Summary: After Harry's final battle with Voldemort, he finally gets the opportunity to ask Ginny what he's been wanting to ask her for years. A true love story with plenty of action and adventure and the startling realization that love conquers all.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I only own the plot.
Love Conquers All
Harry awoke to the blissful sound of silence, alone in a dark room. Instantly his heart was gripped with fear. He was still in shock, traumatized by the terrible events of the last few days. He recalled the long awaited but yet dreadful final battle between himself and Voldemort.
What had started off as a peaceful moonlit Halloween night in Godric's Hollow had suddenly changed and taken a terrible turn. Harry was sitting quietly in the ruins of his parents' house meditating and reminiscing about his parents: James and Lily and what his life would have been like if they were still alive and the events of that wretched night, exactly sixteen years ago, had not taken place. It was at this moment that Voldemort and his Death Eaters made an appearance. He bitterly recalled the identities of the Death Eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange, the vile woman who was responsible for Sirius' death. She was number two on Harry's hit list. Lucius Malfoy, his dear enemy Draco's disgusting father; and Narcissa, Draco's mother and Bellatrix's sister who always looks like she has dung under her nose. Harry was still convinced that was because she was Malfoy's mother. Crabbe and Goyle, fathers who were no brighter than their sons. Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, the filthy traitor whom Harry had let live in his third year. He now wished that he hadn't been so merciful. And of course, Severus Snape. Harry's disdain for him could not be expressed in words. The others remained masked so that Harry could not name them.
"How fitting, I shall have the pleasure of finishing the murder I have been working on for sixteen years at the very place it all started," drawled Voldemort.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Harry replied.
"Oh? Why is that? As you can clearly see, we are alone. You are outnumbered twenty to one. Dumbledore cannot save you this time. He is dead, courtesy of my faithful servant, Severus," he nodded towards Snape, who smirked and bowed in reply.
"I am aware of this as I was there at the time. However, before he passed on Dumbledore left me with some useful information. Have you checked on your Horcruxes lately, Tom?" Harry countered wittily.
Voldemort froze for a minute, a look of exceptional surprise on his face. He quickly suppressed the emotion. "What know you of Horcruxes, little boy? From what I recall, it is a banned subject at Hogwarts."
"Well Tom, Dumbledore made a bit of an exception for me, you see. As he heard the contents of the prophecy, he knew that it was to be I that will finally vanquish you."
At the utterance of this statement, a gasp of shock went through the circle of Death Eaters.
"What is this Tom?" Harry laughed cruelly,"You did not reveal the contents of the prophecy to your closest friends? I guess your big, bad, Lord Voldemort facade could not withstand the knowledge that a seventeen year old boy will finally be your downfall. Sybill Trelawney may make bogus predictions sometimes but that prophecy was real. Did the itty witty evil lord not want his Death Eater pals to think he was a weakling and a coward?" He said in a baby voice, taunting Voldemort mercilessly. "Now that we're on the subject, I think it is my responsibility to inform you that I have destroyed your Horcruxes. Your diary, Slytherin's locket, Marvelo Gaunt's ring, Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's wand, and of course your snake, Nagini," as he said each one, Harry ticked them off on his fingers, "So that means that all that's left to remove is the one piece of your soul that is left in your body."
"I'll kill you for this Potter!" Voldemort sputtered and drew his wand.
At this moment, there was a series of distinctive cracks and at least twenty people apparated into the clearing, wands drawn and firing off spells in all directions towards the Death Eaters. Cries of "Stupefy!", "Impedimenta!" and "Expelliarmus!" echoed through the air. Many Death Eaters crumbled at the receiving end of the Order of the Phoenix's and Dumbledore's Army's hexes. Others strode forwards to engage in duels with the Order and DA's members.
Malfoy was meeting Remus, spell for spell. As expected, Wormtail showed his cowardly side once again and ran from the battle. Neville and Bellatrix were dueling fiercely. Harry let Neville have that battle, knowing that Neville's need to avenge for the fates of his parents was greater than Harry's for Sirius. Further along, Fred and George were befuddling Crabbe and Goyle by jinxing them thoroughly then deflecting their counter jinxes with their assortment of Shield Hats, Cloaks and other clothing items. Tonks and Narcissa were going all out until Tonks morphed into a perfect copy of Lucius and Narcissa stopped abruptly, mortified at the prospect of hexing her husband. She then turned and started on Ginny. Ginny fell as a result of Narcissa's spell. Harry strode forwards angrily determined to finish Narcissa off but Tonks eliminated her from the battle with a well placed "Stupefy!" She felt victim to a masked death eater's killing spell. Harry knelt at Ginny's side, feeling heartbroken. "Don't die on me, don't die on me," he whispered over and over. Hermione appeared next to him and took Ginny to St. Mungo's via an illegal portkey. Harry surged back into the heat of things with renewed strength and a taste for revenge. Slowly the tide of the battle turned, with Death Eaters and Voldemort taking control.
At last only Voldemort, Snape and Harry remained standing.
"Prepare to die, Potter! I've waited sixteen years for this moment to come. Now you will learn what happen's to those who defy Lord Voldemort."
"Kill me if you wish, Tom. I don't care anymore. I have nothing to live for. At least if I die, I will be with my mother and father again. So go ahead and strike me down," Harry replied thickly, his heart and voice full of emotion.
"I will have much pleasure with this death. Avada Kedavra!"
"Nooooo!" Snape jumped in front of the green jet emerging from Voldemort's wand and took the curse meant for Harry. As he crumpled to the ground, revelation grasped Harry. Snape, his most hated enemy, Dumbledore's killer, who had detested Harry since the day they met , had just died to save his life.
With this final gesture of love, the charm that Lily had placed on Voldemort minutes before she died had been fulfilled. Voldemort let out a shriek and fell to the ground, stone cold in death. The charm was ancient magic and was known as the "Charm of Venus," after the goddess of love. When someone dies to spare the life of another and places this charm upon the killer, the killer too dies after four other people who love the victim also die to save his life. In Harry's case, the deaths of Sirius, Dumbledore, Tonks and now Severus Snape, to save him in the end fulfilled the charm's requirements and vanquished Voldemort. With this outcome, Harry blacked out.
As he became more aware of his surroundings, Harry realized he was lying in a hospital bed. He groped for his glasses and struggled to put them on, the task greatly complicated due to the fact that he was shaking uncontrollably. When they finally reached his nose and settled properly, he was able to make out a familiar setting. The door next to his bed opened suddenly, and Madam Pomfrey bustled out, "You're awake!" she exclaimed joyfully.
"What happened? Is Voldemort really dead? Where's Ginny? Is she alright?" Harry confronted the matron with questions.
"You've been asleep for three days. Voldemort is dead and so are most of his followers, Bellatrix, the Malfoy's, Crabbe and Goyle. The rest of his Death Eaters are hunted down and in Azkaban, including Peter Pettigrew. Ms. Weasley is perfectly okay and has been at your bedside constantly. She is just gone to the Great Hall to grab a bite of dinner."
Minutes later, Ginny burst into the ward, dropped the food and ran towards him. "Harry, Harry! You're alive. Oh my goodness, I was never so scared in my life. Never do that to me again!" she collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably on his shoulder, soaking his shirt quickly.
"Ginny, Ginny. It's alright. Voldemort's gone and we're both here alive. Now, shhh," he soothed her gently and enveloped her in a bear hug. "I have something important to ask you right away."
Ron and Hermione chose this moment to bound through the door. "Harry! Is it true he's really gone?"
"Yes, he's truly dead. I am so glad to see you guys. Thank you so much for your help destroying the Horcruxes and for being there for me this last year."
"Blimey Harry! It was no trouble," quipped Ron.
Harry yawned widely. "Time for you to get back to sleep. You mustn't overexert yourself," Madam Pomfrey chided him gently.
Four Days Later:
"Ginny, would you like to go for a walk around the lake?" asked Harry, his stomach shifting nervously with anticipation about the forthcoming events.
"Sure Harry," she smiled slyly.
The two of them grabbed cloaks, because there was a slight chill coming into the air and headed from Gryffindor tower down towards the lake. After strolling in silence for a few minutes, they stopped under the shelter of a tree. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Birds were migrating overhead, venturing south to spend the long winter. Harry paused, trying to work up the nerve to ask her what he had been dying to ask her since last year. He recalled a vivid image of a young boy playing with a Snitch under that very tree, ruffling his hair and scouting out the love of his life who was sitting under a nearby tree oblivious to his attention. He smiled, knowing that his father would have no qualms about asking Ginny in his place.
"Ginny?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry?" she replied lovingly.
"Well, we were interrupted as I was trying to ask you this a few days ago. As you know I am very attracted to you and I have been for awhile. I broke off our relationship at the end of last year because I feared Voldemort would hurt you to get to me," he paused, gathering his thoughts "Heck, what am I trying to say? I love you dearly and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Harry knelt and produced a shimmering diamond ring which reflected the sun's rays and sent streaks of color into the air.
Ginny's response was to jump in his arms and kiss him passionately. They swayed in the sunlight for a moment, enjoying the taste of the other's lips and the fire of love burning within their hearts. Ginny looked deep into Harry's eyes, "Yes. Nothing would please me more than to be your wife."
Their wedding day:
"Hermione, do I look alright?"
"Yes, of course. You look absolutely wonderful," Hermione assured her diligently, "Doesn't she, Mrs. Weasley?"
"Yes, dear. You are perfect," Mrs. Weasley replied.
"Are you sure he still wants to go through with this? He hasn't changed his mind has he?" Ginny asked anxiously.
"Change his mind? After all you two have been through together? Definitely not!" Hermione smiled.
"Come along dear. It's time to go," Mrs. Weasley burst into tears.
"What's the matter, Mum?"
"Nothing. I'm just so happy to see you married off to the boy of your dreams."
The music started and the doors to the Great Hall opened quietly. All the guests got to their feet. Harry who was standing before the altar, gave a nervous shiver and looked sideways at Ron. Ron smiled encouragingly and nodded towards the doors. Harry looked and saw Ginny coming down the aisle. It was a breathtaking sight. Her hair was delicately curled and tied back beautifully with a white ribbon. She was glamorous in her white, sleeveless, silk gown, a glorious train gliding gently behind her. Harry beamed brightly and stepped forward to grasp her hand. She glanced towards him, smiled and gave his hand a quick, encouraging squeeze. The minister officiated the ceremony and finally he got to the phrase Harry was longing to hear: "You may now kiss the bride."
Their lips locked, driven with passion and fire. Harry felt a force that he had never felt before. It seemed to blossom out of his heart, fueled by the power of his love for Ginny. As he kissed her, he heard voices that he had often longed to hear again.
The first was Severus Snape, more pleasanter towards Harry in death than he had ever been in life. "Congratulations, Harry. You deserve it."
Next was Tonks. "Wotcher, Harry. I always thought you two would make the perfect couple."
Dumbledore followed her. "I am more proud of you than you can ever know. I was right, wasn't I? The power of love cannot be ignored."
James, Lily and Sirius made their appearance together. "Well done. You're more like James than I ever thought. He snogged Lily shamelessly on the altar, too, at their wedding," Sirius chuckled. James and Lily gazed at Harry proudly with tears in their eyes. "We miss you son. You've done so much in so little time. Always remember that we love you dearly and that you deserve the best out of life. Never feel responsible for our deaths, we went of our own free choice. We love you."
With that final thought echoing in his head, Harry and Ginny broke off their loving kiss. Everyone applauded and more than one was seen bawling happily. Hagrid was blowing his noise and making trumpeting sounds and even McGonagall was crying tears of joy. As these emotions played out around Harry, he felt a warm tingling on his forehead. The power of love had conquered the remaining sign of Lord Voldemort and Harry was finally free of the haunting, lightning-shaped scar.
AN: This is my first fanfiction. Please review and let me know what you think :)