Yaay! Another chapter. This is the second-to-last one, so expect one more soon! Enjoy!

It had taken quite a lot of work to figure out which corridors and parts of the castle each little battle would happen in. Artemis had to cross-reference the books with the movies and at some points was really just guessing. It was a rather difficult task, but to his amazement he had gotten it just right.

Holly and Artemis were currently waiting behind a suit of armor in an empty corridor. According to Artemis's research it would not be empty for long. Right on cue there was the flashes and bangs of an approaching duel.

Artemis and Holly had been waiting here, looking out the nearest window to see if the Death Eaters had gotten in the castle yet. All of Artemis's plan would take place once the actual battle began, not before. Once the Death Eaters came they only had a little time left until they needed to step into action.

Ron, Harry, Hermione, Fred, George, and Percy were running down the hall chasing after a Death Eater Artemis knew to be Augustus Rockwood. The large Death Eater was firing spells everywhere. Even in the thick of the battle Fred and George were still joking about, and Artemis knew that if he didn't act soon they would share their last joke together quite soon.

Artemis pointed his wand right at the Death Eater, waiting for the correct moment. He had to stun the man so that he didn't set off the explosion that killed Fred Weasley. Timing was everything here. Rockwood raised his arm to set off the powerful spell, and Artemis hit him squarely with a stunning spell right before he was able to do so. The Death Eater fell over and the group of teenagers moved on, unawares that a life had just been spared.

"What did you just do, Artemis?" Holly asked.

"I just saved the life of Fred Weasley, one of the twins," Artemis responded softly. One down, three to go. Who knew if they wouldn't die later in the battle, but Artemis had to do what he could.

They moved on to the next stakeout position.

XxX

The next people that Artemis and Holly were going to save were going to be a little trickier. There was no specific place that the book had stated they had died, and it had not clarified who had killed them. It was up to Artemis's great powers of deduction to figure it out, and he had to do it in time, or not only these people would die, but also his most important save.

His challenge was made a ton easier when he had spotted the two running away down a small corridor, chasing a few Death Eaters, wands aloft, firing spells. The corridor was a rainbow of flashing and loud explosions. Artemis and Holly followed them unseen, keeping to behind the statues and in the shadows.

"Artemis, how many more of these people must we save? And will they stay saved? Who knows if they will just die later on by somebody else's hand?" Holly whispered to him.

"I don't know, Holly. I am doing what I think is right and am going to hope for the best."

Holly nodded and they continued following the dueling wizards.

It was Bellatrix and Dolohov who were firing spells behind them as they left a trail of destruction behind them. Lupin and Tonks were following close behind, trying to hit them with jinxes but missing narrowly each time. Bellatrix turned around and engaged in a duel with Tonks, shouting insults and taunts.

"Hey, little sister, how's your pet husband doing? Isn't it about time for his flea bath?" Bellatrix taunted as she fired more jinxes at her sister with the bright pink hair.

"Killed any more relatives lately?" Tonks growled. Bellatrix just cackled and fired more spells.

Artemis knew that waiting to act would cost him. Bellatrix could fire the killing shot at any moment. He pointed his wand at the Death Eater and stunned her. She collapsed, a look of minor surprise etched on her features. Both Tonks and Lupin ganged up on Dolohov and quickly dispatched him. They ran away together.

Artemis sincerely hoped that this was enough to ensure their safety, but he knew there was still a chance that they would die later on, and even the chance that somebody else would die to take the place of the ones that Artemis had saved.

Artemis only had one more person on his list of saves, and this one was the biggest save yet.

XxX

Artemis and Holly made the long trek down to the boathouse, making sure to keep out of anyone's line of sight. Artemis sincerely hoped that this was the place they needed to be, considering Fred had almost died in the spot where he had died in the book. It seemed as though the events of the battle were an uneven blend of the books and the movies. It was enough to make Artemis almost wish that he wasn't doing this, but he had promised himself he would.

They finally made it down to the building and found a good spot to hide, taking into account where Harry, Ron, and Hermione would hide and keeping out of that line of sight. They weren't there long when Voldemort made his base there. He was even weirder looking up close, and Artemis was in awe. He had read so much about the guy, and now here he was, plotting and issuing orders.

So Artemis had been correct about this spot. Here Voldemort was, and he was now talking to Lucius, telling him to bring Severus. This was the trickiest of the saves they were going to make, and it involved Holly's magic. They would wait until Harry had taken the memories from Snape, and then they would swoop in and save him. Snape's heart would have stopped beating for a few moments, but he could still be healed at that point. And magic snake venom stood no chance against fairy magic.

Snape apparated into the boathouse not long before Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck up, hiding on the other side of the building than where Holly and Artemis were hiding.

Voldemort told Snape his dilemma with the Elder Wand, and Artemis could tell that Snape had known this was coming. He showed it in the way he stood; the way he held his head. It was rather depressing.

"You have been a valuable and faithful servant, Severus," Voldemort said simply, and then waved his wand at Snape, who collapsed into the wall behind him.

"Nagini, kill," Voldemort ordered the large python at his feet. The snake complied.

It was the worst thing to watch, and it sounded even more horrible. Artemis vaguely wondered why Voldemort had given the worst death to his most valuable follower. It seemed quite cruel, but then Artemis remembered that this was Voldemort that they were talking about.

While Snape was being attacked by the python Holly had hidden her face in Artemis's shoulder, gripping him tightly. Artemis watched grimly, hoping that Holly's magic was enough to cure the poor guy. It had to be.

And then Harry was there, taking the memories from his dying professor, and listening to the final message that Snape had for him. Holly was crying weakly into Artemis's shirt by this point.

Harry and his two friends left and the message from Voldemort rang across the grounds. Artemis ignored it, beckoning at Holly to follow him into the boathouse. They approached the man lying in a pool of blood slowly.

"You must heal him, Holly," Artemis whispered. Holly nodded and kneeled next to Snape. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Heal." Green sparks shot from her hand, enveloping the Potions Master. Holly pushed as much magic as she could into him, and then backed up quickly.

This heal was by no means the most difficult one she had done, and pretty soon all of the injuries on the professor were gone, and he was breathing again. Unconscious, but he was breathing. And then he sat up and looked around, an odd expression on his face until he spotted Holly and Artemis.

"You saved my life," he stated simply, standing up and touching his neck where the snake had bitten him.

Artemis stepped forward. "You are thought to be dead, so you must keep in hiding until this war is over. If the good side wins you can come out of hiding," Artemis explained to him, keeping his tone businesslike despite his pounding heart. What he had witnessed had been quite gruesome, and now the same man that had been killed violently was standing unscathed in front of him.

Snape nodded, and then stuck out his hand. Artemis didn't know what it meant at first, but then he realized that Snape was offering to shake his hand. Artemis took it.

"How do you know?" Snape asked, of course talking about how Artemis knew the outcomes of events and the truth about Snape.

"I cannot tell you, but I do have quite the source." Snape nodded, backed up a few steps, and then disapparated. Artemis suspected that he would never see the professor again.

XxX

The message that Voldemort was giving ended, leaving the grounds in an unnatural silence.

"Who uses the word folly?" Holly asked as they walked up the steps, talking about the speech of the Dark Lord. Artemis didn't answer. He agreed, though.

Artemis and Holly made their way back up to the castle and into the Great Hall. Artemis spotted Lupin and Tonks speaking with some other wizards and Fred was joking with his twin. Warmth flowed through Artemis at this. He had succeeded. Nobody else would be dying at this point. Harry would die for his friends, which would save them from enemy fire.

He thought back to his older schemes and how he had wanted to gain something out of everything that he did. Now here he was, saving people at his own risk. It was quite something. His twelve year-old self would have scoffed at his own foolishness.

Now all they had to do was wait until the final battle. Harry would be going up to see the memories of Snape right now, and then out to the forest to face Voldemort. It would be a little while until they would fight the last fight and Voldemort would fall. Artemis sat down at a table that had been pushed aside and Holly sat next to him. He fully planned on sitting there until the Death Eaters returned to the castle. He had done his part in saving those people from death.

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