I stood there, waiting patiently. I was not eager to face the Dark Lord, I still feared his powers, there was no denying that. But this time, I had the will to fight, the will to fulfill a prophecy that only I understood.
I twirled my wand idly between my fingers, watching the scarlet sparks fly from the end of it. I found it rather amusing that, in a world I no longer understood, some things always stayed the same. I was a Gryffindor through and through, and I concentrated on that thought, on preparing myself for the inevitable.
Voldemort suddenly stepped through the door. I studied him carefully. He looked extremely pleased with himself, and I automatically tensed. He only looked that pleased with himself when he'd thought up something particularly unpleasant to do to me.
"Well, my faithful friend," he purred, "I have found your precious Ginny. Have you got any final words for her?" I thanked my lucky stars that I had become extremely good at concealing my emotions, because I would've been dead before I could say 'Voldemort' if I'd made any indication of the anger that threatened to overwhelm my self-control.
"Yes, master," I replied in a language only he and I could understand. The language of serpents, Parseltongue. "I would like to let her understand how foolish she was, to resist the most powerful wizard in our world." I despised calling him that, but there was no other way, even though I had absolutely no intention of letting him hurt Ginny. I'd already lost the rest of my friends; I refused to lose her, too.
I stepped out the door, to see Ginny standing just outside. I was filled with rage when I saw the dementors with her; when I saw how pale she was. Casually, I waved my wand and called up a Patronus to chase away the dementors. Ginny almost collapsed, and I caught her before she fell. She quickly recovered, and pulled away from me, and it hurt to see the expression of utter betrayal on her face.
"Why did you do that?" Voldemort demanded, not bothering to say it in Parseltongue. "I wanted the dementors here."
"I have enough to deal with as it is," I said coldly. "And I daresay that seeing me and having to face the reality that I have forever turned my back on the Light Side will do more to her than any number of dementors."
Voldemort nodded in grudging approval, then stepped toward Ginny, pulling out his wand. I was running out of time, but I didn't want to do it just yet. He was too tense, too ready for my attack now.
"Allow me to take care of her?" I said, raising my voice and making it a question. He hesitated, then grinned.
"Yes," he mused, "that would be best. I want to watch, though. I'm afraid you might go soft on us, since she was your girlfriend at one point."
"Before I found a better master to serve," I said absentmindedly, surveying the various bruises on her face with mounting fury. I would kill that dirty scum if it was the last thing I did. Which, I reflected, it probably would be.
"So, Ginny, have you made your choice? Will you join us, or will you stay true to the. . losing side?" The sound of my own voice shocked me. I sounded evil, and in that moment I hated myself for the weakness that had let Voldemort conquer me so easily.
"I'm staying true to the Harry I knew," she said, and her voice shook a little. I put my hand under her chin and tilted her head back, forcing her to meet my emerald gaze.
"But I am the Harry you knew," I said softly, and for a moment hope flickered in her blue eyes, then faded.
"No," she whispered, and I let her look away. "You're not the Harry I knew. You're just taunting me, and I won't let you."
"I'm afraid you have much choice in the matter," Voldemort snickered, coming forward. "Does she, Harry?" he asked, turning his red eyes on me.
"Of course not, Tom," I said. Voldemort hated being called by his real name, and I was the only one who got to call him that. It was a dangerous test, but I had to know if he really trusted me, if he really had his guard down, no matter the risk.
"Glad to hear that you agree with me on the subject," he said, smiling that evil little smile I hated so much. Well, at least I knew he had his guard down. Now, just wait to the perfect moment to strike . . .
"Tom," I said, and he looked over at me. "Stupefy!" He collapsed to the floor, looking completely shocked. I grabbed Ginny's hand and ran. Thankfully, I knew where I had to get to. This place, namely Voldemort's stronghold, was protected by anti-apparition wards. Except for one place, which was where I was headed.
"Lord Voldemort's been attacked," I yelled at Lucius Malfoy. He stared at me, completely stunned. Then he looked suspicious.
"Then why are you taking her with you?" he said warily. I rolled my eyes, trying my best to act like I thought Voldemort would.
"I'm taking her with me because I think the people who attacked the master are after her! They want to rescue her, and I won't let them do it!" I narrowed my eyes and scowled at him. "And the next time I hear you question my orders, you're going to be the prisoner, Lucius." That seemed to convince him, and he bolted downstairs, to find Voldemort.
I fled upstairs, and heard the one voice I'd hoped not to. Voldemort. I spun around to face him, pushing Ginny behind me. No matter what, I couldn't let him hurt her. I wasn't sure why I thought I could protect her; I had been the one to turn on her two years ago. But destiny demanded a sacrifice, and it would not be Ginny. It would be me.
"So, you have picked the losing side, Potter," Voldemort sneered. I didn't respond. I would not give him that satisfaction. He had ruled my life from the time I was a year old; he would not have that control over me now.
"I should have realized. No Gryffindor has ever gone over to the Dark Side. But the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin, and I had my hopes." He sighed, then pulled out his own wand. "But those hopes were unfounded. Oh well. Good-bye Potter!"
I fired my spell at the exact same moment he did. The wands connected, and memories of the disastrous ending of the Triwizard Tournament came unbidden to my mind. But this time I was ready. This time I would not run from this. This would be the final battle, winner take all.
I wrenched my wand away from Voldemort's, and the cage of light died instantly. I was glad it had. Because if I had allowed the process to continue, I knew phoenix song would surround us, and I was not ready for that yet. Because I would forever connect phoenix song with Fawkes and Dumbledore, and Dumbledore's death was a wound that, for me, would never heal.
"Stupefy!" I yelled, and Voldemort blocked it easily, and fired back a curse of his own. We continued that way from several minutes, for although either of us could--with some luck--use the Avada Kedavra Curse and end this thing now, neither of us wanted to. For Voldemort, it was the simple wish to make me pay for my betrayal. For me, it was that some small part of me that I thought Voldemort had destroyed forever was asking me whether it would be right, and I didn't have an answer. But I had no other choice.
"Avada Kedavra!" I roared. There was brilliant flash of light, and I didn't wait to see more than that. I seized Ginny's hand and bolted for the apparition point. I was out of time, and when we were pursued, I realized I was also out of luck.
"Ginny," I said, so softly that Voldemort's supporters could not hear my instructions, "go to the north tower, it's just up that flight of steps. You can apparate from there."
"What about you?" she demanded.
"Oh, I'll be a bit preoccupied," I answered. If I played my cards right, Ginny would have time to get away before Voldemort's followers could take me down. If I was really lucky I might even get out of there in one piece, but I wasn't counting on that. Some people had told me I was a pessimist, and although I had always considered myself a realist, at the moment there didn't seem to be a lot of difference between the two.
"So, who wants to get trounced first?" I called out.
"We outnumber him ten to one!" I heard Lucius yelling. "Get him!" But by contrast, they didn't seem all that eager to 'get me.'
"Well, Lucius, if you're so eager to get me why don't you come do it yourself?" I scoffed. "Apparently cowardice runs in the family, doesn't it?" In a blind rage, he took a swipe at me. I dodged easily, grinning.
"Is that the best you can do? Come on, try again," I coaxed. Lucius, losing his head completely (not literally, people!), took another try at breaking my nose. Lucius, however, had apparently been spending too much time behind that fancy desk of his, and he was no match for my youthful strength. I shoved him backward, into some of Voldemort's other wizards, and, stupid fools that they were, they tripped over each other as they tried and to get up and wound up on the floor again.
Unfortunately, some of them actually had a brain, and they began doing their best to murder me. I blocked several curses, and began backing up the stairs. They followed. I suddenly found myself at the apparition point, and I apparated away, leaving behind some extremely confused wizards. You see, only Voldemort's top-ranking officers knew about that particular weakness in the defenses, and I was one of the elite few.
I was standing in Remus Lupin's living room, alone. I was not sure if I had succeeded in my quest to rid the world of Voldemort, and until I was certain that held top priority, beyond even finding Ginny.
Destiny had made its choice, and now there was no turning back.