Chapter 138: A Sacrifice of Love Defeats an Evil Mind

"What shall we do now?" Harry said in a low voice to the camouflaged group as they gathered a few blocks away from the School of Zar, which they fondly remembered it as the Shrieking Shack.

"Let's sneak in and see what's Slytherin is up to?" James replied after a few seconds of silence. One by one, the eight of them slipped through the gap at the gate into the compound. They tiptoed towards the nearest window that was emitting light.

Before they could even reach the window, the front door opened magically.

"I've been waiting for you." A deep menacing voice called out. A wave of dread swept over them as they took a deep breath.

"Let's go in." Remus spoke out since everyone was too tensed to speak. They walked precariously through the opened door into the dimly lit room, still camouflaged by the Disillusion Charm.

"Heaven must be helping me." A dark shadowy figure moved towards their direction. "Sending me all seven protectors."

"What are you up to?" Sirius asked angrily. "Don't even think we'll help you with your evil deeds."

"Shouldn't the Protectors be proud of my actions?" The man walked towards their direction slowly but in a threatening way. With a wave, the Disillusion Charm was lifted. "To rid the world of imperfections."

"Yes, you are the imperfection." James said boldly.

"Potter, tsk tsk, you should have some respect of elders." The man looked like he was in his fifties, with streaks of white hair. He would have been able to pass off as a merciful grandfather, if not for the evil glint in his eyes and his ruthless expression. "Do you think the few of you can defeat Slytherin the Great?"

"Even if we can't, we'll perish with you." Harry said defiantly.

"Like father, like son." Slytherin shook his head, chuckling evilly. "Look at Salazar, he made a wise choice by following me." Salazar was standing behind him, at the doorway, watching the whole exchange without much expression. "With the remaining six of you, the world will be moving towards a better future. I'm sure how much you must have hated the future, that's why all of you are here to change the past."

"Yes, to kill you." Sirius was getting angrier at Slytherin's smirking expression.

"Looks like you all haven't figure out my powers. Do you need me to demonstrate?" Slytherin turned and faced them, staring at them with a piercing glare. "Now, who should I take first?" The eight of them moved closer together. "Of course, I'll take the most useless one, Weasley."

"Ginny!!" Slytherin held up his hand and Ginny was pulled magically over to him before Harry could grab hold onto her hand. He held onto Ginny on the neck tightly despite her constant struggling.

"Expelli-" Harry dashed forward pointing his wand at Slytherin while muttering any spells that he could think of. With a wave on Slytherin's left hand, Harry was thrown towards the wall on the left.

"Harry!" Harry wobbled as he tried to stand up, despite the hurting joints after the crash against the wall.

"How dare you kick me?" Slytherin said mockingly. "This looks like a good time for me to display my new spells. I'm sure you must be familiar with this. Crucio." Ginny fell onto the ground, twisting and tossing around. She bit her lips to prevent herself from screaming out loud and give Slytherin the sense of satisfaction.

"Stop!" Lily ran forward and tried to take the pain off Ginny.

"Ahh, the Healer." Slytherin spoke knowingly. "Do you want to try another of my new curse?"

"No!!" James shouted out and attempted to shield Lily but was too late.

"Imperio." Lily jerked and suddenly her expression became unreadable.

X

"Don't you believe me?" Elizabeth said exasperatedly. "I'm Lisa. Remember that time we sneaked to Mrs. Hufflepuff's kitchen to steal her homemade cookies with Helga?"

"Oh." Rowena jolted in realization. "That was you. Oh my gosh."

"What I told you is nothing but the truth." Elizabeth was pacing around in Rowena's bedroom. "Now we need to convince Godric and Helga."

"How're you going to get out there looking like this?" Rowena pointed out. Despite the simplicity in Elizabeth's dressing, her Princess aura along with her exquisite eye color made her stood out among the other villagers.

"That's why I got this." Elizabeth took out a small container with two compartments. "They told me about the invention of coluored contact lenses." Facing the mirror, she carefully placed the contact lenses into her eyes. "Now I look as normal as everyone else." Brown eyes, brownish blonde hair, not much difference from you or Helga."

"I can't outtalk you." Rowena laughed. "Let's go then."

X

"Lily!" James tried to knock her back into her senses, but Lily just stared at him without much expression.

"Stab Potter with this." A silver dagger appeared magically on Lily's right hand.

"Lily, it's me, James." Lily blinked and it seemed like she was trying to fight the Imperius Curse within herself. At the same time, Stefanie used her telekinetic power to move the dagger away while Sirius used his eyes to control Lily's hand movements.

"NOW!" James cast a wandless Disarming Charm before Lily could stab him.

"That's not working too well." Slytherin mocked. "Try again, do it well this time." With that, he grabbed hold of Ginny's neck tighter until she started coughing for air. "Do you want to witness my last Curse, the most formidable one of all?" James turned and tried to pull Ginny over using wandless magic but Slytherin was too strong for him. Without thinking, Arabella charged straight at Slytherin and gave him a hard kick on his right shin and then his groin, causing him to break contact with Lily's Imperius curse and letting go of Ginny.

"You alright?" Harry dashed across towards Ginny. Her face was red and she was coughing for air, and nodded silently.

"Lily!" James and Stefanie caught hold of Lily who collapsed suddenly out of exhaustion.

"I.." Lily mumbled incoherently.

"Sshhh, conserve your energy." James said softly before turning his glare back at Slytherin.

Suddenly Slytherin's wand flew across the room into Sirius' hand and he broke the wand into two pieces before burning the remains with a magical fire.

"Kids." Slytherin stood up effortlessly. "Do you really think that can stop anything?" He chuckled to himself before turning and facing Harry. "Avada-"

"NO!!" Lily shouted and a very strong force came out from her body which propelled everyone outwards.

"Aaaahhhhh!!" Stefanie flew out of the window and was clinging onto the windowsill for support as Lily's inner energy was too intense.

"STEFF!!" Remus shouted and dashed towards Stefanie's direction despite being shoved against the wall.

"That was some energy you got that." Slytherin shook his head in disgust. "Makes me wonder how a mudblood like you can gain such magical powers."

"Don't you dare!" James stepped in front of Lily protectively with his hands up in combat mode.

"How about seeing your friends die before your eyes?" Slytherin threatened menacingly at James. Ginny and Harry were leaning against the wall at one corner, Stefanie and Remus were standing defiantly by the window, while Arabella and Sirius were on the side of Slytherin but opposite direction. Everyone was glaring at him with anger and disgust, despite their superficial and probably internal wounds.

X

"Dric, do you really believe me?" Elizabeth asked anxiously in a low voice at the back of the blacksmith shop. Rowena nodded in agreement. The two girls had just dashed to Godric's shop and grabbed him to the back room to tell him about the battle and he believed them with no questions asked.

"Yes, I know all about them." Godric said. "Give me a minute and I'll catch up with you two at Helga's." The three exchanged a knowing nod before running in opposite directions.

X

"You two shall die first." Slytherin said with an evil glint in his eyes. He held out his hands and James and Lily flew straight towards him. He was strangling their necks despite their constant struggling. At the corner of his eye, he could see Lily was losing her breath as her movements were getting less vigorous. The rest of them tried to cast spells at Slytherin but there was some sort of dark greenish shield that prevented the spells from reaching them.

"Lily.. don't.. give.. up.." James tried to shout out to Lily. She heard it and gave a loud scream and started kicking vigorously once more.

"Off you go." Slytherin said in a sinister way. With that, he threw both of them upwards. James and Lily flew up with such force that they broke the layers of wooden ceiling along the way.

"LILY!!"

"JAMES!!"

"Aaaahhhhh!" Lily of screaming while she tried to think of a solution to save herself. "JAMES!!"

"LILY!!" James was trying to reach Lily but she was slightly ahead of him. They were at least ten metres above ground when they realized that they were falling. James was trying to transfigure the grass patch that they were falling on into a large bubble cushion but the speed was too fast. Despite the slight cushioning effect, they fell onto the grass with a loud thud. "Are you alright?" James tried to move but he was hurting badly.

"James, we won't be able to make it back." Lily mumbled in a soft voice, tears started falling on her cheeks. She moved towards James with great difficulties.

"Don't say that." James mustered up all his energy to raise his left hand to wipe the tears off Lily's blood-stained face despite the growing pain on his arm and shoulder. "I'm here with you."

"In this life or the next, the only one for me is only James Potter." Lily spoke first, keeping her gaze at James.

"Don't you have any fear?" James tried to crack a joke at Lily's earlier actions.

"You're such a dummy." Lily gave a small laugh. James leaned forward to kiss Lily, for what felt like the very last time. "Do you think we'll meet again in the next life?"

"At our next life, we'll recognize each other at first sight." James gave his trademark grin although he could feel his energy depleting.

"Please don't ever leave me." Lily's eyelids were feeling heavy despite the tears. She leaned forward against James' chest.

"I promise. I'll never leave you." James reached out to Lily and pulled her closer.

"Even when this life is over." Lily's voice was getting weaker and softer.

"Even when the next life begins." James' looked up at the dark star-less night.

"Forever." Lily mumbled, her eyes closed but a smile was on her lips.

"Forever." James replied as he closed his eyes.

"You and only you, forever." That was the last thing Lily Evans ever said.

"I'll love you." And that was the last thing James Potter ever said.

X

"I want you pay for their lives!" Sirius said in anger as he charged thoughtlessly at Slytherin. With a wave, Sirius was sent flying against the wall with an 'ouch'.

From the window, Remus and Stefanie could see that James and Lily were thrown to a far away area and had fallen from a great height. The possibility of being alive from such a fall was slim, even if one knew magic. Remus ran towards Slytherin casting all the defending spells he could remember in a state of anger. With another wave, Slytherin cast dark magic and chopped off Remus' wand hand.

"AAAHHHH!!" Remus retreated backwards and Stefanie caught him before he could fall.

"What shall we do now?" Stefanie asked worriedly, the shoulder where Remus' right-hand was started breeding profusely.

"Shall we try what Liz suggested?" Remus said in a strained tone as the pain of losing a limb was unbearable.

"Yes, but what are the items?" Stefanie whispered, frightened tears were forming in her eyes. Right now, Sirius, Arabella, Harry and Ginny were engaged in a direct fight with Slytherin, and they were fighting a losing battle. Suddenly, Harry was thrown towards their direction and the two of them jumped apart while Stefanie tried to pull onto him but was too late. He was thrown against the wall again. The Light Compass flew out from his bag and cracked into two pieces in front of them. The colours were still swirling in the middle despite that it was broken into two halves.

"I think that's the one." Remus gave a look of understanding while applying pressure on his wound to slow down the breeding. Stefanie replied with a determined look and grabbed both halves without hesitation. With that Remus pulled Stefanie's hand with his blood-stained left hand and ran out of the house to the nearest isolated point in Hogsmeade.

"Look at those people you call friends." Slytherin taunted. Sirius was in a state of disbelief as he saw his best friend and his twin running away from them.

"Well, I won't." Sirius continued to fight on, pointing his wand at Slytherin once more. Arabella was standing right beside him, giving him a positive nod despite all her injuries.

X

Harry opened his eyes as he heard the conversation between Sirius and Slytherin. What is this? He looked at the silver conical object right in front of his line of vision. He mustered up his energy to pick up the object in front of him. It's an arrowhead. What is this doing here? He tried to push himself up and saw Ginny lying not too far away from him. Sirius and Arabella were still engaged in a losing battle with Slytherin.

"Ginny." Harry whispered. "You can't die."

"No, I won't." Ginny opened her eyes a little. "But I'm very tired."

"Look at this arrowhead; do you think it means anything?"

"It means we have to transfigure ourselves into a human arrow and pierce Slytherin's heart." Ginny mumbled without thinking.

"That's it!! That's what we're supposed to do." Harry sat up with his newfound energy and pulled Ginny up.

Grabbing his wand, he transfigured a fallen wooden plank into a large bow and more fallen wood pieces into arrows. Using his wand, he tried to maneuver the bow and arrow to aim at Slytherin.

"Looks like you're having some fun over there." Slytherin pointed his finger at Harry and Ginny's direction and shot a green flame at them, burning all the transfigured arrows.

X

"Remus, do you know what wish I want to make?" Stefanie asked Remus, as she gazed worriedly at his injured shoulder. There was a dark and gloomy feeling about Hogsmeade and not a single soul was found in the streets. Screams, banging sounds and sparks from the wands were coming out from the window of the School of Zar.

"I know. I'm ready, without hesitation. What about you?" Remus said confidently, smiling despite the pain.

"Our friends and families are doing their best in creating a better future for everyone. We should contribute too." Stefanie looked up at the sky. There were only two stars shinning brightly in the cloudy night.

"I know you don't like warfare. We'll use peace and love, to play our part." Remus understood what Stefanie was thinking even without her saying anything.

"Remus Lupin is always sparing a thought for me. If there is a next life, I want to be Remus' wife forever and ever." Stefanie looked up lovingly at Remus, blushing as she confessed her feelings.

"Stefanie Black, I love you, till the oceans dry and rocks crumble, a never-changing vow." Remus bent forward and kissed Stefanie gently on her lips. Just at that moment, the two broken pieces of Light Compass seemed to have a life of its own joined together and rose above their heads, emitting a bright red and orange glow.

"Let's hurry and make the wish." Remus said, looking at the magical Light Compass in awe.

"A sincere wish from the heart is the most effective." I wish that there will be no evil in the world. I wish that Slytherin will be defeated tonight once and for all. I wish that Voldemort or Tom Riddle will not come into existence at any point of time in the future. I wish for a better future for all of us. I wish I will be with Remus forever. Stefanie closed her eyes and put both her palms against her chest.

"With sincerity." Remus nodded. "Stef, so it turns out, there really is the edge of heaven, the end of the sea."

"Yes, it's right here. As long as there's love, they're in our hearts." Stefanie placed her right hand to her chest, smiling lovingly at Remus. "Where do you think we're going?"

"Perhaps we'll become phoenixes, and be together forever." Remus chuckled. "But I've lost my right arm, and can't have proper wings for flying now."

"Remus has always supported me, protected me and took care of me. Now, Stefanie Black will take care of Remus Lupin. I'll take you wherever we go, even if it means we're flying together."

"Silly, how can you fly when you are holding onto me?" Remus smiled and Stefanie's innocent remark.

"Remember our hearts are connected. Let's go, wherever it may be." And that was the last time Remus Lupin and Stefanie Black's human forms were in existence in history. With a red glow from Remus and an orange glow from Stefanie, the two sparks rose higher and higher into the dark sky.

X

"What's going on?" The wooden house they were fighting in started to shake and crumble. The four of them exchanged a look and started running out of the house before it could collapse on them.

"Let's go." Sirius grabbed Arabella's hand and pulled her along while Harry and Ginny was running together right behind them. "I think I know what did Moony and Stef did."

"You don't mean.." Arabella wanted to ask, but it was not necessary as everyone already knew what happened.

"The Light Compass broke into two, and they took it along with them." Harry said, as the four of them ran out of the gate, nearer to Hogsmeade. "Sirius, we've an idea." Harry was shouting out to Sirius as they ran. "Transfigure us to a human arrow and pierce Slytherin right in the heart." Harry told him as he held out his transfigured bow. "'The answer will come when the situation strikes.' Zeus' last words."

"If anything, I should be the one sacrificing, not you two." Sirius turned and faced Harry.

"No, we can pierce his heart because we're in love. Love is the most ancient magic feared by the darkest wizards. It is unexplainable and unfathomable."

"In that case, we'll do that." Sirius said in his strongest voice, and bit his lips.

"Nooo.." Arabella shook her head in tears. "We can't do that." She reached for Ginny's shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"Sirius!!"

"Belle!!"

"Ginny!!" Elizabeth, Rowena, Godric and Helga were running towards their direction.

"Where are the rest?" Elizabeth asked frantically as she looked for Lily, James, Remus and Stefanie. The four of them shook their heads and looked down. "NOOO!! That's can't be true!!" Tears started falling uncontrollably as her legs gave way. Godric and Rowena grabbed hold onto her before she could collapse.

"We don't have time for this. Slytherin is still alive." Sirius said urgently.

"Transfigure Ginny and I into a human arrow and aim straight at Slytherin's heart." Harry said boldly. "I've got the idea from this arrowhead." He held out a small silver arrowhead which emits a magical strength beyond explanation.

"You two can't sacrifice." Godric said urgently. "There must be another way."

"We have to." Ginny agreed. "James and Lily, Remus and Stefanie, have already sacrifice themselves for this. Slytherin is much weaker now when we use sacrificial love to deal with him. We're the last pair now, please grant our wish and kill him. I want a better life in the future. And I don't want any of my brothers to die because of Voldemort."

"More people are here to die tonight." Slytherin's threatening voice came from the back. A dark looming shadow was getting closer to them. The eight of them stared at their greatest enermy.

"NOW!!" Harry held Ginny close together while Sirius performed a never-been-done-before human-to-object transfiguration. Godric held up his finest bow in preparation for the human arrow.

"Trying to defeat me, not so easy." Slytherin taunted and laughed. "I'm invincible."

"That's too early to tell." Godric laughed. The sparks from Sirius' wand morphed Harry and Ginny into one large golden arrow and position itself magically onto Godric's wand. After aiming confidently, he released the tension and sent the arrow flying at full speed, piercing Slytherin right in the heart.

"AAAHHHH!!" Slytherin screamed in pain as the arrow shot him straight through his body. The golden glow grew so bright that it almost lit up the entire Hogsmeade village. After what seemed like eternity, a loud explosion could be heard after Slytherin's final screams.

Slytherin's remains had vanished forever into the night from the face of the earth. The golden arrow burst into a large mass of golden sparkles and rained down onto the entire Hogsmeade, brightening up the dark moon-less night. Curious heads were popping out from the windows, and people coming out from the shops to look at the phenomenon of gold dust falling onto Hogsmeade. The root of evil had been defeated, finally.