I'm nearing the end of my own creativity which still does not contain anything other than the plot of this story!!

The room that Harry met with the rest of his adopted family in exploded in angry shouts when Harry told them what he had done. Molly Weasley was beside herself, she berated her daughter for allowing Harry to do this while telling Harry that he had to flee before the duel.

"He will do no such thing" Ginny shouted glaring her mother into silence. "My husband" she said emphasizing the word husband to remind her mother that she was of age and married, "gave his word and will keep it. He would not be Harry Potter if he ran."

"But Ginny," Molly cried, "No one lives through a duel with You Know Who. How can you sacrifice your husband so callously?" Ginny recoiled as if her mother had slapped her which was looking like a real possibility. "I never thought I could be so ashamed of my only daughter" Molly continued to rage causing Harry to leap to his feet drawing his wand in a flash.

"No one insults my wife, mother in law or not!" Harry said hotly.

"How can you just leave her alone," Molly screamed drawing her wand. "I thought you loved her!"

"Molly sit down!!" Arthur yelled. Molly froze turning her head slightly to regard her husband. "Harry if you curse my wife I will hurt you" He said glaring and Harry with his wand drawn. Harry looked at his wand sheepishly and lowered it.

"Sorry" he said, "automatic reaction."

"And it's a very good one" Arthur said stiffly, "But I prefer my wife alive thank you. Now Molly, Harry has faced Lord Voldemort more than anyone in history and survived this far.

"But that wasn't a proper duel!" Molly exclaimed.

"The graveyard was." Harry said quietly. All heads snapped to him as he said it. "Voldemort wants to kill me in a proper duel to demonstrate that he is better than me. It was going to happen anyway, all my challenge did was let me prepare a place that would give us equal footing."

"Even so the odds of you winning are impossible" Molly cried as the tears fell.

Arthur gathered her into his arms saying, "Molly that's enough. The odds are the same they've always been. Voldemort has been hunting Harry for seventeen years, and yet Harry sits in this room as humble, loving and protective a son in law as you could ever want. He made the challenge to keep the rest of us out of the war."

"How will you prepare for this Harry?" Molly finally asked minutes later when her tears had soaked her husband's shirt and she had pulled herself together a little.

Harry chuckled, "I've been prepared for this since I was eleven. I prepared for this the day you accepted me into your family, I prepared myself the day of my coming of age party when I asked Ginny to marry me, I prepared for this as I held her that night and listened to hear fears for me and her hopes and dreams for our future, I prepared myself for this duel when I watched your son propose to the closest thing I've ever had to a sister, and I prepared myself for this every time I looked at my parents graves. All I need to do now is review everything I've ever learned about defense and every curse I can find. I suspect that my wife, sister, brother in law, godfather and his cousin are more than willing to help there." Everyone sat speechless staring at Harry for a long few moments.

Finally Hermione stood, walked to Harry with tears streaming from her eyes and pulled him out of his chair and hugged him tightly. "Oh Harry, why do you always have to make me cry?" she said burying her face in his shoulder. "I've loved you like a brother for seven years. I had no idea you thought of me as more than a friend."

Harry stroked her back for a moment then held her from him to look her in the eye. "Hermione, you were the second female being I'd ever met that treated me like a person. How could I have thought of you as just a friend? After the Troll? Quirill? freeing Sirius? The Triwizard Tournament? losing Sirius? Umbridge? Really I thought you'd know that no mere friend would stay by me through all of that."

Ginny caught Dan Granger's eye and winked noticing the shocked expression on his and Hermione's mother's face.

"Hermione, you've been more of a sister than a friend, Heck you even helped me win my wife. Did you really think that I would risk your life if I could help it?" Harry asked stroking her face.

Hermione couldn't speak so she shook her head and buried her face I Harry's neck sobbing as she clung to him. Ron caught Ginny's eye next and the gaze between them sparkled in understanding. They both knew that neither should be threatened by this display, it was simply a woman who couldn't hold her fear inside her anymore. Faced with the prospect of losing the man she considered her brother after just learning that he considered her his sister would be too much for anyone, even the immensely strong Hermione Granger.

"I guess I should have known" Hermione choked out after a while, "You have always protected us all. I have always known it had to be you. I hate it Harry but I've always known." She pulled back and wiped her eyes and squared her shoulders to him. The movement seemed to steel her resolve to help. "You're a great wizard Harry, you really are" she said the ghost of a grin on her lips.

"Not as good a you" Harry said softly remembering their conversation in the dungeons just before he faced Quirell. He faintly wondered if she would finish the conversation.

"Me… book and cleverness. There are more important things, like bravery and friendship. And Harry, just be careful" she said in the same soft voice completing the conversation. No one spoke because everyone sensed that this was a very personal and intimate act between a surrogate sister and brother.

Harry didn't say another word, he hugged Hermione one more time then taking Ginny's hand he left the room with his wife at his side. Everyone watched him leave and tried to understand what they had seen in their own way. Arthur held Molly and whispered reassurances in her ear, Fred and George simply stared at the door that their friend and financial backer had just left through. Bill, Charlie, and Percy Weasley gathered together to brainstorm anyway they could help. Tonks clung misty eyed to an equally emotional Remus while Sirius and Bellatrix just gazed at each other. Dan Granger held his wife pride shining from his face as they both gazed at the woman who was their daughter as she stood exactly where Harry left her murmuring a prayer. Ron came up behind her and put his arms around her, "I don't remember that one" he whispered in her ear.

"You were unconscious at the time" Hermione said in a voice that was for her fiancé only, "those were the last words we spoke to each other before he went after Quirell"

"Fitting" was all Ron could say before Hermione turned in his arms and broke down again sobbing and sagging in his arms.

Harry and Ginny walked quickly to the Gryffindor Common where they flooed to the The Leakey Cauldron and ate lunch before apparating home. They arrived home and Ginny finally let her fear show. She turned and flung herself into Harry's arms the moment the door closed behind them. Harry held her close and let her cry, he knew she would never admit or show weakness in front of their family but between the two of them it was understood that showing fear or other emotions was the only way to reassure the other that it was okay to be afraid.

"I don't want you to face him alone" Ginny said in a broken whisper after a few minutes.

"I really don't plan to" Harry said stroking her back.

"But" Ginny started to question him but Harry answered the question before she could ask it.

"I will be alone on the platform, but I'll have you, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Tonks, your family, Hermione's parents, and everyone else that's not a Death Eater with me Ginny. I know what love is thanks to you, I know what it is to be loved more than life. I'll take that with me and it will protect me. Don't worry love, I've far to much left to experience in this adventure to start a new one."

"But you could die Harry" Ginny practically wailed.

"Shh, love." Harry crooned at her, "I know that I could, but I have no fear of death. Tom however fears it more than anything." Ginny cried harder at his words. "Besides if I die I know that I'll leave you with your entire family, and I'll make sure he goes with me." Harry held her for a long time after that, they eventually moved into the sitting room so Harry could sit down in a comfortable armchair while Ginny curled up in his lap like a small child. They stayed that way for most of the evening.

Back at Hogwarts headmistress McGonagall postponed all classes until after the duel, the students had the option of going home to be with their parents but few did. Most of the student body found their way to Harry's friends to ask what they could do to help their Defense Professor. Ron and Hermione smiled and thanked them all but just said to stay safe was all that anyone could do now. The Granger's contacted their secretary and cancelled all of their appointments for the next three weeks citing a family emergency and construction began on the stadium that would house the duel.

Ginny woke Harry the next day with a firm resolve in her heart that her husband would not die. Harry dressed and headed into his study where he had stored every defense book he or his father had ever owned. Ginny dressed slowly considering all that Harry had done and thinking about her idea to imprison Voldemort rather than kill him. The problem was how to do it. Ten minutes after Harry left their bedroom she walked into his study to find him poring over a pile of parchment with a large stack of books sitting on the floor next to him. "What can I do to help Harry?" She asked trying not to disturb him too much.

Harry stood smiling to hug his wife lovingly, "Just be you for now Gin" he said. "Now, if I know your brother and Hermione the family should show up before too long." Ginny had closed her eyes when he hugged her so now she nodded against his shoulder to let him know she agreed. "When Hermione gets here I want you two to go through the library and pick everyone's brain you can think of to find a spell for this prison of pure love you thought of." Ginny couldn't help but smile as she realized that Harry had never planned to prepare himself alone, he had planned out where everyone in the "Golden Four" would be most useful and had tasks ready for them.

"You're positive you're going to beat him aren't you?" she asked pulling back to stare into his face.

"As sure as I was that I wanted to marry you" he said smiling and kissing her lightly.

"Hermione and I will get right on it" she said with a smile and then turned and left him to his work.

Ginny was glad that Harry had insisted that they dress a little more formally than she had intended that day because Ron and Hermione did not disappoint Harry. The entire family showed up just as she left her husband in his study. Not that she had intended to walk around naked or something but rather she had intended to stay in her pajamas all day. Now as she hugged her mother and a steely eyed Hermione she could only marvel at how well Harry knew these people. Sure she had expected them to try to help but Harry had known that they would wait a day to give her time with him, he had almost called their arrival to the minute. She didn't think she would ever know anyone that well.

"Ginny dear" Molly said after Ginny finished her round of hugs, "We all want to help Harry. Just tell us what to do."

Ginny smiled, "You Mother are going to do nothing more than you normally do at home minus the worrying." Everyone laughed as Molly started to protest but was silenced by her husband. "Hermione, Bellatrix, and I have some serious research to do" Ginny said glancing at each of them and seeing them nod to her. "I'll meet you in the library. Dad, Ron, Remus, and Sirius you can go see what Harry needs you to do. He's in the study, the rest of you take care of Mum and make yourselves at home" Ginny finished before hurrying off to the library.

The Weasley men entered the study with Remus and Sirius to find Harry still poring over large stacks of parchment with an even larger stack of books beside him. "What can we do to help you son?" Arthur asked quietly.

Harry looked and smiled, "First, help me find anything about Tom's style that's not on these notes." "He held up a sheet of parchment, "Second, I want each of you to simulate Tom Riddle as nearly as you can so I can practice."

"You mean you want all of us to duel you as Tom?" Ron asked incredulously.

"At one time" Harry said grinning.

"You're mental you are" Ron exclaimed for the group.

"Maybe," Harry chuckled, "But if I can hold my own against all of you dueling as we think he will, I'll have a better chance against him."

Sirius nodded, "Not expecting him to cheat are we Harry?" he was joking but Harry answered seriously.

"Always" he said with a straight face.

"Well then," Remus said taking out his wand and copying the notes on Voldemort's style five times, "Let's get to work."

Meanwhile in the library Ginny was briefing her team. "Alright, we need to find a way to create a magical prison." She said looking at Hermione and Bellatrix. "Once we figure that out we want to see if we can modify the spell so that Harry can build it out of pure love.

"So I guess we're not talking about a physical building are we?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"Not really," Ginny replied, "but sort of. We obviously don't want Tom to be able to escape."

Bellatrix considered her carefully. "Harry intends to spare the Dark Lord's life" she asked indredulous.

"Not really Bella" Ginny answered, "He just doesn't know if he can bring himself to damage his soul by murdering someone, even Tom." Bellatrix looked scared. "Bella if we find a way to do this he will be trapped in a prison of pure love, should he try to escape the walls will kill him. Harry has already made him mortal, any attempt to guard his life by means of another horcrux would result in his soul being to fragmented to remain on this plane of existence. He, of course, knows this so I doubt he would be stupid enough to try anything after we explain where he is."

"And if we can't find a way to do this?" Bellatrix asked fearfully.

"Then Harry will kill him if he has to die doing it" Ginny answered with tears in her eyes.

"We'll find a way Ginny" Hermione said resolutely. "Now let's tear this library apart, find anything that mentions a prison and we'll see what we can com up with" Hermione had no sooner said these words when books began flying off of shelves and stacking themselves on tables.

"I guess Harry's ancestors didn't want to spend all day looking for a specific book" Ginny said laughing as they sat down to work.

The two teams had worked steadily through the morning without a break while Mrs. Weasley and Fleur had spent the day dealing with the tons of letters Harry was getting. Most of them were just long heartfelt notes wishing him luck and saying that they believed in him. A few had asked if they could help, to these the two women wrote short but kind replies to saying that all that could be done was being done, two or three begged him to run and hide.

It was about noon when everyone got the biggest surprise since Harry had told them of his challenge. The doorbell rang and Molly answered it only to watch Petunia Dursley blow past her like she was a shadow on the wall. Dudley was right behind her, oddly enough he was polite enough to greet Mrs. Weasley. "Hello… uh.." his eyes rolled up in concentration.

"Molly Weasley dear" Molly said kindly.

"Right, Mrs. Weasley" Dudley smiled, "Uh where is Harry?"

"He's in his study and very busy," Mrs. Weasley said slowly.

"I know" Dudley said grinning. "Mum he's in the study" He bellowed before turning back to Mrs. Weasley. "At least now she won't tear up the entire house, if you'll excuse me I want to make sure they don't kill each other." He didn't wait for an answer but tore off to the study like his life depended on getting there before his mother. Everyone followed him including Ginny, Hermione, and Bellatrix who had come out to see what all the racket was about.

Harry barely had time to move before his aunt slapped him hard across the face, "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR BLOODY MIND?" she raged. Dudley arrived in the study seconds later and, after seeing Harry picking himself up out of the remains of a very nice chair, grabbed his mother and held on for dear life while she fought like a lioness to free herself to continue to slap some sense into Harry. "LILY DIED TO SAVE YOUR LIFE!!! AND NOW YOU GO AND CHALLENGE HER MURDERER TO A DUEL!!! DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST HIM? HE MURDERED YOUR PARENTS WITHOUT TRYING!!!" Everyone stood exactly where they were horrorstruck at the outburst while Harry rubbed his cheek, a dangerous look forming in his eyes. Dudley finally just had to tackle his mother outright to keep her in check.

"Mum, really you know that Harry can take care of himself." Dudley said panting, "I mean, really, look what he did to Dad and he didn't even have a wand that night."

"THIS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT DUDLY!!!" Petunia screamed but everyone was starting to notice the strain in her voice now and they were all shocked by it.

Harry added to the surprise because suddenly Dudley and Petunia found themselves pinned to the wall about a foot off the floor. Harry advanced on his aunt with murder in his eyes. "I know what he has done thank you," he said in a low voice. "I meant what I told him on my birthday, he has no idea how powerful I've become. Obviously neither do you" He glared from Petunia to Dudley. "I made that challenge to protect the rest of the world including you two and that oaf of a husband of yours."

Ginny was starting to get worried, she had seen Harry like this once before and knew that it had to stop now. So she calmly walked to him and stepped between him and his relatives, "Harry, this won't help you" she said evenly while laying a hand on his cheek forcing him to look her in the eye. She was relieved to see the fire leave his eyes and to hear Petunia and Dudley land gently on the floor behind her.

"That bastard will never hurt another human as long as I draw breath" Harry vowed to his aunt over Ginny's shoulder. Petunia Dursley broke down then and there sobbing and saying over and over that she couldn't let Harry kill himself.

"Dudley, take your mother upstairs to the third door on the right" Ginny said, "her sister's portrait is there and it might help her." Dudley nodded and lifted his mother into his arms and left the study.