AN: Trying to really keep on this story and keep on the role I've been going since I managed to finish up the last chapter. This is a bit shorter chapter than I normally do, but it's the calm before the storm. Only a few chapters left for this story. Let me know what everyone thinks and thanks for your support throughout this whole endeavor.

Chapter 18

"Come on! You're ten seconds behind your previous time. Speed it up!" Jason called out and Maddy came running up, breathing hard, huffing. "Alright, fifty pushups and we're done!" Jason said, getting down and starting to knock his own out while she followed at a much slower pace.

They were three weeks in, and the morning exercise was still the least favorite part of all three girls' mornings, but they couldn't deny that they were getting faster and stronger, something which would help them with duels.

Jason finished the last of his pushups and stood up. "Come on, Maddy, let's go."

Despite her exhaustion, she continued to push herself, finishing up the pushups, showing the determination that all three girls had been showing over the first three weeks.

**HP**

"Think broader! Transfiguration is only really limited by your imagination," Alicia said to Gabby. "Transfiguration is also your best defense against the most destructive of spells. Focus your power, and make those transfigurations and conjurations faster and stronger."

"I'll get it, Alicia," Gabby said firmly. "Let's go again."

"Alright, get ready," Alicia said. "Depulso!"

"Ejice murum lapideum!" Gabby shouted, and a stone wall quickly appeared, taking the spell.

**HP**

"Becca, you need to focus more on the details," Isabelle scolded. "You're getting the image correct, but you keep forgetting the things that truly bring illusions to life. The smell, the presence, the sound, the movement! Use Occlumency to help you get the details correct."

Becca nodded. "I'll do better."

"Good, now bring up that pine tree," Isabelle said.

**HP**

"Work together, you three," Isabelle called out. "If you can stand up to Jace and Alicia, you can stand up against anyone!"

Maddy conjured a wall, which took two curses from Jace and Alicia, destroying the wall. Becca transfigured the floor near Jason and Alicia into quicksand, hampering their movement while Gabby launched a volley of advanced stunners.

Alicia raised a shield taking the spells, while Jason turned the quicksand into water which he then pulled into a wave and launched back at the trio of girls. Becca countered the water by turning it to fog, hiding the girls from sight as another volley of stunners and a volley of disarming charms flew from the mist.

Jason and Alicia dodged the spells, when the mist turned to ice and launched at them in crystalline chunks. Alicia created a wall of fire which absorbed the ice while Jason shadow traveled behind the girls. Becca turned to meet him while Maddy and Gabby condensed behind Becca's ability to protect them and continued launching spells at Alicia.

Jason smiled, proud that all three girls had sensed his movement as he deflected a lightning bolt and shadow traveled back to Alicia's side.

"Alright, love, let's see how they like it up at the next level," Alicia said with a grin that showed just how much fun she was having.

**HP**

Jason, Alicia, and Isabelle watched their three protogees happily chatting with their family, enjoying their free day. Early on, the girls had all attempted to study on their own over their free day, but now eight condensed months later, they'd learned exactly why their three teachers had told them to take the rest of their eighth day.

"I may not have seen them do any magic, but just in the movement and bearing, you can tell how much they've grown," Harry said, approaching them with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. "Do you think they'll be ready?"

"Rebecca will be ready for nearly any opponent except Riddle," Jason said confidently. "Someone like Regulus will be on the edge of her ability. Truthfully, she should probably avoid someone of that caliber, but she can at least compete. Even with one more condensed month, I'm not sure I like the idea of her trying to fight an inner circle member, but she'll be able to handle herself."

"What about the other two?"

"They're certainly capable of handling themselves in battle or at least as much as anyone can be who hasn't actually experienced it. If they fight as a group, they're capable of taking on nearly anyone," Alicia said. "How go things out here?"

"We're almost ready," Harry said. "Riddle's army is collapsing around him, and many of his followers are reading the signs. The North and South American resistances have completely retaken their countries with all of the Dark Lord's followers either dead, captured, or in hiding. China and Russia have also retaken their countries and are starting massive campaigns to help their surrounding neighbors. Russia helped secure Mongolia and China secured North Korea and are continuing to push."

"As planned, our magical D-Day happened a week ago and five thousand members of the various American resistances arrived via ship in France and Spain and have started striking against Riddle's forces. Concurrently, another five thousand went around and are moving through Italy, while three thousand Russian fighters are moving into Belarus and Ukraine," Ginny continued. "Here in England, the werewolves have been gathered and are ready and honestly looking forward to their parts. The Order is training and prepared and we've got a discreet watch on Crouch and any who seem to follow him to stop them from interfering with our plans again. Severus is ready and Ileana has agreed to bring fifty of her fighters to help us, so in one week, we'll strike hard and do our best to decimate Riddle's forces."

"We're so close to the end," Jason muttered.

"The real question is what happens when it's over," Ginny said with a sigh. "I'm so ready to get home . . . but despite how unhappy I was for us to be here, I will miss some of the people here."

"I'm sure we can come visit," Isabelle said. "Now that we know how to get here. We just need to be discreet so that people don't realize we're capable of hopping between dimensions. Some of the people from here might enjoy seeing our world . . . to see what might have been, just as we got to see what might have been."

"We all need to survive an attack on Hogwarts first," Jason muttered. "I'll admit that I'm nervous. On one hand, the Death Eaters won't be expecting an attack on their headquarters, but it's magical protections are still formidable. Not to mention that Severus won't be able to kill the basilisk, so Riddle can use it against us."

"Still, with Severus poisoning the morning breakfast and taking out Nagini, they should be slow to react, which will clear us to hit the six locations we have planned, and then they might have emptied out by quite a bit by the time we attack Hogwarts. If everything goes as planned, Riddle will be double checking his horcrux locations while we take Hogwarts," Harry said.

"And if it doesn't go as planned?" Albus's voice came, and they turned to see their old headmaster.

"Then we fight and hope we have the strength to prevail," Harry said quietly.

**HP**

"Alright everyone, we all know what success or failure means," Harry said, looking around the room to see the various leaders, team leaders, and representatives for the various groups that were coming together for this last offensive.

Representing the werewolves, much to most of the Order's disgust, was Greyback and his two lieutenants, Scabior and Carthage. Surrounding them (more to keep the peace) were the various team leads of Harry's dimension traveling friends: Alex, Jason, Isabelle, John, and Katie. Next to Alex and Jason were Ileana and her two chosen lieutenants, Tomas Santiago and Calie Benedita. Lastly were the various Order sect leaders which included Albus, James, Bill, Amelia, Crouch, Oliver Wood, and Alicia Spinnet, who had become a leader among the former slaves in the Order.

Ever since the Order had recruited and taken in the various people they'd helped, Crouch, Wood, Spinnet's and Amelia's factions had risen, while the Potters, Weasleys, and Albus's groups had not grown and only shrunk with losses.

"Get on with it, boy," Greyback rasped out. "Just give us the information."

He got various glares from around the room, but Harry just nodded in agreement.

"We're hitting six locations tomorrow," Harry started. "Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, the two Quick Reaction Forces, and the two Slave Auctions that are occurring tomorrow. Diagon Alley is the main target. Half of the Order is going to attack Diagon Alley, and secure it so that myself and three others can retrieve Riddle's horcrux from Gringotts. Rumors are that the goblins are close to revolting themselves, so I'm hoping we might be able to talk ourselves into the vault, but if we can't, we'll improvise and get there like we did last time. The idea is to get as many of our lesser known members into the Alley before the attack so that we will have surprise on our side and be able to ambush many of the Death Eaters present. Those who can Shadow Travel will enter the Alley that way once the fighting has broken out while the rest of the fighters will go through the main entrance. Any questions so far?"

Harry looked around and saw none so he continued.

"The other half of the Order is attacking the Slave Auction that is being held in Holyhead. The main function is to wipe out the Riddle's forces and free those enslaved. John, Sarah, and Sirius will accompany the rest of the Order members. Similar to Diagon Alley, the idea is to move in quietly, almost like those planning to either participate or observe. Those who are too noticeable will move in when it's time to attack and start the ambush, hopefully drawing the focus on the Death Eaters present, allowing those already at the Auction to strike from behind."

"Greyback and his men are going to hit the QRF sites and Hogsmeade," Harry said, causing several voices of protest and he raised his hands, drawing silence. "They are all areas where we need to cause maximum damage and cause maximum casualties. Greyback and his pack's reputation speaks for itself. Jason and Alicia will accompany one of the groups to help deal with the dementors. Isabelle and three others will accompany another, and Alex and two others will accompany the third."

"Why are you giving some of our strongest fighters to the werewolves if they are supposed to be the best men and women for the job of wiping out Riddle's forces?" Crouch demanded.

"It's part of the agreement for their support," Harry said. "We're providing them aid with their targets just like they're providing us help in ending the war."

Crouch frowned in disagreement, which was echoed by others but at least Greyback stayed uncharacteristically silent, nodding at Harry's words. Perhaps proving he was going to keep his word was enough to have Greyback keep his.

"Lastly, Ileana and her fighters, accompanied by Katie and two others will take out the other auction being held in Puddlemere. For all forces not in Diagon Alley, once your missions are complete, you'll apparate to a location in the Forbidden Forest, who's apparition coordinates will be given and wait until Diagon Alley's mission is complete. Once it is, we'll move on to take Hogwarts and one way or another, this will end at Hogwarts. If there are no questions, everyone is dismissed and you should all enjoy your night before tomorrow."

**HP**

"I can't believe this could all be over tomorrow," Rebecca said, as the various members of their extended family joined together to have their one last night of calm before the storm. Present were all the dimension travelers as well as the Potters, Blacks, Weasleys, Lupin, and Tonks. "This fight has been going on my whole life."

"It's not over yet," Harry said, "and it won't be over even with a victory tomorrow. Riddle will hopefully be defeated, but the fight won't be over. I highly doubt we'll capture or kill every Death Eater tomorrow . . . we didn't in our world, and while some might try to rejoin society and plead for forgiveness, many will continue as they are and try to regain control. That doesn't even factor in the rest of the world where war is still raging in many countries."

"I know that," Rebecca said, "but tomorrow really could be the end of the tyrant . . . and it will lead to the end of his empire. Tomorrow could really be the start of freedom for my world."

"It could be," Alex agreed.

Rebecca's face held a mixture of joy and sadness. Harry glanced around and noticed it reflected in Gabby and Maddy.

"What's wrong, dears?" Molly asked, noticing the sadness and being ever the mother, though Harry could see Lily and Marlene had only been a second too slow in asking themselves.

All three girls exchanged glances before it seemed Rebecca had been chosen as their spokeswoman.

"Well, it will be great for all to be over," Rebecca said slowly before glancing at the various dimension travelers, "but we're really going to miss all of you."

Gabby and Maddy both nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow won't be the last time you see us," Isabelle said with a smile. "We know how to travel between our two dimensions. You can visit us, and we can visit you."

"But it won't be the same!" Gabby protested. "We're going to be busy trying to rebuild our world, and you guys will be getting back to your lives, as you deserve. When will any of us have time?"

"Gabby, we'll make time," Jason said simply. "Life is always busy, and it always will be. Yes, your world will be busy and we have much to do in our own world, but that does not mean that we won't visit. Yes, you won't see us every day, and we'll miss you too, but perhaps a weekend here or there or a holiday every now and then, you can come visit us or we'll visit you."

"Promise?" Maddy asked, sounding more childlike than any of the dimension travelers had ever heard. Her fathers death had shaken her, and while her family had helped, the dimension travelers were also big influences on the girls finding some measure of peace.

"Promise!" Katie answered for Jason. "You three better come visit me."

All three girls grinned and nodded at her, and slowly everyone in the room started to relax and enjoy themselves, conversation varying between small groups. Harry was happy to see that Remus and Tonks seemed inseparable and finally seemed at peace with each other. The three Blacks and two elder Potters likewise seemed inseparable.

"What are you two going to do when we finally get back?" Harry asked Jason and Alicia, as he had just got done talking with the two sets of Weasley twins, and he found himself next to the couple.

"We're thinking of taking a break from taking any contracts," Alicia answered. "We were thinking about taking a long vacation and finally learning how to make enchanted clothing."

Ginny laughed. "That's just like you two. You both deserve a break though. I think that's a grand idea." She turned to Harry. "Maybe you can talk Kingsley into giving you more time off, despite having been gone these past months. I'm sure my spot with the Harpies is gone, so I probably am free too. We could take our own vacation."

"That does sound nice," Harry admitted.

"While on our vacation, we're going to take a good look at how we pick our contracts," Jason admitted. "We both agree we'd like to avoid combat for a while. We're even thinking about taking teaching jobs if we can find them. Working with Becca, Gabby, and Maddy has been a blast."

"Ooh, are the great Jason and Alicia Witcher ready to settle down?" Ginny asked with a mischievous grin.

Alicia laughed. "I'm not sure about that, but we do both agree that we need to think a bit more about our futures."

Harry fondly looked around the room, taking in his various friends and family, knowing that tomorrow could very well be the last day he sees many of them.

**HP**

Rebecca and Maddy were curled up with their mom on a couch, as the evening was starting to come to an end.

"I love you both, so much," her mum whispered to them. "Be careful tomorrow. For me."

"We will, mum," Maddy answered, looking tearful. "You won't lose us . . . and we're not losing you."

"Tomorrow we accomplish what you and dad have worked so hard to do," Becca responded firmly. Tomorrow they will finally get justice.

**HP**

Lily smiled at her husband who was looking more at peace than she'd seen since their son had died.

"Tomorrow, one way or another, we avenge them, Lils. Tomorrow, they didn't die for nothing," James whispered to her, and she nodded in agreement, knowing she was mostly referring to Harry and Sirius, the two losses that hurt the most.

"We just need to make sure that both Harry and GInny survive tomorrow," Lily responded. "I'm not watching him die again, and I'm not going to see the pain he'd feel after losing Ginny. No matter what happens to us, they survive tomorrow," she said firmly and James nodded with a smile.

"Agreed."

**HP**

Severus moved through the corridors, nearing his target, wanting to get close enough that he wouldn't miss, but he didn't want to approach too closely. Nagini was slithering down the hallway, away from where many of the Death Eaters and their families that now resided within the castle were going for breakfast. Death Eaters avoided Nagini ever since she'd eaten a newer recruit that had gotten too close. The fact that Voldemot had only been amused had only ensured that nobody went too near the great snake.

Today was his last day as a spy. He'd spent the past months brewing his poisons that he'd imperiused several of the castle's residents to put in this morning's breakfast. By the time the attacks were happening, many of the castle's residents that had partaken in certain foods or drinks would be affected. Not all would die, but he was certain a fair few would, and even more would be mentally hindered during the attack on Hogwarts.

The snake turned towards him, hissing menacingly, and Severus sneered, feeling joy from this task as he quickly sent three cutting curses at the beast which swiftly removed the head from its body. He felt extreme satisfaction watching the body writhe and black mist rise up from the body.

"I really should thank you for doing that," a voice cut through the silence and Severus's satisfaction and he turned around to see one of the few beings that Severus truly feared. The man they said was Death incarnate. Jason Lestrange formerly known as Jason Witcher.

In England, most feared the Lestranges or the Malfoys, or Crouch Jr., or the Dark Prince, also known as Regulus Black, and while those were all fearsome witches and wizards, the Lestranges and Crouch specifically due to their madness and sadism, among the Death Eaters, there were two that were feared more. Jason and Isabelle Lestrange.

The dimension travelers had never asked Severus exactly how this man and his sister had become part of the Dark Lord's slaves, though he suspected they had an idea, but what they didn't know was just how twisted the two had become at the hands of the Lestranges.

When they had been taken, they had been so young and thought of as merely playthings. The two Witchers had been tortured by Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastana, and Barty Crouch Jr, among others nearly daily until they'd been old enough to attract other unsuitable desires . . . something that had come much earlier than anyone should like. From then on, the two siblings had been nothing but toys to torture, rape, and repeat. It hadn't taken long for most rational thoughts to leave them . . . or so everyone had thought.

Instead, when the boy was nine and the girl seven, when five men and four women had come to 'play' with them, the two had used an incredible display of wandless magic to break all the bones in all the men and women's bodies, castrate the men and force the severed genitalia down each man's throat . . . people weren't completely sure whether the men died from blood loss or asphyxiation. The four women had also had their tongues cut off, and their wombs magically ripped out of their bodies and had then been skinned alive.

Snape had seen the aftermath . . . it had not been pleasant. The Dark Lord of course at the time only saw two powerful subjects to add to his army and had then instructed them to be truly adopted by the Lestranges and taught. The two children had become a conundrum after that. They had clearly hated the Lestranges, but respected their power. They clearly seemed rather remorseless in all they did, and yet seemed to take no pleasure in pain. If anything, many thought their proficiency in the Mind Arts was so that they could rip whatever they wanted out of people's minds without needing to torture them. However, death they reveled in, and as their powers grew, even the Dark Lord, though he would never admit it, seemed to worry about them.

It hadn't been long before he had sent them off to fight in his wars abroad, but that had only caused even more to worry about them, for the constant warfare seemed to have only hardened whatever beliefs they seemed to have. Death Eaters, after conquering a town or village, were known to rape and murder muggleborns, and muggles depending on the size of the town, and then would rape and murder halfbloods depending on their attractiveness and disposition and how much of a fight had been given. It's why most either didn't fight or they fought as hard as they could.

One village, Duong Lam in Vietnam, had been putting up an impressively good fight, even managing to push back the Dark Lord's forces when the two Lestranges had arrived. The two had then reportedly killed sixty men and women themselves, taking the village and rallying the Dark Lord's focus. However, when the Death Eaters started their normal revels, Jason and Isabelle, had killed all Death Eater's who partook, something that might have earned them gratitude from the Vietnamese, despite their conquest, however they then felt all who had been raped, needed to die to save them from their pain and murdered them as well. This then continued as they murdered the families and friends of all those 'affected' which unsurprisingly ended up being the entire town. When all was said and done, the two Lestranges had murdered sixty Death Eaters and nearly five hundred Vietnamese men, women, and children, magical and otherwise, most of whom hadn't even realized what was happening until it was too late. From then on, they had effectively been banished from England, and were only sent to large battles or when it seemed the Dark Lord's forces were incapable of winning, for everyone knew that if they showed up, all would be subjected to death, and while the Dark Lord didn't necessarily care about the loss of people, he did want to rule, not have an empty world.

"I was thinking I was going to have to deal with all of the old man's trinkets myself, but if you're revealing yourself now, it tells me that this must be one of the last. I suspect I'll hear about an attack on Diagon Alley quite soon," Lestrange said with a smirk, his eyes showing no warmth or hint of amusement.

"You were planning to challenge the Dark Lord?" Severus asked, his hand gripping his wand tightly, knowing that before him was one of the few he would struggle to fight.

"Oh yes, he must pay for what he did to my sister, him and everyone else," Lestrange said with a dangerous scowl before his expression lightened. "Did my dimensional counterparts tell you about the bastard's horcruxes?"

Severus's eyes widened, despite his occlumency skill. Nobody in the Dark Lord's organization knew about the dimension travelers . . . or at least nobody else did.

"I thought so," Lestrange said with a nod and a manic grin. "Izzy and I sensed them when we engaged them that first night we were back in country. It explained how so many powerful witches and wizards had just suddenly sprung up in the middle of England to challenge the Dark Lord. They're very powerful, perhaps even more powerful than me. It was interesting to see, but they'll pay too, but in a different way."

"Oh?" Severus said, trying to buy time and think what he would do.

"Oh yes, I assume it was one of them who dealt the killing blow to my sister, and they will pay for that," Lestrange said coldly, "just as the rest of this world will pay. Riddle's reign is over. That is easy to see. Now it is time for me to do as my sister and I planned."

"Which is?" Severus asked, knowing this information could be very important.

"Provide peace to this war torn world," Lestrange said simply, and Snape felt his body chill further. "Everyone has suffered, and it is time for everyone to find peace. I'll use this little war here to further kill fighters on both sides. Then, I'll show my truth to my counterpart so he can do the same back in his own world. I had never really thought about other dimensions, but now I know I will be able to continue my work once I've cleansed this world."

"What makes you think your counterpart will come around to your way of thinking?" Snape asked warily, inching back slightly.

"Oh, I'll get my revenge on him by killing his sister and his wife," Lestrange said simply, and Snape felt surprise shoot up again, and Lestrange smirked. "I could Sense the marriage bond. Whoever he married is a very gifted witch. It's a shame to kill her, but she must pay, and with both of their deaths, my counterpart will lose control and easily be pointed in the direction of my truth . . . the only truth. Now, we really need to end this conversation. As I said, I should thank you for killing Nagini. Now I can continue working from within Riddle's forces and rightly blame her destruction on you. I've always respected you, and did appreciate when you would give us pain relief potions when we were younger and even helped Izzy avoid baring a child to any of those monsters, so to show my gratitude, I will kill you quickly before I apply the signs of torture I need to send the proper message. It will be painless, so you need not worry."

Snape scowled. "Getting ahead of yourself. I have no intention of letting you kill me."

Lestrange chuckled. "I know you're a remarkable wizard, Severus, much more gifted than many in this castle realize, but I can assure you," he said with a cold grin. "It would be easier for you to simply let me kill you painlessly."

Severus nonverbally launched three blasting curses which Lestrange easily deflected and Severus quickly turned and ran, launching a cutting curse back over his shoulder only for Lestrange to appear in front of him. Severus launched two explosive curses only for Lestrange to roll under them and then Severus felt his wand arm sever from his body as Lestrange launched a lightning fast cutting curse.

Severus gasped, falling back, trying to wandlessly call his wand, but it was useless as his wand burned to a crisp. He looked up at the man approaching him slowly, feeling fear, knowing that this was the end of him, knowing he wouldn't be able to tell the Order about Lestrange's plans.

"Don't worry," Lestrange said, his dark eyes showing nothing. "The pain is only temporary. Avada Kedavra!"