As Harry's body fell lifeless to the Forest floor, Voldemort crumpled. Katerina couldn't hold back any more — she screamed, louder than she had ever screamed before, but when she tried to run to Harry, Draco held her back.

Whispers and hurried footsteps broke out as the Death Eaters rushed to aid Voldemort, all the while Draco tried to calm down Katie, who was crying and thrashing and doing everything in her power to get to Harry.

"You can't, you'll give yourself away." Draco whispered to her.

"I don't care, I don't care!" she sobbed. Despite how loud she was screaming, the scene she was creating went unnoticed by the Death Eaters, who were all too preoccupied with Voldemort's state.

"My lord... my lord..." Bellatrix whispered worriedly.

"That will do." Voldemort said firmly. There was another rush of footsteps as Death Eaters scattered away from their master. Only Bellatrix remained behind, crouched at his side, her hand held out to him.

"My Lord, let me—"

"I do not require assistance," Voldemort bit coldly. He staggered unsteadily to his feet. "The boy... is he dead?"

No, Katerina thought, he's not dead, he can't be dead...

Then a sudden memory came to her. She was ten years old, her grandmother had just died and her dad, Anthony Blair, was trying to comfort her despite the fact that he himself had just lost his mother. He was telling Katie about the five stages of grief — how the last stage was acceptance, and the first was denial...

Denial.

Nobody approached Harry until Voldemort whipped his wand through the air.

"You!" he bellowed. There was a bang and a small shriek of pain. "Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead."

Narcissa Malfoy hurried across the clearing and bent down by Harry's side. Katie, rage and grief pumping through her veins, turned to look at Voldemort and was shocked to see fear painted on his face. He was afraid to approach Harry himself.

Something had gone wrong. Voldemort was not supposed to collapse along with Harry, and Voldemort knew this.

There was a thick silence as Narcissa examined Harry's body. For the briefest of moments, Katie was filled with a flicker of hope that somehow Harry had survived the Killing Curse once more, but then Narcissa rose to her feet and turned to face the army.

"He is dead!" she announced.

The Death Eaters shouted, yelled in triumph and stamped their feet. Bursts of silver and red shot into the air in celebration.

"You see?" Voldemort screeched over the tumult. "Harry Potter is dead by my hand, and no man alive can threaten me now! Watch! Crucio!"

A small whimper escaped the back of Katie's throat. Harry's body was lifted in the air and, not being able to bear to watch, she turned and buried her head into Draco's chest while he held her protectively.

There were jeers and shrieks of laughter.

"Now," Voldemort said, "we go to the castle, and show them what has become of their hero. Who shall drag the body? No, wait — you carry him. He will be nice and visible in your arms, will he not? Pick up your little friend, Hagrid."

Tears were rolling down Hagrid's face and sparking in his tangled beard. He staggered forward and gently scooped Harry's body up, wailing loudly as he did so.

"Come, my daughter." Voldemort said to Katie, and she obeyed without thinking about it.

Voldemort led his troops through the Forest. On his left side walked Hagrid, Harry laying limply in his arms, and Katie, her hand clutching Draco's arm, on Voldemort's right. The Death Eaters stormed behind, screaming in triumph and still shooting sparks into the paling night sky.

"Stop."

Katie had lost track of how long they had been walking — she was lost in her own thoughts, her own grief, but she looked up and found that they were a little away from the doors of Hogwarts. The doors were ajar and the light from within flooded the dark lawn. People were beginning to swarm from the Great Hall: they had probably heard the Death Eater's rowdy celebrations.

Voldemort took a deep breath, building up a sense of anticipation, then he shouted, "Harry Potter is dead!"

"NO!"

Katie flinched, purely because she did not think Minvera McGonagall could ever make such a terrible sound. Bellatrix laughed maniacally, glorying in McGonagall's despair.

"No!"

"No!"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron, Hermione and Ginny's voices were worse than McGonagall's.

As Katie stood there, staring out at all the horrified faces of the survivors, a chilling thought struck her. None of them, with the exception of Ron and Hermione, knew about the Horcruxes. None of them knew that the reason Katie had ventured into the Forest was to kill the great snake, which had been released from its cage and was now lounging around Voldemort's shoulders.

Dumbledore's Army knew that Katerina was Voldemort's daughter, and that news no doubt had reached the entire school by now, including the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Although, Katie had always had a strong hunch that Sirius had known who her real father was, so maybe the Order already did.

Nevertheless, the survivors, the Hogwarts students, could see her, clear as day standing next to Voldemort. They would think that she had joined him.

"You see?" Voldemort called out. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" Ron roared, and the defenders of Hogwarts started shouting and screaming at Voldemort and his ranks. Katie saw that tears were streaming down Ron's freckled face. He was shedding just as much, if not more tears than Hermione.

A powerful bang and a flash of light issued from Voldemort's wand, silencing the crowd.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," Voldemort relished in the blatant lie. "Killed while trying to save himself—"

Katerina could not stop herself.

"That's not true!" she shouted. Draco tried to hold her back but she pushed him away with such force that he stumbled backwards. "You — you—!"

She plunged her hand into her robes but Voldemort was too quick. With one slash of his wand, a pain split across Katie's face and she was knocked to the ground. Blood gushed from the new wound that Voldemort had created on her face. She lost so much blood so rapidly that her arms shook when she tired to hold herself up to look into the snake-like face.

Voldemort leered down at her, his eyes narrowed in disgust.

"You pledged yourself to me," he whispered, and then he bellowed, "Traitor!"

"No, I'm done!" Katie got to her feet, feeling dizzy from her blood loss. "I've lied for you, I've killed for you, I've told you secrets, I'm done! I didn't pledge myself to you, I just wanted to kill your stupid, stupid snake!"

Before Voldemort had the chance to react, she pointed her wand at Nagini and shouted, "Confringo!"

The curse bounced off the snake and it hissed at Katie. Voldemort whirled his wand effortlessly and Katie fell to the ground once more, this time much harder, and her head slammed against a rock, creating yet another wound and more blood loss.

"Betrayed by my own daughter," Voldemort hissed menacingly. "Swear your allegiance, or suffer the consequences."

Katerina spat blood out of her mouth. "No."

She had been expecting the Cruciatus Curse, but what she got was yet another magical gash, this time right across her stomach, much deeper and harsher than her last. Katie thought she was lucky that she did not die on the spot. The Death Eaters gasped — apparently none of them would have expected Voldemort to hurt his own daughter. Several of the Hogwarts fighters cried out in shock.

"I will spill every last drop of your blood!" Voldemort screamed. "And when I'm done, I'll kill the boy!"

Katie knew at once that Voldemort was referring to Draco, and this sparked a newfound fury inside of her. Once more, she got to her feet. Her legs were trembling but she managed to keep herself steady, and she did not cower under the glare of Voldemort's piercing red eyes.

"You won't kill me," she laughed dryly. "Because you're weak; weakened by the loss of the five Horcruxes. You'll need someone by your side, someone stronger than your Death Eaters, someone who shares your blood — the blood of Salazar Slytherin."

Voldemort's face contorted with rage. As Katie spoke, silenced swept the Hogwarts ground, as though the very Earth was holding its breath, anticipating what would happen next.

"So, no, you're not gong to kill me and you're not going to kill Draco, because if you dare then, so help me Merlin, I will hunt down every last Horcrux that you ever make. And then I'll find you, and I'll make sure that the last thing you see before you die is my eyes."

Katie paused. All her life she had been told that she had her mother's eyes — just as Harry had Lily Potter's eyes. It only really occurred to her in that moment that Maria Blair's eyes had been grey, no doubt, but a misty grey, like a cloudy sky, and if you looked close enough you could see blue specks dancing across the surface.

Katerina's eyes weren't like this at all. Truly, they were grey, but they were steely and piercing, solid grey. In the light of the moon, they glinted like silver, and in the light of the sun they sparkled like mystical water, but nevertheless, they were clear, solid grey.

"Tom Riddle's eyes." she finished.

Something flickered through Voldemort's red eyes. It was more than anger, it was more than hatred, and Katie was sure that she was about to be struck dead by the Killing Curse until a shuffling noise from across the way could be heard. Neville was limping forwards.

"And who is this?" Voldemort hissed. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight?"

Bellatrix cackled. "It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," Voldemort hummed. "But you are a Pure-blood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him bravely.

"So what if I am?" Neville demanded.

"You show spirit, and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over!" Neville shouted. "Dumbledore's Army!"

There was an answering cheer from the crowd.

"Very well," Voldemort said in a voice so dangerous that Katie shivered. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head, be it."

Voldemort waved his wand and something that looked like a misshapen hat flew through one of the smashed windows of the castle and landed in Voldemort's hand. Up close, as Voldemort shook it, Katie could see that it was the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," Voldemort announced. "There will be no more houses. The emblem, shield and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice everyone, won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid as still, as though hit with the full Body-Bind Curse, only he did not topple over. Then the Sorting Hat forced its way onto Neville's head, covering his eyes. The watching crowd of Hogwarts rushed forwards, but the Death Eaters raised their wands, holding them at bay. Katie's heart thundered against her ribcage. Draco, who had been making an effort to clean her bleeding wounds, halted and watched the scene unfold apprehensively.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me."

With a flick of Voldemort's wand, the Sorting Hat burst into flames, and screams rang through the air. Then many things happened at the same moment.

Before Katie could fully comprehend what was happening, arrows rained down on the Death Eaters and a herd of Centaurs came galloping out of the Forbidden Forest. Grawp the giant appeared from behind the castle and bellowed, "HAGGER?"

Voldemort's giants roared and advanced on Grawp, who was smaller but just as fierce as his opposers. Hundreds of people, Hogsmeade residents and shop owners, the families of the Hogwarts students who had stayed behind to fight, came swarming into the castle grounds, led by Charlie Weasley and Slughorn.

The Death Eaters broke ranks and spells shot through the air from all directions. Katie tackled Draco out of the way of a soaring Killing Curse.

"We have to move." she said, beginning to heave herself off the ground, but Draco held her down.

"Wait," he said. She blinked at him. "Can I kiss you?"

She smirked. "Only if you survive. Come on."

Katie got up first and pulled Draco to his feet then, together, they advanced on the Death Eaters. Neville broke free of the Curse that was holding him still. The flaming hat fell from his head and in one, swift movement, he drew from its depths a magnificent sword with a glittering, rubied handle, and although the slash of the blade could not be heard over the roar of the crowd, everyone paused to watch as Neville sliced off the great snake's head.

Voldemort screamed in fury as the snake thudded to the ground a his feet. Katie's heart leapt. She grabbed either side of Draco's face.

"We can kill him now." she told him, an element of excitement to her voice.

Draco goggled at her. "Are you mental?" he asked. "Have you lost it completely? This is the most powerful Dark wizard in the world we're talking about here!"

"The snake was the last Horcrux, Draco!" Katie yelled, dodging a curse. "The prophecy said it had to be Harry, but—"

She cut herself off. Just as her thoughts drifted to Harry lying frail and dead in the centre of the clearing, Hagrid's yell came loudest of all over the screams and roars and thunderous stamps of battling giants.

"HARRY!" Hagrid shouted. "HARRY — WHERE'S HARRY?"

And Hagrid picked up a Death Eater and threw him twenty feet into a tree, which he hit and fell to the ground, unconscious. Katie looked around and, sure enough, Harry's body was nowhere to be seen.

A swarm of Thesterals, headed by Buckbeak the Hippogriff, soared into battle, attacking the giants and scratching at their eyes. People were retreating inside the castle walls and Katie and Draco followed, casting spells in their wake.

The door to the kitchen burst off its hinges. The house-elves of Hogwarts streamed into the Entrance Hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers, and at their head was Kreacher yelling, "Fight! Fight! Fight for my master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

They hacked and stabbed at the shins of Death Eaters. From a balcony above, Professor Trelaeney threw crystal balls, which knocked many Death Eaters unconscious.

Katie and Draco backed into the Great Hall, which was becoming overcrowded. At the head of the Hall, Voldemort was duelling Professor McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley. Yaxley was slammed to the floor by George and Lee Jordan, Dolohov fell at Flitwick's hands, Chris and Niall were overpowering Macnair. Ron and Neville brought down Fenrir Greyback, Aberforth Stunned Rookwood, Arthur and Percy fought Thicknesse, and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy ran through the crowd, not even bothering to try and fight, screaming for their son, who was fighting fearlessly.

"Oh, this should be fun."

Katie whipped around. Bellatrix Lestrange was leering maliciously at her.

"Pops won't care what happens to you now," Bellatrix laughed coldly. "Not after that betrayal. Oh, I'll take pleasure in killing you."

"Then you'll have to kill all four of us." Ginny said defiantly as she, Hermione and Luna stepped up to Katie's side.

Though the four of them fought their hardest, Bellatrix was equal to them, and a Killing Curse shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

Molly Weasley threw off her cloak and pushed in front of the girls, her wand aloft, her face red with fury. Bellatrix roared with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

With a swipe of her wand, Mrs Weasley began to duel and Bellatrix's smile faded to a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked.

"What will happen to your children once I've killed you?" Bellatrix jeered. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

"You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!" Mrs Weasley screamed.

Bellatrix laughed once more. Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her directly in the chest. Bellatrix's face paled, her smile froze — for the tiniest space of time she seemed to know what had happened, and then she toppled, and Voldemort screamed.

Katie wanted to cheer, to throw her arms around Mrs Weasley to express her admiration for the woman, but she knew better. She cast a Shield Charm just as Voldemort cast a Killing Curse at Molly, and Katie realised that the action may have saved Mrs Weasley, but it had led her directly to her, Katerina, final stand.

Voldemort wheeled around to face his daughter and time seemed to stand still. Katie's ears rang with an ominous humming sound, drowning out the noise of the raging battle around her. Voldemort's blazing eyes pierced her soul and she realised what was happening too late to stop it.

Memories flashed through her mind at such a rapid pace that she felt physically sick.

"Avada Kedavra!" Maria Blair's Killing Curse struck her husband dead.

"Katerina Blair, you are under arrest for the murder of your father, Anthony Blair."

"I just realised how wrong we are for each other." Harry said, and all Gryffindor house held their breath.

In the Department of Mysteries, the female Death Eater lowered her hood to reveal the aged but beautiful face of Maria Blair.

"She will rise with me." Voldemort said.

Katie's own voice echoed in her mind. "Leo? Leo, can you hear me? I need you to wake up. It's me, it's Katie. Wake up, Leo, please."

Leo fell limp on her arms. "Leo... Leo, please wake up."

"Nice one, James!" Sirius Black yelled in elation from the dais, but then he was slipping backwards through the veil.

Draco lay in a puddle of his own blood on the bathroom floor, barely stirring, Harry kneeling at his head.

"Don't you understand? I have to do this, I have to kill you... or he's going to kill me..."

Dumbledore fell gracefully from the top of the Astronomy Tower.

Maria Blair crumpled, dead, at Katie's feet.

"Harry Potter, the boy who lived... come to die."

Then a new series of flashing memories came to her. Everything was moving so fast — she was too disorientated to push him out.

Anthony Blair laughing. Leo Blair laughing.

Maria Blair, as Katie knew her in her youth, laughing. Cedric Diggory and Sirius Black laughing. Dumbledore not laughing, but smiling gently, a twinkle in his piercing blue eyes. Remus Lupin and Tonks laughing. Fred Weasley's last laugh.

And Harry Potter's warmth as he held Katerina Blair in his arms for the last time.