A/N: Not mine, the Harry Potter Universe as always belongs to J.K. Rowling and all the other affiliates.
Chapter Fifty-Two – Final Fight
The splash of spell fire hit the wall behind his head and he turned slowly to glare at the caster. He snarled in anger as he raised his wand and whispered the two words to end his attacker's life. "Avada Kedavra."
The Minister of Magic fell backwards, a blank look on his face, as more spell fire was directed at him. He ducked and weaved between the beams of multi-colored light, until he was safely behind a support pillar.
"We've accomplished our mission!" Bellatrix Lestrange shouted. "Return to the Manor!" she ordered and then raised her wand. "Mors Mordre!" she laughed as the Death Eater symbol blanketed the area in green and then disappeared with a crack.
He took a deep breath, clasped his wand tightly in his hand, and spun out from behind the column, firing curse after lethal curse into the crowd of Aurors. He was intent on doing as much damage as possible, per his orders. Dozens fell to his wand before a curse slashed across his face. The damage was nothing, as his mask too the curse fully, but he was forced to remove it, to protect his face.
Almost instantly, the entire atrium came to a standstill. "Merlin, it's Harry Potter!" someone yelled.
A hate filled glare came into his cold blue eyes and then he turned on the spot, disappearing with a small pop.
Harry arrived in a windowless stone hall that was lined with torches and housed a single black thrown. Upon the thrown sat a tall man in heavy black robes and red eyes, blazing with an inner hatred toward him, he welcomed the glare.
"Where is your mask?" Voldemort demanded, standing from his seat.
"It was destroyed, my Lord," Harry whispered passively, sinking to one knee and bowing his head.
Voldemort walked towards him and then ran his hand through his hair, he yanked his head back, so he was looking down into Harry's eyes. "Your mission was a success?" Voldemort asked calmly, though his hand tightened on his hair in warning.
Harry flinched only slightly as pain laced through him, but his mind pushed it aside as an annoyance, nothing more. "Yes, my Lord, the Minister of Magic is dead."
Voldemort smirked and then released his hold. "Come," he commanded as he walked back toward his thrown and took a seat gracefully.
Harry calmly got to his feet and walked forward and then knelt again at his master's feet. Bowing his head again, he lifted his arm, already knowing what his master wanted, and pulling his sleeve back, revealing the black tattoo of a snake and skull on the underside of his forearm. Voldemort ran his hand over the Dark Mark almost lovingly and he again only flinched slightly in what appeared to be mild discomfort, but would have had any other man screaming.
Suddenly men and women in black robes appeared with near silent pops and knelt down before their master. "Arise my followers," Voldemort hissed. Harry stayed kneeling at Voldemort's feet. "Harry Potter has completed his mission," he said with a smirk as he pet his head like he was a loyal dog. A cheer echoed the hall briefly.
Harry's eyes switched from blue to green momentarily as memories penetrated his mind for the third time in two days, but it was dismissed just as quickly as he leaned into his master's hand as his hair was combed by long white fingers. No don't fight; it only hurts when you fight, he reminded himself.
"It will only be a matter of time until Hogwarts is ours," Voldemort announced. A cheer rang from the sea of robed figures again, but was silenced by the wave of a hand. "I want the Order of the Phoenix dismantled by the end of the school year. If it is not, you will all be severely punished."
A chorus of, "Yes, my Lord," rang out from the crowd, though Harry could hear the nervousness in the statement, they feared displeasing their master.
"Good, you all will receive your orders this evening, dismissed."
With that, all but two Death Eaters vanished, and those two left through the door at Voldemort's prompting, leaving Harry and the Dark Lord alone in the hall again. "You will personally see to Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape when I take Hogwarts."
"I will try, my Lord," he said with a monotone voice.
"You will do, not try," Voldemort hissed, tightening his grasp on his hair painfully.
Harry winced. "I will, my Lord."
Voldemort loosened his grasp. "Good. Once I take Hogwarts, you will have the Headmaster's position while I conquer the Ministry, which won't be a difficult feat as most of their children attend the school," Voldemort said quietly. Harry did not react, his eyes staying the same passive cold blue. "You remember being a student at Hogwarts, yes?" Voldemort asked after another moment of silence.
Harry tilted his head, searching for the memories. "Yes, my Lord," he said.
"You miss it?"
He frown in confusion at the question, "My Lord?"
"Never mind," Voldemort said, a smirk twisting his lips as he continued to run his fingers through the silky raven hair of the young man kneeling at his feet. Everything was going perfectly and as he had planned.
--
Harry watched himself as he sat in Severus' office staring straight ahead unblinkingly and with a blank look in his eyes. It was like being in a memory, only he knew he was dreaming. Severus sat in front of him, his wand discarded on the desk next to him as he pressed his fingers to his other self's temples.
"I'm hoping this will help your memory. It's a very obscure form of Occlumency, I don't even know the half of it myself, but we've tried almost everything else."
"Hopefully it'll work, Severus, I can't go on like this, it's getting worse, who knows what else I'll forget in time."
"Indeed. Now concentrate on your Occlumency shield, forget everything else around you and…"
Harry suddenly awoke, breathing heavily and with his hands clenched into the sheets beneath him. He hissed in pain as he stretched out his legs and looked up to the barred door that kept him prisoner, even in this lavish room.
A tear slipped from the corner of his eye. He'd again, finally broken the spell over him. He didn't look forward to when Voldemort found out. He almost wanted to not fight anymore, but he couldn't forget those who would be hurt or killed if he didn't try. The fact that he was able to break free of the curse when Voldemort had assured him that it was supposed to be impossible, gave him hope.
His head was pounding and the mark on his arm was burning, indicating that a meeting was about to begin. He knew Bellatrix would be there to release him soon, so he could attend the meeting, and this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Though his legs still hurt incredibly, he could finally use them under his own power.
He didn't know how long he'd been Voldemort's prisoner, but he knew he'd fully broken out of the spell the Dark Lord had been using to control him, four times. Each time was getting more difficult. He only knew what the spell did to him because Voldemort had explained it in great detail to him before he had cast it on him the first time.
It was like the Imperious in so much as it made him do whatever the Dark Lord told him, or rather made him want to do whatever Voldemort told him. But it also suppressed anything that made him, him. He had all of his memories, but none of his emotions, none of his wants or beliefs. It made him a blank slate. It also took away his sense of pain and each time he came back from the spell it was like needles stabbing all over his legs.
He still didn't know what Voldemort had done to his legs. His memories of his capture were completely absent and Harry could only assume that he'd blocked it out for some reason. He did know that he could see clearly without his glasses now though. It bothered him at the same time as thrilled him, he'd been attached to his glasses for so long now; it was odd being without them. He also knew that he had limited access to his magic. Not enough to break through any wards, but enough to hopefully incapacitate a Death Eater or two, and he was fully prepared to use any advantages he had.
He couldn't remember what exactly he did during the times when he was under Voldemort's control; there were a few flashes of moments where he thought he must have been fighting against the spell, but other than that, nothing. He had no sense of time, but he could remember every time Voldemort had reapplied the spell. He was held under the Cruciatus Curse for nearly a minute beforehand, to weaken him so he couldn't fight the curse.
Harry suddenly stiffened as he heard the all too familiar footsteps of Bellatrix Lestrange. He pushed himself out of bed and quickly donned his Death Eater robes with disgust, and then he closed his eyes and forced himself to stand ridged and calm as the Death Eater entered. His hair, which had grown out a bit, shadowed his face and he was relieved that the Death Eater couldn't tell the difference in his eye color as he opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Come, our Lord wishes a word before the others arrive," she said stiffly. It was obvious Bellatrix didn't trust him even with the spell. That was going to make things a bit more difficult.
Harry only nodded and bit back a gasp as he forced himself to follow her. His legs were killing him, but he was determined to escape this time. He felt his magic build up and he smirked. The last couple times he hadn't been able even to concentrate long enough to access his suppressed magic.
They were nearing the Hall when Harry sprung on her. He slashed out his hand with a cutting hex, and his spell would have caused some serious damage, had he not been suddenly struck in the back by the Cruciatus Curse, causing his spell to only graze the Witch.
He cursed and tried to push himself back to his feet, but collapsed again as the curse was put upon him again. He glared at the Dark Lord after it was lifted. Voldemort knelt down beside him, looking almost disappointed.
"I had hoped the spell would keep for longer this time," his said quietly and with annoyance in his eyes. "I suppose I'll just have to apply it stronger, what do you think, Potter?"
"I think you're a coward and one day I'm going to kill you!" Harry spit out, shaking in both pain and anger.
Voldemort shook his head and then nodded at Bellatrix. "I do not think so, Potter," he said simply.
Harry bit back a scream as Bellatrix cast the Cruciatus Curse on him and held it. The last thing he remembered was an ice-cold feeling sweeping over him before everything was wiped blank again.
--
Rain was falling in torrents, as it had been for the last few days. The lake was swelling more than normal and the last classes of the year that normally took place on the grounds, had been cancelled. Not a single student was about on the grounds. Even Hagrid and Fang were taking shelter inside the school, as Hagrid's shack was ankle deep in water and mud. Hogwarts hadn't seen rain like this in decades.
It was the last day before the students were to leave for summer break. The majority of the staff and the students were currently attending the farewell feast in the Great Hall. Sirius and Remus were supposed to be there now, but they were waiting for Dumbledore and Severus to get back from the Ministry.
"What will Harry face once this is over?" Sirius asked softly from his spot staring out over the waterlogged grounds in Dumbledore's office, as rain pelted the glass.
Remus shook his head. "I don't know. If Severus and Albus can't make a deal with Madam Bones and the Wizengamot…"
"He'll face the Kiss," Sirius said shakily, grasping at the windowsill tightly.
Remus stood and walked over to his friend, he placed his hand on his shoulder firmly. "They will try everything in their power to make the Wizengamot see that Harry isn't in control of his own actions, Sirius. Severus has first hand knowledge of this curse. If they can prove Harry is under it, and they will," Remus stressed, "then Harry will be fine."
Sirius spun around on Remus. "Will he?" he almost snarled. "I can't see that he'll ever be fine after this, Remus. He's murdered the Minister of Magic! He killed his Uncle and tortured his Aunt to near insanity! And don't get me started on the dozen Aurors that are still in critical condition in St. Mungo's! Even if we can prove that he wasn't in control of his actions, how will he even be able to deal with all that? Let alone what he may still do!"
Remus closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "I don't know," he whispered and then opened his eyes again. "I don't know, Sirius, and Merlin I wish I did!"
The fireplace flared to life and Severus stepped out with a weary expression on his face. Dumbledore followed briefly after. Neither spoke as they sat on either side of Dumbledore's desk. Sirius stayed where he was by the window, but Remus sat back down.
"How did it go?" Remus asked hesitantly when the two continued to remain silent.
"They ruled against him," Severus whispered shakily and then put in head in his hands.
"Damn it!" Sirius shouted after a moment and slammed his fists again the wall, before he slid down to be sitting under the window with his hand fisted in his hair.
Remus clenched his hands into fists and then looked over at Dumbledore, who sat with sadness in his eyes. "Did they even listen to you?"
"Oh they listened," Severus sneered. "And then they practically spat in our faces!"
"Madam Bones will try to lessen his sentence, given his age," Dumbledore said heavily. "But even then, it will still be life imprisonment."
"Life imprisonment," Severus scoffed. "That is if he lives, which he won't if they have their way!"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked, looking up from his hands.
"In light of the recent attacks, the Wizengamot feels there's a likelihood of the school being attacked. They ruled that until the end of the school term, in other words tomorrow, Aurors will be stationed at Hogwarts and will escort the children and the Express back to London. As you can guess, they are worried about Voldemort coming after the children here or on the Express to get to the higher members of the Ministry," Dumbledore explained. "They'll be here within the hour."
Sirius stood up. "What does that have to do with Harry?"
"The Aurors aren't interested in taking prisoners," Severus stated, and Sirius turned to lean against the windowsill again.
"So if Voldemort uses Harry to attack the school or the Express, there's a high likelihood he'll be killed on sight?" Remus asked with a shocked look in his eyes, staring at Dumbledore.
"Not if, Remus," Sirius suddenly whispered in horror before the Headmaster could answer, and the others all jumped up from their seats. Sirius pushed open the window and the others crowded around.
"Merlin," Remus whispered.
"That's Voldemort," Severus hissed.
"And that is Harry walking towards the school," Dumbledore stated gravely.
--
Harry stood beside Voldemort as the icy rain pelted down above them, but never touching them. While the others were wearing their masks and hoods to cover their features, Harry had neither and he felt confusion about why, but brushed it aside. It was what his master wanted and it was better not to question it.
They were at the edge of the Hogwarts wards, them and almost all of Voldemort's Inner Circle. Harry could see that the wards of Hogwarts were still up in front of them and he looked them over briefly, discarding them as nothing more than a nuisance as quickly as he'd registered they were blocking their way.
A hand touched the back of his neck and Harry leaned into it slightly. "You will kill Dumbledore, Snape, and anyone who stands in your way," Voldemort said quietly as he ran his hand down Harry's arm and across the mark, which burned fiercely. Harry nodded once, without so much as a flinch, and walked through the wards, which accepted him like arms welcoming him home, leaving Voldemort and his Death Eaters waiting patiently.
He stopped a few paces in, tilted his head, looking for something, and then with a small smile on his face turned and walked back to his master's side. He nodded slightly and received one in return. Harry raised his hands, so they were almost touching the wards, and they glowed gold for a moment, but the wards resisted his commands. He lowered his hands and looked back at his master with confusion in his eyes.
"They will not obey me," he said simply.
Voldemort frowned and Harry flinched lightly. "Try again," he hissed.
Harry raised his hands again, concentrating harder, he gritted his teeth as pain assaulted him, but pushed it aside just as quickly. The wards fluctuated under his will and then he was being thrown backwards into the Death Eaters, who caught and steadied him, pushing him back towards the Dark Lord. Harry knelt down with his head bowed at his failure to please his master, as Voldemort turned his glare on him.
"Forgive me, my Lord, I do not know why they resist me."
Voldemort glanced over the wards himself for a moment and then his eyes narrowed. "You did not tell me there was another Protector within the walls!" he snarled.
Harry flinched and tilted his head in confusion, searching his memories, and then nodded. "Minerva McGonagall," he said simply and then looked up at his master. "My Lord, allow me to go and dispatch of this problem for you."
Voldemort looked down into his hopeful cold blue eyes. "Alone?" he asked, but seemed to give it some thought. He smirked. "Yes, you will kill McGonagall." Harry nodded and stood at once. "And, Potter, do not fail me," he warned.
Harry flinched in pain and then walked through the wards again. He would carry out his master's orders as best he could, he could not displease his master. As he approached the school, his eyes remained the same passive blue, not even a twitch of green. The commands given to him rang clearly in his mind and he pushed open the Entrance Hall doors and walked into the school undaunted.
He heard the open conversations coming out of the Great Hall and he didn't hesitate before walking up the stairs and sweeping into the noisy Hall, his wand held in his hand, ready to be used, as he walked swiftly up the length of the hall until he was standing only yards from the Head Table. The students and staff suddenly went silent as he was noticed and he simply swept his eyes over the shocked eyes of the staff until they landed on his target. He raised his wand, ignoring the gasps and shouts around him.
"Harry, you do not want to do this, my boy," Dumbledore suddenly said loudly from behind Harry and he spun around, his wand still raised.
Harry tilted his head in confusion, which order did he follow first? Kill Dumbledore or kill McGonagall? His eyes flashed green and then back to blue as Severus slowly started to walk towards him, he lowered his wand slightly in indecision, but his grip tightened around it. Or kill Snape?
"Harry, you are being controlled," Severus said cautiously, almost uncertainly.
Harry gritted his teeth as pain laced through him, he was displeasing his master, that wouldn't do. "Anyone who stands in my way," he hissed decisively. His wand came back up again and Severus stopped his advance. Harry raised an eyebrow and smirked coldly at the man before him, and then he flicked his wrist.
Severus was sent flying off to the side as if something had grabbed him around the middle and then thrown him. Remus reacted on instinct and tossed a cushioning spell at him. Snape still landed with a crash on the Slytherin table and many of the students screamed, but he wasn't injured. Dumbledore looked uneasily at Harry as Severus was helped off the table by his students. He slowly motioned for the other staff members to lower their wands as he walked forward himself.
"Harry, your order is to kill me, I'm sure. Leave them out of it," Dumbledore said gravely.
"Yes," Harry said simply, turning his wand on the man. "Avada…"
"No, your order is to kill me, isn't that right, Potter?" McGonagall called out.
Harry's eyes again flashed green and then blue as indecision came over him. He turned and raised his wand at McGonagall again. "Yes."
"No it's definitely me, Harry," Dumbledore said right away.
Harry turned back.
"Voldemort wants me dead, just as much as them," Severus called out, cautiously making his way back over, as he silently motioned for students to move aside, away from their seats and against the walls. Remus and Sirius started ushering the students away as well on either side of the hall.
Harry flinched as pain laced through him again and he turned his wand on Snape.
"Do you really think Lord Voldemort will be pleased with his death, over mine?" McGonagall questioned. "I, after all, hold the wards."
Harry spun back. "Avada…" he began, but his eyes again flashed green and he gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on his wand. Harry forced himself to lowered it as he fought within himself against the spell and against Voldemort's wishes. His mark burned fiercely and then his eyes flashed back to blue and he raised his wand again.
"Harry, fight it!" Sirius yelled.
Harry spun and raised his wand. "Crucio!" he spat angrily and Sirius fell, screaming. Dumbledore sent a curse at him, but he quickly turned again and then blocked the curse with little effort. He raised his wand, pointed at the Headmaster. "Avada Kedavra!" he hissed.
Several people screamed and then there was a loud screech. The spell hit, only it didn't hit Dumbledore, but Fawkes, who abruptly burst into flames and his ashes fell out of the air and into a neat pile on the stone floor. Harry stared at it in confusion, his eyes again flashing from blue to green, and then back just as quickly. He shook his head and then raised his wand again.
McGonagall suddenly gasped and then collapsed back into her chair, and then a crackle of magic raced over the hall. A high-pitched alarm blared through the halls of Hogwarts and several screamed again, while others covered their ears. Harry winced in pain and closed his eyes against it. His master was not happy he'd failed.
Dumbledore moved forward to incapacitate Harry, but he was stopped by a green tinted barrier that sprung up and surrounded Harry. Remus tried throwing a curse at it, but only ended up ducking his own curse as it rebounded.
"What's happening?" Severus asked as the four wizards circled the barrier.
Dumbledore shook his head with a lost look in his aged eyes. "I do not know, I've never seen a shield like this."
"I have," Professor Mordant said as she helped McGonagall back to her feet behind the Head Table, while staring at the shield. "In my classroom, he created it to protect a potion months ago."
"You failed me, Potter!" A harsh voice suddenly broke over the hall and many screamed and moved towards the far end of the hall when the Dark Lord himself suddenly swept into the Great Hall unchallenged, followed by Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry, still surrounded by the shield walked down the isle until he was level with Voldemort and then his shield disappeared. "Why did you fail me?" Voldemort asked.
"I tried, forgive me, my Lord," Harry said, bowing his head and many of the students gasped at his obedience.
Dumbledore frown and then raised his wand and immediately started sending curses at Voldemort who simply stood there. Harry stepped in front of the curses with his hand raised. The shield sprung up again, but this time only directly in front of Harry. Nothing touched him though, all of the spells were absorbed into the shield. Dumbledore stopped firing and lowered his wand with a sigh and sadness in his eyes.
Voldemort smirked and then ran his hand up Harry's arm. "You may have redeemed yourself my pet," he hissed and then looked up at Dumbledore. "How do you like my new servant, Dumbledore? He is most loyal to me, he cannot even consider turning against me. He thrives on pleasing me."
"Release my son!" Severus snarled and started towards Voldemort, but Remus grabbed him, pulling him back.
"You're only going to get yourself killed," Remus growled, when Severus tried to fight him.
Voldemort laughed cruelly. "Yes, Severus, do listen to the mutt. We wouldn't want your son to dispatch with you too quickly."
"My Lord, would it please you for me to kill the traitor?" Harry asked, raising his wand and glaring coldly at Severus who stopped and looked at Harry sorrowfully.
"It would please me greatly, but not just yet my pet," he hissed and Harry lowered his wand.
"What about them, my Lord?" Harry asked. "They are organizing themselves to fight," he stated, looking curiously at the students.
Voldemort swept his eyes over the students, taking in how uncharacteristically ordered they had become, as they stood in rows. The older students ready to protect the younger students and all of them had their wands in hand. He smirked. "I would advise your students to surrender their wands, Dumbledore, unless they all wish to die here tonight." Harry raised his wand at his master's words and Bellatrix did the same.
Dumbledore looked around the hall as well, just taking in his students' determination with a small amount of shock. "Tom, this is a school," he tried to reason. "They are only children."
"Indeed, and that is precisely why I am here. Tell them to lower their wands or they will die," he said simply.
"They can do nothing to you," Dumbledore stated, but then with a sigh at the unforgiving look in Voldemort's eyes, looked to his students again. As if in agreement, the older students all took a step forward and raised their wands. "Lower your wands, all of you," Dumbledore practically begged at the action, but the students didn't move an inch.
"The way we see it Professor Dumbledore," George Weasley spoke up with complete seriousness in his voice and little fear. "There are three of them, but three hundred and seventeen of us. How long do you think their shield can really hold?"
Voldemort laughed. "You've organized an army, have you Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore shook his head with clear disbelief in his eyes. "No, lower your wands, all of you. You do not understand what he is capable of," he pleaded with real fear in his eyes.
"Oh we understand," Draco hissed and Voldemort glared at the boy hatefully.
"Harry, kill Dumbledore, perhaps seeing their great Headmaster fall will instill some respect in them," Voldemort ordered and Harry raising his wand again on Dumbledore.
"Yes, my Lord. Avada…"
"Harry, don't listen to him!" Hermione screamed as she suddenly moved towards Harry. He turned his wand towards her and his eyes again flashed from blue to green to blue. Hermione took a step back, fear in her eyes and several students moved in around her, all with their wands raised at Harry.
Bellatrix laughed at the action, but Voldemort silenced her with a glare. "Potter," Voldemort warned and Harry turned his wand back, though this time his hand shook slightly.
"Fight him, Harry," Ron yelled and Harry's eyes flashed again.
Voldemort growled and raised his wand and pointed it towards the students, towards Ron. "Avada Kedavra!" he hissed.
Harry suddenly let out a strangle scream and then spun in front of the curse and it splashed against the shield around him. He cried out and dropped to the floor as his legs gave out underneath him and his shield collapsed. He breathed in deeply and then he pushed himself up to his hands and knees and glared up at Voldemort, his eyes completely green again. Voldemort immediately turned his wand on Harry, as he stared in confusion around him.
Bellatrix cast the Cruciatus Curse at him before the Dark Lord even prompted and Voldemort shot the spell at Harry. Both spells hit stone as Harry quickly rolled out of the way and then several spells from staff and students alike flew at the Dark Lord, but still nothing touched him.
Voldemort simply smirked and then turned his wand back on Harry, who was still trying to get his bearings straight. He was so confused, when had he come back to Hogwarts? He barely remembered flashes, but they didn't have any sense of time.
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort hissed and Harry rolled out of the way again.
This wasn't the time for reflection. Harry jumped back to his feet a cold glare coming into Harry's eyes, as anger the likes he'd never felt before swept through him. He was done being controlled! Harry snarled and then threw himself bodily at the Dark Lord. He slammed into him with the force of a freight train, sending them both tumbling out of the Great Hall and then down into the Entrance Hall.
Harry punched and lashed out at the man the whole way, tearing cloth and pummeling flesh, as Bellatrix ran out of the hall after them. "You bastard, never again will you control me! I'll kill you!" Harry screamed enraged, tears falling down his face as he continued his assault.
Harry was suddenly thrown away from Voldemort and into the Entrance Hall doors, and the Dark Lord stood, bleeding and with his wand raised. "Not if I kill you first!" he spit out angrily and the flicked his wand almost lazily at the Great Hall, stopping those that had run after them from going further. Bellatrix came to stand beside her Lord along with the other masked Inner Circle. They all pointed their wands at Harry, but didn't fire, awaiting their master's consent.
Harry felt like he was awaiting execution in front of a firing squad. He struggled against the magic that had him pinned to the door, but it didn't budge. "Let me go!" Harry raged. "Let this be a fair fight you coward!"
"Coward?" hissed Voldemort. "A fair fight; like the first time we met face to face, where you ran away, like a scared little boy?"
"That was not a fair fight! I didn't know how to defend myself then! But I certainly do now!" Harry yelled, still struggling, though he felt his actions hopeless.
He looked at the professors and students for help, but they were stuck by a familiar barrier in the Great Hall. They all had fear in their eyes as they stared at him, pinned several feet above the ground. For many of them, this was an all too familiar scene as they desperately cast spells against the shield, but not even Dumbledore could break through it.
Harry screamed and fought the spell holding him with all he had, and then the spell around him shattered like glass and he dropped to the floor, landing heavily on his burning legs. He staggered slightly, but then righted himself, breathing heavily and raised his wand.
Voldemort suddenly laughed and then narrowed his eyes slightly. "Interesting, but I'm afraid you now no longer have any magic, Harry," he sneered. Harry frowned and then flicked his wand, but nothing came. "Do you really think I wouldn't retain complete control over your magic?"
Panic and fear washed over Harry and he sank to his knees with resignation in his eyes, as he remembered the cuffs on his wrists. Voldemort had completely blocked his magic.
"No, Harry, don't give up!" Hermione yelled, pounding her fists against the barrier. Harry looked up to his friend. "You're still the Protector," she whispered too quietly for Harry to hear, but he still understood what she said.
Harry placed his hand flat on the floor and closed his eyes, but felt nothing, no magic. "Hogwarts," he whispered almost desperately.
"The school will no longer protect you, Harry, because you turned on it," Voldemort reminded harshly and raised his wand at Harry again. Harry could only stare up at him.
"Did he?" a hard voice sounded from behind the barrier and Voldemort looked behind him.
Harry glanced up at Professor McGonagall with uncertainty in his eyes. What did she mean, did he, he did, didn't he? He lowered his eyes. He had, he'd turned on the school, he must have, or he wouldn't be here now…
Voldemort smirked. "See, even he knows he did."
"Death and the Dark Lord will mark him as their equal, and the one with the power will turn against knowledge…" Harry whispered to himself, a small frown on his face. Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "The Protector will fall to the Dark Lord born again, and knowledge and truth will crumble…" he recited, raising his eyes to Voldemort. "The Dark Lord will mark him again as his equal, and the one with the power will return to knowledge to protect and vanquish his enemies…" Harry stood a gold glint coming into his eyes and Voldemort took a hesitant step back.
"Death will free him of his obligations and truth will come to the protector at last." A hollow voice sounded around them and there was no one that didn't shiver slightly, Harry continued to stare at the Dark Lord, as if he didn't even hear it. Voldemort looked around himself in fear. He pointed his wand again at Harry, though this time shakily.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies," Harry said strongly, raising his hand. "He will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives! But oaths protect and save him and power be not the strength of truth!" he shouted.
A gold rune appeared in the air in front of Harry, and he thrust his hand into it. Chains shot out of the floor, bidding the Death Eaters were they stood, binding the Dark Lord. "I am the Protector of Hogwarts," Harry said simply and Voldemort stared at him in absolute terror. "You asked me once Voldemort, if I could ever invoke the magic of Hogwarts, my rights as Protector, if it meant defeating you. Yes, Tom, I can!"
Harry closed his fist and the chains tightened, burning those trapped by them. They screamed and Harry closed his eyes against it, a tear falling down his cheek. He didn't open his eyes again until long after the screaming had stopped and someone lightly, hesitantly, touched his shoulder. He shakily lowered his hand and then opened his eyes and stared at the ashes in front of him.
"Harry," Severus whispered and Harry abruptly spun around and then collapsed into the man's arms, sobbing. Severus wrapped his arms around him, holding his son tightly.
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AN: Last chapter is next. You all wouldn't believe how long it took me to write this chapter. I had half of it written over a month ago, I just couldn't get it perfect. :)
