A/N: So, we have reached the final battle and I should warn you, I did not hold back from killing characters off! You may also have to wait until the next chapter to find out just how cruel I was! Haha! Anyway, only the Epilogue left now and that is written, edited and ready to go, but being mean like I am, it will not be published for a few days.
Thank you to Arnel, who currently hates me for killing off a certain character, for all your help and your notes on this chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.
"Is this…?" Severus Snape asked as he was handed a glass sphere that looked remarkably like the ones in which prophecies were stored.
"No, I am not stupid enough to actually hand over the real prophecy," Harry replied with a chuckle. "That one still resides in the Department of Mysteries. I didn't see the point in going to the Ministry to retrieve it when I knew that Voldemort had no intention of waltzing in himself, unless he had full control of the Ministry. He certainly will not do so now, when very few people are aware of his return."
"Considering you are fully aware that a prophecy was made about you and Voldemort, I have to assume you know the wording. However, I cannot fathom how you have come to know it if you did not retrieve the sphere."
"My dad told me and Matt before we began Hogwarts," Harry confirmed with a sigh. "He wanted to be upfront with us about why we had been attacked that Halloween and why Mum had been killed. I just don't think he realise that revealing its contents would lead to our relationship falling apart. Even with everything that happened, I was aware of it at a time when I was unable to get answers without searching for them myself."
"So, why tease him with this?" Snape asked as his eyes betrayed his confusion.
Harry just smirked. There was no reason he could give, except that he wanted to have a little fun at Voldemort's expense. The chances were that message would anger him enough to cause him to make careless mistakes. He hoped that it would at least make him forget to place a shield around Nagini to make Matt's job easier, but he knew his dad would be ready to take the shield down if they didn't get lucky.
"I really shouldn't have expected anything less from the son of James Potter," the Potions Master said with a sigh. "Even so, I will deliver this immediately."
Harry watched as Snape turned to leave, surprised when he stopped and turn back towards the youngest Potter.
"I'm sorry."
"Excuse me?" Harry replied in shock.
"I'm sorry," Snape said again with more confidence. "I'm sorry for my behaviour and for the way I treated you and your brother while you attended Hogwarts. I allowed my bitterness towards your father and over the loss of my friendship with your mother cloud my judgement of the pair of you. All I could see was two boys who look like the spitting image of their father and I couldn't see past that. It was not excuse for the way I treated you, berated you, and for essentially being a bully. I was no better than your father was when he was at Hogwarts."
Harry's jaw dropped in shock. He had never expected any sort of apology from his former teacher. He had made it known to the Slytherin that he was aware of the friendship between his mother and Snape and of the part he had played in passing on what he knew of the prophecy. It had allowed them to remain civil as they passed on necessary information to one another over the past several weeks. He just hadn't expected it to impact the man to the point of wanting to apologise.
"That maybe so," Harry responded, taking care to choose his words carefully, "but I think we both know that neither you, nor my father, are the same people you were when you attended Hogwarts. Both of you have made huge mistakes when it comes to me, but you both did what was right by taking a stand and working against Voldemort. You, especially, have taken huge risks by doing so and your information has been invaluable. I am not going to say I forgive you, but I do appreciate and accept your apology. No matter what happens now, please know you have my thanks for everything you have done in the fight against Voldemort."
Without waiting for a reply from Snape, Harry turned away, walked back through the wards and down the path to his cottage.
HP&GW
Harry couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he stepped into the living room. The sight of his father, his brother, his godfather, his fiancée and his three closest friends was something he never thought he would ever see. Six years ago, the only person he had been willing to confide in and trust was his godfather, Sirius. Then Ginny came into his life and made it clear she was not going anywhere. If anything, her refusal to walk away had made this very moment possible. He just hoped that he would be able to experience this moment again after today.
He took a deep breath to calm himself and the gnawing he felt in his stomach. Something in his gut was telling him that this battle was not going to be as straightforward as he desperately wanted it to be. They were going to lose people and it didn't matter how they had tried to prepare for every eventuality, they couldn't predict the decision of every Death Eater that dared to show their face. Harry could only hope he didn't lose any of the people stood in this room, because he didn't think he would be able to cope with the loss, especially since he had begun to repair his relationship with his father.
Shaking the thoughts away, knowing he could not dwell on anything that could potentially distract him, and stepped further into the room, clearing his throat as he did so.
"Snape is delivering the prophecy sphere as agreed upon," Harry told them as calmly as he could. "It's time to go and end this once and for all."
HP&GW
Harry casually rested against marble headstone of the Riddle Family grave, ignoring the fact that he had been tied up against it just a few weeks previously. He could still see the markings on the ground from where the large cauldron had stood, but any other sign of the ritual had been removed during the numerous visits by the Order to understand the area they planned to hold their final battle against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Unsurprisingly, Harry didn't have to wait long before Voldemort appeared before him in the exact spot that he had regained his body for a second time.
"Tom," Harry greeted with a nod of the head as he noted Nagini nearby, a magical cage surrounding her as expected.
"How many times I do need to tell you that I no longer go by that name?" Voldemort spat in disgust at hearing the Muggle name he despised.
"I see you felt the need to bring your minions along," Harry said, ignoring what his enemy asked. He was pleased to see that Death Eaters caught at Hogwarts, such as Bellatrix Lestrange and the Carrows, following the battle five years ago, had not been broken out of Azkaban. Unfortunately, Fenrir Greyback was present, having managed to escape being arrested at Hogwarts. "Are you unable to face me without back up?"
Harry could tell the effects of the ritual, that had gone wrong when he had declared that Tom could use his blood with his full permission, were still taking their toll on the most feared wizard. While the Dark wizard had the appearance of a strong and feared leader, he could sense the weakness that resided within the reduced magical aura that surrounded the wizard. He suspected, therefore, that Voldemort had probably tasked a couple of his Death Eaters to do what was needed to weaken Harry to make it easier for him to be killed. Even so, Harry knew not to underestimate the snake-like man.
"An audience is needed to see your final destruction, Harry," Voldemort declared confidently. "However, I cannot help but notice your overconfidence has led you to believe you can defeat me without help from your small group of friends."
"Perhaps it is your constant underestimation of the people you believe to be beneath you that has made you think that," Harry said with a smirk on his face. "Do you really believe I would send you a message to meet me so we can finish this without having a plan?"
Voldemort's eyes darted around the graveyard, looking for signs of any other people, besides his Death Eaters and Harry.
"Let me make this clear, Tom, no one is leaving this graveyard until one of us is dead. Even then, if you win, you are going to have hard time leaving, but I don't think you are going to get the chance to discover just how hard it will be."
Harry knew that his friends, family, and members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army currently lined the boundaries of the wards they had set up just for today. They didn't know it, but the Death Eaters were currently closed in by wards, wizards and witches, with no chance of escape.
Four warding stones had been positioned in different places around the graveyard, all placed on different days with the final one having been placed just minutes before Voldemort and his followers had arrived. Bill ad Fleur had cast the necessary spells to activate them from both sides of the wards. No one could now enter the area, meaning Fleur was left outside of the wards, unable to partake in the battle. However, no one could leave either, until Fleur cast a spell to cancel the wards and she would not do so until given the signal. It was risky decision as no one would be able to leave to get any medical attention, but Harry was not going to let any of the Death Eaters escape being brought to justice once their master fell.
"I am Lord Voldemort," the older wizard declared. "No pitiful attempt you have made to stop me from leaving this place will work."
"I am bored of the talk now," Harry told him as he raised his wand into the air, creating red sparks that rose high into the sky. "Let's see how many of your pathetic minions survive my little surprise for them."
Before Voldemort could command his troops to do anything, multiple spells appeared from nowhere, hitting many of their targets. Numerous Death Eaters slumped to the ground, Stunned, their wands quickly summoned and snapped. Those who survived the initial onslaught quickly gathered themselves before Harry's allies removed their Disillusionment Charms.
The final battle had begun.
As spells began flying across the graveyard, Harry stepped away from the grave he had been leaning against, prepared to engage Voldemort in battle. However, much to Harry's amusement, Voldemort chose that moment to grab the magically caged Nagini and attempt to Apparate out.
"I told you," Harry said before the Dark Lord could lash out at him, "no one will be leaving here until one of us is dead. And, before you try it, no Portkey will work either."
"Very well, then," Voldemort responded, finally pulling out his wand to engage in battle. "I doubt this will take me too long."
Unsurprisingly, the wizard immediately threw the Killing Curse at Harry, which he simply side-stepped, easily avoiding the deadly spell.
"When will you learn not to underestimate me?"
Admittedly, Harry was aiming to buy as much time as he could to allow his dad and Matt the time they needed to break the magical cage around Nagini and kill her. The problem, as it had been discussed the night before, was the potential issue that Dumbledore may try to engage Voldemort in battle. While it would certainly help to serve as a distraction, there was the very real risk that the Elder Wand could end in the hands of Voldemort and Harry did not think he would be able to win if the Dark Lord had true control of the deadly wand. As Draco and Ginny had told him, if it came down to it, he had to Disarm the headmaster before Voldemort could defeat him. He didn't want control of the wand, knowing the full depth of its history, but the idea of it being in the hands of one of the Darkest wizards to walk the earth, Harry knew he had no choice.
Just as Harry dodged an Entrail-Expelling Curse, a huge explosion rocked the graveyard. He quickly took cover to avoid any spells Voldemort threw his way and turned his head towards where the explosion had come from. There was so much smoke, though, he wasn't sure where it was coming from given how little there was in the graveyard that could catch fire. Even then, he didn't think anyone in the vicinity could have survived what had just happened. He just had to hope that Ginny was not amongst those caught up in the blast.
Shaking those thoughts from his head, knowing he needed to concentrate, he came out from behind the tombstone he had been hidden behind ready to reengage in battle.
"Protecting the Potter boy once again, are we?"
Dumbledore had taken advantage of Harry's brief absence to take on Voldemort himself, forcing Harry into the corner he had desperately wanted to avoid. Disarming the headmaster would inevitably mean Dumbledore's death, which would leave Harry partially responsible for his demise. He didn't want that blame placed upon his shoulders, but he would have to do what needed to be done, for the greater good as Dumbledore would say.
Leaving the two older wizards to their battle, Harry snuck back behind the tombstone and took the chance to observe what was happening around him. Spells lit up the graveyard like a spectacular fireworks display. People would fall to a spell, some would get up, others did not. Harry took out a couple of Death Eaters discreetly, helping those who were struggling to make headway before searching for those who mattered most to him.
Harry could only watch helplessly as Remus was viciously attacked and killed by Greyback, who was then quickly downed by Sirius, who decapitated the werewolf's head. He couldn't bear the thought of how Tonks would react to being told her husband was dead or how little Teddy would be impacted by the loss of his father. He may have only briefly met the child, after Harry had finished his final year at Hogwarts, but he was determined to help Matt do right by Teddy and be the male figure he would need in his life.
"Ginny!"
Harry turned his head quickly in the direction he had heard his fiancée's name called. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the Killing Curse heading straight for her before Colin Creevey, who had yelled her name, pushed the red head out of the way and took the curse himself. Thankfully, Ginny did not allow the shock of what happened from taking revenge by taking out the person who killed her friend. The young couple locked eyes for a second and Harry knew he had to stop watching what was happening throughout the graveyard. He needed to stop Voldemort before there were too many more deaths.
Glancing round one more time, Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his father and brother fighting their way over to where Nagini lay forgotten by her master, still magically caged. He knew he needed to buy them more time, but he couldn't distract Voldemort and protect them at the same time.
"Do what you need to do, Harry," a voice from behind him said.
Harry turned to find his best friend dropping to his knees next to him.
"Your dad?" Harry asked, desperate to find out what had happened to Lucius Malfoy.
"Disarmed, bound and his wand broken," his best friend told him with pleasure. "What help do you need?"
"I need you to go help my dad and Matt," Harry told Draco. "Dad needs to time to break through the cage around the snake and Matt will only be able to hold off so many people by himself."
"On it," Draco confirmed as he went to rise to his feet. "Harry, you know you need to do it, even if it means his death. Voldemort cannot get his hands on that wand."
"I know," Harry sighed as Draco ran off to help the two other Potter men.
Shifting himself so he had a clear shot at the headmaster, Harry aimed carefully, hating himself for needing to do this.
"Forgive me," Harry whispered as he silently cast the spell needed to Disarm the old man.
His spell hit its target perfectly, causing the Elder Wand to be torn from the hand of Dumbledore.
Voldemort laughed, "Someone has just helped me out and left you wandless. The time has come for you to die, old man."
"Death is nothing to be scared of, Tom," the headmaster calmly said. "There are fates far worse than death."
To Harry's surprise, Dumbledore discreetly glanced his way. All Harry could do, as his heart felt like it had sunk into his stomach, was mouth the words, 'I'm sorry'.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The moment the old man slumped to the floor, dead, Harry stood and moved away from his hiding spot. A quick glance, out of the corner of his eyes, showed his dad in the midst of dismantling the magical cage as Draco and Matt covered him. Had the situation not been so dire, Harry would have laughed, watching the two wizards, sworn enemies throughout Hogwarts, work together.
"How can you possibly believe you can win now when the man the wizarding world has always looked to now lays dead at my feet?" Voldemort gloated.
"For the same reason you have been so determined to kill me and my brother all these years," Harry said confidently, knowing that in a matter of minutes this war would be over and one of them would be lying dead on the floor. "You and I both know there was a prophecy about the person who would defeat you. You acting on the bare knowledge you had been given has set it in motion. You quite literally created the person who would cause your downfall."
The two enemies stared at one another, hands twitching to use their wands, both knowing they could not use them against the other.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
The two spells met as they had done before, just weeks ago. Harry held tightly as his wand began to vibrate as Voldemort did the same thing as the beam of light connecting the two wands glowed gold. He knew he only hold it long enough to be given the all-clear to finish off the Dark Lord.
"THROUGH!" James shouted in success. "Matt, do it now!"
Harry held a few seconds longer as he watched his brother wield the Sword of Gryffindor, swinging it down upon the neck of the snake, cutting clean through. The final Horcrux had been destroyed. He ripped his wand away from the connection, causing both himself and Voldemort to be thrown back by the sudden movement. Harry flew back, crashed into a nearby tombstone and slumped to the floor.
He pulled himself together as quickly as he could, knowing he could not waste any time in casting the final blow to Voldemort. However, he was frozen to spot in shock as he looked up to see his dad bathed in green light before he, too, slumped to the ground, dead.
"NOOOOOO! DAD!" Harry screamed out. His dad couldn't be dead, not now, not when they had finally begun to fix the damage to their relationship.
Several things then happened in rapid succession. Severus Snape revealed his true colours as he killed Dolohov in response to him killing James Potter. Voldemort summoned the Elder Wand to him, recognising it for what it was, before turning that wand on the Potions Master and killing him. Matt took the chance in that moment to run over to Harry.
"I know you are hurting, Harry," Matt quickly said in hushed tones, "but you need to finish this. We will have time to grieve for Dad afterwards, but he would want to end this for him and for Mum. Do it for Ginny and your future with her. Do it now, Harry."
Matt helped drag Harry to his feet before hiding carefully behind a tombstone.
"Time for you to die, Harry," Voldemort declared loud enough for those across the graveyard to hear. "I have allowed your existence for much too long."
Harry laughed in response, having noticed the wand the Dark Lord now held in his hand.
"Why would you laugh?" You should be begging for mercy!"
"I am laughing because, as always, your arrogance has brought about your downfall! You are about to make a fatal mistake and you can't even see it!"
"Lord Voldemort does not make mistakes! I am the greatest wizard to ever live!"
Harry threw his head back in laughter. This was the wizard he had been told had been a bright student while at Hogwarts. Yet, he couldn't see through arrogance to see he was about to make the same mistake once again.
"How about we put that to the test?" Harry dared him. "Because if I am right, which I firmly believe I am, I will be left standing and you will be dead!"
The time had come to finish this once and for all.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
The two spells crashed into one another, forcing Voldemort's spell to rebound onto him as the Elder Wand was ripped from his hand and flew towards Harry. As the body of Tom Riddle crashed to the ground, dead with no chance of ever returning, Harry caught the wand in his hands before dropping to his knees in exhaustion. It was over. He had done it. Finally.
The shock of the pair's final duel hung over the graveyard. Death Eaters stood there, wondering what to do as their master lay dead at the hand of a much younger wizard. The moment was quickly taken advantage of as all those still left standing found themselves Disarmed and bound; every Death Eater, leaving them with no chance of escape.
Harry found himself wrapped up in his brother's arms, both sobbing in happiness at the war finally being over and heartbroken over the loss of their father.
"Dad would be so proud of you," Matt whispered before allowing Ginny to take his place.
Harry lifted his head, smiled sadly at his twin as Ron and Hermione came to his brother's side to check on him. Looking round, he saw others waiting to congratulate him, while others began to check on the injured and the dead.
"It's over, Harry," Ginny gently said as she wiped the tears from Harry's eyes, who had not realised he was crying. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he immediately responded as an idea came to the forefront of his mind. "I want to marry you as soon as possible. I don't want to wait a year; I want to marry you in the next few months. What do you say?"
Ginny's eyes lit up in happiness, grief lurking on the edges.
"I think you know my answer," she responded as she leaned in to kiss the love of her life.