This is it, the last chapter. I'd just like to thank everyone who's supported me alone the way, especially Because-I-Got-High, who's been reviewing since the beginning and telling me to keep smiling. Thanks, sweetheart!
Originally this is not how I meant this story to end. In fact, I had intended for this to be a romance. The story, however, practically wrote itself and this is how it came out. Hope it isn't too bad.
Disclaimer: Don't own it, not claiming to.
The battle was as all battles are. It was quick, bloody, confusing, and full of death. Many died, many more were injured, but we won.
I had found Harry and Ron coming down the stairs to the sixth floor. Apparently, Ron was still up studying (I told him that was going to happen) and noticed dark figures outside, which were obviously Death Eaters. Then a split second later, he said Harry shot straight up in bed, shouting something about "he betrayed us."
I hadn't had time to think about it then, as Death Eaters' children attacked us rather suddenly, but now I suppose that it meant Snape betrayed Voldemort.
It took us mere minutes to get outside to where much of the action was taking place. I was separated from Harry and Ron almost instantly, so I have no idea what happened during Harry's duel with the Dark Lord. Instead, I found myself fighting back to back with McGonagall. Dumbledore had been with her, but when Harry, Ron, and I came out, he went to go seek out Voldemort.
Some other students found their ways outside and into the battle. I was proud to see many were from the DA. We were still outnumbered about three to one, and considering that it was just faculty, staff, and students against Voldemort's followers, it was amazing more didn't die.
It had seemed like such a long battle, and it still does when I look back on it, but it couldn't have lasted more than twenty minutes. It all ended so quickly that at first I hadn't realized it was over. There was just an unearthly scream and then that was it. We won just like that.
I'm not sure if it can really be considered winning, though. We lost so many lives during the fight. And not just that last fight, but in all the fights before that, in all the missions people went on to gain information on the other side, and afterwards, catching stray Death Eaters and followers. Both sides lost so much that I wonder if anything could be worth so much misery and death.
One death in particular hurt, though.
I was helping find the wounded and figure out who was dead. I found him on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, almost completely out of sight. I felt tears prick my eyes as I knelt down next to his body. He was obviously dead. His black eyes stared up at me, unseeing, face frozen in a disturbing, grotesque imitation of his usual sneer.
It had apparently been a dispassionate death for him, as there were no signs of fatal injuries. The Avada Kedavra. I assume he died cold and alone, on the very edge of the battle, probably killed by a Death Eater.
It was hard for me to believe Snape was really dead. He was one of those people you always expect to be there, whether you like them or not. It was scary, really. He had always seemed invincible to me. I realize that's stupid, as everyone dies, but it's true.
Eventually I found out it was Draco Malfoy who had killed Snape. Harry and I hunted him down and had him sent to Azkaban.
Not many people turned up at the funeral. The whole school was invited, of course, but many neglected to show up. Some couldn't, because of funerals for some in their own families or friends or some such thing, but it would have been nice if Snape had been appreciated a bit more. I certainly am a hypocrite, because I didn't appreciate him until he shoved me into that broom closet.
I realized, as I watched his coffin be lowered into the ground and listened to the silence-- there were no tears shed for Snape, not even my own-- that I may have grown to love him, if I had been given the chance. It would have been a painful love, one that would never be reciprocated, but a love nonetheless. I wondered for a bit what it would have been like.
I've learned a lot this past year. I've learned that there are some things one should never know, there are some things one should never do, and there are some things that one should never see. Most importantly, though, I've learned that one should never have regrets because you can't change what's happened in the past, but you can change the future.
The End
I hope you liked it, and I hope the last two paragraphs weren't too sappy! Once again, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to review, or even just read this.
I will be going back and correcting errors in this eventually, but for the time being I'm working on a new project that might be posted here some time soon, or I might just trash it. If you want to read, it if it's posted, just add me to your author alert list.
TTFN,
ThePhreak