Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
A/N: Thanks to MiaCara, who is my beta for this story.
Chapter Fifty-One
Voldemort VS Dumbledore
Voldemort grimaced; another of his Death Eater was dead or incapacitated. Why wasn't he surprised? They were proving to be just as useless to him as he always knew they would be. He always knew that he was the only one that he could count on. If the fight continues he was likely to lose. Though he had the greater numbers, it seemed that Dumbledore had the better fighters. What had happened to all those seasoned fighters that he was supposed to have? His Death Eaters were being defeated and the other followers he had picked up since returning where not doing even worst.
Of course there had been loses on the other side too. But still, Dumbledore was still surrounded by better fighters than he now had left to him.
He was going to have to call Dumbledore out to a one on one fight. Not something that he was looking forward to, but he had little other options left to him now. Once he defeated Dumbledore, then his remaining Death Eater will be able to take the castle. The defenders of Hogwarts will lose their will to fight … their belief that they could win once the old man dies. Yes, that's what he had to do.
He stood from his seat, and briskly walked through the now silent town of Hogsmeade, towards the grounds of Hogwarts. As he expected, the mere sight of him, sent all those on the grounds falling back. His Death Eaters snaring at the returning fighters as they came to rally around him. He would have liked to start killing all of the idiots who seemed to think they were doing well just because they had yet to die. The Death Eaters laughing at their near incompetence were nearly as appealing to curse as the fools that choice to fight him. He needed them still, so he only aimed his wand at the retreating defenders, smiling as the green light hit several of them.
"That is quite enough," Dumbledore said, appearing on the field in a flash of fiery light along with his phoenix. "I will not allow you to kill any more people."
"Oh, and you believe you can stop me," Voldemort smiled, the thought was ridiculous, though he had to admit Dumbledore was the only one that had a chance of doing it.
"Is that not why you have been fearful of fighting me in the past, Tom?" Dumbledore asked simply.
Voldemort knew the old man was trying to make him angry, he always insisted on using his 'birth name' to try to make him overact to him. But he wasn't about to let the old man's trick work. "There had been no reason to destroy you before now. As you kept yourself attached to your school you posed little threat to me."
"I see, and now that you have come to take the school, you find you must fight me," Dumbledore said. "Or is it that you know you will lose if you don't come to face me now?"
"No one will stand to oppose me once you are gone," Voldemort actually answered.
"I think you'll find that there are plenty that will continue to fight, even if I should die today," Dumbledore said. "You have united several people against yourself, and they realized that today is an excellent day for your defeat."
"As if anyone could defeat me," Voldemort snorted, "especially once I kill you."
"I see you confidence in your ability has not changed, Tom," Dumbledore sighed. "Nor has your willingness to do atrocious things to achieve your goal. If you would have come to face me from the beginning many lives could have been spared."
"That is little concern to me," Voldemort shrugged, truly indifferent.
"It's a pity that you can't feel remorse for those lives you had destroyed whether through you own actions or those done by your followers," Dumbledore sighed, "It's your last chance Tom …"
"Save your breath old man," Voldemort broken in, as if he would feel remorse for the pitiful people he had killed. As if this was really his last chance … he wasn't about to be defeated. However this did make his mind travel to his Horcruxes. Dumbledore had been destroying them, he knew, could he have gotten to the last one in Hogwarts too.
"Then I supposed there is nothing left for us to say," Dumbledore sighed gravely and just like that the fight had started.
A fight with Dumbledore was like nothing else. He could use several different points of attacks at once. He never lost focus and he was not easily fooled or distracted. But he was old and confident in his abilities and Voldemort was sure that was where his weakness laid.
Dumbledore pointed his wand downward and a wave seems to go around the grounds surrounding them in a huge circle around them, though the center was where Dumbledore stood. Wary of what Dumbledore had planned next, Voldemort sent a curse at Dumbledore, knowing that the headmaster would easily dodge it. However, the curse wasn't meant for Dumbledore, it was meant for one of the numerous people behind him. Knowing that Dumbledore couldn't stand watching other be hurt … he won't be able to move in fear of the others suffering so he could fight. Dumbledore was one step ahead of him though, as soon as the curse passed the moving Dumbledore, blades of grass seemed to attack it until it eventually faded long before it even got close to the edge of the circle that Dumbledore had created.
"Must you always involve others in your fight," Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head as if he was disappointed in him for using such tactics. As if he, Lord Voldemort, cared what the foolish old man thought of him.
"Only because you chose to make yourself weak by caring," Voldemort answer coldly.
"As always, we will have to agree to disagree about that," Dumbledore said solemnly, like he always did when the subject of love came up. The old fool really believed that it was some great power but all Voldemort have seen of it lead to people dying and being easily manipulated.
He was done talking, he aimed another curse at Dumbledore, but the grass that Dumbledore had cursed started attacking much sooner and the spell didn't even reach Dumbledore before it dissipated. Dumbledore moved quickly while Voldemort wasn't able to see him clearly due to the grass but he still knew where the old headmaster was going. He shield his side lazily as he cast a strong fire directed at Dumbledore the blades of grass completely useless against this form of attack, burning up before they could disburse the magic but Dumbledore used a charm to block the fire.
Still, Voldemort surrounded the area with fire and nearly at the same time Dumbledore cast a charmed that moistened the air. The fire didn't last long but the cursed grass that was near Dumbledore at least was consumed. The problem was a thick layer of smoke surround the two fighters and he couldn't see where the old man had gotten to. He made a shadow image of himself before quickly moving away from it, casting a Disillusion charm on himself so he could completely disappear from view.
Then quite suddenly there was a great wind and the smoke that had been so thick was blowing away, along with the decoy shadow that he had created. Seemingly out of nowhere he was knocked to the ground, his arm cut and now bleeding ruining his Disillusion charm.
"Tom, a Disillusion charm in smoke," Dumbledore said shaking his head and Voldemort felt a flash of pure anger go through him. He was reprimanding Voldemort for his spell choice! (And worse the old bastard was right! Though, Voldemort didn't acknowledge this thought). "You are still quite solid after all."
Voldemort muttered a chant causing the burnt ashes transfigure into a nest of snakes and he hissed his command for them to kill Dumbledore. If it wasn't for the stupid phoenix this would have been a more aggressive attack, but Dumbledore barely even paid attention to the snakes and Voldemort attacked him. Fawkes was whooping in and out of the lines between them as quick as a flash remove several snakes at a time until they were all gone. Voldemort didn't have the chance to curse the bird because Dumbledore was fighting too fiercely for him to think of such matters.
If Nagini was here she would have killed that bird, Voldemort thought, feeling a slight touch of regret for his snake that had been with him for years and who would have been of use to him in this fight. And even more of use as an anchor to life, but he pushed this thoughts aside as he continued fighting.
He wasn't sure how long they had fought, but finally he was able to get the advantage as one of his curse hit the headmaster foot and froze him to the place. His next curse knocked Dumbledore to the ground and there was a sickening creak as the old man's leg broke. Dumbledore was still fighting, sending curses at him but Voldemort easily deflected him, stoking towards the strongest wizard the light side to offer and he knew that he would win this duel.
"Crucio!" he said with relish and watch the great wizard wither in pain at his feet. He lifted the curse only so he could cast the cutting curse, slicing up Dumbledore's arm so it would no longer be able to work properly. "Any more words of wisdom for me Dumbledore?"
"You were never one for wisdom, Tom," Dumbledore said and Voldemort cursed him again. This time when the curse was lifted Dumbledore said in a cracked voice, though the old man never screamed (which took a strength that Voldemort had never seen in someone curse by him). "Killing me will only seal your fate Tom. You can't win."
Voldemort smiled, he never would have thought Dumbledore would beg for his life, this was too much. Oh it was in a high and mighty way, but Dumbledore was still trying to get him to spare him. "I have no mercy … and if you listen to the crowd … I've already won …"
He said and it was true. Everyone in the crowd had gasped when Dumbledore had fallen … there were shouts of horror as Voldemort tormented the old man. All that was waiting was the final curse. He looked at Dumbledore who seemed to be trying to move his arm … trying to curse him and kicked the broken and bloody arm sending the wand in Dumbledore's hand flying away.
"You lose," Voldemort smirked, but Dumbledore didn't look afraid like everyone that knew they were about to be killed by his hand do. He looked defiant. It wasn't hard to summon the anger to fill his curse. "Avada Kedavra!"
The spell hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest and he felt to the ground lifeless, but his blue eyes were still on Voldemort as if telling him that he was going to lose … that he had sealed his fate. But what did he know. He had dead at Voldemort hands and all his great plans were ruin now. He turned away from the fool that thought he could defeat him and to the crowd of Hogwarts defenders that had witness this. They gave him the fear that he wanted to see … the despair. It was so clear that he knew Dumbledore was wrong and they had given in to their defeat.
"Your great champion has fallen!" Voldemort gloated, as a smile spreading across his face at the victory. The old fool had finally dead and he had no one left to worry about. Of course he will have to go and find the boy, Harry Potter, but that was a little matter. He had just won the war in one fair swoop. "You have no chance of winning the fight now! Surrender and you will live! Continue fighting and I make sure that every single one of you is killed!"
Voldemort looked at the faces of the defenders again; all of them were devastated and seemed unable to believe the old fool had really been killed. They didn't seemed to even be listening to him, but that didn't bother him, it might be better if they were all killed after all.
"Which would be a better fate than living in whatever world you'll try to reign in," a voice said from in the crowds and then a boy stood in front of the others, his green eyes boring into Voldemort own. It seemed he would not have to look for the boy after all.
"Harry Potter!" Voldemort said an amused smirk on his lips.
"Harry no!" he could hear people shouting behind the boy. They clearly didn't want the boy to face him. He didn't blame them; of course the boy will be killed. But surely they must have realized that was going to happen either way.
"You should not have come in front of me, Harry, you might have lived a few more hours if you had not," Voldemort said.
"I can't live while you're still alive, Riddle," Harry said.
"You dare call me that!" Voldemort hissed, his eyes flashing bright red in his angry. Dumbledore had been one thing, but this boy dared to use that filthy Muggle name for him! "I am Lord Voldemort, the most powerful wizard alive! I killed Albus Dumbledore! You are nothing but a boy who cowered behind stronger people and watched as I killed them!"
He could see the pain his words had caused in the boy but it had vanished almost immediately into a determined look.
"I never claimed to be anything!" Harry said to Voldemort. "I never wanted people to follow me! I never wanted people looking at me to save them. I never wanted any of it."
"Are you trying to plead me to spare your life?" Voldemort questioned a humorless smile on his lips. It was almost as funny hearing this from the boy as it had been from Dumbledore. As if that would ever let either one of them live.
"As if I could believe you would show any mercy," Harry scoffed. "I never asked for any of that. You were the one that made me that person. All the destruction you caused in my life … in the lives of so many others is why I stand in front of you now. And because you still believe that I'm just a boy and yet fear me all the same I will defeat you."
"Fear you!" Voldemort laughed a chilling laugh that caused most to feel a trickle of fear, though the Death Eaters that were still behind him seemed to join in his laughter. The fools. The boy really had gone mad to think that he, Lord Voldemort feared him. He feared no one. And he was going to prove it. He flicked his wand as quickly as a snake bites and the curse was flying at the boy.
But Harry must have been expecting the move because he sent a stunning charm to meet the killing curse that Voldemort had sent at him. When the spells had met halfway between them, it was like two years ago all over again. The curses combined, connecting them to each other.
"Watch out Riddle, you're showing some of your fear," Harry gloated.
"You think you're special boy!" Voldemort snarled, trying to break the connection between the two wands but no matter what he did he couldn't break loose. "You're hiding behind the twin cores. Do you really think you can defeat me just because your wand can stall mine?"
Harry laughed, "You can't even break the connection, can you?"
"Argh!" Voldemort shouted, a fury so powerful that it seemed to have physically manifested as the boy mocked him. He couldn't let Harry Potter, a sixteen year old boy make him look like a fool. He will finally get rid of the annoying child that should have died fifteen years ago. The power from his scream had helped him; it had knocked several people to the ground, Harry among them.
"NO!" Harry shouted as Voldemort threw away his wand of yew, the one that was the brother to boy's own wand and picked up the wand that laid on the ground, fallen a few feet away from where it's old master laid dead to the world. It was somewhat fitting that it would be Dumbledore's wand that defeated the last hope of the light side.
"Looks like you'll no longer be able to stop me now," Voldemort smiled triumphantly. What a foolish boy to believe that he could defeat me just because of his wand … and now at least there will be no one that will ever be able to stop me! He relished the words as he said, "Avada Kedavra!"
