A/N: I didn't expect anyone getting the allusion to the story of Hades and Persephone as it was a very small hint of it in the story. "'That's why you're not allowed to eat or drink anything here,' Sirius said." Persephone wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything in Hades. That was a tricky one, and it could have confused some of you as Persephone ate something and wasn't allowed to leave, but you could still make it through the Veil in this story if you drank the water.
DISCLAIMER: (see previous chapters)
Chapter 18: No Limits
Sirius led Harry and Ginny back to Stonehenge. A sudden breeze picked up as the Veil parted and let them through. The smell of smoke, blood, and death was overpowering. Even though it was mid afternoon, the sky had turned dark as Dementors glided through the grounds, fighting for Voldemort. Giants were stomping along, making the ground shake slightly. Harry could make out Jenny, sending an army of Sylphs and Faeries into battle. Fires had started all over, and he saw Salamanders there, throwing flames at their opponents.
"Oh, my God," Ginny whispered behind him. The place no longer looked like the mysteriously beautiful Stonehenge. It was a battlefield, an area of destruction, and people were dying and in pain.
"Harry," Sirius said. "Take Ginny and go find Ron and Hermione. Then go to Jenny. She'll take care of you guys."
"But-"
"Jenny is going to need help controlling all those Elementals. The girls and Ron can help, but you and Jenny have to keep them under control, or they might start to fight each other. Now, go." Sirius rushed to help Remus Lupin, who was dueling two Death Eaters at once about ten feet away from where they were standing.
Harry grabbed Ginny's hand. "Come on. We have to find Ron and Hermione."
"Harry, what if they're-"
"No, they are not. We gotta find them. Let's go." Harry pulled her into the battle. They held their wands tightly. Ginny saw Bill, still alive and fighting a Dementor. Her father was dueling a Death Eater not too far away from him. Then she saw Ron, fighting intently with another Death Eater. And right behind, lying unconscious on the ground, was Hermione. She let go of Harry's hand and ran towards them. Harry followed her, and stunned the Death Eater from behind.
"Ginny!" Ron yelled when he saw her rush over to them. She launched herself into his arms, and they hugged tightly. "We thought you were dead. You fell through the Veil." They pulled apart and Ginny knelt down besides Hermione.
"She's not-" Harry began.
"No. She just fainted," Ron said. He was panting, and there was a gash on his arm, and his face was dirty and sweaty.
"Jenny can heal her. Come on, let's take her there." Harry helped Ginny up, and Ron carried Hermione. They hurried across the field towards Jenny.
"What happened?" Jenny asked when she saw them approach. Ron laid Hermione gently on the floor. "She got hit with the Cruciatus, and then she fainted," he told her.
"Why didn't you bring her sooner?" Jenny demanded, kneeling down next to the unconscious girl.
"Because I didn't know where you were!" Ron said angrily.
Jenny ignored him. "Harry, try to keep the Sylphs under control. They're going to end up fighting the faeries if we are not careful." Harry turned and started to call the Sylphs into order.
The Death Eaters didn't seem to be retreating, but doubling their efforts to wipe out the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix. From where they stood, Harry and Ginny could see everything that was happening. On one side of the field, Dumbledore was dueling Voldemort. And by the looks of it, he was losing.
"What are we going to do now?" Ginny asked. Tears were rolling down her cheeks unchecked. Ron turned away from the scene that was unfolding in front of them. They heard coughing and gasping for air and Jenny telling her to relax and stay still for a few minutes.
Movement was stopping all around them. If Dumbledore lost, then the war would be over, and Voldemort would reign. Harry removed his mother's ring from his pocket. He took Ginny's hand and slowly slipped the ring into her finger. Then he set of without a word towards where Dumbledore and Voldemort were dueling.
Ginny looked down at the ring. "Harry, no, stop!" she yelled after him. Ron, Hermione, and Jenny turned and saw Harry walking away from them.
"Where's he going?" Hermione asked.
Jenny sighed. "To the end."
"Face it, Dumbledore," Voldemort said. "Your hero is dead, and I'm indestructible."
"That's two you got wrong, Tom," Harry interrupted, reaching the clearing where they were dueling. "You are not indestructible; you're a mere mortal like the rest of us. And as you can very well see, I'm still alive."
Harry noted that Dumbledore looked extremely old and worn out. He seemed drained and he was bleeding. Harry felt disconcerted and saddened. Dumbledore had always seemed immortal to him. It upset him to realize he really wasn't.
"You, Potter, should consider yourself very lucky," Voldemort hissed venomously. "And you have annoyed me for far too long. I won't allow you to ruin my plans again." He pointed his wand at Harry.
Harry looked at the wand, and remembered what had happened the last time he had dueled with Voldemort, in his fourth year, at the end of the Third Task. "This time, it's on my terms."
Before Tom had a chance to reply to that, an earthquake shook the ground, making many people lose their balance. A cloud of dust, dirt, and earth rose up to fifteen feet, and made a circle surrounding Harry and Voldemort.
"What the hell is that?" Ron yelled over the renewed screams and sounds of battle.
"A Paxturus Clash," Jenny explained. They stood near the blur of earth that swiveled around Harry and Voldemort. "You'll never be able to reach the other side while the duel is going on."
Dumbledore slowly looked back towards the battlefield. He raised his wand and a golden phoenix shot out of the tip. The phoenix slowly flew through the battleground, renewing the Order's strength.
From the distance the sound of marching could be heard. Ginny, fearful and awed by what was going on, turned to see a small army marching onto the field. It was composed of mean-looking goblins; wizards and witches who had been called on to help, most from the Ministry and untrained, but willing to fight nonetheless; house elves, all which were wearing the same Hogwarts dish towel; centaurs with bows and arrows; and even a few giants stood on the background, following Hagrid and Madame Maxime. How Dumbledore had managed to get so many wizards and witches and magical creatures together in a few hours' time was nothing short of a miracle, Ginny realized, her jaw dropping in shock.
Jenny quickly turned back to the Elementals, giving them orders in a language unrecognizable to those standing by her, but obviously understood by the ethereal creatures in the battlefield. They started fighting with a ferociousness that Ginny, Ron, and Hermione had never seen before. The Order of the Phoenix seemed to get strength as more curses and hexes flew around, most hitting their targets, some just barely.
"Impressive, Potter. Shame I'm still going to kill you," Voldemort whispered.
Harry glared at him, hatred and contempt in his eyes. "You haven't managed to kill the last four times we've had the pleasure of facing each other, what makes you think you can kill me now?"
The outrage on Voldemort's face intensified and he wore the same look of anger and loathing as Harry. Without another word, he raised his wand and cast the Cruciatus Curse.
"Jetonage," Harry whispered, making a small gesture with his hands. The red light that had shot from Tom's wand reflected off Harry, causing no harm. The Dark Lord frowned in confusion, then cast the spell again. Harry again deflected, this time making the light go back towards Voldemort. He fell to his knees in pain, although he wasn't crying out. Harry felt an intense pain in his scar but struggled to remain standing. He finally released the spell.
Gasping and panting, Voldemort stood up. "A remarkable trick, Potter," he got out between pants, but he was recovering quickly. Harry said nothing to him, wary of what might happen next.
Tom raised his wand again and hissed," Interditent!" The spell again was sent back to its caster. A force field seemed to surround Tom. He screamed, causing Harry's scar to throb painfully and making him fall to his knees. He punched the ground, and an earthquake shook the area in which they stood. He heard Ginny and Hermione scream from the other side of the cloud of earth hiding him from their view. He punched the ground again, this time making a crack. Voldemort fell, and the crack closed over his leg. He howled in pain, and Harry slowly stood up, fighting the pain in his head.
Minutes passed by slowly, as blood gushed from Tom's leg. He looked in distress as his own blood covering his robes. Harry felt a change in the atmosphere. The cloud of dust suddenly dissipated. He saw Ginny and Mrs. Weasley trying to rush towards him, but Jenny and Sirius held them back. Fire sprung from the earth surrounding Voldemort and Harry, replacing the Earth.
Ron cursed out loud, but no one bothered to admonish him. Dumbledore looked straight at the fire, not moving an inch. Jenny and Hermione were trying to calm Mrs. Weasley down, as she was getting hysterical about Harry. Sirius was pacing around, not knowing what to do. Ginny looked at the fire, fear gripping her heart. She wished she could be there to help Harry. She was terrified by everything going on around her at that moment. People were dying, falling to the ground without a single movement. Dementors were administering the Kiss to anyone who got close enough. Death Eaters were torturing people she had known all her life: her dad's coworkers, her friends' parents, members of the Order she had come to know and love, her own family. Ginny turned her face to hide her teas. If her mother saw her crying, she'd be even more upset.
At that moment, a heavy rain fell as the fire started to die down. The water moved on its own, flowing towards the fire and in a matter of seconds, replacing it. They looked at it with wide eyes, but didn't say a word. But there was nothing they could say.
"What magic is this?" Voldemort demanded furiously, blood oozing from arm, leg, and a few cuts on his face.
"Paxturus Natura," Harry answered. He was also bleeding from one of his arms, and his ankle felt broken. His scar was throbbing and pounding, making him so sick he wanted to throw up.
Anger radiated from Voldemort. Anger and fear. "You fool. Do you honestly think you can defeat me with a few nature tricks?"
"So far, I have been winning," he replied.
"Plaitesyhe!" Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry. The spell hit him square in the chest. He fell to his knees as he fought against it as hard as he could, putting up the internal wards that Jenny had taught him.
He heard Tom muttered something under his breath, and another flash of pain surged through his body. He cried out in agony. The pain was almost too much for him to bear, but Harry did his best to keep the wards up. He slowly stood up, trying to ignore the pain.
"When is this going to end?" Hermione asked in a strangled voice.
Acantha floated towards the isolated group. "It's close. We're being called." Jenny nodded to her, and she floated away. "Right," Jenny said, turning to everyone. "We have to move away from here."
"No, I'm not leaving Harry!" Ginny cried.
"It's only for a couple of minutes so you don't get killed," Jenny argued with her. "I think Harry would prefer it if you were alive."
Ron grabbed Ginny's arm. "Come on, Gin. Please." They followed Jenny and the rest of the group away from where Harry was, and just in time. The water barrier splashed out, wetting everyone's feet. The wind picked up suddenly, and Hermione, who had never seen a tornado except on muggle television, gaped wide-eyed at the four twisters closing in on Harry and Voldemort. It was only a matter of seconds before they replaced the water barriers, expanding out and blocking the duelers from view for the fourth time.
"How many more times is this going to happen?" Ron asked, frustrated.
"That was the last time," Jenny reassured him. "The next time the barrier comes down, one of them will be dead."