Chapter 18

Thursday, 5 June 1997

Hogwarts, Scotland

Albus Dumbledore Dead!

By Eric Vane

Albus Dumbledore, famed defeater of Grindelwald, holder of the Order of Merlin First Class, former Headmaster of Hogwarts, former Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, former Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, was found dead in his home yesterday morning by Ministry Aurors checking on him as a condition of his house arrest.

Dumbledore, 115, apparently died peacefully in his sleep from the effects of a withering curse. While the origin of the withering curse is unknown, its existence was known to the Ministry, and played a key role in the Ministry's decision to offer Dumbledore a plea deal as the result of the charges laid against him late last year.

"While in his last year, Mr. Dumbledore's reputation has been tarnished somewhat, he was a great man, and may rightfully be remembered as such," Minister Tiberius Ogden said during the press conference announcing Dumbledore's death. "He was a champion, a leader, and a friend to many. Even with the mar on his record, he will be missed greatly."

Dumbledore is survived by his brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, 113, of Hogsmeade.

Funeral services will be held for the deceased at the churchyard in Godric's Hollow, Gloucestershire, on Saturday, 7 June, at 10 o'clock in the morning.

"I can't believe he's gone," Harry murmured as he lowered the paper.

"You knew it was coming," Katie pointed out, buttering a croissant. "It's a little sooner than I'd expected, true…"

"Remus told me it was difficult getting the potion from Snape," Harry replied. "The last three months, he's been late with the dose. The first time, Snape was hard pressed to find time to brew the potion. The next month, there was an issue communicating between them. This past month, Snape had a hard time getting away from the Death Eaters to get him the potion. And of course, he couldn't be seen passing the potion along, so…"

"The end effect was that the curse spread a bit faster than it should've if he'd gotten the potion on time," Katie realised. Harry nodded. "I wonder how it'll impact the war."

"I suppose time will tell," Harry shrugged.

-oooo-

"OK, wands away, everyone," Sirius instructed just before lunch. "Take your seats. I'd like to take the last few minutes of class to go over what will be on your exams at the end of the month. Now, I realise that these aren't the NEWTs, nor are they the OWLs, but you should still expect the Defence exam to challenge you over what we've covered this year."

There were a few groans as the class sank into their chairs. Harry wasn't one of them. He was looking forward to the exam this year. He was certain that, thanks to the Young Aurors and his innate ability with the subject, that he'd pass. He reckoned he could probably pass his Defence NEWT; not ace, but at least pass. He was still short a bit of theory, which, despite his protestations, Sirius did cover, at least a bit.

"Oh, come on, you lot," Sirius grinned. "This class is fun, and I'm not one to go heavy on the theory. I'm leaving that stuff to Professor Lupin and Professor Flitwick. Defence is supposed to show how well you can apply other subjects to defending against the dark arts."

Harry heard the door open to his right. Sirius glanced over and paled. Harry's head swivelled, but not before he heard the voice he personally never wanted to hear again.

"I think it's time to set the exam early." Even before his eyes locked onto the most feared visage in magical Britain, Harry knew: Voldemort had come to Hogwarts. Around him, the class gasped. Sirius reacted first, sending a reductor curse at the deformed man, which he deflected, and stepped further into the room.

Harry was on his feet, wand out, faster than he could've thought. He banished the desks and students between him and the enemy to the back of the room, and hopefully safety. There would be a few bruises, but hopefully they'd be out of the line of fire. Harry's next curse was a Confringo right at the monster.

Tom Riddle stepped out of the way as he duelled Sirius. The curse was shielded by a man in a black robe who stepped into the room next. Riddle wasn't alone. In the span of seconds, four men entered, forming a semicircle around Riddle. They wore Death Eater masks, but they couldn't be marked. The wards would've prevented them entering the castle.

Harry, hoping to catch them off guard, fired a brace of Confrigos. One was lazily batted away by Riddle, as he continued battling Sirius. Another was shielded by the same man who intercepted the first one. The third curse slammed into the chest of another man, blasting a hole in his chest where his heart should've been.

Blood sprayed, blasting the wall next to the door with gore, and the masked figure collapsed without a word, his wand clattering across the floor.

"As honourable as it is to duel a Black," Riddle relayed haughtily, "I came here for a different purpose." Sirius didn't respond, and continued throwing curses at the man. "Meyer, take Black," Riddle commanded. One of the guards cast a flurry of curses at Sirius, quickly putting him on the defensive.

A brace of curses flew from the opposite direction, forcing both Riddle and the other two men to shield. They came from where he'd banished the other students. Apparently, they were getting into the fight. Harry recognized several curses from the Young Aurors.

"Marcus, Schneider, handle the others," Riddle sneered. "I'm here for Potter." Harry watched as the two goons levelled their wands and started sending bone breakers, blasting curses, and several much darker spells at the students; at his friends.

Harry's blood chilled, but he wasn't about to let these bastards kill his family and friends. Before Riddle could react, he fired off a chain of blasting, cutting, and piercing curses. Riddle dodged and shielded, his eyes blazing with fury. Riddle should've shielded them all. A dodged piercing hex tagged on of the goons targeting the students in the side of the head, right behind the ear. His head exploded inside his hood, his mask falling away from his ruined face before he collapsed. Riddle didn't see it, but he heard the body slump to the floor.

"You have reached the end, young Potter," he snapped after batting away the last of Harry's chain. He dodged the first of a new spell chain from Harry, then levelled his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

The brilliant green curse hit true.

-oooo-

Harry blinked awake in a foggy haze. He was neither hot nor cold. He could feel no textures, save his clothes. He had no wand. Presently, the swirling clouds pushed back, revealing concrete and brickwork. Looking around, he immediately recognized Platform 9¾. The track was empty, and it was deathly still. Then, he heard a wailing. He pinpointed the sound, emanating from a small basket under a bench.

Looking at it, he saw a disgusting baby swaddled in a blanket inside the basket. Harry was shocked to realise he recognized the baby: it was Tom Riddle before he'd undergone the ritual in the graveyard.

"Hello, Harry." Harry sighed, but turned. Stood there was Albus Dumbledore, looking a bit younger than he had the last time Harry had seen him.

"Hello, Mr. Dumbledore," Harry replied. "Am I dead?"

"You are at a place between life and death," Dumbledore explained, gesturing for Harry to sit on the bench. "You know, of course, about the horcrux." Harry nodded.

"That's the horcrux, isn't it?" Harry asked, gesturing to the baby.

"Precisely," Dumbledore nodded. "Now, you have a choice…"

A clatter interrupted them, and he heard a woman's muffled voice. It sounded like she was swearing. Turning to the noise, Harry saw a ghostly vision of a woman he immediately recognized.

"Mum?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry," she said. Then she rounded on Dumbledore. "You complete and utter waste of a man! I can't believe you've got the brass to show up here! Your interference has been all mouth and no trousers! Bugger off, you incompetent numpty, before I make you!" Both Harry and Dumbledore's eyes went wide at Lily's rant. "Well?" she shouted when he hadn't moved.

"Very well," Dumbledore said sadly. Harry couldn't tell if he was truly contrite, or merely a consummate actor. He stood, and shuffled off. Before he reached the gateway to King's Cross, Lily left him with one final invective.

"Fucking hard cheese knob jockey!" At that, Dumbledore seemed to apparate away, disappearing into a cloud of nothingness. Lily turned back to Harry.

"My brave boy," she said, looking at him with joy and longing. She wrapped him up in a hug. "I've wanted to do that for fifteen years," she commented when she let him go.

"Which part?" Harry asked. "Telling off Dumbledore or hugging me."

"Both!" Lily laughed. "But mostly hugging you. I'm so proud of you."

"You are?" Harry asked. Lily nodded.

"I've seen what you've become, Harry," Lily revealed.

"Erm… how much have you seen?" Harry asked, nervously.

"More than you'd probably want your mum to," Lily laughed. "For instance, watching you after quidditch does tend to put a blush on my face." Then she patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, you might not be normal, but… well, I'm proud of how you're handling yourself. It might not be my cup of tea, but it's your life. Anyway, we're running short on time, thanks to Dumbledore. How much did he tell you?"

"He confirmed that that's Tom Riddle's horcrux," Harry recounted, gesturing to the whimpering baby, "and he said I had a choice, but he didn't say what it was."

"He's wrong," Lily said firmly. "You don't have a choice. I'm taking this abomination with me, and you're going back to Hogwarts to finish the job. Kill that bastard, and live your life. That's an order from your mum." With that, she bent over, and retrieved the basket. She stood there for a moment, just looking at Harry with a sad smile on her face. "I love you, Harry. So does your dad. Never doubt it, and never forget."

"I know, mum. You died for me," Harry reminded her, his eyes misting a bit. "I love you too." He hugged her again, which she returned awkwardly with one arm, Tom Riddle once again making a nuisance of himself by being in her other arm.

"Go," Lily ordered. "Our time's up for now. I'll see you in what I hope is a long time."

"How do I get back?" Harry asked, as Lily started walking towards the exit.

"Just wake up," Lily informed him. Then she was gone, and the mist returned, swirling rapidly and obscuring the platform again.

-oooo-

Harry blinked awake. Above him, he could see the ceiling of the Defence classroom. He was supine, head towards the windows, feet to the door. He could hear people shouting spells, and see spell light flashing overhead. There was a haze to it all, probably from smoke and pulverized stone, giving it a surreal quality.

He looked left, and saw Sirius battling one goon. Looking right, he was the class battling the other goon. Riddle was looking on, batting away or shielding from curses as he laughed at their ineptitude and insignificance.

Riddle was mere steps away, and couldn't see him. Harry sat up. His wand was still in his hand. He raised it and cast the strongest non-verbal cutting curse he could remember. His aim was impeccable. The curse hit Riddle in the neck, slicing cleanly through the entire trunk.

A heartbeat later, a bone breaker hit Riddle in the chest, knocking his body back. His head fell forward, rolling across the floor. Blood trailed the head as it went, staining the stone floor red. Before anyone could react, Harry leapt to his feet.

"Hey, shithead!" he called out. Both goons turned; shocked to see him alive. The distraction gave the others time to take them out. Sirius nailed his opponent with a blasting curse to the shoulder, separating it from his body. Three spells hit the other goon. Harry thought they were a bone breaker, a cutter, and a blasting curse. The goon's body practically disintegrated.

Seeing no further threats, Harry lowered his wand and looked around.

"Is everyone OK?" he called. It seemed unlikely that everyone made it out without a scratch.

"Fay's hurt!" Hermione called.

"So's Justin," Susan added.

"Dobby! Winky!" Harry shouted, seeing some blood amongst the students. The two elves popped in. "Dobby, go tell Madam Bones that Voldemort's attacked Hogwarts. He's been defeated, but we need her and the Aurors here." Without a word, Dobby nodded and popped away. "Go tell Madam Pomfrey we need her here, immediately. We have injured students. Then go tell the Headmistress," he said to Winky. She too, departed without a word.

"Sirius, Neville," Harry called out. "On me, we need to make sure there's not more of them outside. Hermione, I need you to organise care for Fay and Justin until Madam Pomfrey arrives. Ron, keep your wand on the goons until help arrives. Don't touch anything, but if they get up, nail them."

People began moving as Harry reached the door. It was still opened, and Harry peered out. It looked like it always did.

"Hominem revelio," he cast, first left, then right. There was nothing. "Looks clear," Harry observed. "Sirius, go to that end, and check round the corners. Neville and I'll go this way," he gestured right for Sirius and left for Neville and he. With Neville as backup, Harry hurried as quietly as possible to the end of the hall. He peered round the corners and listened. Then, to be safe, he recast the revealing charm. "Wait!" he hissed, as Neville started moving into the new corridor.

He faintly heard the sound of people. It sounded like quite a few of them. His invisibility cloak was back at Potter House, so Harry quickly cast the disillusionment charm on both Neville and himself, then took up positions behind a suit of armour. The people got closer. When they rounded the corner, Harry saw Tonks first, clad in her dark red Auror robes. Behind her, he saw more Aurors: Shacklebolt and Hammer among them. Near the back was Amelia herself, with McGonagall in tow. Harry removed the disillusionment and stepped out, revealing Neville as they closed in.

"Harry, are you alright?" Tonks asked, worried.

"Yeah," Harry smiled at her. "C'mon," he waved. "Everyone's back here. We've got a few injured, and five bodies for you to collect."

"Any students?" Shacklebolt asked as they moved to follow him.

"The two injured," Harry informed them. "The dead are all bad guys."

"Voldemort?" Shacklebolt pressed. Apparently, neither Dobby nor Amelia had passed along to the Aurors that Riddle was done.

"Dead," Hary revealed. "For good this time."

"But…" Amelia said, worried.

"Oh, no!" Harry went to correct her. "He tagged me with a killing curse, and it did exactly what the Unspeakables thought it might. It took his little hitchhiker and left me alive. He's done for good."

Rounding the corner, they saw Sirius and Madam Pomfrey disappear into the Defence classroom. Harry, Neville, and the Aurors arrived soon after. The Aurors were brought up short by the display of gore.

At the far end of the room, Susan and Hermione were bringing Madam Pomfrey up to speed on the injured, and she was already moving to administer first aid. Ron still stood over the bodies of the dead goons, holding his wand firmly at the ready. Sirius was trying to straighten things up at the back of the room, and organise the other students.

"Shack," Amelia ordered. "You're incident chief. I want the bodies processed, wands collected, and the students and professor interviewed. "Hammer, take Proudfoot, Savage, and Tonks and make sure that there aren't any more people here who shouldn't be."

Harry held up a finger, and quickly ran to his bookbag, which he'd banished along with everything else. A moment's search produced a piece of parchment. Harry waved his wand over it.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," Harry intoned.

"Is that the Marauder's Map?" Sirius gaped. Harry grinned, nodded, and bent to study it. He looked over each floor, but saw nothing.

"I think we're in the clear," Harry said, handing the map to Auror Hammer. "This map shows everyone in the school. You can check the names."

"I didn't know you had that," Sirius told him.

"Fred and George Weasley gave it to me third year," Harry related.

"Yeah, we're clear, boss," Hammer informed Amelia after a quick scan of the map.

"Alright," Amelia sighed, relieved. "Hammer, you and the rest help Shack with the investigation."

"Righto," Hammer acknowledged.

Harry then retrieved the map from her, and followed Amelia over to where Shacklebolt was tidying up the bodies, and looking for clues.

"I assume they're all unmarked?" Amelia asked.

"Couldn't've gotten past the wards otherwise," Shacklebolt replied, nodding. "Looks like Voldemort, two German mercenaries, and…" He paused to lift the cloak off two of the bodies. Harry looked down and saw first the blank visage of Draco Malfoy. The cloak lifted high enough that Harry could see the gaping hole in his chest. It wasn't lost on him that he'd killed Draco in the same manner that he'd killed his father. "Draco Malfoy and Marcus Bulstrode."

"I'm surprised he wasn't marked," Harry said, meaning Bulstrode.

"My guess is he was more valuable to Voldemort without the mark," Shacklebolt said.

"My question is how did Voldemort, a wanted criminal, a Wizengamot member, and two mercenaries breach the school's wards?" Amelia asked, turning to the Headmistress.

"The wards are currently set at their lowest state," McGonagall said. "The only active ward at the moment that isn't purely a detection ward is the Dark Mark ward installed last year. I felt the detection wards would be sufficient. They inform me when certain types of beings pass the wardline, including those known to associate with Mr. Riddle.

"We had no indication from you that an attack was imminent, so there was no reason to elevate the wards," she continued. "Furthermore, I thought it highly unlikely that the man would attack with such a small force, without dark creatures, and in the middle of the day on a weekday. Absurd!"

"Why not keep the wards up, just in case?" Harry asked, confused. "The man was difficult to predict."

"It's quite cumbersome to lower and raise the wards anytime someone requests entry," McGonagall explained. "Since it seemed unlikely that Mr. Riddle would attack soon, based on his recent actions, I felt comfortable leaving the wards down. It's clear I was wrong."

"Are the kids going to make it?" Amelia asked as Madam Pomfrey and Auror Hammer passed, levitating Fay and Justin with them.

"Miss Dunbar has been placed into a magical coma to allow me to work on her," Madam Pomfrey relayed. "She suffered a bone breaking curse to her arm, and a dark cutting curse to her leg. Nothing I can't handle. She should be back on her feet in a week or so. Mr. Finch-Fletchley is in stasis. I'll have to send him along to St. Mungo's as his injuries are beyond my knowledge."

This surprised Harry. Madam Pomfrey's medical knowledge was usually fairly comprehensive.

"What happened to him?" Amelia asked.

"I'm not completely sure," Madam Pomfrey replied sadly. "He was hit by a purple spell tinged with red. It's not one I'm familiar with. He started bleeding from every orifice, and several of his organs have stopped functioning. I'm hoping someone at St. Mungo's can contact St. Mechthild's Hospital in Magdeburg to see if they can identify it, and recommend a treatment."

Amelia just nodded, resigned. It could've been much worse, all things considered. It was clear to Harry she was just as thrown for a loop about the whole thing as anyone else.

"I need some answers," she said to the Headmistress. "I'm taking Potter. We'll be gone for a bit." McGonagall nodded. "Shack, I'm leaving with Potter. You're in charge." She turned to Harry. "C'mon. We're going to figure out how this happened, and try to tie up some loose ends."

Harry mentally shrugged and followed along behind. She took him through several trunks to the Ministry before apparating him to a random field. It was bright, sunny, and warm.

"Please call your elf," she said once they'd arrived and found their bearings.

"Dobby!" Harry called. The elf popped into his presence.

"Dobby is glad you is alright," he said happily. "Dobby can feel Snakey face beings gone!"

"I'm happy too, Dobby," Harry said. Then he looked at Amelia. She took that as her cue.

"Dobby, do you know Severus Snape?" she asked the elf. Dobby nodded, his smile fading. "Can you bring him to me now?" The elf nodded and popped away, returning moments later holding the distraught former potions professor.

"What is the meaning of this?" he shouted, then turned and saw Amelia and Harry.

"I need answers," she began immediately. "Voldemort attacked Mr. Potter at Hogwarts today in the company of Draco Malfoy, Marcus Bulstrode, and two German mercenaries. They are all dead. Mr. Potter, obviously, is not. Two students were injured. You're almost done with this whole mess, and are on the precipice of a new life. All you need to do now is tell me what you know."

"Where would you like me to start?" Snape asked, polite for once.

"Did you know Voldemort was going to attack Hogwarts?" she asked.

"No," Snape revealed. "I was brewing strengthening solutions in the basement of Riddle Manor. I haven't been on an operational team since the Dark Lord's return. I learned at breakfast that he had heard about Dumbledore's death. That's the only thing I can think of that would've led to this course of action."

"What do you know of the disposition of Voldemort's forces?" Amelia switched gears.

"Aside from myself there are seventeen marked Death Eaters," Snape explained. "Crabbe, Goyle, Doholov, and Pettigrew are with me at Riddle Manor. Avery is at his manor with Gibbon and the Snydes. Lestrange is at his manor with McNair and Mulciber. Travers has Nott and Selwyn at his manor. Rowle is housing Greyback and half a dozen other werewolves at his manor. Yaxley is at his manor with two mercen… Actually, I suppose, he's alone now. The Dark Lord was unsuccessful in negotiations with the vampires and giants, and practically so with the werewolves. Thanks to your efforts, his finances were thin enough he could only afford the two mercenaries, but then, you knew that already."

"Did anyone see you leave?" she wondered.

"No," Snape said confidently. "They were all upstairs."

"Are there anti-portkey wards at Riddle Manor?" she asked.

"The Dark Lord did not think them needed," Snape replied, voice dripping with contempt.

Amelia quickly pulled out some loose change and created portkeys out of them. She ended up with ten portkeys made comprised of six knuts, two sickles, a galleon, and a muggle pound. Without touching them, she wrapped them in a handkerchief, and handed the bundle to Snape.

"Give these to as many Death Eaters as you can," she instructed. "On contact with skin, they'll portkey the holder into one of the Ministry's holding cells. Can you do that?" Snape nodded. "Then go. Once you've distributed as many of the coins as you can, let me know. I'll also need to know who you didn't get to, and where they are. We'll send Aurors round to collect them. On Friday, present yourself at this address." She handed across a scrap of parchment from her pocket. "I'll have a pardon ready for you. We'll remove the Dark Mark wards from the Ministry, Diagon, Hogsmeade, and the rest on Monday."

"Thank you, Director Bones," Snape said. Harry could tell the man was sincere. He could see it in his eyes. "I wish none of this had been necessary."

"Don't we all?" Amelia replied. Without another word, Snape disapparated.

-oooo-

The first person Harry saw when he returned was Katie, who was waiting with their friends around the Middleshire trunk in Hogwarts. She looked terrified.

"I'm so glad you're OK," she gasped, hugging him tightly.

"Me too," Harry said. "I'm glad it's over."

"Yeah," Katie said, her face in his hair. Harry looked over to find Hermione, Neville, Ron, Lavender, Ginny, Dean, the rest of the quidditch team, plus Seamus, Parvati, his Slytherin friends, Luna, and to his immense surprise, Susan and Hannah, standing around him.

"How are Fay and Justin?" Harry asked Hermione over Katie's shoulder.

"Fay's OK," Hermione relayed. "She's still unconscious, but Madam Pomfrey says she should wake up in a few hours. Justin… Justin's at St. Mungo's. We don't know anything else. Did… did you die?"

"Not really," Harry said, releasing Katie, and moving to hold her hand. "C'mon." He led everyone into an empty classroom. Once they'd sat, Harry explained what'd happened, including that his mum had told off Dumbledore, which made everyone laugh.

"So, what happened with you lot?" Harry asked. "I was kinda busy, so I didn't see what happened on your end of the room."

"Neville started it," Ron said. "I joined in pretty quick. Before I knew it, most of us Gryffindors were fighting back. It was pretty scary."

"I hid," Lavender said, ashamedly. "Some Gryffindor I am."

"We're not all Gryffindors the same way," Harry shrugged. "Just like not every Slytherin's Slytherin the same way. You show courage other ways."

"Then, I thought I was a goner," Ron relayed. "I saw this bone breaker coming at me, but I couldn't shield in time. Then, all of a sudden, a shield popped up in front of me. I nearly wet myself. I look over, and Susan's holding the shield charm in front of me."

"Lots of Hufflepuffs started casting shields for us," Neville informed him. "They really helped us out."

"Look, just because you lot hate us, doesn't mean we're not loyal to Hogwarts," Hannah huffed. "We're not about to let those bastards attack our school without doing something to help stop them."

"I don't hate you," Neville said softly. "You hurt me badly, but I could never hate you."

"You… you don't?" Hannah asked, confused. "But…"

"Hey," Harry said, gaining their attention. "What you lot did was wrong, but you got punished by the school for it, or at least for something like it, and that's that. So far as I know, you're aware, and know you shouldn't do it again. We all make mistakes, so it'd be pretty crappy of us to not forgive you. You're not even proper adults yet."

"So, what's that mean for us?" Susan wondered.

"I can't speak for everyone, but I won't hold a grudge," Harry shrugged. "Though, should he pull through, Justin still won't be allowed in Pottershire unless Alicia says it's OK."

"Wait, what?" Susan asked. "Why should she have anything to do with it?"

"Didn't you tell Hannah what happened?" Harry asked Neville.

"No," Neville said. "Was I supposed to?"

"I… never mind," Harry sighed. "Hermione broke up with Justin because he raped Alicia during a party at Potter House," he informed the girls. "Fred, George, Lee, Leanne, Angelina, and Alicia were swinging together, and he just walked over and started shagging Alicia without even a hello. Everyone was steaming, and Tracey came and got me. When Hermione heard what happened she went spare and kicked the absolute crap out of him. I asked Alicia what she wanted to do, and she said she never wanted to see Justin again, so I banned him from Pottershire. When I heard about what happened in Hufflepuff, I thought it sort of explained why he thought he could get away with doing that to Alicia."

"That's not how it worked!" Hannah protested. "You always had to get consent!"

"I can't believe him!" Susan huffed. "He told me Hermione was a cold fish, so he dumped her. And that he didn't want to be around her so he avoided you lot."

Harry could see Neville bristle at Susan's categorisation. He shook his head at his friend.

-oooo-

Voldemort Dead!

By Eric Vane

Yesterday, just before noon, Voldemort and four accomplices entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with the intention of killing Lord Harry Potter, 16, of Gloucestershire. Instead, when Voldemort and his accomplices entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom at Hogwarts, they were met with spellfire from Defence Professor Lord Sirius Black, Potter, and several other students. Two of Voldemort's accomplices were killed by Potter during the initial exchange.

Voldemort reportedly then hit Potter with a killing curse, which, aside from knocking Potter over, seemed to have no lasting effect. Assuming Potter dead, Voldemort turned to face the students, putting his back to Potter. Potter sat up, and decapitated Voldemort with a cutting curse, before distracting the other two accomplices. They were then killed by spells from Black and other students.

Killed in the exchange were Voldemort, 70, of Yorkshire; Lord Marcus Bulstrode, 51, of Berkshire; Lord Draco Malfoy, 17, of Wiltshire; Jacob Meyer, 33, of Dresden, Germany; and Rolf Schneider, 25, of Berlin, Germany. Voldemort was born Tom Marvolo Riddle on 31 December 1926, but has been known to most since the 1960s by his chosen nom de guerre, which he reportedly began using amongst his friends whilst still at school. He is not survived by anyone. Bulstrode is survived by his wife, Catherine, 50, and his daughter, Millicent, 17, both also of Berkshire; Malfoy is survived by his mother, Narcissa Black, 42, also of Wiltshire, who is wanted for crimes she was convicted of last year, as well as escaping custody. Meyer, and Schneider were wanted criminals in their native land. Their familial status is unknown, but inquiries have been made to the German Ministry through the International Confederation of Wizards.

Injured in the exchange were Hogwarts students Fay Dunbar, 17, of Dunbar, East Lothian; and Justin Finch-Fletchley, 17, of St. George, Surrey. Dunbar is undergoing treatment at Hogwarts, and is progressing well. Finch-Fletchley is at St. Mungo's and is reported in critical but stable condition.

It is unknown how Voldemort and his accomplices bypassed the Hogwarts wards, which are touted as the most comprehensive in Britain, however it was revealed that none of those with Voldemort were marked with the Dark Mark.

By yesterday afternoon, marked Death Eaters began arriving in Ministry holding cells, where they were immediately collected and executed. It was reported that ten Death Eaters were executed by the end of the day. It is currently unknown how the Death Eaters were delivered to the Ministry, but portkeys are suspected.

The Ministry reported it executed Lord Garrison Avery, Andrew Crabbe, Antonin Doholov, Samuel Gibbon, Timothy Goyle, Peter Pettigrew, Richard and Felicity Snyde, Lord Rabastan Lestrange, and Walden McNair. Their list of Death Eaters at large was published immediately after the announcement, and includes Fenrir Greyback, Quincy Mulciber, Lord Paul Travers, Lord Edward Nott, Lord Thorfinn Rowle, Lord Stephen Selwyn, Severus Snape, and Lord Corban Yaxley. Also sought are members of Greyback's six-strong werewolf pack, though names were not available at time of publication.

At the same press conference that Director Amelia Bones announced the death of Voldemort and capture of so many of his followers, Minister Tiberius Ogden announced the almost unprecedented intention to award Potter a second Order of Merlin, First Class, for his actions against the feared dark lord. He also stands to inherit the Slytherin and Gaunt seats on the Wizengamot through right of conquest. Those seats had been held by Voldemort, and proxied initially to the Malfoy family, though recently, the proxies had been held by Remus Lupin, the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts.

Also mentioned for awards were Black, who stands to gain an Order of Merlin, Second Class, for his quick response to Voldemort's appearance in his classroom; Heir Neville Longbottom, 16, or St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, who was responsible for dispatching one of the accomplices; and Ronald Weasley, 17, of Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, who struck the killing blow on another accomplice. Both students stand to gain an Order of Merlin, Third Class for their parts.

"Oh, look," Katie said. "You're getting another Order of Merlin!" Harry could see the laugh in her eyes. "And that photo is sexy as hell."

She was referring to the photo that covered the entire front page of the Daily Prophet above the fold, but below the headline. It was clearly taken from a student's pensieve memory, and showed Harry sitting up and firing the cutting curse at Voldemort. If Harry was being honest, it was a smashing image. Harry looked vengeful and focused. Voldemort looked evil, then surprised as he felt the curse connect. Then he was hit by the bone-breaker, and the head rolled off the body. The image reset before the head left the frame.

"I'm just glad I can get on with the rest of my life," Harry said. "Apparently, so can Millie, so that's good."

"Have you decided on quidditch, business, Aurors, or politics?" Katie asked. It was something they'd tossed around for a while, but Harry seemed unable to reach a definitive answer about.

"Still not sure," Harry shrugged. "It doesn't matter right now, though, 'cause I've got another year to go before I have to decide."

"If the Prophet's right, you've got another three votes on the Wizengamot coming," Katie pointed out.

"Actually, I've got another six votes coming," Harry corrected her. "I was at eleven to start with, then I gained another three with my first OM. Now I'll be picking up the Slytherin and Gaunt seats, which have three votes, and another OM, with another three votes."

"I wonder what Ron thinks about being on the Wizengamot," Katie said after a moment's consideration.

"I doubt the fact has even crossed his mind yet," Harry snorted. "Neville, on the other hand, will be happy to have another vote. The real question is, what'll happen to the votes of the houses that were extinguished by the Ministry. There are at least six lines permanently extinct now, or at least they don't have family I'm aware of."

"Not that you know the genealogy of every magical family in Britain," Katie pointed out with a smile.

"True," Harry agreed wryly. "But there'll be some significant shifts, for sure."

"Probably for the better," Katie allowed. She was interrupted by a brown barn owl fluttering down to the table.

"What's that?" Harry asked, when it presented its leg to Katie.

"Dunno," Katie shrugged, opening it as the bird flew off. Then, Harry watched as her eyes went wide and her eyebrows rose into her hair.

"Good news?" he asked.

"It's a contract offer for reserve chaser with the Holyhead Harpies!" she practically shrieked.

"Now that deserves a celebration," Harry proclaimed. "Saturday we're having a party. Who d'you want to invite?"