Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I'm just playing in JKR's world.
Warning: Mild swearing.
The Quartet of Mages.
The memory of Voldemort's hissing taunts echoed through Harry's head as they had echoed through the walls of Hogwarts, commanding Harry to come alone to the Forbidden Forest to surrender. Harry would not be commanded, he would go where he willed. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards into a slight smirk – it was easier to do what he must, knowing where Voldemort was however. He slipped silently from the old oaken doors and stopped halfway to the forest.
He stood tall, a light wind ruffling his jet hair to reveal his lightning bolt scar. He reached for the golden snitch in his pocket and lifted it calmly to his lips, he knew what he had to do. The metal was cool on his skin.
"I am about to die," he breathed, letting the words flow over the slowly beating wings with the whispering wind. The intricate decoration on the snitch split open along the centre, emitting a soft line of light. It rose into the air before falling to the ground in two halves. Harry's hand shot out for the glowing object dropping from the centre of the snitch. He unfurled his fingers to see what his seekers reflexes had caught. It was a ring, slender and silver, with a large glowing blue stone in the entre, the image of the Hallows carved into it. He looked at it curiously and ran a single finger down the ring where the blue stone had cracked. Magic flowed through his fingertips and the cracks in the stone seemed to melt away, leaving the eerily beautiful rock intact. He slipped the ring on. Warmth rushed through him to the silver band on his finger. He held out his hand, perfectly steady, and watched the ghostly figures flow out of the faintly glowing blue stone as fragile wisps of smoke. As the figures of his parents and Sirius formed Harry smiled sadly, "…I'll be coming to stay with you soon." A single tear escaped and he closed his eyes, "I'm just sorry I couldn't say goodbye. To Neville, Luna, Hermione… My, 'Mione… We were married last week, in a double ceremony with Nev and Luna. You would have liked them, they're wonderful. And Neville, Nev's my blood-brother, so Luna's my sister now. Harry gave a small laugh, tinged with bitterness, "Talk about irony. I get a brother one morning, and a wife and sister that evening, and after I finally get a family, a week later I have to die… but I'll do it, because it's for them." Another tear fell, glittering in the moonlight before being swallowed up by the darkness of the grass at his feet. His mother reached out a hand and Harry leaned in to the touch, trying to feel her warmth. A soft breeze caressed his scar and cheek as ghostly fingers trailed along his skin. He opened his eyes. "It's time," he spoke calmly.
"We're so proud of you, son," James said, "all of us."
"And stop feeling to guilty about what happened at the Ministry, it wasn't your fault." Sirius added, and his expression was so sincere that for the first time, Harry actually believed it. He smiled and his whole body felt lighter as the guilt finally left him. "You managed to keep six students alive against twelve ruthless killers, Harry, that's something to be proud of. Just do me one thing."
"Sure…"
"Give my darling cousin Bella hell from me." Harry grinned, expression matching his godfather's almost perfectly.
"With pleasure, Siri." The figures in front of him started to become more translucent, small smiles on their faces as they faded.
"We love you darling," whispered his mother, "never forget that." Harry's eyes shone with a fierce intensity. "I love you too," he whispered back as they disappeared from view, shimmering lights swirling, twisting up from where they had stood, high into the night sky.
Harry straightened his shoulders and resolve gleamed brightly in his eyes. He turned briefly to the towering castle that had become his home and thought of the huge huddle of students sheltered there. The Professors and the DA surrounding the other students, bravely willing to fight for them to the last. But Harry wasn't going to fight for them, not this time. This time he was going to die for them. He breathed deeply and felt for Neville's great aura; earthy and strong, very strong. It had an almost solid feel to it, despite the fluidity of the flowing magic. Luna's aura; light, drifting and swirling, it seemed to sparkle, but it was still powerful, almost as powerful as Neville's. Hermione's aura; warm, welcoming, passionate. It was as powerful as Luna's, and they both had a feeling of unattainable grace, both girls carried their true glamour-less selves with such elegance, their magic almost floating round them. Harry let the auras of the three people he was soul-bonded to flow around him, his soul-mate's, soul-brother's and soul-sister's, letting the feel of their magic wash over him and flood his senses. He savoured the moment, then turned abruptly to face the woods.
He walked towards the Forbidden Forest, tucking his wand into its holster on his wrist. He slipped easily into invisibility, as his aura flared temporarily into existence when he brushed his magical core. Enjoying the freedom of movement allowed when unhindered by an invisibility cloak he admitted to himself that there were some upsides to being a High Mage, one more powerful than Merlin. A rustle in the leaves, foreign to the forest's usual whisperings, was caught by Harry's sharp hearing. Catching a glimpse of white scales Harry extended his hand and a large albino python came flying to land at his feet, unable to move. Harry dropped his invisibility and saw something evil and unnatural clouding her gaze.
"Ah, Nagini," he greeted the magnificent serpent, "I see why you serve Riddle," he murmured, more to himself than Nagini, who spat, hissing furiously as she tried to release herself from his spell. Harry ignored her struggling to place a hand over her eyes and she froze in place. He began whispered an incantation in parseltongue, the words more habit than necessity, "Animus Extricare". The serpent writhed on the ground, in obvious pain, before there was a dreadful scream in the minds of man and snake, and a sickly green mist left Nagini's eyes, forming a Dark Mark in the air. "Animus Annhilo" Harry finished, and the mist vanished. He let out a sigh of relief, "One Horcrux to go…" His hand drifted up to his scar, where the final Horcrux resided. The snake at his feet hissed blearily as she regained consciousness. She caught sight of Harry, and would have gasped if she could, "Forgive me!" she exclaimed, dropping her head to his feet in submission. "Rise Nagini," he told her, "you are forgiven, it was not your sin. Go, escape from Riddle and stay safe my friend." She bowed in acquiescence and watched him leave in wonder before obeying and slithering away.
Harry moved through the woods, listening to the whispered warnings of the plants and beasts and following their hushed directions. He reached out with his magic, thanking and reassuring the forest. He turned in the direction the trees nudged him in and walked up to the pair of masked Death Eaters, footsteps as silent as a cat as he gracefully traversed the treacherous ground. Harry touched his fingertips on the back of each of their necks and with a surge of magic the two men fell lifeless to the ground. Harry turned away and continued with out remorse. He had issued an offer to all the Death Eaters who had never wished to serve the Dark Lord, and offered to remove their mark. Those that remained with Voldemort enjoyed torturing and murdering. They were beyond redemption.
He felt hundreds of dark auras ahead of him, pulsing in time with their heartbeats. None of the auras had the potential to become visible though, he mused, they were not powerful enough…perhaps one or two. He masked his own aura once more and melted into invisibility. He reached a clearing and saw Voldemort's followers kneeling in circles around the edge of the clearing, Voldemort in the centre of the ring. Harry stealthily slipped through the ring to stand before Voldemort, still undetected. He looked at the snake-like face and malevolent eyes and felt no fear.
"His hour is up. Start killing them all. Potter isn't coming; I always knew he was a coward." Harry dropped his invisibility and stopped stifling the feel of his aura. Power rolled off him in waves and the look in his eyes was formidable. The Death Eaters drew backwards and Voldemort only just prevented himself from flinching. Harry smiled guilelessly,
"A coward, Tom? I think not." Voldemort regained his composure and sneered,
"So, he turned up after all. Foolish, Potter, very foolish."
"Perhaps," Harry conceded, uncaring either way. Voldemort thin lips twisted into a cruel smile, a single word leaving his lips, one whose sound promised pain.
"Crucio." The beam of red light struck Harry in the chest. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists against the agony, pushing back with his magic. A red light pulsed outwards all around Harry as the crucio hit Voldemort and his Death Eaters, who fell to the ground, writhing under the curse. Harry closed his eyes and willed the spell to stop, hating the sounds of the screams filling the once peaceful clearing.
"Enough, Tom. I offer you a deal." Voldemort was the first to struggle to his feet, composing himself as hatred shone in his eyes. "My life in exchange for theirs; I let you kill me, and you leave everyone else alone."
"Never, Potter." Voldemort spat, "Avada Kedavra!" A green light filled the clearing as the spell raced towards Harry, who made no attempt to dodge the fatal curse. Faces flashed through his mind, everyone he had ever cared about, then after Nev and Luna's faces passed Hermione's hung before him in his mind's eye. He remembered her sleek honey-brown curls, her smooth skin, her soft lips. He remembered the warmth of her body as she held him close, her curves moulded against him. Love burned in his heart like a fire that could not be doused, flames so strong it was almost painful.
"Goodbye…" Green light engulfed him. He fell to the floor and the world went black.
A magnificent fire blazed in front of him. Harry blinked startled at the sudden light. Was this death? The form of a beautiful phoenix coalesced in the middle of the flames.
"Little flame," she called, "Banish the darkness." Harry looked around at the unnatural night stretching in every direction, the phoenix the only source of light. Harry threw up his hands and a blinding white light flooded the midnight expanse. The white-gold flames around Harry faded and without the darkness Harry saw he was standing in the clearing, with everyone still as stone mid-action, time itself paused. Looking down Harry saw himself on the floor, a green mist having just finished forming the Dark Mark above his scar. Harry knew instinctively what to do.
"Animus Annhilo." The mist vanished. He turned back to the magnificent red-gold phoenix, "Aislynne" he greeted her, the name forming naturally on his lips as he switched with ease into phoenix-tongue.
"Hello Little Flame," she replied, coming to rest on a branch in front of him.
"Am I dead?" Harry asked, eyes flicking back towards the castle. The phoenix smiled,
"No Little Flame, you are not dead. Your soul is the purest I have ever seen, it is as pure as any phoenix's or unicorn's, yet there was a fragment of the blackest soul twisted around it, though it was unable to touch yours as it could not endure anything so pure. When the Evil One cast the killing curse at you, it destroyed its own broken spirit."
"So my scar is no longer a Horcrux?" Harry queried.
"No, Little Flame, it is not." Relief flooded through Harry, tension he didn't know was there leaving him. "Yet now you must return to fulfil your destiny. Dark Lords shall continue to rise, each more evil and terrible than the one before, unless you remove their beginning. You are the one of the Phoenix Prophecy, fortelling how the Dark Lord would be defeated by the Phoenix Child, aided by his soul-mate, soul-brother and soul-sister, Little Flame."
"I'm the Phoenix Child?"
"Yes, Little Flame. No other has had a soul as pure and light as yours, especially astonishing because of the darkness you have suffered and will be further forced to endure. When you fulfil the Prophecy you will inherit your rightful gifts as the Phoenix Child; the abilities of the phoenix, your human life will be lengthened, and you will not appear to age. Those soul bonded to you will share these gifts." Pausing a moment to let this sink in, Harry clarified, "Hermione, Neville and Luna will help me change people's attitudes?"
"Yes Little Flame," trilled the Phoenix, "and when your task is complete you will all take up your rightful places amongst us. Until then, Little Flame."
"Until then, Aislynne." The great golden flames engulfed Aislynne and she disappeared, leaving Harry standing in the unnaturally still clearing. Once more knowing instinctively what to do, Harry let all his magic seep through his skin as he placed his palm above the heart of his still figure lying unmoving on the ground. With a painful tug he was pulled back into his body.
Immediately sound came rushing back. For a moment there was only the rustling of the forest and whispering of the Death Eaters, then Voldemort's hissing voice cut through the muttered exchanges,
"The Potter boy is dead! The Light will finally fall at our hands, and the first to crumble shall be Hogwarts!" The Death Eaters cheered wildly as Harry remained motionless on the ground, waiting for his magic to return. Voldemort flicked his wand and levitated what he supposed to be Harry's body in front of the mass of masked dark wizards. Harry let his aura flare out and reassure Hogwarts that everything would be okay, but kept it hidden from the death Eaters' senses. Voldemort slammed open the doors to the Great Hall and as he entered the sea of black cloaks and white bone masks of more than four hundred Death Eaters flooded in after him. The group of students and professors retreated so that instead of a circle in the middle of the hall, the DA and professors formed a protective line across the hall between the younger students and the Death Eaters. Gasps and sobs were stifled as students caught sight of Harry. Voldemort smirked cruelly,
"You thought you could defeat me? I am Lord Voldemort… and I have triumphed." Harry's heart ached as he heard the stifled tears of Neville, Luna and Hermione, but was unable to move safely until his magic returned. Then came three defiant voices, echoing through the silent Hall, "No." Hermione, Neville and Luna stepped forward, resolve burning in their eyes in a manner reminiscent of that of their soul-bonded prior to entering the Forbidden Forest.
"You will never win," Hermione spoke up.
"We will not let you have Hogwarts," Neville continued.
"You will be defeated." Luna finished, and many people shivered as her words rang ominously with the tone of prophecy.
"Fools. Your precious Chosen One is dead, I have killed him. Now you will all die," a cruel smirk pulled at his lips, "painfully… Here is what is left of your Saviour." Voldemort flicked his wrist to send Harry flying towards the Light side, but just above the ground the last of Harry's great magical core returned and his pure aura flared into existence, this time its edges tinged with phoenix-flames of white, gold and crimson. He stopped inches from the floor and slowly put his hands to the ground, pushing up to stand. His head lifted last, and Voldemort's shocked expression changed to include, for one of the first times, fear, at the intensity and fury in Harry's emerald orbs. The relief from the Light side and shock and terror of the Dark was palpable. Harry spoke slowly, enunciating each word to ring out in the Hall.
"You cannot kill me, Tom, and you will – not – touch – them."
A crackling blue shield sprang into place, encompassing Voldemort and his followers, Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna. "Thank you, Lady." Harry murmured, and Hogwarts sent reassuring wave of warmth in return. No spells could escape the shield to harm the students or professors. Harry turned his attention back to the snake-like figure in front of him, "This ends tonight." Harry and his friends sank into duelling positions, Harry throwing Neville his wand, which Neville caught in his left hand. There was a heartbeat of silence before one of the Death Eaters to Voldemort's left began laughing manically. "The four of you against over four hundred of us? You think you have a chance of surviving?" Harry and Neville's eyes narrowed at the sound of the voice of one of their most hated people, Bellatrix Lestrange. Her mask dissipated in a cloud of black smoke as she stepped forwards, grinning insanely,
"Ickle baby Potter, shall I kill you like I did my dear cousin? And Ickle Longbottom, let's see if you last as long as your parents did." Before she had time to blink Harry and Neville were in front of her, and the next second spells were flying with such ferocity that it was impossible to tell where one stopped and another began. As the spells flew from Harry's palms and both wands in Neville's hands Bellatrix stumbled backwards, collapsing on the ground. Blood trickled out of a gash on her temple, and pooled on her lips, glistening crimson in the moonlight from above. She struggled to her feet, and as she raised her wand, Harry's voice cut through the tension, "For Sirius." Neville stood next to Harry, "For my parents you bitch." White light erupted from the soul-brothers, gathering into a ball in font of them and flying straight at Bellatrix. Everyone shrank back and covered their eyes as the brilliant white light grew in intensity until it collided with Bellatrix, sending her flying fatally into the translucent static blue dome. There was a sickening thud, and the body of Bellatrix Lestrange slid to the ground, motionless. The whole encounter was over in less than a minute, and Harry and Neville both let out relieved sighs, turning to embrace each other and their wives, completely ignoring the Death Eaters until there were several startled, pain-filled cries. Hermione looked disdainfully at the burnt bodies on the ground, wisps of acrid smoke curling upwards from where they lay in some sort of macabre dance.
"Did we forget to tell you that nothing can leave this dome until Harry asks Lady Hogwarts to drop it?" Hermione mocked. Voldemort snarled,
"Enough, get them!" The Death Eaters swarmed past Voldemort towards the four soul-bonded, who sank calmly into duelling positions once more at the far end of the Hall, the dome ending behind them, just in front of the crowd of students. The soul-bonded's auras flared into existence. The hoard of Death Eaters hesitated at such a display of power, but then Lucius Malfoy stepped forwards,
"Cowards! They are children, outnumbered a hundred to one, they cannot win!"
Outside the dome, standing guard in front of a group of terrified first year Gryffindors, Draco Malfoy shook his head in disappointment. "Fool," he murmured, and as the four auras pulsed, growing larger with every heartbeat, he almost felt sorry for his father and his fellow Death Eaters. Almost. Though Potter and his friends had kept glamours on all through seventh year, from the moment Harry was presented with the Head Boy and Quidditch Captain badges, with Hermione taking Head Girl, right up until now, Draco had seen them without disguises one evening in the Room of Requirement, as they did a practice mass-duel. They had conjured up eight hundred simulated opponents, programmed them all to Dumbledore's level of ability and blindfolded each other as they waited for their opponents to reach them. Draco had watched, dumbfounded, as they had annihilated/wiped out all eight hundred opponents. They had paused in their final strike positions, breathing hard, sweat trickling down the muscled contours of Harry and Neville's bare chests and down the flat stomachs and long legs of Luna and Hermione. They had caught sight of Draco watching, and as they had withdrawn their auras back into themselves Draco's hand had twitched towards his are left forearm, where they had removed the vile mark a few months before. His father hadn't known. They had all remained silent, but an unspoken agreement had passed between them, neither would speak of what had happened, and the four would let Draco keep his memory of their real selves, as behind closed doors they had become something like friends since removing his mark. Draco had stepped through the door and bowed to each in turn, holding eye contact. The two blood-brothers had returned his bow, almost regally, and the blood-sisters had curtseyed, more elegantly than any dancer, and inclined their heads gracefully. It didn't even cross Draco's mind that they were all half dressed and still covered in sweat; they carried themselves with such poise. Draco had straightened, turned, and walked away as they recast their glamours and headed in the opposite direction. Draco's mind flashed back to the images of the four duelling with deadly grace and accuracy and a shiver ran down his spine. Voldemort and his Death Eaters didn't stand a chance in hell.
Draco's eyes flicked to the Death Eaters still hesitating in front of the stationary figures. All four shrugged off their robes, and dropped their glamours, revealing traditional Mage garb, tattoos, and toned bodies. Harry had silver edges on his tribal-like tattoos, signifying his status as a High Mage. The awe in the hall was almost tangible.
"Kill them!" Voldemort ordered, voice echoing through the hall, before dropping to a threatening hiss, "Or I will kill you myself." The Death Eaters flooded forwards. Neville cracked his neck from side to side and Harry flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders. Luna twirled her wand in her fingers and Hermione twisted her wavy hair up into a bun like Luna's with a single flick of her wrist. The first few Death Eaters dropped soundlessly, words unnecessary for the quartet of Mages. Then the noise began, the Death Eaters shouting out the Darkest spells they knew, curses which flew towards Harry, Neville, Luna and Hermione in sickly greens and vicious purples.
As the first curses neared Luna she leapt into the air, somersaulting over them and the first group of Death Eaters, landing behind them and firing off a sweeping arc of reductos before they had time to turn around. Her ice-blue eyes were glacial as she turned to the next group and cast several fatal curses even as the first seven bodies were falling to the ground. She span low, leg extended, knocking several Death Eaters to the ground, where Hermione quickly finished them off. Hermione took Luna's outstretched hands, and pulled her upwards over her head, following her over in mid-air so they both landed on either side of Lucius Malfoy. A single burst of power later and Lucius Malfoy lay lifeless of the ground, pain etched on his features.
Senses prickling Hermione dropped to the ground and rolled left as a blood-red light streaked above her head where her heart had been seconds before. Flipping to her feet the caster soon found that he would never be in the position to curse anyone ever again as he crumpled to the ground with a flash of blue. Reaching over her head Hermione's hands found Neville's wrists, and her feet landed on his shoulders for a split-second, before she was in the air once more, loosing curses even as she span mid-air, each one hitting its target.
Neville dropped to a crouch as soon as Hermione's feet left his shoulders and curses from the Death Eaters encircling him crossed above his head, slamming into the Death Eaters opposite. Flipping backwards Neville twisted and turned with dangerous grace, powerful spells flying form his and his blood-brother wand with deadly precision. Neville span to his left, tucking both wands into wrist holders and catching one of Luna's feet in one fluid movement. Harry had the other and as one they threw Luna high into the air, turning to do the same for Hermione as Luna tucked up into a ball, spinning head over heels to the top of the arc she carved through the air, then opening out, stretching with one leg slightly bent and in front of the other, seeming to float to the ground, despite the speed she was falling, on the other side of the Death Eaters. Hermione followed similarly to land on the right.
As Hermione's foot left his hand Harry dived sideways, tucking his shoulder under him as he landed and rolling out the way of a barrage of spells from the remaining Lestranges. Jumping easily to his feet at the end of his roll Harry lifted his arm towards the cloaked but maskless figures. Spells flew effortlessly from his outstretched palm and the Lestranges crashed to the ground, never to get up again. Harry twisted away, instinctively dodging the multitude of spells coming from every direction. Loose acromantula-silk trousers allowed him to move freely, and as he moved his muscles rippled, the tattoos covering his bare chest and back identical to his soul-bonded, with the exception of the moonlight-tinted silver edging. Luna and Hermione wore the same acromantula-silk trousers as Harry and Neville, though parts of their tattoos were covered by the black leather straps interwoven with each other to cover their chests.
The four fought a path through the Death Eaters to meet in the middle. There was a sea of bodies surrounding the remaining fifty Dark Wizards, and Voldemort watched, frozen in horror as his forces were decimated. The students and professors watched in awe. What happened to the scrawny Head Boy, his chubby friend, the frizzy-haired know-it-all of a Head Girl and 'Loony' Lovegood? Before them were two lean, muscular men, and two beautiful women, all of them tattooed from their shoulders to their hips, and down to their fingertips, radiating auras of power and grace. The tattoos were intricate, entrancing in their detail, intertwining ebony lines curling to a point wherever they ended. Harry's glinted with every turn, the silver reflecting the moonlight from the enchanted ceiling.
The last few Death Eaters fell as the quartet danced around each other, spells never hitting anything but a Death Eater, ducking under brothers' arms, spinning back to back with sisters. Harry saw something catch the light out of the corner of his eye and flicking round he felt white-hot fury boil up inside him. His eyes travelled up from the silver hand to the watery eyes set in a rat-like face.
"Wormtail," he ground out at the snivelling figure next to Riddle. Senses flaring he called Gryffindor's sword to him and one-handedly thrust it point first behind him, eyes still fixed on the traitorous rat. The Death Eater behind him slid soundlessly from the sword point, wand arm still raised. Simultaneously, Neville, Hermione and Luna dropped the last three Dark Wizards. Slowly, Harry walked over to the pair at the far end of the hall, his soul-bonded following. Ignoring Voldemort, who was surveying his annhilated forces with abject horror, Harry held out his hand and clenched his fist. Wormtail gasped and scrabbled at his neck as he was dragged towards the High Mage by an invisible hand. He was released, coughing and spluttering, collapsing on his hands and knees at the feet of the Chosen One and his soul-bonded. Looking frantically from one the next the cowardly man found he could expect no help from any quarter. Luna's eyes were glacial, and Hermione's were like a tiger's, amber with glittering gold flecks. Neville's, the darkest blue, fathomless as the deepest ocean, were just as terrifying to Wormtail, and he was already shaking from the glare's of the soul-bonded when he looked at Harry. Glowing emerald eyes hardened further, glinting dangerously, harder than diamonds. Reduced to a quivering mass on the floor, Wormtail whimpered in terror, the pulsating auras making goosebumps erupt on his skin. Harry began to speak, disgust and hatred lacing his tone.
"Look where cowardice and betrayal has got you, traitor. Even Tom knows you cannot be trusted, after all, if you would betray two of the only people to ever show you kindness..." Harry turned his attention to Voldemort, "Your last follower, Tom." Hermione wound her right arm round his waist and Luna clasped his hand where it rested on Hermione's shoulder. Neville gripped his other shoulder, and with his soul-bonded gathered around him Harry lifted his free hand, before, eyes locked on Wormtail's, he made a single, slashing motion towards the ground. With that gesture Wormtail drew his last breath, terror the last thing showing in his eyes before the light left them and they grew dull and empty. Four pairs of eyes regarded the pathetic man on the ground before simultaneously flicking their gazes to Voldemort. He seemed unable to move, surveying the felled Death Eaters, expression a mixture of terror, loathing and fury. Fury seeming to overcome reason Voldemot snarled at Harry,
"I have other followers Potter, you will not defeat me." Draco watched incredulously, Voldemort still thought he stood a chance. Did he somehow not see the intricate black tattoos twisting across the upper bodies of the young adults in front of him, or the sharp silver glint on Harry's? Any sane person would be begging for forgiveness for whatever they had done by now.
"The only reason you have lasted this long is because of that prophecy, Tom, otherwise any of my soul-bonded could dispose of you with about as little effort as we did each of your Death Eaters." Blood red eyes narrowed,
"I am invincible, immortal, you cannot kill me." Harry and the Mages standing round him smirked.
"What, your Horcruxes, Tom?" asked Hermione innocently, as Voldemort's already sallow skin paled, "I destroyed Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup with Gryffindors sword and a basilisk tooth." Here Luna stepped in,
"The same basilisk tooth I took from the one Harry killed in the Chamber of Secrets, and used to destroy the ring."
"And I used to destroy Ravenclaw's diadem." Neville finished for his wife and soul-mate. Voldemort regained a little colour,
"You think that is-"
"-all?" Harry cut in, "No, I destroyed the diary in second year, and the one in Nagini today...and you destroyed the one in my scar yourself. That would be all." A thunderous expression formed on Voldemort's face,
"Well, Horcruxes or no, without the prophecy you would have died as a baby. Who will die for you this time?" Harry shook his head, "Only one will die tonight, Tom." The look in his eyes left no doubt for those watching as to who he intended it to be.
"Is that a threat, Potter?"
"No." Harry's voice was like steel. "That's a promise." The three Mages held on to harry for one last comforting moment before slipping through his shield as the spells of the Final Duel began. Harry moved as fluidly as water, his movements undeniably graceful. He span and flipped, ducking and rolling as he dodged every spell Voldemort threw at him. They slammed into Hogwart's sheild when they passed, the impact shuddering along the dome. Voldemort grew more and more agitated as time passed, and Harry had neither been hit by a spell, nor had he thrown one of his own. He stopped, breathing heavily.
"What's the matter, scared, Potter?" Harry wasn't even out of breath, though there was a sheen of sweat over his muscled back and stomach. His eyes flickered to a friend's, connecting for a moment, and he smirked as he replied.
"You wish." On the other side of the shield, Draco Malfoy grinned, shaking his head.
Harry's aura spiked in an awe-inspiring display of power and he sent a few hissed, parselmouth incantations lazily towards Voldemort, who hastily countered them.
"Parselmagic, Potter? How Slytherin."
"I try. Then again, being the Founders' Heir, what else did you expect?"
"How dare you," hissed Voldemort, loosing another flurry of spells, "I am the Heir of Slytherin!"
"True," Harry conceded, "Or it was, before I turned seventeen and paid the Gringott's Founders' Room a visit. Voldemort's face contorted in fury as his spells reached the High Mage to be blocked by a silver shield. Utmost loathing shone in his slitted eyes, enough to make many of the spectators shudder. In his blind rage, Voldemort's aura flickered into existence, though it paled into significance next to the High Mage's. Harry raised a single eyebrow, taking in Voldemort's pitch black aura, flashes of a bloody red sparking outwards from it.
"I am going to kill you Potter, and then I am going to kill your little friends, slowly. I think I'll leave the Mudblood, blood-traitor squib and your insane little friend till last, so they can watch. What do you think, Potter? Then I'll have some fun with your little family." Harry lifted his head slowly to look at Voldemort, and a smirk curved across his lips. Voldemort's leer faltered. Outside the dome the soul-bonded exchanged glances, Neville summing up their thoughts nicely,
"Shit. Now he's done it." As the smirk continued to creep across Harry's lips the Mages linked hands and all three reached out to Hogwarts, "Lady," Neville asked, "Could you please strengthen the shield?"
"Of course, Mage." came the voice of Hogwarts, low and soft, seeping from the very stones.
The dome buzzed and hummed, becoming a bright white, before fading from view, the white sparks the only sign that the shield was still there. Though the students and professors had been able to see through the blue-tinted shield perfectly, they were struck by the clarity of Harry's aura and the flames leaping from it. The Founders' colours and Merlin's white-gold made everything else seem dull in comparison. They watched, Harry on the right hand side of the hall, Voldemort on the left, unbridled fury and hate on his features. Harry breathed deeply, and with his lips still curved into a dangerous smirk, he closed his eyes, covering the glowing emeralds. He stood, sweat trickling slowly down his bronzed skin, and dripping from the points of his wild hair. He exhaled as he cricked his neck and rolled his shoulders, tattoose rippling with his muscles. Even now, in the midst of a duel, he was devastatingly attractive. Voldemort snarled, how dare the impudent child stand there and close his eyes! He would pay! He began to throw Avada Kedavra curses at Potter with all the power in his aura, but just as they were nearing Potter his eyes snapped open, that devastating smirk still fixed on his lips, and his aura flared out, the sickly green spells simply fading into nothing as they touched his aura.
"No..." whispered Riddle, eyes widening. He cast the killing curse over and over again, this time nothing but fear and desperation showing in the blood red eyes. Each and every curse disappeared as still Harry's aura continued to grow. To Draco's left Professor McGonagall felt herself gasp, along with the vast majority of the group, as the High Mage's aura expanded, flaring larger with each heartbeat.
Voldemort was still desperately flinging the darkest curses he knew as the flames from Harry's aura licked the ceiling. With a sigh of relief, Harry smiled and shut his eyes once more as he released his hold on his magic. With a sound like thunder it exploded outwards, raging to fill every space within Hogwarts' shield as it could. The spectators watched the aura of pure magic swirl round the shield, swallowing the Dark Lord's aura and hiding both him and the High Mage from view. There was a sudden, ear-splitting, inhuman scream from the seething mass of magic, as it tore through Voldemort. His blackened soul was destroyed and his body collapsed into dust that was vanished by the storm of Harry's magic. There was silence from everyone in the Hall. Harry's aura slowly seeped back into him as he brought it back under the strict control he always exerted over it. He stepped forwards towards the crowd, and held out his tattoed arms. In a flash the soulbonded were racing towards him before they collided, embracing each other tightly as they helped calm Harry, reassuring him they were all okay. Hermione and Luna had silent tears flowing down their cheeks, a few escaping from the eyes of Harry and Neville as well. Harry lifted his head from Hermione's shoulder,
"Thank you, Lady Hogwarts." The shield soaked back into Hogwarts' foundations,
"No, thank you High Mage, Mages."
The soul-bonded turned to the Hogwarts students and professors, all of whom were watching in unconcealed awe and overwhelming gratitude. Harry smiled, and said two words which broke the dam holding back the flood of emotions.
"...It is done."