Future's end: revised

We were alone. No one else was left. We had self-destructed here on this ground we came to learn. No one could have predicted that it would come to this.

Voldemort and his forces had brought the fight to us, here at Hogwarts. The Ministry, teachers, and students all stood for one final chance at a better future. There were other places to make a stand. The Ministry was gone, as was Diagon Alley, except for Gringotts, because the goblins had cut off all contact with us.

We stood facing each other, waiting for a sign to make the first move. I stood next to Dumbledore and the teachers, my friends right behind me. We had come so far, learned so much.

I had called out that Voldemort should come and face me, as a token for our armies. He had agreed and the duel began. The battle was intense; neither of us could gain the upper hand and keep it. It was stalemated until a death eater fired the killing curse at me. Then all pretenses that this could end so peacefully were shattered.

All of the light opened up with various curses, most hitting their marks. Voldemort and I locked eyes, agreeing that we would continue later Then things began to get nasty, Voldemort began to unleash the complete force of his army.

I called out to the non-humans on our side, Centaurs, house elves, and others that had sided with us. The clash was loud, several screams, both in pain and death, could be heard. My friends stayed close to me, and we were responsible for a great deal of our enemy's deaths.

Ron had really come into his own; his skills in strategy giving us the best setup to use what resources we had. Ginny had become an excellent teacher; very skilled at bringing people up to a good level of skill. Luna, crazy Luna, she was the one who kept us grounded when the reports came in. She was also the only one who could keep Ron in line after his parents died.

Neville had far surpassed our greatest expectations. He was second only to me in dueling skill, and his skills with healing magic were second to none.

Then there was Hermione, my closest confidante, she had relaxed her desire to follow the rules and was responsible for the majority of the spells at our combined disposal. She and I never were far apart after the Department of Mysteries incident. While some believed we were quietly dating, we unfortunately never got around to it. Hermione was my center when Sirius died, held me when I woke up screaming from the deaths Voldemort inflicted, and was the one who stopped me from going after him when he killed Remus and the last of my blood.

No one could keep track of how long the fighting lasted. Slowly it came down to Voldemort and his five closest followers and the six of us. We saw Dumbledore fighting at least twenty death eaters at once, but before we could get to him one of the death eaters got a lucky shot.

Dumbledore had set things up so that if he died, I and one person of my choosing would get the accumulated power and knowledge he had. I had chosen Hermione, for the obvious reasons and we sealed the powers to us if he died.

Dumbledore didn't go down alone, with the last of his heart beats, he triggered a device that took all those he was fighting down with him. I felt the rush of power hit me, and I could see tears in Hermione's eyes.

We squared off, each taking an opponent. This fight wasn't about winning any longer, it was about justice. Ron faced Malfoy Sr., Neville against Malfoy Jr., Luna and Ginny faced to death eaters I didn't know, and Hermione faced Bellatrix Lestrange. I squared off with Voldemort and the last fight began.

We were no longer holding back, we used the darkest curses possible. Luna was the first to fall; she was hit by someone other than her opponent. Ron killed Malfoy and Luna's opponent before collapsing next to her. He fell next. Neville and Ginny, recent lovers, managed to kill Ginny's opponent, but were unable to defeat Malfoy in time to prevent him from killing Neville.

Ginny faced her one time rapist with murder in her eyes. Firing at an incredible rate, she managed to kill him before collapsing from her injures. Hermione and Bellatrix were evenly matched. Hermione got a silence charm off, but Lestrange got off the attack Dolohov used in fifth year against Hermione. I watched her collapse in slow motion and not get up. I sent a spell that left nothing of Lestrange above grass level.

I could feel the sick power, the one I knew Voldemort enjoyed, come over me as I turned back to him. We bowed, although no one could see it, and threw everything we had at each other. With the knowledge of Dumbledore, I used the most powerful spells I could. After hours, we had begun in predawn and the sun had risen to its apex, we both sagged in exhaustion. I remembered Hermione and that this man was responsible for her death, and threw all my reserves into one last Avada Kedavra, he was too tired to dodge or block it.

I crawled over to Hermione, she could be alive I told myself. I checked for a pulse and found a weak one. I used the little healing magic I knew to fix her, this world was meaning less without her. She slowly came around, looking for something. She saw mw and said hoarsely, "Did we win Harry?"

I nodded, "We won love; all of the death eaters are dead."

"But so are all our friends and most of the British wizard world."

"It can be rebuilt love, other hands can rebuild it." I sat with her head in my lap. "We deserve a rest."

"Harry, I can't feel anything below my shoulders."

I used an inspection charm, "The blast severed your spine below your shoulders. I'm so sorry Hermione."

"It's ok, I've still got you."

I could feel the tears in my eyes, "No it's not. You deserve better."

I raised my head and screamed at the sky, "If any of you that are watching want to reward us, give us a chance to prevent all this!"

I held Hermione for a long time. We sat there as there was no where to go. Everyone was dead.

"Child, do you truly wish to prevent this?"

I turned and saw four creatures, a phoenix, a dragon, a tiger, and a tortoise.

"Yes," it was all I could say.

"Then you will have your chance. We will send you to before things got out of hand."

"What about Hermione?"

"We will send her as well to a time when you can direct the most change."

I looked at Hermione and she nodded. "We agree."

I felt a spinning sensation and pulled Hermione tight.

"I love you."