Disclaimer: Nothing on this damn thing is mine.

………………………………………………….

A/N: Excuse the disclaimer. I just really wanted to get this up.

………………………………………….

Today was the day.

It was the day that would determine the direction of history.

It was the day the prophecy would be fulfilled.

It was the day of war.

Hogwarts was filled to the brim with all the Light fighters. All the European schools sent in their students along with a generous amount of skilled wizards beyond the age of seventeen. All the classrooms had been transfigured into training rooms, and every single one of them was full. The animals and dragons and such were hidden in the forest by something Hagrid helped build. Meetings and workshops were taking place as last minute preparations for the more experienced wizards while mini-classes and student help sessions were functioning for anyone still in school.

We were ready.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the students from other schools were as well. Apparently Fleur Delacour had done her job as an ambassador and gathered a good amount of foreign support.

In fact, we were currently in a strategy meeting with Fleur and the other Order members.

"Dumbledore, how are all our forces going to move through the tunnel unscathed. We are too numerous for the tunnels to let us walk through in a large group," Arthur Weasley asked while surveying a blurred description of the tunnel in question.

"We will have to be a long narrow group," replied Dumbledore. "I need my more experienced Aurors in the back and the front. The back will have to be defended, and when we first walk into the battlefield, I want my vanguard to be secure. I need Aurors in the middle as well to protect the students."

"Sixth and seventh years in battle. Why, Albus?" Molly Weasley asked, her face etched with concern.

"They are loyal to this school and we need them," was Dumbledore's simple answer.

"So, how are we going to charge towards these Death Eaters," said the American southern drawl of one Walter Higgins-Bolt.

"The vanguard will have to use protective shields to ward off the spells being thrown until a good number of people are out of the tunnel. Then, we will advance and make way with battle. I want some sixth years to stay with an older wizard for protection and to protect their wizard in return. I also want the rest of the sixth years to form a sort of semi-circle around the area to protect wizards from spells being cast at their backs. They have already been drilled in this maneuver and they know what to do if a Dark wizard advances on them," said the general, namely Professor Snape, in regard to the American's questions.

"And what about our seventh years? Don't they need protecting?" asked the smooth Spanish accent of Alejandro Jiminez. He was the DADA teacher for the Spanish school of magic.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley have taken on the role of leading them. As you know, Mr. Potter has experience with these Dark wizards and is more than capable in leading them. Miss Granger is also adept to leading, especially with her being Head Girl and all. Mr. Weasley will help the sixth years maneuver themselves and then he will join his fellow year," Professor McGonagall replied, for she was the one responsible for our seventh year battle strategy.

"So, is it going to be one chaotic battle?" asked Peter Slavnov in his rough Eastern European tongue.

Dumbledore smiled wryly. "All battles are chaotic. After putting off the ambush that Professor Snape told us about, the front line will stand at attention and wait for the first spell to be launched from the Dark side. Once it is and the Dark Lord starts advancing, our seventh years will volley spells, allowing for the previously mentioned strategies to take place until the front line is close enough to have accurate aim at one of their eyes."

"But what of Harry, Albus, what of Harry?" asked Mrs. Weasley, still distressed from hearing that the children that she loved as her own were going to lead a regiment into battle.

Everything went silent. All the members in the meeting had been meaning to ask that very question but could not bring themselves to ask it. Instead, they stared expectantly at Dumbledore, the only one who could give us a close to accurate prediction.

Dumbledore kept the same passive look on his face, but all who knew him well knew that the answer about to be given was fearfully uncertain. His eyes went from a fiery twinkle to a dark pensive look, and as he looked at Harry, he passed what looked like a mutual understanding, a message Harry knew and no one else was supposed to know.

In return to Dumbledore's piercing gaze, Harry frowned but nodded.

Dumbledore gave a ghost of a smile before replying, "I don't know."

………………………………………………………..

There was an hour left before we had to assemble before a tunnel that would bring most of us to our deaths.

Crookshanks was cuddled up next to me, but I felt how rigid my cat had gone. I had no idea how Crookshanks knew of his importance, but it's better that he does. It was, after all, my job to keep him safe and in the tunnel, to guard him with my life. But what would happen to my cat once we started battle? What would happen if something went wrong?

It was around that thought process when Harry decided to enter the workroom with Blaise.

Blaise.

Ever since he was being protected, I hadn't seen him much. His role would be to yell the commands to the back row of seventh years when Harry gave the order. He would be less accessible that way.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry greeted with feigned cheerfulness. I'm surprised that he could pretend, since today was marked as the battle that would fulfill his prophecy.

"Hey Harry," I replied, patting the seat next to me on the sofa.

He took it, while Blaise took the couch to the right of where I was sitting.

"So, one hour huh?" I said tonelessly. I was pretty numb to the whole I might die fear by now.

"One hour," Harry agreed. He then turned so he could face me more directly. "Hermione, how are you?"

I thought for a moment and answered, " I don't know."

"So, you're numb to this whole thing too?" asked Blaise, aimlessly twirling his wand in his right hand. "It's kind of hard not to be actually, with the never ending training and everything."

I sighed. "I think it's better to be numb."

Harry nodded and looked into the fire, no doubt thinking and imagining what he would do today. He had the future of the Wizarding World on his shoulders after all. I don't think I would be able to handle it, and here's this seventeen year old boy willing to risk himself for the benefit of the rest of us.

"How do you do it?" I blurted, needing an answer to my previous thought process.

Harry, still looking into the blazing fire, looked confused for a moment. Then he licked his upper lip and thought of the best way to answer my question and my fears. He blinked and shook his head before saying, "I do it by knowing that this is all for the better. I do it by thinking of you and Ron and our past, by saying to myself that if I refused to do this, those years were for nothing."

I nodded, knowing he would give me an answer along those lines.

"So, you're leading Potter. Do you have a game plan?" Blaise asked.

My eyes widened. "Harry, we do have a game plan right?"

Harry's face hardened as he said, "Right now, we're supposed to give orders according to what happens to Dumbledore's front line. We were trained in these tactics remember? But, if anything goes wrong, I'm going to have to take the reins and search out Voldemort. I want both of you and Ron to back me up as I go, we'll watch each other's backs, like always."

"Like always," I repeated, back to my numbness after a slight shock of panic.

"Hermione," Blaise said after putting his wand back in his pocket. "How are you going to deal with Draco?"

And there goes the question that I'd been dreading ever since they walked in. How am I going to deal with Draco? Will I even be dealing with Draco? Would I be able to knock him out, injure him, kill him?

Harry turned to look at me again, his eyes sympathetic. "Hermione, we can hear what you're thinking remember?"

I smiled while cursing the stupid friend telepathic thing. "I honestly don't know what I'm going to do until I see him and see what his intent for me is. But he broke his promise to me after he caught me with Ron, so he has every intention of killing me, but those aren't my intentions for him."

Blaise shook his head at me. "Hermione, you should know by now that those words he gave you were said in rage. You know that he didn't want to kill you."

"No, I don't actually," I said coldly.

Blaise frowned and said, "The irony of it all! You know the extent of his hurt was the extent of how much he liked you. And now it's too late."

"Yes, it is," I said, anger slowing ebbing it's way into my voice. "And I was played both times by him and Ron, knowingly. And I can't help thinking that he played me a third time."

Blaise sighed. "He didn't. He actually thought more of you than that, more than you know. He still does-."

"Okay Blaise," I snapped, not wanting to fight with him before we go fight the darkest wizards in the world.

There were a couple of minutes of silence where we just sat and thought about things. We thought about our pasts, about the things that happened this year that would lead up to this. We thought about the near future, about the future not tangible until it comes to pass.

And then the wall opened, revealing none other than Ron Weasley.

He looked at all three of us with a grave expression and said, "It's time to start heading for Hogsmeade."

…………………………………..

The day outside was gloomy, as if the sky knew about our mission, our turmoil. The clouds loomed overhead, gray and angry, wanting to shed their tears of frustration down on the army waiting to face their doom or their destiny.

Dumbledore signaled for the line to be formed into a two by two and Crookshanks was brought forward. The cat was strangely peaceful, strangely silent, as if it knew that it was doing a good thing.

"Stand back, stand back," the Weasley twins shouted, making wild hand gestures.

Everyone did as they were told while Crookshanks jumped out of Dumbledore's hold and walked almost leisurely up to the opening.

I looked at the twins when this was happening. Who would've thought that there store would come in handy in a war. The sixth years were the ones most armed with their inventions with things ranging from itching powder wand-guns to punch-in-the-face wands. These were all for defense if a dark wizard came about. The seventh years were armed with disappearing mist in a can. It was originally made for escape purposes when someone got caught in a prank, but now it would be used for an escape method from a battle…if we're close to losing. The more experienced wizards were armed with the pranks as more of a last minute resort… as everything seemed to be these days.

I looked away and focused my attention on Crookshanks while he sniffed at the wall. He rubbed his side against it and finally came to an abrupt stop at one corner. Crookshanks then sat in front of that corner of the wall and put his paw to it. Light immediately burst from his paw, blinding everyone who was looking. My cat then started meowing, possibly chanting for the wall to open.

It opened slowly with the irritated sounds of brick rubbing against each other.

The sight inside was a sight to behold.

It reeked of darkness and evil. The tunnel itself was earthy with mold and moss everywhere, but the writings were a totally different story. The writing was in every little corner of the tunnel, and the font itself exuded evil. Everyone was feeling the goblin curses and magic once they set foot in the tunnel.

The company slowly advanced, and the torches were being lit one by one. Crookshanks waited for me and jumped into my arms. He looked straight ahead, his green-yellow cat eyes staring straight ahead.

I rubbed his head affectionately before Harry signaled for the seventh and sixth years to move forward.

As we entered with apparent fear in our eyes, the poignant smell of the tunnel reached our noses. It smelled of earth and of rotting corpses. Some began to vomit, but we had to walk over it and keep moving. Whispers in the rough Goblin language were being heard all around us as the letters on the wall started glowing in an emerald green, which reminded me of Harry's eyes…and the Killing Curse.

"Harry?" I whispered as the tunnel got narrower.

Harry signaled for the back to move to single file before answering, "What?"

"How is Voldemort entering to this battlefield? Is he using a cat as well?" I asked. "Dumbledore never covered this at the meetings."

Harry took one last glance behind me before murmuring, "No, he's not using a cat. A spy on our side told Voldemort that we would be using this entrance, so he's entering from a cave or something. He used his own magic to unlock it."

I nodded and turned to look behind me just in time to see a flash of red come incredibly close to scathing my ear and hit the Auror in front of us.

Harry saw it and yelled, "We're being attacked!"

He then took my arm and tried pushing to the back of the line. A piercing scream was heard as a sixth year girl two feet in front of us crumpled to the ground.

"Is it the Death Eaters?" I asked, still bemused and only acting on nerve as I was pushing people out of the way.

"No," Harry replied gravely as we caught a glimpse of Ron and Blaise and started running faster. "It's from our own ranks. And since it's still going on, they must've killed the Aurors in the back."

I dodged a curse and ran faster still. I ran until we came to the end of the line, where some man, just only slightly older than Harry and I, was casting curses in vain, happy to get anyone he could hit.

"Stupefy!" I yelled.

"Protego!" the attacker blocked.

Harry then tried a jinx, but it was blocked as well.

I glanced to the side and noticed Blaise and Ron on the floor. They were still breathing, but I think they were thrown up against the side of the tunnel.

I looked back and shielded myself before another curse came flying my way. Harry, seeing this, finally sent the traitor flying into a jagged rock, piercing the opponent's body beyond repair.

I stared in horror as blood spewed from the killer's mouth and heart, and I watched the life leave him. My breathing went back to normal as I walked closer to see who started the riot.

I gasped. "It's Alejandro Jiminez."

Cursing was heard from behind me, and I saw Snape walking ever so gracefully over the dead students. He surveyed Jiminez's face, his eyes cold but his face showing no emotion.

"I did well to keep him in my sight," was all he said before he went back to the front of the line.

As, I looked away, I heard the company halt command. No doubt he was going to ask about how to carry these students bodies to a proper burial while we were off fighting a war.

Just then, Blaise stirred. "What happened," he asked in a faint voice.

"You got knocked out for a minute there," I replied.

Blaise nodded and turned his glaze slightly to the left. His eyes widened and he subconsciously recoiled. "He's the one who knocked me out," Blaise exclaimed, pointing at the dead body of the Hispanic man.

Harry nodded in silent agreement and then turned to innervate Ron. He blinked open his eyes immediately and locked onto mine. I smiled and nodded before the voice of Dumbledore was heard a few feet behind us.

"Oh dear," he said before quickly working to harmlessly pile the bodies in an orderly manner. "We're going to have to let them stay buried in this tunnel."

"No," I yelled. "Did you even think about your decision before saying it?" Tears started in my eyes as the reality hit me.

All the people lying on the floor were gone. They didn't even get to fight, and they wouldn't be able to return to their families or help their friends. We just couldn't leave them in the tunnel.

Dumbledore's face hardened at my question, but his tone softened. "Miss Granger, sending someone back to Hogwarts with them would guarantee their death as well since they don't have a cat with them. And carrying them into battle will not help our position. We're already under ground. The best we can do right now is make them feel comfortable."

"But-."

Harry put a hand on my shoulder to impede my protest. I sighed and looked at the remaining sixth years. Of course, their Aurors were gone so we would need two new ones. They were scared to death now though. They can't walk into a battle like that.

My face hardened. "Fill in now, fill in. The battle isn't fought yet, and you might as well stomach this before you start to fight."

Harry turned to Dumbledore as Blaise and Ron wordlessly took the back of the line while waiting for the Aurors to arrive. "Sir, will our numbers affect us?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes Harry. Knowing Voldemort, he most likely sent Mr. Jiminez because he didn't care whether he lived or died. Now that I've seen this betrayal, he's most likely thinking to thwart us with his ambush."

"We won't let that happen," Harry said before leaving to go back to his position.

By then, the sixth years got some determination in them and we quickly sent the company forward, Dumbledore leading them deeper into the depths of the Earth. It started getting cooler, and some of us muttered warming spells as the tunnel started getting broader.

Harry commanded with his hand to move back to two by two as we trudged forward, the wretched smell of the tunnel now changing into an earthy damp smell. The air was getting heavier, and some people started heaving for breath as they adjusted. Roots were now starting to peek in through the ceiling, and that's when I knew we were close. The Forbidden Forest was above us after all.

And even with that progress, I could only see an opening in front of us after a good thirty minutes of winding through that tunnel. It was shaped like a gaping mouth, long enough and wide enough for four us to jump out. The underground battlefield was shaped like a cave. There were rock and crystal formations everywhere with an uneven surface of bumps and deep ditches. It was a round open space that stretched out longer than I could see since the lights were extinguished.

Dumbledore lifted his hand to tell us to silently halt. The torches were extinguished, and everyone stood with wand at the ready.

From what I could see from my position in the middle of the line, Dumbledore sent a spell flying forward. Right when it left the cave, Avada Kedavras were heard in echoes as green light was coming from the left and the right.

At least they weren't positioned above us.

Harry seemed to be thinking the same thing as he lightly squeezed my arm. I smiled at him and looked forward to see Snape moving forward like the stealthy devil he was. His wand at the ready, he neatly ran and fired a shot to his left. His action was followed by an ear-piercing scream. Snape had made his mark.

McGonagall then shielded Snape from an attack made at his back and proceeded out after him. The whole vanguard repeated this process until Dumbledore came out. Their shields gone, the front line was fighting fiercely with spells being shot at them in increasing speed. One, two, three people down. A scream here, a groan there, curses both magical and none were being heard everywhere as our numbers and their numbers decreased.

And just when Dumbledore's line became almost sparse, the spells stopped. Harry had to squeeze my arm even harder to keep from just charging out with a self-made battle cry. I myself had to bite my lip in order to stop my signal from coming.

We waited a couple more minutes, and all the sudden, a rustling was heard. Then, an order was shouted, and Voldemort moved his company forward. The serpents, giants, and other creatures of darkness moved forward to the beat of a drum.

I had no idea why Voldemort was using a drum. I guess he just wanted some dramatic affect.

I looked around at the faces of my fellow classmates and responsibilities. The looked scared at what they saw. Some even peed their pants. I smiled and hoped the ones closest to me could be able to distinguish it. I then looked back and saw that Dumbledore had raised his hand. Harry followed suit and Ron after that.

Dumbledore then let blue sparks fly out of his wand. Harry then muttered lumos, followed by Ron, and we were off.

I made sure that our regiment filled in nicely as Voldemort's advance seemed to be coming on quicker and quicker. As I was about to do a quick inspection of the second row, Parvati Patil asked, "Hermione, what will become of us. How will we do this?"

I hesitated. I honestly wanted to tell her that I didn't know. I didn't know if we could do this. Instead, I looked at her square in the eye and said, "You will." I then scanned our numbers quickly and turned an eye to the semi circle. It was stretched out now that that bastard killed most of the people needed for that maneuver.

I returned to my spot just in time to hear Voldemort yell, "Harry Potter!"

Harry's face hardened. His wand hand was twitching with restraint.

I was just about to squeeze his arm again, but the first shot was fired. I dodged it and I heard another piercing scream seconds later. Parvati Patil got the shot and burned her to death. What once was a beautiful girl behind me was now a pile of bones and ash.

Harry stared at the remains almost apathetically and then raised his arm.

"Volley!"

I fired my first shot and barely missed Beatrix Lestrange. Others were firing their shots, and we managed to weaken their numbers, but it wasn't enough. There spells were darker and more complex then ours. While we sent them flying, they sent us burning and oozing.

I looked to my right and saw that a sixth year disposed their itching powder on Crabbe Sr. and got scorched in return. I looked to my left and saw Dumbledore's line dispose of one of Voldemort's fighters into one of the deeper ditches. I looked to the front and made a resolve as I shot off another spell.

We had to stop playing it safe.

After I gave the command to move Blaise and Ron's line behind us, I shot a curse that made a Death Eater lumpy with boils. When the boils exploded, so did the Dark fighter, and I moved on to my next opponent.

Harry was cutting people in half left and right from that curse he learned from the Half Blood Prince. It didn't kill them quickly, but it slowly made them lose blood quick enough to become unconscious in a matter of seconds.

Everyone else was fighting to the best of their abilities. We had hexes, joke shop products, curses, and jinxes flying everywhere, and people were going down like flies.

But people weren't the only ones fighting.

Students were being bitten by poisonous snakes, hit into ditches by giants, and mauled to death by Merlin knows what. We were depleting faster than I had anticipated. If we didn't do something, our army wouldn't last another hour.

Harry felt the same.

"Hermione," he growled as he blocked a spell aimed at Terry Boots back. "We're losing."

I maneuvered behind Harry's back and shot a curse at a Death Eater about to attack our sixth year semi circle. It confused him right into a ditch and onto a pointy, jagged rock. "I know," I finally yelled. I then twisted my wand hand to the left and wrestled a giants club from his hand making sure than when I gave it back to him, it would pierce his head.

Harry pushed me out of the way and split apart a snake that was about to bite my face. "We can't wait any longer," he said, searching for Ron and Blaise.

I shot at a Death Eater on Harry's other side. "Let's move. Communicate with me in my head for commands."

I then let my own mind focus after shooting down a hideous dog-like creature. 'Blaise. We're moving.'

'Already searching for you,' he communicated back.

Within a few minutes, both Ron and Blaise joined us.

"Thomas, Finnegan, the secondary charge is now given to you. Good fight mates," Harry yelled, not waiting for their answer or understanding as we pushed forwards.

We were all back to back, continuously circling so as to no make us an uneasy target. We dodged left and right, cursed every time we saw a movement or shadow, and jinxed the darkest jinxes we knew. The army, knowing what we were doing slowly pushed forward. The moral was raised as they succeeded, giving rise to new panic on the Dark side.

We didn't even realize how close we were. The only thing we knew was that our wands were helping us stay alive, and we had to use them.

And then, our two sides clashed. Curses were being yelled even as wands pierced into the bodies of other. As I saved Ron from a curse, I saw Snape with Lestrange. With quick dodge of a curse he stabbed her with his wand and said a curse that made scars grow inside of her. I heard her screams as she bled internally but had no time for a small victory. We were moving closer and closer to him.

As Harry moved our circle formation to the left to miss flames, he yelled, "Where is he?"

"I don't know," I yelled back. "Protego! We're almost to the back of their army. Did we miss him?"

"No!" Blaise replied. "He's moved off. I bet he's cowering in that cave entrance right over there."

I looked at the entrance Blaise was talking about and asked, "Isn't that the entrance he used?"

Blaise deflected a spell off Ron before saying, "No. That entrance is to the right of where we are. The entrance he wants us at is a trap. He wants Harry for himself."

"Well," Ron said, after dodging a dark burning spell, "he won't be getting just Harry."

As we were about to make a run for it, Neville stumbled into our paths.

"Nott," he panted, "Almost killed me."

Harry dodged a curse before saying, "C'mon Neville."

"Harry!" I yelled, appalled.

"Hermione, we have to. He's been with us before hasn't he?" Harry said.

"Fine! Inflamara!" I yelled before we ran off towards the entrance. "But if he dies, and we live, who's going to pick up the pieces?"

Harry glared at me before stealthily running towards his prophecy, and maybe ours as well.