The dead lay on tables and cloths throughout the Great Hall. Ginny was sobbing into Katie's shoulder. Katie did not cry when Fred died: she just felt empty. She could not stop thinking that, despite fact that Katie wasn't really a Weasley, and despite the fact that a Slytherin, Fred had still treated her like a sister. The saddest part was that she never got the chance to know him as well as she would have liked.

George was kneeling by Fred's head; Mrs Weasley sobbed over her son's body as Mr Weasley stroked her hair. Ron stood nearby with Bill and Percy. They had their arms around each other.

As Katerina hugged Ginny, she stared despondently down at the two other bodies nearby. Remus Lupin and Tonks lay broken, side-by-side, their hands almost touching but not quite. Katie absent-mindedly reached up to touch the scar on her face — the scar that Remus had accidentally given her so many moons ago, the scar that she always thought was ugly but had grown used to it, and now she saw the scar as a gift. It would always be a reminder that Remus Lupin had lived, really lived, and made a difference in the world.

Ginny broke away from Katie to hug Hermione and Katie knelt down between Lupin and Tonks. She took their hands, which had grown cold in death, and intertwined them. Then she rubbed her eyes, for she was willing herself not to cry, stood up and walked over to Draco and Harry. The two boys were standing together, which certainly looked odd, but Katie was glad that they were finally making peace.

"You can't go into the Forest, Harry," Katie said firmly, for she knew that seeing all of the dead bodies made Harry feel guilty. "It's not your fault that they're dead. You can't give yourself over to him."

Ron and Hermione staggered over to join them. Both of them were pale with grief and clutching onto each other's arms.

"I'm going into the Forest." Katie announced and, at once, there was a roar of protest from her friends.

"No way!" Draco shouted. "You're not getting yourself killed!"

"He won't kill me," Katie reminded him. "Someone has to kill that snake and I'm the only one that can get close enough to do it."

"Katie—" Harry began, but she cut him off harshly.

"I'll be fine." she assured him, though she was really only trying to give convince herself.

"I'm going with you," Draco said flatly, and when Katie shook her head, he added, "Yes, I am! I'm not letting you go in there on your own, Rina!"

Katie grabbed his hands and forced him to look into her eyes. "There's a whole army of Death Eaters in there," she whispered. "They won't hurt me but I can't protect you."

"I don't care," Draco cupped her face, something that he had grown very accustomed to. "I'm going with you."

But Katie only took his hands and removed them from her face.

"They need you here," she told him softly. "You're a great Healer. I've seen you some of the Slytherins after they got injured in Quidditch games."

"I can't..." Draco's voice cracked. "I can't lose you, Rina."

She looked into his eyes, hoping that it would not be the last time she would ever do so.

"You won't." she promised.

Katerina wanted to kiss him, more than anything, but she knew that would only give her a reason not to join Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. So she hugged him instead and then asked him to help Madam Pomfrey tend to the wounded. She then turned to the others, took a deep, shaky breath, and finally allowed her tears to fall. Everything that she had bottled inside since she saw Fred lying lifeless on the castle floor came pouring out.

"Once I — once I kill the snake," she stuttered through her tears, "he — he probably won't show me any mercy anymore."

Hermione let out a little squeak that was probably a choked sob.

"I — I'll try to get away, but if I'm not back in an hour—"

She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, for Harry had thrown his arms around her in a hug so fervent that it knocked the air right out of her lungs, but this didn't stop her from hugging him back. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and, for the sake of not drenching his jacket, held back her tears.

"Harry, you have to promise me," she whispered shakily. "Promise me that, no matter what happens, you won't give yourself up to him. Can you promise me that? I know you can beat him, I know you can."

Harry reached behind his head and, for a moment, Katie was confused as to what he was doing, but then he unclipped a chain and took it off. He held it out to her and she recognised it to be Leo's onyx crystal necklace. Old, slightly rusted, yet still sparkling.

"For luck." he said, his voice trembling. Katie gave him a teary smile and shook her head.

"It's yours," She closed his fingers around the crystal and pushed his hand back towards him "I'll see you soon, OK?"

Harry nodded and, despite her words, an atmosphere of farewell hung in the air like a haunting shadow. Katie turned to Ron and Hermione.

"Will you — if I don't come back, will you tell Draco — I can't stand to tell him—"

Hermione cut across her with a gentle smile. "We'll tell him."

One after the other, Ron and Hermione hugged Katie and Ron said firmly, "If you're not back in an hour, I'm going in there to find you."

Before she left, Katerina locked eyes with Harry one last time, and she wasn't sure about him, but all of their happy memories that they built together over the previous six years flashed through her mind in all but a single second, and she smiled at him — a genuine smile.

As Katie made her way towards the end of the Great Hall, she spotted Chris and Niall sitting together drinking glasses of water. They both looked battered, beaten and bruised. Katie hesitated for a moment, then decided that she would say goodbye to Chris too. She walked over and sat across from them. The two boys smiled at her but their happy expressions quickly melted away when they saw that she was frowning.

"Kat?" Chris asked uncertainly. "Are you all right?"

Katie gulped thickly. "There's... something I need to do Chris," she started. Her voice sounded far away, like it wasn't really her speaking. "But before I do it, I need you to know something."

Chris let out a breath of understanding and placed down his glass.

"I already know that he's our father." he told Katie, cringing as the words left his mouth. "McGonagall just told me. She said I deserved to know."

There were so many things that Katie wanted to say to Chris, but their eyes met and the brief glance spoke more than words ever could. Chris clapped a hand down on her shoulder.

"You do what you need to do, Katie," he told her softly. "But if you don't come back alive, I'll come to the afterlife and I'll kill you a second time."

Katie laughed, and so did Chris, and they smiled their identical smiles. Then Katie rose to her feet, looked between Chris and Niall, taking in every last detail of their faces, just in case this was the last time she would ever...

And then the two Riddles parted.

Draco was waiting for her outside the doors. She had just opened her mouth to scold him and tell him to go back inside but he took her hand and spoke one, single word that changed Katie's mind in an instant.

"Together."

***

It must have been nearing dawn, maybe five in the morning, yet there was not a sliver of sunlight to be seen. The Hogwarts grounds were pitch black, and the Forest even darker. Even Katie and Draco's lit wand tips could not seem to overrun the darkness. Multiple times they tripped over unseen roots and rocks. As they trekked deeper into the Forest, Katie's heart beat faster and harder. She was aware if how sweaty her hand was in Draco's, yet he still did not let go, which she was immensely grateful for.

They didn't speak for at least ten minutes. The only sound breaking the pulverising silence was the rustling of the trees overhead, which Katie thought was odd because the night was windless.

"Draco?"

Her voice was hoarse from its lack of use.

"Yeah?"

"Whatever happens when we find him, whatever I do, I need you to trust me, OK?"

Draco squeezed her hand and the small action seemed to momentarily wash away all of Katie's stress and anxiety.

"Rina, darling, I would trust you to do my hair in the morning." he joked.

Katie grinned. "Wow, that's a lot of trust."

They didn't talk again, which was probably a good thing. The Forest was so dark that they were practically navigating using only their sense of hearing. Even with the Wand-Lighting Charm, Katie could only see two feet in front of her, so she and Draco would need to rely on their ears to navigate Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Only when Katie had ventured farther into the Forest than she had ever gone before did she spot the first sign of life. Something — or someone — rustled in a nearby bush. Katie and Draco stopped dead in their tracks and Katie just caught a glimpse of a figure turning, their cape billowing behind them, before they disappeared into the darkness.

"Death Eater." Katie said under her breath, then she pulled Draco after the person.

It did not take long for them to arrive in a clearing, illuminated by the pale moon, which loomed overhead. When she entered the clearing, Katie's panic set in. There, only twenty feet ahead of her, standing on the top of a small slope was Lord Voldemort, his pale skin casting an opaque glow around his frame. Behind him was a vast wall of Death Eaters — some cloaked, some hooded, but all of them wearing a malicious sneer. Nagini was hovering in a sort of magical cage next to Voldemort. Katie cursed under her breath and rapidly racked her brains for any spell that might break the enchantment.

"My daughter," Voldemort said in his usual cold but soft tones. He gestured towards her and the Death Eaters, albeit hesitantly, sank into a sort of rigid bow. A selection of the Death Eaters actually fell to their knees and Katie was overcome with the urge to be sick. She most certainly did not want Voldemort's followers to worship her. "Come to share more of your lies?"

Katie did not dare look at Draco. He was pressed so close to her side that she could feel him shaking, and she was sure a small whimper escaped the back of his throat.

"Trust me." she whispered to him, taking perfect care not to move her lips.

Then her hand slipped from Draco's and she began to step towards her father. Several of the Death Eaters slipped their hands inside their robes but did not draw their wands without being ordered to. Voldemort's wand remained in his hand, which was hanging loosely by his side. He gritted his teeth as Katerina grew nearer to him.

"No," she said, trying with all her might to keep her voice steady. One wrong move and she would give herself away. "I've come to — I've come to join you."

A great deal of whispering broke out as Death Eaters all turned to their companions, but the noise was silenced the instant Voldemort raised his long, pale hand. His red eyes observed his daughter scrutinisingly. When he did not respond to her claims, Katie decided that she really needed to sell the act. She rushed forward to the foot of the slope and threw herself to her knees, her eyes firmly fixed on the ground below her.

"I pledge myself," she paused to gulp, "to you."

This time, none of the Death Eaters made a sound, nor did they make any sudden movements. Katie chanced a glance up and winced when she saw Voldemort lifting his wand steadily in front of him, but when he slashed it through the air, nothing seemed to happen... at first.

Katerina hissed as a searing pain split across her forearm. She clutched it tight, folding in on herself as she sunk as low as possible to the Forest floor, biting her tongue to stop herself from crying out in agony. Gradually, the pain subsided, leaving behind a uncomfortable tingle, like needles prodding her skin.

She rolled up her sleeve, her fingers trembling as she did so, to reveal the Dark Mark burned black into her forearm.

There was a crunching of leaves behind her as Draco rushed to her side. He crouched down beside her and she heard his breath hitch when he saw the Mark. Still, Katie did not look at him. Instead, she acted as though she was not even aware of his presence and raised her gaze so that she could stare into the triumphant face of Lord Voldemort.

"Rise, my child," he shouted into the night. "Become what you were born to be. Prove to them that you are who they believe you to be. Take your place as the true heir of Slytherin, as the Slytherin Princess."

There was a rumble of noise as every last one of the Death Eaters dropped to one knee, their heads bent low. A sense of dread was building inside of Katerina. What had she gotten herself into?

With a second wave of his wand, Katie's jumper and jeans were replaced by clothes that she could not see, because she was suddenly wrapped in a cloak much grander than that of any of the other Death Eaters. It was silky and thick, yet light, almost weightless. A silver clasp fastened the cloak at the neck, holding the hood in place, and glittering green jewels and silver detailing lined the hem and rims of the cloak. Her disheveled hair weaved itself into an elegant braid, which hung down over one of her shoulders.

"At long last," Voldemort whispered, though is whisper echoed throughout the clearing, and he breathed deeply, as if he was savouring this glorious moment. "My only regret is that your mother did not live to see you rise. But no matter, her death was necessary for your conversion. Come."

He held out a pale hand and gestured for her to join him on the top of the slope. For the first time, she looked aside at Draco and saw that he was white with terror, his eyes wider than Katie would have considered possible. Then, swallowing despite the dryness of her throat, she hiked up the gradually inclining slope. As she approached the top, the Death Eaters nearest Voldemort took once or two steps backwards. Once Katie had placed herself at his side, he addressed Draco.

"Come, Draco," he said. "Every princess needs a prince."

If anyone else were to say those words, Katie might have thrown up on the spot, but hearing Voldemort saying that, his cold voice reverberating through the dense trees, a sense of fear rippled through her veins.

The next few minutes passed in deafening silence. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were waiting for Harry to appear in the Forest, but Katie knew better. Surely he wouldn't be so foolish... he had promised her, after all.

Then the horrible truth struck her. Harry had not actually promised her anything. She had asked him to promise that he would not come into the Forest, but he never agreed.

Katie stared at the tank-like floating cage that Nagini was slithering in. She could not seem to think of any spell that would break the enchantment.

There was a rustling in the trees and Katie's heart missed several beats. She relaxed, however, when she saw that it was just Yaxley and Dolohov.

"No sign of him, my Lord." Dolohov reported.

Voldemort's expression did not change. He showed no visible signs of fury.

"My Lord—" Bellatrix whispered, but she was instantly silenced by the simple action of Voldemort raising his hand.

"I thought he would come," Voldemort said. "I expected him to come."

Katie was shivering, but she was sure it had nothing to do with the coldness of the night.

"I was, it seems... mistaken." Voldemort added.

"You weren't."

Katerina's heart leapt right into her throat. There, in the centre of the clearing, the air rippled and Harry Potter appeared. He stuffed the Invisibility Cloak inside his jacket. Katie wanted to shout, to tell him to leave, but not only could she not risk giving herself away, she was not sure she could speak even if she wanted to. Her throat had locked.

There were many cries, gasps, even triumphant laughter. Voldemort had frozen where he stood, but his red eyes had found Harry, and he stared as Harry moved towards him.

"HARRY! NO!" a voice yelled.

Katie looked aside. Hagrid, who she had not noticed until that very moment, was bound to a tree, which seemed to tremble as he tried to shake himself free of the ropes.

"NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT'RE YEH—?"

"QUIET!" Rowle shouted.

Bellatrix was looking eagerly between Harry and Voldemort, a hungry look painted on her face. Next to her, Katie could hear Draco's breathing growing steadily heavier.

Harry and Voldemort looked at each other, and the latter tilted his head like a curious child. He twirled the Elder Wand around in his hand and a mirthless smile curled his lipless mouth. Katie's heart was beating wildly, as if she was the one who was about to meet her end, and her heart was trying to make up for the lifetime of beats that it was going to miss out on.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort said, very softly. His voice might have been part of the cold breeze. "The boy who lived... come to die."

Voldemort raised his wand, the Death Eaters shifted apprehensively on their toes, Katie gripped Draco's hand so hard that she must have broken some of his smaller bones.

Then, there was a flash of green light, and time itself seemed to stop as the world was plunged into pulverising silence.