Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Reviews are welcome, flames aren't. --GF and the Frau
Chapter 11: The Confrontation
Harry walked out of the shadows he and the twins were fighting from. Firing off a couple more spells as he strolled forth. He managed to take out two more Munchers before tossing his wand aside, smiling. "I'm here and you know, I would like to talk to old Tom too. It's time."
"Harry!"
"Come back Mate!"
"Harry no!"
The Death Eater tossed something at Harry and he disappeared with a pop and more people shouted in disbelief.
The battle ended abruptly as the remaining Death Eaters left as swiftly as they came, leaving their fallen behind.
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Harry felled onto a cold, grimy marble floor and quickly rolled out of the way as the tell tale red light of a spell exploded inches from where he landed. Standing, he took in his surroundings.
The chamber was made of dark stone and marble. Blackened, aged wooden beams held up an arched, two story high ceiling. Tall narrow vaulted windows with stained glass lined one wall. Lighted scones gave a medieval atmosphere.
A small dais was placed in front of the far wall. Sitting on the dais on a throne-like chair was a wizard dressed in elegant robes with no nose or hair, lazily stroking the head of the huge black snake resting in his lap.
'Tom always did have delusions of grandeur,' the teen mused. He noted that the room was filling "Was all this necessary?" he asked as one of the Death Eaters roughly pushed Harry closer to the dais.
"Harry. Harry. Would you have come if I sssent you an engraved invitation?" Tom asked, his hand pausing on the snake's head.
Bella moved to stand by Tom giggling madly.
Harry shrugged. "Maybe. Moot point. I'm here, Tom. Now what?"
"Ssstop calling me by that disgusssting name!" Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort shouted, standing, knocking his snake familiar off his lap. Both wizards ignored the snake's hissing complaints as she slipped under the throne.
"Let me deal with him My Lord," Bella wheedled, in her childish voice.
Harry shrugged, ignoring the insane witch for the moment. "That's your name, Tom. As far as I know, you never filed any paperwork to have it legally changed. You mother named you after your muggle father. Until you have it legally changed, I will call you Tom."
There were muted gasps and some restless stirrings among the Death Eater ranks that crowded the room. Bella hissed her displeasure at the insults the brat was throwing at her lord.
Tom held up his hand to silence his followers. Bella, of course, sashayed away from the side of her lord to move behind Harry. "Ickle Potter feels all grown up and wants play with the big people now?" Looking over at her lord she smirked. "Can I play with him first, my lord?"
"I think not, my dear," Voldemort said, stepping away from his throne. "He'sss mine. Crucio!"
Harry made no attempt to avoid the spell. Time had no meaning as fiery pain coursed through his body. He didn't even realized that he had fallen writhing to the floor .
Soon after the pain started, it ended. Tom cackled, standing over Harry, "We are only jussst beginning to play. Now tell me Harry, did the old coot tell you about the Prophesssy?"
Harry rose to his knees and looked up at his tormentors. "He did, Tom. Do you want to hear it?"
Voldemort leaned forward and placed a finger under Harry's chin, forcing the teen to look him in the eyes. "Why aren't you in more pain, boy? How did you cure your headachesss?" The Dark Lord smirked.
"I had help," Harry said,sincerely. "Do you really want to know what the Prophecy said?"
"You will tell me now, boy!"
"Very well," Harry said, and repeated the prophecy that Dumbledore revealed to him in his office last spring.
"He's lying," Bella screeched. "Let me play with him, my lord. I can get him to tell you the real prophecy."
Voldemort raised his wand hand while still gripping Harry's chin. "And what isss thisss power I don't know about?"
"Dumbledore thinks it is love but he's wrong," Harry calmly replied, rocking back on his heels. "It is forgiveness. To be forgiven, one must learn to forgive."
"Forgiveness!?" Tom screeched, dropping Harry's chin, stepping back in anger. "Is that the best you can do? Crucio!"
More fiery pain screamed through Harry. When it was over, he spat blood as he placed both hands on the floor to rise back to his knees. He had bitten tongue in his screaming.
"Who do you think you are?" Voldemort continued his tirade. "I am Lord Voldemort! I need no one's forgivenesssss! And I do not forgive!"
The Death Eaters stirred restlessly but knew better than to call attention to themselves. Bella cackled as she kicked childishly at Harry.
Harry managed to rock back onto his knees, grunting as Bella's kick connected with his ribs. He raised his head and repeated softly, " To know forgiveness, one must be willing to forgive. I forgive you for taking my parents from me and sentencing me to a loveless childhood. I forgive you for the pain you caused me through the years. I forgive you Tom Marvolo Riddle for using my blood in your ritual. But most of all, in the name of Aslan. . . "
"Crucio!" Voldemort screeched maniacally, waving his wand wildly.
Harry waited for the pain to start but found it wasn't as strong as before. 'Aslan. Please Aslan. I need you. I can't do this alone.' Pain receded as a lion's roar echoed through his mind.
"Child of Merlin, all you had to do was ask," Aslan's voice purred gruffly sending new strength filled Harry's body.
Harry stood despite the searing pain causing Tom to back toward his throne, ending the spell.
The The Death Eaters looked at each other surreptitiously. This wasn't going as planned. Bella backed away in disbelief.
Harry's body began to glow with a golden aura. "The Deep Magic states 'when there is forgiveness, there is peace.' Can you find it in your soul to forgive those who wronged you so long ago?"
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screeched, frantically.
The sickly green spell raced towards Harry, but he refused to move. When it hit the teen it shattered into a shower of verdant sparkles.
The Death Eaters, even Bella, took a step backwards. Many in the back tried to leave, only to find the chamber doors sealed. The air was heavy with magic, the kind none of them have ever felt before and they were terrified.
A breeze sprung up around Harry. It carried the soft scent of a meadow of wildflowers on a warm summer's day as it wafted gently through the room.
Tom clutched his chest as he staggered towards Harry. "Avada Kedavra! Crucio! Avada Kedavra!" Tom wildly trying to bring the teen down.
The spells exploded from the tip of wand in showers of glittering motes, and swirled in the breeze.
Throwing his wand down, Tom reached out to grab Harry by the throat. "Die! Why won't you die!" he screamed.
Harry smiled as he moved in to embrace Tom. "Be at peace Tom. All is forgiven," he said gently as he enfolded the Dark Lord in his arms. It had taken a long time for Harry to reach this point. If hadn't been for Aslan and the Deep Magic, Harry didn't think he could have truly forgiven Tom.
Voldemort let out a shaky scream as his magic tried to fight off Harry's aura. Whereas Harry's golden glow was pure and untainted, the aura that leapt from Tom was a sickly green and black, the color of a bruise that never healed. The magic that was holding Tom's body together could no longer sustain itself.
Tentacles of the sickly green and black magic snaked through the assembled Death Eaters. Everyone started to shout, clutching their left arms, falling to their knees. Bella tried to crawl over to her lord but fell on her face in pain.
Time stood still. When the invoked Deep Magic ended, Harry stood with tears in his eyes holding Tom's empty robes. At his feet were a pile of old bones, ashes and a rotting hand. All that was left of Tom Marvolo Riddle.
The air was suddenly filled with the popping sounds as many aurors and the Order apparated in.
"Harry, my boy. . . "
"Where's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"What in Merlin's Name happened here?"
"Potter!"
"Hey, this Death Eater is dead!"
"So's this one!"
"This one is still alive but I can't get a magical reading on him."
Harry, coming out of his daze, looked over at Dumbledore. "You were wrong, you know. The power that Tom knew not wasn't love, it was forgiveness."
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For those that wondered what happened to Snape, you'll just have to wait until next chapter.
Until next time. --GF and the Frau.
