Message In A Bottle

Chapter 26

All eyes were fixated on the front of the room. Harry was approaching his nemesis with his wand at his side. This was it, the moment they had all been waiting for. The past six and a half years flashed before him in a blur.

"You hurt Hermione," Harry said. "I'm going to make you pay for that." He took another step forwards. "You abused her mother and kept her prisoner. YOU HURT MY BEST FRIEND!"

"She is my daughter," Voldemort hissed. "I have every right. That is the one thing I have done that YOU have no right to criticize. What a man does within his own family is no one's concern."

"You're sick! You've attacked my friends, tried to get at me, AND killed my parents!"

"Don't you ever let the past die?" he laughed. "They're dead, Potter, and you didn't even get a chance to know them. How can you miss people you hardly even knew?"

"CRUCIO!" Harry had never used this curse before. It was really just torture. He had no need to torture anyone. But as soon as Voldemort spoke about his parents, he knew what he had to do.

Hermione watched her father shake in his seat. Unfortunately his pain was nowhere near as great as the pain he had inflicted upon her.

But something was better than nothing, right?

Hermione could've slapped herself for that thought. 'Revenge isn't the way,' she thought angrily. 'All I want is to save my mum and make sure everyone can live safely. Beyond that, the law should take care of it.'

"That was pathetic," she heard her father laugh. "No look. You got yourself all worked up, raised your wand, used an unforgivable and for what? I'm sure you were expecting me to be shocked or in pain but guess what. I am neither."

"Harry, don't let him get to you," Hermione said. "He's trying to break you down. Don't let him. You're stronger than that."

"Silence!" Voldemort roared. "I think we all know this is going nowhere. Your puny hero here cannot defeat me even with years of practice. Crabbe, Goyle! Go get her mother from the woods. She's waiting for you. Bring her back."

"NO!"

"SILENCE!" The room echoed his command with a violent thunder.

Hermione however did not back down. "You can yell all you want. Get yourself worked up. I - don't - care! If your two big oafish friends bring my mother back here, I swear by the Gods that all hell will break loose."

Crabbe and Goyle Senior awaited further commands. Her father, much like herself, remained stubborn. "Crabbe - Goyle," he began slowly, drawing out each name as if to intentionally irritate Hermione. "GO GET HER!" The two somewhat thuggish men left, following their masters orders.

"No," Hermione gasped, unbelieving of her fathers demand.

Harry tried to think quickly. What should he do? He only knew two unforgivables and he was fairly certain the killing curse wouldn't work for him. He was after all only a boy.

"Voldemort," Harry addressed the mad man in the front of the room. "I challenge you to a duel."

Everyone in the room was confused. A magic duel? Voldemort was certain he could win that. "What's the catch?" he asked with a small smile. Yes, there was always a catch.

"No catch really," Harry smiled. "A fair duel. Fight to the death. Just you and men. A fair sword duel... muggle style."

That was the catch. No magic. Just a good clean sword fight... to the death.

Having too much pride for his own good, Voldemort accepted.

- - - - -

The duelers were set to go. an old man against a young boy - an interesting match. Both had been well trained in the art of swordsmanship.

Harry had studied with Remus for the past several years and more recently with Sirius. They had made sure he was prepared for anything and everything.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Harry?" Ron asked. "This isn't a game anymore. At the end of that sword is a really scary blade. He only has to slice you once and you're dead."

"Yeah but I've got a sword in my hand as well, Ron," Harry assured him. "So the same goes for me. One good hit and he's gone."

"He's got my mum," Hermione whispered, rocking back and forth in her seat. "She's sitting right next to him on his left, right now."

Draco patted her back. "I don't know if it helps but just letting you know, there are only three of the top dogs left. My aunt and dead are both down for the count so I think we could take the rest. Sirius finished off Pettigrew in the blink of an eye. Well he didn't actually killed the bloke."

"Damn right I didn't," Sirius added. "That fat tub of lard is going to rot in Azkaban for the rest of his life. I'll make damn sure of that."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better, you two?" Hermione asked. "You really stink at cheering people up, Draco. You know that, right?"

"I've told you that before, haven't I?"

"Stop talking, the three of you," Ron said. "Harry's about to start the duel now, I don't want anyone distracting him and no offense 'Mione but if he's worrying about your mum then I don't think he'll concentrate as well."

"Ron, I'm fine," Harry said. "I'm just a little... nervous."

Hermione smiled. "I have faith in you," she said. "You're my hero, win or lose. You've saved my life so many times before and if this time you cannot, I know it was my time. We can only escape death so many times before it finally comes knocking on our door."

"Don't be morbid, Herms," Harry said. "I'm going to win and even if I don't, I know Ron and Draco will protect you."

"Harry," a small voice said behind him in barely a whisper. It was Ginny. "Please be careful."

"Ginny? When did you get back?"

"Don't get yourself killed out there, Harry," she demanded. "I really would like you to come back alive and well." Her red hair fell in front of her pale face, shielding her from exposing her true worries.

A grin graced Harry's face. "And just why would you like a thing like that to happen?"

She sighed. So he was going to play dumb? Well she had nothing to hide anymore. "Because I think I'm in love with you, Harry James Potter. I love you and I want you to come back and tell me you feel the same."

"I do..."

"Don't tell me now," she giggled. "I want to hear it when you come back to me. So be safe, okay?"

"I promise, Gin." He leaned in and their lips hovered right above each others when they heard a truly deafening hiss.

"POTTER! It's time to duel, boy," Voldemort snarled. "Say goodbye to all your puny friends and fami - oh wait. You don't have a family. Ever so sorry about that."

"I'M HIS FAMILY!" Hermione and Ron both shouted in unison. It wasn't intentional. It was just truly how they both felt.

"Oh how sweet. The Golden Trio sticks together even in the end. Don't worry, though. As soon as I finish off Potter, I'll be sure you don't have too much time to grieve."

"You're not going anywhere near the," Harry stated with a voice full of confidence and power. "I'm going to finally get my revenge for my parents and fallen friends."

Their swords fell heavy upon the others as they struck with all the force they could muster. The clinging of metal hitting metal made Hermione nervous.

She wished she could help Harry but he was on his own with this one. It was time he finally learned to stand alone. She knew there was nothing she could do now except to wait.

"Give it up, Potter," Voldemort hissed, knocking Harry backwards. "I'm twice as strong as you."

Harry quickly got back on his feet and began bouncing around, preparing for another strike. "You may be right," he agreed. "But you're also three times my age and getting quite old. I have a lot more energy. Hell, I could do this all night."

Voldemort scowled and plundered towards Harry in a raging fury. Harry successfully dodged the attack and wound up tripping his opponent in the process. "See?" he laughed. "All night."

The metal scratching sound began once more as they matched each other blow for blow. No matter who was striking they each seemed to be ready for the others move.

Harry went on the defensive. His strategy - wear Voldemort out. Get him tired and then he would make his final strike.

They wound up circling one another for a while, Voldemort trying to regain his energy and Harry waiting for an attack. "You know you can't take much more of this," Harry muttered. "It's only a matter of time."

"Go to hell, Potter!" Voldemort snarled. Finally, they both went to strike again. The swords struck and sounded one last time and then, as he was falling to the floor in exhaustion, he felt the cold stab of the blade ripping through his chest, piercing the heart and he looked around the room for a loving face.

"Helen," he called out. Tom Riddle's wrinkled hands clung to his chest and he just looked sad. Not the pathetic type of sad but a real and true emotion actually crossed his face. "Helen," he called again.

To everyone surprise, she ran to his side. "I'm here, Tom," she whispered. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." She knelt down, her knees nearly touching the blood that had begun to seep onto the ground around him. She clutched his hand in both of hers and brought it to her lips.

"I'll always love you," he said, his voice breaking, sounding course yet gentle for the first time ever. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I never showed you just how much I loved you. Please. Forgive me."

A lonely tear streamed down her face. "I already did." Her hands held onto his until his skin began to burn.

"I suggest you stand back, Helen," Remus said. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Voldemort was going to burn with his hatred. His death would be slow and painful. Though he was not killed with magic, a greater force was at work.

Love.

Helen ignored Rums' warning and leaned in to whisper in Tom's ear, "I never stopped loving you." As his entire body lit on fire, Remus and Sirius pulled her away.

No one could understand Helen's reaction to Voldemort's death but at that point, it didn't quite matter. The battle was over now and though they had sustained many losses, the Order had won.

With Draco by her side, Hermione was able to smile, somewhat triumphantly, until her mother walked up to her and slapped her across the cheek. "He was your father," Helen reprimanded. "How can you be so cold/"

She grimaced at the sound of her mothers voice. "He taught me how," she replied, her hand flying the her stinging cheek. "What gotten into you anyhow? It's not like he treated us right. He was a jerk!"

"He was the love of my life!" Helen responded. "And he was your father. It never mattered what he did to me. He knew I'd love him all the same."

"But he took away your magic!"

"I would have gotten it back, one way or another. I loved him. Don't you think that's all that matters"
Hermione looked at Draco when her mother mentioned love. Helen was right. All that mattered was love, the warm tingling feeling in your heart telling you that you're meant to be together. The fear that you could never live with this person. Hermione knew this feeling all too well.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Sirius talking to Remus. "That's all it took, Rem. No magic. All Harry had to do was kill him the muggle way. How ironic that a man who hated muggles to a point of insanity could be killed just like the very thing he despised."

She collapsed on the floor feeling completely lost.

A/N... Not the end yet. There's one more chapter I think. Hope you enjoyed.

Thanks for all your great reviews. You guys rock my socks.