Chapter 47
The Battle Ends
Sirius was alive!
Harry blinked again, gazing at the huge dog before him. But...how could that be? Harry thought to himself.
Then Harry remembered something. When he got right down to it...he had never really seen Sirius die. In fact, all he had seen was him falling though that strange veil-like curtain...
The next line of rats had just reformed, and their return broke Harry from his trance, and forced him back on the attack again. With a roar, he lunged back into the fracas, with Sirius in his huge dog form beside him.
Harry dispatched yet another small dog-sized rat with a slash of his claws, when he heard a mental call inside his head. "Members of the Council, come to me now!" it commanded. The voice was unmistakably Dumbledore's, and he was not to be denied. Harry looked briefly to Sirius, saying not a word, but in unison, they both turned and ran toward Dumbledore's position. As they approached, they were surprised to see Dumbledore warily circling the enormous snake that was his arch-foe, Voldemort.
"He's gone mental, he has! What's that old man thinking of?" George asked, much put out.
Hermione answered him mentally, her voice full of irritation. "Of course! We're simply wasting our time fighting off these Death Eaters. Voldemort's- --" Hermione rolled her eyes mentally as Ron, Neville, and the twins all shuddered. "---the key to this battle. Dumbledore wants us to ignore the Death Eaters best as we can, and refocus on energies on defeating Voldemort!"
"Hermione? Can't you please just say You-Know- Who?" Ron pleaded.
Hermione rounded on Ron, her ire flashing to him in his mind. "Honestly, Ron! You'd of thought by now that---"
Before she could finish her most-likely quite derisive statement, they all stopped dead in their tracks. The reason for this was that the monstrous snake that was Lord Voldemort now approached where they stood. The snake, if you could honestly call it one, was positively enormous. The beast before them was distinctly snake-like in form, that of an extremely venomous black mamba, but its proportions were horrific---over six meters long and nearly a meter wide. A whip-like black leathery tongue flickered in and out, while the beast's red eyes gazed at those arrayed before it.
"Don't gaze into its eyes!" Hermione wisely warned, having to bat Neville hard to break the serpent's hold on him.
Harry and Sirius joined the group then, and Harry felt a growing swell of rage within himself---rage at Voldemort, and all the ruin he had caused, both to his friends and family, and more personally, to himself. That rage was interrupted as Harry felt something brush against his front paw. He looked quickly down, only to sigh when he saw the white ferret that was Draco Malfoy. Draco didn't look up at Harry, or even acknowledge his presence, but kept his eyes solely on Voldemort.
Both sides of the battle, quite suddenly and most unexplicably, stilled and went silent. For a moment, the only sounds heard were of the combatatants heavy breathing.
Then, as if by some pre-arranged signal perhaps, both sides leapt into motion and the battle resumed at full intensity.
Voldemort was first to attack, lunging directly at Harry, fangs flashing, hissing like some enormous kettle brought to boil. Death Eaters, at least those that remained, leapt in to assist their potent master, confronting the Hogwarts defenders in the melee.
The battle was fierce, oddly quiet, and attrition was heavy on both sides.
Soon, only twelve Animagi stood against Voldemort, who had no more Death Eaters standing to fight at his side at the moment. Harry, Ron, Hermione stood together as a trio. Fred, George, and Neville made up the next trio of defenders to one side. Dumbledore, McGonnagal, and Sirius stood together as one, while Professors Bat, Snape, and Draco Malfoy stood as the last trio in the left-most position against Voldemort.
The other defenders---like many of the Death Eaters of Voldemort's---had been rendered ineffective, basically out of the battle and unconscious.
As the battle wore on and on, even the powerful Voldemort became weary enough that he could no longer maintain his animal form any longer, and blurred, transforming back to his more human-like form.
Harry followed the Dark Lord's example, soon followed by Hermione and Ron.
"Well, Potter...so, it is we two again, eh? Just you and I, as it should be, no?" Voldemort said in his raspy, reptilian voice.
"Actually, you're wrong," Harry informed him, indicating those with him with a swing of his chin. The others, with the notable exception of Sirius and Draco Malfoy, who both had a reason to stay in their animal forms, transformed back into their human forms.
"Ah, Tom...I see we met again. I hope I find you well, yes?" Dumbledore asked solicitiously.
Voldemort glared, hissing, but saying nothing.
"Such language, Mr. Riddle!" chided Dumbledore softly, as if he were scolding a child. "It would probably be for the best, Tom...if you gave up this foolishness, and departed. You know you cannot win here, this day..."
"Just try and stop me then, old fool!" Voldemort challenged, drawing out his stout wand.
But Harry beat Voldemort to the punch, zipping his wand free to begin blasting him with every curse, jinx, and spell he could remember, his wand flashing bright white with each spell he cast. Voldemort countered each spell, and retaliated with curses of his own, which flashed back in fiery reds and venomous greens.
"Get back, all of you!" Dumbledore roared over the sound of the battle royale.
Destructive energies flashed back and forth between Harry and Voldemort, as each sought weaknesses in the other's defenses. Like it or not, the two were now locked in a duel arcane, one where neither side would accept or demand surrender.
The Death Eaters, those fortunate enough to have survived (among them was Bellatrix Lestrange as well as Lucius Malfoy), blurred back into their human forms, but Dumbeldore and the others made sure they did not interfere with Harry and Voldemort's furious duel.
Hermione desperately wanted to help Harry, but at first could not devise of any way that would not get either herself or Harry killed in the process. But, then...her admittedly clever mind remembered something, something that would most likely distract Lord Voldemort.
"You've never told your Death Eaters, have you, Tom Riddle? You never told them your secret, you know which one I mean," she called out.
Voldemort chose to ignore the fool girl, and concentrate his energies in blasting his enemy, Potter.
Hermione saw that her ploy wasn't exactly working with the Dark Lord himself, but then her glance strayed to the remaining Death Eaters. She smiled a wicked grin, and addressed them.
"Before you, you see Tom Marvolo Riddle. A dark wizard he indeed is! But, a full-blooded wizard, he is not! He's never told you that his father was Muggle-born. Tom Riddle is a Mudblood!" Hermione declared to them, her brown eyes flashing.
Bellatrix became livid with anger, her full lips curling up in a sneer. "Foolish girl! How dare you impugn the Dark Lord's name!" she screeched, throwing a curse at Hermione awkwardly. Hermione dipped and twisted, easily avoiding Bellatrix's spell. Professor McGonnagal was right, she thought to herself, being a feline Animagi did have its advantages.
Bellatrix keened in anger as she watched her spell go wide of the surprisingly nimble girl, but then her eyes went wide in horror as she realized what was about to happen.
"Master! No!" Bellatrix moaned aloud.
The spell, which managed to miss Hermione, splashed up against the Dark Lord, who managed to dash it aside, but in doing so, gave Harry the chance to cast a spell unblocked.
"Petrificus Totalis!" Harry cried out, a green blast of light emanating from his wand, which sped past Voldemort's defenses to impact him in his chest. Voldemort's arms and legs snapped together painfully, and he became stiff as hundred-year-old oak. With a unheard snarl of rage and frustration, the Dark Lord teetered and fell flat on his face.
By this time, the Weasley twins had managed to subdue Lucius Malfoy with a pair of well-aimed stunning spells. The pale blond man was now well enmeshed in a veritable coating of stout dark-hued ropes. Hermione and Professor McGonnagal had overwhelmed Bellatrix's defenses and she now lay beside Malfoy, encased in thick ropes that exposed only her eyes and nose.
Harry rolled his foe over with his foot, and looked down to address him. "Well, since I've got your undivided attention, I think it's time I had my say, don't you? There are some things you need to know...and I'm the bloke to tell them to you." Harry looked over to Dumbledore, who simply shrugged, but didn't oppose him.
"You see, last year, when you were after the prophecy, you know...the one that one that related to both you and me directly. Well, you never did find out anything about that one now, did you? Well, maybe it´s about time you did then," Harry explained. He paused once, then continued.
"The Prophecy, as spoken by Professor Trelawny to Professor Dumbledore goes precisely like this:
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.
Born to those that have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month
dies.
The Dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the
Dark Lord knows not.
Either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while
the other survives."
Harry then walked over to where Voldemort lay upon the ground, and looked down, straight into his eerie evil red eyes. He then aimed his wand, the brother of the one Voldemort had tried to kill him with, between the Dark Lord's most surprised eyes.
"I think...that it´s about time to fulfill this particular Prophecy, don't you think, Tom?" Harry asked matter-of-factly, though there was absolute steel in his voice and eyes just then.
Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore, who appeared to be rather glum and saddened, but who nodded reluctantly, nonetheless.
"Either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. That's what the Prophecy says, isn't it? Well, sorry, mate, but better me than you," Harry said, grinning slightly, his green eyes bright with barely constrained rage.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry bellowed, focusing all his misery and rage into that curse. There came that most unforgettable whooshing sound, and Voldemort became pale and stiff, his red eyes now open forever.
The Death Eaters in custody stood shocked. Their Master, their much- beloved, and much-hated Dark Lord was no more.
But as shocked as they might have been, Ron and Hermione were shocked too by what they had learned this day. "You never told us about the Prophecy, Harry," Ron accused. "We could of helped, had we known..."
"Shh, Ron," Hermione told him, taking his hand in her own. "It all worked out in the end now, didn't it?"
Before Ron could protest further, Dumbeldore moved up to stand just beside Harry.
"Harry, might I ask you, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Granger to join me for a quick conversation?" he asked.
Harry looked over to Ron and Hermione, who nodded their acceptance. He then looked behind himself, over to where Sirius sat upon his haunches, his tongue lolling out.
"Of course, Professor," Harry answered, wearily.
Dumbeldore nodded, patting Harry upon his shoulder. He then turned towards Professor McGonnagal. "Oh, Minerva? May I call upon you to ascertain that all of our allies are safe and sound? Oh, and one last thing, could you please tell Severus to contact Minister Fudge, if he would so kind?"
"Of course. I shall see to it immediately, Albus," Minerva said, bowing her head, then hurrying off.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed after Professor Dumbledore. Strangely enough, Sirius in his dog form padded along after them as well, his tail wagging softly as they walked up toward the castle proper.
They all made their way back to Dumbledore's office, and took their seats, not helping notice Wormtail within his cage. The happy dog Sirius had been disappeared as he spotted the rat in the cage. Harry was forced to put his arms about the huge dog to hold Sirius back.
"Ah, I suppose that was only to be expected," Dumbledore said, a bit regretfully. He then addressed the rat in the cage, but not as if he were speaking to a rat, but like he was speaking to a person. "Peter Pettigrew. I think that you know Mr. Black from way back, if I'm not mistaken."
Wormtail demonstrated that he did indeed when he began screeching...wanted to get out of the cage, but dreading being out of it at the same time.
"Oh, yeah, Professor," Harry said, struggling to hold Sirius back. "He remembers Sirius, all right."
Harry looked over to the dog, just as he transformed back into his godfather, Sirius Black, again.
"SIRIUS!" Harry cried out happily, and hugged him, causing Hermione to begin crying and leaving Ron gaping like an idiot. "I've missed you," Harry said in a most heart-felt voice.
"But, Sirius...however did you survive?" Hermione asked, quickly wiping tears from her cheeks.
"It was Dumbledore," Sirius replied, smiling. The aptly named Trouble Trio looked over to the aging Headmaster, gaping at him in shock, surprise, and not a little awe.
"I believe I might be able to shed some light upon this matter by showing you this," Dumbledore said, retrieving a golden hourglass on a golden chain from his robe pocket.
"A Time-Turner!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah, I see you remember, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling. "A rather nice thing to have in emergencies, is it not?"
Hermione had the good grace to blush, and look quickly at Harry.
"But, I digress. You will remember, Harry...back when, after that altercation we had at the Ministry of Magic last year, when we all came back to my office. After I had had my say on that matter, you had left my office, in what I may say was a fit of pique. And, I must confess, must justifiably so..."
Dumbledore paused, steepling his fingers before his lips a moment. He then continued.
"That being said, I though long and hard, and finally decided that I must make amends, that is perform some good deed, as recompensense for what I had kept a secret for all these years." Dumbledore looked over his spectacles to Harry, then Sirius, then back again.
"To perform this plan of mine, I found that I was in need of some rather specialized help. That being said, I went back to the Ministry of Magic, this Time Turner in hand...this very one in fact. Utilizing its special abilities, I was able to go back in time to when Sirius was falling through the veil, and saved him. After that, I took him further back to when he was still at Number Twelve Grimmaud Place, where I took him aside and told him he was not to leave unless he wanted to die a most unnecessary death. I had Sirius then hide in an upstairs vacant room, until such time that everyone had left. I then took us both to my summer residence at Tipperary in Ireland, where my friend, my house elf, has been helping him convalesce from his injuries, and, simply put, he has remained there ever since last summer."
"But, Professor, why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked, elated, but at the same time, very put out.
"Because, Harry, I asked him not to," Sirius said. "I told Dumbledore to keep it just between us...well, until I found it necessary to reveal that somehow I had managed to survive."
Further conversation was interrupted when a loud knock sounded at the door, which prompted Sirius to quickly turn back into a dog again.
Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, replete in his robes and lime-green bowler hat, came inside, his eyes widening when he found Dumbledore with guests. "Beg pardon, Dumbledore...but, I heard tell you wanted to see me," he told him.
"As a matter of fac, yes, Cornelius, I did indeed. You see, we have had a rather large scale attack against this school this very evening, you see," Dumbledore explained, as Fudge's eyes widened in surprise and consternation. "Voldemort and his forces attacked, with hopes of destroying this castle and all who dwell within it. But now, Minister...well, I should say that after a rather spirited duel involving the Dark Lord himself, I can say with some certainty that he is finally, truly, gone."
"You mean," Fudge asked, hopeful yet not daring to hope. "You mean to say that he's gone? As in dead? For good?"
"Yes, Cornelius, it seems our young Harry here fought him rather commendably, and was forced in the course of the battle to kill him," Dumbledore said, indicating Harry, who was standing between Hermione and Ron. "You'll find his body lying down upon the school grounds, that is, unless someone from the Ministry has already moved it," Dumbledore said. "Oh, yes, and before you do anything else, Cornelius, I have to talk with you regarding the Sirius Black situation."
Dumbledore moved over toward the cage that detained Wormtail in his rat- form. He waved his wand, freezing Peter in place, then removed the stiff rodent and placed him upon the ground.
"Finite Incantantum," Dumbledore said quietly, and the rat unfroze. "It will do you no good to remain a rat, Peter. The jig, as it were, is up. Kindly do transform for the Minister, would you? Or, shall I allow Padfoot here to convince you?" Dumbledore said in a kindly, fatherly fashion that underlied the steel of his words.
In the blink of an eye the rat transformed, and before them all, the human Peter Petigrew stood face to face with Minister Fudge.
"Cornelius, please allow me to introduce you to one Peter Petigrew," Dumbledore told Cornelius about Sirius and Wormtail's Animagus abilities, and how they were unregistered ones at that.
"So, basically, what you are saying," Fudge replied, looking at Peter if he was something filthy that had gotten on the sole of his shoe. "You are telling me that we have imprisoned an innocent man in Azkaban, while the killer, this fellow here, has been running loose all along?"
He heard a rumbling deep bark and looked over toward where a very large black dog sat, growling menacingly. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the dog, who immediately stopped growling. The dog then looked at Dumbledore, who simply nodded. The dog then turned back into Sirius Black himself again.
"Please believe me, Minister," Sirius said in a beseeching voice. "I could have never killed either James or Lily. And, as you can now see, I never killed Peter, either."
Cornelius looked over at Sirius standing there, and then over at Peter, who cringed. He turned back to Sirius and said, "Since it has been proven that you are indeed an innocent man, Sirius Black...you may go free from Azkaban. Oh, yes, and if I'm not mistaken, now you do have the right, as his legal guardian, to have Harry with you during the holidays, if he's of a mind to."
Fudge then turned rather imperiously toward Peter saying, "Mr. Peter Pettigrew, you are under arrest for the murder of Lily and James Potter, as well as thirteen Muggles, and are also charged with aiding and abetting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Harry could scarely believe what he had just witnessed. It was as if it were the ending of some classic fairy tale, really. Sirius was alive, as well as a free man. Lord Voldemort was dead and gone, and maybe most surprising of all, Draco Malfoy had actually helped them with saving Hogwarts. Later, when the Aurors from the Ministry arrived to pick up Wormtail and the few surviving Death Eaters who had been taken prisoner, Harry let himself smiled.
"Umm, I say, Dumbledore?" Sirius suddenly asked.
"Yes, Sirius?" Dumbledore answered back.
"Well, you see...my house is still Headquarters for the Order, yes? And, well, I can´t very well live there with Harry now, can I?" Sirius said, rather tentatively.
"Well," Dumbledore said smiling. "I suppose you do have a rather good point there, Sirius. However, I know that his great grandmother has many free rooms available in her home."
"Do you think she would let us stay with her then, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Oh, I'm rather positive that she will indeed, Harry my boy," Dumbledore said.
"Wait one minute here," Ron interjected, his eyes confused. He turned to Harry, asking, "Harry, mate, you don´t have a great grandmother...well, a living one, I mean, do you?"
"Oh yes, Mr. Weasley, as a matter of fact, he does," a voice behind Ron proclaimed primly.
Harry grinned. "Hermoine, Ron, Sirius. Please say hello to my great grandmother, Minerva Tabitha Evans McGonnagal..."
The Battle Ends
Sirius was alive!
Harry blinked again, gazing at the huge dog before him. But...how could that be? Harry thought to himself.
Then Harry remembered something. When he got right down to it...he had never really seen Sirius die. In fact, all he had seen was him falling though that strange veil-like curtain...
The next line of rats had just reformed, and their return broke Harry from his trance, and forced him back on the attack again. With a roar, he lunged back into the fracas, with Sirius in his huge dog form beside him.
Harry dispatched yet another small dog-sized rat with a slash of his claws, when he heard a mental call inside his head. "Members of the Council, come to me now!" it commanded. The voice was unmistakably Dumbledore's, and he was not to be denied. Harry looked briefly to Sirius, saying not a word, but in unison, they both turned and ran toward Dumbledore's position. As they approached, they were surprised to see Dumbledore warily circling the enormous snake that was his arch-foe, Voldemort.
"He's gone mental, he has! What's that old man thinking of?" George asked, much put out.
Hermione answered him mentally, her voice full of irritation. "Of course! We're simply wasting our time fighting off these Death Eaters. Voldemort's- --" Hermione rolled her eyes mentally as Ron, Neville, and the twins all shuddered. "---the key to this battle. Dumbledore wants us to ignore the Death Eaters best as we can, and refocus on energies on defeating Voldemort!"
"Hermione? Can't you please just say You-Know- Who?" Ron pleaded.
Hermione rounded on Ron, her ire flashing to him in his mind. "Honestly, Ron! You'd of thought by now that---"
Before she could finish her most-likely quite derisive statement, they all stopped dead in their tracks. The reason for this was that the monstrous snake that was Lord Voldemort now approached where they stood. The snake, if you could honestly call it one, was positively enormous. The beast before them was distinctly snake-like in form, that of an extremely venomous black mamba, but its proportions were horrific---over six meters long and nearly a meter wide. A whip-like black leathery tongue flickered in and out, while the beast's red eyes gazed at those arrayed before it.
"Don't gaze into its eyes!" Hermione wisely warned, having to bat Neville hard to break the serpent's hold on him.
Harry and Sirius joined the group then, and Harry felt a growing swell of rage within himself---rage at Voldemort, and all the ruin he had caused, both to his friends and family, and more personally, to himself. That rage was interrupted as Harry felt something brush against his front paw. He looked quickly down, only to sigh when he saw the white ferret that was Draco Malfoy. Draco didn't look up at Harry, or even acknowledge his presence, but kept his eyes solely on Voldemort.
Both sides of the battle, quite suddenly and most unexplicably, stilled and went silent. For a moment, the only sounds heard were of the combatatants heavy breathing.
Then, as if by some pre-arranged signal perhaps, both sides leapt into motion and the battle resumed at full intensity.
Voldemort was first to attack, lunging directly at Harry, fangs flashing, hissing like some enormous kettle brought to boil. Death Eaters, at least those that remained, leapt in to assist their potent master, confronting the Hogwarts defenders in the melee.
The battle was fierce, oddly quiet, and attrition was heavy on both sides.
Soon, only twelve Animagi stood against Voldemort, who had no more Death Eaters standing to fight at his side at the moment. Harry, Ron, Hermione stood together as a trio. Fred, George, and Neville made up the next trio of defenders to one side. Dumbledore, McGonnagal, and Sirius stood together as one, while Professors Bat, Snape, and Draco Malfoy stood as the last trio in the left-most position against Voldemort.
The other defenders---like many of the Death Eaters of Voldemort's---had been rendered ineffective, basically out of the battle and unconscious.
As the battle wore on and on, even the powerful Voldemort became weary enough that he could no longer maintain his animal form any longer, and blurred, transforming back to his more human-like form.
Harry followed the Dark Lord's example, soon followed by Hermione and Ron.
"Well, Potter...so, it is we two again, eh? Just you and I, as it should be, no?" Voldemort said in his raspy, reptilian voice.
"Actually, you're wrong," Harry informed him, indicating those with him with a swing of his chin. The others, with the notable exception of Sirius and Draco Malfoy, who both had a reason to stay in their animal forms, transformed back into their human forms.
"Ah, Tom...I see we met again. I hope I find you well, yes?" Dumbledore asked solicitiously.
Voldemort glared, hissing, but saying nothing.
"Such language, Mr. Riddle!" chided Dumbledore softly, as if he were scolding a child. "It would probably be for the best, Tom...if you gave up this foolishness, and departed. You know you cannot win here, this day..."
"Just try and stop me then, old fool!" Voldemort challenged, drawing out his stout wand.
But Harry beat Voldemort to the punch, zipping his wand free to begin blasting him with every curse, jinx, and spell he could remember, his wand flashing bright white with each spell he cast. Voldemort countered each spell, and retaliated with curses of his own, which flashed back in fiery reds and venomous greens.
"Get back, all of you!" Dumbledore roared over the sound of the battle royale.
Destructive energies flashed back and forth between Harry and Voldemort, as each sought weaknesses in the other's defenses. Like it or not, the two were now locked in a duel arcane, one where neither side would accept or demand surrender.
The Death Eaters, those fortunate enough to have survived (among them was Bellatrix Lestrange as well as Lucius Malfoy), blurred back into their human forms, but Dumbeldore and the others made sure they did not interfere with Harry and Voldemort's furious duel.
Hermione desperately wanted to help Harry, but at first could not devise of any way that would not get either herself or Harry killed in the process. But, then...her admittedly clever mind remembered something, something that would most likely distract Lord Voldemort.
"You've never told your Death Eaters, have you, Tom Riddle? You never told them your secret, you know which one I mean," she called out.
Voldemort chose to ignore the fool girl, and concentrate his energies in blasting his enemy, Potter.
Hermione saw that her ploy wasn't exactly working with the Dark Lord himself, but then her glance strayed to the remaining Death Eaters. She smiled a wicked grin, and addressed them.
"Before you, you see Tom Marvolo Riddle. A dark wizard he indeed is! But, a full-blooded wizard, he is not! He's never told you that his father was Muggle-born. Tom Riddle is a Mudblood!" Hermione declared to them, her brown eyes flashing.
Bellatrix became livid with anger, her full lips curling up in a sneer. "Foolish girl! How dare you impugn the Dark Lord's name!" she screeched, throwing a curse at Hermione awkwardly. Hermione dipped and twisted, easily avoiding Bellatrix's spell. Professor McGonnagal was right, she thought to herself, being a feline Animagi did have its advantages.
Bellatrix keened in anger as she watched her spell go wide of the surprisingly nimble girl, but then her eyes went wide in horror as she realized what was about to happen.
"Master! No!" Bellatrix moaned aloud.
The spell, which managed to miss Hermione, splashed up against the Dark Lord, who managed to dash it aside, but in doing so, gave Harry the chance to cast a spell unblocked.
"Petrificus Totalis!" Harry cried out, a green blast of light emanating from his wand, which sped past Voldemort's defenses to impact him in his chest. Voldemort's arms and legs snapped together painfully, and he became stiff as hundred-year-old oak. With a unheard snarl of rage and frustration, the Dark Lord teetered and fell flat on his face.
By this time, the Weasley twins had managed to subdue Lucius Malfoy with a pair of well-aimed stunning spells. The pale blond man was now well enmeshed in a veritable coating of stout dark-hued ropes. Hermione and Professor McGonnagal had overwhelmed Bellatrix's defenses and she now lay beside Malfoy, encased in thick ropes that exposed only her eyes and nose.
Harry rolled his foe over with his foot, and looked down to address him. "Well, since I've got your undivided attention, I think it's time I had my say, don't you? There are some things you need to know...and I'm the bloke to tell them to you." Harry looked over to Dumbledore, who simply shrugged, but didn't oppose him.
"You see, last year, when you were after the prophecy, you know...the one that one that related to both you and me directly. Well, you never did find out anything about that one now, did you? Well, maybe it´s about time you did then," Harry explained. He paused once, then continued.
"The Prophecy, as spoken by Professor Trelawny to Professor Dumbledore goes precisely like this:
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.
Born to those that have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month
dies.
The Dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the
Dark Lord knows not.
Either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while
the other survives."
Harry then walked over to where Voldemort lay upon the ground, and looked down, straight into his eerie evil red eyes. He then aimed his wand, the brother of the one Voldemort had tried to kill him with, between the Dark Lord's most surprised eyes.
"I think...that it´s about time to fulfill this particular Prophecy, don't you think, Tom?" Harry asked matter-of-factly, though there was absolute steel in his voice and eyes just then.
Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore, who appeared to be rather glum and saddened, but who nodded reluctantly, nonetheless.
"Either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. That's what the Prophecy says, isn't it? Well, sorry, mate, but better me than you," Harry said, grinning slightly, his green eyes bright with barely constrained rage.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry bellowed, focusing all his misery and rage into that curse. There came that most unforgettable whooshing sound, and Voldemort became pale and stiff, his red eyes now open forever.
The Death Eaters in custody stood shocked. Their Master, their much- beloved, and much-hated Dark Lord was no more.
But as shocked as they might have been, Ron and Hermione were shocked too by what they had learned this day. "You never told us about the Prophecy, Harry," Ron accused. "We could of helped, had we known..."
"Shh, Ron," Hermione told him, taking his hand in her own. "It all worked out in the end now, didn't it?"
Before Ron could protest further, Dumbeldore moved up to stand just beside Harry.
"Harry, might I ask you, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Granger to join me for a quick conversation?" he asked.
Harry looked over to Ron and Hermione, who nodded their acceptance. He then looked behind himself, over to where Sirius sat upon his haunches, his tongue lolling out.
"Of course, Professor," Harry answered, wearily.
Dumbeldore nodded, patting Harry upon his shoulder. He then turned towards Professor McGonnagal. "Oh, Minerva? May I call upon you to ascertain that all of our allies are safe and sound? Oh, and one last thing, could you please tell Severus to contact Minister Fudge, if he would so kind?"
"Of course. I shall see to it immediately, Albus," Minerva said, bowing her head, then hurrying off.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed after Professor Dumbledore. Strangely enough, Sirius in his dog form padded along after them as well, his tail wagging softly as they walked up toward the castle proper.
They all made their way back to Dumbledore's office, and took their seats, not helping notice Wormtail within his cage. The happy dog Sirius had been disappeared as he spotted the rat in the cage. Harry was forced to put his arms about the huge dog to hold Sirius back.
"Ah, I suppose that was only to be expected," Dumbledore said, a bit regretfully. He then addressed the rat in the cage, but not as if he were speaking to a rat, but like he was speaking to a person. "Peter Pettigrew. I think that you know Mr. Black from way back, if I'm not mistaken."
Wormtail demonstrated that he did indeed when he began screeching...wanted to get out of the cage, but dreading being out of it at the same time.
"Oh, yeah, Professor," Harry said, struggling to hold Sirius back. "He remembers Sirius, all right."
Harry looked over to the dog, just as he transformed back into his godfather, Sirius Black, again.
"SIRIUS!" Harry cried out happily, and hugged him, causing Hermione to begin crying and leaving Ron gaping like an idiot. "I've missed you," Harry said in a most heart-felt voice.
"But, Sirius...however did you survive?" Hermione asked, quickly wiping tears from her cheeks.
"It was Dumbledore," Sirius replied, smiling. The aptly named Trouble Trio looked over to the aging Headmaster, gaping at him in shock, surprise, and not a little awe.
"I believe I might be able to shed some light upon this matter by showing you this," Dumbledore said, retrieving a golden hourglass on a golden chain from his robe pocket.
"A Time-Turner!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah, I see you remember, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling. "A rather nice thing to have in emergencies, is it not?"
Hermione had the good grace to blush, and look quickly at Harry.
"But, I digress. You will remember, Harry...back when, after that altercation we had at the Ministry of Magic last year, when we all came back to my office. After I had had my say on that matter, you had left my office, in what I may say was a fit of pique. And, I must confess, must justifiably so..."
Dumbledore paused, steepling his fingers before his lips a moment. He then continued.
"That being said, I though long and hard, and finally decided that I must make amends, that is perform some good deed, as recompensense for what I had kept a secret for all these years." Dumbledore looked over his spectacles to Harry, then Sirius, then back again.
"To perform this plan of mine, I found that I was in need of some rather specialized help. That being said, I went back to the Ministry of Magic, this Time Turner in hand...this very one in fact. Utilizing its special abilities, I was able to go back in time to when Sirius was falling through the veil, and saved him. After that, I took him further back to when he was still at Number Twelve Grimmaud Place, where I took him aside and told him he was not to leave unless he wanted to die a most unnecessary death. I had Sirius then hide in an upstairs vacant room, until such time that everyone had left. I then took us both to my summer residence at Tipperary in Ireland, where my friend, my house elf, has been helping him convalesce from his injuries, and, simply put, he has remained there ever since last summer."
"But, Professor, why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked, elated, but at the same time, very put out.
"Because, Harry, I asked him not to," Sirius said. "I told Dumbledore to keep it just between us...well, until I found it necessary to reveal that somehow I had managed to survive."
Further conversation was interrupted when a loud knock sounded at the door, which prompted Sirius to quickly turn back into a dog again.
Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, replete in his robes and lime-green bowler hat, came inside, his eyes widening when he found Dumbledore with guests. "Beg pardon, Dumbledore...but, I heard tell you wanted to see me," he told him.
"As a matter of fac, yes, Cornelius, I did indeed. You see, we have had a rather large scale attack against this school this very evening, you see," Dumbledore explained, as Fudge's eyes widened in surprise and consternation. "Voldemort and his forces attacked, with hopes of destroying this castle and all who dwell within it. But now, Minister...well, I should say that after a rather spirited duel involving the Dark Lord himself, I can say with some certainty that he is finally, truly, gone."
"You mean," Fudge asked, hopeful yet not daring to hope. "You mean to say that he's gone? As in dead? For good?"
"Yes, Cornelius, it seems our young Harry here fought him rather commendably, and was forced in the course of the battle to kill him," Dumbledore said, indicating Harry, who was standing between Hermione and Ron. "You'll find his body lying down upon the school grounds, that is, unless someone from the Ministry has already moved it," Dumbledore said. "Oh, yes, and before you do anything else, Cornelius, I have to talk with you regarding the Sirius Black situation."
Dumbledore moved over toward the cage that detained Wormtail in his rat- form. He waved his wand, freezing Peter in place, then removed the stiff rodent and placed him upon the ground.
"Finite Incantantum," Dumbledore said quietly, and the rat unfroze. "It will do you no good to remain a rat, Peter. The jig, as it were, is up. Kindly do transform for the Minister, would you? Or, shall I allow Padfoot here to convince you?" Dumbledore said in a kindly, fatherly fashion that underlied the steel of his words.
In the blink of an eye the rat transformed, and before them all, the human Peter Petigrew stood face to face with Minister Fudge.
"Cornelius, please allow me to introduce you to one Peter Petigrew," Dumbledore told Cornelius about Sirius and Wormtail's Animagus abilities, and how they were unregistered ones at that.
"So, basically, what you are saying," Fudge replied, looking at Peter if he was something filthy that had gotten on the sole of his shoe. "You are telling me that we have imprisoned an innocent man in Azkaban, while the killer, this fellow here, has been running loose all along?"
He heard a rumbling deep bark and looked over toward where a very large black dog sat, growling menacingly. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the dog, who immediately stopped growling. The dog then looked at Dumbledore, who simply nodded. The dog then turned back into Sirius Black himself again.
"Please believe me, Minister," Sirius said in a beseeching voice. "I could have never killed either James or Lily. And, as you can now see, I never killed Peter, either."
Cornelius looked over at Sirius standing there, and then over at Peter, who cringed. He turned back to Sirius and said, "Since it has been proven that you are indeed an innocent man, Sirius Black...you may go free from Azkaban. Oh, yes, and if I'm not mistaken, now you do have the right, as his legal guardian, to have Harry with you during the holidays, if he's of a mind to."
Fudge then turned rather imperiously toward Peter saying, "Mr. Peter Pettigrew, you are under arrest for the murder of Lily and James Potter, as well as thirteen Muggles, and are also charged with aiding and abetting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Harry could scarely believe what he had just witnessed. It was as if it were the ending of some classic fairy tale, really. Sirius was alive, as well as a free man. Lord Voldemort was dead and gone, and maybe most surprising of all, Draco Malfoy had actually helped them with saving Hogwarts. Later, when the Aurors from the Ministry arrived to pick up Wormtail and the few surviving Death Eaters who had been taken prisoner, Harry let himself smiled.
"Umm, I say, Dumbledore?" Sirius suddenly asked.
"Yes, Sirius?" Dumbledore answered back.
"Well, you see...my house is still Headquarters for the Order, yes? And, well, I can´t very well live there with Harry now, can I?" Sirius said, rather tentatively.
"Well," Dumbledore said smiling. "I suppose you do have a rather good point there, Sirius. However, I know that his great grandmother has many free rooms available in her home."
"Do you think she would let us stay with her then, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Oh, I'm rather positive that she will indeed, Harry my boy," Dumbledore said.
"Wait one minute here," Ron interjected, his eyes confused. He turned to Harry, asking, "Harry, mate, you don´t have a great grandmother...well, a living one, I mean, do you?"
"Oh yes, Mr. Weasley, as a matter of fact, he does," a voice behind Ron proclaimed primly.
Harry grinned. "Hermoine, Ron, Sirius. Please say hello to my great grandmother, Minerva Tabitha Evans McGonnagal..."