Chapter 3
Harry glanced at the blonde's hand with a pointed look. Time for Draco to get a taste of his own medicine. He smiled and took the offered hand, then pulled Draco close before the boy could look smug.
'I know what you're doing Draco. You're just a little kid clinging on to daddy's power in society. You're not better than anyone else, you're not stronger than anyone else, you're not smarter than anyone else. If you want to be my enemy, then go ahead and treat my friends like dirt. However, if you truly want my friendship, then you're going to have to earn it. Start thinking for yourself'.
He ceased the privacy spell and let Draco go, smiling politely as Professor McGonagall came back. The look on the blonde's face was priceless. Maybe he would finally get some sense in that pretty head of his.
Ron stood guard outside, under the guise of waiting for Hermione. Hermione kept Moaning Myrtle at bay inside. Harry was down and back up the chamber within a few minutes. Fiendfyre was truly a useful spell when done right. No more Basilisk.
The trio sat in a clearing in the forbidden forest, the Horcruxes before them. A trussed up and unconscious Quirrell lay by a tree. They checked the book Harry picked up from his vault a final time.
'Ready to get this over with?' Ron asked.
'Am I ever' Harry sighed with a smile.
'Alright Harry. Stand there for me with the Horcruxes. This will be painful so prepare yourself. Ron, keep an eye on Quirrell. It won't take Voldemort long to rise up' Hermione said.
They were about to put all the pieces of Tom Riddle's soul back together, including the one in Harry. Something they discovered they could do when Harry found the book in his vaults last time. Voldemort was going down and he was going down now.
Harry took in deep breaths as Hermione finished. His energy back he and the other two pointed their wands at the dark shadow rising from Quirrell. Voldemort looked surprised and angry.
'Hello Riddle. Sorry but I'm really not in the mood to hear you monologue. As you can see your soul is put back together, and we're about to kill you. Goodbye'.
There was a wail and a small surge of magic as Tom Riddle fell dead to the ground. The trio smirked to each other. Dumbledore was bound to notice that.
'Ready guys?' Harry asked.
They nodded, and as one turned tail and ran, screaming and crying back to Hogwarts. They were met by a party of teachers. Through sniffles and hiccups they were able to tell of how Professor Quirrell wanted them to go out into the forest to help him collect specimens for class, and that since he was a teacher they thought it was ok to go into the forest, and that he suddenly turned on them, and they saw Voldemort, and Harry was hit with the killing curse for a second time and lived, and how Voldemort gained his own body, and how they were lucky to escape when Harry in desperation threw the same curse back at Voldemort. Snape certainly had enough evidence that Voldemort was dead for good, as his dark mark was no more. With Quirrell and Voldemort bodies confirming the traumatised children's story for the others, attention turned to Dumbledore. How did a supposed all-knowing Warlock overlook Quirrell's strange new behaviour, or the presence of Voldemort himself? More questions were asked about why the philosopher's stone had been placed in Hogwarts when it was clearly a risk item. Sirius' treatment sprung up a few times as well. And then of course Harry played the heartbroken child who was left with relatives who neglected and hurt him and told him nothing of the wizarding world. Why hadn't no one come to check on him, or make sure he knew who he was? Why was he left to fend for himself? Dumbledore had a lot to answer for, and now the entire wizarding world knew it. Sirius himself made an appearance, demanding custody over Harry, something the public and press was happy to support. Harry found the whole thing, very satisfying.
And thus the world was safe from darkness once more. Harry went to stay with Sirius, and his partner Remus. Dumbledore was forced to step down from his many positions, and Professor McGonagall became headmistress of Hogwarts. Draco eventually stepped out of his father's shadow and became his own person, something his mother was happy with. Severus had mellowed without his masters hounding him. Sure there were still Deatheaters out there. There was never a happily ever after in real life. But Harry did learn one thing from his adventures. He had friends, and he was loved. And as he sat, with Hermione cuddled into his left side, and his head on Ron's shoulder, he was content to keep a hold of those feelings. For the rest of his life.