My hands hurt...Well here is the last chapter of the fic! If I wasn't exhausted (it's 2:00 A.M.) I could weep. This chapter is extra long, call it a grand finale. I will be writing an EPILOGUE. It will explain all the loose ends, and provide a sweet (or at least I hope) ending. I will also be thanking you wonderful reviewers then! So please enjoy this chappie and review to tell me what you think! PLEASE!!!!
No disclaimer this time. It's getting redundant.
Ron froze. The pincers clicked menacingly not more than six inches from his face. Not... good. Some part of Ron that was still in control screamed at him to move, to lift his wand, to do something. It seemed like was a block of cement. The creature reared back to strike. He heard Hermione and Ginny screaming at him to move. They were too far away and they couldn't help him since he was between them and the acromantula. It shot forward...
Then it stopped releasing the most horrible scream they had ever heard. After a moment it collapsed in a heap of tangled spidery legs. The centaur yanked his javelin from the furry body. Ron's numb mind did a double take. Centaur?!! Hermione and Ginny nearly slammed into him from behind.
"Firenze?" Hermione breathed. She could remember this centaur from her first year in the Forbidden Forest. "Wha-What are you doing here?"
"I would think that would be obvious, little one," answered Firenze. "I and the rest of my kind are here to ally ourselves against this Voldemorte."
"But, but you don't really like humans," Hermione stuttered.
"True." A second deep voice sounded behind Firenze. A second centaur with a roan body cantered up. "Most of us dislike any contact with your race, but we hate the Dark Lord. Besides" he added with a centaur's grim smile "The stone idiot didn't really leave us a choice."
"I heard that, grrooowwlll," Leo grumbled, appearing behind them. At the sight of the lion Ron jerked out of his stunned reverie.
"Where were you?" Ginny asked.
"Getting everyone, ggrrr, to help, ggrrr." He responded triumphantly. "The wizards aren't the only ones that will face this army."
"What do you mean?"
"You will see," Firenze stated. "Will your friend be all right?"
"Yeah," Ron croaked. He swallowed. "Yeah, I'm fine." The centaur standing besides Firenze turned to the forest behind them. More centaurs appeared. They were bearing strong crossbows and spears, there faces set.
"Come, my friends," he declared. "Mars hangs low in the evening sky, it is now time for us to set our stargazing aside. Let us fight with Orion's skill and the full moon's fierceness!"
He was met with a triumphant shout. A great force thundered out of the woods. The three Hogwarts student stood in astonishment as they realized there were other forms there. As they stumbled out onto the open ground they saw unicorns gallop toward Voldemorte's forces, spiraled horns lowered and flashing hooves ready. It seemed that even this most pure of creatures would resist. There was a shriek as a Deatheater crashed to the ground, the hippogriff above ready to attack again should he get up. There was a roar followed by an avalanche of flame.
"Dragons," Ginny choked out.
Their rippling hides flashed as their batlike wing caused gale force winds, roaring in fury. Fairies and pixies did a part as they darted about blinding the Deatheaters and distracting the goblins. Hermione could have sworn she saw a sphinx pounce on a group of hinkypunks, sending them screaming back into the lake... Into the waiting tridents of the mermaids. Many were attacking those the land creatures had driven into the water. Other's aimed their weapons into the airborne fighters. Some had risen out of the water as the seamonster they rode tackled. Dementers dispersed as multiple patronuses from the Hogwarts appeared side-by-side with a flock of trilling phoenixes. These were only a handful of the magical creatures and peoples that were storming Voldemorte's army. Ron and Ginny could also see dwarves, thestrals (flying horses), ghosts, some giants, veela and their close cousins the nymphs, leprechauns, gnomes, and audreys. Hermione gave a cry of delight as she saw a small troop of house elves among the gnomes.
Leo the stone statue smirked. The Dark Lord had assembled his dark army. Now the forces of light had given them their very, grrrooowwlll, eager response. He glanced up at a figure hovering over the battlefield, raining a fierce blaze of light that destroyed every member of the dark army it touched. He let out a soft growl. Mistress Astarael had been waiting to show all the dark wizards what she had thought of them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whooohoooo!" Sirius howled as he sent a Deatheater spinning of the ramparts, unable to see or breathe because of the large glob of extra-sticky, expanding bright pink bubblegum that Sirius had thrown at his face. "Where did you get this, you guys?"
George grinned as he and Lana heaved a batch of Hyper-Extra-Bouncy-Sure-To-Knock-Your-Enemies-Out-Ping-Pong-Balls over the side and zooming like Snitches to cause some more confusion... and painful lumps on the noggin.
"Why, from our source of inspiration, of course," Fred gave him a respectful bow. "I only wish we had know sooner that you were Padfoot and Moony." Ron had told them earlier in the year about Sirius and Lupin.
"Glad to be of service boys," Lupin chuckled. One of the balls had hit a Deatheater full force in the face, and his sensitive werewolf nose told him it was Lucius Malfoy...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny had darted away from the other two. A certain pale blond Deatheater had caught her attention. As quietly as she could, Ginny snuck after him. It's too bad he's like his father, she thought with an inward sigh. Draco Malfoy paused behind a centaur and a winged horse that were facing off against a group of goblins. He raised his wand after a moment ready to take them unawares.
"Hold it right there, Draco Malfoy," Ginny hissed in his ear, her wand slipping around to press against his throat.
"Why if it isn't Weasel's little sister," He spat out angrily, "What are you gonna do, stand there and wait for Potty to save you?" Suddenly he twisted around taking her unawares. Ginny slammed into the tree behind them.
"Stupify!" Draco shouted.
"Expelliarmus!" The spells conflicted in the air before glancing off among the trees. Ginny scrambled to her feet. She and Draco circled, wands following the other's movements carefully.
"You have some guts, little mudblood," he taunted.
"Mudblood, huh? Coming from you, that's a compliment. A mudblood is much better than a-" Ginny proceeded to use language that would make the twins blush.
"Really? You're just a stupid little Gryffindor, and you'll pay for the leniency you and the other houses insist on. Mudbloods, muggles, and especially muggle lovers are pathetic little pieces of s***. People like you don't deserve to be wizards!" Ginny flushed at the intended jibe at her father, but that was immediately increased by a surge of anger.
"And people, if you possibly can be people, don't deserve to live! Reducto!" Draco also shouted out a hex. This time Ginny's went wide, but his hit her straight in the chest. She got blasted up into the air before the ground rushed up to hit her face. Gasping and choking Ginny groped desperately for her wand that was nowhere to be found. Draco stood over her.
"Any last words, muggle-lover? I'll earn my way into the ranks for this," he sneered.
"Yeah, I hope when Voldemorte" Draco started to hear her say the name "Tells you you're the best Deatheater you believe him. He'll probably kill you off a week later."
"The Dark Lord wouldn't do that," he responded coldly, but he had hesitated. He's been thinking about this, Ginny realized.
"Oh, really? When he's finished with you, or he thinks you're a threat, you're only so much garbage after that. That goes for your family, too. Someday he'll kill you're mom and dad when he doesn't want them anymore." Malfoy sneered, but it wasn't very convincing. Ginny grabbed a handful of dirt and performed the classic trick: she twisted and threw it up into Draco's eyes, blinding him for a moment. Ginny scrambled to her feet and grabbed her wand. He glared up at her. " Expelliarmus!" his wand flew into her hand "Do you really think that the Dark Lord cares, Malfoy? After he kills off everyone you think is 'unsuitable' for magic, he'll just want to get rid of everyone who does. How would you feel to be like those house elves you treat so badly?"
Malfoy tried to tackle her, grabbing her wrist so she couldn't use her wand. Then all he saw was Ginny's fist flashing up to meet his face...
"That was for Harry, Malfoy," she panted. Malfoy did not look up at her. Suddenly Ginny realized the best thing she could do was to leave him. To let his doubt consume him until he wasn't so sure he wanted to join You-Know-Who.
"I feel sorry, for you," Ginny murmured as she snapped his wand. "Think about the choice you'll be making. Perhaps, if you make the right decision, you will know what it's like to be held in respect by someone who cares. Not held in regard as a tool by a monster..."
Ginny turned and started to run deeper into the Forbidden Forest, her thoughts turning to Harry. Draco remained behind as a thousand confusing emotions flooded through him...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ron ducked the curse that had been flung at him. Hermione was right beside him. They were nearing the castle. Ron could see the headmaster and the other teachers fighting the attackers at the main gates. Several shadows shot over them. Ron spun around to retaliate against the new enemy.
"Stop!" Hermione called. "They're Aurors!" She was right. To Ron's amazement Fudge and a few members of the Ministry of Magic landed in as dignified a heap as they could manage. Fudge jogged over to Dumbledore huffing and puffing, but with a very determined expression.
"Well, Dumbledore..." Fudge hesitated, then as a curse came close enough to take his head off, he swallowed and finished his sentence. "I'm pleased to say that more is on the way!" And with that he and the others turned to join the teacher's ranks. Mad-Eye Moody was standing beside McGonagal, a huge grin twisting his face and his magical eye going haywire. Wow, thought Ron, who knew Fudge had it in him! Suddenly an explosion shook the ground and sent debris flying everywhere.
"RON!" Hermione's scream hovered in the air as she saw him fall and disappear. Oh, no. Oh, please... please let him be all right! She scrambled over the unearthed boulders that were in her way, blasting the ones that were too large. "Ron, Ron please answer me!"
There was no answer. Oh, where oh where is he? A still body and a sight of red hair--Ron!!! Hermione tried as hard as she could to get him conscious, but not even the enervate spell worked. Her eyesight became blurry as tears filled her eyes. He couldn't be...
"Something wrong, Miss Hermione?" It was Astarael.
"Help him! Help Ron!" Hermione screamed frantically. Astarael regarded her gravely with golden eyes from where she floated in the air, a soft aura of gold illuminating her.
"I can't help him." Hermione stared at her in horror. Suddenly Harry's teacher grinned. "He's only winded."
Ron groaned and rubbed his forehead. What a hell of a headache.
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione nearly squeezed the breath back out of him. "I thought you had... had, well... left me alone..." she finished lamely. Ron stared, slightly dazed from flying through the air, but was still able to register the fact Hermione as sobbing. He gave her a swift hug as she helped him back up. He took her hand.
"No, Hermione. We're gonna survive this. And we'll do it together." Hermione smiled and turned with Ron to hurry back and lend some extra help to the teachers. They didn't let go of each other's hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Voldemorte stood in a clearing, a fierce red glow pouring from a pair of rune covered doors before him. He could feel it. He could feel the infinite power now available at his fingertips. No one could stop him now, not even the forces that challenged his army. He would be the supreme master once and for all.
"No one can s-stop me now!" he hissed triumphantly to Nagini.
"Wanna bet?!" Out of nowhere a ball of crackling white lightning flew out at the Dark Lord striking against the Doors. "Potter..." Voldemorte needed no magic to tell him who it was. With scarlet eyes flaming he swirled around. Gathering up his new power he through it out in a large destructive blast where Potter's voice had called.
"Tut, tut... Very sloppy, my dear Voldie." Voldemorte's slitted eyes widened. Not only was Harry floating in mid-air above him, but also he had escaped from the blast completely unscathed. Harry continued to mock him. "Really Tom, you may have the same power that I do but you obviously have no idea how to use it."
"Don't call me that," Voldemorte hissed. Harry smirked.
"It is your real name, so I shall call you by it. Or do you prefer Moldie Voldie?" Voldemorte in fury released yet another blast of destructive power. He missed once more. Come on now, Harry thought as he dodged out of the way with quidditch reflexes. Keep him angry, don't let him get a good shot. And I absolutely must avoid a direct struggle of powers! Astarael had warned Harry what would happen if the powers collided...
"My, my such a bad shot," Harry taunted. He then swung around and blasted off to one side, near the doors. Voldemorte lost his balance. But how, how do I defeat him if I can't shoot him directly? His adversary had retreated near the threshold of the doorway. He had stopped firing blasts seeing that it didn't work. The two adversaries fell into close combat. In Harry's hand a ball of light appeared. He made a fist and it lengthened into a light sword. He wouldn't use the crystal sword yet. Voldemorte couldn't do this, but to burning ball of light surrounded his hands that became just as deadly.
"Let's see what poor little Dumbledore's pet can do, " Voldemorte hissed. He lashed out... to find Harry no longer there.
"Looking for someone?" Harry called out behind him. Losing some of his control the Dark Lord reach for his wand and screamed a curse.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The green curse flew out and struck Harry in the chest... before sliding off like water.
"Don't you know that doesn't work Voldie?" catcalled Harry from a different position. Little did Voldemorte know Harry wasn't aparating, he was just moving too fast to see. He continued to dodge as Voldemorte continued to try and hex him with his wand or hitting him with the glowing spheres. Then, out of fury, Voldemorte stuck.
"Aaahhhhhhh!" Harry found himself being flung backwards, away from the Doors and slammed into the earth. Painfully, Harry staggered to his feet. His opponent had not moved from the threshold. His power was greatest there.
"Take this, boy!" Then an avalanche of evil wrought power poured out at him. (A/N if you have ever seen Pokemon Mewtwo or Dragonball Z it looks something like that.) Harry couldn't dodge; he had to respond in kind. The explosion shook the ground and air, the trees swayed and gales spun crazily about. Oh, NO...
Harry shivered where he crouched. He couldn't do that again. Voldemorte's laughter rang in his ears. What could he do... Was there anything he could do? Harry slipped the crystal sword from his belt and held it before him.
"Do you really think that you can stop me with a piece of glass, Potter? What is that?" Harry stiffened, he felt it too. Voldemorte moved faster. Sending a ball of red light into the trees he summoned it back and laughed as a body collapsed at his feet. Harry felt like all life had drained out of him. It was Ginny.
"Why, what shall I do with this, Potter? Shall I play with this new toy... before I kill YOU?"
Afterwards Harry could never really describe what happened. All he knew was that he raised the sword and summoned every ounce of power into the blade. He didn't stop there. His life-force flowed in after it, causing it to glow like the surface of the sun. He had lost his parents, his childhood, friends, Cedric Diggory, Neville had lost his parents... This would not happen again. And Especially not Ginny. He took careful aim and then released it his built up power. It flew in an arc... right past the dark Lord and his hostage.
"You missed Potter," Voldemorte cackled. "You aim and you still can't hit me!"
"Who said I was aiming for you?"
Voldemorte swung around, but was too late. The Doors, the portal that gave him his newfound power shivered then fell in a rain of dust to the ground. Screaming in fury he turned grasping a pale-faced Ginny. He pointed his wand at her throat.
"I will at least get satisfaction from this Potter!" Harry aimed once more, and released. This time it was his life force. Voldemorte screamed as it hit him and consumed him. Slowly his body deteriorated, and fell completely destroyed. A wash of white light filled the clearing. There was a final blast of light and the Dark Lord was no more.
Harry collapsed where he was and remembered nothing else.
No disclaimer this time. It's getting redundant.
Ron froze. The pincers clicked menacingly not more than six inches from his face. Not... good. Some part of Ron that was still in control screamed at him to move, to lift his wand, to do something. It seemed like was a block of cement. The creature reared back to strike. He heard Hermione and Ginny screaming at him to move. They were too far away and they couldn't help him since he was between them and the acromantula. It shot forward...
Then it stopped releasing the most horrible scream they had ever heard. After a moment it collapsed in a heap of tangled spidery legs. The centaur yanked his javelin from the furry body. Ron's numb mind did a double take. Centaur?!! Hermione and Ginny nearly slammed into him from behind.
"Firenze?" Hermione breathed. She could remember this centaur from her first year in the Forbidden Forest. "Wha-What are you doing here?"
"I would think that would be obvious, little one," answered Firenze. "I and the rest of my kind are here to ally ourselves against this Voldemorte."
"But, but you don't really like humans," Hermione stuttered.
"True." A second deep voice sounded behind Firenze. A second centaur with a roan body cantered up. "Most of us dislike any contact with your race, but we hate the Dark Lord. Besides" he added with a centaur's grim smile "The stone idiot didn't really leave us a choice."
"I heard that, grrooowwlll," Leo grumbled, appearing behind them. At the sight of the lion Ron jerked out of his stunned reverie.
"Where were you?" Ginny asked.
"Getting everyone, ggrrr, to help, ggrrr." He responded triumphantly. "The wizards aren't the only ones that will face this army."
"What do you mean?"
"You will see," Firenze stated. "Will your friend be all right?"
"Yeah," Ron croaked. He swallowed. "Yeah, I'm fine." The centaur standing besides Firenze turned to the forest behind them. More centaurs appeared. They were bearing strong crossbows and spears, there faces set.
"Come, my friends," he declared. "Mars hangs low in the evening sky, it is now time for us to set our stargazing aside. Let us fight with Orion's skill and the full moon's fierceness!"
He was met with a triumphant shout. A great force thundered out of the woods. The three Hogwarts student stood in astonishment as they realized there were other forms there. As they stumbled out onto the open ground they saw unicorns gallop toward Voldemorte's forces, spiraled horns lowered and flashing hooves ready. It seemed that even this most pure of creatures would resist. There was a shriek as a Deatheater crashed to the ground, the hippogriff above ready to attack again should he get up. There was a roar followed by an avalanche of flame.
"Dragons," Ginny choked out.
Their rippling hides flashed as their batlike wing caused gale force winds, roaring in fury. Fairies and pixies did a part as they darted about blinding the Deatheaters and distracting the goblins. Hermione could have sworn she saw a sphinx pounce on a group of hinkypunks, sending them screaming back into the lake... Into the waiting tridents of the mermaids. Many were attacking those the land creatures had driven into the water. Other's aimed their weapons into the airborne fighters. Some had risen out of the water as the seamonster they rode tackled. Dementers dispersed as multiple patronuses from the Hogwarts appeared side-by-side with a flock of trilling phoenixes. These were only a handful of the magical creatures and peoples that were storming Voldemorte's army. Ron and Ginny could also see dwarves, thestrals (flying horses), ghosts, some giants, veela and their close cousins the nymphs, leprechauns, gnomes, and audreys. Hermione gave a cry of delight as she saw a small troop of house elves among the gnomes.
Leo the stone statue smirked. The Dark Lord had assembled his dark army. Now the forces of light had given them their very, grrrooowwlll, eager response. He glanced up at a figure hovering over the battlefield, raining a fierce blaze of light that destroyed every member of the dark army it touched. He let out a soft growl. Mistress Astarael had been waiting to show all the dark wizards what she had thought of them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whooohoooo!" Sirius howled as he sent a Deatheater spinning of the ramparts, unable to see or breathe because of the large glob of extra-sticky, expanding bright pink bubblegum that Sirius had thrown at his face. "Where did you get this, you guys?"
George grinned as he and Lana heaved a batch of Hyper-Extra-Bouncy-Sure-To-Knock-Your-Enemies-Out-Ping-Pong-Balls over the side and zooming like Snitches to cause some more confusion... and painful lumps on the noggin.
"Why, from our source of inspiration, of course," Fred gave him a respectful bow. "I only wish we had know sooner that you were Padfoot and Moony." Ron had told them earlier in the year about Sirius and Lupin.
"Glad to be of service boys," Lupin chuckled. One of the balls had hit a Deatheater full force in the face, and his sensitive werewolf nose told him it was Lucius Malfoy...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny had darted away from the other two. A certain pale blond Deatheater had caught her attention. As quietly as she could, Ginny snuck after him. It's too bad he's like his father, she thought with an inward sigh. Draco Malfoy paused behind a centaur and a winged horse that were facing off against a group of goblins. He raised his wand after a moment ready to take them unawares.
"Hold it right there, Draco Malfoy," Ginny hissed in his ear, her wand slipping around to press against his throat.
"Why if it isn't Weasel's little sister," He spat out angrily, "What are you gonna do, stand there and wait for Potty to save you?" Suddenly he twisted around taking her unawares. Ginny slammed into the tree behind them.
"Stupify!" Draco shouted.
"Expelliarmus!" The spells conflicted in the air before glancing off among the trees. Ginny scrambled to her feet. She and Draco circled, wands following the other's movements carefully.
"You have some guts, little mudblood," he taunted.
"Mudblood, huh? Coming from you, that's a compliment. A mudblood is much better than a-" Ginny proceeded to use language that would make the twins blush.
"Really? You're just a stupid little Gryffindor, and you'll pay for the leniency you and the other houses insist on. Mudbloods, muggles, and especially muggle lovers are pathetic little pieces of s***. People like you don't deserve to be wizards!" Ginny flushed at the intended jibe at her father, but that was immediately increased by a surge of anger.
"And people, if you possibly can be people, don't deserve to live! Reducto!" Draco also shouted out a hex. This time Ginny's went wide, but his hit her straight in the chest. She got blasted up into the air before the ground rushed up to hit her face. Gasping and choking Ginny groped desperately for her wand that was nowhere to be found. Draco stood over her.
"Any last words, muggle-lover? I'll earn my way into the ranks for this," he sneered.
"Yeah, I hope when Voldemorte" Draco started to hear her say the name "Tells you you're the best Deatheater you believe him. He'll probably kill you off a week later."
"The Dark Lord wouldn't do that," he responded coldly, but he had hesitated. He's been thinking about this, Ginny realized.
"Oh, really? When he's finished with you, or he thinks you're a threat, you're only so much garbage after that. That goes for your family, too. Someday he'll kill you're mom and dad when he doesn't want them anymore." Malfoy sneered, but it wasn't very convincing. Ginny grabbed a handful of dirt and performed the classic trick: she twisted and threw it up into Draco's eyes, blinding him for a moment. Ginny scrambled to her feet and grabbed her wand. He glared up at her. " Expelliarmus!" his wand flew into her hand "Do you really think that the Dark Lord cares, Malfoy? After he kills off everyone you think is 'unsuitable' for magic, he'll just want to get rid of everyone who does. How would you feel to be like those house elves you treat so badly?"
Malfoy tried to tackle her, grabbing her wrist so she couldn't use her wand. Then all he saw was Ginny's fist flashing up to meet his face...
"That was for Harry, Malfoy," she panted. Malfoy did not look up at her. Suddenly Ginny realized the best thing she could do was to leave him. To let his doubt consume him until he wasn't so sure he wanted to join You-Know-Who.
"I feel sorry, for you," Ginny murmured as she snapped his wand. "Think about the choice you'll be making. Perhaps, if you make the right decision, you will know what it's like to be held in respect by someone who cares. Not held in regard as a tool by a monster..."
Ginny turned and started to run deeper into the Forbidden Forest, her thoughts turning to Harry. Draco remained behind as a thousand confusing emotions flooded through him...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ron ducked the curse that had been flung at him. Hermione was right beside him. They were nearing the castle. Ron could see the headmaster and the other teachers fighting the attackers at the main gates. Several shadows shot over them. Ron spun around to retaliate against the new enemy.
"Stop!" Hermione called. "They're Aurors!" She was right. To Ron's amazement Fudge and a few members of the Ministry of Magic landed in as dignified a heap as they could manage. Fudge jogged over to Dumbledore huffing and puffing, but with a very determined expression.
"Well, Dumbledore..." Fudge hesitated, then as a curse came close enough to take his head off, he swallowed and finished his sentence. "I'm pleased to say that more is on the way!" And with that he and the others turned to join the teacher's ranks. Mad-Eye Moody was standing beside McGonagal, a huge grin twisting his face and his magical eye going haywire. Wow, thought Ron, who knew Fudge had it in him! Suddenly an explosion shook the ground and sent debris flying everywhere.
"RON!" Hermione's scream hovered in the air as she saw him fall and disappear. Oh, no. Oh, please... please let him be all right! She scrambled over the unearthed boulders that were in her way, blasting the ones that were too large. "Ron, Ron please answer me!"
There was no answer. Oh, where oh where is he? A still body and a sight of red hair--Ron!!! Hermione tried as hard as she could to get him conscious, but not even the enervate spell worked. Her eyesight became blurry as tears filled her eyes. He couldn't be...
"Something wrong, Miss Hermione?" It was Astarael.
"Help him! Help Ron!" Hermione screamed frantically. Astarael regarded her gravely with golden eyes from where she floated in the air, a soft aura of gold illuminating her.
"I can't help him." Hermione stared at her in horror. Suddenly Harry's teacher grinned. "He's only winded."
Ron groaned and rubbed his forehead. What a hell of a headache.
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione nearly squeezed the breath back out of him. "I thought you had... had, well... left me alone..." she finished lamely. Ron stared, slightly dazed from flying through the air, but was still able to register the fact Hermione as sobbing. He gave her a swift hug as she helped him back up. He took her hand.
"No, Hermione. We're gonna survive this. And we'll do it together." Hermione smiled and turned with Ron to hurry back and lend some extra help to the teachers. They didn't let go of each other's hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Voldemorte stood in a clearing, a fierce red glow pouring from a pair of rune covered doors before him. He could feel it. He could feel the infinite power now available at his fingertips. No one could stop him now, not even the forces that challenged his army. He would be the supreme master once and for all.
"No one can s-stop me now!" he hissed triumphantly to Nagini.
"Wanna bet?!" Out of nowhere a ball of crackling white lightning flew out at the Dark Lord striking against the Doors. "Potter..." Voldemorte needed no magic to tell him who it was. With scarlet eyes flaming he swirled around. Gathering up his new power he through it out in a large destructive blast where Potter's voice had called.
"Tut, tut... Very sloppy, my dear Voldie." Voldemorte's slitted eyes widened. Not only was Harry floating in mid-air above him, but also he had escaped from the blast completely unscathed. Harry continued to mock him. "Really Tom, you may have the same power that I do but you obviously have no idea how to use it."
"Don't call me that," Voldemorte hissed. Harry smirked.
"It is your real name, so I shall call you by it. Or do you prefer Moldie Voldie?" Voldemorte in fury released yet another blast of destructive power. He missed once more. Come on now, Harry thought as he dodged out of the way with quidditch reflexes. Keep him angry, don't let him get a good shot. And I absolutely must avoid a direct struggle of powers! Astarael had warned Harry what would happen if the powers collided...
"My, my such a bad shot," Harry taunted. He then swung around and blasted off to one side, near the doors. Voldemorte lost his balance. But how, how do I defeat him if I can't shoot him directly? His adversary had retreated near the threshold of the doorway. He had stopped firing blasts seeing that it didn't work. The two adversaries fell into close combat. In Harry's hand a ball of light appeared. He made a fist and it lengthened into a light sword. He wouldn't use the crystal sword yet. Voldemorte couldn't do this, but to burning ball of light surrounded his hands that became just as deadly.
"Let's see what poor little Dumbledore's pet can do, " Voldemorte hissed. He lashed out... to find Harry no longer there.
"Looking for someone?" Harry called out behind him. Losing some of his control the Dark Lord reach for his wand and screamed a curse.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The green curse flew out and struck Harry in the chest... before sliding off like water.
"Don't you know that doesn't work Voldie?" catcalled Harry from a different position. Little did Voldemorte know Harry wasn't aparating, he was just moving too fast to see. He continued to dodge as Voldemorte continued to try and hex him with his wand or hitting him with the glowing spheres. Then, out of fury, Voldemorte stuck.
"Aaahhhhhhh!" Harry found himself being flung backwards, away from the Doors and slammed into the earth. Painfully, Harry staggered to his feet. His opponent had not moved from the threshold. His power was greatest there.
"Take this, boy!" Then an avalanche of evil wrought power poured out at him. (A/N if you have ever seen Pokemon Mewtwo or Dragonball Z it looks something like that.) Harry couldn't dodge; he had to respond in kind. The explosion shook the ground and air, the trees swayed and gales spun crazily about. Oh, NO...
Harry shivered where he crouched. He couldn't do that again. Voldemorte's laughter rang in his ears. What could he do... Was there anything he could do? Harry slipped the crystal sword from his belt and held it before him.
"Do you really think that you can stop me with a piece of glass, Potter? What is that?" Harry stiffened, he felt it too. Voldemorte moved faster. Sending a ball of red light into the trees he summoned it back and laughed as a body collapsed at his feet. Harry felt like all life had drained out of him. It was Ginny.
"Why, what shall I do with this, Potter? Shall I play with this new toy... before I kill YOU?"
Afterwards Harry could never really describe what happened. All he knew was that he raised the sword and summoned every ounce of power into the blade. He didn't stop there. His life-force flowed in after it, causing it to glow like the surface of the sun. He had lost his parents, his childhood, friends, Cedric Diggory, Neville had lost his parents... This would not happen again. And Especially not Ginny. He took careful aim and then released it his built up power. It flew in an arc... right past the dark Lord and his hostage.
"You missed Potter," Voldemorte cackled. "You aim and you still can't hit me!"
"Who said I was aiming for you?"
Voldemorte swung around, but was too late. The Doors, the portal that gave him his newfound power shivered then fell in a rain of dust to the ground. Screaming in fury he turned grasping a pale-faced Ginny. He pointed his wand at her throat.
"I will at least get satisfaction from this Potter!" Harry aimed once more, and released. This time it was his life force. Voldemorte screamed as it hit him and consumed him. Slowly his body deteriorated, and fell completely destroyed. A wash of white light filled the clearing. There was a final blast of light and the Dark Lord was no more.
Harry collapsed where he was and remembered nothing else.
