Hmmm, not entirely happy with this chapter. Sadly, I don't have time to go over it as I'm leaving on Tuesday and still determined to get this story finished by then.
Hope you guys enjoy this one.
We're almost at the end now!
Happy reading.

Chapter thirty five

Once and for all

'Ouch!'

'Stop moving around then.'

'You're rubbish at healing, you know.'

Remus laughed as he traced his wand along the wounds on the bottom of Harry's feet. Harry could feel the skin knitting itself back together and his grit his teeth against the odd sensation. Remus had spent the last hour or so fixing up various cuts and scrapes Harry had received running through the forest. Those which he had endured during his time at the Death Eaters headquarters would have to wait a while longer.

'How're you feeling?' Remus asked, helping Harry to sit up and rest back against a tree.

'I'm just so tired,' Harry said, sighing, running a hand across his eyes. He glanced down at his fingers and watched as they twitched painfully, wondering if he'd ever be able to hold a wand steady again. Remus reached over and clasped his hand tightly, holding it still.

'You'll heal, with time,' he said.
Harry tried to smile but it didn't reach his lips. He wasn't going to have chance to heal…and he'd have to tell Remus what was about to happen sooner or later.

Sirius was waiting to be dealt with and Harry couldn't put it off forever. Elion had said that Sirius was chained up in the dungeons. He cast his mind back to the route he was dragged through every day to receive his round of the Cruciatus curse. There had been a single door away from all the others, deep down under ground, locked and chained and under constant guard. There had been no noise from within whenever he passed…but Harry had a suspicion that was where Sirius was being held. He hoped desperately that he was still there and hadn't been found by the Aurors yet.

'I wanted to come sooner,' Remus said, interrupting Harry's thoughts. 'We knew where you were…there just wasn't enough of us. Then, when the news got out that you'd been taken, there were people turning up, sending owls, demanding to help out. They heard your interview you did for Fudge. It worked Harry! That message you put out about everybody needing to fight with you, it worked. They were all prepared to fight in your name. I've never seen anything like it.'

Harry was stunned into silence. 'Wow,' he said. 'I didn't think it would actually work.'

'Thanks to you there were enough of us to completely overwhelm the Death Eaters. They'd obviously spotted us waiting to attack but they didn't stand a chance. We stormed in and completely over took the place. We went straight in to find you and Severus but Tonks saw you running out here so Charlie and I tried to follow you. I have no idea how you managed to run so far after what's happened.'

He sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair. 'I'm sorry, Harry, for all of this. This shouldn't have happened. You should have never of ended up there.'

Harry shrugged. 'It doesn't matter now,' he said, mustering a grin. 'How did you find us anyway?'

'Avery told me where the headquarters were. Turns out he and Draco were working from the inside against the Death Eaters…but you already know that.'

'Yes,' Harry said. 'Draco and I shared a cell for a while. Turns out he had a lot more guts than I thought he had…he was very brave.'

'And Avery?'

'They died together,' Harry said. 'Side by side.'

Harry gave a quick nod and looked away into the forest. The sounds of fighting had started to die down now. He felt Remus place a hand on his shoulder. It grounded him, easing the thoughts of bloodshed that were taking over his mind.

'What happened, Harry? Where's Severus? Did he stay to help the Order?'

'He didn't make it…'

Remus was silent for a moment.

'He gave his life for me…'

'It isn't much consolation but I believe that's the way in which he would have wanted to go,' he told Harry gently. 'He fulfilled Lily's wish and kept his unbreakable vow.'

But Harry was shaking his head. 'He didn't,' he said quietly. The look on Remus' face made him feel physically sick.

'What do you mean?' Remus asked, though by the tone of his voice, Harry believed he already knew what was coming next.

'Snape is dead,' Harry said, his eyes drifting off so he didn't have to look Remus directly in the face. 'And there's still a job to be done.'

'…Sirius.' Remus reached over and took Harry's chin gently in his hands, turning his head so that their eyes met.

'You're not coming back, are you?'

Harry shook his head, eyes brimming with tears. 'It was always meant to end like this.' he said thickly. 'I'm so tired, Remus. I'm ready for this to be over. I'm only sorry that I have to leave you and Ginny.'

'I'd die for you, you know that,' Remus said, grasping Harry's forearms tightly. 'I'd take your place in an instant if only you'd let me.'

Harry gave a small smile. 'You know I wouldn't.'

'I'm not going to change your mind, am I?' Remus said, his voice clogging with tears.

Harry shook his head, unable to get the words out. In an instant Remus had wrapped his arms around him, holding him close into his chest.

'Then do not be afraid of what awaits you.'

'I'm not afraid,' Harry said into his chest, holding Remus tighter. 'There are worse things than death.'

'Are you sure; are you certain there's no other way?' Remus asked desperately.

'The Death Eaters have been caught, the rest are already in Azkaban, and Elion is dead…once this is over, the world will finally be at peace.'

'You deserve to see that,' Remus said.

'It'll have to be enough to know that I helped,' Harry said, pulling away.

When Harry stepped back, Remus noticed that Ron and Charlie had suddenly appeared beside them. Remus' heart began to quake in his chest as the truth of what was about to happen finally started to hit him. He took several deep breaths, trying desperately to keep calm for Harry's sake.

'Nice to see you, Charlie,' Harry said warmly. He reached out to shake the older Weasleys hand but Charlie pulled him into a hug instead. He patted Harry hard on the back several times.

'Take care of him,' Remus told Ron as Harry and Charlie separated. 'Stay with him.'

'Of course,' Ron said.

'Take care of Ginny,' Harry said, reaching out for Remus one last time.

'Harry – '

Mustering every ounce of determination he possessed, Harry pulled his hand out of Remus' and stepped back quickly. His whole body was shaking, his mind screaming at him to run back to his guardian and never let go.

'Let's go,' he said to Ron.

'Harry! Please…'

'Goodbye, Remus,' Harry said, gazing over the man one last time before the forest before them dissolved into a blur of colour and sound. Remus' voice echoed against his consciousness, ripping at his chest as Ron apparated them back towards the Death Eaters headquarters.
A second later, silence overwhelmed them as they landed just a short way away from the near demolished hideout. There was no sign of anybody – no sounds of battle. Everybody had gone. The Order had done it. They'd captured the Death Eaters.

'What's your plan?' Ron asked as they made their way forwards to a hole in the wall, big enough for them to crawl through easily. Harry stopped mid-step.
'I don't know,' he said, suddenly realising he had no idea how he was going to make sure he and Voldemort died together.

'There's a bridge,' Ron said, pointing towards a clearing in the forest. 'Over the river. If you can get him there…'

'I won't be able to get him all that way,' Harry said.

'I can help you. That's what I'm here for,' Ron grinned. 'Ready?'

Harry nodded and together they began to make their way through what was left of the building. They walked past blood splattered walls, thick bits of concrete hiding the remains of crushed bodies, forgotten wands and even a forgotten hand. They passed the room that had been Harry's prison for three weeks. Ron peered inside, his face set and stern. Harry moved past quickly, not wanting to see the inside of that room ever again.

'They recovered Snape's body,' Ron said.

'Good,' Harry said. 'He deserves a proper burial.'

'That's where they took us,' Harry said a few minutes later, pointing down the hall to a series of rooms. A corridor leading off to the right caught Harry's attention and they diverted from their route. 'From what Elion said, I think this is where they were keeping Sirius.'

'How do you know which room was his?' Ron asked, eyeing the series of doors that now surrounded them. Harry merely pointed to the door closest to them, covered in thick chains. They appeared burnt and charred as though someone had made a frantic attempt to get in…or out.

Harry bent down and picked up a discarded wand. Hoping it was still working, as it looked a little worse for wear, he aimed it towards the chains and muttered under his breath. Almost instantly the chains slid from the door, clanking loudly in the empty corridor and hitting the floor. Harry stared at the wand in surprise.

'I might keep this,' he said as he pushed open the door.

The room was pitch black, darker than Harry remembered his own being. He held his breath, wincing as Ron's fingers dug into the skin of his forearm.

'Ron,' Harry hissed. 'You're dead.'

'I'm still scared!'

The room was damp, deadly quiet and smelt terrible. Just as Harry began to squint through the darkness for any sign of Sirius, a loud feral scream tore right at him and seconds later, Sirius had leapt through the open door and right onto Harry, knocking him onto the floor.

'What the hell!' he cried, struggling as Sirius began to scratch furiously at his face and arms. 'Ron!'

'What the hell did they do to him?' Ron said, watching the scene unfold in shock. Sirius looked the same as he did when Harry had first seen him a few weeks ago. He still had that transparent look to him and his haggard face showed that he'd suffered terribly, but there was now an almost animalistic quality to him. His nails were longer, his teeth sharper.

'What did Voldemort do to your body!' Harry bellowed, trying to prise Sirius' fingers away from his eyeballs. 'RON, WHEN YOU'RE READY MATE!'

'Oh yeah,' Ron said, jumping to action. 'Sorry!' He bent down and grabbed them both by the arms and closed his eyes. Harry scrabbled desperately to keep hold of both of them. His lungs were compressed to what felt like just a few inches and his head whirled as Ron took them to where they needed to be.

As soon as Harry's feet touched solid ground again, Sirius had grabbed him around the neck and forced his head upright. His head was still spinning, his lungs still trying to resume their natural size. He barely had time to take in his surroundings; the metal bridge they were on, the raging river beneath them, the trees on either side, shielding them from view. Harry realised with a jolt that his body would probably never be found. He twisted his head around, looking for Ron but found that he'd vanished. It was time then…Ron would be waiting for him when it was over.
Sirius' lips spread into a twisted grin that looked so unfamiliar on his face. He stepped forwards, pushing Harry towards the edge of the bridge. Harry's feet stumbled and he fell to his knees; Sirius yanked him upright easily.

'Haven't you got bored of trying to kill me?' he grunted, latching onto Sirius arms, trying to push him back. 'Look what you've had to resort to. Using a dead mans body. Even your Death Eaters deserted you!'

Sirius hand clamped tighter around his neck. Harry felt his brain begin to go fuzzy. The lack of air made him dizzy and his feet unstable, but his heart was still pounding furiously beneath his chest. His hands scrabbled furiously around the fabric of Sirius' jacket. He forced Harry backwards into the metal railing behind him. Harry's back gave a loud crack and he winced, trying his best to ignore the pain now trailing down his spine.

'I don't care what you do to me anymore,' Harry choked out. 'But if you kill me, I will drag you with me. No matter what it takes.'

'Brave words,' Voldemort said, his eyes searching Harry's face for a few moments. 'By all means, take me with you,' he hissed. 'That way, I'll have much younger body that I can use to pull myself back through the veil.'

'It doesn't work that way, I'm afraid,' Harry growled, his face slipping into a hard grin. He let out a dry laugh. 'You could use Sirius' body only because he fell through the veil. Only, if I die… there's no body.'

'Harry, it's time.'

Harry's head suddenly gave such a painful throb that in an instant his eyesight was torn completely from him. He was surrounded by darkness, so thick and dense that he was unable to think clearly. It was suffocating him. Panic gripped him like a vice and he felt a sudden urge to run away as fast as he could. But he had nowhere to go. This was it. This is what his entire life had been leading up too.

Fuelled by energy and adrenaline that he couldn't comprehend, and before he could even register the look of complete fury on Sirius' face, Harry had repositioned his grip and tugged him headfirst over the railings.

He closed his eyes and let the weight of Sirius' body pull him over the edge until he felt the air rushing past him, the wind tearing through his hair. He had no idea how far or how fast they were falling; he just clutched Sirius' body to him tightly. He wasn't frightened or angry, he wasn't even sad that he was about to die. The only thoughts that were occupying his mind were of those that he would be able to see again. Ron, Sirius, Dumbledore, Draco, Avery, Snape …
Counting off the names in his head made him feel sick.

But this was justice. Ginny and Hermione and all the other students at Hogwarts would go on to lead lives without fear because of their deaths. Harry clung onto that thought desperately and took a deep breath.

And then his mind was filled with such an intense brightness that Harry lost all clarity of time and meaning. The world around him swirled and shifted so harshly that Harry felt himself tumbling through reality itself. Flashes blinded him as a distorted array of images and sounds raced through his mind. He saw Remus healing his wounds, saw himself running towards him in the forest so full of relief; he was suddenly forced backwards through time, into the Fortress and he watched Snape die again; another shove and he found himself watching Draco and Avery being murdered, the attack on Hogwarts where he and Snape were captured; then Snape revealing that Sirius was being possessed; that awful moment when Sirius had come back through the veil; Diagon alley whirled past next, explosions of green and red echoed around him, the attack on Hogsmeade; his time spent in the hospital wing after he'd defeated Voldemort. He paused as the memories of Remus helping him walk to and from the bathroom came next; Harry struggled furiously to cling onto those. He felt another shove against his consciousness and he cried out. He didn't want to go back anymore. But the battle in the forest came rushing into his mind and he watched himself falling to the ground as he fled from Voldemort, Remus and Severus in pursuit. Then the all too familiar pain of possession tore through him and finally, Harry crash landed heavily and his eyes ripped open.

'Harry – you've been asleep long enough.'

'I'm not sleeping,' Harry mumbled, fighting to get a grip on something, anything, to anchor him back to reality. What the hell had just happened? Where was he? His ears were ringing and his throat felt dry and tight.

'I'm not sleeping. I'm safe.'

'Oh, you're certainly safe. Open your eyes now.'

Everything was such a blur inside his mind. He grasped hold of his head and let out a feral cry so loud that his throat felt as though it was tearing apart. Hadn't he just jumped off a bridge with Voldemort? Hadn't he just ended both their lives?

'It's okay, Harry. Open your eyes. You're not alone.'

When his head had stopped spinning, he noticed that there was an odd blur hovering in front of him. He blinked roughly and a familiar face came into view. A dead face – but familiar none the less.

'Ah, glad you could finally join us!'
Albus Dumbledore greeted him happily. 'Welcome to the veil, Harry. I suppose you'll want to be updated on events? You've been asleep for quite some time.'