Chapter 3: What's so funny?

Harry wasn't too surprised. He knew the powers of anger and love. However, he was exhausted, physically, magically and emotionally. He fingered the coin in his pocket and felt recharged, at least on the first two aspects. He approached the crater.

Nothing could survive the blast. And nothing did.

Except, of course, for that which was not a thing.

A black globe rose up from the crater. It was not simply black, it seemed to radiate evil and dark magic. No, it WAS evil and dark magic… and more.

"So, Potter, you thought you can defeat me? You cannot. I will always return. And don't point your foolish stick at me, it can't work, I am pure mind"- An eerie voice said inside Harry's mind, followed by insane laughter.

"You will not return this time, Tom. I will defeat you here." – said Harry, while keeping his wand trained on Voldemort… or rather, his shadow – or whatever one wants to call it.

"You cannot. Even if you could, I can always escape – and return later. I" – even more insane laughter – will wait for your death if need be. My servants know I'm alive… They will wait…

The laughter which followed was completely insane and seemed to last forever. The sound – if one could attribute it to mind speech – was horrifying. Harry, however, simply smirked:

"It's not going to happen, Tom. Besides, what's so funny?"

The shadow laughed again" It is funny. Now where was I? Aaah, Yess. I will return and… No, no ,no… Damn, what is happening to me!"

His tone changed from laughing to concerned, almost frightened. Well, not completely changed, for it was still somewhat laughing – and the sphere still burst into laughing at the oddest times.

You always made mistakes Tom. You could not kill me when I was one, when I was twelve, when I was thirteen. When I was fifteen you let me escape – with the key to your death. You underestimated my emotions – and that was the key to the destruction of your body. You did a poor job in modifying your own emotions… and THAT shall be the end of your essence.

" Impossible! You cannot…"

A new burst of laughing drowned the words. It sounded like it was going to rip the sphere apart – and that was not too far from truth.

"You told me yourself, Tom, that while you were a shadow, you had to concentrate to keep yourself existing. Continually. Sleeplessly. You can still laugh, You didn't remove that. A nice strong Cheering Charm, a Confundus charm thrown in as well - and let's see you try to concentrate – or flee for that matter."

Voldemort DID try to flee – but somehow found that when he tried to think about it, the disruptive powers which tried to pull apart his essence grew too strong. He decided simply to wait until Harry will exhaust himself trying to maintain two spells directed at the Shadow – and he also felt an attempt to disrupt him through the Scar Link, an even more exhausting task.

Harry, however, was not exhausted. He was prepared for that, he knew he could not fail – and he made the proper preparations. He held his left hand in his pocket, and inside his fist he held the Coin. Power was continually flowing into him. But there was more. He thought about the true nature of that "Coin", and the power of his spells increased dramatically. He thought of Ginny, of their time together, of the time they WILL have together, of their last kiss… And his mind again returned to the Coin. He had to defeat this abomination.

The power of his spells increased to such an extent that a line of light was actually visible connecting his wand to the Shadow. And Voldemort realized he was not going to get through this. The sphere grew bigger, its edges got blurrier and blurrier…

"NOOO!..."

The final, desperate and despite all, still laughing scream stopped and the sphere simply vanished. In its place, there was all of Tom Riddle's energy, released in one final, horrific blast of heat and shockwave.

Immediately, a shield was erected in front of Harry. Since the young man was nearly fifty feet from the point of explosion's origin, the shield had time to become strong enough to stop most of the blast.

The least however, was enough to fling Harry through the air (again) and although this time the distance was considerably less, there was no force to break his fall.

Harry knew that the fall shall be damaging, but also he had to make it through alive.

"GINNY!"

And there was darkness.