Chapter 5

This chapter is the longest so far, and was the hardest to write.

I am still not satisfied by it, and will probably edit it again sometime, but at the moment, this is the best I can do.

Please review.

'thoughts'

"talking"

Hermione's POV

I couldn't believe what was happening, harry couldn't be dead, it just didn't make any sense!

Harry would never have gone to meet Voldemort before all the horcruxes where gone, he wouldn't have tried to kill Nagini and Voldemort by himself, sure he may be reckless, but he wasn't stupid!

I wanted to close my eyes, to pretend none of this was real, but I couldn't keep my eyes of the terrible scene, the serpent uncoiling itself on the grass next to Harry, who was lying unmoving at Voldemort's feet.

My best friend, my brother, was gone.

I could barely process Voldemort's speech, it all seemed like one, big terrible nightmare, I kept thinking that any moment now I would wake up with Ron and Harry snoring in our tent next to me.

I finally shook myself from my trance when the sorting hat burst into flames on Neville's head, I couldn't lose anyone else, not after Lupin, Tonks, Fred and ha…Harry, 'I have to end this, even if it was the last thing I do.'

But before I had even moved one step, Neville had gotten free of the flaming hat, and had pulled something from its depths, my eye's widened in shock as I recognized the ruby incrusted hilt.

Before I could get over the fact that the sword of Gryffindor had presented itself to Neville, it was already swishing through the air, and one moment later, the snake lay dead on the ground.

The last horcrux was gone! I wanted to scream in celebration, I...

Someone brushed passed me and I flinched away, and then nearly fainted when I saw who it was-

Snape. The same snape I had watched breath his last breath on the shrieking shack's dusty floor, not an hour and a half ago!

I heard the muttering and yelps of fury around me, at the traitor's appearance, I looked desperately at Ron, but he seemed just as stunned as I was.

Snape opened his mouth, but the words that came out, just strengthened my suspicions that I was dreaming-

"One thousand points to Gryffindor, Mr. Longbottom."- he said.

…..?

"What in the name of merlin's fucking..."

Ron swore loudly next to me, but for once, I didn't reprimand him,

In what world would Snape award points to Neville for Gryffindor?!

And let's not forget the 'one thousand' bit.

What was happening?!

nothing made sense!

First Harry giving himself up, and then Snape being alive and giving points to Neville for killing his master's pet.

I didn't understand, I felt as if the world had turned upside down,

where was the logic?!

Voldemort looked just as shocked as I was, I even thought I saw a flicker of fear in those cold red eyes,

"Severus"-he said, "you were… you should be dead."- his shock was evident in his tone.

"Yes,"- said Snape, looking bored,

"It would seem, that you are losing your touch, 'My Lord'."

I gasped, and I wasn't the only one, those last two words were dripping with disrespect. For a moment I thought, maybe we had been wrong, maybe, this whole time…

But then, no, he killed Dumbledore, he couldn't be on our side.

Voldemort opened his mouth, as if to respond, but Snape cut him of-

"What is it with you and black-haired half-bloods?"-he wondered aloud, before answering his own question-

"Ah, that's right, you where one." Snape's face contorted into his signature sneer.

"Oh my god."- I whimpered.

It was just like being back in Snape's potions class, except that instead of Harry, he was taunting Voldemort.

I couldn't believe it, and by the looks on everyone else's face's, neither could they, even the death eaters, looked terrified, awaiting their master's reaction.

Voldemort himself looked murderous, he raised his wand to attack, but he wasn't the only one,

I winced, as Bellatrix shrieked-

"How dare you!"

she shot a curse at Snape but he deflected it effortlessly,

"Tut, tut, Bella"-said Snape, "such a temper." He sneered at her, as she fumed.

"Severus, stop this treachery at once!"-ordered Voldemort, his eyes flashing in anger.

Snape's head snaped back to look at Voldemort, the sneer on his face replaced with an impassive look.

"Treachery?! You don't seem to understand the meaning of that word, 'My Lord',"-again, there was no respect in the title, only contempt,

"You see,"-he continued calmly, "treachery implies loyalty, and I am not, and have not, been loyal to you in seventeen years."

A ripple of shock passed through the watchers at this,

everyone was staring at Snape now, their expressions ranging from terror to confusion, Voldemort looked like he had been slapped in the face,

"What is this?!" he hissed, his snakelike eyes widening in disbelief.

I felt the gears turning in my mind as I tried desperately to understand what was happening, I hated not knowing!

"For seventeen years I have bided my time until I could face you, ever since you returned, I have pretended to serve you, to spy for you, when I was really spying on you,"

Snapes mask was slipping, his fury was leaking out, I clung to his every word, enraptured by his revelations-

"Did you really think Albus Dumbledore would trust me to be so near to Potter, if he was not sure of my loyalty's? Did you really think so highly of me that you believed I had hoodwinked the greatest wizard since merlin?"

"Dumbledore is dead! You killed him!"-accused Voldemort, "His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle. I have seen it, Severus, don't lie to me. How could you have killed him and yet claim to be loyal to him?!"-Voldemort asked, looking utterly deranged.

"I killed Dumbledore, because you ordered me to"- Snape said, as if explaining to a toddler throwing a tantrum, rather than a powerful and dangerous dark wizard who had already taken countless lives.

I was beyond confused, until snape continued, "-and more importantly, because he ordered me to."

Utter confusion and silence reigned after that announcement,

Voldemort just stared at Snape as if he had gone mad,

"He what?! Why would he do that?"- Voldemort asked incredulously, voicing my thoughts exactly.

I glanced at Snape, eager for an answer, Snape's impassive look had returned, and when he answer Voldemort, there was no longer any anger in his expression, only coldness and disrespect.

"Surely your observational skills aren't so lacking?!"- he said, in mock surprise, "Surely you knew Albus was already dying when I finished him of, unless you assumed his blackened hand was simply a fashion statement."-he stated scathingly.

I gasped, everything was finally starting to make sense, and snape wasn't finished-

"In hindsight, it really was quite a Slytherin move of Dumbledore's, don't you think?"- he asked rhetorically, "Have me be the one to kill him so that I, the spy, could become your most trusted follower, so trusted that you let me become headmaster, and in doing so enabled me to protect the students, at least to some degree." Snape paused for a moment before adding- "although, his main concern seemed to be saving young Mr. Malfoy from destroying his own soul."

'No way'- I thought to myself, 'Snape and Dumbledore had planned everything'.

'Snape was on our side the whole time! No wonder he had made Ginny and the others do detention with Hagrid; he was trying to save them from the Carrows!'

it was as if a light had turned on in my head, making everything clear,

except… there was still one thing I was still in the dark about.

"Why did you do it?"

Everyone turned to me, shocked that I had spoken, but I tried to ignore them and continued, determinedly meeting Professor Snape's penetrating gaze,

"What was it that made Dumbledore trust you so much? The reason you turned spy in the first place?

What did he know?!"- I asked, exasperated.

I could see in his eyes that Snape was deeply affected by my question, but he quickly regained his composure-

"That," he said silkily, turning back to Voldemort, whose livid glare made me shudder in fear, "-is a very good question. Ten points to Gryffindor, Granger."

My mind was already reeling with everything I had heard in the last few minutes, and that last comment nearly sent me into shock.

That was the first time Snape had ever awarded me points for anything, not to mention complemented me.

If it wasn't for the murderous looks I was receiving from Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and my best friend lying dead on the ground, I might have just smiled. Instead, I stumbled back and grasped Ron's hand tightly, and he squeezed mine back in reassurance.

When Snape started speaking to Voldemort again, it was clear he was barely keeping his temper in check- "But the 'Dark Lord' already knows the answer to that question, don't you 'My Lord'?"

"What?!"-Voldemort's blood red eye's narrowed in confusion.

Snape's mask was slipping again, and this time he made no effort to control it, and he let his anger show.

"Surly you of all people remember that night, the night you denied me the one thing I ever asked from you, the night you killed the one person who made my life worth living, the one person I loved!"

- he was shouting as he reached the end of his outburst, his anger was making his magic surge out of him in waves, but I barely noticed.

'Voldemort had killed someone Snape loved?! No wonder Snape was always so bitter and cold.'

I wondered silently who he had lost, a wife? A child?

It was hard to imagine Snape as a father, though that would explain why he hated the students so much, to be constantly reminded of your loss like that…

I was interrupted from my musing by a high cold laugh,

"love!" said Voldemort, his snake's face jeering.

"Dumbledore's favorite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out Potter like a cockroach, and nobody ever seemed to love you enough to save you from your filthy muggle father, Severus.

So, who was it you loved, Severus, that you say I killed?"

The look of hatred on Snape's face was terrifying, his 'I hate harry potter' look didn't even begin to compare to this.

"You remember perfectly well who I loved, I begged you to spare her, did I not? And yet you killed her anyway, she died to save her son, and now he died to save us..."

A shriek of glee interrupted Snape's speech, and I flinched again at the sound of Bellatrix's voice,

"My lord, he's talking about that Gryffindor he used to follow around like a lost puppy, remember, that Mudblood bitch, Po…"*

But she was cut off, by Snape's tongue locker curse, he looked mad with rage-

"DON'T YOU DARE!"- screamed snape, all restraint forgotten,

"You aren't worthy to kiss her boots, let alone speak her name, you crazy bitch!"

The look on Bellatrix's face was priceless, I felt like cheering, but I was distracted by what I had heard, by the sound of it, Snape had loved Harry's mother, but that couldn't be right, it just-

"…makes no fucking sense."- muttered Ron as if reading my mind, he must have understood as well.

Apart from us, only a few of the grownups seemed to be caching on, both Slughorn and McGonagall had silent tears running down their cheeks, and were looking at Snape as if seeing him for the first time.

I couldn't believe it, but Snape's next words to Voldemort left no place for doubt-

"Lily chose to die to save her son, her love for Harry is what saved him that night, and I vowed to make sure her sacrifice was not in vain.

For years I have waited, saving his life again and again, for Lily, keeping him alive, safe from you, helping him, so one day he could defeat you-"

Snape was suddenly interrupted by Voldemort's gloating voice-

"And yet you failed!"-he said gleefully, "Potter is dead, and I still live, you cannot stop me!"

Snape smirked evilly at that, "you are mistaken"- he said confidently.

Voldemort looked shocked, "Potter is dead, I…"

"Yes, yes, the boy is dead,"- Snape interrupted impatiently, "but he already defeated you, what good are you if you can't harm anyone? Just like his mother, Harry sacrificed himself for the people he loved, and now, any spell you use against them will fail, or have you not noticed Longbottom still has a head on his shoulders?!"-he finished sarcastically.

"Of course! The sacrifice of love, why didn't we think of that sooner?"- I muttered to myself, but Ron heard me,

"Because we have a mission and if it wasn't for that self-sacrificing git…"

-his voice broke as he trailed of, the pain clear in his voice,

my eyes were drawn to Harry's body again, and I drew a deep and shuddering breath, before whispering back- "he did it for us, so we could live," I said blinking back my tears-"and now we can end it, Nagini was the last one."

Ron straitened at that last statement, he stood alert, his fiery gaze on Voldemort, vengeful and determined.

'Merlin, I love him.'- I thought, before turning my gaze back to the scene in front of me.

Because of our whispered conversation, we had missed Voldemort's response to Snape's revelation, but whatever he had said, it had caused Snape to lose it completely, and he was now glaring at Voldemort loathingly,

I noticed Ron eyeing him with a look of, what seemed almost like respect, and maybe even awe.

'Well, that's new.'

"No more." hissed Snape, "no more orphaned children, no more mourning mothers, this ends now."

"Expecto patronum!"- as Snape waved his wand a beautiful silver-white Doe erupted from the end of it, and turned to stand flanking him on his left.

"Bloody hell"- swore Ron, staring at it with wide eyes.

'Should have seen that one coming, really. I mean if Harry's stag Patronus represented his father, then it logically follows that a doe Patronus would represent his mother.'

"Seventeen years ago, you killed Lily Evans-Potter, the love of my life,

and now, I am going to kill you"- stated snape, his voice dangerously low, as his magic surged out of him angrily,

A bout of shocked gasps and mutterings Rippled through the crowd, and even Ron and I, who had understood from Snape's previous remarks, couldn't hold back our surprise,

Hearing his hints, seeing his Patronus, and then deducing the meaning behind them, was one thing, but to receive confirmation, with such a clear declaration of love, was another thing entirely.

Voldemort was laughing again, "you!? Kill me!?

You forget Severus, I have the elder wand, no one can stand against me.

You on the other hand are much more vulnerable, I doubt Potter's alleged 'love magic' extends to you, and no one is running forward to stand by your side."- Voldemort sneered at Snape, the Death Eaters shifted uneasily, readying for a fight.

Snape palled slightly, but didn't back down, out of the corner of my eye I saw someone charge forward-

"Ron no!"

I tried to stop him, but he slipped out of my grasp,

He moved to stand next to Snape, flanking him on his right.

"I will stand by his side,"- proclaimed Ron loudly, ignoring the exclamations of surprise and fury-

"For justice, peace, and for… for the Potters."- he stated, glancing briefly in the direction of Harry's body.

Snape's expression was extremely comical, and he stared at Ron as if he had just grown a second head.

'Oh wow, I love you Ron'- I thought as I stepped forward to join him-

"For justice, peace and for the Potters."- I repeated, raising my wand to point at Voldemort.

To my surprise, Neville stepped forward nearly at the same time I did, one hand gripping the hilt of the sword, while the other raised his retrieved wand and pointed it straight at Bellatrix.

"For my parents, and for the Potters", he said fiercely, he turned and gave the defenders of Hogwarts a quick nod, and then faced forward again, glaring at Bellatrix, who smirked at him.

And then, as if they had been waiting for Neville's reassurance,

there was a great flurry of motion, and one by one, the defenders raised their wands and pointed them at Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"For the Potters"- they declared.

'As good a battle cry as any.'

Snape snaped out of his trance, and he to turned back to Voldemort, his wand pointing straight at his heart.

"For the Potters."- he agreed, his voice braking at the last word.

"Very well."- said Voldemort coldly, his eye's burning in anger-

"I…"

But whatever Voldemort was going to say, was drowned out by the noise as as everything descended into utter chaos-

An uproar was heard from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded likehundreds of people came swarming over the outof-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, uttering loud war cries.

At the same time, Grawp came lumbering around the side of the castle and yelled, "HAGGER!" His cry was answered by roars from Voldemort's giants: They ran at Grawp like bull elephants, making the earth quake.

Then came hooves and the twangs of bows, and arrows were suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise.

Then, over the screams and the roars and the thunderous stamps of the battling giants, Hagrid's yell came loudest of all "HARRY!" Hagrid shouted. "HARRY—WHERE'S HARRY?"**

Harry's body had disappeared.

*Bellatrix was going to say "… potter's mother."- before Snape cut her off and cursed her.

**The bold bit at the end is taken straight from the book (DH)