It was still dark out when Harry felt his godfather’s hand on his shoulder. Rolling over on his back, Harry took the glasses that Remus held out to him. Remus looked pale and hollowed-eyed, and Harry knew he hadn’t slept. Without speaking, Harry got up and hurried through his dressing as Remus shook Ron awake. They did not light any candles, wanting no lights to shine through the windows. Making his way to the common room, Harry found Hermione already up and toasting bread over a small fire. She too appeared pale and dark circles were visible under her eyes.

“Alright, Hermione?” Harry asked, stretching out his hand to touch her arm.

She made a valiant attempt to smile. “I will be fine when this is over and done, Harry. And I have to tell you, sitting here waiting is not going to be an easy thing to do.” She handed him a piece of toast and a flagon of orange juice. “More importantly, how do you feel?”

Harry shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I think I slept alright.” He nibbled at the toast.

Ron trudged down the stairs from the dormitory, his clothing askew and his eyes barely open. Remus followed behind him, carrying Harry’s invisibility cloak. The others filtered in over the next few minutes, in various degrees of alertness. Ron had slumped in a chair and could be heard snoring softly. Ginny made her way towards him, but Harry stopped her.

“Its okay, Ginny, let him sleep. It doesn’t matter, there is nothing he can do, anyway,” Harry told her softly.

She turned her bright brown eyes up at him and Harry was startled to see them awash with tears. “Yes, it does matter, Harry!” she told him fiercely.

Without thinking, Harry put his arms around her and putted her close to his chest. When Hermione appeared, Harry shifted Ginny so that he held both of them tightly against him. He held them for several long minutes, oblivious of the activities in the room around him, until Remus caught his eye from the doorway that led out of Gryffindor Tower. Kissing Hermione, and then Ginny, on the top of their heads, Harry squeezed them one last time.

“Be careful, Harry.” Hermione whispered.

“Just come back, Harry,” Ginny told him in that fierce voice.

“I will, to both. Please, tell Ron…tell him I’ll see him in a while.” Harry looked around the room, and at the people who were the most important to him in the world, and summoned a smile for them. Turning, he followed Remus out the portrait hole door and down the marble staircases to the Entrance Hall.

Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, and Alastor Moody were already there, speaking quietly among themselves. They broke off and looked up as Harry and Remus approached. Moody took his leave as they moved to stand beside the Headmaster.

“Ah, Harry, how are you?” Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder. “Everything is ready, I believe.”

He steered Harry down a hallway that lead away from the great oak front doors and Snape trailed behind. They moved in silence, Dumbledore on one side of him and Remus on the other, his wand tip lit. There was no need to speak, everything that needed to be said had already been. Coming to a stop beside to a little-used door that led out to a side yard adjacent to the Forbidden Forest, 50 feet away, Dumbledore turned and looked down at Harry in the semi-darkness.

“Harry, stay close to Professor Snape, and keep your pace measured so that the teams have time to get into place. When you get closer to the edge of the forest, I want you to stop; do not for any reason, Harry, go into the forest.”

“Yes, sir.” Harry knew that he was the bait in this operation, and he was to draw Voldemort and the Death Eaters to the open area along the edge of the forest.

“I am sure that you will know before anyone else when Lord Voldemort arrives, but once that happens, Harry, you are to get back inside the castle.” Dumbledore’s bright blue eyes bored into Harry’s and searched his soul. “If you get into trouble, press your watch, Fawkes will come.”

“Yes, Professor.” Harry’s throat felt tight, and his scar gave a throb.

Remus threw an arm around Harry’s shoulders and squeezed briefly. “I’ll see you in a bit, Harry.”

“Alright, Remus.”

Then he was alone with Severus Snape who had neither looked at him nor said a word to him. They stood in darkness, silent, for ten minutes. A thin ribbon of pale light began to show under the edge of the doorway. Snape seemed to be waiting for something, some signal. Probably from the Dark Mark burned into the inside of Snape’s left arm, Harry decided.

“Now, Potter.” Snape reached out and pulled open the old wooden door.

The sun had barely cleared the horizon on the far side of the Forbidden Forest, and the side yard was still mostly in shadow. Harry drew a deep breath and stepped over the threshold of the door. Snape signaled him to stay to his left, and Harry dropped a half a step behind him, as Snape strode out into the newly born day in a swish of robes.

They had not gone a dozen steps before the pain hit Harry, his scar searing white-hot on his forehead. “He’s here,” Harry hissed in an undertone, his hand tightening on his wand, and he quickly made sure his mind was closed.

Snape gave no sign that he had heard Harry, nor did he slow his pace. They had reached the midway point in the yard, when Harry’s forehead exploded in pain. He narrowed his eyes against it, and swung around.

“Very good, Potter, you are improving.” The high, cold voice of Lord Voldemort came from a black-hooded figure that stood between Harry, Snape, and the castle.

The sun rising over the Forbidden Forest had not yet illuminated the area of the lawn were they stood, and Harry could just make out the gleaming red of Voldemort’s slitted, snake-like eyes beneath the hood.

“Thank you, Severus, you have served your master well, but I think you have outlived your usefulness. Avada Kedavra!”

“Nooooo!” Harry yelled, not willing to lose anyone this morning, and he dove into Snape, knocking him down as the jet of green light shot so closely by them that Harry could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Voldemort laughed, cold and humorless. “Always the hero, Potter? I would have thought our last meeting would have taught you some lessons. It won’t matter anyway, once Dumbledore realizes what he has done.”

Harry stood, turning quickly to face his avowed enemy. “Still wondering about the Prophecy, Voldemort, or is there something else…”

“Silence, Potter, your mere existence irks me, and I find you are unfinished business.” A jet of green light shot out of Voldemort’s wand.

Harry spun and disappeared, reappearing several feet to the left, towards the forest, laughing just to incense his foe. Where was everyone? What had happened to the teams of Aurors who surely should have been in place by now? Snape still had not moved, and Harry was afraid the death curse might have hit him a glancing blow. “It is too bad you did not hear the Prophecy, Voldemort, you might rethink your plans. Nothing you can do will change the fact that I am the one with the power to vanquish you!”

“You are learning new tricks, Potter, but in the end, nothing will save you, Prophecy or not.” Another jet of green light shot towards him and Harry dove to the side.

A hard hand grabbed Harry by the arm and yanked him upright. “I have him, My Lord!” came Lucius Malfoy’s voice.

“STUPEFY!” Harry aimed his wand over his shoulder. The grip released him and stumbled to the side, falling. He whirled around, dropping to a crouch. Pointing his wand at the figure on the ground, Harry muttered: “Petrificus Totalus!” Malfoy froze, and Harry dove again.

Figures were appearing all along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, running towards them, and Harry could not tell in the shadowy stillness who was who. He could see Snape’s crumpled form still on the ground 5 feet away, unmoving, but could not see Voldemort. His scar throbbed painfully, so he knew the Dark Lord was still nearby. He stood and spun to disappear, reappearing next to Snape. Around him he could hear the sounds of dueling pairs, and knew that the Aurors had finally arrived.

“Kill them both!” Harry heard Voldemort scream, and his head exploded in pain. He whipped his wand in a circular motion and sent out a steam of red from his wand tip. Grabbing the invisibility cloak from where it was tied around his waist, Harry threw it over Snape, concealing the Potions Master, and he spun again, this time not moving. Reappearing, Harry saw that the sun was now up enough to illuminate the figures fighting on the grass.

Three black-cloaked, hooded figures were now standing within feet of them, all looking the other way, waiting for him to reappear, Harry guessed, as he pressed his watch. The figure closest to him turned, only to catch a jet of purple blaster in the chest from off to Harry’s right. Harry saw the second one turn toward him.

“STUPEFY!” Harry shouted, and the figure dropped. The remaining figure turned swiftly, and pain exploded again in his scar. Dropping to his knees, he swiftly pressed a finger to his watch, and saying an incantation under his breath, Harry whipped a golden shield in front of him.

“Do you truly think you can shield yourself against me, Potter? Do you think yourself a match for the greatest wizard of all?” Voldemort sneered as he took a step toward Harry, brushing his hood back from the skeletal white gaunt, snakelike face, the scarlet snake slit pupils gleaming horribly.

“Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard ever!” yelled Harry, holding the shield tightly, keeping it between them, his head searing.

A soft breeze lifted the hair on his forehead, and there was a flash of flame in front of him, as Fawkes appeared there, his gold and scarlet feathers gleaming in the early morning sunlight. Harry desperately felt around on the ground, looking for Snape, finally finding an ankle. Grabbing it, Harry waved the shield away and lunged for Fawkes, grabbing a handful of long tail feathers, his wand still in his hand.

“My young friend flatters me, Tom, but you are very ill-advised to come seeking him at Hogwarts. And it is a mistake you will not make again.” Albus Dumbledore’s voice spoke from right beside where Harry knelt.

Harry looked up, just as Fawkes flapped his long wings, lifting Harry and Snape, still covered by the invisibility cloak, easily from the ground. As if in slow motion, Harry heard Voldemort shout as he realized what was happening, and saw a flash of green light before everything went dark.