Chapter 29: The battle of Hogwarts
"Anyone want a break?" Hermione asked.
"No. We must be getting to end now. Let's just get this over with." Lily said. However she quickly took baby Harry upstairs, sure the next part would disturb him too much.
"Can't we have some comfort snacks?" Sirius asked pleadingly when she came back. She shot him a glare but then softens and fetched somes popcorn. "Thanks Lily Flower."
"Don't call me that." She snapped. Hermione smacked his arm and then high fived Lily while James and Remus laughed.
"Back to the Ravenclaw common room. Luna stunned the Carrow and Harry got back under the cloak as a bunch of Ravenclaws came down into the common room. The other Carrow was at the door but couldn't get into the room. He couldn't answer the question to get in. Then Professor McGonagall arrived and let him in. He burst in, the kids all scarpered as Amycus came running in. He spotted Alecto on the floor and wanted to curse the kinds into confessing who did it, but Professor McGonagall told him no."
"Go Minnie!" Cheered Sirius and James.
"Mr Potter! Mr Black! I have told you not to call me that." McGonagall said sternly, although a smile was tugging at the corner of her lips.
"McGonagall was arguing with him and then he spat in her face." Hermione said angrily.
"How dare he!" Exploded James.
"That filthy animal." Flitwick exclaimed, his normally cheerful face full of anger. Even Dumbledore looked furious, there was no twinkle in his eyes.
"Thank you all. But let's continue with the story." McGonagall said with a small smile. She appreciated their defense of her very much.
"Harry immediately appeared and cursed Amycus. Nearly gave McGonagall a heart attack and then turned to face her."
"Good boy Harry." James beamed.
"Harry explained why they were there. Professor McGonagall said she would wake everyone, evacuate the school and get ready to fight. The Death Eater had pressed his dark mark so Voldemort knew Harry was at Hogwarts."
Lily and James clutched each other's hand. This was it. The beginning of the greatest battle of all time they imagined. Sirius took Hermione's hand as well.
"Harry told her about the passageway through the Room of requirements to get the kids out. Professor McGonagall sent patronuses to the other heads of houses. Professor Slughorn had taken over as head of Slytherin as Snape was headmaster."
James made a noise of disgust.
"On the way to wake everyone they ran into Snape. Luna and Harry were under the cloak. Snape accused Professor McGonagall of hiding Harry and they dueled.
"Go Professor McGonagall!" James and Sirius cheered.
"Then Professors Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn arrived and Snape was forced to withdraw. He ran from Hogwarts."
"Yes!" Cheered the three boys. Lily couldn't bring herself to celebrate. She mourned for the friend she had known and mourned for what he had become.
"Professor Flitwick told Harry that nobody had seen the diadem in living memory and the teachers began putting up spells to defend the school. Harry went back to the Room of Requirement where Neville had contacted people in the Order. Remus had arrived with Kingsley and the rest of the old Gryffindor Quidditch team. Mr and Mrs Weasley also arrived and were telling the twins off for bringing Ginny. Harry told them that the school was fighting so everyone made their way to the Great Hall."
"Be careful Moony." James said, even though it wouldn't make a difference. Hermione had to keep back a sob at that.
"It was decided Ginny could stay but she had to stay in the Room of Requirement and wasn't allowed to fight. Then Percy turned up."
"Caught on has he?" Sirius remarked bitterly.
"He came and admitted he had been stupid. Remus showed us all a photo of Teddy and the Weasley's all embraced Percy."
"At least they are all together again." James commented. Hermione couldn't completely hide her shudder at the thought of Fred's limp body lying next to Remus and Tonks. Sirius was the only one who noticed and put an arm around her shoulder comfortingly.
"The Great hall was packed. Professor McGonagall said they were evacuating any student who was not of age. Then Voldemort made his voice magnify throughout the hall. He told them to hand over Harry. Pansy Parkinson tried to grab him but the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws all made a barrier in front of him. Then everyone started leaving. All the Slytherins left. A few older Ravenclaws stayed behind."
Flitwick looked half proud and half worried.
"Some more Hufflepuffs stayed and almost half the Gryffindors stayed behind to help."
McGonagall now looked partly proud but even more worried. So many of her students putting their lives on the line. She expected nothing less from the house of Bravery but she wished she didn't have to worry about so many of her students.
"Professor McGonagall had to go down and weed out any younger students who wanted to stay behind. She reminded Harry he was supposed to be searching for the diadem. He remembered what Professor Flitwick had said about nobody in living memory having seen it. Harry realised he needed to speak to the Grey Lady, ghost of Ravenclaw."
"She has been asked many times. She has never told anyone." Flitwick said.
"He provoked her into telling the story of how she stole her mother's diadem and hid it in Albania. Rowena Ravenclaw had sent a someone to find Helena. The Bloody Baron killed her when she refused to return home with him. He then killed himself after seeing what he had done."
"Woah. So those two knew each other?" James asked in awe.
"Ravenclaw's ghost is the daughter of the founder?" Remus asked, intrigued. Hermione nodded yes to both questions.
"She revealed that she had told Tom Riddle the same information."
"Albania? Wasn't Voldemort rumoured to be hiding there?" James asked, frowning as he tried to remember.
"Yep." Lily told him.
"He realised that the diadem must be hidden in the room of requirement. He figured Voldemort must have hidden it on the way to Dumbledore's office when asking for a job. On his way he ran into Hagrid as Grawp shoved him in through a window."
Everyone chuckled though it was a little tense.
"Finally he ran back into me and Ron. We told him we had destroyed the cup and had brought back loads of fangs with us. We got to the room and figured we couldn't use it while people were inside. Ginny was there, with Augusta Longbottom and Tonks."
"NO." Moaned Remus. "Tonks should be at home with Teddy. It's too dangerous for her to be there."
"She's an auror Moony. Tonks is tough and will be fine." Sirius reassured him. Remus still looked pale.
"We told everyone they had to leave. Then Ron suggested that we get the House-Elves out so they wouldn't be killed. So I kissed him." Hermione confessed quietly. She avoided Sirius' eyes but felt his arm stiffen slightly around her. "Harry broke us up and outside we saw Ginny, Tonks and Aberforth. He said Remus had been duelling Dolohov so Tonks ran off to find him."
"I'll be fine. Tonks needs to go." Remus moaned into his hands. James got up and put his hand on Remus' shoulder.
"We transformed the room and began looking. We had to split up but before we found it Malfoy and his cronies appeared."
"Urgh. Just curse the little brat already." Sirius groaned.
"There were curses flying everywhere, Harry spotted the diadem but it flew away when the pile of junk got hit by a curse."
"Damn." James huffed.
"I hit Goyle with a stunning spell but Crabbe was flinging curses everywhere. He ended up using Fiendfyre and setting the whole place on fire."
"That idiot!" Remus exclaimed, looking up from his hands.
"Harry found some broomsticks so we could all fly out. Harry flew back to save Malfoy, while Ron and I got Goyle. As we left Harry turned and caught the diadem and we all just about made it out. Crabbe died in the fire. There was nobody outside. The diadem had been broken by the fiendfyre."
"Only one left. Almost there!" Everyone said excitedly.
"Then Percy and Fred appeared duelling some Death Eaters. Percy made a joke about resigning and then there was a massive explosion. When we got up Fred had been killed." Hermione's voice had got quieter as she went on and a tear trickled down her cheek as she remembered seeing his body.
"No! Not Fred." James cried, looking miserable.
"Poor George." Sirius said, looking horrified.
"I don't believe it. Those twins seemed like they could survive anything." Remus whispered. "So full of life."
The Professors were all crying silently.
Lily sobbed into James' shoulder. Nobody said anything for a minute as they all mourned the loss of such a wonderful character and innocent boy. Hermione leaned into Sirius' side remembering. Flashes from that final battle were imprinted on her brain and this was dragging them all up. She could practically taste the bitter air and see Fred's body being covered by Percy through the smoke. The screams and cries of the Weasley family when they found out would forever sound in her ears. At this tears began to flow faster down her face. The annoying tricksters had been like brothers to her. Sirius held her close and kissed her temple. After a few minutes everyone seemed ready to go again.
"Some giant spiders were climbing up the walls. Harry began blasting them down and we tried to get Percy to move. He didn't want to leave Fred's body." Her voice broke slightly on the last word. "But Harry helped Percy carry him and hide him in a safe niche where the body couldn't be destroyed. I dragged Harry and Ron behind a tapestry. I had to wrestle with Ron because he wanted to go and join Percy fighting the Death Eaters."
"I don't blame him. I would be exactly the same if it were one of you." Remus agreed.
"I basically did do the same thing." Sirius shrugged.
"As would I." Vowed James. "Nobody but me gets to hurt my best friends." Everyone gave a tense chuckle.
"Harry looked into Voldemort's head to find out where he was and found that he was in the shrieking shack."
"He's not even fighting?" Sirius burst out in anger.
"Consider that a good thing Mr Black. Or there would be even more casualties." McGonagall told him, blowing her nose into her handkerchief.
"He was telling Lucius Malfoy to fetch him Snape."
"What does he need Snivellus for?" Sirius spat.
"We argued about who would go to the shack as that was where Nagini was. In the end we got found by Death Eaters so I turned the stairway into a slide and then turned the exit into stone as we came out so the Death Eater fell into the wall."
"Nice!" Sirius complimented. Harry flung the cloak over all of us as the dust and debris would hide our feet. We ran into a corridor full of duellers. Peeves was throwing Snargaluff pods at the Death Eaters and we ran through. As we reached the Entrance Hall the spiders came bursting in and Hagrid went running into their midst."
"NO! Not Hagrid too?" Lily yelled. "Hagrid just can't be gone." Everyone else just looked stunned at that thought. Hagrid had always been there. Dumbledore looked even more grave than ever before. Remembering the boy Hagrid who was framed for being at the wrong place at the wrong time and still did his best.
"The spiders retreated under the onslaught of spells with Hagrid still in their midst. As we reached the front doors, a giant appeared. The Grawp came and they started fighting."
"Oh Gods. Spells, Giants, spiders, it's a miracle anyone made it out alive." McGonagall gasped. Once outside we ran into at least a hundred Dementors. Even Harry couldn't summon up a happy thought to conjure a patronus."
"Oh my baby, my poor baby." Lily was muttering. Sirius tightened his grip on Hermione as if to check she was still there. James was white and clutching Lily tightly.
"Thankfully Seamus, Luna and Ernie came and rescued us. We all finally conjured patronuses and the Dementors fell back, only to be replaced by the giant again. We had to split up, me, Ron and Harry heading towards the Whomping Willow and the others back to the castle. Ron froze the knot on the trunk and we all clambered in. Harry went first. Once we got close he put the cloak on and crept forwards. A box had been placed over the entrance so Harry could only see through a sliver. Snape was in there with Voldemort and Nagini."
Lily whimpered slightly and James hid his disgusted look in favour of comforting her.
"Snape was asking Voldemort if he could go and find Harry."
There were noises of anger and protest around the room.
"If that bast...greasy git," He amended at a sharp look from McGonagall. Lays one finger on my godson I will pulverise him into the ground even if I have to come back from the dead. "Sirius threatened.
"Me too." James growled.
"Me three." Lily added, surprising everyone. "No one touches my Hare Bear." She said in response to the looks she got from James and Sirius.
"Well Voldemort wouldn't let him. He said he needed him for something. He explained that he was still having problems with the Elder Wand. It wouldn't work for him. He had taken the wand from Dumbledore's grave. He reasoned that as Snape had killed Dumbledore, that Snape was the true master."
"Oh no." Lily gasped. A part of her knew he deserved to die for everything he had done, but a small part of Lily could never wish death on her first and best friend.
"Voldemort ordered Nagini to kill him." Hermione said in a flat voice. Everyone was silent. Nobody but Lily shed any tears for Snape. James and Sirius felt he deserved everything he got. Lily sobbed into James chest, crying for the friend she lost as well as the man he became.
"Not even Snivy...Snape deserves a death like that." Remus said, his face once again in his hands.
"Well once Voldemort left, Harry crept into the room. Snape was still alive, just. He He was leaking silvery fluid and told Harry to take it. He asked Harry to look at him and he stared into his eyes as he died."
More silence. Everyone knew exactly why he wanted to look into Harry's eyes as he died. To Lily this was a sign that whatever he had become, Sev had not forgotten the friendship they once shared. This was maybe a sign that they could save him this time around.
"As we stood there we heard Voldemort's voice again. He ordered his forces to retreat and said Harry had one hour to turn himself over or the battle would recommence."
"No. Harry! You can't." Lily cried as if the seventeen year old Harry could hear her. James had somehow gone even paler. He looked like a ghost.
"We went back to the Great Hall and saw everyone tending to wounds, finding friends. There was a line of bodies in the middle." Here Hermione took a deep breath. "The Weasleys were all around Fred. And next to them were…" She stopped. Her voice shaky. She could see the Great Hall in front of her.
"Who was it?" James asked.
"Remus." She said.
"NO!" Sirius and James let out high pitched cries in unison.
"And Tonks." Hermione added miserably.
"NO!" This time it was Remus who cried out in anguish. Tears cascaded down Remus' face. He had failed his future wife. Their son would be orphaned. He barely gave his own death a thought. His friend however were only focused on his death. James had disentangled himself from Lily and moved over to pull Remus into a rib cracking hug. Sirius got up and joined them. The three friends stood together, embracing in the knowledge that all of them died in the future.
"Moony. I…" Sirius' voice broke.
"I know Padfoot." Remus replied in an equally miserable tone. The Professors, Lily and Hermione watched the three friends with tears falling openly from each of their eyes.
"I don't believe it." James croaked, his voice hoarse from crying. "Moony, so soon after your son." This brought a fresh round of tears to all the females in the room.
"At least I died making a better world for him." Remus mumbled.
"It's not fair!" Sirius yelled. "You, Prongs, Lily. None of it." He created a dummy and made it explode before he fell to his knees in grief and his friends were not far behind.
"I know Pads. It's not fair you died either." James said.
"Tonks." Remus moaned. He barely knew her in this lifetime but the knowledge that she had accepted him as he was, married him even had touched him deeply. And her death caused him almost as much grief as his best friends and more so than his own. Someone like his friends and Tonks, so innocent, pure and whole did not deserve death.
"You didn't deserve this either Moony." James growled as if reading Remus' mind. "It took you so long to accept happiness and then...this."
"Maybe it's a sign I shouldn't be happy. First my best friend." He gestured at James. "Then I finally get my other friend back." He points to Sirius. "And then I get married. You all then died." Remus finished miserably. "Maybe I am truly cursed."
"Remus don't you believe a word of that bullshit!" Sirius growled, shaking him firmly.
"You are twice the person of almost anyone. The fact you are forced to turn into an animal once a month does not make you cursed. It makes you unlucky. And our deaths were nothing to do with you. We are at war. Casualties happen!" James told him. HIs own tears had stopped in his anger at his friends self loathing.
"Moony, Tonks was a trained Auror. She knew the dangers and so did I. It has nothing to do with you." Sirius said in a quieter voice.
"Remus you are one of the most deserving people I know." Hermione told him. She was still crying quietly. Then she stood up and embraced him. "And I'm proud to call you my cousin in this lifetime." And then McGonagall got up and embraced the three boys who had made her life so difficult and yet amusing.
"Wow, if I knew you dying would be a way to get a hug out of Minnie I would have killed you years ago Rem." Sirius tried to lighten the mood but McGonagall and Lily shot him such glares he coward away from them. But James and Remus both gave choked laughs. Everyone sat back down, but now James, Remus and Sirius were sat together on the couch. Lily and Hermione sat together on the magically enlarged loveseat.
"Ron and I went to be with his family. When Harry saw who was next to Fred he ran." Hermione avoided saying Remus and Tonks but everyone flinched anyway. "He ran to Professor Dumbledore's office. The password was Dumbledore. He threw Snape's memories into the pensive and dived in."
"What does he want to see those for?" James asked bitterly.
"He saw Snape's memories of telling Lily about magic. On the swings." Hermione looked over at Lily and saw her eyes misting over in remembrance. "He saw Snape telling Lily about Dementors and other parts of magic."
James frowned. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear this.
"Then Harry saw Lily and Snape heading off to school for the first time. And then the first meeting of Lily and James with Snape."
Here James blushed. He knew he had been a right prat. Lily smiled at him, now able to see the funny side.
"Harry watched the sorting. Time skipped and he watched various points in their time at Hogwarts. It was obvious Lily never noticed how Snape felt, but he wasn't exactly hiding it."
James flushed a darker shade of red but not from embarrassment. And Lily blushed.
"We told ya Lils." Sirius said.
"He re-watched the scene after your OWLs. Then Snape's attempt at an apology."
"Why would Snape give Harry these memories? It's hardly necessary, and I can't see him sharing this willingly." Sirius interjected.
"Because it is important." Hermione told him. "Then the memory skipped to Snape meeting with Dumbledore. Snape told him that he had told Voldemort about the prophecy. Snape had found out that Voldemort intended to target the Potters and begged Dumbledore to hide Lily. He confessed he had asked Voldemort to spare her."
"BIt late for that Snivellus." Sirius spat.
"He thought I would be happy if my son and husband were dead?" Snapped Lily. "He would be happy for them to die but me to live. He knows nothing about me."
"Dumbledore pointed that out. Snape requested he hide you all. He promised Dumbledore anything in return. Then it skipped to Snape wishing he were dead because Lily had died. Dumbledore told him Harry had survived and asked him to help protect Harry. Snape agreed as long as Dumbledore never revealed why Snape was helping."
"He was really on our side in the end?" Lily breathed. Hope blossomed in her chest. She could save him. Sev loved her. Lily had known really but denied it because she had almost not wanted it to be true. When he had called her a mudblood she had been convinced that everyone was wrong. Nobody who loved could call her that. But now the truth was being thrown in her face. Maybe if she had been more understanding she could have saved him earlier. Maybe he would never have become a Death eater. She began crying again. "Oh Sev. I'm so sorry." She mumbled. James got up and wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into his chest. Hermione moved over to sit next to Remus and James took her place beside Lily.
"He really was protecting our son all along. I was wrong about him Lil. Maybe we can still save him." James whispered in her ear. He hated the fact, but hearing this, he knew he had to put aside his hatred for Severus Snape. He had protected Harry when James himself could not. He was still angry about the treatment of his son. Humiliating him in lessons and bullying him throughout school. It was wrong of him to take out their schoolboy grudge on an innocent boy, but regardless, he had still protected Harry. And that was more important to James than anything. He knew he and Snape would never get along. Especially hearing how deep his feelings for Lily went. They would always be rivals, but he could put aside his hatred.
"You'd help me save him?" Lily breathed. James told her everything he had just thought and she beamed at him through the tears. He kissed her softly and just held her. Sirius was frowning slightly but Remus wore a proud expression. Hermione watched the couple with a smile. She waited a minute or two and then began again.
"The next memory was Snape talking to Dumbledore during the Triwizard tournament. Karkaroff's Dark mark had been getting darker, signalling his imminent return. Snape said he would not flee when Voldemort came back. Then he was in Dumbledore's office. He had just returned from fetching the Gaunt Ring. There was a curse on it. Snape managed to contain it to Dumbledore's hand but told him that he had a year left to live."
"Oh my gosh! So when Snape killed the professor at the end of sixth year, it had been going to happen anyway?"Remus exclaimed, speaking for the first time since they had started Snape's memories. Hermione nodded.
"Snape informed him that Voldemort had instructed Draco Malfoy to kill Dumbledore. He expected the boy to fail, but it was punishment for Lucius screwing up at the Department of mysteries."
"That poor boy." Lily said softly. "He is only sixteen." She said in response to the looks she was getting.
"Dumbledore then asked Snape to kill him when the time came. He explained to Snape that in the future Voldemort would fear for Nagini. He told Snape to tell Harry that when Voldemort came to the Potter's house that night. When Lily's protection broke him part of Voldemort's soul broke and latched onto the only living thing nearby."
"NO!" Lily screamed. "Not my baby." She whimpered.
"The connection between the two. Part of Voldemort's soul was in Harry?" McGonagall asked, going pale. Hermione nodded.
"Harry became a horcrux. To Kill Voldemort Harry had to die."
"No. He can't. After everything he has been through, he can't just die!" Remus cried.
"You said...You said Voldemort was gone but Harry was still alive!" Sirius yelled. "That can't be possible if he had to die."
"That poor, poor boy." McGonagall said, crying into a tissue.
"My son." Was all James could say. After everything he had given up. Everything his brave son had been through, and it was all leading up his death. Lily was sobbing harder than ever before. Sirius got up and went to get the baby Harry. He needed to check he was still with them. He brought the sleeping child back into the front room, hugging him tightly. His precious godson, so pure and innocent. Whole.
Lily jumped up and she and James moved over to Sirius, crowding around the baby. Remus quickly joined the group, all of whom were crying. MIraculously Harry managed to sleep through most of the commotion.
"You said Harry was alive when you came back here." Sirius turned his red rimmed eyes to Hermione. He was clinging to the one desperate hope that his Harry would not be destined to die.
"He was." She said softly.
"How is that possible?" Lily demanded.
"All will be explained." Hermione told them patiently. She understood all too well what they were feeling. She herself had seen Harry's body in Hagrid's arms and thought him dead. Hermione sat back down in the middle of Sirius and Remus. Lily and James clutched Harry between them. Dumbledore looked thoughtful but James was looking like he wanted to demand answers, but refrained.
"Harry then saw Snape confunding Mundungus and getting him to suggest that they should use seven Potters when moving Harry from Privet Drive. The accidental cursing of George's ear. He had been aiming for a Death eater. It was Snape that sent a patronus and hid the sword in the lake."
"He was helping all along?" Lily smiled softly. Sirius frowned and James pulled his wife close.
"I guess he was." McGonagall said.
"Once he finished looking at Snape's memories, Harry realised he needed to die. He had to go to Voldemort and give himself up."
"He...he had to walk to his own death?" Sirius asked, his mouth dropping open. Lily clutched the baby tighter to her as if afraid he might get up and walk off.
"You are so brave son." James whispered, ruffling the baby's hair, a tear trickling down his cheek. Remus had an arm around Sirius and so did Hermione on this other side. The teachers were all watching Harry with a mixture of sadness and awe.
"Harry put on his cloak and made his way back through the castle. He saw that Colin had been killed. Colin Creevey had snuck back in to fight." McGonagall put her hand to her mouth in horror. Everyone else looked upset and sad.
"That foolish, brave boy." Flitwick said.
"ON his way out, Harry spotted Neville. He took his cloak off and told him to kill the snake. He lied to Neville and said he wasn't going to hand himself over and then took off."
"And Neville let him?" James asked angrily.
"James, he had to go." Remus said miserably.
"But..but..he lives in the future right? There had to be another way." He asked desperately. He couldn't bare the idea that his son had to do this. Lily put one arm around him and he slumped back in defeat.
"Once at the forest, Harry pulled out the snitch that had read 'I open at the close'. He put it to his mouth and said he was about to die. As he did four figures stood around him. You four." Hermione said, pointing at the marauders and Lily.
"How is that possible?" Lily asked. Dumbledore leaned forward, curiosity and excitement lighting his features.
"The resurrection stone from the old story...was in the snitch." Hermione explained. "You four guided him through the forest. You told him you were proud of him."
"We are proud of him." Lily smiled, though her eyes were overbright. James pulled his son and wife closer. Hearing Harry walk to his death was emotionally taxing everyone. But knowing they were with him at least in spirit made them feel slightly better.
"He approached as his hour was up. He made it just in time and he faced death bravely. He said Voldemort didn't mess around this time. Just hit him with the killing curse."
"No!" Whimpered Lily.
"But...he lives." Whispered Sirius as if trying to convince himself. James was crying and so was Lily. Sirius and Remus moved to sit on the floor by James and Lily's legs where they could be by Harry.
"When Harry opened his eyes he was in a misty, white place. He didn't go into much detail about this, but apparently it looked like a clean King's Cross Station. While he was there, he saw Professor Dumbledore."
"That's impossible!" Exclaimed McGonagall.
"No. If he is meeting Dumbledore then he has to be dead." James moaned.
"What on earth is going on?" Remus asked, bewildered.
"Dumbledore explained that when Voldemort hit Harry with the killing curse he killed the bit of his own soul inside Harry. When Voldemort was coming back he took Harry's blood. The protection that Lily gave Harry when she died for him now lingered in Voldemort. In taking Harry's blood he secured Harry's life to his own."
"Of course." Dumbledore said smiling at his own logic in the future.
"So Harry isn't really dead?" Lily asked in a daze of confused hope.
"No. Anyway, Dumbledore explained about the Hallows and his youth. He told him his cloak was one of the hallows as well."
"My cloak is a hallow from stories?" James asked looking interested. Hermione nodded.
"Dumbledore told Harry a bit more about his youth which Harry didn't go into detail about, and what he did say I won't reveal. That is up to the professor. He explained that Harry had a choice. If he wanted to go back he could, if not then he could move on."
"If he wanted to Harry could die permanently this time?" Lily asked horrified. Hermione nodded.
"He decided to come back to us."
"He lived through the killing curse...twice! My little baby is a miracle." James cooed. Relief the dominant emotion on his face.
"When he came back, he was lying on the ground. He had to remain dead still. It seemed that when he had hit Harry, Voldemort had also fallen over."
"He felt his soul dying? He didn't feel any others." Lily frowned.
"I'm not sure, exactly, I think it was to do with the blood bond. Voldemort told a Death eater to check Harry was really dead."
"But they will know instantly he is alive. He is surrounded by Death Eaters." James burst out.
"He sent Narcissa Malfoy. She asked Harry very quietly if Draco was still alive. He said yes and she lied, saying he was dead."
"All she cares about is finding her son." Lily breathed an understanding smile on her face.
"Hagrid was in the forest, captured by Death Eaters. They made him carry Harry's body back to the castle."
"Poor Hagrid." Said Remus.
"Voldemort called everyone out of the castle. We saw Harry in Hagrid's arms. We thought he had died." Hermione broke into a sob. Sirius got up off the floor and pulled her into his arms. She leaned into Sirius' side and cleared her throat. "Voldemort lied about Harry. He said they killed him while trying to sneak out and save his own life."
"That evil…" James broke off. How dare he slate his son.
"We didn't believe him. Everyone knew Harry wouldn't do that. He's the noblest git ever." Hermione gave a choked sob. Everyone gave a watery smile. "We resisted. Neville charged at Voldemort who disarmed him and put him in a full body bind. Neville refused to join them and Voldemort forced the sorting hat on Neville's head and it burst into flames. Harry wasn't able to stand it so he put his cloak on and jumped up. At the same time a load of reinforcements came running towards us from the Hogwarts gate."
"Reinforcements?" James asked, looking stunned.
"Yeah, Slughorn had gone with Charlie Weasley and got people from Hogsmeade and students parents. Neville pulled the sword of Gryffindor from the hat and cut off Nagini's head."
"GO NEVILLE!" The room cheered, the dark mood finally lifting slightly.
"Hagrid noticed Harry was missing and the fight broke out again. Everybody was throwing spells everywhere. The centaurs came running out of the forest and the reinforcements arriving forced everyone back to the castle. Professor McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley were all duelling Voldemort. The students were duelling Bellatrix. A killing curse just missed Ginny and Mrs Weasley came running over to fight Bellatrix."
"Yeah! Go Molly!" Sirius cheered.
"She yelled 'Not my daughter you bitch!" Hermione smirked.
"Molly cursed? Wow." Sirius grinned.
"The house elves came out and started fighting, lead by Kreacher himself. Bellatrix was taunting Mrs Weasley and Mrs Weasley killed her."
"YES!" Sirius cheered louder than ever. "I'm going to give her the biggest hug ever." He beamed.
"Voldemort exploded in anger and his duellers were flown back. They were all ok." Hermione added, looking quickly at McGonagall. "Harry put up a shield between Voldemort and Mrs Weasley, finally revealing himself. He said it had to be him, he didn't want anyone to help."
Lily and James clutched hands. They knew this was it. The final moment where their son did the unimaginable.
"Harry explained that he had died for everyone that evening. He had given them all the same protection his mother had given him. Then he explained that Dumbledore's last plan had gone wrong. He intended for the power of the Elder Wand to die with him. His death had been planned and so he died undefeated. But it didn't quite work like that."
"Huh?" Now everyone looked confused except Dumbledore.
"He explained how Snape had been a spy for Dumbledore from the beginning and Voldemort argued then said it didn't matter because he had killed Snape so the wand was his. Harry pointed out that Malfoy had disarmed Dumbledore before Snape killed him. Malfoy was actually the master of the Elder Wand. Until Harry disarmed him at Malfoy Manor."
"So Harry is the master of the wand that Voldemort has?" James gasped in understanding.
"He used the disarming spell as Voldemort tried to kill him. Voldemort was killed by his own rebounding curse."
Everyone was silent. They looked at each other and then the room exploded into cheers and delight. James and Lily were looking down at the baby in their arms incredulously. He had done it. Their little baby defeated the most dangerous wizard ever. All they could do was hold him and cry tears of happiness along with a few tears of sorrow for everything he had suffered.
Sirius pulled Hermione to him and kissed her in his excitement. She returned the kiss happily and then gratefully leaned back into his side to give her last words of the story.
"After that there was a time for mourning the dead. Harry told me and Ron everything that we had missed. He also used the Elder wand to fix his old Holly wand. Kingsley became Minister for Magic. And then the world tried to rebuild." Hermione finished. Everyone looked at each other again.
"I cannot believe it." Sirius said.
"Our little miracle baby." James grinned.
Once the initial high of Voldemort's death became to end everyone became somber once again as they remembered the cost it had come at.
"So what now?" Asked McGonagall.
(A/N OMG This chapter was sooo freaking long. Almost 20 word pages and 6 thousand words, I'm so glad I split up the last part. Well this is it...the final chapter of the story. I have to thank everyone who has stuck with me this past year. As always I welcome comments. I have to shoutout to Nika0645 who has stuck with me through every single story I've written on here, thank you for the moral support it's very much appreciated :) Thanks to Honestly Don't you two read, Agent Potter, My best mate E who have also stuck with me the whole way through this story. Thanks to everyone else as well, I don't have room to thank every single amazing person who reviewed. I will be doing a sequel with how they fix time. It will be called 'Changing Time'. In the meantime if you wanna check out more of my writing I will be posting Divergent story 'The Value of Bravery' and I'd be grateful if you could spare a few minutes to read and review that too. Wow this Authors Note is now ridiculously long, so thanks again, I hope you enjoy the story. I solemnly swear I am up to know good)