CHAPTER NINE

THE SERVANTS OF LORD VOLDEMORT

Harry and Draco kept running in the opposite direction, going through all the hallways Harry had just a few minutes before. It was hard to believe that already Harry and Draco were within a few feet of each other and not attacking the other. Harry didn't really mind it at all. After all, he never enjoyed fighting with Malfoy at school, but sometimes the anger he felt had been too overpowering.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy" panted Harry as they made their way up a grand staircase, "About your parents…"

Draco continued running with Harry and didn't respond for a moment.

"I suppose now I can relate to you, Potter."

"Not really" said Harry. "I didn't know my parents like you."

Draco hastily turned his face the other way and wiped his eyes. They continued running for what seemed like hours when suddenly Harry heard it – Shouts and bangs were echoing throughout the corridor ahead. Harry could see Lupin and Moody lying motionless on the floor. Running towards them, he raised his wand and pointed it at Lupin.

"Ennervate!"

Lupin opened his eyes suddenly, blinking them once before looking at Harry.

"Harry" he said, sitting up slightly. "What happened?"

"I'll explain later" said Harry shortly. "Just so you know Draco's on our side now."

Draco looked at Lupin nervously, expecting a lecture. However, Lupin merely smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it" said Lupin, getting to his feet.

Harry smiled, turning to Moody to awake him.

"Ennervate!"

Moody didn't move a muscle. Lupin put his hand over his eyes for a moment.

"He's dead, Harry. Voldemort killed him."

Harry's heart sank. He was never close to Moody, though he thought he had been in his fourth year. (That turned out to be Barty Crouch Jr. who nicked some Polyjuice Potion) But he'd taken a liking to Moody all the same.

BANG!

Harry turned his eyes away from Moody to see Ginny flying through the air right towards him. She landed on top of him and they both fell to the ground. Through the fiery red hair that was draping over Harry's eyes, he saw Lupin leap in front of Draco as Voldemort came closer.

"You know, Remus, moving would be extremely wise. You know I have trouble having patience."

Lupin didn't move, but instead raised his wand.

"As long as I'm alive, you won't touch any of them."

"Not very long then" said Voldemort lazily, raising his wand.

"Avada"

"Stupefy!"

Voldemort deflected the spell, and it rebounded upon Neville, who was knocked over backwards, unconscious.

Harry pushed the unconscious Ginny off of him gently, and leapt to his feet. Beyond Voldemort, Harry saw Wormtail sobbing on the floor, at the foot of Professor McGonagall and Hermione. Luna was at Neville's side, her wand out.

"Ennervate" she muttered hastily. Whether Neville opened his eyes at that moment, Harry never found out. He was running full speed past Lupin, towards Wormtail. He was going to finish it. He was going to avenge his parents. Voldemort wouldn't have been able to kill the Potter's if Wormtail had not told him their whereabouts.

Lupin seemed to understand, as did McGonagall and Luna. They immediately leapt to their feet and began firing hex after hex at Voldemort, who, anxious though he was to kill Harry, could not for the quantity of spells being aimed at him. Harry ducked and dove past several of the spells until he had reached Hermione and Wormtail. Hermione ran towards him as soon as she saw him, and threw her arms around his neck.

"Harry, you're alright!"

"I'm fine!" gasped Harry, struggling to breath due to Hermione putting all her weight on Harry's chest.

"Draco?" she said in awe, staring at Malfoy, who was sitting by an unconscious Ginny, looking at the battle nervously. "He's alright?"

"Yeah" said Harry. "Listen, I need to finish Wormtail. Can you just make sure Voldemort doesn't get in the way for a little bit?"

Hermione nodded, and aimed her wand at Voldemort. A jet of red light burst from it as she charged forward. Voldemort deflected it, as a jet of silver light narrowly missed his head, and struck the wall, sending chunks of stone everywhere.

Harry turned to Wormtail, who was still sobbing.

"You know you have to die" said Harry quietly. "I think Lupin and Sirius made that clear three years ago."

Wormtail stopped sobbing and looked up at Harry with his small, watery eyes.

"And… you b-b-believed them?" he said shakily, his silver hand lying limply on the ground, his other in his pocket. Harry had no doubt he was holding his wand.

"I don't have a reason to not believe them" said Harry. "And besides, you betrayed my parents. They might not be dead if you hadn't given away their hiding place to Voldemort."

Wormtail flinched at the name.

"Harry, you d-don't understand… I only"

"Don't waste your breath" said Harry coldly. "I know the truth."

Wormtail's pleading expression suddenly turned to pure hatred. In a flash, he whipped out his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry leapt aside as a jet of green light flew past him, blasting a crater in the wall beside him. Wormtail leapt up, his wand pointed directly at Harry.

"You are mad!" shouted Harry, raising his wand.

Expelliarmus!"

Wormtail cried in fright as his wand spun out of his hand, landing with a clatter on the floor. It had barely hit the ground when Harry had fired a second spell.

"Impedimenta!"

Wormtail screamed in pain as he was blasted into the air, landing hard on his back. He began to sob as Harry shouted a third curse.

"Reducto!"

Wormtail was blasted across the hallway, and struck the wall. He fell, crumpled and unconscious, to the floor.

"Ennervate!"

Wormtail opened his eyes, still moaning with pain as he began to stand up.

As Wormtail stood up, it was but a moment before Harry, suddenly feeling more revulsion and hatred than ever, raised his wand for the fourth time.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A blinding bolt of green light shot across the room, striking Wormtail directly in the chest. He gave one last cry of pain, and spiraled through the air, landing with a thud on the ground. He was dead.

"Harry, you got him!"

Neville was running towards Harry, his expression full of delight.

"Yeah" said Harry.

Just beyond Neville, Hermione, Lupin, Tonks, McGonagall, Luna, Ginny and Draco were locked in combat with Voldemort. Harry walked towards Voldemort, his wand held high. Voldemort didn't notice him, as he was using all the time he had to block hexes. Harry aimed right for Voldemort's face. Neville watched with awe as Harry cried, "Avada Keda"

BANG!

Harry was blasted off his feet, flying through the air and landing with a crash on his back. Neville watched in bewilderment, but had barely done so when he was thrown against the wall. Harry sat up, and saw a house-elf with his hand risen, holding Neville against the wall. It was Kreacher. Harry felt a rush of anger. Leaping up, he raised his wand.

"Relashio!"

Kreacher cried in pain, and fell backwards. Neville collapsed on the floor. Harry kept his wand pointed directly at Kreacher.

"You filthy house-elf" he said. "What do you think you're doing?"

Kreacher smiled.

"Only what I must, Harry Potter" he said, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. Harry was blasted off his feet and hit the wall. He fell to the ground, moaning in pain. Kreacher began to step closer, his expression wild, his hands outstretched.

BANG!

Kreacher was blasted aside, slamming into the wall. As he fell to the ground, Harry saw Dobby standing right behind him, his hand raised.

"Harry Potter is alright!" he cried, running towards Harry, stepping on Kreacher's arm as he came.

"Dobby!" gasped Harry, as Dobby pulled Harry up to a sitting position. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to come, Harry Potter!" he cried, his eyes brimming with tears. "I awoke, when Kreacher was just leaving. I couldn't leave you, Harry Potter!"

Harry smiled.

"Thanks, Dobby" he said, getting to his feet. Neville was on his feet too, still massaging his throat.

Kreacher had only been slightly dazed. In a few moments, he was up again. With a wave of his hand, he sent Harry, Neville and Dobby flying to the ground. With a snap of his fingers, he sent Dobby spinning into the ceiling, from whence he then fell to the ground, unconscious. Neville whipped out his wand, but had barely done so when it fell from his grasp while he was in midair. He slammed into the wall, falling on the ground, knocked out cold. Harry pulled out his wand.

"Expe"

BANG!

Harry flew backwards and hit the wall. Kreacher pushed him against it and held him. Harry's head began to swim, his vision was blurred. Hermione's bushy hair was visible ahead, as was Ginny's flowing, fiery red hair. He wanted to cry for help, but he couldn't breathe. Soon, the only sound he could hear was Kreacher laughing mercilessly. He knew it was the end.

BANG!

Kreacher cried out in pain, as Harry, gasping for breath, collapsed on the floor. As his vision and hearing came back, Harry heard the familiar voice.

"Get off him, Kreacher."

Harry looked up. It was Draco Malfoy. He was pointing his wand directly at Kreacher, his gray eyes blazing.

"Draco Malfoy" said Kreacher in astonishment. "Have you forgotten, sir?"

"No, Kreacher. I know who you are."

Kreacher stood there for a few more moments, then his eyes narrowed.

"Master Malfoy is a traitor" he said. "Master Malfoy should not live."

Draco was blasted against the wall before he could do anything. He fell to the ground. Harry leapt to his feet, his wand raised. He had just taken a step forward when he saw something that made his heart stop. At least a dozen Inferi were staggering towards him. Their fathomless white eyes and pale, stiff bodies made Harry shudder.

"Expelliarmus!"

One fell backwards.

"Impedimenta!" cried Harry in desperation, hopeful for anything that would keep them away. The jinx knocked another one off its feet, but it had stood up almost immediately afterwards. Then, suddenly Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said the Inferi were afraid of. Fire.

Harry aimed his wand in the air.

"Incendio!"

A shower of flames burst upward from Harry's wand. The Inferi seemed to sense the fire, for they stopped moving forward. Dobby had stood up as well. He was looking at the Inferi with utter horror in his eyes. Harry knew it was no use. What was going to finish them off? And, then, he realized. Inferi were bewitched corpses forced to do one's bidding. Voldemort was controlling them. With him dead, they would be nothing. Harry ran forwards, pulling a dazed Draco to his feet. Even, Kreacher, it seemed, found the Inferi frightening. He didn't even notice that Harry, Draco and Neville had blasted their way through the Inferi. He didn't even notice that Dobby was standing right behind him, raising his hand. He didn't even have a chance to defend himself as he was blasted into the ceiling. He fell to the floor with a sickening CRACK! His neck had broken. He merely gasped, but then, the breath left him, as soon as it had come. Dobby shuddered with disgust at the sight and at the act he had done. He vanished with a crack! He reappeared instantly beside Harry, who was running towards Hermione, Lupin and Ginny, who were – along with everyone else – locked in combat with Voldemort. Hermione caught his eye.

"Harry!"

Harry didn't respond. He had only one thing on his mind: Destroying the man who had destroyed his parents, who had made his life the way it was. He raised his wand and pointed it at Voldemort.

"NO!"

Lucius Malfoy was staggering towards Harry, his wand raised, his face contorted with rage, his hair untidy and sticking to his shining forehead.

"You will not take my son from me! Avad"
"STOP!"

Draco leapt in front of Harry.

"Don't, father!"

Malfoy stopped, looking at his son as though he had never seen him before.

"Do you know who this is, Draco? This is the one that made the Dark Lord powerless. Don't you want to avenge the Dark Lord?"

"No, father" said Draco shakily, pulling out his wand. "If you know what the Dark Lord's done, you wouldn't be following him."

"Be quiet, Draco" snapped Malfoy. "I will follow the Dark Lord to death."

"Yes, indeed you will, Lucius" said Voldemort. "But first you must watch your son die."

He raised his wand.

"All these months…" he said softly, caressing his wand gently, "I've been waiting. And now, finally, I can kill you." Draco looked at Voldemort in terror as he pointed his wand directly at the former's heart.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed, and his smile widened.

"Avada Ke"

BANG!

Voldemort's wand was blasted out of his hand, landing with a clatter on the floor. Voldemort looked up the hallway, as did everyone else. Harry's jaw dropped. It was Snape.