Hermione spent the next four months on schoolwork and DA. Then, in February, she and Draco had to plan the Valentine's Day breakfast, the second large one in Hogwarts' history. It was arranged especially for the announcement of Hermione and Draco's betrothal. Hermione and Draco were putting the final touches on the decorations in the Great Hall.

'Well, I guess this is it,' Hermione said, as students began to come in. She hurried over to the Gryffindor table. The plan was for Dumbledore to call Draco and her forward, and then announce their engagement. Hermione twisted her hair around her finger nervously. The last student sat, and Dumbledore rose, holding his goblet up high. Just then, a hoard of Death Eaters swarmed through the doors.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron all ran to the front of the students. Everyone pushed the first years to the rear, as many of the teachers pushed forwards. The remaining teachers herded the younger students away through a secret door. The war for the end of the world, and all humanity had begun early.

I hope Draco's going to be alright Hermione thought, in her last free moment.

Expelliarmus! Hermione nonverbally disarmed a Death Eater who had pointed their wand at her. Accio wand! The wand flew into her open grasp, and she stuck it in her pocket. Petrificus totalus! she thought. Two Death Eaters fell to the ground in full body bind. Expelliarmus! Accio wands! She now had an arsenal of three confiscated wands. Suddenly, Hermione's own wand flew out of her hand, she was disarmed from behind. The Death Eater responsible raised his wand again, smiled wickedly at her as she spun around to face him. Expelliarmus! Accio wands. His wand, and her own flew to her, and she pocketed both. Now that the world knew she could do wandless magic, why should she waste time grappling with one?

Hermione fell to the ground, a pain greater than she had ever known before coursing through her body, causing her to scream out. But she didn't shriek. She refused to give her tormentor that pleasure. Just one scream, and then she held it inside. Harry saved her from the Death Eater and then performed a charm to alleviate the pain. She saw the Death Eater, on the ground, stiff as a board, out of the corner of her eye as she winced, getting up. Ron managed to transfigure him into a metal wastebasket. Why? thought Hermione. But there wasn't any time to dither. She saw Dumbledore give a signal. The signal was that they were to use the Unforgivables now that the Death Eaters had used the Cruciatus Curse.

Hermione pushed a Death Eater in front of her as a second one raised his wand to curse her. The second Death Eater killed the first as a result. A seventh-year Hufflepuff fell, dead, at her left. Hermione spotted another Death Eater begin the Killing Curse, directed at Susan Bones, who was dueling with yet another Death Eater. Hermione shot a powerful Transfiguration spell at the Death Eater about to kill Susan, and he was turned into a crumpled newspaper, which flew in a graceful arc into Ron's wastebasket. A Death Eater knocked Hermione to the ground. Crushed under his weight, Hermione gasped with pain. Rictusempra. Luna transfigured the Dark wizard into a copy of the Quibbler. Hermione noticed quite a few issues of the Quibbler being guarded in the corner by a younger student.

After using Luna's treatment on a Death Eater who was about to attack Ron from behind, someone else grabbed Hermione, and his hand clamped over her mouth.

'I'm going to take you to the Dark Lord,' cackled the man. 'He'll have some fun with you, you filthy little Mudblood!'

Hermione struggled, and managed to stun him, transfigure him, and run back to the fight. She threw the Quibbler to the buy guarded the others, as she re-entered the Great Hall. Scanning the room for the remaining Death Eaters, she spotted Draco, who was dueling against a silver-haired man. The man shouted at him, and her blood ran cold upon realising the elder man's identity.

'Draco! You are my son! Give the Mudblood over to her fate!' Lucius yelled.

Draco shouted back, after he dodged another curse. 'NEVER!'

Lucius raised his wand. 'Avada Ke-'

Hermione said the curse nonverbally, and a jet of green light shot from her hand, killing Lucius. Hermione quickly turned, catching a glimpse of a Death Eater coming at her. As she stunned him, another Death Eater pushed her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

Suddenly, Pansy came up and hissed 'Avada-' Oh no, my life is over! Hermione thought. '-Kedavra.' Hermione blinked her eyes. She wasn't dead, but she was pinned under the lifeless body of the Death Eater. Pansy came over, rolled him away, and helped Hermione up.

'Thank you,' Hermione said, astonished.

'You're welcome Granger,' Pansy said. 'I still hate you though, so don't get excited,' she finished maliciously.

Hermione looked rather confused, but kept on fighting. Soon, all who remained in the room were fifth through seventh years and the teachers; as well as a large pile of magazines and newspapers littering one corner of the Great Hall.

Just as Hermione has begun to breathe normally, Dementors floated in. Hermione raced over to the others, and they quickly formed a line. Each of them shouted 'Expecto Patronum!' Dozens of Corporal Patronuses took form, and the Dementors shrieked. Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall created a strange glowing bubble, which trapped them.

Then Voldemort, like the devil himself, entered, robes billowing like poisonous smoke. He laughed shrilly.

'You all think you can stop me?!' He turned to Snape. 'Ah, the traitorous worm, Severus Snape! Don't worry, you'll be the very last to die. A slow, painful death. I said the one who had turned his back on me forever would be killed.'

Hermione was standing on Harry's right side, Ron on his left. Draco came up next to her, and put his left arm around her waist. Hermione pressed close to his side, and put her left arm around Harry. She felt a strange sensation pulse through their bodies.

The prophecy!

Voldemort turned toward them now. 'And the blood-traitor, the young Malfoy. Yes, and your filthy little Mudblood girlfriend, who murdered your father.'

'She didn't murder him,' Draco said defiantly. 'She did the right thing in killing Lucius.'

'Hold your tongue, boy!' Voldemort snapped. 'All of you, keep silent. The first one to speak will be the last to die, the first to suffer.'

Harry raised his wand. 'Avada Kedavra!' he shouted. A green light shot out of his wand, and Voldemort merely moved to the side to avoid it, laughing cruelly.

'Didn't think it would be that easy to get rid of me, did you, Potter?'

He shot a Cruciatus Curse at Harry, but it rebounded, and hit himself. He shrieked in anger and in pain.

We helped protect Harry. Just because of our love.

Without thinking, he cursed Harry again, 'Avada Kedavra!' The green light ricocheted off of Harry's chest, killing Voldemort. After a moment, Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall rushed forward to make sure that he was really dead.

'Dead,' Snape announced.

People who loved him and who loved life had bordered Harry on all sides, people who were willing to fight to the death to protect life. It had saved him, and everyone else. A smile spread across Snape's face, a genuine smile. It was contagious. Everyone started grinning. Hermione hugged Harry and Ron in relief. Then Ginny ran to Harry, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Ron shyly returned Luna's exuberant embrace. Hermione turned to Draco, flinging her arms around his neck, as he pressed his lips to hers. Pansy shrieked when she saw them. Hermione and Draco broke apart reluctantly as Pansy stalked over to them.

'You! You can't really be going out with that girl!' she screamed at Draco. Everyone turned to stare.

'I am going out with this woman, Pansy,' Draco announced.

Everyone in the room looked momentarily stunned, but many came up after a second to congratulate them on finally managing to get it together.

'Alright, settle down now,' Dumbledore said gravely. 'There will be a time to celebrate, but that time is not yet come. Unfortunately, we have lost several students today. Meredith Bolger and Thomas Ednor, first year Hufflepuffs. Justin Finch-Fletchly, seventh year Hufflepuff. Zacharias Smith, seventh year Ravenclaw. Romilda Vane, sixth year Gryffindor, and Calista Prewett, seventh year Slytherin. A moment of silence for them.'

Everyone bowed their heads. A few minutes later, Mr and Mrs Weasley came in, followed directly by Tonks, Lupin, and Moody. They went over to Dumbledore.

Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were called over.

'We need to go to Headquarters right now,' Mrs Weasley informed them. 'Any straggling Death Eaters, as there are bound to be, will kill you four immediately.'

'But, what about Draco?' Hermione asked worriedly.

'Dumbledore and Snape will see to him,' Mr Weasley said. 'Come along now, your animals and trunks can be fetched later.'

Hermione waved to Draco as she left, and a tear ran down her cheek. He tried to run after her, but was stopped forcibly by Snape. Ginny put her arm around Hermione, pulling her back around.

'It's going to be okay, 'Mione,' Ginny said as they ran to the fireplace in Dumbledore's office, to Floo into Hogsmeade.

'The Hogs Head!' shouted Hermione, as she stepped into the green flames.

The war's not over after all, she thought, stepping out of the flames into the dingy pub. She Apparated to Grimmauld Place.

FIN