I do not own anything. I'm just translating. The characters belong to the great J.K. Rowling. The story belongs to the amazing Brigi. Her e-mail: tbwtpbe [et] hotmail com

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THE BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES

Chapter 42 – A bloody Saturday (part 2)

He stood between Lupin and Ron and the approaching Voldemort. He looked at the place where he was standing just a moment ago.

"How…? I… I Apparated here?" he mumbled with terrified eyes.

"Harry!" Ron shouted because Voldemort was really close to them.

Time seemed to slow down as they looked at each other. The red and the emerald eyes… Even the Dark Lord seemed surprised when he found Harry in front of him. However, his lips turned into a triumphant smile.

"As you wish! You can die with them!"

His arm holding the weapon struck down and the tip cut Harry's chest. The boy screamed out in pain and fell to his knees.

"Harry!" Remus moaned. "Run, please!"

Then the sword started glowing. Red light surrounded them just like the first time it appeared in front of Harry. Voldemort's hand started to tremble as if the weapon burned his skin.

"What's this?" he shouted as it fell. "Why…?"

However, Harry picked it up and struck. It was foolish to think defeating him would be that easy. The Dark Lord stepped out of the way and Harry ran past him before falling a few feet away. The man laughed at his childish attempt but had to Apparate when the boy advanced again and a spell flew out of the sword.

Ron ducked and the red beam severed the ropes around Remus. The man fell to the ground unconscious.

Harry trembled while standing up and reached for his wand. His shirt was cut on his chest and hung in tatters. The sword cut his flesh but the wound didn't appear to be deep. His blood ran in small streaks towards his hips.

His wounds, the dirt, soot and smoke hanging in the air and the noise of spells, dying people and fighting made him feel depressed. Everywhere he looked there was pain and destruction; people lying on the ground unconscious or lifeless, others begged for someone to help.

The Weasley-twins lay motionless on the floor; Ginny was face-down on the ground where the spell pushed her; her bloody hand still clutching the wand. His school mates either fled for cover or heroically fought against the Death Eaters but he didn't even want to think about how many fatalities there were…

Hogsmeade was in flames; almost every house was eaten up by the fire. The villagers either ran away from the Death Eaters and Dementors or lay motionless on the floor. Many joined the fight in desperation and confronted the attackers, thereby helping the Order members.

The two eldest Weasley brothers looked terrible too. Bill way lying on the ground coughing up blood while Charlie tried to crawl away from a Dementor. He couldn't stand on his legs so he helplessly dragged them.

Emmeline Vance sat on the dirt road shaking. There were burn marks on her chest, left shoulder and upper arm. It seemed she wasn't totally conscious; she staggered in a shocked state and tried to calm the shaking of her painful limbs but she grew paler by the moment.

Severus rested in his son's arms with a gray face that clearly showed how much pain he was in. Lamerin hugged him while crying. Rowena dueled with a woman not too far from the both of them but kept looking at the pair anxiously, afraid for her lover.

Hagrid was in a somewhat easier situation; he was capable of getting rid of his attackers with sheer force. It seemed Kingsley was still in good condition; he fought his opponent who panicked and tried to look for a way out. Moody threw curses at everything that moved so even the villagers had to run away from him. Elphias Doge hunted the Dementors that floated above him threateningly.

Harry looked for Voldemort in the crowd. They had to fight against each other, he knew that. He saw the man flicking his friends and DA members like flies out of his way. He didn't even bother sending Unforgivable Curses at them; he found it amusing to humiliate them even further.

Seeing this, Harry didn't want to continue doing nothing.

"Voldemort!" he shouted and got everyone's attention. Since very few people dared to say the name it was immediately noticed when someone used it. His comrades and even Dumbledore turned to him.

A satisfied smile appeared on the Dark Lord's face.

"You're not even running away. Bolder than before."

Hearing this, the students looked at each other in horror.

"Face your destiny then!" he waved his wand.

But Harry sent a curse that made him talk in gibberish at him to stop his attempts. He knew it would be pointless if their wands connected again. The happenings of two years prior would repeat; the wands would connect and white beads would appear then float around them… And there would be no solution to the years of struggle.

The fact that he was stopped by such a bizarre spell infuriated Voldemort. His hand trembled with nerves and his eyes glowed like coals. He looked to the side and motioned for a Death Eater to stop the spell because he couldn't use the counter spell. The cloaked figure ran to him to help.

Harry looked down at his left hand that clutched Godric's sword then raised the other and waved towards Voldemort's wand.

"Scipio Sectilis!" he shouted.

The Dark Wizard turned away from the Death Eater running to him and watched as his wand let out a yellow light and rose up on its own. He tried to catch it but the wand would always fly a little out of reach. It seemed the spell worked though Harry didn't think it would be this easy. His opponent's wand started pulsing as it waited for its destiny. It was ready to be broken by the boy.

"I'm sorry Fawkes!" he whispered. "Scipio Scissum!"

He waved his wand that sent a red light towards the other and made a gash on its middle.

"No!" Voldemort shouted when the wand fell to the ground. "You…!" he said with a murderous gaze. "You! You'll pay for this!"

He took the Death Eater's wand from him and pushed the man out of the way before pointing it at Harry.

The boy, actually succeeding with this serious spell didn't feel any better. He was somewhat safe until now. Since Voldemort couldn't defeat him in a duel due to their wands being twins. Now though, the man got another one and there was nothing to protect him from the evil man. He was hoping for the new weapon to be unsuitable for Voldemort, because Olivander said that the wand choses the wizard not the other way around. It was just wishful thinking.

"Ardoris pereptum!" the dark wizard shouted. "Fire, destroy!"

Huge flames attacked Harry. He brought his hand up to protect his face and felt the flames burning his arm. He swallowed back the nausea caused by the pain though he felt his body weakening by the constant abuse and stress. From his pale face it was visible that he was searching for a solution.

"G-glaius!" he moaned to extinguish the fire that danced around on the edge of his clothes. The flames turned into ice, broke off and shattered on the ground like crystals. "La-lamina!" he tried to send blade-like pain towards Voldemort but the man deflected the spell.

"Contra Lamina!"

Harry cried out at first but after the third or fourth slashing pain he no longer had the strength to scream. He grunted and almost collapsed.

"Harry!"

"Harry!" people shouted behind him sounding rather scared.

"Protect yourself!" Neville shouted as he pushed his current opponent, Goyle, away.

The boy lifted his head and saw Voldemort's lips move to send another curse. With trembling hands, he raised his wand and whispered a 'Protego!'.

He acted just in time to stop the 'Obstructo!' that would have hit him head on.

For a moment, Harry wished he wasn't the Chosen One. He wished it was Neville; the boy was fighting so well now… He realized how selfish that thought was because Neville had to suffer through a lot of hardships in his life. He couldn't wish anything more on him. No, he had to do this personally… him alone…

He stood up whimpering.

"Is that all, Potter? Are you really the famous Chosen One?" Voldemort mocked him.

The students didn't understand what he meant by that.

"The Chosen One who will defeat me? A CHILD? I'm starting to believe it was a mistake to mark you that day! It would be so funny if your parents had to die in vain."

Harry felt his heart breaking. How dare he make cruel jokes about his deceased parents? With the edge of his torn clothes he wiped his dirty face and tearful eyes to see better.

"Rictusempra!" he shouted suddenly.

The spell pushed his opponent back a little but he planted his feet on the ground and didn't fall.

"Yes, Potter, come on! Let me see what you can do before I kill you! Stupor!"

Harry fell back and dropped his wand.

"Invito wan…"

However, the boy grabbed his wand before it flew to Voldemort and shouted his next curse while lying on the ground.

"Petrificus totalus!"

The man jumped out of the spells way and hid behind the statue. From there he threw a spell at the boy. Harry had never heard of it before.

"Strangulo!"

The boy was pulled up by the neck and his legs dangled half a meter above ground. The invisible hands squeezed his throat so hard he was afraid of his vertebrae breaking.

"Harry!" Parvati screamed.

He looked to the side where Dumbledore cornered a Death Eater. The headmaster seemed to notice that he was being watched and turned to him. He immediately waved his wand.

"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted in a deep, rumbling voice and his student was dropped.

Several people sighed when they saw Harry was still conscious though said boy felt he couldn't take any more. There was no point throwing curses; he kept getting weaker and weaker though the same couldn't be said about his opponent. He had to end this… now… so…

He struggled to stand up and clenched his wand as he looked up at the sky. He doubted it would work. He had so little strength left… it would be a small miracle…

With a soft sigh, he started chanting. A green circle already formed around him with a words in a strange language, illuminating his tormented face from below. His eyes shined with the same light.

"What's this?" Voldemort sounded surprised.

"A charm, My Lord!" one of his followers said wringing his hands. "Please, run away!"

"You don't think I'll run away just because of a spectacular charm?!" he snapped. "Get out of my sight, you coward!" he kicked him.

Draco looked at him stunned when he saw how the Dark Lord treated his followers. Even though the man only wanted to warn him of how dangerous the spell could be…

A strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. Hermione knelt on the ground, pulling him down with her and conjuring a shield in front of them. Draco was so engrossed in the events that he didn't notice a stray curse coming his way. He wanted to free his hand but the girl shouted at him angrily.

"Stay here! This'll be big!"

Meanwhile, Voldemort pushed his servants who wanted to flee away, even cursed a few of them. It was beneficial to Harry since it gave him time to gather his strength and clear his mind. More and more people turned towards him, stopping the tiring fight because they couldn't imagine what was coming. Even Dumbledore stared at the boy who felt the power in him rise… The power he used once half a year ago.

As he looked at Voldemort again, he suddenly seemed mature and old. An adult, an equal opponent… And that stunned the Dark Lord.

"You won't defeat me! Don't even think that!"

Pity appeared on Harry's face, further angering the man. Aimlessly, he sent a series of curses his way.

"Protego!" Lamerin shouted standing next to Harry. His friend looked at him gratefully.

The spells bounced back when they reached the shield.

"How dare you intervene?!" The Dark Lord shouted.

Seeing their leader was faced with more than one opponent, the most loyal Death Eaters drew their wand and stood next to him. Countless spells and counter spells clashed and suddenly Harry noticed that his still conscious friends were all next to him fighting.

"They're just kids! Kill them!"

"Hold on!" Neville shouted.

Harry glanced at his wand that shined brightly in his hand and pounded with power. He stretched it out towards Voldemort and yelled sharply.

"Dilapido confectum!"

The Dark Lord was rooted to the spot as the spell neared him and his only luck was the fact that his followers kept shouting 'Protego!' around him. He snapped out of it and used the same shield but felt the advancing spell was too strong. The Death Eaters next to him were hit one by one so he was left alone against the spell that looked like a raging fire.

"No!" he shouted and muttered a strange spell to protect himself. "You can't win!"

Then Neville, stepping on the green circle around Harry, sent an unusually strong spell at the man. His classmates all looked at him and finally Voldemort realized too.

"You're the other one!" he groaned.

But his strength left him so Harry's curse sent a devastating blow. He screamed in pain and smoke came out of his body like he was burning in the fires of hell.

Harry's body jerked. He couldn't specify where, but it felt like a disease that ate away at him for more than a decade finally lifted.

The curse exhausted him, so when he ran out of strength it also vanished. Voldemort stood there breathing hard and bloody all over before falling over. Hoping for success, Harry looked at him but his breath caught when the man's fingers moved. The terrified Death Eaters reached under his arms and fled. Not caring about dignity they dragged his body after them.

"No!" Harry lunged forward.

Lamerin caught him by the waist to stop him but he freed himself.

"No! They can't take him!" he shouted desperately. "Then everything was in vain…"

One of the Death Eaters who noticed the boy running after them sent a torturing spell towards Harry.

"Crucio!"

"No!"

The girls shouted behind him while the boy writhed in agony but the others disarmed the attacker and the spell stopped. Harry fell on his stomach as his strength left him.

Those who still had the ability to run went after the fleeing Death Eaters but they disappeared with a makeshift Portkey quickly.

There was nothing left just the destruction they caused. People slowly started to come out of their shocked state and tended to the wounded. Dumbledore took action too. He conjured a stretcher under everyone still lying on the ground and sent the phoenix off to ask for help and healers from St. Mungo's.

Harry however, stayed on the ground and his friends started to get worried. Finally, the boy moved.

Feeing destroyed, he tried to stand up but couldn't manage getting off his knees. He was crying and coughing at the same time as his shoulders shook with sobs. With his bloody hands he gripped the ash under him and clutched it helplessly. He sniffed loudly in despair.

"I did… everything…" he stammered like a little child. "I was here and… did everything… I could but… but… It didn't work!" he coughed again because the ash irritated his lungs. They still couldn't extinguish the fire in the village.

"We… were all here… and fought together… but still…! We couldn't… defeat him…! We will never… defeat him… All these people…" he looked to the side with tears in his eyes. "…died… senselessly…"

The adults still conscious looked at him with pity. Many of them felt shame for expecting a miracle from a sixteen-year-old student. A miracle only he could do. They expected him to put aside his conscience, his innocence and kill somebody that the adults couldn't do. Now that he was sobbing on the ground he looked so much like a little child…

Ron wiped his eyes and looked at Lupin who he held in his arms since the ropes were taken off. The man leaned into him and cried silently.

Hermione, sitting next to Draco, buried her face in her hands. The blond boy looked blankly at the others; the wailing villagers weeping next to their loved ones. He had never seen such devastation; he had never felt… such pain.

Lamerin walked towards his father in a daze when he saw the twins. He collapsed to the ground next to them helplessly and stared blankly ahead like his heart was ripped out of his chest. Four or five Death Eaters lay around the boys. The same thing happened. The same as with their uncles. The Prewetts died heroically too…

"Oh, guys…" Lamerin moaned weakly. "Don't you leave me too…!"

He fell on the two corpses and heard a sharp 'Ouch!' from below. He jumped up to see what happened.

"Merlin's beard! You're alive?" he cried out hopefully. "God, you're alive…!" some happiness filled his heart when he saw the two boys, although week, but still breathing. "Headmaster!" he shouted. "Please, help!"

Charlie limped over to Ginny and wiped her muddy and wet face. He held her like a fragile doll as to not cause further harm.

"She's alive, Bill…" he whispered to his brother who lay beside him covered in both sweat and blood.

Despite all this, Harry kept crying. Neville stepped to him and knelt down beside him as he touched his shoulder. The boy looked up and was met with an encouraging face.

"It's okay, Harry."

He patted his friend's dirty hair and looked up at the headmaster with a smile when the man appeared on the boy's other side. Harry followed him with his eyes.

"Professor Dumbledore," he choked and staggered to his feet.

"It's alright, son. You can cry now…"

Harry hugged the old wizard's waist and continued crying.

In the middle of the smoke and ash, a faint, Patronus-like mist appeared. It changed shape and started spinning rapidly forming a human form. First, arms and legs appeared then the torso that connected them and a head. The figure first appeared pale then the colors became brighter until the final contours of Sirius Black came into focus…