Neville ran faster than he ever did, dogging hexes and curses left and right, when, as he took yet another corner, he saw them - Hermione and Snape.

Her lying still in a pool of her own blood. Him kneeling by her side, his fingers brushing away mattered curls.

For a second Neville thought about forgetting all about Voldemort and the war raging on all around him, and helping them.

But suddenly an anguished, dead voice could be heard whispering, ‘There’s nothing you can do here, Longbottom. She’s,’ the voice broke with tears, ‘…dead. You carry on where she can’t!’