Phoenix Flame
Child of the new Dawn
Disclaimer: don't own don't sue
A/N This is it last chappie with an Epilogue afterwards!
The Battles
The air stank of death and decay, like a great miasma covering the great expanse of land. The Breaden Tree was unmistakable; it rose like a black mountain, the trunk easily as big as a house. The bark was scarred and darkened especially around a gold band fitted tightly around the tree which glowed in contrast to the dark wood. The band was imperfect; however, large cracks were easily seen with thick black liquid sluggishly oozing out.
The tree did bear fruit and leaves. The leaves were withered and brown, shaking with a loud rustling at the slightest breeze. The fruit was also withered; both black and red pomegranate-like fruit hung limply from its branches. Great gnarled roots rose and fell into the large open plane where even grass or the meanest bush could not grow.
Harry and the others stood on the edge of the great barren plane in silence. Harry could feel Alekos' necklace (1) grow warm as they slowly started towards the massive tree. He felt it fade as there was a gentle wave of assurance coming from the 'presence' inside him. He knew he could feel more than one of these presences within him, yet they acted as one and he felt connected with them.
Remus and the others had fanned out and made a circle with Harry in the middle to protect him. As they grew closer to the tree they could hear they screams of the monsters and even the scratch of claws trying to escape. So far they had encountered lesser demons including dementors and boggarts with banshees screaming over their heads. Yet Remus and the others managed to banish them all.
Harry had tried to raise his wand to assist, but found himself unable to move. With a wave of panic he clawed at his magic, only to be swept up in the wave of heat again. Soft voices calmed him and told him to save his strength. They said that he would need every drop of energy to seal the tree and not to waste it on such small threats.
Harry stopped suddenly in the middle of the great plane as the gentle heat from the necklace burned hot. Silently, Remus gestured the others to spread out further, giving Harry a four foot circle around him.
Harry closed his eyes and allowed the presence within him to take control again. He felt magic coursing through him and heard a loud roaring in his ears, when he opened his eyes.
A shudder went through the tree as Harry began to chant with the many voices of the past guardians. The creatures that had until this moment had come across them randomly began to charge towards them in greater numbers.
Harry was oblivious to the noise of the others protecting him, lost in the roaring and the vague clinking noise that was in the very back of his head. Curses went flying by him; some even brushing his hair, but Harry never moved or censed chanting.
As the number of creatures began to diminish a loud series of cracks broke through the battle. Those not fighting in the circle saw the white masks and even the serpentine face of Voldemort gave up a cry of warning. Tiernan snapped an order to four of the group to remain with Harry as the rest charged forward to meet the deatheaters head on.
Harry remained oblivious to the conflict around him as spells whizzed past his head and crashed into the shields the others kept around him. A great wind swept across the plane, stirring the leaves and lifting the branches of the Breaden Tree. Added to the sound was a soft 'clanking' as rusted chains began to move for the first time in years. The thick red rust that had incased the links disappeared as the 'clanking' grew louder and the wind stronger.
Raising his hands and Harry began to shout, "Hydor, Gaia, Idea, Helie, Aer!" A great pentagram flared into life in the middle of the golden band. The demons screamed in anger and hatred as white light began to engulf the tree. Harry felt more and more of his energy being pulled towards the tree and felt the first wave of fear hit him. He could die if he didn't stop this soon…
"Potter!"
Harry looked up in slight surprise to see Voldemort glaring at him near the base of the tree, a shard of Heka clasped in his hand.
"You arrogant child! You think you can seal the Breaden Tree with just a few tricks. The spell is going to drain you dry of every speck of magic you have in your measly body until there is nothing left. The spells have long since faded, it will not be enough, it is all for nothing!"
Harry gasped as the sudden heat ripped through him again and starred down at himself in shock as he was enveloped in a golden glow, the roaring in his ears growing louder and louder. A high pitched note began to ring and the shard was reacting to it! The shard began to glow, dimly at first, before it flared to life blinding Voldemort.
The others cried out and tried to shield their eyes as the light grew brighter and soon only Harry could see what was going on. The wind, which had been steadily growing stronger, rose up circling the tree like a cyclone. Voldemort screamed in pain and the glowing grew even brighter, making Harry shield his own eyes.
As suddenly as it began, the roaring and the heat left, causing Harry to collapse. He felt a gentle caress brush against him before the 'presence' was gone, leaving him on his knees. The glowing began to fade and Harry could just make out the black form of Voldemort lying crumpled at the base of the tree.
There was a great burst of wind as the cyclone vanished and Harry scrambled to his feet. The tree was no longer black but gray, the gold band around the trunk whole once again. The shard was now deeply imbedded into the heart of the pentagram and would keep the band from weakening again.
The others slowly rose as well and stared in shock at the transformation of the tree. The grey bark was smooth and unscathed, the leaves were no longer withered but so thin they were a transparent white, and the fruit had rounded into perfect spheres that had the barest tint of red to their also transparent color. Green shoots of grass had already begun to sprout at the base of the tree… where Voldemort no longer lay.
"Where is he!" Tiernan shouted looking franticly around.
"There!" Shouted Ashon, wand at the ready pointing towards the right were Voldemort stood, his left side of his chest bleeding heavily.
Red eyes found Harry's and Voldemort smirked, "You t-think you have won? The Breaden Tree is now useless true, but Hogwarts will be raised to the ground within the hour. You have not won anything."
There was a loud 'crack!' and Ashon's curse went through thin air.
Harry rose shakily to his feet as the others grouped around him. He fumbled in his robes for a moment before finding his mother's necklace and holding it out for the others to touch.
"Hogwarts." Harry said firmly and as he felt the familiar tug behind his navel, he hoped Ron and Hermione were all right.
They landed right in the middle of the grounds to everyone's surprise and fear. That meant the apperation wards had fallen. The grounds were a mess; the once smooth lawn was covered with stones from the walls of the castle and bodies of stunned or dead Deatheaters and turned brown from fire.
Remus surveyed the scene grimly and broke the silence, muttering, "The fighting is still going on."
It didn't take long to get into the Main Hall, the students and teachers had managed to keep most of the Deatheaters out of all but two parts of the castle. The small group split up to help where they could and Remus and Harry hurried up the stairs to find Dumbledore.
After a quick reunion with Ron and Hermione, Harry grabbed the rest of the students and told them the plan. They went and got each suit of armor, each ghost, and even the giant squid to help protect the castle. The portraits on the walls reported where the deatheaters were and when they were coming and Peeves was especially thrilled when Harry and the rest of the seventh years handed over all the pranks (almost all of them from Fred and George) and told him to have at it.
Harry took the Marauders' Map and used it to go back and forth between the separated groups to give them more supplies and news. It was when they had almost overcome the deatheaters when Harry was cornered on the third floor by ten deatheaters.
By now Harry was almost completely drained of magic and had suffered from a few minor injuries. When he was beginning to think he would have to make a run for it, he suddenly remembered something.
He reached for the door handle nearest to him and yelled, "Fluffy, FETCH!"
The three-headed dog bolted out of its confinements, all three heads barking and growling wildly sending the deatheaters running for cover as the huge dog chased them.
A sudden feeling of dread washed over him as his scar began to ache, quickly turning into a splitting headache. He hurried forward as the pain grew and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.
Dumbledore and Voldemort were in the middle of the Great Hall wands drawn and pointed at each other in ringing silence. Both were badly injured and breathing heavily.
Suddenly, Dumbledore collapsed. Harry rushed forward and stood over Dumbledore as more than a few students screamed. Ron and Hermione knelt beside Dumbledore.
Fury rose in Harry, his nails cut into his skin as he clenched his fist. Gold flames rose around Harry as he pulled out the twin daggers he had received from the Hunters. Once again the heat rose in Harry and he found himself welcoming it. The time had come.
"I judge your purity." Harry said with the voices of the past guardians echoing in his voice.
"You are cruel. You murder without purpose or for your own gain. You harm the innocent and twist them to serve your will. You would do anything to gain power. There is no love in you."
He paused for a moment and for the first time in a long time, Voldemort felt pure fear.
Harry met his gaze and said, "A decision has been made. Purity Lost. Deflou Sanctimonia!"
Voldemort screamed and tried to apparate, but Harry held him still. The flames rose around him before bursting around and consuming the Dark Lord Voldemort.
Harry fainted with Dumbledore's soft words, "Well done, my boy."
A/N hope you enjoyed! Please Review!
(1) See Seer's Eye Chapter 10
