Nymphadora Tonks missed getting hit by Bellatrix's killing curse by a hair. Her wide open eyes witnessed the green spell just miss the edge of her body as she turned out of its path. A second volley was thrown just as Voldemort called back his forces. That one dug into the ground at her feet. Her aunt was pulled back by another death eater because she was ready to throw out a third volley. Tonks knew Voldemort was still speaking but her focus was on the mad woman. Most of Voldemort's speech was done before she really began to listen.
"I now speak directly to you Harry Potter." His voice echoed across the land.
As he was telling Harry to come to him within the hour Tonks was wondering how she'd blocked out the first part of the message. When the echo finally faded and he spoke no more she was able to look around. Bodies were strewn across the lawn some all alone and other places had several stacked where they had fallen on each other. Pulling up her Auror training she began to check the bodies around her. Most of them were dead but she did find a few that were alive. Those she sent floating up to the doors to get help.
After a while her own worst fear was realized when she found Remus' lifeless body. Dropping to her knees she wailed out her grief. She lay across the rapidly cooling body as she sobbed. She had no idea how much time passed before someone came along and pulled her up. Arms wrapped around her as she tried to lie back across him.
"I'm sorry." Ginny's voice penetrated her grief stricken state, "I'm so sorry. We need to get you both inside before the hour is up. Come on."
"I'm fine." Tonks croaked and pushed herself to her feet, "Got work to do, keep getting the bodies."
"Tonks?" Ginny tried to stop her but it was no use as the Auror lurched away, "There's only about twenty minutes left. Don't get caught alone."
Tonks struggled across the grounds sending body after body in a morbid train back up towards the castle. She reached the edge of the forest and leaned on a tree a few feet in, just out of sight of the school. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Her body slowly began to change. Her hair shortened and got darker. Her body shrunk and started losing its curves.
"Don't bother." A masculine voice jarred her in her half changed state. She opened her eyes and stared around wildly when she didn't see anyone, "Show yourself!"
Harry pulled open his invisibility cloak, "Go back to the castle."
"You go." She hissed, "Remus is dead I have no reason to go on."
"Teddy." Harry used the one name that could break her out of her state, "Go back to Teddy. I have to go on. Only I can do this part."
"But…" She began but a voice interrupted her.
"I heard something." A voice whispered harshly.
Harry grabbed Tonks' arm and pulled her under the cloak with him. It shut just in time for the bushes to part and two death eaters to enter the clearing.
"There's nothing here." A second voice huffed, "You're hearing things."
"I did hear something." The first voice grumbled before looking at his arm, "It's about time. He's not going to be happy that Potter isn't showing up."
"The noise was probably those idiots in the castle gathering bodies." The second voice responded, "Potter's too big of a coward to show up. Let's get back."
The two men turned and went deeper into the forest. Harry, still holding Tonks' arm, followed them. She tugged at her arm once before getting as close to Harry as she could.
"Are you insane?" she hissed, "We need to go the other way."
"I'm going to let him kill me." Harry said, "You keep the cloak on and give it to Teddy when this is all over. I won't have a use for it."
"What?" mindful of their predicament she was still as quiet as possible.
"Do you know what a horcrux is?" he asked and the sudden tightening of her arm muscles and the gasp she let loose told him she did, "I am one. It's in my scar. I have to die before he can. I'm doing the same thing my mother did but I'm protecting everyone."
"But…" she didn't get any further because the clearing full of death eaters came into view.
"Keep this." Harry handed her his wand, "I don't want to be tempted."
He then stepped out of the cloak as Tonks heard one of the men speak, "We could not find him My Lord."
Harry stepped up to the edge of the clearing as Voldemort turned away, "I can't believe I was wrong."
"You weren't." Harry stepped into the clearing and then stopped a few steps in. The death eaters around him pulled back leaving a large empty area around him.
For Tonks the next few moments sped by and she had to clamp her hand over her own mouth to prevent the scream when the green spell enveloped Harry and dropped him to the ground. Surprisingly across the clearing Voldemort also fell. Tonks used the momentary confusion to move closer to Harry. She was still out of reach when both Harry and Voldemort sat up. From her side someone yelled a horrible spell that she knew no shield would stop and cringed as it slammed into Harry's body making him scream in pain like nothing she had ever heard. While she didn't know a shield to stop it she did know the counter curse. And while Voldemort was cursing his minion, she moved the rest of the way to Harry and quietly performed the counter, though it would take a long time before it repaired all the damage, if it ever did.
Voldemort dropped the torture curse from the follower who had used the spell, "I didn't give you permission to use that spell. You've ruined my plans for the last time. Dispose of him Bella."
Quick as a snake her wand shot the killing curse and she giggled as it impacted the man, "Shall I kill Potty for you now My Lord?"
"No." he crossed the clearing and leaned over Harry. Reaching down Voldemort grabbed a hand full of Harry's hair and pulled his head from the ground and turned it to face him, "I am going to let you live with the knowledge that I am on my way to dispose of the interlopers in the castle and there is nothing you can do about it. You and your light side have lost."
He dropped Harry's head and let it bounce off the ground. Voldemort turned and began to walk away dragging a screaming Hagrid along with him. One of the death eaters they had followed through the forest stepped up to him before looking down with an evil grin.
"Don't worry." He said, "You won't have long to think about your loss. The magical beasts in the forest will dispose of you quick enough."
He laughed and moved on. Harry waited for a few moments listening to them tromp through the forest. When none of them were close he sat up again.
"Tonks?" He called.
"Right here." She pulled the cloak apart.
Harry jumped not realizing she was so close, "That spell damaged my magical core didn't it."
"Yes." She admitted, "I think I got the counter curse quick enough though."
"How long till it repairs?" he asked.
"I don't know." She again admitted, "I don't know of anyone who received the counter quick enough to fix it. I think it took me maybe thirty seconds before you got the counter."
"So at least for now I can't use magic." Harry sighed as he nodded, "Right, well we better get going if we're going to help them defeat Voldemort."
He stood and pulled Tonks up with him, covered them both with his cloak and pulled her back through the forest. Neither one detected the dementors that hoovered in the trees above them. Both in and out of the forest they were so distraught over the deaths and loss of magic that the dementors had no effect on them.
"How are you going to help Harry?" she asked as they broke out of the forest and stepped onto the lawn of the school.
"Do what I always do." Harry grinned at her, "Jump in with both feet and hope for the best."
The two of them planned to skirt around the edge of the jeering death eaters but that idea was made impossible as they all surged forward before the two of them had reached the crowd. Tonks and Harry followed under the cloak and she managed take down a few of them from the back. Near the steps of the school Harry gasped when he saw a death eater picking up the sword of Gryffindor. He ran from under the cloak, punched the death eater, grabbed the sword and let Tonks throw the cloak back over him.
"Are you mad!" she hissed, "Stay under the cloak."
Harry grinned, "If that wasn't courage to get the sword I don't know what was."
"Why would you need courage to get a sword?" she was still firing hexes from under the cloak as they made their way into the school.
"Sword of Gryffindor, you can only wield it if you draw it with the courage of a Gryffindor." Harry explained, "Don't touch it though it's coated with basilisk venom a simple scratch will kill you."
"Merlin Harry!" Tonks helped Harry shove his way to the front of the Great Hall.
They were just in time to see Molly kill Bellatrix and Voldemort send his three opponents flying. Harry jumped from the cloak again and held the sword in front of him to block the killing curse Voldemort had sent at Molly.
"You are a fool to come back Harry Potter." Voldemort hissed at him.
"Probably." Harry shrugged nonchalantly.
"You have no way to defeat me now." Voldemort sneered, "What will you do? All you can do is die at my feet."
"If I die I won't be the only one of us to do so." Harry grinned then started to run across the room straight at Voldemort.
Voldemort sent several killing curses and Harry dodged each of them. The last one was right at his face and he dropped to slide past the mad man. Bringing his sword up, he made a slice across Voldemort's left leg. He then popped back to his feet and backed away as Voldemort turned to follow Harry while he clutched at his leg.
You will need to do better than that." Voldemort raised his wand, "A scratch like that won't even slow me down."
"Oh I think you'll find it can." Harry distracted him, "You remember your little friend in the chamber? I kill it with this sword, right through the roof of its mouth."
"I will not die." Voldemort hissed at him, "I cannot die, I'm immortal."
"Hardly." Harry watched as Voldemort's limbs began to tremble. When he went down to his knees Harry walked forward again and snatched the wand from his hand, "That's mine."
Voldemort reached for it and fell on his face. Minerva McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt rushed forward. Minerva pulled Harry away while Kingsley checked Voldemort for signs of life.
"He's dead." Kingsley announced to the crowd who cheered and congratulated each other.
"Harry!" Minerva was surprised when the boy collapsed pulling her down with him. She quickly checked him, "He's alive just unconscious."
"Get him to Poppy." Shacklebolt said as Tonks ran forward to help.
She tucked the cloak into a pocket as she ran to Minerva and helped her get Harry levitated and moving to the healer on the other side of the room. The death eaters had found themselves surrounded when Voldemort fell. Most of them gave up without any more of a fight. But the few that did try were overrun quickly. When the group with Harry got to the other side of the hall they found beds lining the wall. Poppy and a few healers from St. Mungo's were working on people trying to get them stabilized. When Tonks arrived with Harry, Poppy paused and ran her wand over him.
"Not life threatening take him to the hospital wing." She waved them off and moved to the next patient as a healer portkeyed away with the badly injured man they had just stabilized.
Tonks and a group of Harry's friends made their way to the hospital. They hadn't expected it to be so full but they were able to find an empty bed and put Harry on it. Taking seats they all held a vigil at his bed side. After an hour Poppy returned to her wing with more healers and began to work on those who were not as badly injured. She found the group around Harry, some of who were sleeping in the chairs they'd conjured. Minerva and Shacklebolt were right behind the group of healers and reached Harry shortly after Poppy began her diagnosis. Her frown had Minerva speaking loud enough to wake all the others, including Harry.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Hi." He greeted them calmly after a few moments watching them talk.
"Harry!" "You're awake!" and "How are you?" filled the air until Poppy frowned at them.
They quieted so she could speak, "Harry, I'm getting an odd reading on your magic."
"They used the exhaurio curse on him." Tonks spoke first, "I used the counter but…"
"But what?" Hermione asked.
"The counter for the exhaurio curse has never been successfully cast." Poppy informed them, "If it was cast in time we don't know how long it will take to heal the damage."
"That means exhaust." Hermione knew, "But what does it exhaust?"
"This curse is meant to drain his magical core dry." Kingsley explained, "It was used by Unspeakables who performed the curse on criminals that have been sentenced to lose their magic. We aren't sure the counter actually works. The last time it was used it was two minutes after the curse was applied and the man stayed a squib the rest of his life. How long after the curse was your counter Tonks?"
"About thirty seconds." She replied, "I was right there. It's a long story that I can tell you later."
"How long before it heals him?" Ron asked.
"We don't know if it ever will." Poppy grimaced.
The adults, including Tonks, left to continue the cleanup after the battle. Poppy put up a silencing spell so Harry's group could talk and not disturb other patents as the healers went about helping the rest of the injured. It was quiet as they all thought about what had happened to Harry. Harry didn't expect the sudden noise when it came.
"I can't be tied down with a squib." Ginny stated and then got up and left.
Ron stood to go after her but only took a step before he turned an angry face back to Harry, "You're no good to us now. Why did you do something so stupid? You've ruined our futures. I'll never get the job I want now. Thanks a lot Potter."
He stomped from the area around Harry's bed, Luna and Neville looked at Harry to gage his reaction. He was just staring back at them with a slightly shocked expression.
"I'm staying." Luna said in her normal dreamy voice.
"Me too." Neville agreed.
He smiled at them before cautiously turning to his other friend, "Hermione?"
"He just…" Hermione turned back, with tears in her eyes, from where she had watched him storm away.
"Are you really that surprised?" Harry asked.
"Yes!" she nearly yelled, "I thought he'd grown up. I thought he cared. I thought…"
"He'd stay by us through thick and thin now that he'd learned his lesson." Harry finished her thought.
"He never has before." Luna pointed out, "And he never will again."
"I can't believe…" she began and glanced at Harry guiltily, "We kissed earlier and I agreed to be his girlfriend."
"If you want to be there for him it's ok." Harry tried to control his face through the lie, "He did lose a brother today."
"I'm not staying with him after that… trash he just spouted." She shook her head, "Fred's death is the only thing keeping me from ripping his head off. I'd rather kiss Malfoy then have anything to do with him again."
"That's… interesting." Harry chuckled.
The four teens chuckled about that for a few minutes. They talked quietly for another hour or so but stopped when the screen was pushed aside. Looking at the opening they all tensed when Ron came back in.
"We're headed to Aunt Muriel's." Ron spoke to Hermione and ignored the others.
"I'm not leaving Harry alone." She started.
"Picking him again." Ron sneered, "I don't get your fascination with him. But you can just stay. I don't want you around."
"Fine." Hermione growled.
"You're all just…" he stopped when Tonks stepped up.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Ron was just leaving." Hermione huffed and turned her back on him.
He sneered at her back and left with Tonks watching his retreating figure when she turned back, she asked, "What's up with him?"
"He's upset that Harry is a squib now." Luna, as always, got to the hard truth, "He expected Harry to marry Ginny and make sure he carried Ron on his ladder to success."
"I think I'll look at losing my magic as a positive thing if that's the baggage I'm losing with it." Harry stated glibly.
The three other teens gave him small smiles but it didn't last long. Tonks conjured a seat and wedged it between Hermione and Neville.
"Well I think his attitude is his own." Tonks offered.
"And Ginny's." Hermione huffed.
"That explains a few things." Tonks shook her head, "Arthur has his hands full. George and Molly are basically catatonic. They're taking them back to Muriel's house. Percy is headed to the ministry, Kingsley said he wouldn't accept his resignation and sent him to work. Bill and Charlie are trying to procure a new dragon to replace the one you stole. Fortunately that's all the goblins are upset about for now."
"Must have known what it was we took." Hermione said to Harry who nodded.
"You're going to have to explain that soon too." Tonks told them.
"Bellatrix put a cup in her vault; it contained a piece of Voldemort's soul." Harry explained as Hermione fished out the cup, "We had to come to Hogwarts to get a tooth from the basilisk to kill it."
Hermione handed the cup to Tonks who stood and vanished her chair, "I'll be back."