A/N: Ah, the last chapter of this story. Hard to believe it's finally here! There will be an epilogue, though, so we're not quite through yet. For all those who are curious, I did a bit of research before creating Harry's new wand. Thanks to Living Arts , which tells me that the cherry tree means death and rebirth and new awakenings, and the oak is the mightiest of trees and symbolizes strength and courage. I felt that both were quite fitting for Harry in this instance. Enjoy!

As it turned out, the closer he got to the heart of the place, the more that he realized that this graveyard was every bit as creepy and disturbing as the one in his fourth year. Surrounded by a forest filled with dead trees, with a heavy mist that crept up around his ankles and knees, preventing him from watching where he was going, and so little lighting that his eyes strained to make out where he was going, Harry couldn't help feeling spooked. The ground was littered with bones, and he couldn't take a single step without a loud cracking sound following him. There was no doubt in his mind that Riddle would know the exact direction he was coming from and likely had planned it that way, but Harry pressed on, refusing to be completely psyched out by the atmosphere. He had one goal in mind, and that meant that one of them, be it he or Riddle, was not leaving the graveyard alive. This place was a fitting spot for a madman to die.

He came to a stop when he was able to make out the black-cloaked figure seated grandly in a throne transfigured from bones, fresh dirt, and burial stones. Riddle appeared to be completely involved in gently stroking the head of a little green snake. It was only when the snake lifted its head and hissed a warning that Riddle glanced up, seemingly amused to see that Harry was standing not ten feet away from him, and hissed an order for the snake to find a hiding spot and wait for the battle to end. The little snake obeyed, slithering down Riddle's leg and disappearing into the mist. Harry watched it to go with narrowed eyes, recalling Riddle's comment about having made a Horcrux. Surely the man would not be smug enough to actually bring his Horcrux to the fight... would he?

"Serpensortia!" Harry muttered, noting that Riddle had tensed when Harry brought his wand up. Interesting. A fairly good-sized black snake flew from the end of his wand and landed on the ground. He watched it vanish beneath the mist and wondered if Riddle had actually caught sight of the snake. "Find that green snake and destroy it," he ordered, voice soft enough that the enemy was unable to hear. The snake hissed an agreement and began to stalk its prey.

"Good evening, Potter," Riddle said, seemingly unconcerned by the spell that Harry had cast. "I'm pleased to see that your foolish Gryffindor sensibilities are still in working order, seeing as you came to meet me alone."

"I'd rather be a foolish Gryffindor than someone like you," said Harry pleasantly, wondering how much time had passed since he and his friends had left the safety of Hogwarts. Surely, help had to be on the way by now? "I don't even want to know what life must be like when you're a twisted bastard."

Riddle smiled and idly twirled his yew wand in his hands. "Trying to rile me up? How amusing. I'm almost ashamed to be duelling with someone who uses such simple tactics. Let me assure you that no one will be coming to help you, boy. Your friends are likely dead by now, tortured to death at the hands of my most loyal Death Eaters." A smirk lit his face when Harry couldn't keep himself from flinching at the comment. "It's a true pity. If it weren't for you, all five of them would still be alive. I had no interest in most of them."

"Shut up!" Harry snapped, clenching his fists around his wand. It wasn't the holly and phoenix feather wand that he was so used to, nor the Slytherin wand he'd never really had the chance to use, but this wand – one of Ollivander's best creations, according to the man – sang to him in a way that no other wand ever had. His magic shivered whenever he touched it, and casting spells with it was a true pleasure. Made with a combination of oak and cherry wood, the core was a single strand of unicorn tail hair tied around a phoenix feather, creating a loyal, powerful wand that responded to Harry's every command, and he knew that now was time to test it. Hoping to catch the man by surprise, Harry lifted his wand and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" Riddle waved his wand in a lazy manner, forming a weak shield that caused the Disarming Spell to bounce off harmlessly. He smirked, crimson eyes flashing with amusement. "You are quite correct, boy. It is time to begin, is it not? As I recall, you won your last battle against Lord Voldemort in the graveyard through sheer luck with the help of that blasted connection. Rest assured that won't be happening again; six years ago I had that holly wand of yours stolen. I snapped it myself and made sure to burn the pieces. Your parents can't save you this time. Crucio!"

Instinct kicked in, and Harry threw himself to the side, knowing that no shield charm he could produce would block a Cruciatus curse from a wizard as powerful as Tom Riddle. He hit the ground hard and continued to roll, just barely keeping ahead of the curses and hexes that were being hurtled in his direction. Only when he was completely hidden by a gravestone and the mist did he stop for a moment, trying to breathe quietly. His side ached fiercely from where he'd rolled over a particularly large rock, but that was the least of his worries. Riddle was laughing, and that was never a good sign. Tensing, Harry clutched his wand tighter and tried to think. In all of his fantasies of getting rid of the dark lord, how he was going to do it had never really factored into the equation.

"You Gryffindors are so amusing," Riddle observed. "But I grow tired of this game. Avada Kedavra!"

Green light illuminated the mist briefly, and Harry heard the snake he'd conjured give a brief, surprised hiss before all went silent, and Riddle cursed softly, obviously realizing he'd missed his real target. Struggling to remain calm and doing his best not to think about the fact that it could have just easily been him, Harry scooted along the ground, keeping as low as possible, and thought about his arsenal of spells. Most of what he knew wouldn't really be all that helpful, but damn it if he was going to take this lying down. He popped up suddenly and shouted, "Impedimenta!"

Riddle was blasted off of his feet, landing several feet away with a pained grunt. For a moment, he remained still, and Harry wondered if he'd knocked the man out. Then Riddle began to laugh, a horrible, grating sound that made Harry cringe as he watched Riddle rise to his feet. Crimson eyes glittered as Riddle reached into his pocket and drew out a second wand. Harry's eyes widened when he realized that Riddle held his Slytherin wand. Before he had the chance to react, Riddle called out a curse that he didn't recognize. A bolt of yellow light leapt from the yew wand and struck him in the chest with such force that all of the breath was forced from his lungs, and he doubled over as blood began to stain his shirt and hands.

"Such a fine wand," said Riddle, apparently oblivious to Harry's pained cry. He motioned with the Slytherin wand, leaving behind a trailing path of pale green light. "So… unsuitable… for a Gryffindor like yourself."

"Says you," Harry answered hoarsely, clutching at his chest. The pain was incredible, rolling in waves all over his whole body, and he had to force himself to focus. "The sorting hat… nearly put me into Slytherin… Only, I'd already met the Draco Malfoy of my world… and that was more than enough to deter me."

"Malfoy always was an idiot. I suppose his little brat was the same."

"Expelliarmus!" he roared, aiming for the Slytherin wand while Riddle's attention was elsewhere. The spell struck Riddle's left hand and spun him around, causing him to lose his grip on the wand. Harry seized his chance and Summoned the Slytherin wand, catching it easily. Both wands shivered in his grip, and a low humming sound filled his ears. Gradually, the intense pain from his chest began to numb as warmth spread through his body. He closed his eyes, listening to the wands instead of Riddle's cursing. Was the Slytherin wand... hissing? It wanted to feed... it wanted a life... and it told him exactly where to aim in order to get it.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry cried, pointing the Slytherin wand. A jagged bolt of brilliant green light leapt from the end of it and pierced the mist. There was a dreadful sound as the mist parted, revealing the little green snake that Riddle had set free. The creature writhed on the ground, convulsing in pain, as a strange green liquid oozed over it. Dark smoke rose into the air as the snake was completely consumed by the killing curse. Pain flared briefly in Harry's chest, and he gasped for breath as the connection between he and Lord Voldemort was destroyed forever.

At that moment, Riddle began to scream, as though he had been the one struck by the curse. His wand fell from his fingers as he jerked around, clutching at his chest in agony. In a flash, Harry understood. The snake had indeed been a Horcrux, but apparently it held not just Voldemort's soul, but a part of Riddle's as well. Somehow or another, his Slytherin wand had helped him to cast a Killing curse strong enough to defeat it. Riddle had been undone by the very thing which had brought around his downfall before: his own sense of pride. If he had only destroyed the Slytherin wand instead of keeping it with the hope of tormenting Harry, this battle would likely have been his triumph.

"It's time to end this, Riddle," said Harry coldly, narrowing his eyes. "I'm tired of you threatening my friends and family. I won't let it happen anymore, do you understand me? Avada Kedavra!"

For the second time that night, Harry used the killing curse. The poisonous green jet of light leapt free of his oak-and-cherry wand and went straight for Riddle, who had no time to move. Riddle's eyes widened in shocked disbelief as the curse slammed straight into his chest. Slowly, the crimson light drained from his eyes as he slumped silently to the ground. Harry Summoned the yew wand from the limp hands and stuck it into his back pocket, then walked over to Riddle hesitantly, half expecting the man to jump up. Just for good measure, he cast a couple more killing curses, but the prone body never moved.

It was over, Harry realized, sitting down hard on the ground. Tom Riddle was dead, and so Lord Voldemort and his evil would never come to pass. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring down at the man who had planned to killed so many and hurt even more, but he knew that some time had passed before he began to hear frantic voices calling his name. Harry didn't respond; he didn't have to. At that moment, a Patronus that looked remarkably like Padfoot burst through the mist and trotted around Harry triumphantly. Minutes later it was followed by the real Padfoot, who transformed back into Sirius; he promptly threw himself on his godson.

"Harry, my god. We've been worried sick about you. Are you..." All words died on Sirius' lips when he caught sight of Tom Riddle's body. His jaw dropped and he stared. "Harry..."

"I did it," Harry said with a crooked smile, looking up at his godfather. "He's really dead."

Sirius looked completely flummoxed. "You... How... Harry... What..."

"Harry!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Harry gently but firmly pulled out of Sirius' slack grip and ran back through the cemetery towards the forest, leaving Sirius to deal with the body. His chest ached as he moved, but he ignored the pain. There was only one thing he wanted to do right then, and it was worth it. She called out again, and a moment later he saw her and a crowd racing towards him. Even though his parents and Remus were there, he had eyes for only one person. Harry stopped short and held his arms open, allowing her to run into him at full tilt. He spun her around exuberantly, enjoying the way she laughed and threw her arms around his neck.

"We did it!" he shouted, only placing her back on the ground when he became aware of the terrible strain in his arms and chest. "He's dead, Gin. He's really dead this time."

"I'm so proud of you," Ginny said, her golden eyes sparkling with tears. "Oh Harry, I wish I'd been there with you."

He cupped her cheek, relishing in the feel of her soft skin, only vaguely aware of the witches and wizards clustered around them, or of Sirius, who was approaching with Riddle's body in tow. "It was my fight," he said quietly. "Even though there was no prophecy here... I think it still had to be me."

Ginny nodded and gave him a warm smile. "I understand."

Harry thought that his heart might burst. It was impossible to keep what he felt inside any longer. "Look, I know you wanted me to wait until we were back at Hogwarts, and this may not be the most romantic setting, but I don't think I can." He took a deep breath and smiled. "I love you, Ginny Weasley."

"I love you, too, Harry Potter," she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I love you."

Nothing could ever describe how Harry felt when she said those words back to her. It was like an explosion of light filled him, erasing the last of the dark taint. Disregarding their curious and shocked audience, he took her into his arms and kissed her again and again, until they were both laughing from excitement and happiness and couldn't stop. A heavy cloud had been lifted from their shoulders, and looking into Ginny's eyes, he knew he would remember this moment forever.

"Harry," Dumbledore's voice broke in. "As much as I hate to interrupt, I must ask you something."

"Headmaster," Harry glanced up at the man, "I'm sorry for leaving after I promised not to do anything rash, but I..."

"It's not that, Harry. I can understand your frustration and desire to act," said Dumbledore, blue eyes twinkling. "My question is about the nature of the events that occurred tonight. How exactly did you defeat Tom Riddle?"

"He had a Horcrux and I destroyed it," Harry said, keeping his arms around Ginny. Later on, he would go into more detail, but not at that moment. "Then I cast the killing curse at him."

"How did you destroy his Horcrux?" Dumbledore asked.

"With my wand." Releasing his girlfriend, Harry removed the Slytherin wand from his pocket and showed it to the headmaster. "When Ollivander told us that it would take a month or more to make my wand, Ginny, Hermione and Draco decided that they didn't think it was safe for me to be without one. Draco took me to this brilliant shop in Knockturn Alley that had unusual wands for sale. I ended up with this one."

Dumbledore smiled, making no move to take the wand. "I see. Do you remember what the core was made of?"

Harry nodded. "Basilisk tooth and venom." He glanced down at the wand speculatively. "Now that I think about it that makes sense. While I was fighting with Riddle, the wand was hissing at me and telling me that it wanted to take a life."

Lily Potter looked horrified by this announcement, but Dumbledore merely chuckled. "I had thought as much," he said. "Basilisk venom is one of the only things that can destroy a Horcrux. But I suppose that the killing curse cast with a wand that has a core of the venom would work just as well. You and your friends have done well tonight, Harry, in saving the world from a monster that it never had the chance to know. Be proud of yourself."

"I am," Harry said quietly, temporarily subdued. Dumbledore's words had reminded him that all of the people that should have been there to see Voldemort's demise, the ones from his world who had fought for it, weren't. But if the timeline hadn't changed, would they have ever come to this point? A hand touched his arm, and he looked down into Ginny's eyes. She tilted her head to rest against his shoulders, her eyes filled with sympathy, and he knew that she knew exactly what he was thinking. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he kissed her forehead, eternally grateful that she was with him. "Sir? How are Ron and Lia and Draco and Hermione?"

"They are all well, Harry, with minor injuries. Fortunately help was able to arrive before they were completely overwhelmed, and all four of them have been taken back to Hogwarts. Miss Weasley refused to leave until she had seen how you had fared," Dumbledore answered. "Now that we have seen to your safety, I strongly suggest that the two of you make a trip to the Hospital Wing so that we can be sure you're in good health."

"Alright," he agreed, casting one more glance at Riddle's body. It hung in the air courtesy of Sirius' spell, looking incapable of the kind of atrocities Riddle had committed. He nearly asked what Dumbledore planned to do with it, but at the last minute, he changed his mind. As long as Riddle was well and truly dead, he didn't really care. Ginny and his family were with him, his friends were safe, and the world would finally be free. That was all that mattered.

Please review! If you like this story, I urge you to check out the new H/G story that I've posted today. It's called Nothing In Return and should be loads of (angsty) fun!