Disclaimer: I do not own the following story in any way.

Chapter Three


"Midnight shakes the memory

As a madman shakes a dead geranium

TS Elliot"


1997

He stopped slowly, and rose his head from it's bowed position, gazing into the red eyes that had tormented his life from the second he had come into the world. And he felt like screaming. Because in those eyes was something he never thought he would see, something that had no place, something that had no right to be there.

Tom Riddle regretted, and it was all Harry could do not to kill him on the spot.

"It's not your right Tom! It never will be!" The red eyed adult turned to the teenager, gripping his wand tightly in his left hand, his eyes hardened as he looked at the boy who had ruined his life, several times over.

"A momentary laps in my bastard complexion, I can assure you, Potter, it won't happen again" Harry blinked in surprise at the joke the dark lord had cracked before looking suddenly scared.

"Shit Tom, you're freaking me out with this 'humour' crap. Please. Something I'm familiar with, say, 'I'm gonna kill you all and take over the world' sota stuff, that would make me feel so much better" Voldemort only laughed at the light's saviour, showing sharp, white teeth in his mirth. Harry grinned as well, but his wand hand never once wavered and his eyes never lost the calculating look hidden deep inside them.

"Are you going to kill me Harry?" the raven haired teen almost winced, the words striking a chord deep inside him; he had heard them before. An eerie echo of past events, they served a reminder that saving The Rat had been a mistake, he had lost so many people because of the simple decision concerning Pettigrew's life, and he could not let it happen again.

"Yes, Tom, I'm going to try my damned hardest" Voldemort smiled again, his red eyes peering at Harry from the darkness, as Harry replied in an even and proper tone of voice.

"Have you ever killed anyone Harry? Have you ever even uttered the killing curse? Picked up a dagger and thrust it into someone's chest? Ever felt hot blood on your hands, on your face... everywhere, as you kneel next to the unmoving body that once housed something more precious than all the gold and diamonds in the world?" The dark lord laughed at the unmoved form of the messy haired child.

"I have Potter, so what makes you think you can defeat me?" for a long moment after Voldemort finished speaking there was silence. Harry didn't speak and he didn't move as his penetrating green eyes regarded the darkest lord of the century with a fake calm.

Nobody uttered a word.

Not Harry.

Not Voldemort.

And there was no one else to try.

"Is that supposed to have me running in fear? Screaming in terror? I don't want to kill you Tom. I want to take everything you ever valued away from you. I don't want to stab you with a dagger, or run you through with a sword. I want you to watch your own destruction. I want you to tear your own empire down and have no choice. Killing is too good for you My Lord. But it has to be done, and it just happens I am the one who has been chosen to murder you. Are you ready to die Mr Riddle?" the wand that had never left appeared again, suddenly very noticeable in the large hands of one Harry Potter.

But Lord Voldemort did not look the least bit scared or even interested by Harry's 'speech' and stood smiling at the saviour in a very insane way. He too rose his wand, ready to do battle for everything he held dear, named, that would be; his life.

"I am ready for death Mr Potter, but whether it be yours or mine has yet to be decided? Lets get on with it, shall we?" and so, the two greatest wizards of their time, and quite possibly a few others, got on with it.

The results are something that has survived over seven hundred years of human criticism, quite a feat, and still stands as the most regarded, debated and worshiped topic.

At the end of that battle, it was questioned, as Harry Potter emerged from The Place, who had won.

He never answered, and four weeks later, he disappeared.

His friends were left wondering what Voldemort had said to him, and the wizarding world left... just left without their saviour.

And although Voldemort died and Harry Potter lived on (as far as anyone knows), no body could ever say for sure, who truly won the greatest battle of all time, but the two who participated in it. And that was not going to happen, because Voldemort certainly wasn't talking (Haha. Joke.)

Seven hundred years later, the answers were just about ready to be given.


"Where the fuck are we?" Tawny span around, only to find that she was no longer in 'Hermione's' body, but in her own, and far from corporeal. She was surprised to see the appearance of four other 'characters', although mentally she chastised herself for her astonishment.

"Look around Einstein, why we're in Fiji, can't you tell?" the sarcastic redhead asked, blue eyes laughing at his black haired friend, Tawny noted that none of the new arrivals seemed able to see Cassie or herself and was thankful, she didn't want to be asked about why she was there, in this unknown place.

Meanwhile, the messy haired teen was looking pissed and glaring at the redhead with annoyance before turning back to, Tawny was startled to note, her old character; Hermione. The brunette was looking at them both with pursed lips and a look that clearly stated; 'I'm waiting...' the two boys immediately dropped the playful looks and looked around.

"Guys, are you getting the same vibe I am? It's worrying me. But I know were we are" Hermione nodded and black-hair winced, as if remembering something.

"You got it darling, we're standing in the dead centre of guess where?" the younger, female redhead had finally pipped up in a softly spoken yet sarcastic voice that made black-hair smile slightly, but still look vaguely around the room, lost in memories.

"The department of mysteries. A place I never want to visit again. Guess that luck isn't on my side, never is usually, still, I was thinking that might be changing soon, what with the death of my worst enemy" he sighed dramatically "Oh well, I guess I should have expected it" his lips tugged up and he finally managed to banish what had obviously been bothering him.

"So Mi, why do you think it bought us here of all places?" he wrinkled up his nose in distaste "anywhere but here Mi" Hermione nodded her understanding, and after shooting black-haired a glance of sympathy, turned back to looking around.

"You're right. Why here? Ron? Any suggestions?" the redhead boy opened his mouth to reply, but his younger sister interrupted him before he could even start, sudden inspiration flashing in her eyes. Her brother shot her a dark look.

"Dumbledore said that it would lead us to a place that would take us to wherever we needed to be. The only place that we don't know where it ends up; is the veil. We know Dumbledore's been researching on it. Do you think he might have found out where it goes? Where Padfoot went?" Tawny noticed that all of the other three newcomers had all risen their heads at her original statement, and she didn't miss the look of excitement that passed through each face.

"It's... possible" Hermione said softly, and slowly, as if reluctant to give her agreement.

"If Hermione say's it's possible then that's good enough for me. And if Dumbledore thinks that it's safe it only gets better. Will you come with me?" Black-hair had a look of pure determination on his face as he looked at the others, green eyes burning with an internal fire that made every body in the room, solid or not, sure that what was about to happen, could not be stopped.

The redheaded girl stepped forward, her eyes bright with a determination similar to the boys and nodded her head slowly.

"I'm in" Hermione and blue-eyes looked at her and then at black-hair calculating, before both seemed to come to a silent agreement.

"Me too"

"Me three" The air was so thick with tension and an agreement and determination that Tawny felt like putting herself forward as well, telling them that she too would go wherever they were going, through whatever this veil thing was. She turned to look at Cassie, who also had a look of determination on her face and they exchanged a quick look before turning back to the other four.

Black-hair was smiling at the other three, clearly relieved and nodding his head in thanks.

"At least I know that I'll be going wherever it is I'm going with friends" he considered this a good thing, everyone in the room noticed at his relieved and thankful tone of voice.

It was around about this time that something struck Tawny, or rather, something began to slowly crawl about her mind and she just couldn't pinpoint it. She looked over to Cassie, trying to see if her partner had noticed anything. But Cassie's face had not changed in the slightest as she watched the four with avid attention. Tawny turned back, suddenly a little less eager.

"Why didn't you tell them that you had won?" black-hair looked over to female-redhead and shifted so he was looking at the ground. For a moment there was no answer.

"Because I didn't win, Gin, to have won I would have had to have done more than kill him. I would have had to have done more than wring his little neck and shoot a million and one curses at him. I would have had to have won. And I didn't" 'Gin' gulped and black-hair ruffled her flaming locks with a spare hand as he opened a door that lead the two of them into a different room, male-redhead and Hermione followed, immersed in their own conversation.

"But you did kill him" she pointed out, a look of confusion on her young face.

"Yes, I killed him. But like I said, just because he's dead doesn't mean that everything is going to stop. It's slowed down, a lot, but it'll speed up again soon. He may be dead but muggleborns are still hated by a lot of people. The sooner that changes, the sooner everything gets better" they walked through another door and came to a huge chamber where they walked forward towards an archway that was covered with a rough veil.

"That's it" Gin nodded her head and turned to him again, taking her eyes away from the archway.

"But Harry, I don't understand, you didn't believe this before" green eyes looked at her solemnly with an intensity that made Gin fidget, before Harry sighed and released her, his eyes wandering over towards the veil.

"No one ever does" the solum moment was interrupted by the two behind them as they walked in, each making minute sounds at the backs of their throats as they spotted the veil.

Black-grinned at them, ignoring the pensive Gin who was standing next to him, obviously troubled.

"Well? Are we going to go through it or not?" Tawny had a look of surprise and fear on her face as she looked at the strangely powerful and compelling archway. A slight whimper escaped her lips as she turned her head away. None of the solid people were effected though, not in the least; their looks of reflection and blackness all seemed to be due to some event neither Cassie nor Tawny knew anything about.

"Oh god tell me their not going through that!" Tawny gave Cassie an annoyed look, and didn't open her mouth to say anything, let along to tell Cassie that 'they were not going to go through it'.

But it seemed that Cassie had anticipated that.

"Harry, are you sure we should?" the soft voice of Hermione seemed to surprise 'Harry' and he turned to look at her full on, with a surprising amount of intensity that made her shift in position and look at the floor.

"I'll go first. Nothing can go too wrong if I go first" the sentence seemed to be trying to convince himself as much as it was her. But she nodded nonetheless.

"We'll come straight through after you, nothing can stop us" she looked at the other two for confirmation, they both nodded.

"Nothing" confirmed Ginny as she stepped forward and gave him a hug, male-redhead followed close behind, with Hermione following up the two of them. They hugged and each of them looked like they had tears in their separate eyes, Harry was looking a lot less confident.

"You do know what's going to happen don't you? As soon as I go through that veil the three of you are going to follow me and then we'll end up blam knows where crying and being emotional recks for no reason" Harry's twisted joke made them all smile a little, and banish the ill thoughts that each of them seemed to have. Suddenly Harry was serious again.

"Even if that doesn't happen, even if I never see you again; remember that I love you all. With all of my heart. Forever, and, ever" the tears that had threatened were now falling freely down the other three's faces as they looked at the green-eyed man.

And before any of them could say goodbye again he turned around and walked through the veil.

Tawny gasped in surprise and Cassie cried out in anguish as there was a great crash, and the entire structure that had once been the most highly guarded secret in the DoM, fell to the ground.

It was not melodramatic in any sense of the word.

There was not a huge thunder strike as the archway collapsed.

Simply the sound of falling rubble.

The that the man made of his world was normal in every way.

Apart from one:

He was leaving it at all.


Notes:

The archway: The one and only mysterious and questionable... yeah, you got it. Archway. Surprise! I don't know why I need to tell you the definition of a friggin archway, but I will if you want. It's true, there is something about the veil you don't know, and won't until I tell you cose I made it up, but I'm not telling until it comes up in a tad bit more detail. Kinda weird, but think DoM and you're half way there...

Sirius: The one and only... nah, just kidding. Sirius, well, ho hum. Him. He's a bit of a glitch in the matrix isn't he? He did sorta fall though that piece of cloth didn't he? And I've sorta made it obvious he ain't gonna be appearing any different to the way he was however many years previously. Umm... basically... the answer is... well: maybe. If I decide to shove the old bagga in I will, but not for a while; this fic has plans...

Ginny: You tell me. I don't have time to mess around with this, I have to kill one of them soon... Nah. None of them are gonna die... yet. And probably not for a while, either, if at all. I'm far too nice to my characters. But romantically? Fat chance. I don't mind HPGW ones, but this just isn't going to turn out that way. I don't think... Kiddin. No way. HP is TAKEN!

Dumbledore: Think a nice place with mountains made of socks and piles of lemon drops and you've got it.

Voldemort: Will be making only memorabilia appearances. No re-incarnation and no other 'I've-been-friggin-possesed-save-me' ones. This is a world where Voldemort is as dead a door nail and the world no better for it. Harry killed him. End of story.

Ron and Hermione: What's going on with them? Well I haven't quite figured that out yet. But it'll be good. Not a really important plot though, just something on the side. Don't jump to conclusions. Last time you checked Harry and Hermione were dating... right? And I'll give you a clue. Neither Ron nor Hermione will ever put a ring on the other's finger if I can help it. And I can. So get that particular notion out of your head.


A/N:

OH! Perfect place to stop! I was planning to write a whole lot more, but, you have to agree, that was the perfect place to stop. Well, this is the fourth (or third if I had a prologue) chapter and I have ONE review. I am feeling so sorry for myself! Please review! Even if it is only out of pity! I accept everything! Flame's, compliments, advice! ANYTHING!

Moving on.

I am pleased to tell you that I may have a beta for this, and my other fic, The Song we Sing but if you would like to apply for the position then please feel free, she's pretty unreliable as it is.

Ok, umm...

That's pretty much all. So... PLEASE review. I'm really feeling bad, and as you can probably guess there is no way I can put off the return of... Someone for much longer. And things are going to get hot once he finally makes it into the fic!

Thank and REVIEW!!!

Pre -.-