((Well, here's the very end everyone. It's been a great journey, a long journey, but most of all, a fun journey. Thank you all for your support, I hope the conclusion to it all is worthy.))

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Savior

Dusting off your savior

You were always my favorite

Always my man- All in a hand

To celebrate you is greater

Now that I can- Always my man

Now you see what I came for

No one here is to blame for

Misunderstood- All in a hand

-Red Hot Chili Peppers

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After a week Harry was mostly healed, and the moral of the entire operation was mostly healed as well. Which was very good, because according to the calculations of the American General Flynn the enemy would be arriving at any moment.

They had strengthened their position once more to ward off the enemy in this final battle. Voldemort was dead, but his oncoming army of supporters did not know that, and the Order refused to be "caught with its pants down" so to speak, as it had in the previous battle. They had been victorious, but only by the skin of their teeth, and everyone in the Order had the strong feeling that the enemy had somehow held back.

They had discussed all these things and now the Order sat motionless in its dark meeting chamber. Dumbledore stood to conclude the meeting, and everyone watched him with great attention. To their surprise, the wonderful man was crying. Harry looked into those twinkling blue eyes and saw love, pride, sorrow, but greatest of all: HOPE.

He felt Hermione's hand grasp his and he gave it a comforting squeeze. Everyone had the same thought in mind: this is it.

"My dear, cherished friends" Dumbledore began. "I have lived through three very dark times in my life; three eras of sorrow I have come to think of them as. This is the third dark phase, and one that I feel will very soon come to an end. Yet just as the light shall always prevail in some form, darkness cannot be cut out from our lives. Can we forget the faces that once filled those empty chairs around us? Can we ignore such losses as those of Sirius Black, Fleur Delacour, and Bill Weasley?

"No, we cannot forget their sacrifice, their dedication. More importantly, we cannot forget their valor, courage, honor and glory. We cannot forget why we have shed so many tears, bled so terribly and scarred our memories with terrible horrors. We cannot forget what the dead have accomplished, and we cannot forget what we've accomplished!

"Someday witches and wizards all over the world will revel in our tale, a tale of knights and sorcerers, a tragedy of heroes but a victory of mankind! They will liken the Order of the Phoenix to the Knights of the Round Table, we will be the new King Arthurs within every childhood fantasy, the Great Merlyns of the text books. This great army we have brought together will forever remain immortal in the memory of its loyalty and strength.

"When we prevail, no longer will all of Europe remain captured by an unknown darkness; and the rest of the world may rest assured that we have looked hatred in the face and defeated it! We shall secure not only our own future, but the future of countless generations to come!

"Soon, we shall face the enemy once and for all, and I could not be prouder nor more confident in every one of you. In our internal struggles we have traveled from the darkest depth of the ocean to the highest peak of the mountains and we have prevailed through it all!"

Dumbledore paused for a moment, his face strewn with tears but his eyes speaking of a great destiny, a destiny that they had nearly forgotten, a destiny that drove them all forward. He looked into the eyes of every one of his loyal Order members.

"You have faced hate but learned of love. You experienced death but conquered fear. You mourned but never looked backwards. You killed but never lost your spirit. You went from innocence to dark wisdom. We will win this war. They will outnumber us greatly, but we will crush them!"

Dumbledore was now breathing hard, his eyes alight with certainty and a certain excitement that was rapidly growing contagious. He held his arms up above his head and a sudden outburst caught them all by surprise. It came from Remus Lupin, the last of the true Marauders.

"For Lilly, James, and Sirius!" He shouted, jumping to his feet, his typically tired eyes wild with excitement.

"For my parents and my God father!" Harry yelled, joining him in standing, his face unreadable but resolved in its features.

"For my brother!" Ron added, standing as well, his actions soon echoed by his siblings.

"For my Son!" Mr. Weasley added, him and his wife standing.

Soon everyone was adding something of their own in a loud voice. "For my future children!" yelled one, and "for every Muggle and Muggle born victim!" was Hermione's decree. "Restore my honor" Chrome added in a quiet voice that few heard; he knew that it was an almost selfish endeavor, yet it was more complicated than that.

In a roar of noise they were all standing, their spirits soaring at the implications of it all. They could win this war, and somehow, they knew that they would win this war.

For even the faintest star could guide them, and now they had millions of stars driving them forward.

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"Remember when we used to fear? When we used to cry for our inevitable fates? When we used to mourn our untimely deaths, deaths that had not yet come to pass?" Hermione pondered these things as they left the Order hall for what they all knew to be their last meeting.

It was Harry who had led them out, and as always, they followed. His stride was wide and full of strength and vigor. His face was unreadable, but Hermione detected a flicker of energy burning in their depths. He had an idea and they all waited on bated breath to see what he was about to do.

He walked to the Great Hall where the troops were gathered for dinner. He shoved the doors open in an effortless manner and the massive doors swung freely on their hinges, slamming into the walls with a powerful echo that caught the attention of all. Then he came to a halt, the center of attention.

He raised his hands as if to silence the already silent. On either side of his stood Ron and Hermione, the trio that had captured the hearts of all. And then he simply smiled. A pure, simple, honest smile. A smile that was rarely present and almost always saved for Hermione or Ron.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed "WE CAN WIN! WE CAN WIN! AND WE SHALL WIN!"

The entire hall went insane. Never had Hermione felt so swept up by the mood of those around her. It was like the Quidditch World Cup but even more passionate in its joy. It was as if an instant party had exploded.

They were swamped by people, but Hermione found she didn't mind. They had faced death and destruction as one, and now they reveled in their shared hope as one. She was hugged by people she didn't recognized, shook hands with countless others. A few even kissed her on the cheeks as if she was a cherished Goddess to them.

She didn't try to navigate through the crowd, she simply cheered along with them. They all knew that many would die, and that they may not live to see many more sun rises, but they oppressed that fear and chose hope instead. Mourning would come later, and so would the feeling of ultimate loss, coupled with the ever increasing mental scars. They would celebrate now, because even if they did win, there would be no celebrating later.

Hermione shook hands with a young wizard, hugged a middle aged medi- witch and then, was suddenly kissed full out on the mouth.

She backed away in surprise when she suddenly realized it was Harry and she laughed jumping up into his arms and kissing him again as he spun her around in his arms.

"I thought you were my other boyfriend" she explained when they came apart, still clinging together as the moving crowd pushed around them.

"Sorry to disappoint you Miss Granger" he replied, and the playfulness in his tone amazed her. Could he still be a normal boy in some part? Had he managed to retain more of his humanity than he showed? She thought so, almost knew so and laughed, kissing him again.

In the back of her mind she worried that fate was only playing with them, and that she would lose him yet.

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Chrome had leapt upon one of the tables and joined those dancing for a few quick moments. He hadn't danced in years, but he was supposedly the smoothest around when it came to dancing at clubs. Of course, that was when he was only 16 or so, and once he was hardened by crime the desire to be smooth left him. Now he danced purely from joy. He felt as if an incredible burden had been relieved of him, as though his sins were somehow closer to being forgiven.

He leapt back to the floor where he was quickly hugged by a young female soldier whom he did not know. "This lovey, happy, touchy, feely things is becoming contagious" he mused, as a stout balding fellow gave him a friendly slap on the back.

He passed off a few high fives before he was hugged again, this time by a pretty blonde witch with clear blue eyes. The type he used to hook up with all the time in his past life. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body tightly against his. She smelt of a lovely perfume fragrance, though it was a bit phony.

"Thank you for all you Order members have done" she spoke in his ear, not releasing her hold. She moved back a little but was still very close to him. "It takes strength and courage like yours to keep us all going." She moved her hand to his arm muscle and gave it a quick squeeze, "and dear me, you do have plenty of strength."

Suddenly she was removed from her position in a quick, almost violent manner. And then he felt lips upon his own and a warm hand against his neck. He knew who it was right away and chuckled a bit when she moved away, her eyes fiery but a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Ginny, Ginny, Ginny, whatever will I do with you?"

"Arg, she was all over you" she said with distaste.

"Thanks for saving me" he smirked back at her.

"Well, I figured I owed you a few saves" she replied with a happy smile. "Besides, I want to keep this relationship exclusive- by that I mean just the two of us." There was a little concern in her voice that she tried to mask as teasing.

"Ginny I will always, always be exclusive to you and you alone."

Her eyes lit up and she took his hand in her own. "Promise?" she asked.

"Yes, that's a promise" he nodded. "Granger honor" he added, and they both laughed.

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Ron didn't miss seeing them together. He didn't miss the possessive kiss Ginny had given him, nor the way she grasped his hand in her own. Yet, at the same time, he did not miss seeing the content look on her face, nor the love they conveyed for each other with their eyes.

He had suspected Chrome loved Ginny long before either had come to accept those feelings themselves. Yet he had immediately gotten it into his head that he should try his best to disintegrate any such feelings between the two of them. Were his emotions on the subject really so unjust? Hermione had told him on countless occasions how Chrome had been getting into trouble since his youth, and that he had thrown her father into a great depression with his antics. It wasn't really hard for his imagination to place that same careless, arrogant, dangerous character into a relationship with his sister and draw the conclusion that she would get badly hurt.

Yet now as he watched them he came to accept several crucial facts. Chrome was no longer the child he used to be; none of them were. He had matured, and if anything he reminded Ron of the ultimate criminal trying to right his wrongs. Chrome had saved Ginny's life twice now, and as he watched the two of them together he realized that Chrome would continue to do save her from any perils all his life if he could. Ron had stumbled across an even greater realization in the process, one far more difficult to grasp.

Ginny could take care of herself. Though she was his little sister and he had been forever trying to look after her, and would forever continue to do so. Yet she had grown and matured herself, and she was a very strong person as a result. She had self assured, confident air about her… and a certain carelessness for rules and social pressures that matched Chrome's.

As he accepted this all he realized what needed to be done. He pushed his way through the crowd to them and was met by a nervous look from Ginny.

"Ron, please don't do this now" she begged, her eyes quickly turning from happy to upset. "I know you have a million reasons to pick a fight over this whole thing, but the fact is that I'm with Chrome, and there's nothing you can do or say to change that. So please, at least pretend…"

Ron cut her off with a laugh. "Ginny, shut up before you embarrass yourself" he teased. "That isn't what I came here to say. I came here to say…" he sucked in a deep breath "that I know I've been an ass, and that maybe I should let you make your own decisions. I guess you've both taken your fair share of distrust, and for that I apologize." He looked straight into Chrome's mischievous brown eyes and held that gaze for a moment. "I swear though, if you hurt her, I'll damage you beyond recognition…" he paused "or at least, I'll get Harry to damage you beyond recognition."

They both laughed at his sudden weakness in what was meant to be a threatening moment, and Ron gave Chrome a friendly slap on the arm. Ginny quickly hugged her brother, gathering him tightly to her and whispering "thank you" in the process. They exchanged a knowing look and then Ron set out to find Cho.

He found her talking to Charlie who looked weak with grief, but who had a grin on his face nevertheless. Ron walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Talking with my beautiful girlfriend Charles?" Ron asked, a jovial glint in his eyes.

"Well, I was just wondering why she dates such a goof like you" Charlie countered with a wink. "I mean, she's got it all; looks, money, brains and Quidditch talent."

"I just have a soft spot for heroic red heads with a good sense of humor and a passion for Wizards Chess I suppose" Cho replied, jumping into the conversation with a laugh. They all joined in with her laughter and Charlie excused himself, giving them both a quick hug.

Soon Harry and Hemione came over and Harry gave Cho a slightly unsure glance which didn't go unnoticed.

"Don't worry Harry" she told him with a pleasant smile. "I'm not going to suddenly kiss you again, this isn't fifth year."

He shrugged and laughed, realizing how odd he was acting and gave her a brief hug.

"Well, at least not in front of Ron and Hermione" she continued with a wink. They all burst out laughing and she kissed Ron on the cheek to reassure him that she was only joking, knowing how silly he could be with his jealousy. But he showed no signs of concern, and it warmed her heart to know he loved and trusted her enough not to take her feelings for him lightly.

"Let's get away from this crowd" Cho whispered in Ron's ear, and he smiled, the tips of his ears turning red in the process. He nodded and then sought a departing hug from Hermione.

He held her tightly in his arms for a moment, recalling every event they had experienced together. He felt her return the embrace with equal fervor and he kissed her cheek and then her mouth; a quick, chaste, brotherly kiss. Holding one another's gaze her smiled, saying, "the end is in sight. We've made it all this way."

"Through heartbreak and glory alike" she agreed, and promised she wouldn't let herself cry.

"I can't wait until you're a successful medi-witch and I'm a pro Quidditch player, and this is all a distant memory. Remember how we used to say that?" Ron asked, and she nodded. "Take care of yourself Hermione. I won't be able to live without your know- it- all logic. And watch out for ol' Harry too. We both know he's a bit of a baby, truth be told"

They both laughed at this little tease, and then Hermione kissed his cheek. "You take care too Ron. I won't be able to live without your ridiculous behavior. You've kept me sane all these years by making me insane."

With one last quick hug they stepped apart, both of their hearts suddenly a little heavier with the feeling that time was running short, and that the next time they saw each other might be on the battlefield. It was an inexplicable awareness that everyone was partaking in.

Tomorrow they would face their enemy in the final battle; a winner takes all fight to completion.

Ron moved on to Harry, hugging him as tightly as he hugged Hermione. This was The Boy Who Lived, the one who had his best friend since that legendary first ride on the Hogwarts Express. Harry was the reason Ron had experienced such an abnormal childhood, and the reason he had been able to survive so long as a result. He had lost Harry once, and he couldn't stand the thought of losing him again.

Harry returned the hug, a slew of emotions rushing through him. Ron was his best and most loyal friend, a man who would follow him down to hell if need be. Ron had shown him the meaning of friendship, had welcomed him into an entirely new world, and it was Ron whom he envisioned as being the buddy he would grow old. There were few things that were certain in life, but Ron's love and friendship was one of them.

There were no words shared as they came apart, just a look of understanding exchanged through their eyes, and then they went their separate ways.

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Savior

A butterfly that flaps its wings

Affecting almost everything

The more I hear the orchestra

The more I have something to bring

And now I see you in a beautiful

And different light

He's just a man and any damage done

Will be all right

Call out my name

Call and I came

-Red Hot Chili Peppers

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He walked along the corridors. Hermione had gone to speak with McGonagall and he excused himself; he had something in mind that needed to be done.

Five years he had spent in Hogwarts; he had run away before his final two to receive training for his future, he had sacrificed being in one of the only places he was happy to save the world. Now he wandered those abandoned dusty old corridors remembering the years he had spent there, good and bad moments alike.

He walked down to Hagrid's hut first, gazing happily at the little ground keeper's home where they had been introduced to baby Norbert and where so many other things had taken place. He walked along the Great Lake and remembered swimming to the bottom to save Ron. He passed the Quidditch pitch where he had played many a happy game. He hadn't played Quidditch in years now that he thought about it, and that made him rather sad.

Harry had entered the school, and now that was where he continued to wander, climbing the moving steps, entering the Room of Requirement where he had experienced his first kiss…. "no, that's not right" he mused "Hermione had kissed me before that, on the cheek…" he was glad for that, because while he knew Cho wasn't so bad, it was nice to think that perhaps Hermione had even loved him a little back then. Of course, Hermione would have corrected him and said she DID love him, and more than a little, even back in those days, but right now Hermione wasn't present. Harry was alone with his thoughts, the thoughts of a lonely, tortured, orphan.

Harry glanced into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where they had been through various teachers, wonderful and terrible alike. His emotions over seeing such a room were deeply conflicting.

Harry went to where Fluffy had stood in first year, and then he even went to visit Moaning Myrtle, and stood at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

That was when Hermione found him. He was standing with her back to her, almost as if he hadn't heard the door open. His broad shoulders created a powerful silhouette in the dim light. Somewhere Moaning Myrtle was singing "Weasley is our King".

"Remember when we brewed the Polyjuice Potion here in second year?" she suddenly asked, walking up behind him, carefully studying her surroundings.

"Yes" Harry smiled, watching her glance about at the memories. "It seems so long ago."

"It isn't a terribly fond memory for me" she admitted, frowning a bit with distaste. "After all, I did become rather… cat like as a result. Not my most brilliant moment."

"That was an easy mistake" Harry laughed, taking her hand in his.

"A horrible one though" she chuckled. Suddenly her expression grew serious as something dawned on her. "This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets isn't it?"

Harry nodded, his face stern while doing so.

"I never saw it… I was petrified" she recalled, searching for the snake symbol.

"Well, that's probably a good thing" he quickly replied. "Not that you were petrified; I meant… it was probably a good thing that you never went down there."

She caught his eyes with her own, trying to read his emotions. "Was it really horrible Harry?"

"Well…" he paused and gave a little shrug. "It wasn't the sort of thing you want to experience so young… the Basalisk is a terrible creature, and Ginny almost died that night."

She rested her head on his arm and they both stared at that shabby, motionless sink as if it held the secrets of the universe.

"It wasn't the worst thing ever though" he commented, suddenly growing distant. "It wasn't like the first time I had to kill, or the time I saw Cedric die, or the time I watched Sirius fall through that veil… it wasn't as bad as having to leave Hogwarts before my 16th birthday, abandon my friends without so much as a good bye. It wasn't as bad as dying. It wasn't as bad as seeing the fear and pain in your eyes when I came back and you didn't know who I was." He took in a deep breath. "It wasn't as bad as killing Voldemort."

This took Hermione by surprise. She would have thought killing such a terrible man would have been a relief, a deep victory, a conclusion to the sorrow of his life. He saw the surprise in her features he smiled softly. It reminded her of the way Sirius smiled after escaping Azkaban; as if happiness itself was a reminder of all the pain and hurt in his life.

"I was more stunned than anything when it happened… what with my injuries and all. There was a sense of completion, of satisfaction, but also of terror. I've killed him Hermione, I sought and found my great revenge and yet somehow it troubled me deeply. To feel it all ending is so powerful it's almost terrible. I never truly felt I'd survive this long, and now I'm not sure what I'll do after this war has ended; if we're all still alive. Can I return to a normal life? Could I ever get a job, be a husband, a father, a member of any community?"

He sighed and she was amazed by his insecurities. She grabbed his hands in hers and squeezed them tight. She put her head against his shoulder and whispered, "I don't know what the future holds Harry. I DO know that I love you, and that we will find a way. You deserve happiness more than anyone, and I would die to grant you that."

"You dead does me no good" he muttered in a teasing voice, and she smiled at him. He winked "enough suffering already eh? Let's just let this whole nightmare end. Any future we'll have together must be better than this present."

"Absolutely" she grinned, kissing him. She took his hand in hers, feeling the scar along the palm. She remembered him telling her how the Disc of Immortality had been ripped from his hands… it was almost symbolic the way the he had been wounded trying to hang onto a symbol of everlasting life. Together they walked down the hall with no particular destination in mind, just eating up those final hours leading up to the final battle.

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An hour later they grew tired of wandering and reminiscing and after another hour it was just past midnight as they lay in bed, Hermione's head on Harry's chest, feeling its steady rise and fall, hearing his strong heart pound. She rested one arm across his abdomen and watched the ring he had given her glitter on her finger in the faint light of the moon and stars outside.

"Will you be healthy enough to fight?" she asked, her voice low and calm but mixed with concern.

He stared up at the ceiling, reveling in the feeling of her against him. It had been too long in those woods, surrounded by evil and sleepless nights- the feeling of a real bed, and especially the feeling and scent of Hermione gave him a serene, blissful feeling. He gently stroked her hair in an almost detached manner, his mind not coinciding with his actions. "I'll be fine" he finally responded with a slight smile. "You worry to much."

"I can't help it" she argued. "I can't help but care about the ones I love."

"I know. You're a wonderful witch Hermione. So strong, brave and intelligent yet so caring and compassionate. You make up for where I fall short."

"You never fall short Harry" she breathed, now shifting so she was above him, looking down into his eyes. "You never have, and you never will."

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When they fell asleep it was a light but peaceful rest. Even the thought of death could not deter them from their last moments of happiness together.

At 4:30 AM the alarms sounded, waking everyone in the castle. Great drops of water could be heard smashing against the window as they stood up and dressed, preparing to battle in a stern and silent manner. A storm was brewing, and the final battle had begun.

Together they walked shoulder to shoulder down the hallway. Somewhere in their hearts they always knew this would be how they would stand when the final moments arrived. Thus it was no surprised when Ron jogged over to join them, his hair messy, his clothing in disarray. Fate had always held that The Trio, The Dream Team, The Unforgettable Three- would fight together to the end. Hermione briefly found their hands as they walked and linked hands with them as they walked together, headed for the battlefield. She gave both boys' hands a quick squeeze before letting go.

As they stepped out into the pouring rain they drew wands in unison. In the distance the pounding of marching feet reached their ears. They looked across the battle torn, muddy field and saw the enemy. A massive force, one greater than any of them had ever witnessed. Mountain Trolls stood at various intervals on the front line, growling and snarling angrily, beating their chests with their clubs. A scream from overhead drew their attention and they knew that the dragons had come. Hovering above the enemy, the Dementors prepared to join the evil side in its quest for domination. Harry vaguely wondered if they even knew Voldemort was dead.

The first attack came from the enemy side. The dragons had let lose their fire upon the defenseless Light Army. It was only then that Charlie Weasley and his team of dragon riders let loose from behind the castle. The dragons met in the sky with a powerful sound of inhumane screams, tearing and snarling. Taking this as a cue, Harry ran out before the lines of his comrades. They stood up from the ditches in which they stood upon seeing him.

"SHOW NO MERCY!" He proclaimed. The water dripped down his raven locks of hair and across his handsome, stern features. "LET THEM KNOW OF TRUE COURAGE, OF TRUE STRENGTH! TODAY- MAKE THEM PAY!" He was breathing heavily as his black dragon hide jacket hung heavily from his broad shoulders and his black shirt clung to him, soaked with the down pouring rain. They cheered with great vigor, their spirits raised once more. Hermione smiled softly to herself. Harry had gone from depressed recluse to poster boy for the light side. She knew it wasn't truly in his nature- but he had decided long ago to sacrifice his pride and personal standards for the good of all. She loved him all the more for it, but hoped for his sake he would find his true character if he survived the war. He had a point- returning to normalcy would be hard- but especially or him. He had sacrificed all of his being to this one cause; trying to decide who he was besides leader, hero and soldier would be an arduous journey. But then, his whole life was about arduous journeys.

Harry joined them in the trenches once more, crouched low between Ron and Hermione. She could feel soaked leg against her own, his muscles tense- as if ready to pounce.

"Harry, you know that Muggle Game where you have to hit the moles on the head with a hammer?" Ron asked, his tone amused.

"No…" Harry replied, confused but amused as well. He hadn't exactly spent a lot of time at arcades as a boy.

"Ah, well… Cho and I played it about a year ago, right after graduation. The moles pop up and you have to try to smash them over the head with a hammer to make them go back down again. I was particularly good…"

"Ron does this story have a point?" Hermione snapped, causing both the boys to smile at her with an old familiarity.

"Well, it did" Ron admitted. "But now I've forgotten."

They all grinned a little despite the seriousness of the situation. Good ol' Ron would always be good ol' Ron. In the distance an enemy dragon crashed to the ground in a roar of flames, it's rider leaping form its back, arms spinning as he burst into flame as well.

Hermione's hands began to shake as she saw how close the enemy was getting. Harry looked at her and leaned over to her ear, softly whispering "It'll all be fine." He was so close she wanted to kiss him senseless, grab him and run away. Of course, it was just fear messing with her sensibility.

Ron had grown pale, he could hear the blood pounding in his ear. He remembered something Cho had told him last night as they sat by the window together, watching the clouds gather.

"Ron" she'd said, "I know what a toll this war has taken on you. We all see it in your features; the bags under your eyes, the concern and pain that stirs within those eyes. I see the way you toss and turn at night. You call out to Bill, you call out to Harry… you worry deeply for every member of your family as well. I've heard you weep my name in your nightmares and it scares me. But still, there's always one comfort. You can be brave despite it all. This 'shell shock' they call it, the phantoms in your head that haunt in waking and sleeping- you've managed to outlast them all."

She had been right of course. Now Ron gathered that famed Gryffindor courage and focused on what would need to be done. They would need to do a lot of killing today. There was no time for arrests, stunning spells or chasing games. They would have to aim to kill and aim to maim. It was dirty work that made him almost piss his pants just considering. He saw the same fear and innocence in Hermione's eyes, but not Harry's. Harry was in fact, a repeat murderer at this point in his life. They had all killed, but not in the face to face, deliberate way. Not with the cold hearted intentions they would need today.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Ron was preparing to attack the approaching enemy lines when his focus was interrupted by a hand grabbing his shoulder. He turned around to see a flustered looking Maddox Greene standing behind him. The young, spiky haired American was out of breath but looked otherwise healthy. He had suffered a severe concussion in the skirmish that had resulted in Bill Weasley's death, but the healers had quickly healed it and a few days later he was released from their custody with little more than a thin white scar along his hairline.

"Ron, General Flynn told me to come get you" he pulled Ron down into the crouching position as a spell whizzed over their heads. "They have a squad of air born Death Eaters flying in on broom. If we don't do something they'll destroy us from their overhead position. The dragons might get some of them..."

"But not nearly enough" Ron finished, quickly understanding how drastic this was. How could he have miscalculated such a drastic element in this crucial battle? It was like putting the queen diagonal from a pawn... dumb and embarrassing.

"Flynn suggested you lead a flying squad... word is you played a little Quidditch back in your day" Maddox continued.

"Yes, I did" Ron muttered. It would be difficult to lead an untrained group into an aerial attack, but on the other hand, they certainly had enough good fliers that it might be possible. Ron had a glazed look over his eyes for a moment. "I think I might be able to do it, but we need just the right team. Cho is the seeker for Puddlemere United" he began with a proud smile. "We'll need her... and also Oliver Wood. Viktor Krum of course, he seems to be in full health these days (Ron still didn't like Krum very much), also... the Twins were great Beaters when they went to school here. Ginny was a pretty decent seeker too. They'll need Harry on the battlefield so we can't use him..."

"Not to brag, but back in the states I played a pretty mean game of Quodpot" Maddox interrupted.

"What in the bloody hell is Quodpot?" Ron sputtered.

"Uh... kinda like the American version of Quidditch" Maddox explain as a blast of light threw some soil over them.

"Alright good... that'll give us eight. I'd like an even ten though." Ron looked around.

"There's a Canadian pal of mine here who flies pretty good, and one of the french ladies used to play chaser for the French International Quidditch Team."

"Good" Ron mumbled looking up at the sky. He saw dragons circling about, letting out occasional explosions of flame from their fanged jaws. "This might really suck."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The enemy had reached a certain point when Neville's plants came to life. Neville whopped and hollered when he saw his hard work paying off. He remembered how Ron thought he was joking when he suggested using certain plants against the enemy by dispersing some of the magic world's more dangerous forms of vegetation about the battlefield. Everyone in the Light Army knew where the different plants were (amongst which included Devil's Snare, Snapspike Bushes and a few small versions of the Whomping Willow), but the enemy was clueless, either thinking they were regular plants or else just not seeing them at all. It certainly gave the light side an advantage, and it was especially apparent as the various plants thrashed about suddenly, slinging mud and water in every which direction. The scene quickly turned gory before their eyes and Neville went very pale.

He suddenly felt as though he understood Harry better than ever. "Is all this my fault?" he pondered as the screams of his enemies reached his ears and their blood began to spread on the flooding field of mud under their feet. He felt himself trembling as the image burned its way into the back of his mind. "I'm a slaughterer of men... there is no forgiveness for this sort of thing. My parents, they don't know the sins I have committed!" He suddenly realized he was crying though it was nearly impossible to tell with all the water streaming down his face. He looked about for Harry, his eyes losing their ability to see. It was as though his body was shutting itself down.

He spotted the savior of the wizarding world crouched in the next trench over, his eyes calm and calculating. There was a steely coldness in them that suggested he was accustom with death, and Neville wondered if there wasn't some gladness there as well. "I bet he's thinking this is a good thing. I bet he's proud of my murdering traps... oh, how will I ever survive this?" He couldn't stand to think of Harry being so cold blooded, and couldn't possibly imagine himself doing the same. A low moan of agony drifted from his mouth. Now all he could see before his eyes was blood. He was losing his mind. His eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Ron found Ginny last of the flying team. She was observing the plants on the field be lit on fire by the enemy with wide eyes, bracing herself for the next ambush of attackers. Chrome was over to the left of her, leaned casually against the muddy wall of the trench (which now resembled more of a pool than a trench), reloading his gun with an expert snap of metal and flick of his wrist.

Ron leapt into the trench, the water came up above his ankles. He could feel the mud sucking at the bottom of his boots as he crouched next to Ginny. He explained the situation to her and she nodded with immediate understanding. Chrome wasn't paying any attention to either of them, and he jumped over the trench edge and onto the field to get a few clear shot before doubling back. As he slid back down a spell caught his upper arm and a spray of blood burst into the rainy air. He let out a brief shout before muffling it, and Ginny ran over to him, forgetting about Ron.

Chrome saw Ginny rushing over to his side and he quickly got up to his feet, clamping his hand over the wound. "It's fine" he shouted at her, the blood oozing from the cracks of his fingers as he attempted to hide it from her. "Go with Ron" he commanded, his face stearn.

"I can't... what happened?" she tried to reach out to him but he backed away.

"It's a flesh wound, I'm not going to die" he assured her, still seeing traces of Bill's demise on her face. He feared for her, he didn't want her up there flying on a "frigging mop" in the rain, but he wouldn't show it. The cause needed her, and it wasn't his place to intercede. "Go fly Ginny" he begged her.

"How did you know?" she asked. "I mean... how did you hear?"

He gave her the same old, cocky grin she had first been attracted to. "I'm a Celtic Warrior love. Remember?"

She would have blushed if they weren't in the middle of a war, but instead she smirked at his briefly and headed back to Ron. "Screw you!"she said in a good natured manner, and he sent a sad smile at her back, briefly wondering if he'd see her again.

Once they had walked off he unclamped his hand to survey the damage on his arm. The gash with fairly deep, but it hadn't severed the muscle or affected the bone. He was glad for that, but the bleeding was bad and he knew it would need to be stopped.

He fell down onto his knees and stomach, crawling across the trench floor, gun holstered safely by his side. He remembered a fight he had been in a few years ago. A fight that had gotten him into jail. That night was disastrous- the only fight he had ever lost. Yet now that he thought back on it the result had been incredible. Jail was a horrible place, a place he wouldn't talk about to anybody. It hadn't scarred him, but it wasn't pleasant either and he disliked the memory of it. Despite the bad memories he now knew that it was a crucial turning point in his life.

An explosion of rubble showered down on him and he covered his head, the motion sending a sudden sweep of pain through his arm. He coughed hard, and remembered the night he was arrested...

Many gangs dealt with drugs as a way to gain power, money and rule the streets. Chrome had been introduced to something far more profitable as a boy, by a strange eccentric who went by the name of Albus Dumbledore. The self proclaimed wizard had seen potential in Chrome's abilities, and had turned them away from their potential turn to evil.

Chrome didn't care if what he was doing was good or bad, all he knew was that it was risky and he made a lot of money off of it. Muggle police presumed he was involved in stealing drugs, but it wasn't drugs that Chrome and his boys were always after. It was Class A Non- Tradable Items from the wizarding world. Chrome only told his gang members that they were weapons, he left out the whole sorcery bit.

The fascinating thing about the shipment of such items into Knockturn Alley is that they always spent some time in one warehouse or another, typically in Dublin, and always under the protection of muggles. For years this had frustrated Ministry officials who were unable to attack the muggle warehouses due to protection laws. Thus the illegal items always slipped through their grasp. When Chrome Granger came onto the scene, they were willing to pay him a lot of money to intercept those shipments and place them in ministry custody.

Naturally, the whole thing was very "hush hush".

Every plan he made for his gang was more dangerous than the last, yet they always made it out. It had become like a game, and their ability to win made them the most feared gang in Dublin, by police and criminals alike. Chrome wasn't even twenty yet and he was already on numerous "Most Wanted" lists. He took some pride in this, but mostly he wanted to do more, prove more.

The night Chrome was arrested they were intercepting the largest shipment of dark objects yet. This shipment was kept in a massive corporation building- such expensive things would not be left in any warehouse.

Entering had required multiple skills, everything from a massive system failure from a hacker to a raid that was so deadly and accurate none of the guards were left standing to talk about it. For years to come Muggle police officers would marvel at what had transpired.

Now that Chrome looked back he was able to feel some remorse. He had swept everyone who came in his way down without a second thought. He had destroyed many lives like that, and some in a far crueler manner. Yet at the time, he hardly cared. He was on a quest, he was in his element. Unfortunately, someone had tipped the police off.

Sirens wailed in the streets below, and he knew they were trapped. The security systems were back up, and they would detect whatever floor they attempted to flee to. He remembered the fear on the face of his mates. They knew they were about to be caught- that this was the end of the line. They paced about, cursing and trying to pick fights with each other. Any minute the police would burst into the building, race up the stairs and find them.

He had made an executive decision that night, one that would ultimately change his destiny. Arming himself the best he could, he ran down the stairs alone, setting off the alarms on the way, drawing the attention off his boys, who were able to jump from the window of one building into the next undetected.

He remembered running down those stairs, knowing he was alone, knowing it was the end. When he faced the police he quickly disarmed, not wanting to be shot. Yet the police ignored this and shot at him anyhow. He remembered the feeling of helplessness as he tried to scramble for cover when they opened fire on him.

Now he felt the same way, crawling on his stomach, battle raging about him. Yet this time there was more pride and glory involved. The blood on his arm hardly mattered, and death didn't faze him. He merely pressed forward, remembering how terrible his arrest had seemed at the time, but how important he now viewed it as. Life truly had its funny twists and turns.

'''''''''''''''''''

The first time Ron attempted to push off the ground into the air and wind blew him back down immediately. The rain was driving vertically into his face so hard that it actually stung. He shook as his wet robes clung to his thin, fragile figure.

He clenched his teeth and gathered all of his strength to push off again. This time he was successful and he swooped up into the air, his comrades following him, the wind ripping at them as they rose further and further from the ground. Eventually they were so high into the sky that they could no longer see the battle beneath them- they were completely surrounded by grey fog and clouds.

They formed a line, floating midair, the only sound around them the sound of their labored breaths and the patter of rain against their soggy bodies. Ron felt like he was in purgatory, a land where there was only an infinity of grey. Only here he wasn't alone. Here he had Cho, Ginny and the twins. He would do anything to keep them here, even if it was the land of damp nothingness.

There was a stirring in the mist, a shifting in the grey wall before their eyes, followed by wide set of wings. Out from the mysterious unknown flew a massive dragon, it's eyes blazing red, a black masked rider on its back. It took a huge breath in, so loud and massive it seemed to pull them forward a bit. The red eyes widened.

"DOWNWARDS!" Ron screamed, pulling his broom around ninety degrees. He flew down towards the ground, the rest of his fellow fliers directly behind him. He did a barrel roll and came out parallel with the ground twenty feet up. There he hovered, his team regaining formation. He looked up overhead as Charlie brought his dragon towards the enemy. It ripped at the enemy dragons neck, and Ron knew his brother had just saved them all.

He ripped a pair of ominoculars from his belt and put them up to his dripping face. He zoomed far into the distance to find the enemy fliers. He spotted them assuming a v-formation in the clouds above. He returned the ominoculars and waved his team forward. Leaning into the front of his broom he pressed himself flat to the handle and pushed it for everything it had.

Everyone flew beautifully, and suddenly years of playing Quidditch meant something. Suddenly their talent at riding high speeds without slipping in the rain meant the difference between life and death. Suddenly they were more than athletes, they were saviors flying into the sky like angels. Maddox let out a high pitched "yee haw!" from the back of the formation and there were mixed screams of adrenaline as they unsheathed their wands and clashed with the enemy.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Harry stunned one Death Eater and caught the other under the chin with his fist. The hooded felon made a choking sound as his hood flipped back and he coughed blood, crumpling to the ground. Harry felt his power racing through him. The Dark Lord was dead, and it was time to end his battle. He would make every one of them pay for the suffering they had inflicted, and in the end he would be their undertaker, spitting on their corpses. The gruesome notion gave him an intense surge of adrenaline, and he his next spell hit so hard it sent the unfortunate fool spiraling into those marching behind him, the impact of the bodies causing five to fall with several loud snaps of broken bones. Neither screams nor blood nor death could move him to stop from achieving his ends.

Suddenly a cold zephyr hit the back of his neck and his breathing stopped. He turned as if he was in slow motion and saw the last thing he wanted to see. Dementors.

He heard his mother screaming in his head, and then an image of Cedric dying flash before his eyes. "Kill the spare" he heard, and then he saw Sirius fall through the curtain. A slur of terrible images caused him to stagger, and then he heard Bill's dying words. An image of blood on his hands caused him to lose his balance and he fell to his knees. Dementors remained to be his weakness.

He summoned a happy thought, and the first he found was seeing Hermione's face after returning from his defeat of Voldemort. He let of a roar of fury and gathered every joyful thought he had, Quidditch, the Burrow, Ron and Hermione, butter beer, Christmas at Hogwarts... soon the silver stag erupted from his wand and attacked the now fleeing Dementors.

"How do you like me now!" he hollered, suddenly deliriously happy. He supposed he looked like a lunatic; smiling in the middle of a flooding, bloody battlefield. He didn't care though. He was one step closer to the end and he knew it.

"What a wonderful stag" a familiar old voice complimented, and Harry's grin widened.

"Thank you Headmaster" he returned.

"Somehow I always imagined it would be you and I on the front lines in the very end."

"Seems like it's always been you and I on the front lines" Harry agreed, collecting his energy for the oncoming resurgence of enemy troops.

"In many ways, it has been" Dumbledore agreed. The old man Harry had come to envision as a father figure took in a long deep breath and brought his hands upwards, palms tilted towards the rainy sky as if he was trying to pool the water into his fists. When he threw his arms forward it was with an incredible burst of power that nobody would ever forget. Because it would be the last thing he would ever do.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hermione watched as a spell caught Seamus in the right shoulder and sent him swirling up out of the ditch, into the air and onto his back ten feet away. She took in a sharp breath of shock and dived out of the ditch, chasing after him. She found him lying unconscious and immediately checked the area he had been hit. It didn't take a genius to see that he had broken his collar bone. She placed the tip of her wand to the wound and did the best she could to heal it.

"Enervate" she whispered, and he woke him a start, drawing in a choking breath.

"They got me Hermione" he whispered, his voice full of pain. "I think it's over."

"You're fine" she assured him. "Go to the hospital wing to get that fixed better. Be careful." She helped him up, spells still whizzing about them. He gave her a sickly, grateful smile and ran off, doubled over, head covered by his arms.

She dived into the ditch just as a dragon blasted a stream of fire down onto the very spot she had previously been standing.

"That was a close one" commented a dry voice.

"Chrome what..." she looked down and saw the blood seeping from the wound in his upper arm. "Ah I see. What did you do this time."

"Well, I didn't get shot if it helps at all" he grinned, shouting over the roar of the battlefield.

"Let me see" she enticed him and he took off his outer jacket to reveal a very bloody shirt. She made a disgusted face at the bleeding slash is his arm. "You're lucky this curse didn't hit you dead on."

"It would've gutted me like a pig eh?" he asked as she healed it to a mere line instead of an actual gash.

"Yes" she muttered, concern evident in her voice.

He reached out gave her shoulder a brief squeeze of reassurance. "I'm a big boy, I can handle myself. You do a good job with this whole healing thing by the way."

"I hope to be a healer when all this is over" she informed him, but the words seemed ridiculous considering the fact that they were in the middle of a raging battle.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Ginny thought only of the enemy. She knew in her subconscious that she had never flown so brilliantly in her entire life as she wove in and out of enemy fire. She sent a curse at one of the hooded enemies and it his the target dead on. He tumbled backwards off his broom and went catapulting through the air, disappearing into the clouds. Ginny pulled wide to the left, arcing into the enemy flanks. She played a aerial chase game with one Death Eater as he disappeared in and out of the clouds. Ginny thought she had lost him when he suddenly charged at her, bearing down on her from over head.

She pulled up into the air and swerved hard, knocking into his shoulder. The sudden contact took him by surprise and he almost lost his grip on the rain sickened broom stick. He grunted and swung back at her, smashing into her shoulder so hard she yelped in pain. Despite her scream, there was an audible pop as her shoulder came disjointed. She had to do her best to remain balanced as the attacker vanished into the clouds once more. She stilled her motion, gritting her teeth as she looked around for him. Unfortunately, he came up from behind her.

He slammed her hard in the back and she vaulted off the front of her broom. As she fell she aimed one desperate kick at him. Her foot connected with his jaw and he went limp, slumping off of his broom. Together their bodies spiraling downwards, melting into the grey clouds beneath.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The spell Dumbledore used was desperate but powerful and efficient. A wave of roaring light passed over the enemy troops, racing through their bodies so that they tumbled to the ground unconscious. The ancient spell hadn't been wielded in 400 years, but the end effect was the same. One hundred of the front line enemies fell into a sleep in which only the light side could awaken.

More importantly though, the spell instantly killed Albus Dumbledore. Harry let out an anguished cry, aware of what had happened right away. He kneeled beside his mentor, his friend, his teacher and his father. His half moon spectacles had fallen somewhere in the mud, and his unseeing eyes looked naked.

But somehow happy. There was a strong, determined smile on his dead lips to match the undying twinkle in his eyes. In some respects it was frightening, and in other ways, it comforted Harry. But nothing could overcome his sudden swell of grief.

"You can't die!" he protested, his voice breaking and his hands shaking. "Who will lead the Order? Who will take care of Hogwarts? Who will keep the Ministry of Magic in line?" He dug his fingers into the thick fabric of Dumbledore's robes, a tear trickling down his face.

"It's always been you and I on the front lines... and now its just me" as the words escaped Harry's mouth he knew he had answered his own questions. He would lead the Order of the Phoenix, he would take care of Hogwarts, he would keep the Ministry of Magic and the entire wizarding world in line. He wouldn't do it alone, but he had just received his next major burden in life nevertheless. Somehow he didn't mind- because he was born to be a hero, modest though he was.

Harry drew the Gryffindor sword once more, and chased after the now retreating enemy.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Ginny plummeted over and over again, her mind blank as she fell. Then there were terrible, saddening images as her life flashed before her eyes. Her family, her friends, and then Chrome. She hadn't known him for very long at all, and truth be told she didn't actually know who he was. She knew very little about him, but he was something she had never known was within her, he represented her future in more ways than she could describe, and she knew with certainty that she loved him. The night Bill died he had laid beside her as she slept, a silent guardian, and when she awoke it was his hardened features she first saw, handsome features of a fighter without moral boundaries, with alliance only to himself and HER.

She opened her eyes, knowing she was about to die. And then from the grey limbo of nothingness as wet hand grabbed her arm and her fall came to an abrupt hault. She screamed in agony as a fire like pang of excruciation shot from her wounded shoulder. Another arm wrapped around her middle and the pain in her arm dulled to a distant throb.

"Damn that was close Ginny" Ron shouted in a hysterical voice.

"Too close for comfort" Fred and George agreed at the same time. She looked up with blurry eyes to see that three of her beloved brothers had saved her. And then she finally passed out.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hermione led her troop out across the field and into the hot pursuit of the broken enemy forces. Beside her Chrome stopped two attacking Death Eaters with flat fisted blows that snapped their necks back and reduced them to heaps of motionless robes.

Hermione felt a sickened churning in her stomach. The practical need for murder in the name of self defense had kept her going so far, but now that they were jumping over massacred bodies, and indeed hunting down their enemy she wasn't sure that her mental capacity for death was strong enough. She was a pacifist by nature, she didn't have the same coldness towards death that Harry seemed to have. Even Ginny seemed to be more attuned to death and destruction than Hermione was. Of course, Ginny wasn't as remorseful as Hermione had always been.

As they approached the area where the plant traps had slaughtered the Death Eaters she lost it. She fell to her knees and emptied the contents of her stomach. A few soldiers stopped to check on her and the embarrassment was overwhelming, even in her unhealthy state.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Chrome barked at the halting troops. "Keep going! There's a battle to be won!" He ushered them forward and then stopped to kneel down beside his sister.

"Thanks" she muttered, feeling dizzy.

"I'll lead them" he offered. "You go help in the medical wing." He took her hand and was surprised that there was no coldness left between them, no tentative memories past fights and disagreements, no barrier built of mistakes. Helping her to her feet she gave him a tight hug.

"Be careful" she whispered in his ear and he nodded. "Tell Harry where I am so he can find me."

They parted without a second glance, headed in their opposite directions.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Harry had unhappily fallen into a trap set behind the eagerly escaping Death Eaters (or more precisely, what was remaining of them). It was a simple quicksand spell, but abrasions to his arms were making pulling himself out almost impossible. True he was physically fit from years of training, but it wasn't enough and as he tried to cling to dirt the blood turned to mug. Rain pattered down on his miserable body as he got sucked down to his waste.

"How stupid is this" he thought. "With Dumbledore and Voldemort gone I may very well be the most powerful wizard in the world and here I am, about to meet my untimely demise in a little pile of conjured quicksand. Then he heard a approaching voices. He prayed it would be his own allies, but apparently nobody heard his prayer because instead he was met by four Death Eaters. They stopped their running the moment they saw him, trapped and cried out gleefully.

"Look what we've found here" sneered a voice that reminded Harry of Lucius Malfoy.

"Wonders never cease to amaze" growled a distinctly female voice that reminded Harry of a panther about to attack.

The four drew wand simultaneously, but Harry was faster. He extended his arm and with a brief swish of his hand, disarmed them without so much as a word.

"I hate getting blood on my clothes, but it will be worth it for you Potter" snarled a humiliated Death Eater. He charged at the sinking Harry, who instantly wished he hadn't thrown the Gryffindor sword into the woods as not to lose it. Acting on instinct he aimed his fists for the tall, thin Death Eaters knee caps.

There was a surprising crack and a howl of pain as the Death Eater flipped head over heels, landing on his face in the quick sand and quickly sinking beneath.

"Think you're tricky Potter?" the outraged female voice demanded. She reached beneath her robe and extracted an elaborate dagger. Slowly and calmly she walked towards him, arm loosely holding the sharp weapon in her hand as if to show a deep self confidence.

Harry made a desperate attempt to lash out at her arm, but her reflexes weren't slow at all. She turned the blade and instead of hitting her arm, Harry hit the blades sharp edge, the metal searing the side on his hand open.

Now that she was close Harry would see her face- her full, blood colored lips, her cold self assured eyes, the way her perfect eye brows tilted in a condescending manner. Her eyes lit up at the sight of his blood. He knew the fact that she had just spilt Harry Potter's blood had her riveted.

Her two fellow goons came up on either side of her. "Grab his arms" she commanded harsh tones. "I want to slit his throat."

Harry tried to resist them, and he did manage to get one well aimed, nose breaking punch in, but in the end he found his arms held back in vise like grips and the dagger poised at his throat. She delicately ran the sharp point down his throat, creating a thin line of blood, nothing more than a scratch. She grinned with intense excitement.

"I am truly going to enjoy this" she purred, looking into Harry's unwavering gave. He regretted everything about this moment, but refused to let her see his fear and remorse.

He waited for death, trying not to think about it, still hoping for something to turn up. And indded something did. A booming voice called out, "AVADA KEDAVA!" and the woman's eyes went blank as she crashed into the wet soil. Two fast, loud shots rang out and then the grips on his arms were gone.

Harry looked up towards his savior. Sure enough, in the misty fog was the red headed Ronald Weasley, his wand poised and his face a picture of grave seriousness. Beside him Chrome was quickly reloading his gun.

"They just never seem to expect to be shot" Ron commented dryly. Chrome nodded in agreement, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Should we pull Harry out?" Ron asked, his tension suddenly disolving.

"Nah, let's leave him. I hear he's got a decent fortune I hear, maybe my sister can collect and we can divi it up."

"What an idea!" Ron cheered, but they were already walking over to help Harry out. "Gross" Ron muttered as he grabbed Harry's hand. "You're all bloody."

"Sorry that inconveniences you" Harry sighed, collapsing onto the solid ground as they tugged him free.

He lay there, a big goofy grin on his face. Somewhere far off the few remaining Death Eaters were escaping into the Dark Forest, but it didn't matter. The war was over. Voldemort and his forces were demolished, and within time they would hunt down the few survivors. It was the end.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hermione emerged herself in helping the wounded. She was checking on Neville's shock recovery progress when Fred Weasley quickly grabbed her off to the side.

"Fred, what is it?" she asked, instantly concerned.

He nervously adjusted his eye patch. "It's Ginny. I think she's fine, but her arm is wounded. And it was really cold up there-"

Hermione sighed, relieved it was just the Weasley's obsessing over their baby sister. "I'll take care of her Fred. Let's go."

He led her through the crazed mobs of people to a small curtained cubical where they had found a bed for Ginny. George was with her, compulsively puffing her pillow for her.

"Go away George" Ginny whined, looking exhausted. "I'm fine. You two should go help on the battlefield."

"Ron already flew off into the Dark Forest without us" George grummbled.

"Go find him!" Ginny urged them. "Do anything you want, just as long as it doesn't involve annoying me."

"Annoying you?" Fred yelped with mock exasperation. "See the love she shows us Hermione? We save her life and what do we get in return? Complete ingratitude."

"Ginny's right, you two need to go" Hermione laughed, not missing Ginny's grateful look.

"Alright, alright" the twins conceded. As if to get Ginny a little more flustered they insisted on double teaming her, kissing her cheeks on her either side until Hermione used a spell to forcefully throw them out.

"Brothers are so annoying" Ginny whined, slowly relaxing as Hermione examined her injured shoulder.

"I know" Hermione agreed.

"Oh your brother isn't annoying at all" Ginny sighed, falling back into her pillow. "He's wonderful."

"Chrome? Wonderful? Not usually two words you hear in the same sentence" Hermione joked, preparing a healing potion.

"I think I'm just overtired" Ginny agreed, slowly falling asleep. "But I do love him."

As Hermione administered the potion Ginny fell into a deep sleep. As Hermione cleaned up she pondered Ginny's words. Never in one thousand years would she have expected her brother and Ron's sister to end up together. Yet it made all the sense in the world.

She walked about the hospital ward continuing her work with a tireless effort. As she passed Pomfry the nurse stopped her. "Hermione, there's a patient down at the end who you need to see to" she announced.

Hermione followed the instructions, but was a little surprised. Madame Pomfrey hadn't given her any instructions for the past hour, she wondered what was so crucial about this patient. As she pulled back the curtain she knew the answer immediately.

Hands wrapped in gauze, Harry was sitting in the side of the bed, immersed in thought.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter, but we need this space for another patient" she told him, mimicking Madame Pomfrey.

Harry wasn't tricked though. He turned to her with emotion filled eyes. "I'm sorry Miss Granger, but I'm never leaving. Never."

Hermione wasn't even aware she was crying as they embraced. Years of fighting and finally an end.

Finally an end.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningWe will remember them."

-Laurence Robert Binyon

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

((So ends Ashes of the Phoenix. Thank you much all. I want you all to read this, so I'll reply to comments in a final separate chapter))