Chapter 8
Saved By An Act Of Betrayal By Keeperoliver
Disclaimer: This and all works pertaining to Harry potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
During the period that Harry went to lie down, Professor Snape asked Professor McGonagall if he was allowed to use the lav, or was he to suffer all night. Minerva let him go, not thinking much of it. Severus went to the lav, but took a detour when he left it. He went to his classroom, where he took his spare wand from a locked drawer in his desk, and pocketed it. He then returned to the hall. He was prepared for the battle when it was to begin. He walked up to Minerva, to ask her where she wanted him during the battle. At the start of the year, Minerva had hated Snape, and distrusted him with every fiber of her soul. She was sure he was loyal to Voldemort and would be
at his side when it was time to fight. But as the year progressed, she noticed little things he did which protected the students from the Carrows. He would give detentions, sending them to Hagrid, or her or Poppy, rather then Amycus or Alecto. She also noticed that he did not spend much time with the two, preferring to be alone. Although she still did not trust him completely, she was not as sure, that he will turn face and return to Voldemort. She told him to monitor the students in the hall, watching for any signs of fatigue or injury. She didn't know how he felt asking her for permission for anything, seeing that he was, for all intent and purposes, still the Headmaster, but he was handleing well so far.
Ron and Hermione during this time had a long talk both between themselves and Ginny and Neville. It seems that Ginny and Neville pretended to be going together for the year to throw the Carrows of track, trying to protect what Harry, Ron and Hermione were doing. Ron had admitted to them what was going on with him, and told them when it was over, he was going to talk to Madam Pomfry about it. They also talked about why Harry seemed to be avoiding them, when Remus and Tonks came over. Remus asked them if they knew what was wrong with Harry, as he just didn't seem right when he and Tonks talked to him earlier. Nobody knew what the problem was.
Dobby and Luna had spent a lot of time together, getting to know one another. Luna seemed infatuated with the elf, and Dobby was so attentive to her, if she even thought of wanting something, Dobby made sure she had it. To look at them, you would think they had been together for a long time. Luna was not used to this kind of attention, but, she was revelling in it. She didn't know Dobby before the Malfoy Manor incident, but she knew that she was going to get to know him better when this was over. It may even bloom to something greater than good friends, at least she hoped it would. Dobby knew that she was more than what people saw. He knew her as more than a spacey girl that had her head buried in her father's magazine, oblivious to those around her. She cared deeply for those she called friends, which were not many. She was smart, with out being a know it all type. She was beautiful, funny and sensitive. To Dobby, she was perfect, and he knew, after such a short time, he really liked her, and hoped when this was all over, they could continue this time they shared together.
Before everyone knew it, the time had come for the final showdown, or at least that was what everyone was calling it.
Harry looked around him,to make sure everyone was in place. He hated having to put his friends in danger, but he knew it could not be helped. He found Neville by the main entry to the castle beside Remus and about 10 students. He saw Fred and George with Tonks and Molly and about 20 people, a mix of students, order members and aurors He knew this to be the reinforcement troops, to help fill in any gaps that may occur. There was Luna, in her predetermined spot, her dreamy look gone, replaced with a look of determination, that he never saw on her face before. He hoped he would never have to see her with that look again. He found every one but the 2 he most wanted to see. He wanted to see them one more time, as he knew it could be the last, but it was not to be.
The quiet was broken by a loud voice reverberating through the air.
"Harry Potter, are you here, show youself!"
The loud statement brought Harry back to reality. He turned to look at Voldemort. He was standing there with Bellatrix on his right and Grayback on his left. Lucius and Narcissa were there, but not Draco. He had about 100 Death Eaters with him, 2 giants, 10 trolls and another 10 werewolves. Since this was not a full moon, he knew they were just wizards. There were also Dementors, but only 20. Harry was surprised, he was expecting a larger force then this. He thought that Voldemort had his forces split, in order to attack from all four sides.
"Are you there Potter? Are you afraid to face your destiny, your fate, your death? Be brave, Potter, like your mother and father. Come forward and end this charade people have put on you as their savior. This boy who lived. You know you can't beat me. Others have tried, yet here I am. Yes, I know you have defeated me in the past, and somehow you survived. How is that Potter? How is it that you survived? I can tell you, if you want to know." Sigh. " Come now Harry, aren't you the least bit curious? It's really quite simple you know. Fine, Harry, be the coward we know you are. That is how you survived Harry, you let others die in your place. Even Quirrell. Do you know he fought me for 3 months before I was able to take control? That's right, he did not want me controlling him. As a matter of fact, he came out looking to destroy me. In the end you thought it was your mother's love that killed Quirrell, wrong. At the end he was fighting for control of his body once more. He didn't realise once I left he was dead anyway, or at least I didn't think he realised it. But I wrong also, he fought so hard he was killing himself slowly, so it was not you who defeated me. Then the cemetary, when you brought your friend with you. How convienient. You brought your sacrifice with you. That surprised me, knowingly bringing someone with you to die in your place. Can't you see the picture, Harry. I could go on with this you know. There was Black, who followed you to the Ministry, Dumbledore, who thought of you as a sacrificial lamb. This is true Harry. He didn't think of you as his grandson. He thought that in order for me to die, you were the one to have to do it, their savior, even though he knew you could not defeat me. But enough of this. Come out and face me Potter. Be the savior that every one thinks you are."
Harry made one final inspection to see if all were in position. He couldn't see them, but he knew the goblins were there. He knew as soon as he took the cloak off, Dobby would be at side.
All was as it should be. His time of reckoning had arrived. "I am here Tom. I have been, the whole time you were shouting your jibberish." With that he pulled off his cloak, and Dobby appeared, both facing Riddle.
Voldemort snarled at his Death Eaters. "Kill them all. Do what you want with them, if you wish, prior to killing them, but leave Potter to me. I will make him pay for his constant interuptions to my plans. For his insolence. For him being a thorn in my side for 16 years."
Thus the battle began. Curses were flying everywhere. The castle walls were taking a beating, but holding so far. Harry could see people in the castle running , ducking, dodgeing and doing what ever they could to avoid being hit. Then they started to fire back, and Death Eaters started to fall. They were falling at an alarming rate, some without being hit with curses. Voldemort looked on this with wonderment. Why was his army going down like this? He finally realised what was happening. He cast a spell. and the goblins were revealed. The goblins knew that eventually this would happen, and regrouped and fell back to the castle walls. But there damage was done. Half of Voldemort's Death Eaters were down. And so far that he could tell, no light warriors were down.
He saw a few of his best fighters break their way into the castle. Good, maybe they could do some damage control, and take out the Aurors and order members and get some semblence of superiority back to his forces.
He was still furious because of his losses, and sent in the 2 giants he had to do as much damage as they could, and destroy any who got in their way. The giants got half way to the castle, when on of them was tackled to the ground by another giant. Smaller in size, but no less ferocious, Grawp, Hagrid's half brother had entered the fray. Grawp was beating the giant with a boulder he had picked up and did major damage to the first giant. However, the second giant came to the first's
assistance and pulled Grawp,off of him and threw Grawp about 30 meters away. Hagrid was by his brother's side, using his crossbow to try and blind the still standing giant. Soon the giant was brushing his bleeding eye, trying to clear it. The goblins rushed in, and using their battle axes, cut the tendons in the giant's ankles. causing him to fall. The goblins made short work of him once he was down, decapitating him at once. The first giant fared no better, and soon joined his partner.
Voldemort was noticably shaken. He had just lost his strongest weapons as if they were nothing, and still with no loss ot the light side. He then sent his trolls in not expecting much from them, but hoping they could cause a distraction, as he sent the Dementors in. His plan did not work, as the trolls were taken out in quick order, 5 by Grawp,as he pulled a tree out of the ground and used it as a club. The rest were taken out by Hagrid and the Dementors were also taken care of as more than 30 Patronus figures put them to flight.
This is when Dobby went into action. He apparated into the middle of the remaining Death Eaters, and started shooting annoying spells at them, causing them to turn around and fire upon themselves using much more serious spells. Fortunately, or unfortunately,depending on who's side you were on, Dobby was too quick to target. He continued this maneuver several more time, destroying Voldemort's forces outside the castle walls.
Inside the castle, the light started to lose people. The first to die was Marrietta Edgecome, as she diveds in front of Cho Chang, to take a killing curse from Bellatrix. Bella then went after Cho once again, but was blocked by a shield. She looked around to find the source of this shield, but no luck. So she went after her next target. Neville Longbottom was defending some fourth years, when he heard that awful noise. She was using a cruciatous on one of the healers. He turned and shot a bludgening hex on her, hitting her in the legs. She went down, losing her wand as she fell. She looked at Neville and started laughing at him, "Is itty bitty Nevvie growing up? Does he think he is a man now? How are mommie and daddie Nevvie? Do they still slobber all over the place? Come on little man, finish me if you can."
That was all it took for Neville to snap. He new he couldn't directly kill her, but indirectly, he believed he could. He did a summoning charm on a fallen battleaxe from a suit of armor, that was sitting behind Bella. When it hit her, it was with enough force, that it pierced her heart. Bellatrix LeStrange was dead, Neville Longbottom had gotten his revenge for his mother and father.
Voldemort felt this through his connection with his Death Eaters and screamed his pain. He fired a spell at the walls of the castle, blowing a hole in the wall, throwing debris everywhere. A large block hit Ernie McMillan in the back, landing on him, crushing the life out of him. A smaller chunk had hit Fred's left hand, it's sharp edge severing it. George picked it up and put it in his pocket.
Fenrir Greyback was attacking a seventh year prefect, when he was caught unprepared by Remus, however he was much stronger than Remus, and was able to throw him off. He then turned to the prefect, and literally tore him apart. Remus saw this and growled. What happened next, took everybody by surprise. He started to change. In the place of Remus Lupin, was the largest wolf they had ever seen. He was twice the size of Padfoot. He once again attacked Grayback. Grayback was able to hold him off, but was losing strength fast. This is when Bill Weasley stepped in and helped. Bill hit Grayback with a tripping curse, causing him to fall with Remus on top of him. From there Remus was able to rip the throat of Grayback apart, and with that the Alpha Male was done. Remus was not, however. He attacked Dolohov and both LeStrange brothers, finishing them off. This is when Remus changed back to himself. There was no explanation for this change. He would consider it later.
Voldemort looked around him. To his dismay, he was the only one standing from his force. He was alone. He saw Ragnok talking to his guards and fired the killing curse at him, Griphook dove in front of Ragnok, taking the curse in the chest. Griphook died a hero to the goblins and the fighters of the light. That was the last act of defiance by Voldemort.
The goblins were led into the castle by the rest of Harry's army. All that was left on the field were Voldemort, Harry, Remus, Dobby and Bill. Harry looked to the three standing behind him, and told them to go inside. They started to refuse, when Harry told them, "Please go inside. This has to be between Tom and I. It is the only way."
Remus looked at Harry with tears in his eyes. He knew what Harry intended to do. He couldn't stop him.
He straightened up, and gave Harry a salute, which Harry returned. Harry glanced over to Luna, and saw she was ready. He gave her a nod, and she acknowledged it with a nod of her own.
Harry turned and faced Tom. Riddle was standing there with his face in his hands not able to believe what he had just lost. All because of a child, and those goblins. And what was that cursed creature that took out so many of his men. He never saw anything like it before. He looked like a human elf. He turned and saw Harry waiting. He picked up Nagini and wrapped him around his neck to protect him. With his familiar near him, he knew he could not lose.
Tom and Harry took their stands ready for battle. Then suddenly Harry threw down his wand. Luna fired her arrow, and Tom fired a killing curse. The curse hit Harry, then the arrow hit Nagini, passing threw her head and into Tom's heart. As Harry fell, he stated his love for Ginny and Hermione.
Voldemort laid there feeling the basilisk venom working on his system. He knew that there would be no returning for him, but he went, knowing he had his revenge. And so went the reign of terror, that has plagued the wizarding world for so many years. But at what cost.
