So, I know I´ve been gone for a long long time. I´m sorry! As it´s my final year before college, my professors seem to think we should not have any free time.

As for this chapter: Some of you may end confused. I will answer any questions you have. I tried to explain it all in the story. The fact is, for things I wanted to happen, I had to skip ahead in time. (Don´t worry, for all of you that want to know what happened in those ¨missing chapters¨, I will upload them as a series of one-shots)

So, enjoy! And if you can, please, REVIEW!

(Oh, and I wish you a merry Christmas!)

Harry Potter walked through the halls in Hogwarts, inwardly wincing at the multiple corpses that he encountered, and even though he felt like he rather lie down next to them and rest; he continued his mission, yet, with every minute, his hope diminished.

"Charles!" he called one more time, but no-one answered.

He realized with a pang that he really missed Ginny, who he was really sure would've been a real comfort in this moment.

"Charles!" he repeated, wincing at how his voice broke at the end.

Everything had changed so much since that fateful day in which he had received a S.O.S. letter from the Order of Phoenix, and it was now, nearly two years later, that he realized how much had Charles Potter changed his life.

He had to find him, had to make sure he was okay –

In the distance, he heard a pained scream. A very familiar pained scream.

Dread filled him as he darted to the place where it came from.

"Charles!"

"We should at least make sure he is okay," muttered Hermione as she and Ron paced in the dining room. Neville, Luna, Blaise, Draco, and Ginny were there as well.

Sirius, Remus, John, Lily and Freyn had left long ago, back when the news of an attack reached their ears, and they had yet to come back. The rest didn´t know much, but one thing was clear, Lord Voldemort had managed to enter Hogwarts with help. And they knew who it was that helped him. Only one group had known the most about the school´s security. The Midnights, had had contact, even helped them put on the security wards.

Everyone was worried, even if not everyone was ready to admit it.

Hermione left Ron´s side as she hurried to Ginny´s own side, who had been rarely quiet the whole ordeal.

"Ginny?"

The red-head didn´t lift her head, but rather, stayed the same, even when the rest looked at her in concern.

"Ginny?" Blaise asked, moving closer, as did the rest of them. It was very unusual for Ginny to be this life-less.

"I messed up," she whispered so quietly that no-one heard her.

"Gin?" Hermione asked, exchanging a look with Draco. Luna frowned.

"I messed up, Hermione!" the red-head exclaimed, finally looking up.

They met her reddish eyes, missing their usual fire in them, and they all wondered how they could have missed her quietness during the last weeks.

"What do you mean?" asked Draco, as confused as the other Lightning.

Ginny lifted herself out of the couch, and paced in front of them.

"After that last time we talked to Harry, I – I went to visit him."

"You did –what?" Hermione, Ron, Blaise and Draco all exclaimed, while Neville and Luna looked surprised.

Ginny messed up with her long red hair as she paced more slowly and almost looking ashamed of herself.

"Well, I've had noticed something off with him, and I – well, I went to the school, but – " she cut herself off.

"But what?" Ron demanded, after a moment of silence.

"Well, Umbridge caught me…"

"She caught you" Neville blurted.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" he said, defensively. "It´s just, well. The toad defeated Ginny?"

Ginny blushed.

"It wasn´t one of my best moments, okay?"

"Well, Umbridge caught you, and –"

Ginny shifted. "Er, I had no idea, really," she said quickly "of the torments he was going through, and when she saw me, er, she… kind of blackmailed me?" she said the last part very quickly.

The rest of the Lightnings looked at her incredulously.

They couldn´t believe Ginny had been blackmailed. Normally it was the other way (although Ron could remember two other people who had managed to blackmail his younger sister).

Suddenly, she turned on them, hair blazing and looking every bit the fire master she was, that they all unconsciously took a step back in fear.

"One word of this to anyone and you are dead, understand?"

They all nodded energetically, and she sighed in relief, shoulders slumping, her previous strength disappearing in a second.

"She told me to end it with Harry," she said in a small voice, eyes downcast. "Or she would – "

She looked at them with a vacant stare.

"I- I really thought she was going to kill him," she said brokenly, as she hugged Luna, who had stepped closer to her. "I- I had no choice, I was already planning to leave before Harry saw me – except, except, he already knew I was there. I´ve never seen him so happy, and yet, he has never looked so, so tired."

She sat down again, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "We walked through the gardens, and it was just so perfect. And then, in a flash, he was there, and – he was asking me – when we are old enough – "she broke in tears, to the astonishment of the rest. Ginny never, ever cried.

"He asked you to marry him?" Hermione exclaimed, as she figured it out.

Someone, maybe Ron gasped.

"And I had to say no!" Ginny cried, with her face pressed against her palms. "She made me say no!"

"Oh Ginny," Hermione muttered, sympathetically.

The distressed red-head pulled herself together. "We have to get there. I- I can´t lose him. Please."

Neville took his wand, and turned to the others. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Harry arrived in the Great Hall heart beating painfully in his chest, and the dread he felt only a moment before intensifying greatly.

His (in words of his friends) selfless spirit was already sprinting in when he heard Lord Voldemort´s voice.

"Well, well. Look who is here."

Harry´s eyes took in the terrifying figure of Voldemort standing above his fallen brother, before glancing at his surroundings.

He felt a rush of anger when he saw Shadow standing with those with the Dark Mark.

He restrained himself from looking anymore, not sure if he could take more betrayal, and he returned his angry, tired eyes towards the most danger.

His wand was already up when the red beam of light advanced towards him, stopping it and then returning it to his caster.

Harry formulated a plan on his mind as he lifted his wand-less hand and pointed it at Charles, summoning him with a flicker; his other hand already casting a protective dome between both of them. He needed to make sure Charles understood his plan.

"Muffliato!" he whispered, pointing to the end of the dome.

Every death eater there attacked the dome mercilessly as Harry snooped down to Charles side.

He reached to check his pulse, and breathed in relief when he felt one. He thanked whoever was hearing for Voldemort´s arrogance.

"Charles?" he whispered, growling angrily at the deep cuts and angry burns that covered his brother´s arms. "Charles?"

The boy mumbled, and opened his eyes slowly. "Harry?"

"Shh," he said soothingly. "Charles, listen to me, okay?"

"Yes," Charles mumbled.

"Do you have a wand?" Harry asked, already guessing the answer.

"No, I ´m sorry."

"It's alright," Harry said, pressing his own on his brother´s side. "I´m going to try to distract him, all right?"

Charles nodded.

"You are the one in the prophesy, Charles. You have to be the one to do it. I will try to help you, but you have to do it."

Harry hesitated before continuing. "I know you can do it. I have faith on you. Just - no matter what happens, you have to continue, Charles."

Charles eyes snapped to his brother´s face fearfully. "Harry, I- I can´t…"

"You can, and you will do it," Harry snapped. Another round of jinxes and curses crashed against the dome, and Harry winced with the effort of maintaining it.

"Don´t do anything rash, Harry,"

Harry stood up. "Can´t promise anything, Charles."

And he let the dome fall.

Voldemort sneered.

"Harry Potter, we meet again."

Harry remained passive, hand ready.

"Answer to me, boy," Voldemort demanded. "Are you going to try to save your little brother once again?"

"Maybe," Harry said, tonelessly.

Laughter erupted from the Dark Lord, and his army of Death Eaters joined him.

"Another reason like love, I suppose?" Voldemort sneered, pointing at Charles. "The boy has certainly grown on you. Enough to die for him?"

Harry shook his head. "Am I ready to die? Yes, I am. But not for Charles."

More laughter filled the room, like mocking him.

"For what, then?" Voldemort asked.

"For what is right," Harry said loudly. "For loyalty and truth; and bravery. For everything that you are not. For immortality that goes beyond living. I don´t know if you´ve noticed, Riddle, but the seven are no more. I´ve made sure of it."

And now it was Harry teasing him.

Rage filled Voldemort´s face; for the taunt of his given name or the treat of his lost horcruxes, Harry didn´t get to guess. He was ready for it when it came, the attack, and he lifted both palms, pushing every bit of power he had into the spell.

It was tiring, yes, but Harry had seen what Voldemort had not. Charles had started to make his way towards the both of them, wand pointed towards what once was Tom Riddle.

The doors opened harshly, they had been pushed fiercely, and the members of the Lightnings filled the room.

The Death Eaters were already fleeing the room when Charles attacked their leader.

The man fell, lifeless, and crumpled, beyond recognition. Lord Voldemort had fallen.

Both Charles and Harry stumbled, tired, and wary. Harry reached for Charles.

"Are you okay?"

The boy looked at him, and nodded, nearly unconsciousness, but it wasn´t after Lily and James Potter had arrived and taken over Charles that he made his way towards the lone redhead.

They looked at each other in understanding, and Ginny hugged him briefly before he broke off her embrace and disappeared from the hall.

It was the last time any of them saw Harry Potter in a long time.