IMPORTANT A/N! I ADDED A LITTLE BIT TO THE LAST CHAPTER WERE LUNA OFFERS A LITTLE EXPLANATION FOR SOME OF RON'S EXREME BEHAVIOUR. I DON'T THINK IT'LL AFFECT HOW THE STORY ENDS, BUT ITS THERE IF YOU WANT THE ISSUE CLEARED UP A LITTLE.
- Happy New Year! Seeing as we were all meant to die on the 21/12/2012 and it is now 03/01/2013, I'd say we're doing pretty good.
Anyway, on with the story.
A Darkened World
Endgame
-From Previous Chapter-
"Behold, the treasures of the three Peverell brothers; the three Deathly Hallows; the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility."
Harry's bright, emerald green eyes locked onto Lord Voldemort, who, for the first time in decades, wore a look of pure fear upon his face.
And, echoing words spoken to him in the graveyard of Little Hangleton over twenty five years previously, Harry spoke "Bow to death, Tom."
Down upon the battlefield, the swarming Dementors suddenly became still and quiet. They positioned themselves upright and held their heads high, as though sensing a change in the air. Two of the largest amongst them turned to look at each other before both spun around with identical swishes of the long black cloaks and began to return towards the castle with haste. Across the battlefield every other Dementor did the same.
The Vampires noticed them leaving, and then they too detected a change in the air. Each Vampire dissolved into an eerie black haze before they too began to speed back towards the castle.
Being undead, and therefore very tricky to get rid of, the Dementors and Vampires between them constituted a fairly large portion of the Dark Lord's army, making up around forty percent of the total force. Light and Dark forces alike could not fail to notice that number of units vacating the battlefield.
Slowly the fighting quelled; wands stopped firing spells and the air became almost deathly silent as every eye turned towards Hogwarts castle.
Tom Riddle was on the ground, down on his knees, his arms outstretched, his body rocking back and forth as he begged.
"Please Potter, please show mercy."
Harry sneered and delivered a violent kick to Voldemort's side, breaking several of his ribs.
"And what have you done to make you worthy of mercy, Tom Marvolo Riddle?" he practically hissed as Voldemort collapsed onto his side, clutching his ribs in agony "What have you done that warrants forgiveness?"
Rose stood to the side, leaning against the Headmaster's desk, electing to be a mere spectator to the fall of Voldemort.
At first Voldemort had refused to bow, and so Harry had made him; forcing the man's spine to bend against its owner's will.
He had then given Voldemort a taste of the same spell he had used on Dolores Umbridge at the Ministry of Magic: Crucio Maxima.
It had only been a taste of the spell; ten seconds of it. Given that it had taken around thirty seconds for Umbridge to die from the spell, ten seconds was all that Harry had been prepared to hit Voldemort with.
"Please…" Tom begged pitifully "please…"
Harry pointed the Elder Wand at Voldemort's prone form and lifted the self-styled Dark Lord into the air. And there Voldemort remained; upright, off the ground and unable to do a thing about it.
Harry palmed the Resurrection Stone in his hand, looking at it thoughtfully, before turning his gaze back to Voldemort.
"You know, Tom; I think that there are some people that want to meet with you; some familiar faces from your past. Would you like to see them Tom?"
If possible, Voldemort's eyes widened even more fearfully as he frantically shook his head, unable to speak.
"Oh, but you really should, Tom." said Harry, who was now turning the stone over between his fingers "It would do you good to meet some of the faces of bygone days."
On the third turn of the stone it happened; shades of individuals long since departed from the realm of the living began to materialise out of thin air. Not quite ghosts, but certainly not living bodies, they began to appear, first one by one, and then, slowly, in groups.
Rose had no idea just who a lot of these people were in life, but there were more than a few that she recognised from photo albums and cuttings from old newspapers; members of the Order of the Phoenix, Aurors and Ministry officials, students of Hogwarts, shop keepers, journalists, even former followers of Voldemort; all people whom had been brave enough to stand against Voldemort and his army, or unlucky enough to have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Amongst those Rose actually recognised from years of researching the war were Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Rubeus Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Garrick Ollivander, Amelia Bones, Rufus Scrimgeour, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and her Grandmother's brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewitt. There was a young woman who had to be Padma's twin sister Parvati, there was the wizard who was the Minister for Magic of Germany when his country fell. There was a woman who could only be Olympe Maxime who had made a valiant stand against Voldemort alongside the French Ministry at the Beauxbatons Academy in France.
And then there they were; Harry's long lost family; his godfather Sirius Black, his honorary aunt and uncle Remus and Dora Lupin and, finally, his parents; James and Lily Potter. Those five stood around him now, as if in a protective circle; James and Lily to the front, but slightly to the side, Remus and Dora on either side and Sirius behind him.
And then there came one more figure, taller than the rest. The crowd parted to let him walk to the front. His body was hidden by long, billowing black robes, his head covered by a black hood. Rose had never seen this individual in her life, but knew who he was instantly.
Death himself had come.
Death came to the front of the crowd and stood beside Harry. The two looked at each other before Harry gestured with his hand.
"He's all yours, my friend."
Death raised both of his arms, the sleeves of which pulled back to expose skeletal hands. Seemingly out of thin air a long and deadly looking scythe appeared in Death's hands. He held it in a firm grip and watched Tom Riddle for a few moments as the self-styled Dark Lord hung in the air, whimpering with fear.
The very thing that Tom Marvolo Riddle had feared so much for so long was now standing right in front of him, beside his mortal enemy, surrounded by the souls on his many victims.
Death turned slowly, held the scythe out to Harry and spoke in a deep yet rasping voice "It must be you, Chosen One."
Slowly Harry reached out and touched the scythe. When he didn't drop dead, he grasped it firmly with both hands and Death relinquished his hold upon it.
Harry turned to Voldemort and moved closer to him.
"Goodbye, Tom Riddle. May you burn in the fiery pits of hell for all eternity."
And then, with one swipe of the scythe, it was done.
The scythe left no mark; rather than cut open or pierce through Tom Riddle's body like an ordinary scythe would have done, Death's scythe passed through his body and came out again with his soul pierced upon the tip.
Or rather, what was left of his soul.
Voldemort's body, now lifeless, remained hanging in the air.
As Harry handed the scythe back to Death there came a sudden whooshing sound, as though a great wind was blowing.
Harry and Rose looked around and saw the shades of the dead were vanishing quickly, turning to mist and swirling around before disappearing entirely.
"What's happening?" asked Rose as the mists began to swirl in a ring all around them.
"We are moving on." replied Remus "We were trapped in purgatory until Voldemort met his end. Now that he is finished, we can move on."
Harry looked around at the faces he knew; the faces of friends, the faces of family, the faces of loved ones.
"You did it Harry." said Tonks "You won, just like we all knew you would."
"We couldn't be prouder of you, son." said James.
Harry came to a sudden decision and blurted it out before he could stop himself "I want to go with you."
Lily smiled at him but shook her head "You've been so brave, sweetheart, and you've suffered through so much. Enjoy what good life can now offer you before seeking to reunite with us."
Tears stung at Harry's eyes. He so wanted to go with them, but knew there to be truth in his mother's words, even before she continued.
"You have so much to enjoy, Harry; a proper home-cooked meal and a nice, comfortable bed."
"A pretty witch to share that bed." Sirius offered jokingly.
"A flight on a broom on a crisp, clear morning." added James.
"Read a good book in the shade of a tree on a warm summer's day." suggested Remus.
"And a holiday on a beach of white sands with a warm, clear sea and a bright sun in the sky." added Tonks.
"Life has so much to offer you." said Lily "Enjoy it, now that you can."
Harry nodded and then realised that nearly everyone had gone.
"See you, Harry." said Neville before vanishing.
Luna just offered him a smile and a wave before she too disappeared.
"And most importantly," said Sirius "Stop beating yourself up over our deaths."
He vanished.
"Yes," agreed Remus as he and Tonks began to fade "It is time to let go of the pain of the past."
Then they were gone.
"We will always love you." said James "We know that not having us around hurts, and it always will, but don't let it rule you."
And he was gone.
"Go on with your life Harry." said Lily "Go on and find peace… and love."
Then she too was gone.
Silence filled the air.
Rose watched, unable to say anything, as a tear rolled down Harry's cheek.
Harry broke the silence with a deep, shuddering breath before turning to look at Death "Voldemort's followers are still out there."
"Yes." replied the deep, rasping voice.
"They are overwhelming the army."
"True. But two groups of his followers now have a new leader; the Master of Death."
"Will you help?" Harry asked.
For a long moment, Death didn't answer. Then he gave one slow nod of agreement.
Harry turned to Rose and said to her "Clear the castle."
She nodded and held the founder's artefacts high "Hogwarts; hear me. Expel from within you all those who would corrupt you for their own evil ends. Return to your former glory."
Each of the artefacts glowed with a bright, golden light that quickly spread to fill first the office, and then every room and corridor beyond it.
"We should make for the field of battle." spoke Death.
Harry nodded and said to Rose "Do what you can here."
Then both he and Death left the office, taking Voldemort's body with them
Rose wondered what he meant, but then remembered what she knew about the founder's artefacts; particularly the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff which could negate the effects of any poison placed within it, and increase the power of any healing potion that was drunk from it.
It was a good thing that Rose had been given a few healing potions before leaving the camp.
Padma was lying on the stairs, and in a lot of pain. The world around her kept coming in and out of focus, and she was fairly certain that she didn't have long left.
At the base of the staircase she was lying on, what remained of her companions were battling valiantly against a group of Death Eaters, and losing. None had gotten near her yet, but she was certain that it was only a matter of time…
"What do we have here?"
She turned as best she could to look to the top of the staircase.
A Death Eater stood there, a transformed Werewolf at his side. A transformed Werewolf was one an unusual thing to see outside of a night of a full moon. Voldemort, however, was known to have invented a potion (though everyone suspected that it was actually Snape who did the inventing) that made the change a permanent one.
"Kill her, boy." the Death Eater ordered the Werewolf.
The Werewolf crouched, ready to pounce. Just as it sprang into the air towards Padma, the walls surrounding them took on a golden glow, and a sudden wind blew through the corridors. Both the Death Eater and the Werewolf were caught by the wind and blown right past Padma. Their fellows at the foot of the staircase were caught too and together they all vanished down the corridor and around a corner, out of sight.
Padma had only a few moments to wonder what the hell had happened when Harry and a cloaked figure she didn't know hurried down the staircase, Voldemort hanging prone in the air before them.
Before Padma could even think of asking what on Earth was going on, Rose was at her side, holding the Cup of Hufflepuff out to her. Padma took one glance at the potion inside before giving Rose a sceptical look.
"It's okay." said Rose "The Cup's been purified. There's no taint to it."
Padma nodded and drank deeply from the cup before looking up at Rose again and asking "What just happened?"
Rose smirked at her and replied "Harry Potter happened; that's what."
The remaining fighters who had accompanied them into the castle came over to them, each asking similar questions to Padma's.
Outside the castle, you did not need to be a genius to know that something had changed drastically.
It had begun with the Dementors and Vampires had abandoned the battle in favour of returning to the castle.
When everyone else, light and dark alike, for there seemed now to be a temporary and unspoken truce in place, had made their way towards the castle they had found that the tower containing the headmaster's office was glowing with a golden light. As they watched, it had spread along every turret and corridor to every room, hall and tower of the castle. The Great Hall and the Entrance Hall rebuilt themselves, as did the Entrance Courtyard, the Viaduct and the Covered Bridge. At the same time all the towers and turrets that had been built under Voldemort's regime began to crumble and fall.
The castle of Hogwarts was returning to its original state.
Then there came a powerful gust of wind and the bodies of fifty or so Death Eaters and another dozen Werewolves who were left behind to guard the castle from infiltrators were hurled through the air to land with a bone-breaking thud at the feet of their comrades.
And then out of the castle came two figures, moving at a run. The Dementors and Vampires moved to join them and together they charged towards the watchers. And before them, bound in mid-air was the corpse of Lord Voldemort.
Despair falling over them, and realising that the tide had been turned against them, some of the Death Eaters tried to flee, but their attempts to disapparate were blocked by a magical barrier.
The leaders of the ICW called orders and their Aurors were quickly rallied; their capabilities to apparate not blocked. They moved behind the ranks of the Dark and formed a deadly blockade that the Death Eaters and their remaining allies broke against as they tried to retreat from the wave of death coming at them from the direction of the castle.
Bellatrix and a few other like-minded individuals tried to rally the rest, but their imminent deaths struck fear into the hearts of most; it was not in the nature of a Death Eater to produce a patronus, the only thing known to effectively repel a Dementor.
And they were caught between the hammer and the anvil; unable to push past the wall of wands that blocked their retreat as the army of death struck their ranks.
The scythe of Death was a blur, slashing this way and that, robbing souls from the bodies of the living. The two wands; one of Holly and Phoenix feather, and one of Elder and Thestral hair moved with a deadly skill and accuracy; one shielding, the other dispatching of many foes. The vampires swirled and swarmed, sinking their piercing fangs into the flesh of many; and all the while Dementors whirled and circled, spreading fear and despair as they sucked the souls out of many a victim.
And so it came to be that in that hour it was done; after twenty five long and painful years, the second war against Lord Voldemort and his forces was over.
Harry Potter; the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One and now the Master of Death had emerged victorious.
A/N: So, how as that? The idea for this story mostly stemmed from the image of Harry uniting the three Deathly Hallows, calling on the deceased victims of Voldemort and his allies and charging into the final battle with them at his side, much like Aragorn and the Army of the Dead in Return of the King. However by the time I got here, that seemed a bit too much of a Deus ex Machina to use at this point. So instead I settled for Voldemort's victims seeing him die, and then Death and the Dementors and Vampires joining Harry's side; just seemed a little more believable that way. I can easily see Death commanding Dementors and Vampires in battle, and I always through that the title "Master of Death" should have more meaning to it than just possessing three trinkets.
There should just be an epilogue to go now.