Author's Note: Hey guys. This is my ending to Robin4's Unbroken Universe. There was a Mini Contest on the group website to see if anyone could write an ending to her story. All the characters either belong to JKR or Robin. Please read her stories before you read this one, otherwise you won't get it at all. Please review!

UU ending: The Last Hope

Sirius could feel Voldemort's movement all around him, could feel the strength of the curse that he was about to cast, but he could not raise his wand in time. Voldemort was too strong. Instead, Sirius dodged Voldemort's Killing Curse by throwing himself out of the way of the jet of green light, a large piece of the floor exploding at the point where he had been standing moments before.

"Crucio!" Voldemort's shout was clear.

Sirius screamed in pain as the curse hit every inch of his curled up body. He could see nothing, only blackness. It felt as though a thousand knives were stabbing at him from every direction.

"It ends here, Sirius," the cold voice hissed. The Auror could sense Voldemort raising his wand. He could just hear the curse being cast on the Dark Lord's lips.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The jet of green light came hurtling toward Sirius' weak form. He could not stop it. This was the end. As the light hit him, his body crumpled, limp, onto the ground.

The other Marauders stopped their duels, as did the Death Eaters with whom they were dueling. It was unbelievable. Sirius Black was dead after all he had hoped to achieve. But, he had known. He had known that he was going to die.

But the others could not just quit. Now, quitting would defeat the purpose of everything that Sirius had been fighting for. They had to keep trying. The Death Eaters kept their focus on all of them. Flashing lights went every which way.

Rudolphus Lestrange snuck up from behind Remus and pointed his wand at the Headmaster of Hogwarts. "This is for my brother, beast."

Remus turned around, Rudolphus's wand pointed straight at his heart. Before he could do anything, Lestrange shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

The green light sent Remus flying back into the far wall of Casa Serpente, hitting it with a giant crash. James and Peter both felt the tears rolling now, as was their anger and determination.

"Avada Kedavra!" They both shouted. Several Death Eaters went down at once, including Rudolphus Lestrange. But his wife was still standing.

Bellatrix had cornered Peter. "Petrificus Totalus!" James tried to stop her, but she was too quick. Peter had gone completely stiff and was now lying at Bellatrix's feet. The manic woman bent over and picked up Peter's wand, giving him a twisted smile.

"The life of a traitor ends in ruin," she whispered. "Avada Kedavra!"

Like Remus and Sirius, Peter was now lying crumpled on the ground, leaving James against Voldemort and ten Death Eaters. Voldemort smiled menacingly at James.

"Well, well, well, James." The Dark Lord hissed, his eyes glowing red. "Doesn't this look familiar? It seems as though history has a way of repeating itself, don't you think? A thousand years ago, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin stood face to face, dueling for their lives." He smiled wickedly. "Now, they are doing it again. Let's see who the winner will be this time, shall we?"

"Avada Kedavra!" James shouted. But Voldemort deflected the spell with a wave of his wand.

He chuckled. "Once again, Slyrherin wins. Avada Kedavra!"

James' last look was triumphant. After all, he had not failed. No, failure was only was for people who didn't play the game at all.

&

Arthur Weasley paced around his office in a bout of panic. He knew that as the Deputy Minister of Magic it was frowned upon for him to show fear in any case, but this was a situation where fear could not be avoided. What if the Marauders did fail? Of course, there would be reinforcements that they would be able to use, but how good would that be? How long would they be able to hold all the Death Eaters off?

Suddenly, loud screams and commotion could be heard from the hallway. Arthur felt his heart skip a beat. Loud crashes and bangs could be heard echoing throughout, from underneath the cracks of the door, Arthur could see flashes of light, indicating spells.

"Silence." A cold, high voice suddenly rang out over the commotion, causing completely silence. Arthur felt his heart freeze.

"Everyone will do exactly as I say and no one will be hurt. All the members of their families will be spared. But, if you dare to contradict me, trouble will follow."

Apparently, not everyone was out in the hallway. In a split second, Lily Potter had come dashing into Arthur's office from the fireplace, weeping uncontrollably.

Arthur did not know what to say to her. All he could do was hug her. But, both knew what they had to do now.

"I'll get Molly and Julia and we'll go get the children out of Hogwarts," Lily sobbed. "We can't give up. They worked too hard for us to give up."

Arthur agreed. They would never surrender to the likes of Voldemort. He had to be stopped.

"I'll call for the reinforcements at Nurmengard," he replied, whispering. "They'll certainly help us, and I'll contact Bill and tell him to bring the Aurors from Avalon. We won't go down without one last fight."

Lily nodded with swollen green eyes.

Arthur continued, lines etched around his eyes. "Voldemort's probably going to want to fight me for my position. He wouldn't just take it. It wouldn't be honorable enough for him. So, I'll go out there and hold him off."

"Yes." Lily gave Arthur one last hug and headed for the fireplace. Grabbing a handful of Floo powder, she said shakily, "The Burrow!"

When she was gone, Arthur stepped out into the hallway, looks of both horror and triumph greeting him.

She couldn't believe it. Her James, her beloved, was gone. Yet, Lily knew that this was what was going to happen. He knew this was what would happen. He had warned her before she left their home in Godric's Hollow for the Ministry that day.

"It's now or never." His words clearly rang in her head as she walked through the secret passages of Hogwarts with Molly and Julia by her side.

"Whatever happens, take good care of Harry," he had said. Those beautiful hazel eyes of his had stared at her with all the love anyone or anything could ever show. At that moment, James was telling Lily that he was going to die. She knew that was what he had been doing. She knew how much he had loved her, and there was no way she was going to let go of that love.

Harry. He was the ultimate symbol of their love, and Lily would fight to keep that love alive. Harry was all she had left now. She had to protect him. She had to do whatever she could to keep him safe.

Beside Lily, Julia was just as distraught as she was. Her hands were shaking as Lily's were, and her face was red and swollen with tears. But, her lovely silver engagement was still firmly on her finger. She would never take it off. Just as Harry was a symbol of Lily and James's love, that ring was a symbol of the love that she and Sirius had shared.

&

Finally, the three women reached the end of the tunnel.

"Movere!" Lily whispered, pointing her wand at the secret door that led them inside the castle. But none of the women were sure exactly where the door led.

Molly felt very anxious about Arthur. If he had to fight Voldemort, as he had claimed the Dark Lord would make him do, she hoped that he would be safe. She didn't know what she would do if she were to lose him. But, she knew that the world didn't stop after the death of a loved one. She had already lost two of her sons, and the world kept going. And here were two women beside her who had both lost the men they loved, and they were doing the best they could to go on with their lives. She would have to continue on with her life, too.

The door slowly opened, and the three women found themselves in the Great Hall. All the tables were bare. But, there was someone pacing around between the tables. He turned around and ran toward the women as soon as he saw them come through the secret door, his black robes and greasy black hair flying behind him.

"Severus!" Lily and Julia both shouted in a mixture of worry and surprise. Molly knew that the other two women thought it to be some kind of trap. Both of them, as well as half the country, had been questioning Severus Snape's loyalty for months now, ever since the day he had stabbed Remus Lupin.

Snape appeared to have fear in his eyes as he looked at the state of the two younger women. But, Molly couldn't tell whether or not that was trickery. She didn't take any chances.

Neither did the other two women.

All three pointed their wands straight at the Death Eater, but he made no move to draw his own from his robes.

"I'm on your side," he said calmly. "I swear it. I came back to Hogwarts because I knew the Dark Lord suspected me of being a spy for the Order. I needed refuge, so Remus allowed me to stay here." Snape hesitated for a moment and then added, " I gave Black the key to Casa Serpente, where the Dark Lord was."

"He's at the Ministry now!" Lily stammered, tears still streaking out of her eyes and staining her cheeks. Julia hugged her.

"We have to get the children out." Molly said. She would let the other women grieve.

Snape nodded. "I know what to do."

Turning around, he put his wand to his throat and yelled, "Magnus facere!" His voice was now so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire castle.

"All students and students are to report to the Great Hall immediately," he said.

In an instant, footsteps could be heard stampeding down the many staircases. The doors to the Great Hall burst open and in ran nearly a thousand panicking children, screaming and trampling over each other. The teachers were trying their hardest to keep order and calm the children down, but none of them would listen until Snape, his voice still magnified, shouted:

"SILENCE!" Everyone, including the teachers, was instantly quiet. Snape's cold demeanor remained when he spoke again. "All students will follow these three women behind me—" he gestured at Lily, Julia, and Molly—"out of the castle. The teachers will accompany me to the Ministry. Is that clear?"

Simultaneously, all the heads in the room nodded, including the teachers. Snape certainly had a way with dealing with things, Molly thought.

&

Arthur Weasley's messengers wasted no time in contacting Nurmengard prison. Frank was utterly speechless at first. He could not believe that none of the Marauders had survived. They had all been such good friends of his and all had been wonderful fighters of this awful war. In all seriousness, he had not expected this to happen at all….

But, he knew he could not waste time staying here. Now was not a time for grieving. It was a time for action. If Voldemort were taking over the Ministry, everyone at Nurmengard would have to go try and stop him. There were already more Aurors protecting the prison than there were Death Eaters. They had to at least take action and do something.

Mr. "Bishop" was currently translating to everyone in the prison that they needed to make their way to Great Britain's Ministry of Magic. He seemed to be very at ease with the situation, but was acting strange all the same. From the time he had heard the news of the Marauders' deaths, he had had a very odd look on his face. It reminded Frank of the look that Dumbledore had always worn whenever he had some mysterious sort of plan or idea. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but Frank wasn't one to believe in coincidence. In his mind, there was always a purpose for everything.

&

The room was cramped with all the children, even after it had been magically expanded. It was an old warehouse in Hogsmeade, one of the few buildings that weren't damaged from the rampage that add taken place months prior. No one owned it, so one would wonder why it hadn't been torn down already. But, because no one owned it, there was nothing against putting protective spells and charms around it, which made it a very good hiding place during times like these.

The students were sitting in any spot that they could find: some on the floor, some on the stairs, and others on the arms of sofas. Six out of the seven Misfits were crammed in a corner, discussing the outcome of the war.

"What do you think'll if You-Know-Who wins?" asked Ginny, picking at a piece of the carpet.

"I don't know," replied George. "Let's hope he doesn't win. There has to be some way to stop him."

"Yeah," agreed Lee. "In the end, evil people always get what's coming to them. They don't stay on top for long."

Meanwhile, Harry was sitting with his mother over on the opposite side of the room. They both had been crying for an hour, hugging each other, not knowing what to say. Harry knew that boys weren't supposed to cry, but this situation definitely broke that rule. His father was gone. Dead. It was for real this time. His fear had finally become a reality.

And Peter, Sirius, and Remus. They had been just as much of fathers to Harry as James had. He felt nothing but pain and misery at the thought of all of them. None of them deserved to die. They were supposed to win. They were supposed to come back dragging Voldemort dead. Not the other way around….

Harry noticed his mother looking down at him, tears still in her eyes.

"Harry? Did I ever tell you about what your father said about you when you were born?" Lily asked. Her face was still red, but there was a smile on her face now.

"No." Harry replied solemnly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "What did he say?"

Lily leaned her head against Harry's. "He said you were the best thing that ever happened to him. I'd never seen a bigger smile on his face. He really loved you and—" she began to choke on her words and tears began to flow again. "—he always tried his hardest to protect you…. He dedicated his whole life to you…and he always wanted—"

She couldn't finish. She broke down and began crying again. But, it was okay. She didn't need to say anymore. Harry understood how much his father loved him, and he couldn't help feeling pride at the extinct of that love.

&

As predicted, no one at the Ministry was about to take orders from Voldemort. Right and left, Death Eaters and Aurors and other Ministry employees were dueling. Bill Weasley had arrived with Nymphadora Tonks, Hestia Jones, and the other Avalon Aurors and their trainees, and the teachers from Hogwarts—including Severus Snape—had joined the fray. The entire scene was chaotic. Bodies were flying in every direction. Voldemort tried to duel with three people at once, but sent them flying across the Atrium.

Finally, he found Arthur. He stared at him with wicked eyes.

"Mr. Weasley," he hissed. "I believe your position as Minister of Magic belongs to me, would you not agree?"

Everyone around Arthur was silent. The fighting had completely ceased and now all eyes were watching him and Voldemort.

"No." Arthur stared at Voldemort defiantly. His answer was bold. " I do not think that my position as Minister of Magic belongs to you. You are not welcome here."

Voldemort's face contorted with fury. "I challenge you to a duel," he said.

"And I challenge you, Tom Riddle."

Arthur looked around, as did the rest of the people in the Ministry. It was the old shopkeeper from Pendulum Games. Mr. Bishop, Arthur remembered his name being. He walked toward the center of the Atrium where Voldemort and Arthur were.

"You?" Voldemort scoffed.

Bishop gave a wicked smile. "Yes, I, Gellert Grindelwald, challenge you to a duel to the death. Do you accept?"

Gasps could be heard throughout the enormous room. Gellert Grindelwald? Arthur thought. It can't be.

Voldemort's mocking smile vanished instantly, only to be replaced by a strange look. Was it fear? Arthur couldn't tell.

"Do you accept" Grindelwald repeated serenely.

Voldemort did not reply immediately. Yes, Arthur thought. That is definitely fear in his eyes. But, how could Voldemort be afraid of Grindelwald? Did Grindelwald possess a power that Voldemort did not?

"I accept," Voldemort finally replied.

Arthur jumped out of the way as the two men bowed. Voldemort was always one to do things properly.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted. A jet of green light issued from the tip of his wand, but Grindelwald deflected it with a mere swish of his wand. He sent a curse flying at Voldemort, snapping the Dark Lord's wand in half.

A look of absolute horror came into Voldemort's face, as it did everyone else's. No one had ever done that to Voldemort before.

"How could you?" Voldemort demanded. "How-how-"

"Fear, Riddle." Grindelwald replied. "The fear that you have of me does not do well for your spells. It causes them to be emitted poorly. Only confidence produces strong spells."

"Another duel!" Voldemort shouted. He turned to Bellatrix Lestrange who was standing behind him, and shouted, "Give me another wand!"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a spare one. "This was Peter Pettigrew's, my Lord. I took it from him when I killed him."

"That will do." The Dark Lord snatched the wand from the woman's hand and turned back to Grindelwald.

"Are you ready for another try, Riddle?" Grindelwald smiled.

Voldemort's eyes were full of more rage than anyone had ever seen in them.

"Avada Kedavra!" He yelled, pointing the wand straight at Grindelwald's heart.

But, no light was emitted from the wand at all. It was as if the wand was broken. Voldemort stared at it, thunderstruck, and shouted again, "Avada Kedavra!"

Nothing.

Grindelwald smiled and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

The wand came flying from Voldemort's hand and Grindelwald caught it in his own.

"You see, Riddle." Grindelwald chuckled and twirled the newly captured wand between his fingers. "This wand was once my own. Albus Dumbledore took it from me after he won our infamous duel in 1945. As he told me, he later entrusted it to Peter Pettigrew in his will. But, that being beside the point, I created this wand myself, using some of my own spells. There is a charm on this wand that allows it to detect its maker, me. This charm prevents the wand from firing curses at me. Quite a clever idea, don't you think?"

Voldemort stared dumbfounded at Grindelwald, not knowing what to say. Perhaps it was the realization that someone had actually beaten him, but Arthur couldn't tell for sure. Everyone else in the room was amazed at Grindelwald's talent and was whispering frantically. Arthur himself had never heard of a type of magic like that. It was genius.

"I think you've had your fair share of dueling for once in a lifetime, Riddle." Grindelwald smiled again. Then, pointing his old wand at Voldemort, he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light flew from his wand and hit Voldemort in the chest, sending his body flying backward into the mass of screaming people behind him. The Death Eaters screamed and began to run in every direction, but the Aurors cornered them.

"I think we can send them all back to Azkaban now," Grindelwald said, chuckling. "No one is controlling it at the moment."

End Note: I really hope that you guys liked this. I was pretty happy with it. I don't think this is how Robin's story will turn out, but we'll see. Oh, and to all of you who are reading "Another Day in the Department of Mysteries," no, Grindelwald will not be the one to vanquish Voldemort. He plays a big part in the story, but he will not be the one to ultimately defeat him, just FYI. If you guys would like me to make a continuation to this story, just let me know. Thanks.

Amélie