Note: You all, I would like to say that I am so sorry for calling it a ring. IT IS A NECKLACE!!! LOL… It's my fault… I'm sorry… terribly sorry. Well, after that is covered. I would like to say! On with the story!! Yay!

                                                            Chapter twenty-three:

                                                           No greatness from you

"You cannot run away from weakness; you must some time fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?" - Robert Louis Stevenson

"STOP! NOW!" Draco turned to see Hermione running towards them, who was following her, though was quite… odd. She stopped at his side, "You will have to kill me, too!"

"A Mudblood!" Voldemort laughed, "You dare to stand against me? What a pathetic army. Two purebloods and a Mudblood! I was the greatest wizard of my time! Do you honestly think you three can take me?"

Draco was still shocked by the fact that Hermione had not brought a teacher or a Gryffindor for that matter, but a Slytherin pureblood.

Liam stood next to Hermione, his green eyes watching Voldemort with a hate, a loathing beyond comprehension. Draco faintly wondered two things in that moment; the first one was how Hermione possibly could have gotten him away from the cart without bringing along some guards and the second was how had she gotten him to follow her.

"You think you have no weakness," Hermione began, soft but forceful. "And that will be the death of you. You are not mortal, but everything dies. Everything…"

"We shall see, Mudblood. We shall see." Voldemort waved over a few of his men. They rushed over at a lightning speed. "Remove all from the room." The man nodded slowly as if unsure whether or not to follow through with the order. Of course, he knew Voldemort was powerful, yet in the back of his mind an uncertainty lurked. "GO!!!"

Liam, Hermione, and Draco pulled out their wands, readying themselves. "Hermione, why didn't you bring more people?"

"Nobody was out there… I'll explain later. Spread out, guys." They moved so there was a few feet in-between each one of them.

Voldemort shook his head, "You could have brought Potter. Then, maybe you would have had a small chance. Now, I will crush you all. You all are nothing but mere flecks compared to my greatness!"

"What greatness?" Liam finally spoke up. "I see no greatness in you!"

"You talk back to me, boy?" Voldemort barked. "You should bow down to me. You are a disappointment to the Slytherin name."

"I may be a disappointment to you, but that is better than bowing down to you. I see no light, no glory in what you do! You kill people, innocents shamelessly. Without a care, you would murder hundred, burn villages or terrorize Muggles. Innocent, magic less folk who just go about and mind their own business," Liam looked like he was close to tears. The bad boy act was failing him.

Hermione had never seen this much passion from the man who she had once regarded as her enemy. Draco was shocked that as a Slytherin he would care so much. Draco cared, yes, but he had changed. He had the ice around his heart cracked and brushed away.

"You are pathetic!" Voldemort sneered.

"Why do you hate what you are? Why do you wish to kill that witch is a part of you?" Liam questioned.

Voldemort's head spun around. "What?" he spat.

"Were your parents not Muggles? That would make you a Muggle-born, a non-pure-blood. 

"How dare you even place me in the same category?" He raised his wand and shouted, "Avada Kadavera!"

Hermione heard a faint echoing of Liam's voice, but it was lost amid the roar of Voldemort's. Hermione saw the flash of green light and Liam knocked backwards, but she didn't believe it. How could he kill someone like that? Although she knew he could and would if he wanted to. It was just so… horrible.

Draco lowered his head. When he raised it, his eyes were filled with the same anger he had seen in Liam's. It was an intense dislike. He hated the man, the monster before him.

"Hermione, did you send for help from any older person?"

Hermione nodded, "They should be here soon. Just delay." She whispered to him as she rushed to Liam's fallen form.

Draco nodded more to himself. "Hey! Jackass! That was my friend!" Voldemort's head slowly turned towards him. "You know what I think of you. I think you are a Mudblood scum who despises what he is so he destroys all that reminds him." Voldemort's eyes seemed to burn with a red fire that was hot to look at. "I think-"

But Draco never got to finish that comment for a spell was lashed at him, "Crucio!" He fell to his knees. His body racked with the severe pain that flowed through him.

"What do you think, now?" Voldemort questioned, walking towards him. "Do you dare talk back to me now??"

"Voldemort, I suggest you release that kid from the curse." Dumbledore's voice floated through the room.

Voldemort laughed, "And if I don't." He turned to look at the man who was surrounded by witches and wizards alike. Almost all of the Hogwarts teachers were there, including a few ministry officials.

Voldemort waved his hand, and Draco fell forward freed of the spell. It was hard to tell if he was breathing or not. His pale arm stretched out from him, fingers curled slightly and unmoving. His blonde hair was no longer in the perfect, slicked back picture, but ruffled and sleek with sweat.

Hermione gasped, and stood from Liam's form. She then froze, unsure whether to stay besides Liam or run to the man she had fallen in love with. In the end, she ran to Draco, for she figured Liam dead and if that was so how could he be saved. She raised Draco's head onto her lap and touched his pale, cold cheek.

Voldemort stood in front of them and laughed at Hermione's antics. Dumbledore waved his hand forward and most of the wizard's rushed forward, catching Voldemort by the arm. "Tom Riddle, or Voldemort, I am denying you your rights as a human being. You will be taken to Azkaban. There they will perform the Dementor's kiss. If, by chance and for some reason, this does not work, we will look for other ways. You will rot in a cell until you either die or are done away with. This is the life you have earned and with will offer no sympathy or mercy, for you have show none in your life time." Dumbledore ended his speech.

He turned to Hermione as Voldemort was being escorted from the room. He kneeled by Draco as Snape checked out Liam. "He's just unconscious," Dumbledore reassured.

"He's okay," Snape called with amazement. "What spell was he hit with?"

"Avada," Hermione responded as Draco was raised into the are by a medic witch.

Snape shook his head, unbelieving. "I don't know how he did that."

Liam, too, was raised into the air. Both were whisked away. Hermione followed silently.

~

"How did Liam live through it?" Haley questioned.

"You will see," Hermione smiled.

"You know, Liam sounds so familiar to me," Chloe looked at her sister. "Have you noticed that?"

"Yea, I did, but I can't remember why."

"I can't believe you two!" Hermione gasped. "When you remember you will be ashamed of yourselves."

"An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and
in this lies the great distinction between great men and little
men."
-- Dr. Thomas Fuller (1608-61), English clergyman,
writer, "The Church History of Britain"

Note: Well, that's my next chapter. Wasn't it wonderful? Lol, please, tell me what you thought of it! I would love to know so…. Please review!

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