Chapter Nineteen – Fall from Grace

Lord Voldemort let out a scream of frustration. Ginny hoped that the scream could be heard. She didn't have the strength to send out the red warning sparks that was the signal.

"What have you done?" he asked menacingly, shaking her shoulders.

"Bringing you down to my level," Ginny hissed. "You stole Draco from me. So I'm stealing something from you."

"And what do you think you will steal, girl," Lord Voldemort said angrily.

Ginny looked over his shoulder and saw Professor Dumbledore and Harry behind him. Both had their wands stretched out, ready to duel.

A slow smile spread across her face. "Your life," she whispered.

Lord Voldemort dropped her to the ground. Ginny cried out in pain as she fell. She heard Professor Dumbledore cast an anti-disapparation jinx on Lord Voldemort.

"This ends today, Tom," Professor Dumbledore said casually.

"You foolish girl," Lord Voldemort said in a low voice. "You think getting rid of me will bring him back?"

Ginny glared at him, hatred filling her every pore.

"Expelliamus!" Professor Dumbledore's voice cried out. Ginny had to wipe the tears that had started to fall. She was still bleeding. She needed to heal her wrist, and soon.

Lord Voldemort blocked the spell easily. "Do you really think an old man and two children can stop me, the greatest wizard of all time?" he started laughing wildly.

He pointed his wand at Ginny. "You once asked when you would be killed. I said it would be when you've outlived your usefulness. That moment has arrived, girl," he said.

"Avada Kedarva!" he shouted at the exact moment Harry cried out "Stupefy!"

Ginny continued to stare at Lord Voldemort. If he was going to kill her, she refused to close her eyes. She would welcome death with eyes wide open.

However, the killing curse never reached Ginny. She watched as Harry's and Lord Voldemort's locked forces. Harry had told her about this, that their wands can not do battle against each other.

Ginny saw that Lord Voldemort was desperately trying to break the connection between the wands. But Harry was holding on fast. There was sweat dripping down the side of his face, tricking down his clenched jaw.

The confrontation gave Professor Dumbledore enough time to go over to Ginny. He took her blood soaked wrist, pointed his wand at it and whispered, "Curatio." Immediately, Ginny felt a warmth spread throughout her body.

"Thank you," Ginny whispered as she gently wiped her blood off of her wrist.

Just then, the connection between Harry and Lord Voldemort was broken. Harry was thrown violently to the ground. Lord Voldemort spun around and faced Ginny. She looked frantically around for her wand, which had been knocked to the ground.

Professor Dumbledore tried to stun him, but Lord Voldemort somehow managed to reflect the spell, causing it to hit Professor Dumbledore in the chest. Professor Dumbledore gave Ginny a small smile and then crumpled to the ground.

"Accio wand!" Ginny cried. She knew it was a long shot, but sometimes she had been able to summon her wand to her. The next moment she felt her wand securely in her hand.

Just as Lord Voldemort cast a stunning spell, Ginny screamed, "Protego!" A shield formed around her, causing the spell to bounce harmlessly away. "Get ready Harry!" she cried.

Ginny pointed her wand at Lord Voldemort and yelled, "Stupefy!" A beam of red light burst from her wand and hit Lord Voldemort. Ginny wasn't conceited enough to think that a stunner coming from her wand would actually stun Lord Voldemort.

He stumbled, which was exactly was Ginny was hoping for. "Finish it, Harry!" Ginny cried. "Finish it!"

Harry took his wand and said in a steely voice, "Avada Kedarva!" A flash of green light could be seen and Lord Voldemort toppled to the ground unceremoniously.

It was suddenly very quiet. All Ginny could hear was the sound of her and Harry breathing.

"Is he dead?" Ginny asked in a small voice.

"I hope so," Harry said, his voice shaking. He walked up next to Lord Voldemort's body and looked hard at it. "He's not breathing."

Ginny glanced at the body, and saw the terrified look on his face. She closed her eyes, and tried to remember him as Tom, when she had been in love with him, before Draco.

Draco…

She pulled her knees up to her chest and started rocking slowly. She missed Draco so much it hurt. Ginny knew she would do anything to have him back in her life, but also knew that that would never happen.

"Is Professor Dumbledore okay?" Ginny asked softly, laying her head on her knees. She couldn't understand the feeling of emptiness inside her. She had her revenge; she helped with Lord Voldemort's downfall. Wasn't she entitled to a sense of peace?

"Ginny!" Harry screamed.

Ginny jumped up and looked in horror at the picture in front of her. Lord Voldemort was standing up, his hand around Harry's throat, holding him up off of the ground.

"Did you actually think the Killing Curse would be enough to stop me?" Lord Voldemort sneered. "I have planned for that very curse from you for ages."

Harry was choking; Ginny could see him gasping for air. She felt her wand in her hand, but knew there was no spell she could possibly do to save Harry. Ginny's eyes locked with Lord Voldemort's and she knew what she could do.

"My life for his!" Ginny cried.

Lord Voldemort loosened his grip on Harry's neck. Ginny watched as Harry took a deep breath. "Continue."

"Let him go, and I will take my life for you willing," Ginny whispered. Lord Voldemort didn't know about the prophecy. As long as Harry was alive, they still had a chance to kill Lord Voldemort. If Ginny had to die to bring him down, so be it.

"Ginny, no!" Harry yelled. Lord Voldemort tightened his hold and Harry started choking.

"How will I know that you will go through with it?" Lord Voldemort asked.

"How will I know that you'll let Harry go?" Ginny countered. She knelt down before him. "We trusted each other once, Tom. Surely, we can trust each other again?"

Lord Voldemort threw Harry down to the ground. "Give me your wand," he ordered.

Ginny looked up at him. "I don't have a knife. I need my wand to break the skin," she said softly.

"Ginny, don't do this," Harry wheezed. "Please, don't."

She looked back at Harry and gave him a smile. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would be in this position; being willing to give up her life for the boy-who-lived.

"Its okay, Harry," Ginny whispered. "I want to do this."

Ginny touched her wrist with the tip of her wand. For some reason unknown to her, she couldn't make herself say the incantation that would reopen her wound. For almost five minutes Ginny felt Lord Voldemort and Harry's eyes staring at her.

"This is growing tiresome, Ginerva," Lord Voldemort said angrily. "Say this spell!"

She didn't look up. All she could do was stare at the ground. "Say the spell," she whispered to herself. "Say the spell."

"Enough," Lord Voldemort snapped. "The deal is off."

Ginny looked up quickly. She saw that Lord Voldemort's wand was not pointed at Harry but at her. Still, she could not make herself say the spell.

"Avada Kedarva!" Lord Voldemort cried. Ginny waited for her life to leave her. But then she saw Harry run in front of her, taking the spell.

"No!" Ginny screamed. This wasn't what was supposed to happen! "Harry!" But by then it was too late. Harry was on the ground, his eyes opened wide.

Ginny ran and knelt next to Harry. "Why?" she asked, tears pouring down her face. Harry was the only possible way to defeat Lord Voldemort. Now Ginny would never have her revenge.

"You shed tears over Potter, Ginerva?" Lord Voldemort asked. He waved his wand and Ginny was lifted up and then slammed into the ground. "You little whore. How many men have you had under your spell?"

"Fuck you, Tom," Ginny spat. She held her wand tightly, though realizing she was no match for Lord Voldemort on her own.

"Our relationship has officially bored me," Lord Voldemort said. He raised his wand. Ginny could see the tip growing green. Death would be welcomed now.

"Avada Kedarva!" Lord Voldemort cried for the second time. Again, Ginny waited, eager to meet death. But then Lord Voldemort fell slowly to the ground.

Ginny's eyes went wide. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, but she knew what she needed to do. She ran to Lord Voldemort's body and took his wand from his wand. Quickly, she broke it in half. Then, feeling disgusted with herself, she did a severing charm at his neck, removing his head from his body. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

She walked slowly over to Professor Dumbledore, who was still stunned. Ginny sat down on the ground, cross-legged, staring at Lord Voldemort's body. Time passed, Ginny wasn't sure how much.

A hand touched her shoulder, causing Ginny to jump up off of the ground. Professor Dumbledore stood before her. "Stay here. I will inspect the body."

Ginny watched as Professor Dumbledore walked over to Lord Voldemort's body. He cast a few spells and then walked back to Ginny.

"It's over."

-----

A/N – Just so there's no confusion, this is not the last chapter. Cheers!