DISCLAIMER. None of the characters used are a creation of mine. They belong solely to JK Rowling.
Several months passed. Harry had turned eighteen and witnessed the deaths of Dean and Seamus firsthand.
An old friend, Viktor Krum had also joined the good fight but was killed shortly after his initiation fighting alongside Luna.
Shacklebolt was tortured and murdered in the middle of the Ministry, overtaken yet again by Voldemort and his cronies.
He was out in the open.
People began turning into their homes refusing to help anyone. Another reign of terror had been instilled upon Britain.
The Order had been dwindling.
Yet another blow came with the death of the Weasley patriarch. Molly soon followed, dying at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange.
Bill lost Fleur while battling a small group of Death Eaters who had just murdered an entire London suburb.
The war waged on.
Harry, Ron and Hermione fought alongside the Aurors who had left the Ministry upon its corruption and ran their own Department independent of any interference. It was safe to say that the Order was now only confined to these Aurors.
Hogwarts fell in the wee hours of a dreary October morning, taking along with it Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick. It was said that seven hundred and eighty nine students had been killed leaving, of course the Slytherin purebloods safe.
Despite everything that happened, Voldemort would not come in front of the public eye. He could not be baited or trapped. There was no way to end him.
It was Christmas time and Hermione and Ron had left the safety of Grimmauld Place to scout a possible Death Eater hideout.
They were soon joined by Draco, who in the previous months had singlehandedly defeat a quarter of Greybacks pack.
After having spent the entire night looking out for any signs of Death Eater activity, they had finally decided to leave.
Draco was the first to Disapparate.
Hermione and Ron walked hand in hand, revelling in the warmth each provided to the other. Almost reaching the Apparition point, Hermione slipped, crying out in pain.
Without any warning ten cloaked figures appeared out of thin air, leering at the two lovers caught all alone.
Ron and Hermione whipped out their wands and stood facing them, back to back.
And so the fight begun. They fought vakaintly, having taken down three Death Eaters already. Throwing shield after shield, and pitching in a curse once or twice they were so far successful in keeping themselves safe from any harm.
After a few minutes which had felt like an eternity, they were soon joined in the fight by Harry, Draco and Neville.
Draco must have alerted the Order when Ron and Hermione had failed to arrive at the headquarters.
But they weren't the only ones who had received help.
There was the sound of several cracks signalling the arrival of a dozen or so Death Eaters.
It seemed that there would be no end to this battle.
When it finally felt as if they might have had a chance something strange happened. The Death Eaters receded. The battle stopped. All of a sudden there was an uncanny stillness.
Right in front of Harry's eyes, manifested his greatest enemy.
There stood Voldemort, smiling evilly at the children before him, daring them to come closer.
He laughed in their faces.
'Harry Potter. We meet again.' He smirked.
Harry found himself overcome with a venomous anger that threatened to take over his body and mind. Very carefully he assessed his situation.
Hermione lay on the ground, her lip bleeding and her leg turned at an odd angle but still holding onto her wand tightly.
Ron stood protectively over her body, sheltering her from any potential attack.
Draco and Neville stood together, their wands aimed at the enemy
Harry walked closer to Voldemort, 'Its awfully foolish of you to have come out of hiding, Tom. Nothing to bring you back to life anymore in case you died. No more horcruxes.'
Voldemort cackled, 'Stupid boy. You really think you can win this war? Look at yourself. Look at your friends. They're all dead.'
Draco aimed a quick sectumsempra at him. Voldemort glared and waived off the curse.
Draco spoke in a level voice, 'He's still got us. We're still fighting.'
'Not for very long, my boy.' Voldemort laughed. 'I shall end this for once and all tonight. I shall take great pleasure in killing you. What a waste of pureblood, might I say.'
He paced around the five soldiers. 'I shall enjoy it greatly when I defile your little friend, Harry.' He sneered at Hermione. 'My men shall be very pleased, of course. Your redhead friend shall watch as his girlfriend is taken by each one of my men.'
He looked at Harry then with a glint of evil in his eyes. 'Much like your own faincée was.'
It was then that Harry succumbed to his the rage boiling inside him.
He pointed his wand at Voldemort and screamed, 'Avada Kedavra'
Voldemort soon followed and the two flashes of green light met each other, each trying to overpower the other.
When the force of holding it was too much to handle, Harry ducked aside and watched as Voldemort and his followers once again began to attack.
Neville was the first to fall.
Hermione struggled to fight, balancing on her broken leg. Just a little longer, she kept telling herself.
Curses were fired left and right and Harry and Draco, hidden behind a tree maintained a steady stream of spells against the Death Eaters.
Ron and Hermione were on the other side, cornered by seven Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.
Voldemort signalled his followers to stop fighting and threw the killing curse towards Hermione's chest.
Bracing herself against the impending collisions, she closed her eyes shut.
There was no romanticising what had happened. She saw nothing flash in front of her eyes that would indicate at the life she had lived. All she had felt was fear. Fear of the purest kind.
But as much as she had expected a blow she had felt nothing. Shivering, she opened her eyes but what she saw next was something that would never leave her alone.
Her vision was imprinted with a mess of red hair flying as Ron fell down to the ground with a resounding thud.
His eyes looking at her, unfeeling. His mouth open, still resounding the scream he had let out as he ran in front of her to shield her from death.
Everything stood still for a moment. She could hear the steady pounding of her heart. She scrambled on the ground, reaching for the man she had come to love over the years.. trying to preserve the memory of the brave soldiers who had just given everything up for.. her. For Hermione.
The moment of stillness was broken all too soon by a grief laden shriek Harry let out. He ran forwards as Voldemort cackled along with his men.
Draco seemed to be the only one in control of his mind. Sensing the inevitable end that would meet him and his allies in this moment of vulnerability, he latched onto Harry who was now holding onto Ron's body still held close to Hermione's chest, and Disappeared the group to the leading step of Grimmauld Place.