Disclaimer: the Harry Potter 'verse is owned by JK Rowling, and I make no money from this story.
This story is based in their sixth year, but is canon up to the end of book five.
The Only One?
Quidditch practice had just finished and Harry was currently dragging himself to the common room, as this practice had been a particularly brutal one, made all the harder because Ron was still angry at him for dating Hermione. Upon entering the common room he was grabbed by Hermione and pulled to a quiet corner.
"Harry, I think I've found a way to kill Voldemort," said Hermione in a rush.
"What really?" Harry asked, as every since Dumbledore had told him that he had to be the one to kill Voldemort, he felt as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and no way to get rid of it.
"Yes, I was rereading Hogwarts:A History, and when it talks about the founders and that when they first started Hogwarts they all made an oath that they and their heirs would protect Hogwarts and all their students in a time of need. Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin, and so all we need to do is call him on his oath, and, then since he is the cause of the danger the oath will kill him," explained Hermione gleefully.
"What? Just like that?" asked Harry bewildered, it all sounded so easy.
"Well, we will need to wait until he actually attacks Hogwarts, and we will to enact the oath, I have it written down here but we can't say it out loud or it will activate, and then it is done. Voldemort will be gone, forever." replied Hermione with pride.
"So we have to sit around while innocent people are getting killed? That doesn't sound like a very good plan to me."
"Hmm, well we could always goad him, attack his pride so that he has no choice but to attack?" Hermione pondered.
"That might work, I could start bragging in front of Malfoy, the fool will report it all to his father who will report it to Voldie..."
"Yes that would work, but it would be more effective if it is very public, maybe we can sneak out to Diagon alley or the ministry and give a little speech, that should attract enough attention to it. If we're really lucky it might get front page, spreading it all over Britain, Voldemort would have to attack as it would damage his reputation."
"Wow, love, you are amazing" he said as he proceeded to kiss his girlfriend breathless in a show of appreciation. "So when do we do this?"
"I would say as soon as possible, if we go at the weekend, that will give me time to finalise the plan and plenty of opportunity to leave Hogwarts?"
"That is definitely a brilliant plan by my brilliant girlfriend" Harry quipped, suddenly feeling more freer than he had for months. "C'mon, lets go celebrate," and grabbing her hand he pulled her out of the common room and to the nearest broom closet.
"This is it Harry, are you sure that you know what it is you have to say?" asked Hermione anxiously, this was the point of no return, once this was done they would have no choice but to continue with the current plan.
"Yes, I know the script, and you need to stop worrying, it was written by the greatest witch of the age so there is to way it can fail!" He grinned as he conjured a platform and jumped on top of it, giving him a good view of the people and them of him.
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen," he shouted to the crowd, who all turned and gathered around him. "As you may or may not know my name is Harry Potter and 14 years ago I killed Voldemort ending a war that threatened to destroy both the wizarding world and the muggle one. But I'm not here to talk about that night I am here to tell you all a little bit about the man himself, Voldemort.
"Now I most people don't know very much about him so I wish to rectify this.
"The story of Voldemort begins in 1925 with a women by the name of Merope Gaunt. She was living with her father and brother, by the name of Marvolo and Morfin. They were the last members of an old pureblood family that, constant inbreeding had very weak magic, and overindulgence coupled with laziness meant that they were dirt poor. In the year of 1925 both the father and brother were in Azkaban and the daughter used love potion to ensnare and run away with one Tom Riddle, part of a well to do family that lived nearby. A muggle family.
"Less than a year later they were married and Merope was pregnant. Believing that Tom was truly in love with her, she stopped giving him the potions, however when he had recovered he promptly left Merope and returned home, leaving Merope expecting a child, heartbroken and dirt poor. On giving birth she managed to name her son Tom Marvolo Riddle, before dying.
"Tom spent the first 11 years in an orphanage, were he became a bully and a thief, before he came to the knowledge that he was a wizard and had been accepted to Hogwarts. On his arrival at Hogwarts he became, outwardly, a model student. However, even then he was plotting, and in his time at Hogwarts he released a basilisk which killed one students, killed his father and his parents and began gathering power.
"On leaving Hogwarts he disappeared and a couple of years later reappears with a new name; Lord Voldemort." At this point he pulls out his ward and writes 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' in the air before rearranging the letters to show 'I am Lord Voldemort'. He fought to keep himself from grinning as he listened to a gasp ripple through the crowd, which was now rather large.
"Yes people, you may have realised, the champion of pureblood supremacy, is a half blood. Let me tell you, after having faced and defeated him six times already in my life I find this fact rather amusing, seems a bit hypocritical to me. Of course many of you may be wondering why I am standing up here telling everyone this, that it must be extremely dangerous, all I can say is that I've faced him so many times he just doesn't seem all that scary any more. But I do have a message for Voldie, actually this is more of a challenge, I'll be at Hogwarts, and if you ever get the courage which I really doubt, come and get me."
"So do you think he will come?" asked Harry, when they were sitting in the common room later that day. It had taken then a couple of hours to finally escape all those following them after the speech, and then all the people at Hogwarts who wanted to speak to Harry having already heard about his storytelling session in Diagon Alley. Hermione, in a moment of genius chose the location of the talk to be just outside of the Daily Prophet and Wizarding Wireless buildings, which were side-by-side, meaning that before the first line of his speech was finished, he was surrounded by reporters ready to print out a special paper as soon as his speech was finish, and that he was being broadcast over the wireless.
"He has to, you have publicly humiliated him, and if he doesn't turn up this will further destroy what's left of his reputation," surmised Hermione, and Harry really hoped she was right, and that he would just attack already, all this waiting was making him more and more anxious.
"I just hope he hurries up, I'm getting so nervous, I just want this over."
"Well, if you want I can help you take your mind off of the wait?" smiled Hermione raising a eyebrow.
"Oh really," Harry smiled back, "and how would you do that Miss Granger?"
"You really have to ask Mr Potter?" she quipped back as she grabbed his hand a pulled him in the direction of the nearest broom closet. Don't you dare attack, was Harry's last thought as they left the common room.
Early the next morning Harry woke with a jolt, and for a moment it took him a while to realise what woke him; the voice of Voldemort.
"...of course, you are too scared to come and face Lord Voldemort, but the lies that you were spouting yesterday, mean that I will kill you today, showing the world that Lord Voldemort is not to be trifled with."
Harry was sure that Voldemort continued speaking, but at this point tuned him out not interested in Voldemort's normal threats, and ran out of the dorm to find Hermione, who was already in the common room waiting for him.
"Ready Harry?" she asked.
"Yep, its now or never," he nodded as they both turned and started for the Entrance Hall, where they suspected Voldemort would be waiting, or more accurately Hermione suspected, and as usual she was spot on, and to their satisfaction Voldemort also had roughly twenty men with him.
"Well, well Harry Potter," spoke Voldemort as he looked at Harry with equal anger, hatred and curiosity.
"Hey Tom, how's it going?" Harry asked jovially and stood watching Voldemort's reaction – anger. "You actually decided to turn up? I'm surprised I never actually thought you would."
Voldemort's rage grew, "Of course I came, Lord Voldemort is no coward, and will not be talked to in such a tone, especially by a half-blood."
Harry opened his mouth to answer back when Hermione stopped him. "Please, stop insulting him, lets just this and be done, the whole plan will be pointless if you get yourself killed before you can enact the oath" she whispered, almost begging.
Looking down he saw that she really was scared that this would happen, so giving her a quick nod, he turned back to Voldemort, "Hogwarts and her students are in danger, please heirs of the founder help up in our time of need," he stated quietly and calm.
Voldemort's eyes widened in confusion at his words, and then his right hand began to twitch, then the arm and the twitch continued to grow until he was on the ground, having what looked like a seizure. There was silence in the hall as everyone was watching Voldemort. After a couple of minutes the shaking stop and Voldemort was still. Hermione quickly pulled out her wand and did a diagnostic charm which gave the expected answer.
"We did it Harry," she squealed as she jumped onto his pulling him into a hug.
"We did it, it's finally over!" Harry cheered in response as he began jumping with joy while still holding onto Hermione.
At this the rest of the hall exploded with action, as the students and teachers started knocking out the death eaters, as they tried to escape, realising that their only chance of leaving the school of their own free will was now dead, they had bet on the wrong horse and they now knew it.
The party lasted for the rest of the day, all the classes were cancelled, much to Hermione's dismay and the Professors brought in a large supply of butter beer for all houses, and everyone stayed in the great hall. All the house tables had been separated up allowing all the houses to intermingle, creating an infectious atmosphere that affected everyone who entered.
It was all a bit overwhelming for Harry and Hermione though, and at the first opportunity they escaped to the room of requirements so that they could come to terms with the fact the it actually worked.
"So how does it feel having your life back, to have it your own?" asked Hermione.
"It feels great," he grinned. "Honestly, ever since I realised that I was a wizard I knew of Voldemort, and the possibility that he might not have died that Halloween, but now I know its over, I don't have to live with that tainting my whole life."
"Sorry I don't mean to burst your bubble but there is one thing that has been bothering me. Calling on the oath of the founders to defeat Voldemort was such a simple way to kill him, how come no one ever tried this before? I mean I can't be the only person to have read Hogwarts:A History?" asks Hermione.
Harry gave a quick shrug, "Maybe you are."