Well here it is... The LAST chapter that I wrote before Deathly Hallows came out! The way that I envisioned that the final fight would go!
Happy Halloween! Mwhahahahahahahahaha!
Chapter Ninety-eight
The Room Of Love
Apparating to the alley, where they had to go for the Ministry Census at Christmas, the three groups quickly made sure that they were indeed alone and put up a silencing charm.
"Okay Ginny, you and Luna know where you are supposed to go right? Remember keep out of sight and if you are spotted get away fast!" Harry said as he turned to look at the two witches who were going to be the spotters. Both witches had taken their Apparating course and knew where the emergency Apparating point was.
Ginny nodded briskly. She wasn't happy to be delegated to just a spotter but Harry had been adamant that she wasn't getting any closer than this. He'd made her promise that she would follow the plan right to the letter. Meaning as soon as she activated the signal coin to let the other's know when Voldemort and his Death Eaters arrived, and how many, she was to leave and go to the Burrow to tell her father what was going on, so that he could notify the Order of the Phoenix for help.
"Yes, don't worry. We know what to do." Luna said, her usual dreamy voice gone replaced by one determined to do her part in the Chosen One's plan.
Harry nodded once. "Be careful!" he warned before turning away from the two sixth year witches. He dearly would have loved to hug his witch again and tell her that he loved her, but he knew that he'd already done that back at Hogwart's and he wasn't sure if he would be able to let his witch go if he pulled her into his arms again. The creature in his chest snarled and gnashed its teeth demanding he stay with his witch. Instead he headed for the phone booths that lead into the Ministry of Magic, steeling himself for what needed to be done.
The others followed, wishing the two witches good luck and to be careful.
The four wizards and two witches squeezed into the phone booth and as they descended below the ground they could see the two witches had already disappeared, heading to the roof tops of adjacent buildings to take up their positions.
When the doors to the phone booth opened the six of them stepped out cautiously looking around to make sure they were alone. The darkened Atrium was deserted.
Harry turned to Neville and the Hufflepuff. "Okay you two know what you're to do right?"
"You can count on us Harry," Neville's voice sounded nervous but he met Harry's eyes and nodded. They were to hide in the atrium and signal how many of Voldemort's followers there were coming, from either the floos or the other two entrances. No one could Apparate within the Ministry of Magic.
"I still think that it would be better if…" Greg said quickly as fear for his witch clenched his heart. He knew that this could easily be the last time he saw her alive. That today was the day she had hinted at all those months ago when she told him she was willing to die for Harry. Even with the full moon nearly two weeks away Greg felt the beast stir restlessly in his mind.
"Look Hunter, if you had a problem with this plan then you should have…!" Ron snapped as he stepped toward the slightly taller Hufflepuff.
"Ron!" Taylor and Hermione admonished at the same time.
Taylor glanced at Hermione and then grabbed Greg's arm and led him off a short ways as the bushy haired witch pulled the three other wizards on towards the lifts at the far end of the Atrium.
Taylor looked up into Greg's anxious face and could see his fear plainly in his eyes, though she knew it wasn't fear for what he had to do. "Greg… I…" she didn't know what to say. That this was goodbye, she knew. Only she knew how final these last few words to the wizard, she had grown to love, were.
Greg could see it in his witch's eyes, the goodbye that her words could not seem to say, and he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his chest as the beast began to snarl from within its cage in his mind.
Taylor knew they didn't have much time and the longer she stayed in the safety of Greg's arms the harder it was going to be to go. Gathering every ounce of her Gryffindor courage she let her arms drop from around him. "I love you," she whispered in a voice thick with emotion, "Always remember I love you…"
Greg's throat closed over and he didn't know if he was going to be able to push the words out of his constricted throat. "Merlin, I love you too Taylor." His voice sounded strangled.
Stepping out of his arms, Taylor reached for his hand and led him down the Atrium towards where her brother and friends were waiting. When she reached them it was Harry who spoke.
"Hunter you know what you need to do right?"
"Yeah Potter. I know." Greg's voice was strong as he nodded to the other wizard. "Good luck."
Harry could see the determination burning in the Hufflepuff's eyes and knew that he would hold up his end of the plan. He nodded at Neville and at the tall Hufflepuff. "Be careful."
Taylor let go of Greg's hand and, with only one backward glance, followed her brother and two best friends into the lift that would take them down to the Department of Mysteries.
The trip down in the lift only took moments but the weight of what they were about to attempt hung thickly in the air and the monotone voice announcing that they were there sounded very loud making them all jump a little. Stepping out into the deserted hallway it was Hermione who broke the ominous silence.
"Harry… what if the last Horcrux isn't in there? What if Taylor can't get the sealed door open? Or the magic in the sealed room doesn't work?" Hermione asked fearfully. There were so many unknowns in this plan.
The plan that the others knew, as well as the actual plan that he and his sister had come up with.
Harry took his friend by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, "Hermione, this is going to work. We have a good plan. Taylor will be able to open that door. And I know for sure that the Horcrux will be in there."
"Yeah Hermione, it will work." Ron said in a tight voice as he looked at his best mate.
Harry pulled the bushy haired witch into a quick hug before he turned and clapped Ron on the shoulder. "Remember! Keep to the plan. All you need to do is create a diversion to draw some of the Death Eaters away from the Revolving Room. Stay under my cloak until you have to come out. By then the Darkness Powder should have worked and you can set the Filibuster's Fireworks off. That should give you time to get into the lift and get out of here. That will draw some of the Death Eaters back up to the Atrium with you and by then Ginny and Luna will have alerted the Order and reinforcements will be arriving."
Harry knew that it was a fairly good plan right up until then, but that the danger would be in just how many Death Eaters Voldemort brought with him and the resulting fight that was going to take place. There was a good chance one, if not all, of the students he had brought with him tonight would be killed in that fight.
Ron put his arm around Hermione's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Don't worry Harry."
Taylor looked at her two best friends and her heart gave a painful throb, these two were her family as well.
Harry turned and walked down the hall to the Revolving Room, the whole way wondering in a melodramatic way if this was what someone walking to the gallows felt like. He gave his head a shake. Thoughts like that were not any help.
Taylor looked from Ron to Hermione, and giving each a quick hug said, "You guys be careful, and get out like Harry said ok?" Then she turned as well and followed her brother down the hall, where he had stopped at the door to the Revolving Room.
Harry waited with his hand on the door handle until he heard Taylor stop beside him. He glanced sideways at her. Her lips were drawn into a straight line, but her eyes shone with a fierceness that touched his heart. She would follow him into hell, he was sure, and maybe she was just about to. He gave a jerk of his head, opened the door and stepped through. Taylor right on his heels.
The Revolving Room looked just like it had fifth year, black with blue flame torches on the walls and as soon as the door shut the walls began to spin, until the torches were nothing but a blur.
When the walls stopped spinning, Taylor took out her wand with a flick of her wrist, as calm settled over her like an old friend and her necklace began to heat up. Ancient words fell from her lips as she slowly circled the room pausing before each door searching for the sealed door to the Room of Love.
Harry watched as she walked around, hoping that his sister would be able to sort out which was the right door before Voldemort arrived. He was just about to ask her, when Taylor spoke.
"How long do you think we have?" she asked quietly but still her voice echoed slightly in the empty chamber. Taylor paused before one of the doors and the cracks around the door glowed red. Taylor marked the door with a red X just like Hermione had done in their fifth year.
As Harry watched her, Taylor had stopped at the door and marked it. He wasn't sure how she knew how to find it, but a lot of things Taylor was able to do still amazed him. He glanced at his watch. He wasn't sure how much longer it would be.
Silence in the Revolving Room was absolute as they waited.
It wasn't long though before Harry felt his coin grow hot and he pulled it out of his pocket.
12-back alley
He tipped it so his sister could see and she nodded. There was no need for words. They knew the plan was now set in motion.
Not even thirty seconds later, the coin grew hot again.
12-main entrance
Then it hadn't even had a chance to cool when…
10-floos
Taylor felt her heart tremble in her chest. Twenty two Death Eaters were now in the Atrium at the Ministry of Magic where Neville and her Hufflepuff were hiding…
The silence in the Revolving Room pushed at their ears with a weight of its own as they waited, not knowing what might be happening to their friends.
Harry's heart began to hammer in his chest, as he said with a tight voice, "Only a minute, maybe two!" He walked over so that the door with the X was right at his back. "Taylor! Get behind me!" Harry waved his wand and conjured a brick wall in front of him, then he rolled up the sleeves to his cloak. He didn't want them sliding down and accidentally catching on his wand when he needed it most. Taylor joined him behind the wall and they stood together to wait for Voldemort.
Taylor could feel the nerves in her stomach, she almost felt sick. Fear and doubt assailed her mind. What if this didn't work? What if she couldn't get that door open? What if Harry was killed?
She looked over at her brother. His face was set, but he almost looked calm as his eyes watched the other doors, ready, waiting. She grabbed hold of that calm and used it to clear her mind. She could do this. She had it within her power to beat this prophecy and rid this world of Voldemort. The necklace on her neck burned hot once again. She was ready.
Suddenly they could hear sounds coming from outside the room, the muffled sounds of the fireworks going off.
"I love you, Taylor," Harry whispered, glancing at his sister. Her hazel eyes met his and she smiled.
Taylor looked into those green eyes she had seen so long ago, "I love you too, brother."
The door almost across from them flew open and Voldemort and two Death Eaters came flying in, the sound of explosions and wand fire filling the once quiet room.
The door slammed shut and Harry and Taylor stood side-by-side, waiting. The walls spun once more, the blue torches blurring and the red X making a faint blur as it whirled around them. When the walls finally stopped the red X was only two doors away from where Taylor and Harry stood. Waving his wand, the brick wall was once again in front of them. It was better than they had dared to hope for.
"Harry Potter," a soft voice hissed from the cloaked figure in the center of the room. The two Death Eaters stood on either side of Voldemort as he lowered his hood. "And Taylor Porter. I have heard some extraordinary things about you for the past little while."
Taylor looked up at the thin man with the red slit eyes and could feel her resolve to bring him down pound through her veins, pushing everything but that one all important goal out of her mind.
"Yeah, well, it's amazing these days what will make tongues wag." Taylor's voice was cold.
Voldemort chuckled, the sound making the hair on the necks of both siblings rise. "I will be the one who will decide on the truth of such rumours."
"Harry, why do you insist on these little meetings? Your little friends are no match for my Death Eaters, this has just grown tiresome." Voldemort said, his red eyes flashing.
Ron and Hermione had pulled their part of the plan off perfectly. They had been waiting under Harry's invisibility cloak away from the lift and as soon as it opened, and Voldemort and five Death Eaters stepped off, Ron had released the Darkness Powder plunging the hallway into darkness. Moving quickly they had headed for the lifts and just as they reached them Hermione had ignited the fireworks and they used what little light that came from the fireworks to get in the lift and head up through the Ministry. They could see at least two of the Death Eaters heading for the other lift.
Up in the Atrium though, things were not going quite as well and when the lift doors opened it was to see that Greg and Neville were pinned down behind the marble reception desk as two Death Eaters fired at them keeping them pinned down there, as the other Death Eaters threw taunts at the two students.
Ron and Hermione immediately began firing at the group of Death Eaters and were able to see at least two go down before they raced for cover.
Bellatrix's insane laughter filled the air as she called out, "A Mudblood, a Blood traitor, a werewolf and a screw-up! What a pathetic bunch Potter brought with him!"
"Oh I think you are wrong, bitch!" Ginny yelled as she stepped out of the fire. All along the wall green fire erupted in the fireplaces and out stepped Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George, Moody, Shacklebolt, Lupin, Tonks and Luna. "How do you feel about a little fairer fight?" George called as he fired at the nearest Death Eater.
Harry squared off against Voldemort. He had to keep him busy while Taylor worked on the door, just behind him. "That's funny. Every time my 'little friends' and I meet up with you and your pathetic Death Eaters, you seem to lose more of them!" Harry spat, letting his hate of the thing in front of him take over.
A jet of red light shot from Voldemort's wand and Harry ducked behind his wall, making sure Taylor was ducking down also, but he was up again as soon as his knees hit the floor and aimed a curse over the wall into the center of the room.
"Leave him, he's mine!" hissed Voldemort, as a Death Eater also sent a curse at Harry. "Harry, I just can't seem to make you understand. I am going to kill you."
Harry sent another curse over the wall and chanced a glance at Taylor who was crouched beside him. He could see she was waving her wand at the closed door and muttering frantically under her breath.
Two more curses hit the wall, and Harry could see big cracks snaking down through it. It wouldn't last much longer.
"You've been trying to do that for almost 17 years now, and you haven't yet," Harry yelled with more bravado than he felt.
"Come out Potter! Or are you going to die hiding like your pathetic father did?" Voldemort hissed angrily.
Greg was relieved when the Order members arrived and evened out the odds. He had moved from behind the desk, where he had been pinned down a short time ago, to openly fight with a Death Eater. He could feel the werewolf easily in his mind and snarls rumbled out of his chest as he put the training that his witch had given him to good use.
All around the Atrium glass shattered and chips of stone flew as deflected spells crashed into walls. Yells of the combatants added to the din as both sides continued to get more help and the green flash from the floos cast the scene in an eerie light.
Shacklebolt was squared off against Malfoy Sr. and Ron, with great relish, had found Draco. Hermione and Neville were up against Nott. Bellatrix had Tonks pinned down, as Lupin fought Dawlish. Mr. Weasley had just put his opponent down before another jumped towards him. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had Narcissa Malfoy. Luna, Fred and George were fighting two masked Death Eaters together.
As alarms in the Ministry of Magic itself sounded, aurors and Ministry officials began to arrive.
Lucius Malfoy put in a call as well and Death Eaters answered.
Neville was the first one to go down, a nasty stunner smashing through his shield. Hermione just got out of the way and was able to answer with a binding spell of her own.
Lupin deflected another one from Dawlish and then got the drop on him and took him down. He was just in time to see Tonks going down as Bellatrix advanced on her. With an angry yell he raced towards Tonks. Firing he was able to back the sadistic Death Eater off and help Tonks up once again before two other Death Eaters engaged them in a deadly duel.
With a sneer that was so un-Mrs. Weasley-ish that it surprised even Ginny, Mrs. Weasley yelled, "Oh no you don't! You pure blooded bitch!" when Mrs. Malfoy went to use Crucio on Ginny. With fury Mrs. Weasley advanced on the other pure blood witch and had her backing up to get away from her.
Ron found he was quite evenly matched against Draco and the two sparred with words as much as with spells. Their insults getting more vicious, as were their spells.
Ginny found herself without someone to fight, as her mother and Narcissa circled each other like two mother bears. An insane laugh made her spin around and there stood Bellatrix smiling nastily at her. Ginny fired the first spell that came to mind. She knew almost immediately that she was out matched against the sadistic Death Eater.
Greg had just stunned a Death Eater when he saw Ginny and Bellatrix square off. With a snarl that had the nearest Death Eater actually backing away, the young werewolf raced through the crowd towards the red headed witch. He was almost to Ginny when he fired his first spell past her at the Death Eater who had tortured his mate.
Bellatrix was surprised at the force of the spell from the newcomer and an insane smile curved her once beautiful face as the young werewolf stopped just in front of the little girl she had been playing with. She could see the beast shining in the blue eyes and she laughed before she began to fire at him.
Harry felt the wall explode as the next curse hit it, but at the same time a hiss filled the room, like an air lock being opened. Harry flung himself out of the way of the flying pieces of brick, and landed hard on his side beside the crumpled wall, fully exposed to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He scrambled to his feet and faced his enemy. He didn't feel brave or even heroic, he just knew that it was time to do what he must.
Taylor had rolled out of the way of the exploding wall as well, coming up on the other side of it from Harry. She had just managed to open the sealed door as Voldemort fired his last curse at the wall. She was just about to turn to fight the Death Eater when the door began to close. Fear welled up in her and she turned to the door as the ancient magic fell from her lips, she needed to keep the door open.
Harry knew that Taylor now stood exposed on the other side of the crumpled wall, but there was nothing he could do to help her, his full attention was on Voldemort.
"Oh Harry, I am going to make you beg," came the soft hiss. "Stun the Mudblood! We'll take her with us."
Harry's wand flashed at the same time as Voldemort's but the Death Eater on Voldemort's left side lowered his hood at that same instant, it was Snape. Harry's spell went wide.
Taylor knew she was a sitting duck as she fought to keep the door from closing. A soft thud made her glance over her shoulder to see that Snape had silently stunned the other Death Eater behind Voldemort's back.
"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed venomously.
Harry dropped to the ground writhing in pain.
Taylor's eyes locked onto the man who had loved her mother so much and she saw him nod towards the door, silently telling her to keep it open. Then he dropped to the floor as if he had been stunned too, just like they had planned. Voldemort's full attention on the Boy Who Lived allowed their interaction to go unnoticed.
Voldemort laughed as he watched Harry jerk and scream in pain. At last, he thought, I am going to kill Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived will live no more. "Yes that's it Harry. You are going to die just like your parents did… betrayed by one they thought they could trust! I will use the Dark Magic that your friend can conjure, along with mine, to make all those who dare oppose me bow down before me!" The insane laugh filled the room.
A white mist from the sealed room was floating into the Revolving Room, steadily moving towards the young wizard who lay on the floor and the dark wizard in the center of the room, whose attention was solely on the young wizard who lay writhing at his feet.
Harry's screams were becoming less and less, as the pain from the Crucio curse was going away. Soon Harry lay panting on the marble floor. He was looking up at Voldemort, his wand was still clenched in his hand.
"Now!" yelled Taylor, as the Dark Magic began to make the young witch sweat as the strain to keep the door open became greater.
Voldemort gasped in shock, stunned to see the Crucio curse weaken and disappear from Potter. Never before had anyone ever been able to throw off such a curse.
Harry forced himself to shake off the effects of the Cruciatus Curse and rolled onto his knees his wand at the ready.
Voldemort, suddenly furious that the boy was now facing him again, hissed, "Now you will die!"
Harry's wand flashed through the air at the same time Voldemort's did.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Their spells met mid way and, just like in the graveyard three years ago, they connected. It was almost a surreal moment, as the mist swirled all around Harry and Voldemort with their wands connected. Then the mist began to thicken, swirling around them as it darkened.
Voldemort yelled in surprise. Too late he realized that his preoccupation with Potter might have been a mistake.
The mist turned as black as the marble on the floor, tendrils of it wrapping around Voldemort. He began to scream as the mist surrounded him completely.
Harry felt his spell break, but it didn't matter. Whatever the mist was, it was now doing what none other could do, and as he watched, he saw Voldemort's body begin to shrivel up, like a balloon being slowly deflated. His inhuman scream echoed off the walls, slowly becoming fainter, as the black mist continued to swirl around, angrily drawing the screaming towards the open door.
Kneeling on the floor Harry could see the mist that was still swirling around him thicken. Like a living thing, it moved in on him and he felt it enter his nose as he breathed and suddenly his scar burned white hot. Pain exploded in his head and then everything went black.
Greg's wand was a blur as he fired and blocked spells from Bellatrix, as he advanced steadily towards her, the werewolf as present in his mind as it would be on a full moon making his reactions lightning fast. A snarl came from him, even as he cast his silent spells. He had his prey backing up, the Death Eater who had tortured his mate was going to pay. He could smell the fear that she was starting to feel. When he was no more than six feet from her, and he could see the fear in her eyes, his hand shot out and grabbed her wand, yanking it from her hand midcast. His sudden move made her stumble and, losing her balance, Bellatrix fell onto the floor. Inside him the beast howled, his prey was defenceless, an easy kill.
Suddenly a frightful scream echoed up from the depths of the Ministry, reverberating through the atrium, causing those fighting on both sides to stop and look around.
Death Eaters suddenly grabbed their arms where the Dark Mark was, as pain white hot seared through it. And then as suddenly as the frightful sound had come, it was gone.
"No! Master! No!" Bellatrix wailed as she looked down at her Dark Mark to see it fading on her skin.
Greg stood breathing heavily as he fought for control. The urge to kill the witch at his feet was nearly overwhelming but with each passing heartbeat he could feel the beast slipping back into its cage. The fight was over.
Ginny had seen the dangerous look in the Hufflepuff's eyes when he had come to her aid, and now as she looked down at the sobbing witch at his feet, she approached him carefully.
"Greg, it's okay." Ginny glanced around and many of the Death Eaters had already laid their wands down, as aurors and members of the Order held them at wand point. When the Hufflepuff looked down at her she could see the dangerous gleam in his eye slowly receding and she put her hand on his arm. "It's over."
Ron would have loved to have an excuse to physically hit Draco Malfoy. The two hadn't been able to win, although each sported a few welts from their fight. He'd given the blond Slytherin up to Shacklebolt when he heard Hermione calling his name. He just managed to turn towards her when she reached him and threw her arms around him. He hugged her tight.
Taylor looked over where the black mist swirled around her brother. She had heard him scream and she wondered if the mist had just killed her brother like it had Voldemort. Then, as suddenly as it had turned black, it thinned and pulled back away from Harry and she could see him laying there on the floor. Lowering her wand, with her legs trembling, she walked over towards him as the door to the Room of Love sucked shut with a resounding thud, pulling the last of the mist with it. The red X faded from the door.
The silence was loud after the shrieking of the split souls ended.
Dropping to her knees, a sob already working to close off her throat, Taylor laid her hand on her brother's chest. The steady pound of his heart made her want to laugh in relief.
Ron and Hermione made their way over to where Ginny and Greg stood.
The Minister for Magic had arrived, as well as the Head Auror and they were rounding up the Death Eaters. There was already talk of allowing the Dementor's Kiss for at least some of the previously convicted Death Eaters.
"Ginny! Greg! Oh thank Merlin!" Hermione cried as she reached them and hugged each one.
Greg hugged the Head Girl. He was relieved that she was okay, though he could see she had some cuts on her face and hands. Greg took the hand offered by Ron and shook it. He was glad the wizard was alright as well.
For a long moment none of them spoke, all wondering what had happened to the black haired wizard and the short redhaired witch.
It was done.
That was the first thought that went through Harry's mind as he regained consciousness. His head felt a little… strange. And he realized that the mist had somehow taken the piece of Voldemort's soul that he had been cursed with seventeen years ago. He wondered why he hadn't been hurt, like Voldemort. With a small smile he decided he would have to ask Hermione that. With that thought came another, "Taylor?" he called.
"Potter!" an oily voice snarled.
Harry's eyes sprang open, and he rolled over and pushed himself onto his feet. This wasn't quite over, he had almost forgotten about Snape!
Harry glanced around cautiously, and he could see Taylor picking herself up off of the floor, on the other side of the room. He looked back at Snape.
"I'm going to kill you!" Harry snarled, letting his hate of his former Potions Professor course through his veins. Harry could see the night Snape had killed Dumbledore flash through his mind, a year ago. He could feel the hatred from all those years of abuse at Snape's hands. Snape backed away and Harry followed.
Harry watched, almost glad when Snape's back was to the wall, almost opposite to the sealed door with the red X, that was now almost faded from existence. Harry didn't stop to think about what or why Snape had backed away. All he could think of, was that he would have revenge.
"Potter!" Snape snarled again, just like he had all those times over the last seven years, with contempt and hate.
Harry raised his wand as Snape raised his arms.
"Harry! NO!" screamed Taylor.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Bellowed Harry and a jet of green light shot out of his wand and slammed into Snape's body. He crumpled to the floor.
Taylor was at Harry's side. Then she was going to kneel down beside Snape's still form.
Harry felt numb, his arm slowly lowered to his side.
A loud crack filled the air as if a piece of the marble floor itself was cracking open.
Snape's body began to quiver, and reshape, growing shorter.
Taylor too, began to change, her nose began to lengthen, and her hair turned black and greasy.
Harry stood there in shock, his mind refusing to take in what he was seeing.
"Ahh..." Harry gave a strangled cry, let go of his wand and dropped to the floor beside the still form of his sister. He crawled up to her head and looked down into her pale face. "Taylor" was all he could choke out, before his throat constricted and his eyes filled with tears.
"Potter," a voice said. Harry didn't hear.
"Harry," a soft voice said, "I'm sorry. It was the only way Taylor could think of to get you to destroy the last Horcrux. She knew you would never be able to kill her. But it was the only way to make sure the Dark Lord never comes back. Harry, are you listening to me!" Snape said, a little more forcefully.
Harry turned to look into Snape's black eyes. He had heard.
"Look Harry, I am sorry. Your sister sacrificed herself so that it would be over, so that the war could end," Snape's voice was soft, and filled with respect. It was so different from anything Harry had heard from his ex-professor before.
Harry looked up at Snape, tears running freely down his face as he gathered Taylor's body up into his arms to hold her. "Go," was all he managed to say.
Snape nodded his head and stood. He looked down at Harry, his face filled with sorrow. "I am sorry."
"GO!" screamed Harry as a great sob filled him and he began to rock back and forth holding his sister tightly to his chest.
Greg knew he couldn't wait any longer and he turned towards the lifts. The Minister for Magic and some of the aurors were just starting to use the lifts to take the captured Death Eaters to other parts of the Ministry to process them. More and more Ministry officials arrived and it soon looked more like a Monday morning than a late Sunday night.
Reaching a lift, he saw Moody, Shacklebolt, Lupin and Mr. Weasley making their way towards him.
"Hold on boy!" Moody growled as he clumped to a stop and his Magical eye moved over Hunter and the three Gryffindors that had just joined him. Moody was full of questions, but all but one could wait, and glaring at the four of them he growled quietly, "Where's Potter?"
Greg met the glare of the old auror, and after a quick glance to make sure that they wouldn't be overheard, he said softly, "Down in the Department of Mysteries. Along with Taylor."
Shacklebolt's eyebrows rose a little and then he said softly, "I think we had better go get them before the Minister or anyone else starts to think past all these Death Eaters."
Less than a minute later, an opportunity arose where a couple of Death Eaters started giving the two aurors that were with them, a hard time and the members of the Order and the four students slipped into the lift and headed down to the Department of Mysteries.
When the lift doors opened, all eight occupants had their wands out, not sure what they were going to find. Cautiously, Moody and Shacklebolt stepped out of the lift first but the corridor was empty and silent.
Harry's heart and eyes warred with each other. His eyes could see through his tears the pale face of his sister that he held tightly in his arms, as he unconsciously rocked back and forth, but his heart rebelled and told him it couldn't be true.
One of the other doors flew open, and Greg, Ron and Hermione came charging into the Revolving Room, wands drawn. Shacklebolt, Moody and Remus were only a few strides behind them. The three students had taken off for the door at the end of the hall, ignoring the calls from the Order members.
Ron and Greg skidded to a halt as the scene in front of them took on meaning. Hermione's soft gasp was the only sound, besides the sobs coming from Harry as he sat on the floor rocking Taylor.
"Oh no…" Ron whispered and Hermione turned into Ron's chest as tears started to pour down her face, as realization of what this must mean raced through her mind. Ron put his arms around her and held her tight.
Greg's heart stopped and he stared for several long seconds before a strangled cry ripped from his throat and he staggered the few feet to his redhaired witch and fell to his knees.
Lupin stood just inside the door, his mind numb. He gave a gasp and sunk to the floor.
Shacklebolt's jaw clenched but he walked to the center of the room and prodded the Death Eater lying there, he didn't move. Shacklebolt then noticed the wand lying on the floor just outside one of the closed doors. He bent and picked it up, surprised to see the scorch marks on it. When he turned it over in his hands he could see a jagged split in the wood, and the magical center of the wand was gone.
Moody felt his old heart give an unsteady thump as he walked slowly towards the Boy Who Lived and the witch he was cradling in his arms. He had been an auror too long to not have at least an idea of what had happened here, noting the stunned Death Eater and the wand Shacklebolt had picked up.
"Let me go! I have to see if he's alright!" Yelled Ginny as she pulled away from her father and burst through the door. She stopped at the sight of Harry sitting on the floor holding Taylor. "Oh Merlin, no," she whispered. On shaking legs she walked over to Harry and knelt beside him. Her heart breaking as tears began to run freely down her cheeks.
A/N So this is the way I seen the final fight happening. This is the final chapter I wrote before Deathly Hallows came out... I just had to mold it a bit with the story that had since evolved into so much more then I ever thought it would. But for the most part... and the most important parts, this is what had been written on July 2007.
But there is one more part of a chapter... that I will post with the next chapter that was also written before DH.
Happy Halloween! (maybe it is fate that this chapter is being posted on October 31...) Yes I know I am evil! :D