The entire view was different. The hallways that were once lit with yellow lights, bright walls with cheery portraits but now there were dim white lights. Maybe that was the difference between the headmaster being a legendary sorcerer and a death eater.
All the students moved in perfect alignment. Amongst them were the recent most invaders. Harry looked at the side and saw Hermione's shoulder shaking. Of course she was worried and Harry knew that it was because of the lack of planning.
He slid his hand in her's and she gave him a smile.
That smile was one of the couple of things that gave Harry a will to live, this is what made his heart sink. For some reason he was sure that today might be the last time he can see it, not because he would let anybody even disturb a hair on Mione's head. It was because he felt death nearing him.
He shoved those thoughts behind his head and looked around. He saw James and Lily holding hands right next to the other couple doing the same thing.
He looked at Remus' face, his eyes were looking down at the place where their hands were joined. The two sparks of silver sent a chill down his spine. The engagement, somewhere amongst the chaos he had forgotten all about it.
He wanted to turn back time and ensure the safety of all those they love, surely their lives could go on without Harry.
He sighed, knowing that all he could do was end this and try keep them safe right now, fight for them. His eyes met with Remus and Sirius, they passed him a quick smile and before Harry could process anything they were assembled in a dark, empty hall.
In the middle, near the podium stood Snape, Severus Snape.
"Many of you might be wondering as to why I have summoned you here this evening. It has come to my attention that Harry Potter was spotted in Hogsmeade. Now should anyone student.." he said looking at the Gryffindors "...or staff..." he shifted his gaze to McGonagall.
"... attempt to aid Mr. Potter will be punished in manner consistent with the severity of their transgression."
That was the last straw for Lily as she stepped out of the crowd. Her hand still linked with her husband. Everybody was familiar with the faces of the 'family that lived' and this caused a collective gasp around the room.
"Lily" Severus muttered, his eyes falling on her briefly.
Remus and Sirius joined them, along with Fred and George, Ron and Neville, Luna and Ginny. Draco and then finally Harry and Hermione.
The reactions kept getting louder with each appearance, by now there was a large circle of space formed specially for them.
"Threatening children are we now, Snivellus" James said, a smirk taking place on his face. Some students snorted but cleverly covered it up with a cough.
"Shut it, Potter" like always he spat the name like venom.
"It seems as if those exhaustive defensive strategies have tremendously failed" Remus said.
The door opened up wide, in the middle stood Albus Dumbledore. There was Mad eye, Fleur Delacour, the rest of the Weasley family, and Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Lily come with me, I can protect you" Severus said.
The words had left the people in the room speechless, all except one.
"Why would I ever come with you? Why would you think that I would leave my family for you? You are a coward Severus, you are the reason I almost lost my family once" Lily screamed at him pointing her wand at him.
"Family with Potter? He is an excuse for a man. He is cruel, vile" Severus retorted, now his eyes fixed on James.
"James is twice the man you would ever be, you hold a grudge for him mocking you when in school, do you realise what you have been doing to these students for year? To my son. I am done with you Severus, you mean nothing to me now." Lily concluded with a deadpan voice.
Somehow after all these years, Snape finally got the message. So his mind went to the next thing he could, make the dark lord happy. As loyal as ever, he pulled his wand and aimed it at the younger version of the man he so hates. The younger version of the man because of whom he couldn't get his 'true love'.
Lily immediately moved in front of him and kept her wand perfectly aimed.
"Incendio" Lily screamed. The orange waves were crushed by the defensive spells casted by the greasy haired man.
Lily did not show any signs of stopping, every time she casted the spell was a way of taking her anger out for another thing.
This is for calling me a mudblood. "Incendio"
This is for being the reason my son and husband almost died. "Flippendo"
This is for bullying my child for years. "Stupefy"
This is for supporting Voldemort. "Expelliarmus"
The red light hit an empty place as Snape had already escaped in a fog of black smoke. The few minutes of silence was broken by a scream from the corner, followed by another.
The dome on the top showed the black clouds, coming together.
Then a raspy voice was audible, for some it was foreign but there were others who were uncomfortably familiar to it. "I know many of you will want to fight. Some of you might even think that it would be wise to fight. But this is folly. Give me Harry Potter. Do this and none of you will be harmed."
Eyes darted towards the boy in the centre, in the blink of an eye he was surrounded by all those who were committed to the cause. His family covered him from the front. Hermione and Ron on his left along with Draco and Neville on his right. Ginny held Luna's hand and their backs were soon aligned with Harry's.
A shrill voice was heard by the entire hall, "what are you all waiting for, try and grab him." Draco recognised it, the voice was Pansy's.
He stepped forward and said, "Pansy hear me out, this is the time when we choose the right side. This is our chance at redemption. We don't have to follow the path laid out for us, we can choose our own."
All the Slytherins were definitely effected by hearing these words from their 'Slytherin prince'. They had witnessed the blonde boy talk about and boast his blood status for years. The Malfoys were proud to be death eaters. Apparently all except one.
Some lowered their wands but others were determined.
"I don't have time for this, Mr. Filch do help out a little and lock this lot in the dungeons" Minerva announced. "Now Potter what do you need?"
"The diadem will do Professor" he replied with a sincere smile.
_____________________________________
Hogwarts was in a massive chaos, thankfully Harry was able to destroy the horcrux before any of the wards were invaded. Neville had successfully blown the bridge up.
Currently, the Potters, Draco, Hermione, Ron, Sirius and Remus were assembled in the headmaster's office with Dumbledore.
"We need to know about the last horcrux proffesor. We need to end this before the death eaters can come inside and a war starts" Hermione stated.
Dumbledore remained quiet, this caused the tension in the room to rise.
"I believe this is the time when I tell you this. I had to wait till Voldemort is most vulnerable."
Lily was getting impatient by the second, without thinking of any reason to imply restraint or politeness she screamed "what professor?"
"We are on a time crunch Albus, maybe speak a little faster than usual?" Sirius asked, keeping his face straight and tapping his foot on the ground. The anxiety was consuming him and several others in the room.
"The night Voldemort came to kill you all in Godric's Hollow, instead of killing Harry the curse backfired and destroyed Voldemort's body and all his power. That part of his soul resides in you, Harry."
"So I must die?" Harry asked. His voice to his own surprise was steady.
"Yes, and he must kill you."
"You old oaf, this is why you have been protecting him all these years. All the times you told me that you would keep him safe" Lily screamed and while Remus tried pulling her back it was not effective.
"You didn't think of telling us? Telling us that our son is destined to death? You think I am going to let this happen? Let me get my hands on yo-"
James was cut off by Harry "Mom, dad I knew this day would come, I felt it coming and there is nothing we can do to avoid it."
"We are supposed to sit back and watch you die?" Sirius asked, his voice on the verge of breaking.
"No, don't sit back. Kill Nagini and then Voldemort" Harry directed towards Sirius.
Then the young emerald-eyed boy made his way to the centre of the room. He first looked at Remus, "I love you all so much that right now I just want to be selfish and run away with all of you, attend the wedding, see Draco become a potion's master, watch Ron eat his way to oblivion, and spend my life with you Mione."
He looked towards Hermione and she ran towards him and gave him a hug. "I love you so much, please don't go. Harry don't go. Please, for me" she said it all between her sobs.
He took a step backward and cupped her face, he wiped her tears with his thumbs. "I love you Mione, so much that it hurts for me to go. Not because I am scared for me but because I don't want to leave you. But I do and I am so sorry, just remember that I will be there and will be watching you achieve anything you want in life because Hermione Jean Granger you are the love of my life and I have put my faith, my love and all of me in you. Carry on after this, make the world a better place the way I know you can."
He pressed his lips against her forehead, knowing that if he did anything more he would not be able to leave.
"Ok I don't care about your martyr things, I am coming with you. We both are. All four of us are." James exclaimed.
Harry ignored James and continued in a steady, strategic voice, "we still need to kill Nagini. Mom please stay back here, them being an animagus is an advantage to escape. Dad, a stag will slow you down. Remus you cannot control it. So Draco, Ron and Sirius will have to do this."
"Bambi, I am not going to stay here" James said with his eyes softened.
"I am not losing you, do you get that Harry James Potter?" Lily said in a similar voice.
"I love you both so much. You are the reason I have been able to make it through so much, please try moving after this and always remember that I had to do this. I am sorry" he said followed by a loud but painful incantation of 'Stupefy'.
As everyone recovered from the stunning spell. he was gone.