A.N. Here's another chapter (since I could hardly leave you with a cliffhanger two updates in a row).

49-49-49

Harry couldn't help his victorious grin as his Stunning Spell hit Nina in the stomach. He'd won!

He waited until Nina's body had been summoned out of the arena and the horn had been blown to announce his victory, before he turned to where he knew the judges were sitting. He bowed towards them, before straightening and beginning to make his way out of the arena.

He'd only taken a few steps when sharp crack signalled the arrival of a crowd of black robed wizards. He turned towards them in confusion, before recognising the white masked they were wearing.

Death Eaters!

What were they doing here? How had they gotten past the wards?

Another crack sounded and suddenly Voldemort was standing ten feet away from him.

Harry stepped back in horror.

"Hello, Harry Potter." Voldemort smirked. "Finally we meet again."

Harry tightened his grip on his wand and looked around desperately. Where were the aurors? Where was Sirius?

"What do you want?" Harry asked as neutrally as he could.

Voldemort smirked. "What? No pleasantries? Pity, I had heard that you were unfailingly polite."

Harry sneered. "You left out the pleasantries first. If you had wanted a polite conversation you ought to have begun with a bow."

Voldemort snarled. "I bow to no one! I am the Dark Lord!"

"And I am the Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black." Harry returned, trying to ignore the way his legs were trembling. "Which, seeing as how your title is completely made up, means that I outrank you."

"Expelliarmus!" Voldemort snapped.

The spell hit Harry unaware and he watched helplessly as Voldemort caught his wand in his hand.

"I have two wands, you have none." Voldemort told him with a smirk. "Do you still think you have the upper hand?"

Harry shook his head. "I never said I had the upper hand, only that I outrank you."

"Crucio!" Voldemort snapped and Harry had to step quickly to the side to avoid being hit by the spell.

"How else would I have beaten you as a child?" Harry asked, maybe if he Voldemort talking he'd give Sirius time to rescue him.

"You are still a child." Voldemort told him.

"What does that make you?" Harry forced himself to smirk. "A schoolyard bully?"

"Crucio!" Voldemort cast again, only this time Harry wasn't fast enough and the curse hit him.

The pain was indescribable and, when it eventually left him, Harry found himself collapsed on the floor. He pulled himself to his feet, ignoring Voldemort's laughter.

Harry looked around again, desperately hoping to see Sirius and an army of aurors approaching, but his stomach twisted in horror at the sight of a magical barrier surrounding the arena he and Voldemort were standing in. A barrier that, by the looks of it, was keeping out anyone who might come to his aid.

"What do you want?" He asked, hoping his voice didn't sound as scared as he felt.

"Your loyalty." Voldemort answered with a smirk. "Or your death."

"I will never serve you."

Voldemort's smirk grew. "Then you will die."

"Will killing me make you feel powerful?" Harry snapped. "I hear that it's a terribly difficult thing to murder a fourteen year old."

"It won't be murder." Voldemort denied in amusement. "We will duel and I will beat you."

"So, you're challenging me to a Death Duel?" Harry asked. "What's to stop your followers from interfering?"

Voldemort looked amused. "Why would my followers need to interfere? You are a child and I am the Dark Lord!"

Harry hated to admit it, even to himself, but Voldemort had a point. There was no way he was going to win the duel. Still, he squared his shoulders. There was no way he was going to die cowering in fear.

"Since you are the challenger, I get to pick the rules." Harry declared as confidently as he could.

Voldemort's lip curled. "Very well."

"Both swords and wands." Harry told him. "No seconds, no recesses, no interference from your Death Eaters."

Voldemort didn't look impressed. "Swords. What are we? Muggles?"

Harry watched a few of the masked Death Eaters shift uncomfortably at that. "Of course not. We are, however, of noble birth. Well, I am at least. I can't vouch for you. What House were you born into again? I don't think I've ever been told."

Voldemort snarled and whirled to face one of the unmasked Death Eaters. "Rodolphus, get us swords."

"Don't worry about me, Lord Lestrange." Harry told the Death Eater, patting the sword he had strapped to his side. "I brought my own."

It didn't take long for Lord Lestrange to deliver a sword to Voldemort and, as Harry watched the man apparating away, and then back again sword in hand, a new hope grew in him. If Death Eaters could apparate into the bubble, surely Lord Malfoy and Professor Snape could as well. Maybe they would be able to bring help with them.

Voldemort snatched the sword out of Lord Lestrange's hand, before twirling to face Harry. "Ready, Potter?"

Harry drew his own sword. "Well, I will be once you return my wand."

Voldemort sneered as he threw Harry's wand towards him so that it fell a few feet away from Harry's feet. Harry considered summoning it wandlessly, he really didn't want to have to crouch down with Voldemort's wand pointed at him, but eventually decided to just pick it up. This was no place to show off.

Once his wand was in his hand, Harry backed up so that he was standing approximately fifteen feet away from Voldemort, before bowing shallowly.

Voldemort bowed as well. "Prepare to die, Potter. "

0-0-0

Sirius had no words to describe the helpless terror that he felt as he watched a crowd of Death Eaters and You-Know-Who appear in front of Harry, right in the middle of the arena. It took him a moment to process what he was seeing, before he pushed his way out of the aisle he was sitting in and began sprinting down the stairs towards the arena. He was halfway down the stairs when Voldemort cast a red spell at Harry, which Harry avoided. Unfortunately Harry wasn't so fortunate with the second spell and Sirius let out a cry when he saw Harry collapse.

Harry looked so small, as he pulled himself to his feet and then stood alone in the middle of the arena faced with at least thirty wizards. As Sirius ran towards the boundary of the arena, only peripherally aware of the other wizards and witches running with him, he watched helplessly as You-Know-Who summoned Harry's wand.

A few seconds later, when Sirius was less than ten feet from the boundary of the arena, an orange magical barrier suddenly appeared around the boundary. Sirius cried out in despair as he recognised it, but didn't slow down. Maybe if he ran fast enough he would be able to burst through it.

"Pulvinus!" Remus's voice rang out from a few steps behind him, just seconds before Sirius bounced off the, now cushioned, barrier.

Sirius's fell back and cried out as his head impacted against the ground. He rolled over, clenching his eyes shut for a few seconds as he tried to dispel the stars he was seeing, and pulled himself to his feet.

"You alright, Sirius?" Remus asked, helping him to his feet. "Sorry, I didn't have time to cushion the ground as well."

Sirius ignored him, twisting around so that he could see Harry. Harry who, despite facing unbeatable odds, was standing proudly, back straight as he conversed with Voldemort.

"Why can't we hear them?" Sirius asked desperately. "Why hasn't anyone cast an Amplifying Charm?

"The barrier seems to be blocking it." Kingsley Shacklebolt commented from where he was standing a few feet away.

"What are we doing to get in?" Sirius asked, his eyes focussed on Harry.

"Madame Bones has called in a wardbreaking team." Kingsley answered. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Harry might not have a couple of minutes!" Sirius snapped, before pulling out his wand. Maybe a hundred reducto curses would get him through.

"Stop, Sirius." Remus grabbed his arm. "You know that won't work. There's no point in wasting your energy. Save your strength for when the ward-breakers get us in."

Sirius clenched his jaw. "And if Harry's dead by then?"

Remus didn't say anything.

"Hey!" Someone nearby yelled. "One of them just apparated away."

Sirius pulled away from Remus and, wand in hand, began the initial spin to apparate into the barrier.

"Don't!" Kingsley ordered quickly. "One of my team already tried that and splinched their leg off."

Sirius only just managed to stop himself from completing the spin. He wouldn't be able to help Harry if he was missing a limb.

"Maybe it's their Dark Mark that allows them to apparate." Someone nearby commented.

"To bad nobody on our side has a Dark Mark then." Another person replied.

Sirius' heart leapt. "Yes, they do. We have two people on our side with dark marks."

"What?" Kingsley asked quickly.

"You can't be serious!" The first person told him. "There is no way we have Death Eaters on our side."

"Someone get Snape!" Sirius yelled loudly. "And Lucius. Where's Lucius?"

"France." Remus reminded him.

"Really, Sirius!" Molly Weasley snapped from nearby and Sirius turned in surprise. He hadn't even realised that she was there. "If Lucius Malfoy is anywhere right now, it'll be inside the barrier. He's a Death Eater."

"No, he's not." Sirius denied, turning to Kingsley. "Tell Lady Bones that we need Lucius here now!"

"Something's happening." Remus told him quickly. "They're bowing."

Sirius spun back towards the arena and watched in horror as Harry straightened out of a shallow bow. "What is he doing?"

"Look," Remus said. "They've got swords in their hands. I think they're going to duel."

"Does You-Know-Who even know how to use a sword?" Sirius asked.

"Does Harry?" Molly countered. "Oh, that poor boy. What is he thinking?"

"It's a good strategy." Remus answered. "You-Know-Who might be better with a wand, but I doubt he could beat Harry in a sword fight."

"What's to stop him from throwing down his sword and just cursing him then?" Arthur asked from Molly's side.

"Rules of Engagement." Sirius answered absently. "It would make him look bad among the traditionalists."

Sirius' stomach dropped as You-Know-Who raised his wand and sent a curse that he didn't recognise in Harry's direction.

Harry raised his sword to block the curse, sending it ricocheting off towards the Death Eaters, before sending his own spell towards You-Know-Who.

You-Know-Who raised a magical shield to block the spell, before sending three different spells towards Harry.

"Oh, mercy!" Molly cried. "He's going to kill the poor boy."

"Shut up!" Sirius snapped, his focus not moving from where Harry was rolling out of the way of the spells.

The duel continued and, despite Sirius' horror at what was happening, he couldn't help but be proud of the way his godson was handling himself. Harry was amazing. Here he was, fourteen years old, holding his own against You-Know-Who. Not to mention that his sword skills were definitely putting the Dark Lord to shame. While Harry was using his sword to block half the spells that were sent towards him, You-Know-Who's sword hung limply in his left hand.

Which gave Harry an advantage. While You-Know-Who relied on his wand to block and Harry's spells, Harry could block spells with his sword while simultaneously casting them with his wand. It wasn't easy and, many fully grown wizards couldn't perform both movements at the same time, but Harry was a natural.

But, despite, Harry's advantage, You-Know-Who had both more duelling experience and more spells in his reputare, and, seven minutes into their duel, You-Know-Who drew first blood.

Sirius couldn't tell what the curse had been, but the sight of Harry's left leg collapsing under him, sending him to the ground, made him want to vomit. This was Harry, his godson. James and Lily's little boy. He couldn't die.

Harry wasn't giving up though and Sirius watch as his godson sent a volley of curses back towards his attacker.

You-Know-Who dropped his sword on the ground as he raised a shield to block the curses, before summoning Harry's wand to him. Then he stalked forward until he was standing above where Harry had collapsed. You-Know-Who raised his wand again, over where Harry lay helpless on the ground, and Sirius clenched his eyes shut. There was no way he could watch whatever was about to happen.

0-0-0

Duelling Voldemort was different to duelling Sirius, or his friends, or the other champions. Harry wasn't sure whether that was because Voldemort was better than anyone he had ever duelled before, or because this time he knew he was duelling for his life, but either way Harry much preferred the other duels he had participated it.

Voldemort blocked every curse with ease and Harry found himself feeling like a mouse being played with by a kneazle. He'd even tried to use Parselmagic, but Voldemort had used a Parselmagic shield to block it and had then increased the ferocity of his attack.

When Voldemort disarmed him again, Harry's stomach clenched in horror. This was it then, this was the end. He'd had some hope during the duel that maybe this wouldn't happen. That maybe he could pull off the impossible and actually beat Voldemort.

But here he was, lying on the ground – his leg broken and part of his bone had pierced through his skin – with no wand and a sword that was practically useless while he was lying on the ground. Well, unless he wanted to slice at Voldemort's ankles, but Harry very much doubted that would help.

"Any last words, Potter?" Voldemort was smirking.

Harry didn't want to die, that was all he really had to say right now. He stared at Voldemort's ankles, trying to ignore the man's cruel laughter, and wondered whether it would be worth trying to stab them. Except, stabbing Voldemort's ankles wasn't his only option. He might not have his wand, but this was one of the reasons he had been learning wandless magic. So that if he ever had his wand taken from him, he could still defend himself. A sword in the ankle might not do Voldemort much harm, but a stunner in the ankles? That would knock the wizard out.

"Goodbye, Harry Potter." Voldemort said. "Av…"

"Stupefy." Harry whispered quickly, concentrating as hard as he could. This had to work!

"…ada K…"

A red light flew from Harry's right hand and hit Voldemort's left knee. Harry almost laughed in delight as he looked up at Voldemort and saw the man's surprised expression. Then Voldemort collapsed backwards, mid curse.

0-0-0

Sirius only had his eyes shut for a second before he opened them again. If Harry was going to die then he would be with Harry in every way he could, even if that just meant watching it. The sight of You-Know-Who standing over Harry, wand raised, made Sirius' heart hurt.

But You-Know-Who didn't cast a spell. Instead, he suddenly collapsed backwards and, instantly, the barrier disappeared.

"What the hell?" Sirius asked in shock, even as he began running towards Harry.

"Sirius!" Remus called after him. "Apparate!"

Sirius watched as several people, aurors and Order members alike, suddenly appeared in front of him and began shooting spells at the Death Eaters. You-Know-Who must have disabled the anti-apparation wards in order to get in.

Sirius spun, mid run, and apparated himself to a spot ten feet away from Harry. He saw a Death Eater raising his wand towards Harry and immediately disarmed him. Then he looked for another Death Eater to curse.

A few of the Death Eaters were leaving, apparating away, and Sirius hoped that wouldn't mean that they would get away for good. They deserved to die!

0-0-0

Harry stared at Voldemort's fallen body for a second, before realising that he wasn't out of danger yet. He was still surrounded by Death Eaters.

Harry grabbed his sword as tightly as he could before dragging himself towards where Voldemort was lying. He bit off a scream as his leg protested the movement, but eventually was sitting near Voldemort's head.

As he sat, staring at the snake-like face of the unconscious Lark Lord, Harry realised that, for some reason, the Death Eaters hadn't tried to attack him yet. He looked up and saw a full blown battle taking place around him. Harry wasn't sure how the aurors and Order members had gotten through the barrier, but he honestly didn't care.

He looked back down at Voldemort and the brought his sword up over the man's neck. All it took was one slice and Voldemort's head separated from his body.

The blood was horrible and Harry attempted to move away, to try and avoid being soaked in it, but his leg protested the movement.

Harry allowed his shoulders to slump as he looked around to try and see how the battle was going. He could see Sirius and Remus, both duelling Death Eaters, and Professor Snape were was there as well.

"You can't kill me, Potter!" Voldemort's hissing voice sounded from Harry's left.

Harry spun around quickly and blanched in horror at the sight of a black cloud hovering over Voldemort's head.

"I'll be back." The cloud promised. "And when I return, you will die!"

Harry stomach dropped as he remembered what the goblins had said. They still hadn't destroyed the last horcrux because it was Voldemort's snake and they didn't want him to know that all the horcruxes were gone. Harry looked around for the snake, where was it? It had been with Voldemort when he'd apparated in, surely it would be here somewhere.

As he looked to his left, Harry saw the snake near Professor Snape. The snake raised its head and opened its mouth and Harry's opened his mouth to cry out a warning, but as he watched his professor spun around, sword in hand and neatly decapitated the snake.

"No!" Voldemort hissed.

Harry turned back just in time to watch the cloud that was Voldemort spontaneously combust, and then it was gone.