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V. The Final Horcrux

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They had all apparated to the phone booth outside the ministry. The area was deserted and there was no sign of any disturbance at all. That soon changed once they were underground. Curses were flying everywhere between the black-hooded Death Eaters and the myriad Ministry officials that were already present. The area was demolished and everything was chaos. The group quickly dispersed, attacking as many Death Eaters as they could.

Although the Death Eaters were outnumbered almost three to one, they had the advantage. They were throwing around the Unforgivables while the Ministry and the Order resisted such attacks. They were unlawful and although this was war, some couldn't bring themselves to do it. And a jelly-legs hex wasn't going to overpower a killing curse. That was certain.

Hermione and Ron took up their positions as Harry's body guards—defending him as he searched for Voldemort. Within ten seconds he had found the maniac laughing ruthlessly over the dead body of a Ministry worker. Sensing Harry, he turned sharply, his red eyes locking on Harry's green ones.

"Potter," he sneered. "I see you've decided to come play."

Harry growled. He pulled his wand up from his side and shouted a curse. Voldemort easily avoided it. He also side-stepped the next few quite effortlessly.

"Harry," Hermione whispered. "You have to clear your mind. He can't know what you're going to do."

Harry nodded, but Voldemort laughed as he probed Harry's mind.

"Oh yes, Potter," he mocked. "Do listen to the Mudblood. Your father did just that and—oh, maybe that was a bad example?" he said sarcastically with a sneer.

"Don't talk about my parents," Harry commanded quietly as uncontrolled magic began to flow through him. "Don't you dare say anything about them."

"Lily and James Potter? I'm not 'allowed' to say their names? Lily and James?" he mocked Harry as if he were a three year old. "Mudbloods and a blood traitor? The pairing must be common," he said with a sneer towards Hermione and Ron.

They both moved forward with their wands outstretched but Harry held them back. "No,' he whispered. He took three steps forward before a flash of green light shot out of Voldemort's wand, purposely missing him. He flinched, but then raised his own wand.

"You can't do it, Potter," Voldemort sneered. "Bella told me already of how you couldn't manage even a Cruciatus Curse. You really think you can kill me?"

Harry smirked. "I've waited seven years for this. I think I can."

Voldemort laughed. "Seven years? I've waited seventeen years, Potter. Killing you will be the easiest thing I have ever done."

"You've already failed—what—five times?"

Voldemort glared at him. "You were lucky," he said angrily.

"Unfortunately, you won't be this time."

Voldemort cackled. "You really think you can kill me?" he asked with a cold grin.

"You're not immortal," Harry said softly. "So yes, I think I can."

Voldemort grinned. "I see how little you know of me."

Harry smirked a smirk worthy of Slytherin himself. "I know more than you think. Your diary—gone. Gaunt's ring—destroyed. Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's book are all destroyed." He watched as a slight look of fear passed over Voldemort's features.

"Well, Potter," he said in a throaty whisper. "Very good, I suppose you think you can kill me now?"

Harry shook his head. "No. Not yet. You made it that way." He swallowed his own fear. "Seven horcruxes. Three of yours and one from each founder. You needed something linking you to Gryffindor—but what? His sword was too well protected. And when you heard of the prophecy—of a little boy living in Godric's Hollow—a sure descendant of the man himself—you thought, who better? The only one who can kill me must die first. It was perfect."

Voldemort smirked again. "I supposed we are at a stale mate then?"

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously. "Not even close." Hermione realised what was happening a second before it actually did. She screamed as Harry cast a killing curse at Voldemort and then again as Voldemort did the same. Harry jumped in front of the curse sent for him, falling a fraction of a second before the other curse hit Voldemort.

When the pounding of her heart left her ears, Hermione noticed how the room was in complete silence. As she looked around, she saw all the dark-robed figures lying motionless on the ground. It took only seconds for all the survivors to realise they had won.

Instantly, the masked men and women were bound and identified before being sent to Azkaban for what would be a very long time. Many were obvious—Lucius Malfoy; Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange; and Crabbe and Goyle Sr.'s—but others came as complete surprise to a few—McNair ("I worked with him!" exclaimed an excited Fudge as they revealed the faces); Pettigrew, who was still thought to be dead; and Kingsley Shacklebolt who had left on a trip to Romania, but had never returned. One of the greatest surprises was that Severus Snape was not to be found on either side. A few were also still worried about the whereabouts of Sirius Black—unable to believe he had died two years prior at the Ministry, and also not in a state to handle the fact that he must be innocent, even if he was alive, because Pettigrew was very much alive and in captivity.

Hermione was led away from all the commotion by Ron who had his arm wrapped protectively around her. He was whispering something in her ear, but she couldn't tell what. Her tears had dried on her cheeks, and she—for once in her life—couldn't think, or even say anything.

Once Ron had led her outside she found words. "He knew?" she croaked. "How did he know? Why didn't he tell me?" She met Ron's eyes and found them watering. "Did he tell you?"

Ron shook his head. "No."

Hermione suddenly passed out and Ron had to struggle to hold her limp form upright. Gradually, he lifted her into his arms and he exited the alleyway they had been in. When he looked down at her he thought for a second that she had resumed crying, but soon realised that her hair and clothes were rapidly becoming wet as well. As his senses all came back, he knew it was, in fact, pouring. Why did it always rain on bad occasions?

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Ron made it back to the Burrow with Hermione before anyone else had returned. He went to her room and laid her on the bed, throwing a blanket over her. He cast a drying spell before he left the room. On his way down the stairs he passed Malfoy's room.

He sensed wards around the outside that seemed undisturbed. Slowly, he went through them and opened the door. He saw Malfoy laying unceremoniously across the foot of the bed, his hand grabbing his left arm. Ron saw Kristah sleeping on the majority of the cot. He went to her, picked her up and left the room.

He had been home for nearly two hours when Hermione woke up. She quietly made her way down the stairs and spied Ron playing with Kristah. He looked so happy as he held her on his lap, each with a doll in their hand. Kristah was facing the stairs and when she saw the brunette she jumped from Ron's lap and ran to her. "Aunt Mione!" Ron saw her, smiled, and then put the doll down, blushing.

After saying hello to the little girl, Hermione asked her to go play by herself for a minute. She nodded and then took a box of crayons and some paper to the table. Hermione sat on the couch by Ron and took his hands in hers.

"Yes," she said, smiling.

"Yes?" he asked. "You mean—you'll—"

"Marry you. Yes."

Ron hugged Hermione and then kissed her passionately. When they broke apart they heard voices entering the house.

"They're here!" Molly shouted as she saw the couple on the couch. "We were so worried about you two!" she said with tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad you're both safe and—alive," she choked out as she strangled them both in a hug.

Hermione and Ron waited as the others slowly became visible. First, Mr Weasley entered, followed by a teary-eyed Ginny holding hands with both Fleur and Penelope. Bill was next to Fleur and Fred was trailing.

"Where are Percy, Charlie and George?" Ron demanded, his voice cracking mid-sentence.

Molly shook her head and Hermione curled into Ron's side, trying to comfort him in any way she could. He held onto her tightly and she pressed herself closer to him.

Mr Weasley cleared his throat and nodded in Kristah's directions.

"Later," his wife said. As she said it, the girl stood up and crossed the room to show off her picture. It was of nine big orange blobs, two black ones, a brown one, and three yellow ones. Her audience listened as she listed off the members of her 'New Family.'

"Gramma, Grapa," she listed. "Aunt Mione," she said, pointing to the brown spot. "Aunt Penelope, Aunt Fleur, Uncle Draco," she said, indicating the three yellows. "Uncle Harry," a black one. "Uncle Bill, Uncle Percy, Uncle Fred, Uncle George, Uncle Ron, Aunt Ginny," she stated with a smile. Then she pointed to a bigger orange dot next to the central black smudge. "Daddy and me!" she said proudly, displaying her artwork for everyone to see. "What's wrong?" she asked sadly, noticing tears in everyone's eyes.

Molly picked up the girl into her arms. "Uncle Percy and Uncle George are—gone." She smoothed some of the girl's hair behind her ear. "So is Uncle Harry."

Kristah looked around and then realised who else was missing. She snapped her head back to her Gramma and tears formed in her eyes. "Daddy?" she asked softly.

Molly shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Kristah," she said. The poor girl had just lost her mom, and now the man she had taken to calling 'Daddy,' just today, was gone as well.

Kristah jumped from her lap and headed to the stairs. Quickly, she climbed them—stopping outside Draco's room. She tried the handle but found it locked. "Uncle Draco!" she cried, pounding her small fists against the wood. Ron found her first and he lifted her up, holding her to him as his own father came up the stairs. He unlocked the door and cracked it open.

"Malfoy," he called. "We're all back. You can come out now." He opened it further. "Malfoy?"

Ron saw the deserted room. "He was here earlier."

Arthur nodded. "He said he was leaving. He stayed long enough for us to get back—just as he promised he would." Arthur shook his head and shut the door to the empty room.

A/N: Review please peoples!

Chocolate Lemons!

Brittany and Amber