Yo! Some of you have offered suggestions on what should happen in this fic, but I've already finished writing it, so yeah, sorry if you don't get what you want, but this was already hard enough to get out as it was without having to change things around part way through. Be happy you get an actually complete multi-chap fic from me. That's extremely rare. Thank you to all readers so far!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters...

Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, until, finally, an entire year went by. A year since Harry and Voldemort had had their conversation at that park in Little Whinging, a year since Harry had accepted Voldemort's hand, a year since Harry had become neutral, a year since everything had really begun. And in that time, everything had changed.

Harry's friends and Severus had all reported that when Harry hadn't returned to Hogwarts by the night of September second, Dumbledore had, quite literally, thrown a rather loud tantrum. In the Great Hall. During dinner. A photograph of it had been on the front page of every newspaper the next morning. Harry had found it hilarious.

The teen had spent most of his time focusing on his lessons and, besides Defence and Parselmagic, had quickly become surprisingly proficient in Potions. Severus still couldn't believe it. Harry still wasn't sure what had caused the improvement.

Maybe it was because he wasn't in that depressing dungeon classroom now. Maybe it was because no one was trying to sabotage him. Maybe it was because Severus was a little more relaxed. Maybe it was because Harry just wasn't so damn stressed anymore. But something had just...clicked, and now everything Severus explained made perfect sense! No one was complaining about this change.

Harry met his friends over the Christmas and Easter breaks, where they filled him in on what was happening at Hogwarts when it came to the students, and how the new DA was going. Since it was more of a study group than anything else, a lot more students had ended up joining it, including a handful of Slytherins, prompted by Draco who was still kind of annoying, but no longer acted like a pompous prick. A number of the professors were, apparently, quite pleased with the House unity going on. Dumbledore really, was the only one questioning it.

But with the Headmaster's strange behaviour of late, everyone except those blindly loyal to him were beginning to wonder if he was becoming senile. Nothing he did made sense anymore, and according to the students, he had what was clearly a very unhealthy obsession with Harry, always asking questions about him, and trying to figure out where he was.

Many were under the impression that Harry had known about this bizarre side of Dumbledore this entire time, and had finally had enough and run away to the north pole to live with the polar bears, or to the south pole to live with the penguins.

Neither Harry nor his friends were sure where that last bit of the rumour had come from, but at least the students were finally beginning to see Dumbledore's true colours.

Dumbledore caused himself a lot of lost respect, and it didn't help that he and certain Order members literally harassed people to join them-people who wanted to remain neutral. According to the old Headmaster and those under his thumb, there was only Light and Dark. Those were the only two options. A neutral party didn't exist, according to them. Anyone claiming otherwise was obviously Dark.

But while the Light was losing traction, the Dark was gaining it. It was as if the two sides had switched places. The Light was hitting everyone hard and fast, making rash judgements, and far too many mistakes, pushing people away from them. But the Dark was operating under a new system of sorts, a slow and steady one. They proposed facts and convincing arguments, yet had the power to fight back if needed, and the tact to know when to back away. A number of the Death Eaters (who now knew Harry was on their side), thought the change had something to do with the teen. The Dark Lord had changed after his arrival, and all in all, things were looking up for them.

There were more people joining their side each day, more laws that many would benefit from were being passed, and there was so much change happening so quickly.

But tensions between the two sides were rising. While no one knew for sure, they were positive the Light and Dark were going to collide, and soon too, at that. This collision was going to be a terrible, brutal one, but it was also going to lead to the end of all of this...

The people had been right. It was near Christmas-near Yule, when it happened, on Hogwarts' expansive ground. It had been a surprise attack, executed by the Dark. They had had no problems getting past the wards. They had a very skilled Curse Breaker on their side, though he remained mostly neutral, and it appeared as if the castle itself had twisted its own wards to aid Bill in letting them through. Perhaps Hogwarts too, understood that this was something that needed to be settled for good.

The battle had begun before Dumbledore could even call for the Order or Aurors. They arrived, of course, but the battle was already underway by that point. But their addition didn't pose too much of a problem. Many of them were skilled, certainly, but it was clear with just a glimpse that the Dark's number was vastly greater. That in itself gave them the upper hand.

Voldemort was there, of course, out on the front lines, throwing curses and killing. He was enjoying himself quite a bit, but that was to be expected. Lucius and Severus, his right and left hand men, remained near his side.

And soon enough, the Dark Lord found himself face to face with the self-proclaimed Light Lord, Alastor Moody and Minerva McGonagall standing on either of his sides.

"Ageing has not agreed with you, old man." It was best to start things lightly, petty though his words seemed. It was a good way to build irritation, small, but growing rapidly with each comment.

"Not all of us have the same luxury you do, Tom."

"You could have done the same as I. You had the opportunity. It is not so difficult."

Dumbledore smiled. "That may be true, but I had no desire to make myself immortal. I don't fear death, you see."

Voldemort sneered. "I fear nothing."

The old Headmaster tutted. "Come now, Tom, lying is beneath you."

"It is," the Dark Lord agreed pleasantly, "though you, surely, cannot say the same of yourself. You have done things that have been...questionable, to say the least, most recently. Going senile, I have heard. You have lost much of your standing, and many others have lost respect."

"Tom-"

"Of course, you needn't worry about me, Dumbledore. I never had respect for you in the first place, so there was nothing to lose." He smirked when he heard a suspicious sounding snicker coming from his right, where Lucius was standing. "Now..." He raised his wand again, stroking the yew gently. "Shall we? I would rather not waste time. My young lover will be so very disappointed if I am not there when he wakes in the morning."

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Lover?"

"Indeed. You know him quite well, though it has been over a year since you have last seen him."

"Who? Who is-? No-no, it can't-Har-"

Voldemort attacked, and the only reason Dumbledore survived it was because Moody was paying enough attention to block it for him. And so the battle not only resumed, but gained intensity. It was clear who had the advantage.

The Dark Lord was younger than the Light Lord, his right and left hands younger than those Dumbledore had chosen for himself. The younger ones had more energy, quicker reflexes, and a far more vast arsenal of spells, thanks to their magical orientation.

There was one way this had to go. There was only one way this was going to go. The future didn't look too bright for the Light, to say the least. But the Dark? That Dark was thriving...

And when the cries, and flashes, and smoke faded, one Lord stood tall over the still body of the other, sprawled out on the ground, surrounded by other injured and dead. And then there was a scream. A scream of shock. A scream of pain. A scream of terror.

Voldemort turned to look at Molly Weasley, who stood pale and shaking beside her injured husband who was clutching his bloodied side, both of them staring down at Dumbledore in panic and disbelief.

How ironic that they would be the first he saw after all this. Molly and Arthur Weasley, so blinded by Dumbledore and his idiocy that five of their own children had turned against them and joined the Dark Lord, neutral though they preferred to be. The final two children were a Ministry stooge and a gullible little girl raised to believe she would marry the Boy-Who-Lived. How foolish.

There were more screams, other Light members finally beginning to notice what had happened, finally beginning to understand what it meant. And there was laughter too. Snickers and scoffs and chuckles and full blown laughter, all from those who either supported the Dark, or at least stood against the Light.

"It is time," Voldemort spoke softly, "for change."

Immediate plans were made on the spot. Who would deal with the clean up, who would take charge over the funerals for both sides, who would help with the healing of the injured-regardless of which side they had been on (so long as they didn't attack anyone), who would be sent to the Ministry, who would become the new Head at Hogwarts.

Things would be better detailed, explained, and fine-tuned later, but for the present, and next few weeks no doubt, this was going to have to do.

"What will you do now, My Lord, now that you have finally gotten rid of the old man?" Lucius inquired curiously.

Voldemort raised a brow, and Severus, at his other side, scoffed.

"He means in the coming future, My Lord. I believe we are all aware of what you plan to do in the immediate. Harry will, no doubt, be quite pleased to hear the good news."

"I have not yet decided," the Dark Lord replied. "Perhaps I will take the place of Minister. Perhaps I will take the place of Headmaster here at the castle. Harry and I will talk it through later on."

"Of course."

They were being watched as they spoke, some in admiration, others in fear, but few spoke. There was fear, a great deal of it lingering in the air. Voldemort knew he was going to have to wait for it to clear somewhat before he truly began making his changes, but that was fine. That was going to feed into his plans regardless.

Pleased with how things had gone, Voldemort, Lucius, and Severus began making their way across the grounds towards the gates, all of them somewhat amused when those in their way moved aside as they approached. Even now, none of them spoke, though the Death Eaters inclined their heads at their Lord as he passed.

The three were left alone at the massive gates that stood open, and it was here that they briefly once more discussed and then finalized their immediate plans. Lucius was going to have to make sure things went smoothly at the Ministry, and Severus at Hogwarts, for the next couple of days, because the Dark Lord did not wish to be disturbed for the next forty eight hours or so. Unless it was an emergency neither of the men could handle.

And so the Dark Lord vanished in silence, and the moment he was gone, it was as if Hogwarts herself breathed a sigh of relief. Lucius and Severus exchanged a glance, and in silence, made their way back towards the castle.

There had been deaths, many of them, but fortunately, more had been injured than had died. That was good for both sides, really. Voldemort disliked spilling magical blood. Exceptions had to be made, naturally, but it was something better avoided, especially as a number of young people, barely twenty years old, had been involved in the battle on the Light's side-some with the Dark as well.

It was good, really, that all of this had happened now, while the Dark had had the advantage. There was no doubt that the death count would have been far higher had the roles been reversed...

Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Fred, and George meanwhile, were all gathered in the twins' flat in Diagon Alley-the one above their joke shop, awaiting news on how the battle had gone. They had been informed by Bill, Charlie, and Remus that it was going to happen today, the three of them having gone to attend, but not exactly take part in the battle. They would be there as backup of sorts, only getting involved if necessary.

The group was nervous. They were sure things had gone well, but couldn't help it. Dumbledore was a very crafty man, after all, so there really was no telling what he might do when cornered.

It was late though, or very early, the sun only now beginning to rise. Harry was surely still fast asleep. The green eyed teen had no idea about the battle. Voldemort hadn't wanted to tell him. Not because he didn't trust him, or didn't want to, but because he-they all, really, knew that if Harry found out so many he cared for would be there fighting, he would feel compelled to be there himself, even if he didn't really want to. He always had had a bit of a saving people thing, even if said people could take care of themselves.

So while Harry slept away at Riddle Manor, his school friends sat cramped together in the twins' little sitting room, wanting to speak but unsure of what to say, nursing Butterbeers while they waited, trying not to nod off to sleep.

They honestly had no idea how long they waited for-hours certainly, before the front door suddenly opened, and Bill walked in, followed by Charlie, and then Remus. Luna's bottle slipped out of her grasp and hit the floor where it shattered, though no one noticed it as they all jumped to their feet.

The three men looked mostly unharmed. Bill had a jagged cut running along the length of his cheek, Charlie was holding an arm around his mid-section, and Remus seemed to have a number of cuts and bruises, but all three of them were not only standing, but smiling reassuringly.

"Are-?"

"Everyone's alright," Remus assured quickly, even as Hermione, wand already in hand, moved across the room to check on them. "There were some casualties, but things fortunately went well, for the most part."

"Went-went well?"

"Well enough," Charlie said with a nod, gingerly sitting down into the seat his youngest brother offered him.

"Then-?"

"Just as you're thinking," Bill replied with a grin, accepting the tube one of the twins handed him.

"Hell yeah!"

Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!