Author's Note: Hello to all the new readers, and to everyone who has been with me since the beginning. I was overwhelmed by the response last week. I will be responding to reviews today, I just haven't had the time this week. I'm in the midst of copy-editing my new book. There will be information when you can order it, as well as a special coupon code which only my fanfiction readers will be able to access and use. There are just three chapters left, so we will finish this story in October. I will also be working on my remaining stories to complete them, though I have no plans for any new stories at this time. Many thanks to Arnel, my beta, for her hard work. Enjoy and thanks for your support. MNF

Chapter 38:

Concro (Welsh)/ To Conquer (Modern English)

Sirius had darted away once he'd given Harry the report. He had other things to do, other responsibilities to take care of. He knew the moment he'd helped Harry become the Lord Potter, he'd lost his boy; even though he'd missed him for thirteen years already. Harry had faced enough in his young years to be a man at fifteen; much more so than Sirius had been at his age. How Harry was like his mother in this respect. Lily had been on the cusp of adulthood the minute her parents dropped her off at King's Cross Station. It only became more evident as the years went past and he learned how she was tormented by her sister and saw the abuse others heaped upon her. Sirius' hatred for pure-bloods would end today, with Voldemort's death. He, however, would never forgive the Dursleys for what they had done to Lily and her son.

James had followed his girl into adulthood when the first attack on the school took place. He knew his role, what his last name meant, how people would look to him. He might have resisted some, but there was an ancestry in James' blood that kicked in the minute someone else was in danger. It was not unlike that ancient thing that not only plagued Remus but also made him a man. Sirius knew he'd been the holdout. Sure, Peter had fled, but even fear can be an adult response; Sirius had clung to juvenile behaviour long after the others had walked away. Now was his time to be an adult, and that meant letting Harry walk into danger and face the monster who had destroyed his early life. One of them would die, and Sirius put his money on Harry coming out alive.

He darted in and out of shops as he made his way to where the Aurors of both countries were escorting students back into Hogwarts safely. Voldemort was down to the barest of followers, the true believers; the crazy ones. Sirius gave a pair of girls a Portkey to the gates, and alerted Minerva they'd be there. She, along with Mrs Potter, had taught him what motherly love truly was. How he wished he'd told her long ago what she meant to him. He'd never had the courage, now he felt too ashamed to do it. She might not understand why he'd waited.

He stopped in the road and scoffed at himself, it didn't matter when she heard it, just that she heard it. Lily had convinced him of that with Maggie, and she was right of course. About to enter another shop, a Stunner whizzed past him and hit a tree in the area leading to the Shrieking Shack. Sirius turned to see his nemesis, Lucius, coming toward him.

The man looked nothing like the stately blonde boy who had tormented him as a child, nor like the man who had beaten and abused him while incarcerated. He looked pitiful. Thin, almost to frailty and weakness. His curse had gone wildly out of range, if he was attempting to hit Sirius. Since there were few around this deserted part of High Street, he must have been. Sirius wanted to capture him, make him stand trial and see him locked away; he silently hoped it wouldn't come to killing him, but only for Cissy and Draco's sakes. Lucius had already lost everything, his life was meaningless.

"I've come to kill you," Lucius slurred. Sirius wondered if he was drunk or on some sort of hallucinogenic potion. Merlin knew he'd tried most of them in his youth.

"I'm planning on living and seeing you in jail," Sirius retorted in his sarcastic way.

"So you can do to me what I did to you?" Lucius fired another shot, but this curse fell short and landed in the dirt. Sirius had a strong Protego, but there was more than spell-work in his favour here.

"Never. I plan on forgetting you there." Sirius sent a Stunner at the older man, but he twisted away. Perhaps he wasn't as helpless as he appeared. Sirius changed into Padfoot and ran into the field, further away from another group of students who were running toward Hogwarts, yelling about women duelling. A British Auror appeared and quickly whisked them away.

Changing back to human form, Sirius saw Bella and Cissy, and was torn about running to help his cousin-come-sister. Another flash, this one far closer to him, whizzed past and set a tree several meters behind him on fire.

"You always were a waste of a good lineage," Lucius taunted. "The Black name is pitiful with you as the head."

"Your former wife doesn't seem to think so," Sirius bit back. He might not want to see the man dead, but it didn't mean he wouldn't torment him. "She's quite happy as a Black again. And, the new Lord Malfoy is doing well. Brilliant son she has."

"There is no Lord Malfoy, your ancestors made sure of that." Lucius wore his hatred like a cloak now, even as his spells continued to miss the younger, fitter man.

"Ah, but there is," Sirius said as they danced, firing quick spells, but missing. It would have been frustrating if Sirius didn't wasn't having so much fun. "I petitioned for the name and bloodline to be reinstated. Draco went through the lessons and was welcomed into the Binding Circle. He's a fine Lord, takes after his cousin and new friend that way."

"I'm the senior Malfoy, that title is mine!"

"Yes, well, the Council didn't see it that way," Sirius snipped as he fired another Disarming Charm, but everything seemed to go slightly wide. Then it dawned on him that Lucius was more concerned with his protection spell than he was with offensive spells. He only came close to hitting Sirius when he was a dog, and that was because he knew no offensive spell would be fired at him.

Thankfully, Remus and Lily had prepared for this. They considered that Voldemort would have a powerful Protego or a like protection spell around him and the snake. It would be hard to rip the spell from him with another spell, but a potion or charm bag might do the trick. After researching for weeks in the Black family library, they found what they needed. The potion was explosive, and difficult to brew, but under Lily's tutelage and in her delicate new cauldron, Hermione, with Remus' help, had accomplished it. Harry's group were all carrying them today.

Sirius reached behind him and put his hand into a small pouch attached to his belt. He pulled out the tiny phial and threw it at Lucius, aiming for the ground just before his feet. The flash stunned the other wizard while the florescent pink tendrils wrapped around his body. The bright wisps constricted, and a glowing bubble appeared, was contracted and then burst.

Lucius Malfoy was without his protection, and he knew he was beat. His magic was weak from his body being so neglected and he simply didn't care; but he refused to go down without a fight – especially not against the man who he had come to hate. Sirius Black, even as the most reviled member of the family he married into, was all anyone ever wanted to talk about. Walburga would loudly complain about what a disappointment he was. Orion and his brother plotted ways to bring him back into the fold. Even once a Death Eater, Regulus hero-worshipped his brother. Voldemort wanted him as a follower – sometimes it seemed more than he cared about the followers he already had. His wife was enamoured with her cousin and his ability to do what he wanted, just like her sister had. His son spoke of how 'cool' the dog was; or at least that's how it seemed when Draco relayed the stories he'd heard from Harry Potter while they were at school. Everyone wanted Sirius Black for some reason or another.

Lucius only wanted to see the man hurt, and then eventually die. When he was at Azkaban, he had seen him bleed, cry, piss his pants and pass out. He had made Sirius Black beg for mercy. He was the one who had caused the broken fellow to never be able to sire a child. It was Lucius Malfoy who had systematically broken every bone in his rival's body at some point. He'd missed out on the opportunity to kill the man outright; now he would get his chance.

Both men raised their arms, but before either could fire, Lucius crumpled to the ground. Sirius looked around, and saw Draco's arm just coming down before he Disapparated with his mother. Sirius was worried for Cissy, perplexed by Draco's actions; but had other matters which were pressing. Lucius was still breathing, although the breaths were shallow and rapid. Recognizing the man might be in a precarious medical state, he wrapped him tightly up, put the Auror's Portkey token on him and sent him to the Irish Magical Hospital's prison ward. Malfoy was likely to have a few friends, or at least people he'd intimidated in the past who could help him, remaining in Britain. He had no such people in Ireland.

Dusting himself off and considering what had happened for a minute, Sirius felt a relief he was surprised by. Knowing there would be time, however, for introspection later, Sirius darted back to the street proper to make sure there weren't any more students requiring help.

Just before he reached High Street, about to check on the Three Broomsticks, Hermione ran past, a large broadsword in her hand. He wanted to follow, but a scream of pain from inside the bar made him stop and go provide the help he was tasked with.

The snake was the only thing on Hermione's mind. Ginny had wanted the task of killing Nagini, but it was decided that her mind was too susceptible, even with all of Remus and Klytie's help. She would work on keeping the few Death Eaters who remained on the street until an Auror or one of her housemates caught them. The job then fell to Hermione, and she was ready for it.

After her terrifying experience on the street when she was out with Remus, the young woman had thrown herself into her defensive training. She was strategic and deft in her spell work, but terrifying to face when she had a broadsword in her hand. Unlike the two boys, who were wiry and had very long limbs, Hermione was compact and coiled like a snake. Her arms were strong, and just slightly longer than her torso, giving her just enough reach to swing at an opponent without putting her body at risk.

At first the boys hadn't wanted to fight her, on the principle that boys should never hit a girl. She then wiped the floor with both of them – in the same fight – and that attitude ended. She could even take down Sirius, although she and Maggie were well matched. The snake was doomed agreed the minds of everyone in the house.

Hermione kept a close eye on Neville and Harry as she darted down the street. She knew when they stopped, so she would slow down, but now they had reached the end of the shops and were closing in on the train station. Harry wanted to keep his fight as far away from the castle as possible. She also knew she had to get her work done before Tom Riddle could die.

Harry had convinced everyone to call him by his dull, human name; although she noted that the Marauders and Lily struggled with this on occasion. IShe supposed if someone were called something for a very long time, it might be difficult to change. For her part, she didn't care what he was called, just so long as he was dead. She didn't want to live under Sirius' protection for the rest of her life. She didn't want to hide in Ireland. She wanted to live openly, wherever she and Neill decided they would. She wanted her parents to spend time with him, more than just the sporadic dinners or outings they could arrange.

Voldemort stood before her, bellowing to the skies about something, and remarkably unprotected. He was close to the trees, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had been hiding all along. It wouldn't surprise her to discover he really was a coward; just as Harry led the charge as the hero he was. The two couldn't be more different, she mused.

Pulling her wand, she Disillusioned herself and grabbed one of the phials she'd made of the explosive potion. There were three steps to her plan, break the protections on the snake, separate her from her master and then slice the head off.

Stealthily Hermione moved along the forests edge. Disillusionment spells weren't as good as Harry's cloak, as you could see a faint distortion around the person made invisible; but Tom's back was turned. The snake slithered next to the man, close but there was space between them.

With one last deep breath, she reviewed her steps and then threw the potion phial. The pink tendrils wove around beast and man, although she knew she hadn't aimed well enough to take down Tom's protection as well. The protective bubble crumbled around the snake and she used her wand to pull the creature from the smoke and into her reach. The snake rose up, but Hermione's gleaming blade swung forward and decapitated the reptile.

Voldemort screamed in agony, which provided her a moment to slip into the trees. Harry, still looking like a girl and Neville came into view as she Disapparated to the pre-arranged meeting place.