The Courtyard, Hogwarts Castle Grounds, Wizarding World...
Hermione Granger had not known she was holding her breath when she reached the fallen werewolf wizard Severus Snape, there was no sign of life from him as he lay there against the cold hard ground a few meters from the despot Voldemort. Tears streamed down the cheeks of the enraged Harry Potter as his emerald green eyes went from Snape to the despot that had taken his life much as he had the boy's parents. The words of the wretched serpentine wizard had reached his ears as he, himself came to following the despot's spell.
Harry's mother wished to make amends with The Potions Master before her death and now he couldn't even try to do the same to atone for his own antics due to how badly he had taken it upon himself to hurt Snape in the past. The irony that he'd been inadvertently given his wish via Voldemort had not been lost on him and it only made him seethe all the more.
Turning his wand on the black blood-oozed corpse of the despot, Harry unleashed a series of his favorite spells incidentally taught to him by Snape, one from the dueling club and the other from the book of The Half Blood Prince.
"SECTASEMPRA!" he shouted turning his wand on the despot's horrid corpse.
Hermione held the Potions Master close to her not at all willing to accept that he had been murdered after everything they went through to see this war to the end.
Harry Potter continued to slice and mangle the corpse of the despot who had stolen the only link he had left to his deceased mother in the form of her best friend, Severus Snape. All those years he'd been searching for anyone who had known her and loved her as much as he had and it was the very man he thought would have been unlikely to show such emotion, even when he began his relationship with Hermione.
The heartbroken young witch dried her tears as a new wave of determination filed across her face. She was not of the mind to let Voldemort win after all this time, he wasn't going to claim Severus' life as a last resort to claiming immortality via stories and legend.
"Harry!" she shouted not trying to take her manner of temperament out on the boy who lived but was not at all in the mood to consider the feelings of others given her heated rage and lingering sadness.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" shouted the enraged Harry Potter as he thought back to the despot's taunting words to Snape and all of the pain and suffering the spineless coward caused everyone who had ever been unfortunate to know of him. And it had all been due to his fear of death, a fate he so cruelly handed out to everyone else in a bid to solidify his dominion over the wizarding world.
The force of the blast caused the horrid remains of the decrepit old tyrant to disintegrate into the dust that surrounded the school and was then carried off by an icy wind.
He turned his attention to Hermione and the fallen Severus Snape once he was sure no trace of the despot remained to soil the grounds of Hogwarts.
"What do you need Mione?" he asked as the silent tears continued to cascade down his cheeks.
"We have to get back," she said seemingly more aged beneath the weight of her sorrow than ever before. "We have to see if Dumbledore can do something...we can't just write him off...he doesn't deserve this..."
Harry put away his wand and assisted Hermione as she cast the levitation spell upon the seemingly sleeping Potions Professor.
"Let's go then," replied Harry now focused on getting back to the main part of the school with Snape in tow.
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South Door, Court Yard, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
The twinkling blue eyes of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore caught sight of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter making their way through the dissipating dust that lingered from the battle for Hogwarts and the wizarding world. He'd been concerned for young Harry Potter ever since he'd been cast adrift via the explosion and seemingly lost as a result of it.
It wasn't until he noted the slumped form of Severus Snape that he truly began to worry once the young Gryffindors approached. With a wave of his hand, he brought Severus close to him, gently lying the Potions Professor onto the stone ground and watching the faces of the two students who had accompanied him.
"H-How did this happen?" he asked with all of the sorrowful conviction of a grieving father mourning the loss of a beloved son.
"Voldemort," explained Harry as Hermione was not of the mind to speak without her blazing anger. "He...cast the killing curse on Snape at the end...but Snape got him just the same."
"Then it is well and truly finished then?" asked Dumbledore looking back down at Snape's body. "The great evil of the past has been once more vanquished from this world."
"Is that all you can say!?" asked Hermione unable to hold back her temper any longer.
The outburst shocked Professor McGonagall who had been rendered speechless at the sight of the motionless younger wizard being left without life in the wake of the final battle.
"Miss Granger!" she said unable to believe that her most favorite of the Gryffindors would be so bold as to show temper with the Headmaster of all people.
"Severus, died to ensure the despot actually got his due and all he can do is speak in metaphors as if this wasn't a true war like it was all apart of some part of a storybook!" said Hermione angrily. "Well, I won't stand for it, not this time...why don't you do right by him for once in your miserable old life and fix this!"
"Miss Granger..." began Dumbledore not at all sure he knew how to address this situation.
"I don't want your excuses!" she shouted angrily as Harry held onto her for fear that she might start casting hexes at the old man in her fit of rage. "His entire life all you've done was make excuses for the way he was treated...not this time old man...you fix this or I will enlighten everyone here as to the conditions in which he became a werewolf...I don't suppose you kept counsel with your deputy Headmistress on that account!"
"Miss Granger, as passionate as your pleading is for your dearly departed Potions Professor, I am not of the means to bring anyone back from the dead," said Dumbledore with a sorrowful tone. "I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do for him now."
"I-I'm sorry Mione," said Harry in a sorrowful tone of his own. "I wish things could have been different."
Lucius Malfoy had heard the commotion and along with his wife and son arrived in time to see the fallen Severus.
"NO!" he shouted racing toward them with his wand drawn.
"Lucius..." began Dumbledore.
"SAVE IT OLD MAN!" shouted the angry Malfoy still wielding his wand.
"Have you lost your mind?" asked Professor McGonagall drawing her own wand in defense of Dumbledore.
"What have you done?" asked Lucius looking about as frantic and enraged as Hermione had been. "WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BROTHER!"
Draco dropped to his knees beside the fallen Potions Professor, his eyes stained with tears and his heart heavy with sadness. He could feel himself beginning to shift as a result of his wayward emotions.
Remus Lupin had been tending to a well-protected Tonks and their unborn baby when the mournful howl of the younger Malfoy reached his ears setting off a chain reaction in those of the beast blood who had fought to drive out the last of the giants.
Hermione glared at Dumbledore knowing full well that his contract with Hircine prevented things like this.
"Summon Him," she demanded narrowing her eyes at the Headmaster in the wake of all that transpired on his behalf.
"Miss Granger..." he said once more trying to urge her to consider the consequences of bringing the Lord of The Hunt to Hogwarts.
"You brought him here once before, I don't see how it's any different now aside from everyone knowing," replied Hermione.
"What's she talking about Albus?" asked Professor McGonagall with an arched brow.
"In due time, Minerva," he replied in a weary tone. "For now, suffice it to say...a bargain was made and it ensured the end of the second wizarding war."
"More like you used Severus in your bargain with of all creatures to consort with for a wizard, Hircine," said Narcissa Malfoy glaring at the old Headmaster.
"Indeed, despite knowing of our issue with Lycanthropes and the like," added Lucius narrowing his eyes at Dumbledore as well.
"Is this true Sir?" asked Harry confused. "You let Snape get infected and promised him to..."
"To Hircine," replied Dumbledore seemingly unapologetic for his actions. "And this is why I nor anyone can be of service to Severus now."
"Summon The Father," said Draco in a rather aggressive tone. "He'll hear our plea...Uncle Sev was his best Hound."
"All the more reason for him to ignore the request," replied Dumbledore. "Besides, it is said that those who enter The Hunting Grounds Of Hircine seldom wish to leave it, especially those finely attuned to the beast's blood."
"Then I'll call him," said Hermione with determination flickering behind her eyes. "He'll listen to me."
"Hircine or Severus?" asked Lucius with an arched brow despite full well knowing the answer.
"Both," replied Hermione knowing full well what he'd been implying as well.
Harry Potter had not been of the mind to argue nor had Draco in this case, he knew all too well that Hermione and Snape were romantically bonded and there were just some things that even Hircine couldn't negate in terms of mortal life. The heartbroken and determined witch simply hoped that he had not gone too far in the ways of the beast for her pleas for his return to work.