ONESHOT I've had in mind for a LONG time. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own the characters, but I do own the story

LOTS OF THIS CHAPTER WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE SEVENTH BOOK OF THE EPIC SERIES.

Harry looked around and his heart seemed to fail: Death Eaters had penetrated Hogwarts. Fred and Percy had just backed into view, both of them dueling masked and hooded men.

Harry, Ron and Hermione ran forwards to help: jets of light flew in every direction and the man dueling Percy backed off, fast: then his hood slipped and they saw a high forehead and streaked hair-

"Hello, Minister!" bellowed Percy, sending a neat jinx straight at Thicknesse, who dropped his wand and clawed at the front of his robes, apparently in awful discomfort. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking, Perce!" shouted Fred, as the Death Eater he was battling collapsed under the weight of three separate Stunning Spells. Thicknesse had fallen to the ground with tiny spikes erupting all over him; he seemed to be turning into some form of sea urchin. Fred looked at Percy with glee.

"You actually are joking, Perce…I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-"

The air exploded. They had been grouped together, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and Percy, the two Death Eaters at their feet, one Stunned, the other Transfigured: and in that fragment of a moment, when danger seemed, temporarily, at bay, the world was rent apart. Harry felt himself flying through the air, an all he could do was hold as tightly as possible to that thin stick of wood that was his one and only weapon, and shield his head in his arms: he heard the screams and yells of his companions without a hope of knowing what had happened to them

And then the world resolved itself into pain and semi-darkness: he was half buried in the wreckage of a corridor that had been subjected to a terrible attack: cold air told him that the side of the castle had been blown away and hot stickiness on his cheek told him that he was bleeding copiously. Then he heard a terrible cry that pulled at his insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause, and he stood up, swaying, more frightened than he had been that day, more frightened, perhaps, than he had been in his life…

And Hermione was struggling to her feet in the wreckage, and three red-headed men were grouped on the ground where the wall had blasted apart. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand as they staggered and stumbled over stone and wood.

"No-no-no!" someone was shouting. "No! Fred! No!"

And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.

"-little!" Fred yelled, finishing up his sentence, "Perce you-" he stopped, standing up straight and looking around. He wasn't at Hogwarts anymore, that much was clear, "Perce?" he said uncertainly, looking around.

"No-No-No!" he heard a distant voice, kind of like a soft echo, a voice screaming in anguish, "No! Fred! No!" He looked around, feeling as if something terrible had happened.

"What? Who are you?" he yelled desperately, yelling to the voice, wanting to help, as he looked around wildly for the source of the noise. There was a tremble and Fred fell backwards, his shoulders shaking as if someone invisible were shaking them, his eyes closing, and once more, Fred Weasley was engulfed by darkness.

"Fred," a voice said gently, as the boy in question started to move.

"Five more minutes," Fred mumbled, waving his hand at the person speaking. There was a chuckle and Fred frowned; nobody in his family chuckled. He would know, having lived there for close to eighteen years.

"Fred, get up," the voice said again, and Fred froze. That wasn't the voice of anybody related to him. Actually, he hadn't heard that voice since-

"Dumbledore!" Fred yelled, sitting up straight, looking into the wise eyes of Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore, surprised, smiled at Fred.

"Hello to you too," he said, standing up, followed by Fred who scrambled to his feet.

"But, you're dead," Fred said, looking at Dumbledore, confusion plain on his features.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said solemnly, looking at Fred, who felt is stomach fall.

"Am-Am I dead?" he asked in a small voice, and Dumbledore looked down at the floor, "Really?" Fred asked, "But I feel fine!" he continued, as Dumbledore looked up at him, "Look at me! Flesh and everything," he said, poking at his arm. He paused, as was reflex, waiting for someone to say something, and then, with a pang, realized that George wasn't here to finish his jokes for him. George was alive. And he wasn't.

"You look splendid," Dumbledore said, and Fred chuckled

"Always knew I was better looking," he muttered, and Dumbledore smiled at him sadly as Fred looked to his side expectantly, "I'm going to have to get used to this," he said, "I'm not used to flying solo," he said to the empty space beside him. Dumbledore regarded the boy sadly and sighed

"Come with me," Dumbledore said, and Fred rolled his eyes

"Where? There's nowhere to go," he mumbled, and Dumbledore nodded solemnly

"I'm afraid so, but there are different areas here," he said, gesturing around. Fred looked at their surroundings for the first time and frowned.

"Why are we in a train?" he asked, and Dumbledore chortled, "What? What's so funny?" he asked, slightly irritably. He had just died and Dumbledore had the nerve to laugh at him. How rude.

"You regard this place as a train?" he asked, and Fred nodded dumbly, "I see, well, Fred, let's say, I'm going to drop you off somewhere," he chuckled, and Fred panicked

"Where am I going?" he asked worriedly, and Dumbledore smiled at him gently

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be alright there," Dumbledore replied. The train lurched and finally came to a stop, "This is your stop," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the door.

"What is this place?" Fred asked, trying to look out of the windows, but unable to see anything. Realizing that Dumbledore wasn't going to say anything, Fred took a deep breath, "Fine then, er, how do I open the doors?" he asked.

He required no answer, as, as soon as he uttered the words, the doors of the train opened and a bright light blinded Fred. He squinted into the light and felt a slight nudge on his back, but when he turned around, Dumbledore wasn't there.

"Fred?" he started at the sound of his name and looked around, but all he could see was the bright light.

"Hello?" he called out, frightened.

"Fred?" he closed his eyes and willed his feet to carry him forward. Once he took that step forward, the bright light vanished, and instead, he found himself in-

"What the hell?" he said, looking around what looked like the Heads Dormitory at Hogwarts. He knew what it looked like; after all, he and George knew more about the school than anyone else, probably even Dumbledore. Harry was a close second. Fred felt a pang as the names of those he would never see again rushed through his mind. His parents' faces hovered in his mind and he felt a lump rise up in his throat. The rest of the Weasley clan, Harry, Hermione, Angelina, Oliver, Lee, Hagrid, his shop, Hogwarts; the images of all he would miss followed that of his parents, and he felt a tear fall down his face. He wiped it away quickly.

"Fred?" a voice said in disbelief, and he looked around quickly. There were people in there, people who looked familiar, but who he couldn't place. There was one, the one who had been addressing him, and when he saw him, Fred let out a cry of relief.

"Sirius!" he exclaimed.

"No," Sirius breathed, as he walked over to Fred, "Fred! No you can't be dead! What happened?" he asked, and Fred bit his lip, frowning.

"We were dueling," Fred said, and Sirius nodded, paying close attention, "We were dueling Death Eaters, Perce and I," he said, and Sirius's eyebrows raised to his hairline

"Wait," he said, holding up a finger, "Percy?" he asked, and Fred nodded

"He made up with the family before the Battle," Fred said, and Sirius nodded, before stopping suddenly.

"Battle?" Sirius asked worriedly, and Fred nodded, suddenly feeling so much more relaxed, now that he had found someone.

"At Hogwarts," Fred said, and Sirius frowned

"Death Eaters?" he asked regretfully, and Fred nodded slowly

"Voldemort wants Harry," he said, and Sirius swore. At the sound of Sirius swearing, a man walked over to them, and Fred felt his stomach fall, "NO!" he yelled, pointing at the man, "NO! You can't be dead! No! Harry!" he said, looking at the man, who only smiled slightly

"I'm not Harry mate, why don't you come sit down, I'm sure we all want to hear the story," he said, looking at Sirius, who had his hands fisted in his hair.

"He'll be okay," said Sirius to himself, "He'll be fine"

"He will," Fred said, "I saw him not five minutes ago," he said, and then frowned, "Well, I saw him a couple seconds before the explosion, and he was fine," Fred said uncertainly, and Sirius nodded.

"Sorry mate," Sirius said, standing up, "I have to make introductions, Fred, this is James," he said, motioning to the man standing next to him, and Fred's eyes widened

"Potter?" he asked, and James nodded, slightly abashed, "The James Potter? Harry's dad?" he asked, and James nodded again, "No!" he said disbelievingly, "I thought they were joking when they said Harry looked exactly like you," he mused, and James grinned, "No but this is all wrong," he said, and James's eyebrows raised, "Your eyes are wrong," he said, and James chuckled as Sirius snorted

"Technically, Harry's eyes are wrong, I'm the original you see," said James, and Sirius rolled his eyes as Fred laughed.

"Shut it," Sirius said to James, and Fred saw, for the first time, a different light in Sirius's eyes. Sirius and James were best mates. Brothers even. Fred sighed as he saw the bond, and Sirius looked at him curiously, "What's wrong?" Sirius asked

"Other than being dead, which I swear you get used to, it seems like it never happened now," James said, and Fred grinned.

"George," Fred said, and Sirius looked at him sympathetically, while James looked clueless. Sirius put his arm around Fred's shoulders and clapped him on the shoulder comfortingly

"He's going to be fine mate, and don't you want him to be alive?" Sirius asked, and Fred nodded

"I'm not used to flying solo," Fred said, and Sirius snorted, "What?"

"Honestly, the terror the two of you were," Sirius chuckled, and Fred grinned. James smiled sadly, which didn't go unnoticed by Fred, "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the zombies," Sirius said, and Fred laughed as James rolled his eyes.

"There's only one more," James said, and Sirius shrugged. Fred couldn't imagine how Sirius had lived all those years without James. The two seemed inseparable.

"Fred Weasley," Sirius said grandly, "This is Lily," he said, and the last person on the couch turned around. Fred found himself looking into Harry's eyes.

"He does have your eyes," Fred said, and Sirius grinned as Lily raised her eyebrows.

"Harry?" she said, and Fred nodded, "You know him?" she asked, and Fred nodded once more

"I did too," Sirius said, and Lily rolled her eyes

"Yes but you died," she said, and winked at him, as he pretended to be insulted, "It's nice to meet you," she said politely to Fred.

"Okay enough of the niceties," Sirius said, "I'm choking on the sentiment. Siriusly," he said, and James roared with laughter as Lily rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, thank Merlin you're here, or I'd be stuck with these two forever," she said to Fred, who grinned

"I don't think you should say that Lily-Flower," Sirius said, "This is Fred Weasley," he said, throwing his arm around Fred's shoulders, "He and his twin, George, were as bad as James and I were," Sirius said proudly, and Lily's eyes widened.

"What?" she asked, looking at Fred, "But you seem so nice!"

"Well, I probably seemed nice, as you married me," James said, and Lily threw him a nasty look.

"So what happened?" James asked Fred quickly, before Lily could say anything to him.

"I died," Fred said, and Sirius burst out laughing. Lily giggled and James smiled at Fred

"I think we'll get along great," James chuckled. Fred felt his chest well up with pride; he had only known James for a few minutes and he could completely understand why people talked about him with so much respect. He was the kind of person everyone wanted to be best friends with.

"Any news on Moony?" Sirius asked, turning to Fred, who bit his lip as both Lily and James froze, listening intently for his answer.

"He was leading some groups into the grounds," Fred said, "And I saw Tonks run after him, after Aberforth told her that Remus was dueling Dolohov," Fred said, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lily pale.

"Tonks?" Sirius asked, looking at Fred, who grinned sheepishly

"Yeah, they're married," said Fred, and Sirius and James choked while Lily grinned

"Remus got married?" she asked happily, and Fred nodded, "That's wonderful!"

"He married Tonks?" Sirius asked, and Fred nodded, "Merlin I did not see that coming," Sirius said, and James rolled his eyes

"Mate, when do you ever see anything coming?" James asked, and Sirius stuck his tongue out at him as Fred grinned.

"Why was he leading people into the grounds?" Lily asked suddenly, and James looked at Fred with as much curiosity as his wife

"The Battle," Fred said sadly, and both Lily and James frowned, "at Hogwarts," he said, and Lily looked towards the door of the Heads Dorm, "Can we go around Hogwarts?" Fred asked curiously, and Lily nodded, "Will I be able to see everyone?" he asked, and she nodded again. Fred made towards the door but Sirius grabbed onto his arm.

"Wait," Sirius said, and Fred shook his head

"I need to check, I want to know if they're okay!" Fred said desperately, fighting off Sirius's hold on him, "Sirius my parents are there! My whole family!" he cried, "I have to make sure everyone's okay," he said, "I have to!" he begged. He could see a couple tears leak out of Lily's eyes, "Sirius, what if Harry's not okay?" Fred asked, and all the three people in the room froze.

"Come on," James said, taking Lily's hand and gesturing for Sirius to let go of Fred, which Sirius did.

"Fred I don't know if we should go out there," Sirius said worriedly, "It'll be too emotional," he said, "They don't know anybody out there," Sirius said, pointing at Lily and James, "We cant help anybody," Sirius said, "And I don't know if you can watch them get hurt," he said, and Fred shook his head.

"I'm going," Fred said, and Sirius regarded him for a second, before nodding, and letting go of Fred's arm, walking towards the door with him, "Sirius?" Fred asked, and Sirius looked at him. Lily and James were walking in front of them, and Fred wasn't sure they could hear, "What's wrong with them?" he asked, and Sirius sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"They're upset, because they never got to know their son," Sirius said, "And we did," he said, and Fred nodded. He ran up to the legendary couple, who turned to look at him, smiles on their faces.

"He misses you," Fred said, and James clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thank you," James said quietly, and Fred nodded, before turning to look at Sirius, who was wiping his eyes.

"Why are you lot always crying?" Fred asked, trying to lighten the mood, and it worked, "Honestly, I heard you were the craziest lot when you were at Hogwarts, and all I can see are a bunch of sniffling pansies," he said, and James chuckled as Sirius laughed and Lily wiped at her eyes, grinning.

"Shut it Weasley," Sirius growled, and Fred grinned

"Bring it Black," he said, and they laughed. They had exited the door and Fred looked around worriedly

"Where would they be?" Lily asked gently, standing next to Fred, who was shaking slightly.

"POTTER!" they heard a voice bellow and James turned around instinctually, before realizing there was only one Potter that the Death Eaters would be screaming for.

"Harry," he whispered.

"Glisseo!"

"Hermione?" Fred said, looking around, just in time to see the stairs of the staircase near them flatten and three people slide down it so fast that the Stunning Spells flying at them weren't fast enough

"Duro!" cried Hermione, pointing her wand at the tapestry, and there were two loud, sickening crunches as the tapestry turned to stone and the Death Eaters pursuing them crumpled against it.

"Nice one Hermione," Sirius muttered, as James and Lily looked at their son and his two best friends in awe.

"Do they know we're here?" Fred asked, and Lily shrugged

"No," James said, and she looked at her husband, bewildered, "You honestly expect me not to explore?" he asked her, and Lily grinned at the twinkle in his eyes.

"Have you been spying on Harry?" Fred asked, and James sighed, and shook his head

"I never could," he said honestly, "I think we can only see them because you're here," he said

"Why?" Fred asked, and James shrugged

"Because you died in the castle," Lily said matter-of-factly, and all three boys looked at her incredulously, "Honestly don't you read?" she asked rhetorically, causing James and Sirius to exchange an amused look, and Fred to roll his eyes, "James and I died at home," she said, "so we cant see the people in the castle, and Sirius died in the Ministry," she continued, and Sirius nodded, "Theoretically, Sirius should be able to see whatever happens in the Department of Mysteries, and James and I should be able to see whatever happens in our house, not that much will," she said irritably, causing James to grin, "But since you died here, you can see what happens," she concluded

"How come we can see them then?" Sirius asked, as he watched Ron pull Harry and Hermione against the wall as McGonagall ran by, leading enchanted desks.

"I don't know actually, but I'm guessing it's because Fred is here," Lily said, "And we're with him. I'm assuming that if we're not with him we wouldn't be able to see this," she said, gesturing around, "Oh Merlin," she said, crossing her arms as Harry pulled out the invisibility cloak, and threw it over Ron and Hermione, "He has the cloak," she stated, and James grinned at the disapproving look on his wife's face

"He's his father's son," James said, and Lily rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"He is," Sirius said, and they looked at him, "The amount of trouble that boy has been in, and the amount of sneaking around he's done," Sirius chuckled, and James grinned proudly as Lily shook her head, smiling slightly.

"And to have you as a godfather," Lily sighed. She suddenly couldn't see anything and screamed, "What happened?"

"Fred?" Sirius asked, as Fred ran off. The three followed the redhead and once they were near him, they could see everyone once again, "You were right Lily-Flower," Sirius said, jumping slightly as someone ran through him.

"Aren't I always?" she muttered, looking after her invisible son, "He's so tall," she said, her eyes watering, and James put his arm around her, "He grew up without us," she sniffed, and James nodded sadly, "I never even got to meet him," she said.

"At least we know he's okay," James choked, and she sniffed, nodding.

"Where are they going?" Fred muttered, as they saw Harry, Ron and Hermione run out of the castle. He made to follow after them but found he couldn't move, "Why cant I go?" he asked, and Lily sighed

"Because you died in the castle," she said, and Fred huffed

"But you died in Godric's Hollow! How come you're here?" he asked, desperately trying to follow his brother.

"I don't know," Lily said, and then turned around, "Remus," she breathed, and James and Sirius whipped around in time to see Remus Lupin whip out his wand.

Fred seemed completely distracted, not by Remus, but by who was behind him. George Weasley and Lee Jourdan were trying to hold Percy back from running after someone.

There was a sudden tremble, and the four found themselves back in the Heads Dormitory.

"What the hell?" Fred said, looking around, "Why are we back here?" he asked, but the adults were looking at the corner of the room. Fred turned and noticed the bright light once more. Someone else.

"Hello?" James called, and there was a coughing noise

"Hello?" a voice called back, just as uncertainly, and Fred started. He knew that voice as well. James took off on a sprint towards the light, followed closely by Sirius and Lily, while Fred stood there, somewhat shocked.

Fred watched, frozen, as Remus Lupin walked out of the bright light. Before he could say anything, or even get over how disoriented he was, a solid figure slammed into him, and Remus stumbled.

"Moony!"

"Sirius?" Remus asked incredulously. He took a step back and looked at Sirius, who was grinning at him widely, "Padfoot!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around Sirius in a brotherly hug, clapping him on the back, "I thought I'd never see you again," Remus said.

"Well bet you thought you would never see me again either," Remus turned, bewildered, to see James standing there, grinning at him.

"James?" Remus said uncertainly, and James grinned widely, "Oh Merlin!" Remus yelled, slamming into James, "Where's Lily?" he asked, wiping at his eyes. He looked around quickly and spotted the red-head, standing a couple steps behind James, her face red and blotchy, a small smile on her face, "Lily," Remus smiled, and she ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

Remus grinned and then yelled out as something slapped him, hard, across the face. IT took him, and the rest of them, a few moments to realize it was Lily's hand, "How dare you get yourself killed!" she hissed, and Remus looked down shamefully, "Especially after getting married!" she said irritably, and Remus turned bright red, looking between James and Sirius, who were, predictably, about to make fun of him.

"And Teddy," Fred said from behind them. Remus's head snapped up and he looked over and started to shake his head.

"Fred?" he asked, and Fred nodded solemnly, as Remus continued to shake his head, "No, no you cant be dead!" he said desperately.

"I am," Fred said, "But Remus! What about Teddy?" he asked, and Remus sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"He'll know I died to make the world a better place for him," Remus said, and Fred shook his head.

"Who's Teddy?" Sirius asked, feeling extremely out of the loop. Remus looked at Sirius, and then at James, before flushing.

"Mizon," he mumbled, and they frowned at him.

"Pardon?" Lily asked, and Remus flushed.

"My son," he said, and both Sirius and James's eyes widened.

"WHAT?" Sirius bellowed, and Remus grinned.

"You have a son?" Lily squealed, and Remus nodded, running his hand through his hair.

"Congratulations mate," James grinned, clapping Remus on the back.

"What's he like?" Lily asked happily, and Remus grinned happily

"I have a picture," he said, pulling the picture out of his pocket. Lily grabbed the picture, and James scrambled over to stand behind her, Sirius on his tail. While the three of them cooed down at the picture, Remus turned to look at Fred, who was leaning against the wall, looking up at the sky, "What's wrong?" Remus asked, walking over to Fred, who sighed

"I just, you're dead, I mean, are they, it's possible," Fred said, looking at the door of the Head's dorm.

"They're all alive," Remus said, and Fred looked at him.

"How do you know?" Fred asked.

"Because they're not here," Remus said, gesturing around, and Fred nodded, "You look different," Remus said, "Which is odd because I saw you not three hours ago," he said, and Fred chuckled

"I feel lopsided," he said, and Remus frowned, cocking his head to the side, "George isn't here," he said, waving his arm in the empty space next to him, and Remus nodded sympathetically, "I don't know how to fly solo! I mean, George and I were like a package deal, you know?" Fred asked, and Remus nodded

"Like Sirius and James?" Remus said gently, and Fred nodded, before sighing, "Sirius made it through that," Remus said, and Fred nodded

"How?" Fred asked, and Remus shrugged

"I don't have a clue, but he was fine," Remus said, "It took some getting used to, obviously," Remus said, as James and Sirius's laughter sounded, "But you'll be okay, you're not alone," Remus said, and Fred nodded.

"I don't want anyone else to die," Fred said, and Remus gave him a solemn look

"I can't promise anything," Remus said, and Fred nodded

"Thanks for the honesty mate," he said, and Remus clapped him on the back

"Hey Moony!" James said, approaching them and throwing his arm around Remus's shoulders, "How's Harry?" he asked, and Remus groaned.

"I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione run out into the grounds," he said. He was about to continue when Fred yelled and ran out of the Heads Dorm. Quick like a bullet, Lily followed after him, shocking the three Marauders.

"What's up with Lily?" Sirius asked James, who shook his head

"I think she's using Fred to make up for not being able to look after Harry," he said. Sirius clapped James on the shoulder before following after Lily, followed by James and Remus. They crashed into Sirius, who had stopped just in time not to crash into Lily and Fred, who were frozen.

"You have fought, valiantly. 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. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you."

Lily gasped, and James's hands curled into fists, fury plain in his eyes. Fred was listening intently, while Sirius and Remus were looking at each other, fear on their faces, knowing what was going to happen next.

"You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself."

"Bullshit," James hissed, and Sirius patted him soothingly on the shoulder.

"I shall wait for 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."

"He can't do that!" Sirius said angrily, forgetting all attempts at comforting his best mate and choosing, instead, to listen intently for the fate of his godson.

"Sirius," Remus said gently, and Sirius ignored him, pulling out his wand.

"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 has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

"We have to go, now," Sirius said, grabbing Fred's arm and breaking out into a sprint, "We have to find Harry," he said desperately

"Surely he's not that stupid," Fred said

"You really think he's going to let Voldemort barge in here and kill everyone?" Remus asked Fred, who slapped his forehead with his palm

"Curse his hero-"

"They're all in the Great Hall," Remus said quickly, noticing the look of indignation on James's face, only meaning he was about to argue with Fred. Remus smiled to himself as they made their way to the Great Hall. How many times had he walked down this path with Lily, James and Sirius? In a way, he was happy that he'd died, so he could be around them. He had missed them too much. But he felt his stomach pang at what he was leaving behind. The Weasleys. The Order. Hermione. Harry. Dora. Teddy.

Teddy. Remus sucked in a breath and wiped his eyes quickly before the tears could leak out. He loved his son, and he would never get to spend time with him, and Teddy would never have a father. Just like Harry.

Remus looked over at James and understood, for the first time, how hard it was for James to walk here, knowing his son was in danger, knowing that he couldn't do anything about it. James, sensing his gaze, looked over at Remus, before letting go of Lily and walking over to him.

"What's going on mate?" James asked, putting his arm around Remus's shoulders, in a way that had always comforted him.

"Nothing," Remus said nonchalantly, and James rolled his eyes.

"I repeat, what's going on?" James asked, and Remus sighed; if he didn't tell him, James would never leave him alone.

"I forgot how irritating you were," Remus said, and James chuckled, "I'm upset,"

"About dying?" James asked, and Remus shook his head

"Not really, the dying I can live with," he said, and James burst out laughing.

"You're so punny," James said, and Remus snorted, rolling his eyes at his friends' pathetic sense of humour.

"No, I don't care about dying, I care about what I've left behind," Remus said, and James nodded, looking down at the floor, "Harry, he'll be okay, he's a big boy," Remus said, "He can look after himself. Hell, the whole wizarding world is ready to throw themselves in front of him and take an AK for him," Remus said, and James's eyebrows rose, but he kept silent, waiting for his friend to finish, "But there's Dora," he said, and James smiled, "I cant believe I never get to see her again" Remus said, "Admittedly, I was reluctant to get married at first, given my, er, condition," he said

"Your furry little problem, you mean," James said, a twinkle in his eyes, and Remus grinned

"Yes, okay, and then, there's Teddy," Remus said, and James held up a finger

"Please tell me that's not his real name," James said, and Remus laughed

"No, it's Ted," he said, and James nodded, "I never get to meet him," Remus breathed, his eyes watering, "I finally understand, James, I understand how hard it was for you to leave Harry, and how hard it is right now to listen, and hear all this happening to him," Remus said, and James sniffed, wiping his eye, before clearing his throat.

"No more crying," James said, and Remus grinned; James, forever the masochist, "We've reached the Great Hall," James said, and Remus froze as he looked inside.

"There's a row of bodies there," Fred whispered, looking around, "Will ours be there?" he asked Remus, who nodded, "This is going to be weird," Fred said, and Sirius barked a laugh.

"Come on," Sirius said, pushing Fred forwards. Remus followed after, determined to see Nymphadora once more, wanting to know she was okay, and she would look after Teddy.

James walked over to Lily and put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple as they walked into the Great Hall, "I hope he's alright," Lily said quietly, and James smiled.

"Why wouldn't he be? He's my son after all," he said proudly, and Lily rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips, "And I know he's fine," James said determinedly, and Lily looked up at him curiously

"How do you know?" she asked desperately, and James could hear the pleading tone in her voice, begging him to tell her that her son was okay.

"Because if he wasn't, Voldemort wouldn't have sent that message," James said bitterly, and Lily shook her head

"That was a while ago James," she said, "I hope he hasn't gone into the forest," she whispered, looking out the Great Hall doors at the Forbidden Forest in the distance.

"Not yet," Sirius said, appearing next to her.

"And how do you know this?" she asked exasperatedly, and Sirius grinned, throwing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her away from James, who rolled his eyes.

"Because fair maiden, I have foreseen," Sirius said mysteriously, causing Lily to snort and James to roll his eyes, both of them grinning.

"And what have you foreseen?" Lily asked, as they got closer to the bodies.

"I have foreseen that, little Harry Potter, or not-so-little, whatever," he said, making Lily grin, "he's not going out until he enters," he said, waving his hand towards the Great Hall doors, "Harry isn't in here yet," he said, and James frowned

"And how do you know this?"

"Because Ron and Hermione aren't here, either," Sirius said, matter-of-factly, "And he wouldn't have taken them to the forest, and trust me," he added, "They wouldn't let him go."

"So, this Hermione," Lily asked, and Sirius shook his head

"No," he said, and Lily sighed

"Ginny," Remus said quietly, and Sirius's eyes widened

"No!" he gasped, and Remus grinned, before nodding his head, "No way!" Sirius laughed

"Who's Ginny?" Lily asked curiously, while James looked between his best friends.

"Ron's little sister," Sirius said, and wagged his eyebrows

"His best mates little sister?" James asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"Which one is she?" Lily asked

"This one," Fred whispered, coming up behind Ginny, who was standing next to his mum, who was sitting on the floor, sobbing over his body.

"Well done Harry," James thought, smiling to himself, but then he noticed the expression on Fred's face. He looked down and saw the entire Weasley Clan, standing around and crying over the dead body of Fred Weasley. His twin, George, was sitting near his head, looking down at the body as if unsure of what to do. James recognized that expression as the one that hadn't vanished from Fred's face ever since he had realized he was dead. James saw Bill, Charlie and Percy, whom he had actually met, along with Fred and George when they were toddlers, standing together, tears streaming down their bruised faces, looking down at the body. Ginny broke away from the mass and turned away, before freezing and breaking down in more sobs.

Remus walked over to her and felt the breath whoosh out of his body. There he was, lying dead, and there, next to him, was Nymphadora Tonks, lying dead on the floor.

"No," he choked out, shaking his head. Sirius, James and Lily walked over to him, giving Fred some time alone with his family, who didn't even know he was there, and froze, seeing the same thing.

"Remus is that-"

"No! She can't be dead!" Remus said, shaking his head, back and forth, "I told her to stay at home! With Teddy!" he choked, "Where is she?" he asked, looking around, as if she was walking around and that was only a copy of her body.

"She'll be here when you come back," they turned around quickly, and saw Albus Dumbledore walking towards them.

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked, and Dumbledore looked down at the floor solemnly. At that second, another red-head joined the Weasleys. James looked over to see Percy put his arm around Ronald Weasley, Harry's best mate. He jumped as Hermione walked through him, and put her arms around the sobbing Ginny.

Lily turned around quickly, looking in the direction they had come, and her heart stuttered. Harry was standing there, looking at the dead bodies. His eyes lingered on the Weasleys, and she saw them fill up with tears. Hermione and Ginny took a step forward and they watched as Harry stumbled, holding onto the wall for support, and start to shake his head. He had now seen Remus and Tonks.

"What's he holding?" James asked, and Lily looked down quickly to see a vial full of white substance, neither liquid nor gas.

"Memories," she whispered, and looked back up into her son's face. He needed to shave, she smiled, and his hair was just as messy as his fathers, but a bit longer. She knew he had been on the run for all these months, Dumbledore had told them, that he had been hunting for Horcruxes, to finish Voldemort. He looked strikingly like James; she noticed, but his eyes, there were hers. She noticed how he was only a little shorter than James, and she felt her heart melt as she saw tears leave his eyes and his hands start to shake. He took a final look at the bodies before sprinting off up the marble staircase.

"Where's he going?" Sirius asked, making to follow after him, but Dumbledore shook his head

"Harry needs to be alone right now," said Dumbledore, "He's going to my office," he said, and they frowned at him.

"To use the pensieve," Remus said quietly, his eyes on his wife's dead body, "When?"

"Remus, she will be here when you get back," he said, and Remus looked at him curiously.

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked again, and Dumbledore sighed

"We need to go back to my office, I have much to tell you," he said, looking into their eyes.

"Fred," Sirius said, but Dumbledore shook his head

"He'll be with his family," Dumbledore said solemnly.

"He should know we're leaving," Lily said, and walked over to him. Fred was sitting on the floor, tears streaming down his face, memorizing the faces of all his family members, trying extremely hard not to look at his own dead body, lying on the floor, "Fred," she said gently, and he snapped up to look at her, "Dumbledore needs to talk to us in his office, are you sure you'll be okay here?" she asked, and Fred nodded, "We'll come get you later," she said, and Fred nodded. She brushed his hair back gently, as she would have done with Harry, before getting up and returning to them, taking James's hand.

There was a flash, and suddenly they found themselves in Dumbledores office. Lily looked around quickly as the door flew open and Harry ran inside. They all watched as a crying Harry ran to a cupboard in the corner and pulled out the pensieve. He placed it on the desk and uncorked the vial, before pouring it's contents inside the pensieve and then, without a breath, diving in.

"Whose memories are those?" Sirius asked, turning around to face Dumbledore as Lily and James continued to watch the place where their son had just been. Lily walked over to the pensieve, letting go of James's hand, and looked inside, then frowned

"What the-"

"Those are Severus's memories," Dumbledore said, and they all turned to look at him.

"Snape?" James asked, and Dumbledore nodded, "Why him?"

"Because Severus is the only one who knows," Dumbledore said sadly

"But he's a Death Eater," Lily said quietly, and Dumbledore looked at her for a long second, before taking a breath.

"Severus Snape turned to our side," Dumbledore said

"Why?" Lily asked, "He was so keen on joining the dark side," she said irritably.

"He turned over when Voldemort started to hunt you," he said to Lily, whose eyes widened

"Me?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said

"Why?" she asked. Dumbledore looked over at the newest portrait on the wall, before biting his tongue. He had vowed never to tell his secret

"Because you were friends," he said, and Lily nodded.

"What did he know?" Sirius asked, and James sent him a thankful look.

"He knew that Harry," Dumbledore said, and looked around at the four of them, who had all turned to look at him as he had uttered the name. Dumbledore took a breath before continuing, "Harry Potter is Lord Voldemorts seventh Horcrux," he said.

"No," Lily said, shaking her head quickly, having gotten there faster than the others, "No!" she repeated, looking down into the pensieve

"He's going to go," James choked, looking into Dumbledore's piercing gaze, and Dumbledore nodded, "He's going to go willingly," James said, and groaned, covering his eyes with his palms.

"He always knew it would end like this," Remus said, looking down into the pensieve.

"He's going to let Voldemort kill him," Sirius said, sitting down, holding his head, "But he's been through so much!" he said, looking up at Dumbledore, "Why now?"

"I have an idea, of sorts," Dumbledore said, and they all looked at him. Lily and James were not angry at Dumbledore, they trusted him with their lives, and Harry's, "I am guessing that, if Harry does this, allows Dumbledore to kill him, sacrifices himself in order to protect the others," Dumbledore said, and Remus gasped, looking at Dumbledore with wide eyes, and then, much to her confusion, at Lily.

"You think he'll provide the protection that Lily did," Remus said, and Dumbledore nodded

"I do,"

"What did I do?" Lily asked stupidly, looking at all the boys, out of which, only James looked as confused as she did.

"You sacrificed yourself in order to protect Harry," Dumbledore said, "You willingly gave your life in exchange for Harry's, and that left him protection," Dumbledore said, and Lily bit her lip, "Lily, Voldemort could not touch him," he said, "Because you had left a protection, something Voldemort had nothing to with it, something he would have never suspected"

"Love," James said, and Dumbledore nodded. Lily wiped her eyes.

"Is that why you sent him to live with Tuney?" she asked, "Because we have the same blood?" Dumbledore nodded, and Lily nodded her head, "And she took him," she whispered, and Dumbledore nodding again. James walked over to Lily and put his arms around her as she began to cry into his chest, "I don't want Harry to die," she whispered, and James felt his eyes prickle as he kissed the top of her head gently.

"Harry wont die," Sirius said suddenly, and they all looked at him, "He wont, will he?" he asked Dumbledore, "Only the Horcrux will," he said, and slowly, Dumbledore nodded

"That is what I am guessing," he said, and Sirius grinned.

"So the Horcrux dies, and Harry stays alive?" Remus asked, and Dumbledore nodded.

"So Harry will come back to life," James said, "But wont Voldemort just kill him again?" he asked.

"No," Lily said, and they all looked at her, "he wont be able to hurt him," she said quietly, "He would have provided the protection, that I did, Voldemort wont be able to touch any of them," she said, and Dumbledore smiled, and nodded, "Harry wont know this, will he?" she asked, looking at Dumbledore.

"If he did, the plan wouldn't work out properly," Dumbledore said, "Only if he is willingly going and believing that he is about to die, and is prepared for those consequences, will the plan work out," he said, and James sighed.

"He's so brave," Lily whispered, looking at the pensieve. Dumbledore peeked inside and smiled slightly

"He should be coming out right about now," said Dumbledore, "He's the bravest, kindest, most selfless and the purest person I have ever met," he said to James and Lily, who smiled slightly, "If anyone can do this, it would be Harry."

"Agreed," Sirius said irritably, and they all looked at him, "Stupid child came after a vision of Voldemort torturing me," he mumbled, and Dumbledore chuckled

"Love," Dumbledore said, and just as he did, Harry Potter reappeared. He collapsed onto the floor and Lily walked over to sit in front of him, as did James, as they watched their son take in deep breaths, and look down at his hands. Sirius could almost see what Harry was thinking, and Remus, Remus had his head in his hands, thinking the same things.

After a few minutes, of which Harry seemed to be fighting an internal battle, Harry slowly and unsteadily stood up, followed by Lily and James. Harry closed his eyes for a few seconds, before taking a deep, shaky breath, and making his way to the door, pulling it open. He looked back around the Headmaster's office, not knowing that all of his loved ones were standing there, watching him with proud, loving eyes, and closing the door.

"Let's go," Dumbledore said, and they frowned at him

"Right! You told us we were going somewhere," Sirius said, and Dumbledore chuckled

"Have you ever heard about the Deathly Hallows?" Dumbledore asked, and Sirius, Remus and James nodded. Lily frowned and Dumbledore smiled as the three boys grinned at her. How often did everyone know something and Lily didn't?

"What are they?" she asked irritably, causing James to grin and kiss her on her forehead

"It's from a children's tale. In short, three brothers ventured out one day and had to cross a creek. You see, this creek, people usually died crossing it, but these brothers were magic, so they whipped out their wands and built a bridge. This angered Death very much. Death was sneaky though, so he acted proud, and said he would give them all one gift. So the first brother, he asked for a wand, a wand that would be so powerful, it would be the most powerful wand that ever existed. So Death fashioned him a wand from an Elder tree close by; the Elder Wand. The second brother, well, the love of his life had passed away, and he wanted a stone, a stone that would bring people back from the dead, a Resurrection Stone. So Death granted him one. The third brother, he was the smartest, asked for a cloak of invisibility; an Invisibility Cloak. Irritated, Death handed him a cloak that would, indeed, make one invisible. So the first brother get's himself killed, showing off his wand. The second brother kills himself, as the living is not a place for the dead, and his bride was starting to get sick, so he kills himself to be with her. Death has taken the first two brothers. The third brother, however, Death could never find. When it was his time, the third brother took off his cloak and handed it to his son, and walked graciously into Deaths awaiting arms," Sirius finished, and Lily looked at him with raised eyebrows, "If only they taught this at school," Sirius mumbled, and Dumbledore chuckled.

"So those are the Deathly Hallows?" Lily said, "The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak," she said, and Dumbledore nodded

"If one owns all these items, he is the master of Death," Dumbledore said, and Lily nodded.

"Harry has the Resurrection Stone," James said, and they all looked at him, slightly dumbfounded, "That's where we're going," James said, and Dumbledore slowly nodded.

"He also has the cloak," Dumbledore said, and James gasped

"My cloak?" he asked, and Dumbledore nodded

"But it's just a children's tale!" Lily said, "Surely this isn't all real?"

"You remind me of Ms. Granger," Dumbledore smiled, "I left her the book so she would quench Harry's curiosity, you see," Dumbledore continued, as Sirius grinned, "I wanted him to hut for Horcruxes, not Hallows," Dumbledore said, "I wouldn't want him making an old man's mistake," he said.

"What about the wand? Who had that?" Remus asked, and Dumbledore smiled.

"I did," he said, and Lily's eyebrows rose

"Grindelwald," she said, and Dumbledore nodded

"I won it from him," Dumbledore continued, "And I planned on dying a planned death," he said, "So that it's power would be lost with me, but the wands allegiance went to someone else, someone who wasn't aware that the most powerful wand in the world had just become his," Dumbledore said.

"You planned your death with Snape, didn't you?" Remus whispered, and Dumbledore nodded as Sirius, Lily and James gasped, "Harry was furious," Remus said, and Dumbledore smiled

"Having James as a father and Sirius as a godfather, I don't think he ever took to Snape," Dumbledore said, and both James and Sirius grinned.

"So Snape was the owner of the Elder Wand?" James asked, and Lily shook her head

"Someone else, someone who disarmed him before Severus got there," she said, and Remus's eyes widened

"Draco Malfoy," he said, and Dumbledore nodded, as if he were teaching a class.

"How do you know this?" Sirius asked irritably, turning to Remus, who grinned

"I was the only one left, Harry told me," he said, and Sirius rolled his eyes as Lily and James chuckled; Sirius hated being out of the loop.

"But Harry overpowered Draco weeks ago," Dumbledore said, and Lily gasped

"Harry is the owner of the Deathly Hallows," she whispered, and Dumbledore smiled.

There was a tremble and Dumbledore smiled, "That's your cue," he said, and suddenly, Lily, James, Sirius and Remus felt their stomachs turn.

"What's happening?" James asked, as he watched his wife begin to disappear

"Harry," Lily whispered, and closed her eyes.

He closed his eyes, and turned the stone over in his hand, three times.

He knew it had happened, because he heard slight movements around him that suggested frail bodies shifting their footing on the earthy, twig-strewn ground that marked the outer edge of the Forest. He opened his eyes and looked around.

They were neither ghost nor truly flesh, he could see that. They resembled most closely the Riddle that had escaped from the diary, so long ago, and he had been memory nearly made solid. Less substantial than living bodies, but much more than ghosts, they moved towards him, and on each face there was the same loving smile.

James was exactly the same height as Harry. He was wearing the clothes in which he had died, and his hair was untidy and ruffled, and his glasses were a little lopsided, like Mr. Weasley's.

Sirius was tall and handsome, and younger by far than Harry had ever seen him in his life. He loped with an easy grace, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.

Lupin was younger too, and much less shabby, and his hair was thicker and darker. He looked happy to be back in this familiar place, scene of so many adolescent wanderings.

Lily's smile was widest of all. She pushed her long hair back as she drew close to him, and her green eyes, so like his, searched his face hungrily, as though she would never be able to look at him enough

"You've been so brave."

He could not speak. His eyes feasted on her, and he thought that he would like to stand and look at her forever, and that would be enough

"You are nearly there," said James. "Very close. We are…so proud of you."

"Does it hurt?"

The childish question had fallen from Harry's lips before he could stop it.

"Dying? Not at all," said Sirius. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

"And he will want it to be quick. He wants it over," said Lupin.

"I didn't want you to die," Harry said. These words came without is volition. "Any of you. I'm sorry-"

He addressed Lupin more than any of them, beseeching him

"-right after you'd had your son…Remus, I'm sorry-"

"I am sorry too," said Lupin, "Sorry I will never know him…but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."

A chilly breeze that seemed to emanate from the heart of the Forest lifted the hair at Harry's brow. He knew that they were not tell him to go, that it would have to be his decision.

"You'll stay with me?"

"Until the very end," said James.

"They wont be able to see you?" asked Harry

"We are part of you," said Sirius, "Invisible to anyone else."

Harry looked at his mother

"Stay close to me," he said quietly.

And he set off. The Dementors' chill did not overcome him; he passed through it with his companions, and they acted like Patronuses to him, and together they marched through the old threes that grew closely together, their branches tangled, their roots gnarled and twisted underfoot. Harry clutched the Cloak tightly around him in the darkness, traveling deeper and deeper into the Forest, with no idea where exactly Voldemort was, but sure that he would find him. Beside him, making scarcely a sound, walked James, Sirius, Lupin and Lily, and their presence was his courage, and the reason he was able to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

His body and mind felt oddly disconnected now, his limbs working without conscious instruction, as if he were passenger, not driver, in the body he was about to leave. The dead who walked beside him through the Forest were much more real to him now than the living back at the castle: Ron, Hermione, Ginny and all the others were the ones who felt like ghosts as he stumbled and slipped towards the end of his life, towards Voldemort…

A thud and a whisper: some other living creature had stirred close by. Harry stopped under the Cloak, peering around, listening, and his mother and father, Lupin and Sirius stopped too.

"Someone there," came a rough whisper close at hand. "He's got an Invisibility Cloak. Could it be-?"

Two figures emerged from behind a nearby tree: their wands flared, and Harry saw Yaxley and Dolohov peering into the darkness, directly at the place Harry, his mother and father and Sirius and Lupin stood. Apparently they could not see anything.

"Definitely heard something," said Yaxley. "Animal, d'you reckon?"

"That headcase Hagrid kept a whole bunch of stuff in here," said Dolohov, glancing over his shoulder

Yaxley looked down at his watch.

"Time's nearly up. Potter's had his hour. He's not coming."

"And he was sure he'd come! He won't be happy."

"Better go back," said Yaxley. "Find out what the plan is now"

"He and Dolohov turned around and walked deeper into the Forest. Harry followed them, knowing that they would lead him exactly where he wanted to go. He glanced sideways, and his mother smiled at him, and his father nodded encouragement.

They had traveled on mere minutes when Harry saw light ahead, and Yaxley and Dolohov stepped out into a clearing that Harry knew had been the place where the monstrous Aragog had once lived. The remnants of his vast web were there still, but the swarm of descendants he had spawned had been driven out by the Death Eaters, to fight for their cause.

A fire burned in the middle of the clearing, and its flickering light fell over a crowd of completely silent, watchful Death Eaters. Some of them were still masked and hooded, others showed their faces. Two giants sat on the outskirts of the group, casting massive shadows over the scene, their faces cruel, rough-hewn like rock. Harry saw Fenrir, skulking, chewing his long nails; the great, blond Rowle was dabbing at his bleeding lip. He saw Lucius Malfoy, who looked defeated and terrified, and Narcissa, whose eyes were sunken and full of apprehension.

Every eye was fixed upon Voldemort, who stood with his head bowed, and his white hands folded over the Elder Wand in front of him. He might have been praying, or else counting silently in his mind, and Harry, standing still on the edge of the scene, thought absurdly of a child counting in a game of hide-and-seek. Behind his head, still swirling and coiling, the great snake Nagini floated in her glittering, charmed cage, like a monstrous halo.

When Dolohov and Yaxley rejoined the circle, Voldemort looked up.

"No sign of him, my Lord," said Dolohov

Voldemorts expression did not change. The red eyes seemed to burn in the firelight. Slowly, he drew the Elder Wand between his long fingers.

"My Lord-"

Bellatrix had spoken: she sat closest to Voldemort, disheveled, her face a little bloody but otherwise unharmed.

Voldemort raised his hand to silence her, and she did not speak another word, but eyed him in worshipful fascination

"I thought he would come," said Voldemort in his high, clear voice, his eyes on the leaping flames. "I expected him to come."

Nobody spoke. They seemed as scared as Harry, whose heart was now throwing itself against his ribs as though determined to escape the body he was about to cast aside. His hands were seating as he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it beneath his robes, with his wand. He did not want to be tempted to fight.

"I was, it seems…mistaken," said Voldemort.

"You weren't."

Harry said it as loudly as he could, with all the force he could muster: he did not want to sound afraid. The Resurrection Stone slipped from between his numb fingers and out of the corner of his eyes he saw his parents, Sirius and Lupin vanish as he stepped forwards into the firelight.

Lily looked around to see herself standing in the Great Hall. James, Sirius and Remus were beside her, all with the same expressions on their faces. She looked at James, who had tears in his eyes, knowing what was happening to his son right now.

"He'll be okay," she said, and James nodded, wiping his eyes. Lily didn't realize she was crying as well, until James wiped her tears off her face with his thumbs, "He's so brave," she said, and James smiled, kissing her forehead

"Now what?" Sirius choked out, wiping at his face.

"We wait," James said, looking at the doors of the Great Hall, through which he could see the forest. He knew Voldemort was going to parade the dead body of Harry Potter.

"There you are," they turned around to see Fred walking over to them, slightly exasperated

"We told you Dumbledore had to-"

"I know," Fred said. He seemed perfectly fine now, all he needed was a proper goodbye, "Have you seen Harry?" he asked James, who bit his lip

"Why?" Remus asked, and Fred shook his head, his hand flying to his hair.

"Nobody can find him," he said worriedly, "And they're all going mad, especially after what Ol' Voldy said," he said, gesturing to the ceiling, and they all nodded. Fred looked them for a second before crossing his arms, "Alright, what aren't you telling me?" he asked, and Sirius chuckled

"We know where Harry is," Sirius said, and Fred's eyes widened.

"He went, didn't he?" Fred asked, and they nodded solemnly, "Shit," he said, but Sirius put his arm around Fred's shoulders

"Let me explain," Sirius said, leading Fred away from them.

"Remus?" they turned around to see a woman standing there, and Lily nudged James; Nymphadora Tonks.

"Dora," Remus said, and she cried out before throwing herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" she sobbed, "I watched him kill you," she continued, and Remus stroked her hair soothingly, "And Teddy! He's at home, he has nobody," she continued, and Remus shook his head

"He'll be okay with Andromeda," Remus said, and Tonks nodded, "And there's always the Weasley's, who'll look after him, and Hermione, and Harry," he said, and Tonks nodded

"Smart decision," she said, and Remus chuckled, "You're right, he's the best choice"

"For what?" Lily asked curiously, and Tonks jumped. She looked over and clapped her hand over her mouth

"Lily? Lily Evans?" she asked, "I mean, Potter?" she corrected herself, and Lily smiled and nodded. She looked over at James and her eyebrows raised, "He does look like you," she mused, and Remus chuckled.

"Lily, James, this is Nymphadora Tonks, my wife," he grinned, and Tonks shook hands with them.

"I was just saying, it was a good decision to make Harry godfather," she said, and James started to cough.

"Harry's your son's godfather?" eh asked, looking at Remus, who flushed and nodded

"No-one better," Remus said, and the Potters grinned.

"Harry Potter is dead." Voldemorts voice echoed through the Great Hall. James looked around and saw the faces of shock, and pain, and anger in response to those words. He saw the Weasleys start to shake their heads, and Molly Weasley burst into tears once more. Ginny Weasley, Lily noticed, seemed frozen. "He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him."

James looked towards the forest furiously, as did Lily and Remus, while they heard Sirius swear loudly. Lily looked quickly around at the people and was relieved to see that not one of them looked as if they believed Voldemort.

"We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

There was a silence inside the castle and they watched in awe as people began to stand up, and say goodbye to their loved ones. Lily watched as Ginny hugged her mother. She took a step closer in order to listen to what they were talking about.

"Ginny! No! Go, please, go hide," Molly begged

"Mum! They killed him!" Ginny hissed, her eyes filled with tears and a determined expression on her face.

"He wouldn't want you to die," Molly began, but Ginny cut her off with a glare, "Sweetheart I cant lose you," Molly said

"I can't live without knowing I fought him for this," Ginny said, and Molly looked down at her daughter, before brushing her hair back and kissing her forehead. Lily wiped her eyes and walked back over to James, hugging him closely.

"I can't look at his dead body," she whispered, to him, as Remus explained to Tonks what had happened. Sirius made their way over to them as Fred went back to his family.

"He's not dead Lily," Sirius said, and Lily nodded.

"NO!" they jumped and Lily felt her heart clench. She had never heard McGonagall make such a noise. She heard the people calling out to her son, who was not responding. She watched him closely and saw, relieved, that his eyes were slightly open, and he was peeking, looking around to see what was happening. James put his arm around her shoulders, noticing the same thing.

"He did that when he was a baby," James whispered, and Lily giggled, remembering how Harry used to pretend he was asleep, and look around to make sure they were gone.

"He's all grown up," she whispered, watching as none of Voldemorts spells could silence the angry crowd. She watched as he tortured Neville Longbottom, and how he broke that and killed the great snake wrapped around Voldemorts shoulders.

In everyone's haste, she noticed how nobody saw Harry pull out his invisibility cloak and disappear under it. Only the dead.

They watched as Harry Potter cast a shield charm between Molly Weasley and Voldemort. They watched as Harry Potter and Voldemort began to circle each other. They watched as Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. They watched as Voldemorts body, fell backwards, and with a final thump, they watched the end of Voldemort.

They watched as the crowd, after a heartbeat, threw themselves at Harry Potter. Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Fred made their way over to the mass, and watched as everyone tried to touch him.

The reason it was all over

Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived.

Hey guys! This was a random spurt of imagination. Hope you liked it!

REVIEW PLEASE.