Disclaimer: well guys we are nearly there. Sorry about moving everything so fast this chapter. And last chapter. These next three chapters, the last three of this story, are going to be long and detailed and good. And then we'll head off to the sequel. Hopefully you all had your wits about you and figured out where exactly they are heading and what will happen. I left some obvious clues and foreshadowing, so I hope you all picked up on it. Anyway here it is. The rescue. R&R guys. And I'll see you soon.

Harry, James, Sirius, and Ron walked into the phone booth and Harry dialed 6-2-4-4-2. A cool female voice came out of the receiver. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, James Potter, Sirius Black. We are here to save our friends so please hurry and let us in." Harry had a sudden feeling of Déjà vu. He just hoped he didn't lose Sirius again. Or anyone else for that matter.

"Thank you. Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

Harry looked at the badge that had popped out. It was oddly familiar.

Harry Potter

Rescue Mission

"Visitor to the ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the atrium."

Harry tried to remain calm and in control. He had a good feeling that they should head once again to the prophecy room first. The floor of the telephone box gave way and with a grinding noise, they sank out of sight. They ran out into the atrium quickly and headed to the lift. The atrium was eerily quiet. A very bad sign. Harry noticed that the fountain of magical brethren was back in place and wondered if Rufus Scrimgeour had fixed it. They ran through the room to the lifts at the other end and pushed number nine. The lifts banged loudly to the floor. Harry and company gripped their wands tightly, prepared for whatever they would have to face.

Harry led the way out of the lifts after the cool voice announced "Department of Mysteries." Harry and his friends walked towards the plain black door. Harry was starting to not like having to do this over again. He turned the knob and they all walked in. They walked in to the large circular room. Harry swore. He had forgotten about this. This might take them forever.

"Don't close the door yet!" Harry yelled. Harry turned to the door and used Hermione's spell. "Flagrate!" The large x appeared and then they closed the door. The room began to spin. Harry thought of all the rooms he remembered. There was the brain room, the veil room, the locked room, which Dumbledore said was full of love, the time room, which they needed to head to, the planet room that Luna had been in, the door from which they came, and that left six more doors. Harry picked a random door and opened it. It just so happened to be the Brain room. Harry felt Ron shudder at his side. Harry stifled a laugh. He closed the door, setting the spell, and the room began to spin. The next room Harry tried was locked. "Alohamora," he said. Still nothing. He looked at it in awe, feeling a connection with the room. That second door that he tried was probably the door of love. The locked door from his last visit. He put an X there too.

The third door Harry tried to open revealed something different. He was attracted into it and the others were staring at him. The room was something Harry could not begin to understand. He looked around and saw something that looked remarkably like the veil. But it wasn't. It was almost as if it was the counterpart to the veil. Instead of the veil of death, it was the veil of life. Harry looked around to see what else was there. There was an inscription on the veil, but he couldn't read it. He could not find anything else. He closed the door and marked it, then returned to his search. Harry christened that room the Life room, to balance out with the Death room.

The next door he tried took him into a room that was alive with both dark and ancient magic. Runes covered the room and Harry wondered if it was sort of like the room of the past. He did not like what the dark aura was doing to him so he quickly closed the door and marked it as well. They were beginning to run out of time. The next room Harry opened held something that was very familiar to him. Harry was drawn to it, as he had always been. It was the Desire Room, holding none other than the Mirror of Erised. Harry was shocked to see it. He wandered into the room, curious as to what the deepest desire in his soul was. Harry stared into the mirror expectantly. What he saw shocked him. The mirror seemed to have cracked in two. On one side of the mirror, he saw himself standing alone, bruised and battered, but not beaten. He had a small smile on his face. Behind that image he saw a veil fluttering in the background. He had no idea which veil it was. He also noticed that his scar was conspicuously missing.

He looked at the other side of the mirror. The difference was as obvious as night and day. He saw himself again, but he was different. His scar was more pronounced, and he almost felt the aura that he was giving off. However, he saw that his eyes had turned red, matching Voldemort's gaze. No veil was in the background this time. He saw himself with power. Power beyond anyone's wildest dreams. The gaze in this Harry's eyes held a feeling Harry was unaccustomed to. He wondered why that would be in his soul. Harry looked back to the other image of himself. He noticed it had changed a little bit. He saw some of his friends behind him. Ginny, Ron, Hermione. They were all by his side. Harry noticed that Ginny was holding his hand. He looked back to the other image. Harry was still alone. Except, Voldemort was in the background. At least, that's what it looked like. He was dead. Harry didn't know how he knew that. But it was true nonetheless. The aura was still strong.

Harry pulled himself away from the mirror. He walked back out and marked the door. The next door he tried, he was starting to feel desperate. Once again it was the wrong room. Phoenix song pierced the air, along with other types of music. It must be the Music room. Harry remembered that Dumbledore loved music, it was a mysterious type of magic that was and wasn't magical at the same time.

He walked back out, closing and marking the door. All that were left were two more doors that Harry had no idea what they held, the time room, which was the one he was looking for, the planet room, and the veil room. Chances were one in five. He opened the next door. Wrong again. It was the veil room. He quickly closed it, not wanting those memories to surface, and marked it. One in four. It would be soon. The room spun and Harry tried again. It was the planet room. Harry looked at it and saw all the planets held up, models of the universe. It was dark and a mist was hanging in the air. Harry closed it and marked it.

Three doors left. Harry picked one out and opened it. It still wasn't the time room. Harry was beginning to not like his luck. He stared into the room, wondering what it was. When Harry opened the door, everything went cold. He had trouble breathing. He looked inside quickly and heard his parents screaming. Harry realized this must be the room about dementors. Everything seemed to make sense. He quickly shut the door and marked it. He also locked it. He didn't want to open it by mistake. Two more doors to go. The time room and a mystery room. James, Ron, and Sirius were starting to get impatient. He picked the door closest to him once the room stopped spinning. He opened it. It was the time room. Harry let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Together, the four of them sprinted to the Prophecy room and opened the door. They walked in, wondering what they should expect.

"Harry! There's something I forgot to tell you."

"What is it Ron?"

"There was another prophecy. Trelawney freaked out right after you were possessed." Ron quickly relayed the prophecy to Harry. Harry's features turned dark.

"Ok Ron. Thanks. So I guess this is it huh? He's here." As if on cue, Harry felt his scar begin to burn. He fought it off and ran down the hall, with the others in tow. They searched throughout the room, and they couldn't find the girls. Then they stopped, nearing row one hundred and one. They stopped and listened.

"-do you think he wants with these three anyway?"

"I have no idea. I mean it's not like they have prophecies about them. I just hope we do better than last time. So when do you expect Potter to show up?"

"Soon I imagine." Harry tried to recognize the three speakers. Death eaters obviously. And it sounded like the girls were there. Harry finally understood the identities. One of them was Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange. Bellatrix's husband. (A/N If Rodolphus isn't her husband then I meant the other one.) Then Harry realized the other two were Crabbe and Goyle. This wouldn't be too hard, he thought grimly.

"Did the Dark Lord say when he was coming?"

"He went with Malfoy and Bellatrix to get a potion from Snape I believe."

"Malfoy senior or Malfoy junior?"

"Senior. Junior is currently looking for a prophecy. He's up there remember?"

"Oh yeah." Harry motioned to the others to get ready. They would have to be quick. There were four of them and three death eaters. They would try and stun them first. They had surprise. Harry glanced through the shelves and could feel where they were. He relayed the information. On three they went. They turned the corner and all three fired stunning spells. Non-verbally. All three of the death eaters went down. They took their wands and also cast the full-body bind. They ran to the girls and untied them. Harry cast a disillusionment charm on the three stunned death eaters so no one could find them unless they stepped on them.

Harry then rounded the group together and shared with them the felix felicis he had won early on in the year.

"Trust me guys. We need this now more than ever. It should last for like two hours. So here you go." As one, they all drank some of the potion and felt different. Satisfied, they looked for Malfoy. They rounded the corner and saw him strutting away from them. Hermione and Harry cast a full-body bind hex and a disarming spell. Malfoy lost his wand and fell. He was rigid as a board. Harry looked at them all for a second and stared at Malfoy. The felix was telling him to do something, but he couldn't believe it. He remembered what happened last time though, and followed it. "Silencio, Enervate." Malfoy looked up in terror and went to scream but no sound came out.

"Listen Malfoy. I know you let the death eaters in to the castle. I saw you lower your wand though when you could have killed Dumbledore. I don't normally believe in second chances, but I think we may need your help. Do you agree to help us? I really don't care either way, but we could use you. And I know what you must be going through, trying to protect your mom and yourself. I'm willing to help if you are." Harry's friends all stared at him as if he was crazy. Compassion from Harry Potter? To Draco Malfoy no less!

Malfoy fervently nodded. Harry released the silencio spell and cast an appearance charm so Malfoy looked different. Normally, that would have been difficult, but Harry laughed. He could do anything. He also transfigured his death eater robes. He handed Malfoy back his wand and Malfoy looked at them sincerely.

"Bellatrix is coming back soon with my father and the Dark Lord. They want you Potter. He wants to end this. You are the only thing in his way, now that Dumbledore is gone. Be careful. Here, come this way." They walked out of the prophecy room and headed towards the veil room, on their way out. They were cut short by death eaters though. They quickly fell in a circle.

"Well well well. If it isn't Harry Potter? I do believe we have seen each other here before. It is an honor Potter," Lucius spat Harry's last name out.

"Allow me to introduce you to my friends. Rookwood, Bellatrix, Dolohov, Jugson, Lestrange, Mulciber, Pettigrew, and Macnair. I do hope you all are more fun this time. Snape and the Dark Lord should be here momentarily. We shall just have some fun with you then Potter." The death eaters all attacked. Harry began dueling Bellatrix and Jugson both. Malfoy took on his father. Hermione had Dolohov, Jugson was with Ron, Sirius and Lestrange, Ginny and Pettigrew, James and Macnair, and Lily had Rookwood. Harry didn't have time to watch but he noticed Sirius and James had teamed up, as had Hermione and Ginny. Lily was faring pretty well, as was Ron. Harry turned his attention back to his duel.

Harry was doing everything non-verbally, as Snape had said and had his Occlumency up. This duel was way better than the one against the DADA professor. Harry was doing well. He had managed to hit Jugson with a reductor curse and Bellatrix with a stunner, but Jugson enervated her. While he was bringing her back though, Harry hit him with a full-body bind. Bellatrix left Jugson and her and Harry fought one on one. Harry vaguely noticed that Lily had won her duel and had teamed up with the girls. Pettigrew had scampered off somewhere and Ron was losing badly. The girls quickly jumped to his aide.

Harry's side was winning. Sirius and James had each others backs covered. They fought well together. Rookwood, Jugson, Lestrange, and Dolohov were all down. Harry dodged green light from Bellatrix and fired back a confundus charm. Macnair and Mulciber both went down as well. That left Malfoy, Bellatrix, and Pettigrew. Harry turned to block Malfoy's curse, wondering where Draco had gone off to, and turned around, staring at Bellatrix's Avada Kedavra. Harry had no time to do anything. He just stared at it.

This was it, he thought. Everything I've fought for. Everything we've fought for. It's all over. At least I'll see Sirius and my parents and Dumbledore. Time seemed to slow down as everyone stopped in spite of themselves to watch Harry and Bellatrix's duel. They all looked on in horror as the green light made its way towards Harry. Bellatrix looked like she would scream in triumph. Harry took one last look at his surroundings, still frozen to the floor.

Then a rat jumped in front of him from out of nowhere and crumpled at his feet. Harry reacted immediately, shooken out of his stupor by the rat, and quickly fired back a stunner and Bellatrix's cry of triumph was stopped. Harry then noticed where she was. She was falling back into the veil. Harry stared. Everyone else in the room froze. Bellatrix just dropped into it, and Harry remembered what had happened to Sirius. She fell ever so slowly into the veil and it took her in. Malfoy stared on in horror. Lily had enough sense to send a petrificus totalis his way and he fell, rigid. Bellatrix fell through the veil, never to return. Harry looked around, wondering what happened to Draco. He saw him knocked out on the floor. There wasn't time however to help him. Voldemort had just walked into the room, Snape at his heels. Harry stared.

"It is time Harry Potter. You, and me." Snape walked over to the children and got them out of the way. They just stared at him, as if something was telling them not to do anything. It must have been the felix. Voldemort nodded grimly at Snape.

"We shall have no interruptions Potter. Severus, please stay and watch me kill him. You can let his little friends watch as well. Now Harry, I daresay you know how to duel. Do you remember our duel at my father's graveyard? We bow to each other first. Go on Harry. Bow to death. Welcome it." Once again, Harry refused.

"I'll never be your tool Tom. You don't deserve any type of respect. All you do is kill and torture. You are just too afraid of death. That's your weakness. There are worse things than death you know."

"You have been hanging around Dumbledore too much Harry. I will not be told what to do by a mere boy."

"You're going to have to get used to it Tom." Harry's voice had adopted an airy and confident tone. Something told him he was going to win this one.

"Listen here Potter! I am Lord Voldemort! You will respect me! You will not win! You will die like your father and your mudblood mother!"

"I seem to recall your father wasn't even a wizard Tom. What makes you so confident that a mere half-blood can win a duel?" Harry's eyes twinkled in the light.

"SHUT UP POTTER! YOU WILL PAY DEARLY!"

"I'm shaking Tom. I do hope you put up a good fight. I've been rather bored lately. I could use a nice warm-up. You should do just nicely."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Voldemort was losing his control. That was all Harry wanted. He knew he had to piss him off. The felix was telling him to. Harry enjoyed angering him. All the pain Voldemort had caused him would be paid back ten-fold.

"I am tired of this Potter! Avada Kedavra."

And Harry rose, with his back straight, proud like his father. His emerald eyes locked with Voldemort's red. Sparks seemed to fly. The curse missed him. To those watching, it almost seemed like the curse moved out of the way of Harry. He was in his element. This was what he was born to do. Harry looked like a commander in a battlefield, where rain and bullets just seemed to move away from him. And curses.

"It's time Tom." Harry raised his wand and fired off a curse. As Harry's best friends, parents, godfather, and ex-potions professor watched, they understood. The battle was about to begin. Their lives all depended on Harry. And so did the rest of the world. They felt as if the earth itself knew the grave matter that was taking place. And so they watched. Everyone did. Today would be the day.