The Beginning of The End

Author's note: For the sake of this story, it has already been established that Harry is the Heir of Gryffindor. Also, for the sake of this story, Sirius' name has been cleared; however, Harry was unable to live with him seeing as they were both targets of Voldemort. That's all for now. Enjoy! :D

Reminder: Hermione is Head Girl and Justin is Head Boy. Just in case you forgot... ;-)

Chapter Seventeen

The End

~Ron~

Around one am, Ron awoke to complete chaos. He heard his name being shouted and he sat up, drawing his hangings back to see Seamus, Dean and Neville scurrying around, pulling shoes onto their feet.

"We've got to go out onto the grounds," Seamus said, his voice shaking as he grabbed a cloak and dashed for the door. "The castle's being evacuated!"

His heart pounding, Ron yanked his covers off and shot to his feet. He grabbed his shoes and as he bent to pull them on with shaking hands, his eyes fell on Harry's bed.

"Where's Harry?" he demanded of Neville.

"I don't know," he said in a shaking voice. "I was the first to wake up and Harry wasn't here. Hurry, Ron."

And with that, Neville ran out leaving Ron alone. He stood in the middle of the room, shaking all over.

Ginny's face flashed in his mind... and he heard the words she'd said to him before he'd left last night. " `Night... I love my socks." Hermione's face appeared as well, and her own uncharacteristically sweet words when he'd walked her up to the door of the girls' dormitory before bedtime.

"Have sweet dreams," she'd whispered and leaned up on her toes to kiss him.

Ron saw everything... his mum and dad... his brothers... Fred and George's huge identical grins... Percy laughing at them... Bill and Charlie wrestling and breaking Mum's dishes... Ginny running around in Bill's socks... He heard voices, loud and panicked, that were coming from the staircase below as people rushed out of their dormitories and into the common room.

It was then that Ron made a decision. As if being startled out of a dream, he sprinted to Harry's trunk, grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and hid himself before racing out of the room.

~Hermione~

"Everyone needs to stay calm, that's the most important thing. Stay calm and focus on walking quickly. Come on now."

Students filed down the stairs into the Entrance Hall and out the front doors of the school.

"Are we going to die?" asked a first year girl with tears in her eyes.

"No, of course not!" Hermione said, placing a shaking hand on the young girl's shoulder as she helped her down the steps. "Just follow everyone outside... see Professor McGonagall out there? She'll show you where to go."

Hermione's eyes scanned the crowd. The entire school was passing her, running outside. She'd seen Ginny being led by Madam Pomfrey and she knew where Harry must be... but of course, Ron hadn't made an appearance. Hermione could almost be angry with him for pulling this.

The seventh year boys thundered down the steps and Hermione grabbed Dean by the arm.

"Where's Ron? Have you seen him?"

"He's on his way down," Seamus assured her before they ran out.

Frustrated, her eyes filled with tears. Where was he? Why wasn't he running out like everyone else? It looked as if all of Gryffindor had already been down. Why did he have to be the one who couldn't be found?

Then it hit her. She brought a shaking hand up to her temple... everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She knew it... she knew where Ron was and she pressed her other hand to her stomach in denial. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Hermione, go," Justin said, looking at her in concern. He was across the hall directing people as well. "Get out there. I've got this under control."

"No, I'm fine," she said, her voice breaking. She gave up and let the tears fall as the traffic became thinner, as people flew down in small groups instead of crowds, until it was only one or two students at a time.

And then a huge, rumbling sound filled her ears--the staircase began to crack and split--Hermione screamed and covered her head as the walls surrounding her trembled.

~Harry~

Harry halted when he stepped outside the hospital wing. He stood still for a moment, feeling the same sensations as earlier in the day when Snape had been pouring the potion down Ginny's throat. Time had stood still then, and as Harry approached Lupin now, he felt that same icy numbness... that same wild fear spreading though his veins. His scar still burned at his forehead; the level of pain was high indeed, but he was used to it and he didn't think about what would happen if it increased. He couldn't think about it.

"We'll take the short-cut up to Dumbledore's office," was all Lupin said.

Harry followed him a ways down the corridor and stopped at a large painting, which swung open when Lupin gave it a password. They both stepped inside and Harry found himself in a passage he'd never seen before. Once they were enclosed, Harry followed Lupin, who was ducking under the low ceiling and speaking.

"There was strange activity in that dungeon--at the entrance to the passage. The Aurors were sensing magic even though nobody was performing anything. This combined with a signal we only just received from Professor Snape means that it's happening tonight."

"Did the stone open?" Harry asked flatly.

"No. They think you'll be able to do it, Harry."

Harry swallowed and a kind of frozen shield inside him began to grow. He was thankful for it. He knew he was scared--but he didn't feel it somehow.

They reached the end of the passage and stopped in front of a painting Harry recognized from the spiral staircase leading to Dumbledore's office. Sure enough, when Lupin gave the password, the painting opened and the door to the headmaster's office appeared directly in front of them. When they entered the office, Sirius went to Harry immediately.

There were more Aurors than Harry could count; more than he'd worked with in the dungeons yesterday and he got the feeling that they surrounded the castle. Professor Figg was there and she touched Harry's shoulder before moving to stand next to Lupin. There was a loud clunk and Harry turned to see Mad-Eye Moody moving around the office with something Harry recognized as a Dark Detector.

"Where's Dumbledore?" he asked.

"He's hidden, Harry," Lupin said, drawing his wand. Professor Figg did the same.

Sirius spoke quickly. "Hogwarts is surrounded by Death Eaters, Harry. I imagine they're inside the castle now. We know that Voldemort's here and Snape confirmed that the passage will lead us to him. Only you will be able to open it."

Cold shivers raced down Harry's back. "Why hasn't he come after me?"

"He knows you're coming to him. He thinks he knows exactly what we're planning, but it's going to backfire on him."

Harry said nothing. He wanted to shout out what he felt, what had jumped into his mind at that moment: that Snape was betraying them, that Voldemort really did know the truth of it all. But Harry set his jaw and stifled his panic. Somewhere deep down he knew that he would forever be wrong about Snape.

"We have to go now." It was Mad-Eye Moody.

Harry saw that Lupin, Professor Figg, Mad-Eye, and the rest of the Aurors all had the same determined expression on their faces. Lupin turned to Harry.

"I have complete faith in you, Harry," he said--the same words Dumbledore had said.

Harry thought of long days in a musty room training for the spell he had to perform tonight. He thought of his Patronus... and his father.

They started to leave and Harry saw Professor Figg pause before following Lupin out. She looked Sirius square in the face and Sirius nodded slowly, holding her gaze intently. Then she left.

Harry started to ask Sirius why he wasn't going with them, but his godfather cut him off.

"I'm staying with you, Harry. Let's go."

There was another "secret" passage entrance located in the spiral staircase, which Sirius explained would take them into a corridor near the Entrance Hall; this would help them reach the dungeons quicker. Harry wondered why he'd never paid attention to these passages before--he was sure they would appear on the Marauder's Map.

The Map.... A flood of memories began to replay themselves in Harry's mind as he walked in the deep, dark passage. He saw himself in his third year and he could practically hear Fred and George. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

Harry's first instinct was to push these thoughts away--he couldn't be distracted. But when he started to rid himself of the picture of Fred and George tackling Ginny over the summer, the beginnings of panic crept up. So he let himself get lost in thought and scene upon scene formed behind his eyes.

He was going to Hogsmeade for the first time under the Invisibility Cloak. He was throwing mud in Malfoy's face. He was meeting Malfoy at midnight to duel and Hermione was complaining the entire way. He was playing Quidditch and winning the Quidditch Cup. He was at the World Cup and walking around the forest and seeing Cho. He was riding Buckbeak with Hermione and they were saving Sirius. He was crashing the car into the Whomping Willow and hearing Mrs. Weasley's voice booming in the Great Hall. He was at the very first Yule Ball and he and Ron were spying on Hagrid. He was watching Ginny and Ron dance at this past Yule Ball. He was joking about Ginny's socks. He was hearing her words, the last words she'd said to him before he'd left.

A pain was forming behind his chest, but when Sirius stopped at yet another painting, Harry forced his mind to empty.

"Raise your wand, Harry, and stay behind me."

Harry closed his eyes before taking a deep breath. The painting creaked open and Sirius stepped through, his own wand raised and ready. Harry could only see Sirius' back and he braced himself for some kind of noise... but there was nothing but silence.

"God," came Sirius's harsh voice.

Harry stepped through and his heart began to pound. It was completely dark, except for the quivering light from the only remaining torch on the wall. His foot crunched on crumbled stone and broken glass from windows that were shattered. Harry shivered--it was freezing because of the broken windows. There was noise, lots of it, but it was distant. Walls were cracked, statues were broken, and doors were laying on the floor, blasted into pieces. As Harry's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw something else... something to make his heart stop. He grabbed Sirius' arm, but Sirius had already seen.

"Moony."

Harry moved towards Lupin's body, which was slumped against a crumbled statue, but Sirius yanked the back of Harry's robes.

"Don't. We have to go."

"But shouldn't we--"
"He's gone, Harry." His voice was flat. "Come on."

He felt himself being pulled down the corridor, but he could only stare back at Lupin's face.

"This is wrong, we shouldn't... leave him," Harry choked.

"We have to go, Harry," said Sirius, gripping Harry's arm firmly. Harry saw that his hand was shaking.

And then something happened to make both Harry and Sirius yank their wands in the air. A huge cloud of dust rose from the floor and skidding noises sounded against the gravel.

Ron pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and, breathless, turned to Harry. "I've been looking all over for you."

All Harry could do was gape at him. "What...?"

"You're supposed to be outside in the protection circle," Sirius said sharply.

"No, I'm not," said Ron impatiently, looking back and forth between the two. "Let's go. The dungeons, right?"

Harry stared at him, something very powerful crashing behind his chest. "Don't be stupid," he said. "Get out there, Ron."

"I'm going where you're going."

"Are you mad?" Harry hissed. "Get out there!"
"No. I'm going with you."

"No, you're not," said Harry between clenched teeth.

But Ron's face was set. "Yes, I am. What did you think I was going to do? Let you go without me?"

"I don't need you there," Harry spat, trying to make him angry so that he'd leave. But even as he said the words, Harry knew it was a complete lie. Sirius was looking at Ron very carefully and some kind of understanding passed between Ron and Sirius.

"There's nothing I can do to stop him," Sirius said at last. "We're wasting time."

"This is so stupid!" The fact that Ron was completely serious was making Harry panic. "You're just going to get killed. Is that what you want?"

"I've got the cloak. I'm not letting you go alone, Harry, so shut the hell up about it."

"I can't believe your letting him do this," Harry shot at Sirius as they turned the corner to the Entrance Hall. This was making his blood boil--why wouldn't either of them listen to him? "You're not doing it, Ron, get out there and--" He broke off and drew in a breath at the sight before him.

It was the Entrance Hall. But it wasn't the usual inviting place full of light and warmth. It was cold and unsafe. The danger seemed to settle over it like the layer of broken stone. There was hardly any light, only a few lone candles on the remaining walls, casting flickering shadow everywhere. The massive staircase had a huge crack down the middle and it was tilted at an odd angle; the bottom steps were only a pile of rubble, and looking as if they were about to crumble at any moment. Harry stared at it, his eyes sweeping to the bottom... and he gasped at the dark figure, half covered in stone. His eyes flew to the person's face and saw with utter disbelief that it belonged to Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Ron's entire body went stiff.

"Did you see Hermione?" Harry whispered to Ron, before he thought about what he was saying.

"No," Ron said dully, staring at Justin.

"Get outside, Ron," Harry said weakly. "Make sure she's okay. And Ginny. They need you."

Ron turned to Harry, then. His blue eyes were bright and his face was set. "You need me."

Staring back at him, Harry felt relief flood slowly through his veins. Suddenly couldn't think about what the sacrifice was going to be--all he knew was that Ron was right--and there was no one else Harry wanted by his side.

"Let's go," Sirius said again.

Harry tried desperately not to look at the few other students that were sprawled across the floor as they stepped over the destruction and continued on. They reached the dungeons, which were empty and untouched, but somehow seemed more dangerous somehow.

Lupin came into his mind and Harry felt, for the first time since Hagrid's death, his eyes burn with misery.

They reached the room from Ginny's dreams and stepped inside. At once, Dumbledore appeared out of thin air, his blue eyes already radiating with power. They slid to Ron.

"Mr. Weasley," he said and Ron lifted his chin to meet the headmaster's gaze. Dumbledore nodded and turned to Harry. "I expected no less. There will be a long tunnel and at the end of it, a room. Voldemort will be stationed in this room, with his own protection. Let us go now. Harry, you'll need to open the stone."

His breath in his throat, Harry bent down, touched his wand to the round stone and said,

"Alohomora!"

His scar exploded in pain. He grabbed his head, leaning back, and hearing a huge rumbling sound. Many hands pulled him to his feet. Lupin's voice echoed in his mind.

"Focus, Harry."

So he did. He struggled to open his eyes and with all his might, he focused. The stone was opening--it was getting bigger and bigger and the walls were beginning to rattle. The room was going to collapse.

"Inside!" Dumbledore said over the noise. "Now!"

They slid down, all four of them, into the hole, which wasn't as deep as it looked. Harry landed on his feet and put his foot out to keep his balance, raising his wand. He was dizzy, but kept quite steady as Ron landed firmly on his own feet beside him, gripping his own wand. The pain in Harry's head should have been crippling him, but it wasn't; he was able to open his eyes again and look at where they were.

It was a murky tunnel and looked to be endless, completely dark, except for the little flames of green fire along the bottom edge of the walls. There was dead silence.

"Walk carefully," Dumbledore ordered. "Use no magic."

The walking was good--it helped Harry concentrate on something other than his pain. Ron had covered himself with the cloak again, but Harry knew he was walking beside him. They walked and walked. Harry thought about those long passages in the Ministry Defense Shelter and knew that this one was probably very much like them; he had a feeling the distance they were traveling meant nothing at all to time and space.

For reasons he couldn't imagine, Harry's father came into his mind. The vision of him was comforting, so he went over every single word he'd ever heard about James Potter, every photograph he owned, every story Sirius and Lupin had told him. His mother's face materialized as he'd seen her in photographs: grinning, holding Harry in her arms, posing in her wedding gown, grabbing James' face in her hands and kissing him. He'd always been rather embarrassed to look at that photograph... now he prayed that no harm came to it while it was up in his dormitory.

The dormitory seemed far away. The pain in his scar threatened him again and Harry brought more things into his mind... other photographs of his parents, stories of Sirius' that Harry remembered word for word.

Help me, Dad.

Dumbledore stopped walking ahead and, after a moment, turned to them. "The end of the tunnel is a short ways down," he whispered softly. "I can see it. Sirius, Ron, stay behind Harry and me."

As they walked, Harry began to hear something--voices. The effect on his scar was brutal so he concentrated everything he could on breathing and walking. Soon, he began to see shadows on the wall ahead and a small puddle of light streaming from the left. Harry and Dumbledore approached, and then, very carefully, they turned.

There were two huge stone pillars arching high above them--the entrance to a huge circular room, which contained more columns and the quivering glow of green fire scattered around. Harry stared in horror, his eyes watering with an unimaginable pain that was searing across his forehead.

It was Draco Malfoy. Black robed and breathing hard, he was slumped against a pillar in the middle of the room and looking up at something Harry couldn't see. But it was the look in his eyes that captured Harry's attention; they held an agony that went deep into the soul.

"Please," Draco choked in a dead voice that didn't sound anything like his own. "Please."

Another voice answered him, an evil voice that Harry knew from his nightmares and it brought such an agony to his scar, that he bent over and pressed his head to the cold pillar, holding onto it for support.

"Please..." the voice hissed tantalizingly. "Lucius... your son is begging for his life..."

The tall form of Lucius Malfoy stepped into view and turned to look at Draco. "Do what you will to him, My Lord."

At these words, Draco began to sob, great hideous gasps that racked his entire body.

"SHUT UP!" Lucius boomed. He grabbed Draco by the front of his robes and pulled him upright, slamming him against the pillar. "You brought this upon yourself," he spat at him.

Draco looked up at his father, his entire body shaking violently. "Father..."

Lucius ignored him. "My Lord?"

Harry pressed his hand to his mouth to stifle his heavy breathing, but he was sure the pounding of his heart was echoing off the walls. He looked all around the room and noticed with great perplexity high windows that stretched to the top of the high, dome-like ceiling. How could there be windows inside a dungeon? He peered very closely at them and saw the very black sky sparkled with stars. His eyes darted to the other window... he could see the lake way off to the distance... below them. And then the other window, next to that one... it was dotted with trees and forest. They were not below the school... they were on top of it.

Another robed figure came to stand in front of Draco, the thin figure of the body that belonged to Lord Voldemort. Harry almost screamed at the anguish in his scar; he bent all the way over before an invisible hand gripped his arm and pulled him up. Sirius, Dumbledore and Ron watched the scene as Harry leaned against Ron and listened to the words spoken by Lord Voldemort.

"You know why I've brought you here, traitor. Muggle-loving fool... you're no different from any of them. A coward! A hideous coward who would chose this against the power Lord Voldemort could have given you. Against my orders. You failed the test, boy! And now, you shall die like the Mudbloods you saved, common filth that you are, in the place that you would rather be loyal to than me."

Voldemort raised his wand; Draco flung himself on the floor, screaming in terror, but Voldemort just laughed as, in midair, a very long, curvy dagger materialized. Voldemort brought his hand through the air and the dagger soared away to stop and float directly in front of Lucius Malfoy.

"I give you my sword, Lucius. Kill your son."

Ron's hand tightened on Harry's arm.

Lucius didn't hesitate. He took the sword by the handle and walked to where Draco lay sobbing on the floor. Draco's knees bent as his father dragged him to his feet and shoved him against a wall.

"You will stand tall when you die. PUT YOUR HEAD UP!"

But Draco's head hung, defeated, his chin on his neck.

Harry's looked at Dumbledore as panic began to clog his throat. Were they to just stand there and let this happen? Dumbledore's eyes flickered to Harry and held his gaze, giving a slight nod--this was it.

Lucius raised the dagger.

"Now!" Dumbledore whispered.

But Harry was shoved aside suddenly and before he could register anything, Ron was racing across the room and flinging himself over Malfoy's body as the blade came crashing down. It sank into Ron's back.

"NO!" Harry bellowed.

Lucius let out a yell, completely stunned. Voldemort screamed and looked all around, yanking his wand arm in the air. But Harry could only think of Hermione... and the debt that Ron had just paid for her. His mind shut down before he could let it in ... and he stepped forward and faced Voldemort, feeling a hatred born from his very soul. His scar throbbed horrendously and he aimed Harry wand high.

Voldemort's red eyes glowed even brighter when he saw Harry and very slowly, a smiled twisted his mouth.

"Harry Potter... I knew you would come to me... you always do." Voldemort raised his wand...

...and faltered.

Even in Harry's poor state, he saw it. Voldemort's eyes narrowed in confusion for a brief moment and then he raised his wand again. But he cried out, a horrible, high sound that echoed off the walls. His bony face twisted to the side, wincing in some kind of pain.

Dumbledore's words came back to Harry.

"When Voldemort tried to kill you as a baby, his powers became yours and when you helped to bring him to life three years ago, your powers became his... only his scar is unseen. It lives inside of him... as it lives in you. It will surface if and when he is close to you."

He was the cause of it. Voldemort was faltering because of him... Harry had a sudden mental picture of the Boggart-Voldemort stumbling... and he held his wand tight, raising it higher. He thought of killing him... saying the words that he'd been taught in his fifth year... just casting the spell...

It won't work, he said over and over. Wait for him to make the move, wait for him... it won't work, you can't kill him...

"Master?" came Lucius' sharp voice. Harry could feel Lucius' eyes on him, and suddenly there was a loud clatter. Harry dared to flicker a glance at the floor and saw that the dagger had been pulled from Ron's back and thrown across the room. Draco, shaking with fear, was pulling Ron out of the way.

"My Lord, what will I do?" Lucius commanded.

Voldemort was now angry at this unexpected turn of events. "Do not do anything, Lucius," he spat. "I will kill him... I will kill him...!" He pointed his wand right at Harry's head. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

But Harry had been just as quick.

"BENE OMNIA VINCIT!"

The spells connected as they were supposed to; the sheer force of it shot Harry backwards against a pillar, but he kept the connection, kept his focus. The entire room was now filled with bright golden light and Harry squinted against it, keeping his eyes trained to the thin beam that connected him to Voldemort. In the back of his mind, he knew that Dumbledore or Snape had better join the connection before Harry and Voldemort become enclosed in the dome that would appear. He began to mumble the chant, focusing his entire being on maintaining the connection and saying the words, his scar burning beyond belief.

But Voldemort was also suffering. His hand slipped several times and Harry had to fight to preserve the connection that wobbled. Voldemort didn't know what to do and Harry could hear Lucius screaming for direction.

No sooner than Harry began to raise his voice, than another joined him. From Voldemort's look of fear, Harry knew who it was. Dumbledore had stepped into the light and his firm voice began to recite the chant as he placed the tip of his wand onto the golden beam. At once, a white light began to shine from Dumbledore... Harry looked down at his own arm and saw that he was glowing with it also... it shimmered inside his very skin... the protection...

Harry felt it... the intense magic seeping through his blood... stronger and more potent than it had ever been in that room. It gave him strength... and hope. He straitened his back, held his wand higher. The pain in his scar began to diminish.

It's working, he thought wildly with a thrill of excitement. Ron will be fine... if this works, Ron will be fine...

"Summon another!" Voldemort screamed to Lucius.

"No need, my Lord. I am here." Snape's voice called out. He stepped behind Voldemort, as did Lucius. Harry felt a sudden foreboding at the look on Snape's face.

"KILL THEM!" Voldemort screamed. "KILL THEM ALL!"

Shoulder-to-shoulder, Snape and Lucius raised their wands ... but before Lucius could say anything, Snape cut his wand down in a deep swoop and touched it to the beam, his eyes glinting with power.

"TRAITOR!" screeched Voldemort, stumbling yet again. The beam wobbled and Harry gasped, holding firm, as a huge burst of energy raced through him the moment Snape's wand touched the thread.

But before Snape could open his mouth to begin the chant, before the white glow began to radiate from him as well, Lucius' voice boomed.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

His mind screaming in denial, Harry felt the very magic inside him fade as the green light burst forth. Snape fell to the floor.

"NO!" Draco was sprinting to Snape and Lucius raised his wand, pointing it at Dumbledore. As Harry continued to chant, he prayed that his instinct was correct, that Dumbledore was still protected. He knew now that this was the beginning of the end; with Snape dead, all hope was lost. But Harry continued the chanting, keeping his concentration even as he felt his strength dying.

Lucius cast his curse on Dumbledore, shouting the words that had killed Snape. But before the jet of green light could touch Dumbledore, it stopped in midair... rebounded... and was hurled back the way it came. The curse struck Lucius square in the chest.

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco, bent over Snape and staring at his father's body numbly. Harry was getting weaker... the protection was dying, his breath was coming in short gasps and he had to reach out with his other hand and press it against the pillar that was next to him. Voldemort's eyes were glinting now with something like victory. It made Harry want to vomit... or give up. He felt tears in his eyes as he heard his father's voice telling him not to lose faith...

I can't do it, Harry sobbed in his mind. It's too hard... The pain in his scar was now making him dizzy. He was going to pass out... he leaned against the column for support... Ron was dead... it was all over... The last thing Harry saw was Voldemort's face, in a glow of light, radiating with power... before he turned a last glance out the window to the sky...

...And he saw Draco Malfoy, standing now in front of the window, staring at Harry. His eyes traveled to the beam of light, to Dumbledore, to Snape and back to Harry again. They locked eyes.

And then, slowly, after what seemed like a lifetime, Draco turned. He stepped over his father's body and bent down next to Snape. He stood again, now with Snape's wand in his hand. Draco stared down at it, breathing heavily, and his eyes raised to Harry's. They were burning with a dazed sort of fear.

Without warning at all, Draco lifted the wand and touched it to the beam.

The fog lifted from Harry's brain... ... the glow of his skin was brighter than it had been before... and the pain in his scar vanished.

Voldemort was getting weaker... the connection wobbled like it never had and Harry had to fight to keep them both connected.

"Bene Omnia Vincit," Dumbledore continued loudly, now raising his voice and staring back at Draco. "The power of goodness shall conquer all. In the wake of evil's return, goodness shall prevail."

Harry felt a new kind of hope bursting inside him, and following Dumbledore's lead, he spoke louder as well. Draco's eyes darted from Harry to Dumbledore and back again, confidence building in them. And then Draco began to speak the chant--soon, they were all shouting it.

Voldemort cried out in something that sounded like pain; he stumbled, physically, and Harry felt a great pressure when he tried to pull his wand away from the beam. But it was working now, the protection, the magic... it was glowing in Draco's skin as well and enclosing Voldemort in some kind barrier... he was trying to yank the connection away but to no avail.

Voldemort's eyes widened with fear... Harry knew what he had to do.

~Ginny~

The night was cool. Ginny shivered and pulled her dressing robe tightly around her. Words couldn't describe the feelings in her heart as she stared up at the tower radiating with light. A tower, which until now, nobody had ever laid eyes on. It was as if it had simply materialized out of nowhere. A few people said that the tower appeared overnight... someone insisted they actually saw it appear through their dormitory window. Ginny didn't care one way or the other. All she knew was that her brother was up there... and so was Harry.

The entire school was out on the grounds, sitting inside an invisible Protection Enchantment the teachers had cast around them. If Ginny hadn't been completely terrified, she would have been rather impressed at the spell. All the professors, except for Professor Figg and Dumbledore, of course, had stood in a circle, surrounding the students and shouted the Charm. Professor McGonagall said the circle could not be removed until evil was gone from the school.

Ginny felt something move to her side and she turned to lay her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"They're going to be okay," Ginny whispered to her, shifting her sore body and leaning against her friend. She was still extremely weak from the effects of the Venenum Sopor. "They have to be okay..."

Hermione nodded and squeezed her hand as they sat, huddled together on the damp grass, with the entire school. Some people were whispering, some were crying, some were leaning on each other just as Hermione and Ginny were. However, every face in the entire crowd was turned upward, staring at the same spot...

Ginny had been one of the first to arrive outside and she'd been lead by Madam Pomfrey to where all the professors were standing, only a short ways from the castle. She'd watched as the entire school began to flood out the front doors, as the Gryffindors in her year came bounding towards her, as people called for their friends. Everyone was terrified and trying desperately to push their way through the huge crowd that was assembling to get to each other.

Ginny must have called Ron's name a hundred times, making herself hoarse, and when she'd seen Dean, Neville and Seamus running out, she'd almost cried with relief--Ron was sure to be close behind. But he wasn't--and as the number of people rushing out reduced, Ginny had begun to feel sick.

And then something had happened to make the entire school stand still.

Green light had begun pouring through every window of the castle and huge explosions could be seen from all over. Ginny's eyes had been flying over every part of the castle, watching in a numb fear. The teachers had raised their wands towards the crowds, yelling incantations as a few lone students began to race from the castle doors at top speed. Hermione had been one of them. They'd arrived just in time to rush into the circle and Ginny had yelled Hermione's name for what seemed like hours before they finally pushed through and found each other. When the teachers had finished the charm, enclosing themselves inside it as well, they'd assured everyone that no harm would come to them.

Ginny, Hermione and the rest of the school had watched in blatant shock as dozens of black-cloaked, hooded figures began to Apparate around them and charge at the castle. Some ran towards them and tried to cast spells on the students and teachers. The protection had stopped the spells, confusing the Death Eaters, but making them more determined. It had seemed to last for hours, but the protection circle was quite impenetrable.

"The light is changing!"

People began to shout over the whispering crowd, but it wasn't the voices that had Ginny sitting up and grabbing Hermione's arm. It was the tower. The light was indeed changing; it was getting stronger, brighter if that was possible. It cast white beams over the grounds and castle, and then, with a piercing noise that sent shivers down Ginny's back, there was an explosion--a flash of red light-- before the tower began to crumble.

Ginny and Hermione watched as slowly, terrifyingly, the turret crumbled to the ground in a massive ball of white fire. There was another flash of light, another explosion and for a split second, the entire castle became illuminated. And then it was all quiet... all dark.

Hermione grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her through the crowd until they were standing at the very edge of the barrier. The huge mound of stone came into view... it was smoldering with white fire and radiating with light. Ginny could practically feel everyone holding their breaths, and before her mind absorbed anything, the stones began to move.

The entire crowd drew in gasps of breath, and Ginny pressed her hand to her throat when she saw arms appear, then a head and a torso climb heavily from beneath the wreckage. Hermione let out a strangled cry when the person finally stumbled down the immense pile of dark stone and stood, facing the crowd. It was Draco Malfoy.

There were more gasps and sobs. Hermione mumbled `no' over and over again and pressed her face into Ginny's shoulder. But Ginny didn't have time to feel anything... the stones were moving again.

"Look!" she cried and squeezed Hermione's arm.

Draco turned and lunged towards the movement, grabbing huge blocks of stone and throwing them out of the way with an almost inhuman strength. People were staring to scream now.

"It's Voldemort!"

"He's saving Voldemort!"

"Keep calm!" Professor McGonagall ordered. "Mr. Malfoy," she screamed. "Report to me now!" Her voice was shaking like mad.

But Draco ignored her and continued his task.

Ginny's grip tightened on her wand and she held it up with a shaking hand. The fear was all consuming.

And then, it was as if the entire crowd gasped at the same time. Emerging from the pile of glowing rubble, was a glint of white hair.

"Dumbledore?" Hermione cried.

Draco helped the headmaster down; he was covered in dust and soot as well and he looked week and exhausted. Dumbledore surveyed the terrified crowd before lifting his hand and placing it on Draco's shoulder. They both turned and began to move more stones out of the way, throwing the huge gravel aside.

And then, on the very other end of the mound, the rocks began to move on their own. Hermione's nails dug into Ginny's arm as another body began to heave itself out. Dumbledore and Draco started over immediately, but before they could do anything, the figure threw aside the last of the rocks covering him and emerged.

Hermione began to sob immediately and Ginny felt tears pouring down her face as Harry, covered from head to toe in dust hoisted himself clear out of the hole. There was a collective sigh of relief... some people burst into tears... others still held on to each other, as if waiting for something else.

Harry didn't climb down. At once he turned and began to throw rocks hurriedly and Draco followed suit. They both leaned into the pile of rubble, pulling something out. Ginny saw red hair beneath the dust and she screamed loudly.

"RON!"

Harry and Draco stumbled down the mountain of stone with Ron hanging limply between them... he was unconscious.

Ginny's arm was on fire where Hermione was squeezing.

He's okay... he's my brother... he's RON...

Dumbledore rushed over as Harry and Draco reached the bottom and together they lowered Ron to the ground, face down. There was a scream from the crowd and Ginny's heart plummeted when she saw her brother's back soaked with blood.

Hermione made a noise in the back of her throat.

Dumbledore pointed the tip of his wand to Ron's back and muttered something under his breath. Then he looked up and spoke to Harry and Draco. They all sat there, watching... until... Ron shifted. Ginny drew in her breath and gripped Hermione's hand as Ron lifted his head and began pushing himself up.

Ginny couldn't stand still -- but she also couldn't run to her brother so she squirmed restlessly and watched Harry grip Ron by the arm and help him to his feet.

There was a huge noise from the direction of the castle; Ginny jumped in fear and saw that the doors had been flung open and people were running out of the castle... the Aurors. Ginny saw the familiar lithe form of Professor Figg among them before she turned back to Ron and Harry. Harry was completely alert now, but his eyes seemed to be searching the crowd of Aurors that surrounded Dumbledore. It was right then that he found what he was looking for when Sirius pushed through the crowd rather forcefully, and hugged Harry tightly. Ginny eyes filled with tears again watching Harry press his face into Sirius shoulder and hold onto him.

A million questions were racing through her mind, but Ginny couldn't stop to focus on any of them. She needed to know that Ron and Harry were okay... and safe... before she started worrying about everything.

Sirius, still holding onto Harry, grabbed Ron by the collar and pulled him into the embrace as well.

After a short while, Ron pulled away from them and turned, his eyes scanning the crowd, until they stopped on Ginny and Hermione. Ginny felt like she was going to sink to the floor in relief as Ron began to walk to them, quickening his pace as he neared. And then he was standing right there, looking back and forth between them, pressing his hands against the invisible wall of the barrier.

His eyes looked so tired--and a little hard. They burned into Ginny's.

"It's over..." he whispered to her. "It's over..."

Hermione choked on a sob and Ron turned to her. She reached up and pressed her hand against the barrier, flattening her palm against his.

Ginny looked away, pressing a fist to her mouth and squeezing her eyes closed as Ron's words were repeated throughout the group.

Over...could it be...? Was it possible...?

Ginny's hands were shaking when she cleared the tears from her eyes and then she looked up to find Harry again. He was still standing a ways down, where Sirius and Professor Figg were talking quietly, but he was looking right at Ginny. Her heart flipped over. Even from a distance, she could see his eyes; they were so intense... so green. She couldn't begin to imagine what they'd seen tonight, but somewhere in the depths of them, she could see what Ron's words meant... it was over.

Ginny reached out and touched the edge of the barrier. She wanted, needed, to touch Harry, to put her hand to his cheek, to lock her fingers with his. He seemed so far away... so alone as his eyes flickered to where Ron and Hermione were. Ginny wished he would come to her... and she wondered if she would have the courage to comfort him if there wasn't a barrier between them.

She didn't know if it was seconds or minutes later when she saw Sirius place a hand on Harry's shoulder, and call out for Ron. With a last lingering look at Ginny, Harry turned and Ginny kept her eyes on him and Ron as they walked with Sirius through the front doors of the castle.

Epilogue

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