More blood and gore in this chapter. Oh yeah – I don't own Harry Potter, Spam or Lego. I'm just a housewife in the desperate need of a life.

Sincere thanks to beta wizard Spacegal19, and to everyone who gives me such valuable feedback and encouragement!

Chapter 35

Wafer Thin Mint

Severus Snape was having a rough time at first. Once it became apparent the potion's master was indeed fighting for the light, there were quite a few Death Eaters that wanted to revenge their master personally. Snape wasn't sure if it was revenge, or simply jealousy – he had escaped the clutches of Riddle and hadn't been crucio'd all summer. The difficulty came from the sheer numbers of dark wizards targeting him, not from their skill by any stretch of the imagination.

The Death Eaters left in Riddle's camp were pitiful. With a trademark sneer and billowing of robes, Severus got to work, and found himself viciously enjoying the battle. Here was a chance to use more creative spells, duel like the master he was, not holding back. No coddling student duelers, drying their tears and soothing their hurt egos afterwards. No having to hear "but you can't use that spell, Severus – it could be considered dark!" He was whirling and striking with deadly grace and accuracy.

The only thing missing in his life was knowing Harry would have the pleasure of killing Riddle – not he. He worked his way closer to the Founders, torturing Death Eaters with a variety of disgusting spells he had been just itching to try for years. Snape finally found himself where Riddle could see him. He wanted nothing more then for that sick moron to see just which side he'd truly been on all this time. Snape even thought about sticking his tongue out at the dictator and going "nyegh" at him. How mature, he smirked to himself. He had been teaching way, way too long.

The dark-eyed wizard was dueling with a young Death Eater. He had no idea who was behind the silver mask – Riddle had obviously recruited anyone and anything he could get his hands on during the summer, regardless of talent or ability. Snape was toying with his opponent, using a variety of flashy spells to hopefully get Riddle's attention for just a moment. After all, it would help Harry if Riddle had to process this slap in the face on top of everything else.

Out of the blue a dead vampire came flying through the sky – probably thrown by Hagrid. It would have been a 'good thing', but unfortunately its landing site was where Snape was currently standing. Severus saw it coming out of the corner of his eye and moved just before becoming a potion master pancake. But it was all the distraction his opponent needed, and he managed to slice Snape's arm with a vicious cutting hex. Now Snape was angry.

Oddly enough, it wasn't the yelling, the sparks or the puffs of flashy smoke that got Riddle's attention. It was the gross spectacle of one of his new junior Death Eaters standing for a second before collapsing, having been turned inside out. "Now that was some creative spell work" Riddle gawked with admiration. Until he saw who had performed the hex. "YOU!" he screamed with fury at his former Death Eater.

Ah yes – it was a very good day, Snape decided.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Minerva McGonagall heaved a silent sigh. She had not taken part in a battle in over 60 years now. Although her bones and joints argued that this was not the best way to spend her declining years, she felt the decades of experience more than made up for her physical limitations. She tucked a stray strand of hair back into her bun and blotted the blood off her forehead with her sleeve. Stupid slashing hexes.

She glanced around the battlefield catching her breath. The few Death Eaters Riddle had left were clustered around their leader attacking both Harry and Snape with no results. She smiled warmly at the sight. An occasional vampire or werewolf would make its way toward where she was fighting along side other order members and teachers, but they were quickly dispatched. Although it wasn't the most active place, she wanted to stand here, near the castle, and make sure none of the enemy tried to enter Hogwarts.

'Where is Sybil?' she glanced around. 'For that matter, where is Albus?' She had really expected him to cause some sort of mischief – try to steal Harry's thunder one way or another. Of all the unflattering things she could say about the headmaster, coward was not one of them.

While keeping one eye on the battle and watching Hogwarts for signs of Albus or enemies, she spied McNair trying to sneak to the front doors. She pinched her lips into a thin, disapproving line. She never liked the man – especially when he came to execute Hagrid's Hippogriff three years ago. Anyone who enjoys killing like that was suspect in her opinion. Minerva sent a bludgeoning hex toward the man, blasting him away from the door. He sent one back, breaking her arm, and leaving the elderly witch wandless and at his mercy.

Clutching her shattered arm and reeling with pain, Minerva gave a futile look for her wand. With straight back and brave eye she waited for the killing hex she knew would come. It was not to happen that day, however – Ron Weasley, who had seen McNair skulking toward the castle had followed as quickly as he could. With a roar of rage and Gryffindor courage, he flung himself into the altercation between the executioner and his head of house.

McNair barely knew what hit him. He heard the yell and saw the blinding flash of red hair. He felt the pain, and the Death Eater was no more.

Minerva gave a nod of pride and gratitude to her Gryffindor cub. She muttered a quick numbing charm on her arm and continued to stand watch. Nobody was going to enter her school unless they belonged there. Ron continued to fight at her side.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Remus and Tonks found themselves back to back in the center of a ring of seven werewolves. The fearsome beasts were snapping their drooling jaws, snarling and circling, eyes glowing with hate. Remus almost rolled his eyes – how fitting a way to die – devoured by his own kind.

Mr. And Mrs. Lupine had worked their way off to the side of the grounds, and now surrounded by werewolves, they were on their own. 'Ironic – I managed to keep from harming anyone as a werewolf, and now I'm going to become werewolf chow' the ex-DADA professor mused to himself. 'Wish I could get a glance at that watch Harry gave me for Christmas – I wonder what it looks like to have all the hands pointed at 'mortal peril'.'

"Well baby, I always wanted to go out with a bang" Tonks laughed, a touch bitterly, and turned her nose into a wolf snout. True – a hero's death is cool if you have to die, but she really liked living. They started firing a flurry of hexes at the seven monsters, catching their fur on fire. Most animals hate fire – it did manage to scare off three of them.

"You do know I love you, Tonks" Remus spoke to his wife as they caught their breath.

"Back at 'cha" she replied, firing off another volley of hexes as the werewolves made to lunge again.

Remus caught the sight of one monster out of the corner of his eye. It was Fenrir Greyback – the very same werewolf that had bit him as a child. It had launched itself straight for his wife. Without thinking Lupin threw himself between Tonks and Fenrir - he would die before his wife had to live her life in the pain and misery he suffered.

Gasping, tears in her eyes, Tonks glanced at the bloody carnage going between her husband and Greyback. Strengthened with fury, she hexed like crazy the remaining three werewolves. Caught by surprise at the strength and passion of her attack, two were killed and the last limped off. Spinning on her heel she turned to see Remus, badly mangled, choking the life out of Greyback with his bare hands. The evil Fenrir Greyback was finally removed from the gene pool, but at a very high cost.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

There was temporary lull in the battle. Harry didn't know if it had been hours or minutes since the attack began. He stood proudly, breathing heavily and glaring at Tom, who was screaming in fear inside his head, and attempting to bully his troops into stronger resistance. The light was winning overall – it was never in question. But how to defeat Riddle? Harry and Neville's strongest hexes just bounced off of him. Hermione's cleverest curses seemed to evaporate. He wasn't using shielding charms – he was an animated shield on two feet. If he didn't destroy Riddle totally, he'd just come back again and again, like a bad rock ballad from the 80s. Or worse yet, bellbottoms.

He stepped forward, closer to Riddle, and the dark forces in the vicinity instinctively backed away. Righteous anger over the death of his parents, his friends and the innocents flooded Harry's senses and he neared the leader of evil. This had to end today!

"You can't defeat me" Riddle hissed at Harry. "I am the most powerful wizard who ever lived."

Harry ignored the bantering, concentrating on Riddles' thoughts and where his hands were at all times. Tom shot a series of particularly nasty dark hexes that would have killed lesser wizards, but Harry deftly deflected the spells with Godric's sword and wandless shields. Riddle paused, catching his breath, eyes white with fear.

"How do I kill him?" Harry thought. And unbidden, the old words of Dumbledore came to his mind. "Love. Love, Harry, is the power he knows not."

At that moment a revelation broke through. Harry smiled at Tom, who was gasping for breath. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and knew without looking it was the firm loving grip of Griphook, his father. And with less surprise then he would have thought possible, the Goblin actually slid and merged into Harry, becoming one being. Fawkes trilled a song of triumph, and melted into the Chosen One. He felt a small hand on his hip, and looked down to see Dobby smiling up at him with tears of fierce pride and love in his eyes. Harry returned the look and Dobby merged within as well. A strong hand clapped him on the head, almost knocking him over, and the looked up with affection to see the glittering black eyes of a one-armed Hagrid – his first friend ever - smiling down at him, who promptly merged as well. Then he looked to his side to see Magorian, with a deep gash across his muscular chest, come up and give him a look of complete trust and pride. Magorian too joined in the new being that was Harry.

Riddle shook his head in disbelief. Right in front of him Potter's animal comrades in arms were melting away, blending into the Boy-Who-Lived. He weakly raised his wand to attempt a avada kedavra out of panic-driven desperation, but it was simply blocked by the sword of Slytherin and shield of Ravenclaw thrust in front of Potter.

Slytherin's sword? "NO" Riddle screamed, spit flying from his lips. "I am the heir of Slytherin!"

Hermione shot Riddle a scathing look. "Not any more, Riddle." And she too, joined with her fiancé, merging into his very being.

"MY NAME IS VOLDEMORT! LORD VOLDEMORT!" he screamed in rage.

Neville laughed and made a rude finger gesture at the leader of the dark. "Bugger off, Riddle" and he joined in the new being that was Harry Potter.

"Oh – me too, me too!" quipped Luna, who was the last to blend into the now shining brightness that was The Chosen One.

The light grew and grew, until the battle ceased and every being stood to watch what was happening in the center of the field. The noise dropped from deafening clanging and screams to an eerie silence. The light was now blinding, and everyone had to squint or shield their eyes, including the terrified Tom Riddle, quivering in fetal position on the ground. The white light slowly faded, and in it's place stood a dragon, 30 foot in height and shining pure white in radiance.

The dragon stood on two enormous feet and glared down at Riddle who slowly stood trembling in awe. His wand was limp in his shaking fingers, and the few surviving Death Eaters started to run for the Hogwart's gates, only to find themselves trapped within the grounds.

The dragon that was Harry lifted his arms, and Riddle was terrified to see it had four of them – and in each hand was a sword or the shield of the Founders. Tom realized at that moment it was going to be a lousy end to an awful week. He was hosed.

"Is everyone all right?" Harry mind-spoke with his friends whom had merged within. "Hang tight – I don't think this will take long."

"Do what you must – you have the control Harry" Griphook sent back and other similar messages of encouragement were voiced in return. Harry could feel the power, love and magic from all of them, and all their thoughts and emotions filling him to overflowing.

The dragon bent its huge head down and glared at Tom Riddle, brandishing the magical weapons. But instead of striking a physical blow, the dragon/Harry opened his mouth and shot a flame at Riddle – not of fire, but of pure light magic. It was impossible to look at, white beyond white, light beyond sun. And when he stopped and shut his mouth, Riddle's lifeless body lay on the ground, staring up at the sun with empty eyes.

Screams of pain and surprise were heard from around the battleground as the remaining Death Eaters collapsed and died, clutching their arms. For a moment the world stood still as shocked beings realized the evil that was Voldemort was indeed dead.

A loud wail of agony came from in back of the Dragon/Harry, and he recognized the voice as Tonks'. He turned to see in back of him a seriously wounded Remus lying in Tonks' arms as she wailed and pleaded with him to stay with her. Gently, ever so carefully Harry bent his head down and opened his mouth, breathing a soft flame of magic at the last of the marauders, who woke up, blinked, and stood shakily, gaping at the sword-wielding dragon that had just healed him.

The Dragon/Harry then lifted his head towards the sky and shouted out a rallying cry, and the light appeared again, although dimmer, and the Founders and Friends all separated from Harry, and resumed what was left of the battle.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o

Tom Malvolo Riddle, last surviving heir of Slytherin, felt his life and soul blasted from his flesh and blood. 'Oh well' he thought to himself, 'I'm sure there's a place in paradise for the greatest wizard who ever lived.'

He floated lazily above the battle for a bit, bored with the goings on. If he couldn't be the victor, he didn't care who won and who died. He tried to direct himself toward the ground, to find a snake or perhaps one of those many insane rabbits to possess, but was unable – an annoying cloud of fairies was following him, keeping him from the earth. Too bad Nagini was dead – she would have made a superb body. No matter – now the beyond waited, and perhaps he could conquer that.

Far above the musing soul of Riddle hovered the very last of the dementors. It was smaller, weaker than the others and would have been considered timid if dementors had emotions. It had watched with detachment as the fairies entrapped and destroyed all the rest. It was alone, the very last dementor in existence.

It was so very hungry, and the hot emotions wafting up from the battle below were so heady, so delightful and enticing, it would have drooled if it was able. Wasn't there anything it could eat without getting near the dangerous fairies?

Then it sensed something coming up to it – a meal-to-go! Of all the souls that were freed today, everyone had disappeared in an instant to the beyond before the lone dementor could even get a taste. And here was one, coming right up to it! It was dripping with fear, anger, and malice, basted with hate. The dementor quivered with anticipation.

The dementor greedily slurped Riddle's soul up with one gluttonous breath. And promptly exploded. Sometimes you really can eat just too much.

5 Brownie points to anyone who can tell me where the chapter's title comes from! And do not worry, gentle readers. I have 4 chapters to go so there will not be any loose ends or abrupt good-byes.