Draco awoke with a sense of urgency but was completely unable to do anything about it. His head was fuzzy; he didn't know what was happening or what had happened. It was too cold. His limbs were heavy, and everything ached and weighed him down.

He wanted to sleep again, but something was nagging at him. He needed to live right? He struggled to understand what that meant but lost the fight.

Someone said… something, but Draco couldn't make his brain cooperate, so he drifted again.

The next time Draco stirred awake, he was warmer, but the pain was far worse. The urge to retreat into nothing was tempting, but again, his mind wanted him to remember something. He inhaled shakily, and it came back.

He needed to stay alive. Harry needed him.

"Harry?" he rasped opening his eyes. Everything was blurry and too bright. Draco blinked trying to bring the room into focus. It was so white. The infirmary?

"Here," someone said and grabbed his shoulder. Regulus. Draco could just make him out his form hovering nearby. Regulus leaned down and pressed a vial to his lips. Pain potion.

"Harry?" Draco asked again after swallowing.

"Just rest," Regulus said, but he should have said, Harry's fine. Something was wrong.

"What happened?" Draco asked sitting up further.

"Nagini went after you." Draco flinched against his will. He did remember at least some of that encounter, and while it should have been more concerning, that wasn't his primary focus.

"No, with Harry," Draco clarified and looked to Regulus, eyes now focused. Regulus's ever-neutral face was exhausted, betraying a sadness that made Draco's heart race. What had Harry done?

"I don't -" Regulus started slowly, and Draco felt the excuse coming.

"Tell me," Draco said and he felt his eyes water. "Just tell me. He did it, didn't he?"

He desperately hoped he had jumped to the wrong conclusion, but Regulus nodded. "The ring?" Draco asked. Regulus said he would get Harry the ring, so Draco knew he must have done it. Regulus didn't lie.

Regulus whispered, sadly, "I gave it to him. I swear I watched him put it on his finger, but -" He took a breath. "He wasn't wearing it when he died."

"What are you saying?" Draco asked. If Harry had the ring, Harry was fine.

"He's dead," Regulus stated.

Draco shook his head. "No, he's not." Regulus frowned and Draco knew something patronizing was coming so he didn't give Regulus the chance, "Tell me where he is." He started to push the covers off despite the discomfort.

Harry wasn't dead. Draco knew Harry couldn't be dead. He'd escaped many times before, this was just another close call.

"Stop, you'll reopen your wounds," Regulus said, reaching out a hand to push him back down.

"I don't care," Draco said pushing back against Regulus's hold.

"I care!" Pomfrey said, scurrying towards him. "Sit back. I've had enough patients escape me today. Those bites are some of the worst I've seen. If it wasn't for this young man -"

Draco cut her off and growled at Regulus, "I need to see him." When Regulus didn't immediately object, Draco added, "Please."

Regulus considered for a second and turned to Pomfrey. "Do you have any Dittany left?"

"We are awfully low, but Mungo's should be bringing more within the next hour," Pomfrey said slowly.

"Let us apply some more to your wounds," Regulus told Draco, then turned directly to Pomfrey. "I'll make sure he doesn't tear any, but I don't think we can keep him here."

She tutted unhappily but went to get the Dittany all the same. What had Regulus done to get Pomfrey on his side? Draco was glad Regulus was listening to him, rather than forcing him to escape the moment he was left alone. He would do whatever he needed to get to Harry.

As Regulus thoroughly applied the Dittany, Draco looked around the infirmary. Most beds were filled, although he couldn't recognise many people. The Weasley twins were near, one sitting next to the other, both dozing. It looked like it was morning based on the light, so hopefully, only a few hours had passed. It made sense with how much his head hurt despite the pain potion.

With Draco hurrying him impatiently, Regulus finished applying the potion almost everywhere. Draco knew he shouldn't be alive with all of these bites. He remembered the Dark Lord finding him, but the fight with Nagini was a blur of panic and pain. Regulus seemed to read Draco's thoughts.

"You'll be alright. Scarring, of course, but I wouldn't let you die." Draco gave a stiff nod. It was time for him to do the same for Harry. Regulus slowly helped Draco to his feet and Draco was reluctantly forced to lean on Regulus to stabilize himself.

"You should rest longer," Regulus warned after Draco swayed again on the second step.

"I need to see him," Draco said through gritted teeth and pushed off Regulus. Nausea slammed into him, but he ignored it and started walking. Regulus sighed but led him downstairs to the Great Hall.

Again, his stomach turned unhappily at the sight. It was being used as a place to gather bodies. Prone forms laid about, with several figures sitting or standing next to them, but it was obvious where Harry was. The largest crowd surrounded the end of the Gryffindor table.

Regulus adjusted his hood but waited at the doors, letting Draco continue alone. The few people who spotted him gave him odd glances, but thankfully no one outright questioned why a Death Eater was there. They stuck to whispers. Draco slowly walked towards the table, feeling a bit numb and determined to keep calm. Harry was alive, despite how it would look. Harry was just in a ring. He wasn't really dead.

It did annoy Draco at how many people had come to gawk at Harry's body. Harry's housemates. His classmates. Professors. Order members. Some people probably hadn't exchanged a dozen words with him, yet here they still were, pretending to care. None of these people knew Harry the way Draco did. Harry would have hated this.

When Draco finally got to the table, he noticed James, sitting at Harry's side, eyes red. Next to him was Sirius Black and they both leaned into each other, looking absolutely miserable. Something uncomfortable tugged inside Draco. James should have been protesting till the end that Harry was alive, but he looked defeated. James had helped Dracco make the ring, he should know that this wasn't the end. Draco stopped his approach, after weaving through the crowd. Lupin eyed him warily.

Finally, Draco made himself look at Harry.

He forced his face to remain blank, reminding himself that Harry wasn't dead. He just looked dead. He reminded Draco so much of James's body, especially without his green eyes, it was reminiscent of the hours he'd spent with James's at Grimmauld. But Draco knew the differences. The lightning scar was the most obvious, but Harry was also thinner, and his face looked exhausted even without any of the tension in it.

Draco believed Regulus when he said he gave the ring to Harry, but what would he have done with it? Could it have fallen off somewhere? Harry would be an idiot it take it off but maybe…

The whispering that followed him finally alerted James. He looked up, tears reforming. "Draco, I'm so sorry."

"He's not dead," Draco said certainly. A stunned silence fell over those who heard him.

"Malfoy, I think -" Lupin started.

"He's not dead," Draco repeated and then looked at James again, and asked, "Where's the ring?"

"We figured it must have fallen off, but we looked everywhere and we tried summoning it but - " James pulled something out of his pocket. "He had it in his robes."

In his robes? Could that mean Harry had taken it off? Draco stared dumbly at it, but he knew by James's face that he'd already put it on and Harry hadn't appeared to him.

"Maybe it's tied to me," Draco reasoned aloud and reached for the ring. They had changed the runes, so maybe this ring was different. He slid it on and looked around. Nothing.

At Draco's silence, the little hope that had formed on James's face fell. It was just wishful thinking, but Draco could almost imagine Harry standing next to him. A small unbidden voice sounded in his head, maybe it didn't work because he didn't love Harry enough. Draco swiftly ignored that thought and ripped the ring off.

Next, he gently grabbed Harry's hand and slid the ring on his finger. They had designed it with runes meaning 'self' so that it could integrate more easily with Harry's magic. Theoretically, all it could take was Draco putting the ring on Harry's hand, but even after trying that, Harry remained stubbornly still. Draco felt his eyes water. There wasn't much left to try, so he pulled his wand, making everyone jump.

"What do you think you're doing?" Black snarled, grabbing his wrist from across the table.

"Let him," James said sternly, grabbing his friend.

"No," Black snarled back. "Harry hated him. I am not letting him do something to my godson!"

"Stop it, Sirius," Granger said firmly. "Harry didn't hate him."

"Of course he did! He would go on about what a prick he was. He's a Death Eater! What is there to like?"

"Harry liked Draco," Granger said with emphasis, and Black spluttered. The Weasley girl added in, "It's true. Harry broke up with me over it." Her redheaded mother let out a shocked gasp, as her brother gave a reluctant nod. Black looked dumbstruck.

"Let him," James said, pulling Black's hand away from Draco. "Harry might be your godson, but he's my son." That seemed to settle Black enough and he slid back onto his seat. James got up to stand behind Draco. It was comforting, having James literally stand up for him, even if he probably just wanted Harry back.

Draco cast the spell looking for Harry's soul, but it didn't work like how it had with Regulus and James. Harry's soul wasn't in the ring. He stood frozen waiting for the soul to appear, but it didn't. He re-cast it. He could almost feel something, but it wasn't enough. An echo? Maybe he needed to put the ring in Harry's chest. That's what he'd done with James and Regulus, but something in him knew that wouldn't work. A deep, creeping feeling in him knew that Harry was gone.

Draco let out a frustrated noise and felt wetness on his face, but before he could touch Harry again, James grabbed him. "Draco, stop."

"He can't be dead," Draco whispered.

Those close enough to hear him looked pityingly at Draco and suddenly, Draco didn't feel real. After everything he'd done, this couldn't be the ending. He'd been through too much. Everything in him rebelled against this reality, but James was there, holding him. He was comforting Draco because James had already accepted it. Regulus had tried to tell him. Those two fought and disagreed constantly, but the chance that they were both wrong was almost unimaginable.

Harry was dead, and Draco felt himself sag fully into James. Adjusting to the extra weight leaning on him, James grabbed Draco's limp body and pulled him away from everyone's eyes, saying something. Draco was still in shock, but he had enough awareness to know he'd been brought back to Regulus.

"I'm sorry, Draco," Regulus said, helping James guide him outside and sit on some stones that had been overturned. Once he was seated, it came crashing down again. This couldn't be it.

"You said you gave it to him. You should have made him put it on," Draco said to Regulus, accusing tone leaking through.

"I did," Regulus said, and Draco immediately regretted the words because Regulus looked ashamed. "I saw with my own eyes, but you're right. I should have stuck the ring to his finger. He shouldn't have been able to take it off."

"It's not Regulus's fault," James said collapsing next to Draco. "I let him out of my sight. I was supposed to be watching him."

Draco wanted to be angry and feel something other than shock and grief, but he couldn't. He'd messed up far more than the other two. He should have given the ring to Harry well beforehand. There were plenty of opportunities. He shouldn't have waited in the shack. He should have fought off Nagini. He shouldn't have been passed out while Harry walked to his death.

They sat in silence. No one had anything else to say, so Draco let himself go numb and wished he could rewind the last day.

"Do you want to go in?" James asked Regulus, minutes later, shocking Draco out of his trance. "Sirius would want -"

"This isn't over," Regulus snapped, "and I can't give him false hope."

James turned his head away, looking guilty. Draco curled his lip. Harry was dead and that seemed over to him. They'd failed.

"How is it not over?" Draco said, turning it into a sneer.

"The horcruxes are gone, but the Dark Lord is still out there," Regulus said plainly, and Draco felt a little sorry for not having thought about that sooner. Regulus had his hands in his robes, presumably gripping his wand, and Draco saw his resolve. While he was sleeping and while James was a distraught mess, Regulus had planned.

"How?" James asked, also seeing what Draco had. Regulus was prepared.

"I have the mark. I can summon him and he'll listen. He'll be too curious about why and how my mark still works. I can ambush him."

"I can't let you do that alone," James said, but Regulus looked uncertain, so James added angrily, venom leaking from his voice, "He killed Harry. Don't leave me behind."

"We have to go now," Regulus warned. "It's already been longer than I'd like."

"Voldemort is on the edge of death, and I for one want to shove him off," James said. "I am going."

They were determined. This had been Regulus's goal since the first time he died and James's anger would have made even his father shiver. Draco tried to lean into his own anger that had been pooling. If he couldn't save Harry, he would avenge him.

"I am going too," Draco told them.

"You're still injured," Regulus said dismissively.

With the anger fuelling him to act, Draco felt his mind getting clearer. Something stirred in his memory. "No, you need me. I'm still the master of the Elder Wand, so I might be the only one that can beat him."

"What? The Elder Wand? That's a myth," James exclaimed and Regulus scrutinized him.

"It's the only reason he needed me dead." James flinched. "He has the Elder Wand. It was Dumbledore's wand, and I killed Dumbledore. I have its loyalty."

Regulus considered, but he seemed to find truth in that. "Fine, but we do this smartly."

"You could just say we'll do it your way," James mumbled teasingly, but there was no bite.

Regulus ignored him and told them both what he had been thinking about the last few hours. They walked together right the edge of Hogwarts's wards.

"I was thinking we would go to the Black Family Cemetary," Regulus said, and both Draco and James's eyebrows shot up in question. "There's lots of cover," Regulus said with a shrug.

"And you have a dramatic flare," James said, but even Draco liked the idea. It was fitting for the three of them to reveal themselves surrounded by the dead. James asked a few more questions, but Draco had none. He would do anything Regulus said, not wanting to think about anything other than his own anger, so they walked mostly in silence and the air hung heavy between them. They'd failed already, but they could still end it.

When they reached the edge of the wards, Regulus grabbed Draco. He made sure Draco was steady before apparating him. With a pop, they stood in an unfamiliar patch of land. In front of him, lay a cemetery filled densely with dark extravagant headstones, and even some mausoleums. Regulus had been right about the cover.

Regulus left his hand on him until Draco's breathing settled. James appeared next to them, but he jerked wildly, twisting as if getting away from something.

"What?" Regulus asked, nervous, eyes darting.

"Nothing, just a weird feeling," James said shrugging his shoulders, after glancing around.

Regulus watched warily as James walked forward and Draco knew he mirrored the expression. This was not the time for James to crumble. They just needed to make it through this fight and then they could give up.

It should have felt wrong to be trampling his mother's family's graves, but Regulus ordered him to a corner, shielded on most sides by headstones, so Draco listened. If Regulus was fine with it, he should be too. Regulus told James to wait a little closer in, but still away from the center where Regulus planted himself. They were finally going to kill the Dark Lord.

Draco's heart raced, as Regulus breathed in, then rolled up his sleeve. It was jarring how dark his mark was. Draco's hadn't been more than a dull grey in months, but Regulus's must be excruciatingly painful.

"Ready yourselves," Regulus called, then pressed the tip of his wand to the Dark Mark. Regulus's whole body flinched, but stayed standing and defiantly looked around waiting for the Dark Lord to appear.

A crack of an apparition and Regulus moved. He didn't even give the Dark Lord a chance to look around before he fired a killing curse. The Dark Lord stepped to the side, letting the green light pass around him.

"How are you alive?!" The Dark Lord hissed angrily. Regulus still didn't pause or respond, he fired curse after curse which the Dark Lord blocked alarmingly easily, even despite his obvious shock.

"You think you could betray me?" The Dark Lord questioned and fired off his first spell. Regulus barely dodged. "You always had an ego," the Dark Lord sneered.

Regulus twisted and ducked behind a grouping of headstones, firing off another killing curse as he did so. The Dark Lord blasted the stone, but Regulus just kept retreating row by row leading him away from where Draco and James waited.

"This is futile," The Dark Lord said, and Draco thought his voice sounded much more self-assured. "Although I am rather curious as to how you are alive. Did you take notes on my successes?"

Regulus's leg got caught in the next blast, and he rolled awkwardly behind the next headstone. Regulus couldn't keep this up for much longer.

"No, I don't think you had it in you to make a horcrux," the Dark Lord hissed. "But I'll find what magic did." He raised his wand, but before Draco could do anything, a green light shot across the graveyard. James was in the fight now.

With impossible speed, the Dark Lord summed a chunk of nearby stone, blocking James's curse and turning the stone to dust.

"You?!" The Dark Lord spluttered, seeing who had tried to kill him. If he was shocked at Regulus, he was gobsmacked by James. "How?!"

"I might just be better than you," James replied haughtily, then started moving wildly between headstones shielding and firing curses.

For twenty blissful seconds, Draco thought they might be able to do it. The Dark Lord looked afraid. Two ghosts of his past had come to kill him. He didn't do much other than barely dodge and shield, but shock gave way to anger, and Draco suddenly couldn't breathe.

Unexpectedly, the Dark Lord blasted a mausoleum that wasn't particularly close to Regulus or James, but he sent all of the rubble right on top of James and James fell with a cry.

Regulus tried another killing curse, but the Dark Lord stepped swiftly to the side, letting the curse fly wildly off behind him. James screamed from where he was buried under the rubble, and Regulus tried to run towards him. The Dark got in a very lucky, or very skilled, curse. Regulus fell with a grunt and black smoke started to flow from the Dark Lord's wand. It wrapped around Regulus's chest.

"You came close, I suppose I should be impressed," the Dark Lord said condescendingly, as Regulus twisted against the curse holding him. "I think I only need one of you to spill your secrets."

Draco had no clue what curse the Dark Lord used, but it was something sinister since Regulus, a man who had been unaffected by a pitch-black Dark Mark, let out a pained yell. James screamed Regulus's name and the Dark Lord laughed. He thought that he'd won and therefore was entirely focused on Regulus.

Draco summoned all of his anger. This was his chance.

"Avada kedavra!"

His curse held true. It was angry and sought its target, but the target was a wizard a thousand times more powerful and with decades of experience on Draco. His spell had come closer than any of James's or Regulus's, but the Dark Lord pulled his torso backwards the green light hit in a spectacular explosion on the crypt behind him.

Draco recovered quicker than the Dark Lord, who was staring at Draco in utter horror. Anger filled Draco as he readied himself for the spell once again.

"Aveda -"

With a flick of his wrist, the Dark Lord sent Draco flying into a headstone, knocking the breath out of him. Draco gasped and panicked. He couldn't see right, but he was still angry.

"Av -"

Another flick and Draco's hands were pulled down by vines that shot up from the earth, preventing him from using his wand. James yelled his name now, but Draco was still stuck. Angry tears welled in his eyes. It couldn't end like this. Draco had been in this position too many times to truly accept that this was how he died. He'd stood before the Dark Lord before he tortured him close to madness. He'd knelt at The Dark Lord's feet as his mother pleaded for his life. Not even a day had passed from when the Dark Lord left him dead at Nagini's will.

A mania filled Draco, and he scoffed at the face of so many of his nightmares.

"You can't destroy me," Draco said, staring down the Dark Lord. He felt like laughing.

The Dark Lord's eyes flared a brighter red. "I won't make the same mistake again."

"Wanna bet? Who do you think brought Regulus back? And James?" Draco waited as the Dark Lord's face twisted.

"Me," Draco said with a sneer and it dawned on him that he, Regulus, and James had all cheated death, something that Voldemort had dedicated his life to and was still failing. He owed no respect to this thing in front of him. "I accomplished what you can only dream of, Voldemort."

Red eyes blew wide with shock and Voldemort tore into Draco's mind once again. Draco gave him everything. He let the memories flow freely, whatever Voldemort wanted, Draco gave. Regulus's ring. Befriending Harry. His memory ring. Falling in love with Harry. Finding James's ring. Bringing Regulus and. Janes back. Seeing Harry dead.

James was still screaming as Voldemort retreated from his mind and howled. He hovered over Draco, eyes gleaming with fury. Draco's head spun, but he tried to return Voldemort's glare. There was something so satisfying about making Voldemort so afraid of him. It bolstered Draco. He could end this. For Harry.

Voldemort leaned closer and sneered, "You are foolish. All you ever had was luck and foolish tricks. You can't move." Draco struggled uselessly against the vines, but couldn't find a way to fire a curse. The grip was too tight. "Your friends are as good as dead." Draco felt his stomach sink; he was alone. "You couldn't even save your precious Potter."

Draco felt something inside him break. Voldemort was right. That had been the most important goal since learning Harry was a horcrux, and he failed. He'd wanted to save Harry. That's what had forced him to hunt the horcruxes. That's was made him bring James and Regulus back. Everything came back to how much he wanted to save Harry, and he failed.

The threads of anger at being unable to save Harry snapped and any hope he had of ending this snapped with them. Draco closed his eyes and waited for the end.

But just as he let himself give up, someone yanked his wand out of his still-trapped hand. Then a new voice spoke.

"Yes, he could."

And standing beside him was an impossible sight. Harry stood with Draco's wand in one hand, and his invisibility cloak in the other.

Harry was back from the dead.