Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all in the Harry Potter universe.
Courage to Find the Strength
Chapter 28
"Well?!"
"Well, what?" Hermione set down her drink on the table.
"Well, what happened next?!" Hagrid groaned.
"Hagrid! You've already heard this story a thousand times! You KNOW how it ends!" Hermione laughed and squeezed the big man's hand across the table.
"Yeh, but I love the way you tell it." Hagrid's eyes had a dreamy look to them. "'Specially the romantic parts."
"There's not much more to tell, is there?" Harry jumped in. "Ron and I and the others finished up with the rest of the Death Eaters, though we didn't come out of it quite as unscathed as Hermione would tell it, but overall, not too shabby." He leaned in conspiratorially and grinned. "The real fun began when Dumbledore and I faced off against Voldemort."
"Hey! I was there, too, you know!" Ron huffed.
"Yes, of course you were, Ron," Hermione soothed, "but you DID get knocked out by Voldemort first thing when you all entered the room."
"Yeah, so?" Ron turned crimson and looked down. "But, I was there!"
"Anyway, shall I finish the story or not?"
"YES!" Their entire table and many members of the surrounding tables shouted.
"So, after finishing with the Death Eaters, we all raced into the room together to confront Voldemort. Draco and I from the rear passageway, and Harry - and RON,- Dumbledore, Snape, Sirius, and Remus from the front. But Voldemort was ready for us. Like I said, Ron was immediately thrown against the wall and knocked out - "
***
"RON!" Harry yelled, rushing over to his fallen friend, as Dumbledore launched a powerful curse at Voldemort who easily countered.
Sirius and Lupin stepped in and also attacked him, but Voldemort threw a potion made from the venom of a basilisk at them. They were lucky it didn't kill them, merely paralyzed them and turned them into living stone. Snape didn't get a chance to launch an attack of his own because he was too busy going through his stashed potions to find an antidote. Not only were Sirius' and Lupin's bodies paralyzed, but their hearts and minds were as well. If quickly reversed, no permanent damage would be done, but Snape had to act fast. It meant leaving the battle up to Harry and Dumbledore.
The battle was among the fiercest the Wizarding world had seen in millennia. Voldemort had become extremely powerful, twisting old curses into newer, more lethal ones. It took all of Dumbledore's incredible might just to stay alive. Harry had the distinct impression that Voldemort was just playing with them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco and Hermione edging into the room behind Voldemort. At the sight of her, Harry felt an immense relief wash over him and with that relief came a great surge of power. He chanced a peak over at Snape who was finally administering the correct antidote to his fallen comrades, although by the groggy looks of them, it would be a while before they fully regained their senses. Harry drew on the strength of the knowledge that his friends lived, were depending on him, and believed in him with all their might.
Harry turned back to Voldemort who had just managed to pin Dumbledore against the ceiling, and smirked, "Is that the best you can do, you pathetic excuse for a Dark Wizard?"
Voldemort dropped Dumbledore to the ground with a thud. Wisely, the old man pretended to play dead and let Harry fulfill his destiny. "What did you say to me, boy?" Voldemort's tone was of utter disbelief, and he bit back a laugh. "What can you possibly do to me now that your precious Headmaster is out of the running?"
"That's where you're wrong, Riddle," Harry was satisfied at Voldemort's flinch at the name. "I never needed Dumbledore to kick your sorry ass."
Voldemort sneered and raised his wand, but Harry laughed. "Remember what happened last time? Your wand won't work on me if you try to kill me. We'll cancel each other out."
"I don't need to kill you to conquer you, Potter," Voldemort spat, lowering his wand. It was all the opening Harry needed, and he brought out a second wand from his robes. Voldemort looked confused, not understanding the switch.
"Do recall this wand?" Harry's voice was soft and deadly.
"Should I? Besides, you can't use that against me. The wand chooses the owner, and you already possess a wand." Voldemort's eyes glinted triumph at the boy's obvious mistake.
"Yes, you should recognize it. It was my father's."
"But how! How did you come by that cursed thing?!" Voldemort shouted, this time beginning to look scared.
Harry advanced on him, step by step. "A friend," he glanced over at the fallen Dumbledore, "kept it safe for me all of these years. Sure, MY wand has a feather from Fawkes, same as yours, but my FATHER'S has all the love he possessed the night he died defending me, and all the hate he felt towards YOU!"
With that, Harry launched a spell that only he would ever launch, a spell so powerful it could never be duplicated. "PATRONUM KEVADRA!!" A giant stag, not shining silver as with the Patronus spell, but black and solid as if carved from onyx. It moved faster than the speed of sound, causing a giant sound concussion as if a thousand bolts of lightning had erupted in the room, knocking everyone down except for Voldemort and Harry. A brief moment later, the stag skewered Voldemort upon its great horns and flung him down at Harry's feet while his wand rolled harmlessly across the floor in the direction of Dumbledore.
There he lay, the great Dark Lord, bleeding and broken from thirty or more gaping holes in his body, a great puddle of black blood pooling at the hem of Harry's robes. Harry looked down at him in disgust, rage still flowing through his veins. Voldemort, with the last of his strength, actually smiled up at him and uttered his dying words, "This isn't over, Potter." Then, he dissolved into his own gore, leaving only a few tattered bits of his black robe.
Harry let out an unconsciously held breath, and staggered towards Dumbledore who was just then picking himself up off the floor. They stared at each other a moment, then joyously hugged, both with tears streaming down their faces. Harry let the hug end and was immediately crushed by Sirius and Lupin, who though weak, managed enough strength for this. Ron, who after a few rough slaps by Snape, came to, and he also joined in the congratulations. After a few moments, Harry walked over to Snape and extended his hand. The professor hesitated a moment, then after looking into Harry's eyes, took it in his own, and shook it with a firm grip.
More congratulations were heard when suddenly Harry said, "Where's Malfoy and Hermione?"
"I'm over here! Thanks for finally remembering me!" Hermione indignantly muttered over a control panel of one of the bombs. Draco crawled out from underneath the device with a jumble of wires in his hands, and his wand held sideways in his mouth.
"What have you two been doing?" Sirius asked, very confused.
"Well, why you all were having fun defeating Lord Voldemort there, SOMEONE had to defuse these things. Do realize they were to have gone off about five minutes ago?" Hermione crossly declared. "Thankfully, I read up on these things back at Hogwarts."
"Bombs?" Ron asked, scratching his head.
"No, silly! These!" Hermione held a few flat-shaped boxes in her hand. "Magical detonators! Just like Fred and George used to make, only a LOT more complicated. Besides, for a moment, it was all I could do to keep Draco here from running off to help you. Luckily, I managed to keep him here, helping me disarm these things. This one's the last one. Now, not only are the detonators off, but even a Muggle couldn't activate them if they tried."
Draco grinned, and put an arm around Hermione's waist. With his other hand, he threw the wires he held on the ground. "Kinda satisfying, ripping this junk apart. Makes you wonder how they tick."
Ron stared at him, and groaned. "Well, if you really have an interest in understanding how Muggle things work, I know someone back at home you should talk to."
Draco frowned. "Don't know if there's anyone at YOUR home I would particularly care to talk to, Weasley."
Ron glared at him, turning red. Only Harry's and Lupin's arms on his robes kept him from pummeling the arrogant Slytherin. Then, Draco burst out laughing. "I'm kidding. I'm only kidding. Geez, Weasley, touchy as ever."
Dumbledore smiled at the two, and then turned to look at Sirius and Snape, who were also glaring at one another, when he said, "Some things never change."
With that, they made sure the Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy were secured. Later, when the Ministry officials arrived to take the lot to Azkaban to await trial, Sirius and Lupin asked for a few moments alone with one of the prisoners.
"So, Peter, you be sure to say hello to all my old friends now, okay?" Sirius smiled viciously at the twitching little man whom he had once called friend.
"Yes, Wormtail, I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends with the Dementors," Lupin agreed.
"Guys, you have to believe me! It was the Imperius, I swear!" Pettigrew cried.
"Yeah, tell it to the judge, a likely story," Lupin waved goodbye as they hauled the whimpering man off to the waiting officials.
"Next time we meet, Peter, it'll be in hell," Sirius bent over to whisper in the man's terrified ear as they dragged him away.
With that, most of the members of the group decided to return to Hogwarts in expectation of a hot shower and long, restful sleep.
***
"So that's about it," Hermione concluded. "That's the end of the tale."
"Wait a minute!" Neville Longbottom interrupted. "You said MOST of the members returned to Hogwarts. Who stayed behind? Draco?"
"You would think so, but I think the answer would be obvious as to what happened next," a voice called from behind them.
"Remus! You made it! I was just finishing the old story for them all. This must be my thousandth telling if I've told it once!" Hermione stood and embraced her friend. "And Narcissa, you look lovely this evening!"
Narcissa warmly smiled and embraced the other witch. "As do you, my dear. Now where's my grandson?"
"I don't know where - oh there he is."
A young blond boy of about five or so was pointing a silver spoon at another young boy with dark, unruly hair and glasses at the end of the long table. The smaller darker boy was also pointing a spoon. "MY dad beat up Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Wizard ever!"
"Oh yeah! Just because YOUR dad beat up some stupid old wizard and all doesn't make YOU special or anything. Besides, MY dad is the greatest wizard of all time. He's going to be the Minister of Magic soon!"
"That's enough, both of you." The new master of Malfoy Manor, and Council Member of the Ministry, scooped up both his feisty son and his budding young rival, one under each arm and made his way back to his very pregnant wife.
"I can't keep track of him, always stirring up trouble like his father." Hermione moaned, kissing Draco as he deposited the two at her feet. "Why can't he be more like his sister and study? Almost seven, and halfway through Hogwarts, A History."
Draco rolled his eyes fondly at her, then greeted his mother. "Mom. Remus." Draco warmly shook his step-father's hand. Narcissa kissed her son's cheek, then bent down to drool over her favorite and only grandson.
Just then, Dumbledore came down the table to greet them all, accompanied on one side by Sirius Black, and the other Professor Snape. The other Professors were mingling with the other guests in the packed Great Hall of Hogwarts. There must have been thousands of people there. Here and there, a red-haired Weasley could be seen standing out like a sore thumb. Still, a great majority of the guests was huddled around Hermione's seat as she finished relating the tale.
"Everyone enjoying themselves, I hope?" The Headmaster inquired, hugging and greeting each one of them. Sirius embraced Harry and all his old friends. Snape even managed a small smile for the group.
"Yes, thank you, sir. This reunion idea was brilliant!" Harry gushed.
"Excellent. Excellent. Carry on then." He handed each child a lemon drop, then made his way back into the crowd, greeting past, present, and future students and their families as he went.
Professor Snape made to leave when he felt a small tugging on the hem of his robes. He looked down to see a very proud and admiring young boy looking up at him. Judging by his blond hair, it didn't take long to deduce who it was. "Sir? Are you Professor Snape?"
"Yes, I am. What do you want?"
"I want to be a Slytherin, of course," the young wizard-to-be haughtily declared. "Just like my dad! And you're going to teach me Potions, aren't you? Because Dad said you're the very best teacher here, and I want to learn to teach that snotty Potter boy over there a lesson, and Mom always said you -"
"Alexander!!" Hermione screamed at him and removed him from Snape's presence, who was looking decidedly interested in what the little one had to say. "What have I told you and told you about repeating what other people have said -"
Everyone laughed, and then Hagrid spoke up in his big booming voice, "Hey, Hermione, why don't you tell us again about the time that -"
The End.
Finally finished! Thank you all so much again for the encouragement and the time you took to read my work. Tell me what you all thought, please! I love to read and very much appreciate your reviews and feedback!
Courage to Find the Strength
Chapter 28
"Well?!"
"Well, what?" Hermione set down her drink on the table.
"Well, what happened next?!" Hagrid groaned.
"Hagrid! You've already heard this story a thousand times! You KNOW how it ends!" Hermione laughed and squeezed the big man's hand across the table.
"Yeh, but I love the way you tell it." Hagrid's eyes had a dreamy look to them. "'Specially the romantic parts."
"There's not much more to tell, is there?" Harry jumped in. "Ron and I and the others finished up with the rest of the Death Eaters, though we didn't come out of it quite as unscathed as Hermione would tell it, but overall, not too shabby." He leaned in conspiratorially and grinned. "The real fun began when Dumbledore and I faced off against Voldemort."
"Hey! I was there, too, you know!" Ron huffed.
"Yes, of course you were, Ron," Hermione soothed, "but you DID get knocked out by Voldemort first thing when you all entered the room."
"Yeah, so?" Ron turned crimson and looked down. "But, I was there!"
"Anyway, shall I finish the story or not?"
"YES!" Their entire table and many members of the surrounding tables shouted.
"So, after finishing with the Death Eaters, we all raced into the room together to confront Voldemort. Draco and I from the rear passageway, and Harry - and RON,- Dumbledore, Snape, Sirius, and Remus from the front. But Voldemort was ready for us. Like I said, Ron was immediately thrown against the wall and knocked out - "
***
"RON!" Harry yelled, rushing over to his fallen friend, as Dumbledore launched a powerful curse at Voldemort who easily countered.
Sirius and Lupin stepped in and also attacked him, but Voldemort threw a potion made from the venom of a basilisk at them. They were lucky it didn't kill them, merely paralyzed them and turned them into living stone. Snape didn't get a chance to launch an attack of his own because he was too busy going through his stashed potions to find an antidote. Not only were Sirius' and Lupin's bodies paralyzed, but their hearts and minds were as well. If quickly reversed, no permanent damage would be done, but Snape had to act fast. It meant leaving the battle up to Harry and Dumbledore.
The battle was among the fiercest the Wizarding world had seen in millennia. Voldemort had become extremely powerful, twisting old curses into newer, more lethal ones. It took all of Dumbledore's incredible might just to stay alive. Harry had the distinct impression that Voldemort was just playing with them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco and Hermione edging into the room behind Voldemort. At the sight of her, Harry felt an immense relief wash over him and with that relief came a great surge of power. He chanced a peak over at Snape who was finally administering the correct antidote to his fallen comrades, although by the groggy looks of them, it would be a while before they fully regained their senses. Harry drew on the strength of the knowledge that his friends lived, were depending on him, and believed in him with all their might.
Harry turned back to Voldemort who had just managed to pin Dumbledore against the ceiling, and smirked, "Is that the best you can do, you pathetic excuse for a Dark Wizard?"
Voldemort dropped Dumbledore to the ground with a thud. Wisely, the old man pretended to play dead and let Harry fulfill his destiny. "What did you say to me, boy?" Voldemort's tone was of utter disbelief, and he bit back a laugh. "What can you possibly do to me now that your precious Headmaster is out of the running?"
"That's where you're wrong, Riddle," Harry was satisfied at Voldemort's flinch at the name. "I never needed Dumbledore to kick your sorry ass."
Voldemort sneered and raised his wand, but Harry laughed. "Remember what happened last time? Your wand won't work on me if you try to kill me. We'll cancel each other out."
"I don't need to kill you to conquer you, Potter," Voldemort spat, lowering his wand. It was all the opening Harry needed, and he brought out a second wand from his robes. Voldemort looked confused, not understanding the switch.
"Do recall this wand?" Harry's voice was soft and deadly.
"Should I? Besides, you can't use that against me. The wand chooses the owner, and you already possess a wand." Voldemort's eyes glinted triumph at the boy's obvious mistake.
"Yes, you should recognize it. It was my father's."
"But how! How did you come by that cursed thing?!" Voldemort shouted, this time beginning to look scared.
Harry advanced on him, step by step. "A friend," he glanced over at the fallen Dumbledore, "kept it safe for me all of these years. Sure, MY wand has a feather from Fawkes, same as yours, but my FATHER'S has all the love he possessed the night he died defending me, and all the hate he felt towards YOU!"
With that, Harry launched a spell that only he would ever launch, a spell so powerful it could never be duplicated. "PATRONUM KEVADRA!!" A giant stag, not shining silver as with the Patronus spell, but black and solid as if carved from onyx. It moved faster than the speed of sound, causing a giant sound concussion as if a thousand bolts of lightning had erupted in the room, knocking everyone down except for Voldemort and Harry. A brief moment later, the stag skewered Voldemort upon its great horns and flung him down at Harry's feet while his wand rolled harmlessly across the floor in the direction of Dumbledore.
There he lay, the great Dark Lord, bleeding and broken from thirty or more gaping holes in his body, a great puddle of black blood pooling at the hem of Harry's robes. Harry looked down at him in disgust, rage still flowing through his veins. Voldemort, with the last of his strength, actually smiled up at him and uttered his dying words, "This isn't over, Potter." Then, he dissolved into his own gore, leaving only a few tattered bits of his black robe.
Harry let out an unconsciously held breath, and staggered towards Dumbledore who was just then picking himself up off the floor. They stared at each other a moment, then joyously hugged, both with tears streaming down their faces. Harry let the hug end and was immediately crushed by Sirius and Lupin, who though weak, managed enough strength for this. Ron, who after a few rough slaps by Snape, came to, and he also joined in the congratulations. After a few moments, Harry walked over to Snape and extended his hand. The professor hesitated a moment, then after looking into Harry's eyes, took it in his own, and shook it with a firm grip.
More congratulations were heard when suddenly Harry said, "Where's Malfoy and Hermione?"
"I'm over here! Thanks for finally remembering me!" Hermione indignantly muttered over a control panel of one of the bombs. Draco crawled out from underneath the device with a jumble of wires in his hands, and his wand held sideways in his mouth.
"What have you two been doing?" Sirius asked, very confused.
"Well, why you all were having fun defeating Lord Voldemort there, SOMEONE had to defuse these things. Do realize they were to have gone off about five minutes ago?" Hermione crossly declared. "Thankfully, I read up on these things back at Hogwarts."
"Bombs?" Ron asked, scratching his head.
"No, silly! These!" Hermione held a few flat-shaped boxes in her hand. "Magical detonators! Just like Fred and George used to make, only a LOT more complicated. Besides, for a moment, it was all I could do to keep Draco here from running off to help you. Luckily, I managed to keep him here, helping me disarm these things. This one's the last one. Now, not only are the detonators off, but even a Muggle couldn't activate them if they tried."
Draco grinned, and put an arm around Hermione's waist. With his other hand, he threw the wires he held on the ground. "Kinda satisfying, ripping this junk apart. Makes you wonder how they tick."
Ron stared at him, and groaned. "Well, if you really have an interest in understanding how Muggle things work, I know someone back at home you should talk to."
Draco frowned. "Don't know if there's anyone at YOUR home I would particularly care to talk to, Weasley."
Ron glared at him, turning red. Only Harry's and Lupin's arms on his robes kept him from pummeling the arrogant Slytherin. Then, Draco burst out laughing. "I'm kidding. I'm only kidding. Geez, Weasley, touchy as ever."
Dumbledore smiled at the two, and then turned to look at Sirius and Snape, who were also glaring at one another, when he said, "Some things never change."
With that, they made sure the Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy were secured. Later, when the Ministry officials arrived to take the lot to Azkaban to await trial, Sirius and Lupin asked for a few moments alone with one of the prisoners.
"So, Peter, you be sure to say hello to all my old friends now, okay?" Sirius smiled viciously at the twitching little man whom he had once called friend.
"Yes, Wormtail, I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends with the Dementors," Lupin agreed.
"Guys, you have to believe me! It was the Imperius, I swear!" Pettigrew cried.
"Yeah, tell it to the judge, a likely story," Lupin waved goodbye as they hauled the whimpering man off to the waiting officials.
"Next time we meet, Peter, it'll be in hell," Sirius bent over to whisper in the man's terrified ear as they dragged him away.
With that, most of the members of the group decided to return to Hogwarts in expectation of a hot shower and long, restful sleep.
***
"So that's about it," Hermione concluded. "That's the end of the tale."
"Wait a minute!" Neville Longbottom interrupted. "You said MOST of the members returned to Hogwarts. Who stayed behind? Draco?"
"You would think so, but I think the answer would be obvious as to what happened next," a voice called from behind them.
"Remus! You made it! I was just finishing the old story for them all. This must be my thousandth telling if I've told it once!" Hermione stood and embraced her friend. "And Narcissa, you look lovely this evening!"
Narcissa warmly smiled and embraced the other witch. "As do you, my dear. Now where's my grandson?"
"I don't know where - oh there he is."
A young blond boy of about five or so was pointing a silver spoon at another young boy with dark, unruly hair and glasses at the end of the long table. The smaller darker boy was also pointing a spoon. "MY dad beat up Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Wizard ever!"
"Oh yeah! Just because YOUR dad beat up some stupid old wizard and all doesn't make YOU special or anything. Besides, MY dad is the greatest wizard of all time. He's going to be the Minister of Magic soon!"
"That's enough, both of you." The new master of Malfoy Manor, and Council Member of the Ministry, scooped up both his feisty son and his budding young rival, one under each arm and made his way back to his very pregnant wife.
"I can't keep track of him, always stirring up trouble like his father." Hermione moaned, kissing Draco as he deposited the two at her feet. "Why can't he be more like his sister and study? Almost seven, and halfway through Hogwarts, A History."
Draco rolled his eyes fondly at her, then greeted his mother. "Mom. Remus." Draco warmly shook his step-father's hand. Narcissa kissed her son's cheek, then bent down to drool over her favorite and only grandson.
Just then, Dumbledore came down the table to greet them all, accompanied on one side by Sirius Black, and the other Professor Snape. The other Professors were mingling with the other guests in the packed Great Hall of Hogwarts. There must have been thousands of people there. Here and there, a red-haired Weasley could be seen standing out like a sore thumb. Still, a great majority of the guests was huddled around Hermione's seat as she finished relating the tale.
"Everyone enjoying themselves, I hope?" The Headmaster inquired, hugging and greeting each one of them. Sirius embraced Harry and all his old friends. Snape even managed a small smile for the group.
"Yes, thank you, sir. This reunion idea was brilliant!" Harry gushed.
"Excellent. Excellent. Carry on then." He handed each child a lemon drop, then made his way back into the crowd, greeting past, present, and future students and their families as he went.
Professor Snape made to leave when he felt a small tugging on the hem of his robes. He looked down to see a very proud and admiring young boy looking up at him. Judging by his blond hair, it didn't take long to deduce who it was. "Sir? Are you Professor Snape?"
"Yes, I am. What do you want?"
"I want to be a Slytherin, of course," the young wizard-to-be haughtily declared. "Just like my dad! And you're going to teach me Potions, aren't you? Because Dad said you're the very best teacher here, and I want to learn to teach that snotty Potter boy over there a lesson, and Mom always said you -"
"Alexander!!" Hermione screamed at him and removed him from Snape's presence, who was looking decidedly interested in what the little one had to say. "What have I told you and told you about repeating what other people have said -"
Everyone laughed, and then Hagrid spoke up in his big booming voice, "Hey, Hermione, why don't you tell us again about the time that -"
The End.
Finally finished! Thank you all so much again for the encouragement and the time you took to read my work. Tell me what you all thought, please! I love to read and very much appreciate your reviews and feedback!
