Neither can Live While the Other Survives …

Chapter Three: Mutual Enmity

Summary: Either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives … the Prophecy is about to be fulfilled …who will die at the other's hand? Can Harry say everything he wants to say before it's too late?  Harry must vanquish the Dark Lord, or the Dark Lord will vanquish him …

Disclaimer: I own this plot as no one but JK herself knows how it will end.

AN: Hi, sorry it's taken a while to update this; been working tirelessly on The Good New Days. Been thinking hard about how to do this, and basically, this is how I reckon Harry Potter will end, end. So, go on. Review. You know you want to.

Sakura Sayoran: Glad I've got you hanging; that's why I write! Review this one, yeah? Lol thanks.

LauraLou: Thanks for the review, yeah, Harry is kinda in love with Ginny. No, he doesn't really understand it yet; she's just Ron's little sister at the moment … more on that in this chappie!

Mystikalolo: Oh, don't you worry. Harry will sock the Death Eaters. Haha. Glad you liked it so much. Queen of Cliffies? Like it.

Templa Otmena: Lol, you read my mind. I did get the idea for Ginny from Lord of the Rings; I see her as a kind of Eowyn figure. Oh, you're a Luna fan too? Yay! I love her; she's so like my best friend is.

Phoenix Padfoot: Um, … well I can't tell you if he will! But … oh ok. Sort of.

Califon: Wow, your review was inspiring.

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          Voldemort turned his white head with complete indifference. He had expected this. "Yours, Dumbledore?"

          Dumbledore raised his head. "Yes, my army. To defeat you."

          Voldemort smiled cruelly. "Well, well. This is slightly more impressive. I was worried for a moment that our final fight would be far too easy and therefore no fun. But it seems, that you have put quite a good little group here, Albus. But … if I may be so bold as to say … they look a little … outnumbered."

          It was true; those who stood behind Dumbledore combined with those that stood behind Harry were vastly outnumbered.

          Dumbledore smiled benignly. "Yes, yes, they are fairly able. All with one goal in mind."

          Voldemort chuckled softly. "I presume that would be some glorious act of heroism?"

          "Oh no, Tom. Only for good to prevail over evil."

          "Well, in that case, I suppose – "

          " – NOW!"

          As Harry yelled, as instructed, all the people around him alone sent Stunning spells, carefully practised over the last two years at as many Death Eaters as they could. Bodies fell, crying in pain, blown backwards with tremendous force into opposite walls. Plaster flew off the walls as the Death Eaters smashed into them hard.

          "REDUCTO!"

          "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

          "STUPEFY!"

          "ANGORA!" 

          So it had started.

* * *

          "It's started," said Lupin in a small voice shaking with suppressed eagerness. "The fight's started."

          Below them, underneath them even, noises were now distinguishable. The very floor shook with forces of spells missing and hitting the walls … cries of pain were soon to be heard … Remus knew that Harry and his friends would be fighting.

          "Why aren't we movin'?" asked Mundungus Fletcher, his bloodshot eyes less baggy than was usual; the evening before was not one where he had consumed alcohol or thought about selling stolen goods on the account of his pessimistic view that it would no longer be necessary in the days to come.

          "You know why," said Mad Eye Moody.

          "Aye, I know I do, but I'm askin' why we're obeying a stupid plan tha' doesn't make any sense!" he said.

          "Listen to me laddie –"

          " – No, you listen to me –"

          "That stupid plan was arranged by Dumbledore, so if you're under the impression that you are superior to him then please by all means, go out and kill us all –"

          "Enough!" Lupin barked. "If either of you thinks this is the best time for confrontations then I am in serious disquiet for your health!"

          Mundungus fell silent and looked at the floor; Moody was eyeing him with a grizzly strip of hair blowing about his face in the wind from the open window.

          "This is a fight to the death. Any disputes can wait until after."

          Mundungus looked up almost apologetically. "Well, you see, Remus, there might not be an after –"

          "Any disputes," he said slowly, "will wait until after." The others nodded in agreement, a steely expression on their faces. "We must wait. We are Harry's backup."

*()*

          The Death Eaters were almost all inside the Entrance Hall now, some stumbling over the bodies of their already fallen comrades. Ginny streaked past Ron, head down and wand in her hand. Ron glanced up and did a double take.

          "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he yelled at the top of his voice, completely forgetting he was mid-fight will a Dementor, his Patronus flickering dangerously. 

          Ginny swerved after shooting a well aimed Bat Bogey Hex at one of the smaller oncoming giants, who were now knocking walls over in their haste to join the fray. The giant Ginny hit went down on it's knees, momentarily stunned by the bats around it's face, a stupid expression on it's face before it began to flail its arms dangerously. Ginny had started a trend; the others started to try the hex.

          "What does it look like I'm doing?" she said angrily.

          "YOU'RE … YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!"

          "RON!" Ginny yelled. His Patronus had died and the Dementor was swooping down on him. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" she yelled. An enormous white horse blasted from her wand and knocked the Dementor back ten feet. Ron ducked, still sweating, having not realised his mistake.

          "I – I … thanks, sis," he said shakily, unable to think of a good reason as to why she should not be there.

          "Don't mention it," she said and sprinted off in the other direction. As she ran, she caught Harry's eye, who was watching her. He smiled, amidst the chaos, and through everything going on around her, Ginny felt her heart soar, feeling slightly selfish afterwards.

          Harry, on the other hand, had no time to admire Ginny; he had just spotted Parvati and Padma trying to take on three Death Eaters single handedly. They both knew what spells to send; within minutes, the Death Eaters were failing to block the complex curses Harry had previously taught them, but he had a feeling, a notion, a foreboding that they would not block the next spell. On his way to Malfoy, Harry forced both their black heads down as jets of purple light soared over their heads, fluffing their hair in the process. Parvati and Padma barely had time to thank him; Draco Malfoy was sitting in the doorway of a corridor, cowering.

^*^

          It took Harry a long time to reach the younger Malfoy; he barely had time to aim any spells at the amount that was being sent at him – and he hadn't even seen Voldemort for the second time yet. He reached Malfoy, who didn't seem to notice he was there.

          "Are you just going to sit there all night?" said Harry angrily, throwing himself behind the wall Malfoy was hiding behind as yet another spell came hurtling past his head.

          Malfoy stared ahead, stared into blankness. He could not hear Harry at all. Harry waved a hand impatiently in front of the blond head. Malfoy's eyes flickered dully.

          "MALFOY!"

          He looked at Harry. "I – I can't."

          Harry looked angrily around. "What do you mean, you can't? You know damn well that you can! Sitting there, feeling sorry for yourself – you're a real Slytherin, you are!"

          Malfoy swallowed, ignoring a resounding clang as a spell hit the ceiling above his head. "I can't because … he's there."

          Harry looked around, annoyed. He did not have time for this. "What? Who's here?"

          "M – my father."

          Harry spotted Lucius Malfoy sending random jets of light at random people. Voldemort was no where to be seen …

          "Go out and fight him!" Harry retorted furiously. "Isn't that what you decided? Isn't that why you're not on the other side, wearing a cloak with the Dark Mark in your arm?"

          Draco shook his head. "I can't because … he'll kill me."

          Harry frowned and screwed up his forehand. "Then kill him first!"

It was as though this concept made too much sense to abuse.

"I can't."

"You can, and you will. You have to!" Harry grabbed Malfoy by the scruff of his neck and threw him out into the fray.

^!^!^

          Neville was out numbered. It was all very well; these special Defence Classes that Harry had set up to teach them almost everything. Harry had been right; it wasn't just memorising a bunch of spells and throwing them pell-mell at the first person. Neville screwed up his round shining face in concentration as he raised his wand. Bellatrix Lestrange, whom Harry had not noticed was there, was smiling cruelly at him.

          "Oh, poor little lost boy, about to go the same way as his parents …"

          "I am NOT!" Neville shouted, his voice strong, his spell shooting out of his wand.

          Bellatrix deflected it with a wave of her wand, almost casually. Neville's wand slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground from the force of the deflection spell. The two Death Eaters closed in behind him, laughing. Bellatrix joined in with them.

          "Little Longbottom … it's got quite a nice ring to it, don't you think?" she said amusedly.

          Neville scowled at her pale face with a look that went beyond hatred in his eyes. "You're going to die – " he said slowly, in a voice that was most unlike his own.

          "Oh, really?" said Bellatrix, still laughing softly. "Do you know how loudly I made your parent scream?" The Death Eaters behind him narrowed their eyes.

          " – And I'm going to be there," he finished through gritted teeth.

          "Crucio!" Bellatrix said quietly. The spell hit Neville and he went down onto his knees, screaming in pain. It was an unnatural noise, a noise that should not be made by humans. Bellatrix walked slowly around him, circling him, like a bird toying with its inevitable prey.

          "Going to die, am I?" she said. "And you're going to be there?"

          Neville writhed on the floor.

          "No, baby boy, you're really not."

          Neville closed his eyes; he did not want to see the face of this woman.

          "Now," she said. "Let's play a little game. Say, mummy and daddy are bonkers."

          Perhaps if Parvati had seen the two Death Eaters masked by the wall standing behind Neville, she would not have done what she was about to do. Perhaps if she had known they were there, she would have re-thought her actions, but as it was, she did not see them. All she saw was Neville in pain on the floor, and a witch, standing alone, causing it. Parvati took a deep breath and barrelled into Bellatrix, knocking her flying. The curse was lifted instantly and Neville rose shakily to his feet. He couldn't prevent what happened next; one of the Death Eaters hit him with the full Body Bind curse, the other went to Bellatrix's aid and pulled Parvati off of her.

          The Death Eater held Parvati's arms by her sides, her wand pointing uselessly at the floor, completely vulnerable. Parvati didn't even hear the curse. She didn't even feel it. All she saw was a jet of green light, and then blackness.

          Bellatrix did this without that slightest indifference, and then turned her wand on Neville. He scrambled to his unsteady feet, glaring at her with equal bravery. As she raised her wand, Neville braced himself … and the door to the dungeons flew open.

          Out of the doorway surged another thirty or so people, Snape in the lead. He charged forwards with a certain amount of aggression on his face, wand held high, and ploughed into the Death Eaters flanking Bellatrix. She was momentarily distracted, and turned away from Neville who took the opportunity to scramble away.

^*^*

          It was after Harry had thrown Malfoy forwards that he had spotted her; Bellatrix toying with Neville. Harry ran as fast as his legs would carry them but was forced to hurl himself sideways, mid-run to avoid more jets of light; this particular one was crimson red in colour and left a trail of steam behind it, making Harry immensely glad that his Quidditch reflexes allowed him to move in such a way that others could not.

          Harry continued to run and saw Parvati charge towards Bellatrix. She had not seen the other Death Eaters … she was running straight into both of them …

          Harry stopped running, skidding to an ungainly halt and jarring his knees. "PARVATI! NO!"

          But it was too late. She had bowled into Bellatrix … Bellatrix directed her wand … he was too late.

          Harry was not aware of beginning to run once more; all he knew that whatever he was doing was in a very dream like state … his legs felt like jelly and he stopped in front of Bellatrix just in time to watch Parvati Patil's dead body fall dully to the floor.

          Harry stopped; his mouth hung open, he was not aware of how dangerous it was to be standing still. Parvati's eyes were wide and staring, as though she were still awake and could quite not believe what had happened. Harry knew there would be casualties, people he loved, perhaps even himself … but to see the first person fall, to see the first person die whom he had known for seven years so easily … Harry was stunned. It seemed that others were too; many on his side were stopping in their tracks, distracted by one of their own falling victim to the Death Eaters. He had completely disregarded the welcoming arrival of Fudge, Snape and the other parents from the dungeons who were evening up the odds quickly.

          Bellatrix sensed Harry's momentary weakness, sent a jet of light straight at him … but it was not Harry who deflected it. It was Ron. He turned quickly.

          "What are you doing?" he hissed.

          "Saving your life for a change," Ron answered. "Sirius and Parvati were my friends too."

          Harry studied him for as long as time would allow before answering. "OK."

          Simultaneously, they sent their spells at their mutual enemy, side by side, as always.

*"*"

AN: THIRD instalment: complete! Ooh, hotting up then. I should say, I don't think this is going to be half as long as any of my fics. Sorry about Parvati. Hmm, now who do you think I'm gonna kill? Haha. READ AND REVIEW! PLEASE! Savvy?