81. "Bother!"

Hogwarts fell into a right panic. The explosions were experienced by all those within the castle walls. From where they stood, Harry and Ron could hear the sound of students panicking and running all over the place as teachers attempted to get them under control.

Harry could sense the use of malicious spells permeating throughout the place, no doubt a part of the attack. An old fury swelled in his chest and he could almost hear Tom taunting him on his lack of preparation. He wanted to crush Tom with everything he had. Grasping into the depths of his shirt he willed for his spell book so he could unleash all of his fury. When he grasped nothing, he remembered that he had left it in Teleute's care. All he could do was force himself to breathe in and out and calm himself.

Instead he whispered to Hogwarts through magic alone that he needed a path towards Dumbledore. It came as little surprise that the compass pointed in the same direction as the castle.

"Ron, find Hermione and alert anyone that doesn't know that the Death Eaters are attacking," he gave Ron little chance to object as he dashed towards Dumbledore's direction. He raced down the stairs and ran through hidden rooms and took any other shortcuts the castle had to give. When he reached the headmaster he cried, "Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore turned around and gave Harry a most relieved smile, "I cannot express what a relief it is to see you in one piece, though we must have a conversation on taking secret excursions."

While Harry was laughing at Dumbledore's attempt at adding humor to the situation, Tom revealed himself and unleashed the killing curse at Dumbledore's direction. With little time for anything else, Harry leapt and tackled Dumbledore away. They stumbled on the ground only for a moment and rose to meet Tom head on.

Tom jeered at their actions as though they were particularly unfunny jesters, "I've come to conquer this wretched school that you've allowed to sink in mediocrity and decay."

Dumbledore took the lead and stood between Harry and Tom, "I see that the mistakes of my past continue to haunt me. It is a shame that I have failed you so Tom, but this has to come to an end. This crusade of yours will not bring you the glory you so desperately seek."

Tom responded with a look of utter contempt, his teeth visible in a full sneer that contrasted with the sharp beauty he now carried. "Cease your prattling old man. I need none of your condescending kindness. I do not seek glory, I have already attained it! Wizard and witches alike tremble at my mere memory, my mere name!" Collecting himself, he flashed a saccharine smile at Harry's direction, "I see you've found the Boy-Who-Lived. Is that anger I see in you, boy? Now, now that is unbecoming of a wizard of the light. I do apologize for putting you in such a position. Was it me killing your mudblood of a mother or was it the execution of your blood traitor father? Oh, could it have been the death of your dear godfather? "

Harry pulled out his wand in a fury, "Shut up! Don't you dare mock them!"

"I cannot fathom why you lower yourself to those measly attachments of yours. They only make you out to be a fool as you are so eloquently displaying."

Dumbledore chuckled at Tom, "I find it rather heartening that someone of Harry circumstance and standing is capable of such compassion. It demonstrates everything you could've been and removes any excuse you have for your actions, Tom. He has become a greater force than you could ever hope to be."

"Silence! Do not mock me!" Tom snarled and raised his wand again.

Dumbledore did the same and they clashed fiercely. Every spell Tom used was countered perfectly by Dumbledore. If Tom used flames, Dumbledore used water. Concussive forces crashed into one another. Dumbledore moved with an agility that left Harry amazed.

Tom's eyes grew crazed as his spells missed their marks. His spells only grew more unrestrained, vicious, and dark.

Yet Dumbledore appeared unphased. Greater and greater shield charms were erected in defiance to every one of Tom's curses.

During the midst of the spell flinging, Harry saw Tom growing more frustrated and distracted, so he took the chance. He pointed his wand at Tom and roared, "Legilimens!" A transparent psychedelic light pierced Tom's head. Harry forced an unnecessary amount of power into the spell and tore right into Tom's mind.

Images flung through Harry's mind and he focused the spell to pull up the memories of all the Horcrux to the forefront. He witnessed every disquieting creation: the cup, diary, diadem, locket, ring, and the snake.

Harry caught his breath as he was thrown out of Tom's mind.

"Curse you Harry Potter!" Tom roared with a fury unlike anything Harry had heard from the man.

It pleased him more than he would like to admit.

This was the opening Dumbledore needed. With a flick of his own wand, Dumbledore unleashed a spell with such force that Harry could not help but be enamored. A chilling sound rang through the halls as it slammed into Tom's body. A painful gasp of air escaped Tom's lips as his feet left the ground and the rest of him began to be pushed to the opposite wall. .

Before Harry could cheer, Tom returned the favor as his body lurched backwards. The green light of the killing curse raced towards Dumbledore's chest.

Just before the spell struck him, Dumbledore looked Harry in the eyes. Harry felt knowledge rush into his very mind. He could scarcely believe what he just learned. But he had little time to contemplate for while the headmaster did not immediately fall, his wand dropped from his fingers.

Harry raced to Dumbledore as Tom summoned the fallen wand. As it passed by Harry, he couldn't help but feel the wand's familiarity. It had the same feel to it as his cloak. Tom laughed with unnatural glee when the wand reached him and made haste to apparate away.

"Dumbledore," Harry cried in anguish and loss.

Dumbledore's body fell into his arms. The very light in the man's eyes had already been extinguished. A single dark stone fell from Dumbledore's robe. Something within him made Harry pick up the stone which too filled him with a familiar presence as did the wand.

Harry morbidly wondered if this was to be the final memento from the late Headmaster of Hogwarts.