Chapter 10

Skimming Chance

"Well, Potter. We meet again. I must say, I'm a tad bit surprised to see you. It seems that Mr. Malfoy here," Voldemort nodded to Draco, "Didn't complete his task."

Draco's mouth dropped open, and Harry turned to gape at him incredulously. "You…you were supposed to kill me? Is that what this is about?"

"No, Harry, please listen to me. I know nothing of this. Nothing!" Draco's eyes pleaded innocence, and as Harry stared deep into their softened depths, he felt that he believed Draco. He nodded slowly, sweat running down his face in rivers, and turned back to face Voldemort. Hot anger boiled inside him as he noticed that behind Lucius' mask, he was smirking.

"For your incompetence, Draco, you will be punished." The Dark Lord said, fingering his wand. Lucius was grinning now.

Sick bastard, Draco through. That fucker set me up. Without hesitation, he reached for his wand.

"Avada Kedevra!" Draco screamed, and at exactly the same moment, Lucius shouted the same thing.

The spells collided and exploded with such force that everyone was thrown onto their backs. The blinding light of the impact was astounding. Harry felt dazed for a few seconds, light headed and stupid. For a moment he just lay there, immobile, but in his head, a connection was made yet again and he leapt to his feet.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Reducto! Incendio! Reducto!" Harry shouted spells randomly at death eaters, who were haphazardly strewn across the earth. A fire began to burn and there were screams to be heard. Harry was in a panic. Voldemort was already on his feet, and walking towards him, holding his wand straight out like an accusatory index finger.

"Avada Kedevra!" Voldemort cried, his red eyes seeming to burn.

"PROTEGO!" Harry screamed with all his might, and the spell bounced off of the invisible shield he had placed in front of himself. "Impervius." He said, and temporarily wall erected itself in front of them.

"Come on Draco, we've got to make a run for it. There's no way we can take on all of them." Harry grabbed his shoulder. Draco's head lolled. Harry's heart seemed to fall into his stomach when he noticed Draco's silvery blonde hair was matted with fresh blood. It looked as though when they had all been thrown back by the spells, Draco's head had hit a rather large rock. Trying his best not to vomit, Harry managed to get Draco on his feet.

Green light whizzed past Harry's right cheek; he realized that the wall had fallen away. He tried to run, but Draco was not yet conscious enough to stand on his own legs. Suddenly, Harry got an idea.

"Draco…do you know how to Apparate?" Harry asked. He watched as a twinkle grew in Draco's eye.

"C-close your eyes, Harry…"

Almost at once, Harry slipped into blackness and felt the uneasy sensation of being forced through a tight, rubber tube. His lungs were being crushed, as were his ribs, he could not open his eyes –

Then, he heard a voice.

"Aha, look what we have here. I suppose young Draco thought that he might Apparate off the premises? It's a shame all that effort had to go to waste. This place is secured almost as tightly as Hogwarts." Voldemort spat the word out bitterly. "No one may Apparate off the premises, or fly here on broom."

Harry swallowed, his proud face chiseled in stone. He realized that this was the end of his life. Dumbledore would not come to save him this time, nor would anyone else. He raised his chin up and grasped Draco's hand in his. Most of the Death Eaters were laughing and whispering now, but he didn't care. His held his wand limply and readied himself for death.

"Ah, but Tom, I'm afraid you forgot one thing. Portkeys." A serene, wise voice floated up from behind. Harry almost didn't want to turn around for fear of disappointment. It's an illusion, there's no way he could really be here, there's simply no way, he thought to himself.

And still, he turned around.

There stood Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Molly and Arthur Weasley, and countless other members of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry was so overcome with gratitude and relief that he nearly started to cry. Attempting to swallow the boulder in his throat, he smiled happily at Dumbledore as he and the Order walked to stand alongside Harry and Draco. The Death Eaters stood dumbly in shocked silence, but Voldemort didn't look the least bit angry. Quite the contrary…he looked amused.

"Well, Dumbledore, you've done it again. Come to save Little Potter's skin, as always. Noble, perhaps, but undoubtedly foolish. I have grown stronger from the time we last met, and I now I will be able to ultimately defeat you." Voldemort drawled, smirking. Harry looked to Dumbledore, who was still smiling knowingly.

"Yes, Tom, but the last time we met, I did not have the entire Order of the Phoenix to accompany me."

"You may not realize it, but that is actually your loss and my gain, for now I can kill you all at once."

"Then let us start." Dumbledore said, and almost all at once, everyone from both sides sprung into action.

Luckily, Draco was standing now and walking, because Harry noticed Bellatrix Lestrange hurtling towards him.

"Ah, ickle Potter! I shall kill you like I killed your dear God –"

But Harry didn't give her a chance. "CRUCIO!" All the anger, loathing, and malice that had built up over the summer came out in that one spell. Bellatrix shrieked in pain; her yellow teeth were bared, her gums and knuckles were white, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. She howled like a banshee, and Harry grinned sickly, glad to make her suffer as he had, as Sirius had; glad to make her pay. "AVADA KEDEV-"

"STUPEFY!" Narcissa's voice roared. Harry tumbled to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Draco, who had just killed Walden McNair, launched himself in front of hair.

"Don't you touch him, you stupid bitch!" He hissed, and her eyes protruded with fury.

"STUPE-"

"AVADA KEDEVRA!" Draco let out in a blood-curdling scream. Narcissa's eyes took on a glassy look of shock as she fell to the ground in a slow arc. She hit the earth with a dull thud, her long, perfect hair fanned out like a pillow beneath her. Draco began to sob softly, and all of sudden, everything went black.