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Overhead, in the ruined stone chamber that had once been the Department of Mysteries, a large, scrawny black spider carefully picked its way along the cracked ceiling. It listened carefully for signs of life, for conversation, but heard none. Still, it could sense that it was not alone.
A few feet further -- just around a large, square column -- the spider saw what it was looking for. After taking a good, long look around, it made good use of its many legs to quickly skitter back from where it came.
After several minutes, the spider reached an area with relatively fresh air, and spun a web to lower itself to the floor. Within seconds, where the spider had been, stood Severus Snape.
"Well?", asked Simon Nigel-Nickerson, in a hushed voice. "Is he in there?" The others crowded close, to hear what was being said.
"Yes, along with," Snape's lips quirked into a humourless smile, "Peter Pettigrew. Someone I have long been hoping to meet up with again. And that blasted snake. Nagini. I saw no others. I believe that they are alone. I saw no trace of Squadron Ninety-Nine." His face regretful, Snape brushed some dirt off his combat clothes, and retied his ponytail. "We should get co-ordinated now. I do not know if he is aware of our presence or not. But I believe it would be prudent to assume that he does."
"Have we walked into a trap, then?" Hermione looked around, anxiously, her wand clenched in her fist.
"Of course we have, Miss Gr -- sorry. Mrs. Weasley." Snape said, rather sharply. "Always assume that the Dark Lord is two steps ahead of you. Yes, we are precisely where he wants us to be. But that doesn't mean he's got us. We need to plan."
"Pettigrew owes Harry a life-debt, Severus," said Albus, quietly. "It wouldn't do to forget that."
"It also won't do to count on that, Albus." Snape rolled his eyes and looked away.
Beside him, Simon held up a hand for silence, and spoke softly and urgently into his SkinPhone. "Lucie," he whispered.
"Lucie here," came the soft reply. "What have you got for me, Simon?"
"The Birdie and the Rat, sweetheart. Got 'em both. Oh, and the Snake. Copy."
"Birdie and Rat and Snake, copy. Advise."
Simon grinned. "Plan CYA, doll. Copy that."
"Aye, Plan CYA, copy. Advise quantity. Copy."
"Ah," said Simon, looking off to the side. Around him, the members of Harry's team looked at him curiously. "Ah, sweetie, I'd say go big or go home. Whole damn thing. Copy."
"Copy that." Lucie sounded amused. "Stealth or sonic boom? Advise."
Simon grinned. "Stealth for now. Sonic boom on my command. Copy."
"Aye, Simon. CYA, stat. Stealth, stat. Advise on sonic boom. Copy."
"Copy that."
"Commence when? Advise. Copy."
"Make it…" Simon pursed his lips, noticed Snape watching him with a small smirk on his face. He realized that while the others appeared a bit confused, Snape had followed the conversation from the start. The man was too sharp by half.
"I would suggest," Snape said, softly, "to go with Stealth immediately. Have them stand by, then we can go to Sonic Boom with a second's notice." He quirked an eyebrow.
"Lucie darlin', get those ducks in a row right now. I'll advise you on Boom, copy."
"Copy, stat. And Simon, good luck." She sounded anxious.
"Thanks, sweetie. Out."
Around them, there was a soft whoosh of noise, as dozens of black-clad troops materialized. They were silent, and nearly impossible to see in their matte uniforms.
"Plan CYA?", Snape inquired, amused by the surprised faces around him.
"It's an old American term. 'Cover Your Ass'." Simon smiled. He turned to the leader. "Patrick, keep us surrounded at all times. Guard the perimeter. Maybe keep a few people checking further around."
"Aye, Simon. It's done."
"Thank you." Simon turned back to Harry and the others. "Now, then. Suggestions, anyone?"
Harry turned to face him, his expression firm. "We're going to walk right in and finish him off. That's it. Nothing fancy needed. I just need for you to back me up." He turned to make eye contact with everyone in his group. "Are you all with me?"
"You know we are, Harry," Hermione said earnestly. There were nods and murmurs of agreement from everyone there. After a moment, Harry smiled rather grimly.
"Well, then…let's go. Let's go get him."
Xxx
"What's Plan CYA?" Draco asked, back at Hogwart's. On the map, twenty purple dots had suddenly appeared around the Department of Mysteries, surrounding the shining silver ones representing Team Potter.
"Just a moment," Lucie said, raising her hand to her face. "Operation CYA, Squadrons One to Twenty, AllCall. Patrick, acknowledge."
"Copy, Lucie. We're in position, Stealth." A deep, smooth voice echoed from the SkinPhone.
"Copy that, Patrick. Stealth mode, observe only. Patrick, I have confirmation that the Birdie and the Rat and the Snake are inside. Copy."
"Copy, Lucie. Birdie,Rat and Snake."
"Simon Nigel-Nickerson is in command of Team Potter. He may relay orders to you directly, or to me to relay to you. Either way, Simon's orders take priority. Copy."
"Copy, no problem." She could hear a smile in the slim black man's voice. He added, "He's right beside me."
"Copy. He says you're the best."
"Flattery will get him nowhere." Patrick chuckled.
Lucie laughed. "Copy that, Patrick. Will advise as needed."
"Copy. Patrick out."
She turned to smile at Draco. "CYA: Cover Your Ass. Twenty teams of ten, all Special Agents. Simon hand-picked them for this mission. They're some of the best that the world has to offer." She turned back to the large map. "It's always nice to have friends, right?"
Draco's mouth quirked into a half-smile. "That's something that Voldemort wouldn't know a thing about." He shook his head and turned his attention back to the glowing numbers. "He's never had a friend in his life."
Lucie began to pull her hand back up to her face, her expression sombre. "That's sad," she said. "That's really sad. Well…time to check in with the squadrons." With a sigh, she tapped her SkinPhone. "Squadrons, AllCall. In numerical order, status please. Squadron One, go ahead…"
xxx
Their footsteps were silent, muffled by the soft-soled boots that they wore. Team Potter -- led by Potter -- made their way deeper into the ruined Department of Mysteries. Some dripping water along one wall made an irritating noise.
This place gave Harry the willies. He remembered the last time that he had been here, when he had watched his Godfather die. And now it appeared that Ginny was gone, also. If that was the case, then he hoped -- he hoped and prayed -- that she had died well. He hoped that she had given Voldemort a nasty time. A lump rose in his throat, and his eyes began to sting. Not now, he told himself. Hang on. It'll soon be over. Just hang on a little bit longer…
Everyone behind him was silent, wary, alert for danger. There was no danger. Not to them. Not really. Not unless he failed, that was. But that was not going to happen. He was not going to fail. His whole life -- everything he was -- was coming to a head. He was meeting his destiny here.
Albus and Simon had talked, in whispers, of several ideas of how to overtake Voldemort and Wormtail. Harry had let them go on, had even pretended to listen and to consider their ideas. But he had his own plan, and he didn't need their help. He didn't need them at all, really. But he'd wanted to have those he loved most with him. And as for Snape…well, they'd made their peace, and Harry wanted Snape to be there for the closure. His life had been just as messed up as Harry's had been, and he wanted Snape to see it through to the end.
They approached the room with the Veil. There was no one to impede their progress, no hidden traps, no nothing. But Harry wasn't fooled. He knew that Voldemort was sitting there, waiting for them. He knew that this was it. Him and Voldemort. The way that Voldemort had planned it. The scenario that Voldemort himself had unwittingly caused, by acting too hastily on an unproven, incomplete prophecy. Idiot, thought Harry. When one got right down to it, Voldemort really was nothing more than a complete idiot with delusions of grandeur.
Harry sensed the coldness, the dryness, of the old room, before they even set foot inside. He hadn't forgotten the smell of that damned room, either. It smelled musty and ancient, like a tomb.
At the threshold, Dumbledore caught Harry's elbow and looked at him, inquiringly. "Harry," he began, but Harry cut him off.
"Whatever happens, this is it," he whispered. He looked back at all those dear to him. "Thank you for coming with me." He held their gazes for a moment, then gave them a small smile. "Let's go. Stick close together -- and stay out of my way."
Snape's dark gaze bored into Harry's, as it had so many times before, and he could have sworn that he saw sadness and regret there. He gave Snape a nod, then turned away. "Let's go."
Harry took the lead. He walked into the room, which was glowing a bit weirdly from reflected lights in the water pooled on the battered floor. The Veil, at the far end, was the same as he remembered -- tattered, old, and blowing slightly in an invisible breeze. In fact, the air in the room was musty and still. There was no breeze. Harry could just hear the odd, discordant whispering that he had remembered so well from his first visit, that he had heard in his nightmares for the past few years. Nightmares that he had woken from, shaking and sweating. When Ginny was there, she would hold him silently, her forehead pressed against his forehead, until his shivers subsided.
Ginny. His heart squeezed at the thought of her, and he pushed the thought ruthlessly aside. Not now. He could not afford to be distracted now. Later…
There was no sign of Squadron Ninety-nine, no sign that they had ever existed, but Harry knew, in his gut, what had happened to them. They'd gone through the Veil, all twenty-five of them. Stunned, most likely, if not already dead from the Avada Kedavera curse. Good old Voldemort had decided to clean house. That bastard.
The bastard was sitting on the floor in front of the Veil, his white face peaceful and serene, as though in meditation. He did not look surprised, nor did he look alarmed, at the newcomers' arrival. He looked pleased.
To his right sat Wormtail, looking a lot twitchier than Voldemort did. To his left, Nagini lay curled. She watched them intently through her slitted pupils. Harry could sense the tension in the others surrounding him shooting up a few notches. He took a few deep breaths, in order to settle himself. It would not do to rush.
"Hello, Harry." Voldemort smiled, and with a smooth, graceful motion, stood up. "So nice of you to visit. And you've brought friends. How touching." He drew his wand, his face watchful. The smile faded. "They've come to watch you die, I suppose."
"I suppose," said Harry calmly. He drew his own wand. "Let's have a go, shall we? No point in dragging this out."
"Potter, Potter, Potter," Voldemort tsk'd. "You've brought your friends all this way, then, and you don't want to entertain them? You know, with a little song and dance…" His face leered obscenely, and he raised his wand, but Harry, raising his own wand, spoke quietly the words he'd been planning on for years.
"Expelliarmus."
Wormtail squeaked and backed away, closer to the Veil. Nagini hissed and rose to attack, but Snape, his face grim, pulled his own wand and herded the large reptile away.
Voldemort's face at first registered fear when his and Harry's wands united in the same way that they had years before. Then he began to laugh, a rich, deep laugh that reverberated around the cavernous chamber. It was a chilling sound, and Harry doubted that he was honestly amused.
"Oh, Potter, come now. You are a one-trick pony, boy. Hardly worthy of…oh…"
Harry had grown much more powerful, and indeed, used his full strength to force the one large golden bead of light back towards Voldemort's wand. Within seconds, unlike their previous engagement, shadowy figures began to spew from the end of Voldemort's wandtip. Victims of the Dark Lord. Harry did not want to look too closely at them, for he knew that they would distract him. He knew that he would see the shades of Squadron Ninety-Nine…and Ginny. Looking intently into Voldemort's snakelike eyes, Harry could see the beginnings of real fear. He smirked.
"Help me," Harry muttered to the numerous shades circling them. That weird cage of golden light had not appeared this time, but he didn't care. He just needed to get Voldemort distracted… "Help me! Get him! Now's your chance!" He began to manoeuvre slightly, so that Voldemort backed up, edging closer and closer to the Veil, just as Harry had planned. "Push him back! That's it! Push him!" He barely watched as the shadowy figures crowded Voldemort backwards.
Around them, the room was going crazy. Wormtail, cowering under the wandtips of Dumbledore and Nigel-Nickerson, huddled against the old stone of the Veiled archway. In another corner, Snape and Nagini were having a lively battle. The lithe serpent coiled and lunged, twisted and dove, but Snape kept after her, his aim deadly and accurate, ducking his slim form here and there with a surprising agility. Small burn holes pierced the snake's tough green hide all along the length of her body, and her hissing was deafening. Harry could dimly hear the others yelling encouragement.
Meanwhile, Harry had nearly succeeded in his goal -- Voldemort's back was nearly up against the Veil, and his serpent-like face showed real fear now.
Almost. Almost there, thought Harry with grim satisfaction -- then he looked at that ancient stone portal, and saw something that made his concentration falter.
Ginny.
Oh, Ginny…On the other side of the Veil. She was smiling at him, and holding her hand out…he could hear a beautiful siren song…was that her, singing to him? Calling to him? She was so close…if he reached out a hand, he knew that he could touch her…hold her again, be with her forever…without thinking, he reached for her…
"Harry! Harry, look out!"
Hermione's screech seemed to break the spell that he was ensorcelled by, and with horror, he saw that the connection between his and Voldemort's wand had broken. With a leering grin, Voldemort raised his own wand. Damn! Potter thought. Stupid, stupid, stupid… He raised his wand again, but it was not fast enough. Not fast enough…
"Say goodbye, Potter. Avada --"
"NO!"
Harry barely heard Wormtail's anguished scream; barely saw the silver hand reach up and snap Voldemort's wand into pieces; out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snape deliver a final shot to Nagini, but not before she sank her fangs into his bad leg. She let loose a strange screech before shrinking in on herself, as though on fire from the inside. Within a second, she lay on the ground, nothing but ashes. He saw Snape writhe, and drop like a stone to the ground. Dead? He could not be sure. No time to check --
His gaze swung back to Voldemort, who seemed to be tottering off-balance -- Harry's eyes travelled downwards to see Wormtail pushing Voldemort backwards, his silver hand wrapped around Voldemort's scrawny white neck -- after what seemed to take forever, the two of them fell, slowly, through the veil.
Voldemort was gone.
"Professor Snape!" Hermione's scream was startling in the sudden silence of the chamber, and jerked Harry's attention back to the present. He saw her run over to the fallen man, followed by Albus.
"Is he all right?"
"I don't know," sobbed Hermione. "I don't know…"
"Allow me, Hermione," said Dumbledore. He seemed to be in as much of a daze as Harry. He leaned down over Snape, and placed his hand on the pale brow. As everyone stared, spellbound, Dumbledore began to chant a weird-sounding incantation.
The room was full now; full of black-clad armed troops, full of Harry's friends, and full of whispers from the Veil. It was a surreal scene, and after what seemed to take forever, Snape gasped. He greedily sucked air, as though he'd been drowning.
"Severus," murmured Dumbledore, his hand brushing Snape's dark hair soothingly. "It's all right, Severus. It's all right. You'll be fine."
"Voldemort," wheezed Snape. His voice was alarmingly weak.
"Gone." Dumbledore smiled. "Along with Peter Pettigrew. They have gone through the Veil."
Relieved, Snape's eyes found Harry's, and he smiled slightly. Then he lay his head back, exhausted. "Good job, Potter. Good job."
Harry smiled back. "Thank you, Prof -- I mean, Severus." He took a deep breath and looked back at the Veil; he smiled even more widely at what he saw there. Then he took a deep breath, and began to walk slowly towards it.
"Harry!" Hermione's voice was sharp. "What do you think you're doing?"
He stopped, and looked back at her. "I'm…" He paused, and smiled again -- a beautiful, serene smile. "I'm going home. To my family, and to Ginny. They're all in there. Waiting for me."
He heard Hagrid's loud sob, and took another look around. To the calm but sad acceptance on Dumbledore's and Snape's faces, the sad smile on Luna's, the thunderstruck expression on Neville's. Lupin, patting Hagrid's elbow consolingly, gave Harry a sad, sweet smile. Hagrid's sobs were escalating. Harry looked at Ron, and at Hermione, who, while sombre, gave him warm smiles.
"See you someday, mate," Ron said, his mouth trembling.
"Bye, Harry. I hope you find happiness, and…and…" Hermione's eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, and Ron put his arms around her to comfort her. She buried her face against his chest, sobbing.
"Bye, Harry. I'll see you again someday, I expect," said Luna. "You've been a very nice friend, and I'll miss you."
He found that he couldn't speak. He managed a small wave, and smiled at them again. His vision was beginning to blur with tears, but they were happy tears, and he hoped that his friends understood. He turned back to the Veil, where he could see his mother and father, and Sirius, and Ginny, and countless others, smiling and waving at him. It was like the Mirror of Erised, only a thousand times better. Harry took a deep breath, and a step forward --
-- and then he was gone, through the Veil.