Ah, yes I know it has been AGES since I last updated but I am awfully sorry for it, uncontrollable situations yadda yadda yadda, well, the chapter's here now, so all's well right?

Chapter 58. Full of Grace.

Harry's eyes narrowed at Blaise. "How do you know?"

"My father's a Death Eater." Blaise said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Harry glared at him, resisting every urge to beat the boy in front of him into a pulp. "And are you?" He said, in the nicest tone he could manage.

Blaise shuddered. "Oh no, I'm not. I'm not even seventeen yet, my birthdays' in May, and even if I was of age, I would never join."

Harry nodded, but he still didn't trust Blaise at all. "So your father just told you the location over a cup of tea?"

Blaise grinned and shook his head, his dark brown shoulder-length hair matted with twigs and shaking with it. "No, but I overheard him talking about it with Lucius Malfoy not too long ago. And several Slytherins know, and they were talking about it." Blaise said, shrugging.

Harry's eyes narrowed again, and he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. "Why are you doing this?"

Blaise shrugged again, staring at the floor. "I don't know. Hermione was nice, and if you haven't noticed, I do not have many friends in Slytherin." Harry looked away; he didn't want to tell Blaise that he hadn't noticed him at all. "I don't know Hermione enough to tell you that I would be terribly upset if she dies, but I would like to help. Besides, if Hermione dies, then I'm stuck doing our Arithmancy project all by myself, and it's a lot of work." Blaise finished, grinning at Harry.

Harry couldn't help but smile also and silently thanked Hermione for becoming friends with Blaise, otherwise he would have no idea how to get to Voldemort. He sighed deeply, and looked at Blaise, who seemed to be waiting with baited breath for Harry's answer. "Alright." Harry said, and Blaise let out a sigh of relief. "But if this is some trick, I'm going to kill you."

Blaise shrugged, nodding. "Fair enough." He turned away from Harry, in the direction of Buffy's suite, but stopped when he realised Harry hadn't moved. "What are you doing? Don't you want to get Weasley?"

Harry bit his lip, but shook his head, going with the rational side of him. "No, we're not including Ron in this."

"You're not including me in what?"

Ron appeared behind Blaise, his eyes bloodshot, his hands shoved deep in his trouser pockets. Behind him appeared Neville and Luna. "What's going on?" He asked, looking between Blaise and Harry.

Blaise glanced at Harry, and Harry knew what that look meant. Blaise wanted Harry to tell Ron.

"Don't worry about it Ron." Harry said, ignoring Blaise. Ron frowned, looking again at Blaise, then back to Harry.

"You're going after him aren't you? You're going after Voldemort." Ron said, realization dawning.

Harry sighed and leant against the wall, ignoring Ron's angry stare. "Yes, we are. But you cannot come."

"Why not!" Ron shouted angrily, his face turning red with rage.

Harry sighed, thoroughly exasperated. He closed his eyes and spoke very slowly. "Because Ron, it's just going to be us."

"Us!" Ron spat, looking between Harry and Blaise. "You mean Zabini! Harry, that's my sister there! And my best friend! How can you say I can't come!" Ron bellowed, and Harry opened his eyes. Blaise and Neville wore identical expressions of awkwardness, while Luna just stared at the back of Ron's head.

"Harry-" Blaise said quietly, scuffing the floor with the sole of his shoe. "I think Weasley should come." Blaise looked up at Harry, silently pleading with him. "It's his sister after all."

Harry glared at Blaise, angry at him for not being on his side and angry that Blaise was right. Harry looked at Ron, who was silently fuming in front of him, and Harry gave up. "Fine. Come. But only Ron."

Now it was Neville's turn to speak up. "No way. We're coming too." He said bravely, gesturing to Luna.

Harry closed his eyes again; it was like a repeat of last year. And Hermione and Ginny's time was getting shorter and shorter at every moment they spent pointlessly arguing.

"Fine!" Harry snapped angrily. "Come along with us then." He turned to Blaise. "Now how do we get there?"

Blaise grinned. "Follow me." He said, before starting off down the corridor.

Wordlessly, the rest followed him, Harry trying to avoid Ron's angry gaze. The journey was short, and Blaise led them into the first empty classroom they came across.

They filed in, and Neville shut the door as Blaise instructed. Blaise came to stand at a desk with a large, leather bound book on it. He whipped out his wand, and muttered clearly and with the utmost concentration, "Portus."

"How?" Ron said, amazed. To be able to turn an object into a Portkey was difficult magic, and Blaise obviously knew it.

Blaise grinned and glanced at his watch. "I've gotten the second highest grades in the year for the past four years. The only people who have beaten me are Hermione, and you, Harry." He said, almost smugly.

"Wow, I never knew." Neville said with a slow whistle. Blaise shrugged nonchalantly.

"No one ever noticed." He said, but his tone was almost bitter. Ron shared a look with Harry, and Harry knew what Ron was thinking, Ron had never noticed Blaise either.

"Come on, it's almost time." Blaise said, and the others closed in around the leather bound book, placing one finger each on the pages. Blaise looked at his watch, counting down the seconds, and Harry took a deep breath in, realising that he was truly on his way to possibly defeating Voldemort. He also realised with a pang, that there was a large chance that he would not be able to defeat Voldemort, but he promised himself that he would try to take Voldemort down with him.

"Four…three…two…one."

With the familiar tug below his navel, Harry and his friends were whisked away from the classroom, the desks and chairs disappearing from beneath them as they travelled. He could feel Ron and Luna's shoulders painfully banging into him from both sides, but before Harry had time to think about how much he hated this way of travelling, their feet touched the ground and Ron fell down, pulling Harry to the ground with him, the Portkey discarded somewhere on the ground.

Harry groaned quietly and looked up, his scar prickling even more than usual. Blaise was the only one who had managed to stay standing, although he looked slightly pale. The others were on the ground.

It was then that Harry noticed his surroundings, as he stood up and set his glasses right on his face. There were in the middle of a large, circular room, lit only by two torches on the opposite sides of the room. The flames danced on the cold, black stones, illuminating their faces.

"Where are we?" Ron asked fearfully.

"I would have thought that obvious." Blaise said, almost coldly. He ignored Ron's glare and crept to the only door in the room.

"Wait." Harry said, as Blaise made to open the door. He took a deep breath, and carefully addressed the others. "If I don't survive this-"

"Harry, don't think like that." Neville said fearfully, but Harry ignored him.

"I want you to get out of here as soon as possible. Blaise, can you cast another charm on that book to make sure that you lot can get out?" Harry instructed, glancing at Blaise.

He nodded, picking up the book and muttering 'Portus'. The book glowed blue for a few seconds, then returned to normal colour. "This gives us an hour." Blaise said. "After that, the portkey will be useless."

Harry nodded, glancing at his watch. "In an hour, regardless of what happens, you all have to come back here and get yourselves out. Don't wait for anybody; otherwise you won't be able to get back." Harry said stiffly, and he knew that the others knew what that meant. He wouldn't allow them to wait for him.

Blaise stuffed the book into his pocket – he was the only one wearing robes and therefore had a pocket big enough to accommodate the book - and Harry took out his wand, the others following.

"Try not to split up." Harry instructed. "We're better together." The others nodded and crowded behind Harry as he cautiously opened the heavy oak door and peered outside.

The door led to a long, narrow hallway, lit only by several torches hanging on the walls. There were cobwebs on the ceiling, and behind him, Harry felt Ron shudder. Silently, Harry beckoned for the others to follow him and quietly but quickly, they left the safety of the room.

Harry did not have the faintest idea of where they were going. Unlike last year, where he had seen the Department of Mysteries in his dreams, Harry's surroundings were completely unfamiliar.

A nervous shiver went up his spine as Harry realised that they could very well be walking right into a trap, and a horde of demons could be standing around the corner.

But there were no demons around the corner they turned, or the next, or the one after that, and the absence of both Death Eaters and demons worried Harry. Where were they?

It seemed that Ron was thinking this too, for he nudged Harry and whispered quietly his thoughts that mirrored Harry's.

It wasn't long before they heard people talking; however the relief was quickly replaced with fear, for they were in the middle of a long, narrow hall, with no escape, and the voices were coming around the corner.

Unable to think of an escape plan, and belatedly realising that they should run the opposite way, two Death Eaters, conversing quietly, rounded the corner, and looked up at the six teenagers in the middle of the hall, their wands in hand and determined but fearful looks on their faces.

Immediately one Death Eater raised his wand and pointed at Harry, who was in the front of the group, and yelled "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" Harry shouted, just as Blaise and Ron yelled "Stupefy!" at the death Eaters.

The stunning spells missed one Death Eater as he dived out the way, but caught the other square in the chest. The remaining Death Eater looked at each teenager with an almost fearful expression, but raised his wand at Ron and shouted "Ava-"

Harry could see Ron's fearful expression, and Harry remembered from his fourth year, Mad-Eye Moody's impostor telling them that there was no counter curse for the Killing curse.

An emotion filled Harry as he thought desperately that he did not want Ron to die, his best friend who had almost always been there for him throughout his school career and Harry raised his wandless hand and concentrated, and the Death Eater was pushed backwards, the rest of the killing curse dying on his lips.

Ron sighed with relief and smiled thankfully, but shakily at Harry. "That power thing, you've got…its handy."

Harry smiled pensively. "I think so."

"Harry, what did you just do?" Neville said, awestruck.

"I'll tell you later." Harry said, glancing back at the others and saw that they also wanted to know.

With the subject closed, Harry stepped over the now unconscious Death Eaters and headed the way they had come, hoping to find Hermione and Ginny in that direction.

His hopes turned out to be true, for the hall the Death Eaters had come from was very long, and as they walked down it, Harry's scar was hurting more and more. The pain grew worse as they headed down the corridors, the numbers of torches hung on the wall lessened and they were travelling cautiously in dim light.

For the first time, they came across a hall with several doors leading out, and Harry decided they should check each one.

The first door led to a large abandoned room, with several pieces of broken furniture piled in it. The next door led to a seemingly homely room, with a large bed and couch in dark colours. The room was furnished with black and green snakes-snake carvings crawled up the bed posts, the table legs and along the unlit fireplace. Deciding that Hermione and Ginny would not be held in that lavish room, Harry tried the third door, with the others right behind him.

Third time was the charm, for across the room stood a short, stumpy man, dressed in Death Eaters robes but not in a mask. Harry recognised the frazzled and limp hair, the short, stumpy stance, and the glitter of metal on his hand. Wormtail moved a fraction, and this revealed a brown haired girl tied by iron shackles to the wall, her clothes dirty and her hair messy.

Hermione.

On the right hand side of the wall lay Ginny, an ugly purple bruise on her neck and face, her legs drawn up to her stomach. She was unconscious.

Hermione's eyes lifted to the door, and immediately met Harry's. Those eyes that had been dull and scared moments before were suddenly filled with relief among other emotions, and her mouth broke from a frown to a smile.

It was then that Wormtail turned around, a surprised look on his face as he saw the five students standing in the doorway, but moments later, it changed to a look of pleasure as half a dozen Death Eaters appeared behind Harry and his friends, blocking any way out, and promptly stunning them as soon as they realised the Death Eaters were there.

Harry was not quite sure how long he was unconscious for, however, when he woke up he saw Wormtails' beady eyes stare into his and a rage never felt before rose inside of him.

Wormtail smirked, but he stepped back as he saw the fire in Harry's eyes. "Awake at last Potter." Wormtail said slimily. "The Dark Lord is so anxious to see you."

Harry glanced around the room; on his right was Ron in shackles similar to Harry's. Next to Ron was Luna, looking slightly worse for wear. Across the room was Ginny, her eyes bright and shining, and next to her, Blaise with a fresh cut on his face, and finally Neville, looking terrified.

Harry felt someone touch his hand, and he looked to his left where he saw Hermione give him a grateful and hopeful smile, as her fingers brushed against his.

He turned a cold stare onto Wormtail, which made Wormtail shudder slightly. "Get away from me." He spat coldly, and Wormtail smirked.

"I'm afraid I cannot." He said cockily. "For the most gracious Dark Lord has given me a task, one which I will enjoy doing most greatly." He said, leering at Harry.

Harry ground his teeth, "and what's that?"

Wormtail smiled, showing missing teeth amongst his yellowed ones. His gaze moved from Harry to Hermione. "Killing the mudblood."

Harry yelled in anger and tried to leap forward at Wormtail, but the shackles kept him from doing so and he was jerked back, his head knocking on the wall making his eyes tear. Wormtail was laughing at Harry, as well as Ron who appeared to have done the same.

"Master told me this would be fun and gratifying!" Wormtail said gleefully.

"You touch her…" Harry started coldly, but Wormtail only smiled.

"And what shall you do?" Wormtail asked in interest. "What shall you both do?" He asked, now addressing Ron who was squirming in his chains. "Insult me?" He laughed, and turned to Harry. "Your aunt already did that, when she escaped at Christmas. She didn't kill me, like she vowed she would."

"I'll kill you." Harry said through his teeth, and once again he felt Hermione's fingers brush against his. He looked at her, and saw that silent tears were streaming down her face, but she wasn't saying anything, just looking straight at Wormtail.

Wormtail looked at Hermione then, his wand raised, a sick, manic smile on his face. Hermione sighed, almost as if she were giving up and she quietly said "Do it. But do it quick." She said, and then she closed her eyes.

Wormtail scoffed. "Afraid of pain are you?"

Hermione shook her head and she glanced up at Wormtail. "Scared." She said in such a small voice that Harry had to strain himself to hear. It struck him then how much of a child Hermione looked, with a look of absolute terror on her face. She had seemed to have shrunk into a little girl, no more than ten years old, her eyes deeply innocent and genuinely horrified, innocent tears streaming down her face.

And it was then that Harry realised Wormtail wasn't doing anything. Maybe it was the fact that Hermione wanted it over so quickly, or that she was crying but not hysterical so, or that she was not fighting, or maybe it was because she looked no more than ten years old, but Wormtail's resolve faltered.

Harry's hand found Hermione's again, and he squeezed it tightly, trying to give her some sense of security. But it seemed pointless, for although Wormtail's resolve had seemingly faltered momentarily, he had raised his wand again.

Hermione's gaze had not faltered from Wormtail's face, and it didn't falter now when she said, "Please, do it quick."

A look of shock passed on Wormtail's face and a flicker of humanity flared up in his eyes. Harry smiled inside, silently thanking Hermione for being so clever.

"How can you kill her?" Harry said quietly, his voice neither harsh nor angry, but almost calm even though it shook with slight nervousness. "How can you kill someone so young and pure and innocent?" He asked, and Wormtail's eyes squeezed shut. His arm was slack.

"Be quiet." Wormtail whispered, but Harry heard and ignored Wormtail's plea and ploughed on.

"How can you kill her? How can you do this, sell us to Voldemort like this. We're only kids, don't do this." Harry pleaded, feeling his scar burning on his forehead and Hermione's hand squeezing his own.

"Stop." Wormtail said quietly, almost desperately.

"Don't do this Wormtail. You can't, it's just not right, please." Harry begged.

Wormtail's eyes fluttered open and he glanced at Harry. Harry willed Wormtail to not kill Hermione, to not hurt them and he thought he had almost gotten through, when Wormtail's look of resolve returned to his face again and he lifted his wand.

Harry was done with being calm and considerate, he could see the wand inches from Hermione's face, and fear overtook him. "If you kill Hermione than you really are evil, evil to the core. I used to think-hope, that there was some shred of humanity in you, but there's nothing left is there?" Harry spat spitefully, watching as Wormtail cowered under Harry's hateful tone. "I thought it was just the fear of Voldemort in you, but there's nothing there! You're nothing! You're no longer the man my mother liked and respected."

Wormtail's arm was down by his side, and Harry almost thought he had convinced the Death Eater, but he turned to Harry, his eyes blazing of anger and shame. "You know nothing about your parents. Nothing at all. I doubt you even have a single memory of them, except their death."

Harry flinched, but he could see Ron out of the corner of his eye urging him on. "I know that my dad was friends with you. And that my mother trusted you. They both trusted you enough to make you their Secret Keeper; does that not mean anything to you?"

Wormtail's eyes were deadened, it seemed Harry's words had killed something inside of him, and Wormtail opened his mouth to say something, maybe in defence or to agree, but Harry interrupted,

"That night in the Shrieking Shack, three years ago…I thought I was doing something good, I thought I was sparing a decent life, a person who wouldn't do this, who my parents trusted…but obviously, if you're going to kill Hermione, then there was no point in sparing your life."

Harry swallowed nervously as Wormtail seemed to fight an inner battle with himself, his beady eyes shifting nervously from Hermione to Harry. Harry knew his words had gotten through to Wormtail, he could see the look of uncertainty in him, but he did not know what Wormtail was going to decide. It was with baited breath that Harry and the entire room waited for Wormtails decision, and when Wormtail raised his wand, pointing it directly at Hermione, the entire room erupted into protests.

Wormtail ignored it all, his wand aimed directly at Hermione's head. Harry could feel Hermione's hand in his, and a burning anxiety and fear that Wormtail was going to kill her, and then kill them all and a fiery hate and anger rose inside of him…

"I'm sorry." Wormtail whispered, his head shaking, tears in his eyes, "I'm so sorry Lily, James, I'm so sorry...Alohomora."

Immediately, the shackles fell free from Hermione's wrists as Wormtail fell to the floor, sobbing with his head in his hands. Hermione stood a few inches away from him as Wormtail delved into his pockets and pulled out seven wands, and Hermione took them all, using her wand to free them all. Harry stood free at last, his wand in his hand, his scar prickling painfully. Wormtail looked up at him, a fearful expression in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Harry. For everything I've done." He said.

Harry swallowed, glancing at Ron's face which told him he should never forgive Wormtail, and then at Hermione's who told him the opposite. Harry's fists were clenched, but in the nicest way he could, he knelt down to Wormtails level and said as politely as he could, "Thank you."

He wasn't thanking Wormtail for his apology, Harry would never be able to forgive Wormtail for his parents' death, but he had spared their lives, and he was thankful for that at least.

"Help us get out of here. Voldemort is coming." Harry said emotionlessly, and Wormtail nodded, gesturing to a door that Harry hadn't noticed before.

"That will lead you out of this room. There are other doors out of there, so don't worry." Wormtail said, and Harry nodded, his face contorted in an expression of pain, as the pain grew worse as Voldemort came closer.

Quickly, they ran to the door and through it, leaving Wormtail behind in the empty room. Harry paused by the closed door, just as the door from the hall opened. He closed his eyes, it felt as if his scar was splitting open. A hand took his, and through his half closed eyes he could see it was Hermione's.

Quietly, they listened to the muffled voices coming from the other side of the door.

"Where are they Wormtail?" Lord Voldemort demanded, and there was a silence. Harry's heart twisted in fear as he realised Wormtail could give them away.

But he relaxed slightly as he heard Wormtails muffled answer. "I do not know."

"You let them escape, did you not?" Voldemort asked angrily, and Harry could hear Wormtail moaning through the door.

"I did not mean to, master please forgive me." Wormtail pleaded desperately.

"You are useless." Voldemort said over Wormtails' cries. "Avada Kedavra."

Green light shone through the crack between the door and floor, and Hermione's face buried into Harry's chest as they heard Wormtails' cries abruptly stop and the sound of a heavy body hitting the floor.

Harry stood, stock still, the pain even worse as he listened as Voldemort left the room, his heels clicking on the floor. The door shut quietly, and both rooms descended into silence. He glanced around, looking at everyone stricken faces. He locked gazes with Ron, who was looking very pale, whether it was because of Peter's death or the fact that Hermione's face was buried in Harry's chest, Harry did not know and did not really care.

He slowly took out his wand, gently removing Hermione from himself and placed his hand on the door knob. Carefully he opened it, peering inside and sighing with relief to see no one in there.

Except Peter's dead body sprawled out on the floor.

He gestured for everyone to go back into the room, and the rest followed him, Hermione behind him, staring at the walls so she would not have to look at Peter's body. One by one they filed into the room, and Harry told them quietly that they were going to go out the way they had come in. He glanced at his watch, seeing with a pang that they only had twenty minutes left till the portkey would be useless.

Harry turned to the door, just as it opened.

Harry had never been so happy to see his godfather in his life, and Harry put down his wand with a relieved sigh. Buffy and Willow followed after Sirius, and Buffy rushed straight in and enveloped Harry in a tight hug.

"You scared us so much." Buffy said in Harry's ear, her arms tightly wrapped around him. "You shouldn't have gone off like that!" She scolded, and Harry smiled half heartedly.

"He's dead." Willow blurted out, and Harry looked to see her crouching on the floor, her fingers by Peter's neck.

"Who is that?"

Harry swallowed and glanced at Sirius. "Peter Pettigrew." Harry could almost see the rage and anger flare up in Sirius' face, and as if she could see it too, Hermione stepped forward and explained.

"He saved us. He showed us the way to get out and Voldemort killed him for it." Hermione said desperately.

Buffy glanced at Hermione, and then at Sirius, whose face was a mix of battling emotions. "There's no time for this now." Buffy said loudly. "Let's go."

"No." Harry said sharply, glancing at his aunt. He took a few steps to her, so they were so close Harry could see the normally masked fear in her eyes. "I have to finish it."

She swallowed nervously, her eyes welling up, but she nodded. "The Death Eaters are all headed that way." She jerked her head to the left. "That's where you'll find him."

"Thank you." Harry said, looking between Sirius and Buffy.

"Willow. Go with him." Buffy instructed.

"Us." Ron said loudly. "Willow can come with us. We're not leaving Harry alone."

Buffy nodded. "Protect them Willow."

Willow nodded and motioned to the door. The others followed, carefully stepping around Peter's dead body on the floor. Harry felt Buffy's hand in his and Sirius' on his shoulder, before he left the room, turning right as Buffy and Sirius turned left.

It wasn't long before they came across Death Eaters, three who did not hesitate to raise their wands and yell the killing curse at Willow who led the group. Before he could finish, Hermione yelled "Silencio!" and Willow made a tiny, effortless movement with her hand and the Death Eater flew back against the wall, slumping onto the ground. Willow effortlessly took care of the other Death Eaters and they continued on their way.

As they continued to walk, Harry's scar became even more painful, it felt as if his head was splitting open every time they took a step. He knew they were close, and Willow knew it too, for she looked back at him every so often, a nervous look on her face.

They came to a large, wooden door, and Willow stopped, turning to face Harry, whose face was screwed up in pain. "This is it." Willow said quietly. "He's right behind this door."

They all raised their wands, and Willow turned back to the door, raising her hands and opened her mouth to utter a few words, when a jet of purple light flew at Willow and she shot across, landing on a heap on the floor.

Harry turned to the man who had injured Willow-a man he had never seen before with stringy brown hair and shockingly black eyes without any white. He smiled playfully, and held up his hand as a barrage of curses was sent his way. They were merely deflected, bounced off a purple shield.

He stepped forward, sauntering forward as if he owned the world. "Relax." He said casually. "I don't want any of you. None of you interest me." He smiled, looking past them as Willow slowly stood up, blood streaming from her nose. He sniffed the air, and grinned. "But Strawberries on the other hand...I could do with some of that."

"Harry." Willow said softly, but he heard her, and looked back to see her hair a shade lighter than normal. Her eyes were on the man's eyes, but sternly she bellowed "RUN!"

Grabbing the robes of who was closest-Ron and Hermione- Harry turned around and ran backward, not caring that they were going the wrong way. He saw out of the corner of his eyes Blaise, Ginny, Luna and Neville run past Willow and into a door at the end of the corridor, but Harry paid them no more thought as he saw beams of light, all different colours, fly overhead. He could hear Willow's and the man's cries of pain and triumph, and dimly, heavy footsteps on stone that did not belong to him or his friends.

They turned a corner and Harry threw himself into a sealed room, Hermione and Ron after him. The room was circular and dressed in black furnishings, and by an unlit fireplace, a very large snake hissed at them. Nagini, Voldemort's snake.

Ron and Hermione coiled behind him, and Harry faced the snake, hissing softly "Leave us be. Leave us alone," until they had safely gotten across the room and thrown themselves through the heavy black door.

The next room they were in had shelves filled with potion bottles, gruesome weapons and objects that reminded Harry of Knockturn Alley. Ron stopped to peer at a large half rotted head, and promptly shuddered at the look of it, while Hermione stood at the door.

"I don't hear anyone." She said quietly.

"Good, because there isn't a way out." Harry said with an annoyed sigh, and Ron glanced at him.

"We should get back to that place where You-know-who is." Ron said, leaving the half rotted head alone.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We know Ron, but how can we do it if Death Eaters are trying to kill us?"

"Yes, I know, very smart Hermione." Ron said sarcastically, and Harry rolled his eyes and moved to the other side of the room, tuning out their argument as he inspected the shelves filled with potion bottles.

Some of these could have been made by Snape, Harry thought to himself as he inspected every bottle. Hardly any of them had dust on them, which meant they were used quite frequently, or-

Harry stopped at the end of the shelves and glanced at a switch which he had missed before. It was black and painted to look like the wall, but at closer inspection, Harry knew it was something else.

"It would make sense." Hermione mused behind him. "An old building like this, it must have some secret passage ways."

"Wands out y'reckon?" Ron asked and Harry nodded, gripping his wand tightly in his right hand and flipping the switch with his left.

He immediately jumped back - hearing Ron's disgruntled 'umph' as he stood on his toe - when the wall made a loud noise and the shelves moved to reveal a long, spindly staircase that went up.

"That is so Scooby Doo." Hermione said and Harry grinned at her, while the Muggle reference was completely lost on Ron and so he merely looked baffled.

Harry took the first step onto the black staircase, then Hermione, and finally Ron bringing up the rear. The steps were steep, and they seemed to go on forever. Harry had to feel his way up the stairs, none of them dared to light their way, in case a Death Eater found them. Fighting Death Eaters normally was hard enough, fighting them on steep staircases was much worse.

Harry made his way up the steps, the scar throbbing painfully as he neared where he knew Voldemort would be. They neared a large black door and Harry nervously pushed against the heavy handle, his scar almost bursting with pain.

The room they entered was dark, with a high ceiling and beams overhead. The walls were black with dirt, the floor cold and hard stone under Harry's feet. The room was very large, with several doors leading off to other places. On the walls were large portraits, but with no occupants, and suits of armour were placed decoratively along the walls. It was lit by several fires that seemed to hang from mid air, sending a musky, dense smell around the room. Backed against a large wall, raised on a small platform, was a throne like chair, with sturdy arm rests and a high back.

It was empty.

Harry could hear Hermione and Ron move into the room quietly behind him, and despite the pain in his scar that told him Voldemort was in the room; Harry lifted his wand high, which indicated to Hermione and Ron to do the same. They inched around the walls of the room, sticking close to it so as not to alert the half dozen Death Eaters in the middle of the room of their presence.

But that would not work forever.

"My faithful Death Eaters." Voldemorts' unmistakable voice said softly, but it commanded silence, like Dumbledore's. "We have some visitors."

The Death Eaters, who had previously been standing in a circle with their backs turned to Harry, moved as one out of the circle and revealed Lord Voldemort.

Behind him, Ron and Hermione gasped, and Harry knew why. Lord Voldemort had a terrifying face that had haunted Harry's dreams for months after he had seen it. His skin was whiter than bone, his nose flat with slits for nostrils, his scarlet eyes staring at them, holding them to their place.

Voldemort made a simple move with his hand, never once taking his eyes away from Harry's, and two Death Eaters swiftly came behind them and took Ron and Hermione in their clutches.

"Harry Potter. It is so nice to see you again." Voldemort said softly, walking forward. Hermione and Ron struggled in their captors grasp, and Harry knew their wands had been taken. "My, how you've grown." He said, his voice high and cold and strong. "You are terribly predictable."

"I've come to finish this." Harry said, through clenched teeth.

The Death Eaters laughed, and even Voldemort's lips turned slightly upwards. "Have you come to save wizarding world? How dreadfully noble of you." Voldemort said, removing his wand from his pocket with long, spider-like fingers. "You are very brave."

"I've come to do what I was meant to do. That's all." Harry said, his hand gripping his wand so tight he thought he might break it.

Voldemort nodded, gently caressing his wand with his fingers. "Ah yes, you have a purpose. I chose you, over the Longbottom boy, and now, you have come to do what was written." Voldemort said quietly. "You, who were so similar to who I was when I was a child. A half-blood. I suppose you know that is the reason why I chose you."

"Dumbledore told me." Harry said quietly.

The Death Eaters murmured again; but with rage and anger.

"Yes, Dumbledore always knows." Voldemort said quietly. "I made a choice. It was you. And now, you must make a choice." Voldemort made another movement with his hand, and the two Death Eaters brought forward Hermione and Ron, struggling in their grasp. "You must choose who dies."

Harry stopped breathing. His gaze swung towards his two best friends, their faces mirroring the shock that he was sure his showed. Voldemort laughed, his voice high pitched and laced with malice.

"Why?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.

"My dear boy, they will both die in the end. I am just asking you which of them you would like to die first." Voldemort said, walking towards them. Hermione looked away, while Ron stared straight past Voldemort.

"They are not going to die." Harry said firmly, and Voldemort laughed again.

"Harry Potter, ever the optimist." Voldemort said, looking at him. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I won't let you." Harry said firmly, his eyes half-closed from the pain in his scar. "You've killed every person that ever meant anything to me. I won't let you kill them."

Voldemort's face twisted into a look of scorn. "Harry, you were just a year old. You never knew your parents." Voldemort said maliciously. "Even I knew them better than you did."

"You took them away from me!" Harry shouted angrily, his eyes stinging with tears of pain and sadness.

"Harry, you are crying for parents you never knew." Voldemort said, with a twisted smile. "You are mourning for something, someone you have never experienced." Voldemort smiled again. "If all goes well, you may be reunited with them. And your mudblood, poor excuse for a witch - mother will be so happy."

"Crucio!" Harry yelled, his voice laced with anger. Voldemort merely raised his wand, waving the curse off. He threw his head back and laughed, almost hysterically.

"I believe Bellatrix once told you that you have to really feel anger and hatred inside of you for the curse to work." Voldemort said, his voice laced with mirth. He raised his wand and as he shouted "Crucio!" Harry yelled "Expelliarmus!"

It was like reliving the end of the Triwizard Tournament all over again, the jet of red light from Voldemort's wand met Harry's jet of red light in mid-air- Harry and Voldemort both watched a thin beam of gold light connected Voldemort's wand with Harry's, and together, they rose up above the ground.

From beneath him, he could hear Hermione's and Ron's muffled voices as Harry and Voldemort were enclosed in a cage of golden light. Harry looked at Voldemort, and unlike the shocked look that had befallen the wizard when this had happened two years ago, a look of satisfaction was passing across his face.

"I had hoped this would happen." Voldemort said, his voice the only clear sound Harry could hear. The Death Eaters' voices were muffled below them, and Harry turned his attention onto the beam of light connecting their wands. His wand was vibrating so hard he thought he might lose hold of it, but Harry remembered what he had to do.

He concentrated as hard as he could as several beads of light that had been travelling towards Harry shuddered and then retreated, back to Voldemort's wand. The bead of light was quivering closely to Voldemort's wand tip, and very slowly, it inched further and connected.

Immediately, a ghostly figure rose out of the wand, and the ratty face of Peter Pettigrew appeared in front of Harry. "Keep going Harry." He said, looking away from him, as if he was ashamed to look at Harry. "You're doing really well."

Screams of pain were emitted from Voldemort's wand, and then figure after figure rose from the tip of the wand, faces that meant nothing to Harry, people that told him to fight, and to hold on. And then, finally, the handsome face of Cedric Diggory appeared in front of Harry, smiling good-naturedly. "Good luck." He said, before joining the others.

"Here they come." Voldemort said cruelly. "Your parents: the people that I took away from you when you were too young to remember them; yet you mourn them still."

Harry said nothing, but watched as his mother's young face appeared out of Voldemort's wand, then the rest of her body. She smiled at him as his father appeared next, black untidy hair falling in front of his framed eyes.

"Do you remember them?" Voldemort said. "Or do you only remember their deaths?"

Harry did not answer, but concentrated on keeping the connection, his spirits slightly lifted with the almost presence of his parents.

"It was noble of you to come here tonight Harry." Voldemort said softly. "But good does not always triumph over evil."

And then pain, pain like he had never felt before overcame Harry. It filled every part of him, flowed around him with his blood, seeping from every pore. It was worse than the Cruciatus curse, much worse, and Harry could barely hear his own screams over the feeling of all-consuming pain that enveloped him. Emotions filled him, emotions that had never been so strong before-anger, jealousy, hatred…they consumed him and filled him with as much power as the pain.

Flashes of faces, of names, of memories that were not his filled him; the image of a young Tom Riddle looking into the mirror took his mind, and Harry realised that he was looking into the mirror. He was Tom Riddle, looking at his own reflection.

And that was when he realised Voldemort possessed him. But it was not like it was last year, he felt as if he was Voldemort. Two minds were competing for one body, and Harry knew whose was strongest.

And it wasn't his.

As the memories of Tom Riddle filled his mind, his own memories, Harry Potter's memories left him. It was almost as if he could catch them, they were slipping out of his grasp-Harry running from Dudley and his gang when he was a child…Harry playing with Dudley's discarded toys…Harry listening to the Sorting Hat tell him he would be great in Slytherin…

Harry knew that he was dying; he knew that he could no longer fight Voldemort, that it was over, and as Tom Riddle filled him and Harry Potter departed… whispering in his ear; he could hear his parent's voices.

"Harry…We love you, don't forget that." His mother whispered in his ear, and Harry could tell she was crying.

Harry fought against the lump in his throat, and fighting against the constricting feeling in his chest, he whispered "I won't."

"Harry," It was his father now, "We want you to know, we have been watching you, all these years." Harry could hear his mother's muffled sobs, his father's gasps as he struggled to remain in control, and Harry could feel soothing tears run down his own burning face. "We could not be more proud, Harry. You have grown into a fine young man, and we could not be more proud of you." His father's voice, filled with pride was the last thing he heard before something overtook him, something that was even more powerful than the pain, the hatred, the anger.

He could feel it bursting out of him, and with it, all Tom Riddle's memories, all the pain and anger, everything that Harry knew belonged to Voldemort was forced out of him, and he no longer heard the voice of his father, but a scream, a scream that was so encased with pain and anger that it made Harry shiver inside. An emotion overtook him, and he knew that that was what had banished Voldemort. The overwhelming feeling of love shook him, and Harry forced his eyes open against the lingering pain…he saw Voldemort, crouched on the ground, his white face contorted in pain…Harry lifted his wand…and with confidence he never knew he possessed, yelled, "Aequus Malus!"

A beam of golden white light shot out of Harry wand, and hit Voldemort's chest. It was as if time stood still; Voldemort's head snapped up immediately to meet Harry's eyes, his chest shook as if he were having a fit, and from his mouth, Voldemort emitted a loud and pain filled scream that shook the room. His chest glowed brightly, white light overtaking his body until Harry could no longer see Voldemort's face, so contorted with pain. The white light filled the room, and with a force that knocked Harry off his feet, the light seemed to explode, and once again, the room returned to its natural darkness.

Harry stood up shakily, casting his eyes on the ground where Voldemort lay. His eyes were closed; his wand inches from his hand, and abruptly, the pain in Harry's scar… the pain that was always present when Voldemort was…disappeared.

The Dark Lord had finally fallen.

Phew. Finally eh? I'm really sorry it was such a long chapter, I just didn't want to break up the fight scene so yeah, 19 pages, thats a personal record :D Thanks to my ever wonderful reviewers who make my sucky day and my fantastic beta's Elsawriter and Andrew!

Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon...only two more to go woo!

Please review despite the sucky lateness of chapter!