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Ginny found herself alongside Neville, Noah, Luna and Eleanor, the five of them standing together while they took on the Death Eaters that came their way. They were in the Great Hall, standing guard in front of their deceased and injured as they battled on. Neville had placed the sword back into the Sorting Hat that was tucked in his pocket because he needed to fight first.

Around them, the Hogwarts ghosts and Peeves were yelling and distracting the Death Eaters, and they took advantage of their distraction to take down the Death Eaters. Grawp and Buckbeak were with Hagrid, obstructing the Death Eaters' paths. The house-elves were waving their knives and cleavers at the Death Eaters, managing to maim and seriously injure some of them. Pansy, Daphne, Theo, Blaise and surprisingly, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy were fighting against their former allies. Aberforth was dueling with Rabastan Lestrange while Sirius and Tonks were fighting with Rookwood and Dolohov.

All of them expertly used the spells they had been practicing for a long time, showing everyone just how good they were despite most of them being underage. They could fight just as well as the adults, and everyone was seeing that in this war. This was the power of Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix and Hogwarts.

"Gin, duck!" At Noah's yell, Ginny dived down, and the Hufflepuff's spell hit the Death Eater right in the chest, knocking him away. Seeing that they managed to take down the Death Eaters around them, Ginny was about to say thank you, but she noticed a green light coming towards their group and immediately cast a Shield Charm around them. When the light disappeared, Ginny let the Shield down, and all of their eyes hardened to see who casted it.

"Carrows." Ginny addressed them in a gruff tone while each of them kept their guard up in alarm when they were surrounded by the twins and Avery, Yaxley and Gibbon.

"You pests, we should've exterminated you back then." Amycus said coldly, glaring at each of them.

"These pests are here to stay. Now!" Ginny yelled as they simultaneously cast spells on each of the Death Eaters with Ginny facing off Amycus while Neville was battling Alecto. Noah, Luna and Eleanor were engaged in a three-way battle with Avery, Yaxley and Gibbon. Spells were casted at each other and although they had their own battles, the five students continued having each other's backs. They had no plans of losing another one today.

"Well, even if I don't get to kill you pests, at least I got to kill the Mudblood, Nightingale. Oh, and as a bonus, that Weasley too. The blood traitor..." Amycus laughed evilly with his sister, making Ginny freeze at his words. He was the one who killed Jemina and Fred? The Death Eater saw his words had done the desired effect and he cast a green light at Ginny...

But Neville saw what was about to happen and deflected it with a Shield Charm. It was a good thing Eleanor had his back while she casted a Shield Charm that protected him from Alecto's spell. He glanced at Ginny and shouted at the girl. "Ginny, now's not the time! Let's make them pay for what they did to Jem and Fred."

Those words woke Ginny up, and a murderous glare was seen in her eyes as she raised her wand and engaged in battle once more with Amycus Carrow. Ginny's jet of red and golden light met Amycus's green and black one in the middle. She let her mind run in rage for she was facing off the man who killed her brother and lover. How dare he gloat of what he had done to two people she loved dearly? They engaged in a long duel, not letting one another overpower each other. They were fighting to their deaths today, and a fire was raging in Ginny for what they had done.

"Oh, look at you, Weasley. You're just as weak as Nightingale. All talk but no bite." Amycus taunted her once more as he cast a spell that hit Ginny's shoulder and cut her. He laughed loudly at the daggers that were being thrown from Ginny's eyes. "What are you going to do, Weasel? Huh?"

Then, he raised his wand to cast another spell, but his face fell when he found no spell coming from his wand. He glanced in fear at Ginny Weasley who glowered at him, knowing enough was enough. It was time to end this. "W-What did you do?"

"Just what you deserve. Reducto!" Ginny pointed at the chandelier on the ceiling, and it fell right on Amycus Carrow's head, knocking him out.

"NO!" Alecto yelled out at her brother's fall before she angrily cast a Killing Spell in Ginny's direction.

"GINNY!" Luna called out in alarm to her friend. Ginny's reflexes were quick enough, and she evaded in time. She was about to battle with Alecto when someone suddenly pushed through her and Neville, and her eyes widened to see her mother there.

"Not my daughter, you bitch!" Molly Weasley yelled as she battled with the Death Eater. The Weasleys and the Nosebusters watched with their wands ready as Molly blocked every spell that was casted by Alecto. However, the dark witch laughed when she saw Molly was panting from their battle that went on without a break.

Molly took advantage of that and cast spell after spell, making Alecto's eyes widen when it was getting harder to block the spells because of how fast Molly was. How could the old woman be so quick? Then, Molly cast a nonverbal Full Body-Bind Curse at her that made a gasp come out of Alecto's throat as she found herself paralyzed.

The mother of the Weasley family readied her wand, aiming to finish off the two Death Eaters once and for all... They deserved it for killing her son and her daughter's lover, almost killing her daughter, and torturing the students of Hogwarts for months. She was ready to strike and take them down.

However...

"Mum, wait." Ginny held her mother's hand and sent a smile at her. Molly understood what her daughter was trying to say. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and nodded, moving back beside Arthur to give Ginny her space but still glaring at the frozen Carrow.

Ginny wordlessly casted the Disarming Spell at Alecto's wand and used the Summoning Spell on Amycus' wand. She then pointed her wand at the unconscious Carrow on the ground. "Rennervate. Petrificus Totalus."

Not a second after he woke up, Amycus' body stiffened as the spells took effect on his body. He and his sister glared at Ginny Weasley who stared at them with a fire burning in their eyes.

"As much as I want you two to go to hell where you belong, I know Jem wouldn't want that." Ginny spoke in a soft voice. There was no more anger. She just felt numb that they finally beat the Carrows after how they made them suffer. Finally, they brought justice to the deaths of Jemina, Fred and all the torture they had gone through under the Carrows. "The only thing we can do is put you two in prison where you will rot to death. You will never be happy, you will never breathe fresh air and you will never hurt anyone else again. This is our payback. Pay for your sins, you slimy scum."

With that, Ginny finally felt the weight she was carrying since seeing the cold bodies of Jemina and Fred. It brought a little comfort to her heart that was stabbed over and over today. It somehow managed to heal even a little bit of her wounded soul. She raised her hand and wiped away the tear that fell from her eye. She hoped Jemina and Fred were happy up there, proud to see them slowly winning this war. All of them there felt a sense of satisfaction for how they finally avenged their deaths, but still empty inside because of the fact that the people they've lost were not with them anymore...

"We'll take them to the prison, Gin." Eleanor offered.

"Thanks, El, Luna and Noah." Ginny smiled in gratitude. The three smiled back at her with reassurance and comfort before they levitated the bodies of the Carrows and the other Death Eaters they defeated out of the Great Hall and into the makeshift prison they made in the Dungeons.

"Hey, Gin, I'll be looking for Harry. He might need the sword." Neville said to Ginny, and the girl nodded in acknowledgement. The boy squeezed Ginny's hand tightly. "You've done well, Gin. She's smiling up there, seeing you now."

"We've done well, Nev. We've made her proud." Ginny squeezed back Neville's hand, and the two Gryffindors smiled at each other before Neville finally went off with the Sword of Gryffindor in hand. Ginny finally let out a sigh before she turned around and saw Molly, Arthur, Charlie who arrived with reinforcements, Bill, Percy, and George while Fleur stood to the side, watching them with a smile on her face.

The bruised protector smiled and opened her arms, beckoning them to give her a hug. They did not waste another minute and hugged each other tightly with the youngest in the middle. Tears came from the Weasleys' eyes for a fight well-fought and won. They have all lost so much in a matter of hours, and they knew there was nothing they could do to bring back the dead. Only this... Avenging their deaths and standing up for what they believed in. This eased the pain even just a little for them.

"That girl, Jemina. She saved George." Percy said in a shaky voice. "We never got to meet her, but we will be grateful to her forever."

"I'm so sorry, Gin." George apologized while his tears fell. "I'm so sorry... If it weren't for me – "

"Don't say sorry, George." Ginny smiled at him and chuckled through her tears. "She would have done it over and over again. That's the type of person she is. Oh, you would have loved her. Especially you, Mum. She loves knitting."

"I should have made her a sweater." Molly cried even harder for the girl who saved her son and loved her daughter so much.

"It will be alright, Gin." Arthur kissed the top of his daughter's head. "She loves you. I saw that when she fought for all of you. She loves you so much. She will continue watching over you and loving you from where she is. I may not know Jemina, but I know at least that."

"I do too, Dad. I know." Ginny confessed in a tender voice, her heart filled with the emotions of love and longing for Jemina who she would not be able to see and touch again after today. She knew that when the war was over, she would have to let go of her... "And I love her so much. I wish I could have told her that more. I wish I could have met her sooner and learned to love her back then. She loved me to the point that she unconditionally loved me and waited for me for 5 years... But the only good thing is that she could finally rest there with Fred and her family. That is enough for me. That is enough..."

She said it was enough, but her heart ached more with the thought that she needed to accept Jemina's death. They only tightened their hugs around each other, grieving for Jemina and Fred and the love that could have bloomed between Jemina and Ginny. At least, they were at peace. That was right. They were away from pain and suffering now. That wasn't enough to heal their hearts for now, but soon... Soon, it will be.

"WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU HAVE THAT HE LOVES SO MUCH?"

The loud yell that resembled a banshee's cry made them pull away. The Weasleys glanced at each other, and they ran outside along with everyone else to see Deanna and Bellatrix battling each other, a green jet and a golden flame, meeting in the middle and illuminating the grounds and the sky. There was a green snake and a gold phoenix clashing above the two witches.

Bellatrix was screaming bloody murder and angrily casting her spells while Deanna remained calm with her power and passion for the greater good burning in her eyes and spells. Seeing Deanna then reminded them all of Albus Dumbledore.

"It's been going on for a while." Noah who had been watching the fight with Eleanor and Luna whispered to Ginny. "Don't you think we should step in?"

Ginny was about to answer when Deanna suddenly laughed and answered Bellatrix's question. "Maybe, it's because I'm not a harridan."

"A HARRIDAN?" Bellatrix asked in a furious manner, not understanding what she meant. The students were all confused, not knowing that Deanna was talking about, while the adults couldn't help but laugh and chuckle, knowing exactly what the Dumbledore meant.

"What's a harridan?" Eleanor asked, feeling puzzled.

The answer came from Deanna who grinned when they arrived in the middle of the Entrance Courtyard, a distance away from the spectators. "In other words... A bitch."

Finally knowing what a harridan was, Ginny couldn't help but grin. She took note of that, having another witty insult that she could use in the future. The Dumbledore raised her wand to break their spells and then cast another spell in the stupefied Bellatrix's direction. "Frigardor."

Bellatrix Lestrange was hit by the blue fire that paralyzed her body and she fell onto the ground, shivering at the cold fire. At the same time, the green snake disappeared after being defeated by the phoenix. Deanna stood over her with a smile on her face, finally ending the long duel. She moved closer to Bellatrix and kicked her wand to the side before she spoke in a low voice.

"Well, there you have your answer, Noah." Ginny grinned at the Hufflepuff who let out a chuckle. "Deanna is just as amazing as Professor Dumbledore."

After talking to Bellatrix, Deanna then looked up at each of them, lingering on Aberforth. She sent them all grins before she turned to Pomona. "Hey, Pommy, do you mind lending a hand and locking her up?"

"Oh, I'd love to." Pomona said cheerfully as she whisked out her wand and levitated Bellatrix Lestrange to bring her to the temporary prison they made for Death Eaters. Ginny could only laugh while watching her Professor and the Dumbledore who waved at Bellatrix. Deanna was about to go to them when Harry and Voldemort suddenly fell on the floor of the Entrance Courtyard. The two were a distance away from each other while Deanna was standing in the middle.

Everyone was quiet. Some were whispering and murmuring to each other while others were not talking at all because of the tension in the air. This was the final battle between Harry and Voldemort who had been fated to fight each other even before Harry was born. This war would end today.

Suddenly, Deanna ran to the side where there was nobody in her radius, surprising and confusing everyone else. She made her wand stand at her feet, and a barrier of fire formed around her, confusing everyone even more. Regardless, they let her do what she was doing. Knowing Deanna, she had her reasons for her decisions.

Their eyes kept on moving back and forth to Deanna who was surrounded by the barrier of fire and the battle between Voldemort and Harry. They saw Harry and Voldemort crawling towards their wands and getting up simultaneously to cast their spells at each other. Voldemort's green beam of light met Harry's red beam in the middle. The two spells were equally powerful, not one giving in to give the other leverage.

Then, right at that moment, Neville finally found Hermione and Ron... He beheaded Nagini who disappeared in black smoke. The final Horcrux was destroyed. Deanna fell to her knees at the pain she felt while Voldemort let go of his spell because of the pain. Ginny felt herself worry for Deanna... Was she alright? But she still trusted in the Dumbledore, knowing that everything she and Harry were doing were for their victory.

With a shaky voice, Deanna yelled out to Harry. "HARRY! NOW!"

Harry and Voldemort stared at each other before they cast their spells again. Red and green light met, but Voldemort was slowly being overpowered by Harry's spell. Everyone's hopes were rising when they saw Harry pushing Voldemort's spell back to him until... he successfully disarmed Voldemort, the wand of the Dark wizard flying into his hand. Did this mean they were winning? Was it finally ending?

Ginny looked to her side when she heard footsteps and saw Hermione, Ron and Neville come. They looked satisfied to see Voldemort standing there defenseless, but they were confused to see Deanna at the side, none of them but Harry, Voldemort and Aberforth knew what was about to happen.

"I-It's done." Harry's tears started falling then, puzzling everyone at his actions and what he meant. Shouldn't he be happy that he finally beat Voldemort? Shouldn't he be doing something to Stun or take down the Dark wizard?

But then, they glanced at Deanna and saw the young girl smile sadly. She looked at everyone there who fought with everything they had. From Grawp and Buckbeak to the ghosts and Peeves to the house-elves to the wizards, the students, her friends, her professors, her uncle Aberforth, Ron, the weeping Harry, Voldemort who accepted his fate... Finally, Hermione. Her gaze lingered on Hermione, her eyes sending a thousand words to the woman she loved. She hoped she was able to send her message across...

Ginny felt anxious at the smile Deanna gave them. Why did she feel like something bad was about to happen? But she hoped she was wrong. She hoped with everything she had she was wrong and that nothing bad would happen to Deanna. They lost too many people already. They couldn't lose another person.

"What are you doing, Deanna?" Hermione whispered in confusion. She was about to move towards Deanna, but Aberforth stopped her with tears in his eyes.

"Don't." He choked out. It was extremely difficult for him to say that and it just made the unpleasant feeling in Ginny increase. "Just don't."

"I'm sorry I didn't get to protect you." Voldemort suddenly said, making them all turn to him. "I'm sorry you have to do this for the world. I love you so deeply it pained me too."

Deanna's eyes softened at that before she answered. No matter what, this was ending today. Nothing would change that. Not even the woman she loved the most. "I did too. I loved you too back then, Tom. I'm sorry to do this to you, but I'm the only one left tying you down to this world. The time is up for us, Tom. It's time for us to go."

Hermione wasn't stupid. She always prided herself for being intelligent and quick-witted, and now, it was slowly starting to make sense. Aberforth's actions, Deanna's words and the look she gave her... How could she have been so slow? How could she not have known? How could she not have realized Deanna was going to die?

"NO! DEANNA!" Hermione's tears streamed down her cheeks. She tried to run towards Deanna, but Aberforth held her back, letting himself cry as well. "Let me go, Aberforth! No, please! Please don't do this, Deanna! Don't!"

"FAWKES!" Deanna ignored Hermione's cries and shouted out for the phoenix. Fawkes's cry was heard not even a second later, and he passed through the barrier of fire before settling in front of Deanna. The Hufflepuff hugged him tight to her chest and he burst into flames, burning Deanna with him. Deanna's eyes glowed gold and a golden aura surrounded her...

It was at that moment that the pieces fell into place for everyone else. Ginny finally understood why she felt like something bad was going to happen. Deanna was going to...

"No!"

"Deanna, please!"

"Stop this, Deanna, now. Please don't do this."

Ginny found herself running to Deanna along with Noah, Eleanor, Sirius, Pomona and many others. But they couldn't even come close because the flames from the barrier would push them back gently. They were warm, they didn't burn at all... The flames were telling them that she was fine. She would be alright, somehow. They didn't pay attention to Voldemort's yells in pain for all they wanted was to save Deanna from herself.

"Please, Dee, stop this now. You don't have to do this." Tears streamed down Ginny's face as she tried calling out to Deanna. However, nothing they would say or do would convince Deanna to stop. She was going to be the salvation of this world as she was destined to.

A cry escaped Deanna's mouth then, and that spurred Hermione to take action. She got away from Aberforth's hold and rushed towards the barrier of fire.

"Hermione!" Ginny called out to her along with the others, but Hermione was already running. She ran towards Deanna, not caring if the flames would push her back. She would push through to get to her lover. But it surprised all of them when Hermione managed to place her hand on the barrier of fire. She was still kept away from Deanna, but the flames did not push her away...

And Ginny's eyes softened in understanding. Despite everything, there was only one person that would be able to come close to Deanna Dumbledore. There was only one person the stubborn badger would listen to. The person she loved the most. Hermione.

Her heart ached for the two who were supposed to finally be happy with each other after all they went through. Hermione who had to grieve later and accept Deanna's fate in order to spend the little time she had left with her lover and Deanna who had to sacrifice herself and fulfill her destiny as the heir of the phoenixes. She could only cry for them, knowing there was nothing else they could do but to accept the inevitable.

"D-Deanna, love..." Hermione spoke to her through her tears. "It's alright. It's okay, y-you can let go. You can shout if you're hurting and cry if the pain's too much. Don't worry, love, I am here with you. I promise. It's okay."

Deanna's tears fell at her words, and she finally let herself go. Hermione's reassurance was all she needed for her to let go. She cried out in pain without restriction while Hermione stayed there, watching her with a weak smile on her face. Every cry that came from Deanna went through their hearts. It hurt them to hear her cry like that, but it hurt them more to know she was holding herself back so that she wouldn't cause them more pain than she already had.

"It will be alright, my love, you are doing so well. It's alright." Hermione said, comforting her lover. "It's okay, Deanna, just let go. It will be okay."

Deanna let out the most heart-wrenching cry when the burning fire spread through her entire body. The fire engulfed her entire body, burning even a few parts of it, but she persisted. The fire grew and grew until only fire was seen inside the barrier, and Deanna disappeared in the flames for a moment, worrying everyone. No, it couldn't be...

Hermione stood up and tapped the barrier repeatedly, her heart beating quickly in anxiety. "Deanna? Love? Are you there?"

The fire was slowly extinguished at that moment... It slowly disappeared and died down, revealing Deanna who lay down on the ground. Her body, half of it charred while the other half and her face were still alright although dirty and a little hot from the fire. She wanted to come closer to see what was happening clearly, but Deanna's final moments were meant to be spent with Hermione. She didn't want to take away, even a little part of their time. They needed to make the most of it.

Deanna gently raised her right hand to pat Fawkes' head and stop him from crying on her body. The phoenix let out a sad wail before it stopped and nuzzled Deanna. The Dumbledore coughed out before grinning. "P-Present. I am a-alright. You d-don't have to w-worry."

That made their tears fall again. Even at the very end, Deanna was still trying to reassure them. They saw Hermione kneel down once more before she smiled and answered. "Of course, you're alright. You, Miss Dumbledore, are so stubborn that even the most stubborn mule in this universe would be amazed with how mulish you are."

Deanna laughed at that but coughed again due to the smoke and the embers of fire that surrounded her. She then looked at the crying Hermione who had a smile on her face and grinned once more. "I can't deny that."

Ginny glanced all of a sudden to Voldemort whose body burnt with the spreading flame as he stared at Deanna. She thought it was impossible, but even a vile wizard like Voldemort could feel love and pain. As he turned into ashes, Voldemort passed on... finally perishing for good.

Deanna raised her head to look at Voldemort, a bittersweet feeling in her heart at what they had come to. At least, they would not cause pain to others ever again. She bid him goodbye before she let her head fall back on the ground and finally let the barrier of fire down.

Hermione immediately rushed to Deanna and Fawkes seemed to understand that the two needed their time and space as he moved to the side. The Granger carefully wrapped her arms around the Hufflepuff's body so that she wouldn't get hurt anymore and lifted her up so that Deanna was comfortably leaning on her body.

Everyone was in tears at what happened, for what Deanna had to do to save them. It was even more tragic because what could've been a lifetime with each other turned to only a few minutes left with each other. Deanna and Hermione did not deserve this after everything they had been through. Deanna did not deserve this fate after all she had suffered.

Deanna's tears fell at Hermione's tears, a sad smile on her face as she held Hermione's hand. "I-I'm sorry..."

"Shh..." Hermione shushed her and caressed Deanna's cheek. "Don't apologize. You've only done the right thing. I and everyone here are so proud of you and what you've done. You've done well, love."

It hurt Ginny to see how Hermione had to accept Deanna's death and save the grieving for later. She and everyone there had time to grieve for the people they lost, but Hermione couldn't do that so that she could at least spend her last moments with Deanna.

The phoenix coughed before she looked at them with a smile. It was a smile of farewell and "you've done well." She readied herself to say what she needed to say now.

"I... I don't have much time left so let me say a few words to you." Deanna stuttered out, addressing all of them. "Thank you. You've all done beautifully, fighting for our world and bravely taking up arms to battle against the adversities. You should all be proud of yourselves for the good you have done. Also... I apologize for all the pain you've gone through. I hope that you can continue to fight for what you believe in until the end. Now, you can lay down your wands and weapons. Take a break, warriors, for you have done wonderfully."

Ginny cried harder at her words along with everyone else. The one who did them all proud, the one who had done so well and the one who fought the bravest was Deanna Dumbledore.

"Harry, Ron, please... Stay by my dear lion's side, will you?" Deanna grinned weakly at the two of them who nodded through their sobs while Hermione let out a chuckle. They would have done it even if Deanna did not tell them to, but now, it would be a more special task for them.

"Uncle Ab..." Deanna turned to her weeping uncle this time. "Always keep your head up and smile, please? The world is cold and dark, but there is also warmth and light. In people. Let people in. I assure you it is not as terrifying as it seems. Could you do that for me?"

"Y-Yes, love, I will." Aberforth sobbed out, not pushing away Neville and Kingsley who patted his back. "Don't worry, I will. I-I love you, Little Ari."

"I love you too, Uncle Ab." Deanna smiled at her uncle softly before she coughed out in pain while Hermione caressed her hair and held her hand to give her comfort. Tears were streaming down both their smiling faces as they had to say goodbye. This was the last time they could be together, and their promises would never be fulfilled... The future they longed for was now lost. They had to make the most of their little time.

"I have a lot I want to say." Deanna said in a tender voice, but it was obvious how even speaking was becoming hard for her by the way her voice wavered.

"I'll listen." Hermione responded in a voice just as tender. "Tell me everything you want to say, and I'll listen."

"I-I'm sorry. I promised you we'd have a happy family while we'd sit by the fire... I promised so many things that I won't be able to keep."

Hermione who said she would listen smiled and shook her head, not wanting to let Deanna die with regrets. "Then, let's make them happen the next time we meet."

The Brightest Witch of Her Age held Deanna's hand and nodded, seeing how Deanna was about to stop. "Go on. You know I can't stop myself from speaking, but I'm still listening so go on, love."

The Dumbledore let out a teary chuckle at that before she told Hermione everything she needed to tell her. "I'm sorry... for putting you through so much pain."

"The pain only made us stronger. It was all worth it because I got to love you."

Deanna raised her hand to caress Hermione's cheek and Hermione held Deanna's hand to her cheek, urging her to go on with an encouraging look in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry for being selfish. I still held on despite knowing I was going to leave."

"Thank you for holding on and letting me know what being happy and in love feel like."

Then, coughs escaped Deanna's mouth when she felt the flame coming up to her neck. "Thank you for showing me I could fall in love again without fear. Thank you for letting me feel love that was warmer the second time it came to me. Thank you for never giving up and letting go, for staying with me even until this moment."

"Thank you for being my warmth, Hermione." Deanna said, love and longing lacing her tone. "You made me feel so loved and happy in the time we've known each other and been together. When you are cold or sad or lonely, I hope the memories we've made will be enough to make you feel warm, happy and loved. Fawkes will be there for you along with our friends. Everything will be alright in the end."

"Our memories are more than enough." Hermione smiled at her. "They are my treasures, Deanna, and I will keep them in my heart. Always. I will take care of myself, Fawkes, your family, our friends and Hogwarts for you. Everything will be alright so you don't have to worry."

"I'll plead to the deities up there for us to meet again one day." Deanna suddenly grinned in a mischievous manner. "I'll plead to them that the next time we meet, we'll be able to keep that promise. I believe Death would be interested in what I have to say."

"You better talk to him then or I'll get up there myself and tell him off." Hermione said in a teasing tone, making Deanna laugh.

Everyone's hearts were in pain while they looked at the two, their voices lowered to whispers... the words were exchanged, only for the two of them to hear. Then, Hermione let out a sob before she leaned in, and the two shared their final kiss... It was evident to everyone just how much Deanna and Hermione loved each other and just how much this was hurting them. They were showing brave faces to each other when the reality was this was killing them. Having to say goodbye was killing them.

The two pulled away and stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. Deanna's face contorted in pain, and Hermione nodded with a smile on her face as she held Deanna's hand. "It will be alright in the end. Y-You can rest now, love."

Deanna smiled one last time and closed her eyes, a final tear escaping. The flame consumed her body entirely, warming everyone's bodies in those moments. Ginny let out a gasp when the warmth was healing her injuries and wounds. She looked at Neville and saw him just as baffled as her. Deanna... She was taking away even their physical pain.

As Ginny looked back at Deanna, her heart ached once more at the sight. Deanna Ariana Dumbledore started burning, and she accepted her fate. Her body slowly turned into fire embers. Like a phoenix, she burnt and burnt until all that was left was her ashes that scattered in the wind. Ginny cried harder. Deanna was gone... forever.

Fawkes cried with everyone and suddenly soared into the air, tears endlessly coming from his eyes for the loss of Deanna. He flew away and started singing. The same lament he sang back when Dumbledore died. It seemed to ease their pain a little as the melodious song echoed over the grounds. Fawkes flew out of sight to grieve for his master, his friend, the phoenix who didn't rise from the ashes.

A sob, followed by another. Until Hermione Granger finally stopped holding everything in and let herself cry, curling in on herself. Her cries broke everyone's hearts for they knew how much Deanna and Hermione loved each other.

Ginny wanted to say she knew how she felt, but she didn't think the pain she felt could compare to the pain Hermione was feeling right now. She had time to process Jemina's death, but Hermione had to accept the harsh reality that slapped her in the face immediately. They didn't know how they would be able to comfort her soul after this... but all they knew was the part of Hermione's heart that died with Deanna would never come back. Not unless a miracle would happen and Deanna would come back to life again, but that was impossible. For no one could come back from the dead.

The tale of Deanna Dumbledore would be a legend they would tell their children, grandchildren and all of their descendants. They would make sure she would never be forgotten and she would still feel their love and gratitude even if she was up there. She saved them all, and she would forever be remembered for that. To the Wizarding World, Deanna may be known as the salvation, but to all of them there, she was a friend, a student, a sister, a niece, a teacher and a lover.

Professor McGonagall suddenly raised her wand through her tears, and then, fireworks burst from the tip, illuminating the sky. Professor Sprout followed after her and casted fireworks with a cry. Soon, Ginny and every wizard and witch had their wands raised while the ghosts, Peeves, Grawp, Buckbeak and the house-elves cried out or saluted in tribute to Deanna and everyone who died. Fireworks lit up the sky as dawn broke. The battle was over. They won but lost so much.

It was supposed to be a celebration because they finally won this long-fought battle... Under the fireworks, they could only cry and grieve for the people they've lost. Especially for Deanna. She gave up everything for them. She sacrificed her second chance at love for the greater good. For a better world.

Seeing what was happening, Hermione let out another sob before she too took her wand out of her pocket. She raised it shakily to also pay tribute to Deanna and everyone who died. "Pompus!"

A loud bang came, and fireworks from Hermione's wand joined the others. Her fireworks shone the brightest among all, and Ginny hoped Jemina, Deanna, Fred, Remus, Ria and all they lost were seeing this from up there. At least, they'd have each other. They wouldn't be alone anymore in this world, and they would be able to have their peace up there. For now, that was enough for them. That was enough to bring a little healing to Ginny's soul. It was enough to bring a genuine smile on her face.

'I hope you are all happy up there. I hope your scars would heal you. The fight is over. It's time for you to rest.'

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