Chapter 31

The battle begins

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"Nox" Hermione whispered when they were a few meters from the chamber door.

Harry shivered he didn't know if he was ready to back in but his scar throbbed, he felt Voldemort's presence and he knew it was time to finish it. It was time to lay the prophecy to rest.

"Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives"

"Listen" he whispered, "If it gets too heavy in there, get yourselves out"

"But Harry"

"Hermione, please, listen to me. I don't want to lose either of you, just trust me. Anyway if the worst happens, I don't want you to see me…."

Harry stopped and looked at his shoes.

"It won't come to that mate," Ron said patting him on the shoulder but Harry didn't look up, the prophecy just went around in his head over and over.

Clearing his throat Harry stood to his full height and said,

"Let's do it. Let's finish this once and for all."

"We can't just walk in there, they'll kill us" Ron said.

"I have an idea," Hermione said confidently.

The Death Eaters guarding the door marched back and forth. Harry, Hermione and Ron watched as the two men paced. A third arrived and Hermione and Ron raised their wands,

"Stupefy"

The three men collapsed.

"Quickly" Hermione ordered. "Grab them, get their robes. We can shrink them down to size"

A few minutes later there were three new Death Eaters guarding the chamber door.

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"You three, why are you still guarding the door? Did you not feel our Master call us. Hurry before he gets angry I heard he had great news to share with all of us."

Hermione, Harry and Ron followed the Death Eater into the chamber; there was no going back now. Harry's scar ached but he just pulled his hood further down over his forehead so no-one could see him. The three friends headed to the back of the circle as quickly as they could; there was no way any of them were going to bow to Voldemort's feet.

"It is a night of celebration" Voldemort called from his throne. "Harry Potter is good enough dead, he's so weak and broken it's only a matter of time when the boy will finally fall for once and for all."

His Death Eaters clapped and cheered and Voldemort raised his bony white hand for silence.

"But there is more" he continued, "For tonight we also captured the great Albus Dumbledore"

Voldemort raised his hand again and Malfoy and Macnair carried into the room a very weak Dumbledore. Lupin followed behind his hands and feet in chains just like Dumbledore. Harry was stunned and immediately he looked for Cho. He found her coming in through a side door and walking the steps up to her throne. He nudged Ron slightly and Ron nodded back.

"Crucio" Voldemort shouted raising his wand at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore wasn't ready and felt the full force of the curse. Falling to his knees he tried not to show his enemy that he was in pain.

"How are we going to do this?" Ron whispered to Harry

"I'm not sure" Harry whispered back but froze when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Voldemort was distracted so he didn't notice the disturbance amongst the circle. Harry swallowed hard, if the Death Eater behind blew his cover he was finished, but the Death Eater spoke very softly.

"Potter, don't do anything rash. Follow my lead and tell Weasley to keep his voice down for once, and we may get out of here alive. Can you create a diversion, or are you still too weak?"

"What type of diversion sir?"

"Use your head Potter for once."

Harry rolled his eyes under the hood; he knew Snape couldn't be civil for more than two seconds. Nodding his head slightly Snape withdrew his hand from Harry's shoulder.

"A diversion" thought Harry, "What can I do?"

Then Harry saw Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. Harry closed his eyes and when he reopened them he hissed in parseltongue.

"Voldemort"

Voldemort stopped the curse on Dumbledore.

"Potter" he said

"If you want me" Harry hissed, "Come get me. Man to man"

"FIND HIM MEN" Voldemort shouted, "He's in the room somewhere."

The Death Eater's just stood around looking from wall to wall. Harry turned his concentration on the wooden door he had come in earlier. He imagined the door rattling like he had done in the cell.

"He's outside my Lord, with a whole bunch of people" Wormtail called.

"Well go get him" Voldemort ordered

Harry hissed once more.

"I'm coming Voldemort, and I'm bringing you down. We finish this tonight."

An evil laugh erupted from Voldemort.

"He thinks he's going to finish this tonight. Oh, we'll finish it tonight but it won't be me going down Potter."

Harry focused on the second door at the opposite side of the room; the one Cho had come through. The storm clouds once more gathered outside. Harry was starting to feel weak but he remained focused and determined. His eyes were glazed over under his hood as he concentrated on the two doors. Hermione and Ron stood staring, astonished by what they saw.

Dumbledore smiled to himself, "Go on son you can do it" he thought.

Snape watched and waited for the right moment to attack. The thunder rumbled outside and as the lightning split the sky, the doors burst open. Candle lit torches that lined the walls were blown out from the wind that came through and the room plunged into darkness. This was Snape's sign; he ran to his Headmaster and rescued him.

"MEN" Voldemort shouted, "GET THEM, BUT LEAVE POTTER FOR ME!"

Hermione and Ron went and rescued Lupin. Aurors arrived into the room and the battle started. One by one the Death Eaters fell to the ground. Someone had relit the candles and when the room came back there were bodies from both sides all over the floor.

When the doors had opened and Harry had broken the link he stumbled backwards and fell against the wall. Sliding down on to the floor he hung his head and his hood fell forward hiding more of his face. To anyone passing he looked like another fallen Death Eater. He felt physically drained and he was breathing heavily.

"Where do you think he is?" Hermione called over to Ron.

"Stupefy" Ron shouted back as another Death Eater fell to the ground. "I don't know Hermione, but don't worry I bet he's fine, that was some impressive stuff he did earlier. Is that his wand on the table up there?"

Hermione raised her wand a curse flew out the end of it before she looked to the altar.

"Yeah, I think so. Accio wand" she called and Harry's wand flew to her hand. "Ron look out" she shouted but Ron was surrounded.

Ron's hand started to tremble.

"I can't hold it for much longer" he called back to Hermione

"Hold on Ron, I'm coming" Lupin's voice came from behind.

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Snape was walking through the bodies to see how many were dead or alive. He looked over to the wall and saw one sitting up against it head hung down to his chest. It wasn't until Snape looked further down the body that he saw a familiar black school shoe sticking out underneath the robe, the foot was too smalls to be an adults.

"Potter" he thought.

Moving closer to the boy he heard Voldemort give a scream as one of the Aurors hit him in the stomach with a spell. Snape's suspicions were confirmed when Harry gave a scream in pain and held himself in the stomach at the same spot Voldemort had been hit. Snape remembered the Hogsmeade attack; Dumbledore had said Harry had felt every attack on Voldemort. He had to move fast and move Harry. He bent down to the boy and said,

"Potter! Can you hear me?"

Harry nodded.

"We have to get you out of here, keep your hood up and let me do the talking if needs to be. Can you walk?"

Snape placed his arm around the boy's waist and the two slowly walked to the door.

"Halt" a voice shouted from behind.

Snape and Harry stopped.

"Severus" Lucius said. "Who do you have there? He looks to be in a bad way. Do you need help?"

"No, no we're fine. Why don't you help someone else?"

"Who is it? I don't seem to recognise them, must be one of the new recruits. They don't make them like they used to huh! Severus, not like the old days, the younger ones can't handle the pressure."

Snape gave a false grin; he was becoming uncomfortable with the time wasting. Trying not to sound annoyed he said,

"Lucius, I must get this man to safety."

Voldemort gave another scream as another curse connected. Harry tried not to call out from the pain, Voldemort had been hit and Snape felt the boy tense up under his arm.

"Of course, of course" Lucius said, "Where is he hurt?"

Snape was getting very impatient sharply said, "In the stomach, now I have to go."

"Then why is there blood falling to the ground"

Before Snape knew what was happening Lucius stepped over and pulled Harry's hood back.

"Potter" he screamed.

Harry's scar had reopened and blood oozed out from it.

"All this time, we knew there was a traitor in the circle. I always had my doubts about you Severus and this just confirms it. You'll die for this Severus; you have a sworn duty to our Lord."

"I think you'll find he's sworn to Dumbledore" Harry said raising his head and left hand.

"Expelliarmus"

Malfoy flew across the room. The spell was powerful because Malfoy was so close and because of the wandless magic being stronger.

"I'll deal with Malfoy" Snape said. "Are you okay to carry on to safety?"

"Yes sir" Harry replied

"And Potter" Snape said before walking away, "Never fight my battles for me again."

Harry nodded, but grinned to himself. He'd never be Snape's favourite student and Snape would always be a greasy git but today and even if it only lasted today they had reached an understanding.

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End of chapter

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