Disclaimer 1: This is fanfic. That means I do not own any of it. I just borrow it to play with for a little while and let people see the pathetic results if they really want to.

Disclaimer 2: I'm not making any money from it. It's just for fun.

Disclaimer 3: What isn't borrowed is all made up. None of this is real or most likely at all realistic. Please don't trust any of the information in here. Most likely you know more about whatever I'm writing about than I do.

Disclaimer 4: Attitudes, views and opinions expressed by the characters or in the story are not necessarily those of the author. Even when writing Science Fiction or Fantasy I do not tend to attempt to create perfect/better worlds in which everybody gets a happy end ... or whatever is best for them. Please accept that some characters will have a bad ending or be unhappy.

Disclaimer 5: I intend no insult to anyone. If I offend anyone I'm very sorry. Please understand that it was an accident as I tend to be very clumsy in these things.

Notes: Harry is Voldemort and Voldemort is Harry ... or are they?

Chapter 36: The Only one he'd Ever Feared

The elevator carried them up into the hall that Harry remembered from his dreams. It was just as empty except for them as it was in his dreams as well, but this time it wasn't at all misty.

For the first time Harry could actually see what it looked like. He had always felt that it was big, but had never thought that it could be bigger than the great hall. And there in the middle was the indoor fountain! There were several golden statues in it, all of magical creatures like house elves and centaurs that were looking up at the wizard and witch at the top admiringly.

"I hope the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest never see that," Ginevra said looking at it as well. "They'd be furious."

"Why, what's wrong with it?" Percy asked stopping to look as well. "I've always thought the fountain of magical brethren was quite beautiful and a reminder that we must all stand together."

"It looks more like ..." Ginevra started but was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps behind her.

Harry turned wondering who else was still trying to escape the Death Eaters. Surely those Ministry employees that weren't trained for battle must have evacuated the building at the same time the Aurors had rushed down to join the fight?

"Oh dear," Luna said. "Here comes the murderess."

"Who?" Harry started to ask her but then the Death Eater woman rushed in and caught sight of Harry.

"There you are!" she shrieked. "Give it to me! Give me the prophecy or I'll kill you just like I did Black! ... Or should I do it more slowly? I do like to make it painful, you know."

Killed Black? No. No, it couldn't be true! His secret uncle couldn't be dead.

"He's not dead!" Harry yelled at her.

"Oh yes he is," she returned in a horrid singsong. "Through the veil went Auror Black and he surely won't be baaack!"

"Harry," Percy hissed. "Forget Black. She's insane and dangerous. Just throw the thing at her and run."

"I can't," Harry replied. "I already did. I threw your stupid prophecy away and smashed it! It's gone! You failed!"

He was feeling strange as if he weren't really here and his scar was hurting again.

"Liar!" shrieked the Death Eater. "Give it to me!"

"I just told you I no longer have it! Ask You-Know-Who if you don't believe me. He already knows and he's furious at you. You failed him and he is coming to punish you!"

"Harry?" Percy's voice sounded strange and far away. "Harry!"

"He's coming through Harry," Luna stated. "Better get away from him."

"Through?" Percy gasped.

"Possession!" Ginevra wailed. "Like he possessed me, too!"

"No, that's alright," said Luna. "We just have to step away a little."

That was the last thing Harry heard before the pain in his head flared up more vehemently than ever before. It felt as if his scar would burst and he screamed and Voldemort screamed and all of a sudden Harry knew that Bellatrix Black Lestrange had told him the truth. Whoever fell through that horrible veil in the Department of Mysteries died. He knew because Voldemort did, just like he knew that the woman Death Eater was called Bellatix Black Lestrange, because Voldemort did, because Harry was Voldemort and Voldemort was Harry.

And Harry screamed, because Sirius, the only person in the world to whom he'd been special was dead.

And Voldemort screamed because Harry screamed, but why? Why was Harry screaming? It hurt. It hurt terribly, but Voldemort didn't understand why it hurt. Sirius Black was dead. So what? What did that matter to Harry or Voldemort? What did it matter to anyone except Sirius Black?

Voldemort didn't even understand and somehow that made it hurt Harry even more, even though Harry was Voldemort ... or maybe because Harry was Voldemort. The pain became unbearable until with a last horrified scream Voldemort fled and Harry fell into darkness.

When he came around again Harry found that for the first time in months his head didn't hurt the slightest little bit. You-Know-Who was gone. Bellatrix Black Lestrange was nowhere to be seen and neither were Luna, Ginevra or the stretchers carrying Draco and Hermione.

Percy was still there standing silently half a step behind the Minister of Magic who was looking frightened and bewildered. There were several other wizards and witches with the Minister, but Harry had no idea who they were.

The only other person in the huge room he recognised was Headmaster Albus Dumbledore who was standing among the shattered debris of what had once been the fountain of magical brethren.

For a moment Harry felt sorry that it had been ruined, but then he remembered that Ginevra had said that the centaurs had better not see it and decided that maybe it was for the best.

The headmaster noticed that Harry was moving and came over to him.

"Well Harry," he said twinkling just the same as he did when having a nice little chat at the head table after dinner. "That certainly was very brave of you, but you shouldn't have left the institute grounds. If you had just told a Professor we could have alerted the Aurors without endangering any children."

"But we couldn't tell Professor Umbridge," Harry mumbled his protest. "It was a vision. She doesn't believe in those."

And then he remembered that the vision had been false and the prophecy had been destroyed because he had believed it. There may have been Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries, but neither You-Know-Who nor Auror Black had really been there. Not before Harry had rushed there to rescue his secret uncle at least. And now Uncle Sirius was dead.

"He's dead," Harry told the headmaster, eyes wide.

"Who is?"

"Auror Black. He's ... dead."

"Yes Harry, so he is," the headmaster confirmed. "It isn't your fault, though. It was his duty to risk his life to defend the Ministry. Auror is a terribly dangerous profession. Now, take this portkey."

Harry did and with a sudden jerk the Ministry of Magic disappeared.