Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor have I caught any Warry Jotters.
Chapter 23: Death and Ashes
Harry Potter ran into the Ministry of Magic. He and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, had just found and destroyed the last Horcrux. Now all they had to do was defeat one of the most powerful and evil wizards in the history of the world. Definitely easier said than done. Harry had some confidence though, or perhaps that was just his reckless Gryffindor bravery. Either way, he had to do what he had to do.
He, Hermoine and Ron had gotten to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters just after the call to arms. Molly Weasley was still there, though, and with wide eyes and tight, motherly hugs, she had told them what happened. Harry knew that this was the right time. Mrs. Weasley didn't try to stop them, but gave them each tight hugs and kisses, telling them to come back alive.
They apparated into the Atrium of the Ministry without notice; everyone was to busy fighting for their lives. Harry looked around quickly, looking for the best place to strike and where Voldemort was. The oddest scene met Harry's eyes.
He was already dueling with Voldemort, about twenty feet away from himself. Wait, that didn't make sense. Harry was quite confused why there was two of him. Time travel perhaps? He listened closer to hear that he was taunting Voldemort. Had he really just called Voldemort a baboon?
"Oh, come on, you can do better than that!" he heard himself say. Harry felt a hollow feeling run through him, he remembered Sirius and knew what was to come next. Harry ran out into the battle trying to save himself, well, his other self, from a terrible fate.
"Sectumsempra!" Harry cringed as Voldemort said the spell and Harry came too late, but just in time to see himself covered in blood, shaking on the floor. The whole rooms panicked. Everyone stopped fighting each other. Harry Potter was dead.
Or not?
Harry approached Voldemort, wand drawn, ready to fight; meanwhile he was also near death in a puddle of blood on the tile floor. A confusing situation to say the least. The Death Eaters grinned; even though the plan didn't work, things would turn out all right.
"I am so glad you could join us, Mr. Potter. I see you have brought some friends as well?" said Voldemort, sneering at Hermoine and Ron. "I am sorry you had to come right now, this has been a rather messy day."
"While this exchange of pleasantries is simply engaging," mocked Harry. "shall we cut it out, and commence?"
"Of course," said Voldemort with a smile. "Business first, although it will also be a pleasure to see you like your friend there." Voldemort gestured to the other Harry.
"You first," said Harry, wanting to get this over with and hoping that he would win, hoping that his plan would work.
"Crucio!" started Voldemort.
Harry easily ducked and the battle began once more. Voldemort's red eyes gleamed at Harry as they dueled. Missed, duck, dodge, cast, duck again; Harry worked quickly and efficiently, as did Voldemort. Power against power, they raged on, a calm, furious battle. Yet, Harry had a power that Voldemort knew not.
Harry struck out, casting a spell a Voldemort, which was easily avoided, even though, to avoid the past from reoccurring, they could not block curses. Harry could start his plan in a moment; he would have a few second window soon. Harry ducked under another spell and yelled, "Now!"
Hermoine sent over a box. Harry grinned; a distraction was all he needed.
"A box? That is the pitiful help they give you, Potter?" sneered Voldemort. Voldemort blew the box to pieces. Harry grinned again. You couldn't destroy a boggart like that. Out of the dust rose up an army, the shadows of the dead. They taunted Voldemort, inviting him to join them, the victims of his wrath of his malcontent. "Join us," said a young woman with a soft grin. "Death awaits you, Tom."
No, Voldemort would not be taken down by some boggart. It distracted him though. Harry knew exactly what to do. "Muertisco Lleguesil Sera!" he shouted. A blinding bluish white light came out of his want and hit Voldemort dead on. Voldemort red eyes flashed at Harry as he advanced. The spell seemed to have no effect.
"Avada Kedavra!" shouted Voldemort, obviously livid that Harry had hit him. A shot of green light hit Harry square in the chest. The battle stopped around them as some people looked scared and the Death Eaters looked as if Christmas had come early. Time slowed, the Boy-Who-Lived was to become the Boy-Who-Died. The "Chosen One" had failed. The world would fall into a dark despair. The Death Eaters were practically salivating.
However, no cold body ever hit the floor. Harry Potter did not fall, his life taken from him without a mark upon his body. Harry Potter stood grinning. Everyone blinked, not believing their own eyes.
Voldemort was almost shaking with uncontrollable hate and fury. "Crucio!" screamed Voldemort.
The spell hit Harry, but, once again, nothing happened. "Nope, sorry. Would you like to try again, Tom?" asked Harry.
Voldemort screamed again and then tried to attack Harry physically. Harry was too quick. " Destructium Avartin Hadaric Muestrum."
It started at his fingers. Voldemort stood back, fear in his eyes. He looked at his hand that was rapidly turning to black ash. "No! It can be!" he yelled. "Bastard boy! You are nothing! You are just weak scum like your mother and father. You will meet your doom. You can't destroy me! I am invincible, all powerful. You got the Horcruxes, sure, but I will haunt you for the rest of your life. You can't escape!"
Voldemort yelled himself hoarse while the spell spread. Finally, with dirty black tears running down his pallid face, he ran for the elevator. A trail was left across the floor; he was crumbling away. By the time he got to the elevator, his whole body collapsed into a smoldering pile of robes and ash. Smoked came up, foul smelling, in the shape of the Dark Mark, but that soon evaporated into the air.
Harry turned, a grin upon his face, pointing his wand out towards all of the Death Eaters. It was an invitation, seeing if they wanted to take a go. One by one, they all dropped their wands to the floor and pulled back their hoods. They radiated fear. Well, all except one. Bellatrix Lestrange let out a horrible screech. She had pulled back her hood as well. Tears glazed her eyes. Harry knew right then that she had loved Voldemort, perhaps even more than she had loved her husband.
"Foul boy! You can't! I will kill you, tear you to pieces. Unworthy boy!" Her wand was pulled, ready to take Harry down.
"Avada Kedavra," came a familiar voice of a Death Eater yet to be unmasked.
Bellatrix fell to the floor, as dead as her beloved Dark Lord. Harry turned to look at the Death Eater. Before he could figure out who it was, Harry collapsed, magical exhaustion overtaking him.
That night celebrations would last till morning. All over the world news of the fall of Voldemort spread. Witches and wizards would not be sure of the whole story until later, but they knew enough. Around tables across Britain, toasts could be heard, to Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived Twice. Another toast could be heard as well, to the Auror who had the audacity to cheek and fight the Dark Lord, Nymphadora Tonks.
While all the celebrations commenced, one man sat in the shadows. With his head in his hands, he reflected, trying to decide what he would do. A wise man had once told him that he would someday have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, but the man had neglected to tell him how to figure out which choice was which. In his mind, neither choice was right and neither was easy.
At that moment the man wished he could go to his wise old friend for advice, despite how infuriating he was. But, he couldn't, for his friend was dead, struck down by the man's own hand.
Damn it all.
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A/N: This is to be the last chapter for a few months, but the story is not over yet. I'm not that mean. I do apologize for any and all spelling and grammatical errors. I wrote this chapter a bit fast. As always thank you to everyone for reading (15,001 hits!) and everyone for reviewing.
Sorry for the oncoming delay,
---Perplexity
PS:
Red-Devil15: I cannot guarrantee that I one kill anyone off. You don't consider ol' Voldemort cool, right?
WAYAMY27NARF: Weird Al, eh? "Have a banana, have a whole bunch, it doesn't matter what you had for lunch?"
shadowgirl75: Sorry to disappoint, but Harry is the only one that can take Voldemort down.
PSPS: Special thank you to Red-Devil15 for inspiring me to put Mr. Potter in this chapter.
