The Future Rescues The Past

Chapter 8 A Future at the Crossroads

AN Battle! And who will prevail?

Hermione and John at the table and watched the army dueling against each other in the Great Hall that was cleared of House tables preparing for the battle. The Seventh year students were taking a beating as the Americans fought in an unorthodox manner.

The Americans would fire a string of hexes, forcing their opponent to defend themselves as they ran forward. The hapless student would then find themselves on the floor when the attacker would grab their robes and pull them to the ground and place a knife at their neck.

The smart students would question their American counterpart and learn while the thicker ones would demand to have another go, not believing how easy they were taken down.

The ghost floated among the rafters and watched the dueling with interest. Helena floated over to Severus. "It seems that your request of us will come in handy Headmaster Snape based on how they fight."

"So it seems My Lady." They watched the live ones in silence.

HGSSHGSSHGSS

The night before the expected attack arrived and the defenders were eating dinner in the Great Hall. The affair was subdued, everyone thinking upon tomorrow.

Headmaster Flitwick stood on the books at his chair. "Curfew is cancelled for students that are of age. Underage students will reside in Slytherin tonight as that will be the safest place for you."

The House Elves did not make a Feast but dinner based on individual preference.

John sat next to Hermione and enjoyed the rare steak and baked potato that appeared before him. "The house elves are remarkable but I feel like this is my last meal."

She eyed the Cashew Chicken and spring roll before her. "I know how you feel. I have not had this meal in three years and it is one of my favorites. Timing is a bit off but they mean well."

Madame Hooch whispered to Filius. "Headmaster, are we doing patrols tonight?" Noticing several of age student pairings leave after meal.

"No Rolanda. We need our rest and the young need to deal with whatever they need to. I made sure that the house elves placed contraceptive potion in their drink just in case they decide to seek solace in other ways. This is their time and we should not interfere."

Time passed slowly as everyone dealt with their fears in their own way.

HGSSHGSSHGSS

Ron sat on a rock next to the Black Lake holding the sword of Gryffindor, the moonlight reflecting on the blade. The sound of the water gently washing against the shore was soothing.

Severus appeared before him.

Ron placed the sword back into the sheath and looked to the grey form floating before him. "Why did you let me live after all that I did in the future?" He whispered.

"Are you scared Ronald Weasley?"

"I am Snape. If anyone here said that they were not then they would be barking mad." He looked to the ghost. "Why are you here?" He grew wary as the ghost did not talk down to him or belittle him with sharp words

"Just to remind you that you have a future Ronald Weasley if you are successful."

Ron watched the ghost fade away puzzled that the hated wizard showed up in the first place. He sighed and pulled out the sword. He did rescue Hermione in the future and here to help him. Maybe Snape wasn't that bad after all.

HGSSHGSSHGSS

Hermione opened the door to the Astronomy tower and heard someone crying. She turned to go back down but the desperate sobbing pulled her to give the person solace and help. She walked to the deck and leaned down to the sobbing form. "What's wrong and can I help you?" Laying her hand on the tense form.

She looked down and found Harry looking up to her. "Oh Harry what's wrong?" Kneeling beside him and gathered her friend into her arms.

"Everything Hermione. All of this! Everyone looks to me to lead them and I could not even protect Ginny. She is dead because of me and soon everyone else will be as well."

Hermione reflected on his words. It wasn't that he was afraid of tomorrow but did not a chance to grieve for Ginny. She knew that he loved her deeply and despite his efforts to keep her away, the witch managed to remain. He felt responsible for her death.

"Everything will be all right Harry. Tell me about Ginny." She gently asked.

Harry wiped his eyes and looked to her. "You know everything Hermione. What more is there to say?"

"I know the events Harry but tell me about you and Ginny."

Harry smiled. "She was the best thing that happened to me Hermione. When she kissed me after our victory I know that she was the one for me. Oh the night that I took her was the best thing that ever happened to me for I felt love for the first time in my life. Snape's shabby treatment of me and my worries of the Prophecy went away when I was in her arms Hermione because she loved me for me and not what everyone expected."

"Tell me more Harry." Hermione encouraged.

Harry closed his eyes and thought of his beautiful Ginny and reminisced of his love and the regret that she died along with the others of The Phoenix and then how everything piled up with Hermione's story of the future.

They cried together for a few moments and the Harry stood up and pulled his friend up.

Harry kissed Hermione on the cheek. "I'm better now Hermione and thank you. I'll see you in the morning."

She watched her friend leave the tower and walked up to the battlements and looked to the grounds. If only Severus was here.

Severus formed beside her. "You are compassionate Hermione and I hope that your friends realize the rare gem that they have."

"Harry did not have a chance to grieve for Ginny. I gave him that and he will be fine."

"And what about you Hermione? Are you well?"

"No Severus but I planned to kill you so your death was not unexpected. If we are successful there will be time for that later."

Severus watched her. She held her resolve in and would break after everything was said and done. "You must live life and forget about me." He reminded her.

Hermione continued to look to the grounds. "Stay with me for a while Severus for your presence soothes me and lets me remember the times that we had with one another."

"They were the best times of my life sweet witch, the short time that we had together." He whispered out.

They stayed together looking over the grounds each lost to their own thoughts.

HGSSHGSSHGSS

***BOOM! ***BOOM! ***BOOM! ***

The defenders met in the Great Hall. "This is it!" Harry shouted out. "Seventh Years stand out the entrance and defend the castle with your life if we are unsuccessful. The rest of you with me!" The defenders rushed out and disillusioned themselves and waited for the giants to break the wards."

Severus floated over to Harry. "The ghost of Hogwarts is present Harry Potter and we will rush forward to incapacitate them. It will give you an edge."

The group rushed outside and gathered out front.

***BOOM!***BOOM!***BOOM!***

The giants battering brought down the outer wards and Voldemort walked toward the castle His amplified voice resounding out. "Harry Potter do you think that I am a coward now? Give yourself up. Don't you care for the pitiful few that you hide behind? As long as they are not Mudbloods I'll promise to let them live."

The voice was hypnotizing as the defenders muttered and began to doubt their decision.

"No!" Ron shouted out. "He never keeps his promise! Use Muffilito to break Voldemort's hold over you!"

The defenders rushed to meet the attackers and distance themselves from the castle to afford it more protection.

Harry ran with Hermione and Ron. "John are you with us?"

"We are Harry! Make a stand here because they will have to walk uphill and will be an advantage to us. We will be Disillusioned behind you and reveal ourselves at the proper time."

The ghost of Hogwarts floated behind the Golden Trio and between the living defenders and waited.

Voldemort led his Deatheaters and shouted "Leave no one alive and leave Harry Potter to me!" Snarling out in surprise as the ghost revealed themselves and rushed his group with three hundred witches and wizards suddenly revealed running behind them, casting out hexes as they ran toward his army.

Ron watched Nagini leave her master and began to kill, striking once and continued on to the next victim. He chased after her.

The American Militia merged with the ranks of Deatheaters and the fighting turned nasty as both sides were not above using knifes and any other means to kill each other.

Hermione found herself separated and fought two Deatheaters single handedly and gasped out when she felt someone was at her back, attacking the Deatheater that managed to make it behind her.

"Keep your focus on your attacker while I take out the other." John Smith shouted. "If we make it through this will you go out with me?"

Wizards and their timing! "Let's see if we survive first John! She shouted back managing to block the crazed witch's deadly hexes.

She looked to Bellatrix LeStrange cackling out. "Such a tender moment Mudblood. Time to kill you and then you can meet your Beau in the Veil for your date. " In her sing-song mad voice.

Hermione felt herself pushed down to the ground and watched a green light streak and hit the witch.

Bellatrix fell down dead and watched the other Deatheater running away.

She crawled to the body of her protector. "Oh John." She whispered and closed his eyes before standing back up to rejoin the battle. A red light shined out into the night sky marking Ron's success at killing the snake.

HGSSHGSSHGSS

Ron chased the snake and shouted to it. "Oy! You!" To distract it.

Nagini forgot her target and focused on the red headed wizard. This was one that her master hated and whipped around to attack. Suddenly she felt cold, like ice and moved sluggishly.

Severus noticed the man break off to chase the snake and followed. All living creatures were momentarily in capacitated when a ghost went through them. Even snakes. He moved to the snake and watched the snake attack and strike.

The few moments of hesitation allowed Ron to slice the head of with the sword but not in time to prevent the snakes' razor sharp fangs sink down onto his shoulders, jaws locked in death.

Ron severed the head of the hated snake and cast forth a light of red from his wand, clutching the head of the snake, convulsing. "Mum, Dad, Ginny…" He muttered out in pain, the poison shutting down his heart. He knew that he was dying.

Ginny smiled. "You've done it Ron and it is time to join us."

His mum whispered. "Ron, join us."

Ron gasped out in pain "I did it!" He whispered out.

"That you did Ronald Weasley. They wait for you." The ghostly form of Severus Snape whispered to him watching the wizard die.

"Mum…" Ron muttered. "But Harry! Hermione! Snape tell Hermione that I loved her."

Molly Weasley spoke. "They will do what they need to do because of you."

"Come son, it is time to go." His dad spoke in a gentle voice.

Severus watched the body start to convulse. "Well done Ronald Weasley and I will pass along your final words to her."

"Thanks Snape. I…You…good man…." He struggled to speak, gasping for breath and then knew no more.

HGSSHGSSHGSS

Hermione made it back to Harry and joined him in the protective circle that the survivors form around him, picking off attackers that the ghost incapacitated. "Harry did you see the light? Ron killed Nagini!"

"Enough of this! Ghost of Hogwarts I will deal with you later!" Voldemort shouted, holding out his hand and laughed when the ghost floated unmoving and glared at him.

"And now that the numbers are manageable…" Voldemort cackled out again immobilizing the witches and witches protecting Harry Potter. "My faithful step back and watch me kill Potter. After that we will rule the world!"

Harry and Hermione looked to the crazed wizard as the surviving Deatheaters did as Voldemort commanded.

Harry pushed a phial into her hands. "I found this in my room with a letter from Snape telling me to command you to take this if we fail. I think that it is a poison."

Voldemort heard his words. "So my most loyal dabbled with you Mudblood." Forcing entering her mind and laughed when she fell to the ground and moaned out in pain.

Severus appeared when Hermione fell down. He was not with his fellow ghost when they were incapacitated by Voldemort. "My Lord." He greeted his former master breaking the harsh intrusion of Hermione's mind.

Voldemort looked to the ghost. "So Severus I see by this pathetic girl's memories that you were never truly loyal to me."

"I was until you killed Lily Potter. You promised me that you would not touch her. Everything changed when you did that."

While the exchange between Voldemort and Severus went on, Harry knelt to check on Hermione.

Hermione whispered out weakly. "The prophecy Harry. Power that the Dark Lord Knows not. It is love Harry that is the power you have over him. When he attacks think of Ginny, your friends, and Dumbledore. That is how you will defeat him. I realized that with Severus's words about Lily."

Harry watched Hermione for a moment and noticed that she lost consciousness and quickly checked her pulse. She was still alive.

"Don't think that because you're a ghost that I do not have power over you Severus Snape. I'll deal with you later and let you watch the Mudblood die before I call up demons to deal with you." Voldemort snarled out.

He turned his attention back to Harry. "So, are you going to hide or come out to face me Potter?"

This was it. Harry stood up and walked up until he was clear of the circle of frozen protectors and pulled out his wand, clearing his mind and thinking of love for Ginny and all of his friends that was killed. "I am you piece of shit. And you are not immortal now because while you thought I was hiding in fear we destroyed you Horcruxes including the snake." Pointing his wand to Voldemort , waiting for the expected attack.

Voldemort looked surprised and pointed his wand to him. "It does not matter as I kill you! Avedra Kadevra!"

"Expelliarmous!" Harry shouted at the same time watching the red light shoot out and met the green light from Voldemort's wand.

"Focus Harry Potter!" Severus shouted out in encouragement while the ghosts of all of the Dark Lord victims appeared beside them shouting out encouragement and pushed their love to Harry.

He thought of Ginny, his mother, and his best friends and focused his intent. The red light made its way to the hated wizard. His body thrummed with the most intense feeling of love from the victims gathered around him.

Voldemort realized that things were not going his way when the red light mixed with green pushed toward him. "No!" He shouted out before he fell down dead when the light connected with his wand.

The Deatheaters shouted out in pain grabbing their left arm bearing the Mark and fell to the ground and stilled.

"We're free Harry!" One of the defenders shouted out. The previously frozen ghost muttered the same before they left, vowing that they would never get involved with affairs of the live ones again."

"One of you look to Hermione. The rest of you bind the remaining Deatheaters and break their wands. I need to find Ron."

They rushed to obey him. "The Deatheaters are alive!" One shouted out.

Harry nodded as he left to find Ron.

Severus floated beside him. "I will take you to him."

Harry stopped and asked the ghost. "Is he dead Headmaster Snape?" Surprised at the look of regret on ghost's face.

"He is Harry. But he did not die alone." Floating off without a word, leaving the mortal to follow him.

He saw the body in the distance and found that he was not alone, recognizing Luna Lovegood crying over the Ron's body.

"I loved him Harry." Luna cried out.

Harry pulled her up and wrapped Luna in his arms. "I did too." He whispered to her trying his best not to cry and not succeeding.

The shout of success was heard while Harry and Luna mourned for Ron.

HGSSHGSSHGSS

Hermione woke in the Infirmary and saw that Poppy the medi-witch was sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"Good you're awake Hermione." Holding a phial out. "This phial is a healing drought and will put you into a healing sleep."

Severus appeared. "Poppy leave us." He commanded.

"She needs to heal Severus. Make it quick and be gone with you. Merlin you're a ghost and should not care about us live ones." She huffed out and left the phial on the bed stand.

Hermione watched her ex-lover float beside her bed. "I take it that we were successful?"

"We were Hermione but my time is short here. The last page of my diary is blank. Point your wand to it and think of revealing secrets and a list of those in the Ministry faithful to Voldemort will appear. Use it to send them to Azkaban and rebuild our world."

"I will Severus but I do not want you to go." She begged.

"Remember my words to you Hermione. Move on with and find a wizard that will appreciate and love you. I'll meet you in the Veil when it is time." Fading away from sight.

Poppy watched the ghost fade approached the bed, picking up the phial on the bed stand and pushed the phial to Hermione. "Drink!" She commanded.

Hermione did what was commanded of her, worrying of the fate of Severus. She began to feel woozy and slipped into sleep and prayed that the Veil would be kind to him when it judged him.

AN So they were successful. What happens in the future that they were given?