A/N: here is the conclusion to the previous chapter. I decided to leave it here sort of on a cliff hanger, it seemed appropriate. It is a shorter chapter than what i normally write, but I didn't what to get into what happens in the next chapter in this one. I added a quote from Legends of Tomorrow because well it seemed fitting in the moment. See if you can pick it out. I hope you all are satisfied with what I have written. I didn't want to drag it out unnecessarily, but on the other hand I hope that I wrote enough?

To guest reviewer: Thank you that is the best complement. I set out with an idea never having written anything like this before and I am slightly proud of it.

TO CREATE IS TO DESTROY

Harry POV

Tuesday 18th February 2014

The British Ministry of Magic

It's been a few days now since Ron came barging in to my office, throwing around accusations- OK... fine not accusations because yes, they are true just not in the way he thinks. Christian is Tom Riddle just not the Dark Lord, not the monster hiding under your bed that Ron wants him to be. To everyone outside looking in this would look like an unnecessary 'witch hunt' (mind the bad pun), because whether Ron likes it or not Christian is well liked (ok maybe that is stretching it a little, the guy fucking scares people) and he does his job to the highest standard. Realistically, he hasn't broken the law - that people know about anyway and I'm not going to bring up the missing child abusers.

Ron is making a mountain out of a mole hill; his heart is in the right place- I know that. But there is no fight here. I even spoke to my parents, they seemed to harbour no ill will. At first, they said they were hurt and angry and explained to me about Hermione's reaction to the whole thing. It makes me even more resolute in the thinking that this isn't some big ploy. There's no way he can fake the loving looks and the softening features when Hermione places her hand on his shoulder. Not possible.

It also puts into perspective the few flashes of various thoughts which I instantly dismissed while I still had the piece of Voldemort's soul inside me. They were of a desire for it to be over and to start again, a second chance, a new life doing what he wanted to do in regard to living a normal life.

That I can fully appreciate and understand. I'm not deluded to not see certain parallels in our lives and Dumbledore playing a large part in each. Moulding each of us to be what he wanted us to be and guiding us each down a path of no return. Now that I am older and have a bit more life experience, I can see what Dumbledore had done and I honestly think he could have done things much differently. Isolating Tom Riddle was probably the biggest mistake he had ever made and resulted in two Wizarding Wars, quite possibly unnecessary ones.

News of this magnitude would plunge us all back into that dark place I would like to avoid. I'm not just doing this for Christian and Hermione but for everyone. I just don't know what the hell to do about Ron. I don't want to obliviate him...but if it comes to that then I will choose wiping the memory of who Christian is than fighting a ridiculous battle. I can't put my friendship with Ron above the lives of thousands of witches and wizards who would be in jeopardy. I know how that sounds in reverse, but in this case, ignorance is bliss for the masses. Christian is not a threat, but I can imagine he will be if anyone is a threat to Hermione. He would eviscerate them. I actually like that about this new version, he places Hermione above everyone, and she deserves that.

I know Ron is getting antsy waiting and wondering why I haven't done anything since they got back from Mongolia. I know something is wrong, everyone can feel it. The magic in the air is polluted and getting stronger every day. Hermione and Christian have been in and out of meetings with Kingsley non-stop since they got back and neither of them look happy. It must be bad. I really don't want to dump this on their plate when it is already over flowing. But I sense Ron isn't going to wait much longer. The scowl on his face of pure hatred every time Christian walks past especially if Hermione is with him is getting worse, people are starting to notice. The idiot is going to blow it before I even have a chance to speak to Hermione.

There's a knock at the my door interrupting my introspection of the situation. I look up and pause…it's Ron and he's looking jumpy. He's practically vibrating with excess energy something must happening.

"What is it Ron?", I sound tired and annoyed, which I am.

"We can go now Harry, seems as though Christian is heading down to the Dark Archives alone. I tell you something is up mate; everyone hates going down to that creepy place. We can corner him and get him too confess", he's looking around like something might jump out any second and scare him half to death. This is ridiculous…although it maybe my only chance to talk to him without anyone being suspicious.

"When did he go down? Because I have some things to do before I can leave the office", I tried stalling.

"Aww come on Harry, he's most likely doing some devious stuff already, he left like…" He stopped to look at his pocket watch, "10-15 minutes ago…I'm sure that paperwork can wait a bit longer Harry", I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"No Ron the paperwork can't wait. I'm the Deputy head of the Aurors I do have responsibilities. This paper work is so the prisoners down in the holding cells can be transferred to Azkaban this afternoon so it needs to be done. I'm sure Christian can wait another 15 minutes or so, I doubt he will be leaving the Dark Archives any time soon", and I look down resuming the shuffling of the paperwork. I'm not lying to Ron I do actually have to do this paperwork. I do not want to get fired because Ron was too impatient to wait for me to fill out the necessary forms for prisoner transport.

Tom POV

We have been back nearly four days now and things have been going rapidly downhill. It's like the tablet knows that book is here in the building. Hermione and I have been going over the plans and worst-case scenarios and then back up plans for those back up plans. I am the only one who knows what fully goes into making a horcrux and that knowledge is both a blessing and a curse. Hermione knows academically what happens, but she has never experienced it, so while she thinks she knows she doesn't not in the slightest. Reading about it and doing it are two very different things. While her plan is to combine ourselves magically temporarily to add a bit more umpf to the ritual, I have only gone along with it for the sake of having it as an option. However, I have my reservations as to whether Hermione has enough magic reserves to pull it off without killing herself in the process. Yes, she is a powerful witch, no doubt about that. But the power doesn't have to do with her magical core, or I guess it can be thought about as stamina. While she fought in the war and accomplished a great many things they solely surrounded around 'light' magic and she hasn't had to flex those muscles so to speak for a few years now. Harry on the other hand while he is not as powerful as Hermione, I sense he may have the magical depth to pull it off with help. Ron… well we won't even go there.

Hermione was busy so I slipped out to wander down to the Archives vault because I wanted a firsthand account of how bad this situation really is. We have been banned from going down here but I need to feel it close up so I can assess. The vault so far has been doing a relatively good job at holding most of the foul magic back. I like to think of it in muggle terms and Hermione rather liked my analogy. The warped nature of the tablet, while sucking out the life force which is never pleasant, is acting a little like radioactivity. It causes acute radiation poisoning, which is why the victims bleed profusely during the draining caused from the breakdown of the cellular structures. This is extremely accelerated, normally with acute radiation poisoning the person may last only a couple of days but this is killing in minutes.

I don't know if the 'radiation particles' the tablet is emitting will cause permanent damage to the people here in the ministry. Some people have already been affected. Hermione and I sat down with Kingsley and some of the senior Healers from St Mungo's to explain radiation poisoning to those who didn't grow up in the muggle world. It's acting like radiation so we can try to treat it like that and see if they can reverse the effects. It's a start anyway. I have memorised the ritual we are ready to do it, but let's be honest we have been procrastinating hoping something else will present itself. We have pretty much run out of time. This is a onetime deal.

The Dark Archives don't bother me as I naturally emit a dark aura. I can feel the stronger pulses of energy as I near the vault entryway. I try to keep my occlumency walls nice and thick, the tablet is very insistent at trying to burrow into them, but I'm won't give up anything easy. I start to get a migraine, however I wasn't credited as being the most powerful wizard alongside Dumbledore for nothing. It feels like walking through soup, there is so much stagnant magic in the air that it is making the air heavy.

"Christian?", I turn to the familiar voice that spoke behind me.

"Hermione, what are you doing down here?", her face was dewy with sweat, obviously it is straining her to be here, especially when the tablet is aggressively going at my occlumency walls like a battering ram. I can only imagine what it is she is feeling.

"I went looking for you and I heard someone say you came down here", she looked towards the vault door keeping her eyes steady on it, like it was a wild animal about to strike. "It's bad, worse actually than I thought, the door won't last much longer and then all those people upstairs will get sick and die. We are going to have to do the spell, we don't have a choice", she sounded resigned but determined. It's not like we can pass this off to someone else for them to do.

There's no time like the present. I held my hand out, "Shall we?" and she laced her fingers in mine squeezing them gently in solidarity as we strode towards the vault door.

"I didn't want to have to this so soon, but we have waited long enough I guess"

"Sweetheart, we are going to have to move quickly try not to think about what you are doing too much ok?", I say as I pull her close and kiss her forehead. I can feel how nervous she is, but I can't think about that right now. I turn and take a deep breath and grip the handle to the vault door. It was keyed to my magic once we got back because I knew deep down I would be the one opening the door.

Once the door was opened it was as if time had stopped momentarily, like those few seconds before a bomb goes off. The magic that hit us nearly knocked me off my feet, it was strong. I turn back to Hermione and see the all-encompassing fear in her eyes, the tremor of her hands. Something broke inside me, but I don't have to time to analyse exactly what that is. I did come to a few realisations in this moment no matter how inconvenient the timing. Funny how facing your imminent demise makes you re-evaluate things. I can't let her do this, I want her to live. Survive. The world would be a bleaker place without her in it. Her beauty, innocence and light. She deserves everything.

We lock gazes and her eyes are shimmering as she desperately tries to stand up against the onslaught of magic the tablet is hurling at us. I raise my hand towards her, I have already decided what I am about to do. A renewed calm settles over me. This is my choice. I decide when I get to live and when I decide to die.

She must realise what I am about to do, her eyes widen. I mouth the words I have never uttered to anyone and I hope she understands what I say so she knows. She has to know.

'I love you'

And I use my magic to push her out the vault door and slam it shut trapping me in here. I release the breath I have been holding knowing she is safe and that is all that matters. I can do this. I know I have enough magic to destroy this tablet, but whether I can survive it after I have done it is a gamble.

I stare at the violent colourful magic whipping around me like a hurricane. I take a deep breath and raise my wand and run towards it.

There's no strings on me

Hermione POV

When I see him raise his hand towards me, I had no idea what he was doing. I was still too caught up in the feeling of Deja-vu at being hit with the tidal wave of magic. It was reminiscent to what had happened at the dig site in Iraq. Then I noticed him mouth those words I have longed to hear from him, and he went and did that. Pushed me out of the vault and slammed the door. How could he? We were supposed to do this together, I knew the risks involved.

I ended up back in the entryway, flung against the opposing wall. It hurt, but nothing is hurting as bad as my heart at the moment. I felt shattered. I love him too but I most likely will never get to say it back. Heaving sobs rack my chest and I crawl over to the vault door, pulling, pushing, hitting it- I know it is useless, but I need to do something. I can hear screaming and crying, and I will look back on this moment in the future and realise it was me. Hot tears blur my vision as I claw mindlessly at the door. My hands bruised and bloody.

"No...no no...nono...noNO!

He can't leave me. It wasn't supposed to end up like this. I slump against the door sobbing into my hands, I'm not sure what I am supposed to do now. How can I go on with life when he….when he….when he is…gone? It feels so unfair, we had something beautiful only for it to be ripped away from us.

"You can't leave me"