"Dad," cried Ginny. She rushed forward towards the group that had gathered around Arthur. "We have to go search for him! What if he's hurt, or if he's been found-"

"No, no," He cut off his daughter. "I want you to stay right here, Ginny."

"Dad-" Ron began before he, too was stopped by Arthur. Their father slowly raised his hand as he tried to calm everyone around him.

"I think perhaps it's best if, for the time being you remain here." Arthur held both hands up this time as objections erupted around him. "Ron, you've been magnificent," He turned and looked to Hermione "you all have. But you have to understand that we have everyone's safety to be concerned about. We will find Harry," Arthur assured them as he looked to Ginny, "but let's first, let the Order decide the best strategy for going about this. I can't send you all aimlessly into a potentially dangerous situation."

"Hogwarts Faculty," called McGonagall over the crowd that filled the Great Hall "if you would, please gather at the entrance of the Great Hall." Her voice rang clear as silence fell over the students and parents gathered before her.

Hermione turned to Ron. She looked as helpless as he felt.

"He wouldn't go to Voldemort." Ron told Hermione in hopes of offering comfort, though even he wasn't sure he believed his words.

"No, I just saw him not that long ago. He told me he wasn't going to Voldemort." Neville added.

"You saw him?" Hermione asked, spinning around wildly to survey Neville.

"He was just outside. He was walking- said it was part of the plan." He told her.

Ron stared blankly at Neville.

"What plan?" Hermione asked looking to Ron before he had the chance to.

"No idea." he told her. His brow furrowed as he lingered on Neville's last words. 'All part of the plan?' Ron wondered, both concerned and hurt. Harry hadn't intentionally kept any plan from them the entire time they had spent searching for horcruxes. What did he need to keep from them after all this time?

"He just said 'kill the snake.' But he said you two knew about that. You two knew about that, right?" Neville asked as he began to share Ron and Hermione's concern.

"He told you to kill the snake? Hermione asked slowly, sounding defeated; Neville nodded. "He went to him, Ron." Hermione said breathlessly. An empty feeling enveloped him. Ron stared blankly passed their faces, looking into nothing.

"Yeah." He sighed.

Ginny, who had been standing silently, and looked as though she had been overcome with shock suddenly cried out. "No!" "Why would he do that?"

No one had an answer for Ginny. They all stood dumbfounded by the realization that Harry had given himself up after fighting for so long. Hermione held Ginny's hand.

"Harry said kill the snake. We've got to trust him. We've got to kill the snake." Ron told them. Even though he hadn't told them anything about it, Harry had a plan. Whatever it was, it was clear to Ron that their part in his plan was to see to it that the snake would meet its end.

"I'll go tell the order." Said George as he glanced to Kingsley.

"Alright," said Ron, "we don't know where this snake is. It's probably with Voldemort because that's where it has been all night. Either way, we're going to have to get close enough to stab it with one of these." Ron pulled a fang from his coat pocket to show Ginny and Neville.

"Is that a snake's fang?" asked Luna walking up from behind Ginny and Neville.

"Yes, and we have plenty of them." Said Hermione as she withdrew fangs from both pockets of her jacket.

Neville stated down to the fang then looked up to Ron, nodding with determination.

Hermione held a fang out to Neville. He reached forward to take it but froze before his hand could grasp the long curved fang. A deep booming voice harshly shook the castle.

"Harry Potter is dead." Said the voiced with ridicule and satisfaction.

"No," Ron heard Hermione whimper. He stood in disbelief.

"He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him." Bellowed Voldemort.

"IT'S NOT TRUE!" Neville yelled loudly to the people standing around him.

"We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone." Voldemort called out.

His words created a sudden charge of bodies rushing for the corridor, as the witches and wizards ran eagerly from the Great Hall. Ginny dashed through the crowd and out of Ron's sight. He saw his father darting through the hoards of people trying to catch up with her. He soon became lost in the sea of people. Ron felt Hermione grab ahold of his arm and he pulled her through the crowd and close to him. He took her hand firmly in his and he led them briskly through the sea rushing bodies and worried faces.

Voldemort's voice continued to reverberate through the castle but his words were unclear to Ron in the midst of the panic.

"Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared." Voldemort called.

They broke through the doorway and into the entrance hall. Ron heard his father calling Ginny's name at the front of the crowd. Ahead of everyone was McGonagall. She held her robes from the ground in her tightly clenched fists as she sprinted towards the exit. Ron and Hermione ran fast, following them out of the castle. Before Ron caught a glance of what was waiting outside of the castle, a piercing shriek ripped through the sound of people hastily moving in the hallway. Ron knew his fear was being realized as McGonagall's painful grieving call silenced the castle. His legs slowed to a crawl involuntarily. Hermione's grasp pulled Ron forward. Her eyes had filled with tears and she was taking great, irregular breaths as she continued to run.

"NO!" Ron heard the scream of his little sister. His vision became blurry. He felt the brisk morning air against his cheeks before he realized he has stepped outside. Morning had begun to break and darkness would soon part in the sky. Ron looked to see a large group of Death Eaters before him. His eyes moved along the horde, not sure of what he was searching for. The screams from his younger sister continued to fill the Hogwart's ground.

"No," Hermione said slowly, dropping Ron's hand from hers. "No!"

Ron turned to her and saw tears falling quickly from her eyes. They ran down her cheeks, leaving heavy streaks in the dirt that covered her face. She held her arms wrapped around her body and she cried out Harry's name. Ron nervously followed her gaze, knowing what he would find at the end of it. His eyes landed upon Hagrid, who stood near Voldemort, but nonetheless alive. His trembling hands held a body so limp, that Ron didn't need to question what he saw. His heart sank as he stared at his best friend, who's body looked as though it had been disgracefully abused.

"Harry!" Hermione cried loudly through her tears. Ron was overwhelmed with sadness as he listened to her cries. But more than sadness, he felt angered. His emotions pooled inside him, confusing him and beating down his spirit. Ron was unsure of what to do. He felt helpless.

"HARRY!" He began calling out. Ron yelled at the top of his lungs again and again. Hermione cried for him as well. Their voices were soon drowned out by the calls of other students and professors but Ron continued to call for his friend. He wanted to scream out every breath of air in his lungs that he would kill all who were responsible for Harry's death, but all he could say was "Harry."

"SILENCE!" Voldemort roared over the cries. "Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing ever but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!" he shouted.

Ron wanted to spit on him for trying to besmirch Harry in his death.

"HE BEAT YOU!" Ron yelled back to Voldemort with utter disgust in his tone. He looked to the grass where Hagrid had placed Harry peacefully.

Yelling sounded all around Ron again as friends defended Harry's honor. Voldemort began to speak and Ron in his daze noticed Neville rushing forward. Voldemort raised his wand and with one subtle flick of his wand, Neville was knocked to the ground. As Voldemort approached Neville, Ron looked around to see if anyone was prepared to help him. Voldemort however, simply looked down upon Neville and began to speak. Ron couldn't make out the words Voldemort spoke, but it was only a short exchange before Ron heard Neville call out "Dumbledore's Army!" It was exactly what Ron needed to hear. Neville's brave call reignited the fight in Ron. Adrenalin began to course through him, his heart racing, hands shaking.

Voldemort's wand ripped through the air with rage. A window from high above shattered and from it slowly drifted the Sorting Hat and everyone watched silently.

"There will be no more sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. Them emblem, shield and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone." Voldemort called out to everyone, who watched uncomfortably as Neville stood before him. The Death Eaters raised their wands to the crowd standing in front of the castle as Voldemort approached Neville. Locking him in place, Voldemort positioned the sorting hat atop Neville's head and set it ablaze. Hermione gasped loudly and drew her wand. Students began to scream as they watched the hat on Neville's head go up in flames. Ron saw Hermione's wand held in front of her and looked to the Death Eaters to ensure that no one had spotted her. But his attention was pulled from him as he saw in the distance, Giants and hundreds of people penetrating the grounds and advancing towards the castle. Ron looked back to Harry's body, knowing that he now faced the final stretch in their war. He knew that he could not fail his friend. His eyes rested upon Harry for a split second, before Ron saw Harry sit up and pull the invisibility cloak over himself. Ron's heart leaped in excitement and disbelief.

"Hermione!" Ron grabbed her shoulder and spun her to see Harry, who was no longer there. "He's alive!"