Chapter Twelve

Fighting

Draco and Ron got off of Voldemort's chest. The boys moved together, unconsciously blocking Harry from view. They wore matching sneers on their lips as they gazed down at the Dark Lord.


"Alright. Up." Ron growled, still pointing both wands at the man lying on the ground before them. "Now, before I have to make you."


Voldemort stood slowly, his hands in the air. "Yes, yes. Aren't you two the brave little ones? A Malfoy and a Weasley, side-by-side. I never thought I would see the day…"


"Well, now you have," said Draco. "And this will be the last day you'll ever see."


"Is that so, young Malfoy? And how do you suppose you'll be ending my day?" asked Voldemort, a vicious smile spread on his face.


"He won't," rasped a voice from behind Ron and Draco. "But I will."


Ron and Draco's heads swiveled quickly behind them. Voldemort's eyebrows raised in surprise. They watched the teen slowly, painfully uncurl himself, and push himself up to standing. Then the three boys turned their eyes to Voldemort.


Draco Malfoy's eyes were filled with loathing, but also with fear. He knew how much of the life he'd always known he was putting on the line right now.


Ron Weasley's eyes shone with anger and the hint of pride that he was taking on the Dark Lord with his best friend.


And Harry Potter's eyes blazed with fury and contempt no one but Voldemort had ever seen before. He knew there was no turning back now. And that the prophecy would be fulfilled that day.


"Now's the time, Tom," said Harry evenly. "Ron, may I have his wand?"


Ron nodded and handed over Voldemort's wand, not taking his eyes off its owner. Harry took it and examined it closely. As he did this, he said two simple words. "Back up."


Ron and Draco looked expectantly at Voldemort. The Dark Lord didn't move.


"No. Ron. Draco. Back up." Harry looked between his best friend and his… whatever Draco was to him now. When each teen opened their mouths to protest, Harry shook his head. "Do as I say. And trust."


Draco and Ron nodded and, with their eyes and wands still trained on Voldemort, they backed away to the edge of the clearing.


"Now, Tom. It's just you and me." Harry smiled grimly.


~ " * " ~


When Ron and Draco reached the edge of the clearing, Ron stumbled over something. There was a pair of grunts and Ron landed in a heap.


Right on top of Severus Snape.


"Why aren't you out there, sir?" asked Draco. "Why didn't you make yourself known?"


"Because, you buffoon, if I did, I would be killed. You've seen the Betrayal Ritual," sneered Snape. He and Draco shivered involuntarily. "Besides which, it's up to Potter now."


Draco nodded, saying nothing. The two teens and one man turned their eyes to the clearing. Draco frowned in worry. Come on, Harry.


~ " * " ~


Albus Dumbledore swept along the Forest path quickly, Hermione, Seamus, and Pansy fighting to keep up.


"Nearly there," said Dumbledore. "Just past this fork in the path…"


A noise was heard to the left. Hermione started and looked around to see what made the sound. She gasped and then giggled. The other two teens looked at her quizzically. She had stopped by the fork, and was now staring and covering her mouth with both hands to keep her giggling quiet.


Seamus and Pansy, curious, glanced at the headmaster's retreating back, and went back to see what Hermione was giggling at. Once they reached her side, they both let out a gasp.


Then Seamus whooped appreciatively. "Go Blaise, go!" he cried.


Parvati and Blaise threw themselves apart and stared around wildly. When their eyes landed on their classmates, the couple turned a matching shade of crimson. Blaise cleared his throat. "Erm, hi guys! Where have you been?"


~ " * " ~


Dumbledore rushed on, knowing full well that he'd lost his students somewhere behind him. One might wonder how Dumbledore would be able to find the clearing without their help. But then one would have to remember that Dumbledore had been at Hogwarts for a very long time so therefore he knew his way around most everywhere. After another couple minutes of swift and silent hiking through the Forbidden Forest, the headmaster stumbled upon the group watching events unfolding from the edge of the clearing.


Quite literally.


"Ouch! What the- Oh." Ron stopped his whispered tirade before it started when he realized who it was that had nearly fallen on top of him. "Hello, Headmaster."


"Mister Weasley. Thank you for helping to cushion my fall. And you too, Mister Malfoy," said Dumbledore, standing up. The waving limbs that had been wiggling underneath him stopped as Draco regained his ability to breathe.


"No problem," rasped Draco, massaging his windpipe.


"So, what's happened?" asked Dumbledore.


"These two and Potter were facing Draco's father, the Dark Lord, and somehow Peter Pettigrew," started Snape.


"Yes, I've known he was back with Voldemort," said Dumbledore, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "Do continue."


Snape nodded, greasy hair falling limply into his eyes. "When I got here, Draco and Weasley were facing off against Lucius and Pettigrew, while Potter was facing the Dark Lord. At the same time, these two brought down Lucius and Pettigrew and put them in Full-Body Binds and then they tackled the Dark Lord and-"


"Oh for heaven's sake, Severus. Just say the man's name already!" said Dumbledore grumpily. All these years, his campaign to get everyone to just say 'Voldemort' instead of all the other foolish names they gave the man was still failing miserably.


"They tackled the Dark Lord," started Snape again, still refusing to say the name. "right as he hit Harry with the Crutiatus. They took his wand, and then Harry got up and told Weasley and Draco to leave, and now… well, look." Snape pointed into the clearing where Voldemort and Harry were facing each other, their wands outstretched and poised for attack.


~ " * " ~


"So, Danny, what shall we do now I wonder?" Voldemort sneered, his wand firmly back in his hand.


Harry sneered back. "Oh, you can call me 'Harry' again, Tommy Boy. I was a bit… out of my head, shall we say." Harry tilted his head to the side and shrugged a bit. "Pity you like to torture people before you kill them. You might have actually had a chance then. Ah, well. As the Muggles say… You snooze, you lose." Harry smiled cheekily, then took up a dueling stance and glared at Voldemort. "Right then, Old-Man Fart. Are you ready for hell?"


Voldemort sneered and he took on a similar posture. "The question is not am I ready for hell, boy, but are you ready to finally meet your parents?"


Harry stiffened slightly, but forced the comment to the back of his mind as he stared down the man who had wreaked so much havoc over the last few decades. At once, he felt a surge of pain in his scar telling him Voldemort was about to attack. He was right.


"Imperio!"


Harry felt his mind go blank, not unlike the feeling he woke up with that afternoon. He felt no pain whatsoever. Actually, he really felt nothing at all. After a moment, he heard a soft voice float through his mind.


"Walk forward, Harry." Harry wondered why, and the answer was promptly returned. "Great things lie before you."


Oh, that's nice, thought Harry cheerfully. He started moving slowly forward, the soft voice encouraging him the whole way. When he was a mere six feet from Voldemort, the voice spoke again.


"Hold out your wand."


Harry started to put out his wand arm. When it was nearly stretched out, a new voice entered his head. "Why should I?"


"Hold out your wand," the first voice said again.


"No, I don't think I want to," said the second.


"Hand over the wand, Harry," said the first voice, which was now becoming quite menacing. "Now."


Harry's mind was starting to clear as he fought against the curse. Another minute of the voices feuding in his mind and he shouted, "NO!" and flung his arms out wildly.


Both his and Voldemort's wands flew out of their owner's fingers. Voldemort's flew several feet away, across the clearing. Harry's flew into the brush of the Forest. Harry's eyes widened in fear and he scampered off to where he saw his wand land as Voldemort did the same. Harry knelt at the edge of the clearing opposite the path he'd followed to get there. Laying nearby, and still stuck in the Full-Body Bind, was Pettigrew. Harry felt around in the brush, searching for the familiar feel his wand's wood that was quite unlike the fallen twigs and branches there.


He felt his scar prickle again. He knew that Voldemort was about to try and kill him this time, and Harry had no wand to protect himself. He crawled quickly to Pettigrew's side and rolled him over so the older man was like a shield for him. Pettigrew's eyes grew wide, staring in fear at Harry. Harry winced and mumbled, "You owe me." The fear was intensified in Pettigrew's eyes and Harry looked away, ducking behind the man who had betrayed his father. Just in time, too, because the next instant, Harry heard "Avada Kedavra" and Pettigrew went completely limp, nearly crushing Harry.


A roar of rage was heard, and Harry dashed out from behind Pettigrew. He needed his wand now or he was done for. A memory flashed into his head from the summer before fifth year, and he put out his hand and muttered "Lumos." his wand flared to life an inch from his fingertips and he stood.


"Avada Kedavra!"


Harry dodged the spell as only a great Quidditch player could. He countered with "Furnunculus!" and ran.


He turned just as Voldemort was about to hit him with a "Crucio!" The spell zinged past him, catching him on the arm. The spell ripped through his sleeve like a knife and sliced into his wand arm. He pulled his arm to him, clapping his other hand over the wound and angry red blood gushed over his fingers.


He ducked out of the way of another dose of the same curse, most likely better aimed this time, and sent back "Ciechi!" Voldemort screamed in agony and anger as his sight was ripped from him.


Harry grinned at the sightless Dark Lord, letting go of his arm. "Ah, you see, Lady Foldyskirt," Voldemort roared again at being addressed so rudely, and not for the first time that night. "You see, you keep forgetting to check your outdated spell books." Harry was walking around slowly, changing his direction every time Voldemort sent another dose of the Crutiatus Curse in his general direction. "If you had," Harry continued, twirling his wand between his fingers and the slit in his arm all but forgotten, "you would know the dodging spell for that curse. Shame I'm not nice enough to lift it, isn't it?"


"Potter, you will be mine. As soon as I can see again, you will be flying off to see your mother," wailed Voldemort, pawing at his eyes and sending spell after badly-aimed spell in the direction he thought Harry was.


Harry pointed his wand back at the fumbling dark wizard, whose spells were now being sent in the exact opposite direction from him. "I suppose I've had enough fun with you," he said calmly. Voldemort spun on his heel, aiming his wand five feet to Harry's left. Then Harry uttered the sight-giving spell. "Vedere!"


The next instant was filled with a flurry of motion. Voldemort blinked, his sight regained, and searched around for the boy he wanted to kill. Harry sent an "Impedimenta!" at Voldemort, sprinted to his right a few feet and then turned. Voldemort was slowly raising his wand arm, his face twisted in fury.


Harry pointed his wand at Voldemort and recited the incantation he'd been saving for this battle. "L'amore della mia madre conquista sopra voi!"


Halfway through Harry's incantation, Voldemort regained control of his movements, and he screamed "Avada Kedavra!"


Two wails of pain rang out, creating an odd harmony between them. Two bodies slumped heavily to the ground. One body was strained from the effort of its owner's spell. The other was completely lifeless.


Four yells came from the edge of the clearing. Ron, Draco, Snape and Dumbledore raced to Harry's motionless body. Looks of horror twisted each and every face.


"Nooo!"


~*~ TBC ~*~