Chapter 21: The Final Toss
The entire light side watched with great trepidation as Voldemort launched a full attack on the galleon, staging some highly complicated maneuvers to force it to fall in his favor. With a combination of wand and wandless spells hurled at it, the defenseless coin slowly started to bend towards the evil man while its swirling became more frantic. For one horrific second, they had all thought that the dark lord would win. It was only a mere inch from the ground and the wizard saviour seemed unable to do anything but hold out one hand to keep it from falling.Evidently anticipating his victory, Voldemort gave a triumphant sneer at Harry. "Thank you for making things easier, Potter, and for that, I might even let you live but I can't speak for your friends though. They might even be plotting your grisly murder as I speak. Isn't it depressing that the people you swore to protect will be the ones to erase you from existence? Poor kid... tsk..tsk...tsk...and to think I really enjoyed the times we spent together. Perhaps we can have a proper duel again some time...if you're still alive, that is."
To his surprise, however, Harry seemed unfazed by his taunts.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord had come…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...
"What are you talking about, Tom? The game's not over yet." said Harry. "In fact, it's just warming up." With that, he promptly flicked one finger and the coin swung to the other side at a blink of an eye.
Voldemort's agitation as Harry tipped the coin was priceless. The dark lord exerted considerable power to prevent the coin from falling. He barely made it in time and now his expression was just plain lethal. No mirth...No playing games anymore...and Harry realized that, too, for he immediately enclosed the area surrounding him and Voldemort with a shield charm to protect the people from being hit by any stray or rebounded curse.
Once more, the coin was stuck in the middle, whirling in a state of anarchy and the air began to reek of burnt metal as the final toss intensified. They did not know it yet but the countless spells thrown was beginning to take its toll on the coin. The only thing that was preventing it from being destroyed was its continued circular motion holding all spells at bay. Then for some peculiar reason, all the forces applied gravitated towards the core then shot upwards at a speed of light.
Harry looked stunned for a moment, at a loss as to what could possibly be causing this weird occurrence, then his eyes widened in alarm as he realized what Voldemort was intending to do. He tried to block the combined spells from going upwards but between controlling the coin and maintaining a shield charm around them, he realized that he may not have enough strength to accomplish everything at once.
Voldemort was harnessing their combined energy to open a portal -- a portal that would release who-knows-what-kind-of-spirits but knowing him, it would definitely not be saints and querubins. Harry's fears were confirmed as the once peaceful earth began to shake tremendously at the blatant disruption of nature's balance. More and more people were succumbing into the foolish notion that 'apocalypse' had come to end all things. And as if that was not enough, a terrible storm started to brew...with jolts of lightning forming eerie shapes in the sky.
Harry took a few seconds to absorb everything that was happening around him. The rain had poured and the thunder and lightning added a certain sense of foreboding to the current situation. Summoning his remaining strength, Harry pointed his wand at the galleon.
"MAXIMO REDUCTO!!!" He felt the rush of energy course through his wand, blasting the coin into tiny pieces. The effort greatly drained his strength but he hoped it would be enough to halt the invocation.
The grinding sound of exploding metal disrupted everyone's concentration and time seemed to stand still as every single eye followed each particle that was falling on the ground. Harry thought that it had gone well until he felt a stinging sensation on his right hand.
"Look! The boy's wand is on fire!" exclaimed one observer.
Harry promptly dropped the wand as the heat became unbearable and watched in frustration as it was consumed by the flame. Apparently, the rain was not enough to keep it from burning. 'Damn wand! Too weak for my need… I wish I could have my old wand back…' he thought wryly. Wandless magic was great but he was also aware that he would be overcome with fatigue sooner than he preferred. The onlookers stared at each other, wondering who won the game and what would happen now that Harry no longer had a wand but nobody could provide an acceptable answer.
"You-know-who was obviously using some underhanded tricks therefore Harry Potter won by default." said an old wise man, nodding his head slightly in contemplation.
"Idiots! Didn't you see he destroyed that damn coin cause he was losing?" yelled one of Voldemort's slaves, furious that anyone dared to suggest that his master lost.
"Hey, hey! Watch your language, young man! Mister Potter only did that because your master was damaging the ozone layer by directing all the energy upwards." quipped another one. Clearly, no one had correctly guessed what the dark lord was doing yet.
Voldemort, however, was quick to point his finger on his rival. "That's blatant cheating, Potter!" he roared in fury as the energy faded gradually.
"And what do you call that - fair play?" Harry retorted angrily, pointing at the remaining rays of light. He had hoped that he had halted the summoning but he was too late...a small hole has already been created...and he had no wand now.
Voldemort noticed his wand's absence too and the malevolent smirk returned to adorn his charred lips. "It wouldn't be long now, Potter. Just wait..." the dark lord stated with utter malice then, completely ignoring the boy, he raised his hands and began chanting an ancient spell that no one has heard of before. His most loyal servants apparated later to form a human shield around him.
…ku ya ba ri no ku wes ...
...Ti tee kumen ...
...Ah ha….ah ha ...
...Ti kumen ah ha….
Upon realizing that the game was over, people ran around like madmen, unsure of what to do and where to take refuge. Chaos consumed the entire plaza. Some had the good sense to apparate to safety but others seemed to forget the little thing called 'magic' that all witches and wizards could perform especially in times of dire need.
The death-eaters outside the circle took the commotion as a signal to hex the disoriented people to their hearts' content. Trolls, giants, werewolves and other dark creatures shortly joined in the uproar. Fortunately, the sun has not fallen yet, effectively hindering the arrival of Voldemort's most powerful allies -- the blood-sucking predators and zombies. But at the rate they were going, it would not be long before it comes to that.
Aurors and Order members did not waste any time though. As soon as they noticed the new arrivals, they quickly shot red sparks on the sky to signal that it was time for the reinforcements to arrive. The majestic centaurs were the first ones to answer the 'call', followed by the goblins...and there were giants and spiders too! They were led by a grim-faced Hagrid whom none had seen for a long time but it later became apparent that his hard work with the creatures had paid off.
Soon, a full-pledged battle had erupted at the still crowded plaza. Troll against trolls...giants against giants...centaurs against werewolves...giant spiders against other dark creatures...wizards against wizards...
'This war causes nothing but death and destruction.' Harry thought as he witnessed the battle unfold. 'Our world should not be like this. We could all co-exist and live peacefully.' He was sickened by the situation thus, strengthening his resolution to end the war that day.
As per agreed battle position, adult wizards tackled the death-eaters attacking innocent and defenseless civilians and the DA members handled those in the immediate vicinity of Harry. On first glance, the arrangement seemed foolish and dangerous but they all agreed that although DA members could handle dark wizards, it would be very difficult for them to cast spells where there were several noncombatants in the line of fire so the Order just assigned the young defenders to watch their backs and assist the portkey makers in their job.
Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Vector (portkey makers) were the ones in charge of the production of pre-arranged portkeys that would transport the innocent bystanders to various safe houses. Unfortunately, its distribution was proving to be a very challenging task for the assigned DA members since death-eaters had a nasty habit of getting in their way. Violent confrontations just could not be avoided even if they wanted to. Once or twice, each of them missed death by a few inches but fortunately ended up with only aching bodies, badly broken bones and severely wounded flesh. Nothing major. No cause for alarm. It was just the usual.
Madam Pomfrey, Madam Pince and other volunteer healers from St. Mungo's were the ones handling the casualties. There was simply no time to go to the Hogwart's hospital wing and they had to conjure an interim clinic behind the stage. They worked overtime healing the wounded and mending broken bones while Professor Severus Snape labored on the mass production of healing, reviving and strengthening potions in his make-shift laboratory beside the clinic. Peter Pettigrew worked as his assistant. Some ministry officials and aurors were sent to protect them from harm. Only heaven knew how many would have been dead if they were not that adept in their chosen field.
As for Harry, he concentrated on the vile creature before him who spearheaded the acts of violence and destruction. Hopefully, the house-elves led by Dobby were faring well in their posts. He wouldn't want Voldemort and his cronies to just disappear when the going gets too rough for them like what happened in the Department of Mysteries.
He looked up again. The hole was getting wider and if he did not remedy it at once, things could become really ugly for them. 'Damn! He was really invoking the spirits!' He cursed himself mentally as he realized that he did not have any inkling at all on how to counter that ancient spell. He should have paid more attention to the contents of the prophecy.
…yariks ariks …
...yariks ariks ...
...ti kumen ah-ha...
...ah-ha ku ya ba rin ….
"ABSOLUTO SCELLER!" Harry wandlessly attempted to close the hole but to his dismay, his absolute sealing charm had no effect whatsoever. It did not even reach the target.
At the corner of his eye, Harry noted that the advanced DA members seized the chance to rescue Ron. There was no hesitation in their movements. Ginny and Neville viciously attacked the death-eaters while Luna and Hermione attempted to heal and revive Ron. Draco, being the natural leader that he was, rapidly assigned DA members to strategic locations while the red-headed boy was being healed. 'Good. At least Ron's in safe hands now.' he thought.
"INCENDIO! IMPEDIMENTA!" Harry furiously flung the curses at the death-eaters within the circle. There was only one thing in his mind. He had to break through Voldemort's barrier.
The death-eaters erected their own protective ward while throwing their own hexes at Harry.
"Stupid boy! Why don't you just give up?" snarled Mcnair as he hurled a complete reductor curse at Harry but the boy only diffused the spell.
"NEVER!" shouted Harry in between defensive and offensive spells. He was already worn out from all his earlier effort but he did not want to back out.
"LATIGO INFLAMORE!!!" a flaming rope emerged from Rookwood's hands and whipped Harry with it.
One lash collided with Harry's back and he almost fell over from the stinging sensation of burning flesh but he did not let it distract him from his main objective. Fuming with rage, he retaliated with an ultimate freezing charm to render the offensive tool unusable.
"You have children too, Rookwood. How would you feel if someone of your own kind hurt your children just because they happened to be on the opposite side?" he queried the man who used to work for the ministry, an agency sworn to protect the people.
"No children of mine shall oppose our noble cause. If they do, I will kill them myself." Rookwood retorted in an icy tone, leaving Harry with no doubt that his loyalty to his master was above any other.
"Merlin! You've really sold your soul to the devil and for what -- a few thousand galleons?" shouted Harry in disbelief.
"For power, Potter....and glory..." It was Lucius who answered this time, eyeing Harry with so much contempt that had it been possible, he would have died immediately from his withering glare.
"Really? As far as I can see, Voldemort was hoarding all the power and as for glory....there's nothing glorifying about what you're doing. In fact, you're just disgracing your name." stated Harry dryly.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"
"CRUCIO!"
"IMMOBILUS!"
"STUPEFY!"
"AVEDA KEDAVRA!"
The curses from the enraged death-eaters came flying simultaneously. Harry struggled to dodge them all while shooting offensive hexes of his own but his exhaustion was catching up with him. His reflex was slowing down.
"HYDROXY OXYDUS!!!" Three voices yelled at once.
Harry spun around to see who had cast the spell. One was Ron. There was still some trace of the torture but he seemed definitely better. Behind him were Luna and Hermione who were smiling warmly at him.
"Glad you're back, mate. Are you sure you're all right?" said Harry excitedly as he clapped his bestfriend on the back.
"I've been better but there's no way you can make me miss the fun." replied Ron, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey, need any help?"
One hand tapped Harry's shoulders and a familiar warmth immediately flooded his whole being as he saw Ginny, Neville and Draco standing behind, ready to fight with him. He was very fortunate indeed to have such loyal friends. He smiled and nodded. "I could definitely use your help against those idiots." he said, pointing his fingers on the death-eaters who were still slightly disoriented after the Water Cannon spell.
Voldemort's lackeys were greatly dismayed by the intrusion and conveniently forgot that they were supposed to guard their master. They each tackled one of the advanced DA members who were more than eager to practice what they've trained so hard for.
Harry was grateful to be away from Voldemort's menacing and revolting presence for a while but his momentary respite was over. He tried every powerful spell imaginable to distract the dark lord but nothing seemed to be working. It was apparent that the ancient incantation was protecting him until he could finish the invocation. Getting desperate, he scanned the crowd once more to look for someone who could possible give him some relevant answers but all was busy fighting or healing.
He dared to look up once more and was deeply appalled when he witnessed some ghostly figures emerging from the portal and several more were fighting to escape from their confinement. To make things worse, the storm had already escalated into a tropical cyclone and thunder and lightning were multiplying the fear factor for almost a thousand times.
'Potter.' A voice spoke softly in his head.
'...and I'm hearing voices again...great...just great!'
'POTTER.'
'...the voice just wouldn't go away...'
'POTTER!!!!' The voice was more insistent this time.
A lightning suddenly blinded him from everything and he could see nothing but white...pure white..and the voice seemed so it be..'God, is that you? Have you gone to take back the bad spirits?' asked Harry tentatively, feeling ridiculous yet curious at the same time.
'What the hell are you rambling about, Potter?' The voice roared in his head, followed by a certain nasty remark about dim-witted saviors blah-blah-blah...
'Professor Snape...?' Harry slowly turned around saw a disheveled Professor Snape who was still carrying several containers of freshly made potions on his hands. The professor must have realized what happened too and decided to help. He was mentally communicating with him and there was no doubt that too much fumes and chemicals were making him a little cranky.
'Good. I thought we've lost you for a minute there.' A huge sigh of relief followed then...'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR? SUMMON THE DE-MEN-TORS NOW!!! THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN TRAP THE SPIRITS!!!'
No response.
'POTTER?!?' the voice inquired in an exasperated tone yet there was also a slight tinge of concern.
'Ooops, sorry, Professor. Just wanted to make sure that it's not old Voldie toying with my head.'
Snape's only response was a sharp and sarcastic retort. Harry smiled inspite of himself. 'Still the same old git...'
'I heard that, Potter!'
'Just kidding...' Harry summoned the dementors, careful to leave enough numbers to protect the safehouses.
Within minutes, the temperature dropped lower than before and the atmosphere became instantly subdued as several dementors glided towards Harry and waited for instructions. The few remaining noncombatants fainted and DA members rushed over to bring their bodies to safety.
"It's time for you to feed. Capture those malignant spirits!" The dementors bowed slightly and went on their way to hunt the wandering souls.
Soon, the plaza was filled with loud shrieks of protest by the spirits. They had just escaped their prison and were definitely agonized by the prospect of being locked up once more. Voldemort was positively livid when he saw what Harry was doing and more so when he noticed that his minions were being beaten to a pulp but for some reason, he did not seem too concerned.
...The Dark Lord would invoke the spirits but the one would entrap their souls...his servants shall be overcome...
Harry then slumped on the ground in exhaustion and decided to watch how the others were doing. He was ecstatic to find out that they were winning. All the innocent bystanders had been led to safety. Ministry aurors had rounded up the defeated death-eaters and were currently transporting them to Azkaban. Most of the dark creatures were slaughtered and the few survivors had fled. The dementors were having a field day and most of the spirits had been contained. But he did not allow himself to be complacent. Anything could happen within the next few minutes and the tides could still turn against their favor easily. His heart swelled with pride when he observed that none of his friends needed any help at all except for Draco who seemed to be struggling within himself as he fought with his own father. 'This is going to be very interesting.' he thought.
"Father, how could you be so blind? The dark lord has given you nothing. You've traded your soul for nothing. Isn't your family more important than that monster?" stated Draco calmly, pleading his father to understand.
"Nonsense! You've spent too much time with the mudbloods and muggle-lovers to fully comprehend the nobility of our cause. The Malfoy's have always been intelligent enough to discern where our loyalties should lie and I thought you're just as clever but no--you had to associate with inferior people. You're a disgrace!" With that, Lucius threw curses at Draco with such ferocity that no one would even think that they were related.
Draco threw spells meant to capture and not to harm his father while Lucius, being the heartless bastard that he was, showed no mercy at all as he hurled powerful dark curses on his only child. In fact, he did not even hesitate to enunciate the dreaded words when his son fell down after being hit with a particularly nasty spell.
"How dare you humiliate me in front of my Master! Aveda...............Kedavra!"
Harry suddenly went numb. He saw Draco's eyes widened with horror and sadness as the little green light sped towards his limp form.
Draco closed his eyes, accepting his terrible fate. He wouldn't escape anyway...he couldn't move. He just couldn't believe that his own flesh and blood could be that ruthless.
Harry saw all this and felt remorse for the boy. He used to feel sorry for himself because his parents were killed when he was still a baby but Draco definitely had it worse and though he used to be an arrogant brat, he did not deserve this treatment from anyone especially from that poor excuse of a man.
...a terrible thunderstorm would arrive at the time when the final battle shall be fought...Seven loyal allies shall be with him...but one will not survive...
"NOOOOOOO!!!!" With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Harry attempted to deflect the killing curse but it was too strong. Lucius must have felt such powerful hatred towards his son. Without a thought for his own safety, Harry swiftly leapt to push him out of the way. He thought they both made it to safety until he felt something hit him sharply at the back. As he fell on the ground, a weird thought occurred to him...'Is this how death's supposed to feel like?'
He sensed someone rush to his side, embracing him tightly. "Oh, my God! Are you all right, hon?"
'Hon?' Harry opened his eyes tentatively and was stunned at the view before him. Ginny and Neville had their wands pointed at an immobilized Lucius. Draco was weakly attempting to stand up and judging from his glazed expression, he also couldn't believe that he was still alive. But the image of Ron consoling a tearful Hermione was deeply disturbing.
"W-what happened?" he asked worriedly.
Ron did not reply. Instead, he let his head hang low and pointed one quivering finger at a figure lying on the ground.
Harry gradually turned his gaze to where Ron's finger led to, fearing the worst but he had to know. A gloomy silence followed as he stared in shock at the limp and lifeless form of the one who saved his life.
It was Dobby --- Dobby, the house-elf.
It was then that he realized how much he must have meant to Dobby for him to do that. And before he realized it, tears had begun to fall on his cheeks as everything that Dobby had done for him come flashing back in his memories.
"Dobby has come…to warn you…There's a plot…a plot to make terrible things…"
"Err…Dobby, why don't you sit down?"
"Sit down? Sit down? I've never been asked to sit down by a wizard…like an equal…"
"Why are you doing this, Dobby?"
"Dobby has to warn Harry Potter and if my master knew….Dobby had to iron his hands…"
"So you sent those bludgers to help me?!? Be glad that my bones have not grown back or I'd have strangled you to death…"
"Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home…."
"What can Dobby do for you, Mister Harry Potter? Do you want some cookies?"
"No, Dobby. I just dropped by to give your gift."
"Oh, Mister Harry Potter is so kind. Thank you very much!!!" Dobby hugged him and jumped up and down as if seven pairs of socks were the most precious gift in the world.
"Just call me Harry. That's what my friends call me."
"A f-friend? You think of Dobby as a f-friend?"
Dobby had risked his life numerous times to help him. He broke the house-elf code to warn him of the dangers ahead and suffered severe injuries because of it. If it were not for Dobby, he wouldn't have found out about the Room of Requirement -- where the DA was formed in defiance to Dolores Umbridge's dismal teaching; where they took refuge after the fall of Hogwarts; and most importantly, it was where Harry and Luna had been drawn to each other.
Dobby had always been there for him even if he and his friends just needed something as trivial as midnight snacks or hot chocolate. And what had he given him in return -- socks?
Another sharp wailing brought him back to his senses.
"Mister Potter is the greatest wizard alive. He gave Dobby his freedom. He treated elves as equals…Mister Potter gave our dignity back." The small elf's shoulders trembled as she spoke those heartfelt words. It was Winky and Harry felt more remorseful than ever. Dobby was the one who inspired the elves to believe that they were not inferior beings…and now, he was gone.
"I'm sorry, Winky." was all that Harry could manage to say. He felt that a lump had formed in his throat and he couldn't say anything else. His friends were silent as well.
"It was not your fault, sir. It was the evil man's fault." cried the elf and hugged Harry as if to console him.
"How touching! I never thought you had any real concern for that creature."
The group wheeled around to see who had dared make a mockery of their grief. It was Voldemort. The invocation was completed and he strode to them with so much confidence that it was quite unnerving.
"You're alone now, Tom. You're minions were gone. Why don't just give up while you still got the chance? I really don't want to kill anyone -- even you….especially you. I don't want my hands to be tainted with your poisoned blood." stated Harry, his rage building once more.
"Give up? You must be kidding, Potter. Once I've won, I can always resurrect my followers and recruit some more powerful ones." replied the dark lord, his amazing display of serenity baffling the group. "I have finished the summoning." he declared triumphantly.
"Well, that's rather obvious." said Harry dryly. "But it's also obvious that the dementors have managed to entrap the souls."
"Oh, that…I forgot to mention that I only need one..."
"W-what do you mean?" asked Ginny anxiously.
"Slytherin's soul had come and transferred his abilities to me." the dark lord replied proudly.
Harry laughed derisively. "You mean you went to all that trouble for that? My goodness! I thought that you, after claiming that you're Slytherin's heir, had already inherited it. But of course you had do something extra since you're not a pure blood."
The dark lord merely scowled at his remark. "I'm sure you won't find it humorous once I'm through with you."
"Prove it then." challenged Harry, his tone not wavering a bit. The sooner he learned what his enemy's new powers were, the better.
The dark lord's eyes turned blood red with fury at the provocation. He raised his hands and turned everything to ice.
"How about that, Potter?" Voldemort grinned maliciously. Before Harry could say anything, he swept his hands once more and trapped everyone present in a frozen cube. "Or that? They would die there, Potter…no one could withstand that cold but at least, they would stay that way forever." The dark cackled merrily at his achievement.
"You've become an elemental…" whispered Harry in surprise.
"Brilliant deduction! And our link was the only thing that saved you from that fate. But it doesn't matter. Now they would witness your death and would not be able to do anything. We're both alone."
The dark lord rambled more about his achievement, how great and powerful he had become, and what he would do after…unfortunately, he had lost his solitary audience. Harry had already conjured a huge fireball and was currently thawing the ice to free his friends. Half-way through, Voldemort had noticed the lack of angry retort and terrified shrieks.
"CRUCIO!" he yelled and roared with malicious laughter as he watched Harry collapse on the ground, writhing in pain.
Harry struggled to see how his friends were doing and was puzzled to see them all frantically pointing their fingers upwards. Curiously, he looked up to view what the excitement was all about. The portal was still open --- so what? Then he saw it, or them to be precise. Then he smiled. Help has arrived and just in time…
Spirits of his parents, Dumbledore, Sirius, Cedric and Dobby formed a ghostly shield around him to distract Voldemort while another swiftly entered the circle.
"What are you doing, boy? You'll never make this without your old wand." admonished the spirit of an old man with wide pale eyes that shines like the moon light. Harry wondered how he ever got the creepy feeling when he had bought his wand from him before. The old man had a kind face and a wise, penetrating gaze that reminded him of Dumbledore.
"But my wand was broken..." argued Harry weakly.
"Is it your wand or not?" Harry nodded reluctantly. "Then summon it and let me do the rest."
Harry held out his hand and focused his mind on his wand. It was an unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. "Accio Wand!" To his amazement, a rustling of wind paved the path for Fawkes as it zoomed towards him. Then the phoenix stopped and flew directly to Mr. Ollivander, dropping Harry's wand to his outstretched hand.
Harry watched in awe as Mr. Ollivander voiced out another ancient incantation. The phoenix flew around the old man and a golden flame began to encircle both of them. The beloved wand disintegrated but its particles remained suspended in mid-air. Mr Ollivander danced around the raging fire that seemed untouched by the thunderstorm, waving his hands in a smooth-flowing motion. Nothing else mattered as the phoenix feather wrapped around the splinters of wood, joining them together.
Harry stood transfixed as the legendary bird shed a teardrop on his wand's core. The process was complete. Finally, the greatest wandmaker of all time, handed the revived wand to its rightful owner.
"Try it." said the wandmaker.
Harry raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the damp air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the sky. The wandmaker smiled and bowed slightly. He did not bear the dark expression of someone who had lived through the darkest of times. He just seemed contented that his mission had been fulfilled.
"I knew you were destined for great things, Mister Potter. I am deeply honored for having met you, not because you are the boy-who-lived but because you are a truly wonderful person. You have suffered so much yet still maintained your ability to care for others."
"Thank you, sir."
"It's my pleasure. Now, fulfill your destiny and please do be safe, Harry. It's not your time yet. You still have a long and fruitful life ahead of you."
"I take it you're going then?" asked Harry regretfully.
"Unfortunately, yes. We could only stay for a few minutes. We're not meant be here."
"Did Voldemort kill you, too?"
"Yes, he did when I refused to make him a more powerful wand. But don't vanquish him out of revenge. Do it because it's the right thing to do." said the wise, old man as his spirit slowly faded.
Harry waved and turned to the ghosts shielding him.
"I wish we'd become friends then, Harry. You're a cool guy." said Cedric and smiled to show that he meant what he said.
"Dobby is all right, Harry. Dobby did something honorable and he's proud of it. Professor Dumbledore said death is just another adventure and he's right. Please tell Winky that Dobby will watch over her and that she must continue what we've started." said Dobby in his usual high-pitched tone.
"We're so proud of you, son. We know you could do it this time." stated Lily and James.
"Everything's going to be fine." stated Sirius in a mysterious tone.
"Don't worry, Harry. Tom may be the heir of Slytherin but you are Gryffindor's heir and you don't need to perform that ridiculous ritual to get it. If my knowledge of our enemy is still accurate, then I'd dare speak that you'll find out soon enough." said Dumbledore in the mysterious tone, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
Harry tearfully nodded and waved as the spirits vanished. "Thank you all. I hope your efforts wouldn't be wasted this time."
As the souls disappeared, the revolting face of his enemy came to view once more.
"So, the reunion is finally over. You think having your wand back would help?" The dark lord spat viciously. "You're still no match for the power of Salazar Slytherin!" With that, Voldemort raised his hand and the storm instantly became more violent. He integrated the lightning and brutally hurled it towards the boy's weak body.
Silence.
Nothing could be heard as the lightning struck Harry's frail form. The impact forced the ground to crack, burying Harry's body inside.
"DIE! POTTER, DIE!" Voldemort hollered and hooted maniacally. The electricity overload would surely reduce the boy to ashes. There would be no body to resurrect…it would definitely be beyond recognition…heck, not even the scar would be visible. He danced around like crazy and hexed around wildly. He frowned at that. It was not as enjoyable as cursing real people. He thought some more. 'What the hell? Potter's dead…might as well have some fun with his friends…'
With that demonic idea, he commanded the wind to make way and a blazing fire erupted from his hands. He flung them on Harry's friends for they were the unlucky ones nearest to his location. His eyes fell on the frozen bodies of Snape and Wormtail as he searched for other people to play with. Another cruel smile crossed his lips. 'Ah, the traitors! I'll deal with them later…'. He waited for the six figures to realize the full impact of the situation. He didn't have to wait long.
"HARRRYYY!!!!"
"Merlin! Did any of you see what happened?"
"No, the storm had blurred my vision…"
"But where's Harry?"
"Perhaps I can enlighten you…"
The six turned around anxiously and were extremely upset to see the dark lord standing coolly there while their friend was nowhere to be found. It was not good but they did not say anything. Instead, they glared at him with unconcealed defiance.
"Still stubborn I see." smirked Voldemort. "But your pathetic friend's dead…"
An astounded silence followed. Then Luna bravely stepped forward and arched an eyebrow. "You're lying." she declared with such clarity that everyone was inclined to believe her.
"No? Then look at that burnt crack. Potter's buried there. No one could live after being struck by multiple lightning."
"No one should live after being struck by the Aveda Kedavra curse either but he did." stated Hermione matter-of-factly, putting on her irritating know-it-all stance.
The dark lord became greatly annoyed at the reminder. "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THE POINT IS HE'S DEAD. NO ONE'S GOING TO SAVE YOU NOW." he roared hysterically, momentarily losing his control over the situation.
"Then we're just going to save ourselves." declared Neville and courageously sent a stunning spell to the dark lord.
"Yeah, you won't get rid of us that easily!" yelled Draco and cast his own curses to him.
The six teenagers forgot their reservations and begun flinging curses at him at every opportunity. Voldemort's eyes held a maniacal glint as he dodged the curses sent his way and took great pleasure in bringing unrivaled pain to his 'toys'. When he noticed that his playmates couldn't play to his satisfaction, he got tired of the game and summoned the lightning once more.
"Game over." The dark lord muttered wickedly as he brought down the lightning to incinerate their bodies.
The six teenagers tried to roll out of the way but they needn't have bothered. The blow never came.
"Hey, Tom! Did you miss me?"
"W-what? H-how?" Voldemort stammered in surprise.
"My scar absorbed the lightning, idiot. It was quite rejuvenating. I feel like a newly charged battery. You should try it sometime."
The six teenagers watched in amazement as Harry floated on the ground with one hand controlling the direction of lightning.
"How about now?" asked Harry before calmly pushing the lightning to Voldemort's location.
Voldemort's eyes widened in panic and stuck one hand to deflect the visible electric discharge. He had no scar that could absorb and he was not really in the mood to prove if he would be revitalized by it.
"Scared now, Tom. You must have forgotten one tiny detail in your haste to complete the spell - once the portal is open, you could not filter the spirit that would emerge. I am Gryffindor's heir and he had also transferred his elemental abilities to me."
Voldemort grew more desperate as it became increasingly obvious that his advantage over the boy had vanished into thin air. He only had one more trick up his sleeve. He knew Hogwart's do not teach this old combat technique anymore.
"ACCIO SLYTHERIN'S SWORD!!!" he yelled and a silver blade with a serpent emblem elegantly embellished on its hilt came flying out of nowhere. It was also covered with a viscous green substance that emitted a foul odor.
'Poison…' Harry thought in disgust,
Voldemort gripped the weapon tightly and glared menacingly at the boy. Godric Gryffindor was a superb swordsman in his time but that ability could not be transferred. It had to be acquired through rigorous training and years of practice. 'The Potter kid would be helpless this time.' His elation was magnified as he watched Potter's hesitance. What he did not know was that Harry's lack of enthusiasm was for an entirely different reason.
"Accio Gryffindor's Sword!" Harry sighed heavily. He had hoped that blades would not be used in his battle with Voldemort. The prophecy was gradually coming true and he did not like the idea of a pre-determined destiny. It made him feel like a thing and not a person with his own free will. Nevertheless, the situation was there and he had to go through with it however reluctant he may be. He just hoped that after this, there would be no other ridiculous prophecies hanging over his head.
With their swords on one hand and wands at other, the duel began. Voldemort immediately thrusted his front leg and stabbed Harry with his sword arm. Harry blocked the blow before the blade could touch his torso but it grazed his arm lightly instead. Voldemort excitedly watched the blood ooze from his body before performing some feints to mislead his opponent into parrying in a different direction. Harry counter-attacked by performing a complicated sword dance that he knew would tremendously annoy his opponent. He had expected Voldemort to tire out easily and just surrender but it seemed that Voldemort did not consider it as an option.
As the duel transpired, both proved to be skilled in the art of swordsmanship. Then their swords met with a loud clang and the sudden impact caused the swords to ricochet in opposite direction.
Harry was the first to recover from the forceful collision. He turned to where the blade had fallen. "ACCIO SWORD!" he shouted and held out his right hand to catch the blade on its ruby hilt. To his astonishment, two swords came rushing to his hand instead of just one.
Voldemort had noticed it too and immediately lunged forward in an attempt to catch the sword before it reached Harry's hand. But he was too late…Harry had dropped his wand and promptly caught the two swords on his hands. The sudden noise caused Harry to turn around in haste, with both blades sticking out…and he didn't have enough time to react. It all happened so fast. He just saw a blur of movement before Voldemort painfully collided with the sharp-edge of a sword. And yes, Harry noted wryly as Voldemort's lifeless body collapsed on the ground, it was the poisoned sword -- Sword of Slytherin.
...he shall perish by his own sword ...and his remains shall reside at the snake's chamber till the end of time..."
He felt his friends approaching…their steps hesitant…as if they, too couldn't believe their eyes.
"Harry? It's over, isn't it?" It was Draco. And his expression was hopeful, his pale blue eyes betraying all unshed emotions that he had carefully hidden all those year. Why should he? He was free now…No more dark lord to worry about…No more father to impress. Lucius had made it clear that he was no son of his and he was fine with that. 'Good riddance!' he thought happily without even a tinge of regret. Lucius had never really been a father to him anyway.
Harry slightly nodded his head in confirmation. Then a slight laugh escaped his parched throat as a strange realization dawned on him…'How ironic! After all the trouble he went through….Merlin! The gods must be drunk when they pre-determined that destiny." his laughter intensified at the thought. 'The most vicious, most cunning, most evil wizard of all time died in …an….accident...'
"Are you, okay?" Luna asked tenderly when she noticed the strange emotions passing through his face. "You do realize what happened, don't you?"
"Yeah…" replied Harry. An amazed disbelief still written on his face.
"Well, the prophecy did come true but technically, you're not a murderer, Harry, so don't fret too much about it…" said Hermione to console what she thought was a guilt-stricken best friend.
"Could you believe it? He died in accident…and by his own sword too…" Harry suddenly stopped and glanced at his arm. The stinging sensation on his arm where Slytherin's Sword had grazed before was making him queasy. And he wanted nothing but to succumb to the darkness that was beginning to overcome his senses…