late."

I wrinkled my forehead, confused. "Okay, what is it?"

Another deep breath. "I-well, Tonks and I, decided that-in case anything happens-that we are leaving our son, Teddy, to you and Jacob."

I blinked a couple of times, not thinking, not moving. I was just stunned.

"Lupin, nothing is going to happen-" I started.

"Just in case it does, Allie. We want him to be with the two of you."

I blinked a few more times. "Why?"

"Because you showed me how wonderful it is when a werewolf raises a vampire. I think you, a vampire, raising a werewolf would be wonderful, as well." He paused, putting his hands on my shoulders. "You believed in my child when even I could not, Allie. Tonks and I could not think of anyone better for the job."

"Lupin, I can't take care of a kid! I don't know a thing about kids! Hell, I don't like kids! They are always sticky and whining and throwing up and crying and I-" I cut myself words off, looking around. "I'm dying tonight, Lupin. I've told you this…and you aren't dying anyway, so there is no point discussing the matter."

"Allie," Lupin shook my shoulders again. "I am not convinced that you are not going to make it through this…but if you don't then that is why we have decided that you and Jacob will have joint custody of him. If there is something you do not how to do then Jacob surely will. We have faith in the two of you, Allie. We wouldn't have done this if we didn't think you two could, okay?"

I tilted my head at him, wondering if he was out of his damn mind, and realizing that he was. But as he looked at me with his pleading gray eyes I knew I had to assure him that I would do this for them. "Okay. Okay, Lupin, we'll take Teddy if anything happens. I promise, he'll be well looked after."

He nodded. "You will be fine, Alice Cullen. Godspeed and good luck."

I smiled and hugged him. "Good luck to you, Lupin. We'll be seeing you."

With those words, I turned back around and raced to Harry. He held his hand out to me and I took it, grasping it tightly in my own small one. We caught up with Hermione and Red seconds later neared a corner that rounded around to the entrance of the castle.

Harry was leading the way with Hermione and me close behind him, now. Harry rounded the corner but just as quickly stopped, putting his arm out to stop us just as a flash of red sparks raced past us. Harry stuck his head out again before stepping our, pulling me with him. Everything that happened after that was just a blur, a big one.

I vaguely saw fighting through out the foyer, people shooting spell after spell at each other amongst the rubble and crumbled walls and ceiling; the very castle had been destroyed while we had been gone, meaning that a lot of destruction had occurred in the short while. Voldemort and his comrades had managed to infiltrate the school and all hell and broken lose.

The blood smell was still burning my noise as we fought our way out of the castle and into the courtyard before us. As I looked at the wreckage outside, the inside of the castle didn't seem too bad.

Everything and everyone was in a state of chaos. Screams echoed through my skull as bright flashes of light blinded me-nothing seemed like it could be real, just a dream.

Harry recovered from the shock of the scene in front of us quicker than I did and began running, off to find the Whomping Willow that hide the passage to the Shrieking Shack. The four of us flew down the stairs, shooting spells at Death Eaters as we went. We made it down into the thick of it just in time to see a giant stomping towards us. I think the thing spotted us because next thing I knew he was swinging his club at our heads, forcing us to duck behind a large chuck of stone wall to avoid getting smashed to bits.

We stayed there a few seconds, waiting until the giant got bored, before heading back out into the middle of battle. From the corner of my eye, I could see some of our friends fighting-including Dean and Seamus, Luna and Ginny-, making me feel on edge knowing that they truly were in danger.

As we continued, slowly making our way through the courtyard, fighting as we went, I saw something that completely froze me in place.

Jacob, in wolf form, taking on not only Greyback but also three other Death Eaters and two werewolves. I almost fell over seeing that the odds were not in his favor.

I shook Harry from me and started running towards my guardian, only to feel Harry's arms around my waist again. "Allie-"

"No! I have to help Jake!" I yelled, breaking free of him. I only made it three feet before Harry was back on me, with Red helping out by stepping in front of me.

"Allie, we have to go." Harry said calmly, trying to keep me calm too.

I kept struggling a moment longer and managed to get a look over Ron's shoulder. I saw Jake biting into one of the Death Eaters and throwing him over his shoulder. As he did this, his big wolf eyes caught mine and he shook his head. Instantly, I began reading his mind, knowing that he would want to communicate with me.

Get out of here! I'm fine. I'll finish him. Don't worry. Now go!

"Allie-" Harry said my name one more time. "He's okay. He wants you to leave with us, I can tell. Please, love."

I stopped fighting then, feeling defeated. Everyone was working against me to get to Jake, to get to the man that killed my family too. He was there, so close now, ready to die and I wanted nothing more that to finish him off.

But it wasn't the time nor the place, I knew that. I could feel it but it didn't stop me from wanting to try to finish him.

I looked over to Harry and frowned. "He killed them."

The boy's eyes flinted over to Greyback before coming back to me. He nodded. "I know he did. Jake will make him pay, Allie."

KEEP IT TOGETHER, KID! GO NOW!

Jacob's thoughts ran through my head without me even having to try and read his mind. I gave one final glance over at my guardian before nodding to Harry. I was ready to continue on, causing so much of a delay already.

Harry grabbed my hand yet again, this time even tighter, determined to keep me with him as he ran to the Whomping Willow. Red and Hermione were right with us the whole while as we carved holes into the battle, fighting our way out of the courtyard and into the open hills that made up the grounds of Hogwarts.

When we finally broke through the fighting and into the dark night it became clear just how strange everything was now, just how suddenly things changes around us. No longer were there fighting or bodies or destruction, screams and yells were also absent. I was no longer half crazed with blood lust and all of us seemed a little less on edge. Everything around us was quiet and that made us feel the same way.

Panting hard, we walked over to the Whomping Willow, a tree I had an unfortunate encounter with once in my fifth year…yeah, needless to say, I'm not a fan of this particular example of nature.

The night was dark and we had our wands at the ready as if someone were about to jump out at us at any moment, but luckily, no one did and we made it there undetected. Twenty feet from the base of the tree, we stopped and stared at the damned thing.

"Now what?" Red asked.

"We go in, obviously." Hermione said, staring at the tree with her head tilted.

"Yes, Hermione, I realize that we go in but how? Do you not remember what happened last time when you and Harry attempted to get into the tunnel?"

Hermione didn't respond, leading me to believe that whatever happened-I couldn't remember Hermione and Harry telling me a story about getting caught in the Whomping Willow, leading me to believe that this happened before my time-was pretty damn bad.

I bit my lower lip as I stepped forward, twirling my wand all the while, as I stared down the tree. What spell could be used to get close to it? To stop it from attacking the shit out of us as we went?

A spell came to mind and I took another calculated step further, now within range of the tree's branches. I heard Hermione ask me what I was doing.

"Don't worry about it." I called back. "I'm just going to try something."

As I kept coming closer to it, the tree began to wake and shake it's branches, showing it's frustration with my proximity. I heard a creaking sound begin to build up in the Willow as it slowly swung a large club-like branch back and flung it forward so it was coming at me with such force that I would be squashed flat if it made contact.

"Allie!" Hermione called me again but I didn't pay her any mind.

Instead, I pointed my wand at the tree. "Immobilous!"

Just when I thought I was about to be crushed, the spikey club-branch stopped in midair, unable to move and unable to attack.

I took a deep breath and turned around to nod at my friends. "Well, I'm glad that worked."

Harry and Red smiled while Hermione still looked like she was about to have a heart attack. I just shrugged at her before turning back to the tree. "Take a chill pill, Hermione. We've got some work to do and bringing you back to life isn't one of them." I looked back at her and winked. "You guys coming?"

The three of them jogged up to meet me and we continued on to the base of the tree. Harry looked around, trying to find the hidden passage until finally he found it. The boy ducked down, lighting his wand in the process, and checking the passage for any Death Eaters hiding there.

"Coast's clear." He called back to us as he dropped down into the darkness.

I came closer to the hole then, looking down to see that it wasn't completely dark but went at a slant, like a slide, making the light from Harry's wand look very dim. I leaned a little closer, feeling like it was way too quiet down there for my liking.

"It's okay. Come on down." Harry called back to us.

Though the feeling of unease was still there, I dropped down the dirt slope and came flying down, running into Harry's chest in the process. He caught me, thank Merlin.

"That always has been a treacherous drop." He explained, placing me to the side and telling Red it was safe to come down.

As we waited for Ron and Hermione, I lit up my own wand and ventured further into the passage. I'm not sure what it was that I was looking for but something was really wrong. I could just tell. Whether it was something that was going wrong with us or wrong with someone else, I wasn't sure.

Wait a minute…yeah; I was pretty sure that something was going wrong with someone else, at the battle perhaps.

And then it hit me.

The only person I could feel something going wrong with is Jake.

I forgot how to breathe.

"Allie? What is it?" Harry was there next to me then.

"Jake." I paused, feeling a sharp pain surge in my chest at that moment. I fell to the ground, wreathing in pain and screaming out.

"Allie!" Harry knelt down beside me, he pushed my hair out of my face and tried to get me to look into his eyes but I couldn't.

Jake was being hurt and that was hurting me. I screamed again as I wrapped my arms around my torso, the source of my pain and apparently Jake's. "Jake's hurt. I can feel it."

"How?" Hermione asked.

"I can't explain now but you need to go without me." I said, unable to move.

What was happening to Jake? Whatever they were doing to him it was unbearable and I was almost unable to move because of it.

"We aren't leaving you." Harry said, trying to help me to my feet.

I stood, still hissing in pain, and leaning heavily on Harry. It felt like thousands of white-hot knives were being thrust into my stomach, over and over and over. I bit my lower lip, trying hard not to cry out but it seems almost close to impossible.

"Harry-" I started but was cut off by him picking me up, cradling me close to his chest like I was a baby.

"You are going to be okay, I promise you. Just hold on." He whispered the words into my ear as he started walking slowly behind Hermione and Red who led the way quietly with their wands lit bright to illuminate the passage.

"But-"

I was trying to tell them that they were being idiots and I was just slowing them down but he wouldn't even let me talk. It would have been very frustrating if I wasn't in so much pain. When would they stop hurting Jake? When would I stop hurting? Would Jacob be okay? He had to be okay, because if he wasn't okay then I wasn't okay. That's how it worked with us: when one goes down so does the other.

"Enough, Allie. You are coming with us. We are in this together, remember?"

"But-"

"Shut up," Harry said gently, holding me closer.

I looked up at him, seeing his green eyes looking back at me with an eerie bluish glow radiating around them because of the wand lights. I wanted to argue more but it was hard to concentrate at the moment. Even if they did let me go back to the battle to look for Jake I'm not sure I would be able to make it, not in the shape I was in.

That thought only made me think: if I was hurting this bad then what the hell was Jake feeling?

I think that's what hurt the worst at the moment, knowing that Jacob was in pain. He reassured me that he would be okay, he promised me. But now, I wasn't so sure he would be able to keep that promise.

The pain went on for another excruciating moment before it stopped. Just like that, as sudden as it had come upon it was gone.

I popped my head up, no longer needing to burrow deep into Harry's chest. I looked around, slightly confused. Harry stopped walking then, putting me down onto my feet but keeping both arms securely around my waist, holding me close like I might fall apart at any moment.

I'm pretty sure I would.

"What is it, love? Do you feel better? Worse?" He asked, rubbing my back gently.

"Better…" I trailed off, knowing that this was not a good sign.

"And?" Harry asked, taking my chin in his hand, forcing me to look up at him and not at his sweatshirt strings.

My blue eyes meet his for a second but I still manage to look away, thinking the unthinkable. "And that means one of two things…either Jake fought off the Death Eaters or…or he didn't."

I then felt Harry's hands on either side of my face, willing me to look at him. Finally, I succumbed and looked him in the eye. Tears were threatening to fall but I tried to keep them at bay. "Love, he is fine."

I sighed. "But if he isn't-"

"He is, alright? Don't doubt that for a moment." Harry smiled down at me, smoothing my hair in the process. "I know he is fine. Do you think he would dare get hurt when he knew you'd kill him for it? No, he wouldn't and we will go make sure in a little bit…but right now I need you to focus, okay? I can't be worried about you when we go in there and we are going to need your help, listening and seeing, okay?"

I nodded at him, despite how much I wanted to say screw it and run to Jake. Now wasn't the time to breakdown, now was the time to get the last horocrux and get ready to stop Voldemort for good. Jake wouldn't want me to run back for him. In fact, I think he'd kill me if I did that. He'd give me some smart ass comment about me being an idiot for leaving Harry and the others to baby him.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm ready now. Let's go."

Harry kissed me on the forehead and grabbed my hand and we were off once again.

The tunnel did not go on for much farther, perhaps only forty or fifty feet before we came to a dead end. I look around, trying to find any kind of fork in the road or whatever, but there was nothing.

Just then, Red lifted his arms up and began pushing. The tunnel filled with a dim light and I then noticed that it was a trap door that he was quietly lifting up and out of the way. I heard the door scrap against the wooden floor-it sounded almost painfully loud to my ears as we tried to be discrete- until it was completely out of the way, leaving only a gapping hole above us.

We were all silent as I listened to see if anyone was coming; luckily, nothing could be heard coming our way. I nodded to the three of them, letting them know that we were fine and could head on up.

"I'll go first and keep a look out." I whispered, earning a nod from the boys who gave me a boost up through the floor of the Shrieking Shack. I stayed crouched once I was up, looking around and taking in the crappy interior. It was dark and dank, only lit by the moonlight, and incredibly dusty. I had heard stories about the most haunted building in Briton but this, in all honesty, seemed kind of pathetic. Unless you were scared of mold and mice this place was just an old waste of space.

Red and Hermione came up next, followed by Harry who closed the trap door behind him. We stayed there a few more moments as I listened. At first it seemed like there was absolutely no one in the shack but then I listened closer and noted that there were whispers upstairs, two voices only.

"They're upstairs." I whispered, nodding my head in the direction of the stairs. Harry nodded and motioned for us to move towards the steps. He went first, followed by Red, Hermione, and me bringing up the rear. We moved slowly and I cringed every time the stairs made the slightest squeak and creak. It seemed like we would be caught at any moment.

But whoever was upstairs never noticed, though. They seemed too preoccupied with their whispered conversation to hear. Halfway up the stairs, however, I began to hear the words that were spoken and who the voices belonged to.

I stopped mid-step, listening.

"Severnus, the time has come. We need to get them now." Voldemort's hiss caused me to grab hold of Hermione's ankle. The girl stopped, looking back at me with a questioning look in her eye. I just shook my head to show that we shouldn't go any further.

Hermione reached up and tapped Harry on the back, forcing him to stop moving as well. I tapped my ear and pointed up the stairs to explain silently that I could hear voices and they all nodded to show they understood. We all stood frozen in the stairs as I listened further.

"I understand, my lord, but they are not giving up Potter and Cullen. I do not think they will come to us without a fight either. You saw what the vampire did to the Carrows. She is a fighter and will not give in easily." Snape explained. I could hear his feet pacing the creaky floor above and could instantly tell that he was nervous. I wasn't sure what he had to be nervous about but it was obvious that something was making him feel uneasy.

"They are talking about us." I whispered into Hermione's ears. "They are waiting for Harry and me to turn ourselves in."

The girl nodded before relaying the information to Red who told Harry.

"They have destroyed all of the horocruxes, Severus!" Voldemort's words were so loud now that I knew I didn't have to tell my friends what was being said. "Nagini is all that is left now and the Elder wand is still not working properly…something is off about it, Severus." The Dark Lord paused before talking softer again. "I have been trying to understand why the wand will not work for me and the only conclusion I have come to is that it truly does not belong to me…that it's allegiances lie with someone else."

I stopped breathing, wondering where Voldemort was going with this. The tone in his voice was a low hiss, evil, but at the same time sympathetic; it sent chills down my spine and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge.

"My lord?" Snape said, trying to sound brave and confused but failing slightly. I'm not sure if it was the fast beating of his heart that tipped me off or the trembling of his voice but I had a feeling that Snape knew exactly what Voldemort was talking about.

"You have been a good comrade, Severus, the most loyal of servants…but you realize that in order for me to kill the children I must be in complete control of the wand, do you not?" He paused. "I really wish it had been the Malfoy boy instead of you, Severus, who had killed Dumbledore. I really do. And while you live the Elder Wand can never truly be mine. So it seems that it is your time…because only I can live forever…and I cannot do that with you around." Another pause, this one seeming like it lasted a million years.

"My lord-" Snape's plea was cut short by a swooshing sound, followed by the unmistakable smell of blood that filled my nostrils. I heard his body felt to the ground and I knew exactly what was going on.

I covered my mouth, both in disbelief and horror. He's doing it. Voldemort's killing Snape.

My eyes were wide as I looked over at my friends. All of them had the same baffled expressions on their face as they too heard the distinct sound of a body hitting the floor. A shuffling noise could be heard from the room upstairs before Voldemort's voice filled the air once more. "Kill, Nagini."

I waited a second, hearing the snake slither and hiss while crossing the floor until I heard the snake attack, hissing even louder and thrusting her fangs into the professor's body. Every time she attacked, his body would hit the wall with a loud thump.

I kept my mouth covered, still in shock over what was happening, until I finally heard Voldemort call off the snake. "Come, Nagini," he said, "we have to keep you somewhere safe."

I heard the Dark Lord apperate out of the room, leaving the four of us alone with the dying professor in the Shrieking Shack. We all waited a moment, letting the shock of what happened sink in, before Harry caught my eye, asking me if it was safe.

I nodded slowly. We were alone now.

Once he had the confirmation, he stood up and ran up the stairs with Ron, Hermione, and I close behind him. We rushed into the broken down bedroom to see a horrible sight.

Snape, slumped against a chipped and cracked wall, his neck slit open and his chest covered in snake bits. He was gasping for air as he turned his eyes to look at us and I knew there wasn't much time left.

"Allie, if you-" Harry started but I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine." I told him before rushing forward and covering the professor's bleeding, gaping neck wound with my hand.

I don't know why I was helping him, especially after all that he had done, but I felt some sort of sorrow for him. In his eyes, I recognized something I never expected to see in Snape and that was fear. He was scared to die, it was plain to see. And no one deserved to die alone, not even murderous traitors like him.

He stared up at me as I securely placed my hands around his neck to slow the spurts of blood. My eyes met his and I frowned. "Don't think this means I like you because I don't." I took a deep breath. "You are a son of a bitch and you had it coming, got it?"

The potions master tilted his head at me and simply nodded, not trying to talk. His eyes then left mine to look over at Harry. The professor's eyes stayed there a moment before he looked back at me. Slowly, he lifted one hand and tapped his temple. I was confused for a moment but I finally understood: he wanted me to read his mind.

"Okay," I said before looking into his thoughts and seeing what he was trying to say but couldn't.

Tell Harry to come closer.

"Harry, he wants you to come here." I said, reaching my bloodied hand out to beckoning him to kneel next to me.

Harry was there, kneeling beside me and checking over the professor's wounds, seeing if there was anything else he needed to plug to stop the bleeding. But that wasn't what Snape wanted.

Look at me. Both of you.

I relayed what he said to Harry and we both looked into the Professor's gray eyes to see that he was crying. But these weren't normal tears; they had a weird sort of cloudiness to them that reminded me of smoke mixing with water.

Take them.

"Hermione, he wants us to take them. Do you have a vial, glass, something?" I asked, causing the girl to begin rummaging around in her beaded bag. It took her a few seconds and the delay made Harry yell at her to hurry. Finally, she did find one and handed it to Harry, seeing as my hands were kind of full. By this time, I was covered in Snape's blood. It was everywhere: hands, arms, all over my shirt, and some even managed to squirt onto my face when I was trying to stop it. Voldemort had cut a major artery and the blood sprayed everywhere, leading him to bleed out fast.

Harry put the vial up to Snape's cheek, allowing the drops to drip down into it. When the tears stopped coming, Harry corked the vial and stared at the swirling mist within for a moment. Harry was only interrupted by Snape grabbing him by the back of the neck and forcing him to face him.

Look at me.

"He wants you to look at him, Harry." I explained, earning a nod from the boy next to me.

The two's eyes were connected for a moment, both saying nothing, doing nothing. I listened closely as Snape's heartbeat began to fade quickly. He was bleeding out and there were only a few more seconds left before he was gone.

His eyes flinted to mine for a second. I didn't want you to be happy. I wanted you to suffer the way I suffered. You reminded me of him, James Potter-overly confident, cheeky, and still, somehow, beloved by all. But I know now that you are different, better, than he ever was.

He finished his thought before turning back to Harry and staring intently into his eyes yet again.

"You have your mother's eyes." Snape told Harry in a cracking voice-saying his first and only words since the attack-before a blank expression came over him. His hand slipped from around Harry's neck and he was gone, dead.

I dropped my hands from his wounds and slumped to the floor in front of the dead man. He still looked at Harry's eyes, even in death, and I couldn't help but wonder why he had said something about Harry's mother at a time like that, why he had said what he did about me.

I reminded him of James Potter, he had told me that once before. But never had I guessed that that was the reason he hated me so much. It was all just too strange.

A few seconds passed until Harry stood up, staring at the bottle in his hand containing what I now assumed were memories that Snape had wanted us to have, wanted us to see. Red came over to me, helping me to my feet as my eyes continued to look at our fallen teacher. It was so strange, seeing Snape in such a weakened state. He had worked so hard to make my and Harry's lives a living hell and now, he was the one who was left looking weak. I don't know why but I couldn't stand seeing him look like that; it was just too abnormal.

Slowly, I walked over to Snape and closed his staring, gray eye, leaving him to only look like he were sleeping instead of dead.

Just then, a screeching sound filled the air, forcing me to cover my sensitive vampire ears. It was the same the sound that had filled the great hall when the battle first started and we didn't have to wait long for confirmation that it was Voldemort again.

"Inhabitants of Hogwarts, you have fought valiantly but have paid for it with many lives. The longer this battle rages the more magical blood that will be spilt and that was never my intent. So, for your efforts, my Death Eaters will retreat for one hour, allowing you to collect your dead and heal your wounded. Now, I speak directly to Harry Potter and Allie Cullen." At our names, my eyes find Harry and he is instantly next to me with his arm around my waist, squeezing me tightly as if Voldemort was there now, coming to get us. "I would have expected more from the two of you than allowing other-those you profess to love-fight in your stead. During this hour of cease-fire, I urge you to consider just how many more of your friends must die before you will surrender to me. You are frightened and rightfully should be. But to prove that I am a merciful lord, I will accept it if only one of you comes to meet me in the Dark Forest. Only one must die tonight and who that will be is for the two of you to decide." My eyes went to Harry and I shook my head, unbelieving of what Voldemort had just told us.

"And as for the one of you that is left, well, let's just say you will be made an example of, as well…Meet me in the Dark Forest in one hour or else everyone, not just one of you, shall perish. You have one hour to decide your fates."

The Shrieking Shack went quiet again as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I tried to process all that had just happened.

A battle was going on because of us, Jake could either be dead or seriously injured, Snape was dead, and we had an hour to choose which one of us would die before Voldemort completely obliterated everyone within Hogwarts that defied him.

I took a deep breath as I looked up into Harry's green eyes that were already staring down to catch a glimpse of my blue ones. "You better not leave my sight."

He nodded sternly. "Same goes for you…we'll figure this all out."

"How?" I asked. "It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice. One of us or all of them." I shrugged. "It sounds like a no brainer to me."

"Don't do anything rash just yet." Hermione interjected. Her face was long and sorrowful, showing that she felt just as hopeless as we did. "We have time to think this over and divulge a new plan. I am sure we can think of something."

Harry and I nodded slowly, feeling a little less optimistic than Hermione was at the moment. The boy next to me brought his hand back up to his face, getting a close look at the vial he held in his hand. "I think we should head back to the castle, check on things there and find out what this is."

Hermione, Ron, and I agreed and we all headed back down the stairs and through the tunnel, leaving the body of Professor Severus Snape behind us, only to discover who else had lost their lives during the battle that was still not yet over.

Okay, I hope you liked it! I'm kind of unsure about this chapter. I honestly didn't feel inspired until about halfway through it but I hope it's enjoyable all the same. Please leave a review if you feel inspired to!