Authors note - My story starts in the middle of the final fight at Hogwarts. I hope you enjoy it. If there is enough interest, i'll carry on with the story.
I'm also looking for a skilled writer help me bring out the best of my ideas if anyone is keen.
Enjoy
Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.
Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.
Harry felt as though he turned in slow motion; he saw McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.
"Protego!" roared Harry, and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.
The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of "Harry!" "HE'S ALIVE!" were stifled at once. The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.
"I don't want anyone else to try to help" Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."
Voldemort said nothing as he continued to circle Harry.
Harry sensed that behind those snake-like eyes, his enemy was wary. For Voldemort, the man who had gone further than anyone in his pursuit of immortality, through the darkest of magic, had just watched Harry seemingly return from the dead.
It may have appeared that way for those standing around the walls of the great hall too. Harry, however, knew better. In the hours that passed since Harry had presented himself in the forbidden forest, he had come to understand what had happened between him and Voldemort in the clearing. And crucially, as to why he felt no pain when Voldemort tortured him with the most powerful wand in existence.
"Your Horcruxes have all been destroyed Tom. It's just me and you now." stated Harry simply. "You know what the prophecy said. One of us must die""
The gasps of those lining the great hall could be heard echoing though the school grounds. There had been many rumors suggesting Harry Potter was the chosen one, but few had known for sure. As Harry glanced towards his friends, his family, he saw Ginny mournfully watching him, her eyes glossy with tears. Harry longed to hold her in his arms once more.
"One of us?" spat Voldemort, jerking Harrys attention back to those red snake like eyes. "You think that you have chance against me? The greatest wizard to have ever lived!"
"Come on Tom, we both know you feared Dumbledore?" quipped Harry.
More gasps echoed around the great hall. Harry wasn't just facing Voldemort, he was taunting him.
"Dumbledore!" screamed Voldemort. "That fool was killed on my command. Your mudblood mother and treacherous father were killed by my wand. Your beloved godfather...DEAD. I've killed everyone you've ever loved"
"I know. But they're still here, watching us from above. When the time is right, i'll see them again"
"If that's the case, Potter, you won't mind losing one more" jeered Voldemort.
Before Harry could react, Voldemort used a summoning charm to bring Hermione before him. His wand pointing directly at her chest.
The screams of "NO!" "STOP!" rang through the room as Ron desperately lunged forward, his long legs quickly covering the ground between him and Hermione. With a simple flick of Voldemort's wand, he had Ron frozen still, unable to move and unable to help.
"DON'T" called Harry. His voice strained with his fear for Hermione, his dearest friend. "Please don't"
"Harry," chuckled Voldemort, as he allowed his smug snake-like smile to grow. "Why the change of heart? You'll see her again soon. Isn't that what you just told us?"
"Please. This is between me and you. You know that"
"Throw me your wand, Harry"
"NO," screamed Hermione, her voice desperate. "Harry, you can't. You're the only one who can end this"
Harry hesitated a moment too long. Voldemort's lips parted.
"CRUCIO"
Hermione writhed through the air, thrashing and howling in pain. In the silent hall, her screams echoed off the walls like thunder in the night sky. Ron was unable to move, but his hollow eyes told the story of a thousand words. He was feeling Hermione's pain almost as strongly as she did.
Harry didn't dare make a move. He knew that If he raised his wand towards Voldemort, he could send a flash of green light towards Hermione in the blink of an eye.
"OK, OK, Stop!" wailed Harry in utter despair as Voldemort turned slightly to face him. His wand still aiming at Hermione, but no longer cursing her.
Harry bent down to place his wand on the floor. He heard Hermione's whimpered protests and more from those watching. Harry knew what was at stake here, but he wasn't prepared to lose his best friend.
Voldemort swiveled on the spot and moving his wand away from Hermione, who struggled to support herself now she was no longer held in place by the summoning charm.
"Harry Potter. This will hurt" said Voldemort. Those who knew Harry well would have seen a flicker of doubt flash through his green eyes. Harry had been confident that Voldemort's spell would fail like it had in the clearing, but if it didn't, with Harry defenseless, it was all over.
"CRU-"
"NO" screamed Ginny, pushing her way through to protect Harry, the only boy she had ever truly loved. "I won't let.."
Voldemort, with another simple flick of his wand, had Ginny frozen mid stride and mid sentence.
"Ah, Ginny Weasley, I do believe you once considered me a friend? Well, the least i can do is give you a front row seat for this" said Voldemort as he turned to focus on Harry again, raising his wand, his rage and hatred throbbing through his snake like features.
"CRUCIO" spat Voldemort
The seconds that passed seemed to go in slow motion for Harry. He looked around the room at all those who had come to depend on him. Almost all had tears rolling down their cheeks, while others were standing there in shock with their mouths wide open, the sounds of their screams stifled by their covering hands.
The curse struck Harry square in the chest. And then, nothing. It took a few moments for people to realise what had just occurred. Everyone watching had expected Harry to crash to the floor with the force of an avalanche, but, Harry just stood there. Voldemort's spell had failed.
The silence within the great hall was deafening. Those lining the walls were stunned and if Harry hand't known better, he would have thought they had all been magically frozen still.
Voldemort's air of arrogance left him for the first time, his face now tense with fear. He raised his wand again, mustering all the hatred and venom he could.
"CRUCIO"
"CRUCIO"
"AVADA KEDAVRA" screamed Voldemort, having seen two more curses have no impact. The burst of light shot across the room and smashed into Harry at full force. But, instead of seeing the light fade from Harry's eyes, as Voldemort had witnessed a thousand times, Harry continued to stand where he was, his eyes fixated on his enemy.
"It's over, Tom" said Harry gently as he moved to get his wand.
"DON'T" shouted Voldemort, who turned on the spot to face Hermione. He raised his wand and screamed "AVADA KEDAVRA"
"NO" shouted Harry. He instinctively raised his hands as if to pull his best friend to safety, but the gap was to wide.
What Harry saw next, shocked him as much as everyone else. The green orb of light stopped in front of Hermione, hovering at head height just a foot away from her. Harry could feel it's energy pulsating through his body.
"AVADA KEDAVRA" shouted Voldemort.
"AVADA KEDAVRA" he shouted again.
Two more orbs of light shot towards Hermione, and once more they both stopped just short of her. Harry, just as he could with the first orb, felt them pulsating through his body. He didn't understand why, but it felt like the three balls of light were part of him.
Harry, focussing on the pulsating energy, concentrated on moving the orbs of energy away from Hermione. He heard gasps from around him as the three lights slowly moved back towards Voldemort. It may have looked spectacular, but Harry found he could do it at ease. Growing in confidence, Harry sent the orbs at pace towards Voldemort, who stood there motionless in shock. But, instead of striking him with the deadly energy, he placed each orb in a triangle around his neck, trapping Voldemort where he stood.
Outwardly Harry looked calm and collected. Inwardly, he was struggling to control his desire for to strike Voldemort down where he stood, god knows he deserved it. However, there was a tiny part of Harry that knew he could never kill someone unless he had no other choice, despite how much he wanted to. Harry thought back to Dumbledore once telling him that although he and Voldemort had much in common, it was Harry's choices that made them different.
"It's over, Tom" said Harry again. "It's time to pay for you crimes"
"No, it's not" muttered Voldemort through gritted teeth. "Servus" called Voldemort and with a deafening pop, a house elf appeared by Voldemort's side, placed his hand on his masters leg, and the pair disappeared with another deafening pop.
There was a chorus of cheers from a number of spectators. Harry, however, was both fearful and angry at himself for being stupid enough to let Voldemort escape. He had thought Voldemort would be unable to disapparate as he was within the Hogwarts grounds, but hadn't anticipated him using elven magic. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind.
"This isn't the time for celebration" barked Harry. "Everyone needs to stay on guard, he could return at any moment. Make sure you don't go anywhere alone. Move in two's or more". Harry was talking to witches and wizards more than double his age... but everyone listened.
Harry then turned to face his two best friends. Ron had moved to comfort Hermione, his long arms draped over her shoulder, but both were still stood there in shock at what they had seen Harry do.
"I need to speak with you both. Will you come with me?" said Harry softly.
"Of course, Harry" replied Hermione. She moved forward gingerly, still struggling with the pain that Voldemort had inflicted on her.
"Good. Give me a second" said Harry as he turned to speak to Professor McGonagall, although everyone one in the room was already listening to him. "Professor, please will you look after things down here, i need to take a few minutes"
"Of course, Harry"
"Oh, and Professor, please can we use your office"
"Of course you can. The Gargoyle will let you in," stated Professor McGonagall. "Harry, thank you, for everything"
"It's not over yet, Professor"