"And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two-faced bastard!" Ron yelled furiously after Draco Malfoy, who was sprinting down the Charms corridor.

The war had begun. Ron, Harry and Hermione had gone through with their plan almost successfully; they had acquired the Horcrux from Bellatrix LeStrange's Gringotts vault, but Griphook had taken the sword of Gryffindor from them and left the trio to die there. Luckily, Hermione had come up with an ingenious plan that involved them riding a very large dragon through the glass roof of the bank and flying as far away as they possibly could. Harry had then instructed them all to jump from the dragon's back as they flew over a lake and, after treating their injuries, they realised the only logical place left to look for a Horcrux would be in Hogwarts itself. They had travelled on foot all the way to Hogsmeade, where they had met Aberforth, Professor Dumbledore's younger brother. He had shown them a painting of his deceased sister Ariana which was also a secret passageway to Hogwarts. Ariana had disappeared from the frame, and returned shortly. The portrait had swung open to reveal none other than Neville Longbottom. He had taken them back to the Gryffindor common room through the passageway, where a whole army of extremely excited Hogwarts students were awaiting the trio's arrival. A decision was made that the trio would keep their return a secret from everyone else for a while, before they were able to take Professor Snape by surprise. Shocked at Harry's return to the castle, Snape had pulled out his wand to duel him, but McGonagall had forced Harry out of her way and duelled Snape herself, instead. Snape fled, and the Death Eaters started to arrive. Soon enough, the war had begun. The trio hadn't seen any of their friends since the start of the war, and they had been beginning to fear the worst. That was, until-

"Ron!" Someone shouted from the other end of the corridor.

"Ginny!" Ron turned around first, sprinting towards his sister, inexplicably glad to see her.

Harry took the chance to turn to Hermione and voice a thought that had been snowballing itself in the back of his mind for a while. "Hermione, I need to go-"

"No." Hermione replied sharply,"No. No, absolutely not. I won't let you, Harry, you aren't going to him."

Harry sighed; he knew she'd take it like this,"But, Hermione, there was a prophecy. 'Neither can live while the other survives', that's what it said. One of us is going to have to die, in the end."

"Then it won't be you." Hermione said gently, placing a hand on each of Harry's shoulders,"I believe in you, Harry, you're the strongest person I know. You can survive this, I know you can."

Harry felt a hot tear form in his eye and a lump rise in his throat as she said this. Taking Hermione by surprise, he threw his arms around her and tried with all of his might to push away his tears. Hermione stood still for a moment, bemused, before she gently put her arms around Harry and kissed his forehead.

"I believe in you." She repeated in what was almost a whisper.

"Harry? Hermione?" Ginny spoke up again as she and Ron slowly made their way back down the corridor.

Harry pulled away, certain any trace of a tear was gone. "Ginny, is everyone okay?"

"As far as I know." She nodded,"You've got the diadem, then?"

"Yeah." Harry plunged his hand into his pocket and produced Ravenclaw's diadem.

A small smile appeared on Ginny's face,"Neville's got the sword."

"He's...he's what?" Hermione gasped incredulously,"Has he really?"

"Yes! He said he found it in the Sorting Hat!"

Harry grinned,"That's brilliant! Take the diadem to him, quickly; he needs to stab it with the sword." He thrust the diadem into Ginny's hand.

"I will." Ginny turned to Ron,"Come with me, will you? I don't want to go on my own."

"Sure." Ron nodded, taking off back down the corridor again,"Bye, you two, good luck!"

"And you!" Hermione waved them off.

"Say hi to Neville for us!" Harry shouted as Ron and Ginny disappeared around the corner.

"Harry, what...oh, no!" She gasped.

"What? Hermione, what is it?" Harry grabbed Hermione's arm in surprise.

"The cup!"

"The...what?"

"Hufflepuff's cup. The Horcrux." Hermione moaned,"We should've given it to Ginny! She could have gotten Neville to stab it."

Harry clapped a hand to his head in sheer disbelief at their stupidity. "You've still got it, then?"

"Yes." Hermione patted her black beaded bag protectively,"Oh, Harry, what are we going to do?"

"Find Neville ourselves." Harry suggested,"We've got to destroy it."

"Neville could be anywhere." Hermione said, shaking her head,"It could take ages to find him."

"But, Hermione, we need the sword to destroy the Horcrux, it's impregnated with the Basilisk venom-"

At that, Hermione let out a gasp so humongous that Harry was certain she had been hit by a curse. "HARRY!" She practically shouted, jumping up and down on the spot.

"WHAT?" Harry replied, just as loudly.

"THE BASILISK!" Hermione said.

Harry looked at her, bemused,"What?"

"It's still here, isn't it?" Hermione said, lowering her voice,"We can use its teeth to stab the cup!"

"Yes." Harry said, awestruck,"Yes, Hermione, you're brilliant!"

"Thank you, Harry, but now isn't really the time." Hermione said matter-of-factly, going a little pink,"Now, you have to go and find Neville and-"

"No," Harry said firmly,"I'm coming with you."

"Well, I suppose you'll have to come to the Chamber." Hermione frowned,"I don't know how to speak Parseltongue, but once you've opened it for me-"

"Hermione, no."

"Priorities, Harry!" Hermione said quite shrilly as the pair started walking quickly towards Myrtyle's bathroom,"There is a war going on, and we need to be efficient! I'll destroy the cup and get out of there, you find Neville, Ginny and Ron and make sure they're all okay."

Harry sighed in defeat,"Okay, fine. When you're done, where will I meet you?"

Hermione thought for a moment,"In the Entrance Hall. Find out from Neville how many people he knows are hurt, for me?"

"Of course." Harry said as they reached Myrtle's bathroom. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Hermione replied grimly.

***********

Harry made his way down the stone steps towards the Entrance Hall two at a time in search for Hermione. He had just been to see Neville, Ginny and Ron in the Great Hall, where Neville had stabbed Ravenclaw's diadem with the sword of Gryffindor. The Great Hall was where the dead and injured were being treated and looked after by their families and some Healers. Among the dead had been Fred Weasley, and his whole family had been gathered around him. He hadn't had time to pay his respects, but Harry had told Ron that he needed to stay with his family instead of going out to fight.

Through a newly made hole in the wall, Harry could see somebody duelling a hooded Death Eater in the courtyard. A closer look told him that it was Professor McGonagall. Harry ran faster. McGonagall was pink in the face and seemed to be struggling to keep up with the Death Eater.

"Expelliarmus!"

McGonagall's eyes widened enormously as her wand flew out of her hand. Harry reached them just in time time to see the Death Eater point his wand at McGonagall once more.

"Avada-"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry roared before he had time to think about it. The Death Eater dropped to the floor like a stone. Professor McGonagall's bewildered expression matched Harry's  uncannily as she nodded at him in appreciation, retrieved her wand, and hurried around to the back of the castle. Turning the other way, Harry ran back to the stairs he had just run down, looking for Hermione.

"Crucio!" A voice yelled from behind him.

Harry collapsed in pain as the curse hit him, crying out.

"Avada Keda-"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The Death Eater who had attacked Harry fell to the ground just as the first one had done.

Weakened and still shaking, Harry slowly looked up in search of his saviour, who had already dropped to their knees to help him up.

"Harry...Harry, are you all right? It's okay, Harry, it's okay. You're safe. I'm here, now, Harry, come on."

Harry forced himself to sit up. He put his arms around his saviour and whispered into their ear. "Hermione."

"Harry."

"Y-you saved me. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Hermione whispered back shakily,"I'm just glad you're all right." She paused. "I can't quite believe I just did that."

"I can't quite believe you just did that, either." Harry said honestly, pulling her closer towards him; he never wanted to let her go. "Where did you come from?"

"Upstairs." She told him,"I was a little way behind you. I shouted your name, but you couldn't hear me. You just ran faster. I saw what you did for Professor McGonagall, too." Hermione's breath caught in her throat,"Oh, Harry..."

"I know."

The pair could have stayed at the foot of the stairs on their knees in an embrace for the rest of their lives as the world fell apart around them, but they both knew had to fight.

"You destroyed the cup?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded,"Did Neville destroy the diadem?"

"Yeah." Harry sighed,"We were with the Weasleys. Fred...he's been killed."

Hermione nodded sadly,"I heard. I really can't believe it. Come on." She stood up with a sigh,"We have to go."

"Ron said he'd come." Harry said, standing up alongside her,"Told me he'd come and find us soon, he just wanted to...you know...say goodbye. I told him to meet us here."

"We'll wait, then." Hermione said in a small voice,"I don't know how they'll cope without Fred...especially George."

"I know. I'm not sure I could imagine how he's feeling." Harry sighed.

Hermione stared at him remorsefully. "But," she began uncertainly,"you can. You've felt it yourself."

Harry shook his head,"I haven't lost anyone I was as close to as the twins were. That'd have to be..." Harry trailed off, avoiding Hermione's questioning gaze.

"Harry?" Hermione said slowly,"What's wrong?"

"No, it's not...nothing's wrong."

"Well, what is it, then?" She asked. At his hesitation, Hermione continued,"Harry, please, you can tell me. You can tell me anything, remember?"

Harry nodded and whispered,"You."

"Me? Me what?" Hermione frowned at him.

"Well," Harry began in a strained voice,"I-I said that I'd never lost anyone who I had a relationship with that was like the one the...the twins had, and...and I meant that to lose someone like that, then, well, I'd have to lose you."

"Oh." Hermione went quiet. "Oh, Harry, you...oh, you mean that much to me, too-"

Within seconds, Harry was on her. They hadn't kissed like that since the night they had destroyed the locket Horcrux, after they had opened the locket. Harry hadn't quite realised how much he had missed kissing Hermione until he had started again.

"Oi!" Someone said loudly,"In case you two've forgotten, there's a war going on."

The pair pulled apart and spun around to see Ron at the foot of the stairs, the tiniest smirk on his face.

"Ron," Harry made to hug his friend,"I'm sorry, I-I'm really sorry."

"You don't have to be." Ron replied hotly. "Sorry." He added immediately,"I didn't mean...well, you know. Anyway, we've got to go. No use hanging around here."

"Who's with Fred?" Hermione asked softly.

"Everyone." Ron told her,"Mum, Dad, George, Ginny, the lot of them. Except Bill, actually. He's out fighting. He doesn't know Fred's...well, yeah. That is, if he's still-"

"Of course he's still alive, Ron." Hermione said tensely,"He's, well, he's Bill."

"True." Ron said gruffly, not meeting her eyes,"Come on, we've got stuff to do."

Sharing an anxious look, Harry and Hermione followed Ron into the courtyard.

***********

"Take...it...Take...it..." Snape rasped as a terrible gurgling noise issued from his throat.

Something silvery blue was leaking from Snape. It gushed from his mouth and his ears and his eyes, and Harry knew what it was, but did not know what to do. A flask, conjured from thin air, was thrust into Harry's shaking hand by Hermione. Harry lifted it to the silvery substance and filled the flask up to the brim. Snape slackened and Harry grabbed his old professor by the shoulders.

"Look...at...me..." Snape whispered.

Harry's eyes met Snape's, but, after a second, something in the weary eyes of the professor seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank, and empty. The shoulders beneath Harry's hands became limp, and Snape moved no more.

Before anyone had time to do or say anything more, a high, cold voice spoke so close to them that Harry jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand. It was as though Voldemort had truly entered the room; his voice reverberated from the walls and floor, and Harry realised Voldemort must be talking to Hogwarts and to all of the surrounding areas, and that the residents of Hogsmeade and everyone else in the castle could hear him just as well as the trio could in the Shrieking Shack.

"You have fought valiantly." The high, cold voice began,"Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen; every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Now, Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately."

"Bloody hell." Ron breathed from the tunnel to the Whomping Willow as Hermione grabbed Harry's arm tightly.

"You have one hour." Voldemort continued,"Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

A small gasp of fear came from Hermione's mouth. Harry wanted so badly to console her, but the same fear that had left her speechless had rendered Harry motionless.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you."

Hermione squeezed Harry's arm very tightly and gave another terrified gasp.

"You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who was ever tried to conceal you from me. One hour."