Disclaimer: I do not lay any claim to Harry Potter, or anything affiliated with Harry Potter. It all belongs to JKR.
A/N This is just a short one shot that I have been fiddling around with for a while, and I finally managed to finish writing it. I have always wanted to write the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. -gigglesquee- So...enjoy!
Everyone had thought her to be a fool to love someone who was doomed to die, or at least doomed to fight for the rest of his life, but she held strong. Her love never wavered and neither did his. They held onto one another, giving the other strength when it was needed, hope when it was diminished, and love in desperate times of war. He had always tried to shield her from the danger, but he knew that she was going to follow wherever he ventured, and together, they would seek out and destroy Voldemort with Hermione and Ron at their side. It was a cold and rainy night in February when Harry Potter would fulfill his destiny.
Thunder sounded in the distance, and lightning flashed above them while the raindrops pelted them like stones falling from the gray sky. They made their way towards Voldemort's fortress, a house that he had claimed as his own; the very same house that his muggle father had died in. Harry found the irony in it amusing, but he didn't dwell too much on it as he and his companions stood just beyond the wards of the house. The brief flashes of light that the lightning provided were enough to silhouette them in the darkness, causing a small swarm of Death Eaters to file out of the house, hoods drawn and wands raised.
They were prepared to die for the man that they claimed their allegiance to, but Harry and his friends had no intentions of killing them. They wanted to see them rot in the dirty cells of Azkaban. The only one to die would be Voldemort, or so they hoped. They had placed protection spells on themselves, but none that could guard off the killing curse. Before leaving they alerted the Ministry to their whereabouts, knowing that Kingsley would believe them, and in turn alert the Order. It wouldn't be long before the grounds around them would be filled with cracks as aurors, and Order members apparated around them.
Harry had spent the better part of a year tracking down and destroying Voldemort's horcruxes, and it wasn't until last night that he had destroyed them all, leaving the snakelike man mortal just as they were. He was vulnerable now, but Harry knew that he was not aware of his losses. Voldemort was confident that his horcruxes would never be found, and he had never counted on a seventeen-year-old boy to be the one to find them.
Harry's emerald eyes were hardened and cold as he stared out at the Death Eaters, and he felt the familiar squeeze of Ginny's hand. Tonight was the night when it all ended. The source of all his grief, and his loveless childhood was going to be vanquished, or he was going to die trying. He glanced briefly at Hermione, who in turn nodded at him, her eyes holding a hatred that he never thought they could. Hermione's parents had perished at the hands of the vile man, and she wanted revenge. He then turned his eyes onto his best friend, his right hand man, and he clapped him on the back. Ron vowed to stay by Harry's side, and through a small charm that they had performed one night became Harry's blood brother. He was going to fight for Harry, and fight for the Light.
"Harry Potter," spat a voice from one of the hooded men, "Do you think that four teenagers can outwit and defeat the greatest wizard alive today?"
"And do you," said Harry coldly, "think that we cannot? Voldemort has already been defeated. He chose to believe a prophecy that has led him to his doom; me. Voldemort will fall today, and all of you along with him."
As if on cue loud cracks filled the air and before they knew it they were surrounded by more than fifty Aurors, and Order members. Harry merely smiled at the robed men before them, his eyes burning with a need for vengeance for all the pain that Voldemort had caused. He felt his scar prick and he turned his eyes to the staircase that led into the house, and there upon them stood his target. His scarlet eyes were trained solely on Harry, and a malicious smirk was plastered on his pale face.
"Potter," he said, "Ready to meet your doom?"
"Riddle," he said, "I believe it is you who will meet yours."
Flashes of red, blue, green, and gold erupted from the tips of wands, and Harry threw Ginny one last glance before he ran into the battle before them. Cries of agony were already echoing through the night, and blood was already spilt upon the ground. It had begun.
Harry looked to his right, Hermione and Ron were engaged in a fight with the same tall death eater that had helped breach the castle at the end of his sixth year, and to his left, to his horror, Ginny was sending hex after hex at Draco Malfoy. He fought everything in him to turn and help her, but he knew that he had a task to do, and one that needed to be done. He had to rid the world of Voldemort, if he didn't they would all be doomed to a future that they wouldn't survive. Harry had his wand held out in front of him, shocked that he had managed to avoid confrontation.
'Voldemort must have ordered them to not touch me,' he thought. Harry stopped just before the steps of the makeshift fortress, his heart beating wildly in his chest, and his eyes lit with fury. Behind him he heard the strangled cry of someone being hit with what he could only presume to be a Crucio curse, and he winced, knowing what that pain was like first hand.
"Potter," drawled a voice from behind him. Harry knew that voice to well, and he wanted nothing more than to destroy the owner. He pivoted slowly, his emerald eyes meeting the black eyes of Severus Snape. Harry felt anger boil inside him, and his grip on his wand tightened.
"He trusted you," he said, the pain of losing Dumbledore all too real once more. "He trusted you with his life, and you took it."
"He was nothing more than an old fool," spat Snape, his lip curling in a malicious smirk, "he along with the rest of the Order."
Harry looked just past his shoulders, and to his relief he saw Remus Lupin approaching them in the distance. "His only mistake was thinking that there was anything worth saving in you."
"You'll never learn to respect your superiors Potter," he spat, raising his wand and aiming it at Harry.
"I will never respect someone like you. You're no better than Voldemort," he said, aiming his wand at his old potions master, "Incarcerous!"
Thin ropes shot from the end of Harry's wand, and Snape quickly deflected them, a smug smirk spreading on his face, "It won't work Potter," he said, "You tried to defeat me last time. I am better than you."
"Expelliarmus!" boomed the lycanthropes voice. A thin jet of blue light struck Snape in the back, and to his horror his wand flew from his hand, and while it flew through the air Harry quickly took action, "Incendio." It was only a moment before the fire caught Snape's wand and it was burnt to ashes.
"Game over Snivellus," said Harry, resurrecting his old nickname. Harry had never seen a look filled with as much hate as the one Snape was giving him, but it was short lived as Remus stunned the death eater, and bound him.
"Go Harry," said Remus, "go."
Harry nodded and ran into the old house, the eerie silence of the house catching him off guard. He looked back through the door, and while he could see the battle raging as clear as day he could not hear any of the cries, or the screams echoing from their mouths. He was lost between a world he knew and his destiny. Harry stepped forward, inching into the darkness, his feet leading him further into Voldemort's territory. Harry's breath was ragged, and he knew that he was moments away from death or victory.
"Ahh young Harry," said a hissing voice from behind him, "How nice of you to join us."
Harry spun around, his wand in front of him, and his eyes befell his enemy, accompanied by none other than his family's betrayer. His eyes narrowed as he took them in, he had hoped that he would not have to meet Voldemort in the company of another.
"I see your friends have joined you," he hissed, walking over to a window, "Is that the same Miss Weasley I got to know 5 years ago? Pretty young thing isn't she?"
"Leave her out of this," growled Harry, "Leave them all out of this."
"I am not the one that brought them here today Harry," he said, turning back to face him, his red eyes gleaming in the candlelight, "You made them a part of this. Everyone that has perished at my wand, or at my orders, did not have to die. Your mother, Dumbledore, Diggory, Sirius, any of them; they stood between what I wanted, and what I wanted was you. You are the reason they died."
Harry could feel tears welling in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. He was not the reason they died. It was not his fault, it was Voldemort's cruel nature that lead to their unfortunate deaths, and that was the reason Harry was here, standing in front of the vile man; to avenge them. A low growl vibrated in Harry's throat, and his emerald gaze was piercing Voldemort. He was not going to win.
"They died because you are a sick twisted man," spat Harry, his wand still held firmly in front of him.
"I am no mere man," snarled Voldemort, "You of all people should know this Harry. I am invincible, immortal if you will."
Harry smirked, and he couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape past his lips, "You are no more immortal than I Tom."
"Ah but Harry," he said, moving towards the middle of the room, a glint of amusement in his scarlet eyes, "you do not know the steps I have taken to secure my immortality. No one does. And no one ever will. I have gone further than anyone before me, and even now your blood courses through my veins, and you my dear boy, are no longer untouchable; Crucio!"
Harry felt the familiar jolt of pain course down his spine, and his knees buckled from under him. He was on the ground, his wand clutched tightly in his hand still. He wasn't going to let go. He wasn't going to give up or give in. He could feel beads of sweat line his brow, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he fell forward, hitting the hardwood floor with a resounding thump.
"Get the girl."
Harry could feel the curse lift as the pain subsided, and he looked up at Voldemort from his place on the floor. Lifting himself up he felt his muscles tremble underneath him, and he could still taste the blood in his mouth. He didn't care, and he quickly spat it out, the blood a light red as it mixed with his saliva. He said get the girl. What girl? Hermione? Ginny? He didn't want to lose either of them. He couldn't lose either of them.
"Leave her alone," he said, trying to calm his shaking muscles. "this is between us Riddle."
"Crucio!" he shouted again, his scarlet eyes pinned on Harry, and a sneer crossing his thin lips.
"Protego!" shouted Harry, deflecting the curse, and he lunged forward without thinking, knocking Wormtail to the ground. He quickly disarmed him, and could feel Voldemorts threatening eyes lingering on him. "You're losing Riddle. Look out there! You're followers are running, and dying. No one wants to stay in the service of a monster!"
"You know nothing Potter," he said, his voice venomous. "You can't save them when you're dead."
Harry watched in horror as the snakelike wizard before him disapparated with a loud crack. He knew what he was doing. He was luring him out onto the battlefield. He was so sure that he was going to win, that he wanted everyone to see the day that he killed Harry Potter, but it wasn't going to work that way, thought Harry. Voldemort wasn't aware of his weakness, and that was Harry's advantage.
Running out of the old house, he snapped Peter's wand over his knee, and discarded it, his eyes scanning the battlefield for any sign of Voldemort. "Harry!"
Harry frantically searched for the owner of the voice, and when he looked to his left he saw Hermione, pointing towards the center of the battlefield. Voldemort was standing there, Ginny in his clutches, and Harry felt his heart plummet into his stomach. He hadn't wanted Ginny to come for this very reason, but he knew there was no stopping the fiery red head.
"Let her go!" he screamed, marching towards them, his wand extended in front of him.
"Why would I do that?" he said, his voice cold and cruel, "Ginerva and I are getting reacquainted."
"Like hell we are," she spat, "Kill him Harry. Just do it. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. No matter what happens."
"Ginny," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "Let her go. I'll do anything. Just let her go."
"I thought you would say that," he said, triumph flashing in his red eyes, "You are to predictable Potter." Voldemort roughly threw Ginny from his grasp, but stunned her as she made to run for Harry. Harry watched as she fell to the ground, her red hair fanned out around her. "Throw your wand away you foolish boy. "
"No," he said, moving closer to him. Harry reached into his pocket, his hand clumsily plucking something from his pocket.
"Do you want her to die?" drawled Voldemort.
"I want you to die," he answered, taking another step forward. Harry threw down the object he had, and darkness suddenly surrounded them. Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Harry hastily reached for the body of Ginny, and when he felt her under his hands, he whispered ennervate.
"Ginny," he whispered, "you havent much time, go to Hermione."
"Harry," she pleaded.
"Just do it Ginny!" Harry stood, and pulled her to her feet. The darkness was wearing thin, and he felt Ginny squeeze his hand before running past him and towards Hermiones voice.
He felt a strong gust of wind, and he wasn't surprised to see Voldemort standing a mere five feet from him, hatred contorting his already disfigured features. "Tisk tisk Potter," he said, "one mustn't play dirty."
"You're one to talk," he sneered. Harry knew that the moment he was going to have kill or be killed was approaching rapidly, and he swallowed hard, a lump of fear forming in his stomach. He had known it would come to this, but that didn't make him ready for it.
"What's that Harry? Are you insinuating that I don't play fair?"
"I'm not insinuating anything," he said, "It's fact. Last time I checked, creating more a horcrux was a way of cheating death."
Harry thought he saw Voldemort falter for a moment, but whatever he thought he saw was quickly replaced by a look of pure loathing.
"Didn't think I knew about that one did you?" he said, realizing that he finally had the upper hand, "Oh yeah. Dumbledore told me all about them. You're not as immortal as you think Tom."
Harry hoped that in using his muggle name, it would provoke him, and it did. A ray of purple light shot at him, but he used his quick reflexes to avoid it. "They're all gone Tom. Every last one."
The sound that followed was one that Harry would never be able to describe, no one that was present that day could. It was a mixture between a cry, and an animalistic hissing. It pierced his ears, and he winced at the terror the noise was inflicting. When it was over, he saw Voldemort point his wand, but what shocked Harry most was the his wand was pointed over his shoulder.
"Say goodbye to your girlfriend Potter," he spat. Harry spun around, his eyes meeting Ginny's. Everything he had ever known about her started to flash before his eyes, and when a thin jet of green whizzed past him, he spun around, the words of the killing curse rolling of his tongue.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry didn't wait to see if the light hit Voldemort, his mind lay elsewhere, and that was on the red head that was lying motionless on the ground near Hermione. Screams echoed from the mouths of the Death Eaters, and they were clutching their forearms. To Harry that meant only one thing. He had indeed killed the most feared wizard. His breath was caught in his throat, and his heart was beating rapidly. He was too late, he knew that. Ginny's chest wasn't rising and falling, and he fell on the ground next to her.
"Ginny," he said, "No. Please don't be dead. You can't be dead. SOMEONE HELP ME!"
Hermione looked down at her two friends, tears welling up in her eyes, and she didn't know what to do, "Harry," she tried, "No one can do anything. I-I'm sorry. W-w-we cant bring her back."
He knew she was right, but that didn't mean his heart believed her. He looked down into Ginny's delicate face. He traced his index finger along her jaw line, "Why did I have to lose you too," As the light faded from her eyes tears fell freely from his own, realization sinking in that he would never again hear her say 'I love you', hold her hand, or feel her warmth pressed against his. She was gone, her soul drifting up to the Heavens above, and he would never get to kiss her or look into her eyes and see her looking back; it was at this moment he knew what it was like to love an angel. For loving an angel meant loving someone who was no longer with you and for the love of an angel, named Ginny Weasley, he wept. Harry was destined to be graced by the love of angels; his parents, his godfather, Dumbledore, and now Ginny. With a final glance to the sky he whispered, his voice only a shell of what it had been, "Take care of her mum, dad." He collapsed onto her chest, his tears mixing with the blood soaked soil beneath them.
Thats all folks!
Please R/R!!
XxNikixX