Harry Potter & the Last Death Eater- By A.W.

CHAPTER 1- Confrontation

It was snowing in London. Sleet fell from the sky like a monster, lashing at his office's windows. He could almost feel the cold radiating from outside. He shivered and inadvertently slid his right hand to his holly, phoenix feather wand. He heard a creak and Harry tensed. He silently grasped the hilt of his wand and whispered, 'Homenum revelio,'

Nothing happened. I'm getting too paranoid. One of these days, it might make me like Moody, Harry thought and grinned. The late Auror used to be one of the best Dark-wizard catchers until the battle during the transportation of himself to the Burrow, when he was killed by Voldemort, whom was now deceased. Harry mourned Alastor for a second and went back to thinking. He shifted a pile of papers aside and waited for one of his Aurors to come in for a report.

Again, nothing happened. Harry turned his head fractionally so he was looking into the dancing flames of his fireplace. For the next few minutes he listened to the crackle of the fire and watched its merry dance in the hearth. Creak.

This time, Harry was sure it was someone out there, although how he avoided his spell, he did not know. He raised himself steadily from his chair and readied himself. Harry's keen ears didn't pick up anything this time. However, he knew that something was lying in wait. Waiting for the correct moment to-

BANG. The door crashed open and sent pieces of furniture flying. Harry instinctively cast a Shield Charm. A spell rebounded off it and ricocheted of the walls, causing the walls to crack. Through the dust, he caught a glimpse of a hooded figure. Harry removed the barrier and sprinted after the assailant.

The person used his black wand to cast a Reductor curse. Harry rolled out its path as it blasted a gaping hole in one of the walls. There was a flash of green light and his desk ignited from the spell, burning it slowly. Harry looked through his glasses and wiped away the dust on the lenses. He carefully looked in all directions, his heart hammering from alarm. Attacks from cloaked men weren't common, especially since all groups of Dark wizards were demobilized.

Harry used a curse to remove the wreckage of his office and clear the debris. The smoke cleared and he saw a man, clad head to foot in black. Harry squinted, trying to make out the intruder's face. Harry saw a glimmer of silver before the man swirled his cloak and fired a volley of curses.

Harry dived out of the way and the wall exploded outwards, sending bricks cart-wheeling away. 'Furnunculus,' he thought.

The curse missed the mysterious man by centimetres, creating cracks creeping into one of the walls, spider-like. The man whirled his wand and a bolt of blinding green flashed across the office and shattered a glass window. 'Aurors!' Harry bellowed.

Harry heard the thundering of many boots as several Aurors stormed into the room. The man turned the face Harry and looked at him before casting a Disillusion Charm on himself, making him blend into the surroundings.

Harry breathed a jinx and it soared through the air before coming crashing into the ceiling. Dust fell and revealed the dark silhouette of the intruder. The Aurors cast numerous jinxes and hexes towards the figure in the cloak. He threw himself out of the doorway and three Aurors gave pursuit to him. 'Seize him!' Harry ordered three more Aurors and they obeyed.

Ron, his best friend and colleague was just about to follow when Harry gestured for him to stay. Ron reluctantly pocketed his wand and sat down. 'Who the hell was that?' he asked and examined the wreckage of Harry's office.

'Dunno,' Harry said and picked him up from the floor. 'Although there was something that we can check up on,'

Ron leaned forwards in anticipation. 'What?' he demanded.

Harry's face darkened a considerable amount, making it look substantially worried. 'When the man looked at me, I could see part of his face and-' He swallowed.

'Who was it?' he asked once again.

'Not who; what,' Harry replied, 'He was wearing a Death Eater mask,'

CHAPTER 2- Back to Hogwarts

When Harry had arrived with Ron to his former-school and home, it was snowing. Hagrid's hut looked like a gingerbread house, covered in white snow. Harry and Ron made their way through the snow and towards the castle and encountered one of Harry's sons.

'Hey, Dad!' he said enthusiastically, 'Quidditch is on today! Slytherin and Gryffindor! Have you come to watch the match?'

This all came out very fast but Harry was used to Albus' rapid-fire sentences. 'Nah, I'm here to see your name-sake,' Harry answered, putting on a tight smile.

Harry's son's eyes widened. 'Ooh, can I come with you?'

Ron chortled and replied for Harry. 'Trust us; it's less fun than Quidditch,'

Albus grinned and bounded off to the pitch. Harry watched him go before turning back to the vast castle. 'Hogwarts is really going well,' Ron commented as they entered the one of the towers and started to climb. Peeves zoomed over them and pelted a fifth year with pieces of chalk.

'If you ignore other aspects,' Harry added and for a moment, forgot the grim purpose for this visit. Peeves caught sight of Harry and Ron and grinned, bowing before chucking more chalk at girls in the corridor. Eyes followed Harry as they mounted higher and higher until they reached the Headmaster's office. The gargoyle guarding the door looked at Harry for a moment before jumping aside to reveal the staircase.

'I thought that you had to accept a certain password to admit me?' Harry enquired.

The gargoyle glanced at him for one last time. 'So you'd prefer if I kept you out?'

They hurriedly entered the office. Nothing had changed. Silver contraptions that belonged to Dumbledore had remained there along with the paintings of previous headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts. They walked briskly towards to one in particular.

'Harry, old boy!' Dumbledore said merrily, clapping his hands together in delight, 'It has been a long time since you last paid me a visit! And you brought Mr Weasley here too! My you've grown! The more, the merrier!'

Dumbledore's beard had grown by a substantial amount, almost reaching knee-level. Harry grinned and Ron did the same.

Then Dumbledore frowned. 'Is there something wrong?' he asked. Harry and Ron exchanged glances and Harry opened his mouth to speak.

'Well, you see, Professor…'

'Oh dear, me,' Dumbledore said, concerned. He turned his gaze onto Ron. 'Do you have any ideas for who the man might be?'

Ron shook his head. 'Search me. I thought that the Death Eaters and the rest of Voldemort's supporters had been disbanded,'

Dumbledore looked at Harry with his piercingly blue eyes. Not for the first time in his life, Harry felt like he was being x-rayed.

'Has Miss Granger been informed of this?' he asked steadily.

'She should be. She's high up in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Oh, um, Professor? Just to tell you, she's my wife,' Ron said and dismissed whatever he was thinking with a wave of his hand.

Dumbledore beamed. 'Excellent! But right now, we have issues so I might as well celebrate later…'

Harry looked around, fascinated by the paintings hung on the wall. Most were snoring (pretending, no doubt) but others were observing Harry with excitement or interest.

'Harry!' Dumbledore said sharply, 'ideas?'

'None at all, Professor,' Harry said, snapping back into the current situation.

'Well that leaves me, then,' he said and his blue eyes twinkled.

The pair looked at the former Headmaster of Hogwarts apprehensively. Dumbledore looked up to the roof. 'I have two ideas. One of which, is the most likely,'

'Who?' Ron and Harry said almost at once. The mystery had been so baffling that they would welcome even a far-fetched guess.

'The man I'm thinking about is rather… anonymous. In fact, nobody knows anything about him. He was a devoted servant to Lord Voldemort, doing his bidding at a moment's notice. He was called Avenger. Voldemort himself never mentioned him when you were in the graveyard, Harry, but he was a secret weapon. He was in the Battle of Hogwarts, duelling with several members of Dumbledore's Army and one sixth year, injuring six into the process and regrettably, killing the sixth year with Avada Kedavra. He arrived just in time to see you, Harry, defeat and destroy his only Lord. Driven into unbelievable anger, he slunk away and plotted his revenge for the next twenty years. He now has a plan,'

'Yeah, but it failed,' Ron answered instantly before thinking again, 'or just maybe, it was just a mock attack so he could set Harry into a…' He looked up in alarm. 'Harry! You don't think that he'll try hold Ginny and the kids' hostage?'

Harry also looked up. Dread flooded him. How could he have missed this? He thought angrily. He raked his hand through his mass of untidy, black hair.

'He's got a motive but… getting Ginny would prove hard,' Harry said to himself.

'And your kids are at Hogwarts,' Ron added helpfully, 'the most protected place in the world,'

Harry smiled, relieved. Dumbledore quietly said, 'but there is another method that would be ultimately cruel,'

Harry's head snapped up, back to looking at the portrait of Dumbledore.

'What?' he demanded.

'He would try get at someone close to you. It may not be Mrs Weasley that the Avenger would try get to. Maybe someone who was friends with you at school,'

Harry thought fro a moment, a list of his friends' names relayed through his mind. Seamus, Dean, Neville, Luna, Ginny, George and… it hit him with the force of a battering ram.

'Hermione!' he shouted.

The pair rushed to the Depart of Magical Law Enforcement, only to find that she had gone for something unknown. 'Ron! We need to put the Aurors on high alert!' Harry shouted and he nodded. They were alerted on a suspected abduction.

'How d'you think the Avenger got her?' Ron asked, ashen-faced.

'This Death Eater is exceptional if what Dumbledore said was true. His skills rival those of Professor McGonagall, I suspect,' Harry replied, equally ashen-faced.

'And if what Dumbledore said was also true then the Death Eater would be waiting for us in Knockturn Alley. They were walking up Diagon Alley as more and more of the magical community poured through it. 'Mum would never forgive me for this,' Ron joked trying to conceal his dread. Harry couldn't blame him. This Death Eater was dangerous and had shown he would do anything do avenge his Lord's death…

They started to walk down Knockturn Alley now, once in a while, encountering strange wizards and one woman who looked suspiciously like a banshee. The light became dimmer and dimmer until it was barely substantial, only providing enough light to see them.

'Wands out, d'you reckon?' Ron grunted. Harry nodded his assent and they both echoed, 'Lumos,'

Bluish light lit up the walls that were stained with years-old, brown-red liquid.

They drew nearer and nearer until the point when if they were to extinguish their magical light, they would be thrown until complete darkness.

There was a harsh intake of breath and very softly but menacingly the person said, 'Potter, in exchange for the Mudblood woman. The perfect exchange. Profitable yet somehow unsatisfying,'

Ron raised his wand higher into a combat position. 'Don't you dare call her that filthy word,' he said angrily.

'I don't take orders from you, blood traitor vermin,' the voice replied coldly.

There was a burst of light and Harry and Ron saw the Avenger with his hood off.

He had grimy, black hair but the rest of his face hidden behind the silver Death Eater mask. He was holding an unconscious Hermione, holding her by the throat. His eyes were blood-shot and were riddled with cataracts worth of years of hard-ship and hatred.

'Hullo, Potter,' he snarled and thrust Hermione into Harry. Harry caught her and handed her to Ron. He looked directly into the Avenger's eyes. The brief moment passed and they both raised their wands.

'Avada Kedavra!'

'Expelliarmus!'

In this duel, there was no connection, no Elder wand. They duelled on skill alone. There was crackle and a flash as two different energies clashed together. Sparks flew and cascaded onto the cold, stone floor.

'You never could duel to save your own life,' the Avenger taunted and cast another Unforgivable curse.

'

'Then why am I alive today?' Harry shot back.

The Avenger redoubled his efforts to kill Harry.

'RON! Get her to safety!' Harry called above the crackle of the duel. Ron nodded and slung Hermione over his shoulder and ran.

'Obliviate!' the Avenger shrieked and the spell sailed under Harry's guard and hit him square in the chest.

Harry's eyes lost focus and the spell made him forget everything about magic and his life. 'I like ponies!' he cried, childishly happy. All sounds ceased.

'Indeed,' the Avenger muttered, pleased with his spell's effect. 'Now come over here so I can kill- um, treat you. With a biscuit,'

Harry's eyes widened and he scampered over to the Avenger. 'Biscuit?' he smiled.

'Yes,' the Death Eater growled and raised his wand.

'HARRY!' yelled Ron as he ran towards the Death Eater. They turned and the Avenger got full blast of Conjunctivus curse in the face.

The Death Eater staggered backwards and tripped over his feet, cursing in pain.

Once Ron got the look of the situation, he knew at once there was something wrong with Harry. 'Harry, what's wrong with you?' Ron cried, shaking Harry by the shoulders.

Harry grinned. 'Biscuit,' His eyes glinted.

'Uh oh,' Ron murmured and turned to confront the Death Eater. 'Return him to normal!' he demanded.

'NEVER!' the Death Eater cackled but his victory was short-lived as Ron blasted the man with a Prince curse.

'Sectumsempra!' Ron yelled and blood spurted from the Death Eater horribly. Ron looked at his handiwork in horror. He had never imagined that it would be like this.

Meanwhile, Harry's eyes regained focus gradually. He was dimly aware of someone yelling a curse.

'Sectumsempra!' Ron yelled.

Harry felt the word echo in his head, vibrating in his head. It lingered in his head, as if trying to tell him something. Then there was such a strong surge of memories when he heard this, he almost fell back.

Harry looked up and saw the Death Eater lying in a pool of blood. He walked over and saw that the man was losing plenty of lifeblood, all of it draining away like quicksilver. He was in no shape to do any harm anymore.

Harry glanced at the Avenger's face for once last time. 'You are nothing without Voldemort,' he said coldly.

The Death Eater emitted a half-strangled laugh, more like a croak than anything. 'The Dark Lord may be gone but there will be another age, another time...' the Avenger rasped, 'when the new surge of Dark Wizards will rise,'

'We are going to heal you and place you under arrest, Avenger. Then the public can know who you really are behind that vile mask,' Harry replied. Ron still hadn't spoke.

The Death Eater raised his wand which was still clenched in his right hand. 'Godspeed, Potter,' he spat and raised his wand and his head until he was looking up at the evening sky. 'MORSEMODRE!'

A jet of green light rocketed into the air and exploded. There was a thunderous roar and the Dark Mark rose high in the sky. The green skull widened its jaws and a serpent protruded from its mouth, writhing and hissing. "'It was You-Know-Who's mark, Harry!'" Mr Weasley had once told him at the Quidditch World Cup.

Harry and Ron looked up at the Mark in horror. The Mark had not been summoned for twenty years but not one of its aspects had been lost on the way. It was only to be summoned in a time of death or tragedy, in this case the Death Eater's demise.

'No!' Harry cried as the man's hand went slack as the wand that had hung limply in his grip had clattered to the floor.

He tried to heal the Avenger to bring in but none of the wounds had closed.

Ron shot him a glance. 'What are we going to do, Harry?' he asked.

'Unmask him,' he muttered and bent down. Ron raised his wand and whispered, 'Relashio,'

The mask slid off, crumbling as it was taken off for the first time in many years.