In the Forest of Dean, Harry, Hermione, and Sirius had spent six months training under Dumbledore's guidance. During this time, Dumbledore assigned them a variety of practical tasks: mastering Fiendfyre, rescuing hostages from Malfoy Manor, infiltrating Gringotts to steal a Horcrux, and sneaking into Hogwarts to destroy Ravenclaw's Diadem. Over these six months, the trio's skills had improved significantly. Finally, with Dumbledore's guidance and Snape's covert assistance, they managed to kill Nagini.
Now, with the resistance of numerous students, Hogwarts had been freed from Voldemort's control. Before facing Voldemort again, they had only one Horcrux left to destroy.
The final Horcrux—Harry Potter.
With forty minutes remaining until Voldemort's announced attack, Sirius and Snape were locked in a venomous argument in the Headmaster's office.
"No! I won't allow it! I can't just stand by and watch Harry walk to his death!" Sirius exploded after learning Dumbledore's full plan from Snape. "Listen, Snivellus, I don't care what you and Albus have schemed, but Harry is not going to throw himself in front of Voldemort! I won't let it happen!"
"Do you think I want to watch Lily's son die?!" Snape's anger matched Sirius's intensity. "But this is the only way to destroy all the Horcruxes and defeat him for good!"
Amid their heated dispute, neither noticed that Harry, who had been standing quietly to the side, had silently transformed into a stone.
Cloaked in his Invisibility Cloak, Harry walked alone through the dark, empty castle. He descended the staircases, floor by floor, solitary and silent, like a ghost already departed.
The portrait frames on the walls were mostly empty; whether living or dead, everyone had gathered in the Great Hall.
Though Harry had resolved to walk this final path alone, a small part of him still hoped someone might notice him, might try to stop him. Yet, at the same time, he wished no one would, unsure if he could muster the courage to continue if they did.
At the castle's entrance, Harry spotted Neville, wand raised, escorting an injured Colin Creevy to be healed. Behind Neville, Ginny was quietly comforting a younger student.
Then, a brown-haired girl entered Harry's field of vision.
Hermione, her face bandaged simply with gauze, gripped her wand tightly, staring at the castle gates behind Harry. For a fleeting moment, he thought she had seen through his Invisibility Cloak, but he quickly dismissed the absurd notion. Hermione wasn't Dumbledore or Moody—how could she possibly see him?
Harry slowed his steps, passing silently by her side. Just as he was about to slip past, Hermione's voice rang out—gentle, hoarse, but resolute.
"You know, if you die, I won't go on living either."
Startled, Harry turned to her beneath the cloak. "Hermione, how did you—"
"I knew you'd try to sneak off alone, so I waited here," Hermione said, turning toward the source of his voice with a faint smile. "As for how I knew it was you… I'm not sure. Call it intuition."
"Intuition?" Harry grinned. "Who are you, and what have you done with the Hermione who believes in logic above all else?"
Hermione smiled softly, and then they fell into silence.
"…So, you really have to go?" she asked, looking toward him, her eyes red and swollen, as though she'd been crying not long ago.
"Yes. To defeat Voldemort for good, this is the only way…"
"Take me with you."
"No! Hermione, I'm going to my death. You can't—"
"Harry, someone has to be there to pick up the pieces," Hermione said, tilting her head with a faint smile. "Besides, according to Professor Dumbledore from the parallel world, the moment Voldemort kills you might be when he's most vulnerable. If I don't seize that opportunity, wouldn't your sacrifice be for nothing?"
Harry thought for over a minute before nodding. "Fine. You can come with me, but you must wear the Invisibility Cloak, and you must create a Portkey to the school gates right now."
"Harry, I—"
Her words were cut off as Harry's lips met hers.
"Promise me. Do it for me, okay?"
Minutes later, Hermione's figure vanished.
Stepping into the forest, Harry handed the Invisibility Cloak to Hermione and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself. Then, he pulled the Golden Snitch from his pocket.
He pressed the cool metal surface to his lips and whispered, "I am about to die."
The Snitch split open. Harry lowered his hand, examining the black stone inside, its jagged crack running through the symbol of the Elder Wand. The triangle and circle representing the Invisibility Cloak and the Resurrection Stone remained clearly visible.
He didn't turn the Resurrection Stone three times. He knew she would always be with him, no matter where he was.
Halfway through the forest, Harry spotted Yaxley and Dolohov, but the two Death Eaters didn't notice the invisible Harry and Hermione. They safely bypassed the scattered Death Eaters on the perimeter.
Minutes later, a firelight appeared ahead. Harry saw them: a crowd of Death Eaters, two giants, and, standing by a bonfire in the center, Voldemort.
Voldemort's expression was unchanged, his red eyes seeming to burn in the firelight. He slowly twirled the Elder Wand between his slender fingers.
"I thought he would come," Voldemort said, staring into the flickering flames, his voice high and clear. "I expected him to come."
Harry scanned the crowd but didn't see Bellatrix. The absence of Voldemort's most loyal, fanatical, and powerful Death Eater was good news for Hermione.
No one spoke. All eyes were on the Dark Lord, filled with fear.
"It seems… I was wrong," Voldemort said.
"You weren't."
Harry lifted the Disillusionment Charm and stepped into the firelight, ignoring the sudden excitement of the Death Eaters around him. Amid their shouts, gasps, and laughter, he stood calmly, facing Tom Riddle.
"As agreed, I'm here."
None of the Death Eaters moved. They waited, watching as Voldemort raised his wand. His head tilted slightly, like a curious child eager to see what would happen next. Harry met those red eyes, hoping the moment would come quickly, while he could still stand, before fear overtook him—
Voldemort studied Harry with interest. "Truly unexpected, Harry, the Boy Who Lived. I didn't think you'd have the courage to face me. I'm pleased. For that, I'll grant you a peaceful death—just as the Harry from another world died by my hand!"
Harry froze, but a green light was already flashing. He had no time to react.
In the next instant, a burst of flames erupted before him. The green light struck the fire, and a tiny, wrinkled bird fell to the grass.
At the same moment, a figure in deep blue robes appeared behind Voldemort, brandishing the Elder Wand. A ring of roaring flames encircled the four of them.
"Dumbledore…" Voldemort squinted, recognizing the face etched in his memory as the terrified shouts of the Death Eaters rose around them. "I recall you being dead."
"Theoretically, yes," Dumbledore replied, eyeing Voldemort with interest. "But there are always exceptions, aren't there?"
Voldemort and Dumbledore circled each other, pacing slowly, then attacked simultaneously.
Powerful spells clashed and canceled each other out, leaving scorched marks on the grass. Seizing the moment, Harry dove to grab Fawkes from the ground, then rolled behind Voldemort, his wand hand unleashing a rapid barrage of spells.
Harry's attacks were swift, but Voldemort was faster—and stronger. He countered Dumbledore with one hand while deflecting Harry's spells with the other.
But when a Disarming Charm shot from thin air toward Voldemort, he faltered.
The Elder Wand flew high and landed in Hermione's hand. Voldemort, caught in Dumbledore's spell, turned to ash.
Yet, as Harry and Hermione embraced in triumph, a sickly green specter rose from the ashes. It hovered briefly, a vortex appeared in the air, and the specter vanished into it.
"Professor Dumbledore, Voldemort… he's not still alive, is he?" Harry and Hermione stared at the spot where he'd disappeared, unease creeping into their hearts.
"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said, turning to them. "Harry, Miss Granger, care to visit a parallel world?"
The Death Eaters, now leaderless, stood little chance against Sirius Black and the other wizards. Core members were captured, though some stragglers escaped.
Battle-scarred, Harry and Hermione stepped into the ruined castle. They watched the survivors cheering in the dawn light, embracing one another. In that moment, they realized the war was over—for now.
Six months of living on the run had stripped away their youthful innocence, but under Dumbledore and Sirius's care, their malnourished bodies had fully recovered.
Hermione turned, resting her head against Harry's chest, her fingers tracing lightly over his steady frame.
"Harry…" she whispered.
"What is it?" He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her thick hair, breathing in her scent.
"…I love you."
"I love you too."
Harry's hand brushed her cheek, his eyes locking onto hers as he leaned closer.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
A familiar yet jarring shout interrupted them.
After a year's absence, Ron stood before them, alongside a stunned Ginny, who stared at Harry and Hermione's embrace.
"Harry… you and Hermione…" Tears welled in Ginny's eyes. Covering her mouth, she turned and ran, sobbing.
Ron, meanwhile, gaped at Harry's hand on Hermione's waist. His face flushed red with rage.
"Get your filthy hands off my girlfriend, you traitor! I trusted you! I thought you were my best friend! My parents treated you like their own! I shared everything with you! I even approved of you dating my sister! But you steal my girl while I'm gone? Have you no shame?!"
Ron charged forward, furious. Harry flinched, his grip on Hermione loosening instinctively, but before he could pull away, a cool, soft hand pressed firmly over his.
Hermione held Harry's hand in place while raising her wand at Ron, its tip glowing red, forcing him to halt.
"Don't talk about me like I'm your property, Ronald," Hermione said icily, glaring at the coward who had abandoned them. "I'll admit, I had feelings for you in sixth year—before you walked out on us last year. Before you kicked us to the curb when we needed you most. Maybe Harry's kind enough to forgive your betrayal and tolerate your nonsense, but I'm not. I can't accept someone who ran off for a year acting like nothing's changed. We were done the night you abandoned us."
Ron's face paled under her words. He took a step forward, but a Blasting Curse exploded a small crater near his feet.
"Take another step, and the next one hits your foot," Hermione warned, her gaze cold and unyielding. Without looking back, she pulled Harry away.
There was still a mess to clean up after the battle, but for now, that wasn't the concern of Harry and Hermione, who held the Deathly Hallows and slipped into the Department of Mysteries, following Dumbledore through the veiled archway to another world.