As always I do not own any of the Harry Potter Characters, this fanfic is for fun, no harm is meant.

Chapter 35, The Last-full Measure

After a fierce charge, the two met each other in the center of the tower. Harry made he had hoped would be his fateful swing for Voldemort's lower torso, only to have it deflected by Voldemort's sword. The two faced each other, squaring off in defensive posture. Voldemort lunged in a stabbing motion for Harry's stomach, his attack was deflected. For several minutes it was quick, one could not tell where Harry's sword ended and Voldemort's began, every attack made by one was quickly deflected by the other.

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The Castle was just now coming into view as Hermione and Ronald Weasly flew in under the clouds via broom. Hermione had never hated flying more than she did now, but seeing Harry and Voldemort continuing their duel atop the astronomy tower gave her a sense of relief, Harry was still alive. Her husband however, had not yet seen the two fighters atop the tower as he shouted a question at his wife.

"How do you know they came here?"

"Harry said he was going home, and he was heading to the North," she replied. "I put two and two together." Hermione began pointing at the astronomy tower. "Besides, there they are. We'll land in the court-yard and work our way up there, it will be more of a surprise Voldemort that way."

Neither Harry nor Voldemort noticed the two incoming broomsmen as they continued their duel. The intensity had not died as neither gave any ground before the other. In a moment of weakness for Harry, Voldemort leaned his shoulder into Harry's chest causing him to fall to the floor of the tower. Just before Voldemort could raise his sword for the fatal, stabbing blow to Harry's chest, Harry managed to kick high enough in order to send Voldemort's sword flying from his hands. Voldemort then pulled his wand from his pocket, took aim, and…

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

With his sword, Harry again blocked the killing curse of Voldemort's wand. The curse did not stop emanating from Voldemort's wand and with each passing second, Harry's grip on his sword was becoming more and more difficult to keep. Voldemort's ability to maintain the curse was also becoming more and more difficult, requiring more and more concentration, until finally with one hand he reached toward his sword which rested upon the floor of the tower. Without a moment's hesitation, the sword was summoned to its master's hand and flew as if attracted by a magnet to Voldemort's hand.

After obtaining a grip on his sword, Voldemort ceased the maintenance of his curse. He brought his sword above his head for a fatal, uppercut blow. Upon bringing the blow down, Harry managed to block it as it reached his chest. Voldemort's whole concentration was employed in his attempt to bring the sword down toward Harry's body. Finally, as if receiving strength beyond his own, Harry lunged his sword forward, causing Voldemort's to be thrown out of his hands. Harry quickly jump-kicked to his feet.

Voldemort extended his hand, summoning his sword as he leapt with a front-flip off of the Astronomy tower to land atop a steep-sloping roof, grabbing a hold of a small chimney sticking out of the roof to prevent him from falling. Harry located a similar chimney not far from Voldemort's position and leapt as hard as he could, still employing the feeling of the Love of God surrounding him, coming to land at the exact spot at which he wanted, taking hold of the chimney just in time to save his life. He pulled his wand from out of his robe pocket.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"/"STUPEFY!" came the respective fighters at the same time.

As had happened three years before, the priori-incantatem effect prevented the efficacy of either of their spells as they caught and canceled each-other out. As if almost reading each other's minds, after only a few seconds of maintaining their spells, the two let go at almost precisely the same moment and leapt back to the tower. After landing back upon the tower, Harry somehow lost control of his footing for only a split second, allowing Voldemort to swing hard at Harry's sword, causing it to fly out of his hands. It landed on the floor of the tower a few feet away.

"It is the end for you Harry Potter," said Voldemort harshly.

With his wand, which was still in his hand, Harry took aim quickly at Voldemort…

"INCENDIO!"

A ball of fire jolted out of Harry's wand directly at Voldemort. As the door to the top of the Astronomy tower burst open, not only did Voldemort manage to deflect Harry's spell, but sent it hurling back toward him, hitting him square in the chest; this not only set his robes on fire but also sent him flying several feet in the air, finally beginning his downward plunge after barely clearing the tower's ramparts.

"Harry No!" shouted Ron as he watched his friend fall from the tower. Ron and Hermione cleared the door and took aim at Voldemort with their wands.

"RICTUSEMPRA!"/"STUPEFY!" shouted both members of the couple at the same time.

With a single movement of his sword, both curses were sent back to their respective conjurers. Ron was sent flying back a few feet before coming to an unconscious rest on the floor of the tower, while Hermione found herself on her knees, laughing uncontrollably. The force of hitting the tower sent Ron's wand flying from his hand, landing just before the doorway which lead back to the tower's spiral staircase. Voldemort sheathed his sword and extended his now empty right hand toward Ron's derelict wand. As if attracted to it like a magnet, Ron's wand flew straight toward Voldemort's right hand, while with his left hand, Voldemort took hold of his own wand.

"Crucio!"

Hermione was no longer laughing and Ron was no longer asleep. Voldemort held Ron under the torture curse with his wand, while he held Hermione with Ron's wnad. Both members of the couple screamed in pain as their bodies jolted and twisted as if being electrocuted. Every nerve center in their bodies erupted in pain, an electrical fire shot through every inch of their bodies. In midst of her convulsions, Hermione dropped her wand. When Voldemort finally released them from the torture, they were both very much awake, neither of them were laughing.

"Imperio!"

The two were both held at the same time, as Voldemort used two wands; they were immediately made to stand erect, with the exception of the slight uncontrollable shivering of fear, neither of them moved a muscle. Only Hermione remembered the Dark Lord's appearance in her dreams, both of them had spent the last seven years in absolute terror of him. Being held by him in The Imperius curse was an absolute nightmare come true.

"Ronald Weasley," said Voldemort in a relaxed, taunting voice. "The last of the blood-traitor Weasley family so good of you to join us." His gaze then fell upon Hermione, tears fell from her face as she silently shrieked in fear at the sight of the Dark Lord. "Ah and look he's brought his little mud-blood whore to accompany him, how delightfully disgusting."

Neither Hermione nor Ron could control the utter fear in their expressions, both of them were silently pleading for the other's and their own lives.

"Hermione Granger, you may not remember me, but I remember you," said Voldemort to her in a calm, even gentle voice. "We had such a wonderful time together."

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On an outside windowsill only ten feet below the rampart of the tower, Harry hung by his fingertips. He looked down at the fall which was several hundred feet, there was no chance for survival. His grip started to fade.

"Please," Harry whispered aloud. "Please Lord… I'm sorry… Please… Give me the strength, to finish what I have started."

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"I remember everything about you," Voldemort snarled at the uncontrollably frightened, twitching Hermione. "How you looked that night, how you felt," Voldemort's face was now inches from her own as he slowly took her hand into his own; feeling it, rubbing it softly, gently. "Every pore on your skin," Hermione lost control of herself as her tears now fell from her eyes freely. Voldemort continued, his voice was now much more harsh as he threw Hermione's hand back to its side but brought his face directly in front of hers, merely inches away, "every unbearable smell emanating from your repulsive mud-blood cunt!"

"Get away from her your bastard!" shouted Ron as courageously as he could make his voice sound; in his eyes however, there still lurked and expression of utter terror like to that of his wife's.

"How is my Son Ms. Granger?" Voldemort's voice was once again calm. "Is he ready to be taken back by his true father? Though he is the son of a mud-blood I suppose in this case I can overlook that and raise him properly."

"You won't get near him!" shouted Ron through his own tears of fright.

Voldemort quickly brought himself to within an inch of Ron, his face was directly in front of him, staring down the frightened red-headed boy intensely.

"You are not in a position to dictate to me boy!" shouted Voldemort at Ron, who shrieked in response. "Besides, whose going to stop me? The only person who stood any chance at all is now dead."

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Harry's grip was slipping fast, he only had seconds left.

"Please!" he pleaded aloud.

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"His destiny has been fulfilled," Voldemort Continued. "As for your destiny… I believe the ministry of magic sentenced you both to death."

Voldemort aimed the two wands at a metal ring attached to the tower's floor.

"Incarcerous!"

Two ropes shot out of the two wands. One of the sides of each rope rapped in a tight not around the ring attached to the tower floor. The other side of one of the ropes rapped itself in a tight noose around Ron's neck, while the other side of the other rope did the same to Hermione's neck.

"As Minister of Magic, I suppose I could accommodate them," Voldemort said. "Now walk forward!"

There was enough slack in the ropes to allow them several feet of movement. Unable to resist the imperius curse, the two walked forwards slowly, stopping only when reaching the tower's rampart.

"Step up!" ordered Voldemort.

The Rampart of the tower was barely thick enough for them to stand on. The two climbed to the rampart and stood at the edge, knowing that they were only seconds from death. Hermione looked below her and her expression went from being one of fear and hopelessness to one of blankness and unemotion. Ron however simply looked ahead into the starless, moonless night.

"I could just kill you with the killing curse you know," Voldemort taunted. "But why kill a victim quickly when you can watch them struggle. If you have never witnessed a hanging, they can be quite fun for those who enjoy the torture of others like myself; on the other hand for those who are participating in the execution, I'm told the pain must be unbearable. Any last words?"

Ron looked straight ahead, his expression was one of fear but he was trying put on a brave face. He had resigned himself to death; he only hoped that he would be able to withstand the pain of strangulation.

"I'll see you in Paradise Hermione," he said with a shaky voice.

Hermione however, was somehow preoccupied with what she saw as she looked below her.

"No you won't," she said softly.

"Wha?" came back Ron, confused.

Hermione and Harry's eyes connected as they looked directly at each other. As Harry noticed the rope around Hermione's neck and realized what was about to happen, he prayed as fervently as he had ever done so in his life. A new strength suddenly came to him from a source outside his own, a warm feeling entered his heart.

"Thank you Lord," he said.

Without exerting hardly any effort at all, Harry merely made a upward thrust with his shoulders. The force of this sent his entire body shooting up the ten feet back to the floor of the tower. When he reached the top of the tower, he continued his rapid ascent and executed a front flip while extending his hand toward Voldemort's sheathed sword which shot directly toward him as if attracted by a magnet, ending up right in Harry's hand.

Voldemort was stunned, while Harry was only an instant away from landing behind him, Voldemort turned to face the anticipated landing of he whom he thought to be dead. Harry Landed only inches in front of the Dark Lord; with a quick, stabbing thrust of Voldemort's own sword, Harry sent cold steel into Voldemort's stomach.

Immediately as Voldemort was stabbed, Ron and Hermione's bodies gave a minor jolt as they were released from the imperius curse; without a moment's hesitation they both stepped down from the ramparts and removed the ropes from their necks.

Voldemort, still held by Harry who was grasping the Dark Lord's own sword which was piercing his stomach, fell to his knees; his breathing was becoming much more eradic, he was dying.

"Repent Voldemort," said Harry who was breathing deeply and harshly, as if his recent movements took quite a bit out of him. "I'm not going to finish you, but you are dying and it's too late for your life, you'll probably bleed to death, but its not too late for your soul, we can find water quickly to baptize you with; do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and do you acknowledge him as your lord and Savior, and are you sorry for your sins?"

Voldemort's expression slowly became angry, hateful, powerful as his eyes caught an object several feet away from he and Harry. He extended his hand…

"Burn in hell Potter!"

Harry anticipated exactly what Voldemort was doing. With his left hand still grasping the sword that was now piercing Voldemort's stomach, Harry turned and extended his right hand just in time to catch his sword which was flying toward Voldemort's extended hand. With a single stabbing motion of his right arm, Harry turned back to Voldemort and thrust his sword through the Dark Lord's left eye. Voldemort was killed instantly.

"You first"

For a few seconds, none of the three left alive on the tower could move. Voldemort was finally gone forever. There was no way he could possibly come back, he was not merely half alive, he was dead, fully dead. In the absence of any horcruxes, nothing protected him from a simple stab in the forehead. Never had Harry, Ron, and Hermione been more thankful that no spell could reawaken the dead than they were now.

Hermione and Ron both let out powerful sighs of relief. Harry suddenly let go of the two swords, allowing Voldemort's lifeless body to fall to the floor. Harry dropped back several steps, holding his hands in front of his face, he fell to his knees. A tear suddenly came to his eyes.

"Oh my God, what have I done?"

Hermione and Ron quickly walked to Harry and knelt beside him, Hermione placed her arm around his shoulder.

"You did what you had to do," Hermione said. "You fulfilled your destiny Harry, and you have saved countless lives in so doing."

"I tried," Harry continued lamenting. "I tried to offer him a chance to repent."

"I guess some people just can't be saved Harry," said Ron whose voice, although joining his friend in lamentation, was quite relieved. "By their own choices they're too far gone."

"He believed," Harry continued, now sobbing. "But he mistook God for being evil and Satan for good, that's what he told me. There was a time when all I wanted to do was kill him, I hated him for killing my parents, I thought that killing him would make everything right, bring everything to peace, but now all I feel for him is sorrow. He could not see the love of God, how sad."

The arm of Hermione which rested upon Harry's shoulder gave Harry a friendly pat on his back.

"Come on Harry let's go,"

The three then rose to their feet and began to walk toward the door which lead to the tower's descending spiral staircase. A sudden expression of remembrance came to Harry's face.

"Reverend Ewls," Harry said. "This way!"

Harry, followed by Ron and Hermione suddenly set off down the spiral staircase which descended the tower.

They found Reverend Ewls right where Harry had left him; he was alive but barely, his breathing was very erratic, he still clutched his wound while resting upon the stairs. His expression was one of resignation, he knew he did not have long. In addition to clutching his flesh near the sight of his wound, his right hand also clutched a rosary and he was silently mouthing the words of the various prayers which the beads represented as he struggled to breath.

"Reverend!" shouted Harry as he, Ron and Hermione knelt down around him, all three of their faces bore tears. Hermione and Ron clutched each other's hands, desperately seeking each other's comfort, knowing what was only seconds away.

"Did you do it Harry?" Ewls struggled to ask. "Did you fulfill your destiny?"

"Oh yes Reverend (sniff), I did it."

"Voldemort?"

"He's dead."

Reverend Ewls nodded before continuing. "I don't want my body moved yet. My family is here, I want to be with them. I want to be moved when they are moved."

Harry nodded in midst of his tears, "Yes Reverend."

Reverend Ewls' gaze fixed suddenly on Ron and Hermione as he continued to struggle.

"Hermione, Ron, what are you two doing here?"

"Harry told me (sniff) before you left that he was (sob) going home," said Hermione through her crying. "This is the only home he's ever known (sniff), and you two headed (sniff) north, I put two-and-two together."

"Smart girl,"

Ewls breathing was suddenly becoming even more labored, even more erratic, there was now nothing they could do.

"Had they not been here, I wouldn't have been able to do it," said Harry.

"I guess the will of God kept you three together once more," Ewls said as his breathing was now a downright fight. "I pray that he continues to do so. Thank you all (gasp), for granting me the pleasure of knowing you, I will see you all again, hopefully not for a long time though."

Reverend Ewls suddenly looked up at the ceiling of the room, his eyeballs wandered as if able to see something circling around them. A smile suddenly grazed his lips as he stopped struggling and with his last breath…

"Happy Easter,"

Reverend Ewls suddenly stopped moving, his head and eyes fell, staring now at the bottom of the staircase.

Hermione's crying became louder, Ron took her into his embrace as she buried her face into his shoulder. In midst of his free-flowing tears, Harry's hand slowly, respectfully closed Ewls's eyes.

"Go with God Reverend," Harry said through his own sobs.