Disclaimer: (Insert witty comment here)

A/N: Well folks this is the last chapter. The only way I would make a concession to that is if I get enough positive reviews for an Epilogue. If you like it and would like to see what happens after the final chapter I would happily show you. For now however I would like you to enjoy the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Exchange Student.

Chapter Ten: Final Confrontation

            Harry Potter stood on the front steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Behind him, shaded by the castle in the early morning light, were the members of the D.A. and the Order of the Phoenix. Everyone knew that some of the Slytherin students were currently out in the crowd of black-hooded figures beyond the gate. Harry turned to look at his army. Everyone, including himself, was clad in tight t-shirts and pants. Robes would only get in the way. He looked through the crowd and saw every Weasley in the family. He saw Draco Malfoy standing protectively near Ginny. He saw the Twins levitating crates up to the top of the castle wall.

            Harry squinted as he looked up to the battlements. Just visible were two figures. Filch and Peeves. Filch was garbed in his usual robes. Where he normally fought students in an ongoing war to uphold the rules, he now stood with a mop for a sword and a wash-pail helmet looking for all-the world like a soldier. He had given Peeves special permission to use every prank item he had ever confiscated in the oncoming battle. The Weasley twins had leant him nearly half their stock as ammunition. The caretaker and the poltergeist, who would normally be sworn enemies, now stood together to protect their home.

            Harry's eyes roved back down to the crowd of students, teachers, and order members. Remus Lupin was among the crowd talking with a pretty brunet witch that Harry didn't know. Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater seemed to be involved in some deep conversation that involved much hugging and crying. Bill was currently talking with the future Mrs. Fleur Weasley. Charlie was privately admiring one Nymphadora Tonks. Ron was busy with war paint, something he had seen in a muggle picture book about American Indians. The Weasley parents, Arthur and Molly seemed to be giving a lecture to all of the students about how dangerous this was and how they should be careful. Neville Longbottom was hugging his grandmother.

            The next person Harry saw was Hermione standing alone several feet to his side. She seemed to be praying. She had tears in her eyes and her hands were folded. Harry knew she was praying for protection and guidance from her ancestors. Finally his eyes came to rest on Alan. He was meditating in the shade of the castle. The solemn boy almost seemed to glow as he gathered his senses.

            At some prearranged signal the gate opened and the black-cloaked figures rushed in. At the same time the Hogwarts Defensive Corps rushed past Harry to participate in the final battle. Harry stood and watched as the battle spread over nearly half of the school grounds. One figure stood beyond the gates still. Tall, thin, and pale white was Lord Voldemort. The two locked eyes, green and red, Light and Dark, the wizarding world's only hope and its bane. The final battle had begun.

((()))

            It was nearing midday and the battle was well underway. The ministry, under the command of Amelia Bones, had shown up by now and was entering the fray. Several Death Eaters had already been carted off. Remus J. Lupin and Sandra Molk stood and watched as Peter Pettigrew was dragged, whimpering and whining, into the forbidden forest to be apparated to Azkaban Prison to await his trial.

            While this happened the two former werewolves stood and fired off curses into a crowd of Death eaters converging on some students. All the while Remus fingered something small in his pocket. It was small and cube-like and velvety. He cast a quick glance at his companion. He really hoped that she would accept. He had a speech planned that he would probably forget, and he was more nervous of that coming moment than he could ever be about the battle. He fingered the small box once again as he shot more curses into the fray.

((()))

            Draco stood and shot every curse he had ever learned (Minus the Unforgivable ones) to protect the woman he loved. Even Ginny had given as well as she got during the past few hours. He had just successfully de-boned another Death Eater when he heard Ginny squeal. He turned to see his father striding in their direction. Draco purposely placed himself between his love and his father.

            "What is the meaning of this Draco," Lucious growled from behind clenched teeth.

            "It is none of your business father," Draco's tone was deathly quiet.

            "I'm afraid, son, that anything concerning you is my business," the elder Malfoy was clearly loosing his patience, "Why are you not fighting on our side?"

            "I'll have you know, father," Draco commented, using the same patronizing voice, "that I am fighting for my love and not for you, your master, or Dumbledore."

            "And is this Weasley wench your love?"

            "Yes, she is. And if you even try to lay so much as a finger on her I will be forced to do something very unpleasant. Now please back away slowly and go about your business. Leave us and you will come to no harm."

            "You dare to tell me what to do," Lucious Malfoy was now completely incensed. "I am your father, therefore you must do as I say, and I command you to kill that…that…"

            In his moment of heated rage, Lucious Malfoy said something he would not live to regret. Just as the few foul words left his lips, three people were at once very angry. Four curses were hurled. Four voices shouted.

            "Crucio," came the enraged snarl from Draco.

            "Impedimentia," came another shout of rage from Ronald Weasley.

            "Stupefy," came the voice of Parvati Patil.

            "Expeliramus," was the excited yelp from Ginny.

            All four spells hit at the same time. The moment it happened seemed to last forever. Lucious Malfoy's eyes widened in shock and then went blank. He fell in an arch from the force of the spells and hit the ground completely devoid of life. Lucious was dead. Small streams of blood trickled from his ears and nose. His eyes were rolled back into his head. The four students stood staring at the scene. Then as one they turned and left.

((()))

            Professor Severus Snape kept a cool head through the entire morning. When noon came he stumbled across an old comrade. Rookwood, tall, thin, and bald, stood over the struggling form of a Ravenclaw sixth year. He finished tormenting her and was about to kill when Snape placed a hand on his shoulder. Rookwood turned in surprise.

            "Oh," he said, "Hello Severus. Come to beg the master's forgiveness have you."

            "I have come to stop you from killing one of my students. Nothing more," His tone was calm and flat. They stood several feet apart contemplating one another.

            "You are a disgrace to the Dark Arts," Rookwood spat, "You betrayed our master to aid Dumbledore and the Potter brat." His bald scalp gleamed in the noonday sun. "What possible reason could you have for doing something like that?"

            Severus Snape stared hard at his one time partner and companion. "Its something you wouldn't understand." Then with a lightning quick toss of his hand a vial of clear green liquid flew and struck Rookwood on the bridge of his nose. The vial shattered and the liquid absorbed into the skin of the bald man's face without hesitation. He gurgled and fell. He lay cross-eyed on the grass dead before he hit the ground. Poison would do that to a man.

            The Potions Professor bent and picked up the unconscious Ravenclaw girl and proceeded to carry her to the Hospital Wing. She needed treatment and Madame Pomphrey would need to administer it immediately.

((()))

            Harry stood in the same place as he had for the entire day. It was getting dark and the battle was still going in small fits and skirmishes. He stood and watched the figure before him. They had been staring at each other since the battle had begun. Even as Peeves had gone bobbing by cackling madly they had not broken eye contact. By now they were merely ten feet from each other. Lord Voldemort stood there not moving.  They were both still. Then it began.

            "Hello Tom," Harry began in an urbane manner, "How have you been?"

            "Do not call me by my filthy muggle father's name! I am Lord Voldemort Greatest Sorcerer in the world!" His voice was high and filled with malice. "Today you will die and I will rule the world."

            "I'm sorry Tom but I can't let that happen. Its just not in me to stand by and let the world end."

            The Dark Lord glanced to one side and grinned. "I see you still keep the mudblood girl close to you." Harry knew he was trying to goad him into doing something rash. He wasn't a fool. He knew that Lord Voldemort had to make the first move.

            "Yes Tom," he said, "I love having my girlfriend close to me." Voldemort scowled. "That's right Tom. You wouldn't understand love would you?" None of them saw the figure move in the shadows. It was waiting for something near them.

            "Don't patronize me Potter," Voldemort spat, "You know you have no chance of defeating me."

            "You really are behind on the times aren't you Tom old boy," Harry said still using an urbane tone, "I've learned a few new tricks while you were gone." Harry was twirling his wand in his hand as if it were a mere child's toy.

            "Well then lets see how you like an old favorite of mine. Crucio!" The curse hurled strait for Harry but he made no attempt to avoid it. The pain had not lessened in the slightest but he grit his teeth and withstood the assault. When Voldemort saw that the curse had no effect he released it.

            "Is that the best you could do Tom," Harry said in his most patronizing tone, "That's such an old trick. You couldn't come up with something better." Voldemort was now quite angry.

            "Crucio," he hissed again. And again Harry just grit his teeth against the pain.

            "Really Tom," Harry was goading Voldemort very effectively, "Is that the only spell you know. Good heavens man I thought you went to Hogwarts when you were younger." That had done it.

            "You will pay for your insolence Potter." He turned and waved his wand. "Avada Kedavra," a jet of green light went speeding towards Hermione. But it never hit her. The shadow that had been lurking near the confrontation had finally made its move. Alan Flyer stood grasping his chest where the spell had hit him. He bent and screamed.

            His voice seemed to split into two. As he screamed something bulged just beneath his skin near the center of his spine. The protrusion grew and shaped until a hand could clearly be seen. Another hand shot out followed by two arms. Soon a face could be seen between the arms. The form of a man arose from the back of the seventeen-year-old boy. When it was over Alan lay on the ground panting and unconscious. Beside his prone figure stood a man wearing a peculiar outfit. His face was young and his brown hair short cropped. Silver sunglasses hid his eyes. His gray trench-coat covered most of his body but a baggy green t-shirt and some gray denim pants could be seen though the partially buttoned front. His boots almost floated above the ground. He brought up one of his hands clad in black leather gloves. Harry nodded.

            "I've been doing some muggle research," he said as he turned back to Voldemort, "They have an interesting theory. They say that everything is made from tiny particles called atoms, just little bits of energy one hundred thousandth of a grain of sand. They say that just by splitting one of these "atoms" in half you could cause a chain reaction that will destroy whatever that one atom came from." Harry flicked his wand negligently and spoke a word in an obscure language. "Goodbye Mr. Riddle."

            The strange man picked up Alan and stepped back several paces while Harry helped a shocked Hermione stumble away from the doomed monster. Voldemort tried to step after them but couldn't move. He looked down to see his legs and feet covered in swirling lights. The odd disfigurement moved swiftly up his body freezing him in place. He was soon completely paralyzed. He could feel something eating away at him from the inside. The emptiness grew until he could feel only his skin. Then for one agonizing moment everything was silent.

            Finally with a bang that would rival that of a thousand wizard crackers, the Dark Lord imploded and fell in on himself.

((()))

            It was finally over. The Death Eaters lost all heart after witnessing the demise of their leader. The ministry and the order captured the last of the resistance and took them to stand trial. When the Hogwarts grounds were cleared of all of the wounded a small crowd of people gathered around the mysterious man who had appeared from inside Alan's body.

            "My name is Sword," he began, "I am a traveler of worlds and I have resided inside of Alan since before his birth." Everyone listened as the man told the story. "When I came to this world I was beseeched by the spirits of the ancients. Alan would need a set of principals and ethics as well as certain knowledge that he would take a lifetime to establish. I was to be his conscience and his guide." He looked around and saw that everyone understood. He turned to Alan and said, "You my friend have never known the silences of a closed mind. You have been plagued from your birth from your peculiar gift. As your reward your gift is now relieved as you have no use for it now."

            Alan immediately felt silence in his mind. He tried to reach out to the people around him but could not. He smiled openly for the first time in his life.

            Sword turned then to Harry. "You Harry have lost much on your quest to defeat the Darkness. To you I shall return what was lost." As he said this he raised his hands and began to chant. The ground began to shake and whispers from far off could be heard. A bright light was emanating from behind the man's sunglasses. Then as suddenly as it began the shaking stopped. Three faint silhouettes appeared behind him and then solidified and became people. James and Lilly Potter, and Sirius Black stood just behind him. He then smiled and faded into nothingness.

The End.