Life Begins Anew

Chapter 78 The Final Battle

Minerva yelled out “Attack!” as her fellow soldiers revealed themselves and the battle began in earnest.

The DeathEaters recovered from the surprise attack quickly separating into their elements and heading for their assigned places shouting out hexes and the killing curse.

Voldemort placed his wand to his neck and his angry voice was heard by all on the battlefield! “No survivors! Kill every one of them! I want their blood to soak the ground!”

Hermione stood disillusioned with her group, looking a group of DeathEaters making their way to where they were concealed.

“Order of the Raven stand ready.” Hermione said loud enough that only her group heard her. She suddenly noticed the tall DeathEater leading them.

***Severus, fall down now! *** Hermione frantically called along her bond as she yelled “Attack!”

Severus immediately tripped and fell down as a black masked group appeared and started sending hexes towards his element. He yelled out “Retreat! Yaxley reform them and attack again!”

His group immediately followed his orders as he found himself surrounded with twenty wands pointed at him.”

Felicia kicked Severus harshly and said. “I recognize the voice of this one. It is the murderer of Albus Dumbledore.”

Hermonie pushed her back. “If it is who you think it is, then he is rumored to be the right hand man of Voldemort.” She looked to Felicia. “Felicia is in charge of the Raven until I return. I am taking this…” silently calling forth a spell as ropes tightly bound him and levitated him. “To Kingsley. Maybe he knows something that will help us gain the upper hand. Go and follow those that retreated.”

“Fucking DeathEaters. We’ll get ‘em fer ya Hermione!” The rest of the group quickly departed.

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Bootstray, Slightly, and Draco watched the battle from the Tower. While the defenders initially had the upper hand, the DeathEaters had quickly reformed and the battlefield was chaotic and changed to hand to hand.

“There!” Draco shouted. “Do you see that?”

They watched as Hermione removed her mask and released the restraints of the levitating form. Once that was done, she cancelled the levitating spell and watched as Hermione and the form Disillusioned themselves.

Bootstray sounded out pleased. “That is two thirds of what we require.”

They continued to watch the battle, looking for Sara.

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Harry and Ron had aligned themselves with the students from Sanctuary. Hermione said that she to complete something for Sara before she joined them and they trusted her to be there when the moment came. After all, it could be no other way as they have been through everything together before.

“Harry! We need to get with a bigger group. While the DeathEaters are trying just to knock you out, they are killing everyone else.” Watching as Kevin Erstwhile fell, a pool of blood surrounding his dead body.

“Retreat!” Harry shouted as they fell back.

Arthur heard Harry’s shout. “Over here Harry! We’ll defend you!”

Harry looked up and saw Arthur, Kingsley and Lupin with a group of ten others. “Follow me! He shouted as they retreated towards the shout.

He felt his arm grabbed by something invisible as he was snatched up and pulled away. The DeathEater pulled off the mask and snarled “Kill me Harry Potter! Kill me now!”

Harry looked into the red eyes of Sara Snape and hesitated for a moment.

“Harry, I am fighting every need to take you to Voldemort. And you know that if I do, all this death that surrounds us will be for nothing. The DeathEaters have the upper hand right now. Choose quickly Harry, for I cannot fight the Darkness much longer.”

Harry looked at his ex-professor for a moment and realized the truth of her words. He heard all of the death around him and summoned his anger as he shouted out “Avada Kedevra!” Killing the witch.

“I’m sorry Sara. Be well with whatever you have planned.” Harry whispered to the still form. He knew that he hadn’t really killed her as she commanded Death, but his remorse was just the same. It was one thing to kill an enemy, but to kill one who had saved him in the past?

He stumbled as he quickly turned to follow the rest of his group.

After a few moments, Sara disillusioned herself and made her way to the castle.

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Hermione and Severus had made it to the Astronomy Tower in time to watch Sara’s death.

Severus took the moment to pull Hermione aside and whispered to her. “Hermione, I will always love you. You must promise me that if I die, that you will let me go. I know that you do not want to do this, but you must promise me.” He pushed forth his torture and the fact that he was not a man anymore.

“Oh Severus, that does not matter to me.” Hermione whispered.

“But it does to me. If I survive, I take the Dementor’s kiss. And even if I managed to avoid that, then my life would be worthless as I could not stand to be beside you less then whole. Promise me Hermione, that you will let me go.”

Hermione looked into his obsidian eyes and saw the truth of what he felt.

“I promise you that I will let you go.” She sadly replied.

“Good girl.” He replied as he gently kissed his wife. He knew that her promise was true even if she did not want to do it. She would stand by his wish.

Sara entered the tower and sat down. “And now Hermione Snape, release Draco and Severus. You remember the spell I taught you?”

Hermione nodded as she grabbed their arms containing the Dark Mark and silently casted the spell that Sara designed to release them.

They howled out in pain as they felt the most intense pain in their Mark and watched in amazement as the Mark disappeared.

Hermione panted out. “You are your own wizard, free of the Dark Lord’s control.”

Sara looked to the young witch. “And now Lioness, fulfill your destiny.”

Hermione looked to her husband for a moment. “I will always love you Severus.” She turned and left the tower to join Harry and Ron.

“Watch for a green light. That will mark the death of Nagini, and then I can use the potion.” Pulling the First Blood potion out of a pocket and beginning to clear her mind.

They rushed to the battlements to observe the battle.

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Dumbledore’s Army was given the task to destroy the snake and they followed that vile snake as she killed and killed again, their spells impervious to her.

Neville shouted out in anger as he saw Nagini set upon Luna and kill her with a quick bite.

Neville felt the hopelessness of his mission. “Oh Merlin! Please anything to help me!” He shouted out with despair in his voice.

He suddenly found the sword of Gyffindor in his hand and he realized what he had to do.

He rushed toward the snake, sword in hand as he shouted out to his few remaining students “Defend me!”

Pansy was one of three left alive. She started sending out the killing curse as she watched the snake loom up to strike her.

Suddenly Neville was in front of her as he swung the sword, decapitating the snake and saved her life. The snake’s blood covered them as they watched the snake shudder and die.

Pansy stood covered in blood and in shock as Neville raised his wand and sent forth a green spark from it.

The two remaining joined them. “And now we can die, knowing that we accomplished what was assigned to us. Let’s go!” Neville told them as he glanced briefly to the still form of Luna.

They followed behind him as Pansy thought about Draco and prayed that he lived.

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Draco shouted out. “The snake is dead!” Watching the green light shoot up from the battlefield.

“Draco, continue watching. Bootstray and Slightly protect me if we come under attack. Severus, I need your Darkness.” She commanded to the wizards as they scrambled to comply with her demands. She drank down the First Blood potion and focused her thoughts to her wand as it touched her Mark.

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Hermione made her way to meet Harry and Ron, casting the protective spell that Sara taught her. She realized it would not matter if anyone noticed as there were more DeathEaters alive then defenders. She tripped over a body and fell, looking into the unseeing eyes of Luna Lovegood.

She uncapped her potion and fed a small portion to Luna. “Oh Luna!” She exclaimed as she went past her not waiting to see the potions effect, to make her way to Harry and Ron.

She found herself looking into the dead eyes of Neville and Pansy laying together, eyes unknowing in death. “Forgive me Severus.” She muttered as she applied the last two portions of the potion that Severus had given her. She rose up and tossed the empty phial aside as she continued to make her way.

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Sara drank the First Blood potion and began her incantation as she held her wand to her Mark as she grasped her other hand to her brother’s arm, using his attuned Darkness to the Dark Lord as a rallying point. Severus felt the thrum as he realized that she was calling forth the bits of Darkness from the Dark Lord’s minions.

Suddenly the door to the Astronomy tower burst open revealing Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange.

“I always knew that you were a traitor Snape. You should be on the battlefield and not here.” Bellatrix cackled as she pointed her wand to him.

Bootstray and Slightly did not give a chance of reply as they immediately battled the invaders as Draco kept his watch as commanded.

Bootstray battled Lucius realizing that he was a formidable wizard as he protected Sara and Severus. They sent out the killing curse at the same time and both fell down dead.

Bella cackled out as she circled Slightly. “You look weak wizard! As soon as I kill you I will take care of Sara fucking Snape and her brother!” Holding her wand out menacingly to the slight wizard.

Slighlty looked to the fallen form of his best friend. He gathered his resolve, remembering the vow he took with Sara and looking to the dead body of Bootstray. “I think not witch!” As he pointed his wand to him and muttered the special incantation of an assassin taking his life and his target.

Bellatrix looked to him in surprise as Slightly threw down his wand and rushed her, his hands grabbing her arms as they both fell down dead at his touch.

Draco looked in shock as Sara continued her incantation, holding onto her brother’s arms, her wand resting on her arm.

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Hermione met her friends and they stood at the entrance to the castle.

“This is it.” Harry whispered to them as they stood together as one.

“Yes it is Harry.” Ron replied as he held his wand forward.

Harry watched Hermione do the same and he felt the bright light of a bond connecting them.

“So, Harry Potter!” Voldemort sneered as he approached the Trio as his remaining DeathEaters trailed behind him.

Voldemort began to call forth the Dark bits from his DeathEaters to help him defeat the Boy-Who-Lived, not noticing that they began to morph.

Hades appeared. “Mistress , push your resolve more! The DeathEaters are reforming and they will be worse than Inferi with your spell!”

Severus snarled out as he pulled his arm away from her. “I knew it was foolish to trust you!” He shouted as he raised his wand.

Draco looked to his Godfather. “Avadra Kedevra!” He shouted as the green light hit his target as he passed out.

Sara muttered out the last of her incantation as she felt the last bits of Darkness come to her. She stood up for a moment and passed out.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light as Albus Dumbledore appeared in the entranceway of the school. “Hello Tom. You will not take this castle.”

Harry took the opportunity of Voldemort’s surprise at the reappearance of the Headmaster to cast “Avadra Kedevra!” And watched as Voldemort fell down dead.

“It is done!” Harry panted out as Hermione ran past him and made her way up to the Astronomy Tower. She opened the door and noticed the unmoving wizards and witch as she rushed to Severus and pulled his unmoving body to her.

She glanced down to her hands and noticed that her wedding bands were revealed, confirming the death of her husband.

She grabbed her husband’s still form and cried as Harry and Ron joined her.