Harry Potter and the Law of Merlin
Harry looked around him; there was chaos and destruction everywhere.
He should have felt differently, but he didn't. He should have moved, but he didn't. He should have avoided this, but he didn't. He should have done the right thing . . . but he hadn't.
How could he feel so happy, yet so sad at the same time? Everything had come to an end, soon all his troubles would be over and he would have no worries left in the entire world.
He wanted to cry, but he hadn't cried for three months so far, and he wasn't going to start now.
Everything had happened so quickly, but yet the whole thing had been slowly simmering for eighteen whole years, and two hours ago it had reached boiling point.
Confused thoughts drifted around Harry's minds like seaweed drifting through the ocean.
Who was left? What had they been left from? Where was he? Harry's knowledge of the physical world grew less and less, until finally his weary body broke down into a deep slumber.
What had happened to him this dreadful night?
*
'I love you.'
'Thanks, bye.'
'Bye.'
As Harry left the common room to go to his dorm, he realised his dreadful mistake.
For once in his life, this was a time when he shouldn't have said thank you! He tried to bring himself to walk back, but he just couldn't do it.
Maybe if she had noticed that he hadn't said 'I love you' back, she might break up with him.
He knew he was a coward, a coward on the rebound to be precise, but Ginny had waited all her life to date Harry Potter.
Ron would never forgive him if he broke her heart. He supposed he saw Ginny, as Cho had seen him.
Harry had waited for Cho Chang to go out with him for what had seemed like an eternity. After the death of Cedric she had been so distraught that she had dated no one, and found solace only whilst talking to Harry about that fateful night.
She wanted to find out what had really happened, and it seemed to bring her peace.
When she had finally brought herself out of that black hole, she mistook her deep friendship with Harry for something else, and Harry had foolishly let himself be taken along by all of this, even though he knew it was wrong.
After three months, Cho had seen the light herself, and even though she knew she was breaking Harry's heart, she broke up with him, even though hurting him so much took a piece of her away from inside.
Now on the rebound, Harry had seen Ginny, and did the same thing that Cho had done to him, even though now, he was too scared to get himself out of it like Cho had. Harry saw this all as rather ironic, as one of the attributes he had to get into Gryffindor, had been bravery.
But the goings on his life, were but small fry as to what was happening outside, in the world into which, after he took his NEWTS, Harry would be thrust into.
The outside world had darkened so much, that it seemed to be a place devoid of smiles, and the only thing that seemed to keep Harry smiling was 'Weasleys wizard wheezes.' For amazingly, through all of this doom and gloom, the Weasley twins had managed to keep their sense of humour, well, somebody had to!
As Harry opened the door do his dormitory, he saw a sight that seemed to him a little déja-vu. His bedclothes were torn, his trunk had been ransacked and nothing in his area of the dorm had been left unturned.
This exact sight had greeted him many years ago, when he had owned a diary, owned by one 'Mr Tom Riddle', which Ginny had turned over his bedroom to find, she had poured so many secrets into it.
He was cautious to approach his bed; he knew that in Hogwarts there was very little chance of him being harmed, but in the magical world, you could never tell what would happen.
It was dark, in fact it was almost midnight, and all the other people were asleep, or at least quiet. This was very strange, how could Dean, Neville, Seamus and Ron slept through this.
Everything was thrown around so violently that whoever had done it, would have made a noise.
The curtains around every bed were drawn, and he could hear Neville's gentle snoring, true, it was light, but it was definitely there. Harry took out his wand, he did not step any closer.e
'Auxillio Dumbledore.' he neede help, and the headmaster of Hogwarts would be the person to give him that.
The simple charm he had performed was merely a way to summon Dumbledore, but to let him know previously that he needed help.
'Murmillavos.' this was another charm, this time a little more complicated, to protect him with a sort of magical suit of armour, which could protect him rom most spells, except the very powerful.
Harry dared not move, he did not speak above a whisper, he did not know who had done this, or whether they were still here. Last time it had been a fellow Gryffindor, for who else could it have been, nobody else had the common room password.
But then there had been another incident the following years, in which a convicted criminal had found his way into Harry's dormitory.
Yes, it was correct that this person was Sirius Black, innocent of all the crimes he had been accused of, and he only had Harry's welfare in mind.
But this just proved a point that anyone could find ways to enter the castle when they are forbidden.
But Harry consoled himself with the thought that he knew security had been stepped up, and that Dumbledore would arrive in a minute, he didn't want to open the curtains of the bed, for they could be a perect hiding place for anyone.
But the person who now stepped into the dimly lit doorway was only Dumbledore, and Harry lowered his wand.
'You called for me Harry, are you in danger?'
Harry looked for the right words to say. Was he in danger?
He had certainly felt like he was a minute ago, but the effect of Dumbledore entering the room had been enormous, Harry now felt safer, as he usually did when Dumbledore was around.
'Someone has wrecked my trunk, and ruined everything I own. I'm sorry if you see this as a little pathetis proffesor, but the last time it happened it was caused with bad intent, and this doesn't seem like the kind of practical joke that Ron would play.'
It all seemed very trivial now that he put his feelings into words, but something around this place didn't feel quite right, and he couldn't place what it was.
'I understand Harry.' said Dumbledore, 'Stay where you are, I can feel dark magic in this room.'
Dumbledore walked over to the nearest bed, Seamus'.
He took his wand out of his pocket and held it in the air before him; his hand grabbed the edge of the curtain, and in one swift movement, pulled it back.
The sight that greeted the two men was enought to make Harry's knees buckle beneath him, and a look of shock pass over Dumbledore's face.
Seamus Finnigan lay on his bed, still and unmoving. His eyes were wide and staring, his mouth was streched open in a kind of silent scream, he was dead.
Dumbledore then voiced something both of them already knew.
'It's avada kedavra.'
His voice was expressionless, but if Harry could have spoken at that precise moment, if could speak at all, his voice would be nothing above a whisper.
Whose evil work was this? So many precautions had been put on Hogwarts castle; yet after all that, someone had managed to evade them.
Could this be the work of Voldemort? Surely not, Voldemort could not get into Hogwarts, especially with Dumbledore as headmaster.
Dumbledore approached Dean Thomas' bed with extreme caution. There would be no dark wizards in this room, but would there be another death?
As Dumbledore pulled back the red velvet curtain, he proved that indeed, there would be another death. And the same thing was proven yet again when they unveiled Neville's bed, Harry felt worse when he saw Neville just lying there, the obviously enchanted sound of his snoring filled the room still.
There was only one bed left, and that was Ron's. Dumbledore put his hand on the curtains surrounding Ron's bed, but just as he was about to pull them back, Harry spoke.
'Stop, don't.' he wanted to pull back those curtains, Ron had been Harry's first ever friend all of those years ago, and now it was Harry's fault that he could too be dead, like all the others. yes, Harry felt it was his place to open Ron's curtains.
Yet when he pulled back the curtaons, a new sight awaited him, the bed was empty, and only a note lay on the covers.
Harry felt sweet relief at the sight of an empty bed, but dread at what Ron was being put through. Harry could almost guess at what the letter said before he read it. He read it out loud.
Dear Mr Potter,
Did I scare you? I'm dreadfully sorry.
Actually, the work you see before you is just the work of one of my less faithful servants. Yes Harry, I did say less faithful.
I have not the time to write about how all of this came about, and you are probably never going to find out.
To get to the meat of it though, basically I would like you to come and give me a little visit. You may find that some people that you know are already there, let me see ... oh yes!
There's Ron, he wasn't so keen to come and see me you know, and Ginny, and Hermione. I'd advise you to come; I don't think I need to tell you why.
(Sometimes being evil, as you would call it, can be so repetetive, excuse my little joke. I get excited when I can feel a massacre coming on.)
You know where to find me Harry, Little Hangleton, that God-awful place, the graveyard.
You can bring a wand if you like, but it won't do you any good whatsoever, and don't think of bringing that headmaster of yours.
Actually, in fact you can bring him if you like, it will be fun to kill him after all these years.
If you hadn't already noticed, I have taken all the little remnants you had of your parents, and brought them here, to where I am. I must say, your mother looks particularly ravishing in that wedding dress, and thanks for the invisibility cloak, that will come in handy for the future.
So anyway, must go. Places to destroy, people to kill, all of that. Oh and Potter, you have until sunrise to save your precious little amigos, or they die, I won't wait around forever you know.
And you know that I couldn't possibly just give them avada kedavra, far too simple. You know I am the way, you know I will have all power.
And nobody can stop me, least of all you.
I am Lord Voldemort
'That's no hoax.' Harry knew that this wasn't just some trick.
Harry was about to go, to run out of the room and look for any way possible to get to little Hangleton. His best friends, and his girlfriend, were in danger, and who knows what Voldemort could be doing to them now!
Would he be torturing them, Harry didn't want to think about it. And is that all that Voldemort wanted, to kill Harry?
There had to be a snag. Harry began to walk out of the room.
'Stop Harry, wait.' Harry was confused.
'Do you want them all to die? Because if I don't go, Voldemort will kill them all. They're my best friends ...'
Harry saw the look on Dumbledore's face, and immediately stopped talking. There was a look on his face, that Harry had only seen once before, when he had crashed a lying car into a tree in the grounds.
He had looked so disappointed in Harry then, and Harry had vowed never to be the subject of one of those looks again.
But here he was, and he knew that he had got carried away.
'Do you really think I would just sit there and let any of my students die at the hands of Lord Voldemort?.'
Harry was disgraced.
'No Professor.'
'We will go and confront Voldemort, as he asks us, but we can't just go storming off, for even you know how clever Voldemort is. We need to do some very quick preperation, and I need you to know something, it may help you.'
Harry was puzzled, what could there be about Voldemort that Harry didn't know. Over the years he had learnt so much about Voldemort that there was surely nothing that important Harry needed to know.
Dumbledore lead him out of the room, and Harry followed. He was leading him to his office, Harry knew immediately, for he had lost count of the time he had been there over the past two years.
Fawkes was still there, though he was a little bedraggled looking, because he had only been reborn quite recently, he was still beautiful, and would soon be at his full glory.
If the situation hadn't been so serious, Harry would have perhaps asked Dumbledore whether Fawkes was ever going to die.
'There is something from your past, that not many people know, but I think it should be kept from you no longer. The death eaters know it, and Voldemort knows it.'
'What is it?'
'I cannot tell you.'
Harry was deeply confused. Dumbledore had seemed so desperate to tell Harry what ever it was, and now he did not tell him.
What was the purpose of this? He could have been on his way to help Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
'Do you remember, so many years ago, when you came to Hogwarts and had your second encounter with Voldemort?'
'Yes.' of course he did, how could he forget? Voldemort's snake-like eyes, barely alive.
Since then he had been through worse, but that had been the first time he had seen Voldemort since he had been attacked as a baby.
'When you woke up in the hospital wing later on, you asked if you could ask me some questions, and the first question you asked me, I said I couldn't answer.'
'I don't remember what it was.'
Dumbledore reached into his cupboard, and Harry had a feeling that he knew what Dumbledore was about to get out.
Sure enough, when Dumbledore brought his hand out, he was holding the pensieve.
'I stored the thought in here, I thought it was something I ought to remember.'
He placed the pensive on the edge of the desk, an prodded it with hhis wand.
A figure rose out of it, it was Harry, he recognised himself as a lot younger, and he was lying down in a hospital bed, which was revolving. When he heard his own past voice, it sounded distant and echoey.
'Well ... Voldemort said he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him killing me. But why would Voldemort want to kill me in the first place?' asked the young Harry.
You could hear the past Dumbledore sighing.
'Alas, the first thing that you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know one day ... put it from your mind for now Harry. When you are older ... I know you hate to hear this ... when you are ready, you will know.'
Dumbledore prodded the pensieve once again, the young Harry disappeared.
'But I still don't know that, is it time I should know?'
'Yes, but I can't tell you; it's not my place to tell you. I said to you, all those years ago, that you would know when you were older, and you would know when you were ready. Now I see that you will never know without help, how can you be expected to?'
'But how can you help me? I thought I knew everything, but if this is so important, why did nobody tell me?'
Dumbledore looked at Harry with a look that reminded him somewhat of pity.
'I don't know all of the answers Harry. If I knew all of the answers, we wouldn't be in this mess, just let me tell you this; this is something that you need to figure out for yourself.' Harry nodded. 'I am going to read you something, it is called Merlin's Law.'
Harry knew, from History of Magic classes, that Merlin was an old wizard from history, who was even wiser than Dumbldore.
Awards were given under his name, for eextreme bravery or heroism, but Harry had never come across a law written by Merlin. Dumbledore took out an old scroll, and Harry saw him unfold it, it seemed ancient.
'This scripture,' began Dumbledore, 'is not so much of a law, but more of a prophecy. It was made by Merlin, many years ago but was ignored for hundreds of years. When Voldemort started his reign of terror, it was brought to life again, but then it was fulfilled, so then filed away.' Harry listened intently, did this prophecy include him? It certainly included Voldemort. Dumbledore started to read.
'When the two powers clash, and the children, of the children, of so many more children meet, the two enemies (who have so much in common) shall duel again. The heir shall triumph again like his ancestor before him. But only for a few years, shall wizards be safe. No more than this has been revealed to me. The original duelling pair shall never see how much they had in common, and if only one of the powers can realise this, it shall be the key. It shall be the key.'
Harry couldn't see how this would help him, he couldn' work out who 'the powers' were, and he knew better than to ask Dumbledore, because he knew he wouldn't tell him.
'Harry, I know you probably don't understand yet, but I know you will see soon. Now we must go, goodness knows what that evil man is putting your friends through.'
'How will we get there?' Harry could think of several ways, but none of them seemed quick, or good enough.
'I'm going to have to take a risk.' said Dumbledore cautiously. You haven't yet started taking an apparating test, but no, I can't think of any other way. Usually it is impossible to apparate out of Hogwarts, but I think I know how to bend the rules a little.''
Harry gulped, he'd heard of things happening to people who were apparating, and he certainly didn't want to get spliched. But the memory of having the crutiatus curse put on him was too painful, and it was the thing that made him decide, he would take that risk.
'I need you to take your wand, swirl it around your head once, and think so hard of the place you need to go to. Then, say the word apparate, and you should be taken there.'
Dumbledore managed to keep the worried look from his face, even though inside he was very unsure.
'But Professor, how do you know how to get there?'
'There was an investigation many years ago, made by muggle death inspector thingies; I forget what they are called. Two dead bodies in a house nearby, Voldemort was responsible for both. I remember that graveyard, I'm sure I'll be fine, in fact, I'll go first.'
Harry almost objected, but his headmaster seemed so sure.
He took his mind back, it had been a few years since he had been to the graveyard, but the experience had been so traumatic, he could remember everything about it.
He had the image in his mind, if he could have, he would have chosen to apparate at the edge of the graveyeard, but he didn't have a very clear picture of it, and he didn't want to take the risk as he had never apparated before.
He raised his wand above his head, and swirled it round himseelf, he felt very stupid. He thought about the graveyard as hard as he could, and said 'apparate.'
Nothing seemed to happen between him being in Dumbledore's office and then being thrust into total darkness.
As he looked around him, he saw no one, was this a trap? Where was Dumbledore?
'Dumbldore!' cried Harry out loud. 'Professor Dumbledore, are you there?'
He looked around him, and realised what was different. There were graves, and he was standing on the very same grass as he had been all those years ago, but he was standing in a circle of mirrors.
Harry held out his wand in front of him, preparing to strike.
He didn't care how many times Voldemort told him that his wand wouldn't help; he was going to use it all the same.
Suddenly a figure appeared in one of the mirrors, then another, then another until he was in each of the mirrors.
It was Voldemort, and he was using magical illusion. This was not fair! But then, this was Voldemort, and when had he ever been known to play fair?
'He isn't here.' Voldemort's voice was high pitched and cruel.
'What do you mean?' asked Harry.
'Dumbledore, he isn't here. I don't know where he is, but it seems that he isn't such a great wizard after all, he can't even apparate to the right place!'
Then Voldemort uttered that horrible laughh, the one that had been in Harry's nightmares ever since he was born.
'Where are my friends Voldemort?' asked Harry. He would stall Voldemort when he tried to kill him, but first, he would have to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
'You'll find out in good time.' said Voldemort. 'Aren't you wondering where I am?'
'Show yourself Voldemort. If you are so sure that I am going to die, then at least come out here and see me in person! If you don't, I'll come behind those mirrors.'
He tried to move out behind one of the mirrors, but there was some sort of force field, keeping him inside the circle. Voldemort disappeared from the mirrors.
'Don't you prefer it the other way Potter? Wouldn't you like to see me?'
Harry did not reply. Instead, he cast a simple spell, the accio charm, as if trying to bring one of the mirrors to him. His spell did not work, it only bounced off the edge of the force field, and Harry had to dodge to avoid it before it fizzled out. His murmillavos charm had worn off. Voldemort spoke again.
'Don't even try it Potter, none of your puny spells can break my force field. Just look in the mirrors.'
Harry did as he was told.
In the mirrors, he saw an image that brought relief and horror to his face. He saw two gravestones side by side, and tied to them were Ron and Ginny, they unlike Hermione seemed to have all their wits about them.
They were silent, but very alert. Hermione was standing in front of them, holding a wand, and Harry didn't need to be told that she had been put under the imperius curse.
He knew what was coming, and he would have given anything not to hear it.
'Duel with me Harry, or she destroys all of your parents possessions, kills them slowly, and then herself.'
Harry felt sick; this was the worst thing he could have imagined.
To see one of his friends kill his other friends was even worse than seeing Voldemort hurt them himself. He would duel with Voldemort, and he would be prepared for whatever happened.
He didn't know what trick Voldemort had up his sleeves, but he was prepared to sacrifice himself for his friends.
'I will duel with you, but you have to give me a fair fight. I want you to take away this force field, and you have to duel fairly.'
'Good boy Harry, I knew you would see sense. I'll take this force field away, give you a fair duel, if that's what you want ...'
He laughed bitterly, he clicked his finger.
Harry tried to walk forwards and found that there was nothing stopping him any more. But Voldemort did not appear.
'Come out here and duel.' said Harry fiercly 'You want a duel, well there's one waiting out here, so show yourself.'
'Stop trying to be brave,' said Voldemort. 'you aren't being brave, you're scared, because you're vulnerable and you know it.'
Harry said nothing, even though he really knew that Voldemort was right, he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.
Voldemort carried on talking, but he did not come out from wherever he was.
'Don't spoil this moment Potter, I've waited so long to kill you, and even though sometimes unexpected circ u mstances have intervened, I always knew I'd get you someday.'
There was smugness in his voice.
'But why though? Why do you want to kill me so much?'
Harry knew that Dumbledore wanted him to figure it out for himself, but if it was to help him, he should know it, if Voldemort would tell him.
'Harry Potter, you were nearly the end of me, but not quite. I'd heard a prophecy that you would be the end of me, it's called Merlin's law, you may have heard it. Well, I'd heard a prophecy that someone on your Father's side of the family would kill me, and do you really think I would just let that pass me by?'
Harry thought about the thing that Dumbledore had just told him.
When the two powers clash, and the children of the children of so many more children meet, the enemies (who have so much in common) shall duel again.
Was Voldemort saying that he was one of the powers, and that Harry was the other? And if so, who was his ancestor?
Voldemort's was Slytherin, Salazar Slytherin, in which case, who was Harry's?
The two enemies ... but who had been the enemy of Slytherin? Harry could only think of ... but surely it couldn't be, could it?
A mortified expression must have spread over his face, because then Voldemort said:
'That's right, you're the last remaining descendant of ...'
Harry intervened, the sentence just wouldn't sound right coming from Voldemort.
'Godric Gryffindor. I ... am the last remaining descendant of Godric Gryffindor!'
This sentence seemed unreal, but it made sense.
When the two powers clash, and the children of the children of so many more children meet (Voldemort and Harry) the two enemies (who have so much in common) (Gryffindor and Slytherin) shall duel again. (Voldemort's attack on Harry.) The heir shall triumph as his before him did. But only for a few years shall wizards be safe. The original dueling pair shall never realize how much they had in common, and if only one of the powers can realize this, it shall be the key. It shall be the key.
But what did they have in common? This is what Harry couldn't work out. And how was him knowing that he was the heir of Gryffindor help him to defeat Voldemort?
Voldemort was smiling, and Harry could feel nothing but hatred for him. He had killed his whole family, just to save his own skin, and many others for meaningless purposes.
Now Harry understood why Voldemort had been let into Slytherin, even though he was a half-blood.
'What do you want?' asked Harry 'Why did you do all this? Was it just to avenge youe ancestors, or because you are a power hungry bully?'
Harry was all worked up now, he knew his life was in danger, but in the corner of his eye he could see Hermione fighting the imperius curse and he needed to keep Voldemort talking.
'Oh Harry, you know nothing do you. If you understood you would know that it was for all of those reasons and more, some that no one will ever know. Tonight, your dear friend Hermione has already killed several people in your dormitory.'
'No, you're wrong! You killed those boys in my dormitory tonight, but you had to get one of my friends to do it for you. You're SICK!'
He was so angry now he would have just stormed roun the mirrors and confronted Voldemort there if he didn't think that it wouldn't have put Ron, Hermione and Ginny at risk.
'I will tolerate no more Harry Potter; prepare to fight your last battle. Lord Voldemort will not be spoken to like that.'
'You can't duel me, priori incantatum remember!'
'You can thank Mr. Malfoy for that; it is with his wand which I will kill you. A powerful enough wizard may not need his own wand, even for tasks like this.'
Then he appeared, as if out of nowhere in front of Harry, and raised his wand.
Before Harry could think of a spell to use, he had been hit with the full body-bind.
This wasn't fair! This was no fair duel; there was nothing he could do now.
Apparently Ron and Ginny could both see him from where they were, because there was a look of sheer panic on each of their faces.
Hermione still seemed to be fighting the imperius curse, but she was having trouble. Then Harry could no longer see his friends in the mirrors, for in each of the mirrors stood now a death eater, and behind them stood another death eater, and behind them many more.
He recognized many of the faces, but there was none he didn't expect to see, unless they were in the background.
Voldemort had raised his wand, Harry wanted to move, but he couldn't! He shouldn't end like this, there was no trick, or complicated spell, Voldemort had simply conned him, this was not the way it was meant to be, and he knew it.
There was an inane grin on each of the death eaters faces, Harry Potter was going to die, after all that had happened, the boy who lived ... would live no more.
'Expelliarmus!' Hermione's voice rang through the darkness, and Harry knew it was his lifeline.
He was so relieved that he didn't even hear the spell she used to free him from the body-bind. He got to his feet, luckily he was unhurt, just a little bruised where he had fallen over.
He could not see Hermione, but she was obviously within hearing distance.
'Thank you Hermione, thank you!'
'Shut up Harry, you have to fight him! I can't help you yet, but you know who you are, go Harry!' Voldemort was still looking for his wand.
'Malfoy, restrain her, Pritchard, watch the boy!'
Voldemort had regained himself by now, and had full control of his wand; Harry thought that he deserved a little taste of his own medicine.
'Petrificus totalus!'
Voldemort was hit with the body bind, though Harry dared not do any more, he could feel the presence of the death eaters around him.
Obviously they had been told not to get involved, or Voldemort would be back on his feet.
Instead, he walked around Voldemort's frozen body; he dropped his wand, as a sign that he would not attack, for the moment. He couldn't just kill Voldemort, for the death eaters would be there straight away, and Harry wouldn't stand a chance.
He needed time to think of something to do.
He looked through the gaps between every mirror, but he could see nothing behind them.
Then suddenly he caught sight of something, it seemed to be far in the distance. He could just make out four figures, two of them had red hair, and one was battling with someone in black robes.
Lucius Malfoy. He had been sent to go after Hermione, and she was fighting back.
But there was no sign of the death eaters, for they were still in the mirrors surrounding Harry.
And then there was the Law of Merlin, what did he possibly have in common with Voldemort?
They both had black hair, green eyes, and they could both speak parseltongue, but Harry didn't think that Merlin had meant any of these.
Suddenly he thought of a memory, one that had happened on his very first day of Hogwarts.
Hmm, difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting ... so where shall I put you? Not Slytherin eh? Are you sure? You could be great you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!
All those many years ago, he had wanted so much to prove himself, to show the world that he wasn't just a famous name.
That was just an individual feeling, but could Voldemort, the one who had named himself lord, have the same insecurities now?
Not to show he wasn't just a famous name, oh no, but to something else, something that he nearly had in common with Harry, but they both saw it from their own point of view - his muggle parent.
Harry's mother was a witch, muggle born yes, but a witch.
Voldemort's father was a muggle, his own ancestors would have shunned him, even Voldemort was ashamed.
The heir of Slytherin, a halfblood? How could it be?
Harry could understand how Voldemort would want to prove himself as a true ancestor of Salazar Slytherin.
Had he ever regretted his decision to use dark magic? Harry would probably never know, but he knew that Voldemort would never go back on it. He needed to trick him, but how?
'You are the last remaining heir of Salazar Slytherin, and yet there is something about you that doesn't quite fit.'
Voldemort's eyes were following him, maybe he thought that Harry was teasing him, but there was a reason to all of this, and Harry was still in danger here.
'Your father, he was a muggle, which makes you a halfblood. And yet, you belonged to the only Hogwarts house that hates mudbloods,'
Harry said the last word with venom, 'so surely, halfbloods can't be in their good books either can they? And yet, you have all these men under your control and I still have my doubts. How can you be the true heir of Slytherin? No, in fact I don't believe you are worthy of that title at all. Anyway, sorry, I've had my say, I just thought I'd let you know before I ... before I die.'
He pushed his face into what he thought was a sad expression, and bent down to pick up the wand. He paused before he removed the curse from Voldemort.
He had just tried the oldest trick in the book, and he hoped to God that Voldemort had fallen for it, if he hadn't, Harry would be dead in a second.
If he had just infuriated Voldemort too much though, Voldemort could just get up and kill him.
But if it had worked, at least then Harry would have a chance, for he hadn't had time to think up the rest of his plan.
Harry knew, or at least he thought he knew, that Voldemort wouldn't let him die with the upper hand.
'It's alright,' shouted Harry to the death eaters, 'if he didn't kill me, you lot would, I'm only going to free him of the curse.'
He did, and Voldemort stood up before him.
'Harry Potter.' he almost spat the words out. 'You are an ignorant young boy, and you will know not to insult your lord. You will know that I am the true heir of Slytherin, and I will teach you a lesson before you die, that I can do anything, anything.'
He clicked his fingers and the images in the mirrors changed.
Harry saw Hermione, she was once again under the imperius curse, controlled by Lucius Malfoy.
The image chilled Harry to the bone, for in one hand she held a wand, and in the other, a knife.
Harry tried to move forwards, but there was invisible hand, and it stopped him in his tracks.
'You see, I can do anything. I could even kill you in the pouring rain.'
A hand pushed Harry back again, into a mirror. The mirror cracked, and Harry felt a stabbing pain in his back, but it didn't feel too bad.
Ropes then surrounded him, tying him to the mirror. Harry didn't know quite what to do, he hadn't expected any of this.
Voldemort had created a storm, the rain poured down on him, he could hardly see.
He could hear thunder, and a piece of fork lightening split open the sky. Harry knew that his wand was still in his hand, which was a comfort, if only very slight.
Suddenly there was a distraction, not so far away, people seemed to be appearing out of nowhere.
People that Harry almost laughed out loud when he saw them.
Dumbledore, Professors McGonagall and Snape, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Hagrid, many more people that Harry knew, or maybe didn't, and last of all ... Sirius Black.
They were set upon by death eaters who just seemed to appear, Harry could hear curses being thrown around between the two groups, but they were not close enough to hit Voldemort or him, they were outnumbered by the death eaters.
Voldemort turned his attention back to Harry.
'Now, about your little word with me earlier. You will not have the last word Harry Potter, so let me tell you something, and you, will, listen.
'Years ago, when Hogwarts school was first made, you know of the four founders. Slytherin, my ancestor, and Gryffindor, yours, were among them. Sometimes, I wonder why Slytherin stayed around there, and now maybe I know it he because he knew he would be avenged, and I will be the one to do it.
Godric Gryffindor was a jealous old man, not content with not having his own way when Slytherin suggested something, he couldn't stand that there was someone else better than him.'
Harry could feel the anger burning inside him as the storm raged on.
Voldemort's malicious comments were having two very different effects on the surrounding groups.
The death eaters and Harry's allies had stopped fighting, and tied to her gravestone, a look of absolute loathing was on Ginny's face.
She could not hear Voldemort's voice, but she could see Malfoy's nodding, smirking head.
Ron just looked terrified, for Hermione still held the knife, and wand.
'The night when I went to kill your mother and father, I knew I was in for an easy fight. Two imbeciles, both too big for their boots, and a baby, yet it had to be done.'
'They were head boy and girl of Hogwarts!'
'Favourites of Dumbledore more like.'
Harry saw Dumbledore try and get near them, but he was blocked, the force field was up again.
'Your father tried to be gallant, but he was no more trouble to kill than an ant under a magnifying glass.
The look on his face when he died, pure terror. He was scared of me, your father.
He was a weak man. Then there was your mother to deal with.
She was in the bedroom protecting you. She was so beautiful, yet so stupid, and she was a mudblood.'
Mudblood, mudblood, mudblood, the word echoed round in Harry's brain, dirty and offensive. The Gryffindor inside him was seething.
'Her hair was so red, and the way it just tumbled over her shoulders, her eyes, so green, they enraptured me.
Her body was so beautiful, even in a nightgown; and her scream, so intoxicating. But she was a dirty little mudblood, a wh0re.'
Saying how beautiful she was hurt Harry more than if he had said how ugly she had been.
He wanted to curse Voldemort, over and over, but he couldn't move his wand into the right position, he would have only cursed the grass.
'You were just a piece of dirt to me, a mere hiccup in my great plan.'
'I was your downfall.'
'You were a stumble in my great path to power, a bum note in my song of victory, and you helped me back to greatness.
So now I have you. Go and see your dirty little mudblood mother, and your big-headed father in heaven, Potter.'
A grin was on Voldemort's face as he raised his wand.
Ron had his eyes closed, Ginny was the complete opposite, eyes wide and screaming.
Voldemort's little speech seemed to have had a big effect on Harry's allies, and they were fighting harder than ever.
Harry was not scared, but he was angry, more angry than he had ever been in his life before.
He seemed to be overcome with anger, as he looked into Voldemort's face, into his eyes, he knew that Voldemort was truly evil, to the core.
Suddenly, all the sound seemed to stop in Harry's head, and he looked up to the sky.
Even though it was still raining, he could still see everything. What happened next, was magic beyond his control.
A great bolt of fork lightening sped down from the sky, in slow motion it seemed, coming ever closer to the ground.
Harry watched as he saw the very tip of the bolt of lightening hit Voldemort's head.
A searing pain burst through his scar, and a white light blinded him. But as the light faded, so did the pain and Harry closed his eyes.
He had used magic, unexplained magic to do so many things in the past when he had been scared, or angry.
It was nothing new to Harry, but as he opened his eyes, he knew the sight that was about to greet him.
The body of Voldemort lay on the ground, and Harry didn't know whether to feel happy or shocked.
Voldemort was gone, but Harry had committed murder ...
Voldemort was dead.
There was stillness, complete silence, which lasted for a minute.
Harry looked at the sky, the storm was gone. He looked at the body of Voldemort. Was he really dead?
He was, Harry knew there was no way he could cheat death anymore.
'Aagh!' The shout of a death eater broke the silence, it was Nott, he seemed to be clutching his arm. 'my arm!' he shouted 'the pain! The pain!'
Then more and more death eaters doubled over in pain, clutching their arms. Harry could hear cries of - it's melting - and he knew that they meant the dark mark on their arms.
Harry was smiling as he watched them all, being overpowered by Harry's allies. Tied up, and having their wands removed.
If only Harry could have moved, he would have longed to help them, but he was still tied to the gravestone, though he had managed to free his right hand.
Through all of this chaos, there was still one death eater who had been forgotten. As his pain subsided he got to his feet, raised his arms in the air and shouted.
'He will be avenged!' Then, indicating to Hermione, he said 'Kill them girl.'
Lucius Malfoy sent Hermione forwards, her wand raised, pointing at Ginny. Ginny was screaming, and wriggling around on her gravestone, tears rolling down her face.
'Hermione! Don't do it please Hermione!' her speech was punctuated by sobs. 'I know you're in there, don't kill me!' Lucius Malfoy was laughing, Ginny started trembling.
'I hate you Malfoy!' Now Ron was shouting. 'Stop her, tell her to stop.'
Harry watched from a distance, horrified.
He raised his wand, and aimed some disarming and stupefying spells at Hermione, but he could not hit her.
Lucius Malfoy was now rolling around on the floor, laughing hysterically.
'You're disgusting!' shouted Ron. 'How would you like your son to see you now eh?'
Hermione raised the wand, Ginny winced and recoiled, but then Harry seemed to notice that her expression had changed, from terrified to what looked like gladness or relief Harry looked on, confused.
'Libertus!' cried Hermione, then she pointed the wand at Ron, 'Libertus!'
Their bonds were broken and they jumped from the tombstones.
Ron proceeded to immediately disarm Lucius Malfoy, and engage in a physical fight with him.
Typical Ron, thought Harry, and clever Hermione.
She had obviously managed to fight off the imperius curse silently, and had even fooled Lucius Malfoy, and Harry!
Harry wondered how she had managed to tell Ginny without words, perhaps she had winked!
Hermione and Ginny seemed to have joined the fight now, all four of them were rolling around on the floor, they probably didn't have a clue as to who was punching who!
Harry laughed, they looked like the teletubbies!
Harry could see Dumbledore rounding up all the adults who had been fighting, they all seemed to be there, Harry was glad.
But then he cast his mind back to earlier that evening, to Seamus, Dean and Neville.
'I'm sorry!' Harry cried up to the sky, 'I'm sorry.'
The stabbing pains in his back became greater, and he thought of his three dead friends, as he collapsed where he was standing.
*
Harry awoke to find himself laying down on the grass, he was still in the graveyard, and he was all alone, bar one person, Dumbledore.
'You should be very proud of yourself tonight Harry.'
'No I shouldn't. I killed a man, and three of my friends died because of me.'
'And how was that your fault?'
'If I hadn't lived all those times, Voldemort wouldn't have been after me, and he wouldn't have made Hermione kill them.'
Harry tried to sit up, but his back hurt.
'Don't move, I have mended the cuts on your back, but I am rusty at medical so you may still be sore.'
'Yes.'
'Now Harry, I want you to know that you were not the cause of any deaths in your dormitory, and neither was Hermione, I have had a talk with her. There are things which Voldemort could do, that you will never even find out about. I'm not saying that killing is good, or right, even if it is Voldemort, but you should know that you have no cause to feel guilty. You may grieve, over the loss of your friends but there is no need to feel guilt.'
Harry lowered his head, he knew that Dumbledore was right, but he couldn't help but feel guilty.
'I really didn't mean to kill Voldemort, even though I know he was evil, I don't know what came over me!'
'Harry, the gifts of nature and the works of man are only good or bad as we make good or bad use of them.
Voldemort made bad use of our world, and this is what has come of him.
He knew as much as you or I about magic you make with strong emotions, he knew what he was doing to you, he knew the risk he was taking.'
'I shouldn't have let him hurt me with words, sticks and stones . . .'
'Whoever came up with the saying - sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me - was talking out of his or her armpit. Even though I know you know what he said wasn't true, it still hurts doesn't it?'
'It's sad isn't it, getting hurt that much by something that isn't even true.'
It's not sad Harry ...'
Harry interrupted;
'It's life?'
'No, it's not life either, you should never say that. Life is what you make of it, not what people tell you it is, you of all people should know that.
It's just one of those things that hurts in certain situations, and I would be very surprised to think that Voldemort talking about your parents didn't hurt.'
Harry knew that this was the end of the conversation, and that they would be going back to Hogwarts now.
'Thank you Professor. Professor Dumbledore, how are we going to get back?' Dumbledore smiled.
'I had Professor Flitwick charm some items as portkeys, I have one here. It will take us back to the entrance hall. Here, it is this ham. I may eat it upon our return, I do feel rather famished. Take hold after three.'
'OK.'
'One, two ... three!'
Dumbledore and Harry both took hold of the portkey and Harry felt that familiar tugging feeling that meant he was on his way back to Hogwarts.
On arriving back in the entrance hall, Dumbledore turned to Harry.
'It's understandable that you will be upset, I can arrange another place for you to sleep.' Harry nodded, and they entered the entrance hall.
The scene that greeted them was completely unexpected.
Three of the four tables in the great hall was filled up with students, all eating and drinking and laughing, even the teachers were at their table!
They were having a party! As Dumbledore entered the room with Harry behind him, the smiles soon turned to worried looks, and the laughter turned to silence
'I see,' began Dumbledore solemnly 'that in my absence, you have indulged in a party.'
Everyone in the hall was looking scared, how many points would they each lose for their house? Slytherin were sensible for not coming.
'And I also see that Slytherin did not join you.'
Harry could see everyone in the hall visibly gulp.
'Well more fool them! Come on, eat up, don't let the good food go cold. I hope that there's a plate for me!'
A cheer arose in the hall, and soon everyone joined in, even Harry, though he felt a twinge of sadness for the boys in his dormitory.
He saw Ron sitting at the Gryffindor table with Hermione, and sitting next to them was ... Harry stared, it couldn't be!
He ran over to the table.
'Harry,' began Ron, 'I'd like you to meet the new resident ghosts of Gryffindor tower, Neville, Seamus and Dean.'
All six of them burst out laughing, and a whole load of mushed up sausage fell out of Ron's mouth, he popped it back in.
'Eugh.' said Hermione, and they all burst out laughing again.
'So, what's it like being a ghost?' asked Hermione, 'it would be quite an interesting essay to hand into Professor Zoromus.'
Harry heard Ron groan behind him.
'I'm sorry.' said Harry, suddenly serious.
'That's OK,' replied Neville, 'we don't blame you.'
'But Seamus, Dean, what are you going to tell your parents? And Neville, what about your grandmother?' Seamus smiled.
'I dunno what I'll tell me Mam, but she'll be bloody surprised!'
Harry smiled, then he felt a tap on his back, it was Ginny.
'Harry, I think we need to talk.'
Harry followed Ginny out of the main hall, and into a small private room just off it. He wondered what she was going to say, she looked so serious.
She turned to him.
'I can't stay with you any more.'
Harry didn't know whether to pretend that he wanted her to stay, or to show how he really felt. He decided to be honest.
'You know, I will always be your friend.' Ginny smiled 'You're very pretty you know.'
'Oh don't give me all of that ...'
'No really, I mean it! It's just I don't, erm ...'
'Fancy me?'
'Well yeah sorry.' Harry felt bad for Ginny, he remembered how he had felt when he and Cho had broken up. 'Friends?'
'Friends.'
'Hug?'
'Hug.'
Harry put his arms around Ginny. He was relived they were friends again, and that he hadn't had to be the one to break her heart.
She was young, only sixteen, they were both young - God, he was even thinking old already!
They both headed for the hall, just as Dumbledore was starting to make his speech.
'The first thing I will say, is that as you already know, Lord Voldemort is dead.'
The uproar in the hall was deafening. If any of the Slytherins were planning on sleeping, it was wishful thinking!
'And this time, it's final. But tonight, he has committed some evil crimes. He is responsible for three of our Gryffindor's deaths, and even though in a way they are still with us, in another way we must remember that they are not.
This evil man has had a hold on our wizarding world for too long, and tonight we will celebrate our freedom once again.
And I would like to be the first to toast the student who is responsible for it. He is not a murderer,
Voldemort brought his death upon himself, but it never would have happened without Harry Potter.
So I would like you all to raise you glasses to Ron and Ginny Weasley, for sticking to their own side, Hermione Granger, for pure good thinking, and to Harry Potter for our freedom.'
Everyone raised their goblets, not just as a toast to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny, but also a mark of respect to those who died.
*
Harry tore open a corner of his golden envelope slowly, but Sirius was getting impatient.
'Come on Harry, hurry up! Let's see how many you got.'
Harry opened it up a bit more, when suddenly he heard a voice next to him shouting.
'Twelve NEWTs, I got twelve NEWTs!' It was Hermione.
'You sound disappointed.'
'Oh but I am! I got a low percentage for charms!'
'You got the top mark Hermione, how can that possibly be bad?'
She looked outraged at the fact that Harry didn't quite understand.
'Yeah Hermione,' intervened Ron 'one of your percentages had to be the lowest, it was just charms. Open yours Harry.'
Harry hesitated. What if he hadn't got very many NEWTs? What if Snape had failed him for potions? What if?..
'Mr Sirius Black?' One of the jurors had come to collect him.
'That's me.' replied Sirius.
'You are expected in court, for the final hearing of your name clearing sir.'
Sirius tried to protest.
'But my godson, his results!'
'Now, sir.' the juror was clear, but firm.
As Sirius walked away, Harry knew what the outcome of the case would be, everybody did, but Harry had wished that he had got on with opening the envelope.
Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the courtroom, and sat in the public gallery.
Judge Thierry Vraile was already sitting in his seat above the court, and all the jurors were sitting in place.
'Where's Hedwig?' Ron asked Harry.
'Oh, she flew off after she gave me my envelope, I think she probably went back to Sirius' house.' replied Harry. 'Shh, here comes Sirius.'
Sirius walked into the courtroom, and sat in the chair in the middle of the room.
Harry started to open his golden envelope a bit more.
'Sirius Black, order of Merlin, third degree,'
Began Judge Vraile.
'Seventeen years ago you were accused of a most heinous crime, of killing thirteen people, and helping to kill Lily and James Potter.
Although I must say you didn't help your case by just, well, laughing, you were still proved innocent of this crime four years ago unofficially, and we are here for the final clearing of your name.
Although this case has been postponed for the last few years due to the return of he who must not be named, do you agree with the last statement?'
'Yes sir.'
'And do you agree to testify against Peter Pettigrew, the one you call Wormtail?'
'Yes sir.'
'Then the name of Sirius Black shall be cleared, and 1000 galleons shall be paid to you in compensation for all the years in Azkaban.
Do the jury agree?'
All the people on the right hand side of the room raised their hands and nodded, and the people in the public gallery clapped and cheered.
Harry finally opened his envelope.
'Sirius!'
He shouted above all the noise.
'Sirius! I got eleven NEWTs!'
Sirius smiled, and now even the jury started to clap and cheer.
*
One hundred and fifty miles away, Ms A. Bulstrode waved her eldest daughter away with a hand.
'Oh go away Millicent, I have to feed Thomas. Go to your Dad's house.'
Millicent Bulstrode scowled.
'You hate me now don't you, and Daddy. Ever since Voldemort came along and pushed Daddy away, you've taken no notice of me.'
'You're seventeen.'
'All you want now is Thomas, Thomas, Thomas. Forget about me!'
'Oh Millicent, you'll never understand will you? The difference between Daddy and Voldemort ...'
'Voldemort was only using you, he only wanted a child!'
Ms Bulstrode smiled.
'Then he got what he wanted didn't he. Maybe in certain situations he was less than kind, but that didn't make him a bad father did it?
He loved little Thomas here, our baby, and Tommy will be protected with that love forever, won't you baby!..'
*
One hundred and fifty miles away, Harry Potter felt a terrible burning pain in his scar ...
Harry looked around him; there was chaos and destruction everywhere.
He should have felt differently, but he didn't. He should have moved, but he didn't. He should have avoided this, but he didn't. He should have done the right thing . . . but he hadn't.
How could he feel so happy, yet so sad at the same time? Everything had come to an end, soon all his troubles would be over and he would have no worries left in the entire world.
He wanted to cry, but he hadn't cried for three months so far, and he wasn't going to start now.
Everything had happened so quickly, but yet the whole thing had been slowly simmering for eighteen whole years, and two hours ago it had reached boiling point.
Confused thoughts drifted around Harry's minds like seaweed drifting through the ocean.
Who was left? What had they been left from? Where was he? Harry's knowledge of the physical world grew less and less, until finally his weary body broke down into a deep slumber.
What had happened to him this dreadful night?
*
'I love you.'
'Thanks, bye.'
'Bye.'
As Harry left the common room to go to his dorm, he realised his dreadful mistake.
For once in his life, this was a time when he shouldn't have said thank you! He tried to bring himself to walk back, but he just couldn't do it.
Maybe if she had noticed that he hadn't said 'I love you' back, she might break up with him.
He knew he was a coward, a coward on the rebound to be precise, but Ginny had waited all her life to date Harry Potter.
Ron would never forgive him if he broke her heart. He supposed he saw Ginny, as Cho had seen him.
Harry had waited for Cho Chang to go out with him for what had seemed like an eternity. After the death of Cedric she had been so distraught that she had dated no one, and found solace only whilst talking to Harry about that fateful night.
She wanted to find out what had really happened, and it seemed to bring her peace.
When she had finally brought herself out of that black hole, she mistook her deep friendship with Harry for something else, and Harry had foolishly let himself be taken along by all of this, even though he knew it was wrong.
After three months, Cho had seen the light herself, and even though she knew she was breaking Harry's heart, she broke up with him, even though hurting him so much took a piece of her away from inside.
Now on the rebound, Harry had seen Ginny, and did the same thing that Cho had done to him, even though now, he was too scared to get himself out of it like Cho had. Harry saw this all as rather ironic, as one of the attributes he had to get into Gryffindor, had been bravery.
But the goings on his life, were but small fry as to what was happening outside, in the world into which, after he took his NEWTS, Harry would be thrust into.
The outside world had darkened so much, that it seemed to be a place devoid of smiles, and the only thing that seemed to keep Harry smiling was 'Weasleys wizard wheezes.' For amazingly, through all of this doom and gloom, the Weasley twins had managed to keep their sense of humour, well, somebody had to!
As Harry opened the door do his dormitory, he saw a sight that seemed to him a little déja-vu. His bedclothes were torn, his trunk had been ransacked and nothing in his area of the dorm had been left unturned.
This exact sight had greeted him many years ago, when he had owned a diary, owned by one 'Mr Tom Riddle', which Ginny had turned over his bedroom to find, she had poured so many secrets into it.
He was cautious to approach his bed; he knew that in Hogwarts there was very little chance of him being harmed, but in the magical world, you could never tell what would happen.
It was dark, in fact it was almost midnight, and all the other people were asleep, or at least quiet. This was very strange, how could Dean, Neville, Seamus and Ron slept through this.
Everything was thrown around so violently that whoever had done it, would have made a noise.
The curtains around every bed were drawn, and he could hear Neville's gentle snoring, true, it was light, but it was definitely there. Harry took out his wand, he did not step any closer.e
'Auxillio Dumbledore.' he neede help, and the headmaster of Hogwarts would be the person to give him that.
The simple charm he had performed was merely a way to summon Dumbledore, but to let him know previously that he needed help.
'Murmillavos.' this was another charm, this time a little more complicated, to protect him with a sort of magical suit of armour, which could protect him rom most spells, except the very powerful.
Harry dared not move, he did not speak above a whisper, he did not know who had done this, or whether they were still here. Last time it had been a fellow Gryffindor, for who else could it have been, nobody else had the common room password.
But then there had been another incident the following years, in which a convicted criminal had found his way into Harry's dormitory.
Yes, it was correct that this person was Sirius Black, innocent of all the crimes he had been accused of, and he only had Harry's welfare in mind.
But this just proved a point that anyone could find ways to enter the castle when they are forbidden.
But Harry consoled himself with the thought that he knew security had been stepped up, and that Dumbledore would arrive in a minute, he didn't want to open the curtains of the bed, for they could be a perect hiding place for anyone.
But the person who now stepped into the dimly lit doorway was only Dumbledore, and Harry lowered his wand.
'You called for me Harry, are you in danger?'
Harry looked for the right words to say. Was he in danger?
He had certainly felt like he was a minute ago, but the effect of Dumbledore entering the room had been enormous, Harry now felt safer, as he usually did when Dumbledore was around.
'Someone has wrecked my trunk, and ruined everything I own. I'm sorry if you see this as a little pathetis proffesor, but the last time it happened it was caused with bad intent, and this doesn't seem like the kind of practical joke that Ron would play.'
It all seemed very trivial now that he put his feelings into words, but something around this place didn't feel quite right, and he couldn't place what it was.
'I understand Harry.' said Dumbledore, 'Stay where you are, I can feel dark magic in this room.'
Dumbledore walked over to the nearest bed, Seamus'.
He took his wand out of his pocket and held it in the air before him; his hand grabbed the edge of the curtain, and in one swift movement, pulled it back.
The sight that greeted the two men was enought to make Harry's knees buckle beneath him, and a look of shock pass over Dumbledore's face.
Seamus Finnigan lay on his bed, still and unmoving. His eyes were wide and staring, his mouth was streched open in a kind of silent scream, he was dead.
Dumbledore then voiced something both of them already knew.
'It's avada kedavra.'
His voice was expressionless, but if Harry could have spoken at that precise moment, if could speak at all, his voice would be nothing above a whisper.
Whose evil work was this? So many precautions had been put on Hogwarts castle; yet after all that, someone had managed to evade them.
Could this be the work of Voldemort? Surely not, Voldemort could not get into Hogwarts, especially with Dumbledore as headmaster.
Dumbledore approached Dean Thomas' bed with extreme caution. There would be no dark wizards in this room, but would there be another death?
As Dumbledore pulled back the red velvet curtain, he proved that indeed, there would be another death. And the same thing was proven yet again when they unveiled Neville's bed, Harry felt worse when he saw Neville just lying there, the obviously enchanted sound of his snoring filled the room still.
There was only one bed left, and that was Ron's. Dumbledore put his hand on the curtains surrounding Ron's bed, but just as he was about to pull them back, Harry spoke.
'Stop, don't.' he wanted to pull back those curtains, Ron had been Harry's first ever friend all of those years ago, and now it was Harry's fault that he could too be dead, like all the others. yes, Harry felt it was his place to open Ron's curtains.
Yet when he pulled back the curtaons, a new sight awaited him, the bed was empty, and only a note lay on the covers.
Harry felt sweet relief at the sight of an empty bed, but dread at what Ron was being put through. Harry could almost guess at what the letter said before he read it. He read it out loud.
Dear Mr Potter,
Did I scare you? I'm dreadfully sorry.
Actually, the work you see before you is just the work of one of my less faithful servants. Yes Harry, I did say less faithful.
I have not the time to write about how all of this came about, and you are probably never going to find out.
To get to the meat of it though, basically I would like you to come and give me a little visit. You may find that some people that you know are already there, let me see ... oh yes!
There's Ron, he wasn't so keen to come and see me you know, and Ginny, and Hermione. I'd advise you to come; I don't think I need to tell you why.
(Sometimes being evil, as you would call it, can be so repetetive, excuse my little joke. I get excited when I can feel a massacre coming on.)
You know where to find me Harry, Little Hangleton, that God-awful place, the graveyard.
You can bring a wand if you like, but it won't do you any good whatsoever, and don't think of bringing that headmaster of yours.
Actually, in fact you can bring him if you like, it will be fun to kill him after all these years.
If you hadn't already noticed, I have taken all the little remnants you had of your parents, and brought them here, to where I am. I must say, your mother looks particularly ravishing in that wedding dress, and thanks for the invisibility cloak, that will come in handy for the future.
So anyway, must go. Places to destroy, people to kill, all of that. Oh and Potter, you have until sunrise to save your precious little amigos, or they die, I won't wait around forever you know.
And you know that I couldn't possibly just give them avada kedavra, far too simple. You know I am the way, you know I will have all power.
And nobody can stop me, least of all you.
I am Lord Voldemort
'That's no hoax.' Harry knew that this wasn't just some trick.
Harry was about to go, to run out of the room and look for any way possible to get to little Hangleton. His best friends, and his girlfriend, were in danger, and who knows what Voldemort could be doing to them now!
Would he be torturing them, Harry didn't want to think about it. And is that all that Voldemort wanted, to kill Harry?
There had to be a snag. Harry began to walk out of the room.
'Stop Harry, wait.' Harry was confused.
'Do you want them all to die? Because if I don't go, Voldemort will kill them all. They're my best friends ...'
Harry saw the look on Dumbledore's face, and immediately stopped talking. There was a look on his face, that Harry had only seen once before, when he had crashed a lying car into a tree in the grounds.
He had looked so disappointed in Harry then, and Harry had vowed never to be the subject of one of those looks again.
But here he was, and he knew that he had got carried away.
'Do you really think I would just sit there and let any of my students die at the hands of Lord Voldemort?.'
Harry was disgraced.
'No Professor.'
'We will go and confront Voldemort, as he asks us, but we can't just go storming off, for even you know how clever Voldemort is. We need to do some very quick preperation, and I need you to know something, it may help you.'
Harry was puzzled, what could there be about Voldemort that Harry didn't know. Over the years he had learnt so much about Voldemort that there was surely nothing that important Harry needed to know.
Dumbledore lead him out of the room, and Harry followed. He was leading him to his office, Harry knew immediately, for he had lost count of the time he had been there over the past two years.
Fawkes was still there, though he was a little bedraggled looking, because he had only been reborn quite recently, he was still beautiful, and would soon be at his full glory.
If the situation hadn't been so serious, Harry would have perhaps asked Dumbledore whether Fawkes was ever going to die.
'There is something from your past, that not many people know, but I think it should be kept from you no longer. The death eaters know it, and Voldemort knows it.'
'What is it?'
'I cannot tell you.'
Harry was deeply confused. Dumbledore had seemed so desperate to tell Harry what ever it was, and now he did not tell him.
What was the purpose of this? He could have been on his way to help Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
'Do you remember, so many years ago, when you came to Hogwarts and had your second encounter with Voldemort?'
'Yes.' of course he did, how could he forget? Voldemort's snake-like eyes, barely alive.
Since then he had been through worse, but that had been the first time he had seen Voldemort since he had been attacked as a baby.
'When you woke up in the hospital wing later on, you asked if you could ask me some questions, and the first question you asked me, I said I couldn't answer.'
'I don't remember what it was.'
Dumbledore reached into his cupboard, and Harry had a feeling that he knew what Dumbledore was about to get out.
Sure enough, when Dumbledore brought his hand out, he was holding the pensieve.
'I stored the thought in here, I thought it was something I ought to remember.'
He placed the pensive on the edge of the desk, an prodded it with hhis wand.
A figure rose out of it, it was Harry, he recognised himself as a lot younger, and he was lying down in a hospital bed, which was revolving. When he heard his own past voice, it sounded distant and echoey.
'Well ... Voldemort said he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him killing me. But why would Voldemort want to kill me in the first place?' asked the young Harry.
You could hear the past Dumbledore sighing.
'Alas, the first thing that you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know one day ... put it from your mind for now Harry. When you are older ... I know you hate to hear this ... when you are ready, you will know.'
Dumbledore prodded the pensieve once again, the young Harry disappeared.
'But I still don't know that, is it time I should know?'
'Yes, but I can't tell you; it's not my place to tell you. I said to you, all those years ago, that you would know when you were older, and you would know when you were ready. Now I see that you will never know without help, how can you be expected to?'
'But how can you help me? I thought I knew everything, but if this is so important, why did nobody tell me?'
Dumbledore looked at Harry with a look that reminded him somewhat of pity.
'I don't know all of the answers Harry. If I knew all of the answers, we wouldn't be in this mess, just let me tell you this; this is something that you need to figure out for yourself.' Harry nodded. 'I am going to read you something, it is called Merlin's Law.'
Harry knew, from History of Magic classes, that Merlin was an old wizard from history, who was even wiser than Dumbldore.
Awards were given under his name, for eextreme bravery or heroism, but Harry had never come across a law written by Merlin. Dumbledore took out an old scroll, and Harry saw him unfold it, it seemed ancient.
'This scripture,' began Dumbledore, 'is not so much of a law, but more of a prophecy. It was made by Merlin, many years ago but was ignored for hundreds of years. When Voldemort started his reign of terror, it was brought to life again, but then it was fulfilled, so then filed away.' Harry listened intently, did this prophecy include him? It certainly included Voldemort. Dumbledore started to read.
'When the two powers clash, and the children, of the children, of so many more children meet, the two enemies (who have so much in common) shall duel again. The heir shall triumph again like his ancestor before him. But only for a few years, shall wizards be safe. No more than this has been revealed to me. The original duelling pair shall never see how much they had in common, and if only one of the powers can realise this, it shall be the key. It shall be the key.'
Harry couldn't see how this would help him, he couldn' work out who 'the powers' were, and he knew better than to ask Dumbledore, because he knew he wouldn't tell him.
'Harry, I know you probably don't understand yet, but I know you will see soon. Now we must go, goodness knows what that evil man is putting your friends through.'
'How will we get there?' Harry could think of several ways, but none of them seemed quick, or good enough.
'I'm going to have to take a risk.' said Dumbledore cautiously. You haven't yet started taking an apparating test, but no, I can't think of any other way. Usually it is impossible to apparate out of Hogwarts, but I think I know how to bend the rules a little.''
Harry gulped, he'd heard of things happening to people who were apparating, and he certainly didn't want to get spliched. But the memory of having the crutiatus curse put on him was too painful, and it was the thing that made him decide, he would take that risk.
'I need you to take your wand, swirl it around your head once, and think so hard of the place you need to go to. Then, say the word apparate, and you should be taken there.'
Dumbledore managed to keep the worried look from his face, even though inside he was very unsure.
'But Professor, how do you know how to get there?'
'There was an investigation many years ago, made by muggle death inspector thingies; I forget what they are called. Two dead bodies in a house nearby, Voldemort was responsible for both. I remember that graveyard, I'm sure I'll be fine, in fact, I'll go first.'
Harry almost objected, but his headmaster seemed so sure.
He took his mind back, it had been a few years since he had been to the graveyard, but the experience had been so traumatic, he could remember everything about it.
He had the image in his mind, if he could have, he would have chosen to apparate at the edge of the graveyeard, but he didn't have a very clear picture of it, and he didn't want to take the risk as he had never apparated before.
He raised his wand above his head, and swirled it round himseelf, he felt very stupid. He thought about the graveyard as hard as he could, and said 'apparate.'
Nothing seemed to happen between him being in Dumbledore's office and then being thrust into total darkness.
As he looked around him, he saw no one, was this a trap? Where was Dumbledore?
'Dumbldore!' cried Harry out loud. 'Professor Dumbledore, are you there?'
He looked around him, and realised what was different. There were graves, and he was standing on the very same grass as he had been all those years ago, but he was standing in a circle of mirrors.
Harry held out his wand in front of him, preparing to strike.
He didn't care how many times Voldemort told him that his wand wouldn't help; he was going to use it all the same.
Suddenly a figure appeared in one of the mirrors, then another, then another until he was in each of the mirrors.
It was Voldemort, and he was using magical illusion. This was not fair! But then, this was Voldemort, and when had he ever been known to play fair?
'He isn't here.' Voldemort's voice was high pitched and cruel.
'What do you mean?' asked Harry.
'Dumbledore, he isn't here. I don't know where he is, but it seems that he isn't such a great wizard after all, he can't even apparate to the right place!'
Then Voldemort uttered that horrible laughh, the one that had been in Harry's nightmares ever since he was born.
'Where are my friends Voldemort?' asked Harry. He would stall Voldemort when he tried to kill him, but first, he would have to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
'You'll find out in good time.' said Voldemort. 'Aren't you wondering where I am?'
'Show yourself Voldemort. If you are so sure that I am going to die, then at least come out here and see me in person! If you don't, I'll come behind those mirrors.'
He tried to move out behind one of the mirrors, but there was some sort of force field, keeping him inside the circle. Voldemort disappeared from the mirrors.
'Don't you prefer it the other way Potter? Wouldn't you like to see me?'
Harry did not reply. Instead, he cast a simple spell, the accio charm, as if trying to bring one of the mirrors to him. His spell did not work, it only bounced off the edge of the force field, and Harry had to dodge to avoid it before it fizzled out. His murmillavos charm had worn off. Voldemort spoke again.
'Don't even try it Potter, none of your puny spells can break my force field. Just look in the mirrors.'
Harry did as he was told.
In the mirrors, he saw an image that brought relief and horror to his face. He saw two gravestones side by side, and tied to them were Ron and Ginny, they unlike Hermione seemed to have all their wits about them.
They were silent, but very alert. Hermione was standing in front of them, holding a wand, and Harry didn't need to be told that she had been put under the imperius curse.
He knew what was coming, and he would have given anything not to hear it.
'Duel with me Harry, or she destroys all of your parents possessions, kills them slowly, and then herself.'
Harry felt sick; this was the worst thing he could have imagined.
To see one of his friends kill his other friends was even worse than seeing Voldemort hurt them himself. He would duel with Voldemort, and he would be prepared for whatever happened.
He didn't know what trick Voldemort had up his sleeves, but he was prepared to sacrifice himself for his friends.
'I will duel with you, but you have to give me a fair fight. I want you to take away this force field, and you have to duel fairly.'
'Good boy Harry, I knew you would see sense. I'll take this force field away, give you a fair duel, if that's what you want ...'
He laughed bitterly, he clicked his finger.
Harry tried to walk forwards and found that there was nothing stopping him any more. But Voldemort did not appear.
'Come out here and duel.' said Harry fiercly 'You want a duel, well there's one waiting out here, so show yourself.'
'Stop trying to be brave,' said Voldemort. 'you aren't being brave, you're scared, because you're vulnerable and you know it.'
Harry said nothing, even though he really knew that Voldemort was right, he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.
Voldemort carried on talking, but he did not come out from wherever he was.
'Don't spoil this moment Potter, I've waited so long to kill you, and even though sometimes unexpected circ u mstances have intervened, I always knew I'd get you someday.'
There was smugness in his voice.
'But why though? Why do you want to kill me so much?'
Harry knew that Dumbledore wanted him to figure it out for himself, but if it was to help him, he should know it, if Voldemort would tell him.
'Harry Potter, you were nearly the end of me, but not quite. I'd heard a prophecy that you would be the end of me, it's called Merlin's law, you may have heard it. Well, I'd heard a prophecy that someone on your Father's side of the family would kill me, and do you really think I would just let that pass me by?'
Harry thought about the thing that Dumbledore had just told him.
When the two powers clash, and the children of the children of so many more children meet, the enemies (who have so much in common) shall duel again.
Was Voldemort saying that he was one of the powers, and that Harry was the other? And if so, who was his ancestor?
Voldemort's was Slytherin, Salazar Slytherin, in which case, who was Harry's?
The two enemies ... but who had been the enemy of Slytherin? Harry could only think of ... but surely it couldn't be, could it?
A mortified expression must have spread over his face, because then Voldemort said:
'That's right, you're the last remaining descendant of ...'
Harry intervened, the sentence just wouldn't sound right coming from Voldemort.
'Godric Gryffindor. I ... am the last remaining descendant of Godric Gryffindor!'
This sentence seemed unreal, but it made sense.
When the two powers clash, and the children of the children of so many more children meet (Voldemort and Harry) the two enemies (who have so much in common) (Gryffindor and Slytherin) shall duel again. (Voldemort's attack on Harry.) The heir shall triumph as his before him did. But only for a few years shall wizards be safe. The original dueling pair shall never realize how much they had in common, and if only one of the powers can realize this, it shall be the key. It shall be the key.
But what did they have in common? This is what Harry couldn't work out. And how was him knowing that he was the heir of Gryffindor help him to defeat Voldemort?
Voldemort was smiling, and Harry could feel nothing but hatred for him. He had killed his whole family, just to save his own skin, and many others for meaningless purposes.
Now Harry understood why Voldemort had been let into Slytherin, even though he was a half-blood.
'What do you want?' asked Harry 'Why did you do all this? Was it just to avenge youe ancestors, or because you are a power hungry bully?'
Harry was all worked up now, he knew his life was in danger, but in the corner of his eye he could see Hermione fighting the imperius curse and he needed to keep Voldemort talking.
'Oh Harry, you know nothing do you. If you understood you would know that it was for all of those reasons and more, some that no one will ever know. Tonight, your dear friend Hermione has already killed several people in your dormitory.'
'No, you're wrong! You killed those boys in my dormitory tonight, but you had to get one of my friends to do it for you. You're SICK!'
He was so angry now he would have just stormed roun the mirrors and confronted Voldemort there if he didn't think that it wouldn't have put Ron, Hermione and Ginny at risk.
'I will tolerate no more Harry Potter; prepare to fight your last battle. Lord Voldemort will not be spoken to like that.'
'You can't duel me, priori incantatum remember!'
'You can thank Mr. Malfoy for that; it is with his wand which I will kill you. A powerful enough wizard may not need his own wand, even for tasks like this.'
Then he appeared, as if out of nowhere in front of Harry, and raised his wand.
Before Harry could think of a spell to use, he had been hit with the full body-bind.
This wasn't fair! This was no fair duel; there was nothing he could do now.
Apparently Ron and Ginny could both see him from where they were, because there was a look of sheer panic on each of their faces.
Hermione still seemed to be fighting the imperius curse, but she was having trouble. Then Harry could no longer see his friends in the mirrors, for in each of the mirrors stood now a death eater, and behind them stood another death eater, and behind them many more.
He recognized many of the faces, but there was none he didn't expect to see, unless they were in the background.
Voldemort had raised his wand, Harry wanted to move, but he couldn't! He shouldn't end like this, there was no trick, or complicated spell, Voldemort had simply conned him, this was not the way it was meant to be, and he knew it.
There was an inane grin on each of the death eaters faces, Harry Potter was going to die, after all that had happened, the boy who lived ... would live no more.
'Expelliarmus!' Hermione's voice rang through the darkness, and Harry knew it was his lifeline.
He was so relieved that he didn't even hear the spell she used to free him from the body-bind. He got to his feet, luckily he was unhurt, just a little bruised where he had fallen over.
He could not see Hermione, but she was obviously within hearing distance.
'Thank you Hermione, thank you!'
'Shut up Harry, you have to fight him! I can't help you yet, but you know who you are, go Harry!' Voldemort was still looking for his wand.
'Malfoy, restrain her, Pritchard, watch the boy!'
Voldemort had regained himself by now, and had full control of his wand; Harry thought that he deserved a little taste of his own medicine.
'Petrificus totalus!'
Voldemort was hit with the body bind, though Harry dared not do any more, he could feel the presence of the death eaters around him.
Obviously they had been told not to get involved, or Voldemort would be back on his feet.
Instead, he walked around Voldemort's frozen body; he dropped his wand, as a sign that he would not attack, for the moment. He couldn't just kill Voldemort, for the death eaters would be there straight away, and Harry wouldn't stand a chance.
He needed time to think of something to do.
He looked through the gaps between every mirror, but he could see nothing behind them.
Then suddenly he caught sight of something, it seemed to be far in the distance. He could just make out four figures, two of them had red hair, and one was battling with someone in black robes.
Lucius Malfoy. He had been sent to go after Hermione, and she was fighting back.
But there was no sign of the death eaters, for they were still in the mirrors surrounding Harry.
And then there was the Law of Merlin, what did he possibly have in common with Voldemort?
They both had black hair, green eyes, and they could both speak parseltongue, but Harry didn't think that Merlin had meant any of these.
Suddenly he thought of a memory, one that had happened on his very first day of Hogwarts.
Hmm, difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting ... so where shall I put you? Not Slytherin eh? Are you sure? You could be great you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!
All those many years ago, he had wanted so much to prove himself, to show the world that he wasn't just a famous name.
That was just an individual feeling, but could Voldemort, the one who had named himself lord, have the same insecurities now?
Not to show he wasn't just a famous name, oh no, but to something else, something that he nearly had in common with Harry, but they both saw it from their own point of view - his muggle parent.
Harry's mother was a witch, muggle born yes, but a witch.
Voldemort's father was a muggle, his own ancestors would have shunned him, even Voldemort was ashamed.
The heir of Slytherin, a halfblood? How could it be?
Harry could understand how Voldemort would want to prove himself as a true ancestor of Salazar Slytherin.
Had he ever regretted his decision to use dark magic? Harry would probably never know, but he knew that Voldemort would never go back on it. He needed to trick him, but how?
'You are the last remaining heir of Salazar Slytherin, and yet there is something about you that doesn't quite fit.'
Voldemort's eyes were following him, maybe he thought that Harry was teasing him, but there was a reason to all of this, and Harry was still in danger here.
'Your father, he was a muggle, which makes you a halfblood. And yet, you belonged to the only Hogwarts house that hates mudbloods,'
Harry said the last word with venom, 'so surely, halfbloods can't be in their good books either can they? And yet, you have all these men under your control and I still have my doubts. How can you be the true heir of Slytherin? No, in fact I don't believe you are worthy of that title at all. Anyway, sorry, I've had my say, I just thought I'd let you know before I ... before I die.'
He pushed his face into what he thought was a sad expression, and bent down to pick up the wand. He paused before he removed the curse from Voldemort.
He had just tried the oldest trick in the book, and he hoped to God that Voldemort had fallen for it, if he hadn't, Harry would be dead in a second.
If he had just infuriated Voldemort too much though, Voldemort could just get up and kill him.
But if it had worked, at least then Harry would have a chance, for he hadn't had time to think up the rest of his plan.
Harry knew, or at least he thought he knew, that Voldemort wouldn't let him die with the upper hand.
'It's alright,' shouted Harry to the death eaters, 'if he didn't kill me, you lot would, I'm only going to free him of the curse.'
He did, and Voldemort stood up before him.
'Harry Potter.' he almost spat the words out. 'You are an ignorant young boy, and you will know not to insult your lord. You will know that I am the true heir of Slytherin, and I will teach you a lesson before you die, that I can do anything, anything.'
He clicked his fingers and the images in the mirrors changed.
Harry saw Hermione, she was once again under the imperius curse, controlled by Lucius Malfoy.
The image chilled Harry to the bone, for in one hand she held a wand, and in the other, a knife.
Harry tried to move forwards, but there was invisible hand, and it stopped him in his tracks.
'You see, I can do anything. I could even kill you in the pouring rain.'
A hand pushed Harry back again, into a mirror. The mirror cracked, and Harry felt a stabbing pain in his back, but it didn't feel too bad.
Ropes then surrounded him, tying him to the mirror. Harry didn't know quite what to do, he hadn't expected any of this.
Voldemort had created a storm, the rain poured down on him, he could hardly see.
He could hear thunder, and a piece of fork lightening split open the sky. Harry knew that his wand was still in his hand, which was a comfort, if only very slight.
Suddenly there was a distraction, not so far away, people seemed to be appearing out of nowhere.
People that Harry almost laughed out loud when he saw them.
Dumbledore, Professors McGonagall and Snape, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Hagrid, many more people that Harry knew, or maybe didn't, and last of all ... Sirius Black.
They were set upon by death eaters who just seemed to appear, Harry could hear curses being thrown around between the two groups, but they were not close enough to hit Voldemort or him, they were outnumbered by the death eaters.
Voldemort turned his attention back to Harry.
'Now, about your little word with me earlier. You will not have the last word Harry Potter, so let me tell you something, and you, will, listen.
'Years ago, when Hogwarts school was first made, you know of the four founders. Slytherin, my ancestor, and Gryffindor, yours, were among them. Sometimes, I wonder why Slytherin stayed around there, and now maybe I know it he because he knew he would be avenged, and I will be the one to do it.
Godric Gryffindor was a jealous old man, not content with not having his own way when Slytherin suggested something, he couldn't stand that there was someone else better than him.'
Harry could feel the anger burning inside him as the storm raged on.
Voldemort's malicious comments were having two very different effects on the surrounding groups.
The death eaters and Harry's allies had stopped fighting, and tied to her gravestone, a look of absolute loathing was on Ginny's face.
She could not hear Voldemort's voice, but she could see Malfoy's nodding, smirking head.
Ron just looked terrified, for Hermione still held the knife, and wand.
'The night when I went to kill your mother and father, I knew I was in for an easy fight. Two imbeciles, both too big for their boots, and a baby, yet it had to be done.'
'They were head boy and girl of Hogwarts!'
'Favourites of Dumbledore more like.'
Harry saw Dumbledore try and get near them, but he was blocked, the force field was up again.
'Your father tried to be gallant, but he was no more trouble to kill than an ant under a magnifying glass.
The look on his face when he died, pure terror. He was scared of me, your father.
He was a weak man. Then there was your mother to deal with.
She was in the bedroom protecting you. She was so beautiful, yet so stupid, and she was a mudblood.'
Mudblood, mudblood, mudblood, the word echoed round in Harry's brain, dirty and offensive. The Gryffindor inside him was seething.
'Her hair was so red, and the way it just tumbled over her shoulders, her eyes, so green, they enraptured me.
Her body was so beautiful, even in a nightgown; and her scream, so intoxicating. But she was a dirty little mudblood, a wh0re.'
Saying how beautiful she was hurt Harry more than if he had said how ugly she had been.
He wanted to curse Voldemort, over and over, but he couldn't move his wand into the right position, he would have only cursed the grass.
'You were just a piece of dirt to me, a mere hiccup in my great plan.'
'I was your downfall.'
'You were a stumble in my great path to power, a bum note in my song of victory, and you helped me back to greatness.
So now I have you. Go and see your dirty little mudblood mother, and your big-headed father in heaven, Potter.'
A grin was on Voldemort's face as he raised his wand.
Ron had his eyes closed, Ginny was the complete opposite, eyes wide and screaming.
Voldemort's little speech seemed to have had a big effect on Harry's allies, and they were fighting harder than ever.
Harry was not scared, but he was angry, more angry than he had ever been in his life before.
He seemed to be overcome with anger, as he looked into Voldemort's face, into his eyes, he knew that Voldemort was truly evil, to the core.
Suddenly, all the sound seemed to stop in Harry's head, and he looked up to the sky.
Even though it was still raining, he could still see everything. What happened next, was magic beyond his control.
A great bolt of fork lightening sped down from the sky, in slow motion it seemed, coming ever closer to the ground.
Harry watched as he saw the very tip of the bolt of lightening hit Voldemort's head.
A searing pain burst through his scar, and a white light blinded him. But as the light faded, so did the pain and Harry closed his eyes.
He had used magic, unexplained magic to do so many things in the past when he had been scared, or angry.
It was nothing new to Harry, but as he opened his eyes, he knew the sight that was about to greet him.
The body of Voldemort lay on the ground, and Harry didn't know whether to feel happy or shocked.
Voldemort was gone, but Harry had committed murder ...
Voldemort was dead.
There was stillness, complete silence, which lasted for a minute.
Harry looked at the sky, the storm was gone. He looked at the body of Voldemort. Was he really dead?
He was, Harry knew there was no way he could cheat death anymore.
'Aagh!' The shout of a death eater broke the silence, it was Nott, he seemed to be clutching his arm. 'my arm!' he shouted 'the pain! The pain!'
Then more and more death eaters doubled over in pain, clutching their arms. Harry could hear cries of - it's melting - and he knew that they meant the dark mark on their arms.
Harry was smiling as he watched them all, being overpowered by Harry's allies. Tied up, and having their wands removed.
If only Harry could have moved, he would have longed to help them, but he was still tied to the gravestone, though he had managed to free his right hand.
Through all of this chaos, there was still one death eater who had been forgotten. As his pain subsided he got to his feet, raised his arms in the air and shouted.
'He will be avenged!' Then, indicating to Hermione, he said 'Kill them girl.'
Lucius Malfoy sent Hermione forwards, her wand raised, pointing at Ginny. Ginny was screaming, and wriggling around on her gravestone, tears rolling down her face.
'Hermione! Don't do it please Hermione!' her speech was punctuated by sobs. 'I know you're in there, don't kill me!' Lucius Malfoy was laughing, Ginny started trembling.
'I hate you Malfoy!' Now Ron was shouting. 'Stop her, tell her to stop.'
Harry watched from a distance, horrified.
He raised his wand, and aimed some disarming and stupefying spells at Hermione, but he could not hit her.
Lucius Malfoy was now rolling around on the floor, laughing hysterically.
'You're disgusting!' shouted Ron. 'How would you like your son to see you now eh?'
Hermione raised the wand, Ginny winced and recoiled, but then Harry seemed to notice that her expression had changed, from terrified to what looked like gladness or relief Harry looked on, confused.
'Libertus!' cried Hermione, then she pointed the wand at Ron, 'Libertus!'
Their bonds were broken and they jumped from the tombstones.
Ron proceeded to immediately disarm Lucius Malfoy, and engage in a physical fight with him.
Typical Ron, thought Harry, and clever Hermione.
She had obviously managed to fight off the imperius curse silently, and had even fooled Lucius Malfoy, and Harry!
Harry wondered how she had managed to tell Ginny without words, perhaps she had winked!
Hermione and Ginny seemed to have joined the fight now, all four of them were rolling around on the floor, they probably didn't have a clue as to who was punching who!
Harry laughed, they looked like the teletubbies!
Harry could see Dumbledore rounding up all the adults who had been fighting, they all seemed to be there, Harry was glad.
But then he cast his mind back to earlier that evening, to Seamus, Dean and Neville.
'I'm sorry!' Harry cried up to the sky, 'I'm sorry.'
The stabbing pains in his back became greater, and he thought of his three dead friends, as he collapsed where he was standing.
*
Harry awoke to find himself laying down on the grass, he was still in the graveyard, and he was all alone, bar one person, Dumbledore.
'You should be very proud of yourself tonight Harry.'
'No I shouldn't. I killed a man, and three of my friends died because of me.'
'And how was that your fault?'
'If I hadn't lived all those times, Voldemort wouldn't have been after me, and he wouldn't have made Hermione kill them.'
Harry tried to sit up, but his back hurt.
'Don't move, I have mended the cuts on your back, but I am rusty at medical so you may still be sore.'
'Yes.'
'Now Harry, I want you to know that you were not the cause of any deaths in your dormitory, and neither was Hermione, I have had a talk with her. There are things which Voldemort could do, that you will never even find out about. I'm not saying that killing is good, or right, even if it is Voldemort, but you should know that you have no cause to feel guilty. You may grieve, over the loss of your friends but there is no need to feel guilt.'
Harry lowered his head, he knew that Dumbledore was right, but he couldn't help but feel guilty.
'I really didn't mean to kill Voldemort, even though I know he was evil, I don't know what came over me!'
'Harry, the gifts of nature and the works of man are only good or bad as we make good or bad use of them.
Voldemort made bad use of our world, and this is what has come of him.
He knew as much as you or I about magic you make with strong emotions, he knew what he was doing to you, he knew the risk he was taking.'
'I shouldn't have let him hurt me with words, sticks and stones . . .'
'Whoever came up with the saying - sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me - was talking out of his or her armpit. Even though I know you know what he said wasn't true, it still hurts doesn't it?'
'It's sad isn't it, getting hurt that much by something that isn't even true.'
It's not sad Harry ...'
Harry interrupted;
'It's life?'
'No, it's not life either, you should never say that. Life is what you make of it, not what people tell you it is, you of all people should know that.
It's just one of those things that hurts in certain situations, and I would be very surprised to think that Voldemort talking about your parents didn't hurt.'
Harry knew that this was the end of the conversation, and that they would be going back to Hogwarts now.
'Thank you Professor. Professor Dumbledore, how are we going to get back?' Dumbledore smiled.
'I had Professor Flitwick charm some items as portkeys, I have one here. It will take us back to the entrance hall. Here, it is this ham. I may eat it upon our return, I do feel rather famished. Take hold after three.'
'OK.'
'One, two ... three!'
Dumbledore and Harry both took hold of the portkey and Harry felt that familiar tugging feeling that meant he was on his way back to Hogwarts.
On arriving back in the entrance hall, Dumbledore turned to Harry.
'It's understandable that you will be upset, I can arrange another place for you to sleep.' Harry nodded, and they entered the entrance hall.
The scene that greeted them was completely unexpected.
Three of the four tables in the great hall was filled up with students, all eating and drinking and laughing, even the teachers were at their table!
They were having a party! As Dumbledore entered the room with Harry behind him, the smiles soon turned to worried looks, and the laughter turned to silence
'I see,' began Dumbledore solemnly 'that in my absence, you have indulged in a party.'
Everyone in the hall was looking scared, how many points would they each lose for their house? Slytherin were sensible for not coming.
'And I also see that Slytherin did not join you.'
Harry could see everyone in the hall visibly gulp.
'Well more fool them! Come on, eat up, don't let the good food go cold. I hope that there's a plate for me!'
A cheer arose in the hall, and soon everyone joined in, even Harry, though he felt a twinge of sadness for the boys in his dormitory.
He saw Ron sitting at the Gryffindor table with Hermione, and sitting next to them was ... Harry stared, it couldn't be!
He ran over to the table.
'Harry,' began Ron, 'I'd like you to meet the new resident ghosts of Gryffindor tower, Neville, Seamus and Dean.'
All six of them burst out laughing, and a whole load of mushed up sausage fell out of Ron's mouth, he popped it back in.
'Eugh.' said Hermione, and they all burst out laughing again.
'So, what's it like being a ghost?' asked Hermione, 'it would be quite an interesting essay to hand into Professor Zoromus.'
Harry heard Ron groan behind him.
'I'm sorry.' said Harry, suddenly serious.
'That's OK,' replied Neville, 'we don't blame you.'
'But Seamus, Dean, what are you going to tell your parents? And Neville, what about your grandmother?' Seamus smiled.
'I dunno what I'll tell me Mam, but she'll be bloody surprised!'
Harry smiled, then he felt a tap on his back, it was Ginny.
'Harry, I think we need to talk.'
Harry followed Ginny out of the main hall, and into a small private room just off it. He wondered what she was going to say, she looked so serious.
She turned to him.
'I can't stay with you any more.'
Harry didn't know whether to pretend that he wanted her to stay, or to show how he really felt. He decided to be honest.
'You know, I will always be your friend.' Ginny smiled 'You're very pretty you know.'
'Oh don't give me all of that ...'
'No really, I mean it! It's just I don't, erm ...'
'Fancy me?'
'Well yeah sorry.' Harry felt bad for Ginny, he remembered how he had felt when he and Cho had broken up. 'Friends?'
'Friends.'
'Hug?'
'Hug.'
Harry put his arms around Ginny. He was relived they were friends again, and that he hadn't had to be the one to break her heart.
She was young, only sixteen, they were both young - God, he was even thinking old already!
They both headed for the hall, just as Dumbledore was starting to make his speech.
'The first thing I will say, is that as you already know, Lord Voldemort is dead.'
The uproar in the hall was deafening. If any of the Slytherins were planning on sleeping, it was wishful thinking!
'And this time, it's final. But tonight, he has committed some evil crimes. He is responsible for three of our Gryffindor's deaths, and even though in a way they are still with us, in another way we must remember that they are not.
This evil man has had a hold on our wizarding world for too long, and tonight we will celebrate our freedom once again.
And I would like to be the first to toast the student who is responsible for it. He is not a murderer,
Voldemort brought his death upon himself, but it never would have happened without Harry Potter.
So I would like you all to raise you glasses to Ron and Ginny Weasley, for sticking to their own side, Hermione Granger, for pure good thinking, and to Harry Potter for our freedom.'
Everyone raised their goblets, not just as a toast to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny, but also a mark of respect to those who died.
*
Harry tore open a corner of his golden envelope slowly, but Sirius was getting impatient.
'Come on Harry, hurry up! Let's see how many you got.'
Harry opened it up a bit more, when suddenly he heard a voice next to him shouting.
'Twelve NEWTs, I got twelve NEWTs!' It was Hermione.
'You sound disappointed.'
'Oh but I am! I got a low percentage for charms!'
'You got the top mark Hermione, how can that possibly be bad?'
She looked outraged at the fact that Harry didn't quite understand.
'Yeah Hermione,' intervened Ron 'one of your percentages had to be the lowest, it was just charms. Open yours Harry.'
Harry hesitated. What if he hadn't got very many NEWTs? What if Snape had failed him for potions? What if?..
'Mr Sirius Black?' One of the jurors had come to collect him.
'That's me.' replied Sirius.
'You are expected in court, for the final hearing of your name clearing sir.'
Sirius tried to protest.
'But my godson, his results!'
'Now, sir.' the juror was clear, but firm.
As Sirius walked away, Harry knew what the outcome of the case would be, everybody did, but Harry had wished that he had got on with opening the envelope.
Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the courtroom, and sat in the public gallery.
Judge Thierry Vraile was already sitting in his seat above the court, and all the jurors were sitting in place.
'Where's Hedwig?' Ron asked Harry.
'Oh, she flew off after she gave me my envelope, I think she probably went back to Sirius' house.' replied Harry. 'Shh, here comes Sirius.'
Sirius walked into the courtroom, and sat in the chair in the middle of the room.
Harry started to open his golden envelope a bit more.
'Sirius Black, order of Merlin, third degree,'
Began Judge Vraile.
'Seventeen years ago you were accused of a most heinous crime, of killing thirteen people, and helping to kill Lily and James Potter.
Although I must say you didn't help your case by just, well, laughing, you were still proved innocent of this crime four years ago unofficially, and we are here for the final clearing of your name.
Although this case has been postponed for the last few years due to the return of he who must not be named, do you agree with the last statement?'
'Yes sir.'
'And do you agree to testify against Peter Pettigrew, the one you call Wormtail?'
'Yes sir.'
'Then the name of Sirius Black shall be cleared, and 1000 galleons shall be paid to you in compensation for all the years in Azkaban.
Do the jury agree?'
All the people on the right hand side of the room raised their hands and nodded, and the people in the public gallery clapped and cheered.
Harry finally opened his envelope.
'Sirius!'
He shouted above all the noise.
'Sirius! I got eleven NEWTs!'
Sirius smiled, and now even the jury started to clap and cheer.
*
One hundred and fifty miles away, Ms A. Bulstrode waved her eldest daughter away with a hand.
'Oh go away Millicent, I have to feed Thomas. Go to your Dad's house.'
Millicent Bulstrode scowled.
'You hate me now don't you, and Daddy. Ever since Voldemort came along and pushed Daddy away, you've taken no notice of me.'
'You're seventeen.'
'All you want now is Thomas, Thomas, Thomas. Forget about me!'
'Oh Millicent, you'll never understand will you? The difference between Daddy and Voldemort ...'
'Voldemort was only using you, he only wanted a child!'
Ms Bulstrode smiled.
'Then he got what he wanted didn't he. Maybe in certain situations he was less than kind, but that didn't make him a bad father did it?
He loved little Thomas here, our baby, and Tommy will be protected with that love forever, won't you baby!..'
*
One hundred and fifty miles away, Harry Potter felt a terrible burning pain in his scar ...