Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any Characters/Events mentioned throughout the series up to HBP.

A/N: Chapters 1 and 2 were originally one chapter, linking the prologue and chapter 2 (now Chapter 3). Now that Ginny finally understands what's going on and has been given small glimpses of things that not even Ron and Hermione had seen, it's on with some real action!

Chapter 3: Redemption and Sacrifice

"Harry, no…" she whispered, she shed only a single tear. Snape noticed that the restrictive charms he placed on her were unexplainably becoming strained. He quickly redoubled his efforts to keep her under control.

"Drop the wand Potter, I won't tell you again…" as Snape said this Harry smirked. He could see the pleading in Ginny's eyes. She didn't care what happened to herself as long as she didn't loose him again. He wouldn't let that happen. She was not going to be harmed, he wouldn't let that happen. Too many people had died because of him, because they loved him. It was time he actually stepped up and protected them like he was meant to when he defeated Voldemort nearly 17 years prior. 'The power the Dark Lord knows not', Dumbledore said that this was love. The power of love was the key to defeating Voldemort. His mother's love had saved him, and the love of his friends kept him safe, now he would use her love to defeat the man he hated most and save her as well. He began to focus his mind.

'Peter,' he called out, 'I know why you're here. It isn't too late.'

"Potter I am growing impatient with you, if you continue to persist in your attack I will be forced to add the girl to a long list of people who have died in the name of Harry Potter." Snape continued to threaten him. Harry didn't have much time.

"Afraid Potter, this isn't like a young Griffindor to freeze up in terror," Voldemort hissed, his voice filled with confidence and amusement.

'Peter, they'll forgive you.' Harry pleaded to the man who had betrayed his parent's whereabouts to Voldemort, after Snape had told Voldemort about the prophecy, 'Nothing you have done will matter as long as you make the right choice now!'

"James… Lily… forgives me…" Wormtail whispered to himself, his voice low enough only Harry could hear him. Tears of grief and regret streamed from the tortured man's eyes. His own mind reached for the connection Harry had established, 'Thank you…' He managed to distract Snape and Voldemort for a slight second.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Harry released the grip on his wand. No sooner than the wand had left his hand, there was a flash of green light. Snape was sent flying as the curse hit him square in the chest. Ginny collapsed as the wards and spells that held her crumbled. Before anyone else could move, Voldemort had drawn his wand, "Avada Kedavra!" He sent the killing curse at Peter Pettigrew, the man who had at last redeemed himself. Pettigrew was hit just as Snape had been moments before. Harry saw the man's face as he fell to the ground. The look he wore on his face showed that at long last he was content, at peace with himself after so many years of self hatred and turmoil in his soul.

Voldemort distracted by Wormtail's betrayal, had no time to react when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry step forward and with a slashing movement of his hand yelled, "SECTUM SEMPRA!" The curse hit Voldemort with brutal force and he was slashed from his left shoulder to his right hip. Voldemort used the body binding curse to quickly heal himself, and barely dodge a second spell cast from Harry Potter, "STUPEFY!" Voldemort became uneasy, but couldn't figure out why. Another curse came faster this time; Voldemort couldn't dodge it this time and didn't have time to use a counter-curse. Instead it deflected the beam of red light with his wand. He deflected two more curses in the same fashion when he realized what had made him uneasy. It was the way Potter had cast the spells, 'Wandless… nobody, not even I can cast wandless magic! But he's doing it, wandless, wordless magic… Impossible!'

'CRUCIO!' Voldemort sent the spell with all of his strength at Harry, and it was dodged with ease. 'Crucio! Crucio!' Voldemort was now casting the curses even faster. Harry didn't bother dodging as both curses hit an invisible barrier and crumbled apart. Refusing to give in to his own fear he sent another curse at Harry with all the power he could possible put behind it, 'Crucio!' Harry simply backhanded the curse and deflected it back at Voldemort. Voldemort was brought to his knees as he was hit with his own curse. The sensation was crippling, as if hundreds of thousands of knifes were stabbing him all at once. It was the first time he had felt this sensation, this awful feeling, since he was a small child, he felt pain. He closed his mind to the agonizing sensation created by the curse. He began to regroup. Harry just stood there waiting for him to make his next move. 'Deflect this Potter! AVADA KEDVRA!'

Voldemort raised his wand and there was a green flash of light. Harry stood there, unmoving. "HARRY!" Ginny screamed hysterically, but Harry didn't acknowledge her. The curse was a direct hit, but then something strange happened and it went right through Harry. "What!" Voldemort couldn't hide his disbelief as Harry seemed to shimmer and fade away.

Voldemort then realized what had happened. His eyes grew wide as he felt a new emotion stir within him. It was no longer fear he felt, it had grown beyond that, it was absolute terror. "Avada…" Voldemort began as he turned around, still kneeling on the ground. When he did the last thing Voldemort saw was Harry Potter's right palm and a green flash of light, as he released one final curse from his wand striking his enemy in the abdomen as he heard the scream of a young woman in the distance.