Chapter twenty five

Harry was just about to head to the shrieking shake when an old man stepped in front of him, a man that looked familiar but a man he'd never seen before.

'I'm Aberforth, Sirius and Remus told me what you were going to do and what you have to do. I have a secret way into the school, Minerva has been getting the younger kids out through the tunnel.'

'Who are you?'

'Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' brother. I own the Hogshead Harry, I've been helping those kids stuck inside the school. Some had been severely beaten, some raped, some were killed, I did what I could without them finding out. But so you would trust me, first, Sirius said when this is over, he's going to make sure you are buried with your parents, but he wished he could shag his husband once more. Second, the prophecy and how Voldemort found out about it, Snape was in my pub that night, he overheard Trelawney telling Albus the prophecy, but I saw him and threw him out on his arse. He only heard the first part about a boy born at the end of July to parents that thrice defied him. So that was all he could convey to his lord. Now the tunnel to the shrieking shake has been sealed, all the tunnels are sealed. I found Remus and Sirius here trying to work out what to do, I told them about my pub. Now Sirius and Remus knew me, I was in the original order with your parents, but I refused to go back to my brother because I knew he was up to something. He has always wanted power, always wanted to be the best, but I knew he wouldn't risk his life for it.'

'Only Remus knew Sirius and I are together and married, no one else knew. So he must have told you. Okay, for some reason I trust you, take me to the tunnel, I need to let Voldemort kill me so this can end.'

'Yes, Sirius told me, a very brave thing to do Harry, but necessary. So did my brother try to talk you out of killing him and Snape?' they started to walk into Hogsmeade together.

'Naturally he did, but I waited until he was standing before me, then slit Snape's throat, but at the same time I petrified your brother. Then walked up to him and slit his throat, then I burnt their bodies.'

'Good, it was the best thing for the likes of them,' Aberforth said simply then opened the door to his pub and lead Harry through to his flat, 'That's my sister, Albus killed her when she was only sixteen. There's more to it than that, and maybe one day I will let that story be known. But the tunnel is behind her portrait. Sirius said he might try to be there to wait for you, but he wasn't sure he could. I'm here to take out any death eater that might try to come through.'

'Do what you can Ab, because if I die, there's a lot of people that will know he can die now. So you might have a lot trying to escape.'

'That's why I'm here and not in there fighting.'

'You're doing what you need to,' Harry nodded then climbed up on the mantle, nodded to the girl in the portrait, opened it and made his way through the tunnel. He came to the back of another portrait, pushed it open to see a large room but he also saw Sirius standing there, 'Sirius.'

'Harry,' Sirius ran over and helped Harry down, then hugged him, 'Did you do it?'

'Done, where is he?'

'Not fighting, everyone else is. But I knew you'd be here soon, I wanted to see you before you went to him. He's up in the old headmaster's office, Bellatrix is with him.'

'Let's get this over with Sirius, it just might save more lives.'

'Harry, there's hundreds of people here supporting us, they heard, we have no idea how, but they started to turn up.'

'I hope they live,' Harry went to move but Sirius grabbed his arm, 'What, we haven't got time to delay Sirius.'

'I know,' Sirius kissed Harry, 'I love you, take that with you.'

'I love you too Sirius.'

'You are my partner, my soul mate, that's the love I'm talking about taking with you. We're joined in so many ways my love and hopefully that will give you what you need.'

Harry sucked in a sharp breath, 'This is hard enough Sirius, I don't want to leave you, I don't want you to be alone, so please, don't say anymore?'

'I want you to take my love with you, it will give you strength.'

Harry nodded, 'I love you too and your love has always given me everything I've ever needed,' Harry kissed him again then hurried away before his resolved softened. Harry made sure he wasn't holding a wand, but walked casually towards the gargoyle's that guarded the office off the spiral staircase. He saw the shock on the two death eaters standing there, 'I've come to surrender to your boss,' Harry said calmly, then held his arms out, 'I have a wand in my jacket pocket, but you can search for others if you want.' Harry watched as both death eaters searched manually and magically, but thankfully his old phoenix feather wand was still attacked to his leg thanks to the spell Sirius had found. They took his arms and lead him upstairs and into the office.

'Potter,' Bellatrix screeched happily.

'So Tom, I'm here,' Harry shrugged, 'Isn't that what you wanted.'

'How dare you,' Bellatrix yelled loudly.

'Oh shut up Bellatrix, I'm not here for you, bloody hell, do something with your hair will you. Even death eaters have standards, you're a disgrace,' Harry sounded casual and unconcerned then turned back to Voldemort who was grinning, 'Seems you liked that Tom, well, I can be entertaining at times. Oh by the way, Dumbledore and Snape are dead, I killed them not long ago. So you have no one left to stand in your way, well, apart from me, but I give up. I can't go on like this anymore, so why not fulfil that prophecy, one of us has to kill the other, but I've had it, I'm letting you be the one to finish this.'

'What are you up to Potter?' Voldemort asked coldly.

'Nothing, I can't live like this anymore. So I figured it's time to join my parents. But I wanted you to be the one to do it, you killed them, so finish off the Potters. It's the one thing you can give me, give me the release I want, send me to my parents.'

The two death eaters and Bellatrix watched silently as their lord and Potter stared at each other. Neither took any notice of anything else, Potter had no wand but he was standing there calmly, their lord had a wand in his hand, but so far he hadn't moved to kill, to do what he has wanted to for years. So the three death eaters held their breaths as they wondered what was going on.