Dear Readers,

This is the last chapter! (Excluding the epilogue) You will finally see the showdown between Voldemort and Harry. This is not that well done, I must say, but please enjoy anyway.

LunarLitLover

Chapter 5: The Duel

Harry dodged the Crucious curse that Voldemort had thrown at him, but another came at him and hit its mark. Harry began to squirm in agony. He fought the curse; "I will not feel pain. This is not painful." The curse effects receded; Harry had fought it off. With the curse gone, Harry shot some hexes at Voldemort. Only one of them hit him and he shrugged it off. Voldemort returned the favor with more curses. This went on for several minutes as it had with Dumbledore and Voldemort in their previous duel. After a while, though, Harry began to get nervous. Would he end up like Dumbledore? Harry was not gaining an advantage, but he was tiring when Voldemort wasn't. What could he do?

As if a response to that question, Harry slammed into the floor, courtesy of a pain-giving curse that Harry did not the name of. His eyes had been closed on impact, but he opened them now to find Dumbledore's cold eyes staring into his. Seeing Dumbledore, all his anger evaporated. This man had born the weight of the world and done so without ever choosing anything for his own personal reasons. He'd had many chances to kill Voldemort, but had never taken the opportunity. Dumbledore had faith that there was still some good in him. Dumbledore had loved his nephew, a man who didn't know what love was. That was the kind of person Harry wanted to be. He didn't want to leave the world to deal with Voldemort, but neither did he want to become a ruthless killer. And what had Dumbledore said – "Make you mother proud"? Well, Harry would do just that. His mother would want him to love and so would Dumbledore. Harry had loved Dumbledore and Dumbledore had loved Voldemort. If Harry was to die anyway, he might as well save Voldemort in the process. Yes, that's right – save. And he could save him too. If Harry gave up his goodness – in essence, part of his soul – to Voldemort, he would hopefully rid him of the excess amount of evil that consumed Voldemort's life. And Harry would do it – he would let himself perish – for Dumbledore. For his mother. For Ron and Hermione. For Luna. For the world. He would do it.

The magic Harry was about to perform was an ancient magic of love, like his mother's last act. He had learned a bit of it in lessons with Dumbledore, but didn't know the magic necessary for this complex spell. What to do?

Harry stood again, but this time reaching for his own wand. As Voldemort raised his wand, Harry raised his too and cried out the words for a simple hex.

It worked: the Priori Incantatem, like in his fourth year. Dumbledore's ghost was one of the first ghosts to come out of Voldemort's wand. Harry held hard to force the beads of light towards Voldemort as he listened to Dumbledore's instructions on the ancient magic. However, towards the end of the instructions Harry's resolve began to weaken and the beads of light began to slide his way.

"Harry," Dumbledore's ghost said. "Thank you. You've finally become the person you were always meant to be. Harry, I must go soon, but listen! You have enough good in you to do this magic, but still retain enough of yourself to survive. My soul is still in transit to its new destination. You may use some of the goodness still radiating from my body. Thank you! Good luck, Harry, and goodbye." Dumbledore's figure faded away as Harry broke the Priori Incantatem connection. Voldemort was ready to strike, but Harry put up a strong magical barrier that would last for the time being.

Harry diligently set to work, putting all his strength into the project. He summoned goodness from Dumbledore as he was instructed and put as much of himself as he could into the charm. He did a complicated series of spells to combine all the elements together and give them their directions. Lastly, Harry put his love for his family into the charm, and he sent it on its way. On his last bit of strength, Harry watched as it went to work.

Voldemort had his wand raised when the charm assaulted his chest. For a moment, his eyes softened and color flushed his cheek; it was working. Yet, the soul inside Voldemort was too black. Instead of accepting the charm, it turned against it. Voldemort was too evil; he was beyond repair. He could not handle so much love in his body at once. His body began to shut down rapidly as the charm both receded and went deeper into Voldemort's body. Then he collapsed in an unmoving heap, no longer alive. But the power that was in the charm and Voldemort himself backfired and headed towards Harry. He had no strength left to stop it, so he resigned himself to his fate. Goodbye Ron, Hermione and Luna. I love you all.

Yet at the last moment before the surge of impacted Harry, Neville, who'd been nearby the whole time, leapt into its way. Harry yelled for Neville to get out of the way but Neville simply yelled back, "Take care of Luna for me!" before the fiery ball claimed his life.

Harry screamed, "No!" Then, his strength used up, Harry passed out onto the stone cold floor.

Harry awoke in a hospital room in St. Mungo's a week later. Luna had been sleeping by his side the entire week while Ron and Hermione visited often. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Professor McGonagall and Lupin were there when Harry actually began to rouse. When they realized Harry was waking, they all rushed over to his bedside. Then the greetings began; Luna kissed him fiercely, after Ron and Hermione gave him rib-crushing hugs. Lupin welcomed him back while Professor McGonagall was in tears.

Harry could tell that all of them, even Lupin, wanted to know what had happened in the Death Serpent's headquarters a week before. At first he didn't want to dicuss it; it was too painful. But then Harry realized that he was the only one who could give account of the tale, and it would have to be told sometime. So he gave in to their wishes and told what had occurred in that stone throne room below his former residence.

When he finished, they were all in too much shock to react, so Harry took the initiative and asked what else had transpired in the tunnels.

"We fought off all of the Death Eaters down there, Harry. But those weren't the only ones. I bet the Ministry is going to have their hands full rounding up the others. But, Harry, we lost some too. Kingsley, Mad-Eye and Severus were killed."

Harry looked down in grief and shame. The passing of those three, even Snape, hit hard. Even though the reality had not occurred to him yet, the loss weighted heavily on his heart. He had been selfish in telling his story without regards to the others.

"And the school?" Harry finally asked, once he got himself under control.

"Well, that's a bit complicated, Potter," said Professor McGonagall. "I have been chosen as Headmistress and have chosen a new transfiguration teacher as well as a new potions master. However, it was Albus Dumbledore's will that you be appointed Headmaster when you become twenty-five. So, if of course you choose, you will be running the school in about seven years."

"I – I don't know what to say," Harry replied.

"You don't have to make your mind up now, Potter. You've got plenty of time," replied McGonagall.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry responded This was all too much to take in, and his mind was still elsewhere, on Neville.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting back to the school," she smiled politely and left. Lupin said his goodbyes as well, for he had decided to accompany her.

With just the four of them, Harry sighed. He then looked down again, in sadness.

"What is it, Mate?" Ron asked. "It's just so many died because we decided to go that night," Harry said. "How can they replace Dumbledore? Can you see me as Headmaster in Dumbledore's place? What about Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Snape and Neville? They gave up so much for us and this world. Maybe they didn't have to."

"Harry, did you really expect no one to get hurt?" Hermione asked. "They all did what they had to for the good of all. You did that too. You would have given your soul for Voldemort! That's just like their sacrifice. But it's not your fault either. More would've been killed, not less, if you'd have waited. And you know that."

"Don't be sad, Harry," Luna said, staring behind him instead of at him. "They are all right behind you, watching you."

Harry glanced behind him, but, of course, there was nothing but blank wall.

However, he responded by taking her hand and saying, "You're right, Luna; they are still here. They're still here. They are inside me, guiding me and above watching over us. They will always live in our hearts."

Harry then smiled the truest smile he had ever experienced.