Disclaimer: not mine

The HP finale!

Chapter 10

Sora stumbled into the Secret Place, thoughts swirling through his mind too fast to focus on. He'd seen the terror buried deep in Riku's eyes as he was swallowed, he'd been aware even as his body was controlled. Riku had reached out to him for help, the controller may have wanted to drag Sora with him, but he knew Riku had been begging for help. And Sora had failed him and now he was gone. He had to find Kairi, keep her safe for Riku, and then they would find Riku and save him.

That weapon…the Keyblade, it was the one from his dream, just like the Shadow creatures. What was going on? What was happening to him?

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She was terrified, worried, and…tired, so tired. She could feel it, Darkness so thick…it wanted her and she wasn't strong enough to fight. Riku…Sora…where were they?

"Kairi!"

Sora! Sora was coming. He would help her; he would keep her safe. She stopped fighting the exhaustion, letting the power sweep her away from the Darkness to the bright Light.

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Harry didn't even stumble as the Portkey dumped him in...a graveyard? Cheery. It was a relief to feel Hades nearby, even knowing the god couldn't interfere, not as long as the Prophecy was in play. He could feel two others nearby but one was…disgusting to his senses, that had to be Riddle. The other, there was something almost familiar, like someone he'd known a long time ago. Someone from when he was a baby? The traitor?

Riddle was a bodiless Wraith at the moment, the scattered pieces of his soul all accounted for now except the one before him and the one it kept with it. He could take it out now, without much risk, and be done with it all. Before coming to Hogwarts he would have, but now he knew Luna, knew Cedric and Hermione…how much danger would the still free Death Eaters be to them in the future? Sure, they may remain "model citizens" for the rest of their lives, or they may decide to revive the cause one day, follow a new leader. In that case, he should bide his time until Riddle was back and summoned them, it would mean an actual battle and higher risk for him but would leave them safer in the future.

Harry sighed, but his choice was made.

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The boy floated limply in the Darkness, mind overwhelmed by the power, forced into unconsciousness. It was for the best, the child was still fighting him, but away from those friends it would be much easier for the Darkness to sink deeper into his Heart, to make him even easier to control.

He would send the boy to Maleficent soon, to continue his 'education', to ensure he would be ready when the time came. Perhaps the boy would find out what she had kept hidden from him ever since he had begun helping her. He would not let her threaten his plans.

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Harry stood against the gravestone, even as the traitor approached with a knife. They were using a ritual to give Riddle a body but so far, from the ingredients used, Harry wasn't impressed. Bone of the Father…the man had been non-magical, flesh of the servant from a man so cowardly… which likely meant Harry's blood to complete it. His blood would be the most magical ingredient in the potion, powerful enough to overcome the weakness of the other two? Likely, which was a pity. It would serve Riddle right to come back a weakling because he used such a stupid method.

He hated the idea of letting them use his blood but Riddle would not call his precious Death Eaters while bound to the deformed baby thing. If he wanted to deal with them then he had to let it happen…but there was no reason he couldn't tweak things a little. So he gave his permission for his blood to be used, weakening its affect. Harry may be very well trained, especially for his age, but he also knew that in battle you had to take any opportunity or advantage offered in order to ensure survival.

Suddenly, the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn't see Pettigrew or anything but vapor hanging in the air. The mist began to clear and through what was left he saw the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron.

"Robe me," said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Pettigrew, sobbing and moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them one-handed over his master's head.

The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry, and Harry stared back into the face he had seen only in scattered, vague, dreams. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snakes with slits for nostrils.

Lord Voldemort had risen again.

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Remus stared at the now collapsed maze, it had vanished when the Cup was claimed….except it and Harry were nowhere to be seen. He kept a firm grip on the collar 'Snuffles' was wearing, unwilling to risk Sirius running off and getting caught. He'd known Harry's name being entered was a trap and now it had been sprung. Why hadn't he approached the boy earlier? Because Harry's letter had been polite but very distant, not seeking a reconnection with his parents friend but information discovered about Sirius' case.

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Amelia stood and made her way down to the Judges as it became obvious something had gone wrong. She had come to speak with Remus Lupin about Black and Pettigrew, to see if she could speak with Potter…Kakós. His inclusion had been suspect from the start but she'd been stone walled no matter how she had tried to investigate how an underaged Wizard, a fourth-year, had been entered. The young man had surprised everyone with his skill and power but where had he learnt such things? Not from Durmstrang. She had questions on who had taken him in too, why had they not gone through legal channels?

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Luna let Hermione clutch her hand, Harry would now be facing his parent's murderer. Despite her words to him about a friend and finding his Light soon…he could still die today. She trusted his skills, his power, but there were so many things that could go wrong, so many ways things could go bad for Harry.

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"Hey there, how can I... Aw, it's only a kid," Cid grumbled as he looked up to see who had entered the store. A kid…and a stranger. Had another World fallen? That was the only reason they got many newcomers.

"I'm not a kid! And the name's Sora!" the boy, no teen, stated, arms crossed.

"Okay, okay, simmer down. So why the long face, Sora? You lost or somethin'?" he asked as he wiped down the counter.

"No! Well, maybe. Where are we?"

Yep, definitely newly arrived. "Where were ya before?" he asked and then listened as the kid explained. Ouch, that sounded more traumatic and more forceful than the way a lot of Worlds fell these days, more similar to how theirs had. "Well this is Traverse Town."

"Traverse Town... So, gramps, is this really another world?"

"Don't call me gramps! The name's Cid!" he growled; he wasn't that old! "Anyway... this sure ain't your island." He didn't tell the kid his Island was gone; he obviously wasn't ready to hear that yet.

"Hmm... Guess I'd better start looking for Riku and Kairi."

"Well, good luck with whatever it is you're doing. If you ever run into trouble, you come to me."

He'd have to alert the others to be on the lookout for others from the kids World. They tried to keep track of everyone in Town, to keep them away from the most Heartless prone areas, help them find family if they made it too. He got the feeling Sora wasn't going to find those two in Town though, not from what he'd said of how they'd been separated. Riku was likely a Heartless by now, though the girl? That sounded plain strange.

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"My Lord…" Pettigrew choked, "my Lord…you promised…you did promise…"

"Hold out your arm," Voldemort ordered lazily.

"Oh Master…thank you, Master…" He extended the bleeding stump, but Voldemort laughed again.

"The other arm, Wormtail."

Wormtail? Voldemort using a nickname just seemed strange. Harry stayed quiet, letting things play out for the moment, besides, he wasn't even tied up anymore. A small, controlled, fire spell had taken care of the ropes. Fire wasn't really his element, not like his Mother and Hades, but it had still been easy enough, it was larger flames he had trouble with.

"Master, please…please…"

Voldemort bent down and pulled out Wormtail's left arm; he forced the sleeve of Wormtail's robes up past his elbow, and Harry saw something upon the skin there, something like a vivid red tattoo - a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth - the image he had seen in a book on the war: the Dark Mark. Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping.

"It is back," he said softly, "they will all have noticed it... and now, we shall see…now we shall know ..." He pressed his long white forefinger to the brand on Pettigrew's arm.

Wormtail let out a fresh howl; Voldemort removed his fingers from Wormtail's mark, and Harry saw that it had turned jet black.

A look of cruel satisfaction on his face, Voldemort straightened up, threw back his head, and stared around at the dark graveyard. "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"

He began to pace up and down before Harry and Wormtail, eyes sweeping the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looked down at Harry again, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face.

"You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father," he hissed softly. "A Muggle and a fool…very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child …and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death." Voldemort laughed again. Up and down he paced, looking all around him as he walked, and the snake continued to circle in the grass.

"You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was ... He didn't like magic, my father. He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born, Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage… but I vowed to find him…I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name…Tom Riddle…" Still he paced, his red eyes darting from grave to grave and Harry wanted to roll his eyes, but his Mother would not approve. Couldn't he just get on with it? then again, they were both waiting for his followers to appear so what else was there to do?

"Listen to me, reliving family history…" he said quietly, "why, I am growing quite sentimental. But look, Harry! My true family returns…"

The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks, and Harry bit back a smirk, finally. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward…slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them. Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled toward Voldemort, and kissed the hem of his black robes.

None of them noticed the ropes falling from around Harry, burnt open.

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Maleficent stood as if carved from stone, Diablo and Kírkē with her. She could not interfere in what was happening, that had been made clear. She had to trust in the training she had given her son, in his power, to win the day. Why was it taking so long? Surely…had he allowed Riddle to regain a body first? Foolish boy, why give his enemy any advantage? She would need to see to finding him a tactical trainer it seemed.

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Leon watched the boy leave Cid's. this kid had the Keyblade? It seemed ridiculous and yet…there was something about him. "They'll come at you out of nowhere," he spoke softly, but loud enough to have the boy spinning to face him, so he stepped out of the shadows.

"Who are you?"

"And they'll keep on coming at you, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade." He knew he could look intimidating and he was making use of that. He had to see what this Keyblade master was made of. Would he be able to do what was necessary? He raised a gloved hand and pointed at the Keyblade, blue eyes gazing at Sora through his long dark hair. "But why? Why would it choose a kid like you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" the kid snapped. He looked…tired, worried. Not surprising since Cid had mentioned he was trying to find his friends, something Leon doubted would happen.

"Never mind. Now, let's see that Keyblade." He walked slowly towards the kid…what had Cid called him…Sora, his arm reaching out. The boy took a solid defensive stance and Leon found he approved, he obviously had some training, that was good.

"What? There's no way you're getting this!"

"All right, then have it your way." He drew his Gunblade, slinging it over his shoulder before

holding it firmly in his hands before summoning a fire spell and tossing it at the boy.

Sora dodged and ran towards him. Leon let him get in a few hits with the Keyblade before going on the offensive, the kid taking a large hit from the Gunblade, knocking him backward. He ran further away, but Leon leapt over and cornered him. Sora moved again, leaping over the wall to the main square, and Leon shot another fire spell at him, which Sora blocked and sent flying back at him. Not bad. He shook it off as the kid got in close, hitting him hard in the chest with his Gunblade. Sora stood for a second, wobbling on his feet, before falling over backward onto the cobblestone ground. Ouch, that was a bad landing.

"Hey, you found it. Nice going, Leon."

He turned to see a grinning Yuffie coming out of the alley. He nodded at her and then looked back at the unconscious boy and his Keyblade. "Still... It looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse."

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Hades smirked as Harry's bonds dropped and no one noticed, idiots. He was curious why he had waited for Riddle to call his followers, not that he would complain over getting more souls. He'd seen the kid train, knew how much untapped potential lay in him, but he'd never seen him fight, no one had because Maleficent had never allowed it. She was being a good Mother he supposed. Still, all the training in the Worlds was nothing compared to actual combat experience.

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Harry faced Tom Riddle, the bodies of his Death Eaters scattered about them, the 'man's rage clear at having lost his precious followers. Harry had barely even had to do anything to take most of them out, they'd had no teamwork; in trying to hit him they'd done great at taking each other out accidentally! Which was good for him, left him with more magic at hand to face Voldemort with. Although Pettigrew he had killed personally for his betrayal, his first ever kill. He didn't feel anything about it at the moment, maybe he would later?

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"I'm the great ninja Yuffie."

"Huh?" Sora blinked, everything flashing, and suddenly a dark-haired girl was in Kairi's place, leaning over him.

"I think you might've overdone it, Squall."

The tall man from before walked into the room, scowling at her. "That's Leon."

Sora glanced around what seemed to be a bedroom, relieved to spot the Keyblade leaning against the wall. "The Keyblade..."

"Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out that's how they were tracking you," Yuffie explained.

Leon crossed his eyes, staring at him. "It was the only way to conceal your Heart from them. But it won't work for long."

Sora sat up slowly, relieved to find he wasn't in pain, staring down at the floor.

"Still hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one," Leon murmured, and he bit back a wince. Leon was right, if anyone should have, it should have been Riku. Leon picked up the Keyblade and swung it in the air. It flashed out of his hand and back into Sora's. Leon walked over to him, and Sora looked up at him. "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

"Why don't you start making sense! What's going on here?" he was starting to get frustrated. He hadn't found Riku or Kairi anywhere when he'd looked and he was really worried about them…his Mum too.

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Harry stared at the sneer on Riddle's face as his sword plunged into his chest.

"You think this is the end?" he hissed.

"You mean your soul containers?" Harry asked, withdrawing the blade, spinning to catch the lunging snake, severing its head, hearing the tortured scream as the soul it carried was freed. "Like that one?"

"All gone now," a familiar voice taunted, Hades sauntering into view. "Finally, your soul is mine," the god smirked, tossing something and Harry caught it, finding a rather gaudy ring, but the stone…he looked at Hades in confusion and the god winked at him. Looked like he was keeping it then...it kind of felt like that cloak the Goblins hand tracked down and returned to him.

"No…" the newly re-bodied Dark Lord choked and Harry lifted his wand, blasting the too slowly dying body to finish the job. As it disintegrated it felt like a massive weight was lifted from his shoulders.

"It's done?" he asked, and Hades nodded.

"Done and literally dusted kiddo."

"Good," Harry nodded and then went to work, grabbing Pettigrew's body.

"Souvenir?"

"Proof of Black's innocence," he shrugged.

"Ah, well have fun and I'll see you back at Maleficent's," with a wave Hades was gone.

Harry shook his head and then grabbed the cup.

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Albus watched as Harry suddenly reappeared, holding the cup and…a person? Cheers and sounds of confusion filled the air, Madam Bones moving to press through the crowd to get to Potter. A few gasp were heard and he realised why as he got closer himself, the body with the boy was dead, blood coating it. It took him a few moments because of that and the years that had passed, but he recognised Pettigrew. He needed to do something, Voldemort was surely back which meant he needed Harry under his control, he had to guide the boy to his destiny and Black would just get in the way.

He carefully drew his wand, he had to deal with the body and those who had seen it quickly before there were too many. The Elder wand was the only reason he would be able to deal with those already on the stage. He didn't see green eyes narrow, a wand dropping into a pale hand, young reflexes backed by years of combat training far beyond his own. Albus raised his wand only to have it go sailing through the air…to land in Harry's.

"No," he gasped, he felt the sudden drain and he knew, the wand had switched allegiance. He had to have the Elder wand? How else would he defeat Tom once he was mortal?

"Mr Kakós?" Amelia asked, why she used that ridiculous name, the boy was a Potter.

"He was aiming his wand at the group ma'am…?"

"Amelia Bones, Mr Kakós. And what were you planning on casting Albus?" She demanded.

"My guess would be something to ensure this traitor went unrecognised. Otherwise all his hard work in ensuring Sirius Black went to prison would go to waste," Potter answered and Albus seethed, how could he know that?

"Mr Potter," he spoke up only to have the boy stare at him as if he was worse than mud. That was odd, who had he inherited yellow flecks in his eyes from?

"Save it," the boy told him coldly. "It's over, the Prophecy has been fulfilled and Riddle, aka Voldemort, is gone for good. Which means I will be returning home finally. The only reason I even attended a magical school was to deal with that monster."

What? How could he know of the Prophecy? And then speak of it in front of so many! He had to regain control somehow.

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"Madame Bones, this is Peter Pettigrew, the real betrayer of my birth family. I trust his presence plus the already provided evidence will be enough to see Sirius Black exonerated," Harry told the woman before his gaze slid to the imbecile who led the country's magicals. "I'd hate to have to come back and deal with it myself," he warned the portly man, knowing his eyes were glowing slightly with magic, and Fudge nodded rapidly. He then turned to look at the stands, seeing Luna who smiled and nodded.

Harry then spotted his Mother standing at the back, nodding to her, it was done. He looked to his Headmaster and the man bowed his head in agreement. Harry would be back to sit his OWL's and NEWT's in a week or two at the Bulgarian Ministry, he'd asked the man to arrange that last week. He'd studied ahead and was sure he would do well in both, and then he would be done with Earth. He would keep in touch with a few people and if they ever truly needed him…well, maybe the World wouldn't be too bad in a small dose or two.

"Let the other three Champions split the prize money," he told them and then he vanished, reappearing beside his Mother who spirited them away from Earth. It was over!

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Amelia watched the young man vanish and she knew…he wouldn't be back. She then turned to Albus and glared at him, motioning two of her men forward to take him into custody, along with "Mad-Eye" who, according to the note Kakós had slipped her, was an imposter. She'd been left with some clean up but she didn't blame the boy for leaving. He obviously held no love for Britain and why should he?

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Sora hesitantly followed Donald and Goofy to their ship. He wasn't sure about this, but Leon and the others seemed to think it was a good idea. And how else could he find Kairi and Riku? They had to be out there somewhere, they had to be.

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Hades smirked as Harry walked into the room, waving the boy to a seat. "Welcome home kiddo," he greeted.

"Thank you," Harry sank into a chair by the fire. "So, that ring you tossed me in the graveyard…"

"Part of a matching set of three items," Hades nodded.

"A stone…a cloak and a wand, right?"

"Bingo."

"They kind of feel like you, like death."

"Well they should," Hades tossed him a book, chuckling at his expression at being given a children's book. "A rather edited version of the tale is inside."

The boy didn't complain, just started reading rather than pestering him for the answers.

"Master of Death? I don't believe it," he scoffed when done.

"Good, proves you know how to use that brain of yours even after exposure to those inbred idiots for four years. No, you aren't my 'Master'. You did end up with all three though which does have some perks," Hades smirked, glad the kid was taking it very seriously. He waved the boy closer and began to speak, watching his eyes go wide.

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Riku woke on a cold stone platform. His fingers twitched and he slowly opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. He sat up carefully, seeing a large waterfall and crystalline rock platforms floating in the air…waterfalls that were going the wrong way. How hard had he hit his head? He staggered to his feet, swaying, he felt…strange.

"Where...am I?" he looked around but there was nothing else to see, no… "Sora! Kairi!" he yelled but it was silent except for the sound of the falls.

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"Mother?" Harry called, and she turned from the window.

"A guest has arrived at the falls," she informed him.

"A guest?" he frowned slightly. "Not one of the group?"

"No, but a potential training partner for you. A boy has been sent to us by an ally for training," she explained. After years at that school and now with closer acquaintances in Britain, it would be good for Harry if he could have a friend at home too, she did not wish for him to become lonely again.

"Oh," he whispered.

She had planned to meet the boy herself, but perhaps… "Would you like to greet him?" she asked, and her son smiled before vanishing.

She had hoped he would have more time at home before they were disturbed by others, he had only been home for two days. Oh well, there would still be time to continue his training alone, soon he would get the hang of being able to travel between Worlds.

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Harry appeared at the top of the falls, looking down to see another teen standing on one of the platforms, looking around, lost. Was this the one Luna had spoken of? The boy who would be his friend? He hoped so. He heard him call out two names desperately, but he didn't think anyone else had come with the other. Harry took a deep breath to calm himself and then teleported down to meet him.

TBC…

So Riku took a little longer to get to Hollow Bastion than in the game, but only by a bit.