Down on the grounds, the fight continued after everyone got over the shock that the wards had sent to the very air they were breathing. It was a bloody battle. But the real conflict was not on the grounds, despite the death toll that was continuously rising. No, it was above nearly everyone, in the highest tower.

Where Severus Snape was bound and determined to get too one way or another.

However, it appeared fate had something else in store for him because he kept getting detoured.

After he had handed Miss Letherby off to Rose, he had tried, once more, to begin the accent to the top of the stairs.

He was unable to make it past the second floor, though, when Percy Weasley began hexing him.

Severus turned to the boy quickly, his eyes flashing.

“I knew that I would be the one to get you, Snape! I knew it! All those years that you taunted students, and then you had the nerve to brain wash Harry Potter! You thought you would really get away with it!” Percy laughed loudly and the sound reminded Severus of a mad man.

Not that it really surprised him. He had long suspected that the boy was not on their side, and had refused to allow the Weasley’s to tell him any different. He had wanted to blame it on Percy’s position in the Ministry, but, honestly, he hadn’t trusted him since before he had left school. Dumbledore had great influence with some of the students, and Severus knew that this particular student had wanted power for most of his life.

“Mr. Weasley, I am sorry to inform you that you are incorrect.” Severus said icily, his wand already drawn and pointed at the red head.

“You think so, Snape?”

“You never did, Mr. Weasley, know how to watch your front as well as your back at the same time. It was always a failing…with your brothers, your enemies…” Severus said, purposefully drawing out the sentence just as Percy Weasley was hexed from behind.

Mad-Eye Moody.

“Don’t go thinking this changes a thing. I still don’t like ya, Snape! But tha boy there had the wrong idea. Don’t know how Dumbledore managed to pull this one over on some us for so long, but we been knowing for a while he was nuts. I knew since the tournament. He tried ta kill yer boy. Didn’t know he was yer’s then though.”

Severus nodded in understanding. Everyone made mistakes sometimes. He had made his own mistakes in his past, he would not make another by refusing Moody’s apology, as skewed as it was.

“Thank you.” Severus said, and then turned. Severus was secretly glad that Moody had only stunned the Weasley boy and had not killed him. He knew that Arthur and Molly would be devastated enough to learn that their son was against them and would more than likely be sent to

Azkaban. Better that than knowing the boy had been killed.

Yes. It was for the best.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rosemerta had handed off the first year to Filch and was trying to get to her son when another child ran out in front of her. This child was smaller than the one she had just seen to safety. What in the bloody hell were these children being fed? Obviously it wasn’t enough because these children did not even look eleven years old.

“Child, where are you supposed to be?” Rosemerta asked him. The little boy looked up, shocked, his eyes wide with terror.

That was when it hit Rosemerta. There truly was no way in the world that the boy in front of her was eleven.

“How old are you?” She asked him, walking over to him quickly, “Who are your parents?”

The little boy sniffed and curled up into a tight ball against the wall, but his eyes never lost contact with the woman coming towards him.

“My parents are dead. They have been dead for a long time. The man took me. The one that was always in the Daily Prophet when my Mummy read it. Chocolate? He took me. He told me…”

“I told him that he would be the perfect bait.” A heavy voice said from behind her. Rose turned around slowly.

Fudge.

“The moment I saw him I knew that he would be perfect. He is only seven years old. I knew that some woman, some man, anyone really, who always tried to save others before themselves would be unable to pass him by. I have kept him locked in my home for months. No one missed the boy. No one cared.” Fudge laughed.

Rose shook her head, her body radiating fury. Not only was the man using a poor child as bait, but he was keeping her from finding her own son who she knew, one way or another, needed help.

“You may be right, Fudge. You were able to use the boy as bait. But I believe that I shall be taking him now.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Narcissa ran through the hall. She had seen Fudge sneak up behind Rose, and knew that if Rose didn’t see him soon, he was going to hex her. What in the world had gotten the woman’s attention?

Narcissa couldn’t scream out a warning. With the noise from the battle Rose wouldn’t hear her anyways.

Turning a corner, she found herself nearly twenty feet from Rose and Fudge, causing Narcissa to stop. She saw a small boy directly behind Rose.

And then, Rose seemed to transform before her very eyes.

“…I believe I shall be taking him now.” Narcissa heard the words, barely. But even so, they sounded deadly.

Rosemerta glared at the man who was supposedly their Minister of Magic. While Narcissa had seen Rose’s eyes flash when angry before, it was nothing like the literal glow that was emitting from her eyes now. Narcissa started to take another step forward, but the power that was flowing from the other woman stopped her.

Fudge was frozen. He literally could not move. It was as if the glow of the woman’s eyes had immobilized him.

“Avada kedavra.”

Fudge fell to the floor, the life immediately leaving his eyes.

As the man drop to the floor, no longer a threat, Narcissa’s paralysis seemed to lift from her. She ran to Rose, who had tears running down her face now, her eyes no longer glowing.

“Rosie, snap out of it! You did what you had to do!” Narcissa hissed at her.

Rose nodded, then turned and picked the boy up.

“What is your name?” she whispered.

He swallowed. He was only seven, but he knew that this woman had probably just saved his life. Even if she had just killed someone right in front of him.

“Mattie.” He whispered.

Rosemerta nodded, and then, once again, headed to the dungeons.

It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of a war.

It still hurt knowing that she had just caused someone to lose his life; especially when she knew that she would love nothing better than to murder Dumbledore.

It felt wrong on some levels, but on others it felt so right.

Narcissa simply watched Rosemerta as they hurried to take the child to Filch and to safety. She knew the thought process the other woman was going through. They were best friends, sisters really. It was hard to kill anything who was living.

Most people never got used to it, even when it was necessary.

It was really the difference between a true Dark and Light wizard.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Finally, someone has figured it out.” The mad man clapped his hands together slowly.

Ron and Draco backed towards the door. They knew what was fixing to happen. Harry had hinted as much. The only issue was Hermione. The two boys didn’t know how they were going to get her down the stairs. Draco had promised Harry though. He had promised he would keep Hermione safe.

And he would, even if it meant his own death. His promise to his friend…his cousin…his brother...meant more to him than his very life.

“I am so glad that you are not my father. It would be a shame, really. Who else is on your side? Sirius I suppose. He always was against my Dad.” Harry said. He was trying to rile the man up. In fact, Harry was enjoying it. He could literally see the other man bristling in front of him.

Before James Potter could say anything, though, he began to transform.

“Guess you aren’t all that smart, are you? Didn’t even remember to take your Polyjuice. Stupid, Stupid man.”

“Shut your mouth, boy!” the man was fully transformed back into man he was supposed to be. James Potter. His hair was longer than Harry remembered from some of the false pictures he had been given from Hagrid. The half-mooned spectacles remained on his face. Harry was thankful that he didn’t really have to wear glasses. He wanted nothing in common with James Potter.

“Why should I? You tried to ruin my life. You are a bastard. Though I shan’t tell my real father that I think so. He’d probably not appreciate the language I used. Of course, you should not care, it isn’t as if you are my father. You merely wished you could be. What was the point, huh? You killed my Mum, Lily. So, what was the point?” Harry asked, never hesitating.

He wasn’t afraid of the man. For years he had thought when it came down to it, he would probably at least be nervous. But he wasn’t. He was oddly calm.

James Potter, however, was not. It seemed that Harry had hit a nerve.

“That bloody woman was supposed to be mine! She knew it well, too. I was finally able to get Dumbledore, the supposed ‘Greatest Wizard of All Times,’ to send Severus on a mission. Of course, before that I had assured the old man that I was the best person to protect Lily and her little spawn. I had everyone right where I wanted them. Severus was away, Dumbledore was caught in a stasis ball, and she would finally belong to me. And so I attacked!

But, alas, when I had her right where I wanted her, she refused me. She wouldn’t do as I bid her, and wouldn’t hand over you! I knew you were the child in the prophecy. Oh yes, Dumbledore told me all about the prophecy. I knew that it was talking about me. He didn’t though. The man was blind when it came to his favorites. Which is why I was able to get away with everything. And now, now I will kill you. Then, after I have killed you, I shall rid the world of the Longbottom brat. And then I won’t need to kill your bond mate, the Little Black Girl…if you are good.” James Potter snarled. Harry looked at him and merely smiled. He turned to Hermione, leaned over and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.

She was prepared for this though. She knew what he was going to do. She knew what she was

supposed to do.

“I love you. Trust me. Trust me, and do as we discussed.” Harry whispered so softly, that she was almost not sure she had heard him.

Harry let go of her, and then walked over to James Potter who was now standing in the doorway of the ledge outside.

Harry walked closer and closer to him. James Potter didn’t move. The boy didn’t even have his wand drawn.

“Potter, you know why my mother would never do as you asked?” Harry asked him seriously.

“What, Brat? What are you talking about? You did not even know the mudblood! You haven’t a clue what she would and would not do or the reasons why.”

“Oh, but I do. I know because I still have a family. I know,” Harry pushed his body in front of Potter’s pushing him outside, “because she loved me. And I love my family. And I will let nothing happen to them.”

With the last word, Harry Snape lunged at James Potter, knocking them both out of the door and off the ledge.

The only thing that could be heard was the sobs coming from Hermione.

Draco grabbed her, and pulled her down the steps behind them, Ron taking up the rear. They had to get to the grounds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On the grounds, everyone was silent. Something seemed to have drawn their gazes up, and when they looked, they saw the falling forms of Harry Snape and an unknown man.

Severus would know his son anywhere, even with the blood running down his face and into his eyes from a gash on his head from an errant hex from some unknown person.

His heart stopped when he saw his son thrust himself and the man off the ledge of the highest tower at Hogwarts.

Severus knew that it was the Headmaster’s office.

On the other side of the grounds, barely out of the front hall, Rosemerta stifled a sob.

Not ten feet away from her, Narcissa and Lucius were both frozen staring at the falling figures.

And then, at that moment, two things happened. Somehow the falling pair began to apparate sporadically around, a flash of them here and a flash of them there.

The second thing was that three fifth years had come running out of the castle.

“Let me bloody go, Draconis Malfoy!” Hermione screamed. She was only short of hexing her brother.

Narcissa and Lucius turned immediately towards the sounds of their children. It was as though those sounds had made everyone realize what they were fighting for.

The two elder Malfoys ran towards their children and Ron Weasley. But at that moment, Hermione apparated.

Hermione knew exactly where Harry would try to go. She felt in her very being.

And she knew that with the wards gone, she could do it.

“Bloody effin hell!” Draco screamed. He had only lost his grip on her for a second, and in that time, she had apparated away without him.

“Draco!” Narcissa scolded. She automatically realized that it wasn’t really the time to lecture her child, but it had merely slipped. Draco just looked at her.

Suddenly, a voice could be heard over everything.

Standing on top of the entrance gate, just close enough for everyone to see him, stood Tom Riddle. Voldemort. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

He had cast a sonorous charm.

“Witches, Wizards, please listen! You have been lied too! That liar is the one who has caused all of this strife! The one who has been killing your children! Your loved ones! The one who even stole the Boy-Who-Lived from his true family! Harry Potter was never a Potter, but a Snape!

I never hurt anyone. That I can promise you. I only wish for everyone to be safe, to live and love. Something that cannot be done while Dumbledore, the liar, the kidnapper, is still in control!” Tom told the crowd. He could tell that he was swaying some… and at this point, every person counted.

“Ron, come on! I know where they are at!” Draco yelled. It startled the whole crowd, and they all turned and followed the pair of boys, one blonde, one red, into the castle where obvious destruction was going on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione landed in the Great Hall. Something told her that this was where they would end up. Mainly because there was a crowd. James Potter loved crowds, but he needed a small place where Harry would not be able to easily hide from him.

Hermione looked frantically around the hall and saw Neville standing near two people she had never seen before. McGonagall was sitting in a far corner; one of her legs was at an odd angle, definitely broken.

Aurora Sinstra was close to McGonagall.

Bellatrix was close to the center of the hall.

There were students, some she knew, others she recognized but never really talked too. Luna,

Pansy, Flint, the Creevy brothers, several of the Weasley’s.

All were looking at the front of the hall where James Potter stood, his arm around the neck of Harry.

“No!” Hermione shouted, running towards the front of the room. She ran, but then flew backwards after she hit a powerful, invisible shield. James Potter laughed at her as she stood up, wiping blood from the side of her head as she did so.

Hermione stood there and stared at the man. She could tell that he had dropped the shield, but did not immediately take another step. Instead she began a verbal attack.

“You think that you are so bloody smart, Potter! But you must know that you are no one! You can’t hurt Harry. Death is only another adventure. Death is nothing to those who accept it graciously, much like Lily Snape did!”

“You are a stupid girl!” Potter spit at her.

Hermione took another step towards him.

“No Mione! No! You promised!” Harry cried. It hurt Hermione to see those tears.

By this time, most everyone had filtered into the hall. Although four people stood frozen in the massive doorway. Severus was at the front, Rosemerta slightly behind him, Lucius beside him, Narcissa on the other side of Lucius.

All they could do was watch.

“Harry, I can’t live without you! Remember! Remember when we were seven, and you refused to leave me behind? You swore that you would rather stay with your relatives than leave me behind? This is the same thing. I love you, Harry.” Hermione no longer bothered trying to wipe her tears away. There was no use.

“Love. You really are ignorant! You are willing to die for him? You are willing to die for this spawn? Love! What you do know of love?” Potter said. He loosened his grip on Harry’s neck and then forcefully pushed the boy behind him, knocking him to the ground.

“You are ignorant! You will suffer for what you have done. Now everyone will know that it wasn’t Dumbledore that caused the wizarding world so much pain, but you! You, James Potter, who everyone thought was dead! James Potter, the Coward!” Hermione screamed.

The crowd gasped collectively.

It seemed, however, that she had finally hit a nerve.

He raised his wand. It was as if everyone was watching the scene before them in slow motion. Hermione knew what was coming. She hoped that Harry could live without her. She had always had a feeling that it might end this way, so she was able to accept it.

“Avada Kedavra!” Potter hissed through clinched teeth.

The green light of the deadly spell rushed towards Hermione.

“Noooooooooooo!” A voice screamed, and Hermione felt strong hands abruptly push her aside.

Hermione hit the ground. It took her several seconds to realize that she had not been hit by the spell. She slowly looked beside her to see who had pushed her. Who had given his or her life for her?

Confused and curious, she crawled over to the fallen figure. With her right hand, she rolled the body towards her.

Hermione gasped.

“No, no, no, no, no.” she cried.

And then she was silent, and threw herself over the body of Bellatrix Black. Her mother.

And Hermione screamed.