"What?" Hermione exclaimed enthusiastically. A smile broke over her face in astonishment. Yells from the distance drifted up towards the castle. Death Eaters turned to see the advancing crowd. Voldemort looked over his shoulder as his followers began to disperse across the grounds. Neville broke free from Voldemort's curse and knocked the hat from his head. Ron ran towards Neville and saw as he approached, Neville grasping the Sword of Gryffindor, drawn from inside the hat. Ron's heart leaped. Neville lifted the sword and swung it clean across Nagini's neck.

"He did it!" Hermione cried. She raised her wand to shoot a protective shield between Neville and Voldemort. A bright flash of light flew towards Neville before Hermione began her spell but stopped dead in front of him.

Ron laughed with excitement. He looked around wildly for any sign of Harry but his friend remained invisible. Voldemort yelled with rage at the sight of his beloved snake that lay decapitated before him. Neville looked to Ron, holding the sword high in victory.

"Come on, Neville!" Hermione yelled to him as she began to move up the steps of the castle. Ron looked across the grounds and began to see familiar faces from Hogsmeade. Others he believed to be family members of students who had come to help in the battle. Centaurs had emerged from the Dark Forest and were making their way up the grounds with the others. They proceeded forwards, pushing the Death Eaters closer and closer to the castle until their efforts had penetrated it. Ron held Hermione's hand as they ran through the mess of people, firing spells behind them. House Elves had entered the corridors, violently attacking ankles and legs.

To his side, Ron could see his parents and siblings courageously battling Thicknesse and Yaxley. They were evidently, successful in managing to restrain them, so Ron looked around trying to find Voldemort. Ron spotted McGonagall approaching the Great Hall, where Voldemort had entered firing curses towards her. Slughorn and Kingsley followed closely behind her.

A sudden loud blast knocked Ron from his feat. He could not find the source of his blast but behind Hermione was a quickly advancing Death Eater.

"Ron, are you alright?" she said looking down to him. He nodded waving her attention to the hooded man walking briskly towards her. Hermione spun around whipping her wand through the air. The man was shot hard into Death Eaters who stood behind him, knocking them to the ground and clearing a path from her to Fenrir Greyback. Ron staggered to his feet and stood up straight to see Greyback staring at Hermione. His wand was lowered, but his sharp teeth were exposed. He began to take large advancing strides towards her. Ron threw an arm around her waist and pulled her from Greyback's path. He stepped forward and held his wand high. Suddenly, Greyback was knocked sideways, kncocking him from his track. He stumbled over his feet as he attempted to regain balance. Ron turned to see Neville running to Ron's defense.

"Mate," said Ron smiling, and bewildered.

"Don't mention it." Said Neville as he shot a blast of light at Greyback again. Ron followed Neville's lead, prompting Greyback to retaliate. Hermione had noticed Luna and Ginny in a duel with Bellatrix and ran off to help. Ron saw her leave their side but remained focused on Greyback. He became more aggressive and enraged as he was knocked from side to side by Ron and Neville's curses. Sweat broke across Ron's forehead as he moved quickly and carefully while concentrating hard on his wand work. Finally a curse hit Greyback, knocking him to the ground unconscious.

"Did you do that?" Ron asked as they ran forward to examine him.

"No idea." Said Neville holding out his wand. "Incarcerous!" he muttered. Ropes shot from the ends of Neville's wand and bound Greyback tightly as he lay on the floor. "Just to be safe."

"I've got to tell you, Neville." Said Ron watching Neville work. "You've really been something of an asset to the Army tonight!"

"Thanks, Ron." Neville beamed to his friend.

They ran to the entrance of the Great Hall. All around the room, Ron saw small clusters of people dueling dark wizards. Hermione and Ginny stood grasping each other's hands as they watched Molly engage in a duel with Bellatrix. Ron looked directly across the room and found Voldemort dueling Professor McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn. His attention fired back and forth, watching with the hundreds of others who filled the hall. He stood nervously as his mother shot curses towards the taunting witch. Only moments later Ron heard Bellatrix threaten his mother's life. He began to dash towards the women but after a few strides, Molly, fueled by Bellatrix's mocking of Fred's death, shot one final forceful curse and hit Bellatrix square in the chest. Before taking one last breath Bellatrix looked around, realized she had been defeated, then fell to the ground.

Ron continued running forward to wards his family. He reached them just as Voldemort let out a yell that shook the hall and startled all that surrounded him. Ron ducked as he reached for Hermione. He turned to see Voldemort standing tall with his arm stretched out and wand aimed at Molly.

"Molly!" Arthur cried just as a bellowing "PROTEGO!" erupted from the center of the Hall and Harry threw off his invisibility cloak.

Hermione's hands squeezed Ron tightly. He hugged her and they both laughed in excitement as hundreds of people began to cheer and call Harry's name in disbelief. Ron looked happily over to his family. His brothers clapped and cheered and Arthur held a hysterical Ginny. Molly wiped tears from her eyes and Percy wrapped an arm around her.

Voldemort and Harry stormed toward each other. Both held their wands raised to the other.

"I don't want anyone else to try and help." Harry called out to the room. Ron felt Hermione's embrace tighten around her.

"It's okay." Ron told her quietly.

"There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me." Harry yelled to Voldemort. Murmurs broke out over the words Harry spoke but Ron did not take his eyes from Harry. Voldemort listened to Harry speak, humoring him before what Voldemort knew would be Harry's end. He dismissed Harry casually however, holding his confidence in himself above all who stood around them. Ron wondered if others looked as anxious as he felt, but did not dare to look away from his friend. Harry continued to speak to Voldemort calmly and Ron noticed Voldemort growing more and more agitated.

"Severus Snape wasn't yours! Snape was Dumbledore's. Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother!" Harry told Voldemort. A sneer spread over his face as he listened to Harry. Hermione exhaled, shaking her head as she began to understand Snape's gesture in the Shrieking Shack.

"Of course." She whispered to herself. Ron looked to her baring a lost expression. "Snape loved Harry's mother, Ron. He went to Dumbledore when Voldemort was after her and her family."

Ron stood astonished by her realization. Snape caring for someone was unimaginable in itself, but the fact that it was Harry's mother that Snape had cared for was beyond anything Ron could have dreamed. What's more was that after all the time they had spent believing Snape had been out to try to kill Harry, he had really been protecting them all. Ron looked back to Harry who was explaining to Voldemort the very truth that Hermione had revealed to Ron.

"Snape never beat Dumbledore!" Harry laughed.

"But then Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!" Voldemort mocked, but failed to appear as confident as he had hoped. It was clear that Voldemort was slowly beginning to see Harry as the worthy opponent he had never expected him to be.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy." Harry smirked. Hermione nodded as he spoke. "But you're too late. You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him."

Harry brandished the wand in his hand, and Ron's eyes followed its movements.

"I am the true master of the Elder wand." Harry's words were final.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The words exploded in Ron's ears like the sound of a cannon. They cut his breath and he grasped for air as he watched the light soar through the Hall towards Harry. Harry sent a disarming charm straight back down Voldemort's path. Their spells collided transforming the streams of light into a bright golden, glowing fire.

"Come on, Harry." Ron breathed.

The wand in Voldemort's hand spun out from his fingertips. His arms flew back and his body was left peacefully hallow, as it crumbled backwards to the ground. The Hall was still for a brief moment, and then it burst with excitement.

With Hermione's hand in his, Ron ran towards Harry. He let go as he guided her directly into Harry. She spread her arms wide and wrapped them around his neck and Ron came up behind her pulling them both into a long embrace.

"You did it! You did it, Harry!" Ron heard Hermione say through all the cheers. Hands from every direction were patting Harry's back and people laughed as the sun shone bright against the windows. Ron kissed Hermione's head and stood in the middle of the commotion with his arms held firmly around his friends.

Ron walked back to the Great Hall with Charlie after helping transfer bodies of departed heroes to a temporary resting place. A beautiful sunrise had spread across the morning sky. Light filled the castle and made Ron feel at ease. The House tables had been placed back down in the Hall and the House Elves had provided juice, tea and toast. Madam Pomfrey, along with a few helping hands, was going from table to table checking injuries and providing assistance to those in need. Harry was surrounded by a large group of people who were shaking his hands, crying and praising him.

"There's mum and dad." Charlie nodded towards the table where the Weasley's had gathered. Hermione, who was sitting next to George and Neville stood and walked towards them.

Ron stopped when they met halfway and she wrapped her arms fondly around his body. Hermione looked up to Ron, smiling. Her face was filthy, and she had a small cut on her cheek. Her hair had fallen out from the knot at the back of her head. Her eyes were sparkling. Ron put his hands to either side of her face and kissed her. Hermione's lips spread into a smile before she kissed him back.

When they broke apart he took her hand and they walked together to find a space at a table. They both sat straddling the bench, looking towards each other. Ron filled a goblet with juice right to the rim and swallowed it back before immediately refilling it. Hermione laughed as she watched him.

"I'm hungry." Ron laughed, too.

"I know." She laughed as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"I'm going to sit here all day and eat." He grinned, passing her a piece of toast. They talked and laughed through mouthfuls of food as the sun shone warm against their faces.

After several pieces of toast, Ron and Hermione were approached by an invisible voice.

"It's me." It whispered.

Hermione smiled and turned to look at the invisible Harry that hovered beside them.

"Will you come with me?" Harry asked.

"'Course," said Ron. "About time we got some bloody quiet around here." He smirked. Hermione stood up from the table and Ron followed after her. He looked around quickly and saw Ginny, her head leaned against their mum's shoulder in exhaustion. They all shared laughs as they banged their goblets together. Ron smiled as he watched his family, together and finally safe. There was still one less Weasley at the table however, and even in the most joyous occasion he couldn't deny the grief of that reality.

Hermione watched Ron as he looked towards his family. She took his hand and he smiled softly to her.

"Come on." He said, nodding in the direction of their invisible friend, and they followed him from the Great Hall.