(Y/N)'s POV

A chill settled over us where we stood, I heard the rasping breath of the dementors that patrolled the outskirts of the castle, waiting to swoop down upon it like a plague, but with my friend dead before my eyes, I doubted I would ever conjure a patronus again. No happy thought came to me.

As the flame spewed out of my wand, it was the only heat that I felt, I took one step forward before I found Hermione and Ron in my path, both of them pushing me back, I looked at them angrily, wanting to kill the snake while I had the chance, for Harry.

But deep down, I knew they were right, I only had one clean shot at this, if my emotions got to me and I wasted it then Harry's sacrifice was pointless. My eyes drifted to Hagrid and what laid in his arms. "No... NO!" Ginny's primal cry echoed over the grounds as she rushed towards Voldemort.

Mr. Weasley stopped her and wrapped his daughter in his arms, letting her struggle briefly before pulling her tighter, closer, safer. "SILENCE!" Voldemort pointed his wand to the sky with a 'CRACK'. "Stupid girl." Voldemort spat mockingly, enraging me even further.

Voldemort addressed us all, "Tell me. These last few hours, as you collected the dead and tended your wounded, was he by your side?" Voldemort surveyed the crowd, our silence seemed was answer enough.

"While you battled courageously, until you could no longer will yourself to stand, he had long since fallen to his knees. While you cursed me until your voices grew ragged, he begged me for mercy in a voice as meek as a child's."

I tried to push past the others, but I was not the first to do so, "He's not worthy of your tears. And do not despair of his betrayal. You were never in his heart. Not for one single solitary beat." Ron sprinted to the front of the crowd.

"Liar!" He said in a rage, Voldemort flicked his wand and Ron dropped to his knees, grimacing in pain. Voldemort gestured to him. "Harry Potter is dead! From this day forward, you put your faith in me."

He spoke in a gentle voice to us, it was strange to hear, but he showed his true colours, when he turned to his remaining followers, raising his arms like a conductor "HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!" His followers all cheered and laughed as they had before, even Nagini let out a hiss of triumph.

Turning back, he spoke softly again, but his voice boomed towards us somehow. "Now is the time to declare yourself." There was a nervous murmur among the crowd. Then, breaking the silence, a voice cut through both crowds.

Lucius Malfoy, looking dishevelled and beaten from his time in Azkaban, strode to the front of the crowd of Death Eaters, "Draco..." he cried almost meekly, beckoning his son to him, from beside me Draco looked up, towards him, but made no motion to move

He hesitated for second, as all eyes were on him, but his father urged him, smiling thinly. "Draco, don't be stupid" he insisted, we all looked to him, waiting for him to pick his side of the hill to die on, but it was his mothers voice that finally caused him to stir.

Her voice was softer than her husbands, gentler. She gestured to him as her husband had, arms extended, and simply said "Come, Draco." Her tone is quiet, but absolute.

Draco looked into her eyes, then ducked his head and stepped forward, avoiding the baleful glances directed his way as he crosses the gulf between factions. I almost stopped him myself, but he wanted to be with his family, and I could understand that.

As he crossed the threshold, Voldemort embraced him, another part of his act, I held my breath waiting for something to happen, but nothing did.

As Draco joined his mother, she handed him a wand, the wand that was formerly Harry's wand. He stared at it bleakly. "Well done, Draco. Who will be next? Hm? Come now, don't be shy." Not a single soul stepped forwards.

I looked over the faces beside me, weary but resolved, eyes burning with defiance, and I smiled, holding my head high. then I saw something I never thought possible. Neville, his chin on his chest, his gaze to the ground. Staggered forward, and my mind just about melted.

Stunned, we all watched Neville, blackened with soot, limp to a halt in front of Voldemort, who regarded him with amusement. "Well, I must say, I'd hoped for better. Is this truly the best Hogwarts has to offer?" His eyes glanced to me in bemusement.

But nevertheless, the Dark Lord deemed to show us his 'mercy' and greeted Neville, despite his amusement, as the Death Eaters laughter that followed. I took note of Bellatrix Lestrange, grinning with the upmost joy.

Voldemort smiled wickedly, "Who might you be, young man?" "Neville Longbottom." He replied timidly, being met with another round of laughter "Well, welcome, Neville. I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks."

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh. "The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?" "Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort. The Death Eaters laughed for a third time.

"Now, now, Bellatrix. Let's not underestimate our young friend. By stepping forward, he lives to see another day..." Voldemort's eyes shifted towards the rest of us, I glared at him in anger as Neville stood before him.

"But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled in fists. "So what if I am?" said Neville loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.

Voldemort seethed with rage. "Very well," said Voldemort, more danger oozing out of the silkiness of his voice than in the most powerful curse. "If that is your choice, Longbottom. On your head," he said quietly, "be it."

Voldemort waved his wand. Seconds later, something that looked like a misshapen bird flew and landed in Voldemort's hand. He shook the mildewed object by its pointed end, and it dangled, empty and ragged: The Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Voldemort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

Neville spoke timidly again, "I'd like to say something." Voldemort's brows furrowed vaguely. As he studied Neville, curious about his sudden outburst, "Very well, Neville. I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say." But his eyes rolled ever so slightly.

Neville turned to us, I was utterly dumbfounded by this turn of events, so I hung off of every word he said, eager to see why he had joined Voldemort's ranks.

But from the first words out of his mouth, just from the tone of his voice, the confidence projected through his lungs, I knew I was a fool to doubt him. "It doesn't matter that Harry is gone."

He said almost proudly, a troubled hum rippled through the crowd. Seamus angrily said, "Stand down, Neville!" And tried to push forward but I gripped his arm, holding him back, though not happily.

"People die every day. Friends. Family. Yes, we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us, here" he simply tapped his heart "And so are Remus and Tonks and... all of them. They didn't die in vain." He said hopefully.

"But you will. Because you're wrong." He spat at Voldemort, who seemed to be diving back and forth from anger and amusement. "Harry's heart did beat for us. All of us..."

Voldemort was sick of his defiance, he pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still, then forced the hat onto Neville's head, so that it slipped down below his eyes.

I tried to break through the crowd to help him, but I couldn't, as one, the Death Eaters raised their wands, holding the fighters of Hogwarts at bay. There was no way to get to him without being struck down by either Voldemort or his Death Eaters.

I stood there, breathless, waiting to see what fate would befall him, unable to help. "Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort, and with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames.

Screams split the dawn, and Neville was aflame, rooted to the spot, unable to move, forgetting all about Nagini, or the army that was in front of me, I almost pushed Hermione over in my attempts to save Neville, as did countless others. But what followed rooted us all to the spot.

As I stopped dead, Neville moved. In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle

The slash of the silver blade seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light that flooded in from the horizon as the new day bloomed.

Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury as the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet, and his wand fired towards Neville, he parried with the sword and the curse rebounded into the crowd of Death Eaters flanking Bellatrix. Only she was quick enough to deflect the curse. Screaming in fury.

Then, a few things happened all at once. The first was a miracle, the second was even rarer, and the third was just me being stupid.

First, as if one life was exchanged for another, Harry spilled from Hagrid's arms. Life in his eyes and defiance in his heart. Voldemort wheeled wildly in Harry's direction as there were gasps of shocks from both sides of the conflict, some Death Eaters fleeing immediately at his resurrection.

As Hogwarts rallied, Voldemort's wand rose to strike Harry down, apparently for the second time this battle, and then something I thought I would never live to see came to pass. One voice seemed to drown out all the cries of disbelief.

Draco Malfoy turned, as Voldemort had, and bellowed with a life in his eyes I had never seen before. "Potter!" Harry's head turned. I watched on as Draco's hand whipped forward and to our collective shock, Draco had tossed him his wand.

In the time it took me to process this shocking event, Harry managed to fire a curse at a seemingly stunned Voldemort. In one continuous moment, he fired spell after spell. Voldemort blocked them all, eyeing Harry with mild disbelief, then anger.

Enraged, Voldemort fired a volley of curses back. Harry parried the first, then fell back into a cloister as the stonework exploded all around him. I took this as my opportunity.

With my wand already aflame, and Voldemort distracted by Neville's heroic vanquishing of the snake, I turned the flames meant for her, onto the now mortal man.

So finally, as I foolishly strode forward, the flame from my wand now extending to the stone beneath me, living and clawing at the ground, waiting to be released, I unleashed it all towards him. He turned just in time.

As the beast with a thousand faces began to charge at him, he pushed his wand over his head as if to split the sky again, and as the fires washed over him, tumbling towards his forces, they reared back to me.

A tumbling tidal wave of fire had erupted in front of me as the residents of Hogwarts all fled for shelter into the castle, from which barriers and brick walls could protect them. My barrier still a blazing dome of force.

As I was pulled inside the walls by the swelling crowds, I watched Voldemort as he glared at me with the same fury as the flaming beasts, his red eyes gleaming in the early morning semi darkness.

All of us watched on in horror as beasts and monsters of all shapes and sizes clawed and gnashed at the barrier, scraping claws, and raking teeth against it. I was probably the only person in the castle that understood, it was just a matter of time.

I was met at the gates by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Well, that could have gone better" I said. Knowing I could have just brought the destruction of Hogwarts to its gates.

We had no time for hugs or cheerful greetings, but I did manage some levity. "Jeez Harry, surviving it twice, you really are a jammy git, but I'd prefer if you tried to avoid the next one, y'know third times the charm and all that" I smiled at him, he smiled back.

"I'll try my best." He promised, I acted let down, "Even after my grand heart-warming speech and everything, man what a waste," "What speech?" said Ron quickly, despite everything, all the chaos, Harry smirked "Tell you later" I gasped "You WILL NOT!"

"So now it's just him yeah?" I looked to Hermione, who nodded. Ron spoke, "(Y/N) do you know how long that will hold him?" I shook my head, looking back at the blaze I caused on both sides warring with one another.

"Honestly, I'd thought it would drop when I died." Harry seemed befuddled, "What? You're not the only one, I can do it too" He smirked, "So, to quote my father, 'I haven't the foggiest.'" He nodded and turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, I was just going to-" "Ron, I swear to all things holy, if this is a confession of love to anyone currently present, you're gonna have to die with a broken nose, not that I wouldn't be flattered, it's just now is not the time."

He looked at me to tell me to shut up, "Sorry, nervous." "As I was saying, we don't need these then? Just anything will do?" He held up a fang. She nodded, "He's just as vulnerable as everyone else now."

I saw another face pass us, propped up by Seamus, "Neville Longbottom, you're my bloody hero!" I said as he weakly smiled at me, Seamus took him to Madam Pomfrey. I saw Kingsley and Mr Weasley bracing the door with shield spells and wards, preparing for the battle to come.

A spark of inspiration hit me and as I saw them, I headed back to the barrier, I watched the demons and monsters attempting to lay siege to the castle, and I prepared another one.

I could see Voldemort outside the barrier, a prowling beast himself, waiting to lay waste to everyone inside the castle. He saw me prepping my spell and looked at me curiously, he seemed to be inspired, I could feel it coming even before it did.

The Elder Wand in hand, a sinister gleam in his eye, he bowed his head, then, with a dramatic flourish of his wand, he swept his arm across the flame, like Dumbledore had, but more forceful and full of anger, a feat only he could have managed.

The fires seemed to fall into each other, it was hard to tell where the barrier began and the Fiendfyre ended, as the beasts descended towards the floor, so did the barrier protecting us, and with an extension of his hand as if he was parting a sea, both flames were extinguished. In mere seconds.

There was a single breath exchanged between us, then, in a low hiss that was so common for him, he pointed his wand to the castle, into which the remaining Hogwarts forces had all fled for the safety of the Great Hall.

With the sound of a roaring thunder of steps, the Dark Lords forces had charged. The flaming barrier that had protected Hogwarts from them had fallen. And as I turned on my heel to sprint for my life away from them, only two words seemed appropriate "Oh Fuck!"

I found myself fleeing down a corridor soon after, pursued by about five Death Eaters, my salvation came to me in the form of a floating spectre high above me bobbing along with teapots in hand.

"Oi!" I called to him, "Up for some mischief Peeves?" I called as I sprinted down a hallway, he floated beside me seemingly unfazed by the war around him, but eager to pull some major pranks.

He threw the tea set at the Death Eaters, who stumbled a bit and fell behind me, so he took the opportunity to led me to something he was waiting to unleash, so I put my trust in him and he led me to a dead end.

I turned to face my attackers, pleading and begging, "Oh no, you have me cornered, whatever will I do, woe is me, the end is near" I acted my heart out, they didn't seemed to care and enclosed on me, their wands began to light up with reds and greens.

"PEEVES! NOW!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs, followed by a quick cry of a delighted "Wheee!" as he rode a cabinet down off the banister above me screaming as he did and just enjoying himself.

A mountain of tables, chairs, bookcases, trophies and just about anything that wasn't nailed down was sent crashing on top of the Death Eaters crushing them with the sheer weight of the objects.

"Nice one mate!" I said, my attempt at a high five failed miserably as my fingers flew through his hand and a cold chill enveloped my body, I stumbled and almost tripped over my feet. Peeves snickered and cackled "Oh ha ha."

I sprinted back the Great Hall, but never made it that far, I was knocked off my feet by an explosion that shook the walls around me as I stood by its entrance, watching the chaos inside, when my vision came back into focus, I understood what was happening.

Voldemort had chased me into the castle, knowing that if he could do whatever he was going to do too me and turn me into a 'vessel' whatever that meant, he wouldn't have anything to fear as he fought Harry.

He sneered over me as I scrambled to my feet. Trying to lash him with a simple flame spell that he knocked to one side lazily. I had to stall for time, I don't know what Harry had planned, but I had to buy him some time, so I did something I probably shouldn't have.

"C'mon then you great ugly lizard! Come have a go if you think your hard enough" he raised his wand, I pointed mine to him, wanting to create some distance, and kill him if I could, I began thinking of the most destructive spell I could.

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA" I screamed, it hit the floor in front of his feet, stone was blown apart and scattered, pieces of the castle were upheaved when the spell impacted. But I knew it wouldn't be that simple.

Just as he had with Dumbledore in the Ministry, Voldemort used his wand to levitate large chunks of the rock, and launched them at me dramatically, screaming as he did.

As they sped towards me, I shielded myself with a spell, only a few managed to reach me, one hit me in the forearm, one in the thigh. Then I saw a flash of green, knowing immediately what it was, I panicked, dropping to my knees to dodge it, it impacted the wall somewhere behind me.

"Barely a man, charging headfirst into death" Said Voldemort as he raised his wand again, I let out a breath of my shattered nerves, "Funny, I was going to say the same to you." He snarled at me, casting another killing curse.

I had to think fast, as it got closer to me, "PROTEGO IGNIS ANIMUS!" I cried in fear, barely shielding myself with the quickly muttered words. But I needn't have bothered, the spell missed me by an inch as a rock crumbled under me.

Gritting my teeth and getting annoyed at this situation, I stood up tall in defiance, if I was going down, I was going down swinging. Voldemort mocked that choice. "You are going to die. You know that boy."

He said it as if it was a fact. A given if I were to fight him, I was going to die. I sneered at him, "Nothing lasts forever, dying to fight people like you, fine by me" I shrugged, raising my wand. I knew I'd probably die doing this, but I was going to make him pay for it.

I could soften him up before he inevitably fought Harry. "A shield to the end" he mocked me. "Bet you're wishing you had a shield half as good as me right about now eh Tom?" I attacked first, a sharp stunning spell as more of a warning if anything.

He bellowed, "I AM LORD VOLDEMORT!" He declared, I laughed, "And I'm (Y/N) (L/N), I spy champion of the world!" "Reducto!" I mocked back, pushing him backwards with a spell.

And I saw something I never thought I would, the unfathomable Lord Voldemort, looked me dead in the eyes, and sighed. "I am going to take pleasure in killing you." I nodded, "Most people would, but sorry to disappoint."

"Reducto!" I tried again, "I have promises to keep. I'm not dying no matter who kills me" He was on the backfoot as he defended, I refused to give him a chance to attack back. "Depulso! Stupefy! Incendio!"

Every spell I used pushed him closer and closer to the Great Hall, to the war around us. Flashing lights of spells and curses flew through the hall, almost blinding me as I attacked. Voldemort finally got sick of me. "You. Will. Be. Mine!"

He attacked with blazing speed, all I could do was defend, though none of his spells seemed to connect, each was too close for comfort.

By the time his torrent of spells had ceased, we had switched positions, in my ducking and diving, he was now the one walking forwards into the hall.

"Sorry I'm taken, besides, you don't want this body mate, you don't know where it's been" I tried to distract him, hoping a stray spell or anything would intervene, hoping Harry would find another magic wand of destiny or something to save me.

"Oh come on old man. Dolohov put up a better fight then this" I lied, hoping he would get frustrated and make a mistake. "So, I guess you didn't trade in your nose for some fighting ability then. Was it for the evil eyes?"

The fact he had missed or been unable to hit me up until now made me somewhat overconfident, of course I didn't realise that until after it had backfired on me, as he deflected a stray spell and it shattered a nearby window.

It all culminated in the final seconds of my duel with the Darkest Wizard in history, he smiled at me in victory and raised the Elder Wand a final time. It was all over for me at that second, as he saw the new targets behind me.

I barely paid attention to it, my focus was solely on Voldemort, but that was my mistake, while I may have arguably eked towards matching him in power, he had a lifetime of experience, and cruelty over me.

As the pieces of glass, jagged and sharpened floated in the air, I prepared for a shield to block it, but it took me too long to realise, I was not his only target.

He split the shards in mid-air, some heading for me, but my eyes traced the path of the remaining shards. As Voldemort screamed triumphantly, they streaked towards the injured, laid in their beds, unprotected, unable to defend themselves.

He knew I wouldn't take the chance. Voldemort knew that in that moment, I had to make a choice, and he knew which one I would choose.

Directing my shield away from myself. Focusing on a still sleeping Winky and a recovering Lavender Brown, among the faces of others, I was delighted when the shards of glass passed through my charm and were reverted to sand and dust.

I turned my face to him, glaring. As he looked at me with an evil smile, I got some final words out. "Bite me, snakeface" as the glass shards hit me in the chest with the force of a shotgun blast and I was knocked off my feet, clattering to the floor below, where all the air in my body escaped me.

I awoke to a very strange sensation, something coarse and rough was lining my tongue, I could feel it covering my body, it got everywhere. I opened my eyes and they stung immediately, not from the dazzling lights that blazed around me, but from something in them, irritating them.

I instinctively reached up and rubbed my eyes clear, finally allowing me to open them fully. I almost wished I hadn't, it was like turning on a light in the middle of the night after you've just woken up times a hundred.

Flashes of colours crossed the sky in front of me and I suddenly remembered where I was and what I was doing all at once, I hurried to find my wand to find it was out of reach, as it tended to be after I'm always knocked unconscious.

I remembered the glass that had impaled me, or at least so I thought, but I had just woken covered in sand. Though I must admit, I didn't know what was worse, the taste of sand in my mouth, or the impending doom.

I didn't understand what had shielded me, and why I was still knocked off my feet, but I was thankful for whoever or whatever had done so, then I realised just because I was knocked down doesn't mean the battle was over, I turned my head to find my wand, but couldn't.

I turned back, expecting to see Lord Voldemort bearing down on me. But I did not. Instead I saw a fantastic spectacle of magic before me. I was surrounded by combat, but the most intense battle was a few feet in front of me.

In a semicircle around me, protecting me from any harm was Professor Flitwick, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Professor McGonagall, fighting valiantly against Voldemort as he duelled all three of them at once.

The sheer intensity of the magic they commanded was staggering, no words said between them except grunts of exertion. I was almost too stunned to move, it was amazing. Voldemort was trying to push through them with just power and rage, but got nowhere.

Flitwick was casting spells faster then I thought possible, almost a blur. Each of them with steady impact, McGonagall's movements were precise, targeted, not a single spell missed, and Kingsley was switching from offence to defence so fluidly it was hard to tell which was which.

I looked for a moment to jump into the fray and get my licks in, but I couldn't I was rooted to the spot, unable to move and become a hindrance. My moment finally came after a few dazzling seconds.

Well, It wasn't the best moment, but it was when I decided enough was enough. During their duel, despite their efforts, Kingsley and the Professors were slowly tiring, unable to stand against Voldemort in possession of the Elder Wand.

He capitalised on this fact when Professor McGonagall had to block a stray curse from the crowds of people, In that moment of distraction, Voldemort looked ready to kill her, and the simple thought of it was like a kick in the chest, my whole body swelled with anger.

He raised his wand to deliver an unforgivable curse, and my ears began to ring with fury, I spat the mix of sand and blood from my mouth, before I could even pick up my wand, anger had overtaken me.

My voice was the only thing I heard, even over the sounds of the battle, the mere thought, of someone daring to hurt Professor McGonagall, was too much for me to handle, "DON'T TOUCH HER YOU SCUM!" echoed across the hall as I leapt towards him, not thinking of consequences.

I launched my body at him before I even knew I could stand, I hit the ground as a beast, trying to rake his face with claws and teeth. He seemed taken aback for a second, but it did not last, he sneered at me as I attempted to maim him.

He simply sidestepped once, still somehow managing to shield himself from the volley of spells, and with a flick of his wrist he hit me in the chest with a spell that was a bright white light. The strangest sensation followed.

I felt like I had been turned inside out, like I was somehow unfolding into my human form, as if I was an orange being peeled, but it didn't stop me, I was too angry. The limb that was once a claw was now a closed fist, still swinging towards his face, and for the second time in my life. I punched Voldemort in the face.

This time was much more satisfying then the last. He staggered a small amount, a tiny trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth, he looked back at me with murder in his eyes, as he bared his teeth at me in anger, I was elated to see the blood on his teeth.

"That was for Mad-Eye" I said, summoning my wand to my hand finally. I cursed him twice more, he swiped them aside. But I wasn't finished, I had to make him pay, for Mum, for Tonks, for Remus, for Cedric, and for everyone he had hurt.

But in my anger, I had failed to notice his counterattack, aimed to kill me, and if it wasn't for Professor Flitwick's very well-timed banishing jinx knocking me away from him, he likely would have succeeded.

As I landed harshly on a nearby empty bed and counted my graces that Flitwick had phenomenal aim, I stood up, looking around the battle for anyone who needed help. Now I thought back, I realised I would just be in the way if I continued to attack Voldemort.

Chaos reigned, defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters alike, were being forced back into the castle. I was shooting jinxes and curses at any Death Eater I could see, and they crumpled whenever I managed to connect, and their bodies were trampled by the crowd.

Voldemort was still across the room, still screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses flying left and right; more people were storming up the front steps, at first I feared more Death Eaters, until I saw Charlie Weasley overtaking Horace Slughorn, who was still wearing his emerald pyjamas.

They seemed to have returned at the head of what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who had remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and homeowners of Hogsmeade.

Centaurs burst into the hall with a great clatter of hooves, the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges. The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers, and at their head, the locket of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher.

"Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!" They were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters, their tiny faces alive with malice.

I looked around at the chaos, Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the legs by elves, or else simply attempting to escape, but being swallowed by the oncoming horde.

I saw Walden Macnair being thrown across the room by Hagrid, hitting the stone wall opposite, and slide unconscious to the ground. I saw Ron and Neville bringing down Fenrir Greyback and knew I had to witness it.

I was tempted to curse him into a fine dust, but they seemed to have it covered. So, as I shielded them from curses I taunted him as he went down, "Hahaha. The Death Eaters have a pet puppy!" I said, mocking him as he tried to fight back, he snarled at me.

It was only now that I saw the scars dotted around his face and how badly damaged the socket of his eye was, he even seemed to be wearing some form of harness to stop his injuries from interfering with his work.

Chunks of his nose and face were all but destroyed, the harness creaking as he howled with pain, that just made it funnier to me as he collapsed to his knees. "They didn't even want to heal you. They just gave you a muzzle."

He let out one last snarl and lunged towards the three of us, but never made contact, he collapsed like a pile of bricks as two curses hit him, he never opened his eye again. So I looked for a new target, finding there were very little left.

I looked over to Aberforth Stunning Rookwood, Mr. Weasley and Percy flooring Thicknesse, and Fred and George grinning as the simultaneously cursed Selwyn, who looked rather atrocious after they had finished with him.

It took me a few seconds to find my true target. Bellatrix was still fighting too, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she duelled three at once: Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, all battling their hardest, but Bellatrix was equal to them.

I sprinted towards them, both to help my friends, and because I had a bone to pick with her after what she did to Dobby and Winky. I managed to hit her once, she sneered as I approached. "Come on lover boy, watch me kill the mudblood!"

"Just try it you mad old bint, see what happens" I snarled, raising my wand to blow her head off, but before I got my opportunity Harry collided into me and we were both barged aside.

We watched on unable to intervene as we heard "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel. We watched with terror and elation as Mrs Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl.

Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill. "No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as Harry and I ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, "What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her.

Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and we knew what was going to happen before it did. Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

McGonagall, Kingsley, and Flitwick were blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.

I was so shocked by the spectacle of the moment I didn't react, luckily, Harry did. "Protego!" he roared, the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as their eyes met.

Silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other. "I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call.

"It's got to be like this. It's got to be me." Voldemort hissed. "Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?" His eyes flicked to me as a challenge to intervene "Nobody," said Harry simply.

"There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . . ." "One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut, his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike.

"You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?" "Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry.

They were still moving sideways, both of them, in that perfect circle, maintaining the same distance from each other. I was starting to get restless and I was looking for an excuse to intervene, until Hermione gripped my arm and I settled.

"Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?" "Accidents!" screamed Voldemort, but still he did not strike, of the hundreds in the Hall, nobody seemed to breathe but them.

"Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and snivelled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!" "You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harry as they circled, and stared into each other's eyes, green into red.

"You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people-" "-But you did not!" I really wished they'd just fight already, I was so anxious of what would happen.

"-I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

"You dare-" "-Yes, I dare," said Harry. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?" Voldemort did not speak, but prowled in a circle.

"Is it love again?" said Voldemort, his snake's face jeering. "Dumbledore's favourite 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 your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter, and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?"

"Just one thing," said Harry, and still they circled each other, wrapped in each other, held apart by nothing but the last secret. "If it is not love that will save you this time," said Voldemort, "you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both," said Harry, and Voldemort began to laugh, and the sound was more frightening than his screams; humourless and insane, it echoed around the silent Hall.

"You think you know more magic than I do?" he said. "Than I, than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"

"Oh, he dreamed of it," said Harry, "but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done." "You mean he was weak!" screamed Voldemort.

"Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!" "No, he was cleverer than you," said Harry, "a better wizard, a better man."

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!" "You thought you did," said Harry, "but you were wrong." For the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one.

"Dumbledore is dead!" Voldemort hurled the words at Harry as though they would cause him unendurable pain. "His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"

"Yes, Dumbledore's dead," said Harry calmly, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."

My mind raced, Snape? does he mean Snape killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders? I had no idea what was going on, but I knew one thing, if Harry tries to attack Voldemort with Expelliarmus, I was going to kill him myself.

"What childish dream is this?" said Voldemort, as confused as I was, but still he did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harry's. "Severus Snape wasn't yours," said Harry.

"Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?" Voldemort did not answer.

They continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart. "Snape's Patronus was a doe," said Harry, "the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realized," he said, "he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

"He desired her, that was all," sneered Voldemort, "but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him-" "Of course he told you that, but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!"

"It matters not!" shrieked Voldemort, who had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path!"

"I crushed them as I crushed your mother, Snape's supposed great love! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand! Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me!"

"He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy, I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up."

"I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!" That was three hours ago! Oh how time flies when you're fighting for your life.

"Yeah, it did," said Harry. "You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done. . . . Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle. . . ." "What is this?" Voldemort asked in genuine shock.

"It's your one last chance," said Harry, "it's all you've got left. . . . I've seen what you'll be otherwise. . . . Be a man . . . try . . . Try for some remorse. . . ." "You dare — ?" said Voldemort again.

"Yes, I dare," said Harry, "because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle." The only reason I hadn't cursed Voldemort in his stupid bald head by now was the fact Hermione was practically wrist locking me to stop me.

I hate suspense and I hate silences. "That wand still isn't working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."

"He killed —" "Aren't you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master!"

"If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!" "But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!"

Voldemort's voice shook with malicious pleasure. "I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand chooses the wizard. . . . The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it."

"The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance. . . ." "The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

Blank shock showed in Voldemort's face for a moment, but then it was gone. "But what does it matter?" he said softly. As my mind raced, I came to the same conclusion Harry had, and so had Hermione, based on her shocked expression.

"Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy."

"But you're too late," said Harry. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him." Harry twitched the hawthorn wand, all the pieces connected in my head and I had to clasp my hand over my mouth to stop the nervous laughter.

"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time, so that Voldemort's was suddenly a flaming blur.

"Avada Kedavra!" "Expelliarmus!" The bang was like a cannon blast, golden flames erupted between them, at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided.

The next thing I saw was the Elder Wand fly high, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last.

And Harry, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward.

Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.

One shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: and then the suspense broke around Harry as the screams and the cheers and the roars of the watchers filled the air.

Of course, the first to reach him were me, Ron and Hermione, we wrapped our arms around him, "You did it you glorious idiot!" "I take it all back Harry," I said, my mouth taking over my brain.

"Expelliarmus is brilliant and you're so good at it you disarmed him to death" I smiled as I looked down at Tom Riddle. It was a strange sight to be sure.

I guess he really was just a bloke. As I looked at his blank face, he seemed so, human. His eyes were not the sinister red he hid behind, but more of a pale colour. Sighing and cursing my good nature, I bent down and closed his eyes.

The next hour was a mess. A blur of faces, helping Pomfrey heal the injured, celebration, a lot of excitedly kissing Hermione, but worst of all, cleaning.

I found Filch trying to sweep up the courtyard, it was quite a shame to see he had been injured in the battle quite severely, losing a hand. But I was happy to see Mrs. Norris safe beside him.

"Good to see you Argus...need a ha-" "...some help?" he grumbled at me, and so, our fierce competition to see who caved and murdered the other first was put behind us, we set to work rebuilding Hogwarts. Though for the record, I was totally cleaning more than he was

We found bodies strewn about the castle, too many bodies. Faces I promised myself I would never forget, because they had died fighting for a better future. Heroes in their sacrifice. We took them to the Great Hall.

The wails and cries of loved ones did not cease with the death of Voldemort, as much as we all hoped it would, his echo remained in the castle.

Me and Ron moved Voldemort's body and laid it in a chamber off the Hall, away from the bodies of Tonks, Lupin, and fifty others who had died fighting him. Not providing him the honour they had been given.

He was lighter than I imagined, skinny really. "I expected more pizzazz to be honest. More of a show." I explained as we lifted the corpse.

"Well, I'm sure he's sorry for not putting on 'more of a show.'" I shrugged as we placed him down. "I dunno, it's just I always built it up in my head, but it was like, two spells and it was done."

"I was expecting a demon or something to pop out of him. Guess he wasn't a monster in the end, just a wizard who went wrong somewhere" He shrugged and walked off to drag Greybacks body with the other Death Eaters.

Lavender woke up minutes later, after several shocked outbursts and lots of tears, Ron and Parvati were able to calm her, Madam Pomfrey sat her down and explained to her what was to come, how her life would be changed.

Winky awoke shortly after too, she was in her words, "Very not happy" and I got another good slap for tricking her. But at the end of the day, after seeing everything around her, she was just glad I was safe.

I almost smothered Flitwick after I found him, hugging him tightly and thanking him for saving my life countless times, I settled for a hearty handshake with Kingsely, until I figured it wasn't enough and hugged him anyway.

McGonagall was not as accepting at the time, too stressed and concerned with rebuilding. "Bring it in!" I said, extending my arms, her lips pursed and her eyebrows raised in an expression that I had come to expect every time she was going to lecture me.

It was as if she was talking to me "You really expect me to do that?" was written across her face. I nodded, to answer her question before she asked it, and with a twitch of her lips into a slight smile followed by a hefty sigh, she took two steps forward.

I wrapped my arms around her, she gave two quick pats to my back and when I saw her face again her expression had softened and she was smiling. "I'm glad you're ok professor." She melted into the hug a bit more and said, "And I you (Y/N)"

McGonagall had replaced the House tables, but nobody was sitting according to House anymore. We were jumbled together, teachers and pupils, ghosts and parents, centaurs and house-elves, Grawp peered in through a smashed window, and people were throwing food into his laughing mouth.

It was a nice sense of normal Hogwarts life I had ached for after we decided not to return. News came creeping in from everywhere as the morning drew on; that the Imperiused up and down the country had come back to themselves, that Death Eaters were fleeing or else being captured.

The innocent of Azkaban were being released at that very moment, and Kingsley Shacklebolt had been named temporary Minister of Magic. Giving me a full pardon as his first act, on the spot too, so that was cool.

And so, after all the mayhem we had gone though to get here, I finally, collapsed into Hermione's arms as we sat at the table that would have been the Gryffindors. More out of habit then anything.

"Now, imagine how much easier this all would have been if we had a dragon" I said, she just sighed and rested her head on me. Winky sat next to us and her and Lavender revelled in the stories Ron told of the battle.

Winky was fully convinced that I had somehow defeated every Death Eater in the castle single headedly and saved Ron's life every twenty seconds. Which I jokingly assured her was only half true.

I found it strange to see Harry sitting on a bench beside Luna, I was convinced he'd be practically melded into Ginny by now. But Ginny was two tables away; she was sitting with her head on her mother's shoulder.

I saw Neville, the sword of Gryffindor lying beside his plate as he ate, surrounded by a knot of fervent admirers. "Man, I've got to get me a sword" I muttered under my breath, he looked like a badass. Well, he was badass. But still.

Along the aisle between the tables I spotted the three Malfoys, huddled together as though unsure whether they were supposed to be here, but nobody was paying them any attention. I was half tempted to go and sit with them, but I couldn't bring myself to, I was busy.

I was hugging Hermione, and had been since the battle ended, stealing kisses whenever I got even the hint of a chance to. "Will you come with me?" said Harrys voice beside us, "Sure ominous floating voice" I smirked. We stood up at once, and together we left the Great Hall.

Great chunks were missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade gone, and and bloodstains occurred every few steps as they climbed.

Somewhere in the distance Peeves zoomed through the corridors singing a victory song of his own composition: "We did it, we bashed them, wee Potter's the one, And Voldy's gone moldy, so now let's have fun!"

"Really gives a feeling for the scope and tragedy of the thing, doesn't it?" said Ron, "You've gotta love him, always some fun to be had, little git saved my life" I said as I waved at the poltergeist and he blew a raspberry at me.

As we walked Harry recounted what he had seen in the Pensieve and what had happened in the forest, It was probably one of the only times I'd ever felt bad for Severus Snape, it was hard to miss him after everything I thought he had done, but I did. Just a little.

As we listened to his story in shock and amazement we arrived at the place we had been walking, why here, we had no idea, but it felt right.

"What did you say happened to that stone again?" I asked, trying not to sound let down. "Sorry, I dropped it in the forest..." he looked down, I shrugged, then sighed, "See, this is why we can't have nice things"

We stopped to look back at the battered castle in the distance as we stood on the viaduct. "Not exactly leaving the place better than we found it, are we?" said Ron "Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs." Said Hermione wisely.

Ron gave her a look, not understanding the muggle expression, as if it was a riddle. I shrugged, "Well, to be fair, with me gone, the place has officially peaked anyway" I smiled.

Harry was absently playing his fingers over the Elder Wand. "I don't want it," said Harry. "What?" said Ron loudly. "Are you mental?" "I know it's powerful," said Harry wearily. "But I was happier with mine. So . . ."

He rummaged in the pouch hung around his neck, and pulled out the two halves of holly still just connected by the finest thread of phoenix feather. "Worth a shot" I nodded.

He touched it with the very tip of the Elder Wand, and said, "Reparo." As his wand resealed, red sparks flew out of its end. Harry knew that he had succeeded. He picked up the holly and phoenix wand and smiled widely.

"Are you sure?" said Ron. There was the faintest trace of longing in his voice as he looked at the Elder Wand. "I think Harry's right," said Hermione quietly. "That wand's more trouble than it's worth," said Harry. "And quite honestly," "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

He explained his plan, "I'll put it back were it belongs, If I die a natural death like Ignotus, its power will be broken, won't it? The previous master will never have been defeated. That'll be the end of it.'

"So that was the plan Dumbledore was banking on?" I asked, he nodded. I scoffed "That's a terrible plan. What if some random billy no mates had killed him and Voldemort killed them?"

"And as for you dying peacefully, you want to be an auror don't you? Not exactly the safest profession. This was not well thought out, it was based solely on one thing happening exactly as planned. Which has never happened to any of us a day in our lives."

"You have it then" he offered, I shook my head, "Nah, I'm too temperamental to have that thing. Hermione should have it, she can use it to free the house elves or something." She scoffed this time, "No thank you."

Ron asked "What do you reckon we should do with it?" "We?" "I'm just saying. That's the Elder Wand! It's the most powerful bloody wand in the world! With that, we could, we could..." he trailed off.

As Harry peered down at his hands, I watched as he took the ends of the wand and... Snap! He broke it clean in two, "It's that simple?" I said in shock, surprised the wand had survived as long as It did. I watched in horror as he pitched the pieces over the edge of the viaduct.

"That was a priceless magical artefact that belonged in a museum, it was the most powerful wand to ever exist, what I'm saying is..." "You could have used that y'know" "As a spare" said me and Ron at the same time, the four of us burst into laughter.

"Damn, I'm becoming predictable." Ron scoffed, "You've been predictable since you were twelve." Normally I'd retort with something clever, but I just laughed. While my heart was tempting me to go searching in the forest, my body was too tired to care.

So we spent the next few days cleaning up Hogwarts, and I spent that whole afternoon having a well deserved rest in the dormitories. Finally falling into my own bed.

Sleeping peacefully and uninterrupted, in my home, surrounded by the people I love, free from any Dark Lord or Death Eater.

I can't remember the dream I had that night, but I remember waking up the day after to eat a Hogwarts feast and knowing that everything was right in the world again, even only for today.