Hallowed
Chapter Sixteen: Matter's End

A/N: Last three chapters being posted today. I did enjoy this, though it only really involved the seventh book. Now that I've gotten a renewed taste for this, I will have to go back and work on more for this category. To answer a reviewer, I know I was terrible. :) I had to end that last chapter there.

In regard to the events, I will say I took a few hints from the films, but for the most part, I followed the book where I could help it as far as the timeline and the differences. The book was much more detailed and there should have been more of it in the films, but that's just my opinion, eh? Anyway, enjoy.


In that second, Harry expected to feel the same mad rush of pain and anger that he had when the locket, chalice and diadem were destroyed, but instead, he heard an ear-shattering roar come from the dead snake's master. Turning, he watched as Voldemort nearly doubled over; his face becoming whiter than it already was, if that was possible. While he struggled, Harry moved closer; he saw an opportunity to test his theory now that the last horcrux was indeed dead. Voldemort, holding the Elder wand so tightly ,it was likely to snap in his grip, seemed to regain his cold composure and narrowed his eyes. Raising the wand high, he sent a killing curse hurtling toward the witch that was his closest target.

"NO!" Harry launched himself into the air and threw himself against the woman who had been rightly accused of protecting him; he sent a stunner directly into the curse's path so that red and green collided. Sparks flew, and there was a resounding bang that left the hall ringing in its wake. In the moment that followed, Harry's emerald eyes met forest green, and he silently rose to his feet; withdrawing his wand. Facing the one who had cast the killing curse, he spoke with a power in his tone he hadn't expected. "You were so eager to get me alone in that forest, weren't you?" At Voldemort's furious look, Harry went on. "In that moment when you tried to kill me, you failed again; the only thing you accomplished was making sure that you would be mortal."

"I will not be bested by the likes of you-"

"I have to disagree." Harry cut him off. "All of those carefully placed horcruxes, and you're still left with nothing but the slim amount of a soul that resides in your body." People around him took in a collective breath; those that hadn't known what he was doing were whispering amongst themselves while still straining to hear every word. "I do think you were right about one thing, though." He indicated the wand in Voldemort's hand. "What you told Snape about that wand, I don't think it can serve you properly while its true master lives."

"And I would have killed its previous owner had you not intervened." Voldemort's hiss didn't cause the reaction he hoped it would. "I would have killed Snape-"

"You wouldn't have." Harry challenged. "Though if Snape was the true master, you still wouldn't have won it from him." This caused a fair few of the onlookers to look between Harry and the Dark Lord in varying states of confusion. "Killing the previous owner doesn't matter; simply disarming them will do."

"What would you know about such magic?" The serpentine man spat as he flicked the wand casually toward Harry. "Consulted any great wandmakers?"

"Didn't need to." Harry countered. "I saw what you did to Ollivander and Gregorovich. Before I divulge what I know, I'll give you an option." He looked around the hall and made a graceful arc with his wand; pointing toward all of those who lost their lives in the various battles that had taken place during the previous night. "I invite you to actually show some remorse for your actions." At this, Voldemort snorted with laughter, but he was ignored. "Look at what you've done here, Tom." Harry indicated his own followers as well as students and other casualties. "Your own followers went into battle and got killed for your cause. Do you not feel anything at all for their loss?"

"They knew what was expected of them and the price of their failure."

"Just as your mother did?" This earned him a sharp glance. "Merope Gaunt knew the consequences of being with the man she cared for; a man who didn't love her." Harry clarified. "She knew that she was expected to marry a pureblood and continue Slytherin's pure line of wizards, but she didn't do it." He kept his gaze on the Dark Lord and didn't back away as the man came closer. "As consequence for her perceived failure, she was disowned, and you were born to a mother who had nothing. You repeated the pattern, but in a different context." He motioned to some of the fallen death eaters including Bellatrix. "Not to say they deserve pity because of their own choices, but you expected a lot from them. Out of fear, not loyalty, did they obey you. They knew their ultimate price was death should they fail."

"You listen to the likes of Albus Dumbledore too closely, boy." Voldemort's cackle of laughter left Harry shaking his head.

"Think what you will of me, but I give you that choice; to actually concede to the sliver of humanity you still have and actually feel remorse for your actions. Now about that wand, I give you fair warning that Snape was not its master."

"You were not there the night Dumbledore fell to my forces-"

"I was there!" Harry cut him off again. "I was on the tower's landing, and I was silenced by Dumbledore himself. I saw who really disarmed Dumbledore and won the wand from him." At these words, Voldemort searched the crowd before his eyes landed on Draco Malfoy. Following his gaze, Harry spoke first. "Before you waste a curse, consider this: When we were caught at Malfoy Manor, someone happened to disarm Draco. Can you guess who that person was?" Voldemort's red slit-like eyes landed on Harry slowly. "So go on then. Try your luck, Tom."

"You believe you have all of the answers, then?" Voldemort held Harry's gaze for a moment as he considered him. "So sure of yourself…"

"It's your choice." Harry said flatly. He cast an eye on the hall casually as he waited for Voldemort's response. Every eye was on them now; some were more concerned than others, but it seemed all of those still alive were waiting with bated breath.

"Look at me when I kill you!" Immediately, Harry was reminded of the graveyard and Voldemort's desperation to kill him right then and there. The same amount was showing in his face now, but Harry found himself oddly calm. The self-proclaimed Dark Lord raised the Elder Wand; hand shaking in fury as he opened his mouth to speak what Harry knew was coming.

"Avada Kedavra!" His shout echoed throughout the remains of the great hall, and the jet of green light that Harry had seen on several occasions directed at him illuminated the faces of those around him. Not bothering to raise his wand, he couldn't suppress the slightest amount of doubt in his own confidence, but that was dismissed when Voldemort himself was enveloped in his own curse; the Elder wand flying from his stiffening hand and sailing through the air. Reaching up, harry caught it while still watching as the shocked expression became permanent on Voldemort's snake-like face. Eyes wide in horror, he fell back and collapsed over one of the destroyed house tables; body slackening as the last traces of life left him.

It took several moments of stunned silence for people to fully realize what had happened. While most were unaware of the Deathly Hallows, they had just clearly seen the wand revolt against its perceived owner. Some chose to stay where they were and just look over the heads of those closer, while others parted the crowd in an attempt to see the body of the most current powerful Dark Lord. There were those who came close enough to touch the body, but few dared to do it. Harry himself chose to back away; he had seen quite enough of this man and didn't want to be near him anymore than he needed to be.

Footsteps of many people covered the awkward first voices that spoke to break the silence, but among those voices, Harry heard Molly Weasley, Horace Slughorn, Alastor Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. He was however, surprised to hear another voice; this one closer to him.

"Well done, Potter." Turning, he saw Severus Snape making his way through the small mass of people nearest. "I assumed that you were there that night on the Astronomy tower."

"Thank you, Sir." Harry appreciated the very rare praise from the former head of Slytherin house. "And yes, I was."

"He planned it." Snape commented as people stared at him. Harry could see some of the Hogwarts staff that had engaged him earlier in the night regard Snape with a mixture of surprise and wariness. "Albus Dumbledore was a brilliant wizard,"

"But he seemed to leave some of us in awkward positions." Harry finished the thought. "He left you looking like a traitor to the school and well… You know what I looked like." With that comment, Snape nodded gravely.

The next few hours were spent among friends and his collective family as Harry managed to recount just how he had come to the conclusion that the Elder wand would not serve Voldemort properly. People shook his hand, clapped him on the back, and he was left feeling rather like the "celebrity" that Severus Snape had accused him of being in his first year. It wasn't a feeling he really liked, but it was one that he would have to get used to. The Weasleys, thankfully, didn't pester him with the truth of what had happened in the forest or how he came to know that the wand was his. Molly and Arthur seemed perfectly happy with the fact that he was still breathing; so much so that she engulfed him in a tear-filled hug and he wordlessly shook Harry's hand firmly. Friends such as Seamus, Dean, Neville, Luna, Ernie, Hannah, and various quidditch players he had known throughout his Hogwarts career offered their congratulations, but they also knew that he might not much feel like explaining a whole lot.

Teachers, Order members, and some Ministry personnel that were in the castle had already begun making minor repairs to what they could handle that day. Most of Hogwarts would be mended in time, but it wasn't the greatest priority at the present time. The sun had fully risen, and families were reunited or mourning their dead. Among those were Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. Standing over Bellatrix' body, Narcissa had an unreadable expression. At one point, there must have been a time when they more than likely loved each other as sisters, but Harry saw something akin to grim understanding pass over Draco's mother's features. In the end, it hadn't mattered if the dark lord had succeeded in his mission to end Harry and purify the wizarding world; all that had mattered was protecting her son, and Harry had to respect her for that. Looking past them, he could see no one else that he really knew looking for their dead. Remus and Tonks were now talking with who Harry knew to be Andromeda, Bellatrix and Narcissa's sister. She had arrived with little Teddy Lupin just a short time ago. Seeing him looking, Remus waved him over.

"Harry." Exchanging embraces with him and Tonks, Harry was presented with a little boy who sported turquoise hair. "I figured it might be good for you to finally meet your godson in person." He grinned as Teddy laid eyes on Harry for the first time.

"Not going to be as much of a troublemaker as I am now, are you?" Harry grinned down at the boy while Remus and Tonks laughed.

"Let's hope not." Andromeda said with a genuine smile. "These two are enough of a bad influence already, eh?" She looked at her daughter and son-in-law. "Running off to war."

"They can't help it." Harry said honestly. "Mine did it too and look how I turned out." He finished jokingly to grins from Remus and Tonks while Andromeda shook her head; clearly amused. "Well Teddy," Harry got down to eye level with the toddler. "I promise I'll try to be as good an influence on you as my godfather was to me." This was met with a snort of laughter from Tonks.

"He'll be fine then, won't he Remus?"

"Most certainly."

By the evening, most had left the castle, and all that remained were teachers, Order members, their families, and some other students. Most others had gone home, but the rest were taking up residence in Hogsmeade or the castle itself. The house common rooms were structurally sound, and most of the staff's chambers were as well. Harry didn't follow his friends up to Gryffindor tower that night, though. Instead, he remained in the great hall, where the house tables had been repaired and were replaced on the floor. Try as he might, he couldn't get the events from earlier in the morning out of his head. Standing where he had when Voldemort had tried to kill him the last time, Harry shook his head and sat down on the nearby bench that was normally reserved for Ravenclaw students.

"What if I had been wrong?" The question echoed around the hall as if making him focus on it even more. "He was right; I was too sure of myself."

"You weren't the only one accused of that today, now were you?"

"Headmistress." Harry turned at the sound of her voice. "Evening."

"I take it you cannot sleep either." Sitting down beside him, she flicked her wand casually at the grate I front of them, and a roaring fire sprang up.

"No." Harry shook his head slowly. "Even after all of this, I can't." He looked at the scorch mark on the floor where the sparks had showered from his and Voldemort's curses colliding. "I knew I was right," He frowned as he repeated his thoughts. "But I knew I could have been very wrong."

"Best not to dwell on it."

"My self confidence could have gotten me killed." Harry muttered as frustration crept into his tone.

"The truth is that you could have been killed many times today." McGonagall's tone was not stern, though Harry had expected it. "However, my circumstances weren't so different either."

"You had a school to protect." Harry countered. "You had good reason to do what you did. I just threw all certainty to the wind and hoped I was right."

"Aye, I did have a reason for it." At her slight abrupt tone, Harry turned to look at the woman beside him. Dark green eyes on the fire ahead, they moved to him as she finished her thought. "I'm looking at him."

"What?" Definitely not what he expected, Harry blinked. "You had a castle and its students to keep safe… Surely you wouldn't-"

"I did," She said flatly. "And I would again, given the opportunity." Harry couldn't think of anything to offer up in response. "I was forced to make such a decision in the scenario I mentioned that led to the deaths of my remaining family." Harry nodded in recognition of the conversation they had in Godric's Hollow. "I had a choice of remaining hidden and safe or revealing myself and facing those twelve death eaters. To say I was vastly outnumbered would have been an understatement." She added with a half smile. "It was a more than worthy cause, and I thought nothing of it; much like you did today on more than one occasion."

"When I went into the forest, I had no real choice." Harry confessed. He hadn't really discussed this with anyone, though he was sure Ron and Hermione knew his reasons for it. "I was the one he never intended to make. I had to let him kill it."

"That explains a great deal." The headmistress looked back into the flames as she thought aloud. "Why you were able to have access to his mind, speak parseltongue, and the like. That however, wasn't what I was referring to." When she caught Harry's confused expression, sh elaborated. "You were a brave fool to stand in the way of that curse."

"Did you think I was going to let you die?" He asked after a pause. "I couldn't let that happen."

"Then I'll tell you this." Looking to him again, Minerva wore a deadly serious expression, and Harry was drawn to her every word. "It was in that moment that you learned the most important lesson that war can teach you." She elaborated while covering his hand with hers. "There are simply some people and causes you would give your life for; whether you act on it or not is a choice only you can make."

"It was worth it." He leaned back against the side of the Ravenclaw house table and looked into the flames as well. "All of it. I realize now what my parents and Sirius did; their intentions.

"So long as you have no regrets, the actions you take are well worth it."

"Can't say I have any regrets at this point." And he found that to be true. What had bothered him when he had first come in here was more or less resolved. He didn't regret the actions he took, though they could have ended differently had they been ill-spent. "I think I might actually be able to sleep now."

"Good."

"And you?" He slowly rose to his feet and pocketed his wand, which he had been turning in his hands. "Do you think you'll be able to? If I may say, you look as tired as I feel."

"I believe so." She too rose, and with a fluid movement, she put out the torches that had been dully burning above them, but she left the fire burning in the grate.

"Good. I'll walk with you;" Harry turned toward the doors that now stood ajar. "Headed that way anyway."

"Aye, you're headed to the complete opposite end of the seventh floor." She laughed as they headed for the entrance hall.

"Yes well, I'm looking to avoid awkward conversations or more questions." Harry grinned in earnest. "I figure if I wait long enough, everyone will be too tired to stay awake and question me."

"If I am honest, I am not looking forward to the owls I will receive from the Prophet later this morning." They headed up the staircases, knowing it was just past midnight. Some of the portraits that had been restored were already snoozing in their frames, "Frankly, I could do without their pestering."

"I'll probably get it soon enough." Harry found that he too dreaded the onslaught of owls that might come his way. The Daily Prophet had not exactly been his ally in the war against Voldemort. "I say tell them to sod off and call it a day."

"If it were only that easy…" They got to the seventh floor and reached the statue of the gargoyle, or what was left of it, and it immediately leapt aside. Harry stayed back as the headmistress went to ascend the moving staircase. Turning to face him again, she posed a question. "What will you do with this war's end?"

"Rebuild the castle I considered my first true home for the last seven years." Harry answered without thinking. "After that, I don't know…" A thought occurred to him as he said this. "I always said I wanted to be an auror, but after all of this.. Who knows, I might end up teaching."

"Well, regardless of your choice, Hogwarts will always be open to you."

"Thank you." Deciding to take his leave, Harry stepped out of the gargoyle's path. "Goodnight, Minerva."

"Rest well, Harry. Merlin knows we could both use it."

Harry left with the gargoyle's return to its post. Walking along the seventh floor corridors, he found the castle's silence just as odd as when he, McGonagall, and Luna had left Ravenclaw tower. There were torches lit that gave off a gentle flickering flame to stifle the darkness, but it was still odd; Hogwarts was hollow, empty, and broken. It would be whole in time, but he found the silence pressing in on him now. As he rounded the corner to enter Gryffindor tower, he saw that the Fat Lady had returned to guard the portrait hole. Seeing him coming, she gave a kind smile and a nod before revealing he portrait hole.

Inside the common room, he found Hedwig perched on a table by the best armchairs. Removing his wand, he pointed his wand at the grate and a warm fire crackled into life. He nodded to Hedwig before ascending the stairs to the boys' dormitories. When he reached the room he shared with Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Ron, he found his rucksack and other possessions on his bed. On top of it all was what he was looking for; the green blanket he had found while searching the remains of his parents' cottage in Godric's Hollow. Pulling it off of the small pile, he rummaged around in the rucksack and found the set of pajamas he had worn while they had managed to stay at Grimmauld Place. When he removed the robes he had worn since their escape from Gringotts, he removed what was in the pockets and placed most of it into his rucksack. The snitch with the resurrection stone went back in the mokeskin, and the Elder wand was placed in an inner pocket of the rucksack for safekeeping. He wasn't too sure as to what he should do with it. The most powerful wand a person could wield was in his possession, and he honestly didn't want it.

Once all that was settled, he retrieved the blanket again and headed back down to the common room. Once there, he sat down on the sofa for a moment and arranged the cushions so that there would be one under his head when he lay down. The other two were stacked neatly at the opposite end, and Hedwig settled on them; her amber eyes almost alight with the fire's orange and yellow hues. Harry then took the blanket and easily threw it over himself so that it reached just to his chest. Shifting so that he was on his side and facing the fire, he saw Hedwig out of the corner of his eye. She hooted softly and placed her head under her wing where she sat on the pillows at his feet.

"It's finally over, Hedwig…" He managed as he yawned. "Now all I have to do is learn to live a normal life." She offered nothing as a response, but Harry did hear a slight rustle of wings as she shifted. This left him with little more to do than to let his head sink into the soft pillow. Eyes closing against the flames, their flickering light grew dimmer by the second as his mind gave into exhaustion. His last thought was of the school he had returned to and how he would work as needed to return it to its former glory.