oooOOOoooOOOooo Chapter 37
The three newlyweds made their way down to lunch the next day with joy in their hearts. The crowded table full of friends and family cheered for them when they appeared.
Sirius had to tease them. "Finally decided to come up for air, did you?"
Harry, Hermione, and Gabrielle blushed but they didn't stop holding hands. They sat at the head of the table with Gabrielle and Hermione on either side of Harry.
"I'm starved," said Harry.
"You need to keep up your strength. This adventure is just beginning," said a grinning Sirius.
Harry looked curiously back at them all.
"Hurry up and eat and you'll see what we mean," said Lya with an anticipatory grin. She and Sirius had worked on a fabulous prank for the entire family.
Everyone finished their meal and gathered together with their luggage to go to their next destination.
"Does everyone have a hand on the portkey?" asked Jean Claude. He had also made time to take this trip with his family.
Everyone agreed they did. The portkey activated and spun them all through space until they landed hard in the sand. A quick round of pepper-up potion and stomach soothing lollies and they were ready to explore the new location they found themselves in.
"Are we on a deserted island?" asked Harry, curiously. They were on a huge island with beaches that stretched as far as the eye could see. They saw a lovely tropical forest behind them, filled with flowers and tropical birds. The beach was otherwise empty and serene.
"We're on Black Island," said Andromeda, looking around fondly.
Sirius and Lya exchanged a glance and grinned. They both reached in their pockets and lifted their hands to throw what looked like glitter in the air. It landed on everyone and everything within sight.
Suddenly, a dance floor and a buffet table appeared. There was a long picnic bench and colorful decorations all over the place. The Wizarding Wireless started to play and everyone's clothes turned into fun, comfortable beach attire, even the almost eight month old boys.
Food appeared on the buffet and happy elves in grass skirts and Hawaiian shirts popped around everywhere, yelling surprise. A glittering banner with "Congratulations Potters" appeared over the dance floor with little explosions of fireworks going off all over the sky.
Harry laughed. Hermione spun in a circle to look at everything at once. Gabrielle hopped on Padfoot and Lya, giving them a strong hug. Everyone else cheered and moved to get in line for the buffet or the conga line. There were some odd 40 people with them all. Padfoot laughed and set up the travel trunk he had purchased for this little adventure. It was a hotel in a fancy looking trunk. He hoped they'd get much more use out of it in the future.
The next 10 days passed by in a haze of family, friends, and love for Harry Potter. He woke up each day, thankful for the people that now filled his life.
He woke up on the last day at his island paradise with bitter sorrow in his heart. He didn't want to go back to England.
Harry went down to breakfast to find only Sirius and Bill already awake.
"I don't want to go back there," said Harry with an angry sneer.
Sirius and Bill exchanged a look. "We don't blame you, pup," was all Sirius could say.
Harry grunted and sat moodily down to breakfast.
Finally, evening time rolled around and everyone had to leave.
Harry held his boys and glared at nothing. He took a deep breath and let it go. He passed Julius and Jameson to Hermione and Gabrielle. They all had one more kiss and hug from Harry before he backed off.
"I'll see you again so soon, lads. Da loves you," said Harry. He looked at Gabrielle and Hermione with heartbreak in his eyes. They rushed forward to hug and kiss him again.
They didn't want to let go.
"Come on, kid. We're only got 20 seconds," said Moody, reluctantly.
Jean Claude put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Your victory is nigh, son. We will support you. This is almost done."
Harry nodded and separated himself from Hermione and Gabrielle. Bill, Fleur, Dumbledore, Fred, George, Angelina, Moody, Rosmerta, Markus, and Kingsley were already waiting with a hand on the portkey. Harry reached out and touched the old dirty shoe and with one last look of love, he disappeared.
They arrived with a pop in the Headmaster's office of Hogwarts.
They sat in silence for just a moment after Harry's sudden sob. He got control of himself but refused to look at anyone.
"Soon, my boy. It won't be long now," said Dumbledore, soothingly.
Harry nodded but didn't answer. He got his broom and went out to the pitch to fly away his sadness. It didn't work.
Still, all was not dark and depressing. After classes one week before the last task of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry finally found what he was looking for.
"This is it!" he shouted as he stood up quickly.
"What?" asked Bill, who had been studying an ancient text beside Harry.
"This is how I'll end the death eaters, too," said Harry viciously.
He showed the group that was studying in Harry's private library the book he was looking at.
Bill whistled. "This just might do," he said.
"Or it will backfire and suck the magic out of your own vassals," said Fleur, who was looking disturbed at the page on the book.
"Harry won't let that happen," said a confident Moody. He was reading the book page upside down.
Narcissa was sitting at the next table, quietly listening.
"What is it?" asked Fred and George together.
"The spell that will suck the life and magic out of Voldemort and will suck the magic out of anyone he's connected to," said Harry.
"Is that dark magic?" asked Fleur.
"The exact opposite," said Bill. "It's pure light magic."
"I just have to get my wand to connect with Voldemort's. What's priori incantatem?" asked Harry.
"It's usually just a spell that shows what the last 24 hours worth of spellcasting are from a particular wand. But, if you have wands that are brothers, your wands will connect in a grid of pure light and pull the last dozen or so spells from your wand forcefully. With this modifier, it would also suck the life and magic out of the person whose wand is overwhelmed. It'll be a battle of pure will and magical strength," said Bill.
Narcissa smirked. She slipped out of her seat and went to make an important call.
"I'll see it done," said Harry, firmly. Everyone believed him.
The morning of the last task of the Triwizard Tournament dawned. Harry hadn't slept a wink the night before. He stared at his ceiling all night long, in his too-big lonely bed. If today was his last day, he swore he would take Voldemort with him. He wouldn't leave that bastard to come after his family again.
Harry jumped out of bed and threw on his basilisk hide robes, hat, cloak, and gloves. He was determined to live.
Harry walked like a terminator down the stairs of his home and out into the wider school. He didn't notice that Narcissa was missing.
"Wait for me!" called someone from behind him. Harry whirled, his wand in hand. Moody held up his hands. "Damn but you're fast."
Harry snorted and whirled back around, his wand out of sight before he took another step forward. Moody shook his head and hurried to follow the determined teen down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Harry looked around and spotted who he wanted to see, even though the Great Hall was mostly empty.
Harry marched right up to Madame Bones, who was standing with Dumbledore. The monocled woman turned and looked at Harry.
"What do you need, Lord Potter?"
"A minute of your time in private," said Harry, seriously.
Madame Bones glanced at Dumbledore and nodded. Harry turned and marched to the antechamber. Madame Bones, Moody, and Dumbledore followed.
When the door was shut and silencing charms put in place, Harry started to talk.
"I figured out how to defeat the death eaters, as well as that conniving bastard," said Harry.
"What did you find?" asked a curious Dumbledore. Harry pulled the book out of his pocket and handed it to the man. Dumbledore laughed and handed the book over to Madame Bones. She shook her head.
"This won't work," said the woman. "Your wands don't share a wood do they?"
"Not that I know of but they do share a core. We have feathers from the same phoenix," said Harry.
"You do?" asked Madame Bones, disturbed.
"They do," Dumbledore. "From my own friend, Fawkes."
"This could work," said Bill.
"It will," said Moody confidently.
"Only one way to find out for sure," said Madame Bones.
"I wanted to make sure you can find me when I face him. Is there some kind of alarm ward or something you can put on me? The girls can track me through my bracelet but I'm not sure if anyone else I can use that."
"I have a plan," said Madame Bones. "Let me go get something. I'll be right back."
Madame Bones left hurriedly. Harry paced in the tight confines of the room. Madame Bones and four aurors returned.
"Here," said Madame Bones.
"What is it?" asked Harry. Madame Bones opened the small box. A ladybug was inside.
"A bug," said the woman.
Harry gave her a distrustful look.
"It's a way for us to hear what you hear and track you no matter where you go. The bug will go right outside any wards and call for us. We should arrive right quick after that," said the woman.
Harry took the little bug. It started crawling out of the box and up Harry's arm. It tickled a bit but not enough to make Harry shake it off.
"If that's the best we have," said Harry, uncertainly.
"It's better than nothing," said Madame Bones. Harry sighed and agreed.
They went back into the Great Hall. Harry went to sit with the twins but he didn't have an appetite of his own. He just stared moodily out the window and wished Hermione and Gabrielle were here. Someone walked in the hall that made Harry feel much better.
"Father!" cried Harry. He stood up to hurry over to Jean Claude. Jean Claude was smiling when Harry approached. Someone couldn't keep their mouth shut.
"Pathetic the way people with no parents will cling to just anyone. Like a foreign politician could ever really care about a scar headed freak," spat Draco Malfoy. He was angry. He had no one left and that was a fact. Even his own mother had given custody of him up to someone else.
Harry turned, as mad as a red hornet.
"Shut up, ferret face. Just because no one loves you doesn't mean no one loves me," said Harry.
Draco gave Harry a look of hate but settled back down when Headmaster Karkaroff gave him a stern look. Harry stared at the boy, waiting for him to open his fat mouth again. It didn't happen.
Jean Claude frowned at Draco and turned Harry away from the vile person. Jean Claude's aurors kept a watch on him as Harry and Jean Claude walked away.
"Come, son. Let us leave the riff raff behind," said Jean Claude dismissively.
Jean Claude kept Harry busy until it was time to get ready to go down to the pitch.
The Weasley twins ran up to Harry as he walked across the grounds with Jean Claude, Fleur, Bill, Moody, Kingsley, and all of Jean Claude's aurors. They were just a small group in the almost two thousand people descending upon the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch.
"We got something for ya, Harry," said a grinning Fred.
"Something we think you'll appreciate," said a laughing George.
"What is it?" asked Harry, curious but also distracted.
"It's a map," said Fred with a wink.
"A map of what?" asked Harry.
"We took a page out of the marauders' book but made it a bit better," said Fred.
"How so?" asked Harry. George pulled out the map and tapped it, saying:
"Marauder Level Mischief Making."
The map spread out across the grounds of Hogwarts. As they walked, the map moved with them, showing a good 500 meters in every direction. Harry stopped and the map stopped moving. People flooded across it, entering and disappearing, each of their names showing up on the map as they flowed across it.
Harry started walking again and the map moved again. It showed the edge of the quidditch pitch, including part of the labyrinth in the center of the arena.
Harry gasped. The labyrinth moved and so did the map. He looked up at Fred and George in wonder. "You made this?"
"We did," agreed a proud George.
Fred whipped out three more copies of the map. "We have one each, too. We got one for Brother Bill, too, so he can keep an eye on things," said Fred.
"This is wicked," said Harry.
"This is excellent work," said Jean Claude as he studied the map in Harry's hands. "Will this work anywhere?"
"Unless they have wards that block it," said George.
"I'd like to buy ten of these, if I may. They would be invaluable for security situations," said Jean Claude. He looked ruefully at the twin teens. "I'd also like to know how to ward against them."
The twins looked at one another and nodded. "For you, no problem, but we won't be selling these on the open market," said George.
"They'd be too dangerous and it would become too easy for our pranks to be ruined," said Fred.
Jean Claude laughed. "Fair enough. We'll talk about it more later," said the smiling man.
They went up to the platform at the edge of the quidditch pitch, at the beginning of the maze. Ludo Bagman was waiting for them, as were the other champions, the headmasters, and the judges.
"Excellent, that's everyone, yes?" asked Ludo. "We can get started. This is a relay race through a labyrinth folks! We'll position the champions in the order they're chosen. The current rankings are Hogwarts with 56 points, Durmstrang with 51, and Beauxbatons with 50 points. Your team will get one minute of lead time for every minute they have above the last place contestants. Beauxbatons, you'll go last. Durmstrang will start one minute before you. Hogwarts will start six minutes before you. You must find your next teammate. The final three will race to see who reaches the cup first," said a grinning Ludo. He had put it all on lucky duck Potter to win.
"Now step up and pull your order. Go on now, everyone choose a number," said Ludo. He was cheating the only way he could. He'd make sure Potter was the last person to go for Hogwarts.
They drew their numbers. Fred, Fleur, and Ramanov would go first. George, Claudette, and Viktor would go second. Harry, Pierre, and Kazinski would go last.
"Excellent! Let's get this show on the road!" said Ludo. "Competitors in the second and third positions, please get on a broom with one of our volunteers. They'll help you get to your starting spot."
Harry climbed on a broom with a low level Ministry employee who flew him to a platform with a glass tube on top. Harry entered the tube and was locked in. He could see everything but he couldn't move out of the glass until George pushed the rune next to the landing pad below him.
Harry heard Ludo's voice. "And welcome ladies and gentle wizards to the final event of the Triwizard Tournament!" People cheered all over. Harry looked for Jean Claude and his friends. He found them directly behind the judge's table.
"The competition will get underway in 60 seconds! Everyone get ready for the final battle for the cup!" said the excited sportsman. Everyone cheered again. Harry could see Fred about a quarter of the way down the field from Harry. Beyond that, he could see the entrance to the labyrinth at the front directly under the judge's table. Huge screens showed everything that was going on inside the maze. Harry watched as the screens zeroed in on each of the competitors in turn before it lingered on Fred, Fleur, and Romanov.
Finally the final countdown began. "Five, four, three, two, one!" cried Ludo. A buzzer sounded and Fred took off inside the maze. Harry pulled out his map from his pocket. He watched as Fred turn a corner and run smack dab into a freezing hex that would literally freeze you in place. Fred took it down quickly and hurried off further into the maze.
Fred fought a minotaur for almost three minutes before he managed to trick the thing into ramming its own horns into the maze. It got stuck and Fred sprinted further into the maze.
Harry watched anxiously as Fred found himself turned literally upside down, his rose hanging around his ears, showing off his sexy dragonhide underwear. People whistled and laughed all over the stands. Fred just flexed his glutes in a jaunty rhythm while he worked to get himself down.
He finally fell in a heap. The buzzer sounded as Romanov ran into the maze for Durmstrang. Fred ran to George's location and stood in the appropriate spot and pushed the rune. Fred was sucked up into the tube while George jumped down. George examined the tube for a moment, then chewed a piece of gum. People in the crowd murmured. George didn't care. He stuck the gum to the glass tube and pulled. The glass popped and flew outward in a perfectly round circle. Fred hurried to climb out and run into the depths of the maze together.
Harry grinned. He felt better about things if the twins were together. They easily overcame a sphinx and not so easily fought a pair of Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts. They both came away from that badly burned but thanks to their utility belts, they had a cooling paste on them right away.
The buzzer rang again and Fleur ran into the maze. She didn't hesitate. She turned into a bird and lifted into the air. She flew over the maze towards her compatriot. A valkyrie met her in the air. The two women screeched and fought in the air. Fleur fought hard for a minute or two then cast a stunning spell that felled the other woman. Fleur landed a little worse for wear but gracefully beside her teammate's tube. She was sucked up into the tube while Claudette dropped down.
Romanov was struggling back near the entrance to the maze. He was caught in battle with another of Hagrid's pets, a yeti. He had let the beast hit him and now he was moving drunkenly on his feet, trying to get away.
Harry watched the map and saw Fred and George were getting close. They only had a cloud of laughing gas between them and Harry. Harry looked to see if he could find the cup while they approached. Harry frowned. He found the cup quickly but someone was in the center with it.
"Malfoy," hissed Harry. Harry could see the name beside the cup. He growled as the figure disappeared.
Fred and George rounded the corner just as Romanov found Viktor. Viktor took a page out of Harry's book and immediately summoned his broom. Harry saw the boy flip up above the maze walls, flying straight towards his last teammate. A pair of gargoyles flew up lighting fast to meet him. It was an aerial chase that led all over the pitch. Viktor just couldn't shake them so he had to outsmart them instead. He did a fast figure eight loop and the gargoyles crashed into each other. He was too late. By the time he shot back towards his last teammate, Harry was already on the ground.
Harry watched below him as the twins both pressed the rune together, then somersaulted out of the way. They crashed to the ground but managed to avoid the sucking tube.
"Come on," said Harry quickly. He led the way through the maze with his map out.
"There's a trap around this corner," said Fred. They turned the corner slowly. There was a bogart waiting. It turned quickly into their worst fears. Fred dead, George dead, Julius and Jameson dead, Hermione and Gabrielle dead.
Harry shook himself out of it. He had seen these kinds of tricks before.
"Riddikulus!" he shouted as he imagined Gabrielle rising as a zombie and doing the monster mash.
The beast screamed and ran. Harry led them quickly towards the cup as the last contestant entered the arena.
"We have to hurry!" said Harry. They came upon an acromantula and Harry just did not have the patience or the time. Their competitors were getting too close and Harry knew somehow, someway, Voldemort would be at the end of this maze. Harry slapped the acromantula with the most powerful shrinking charm he could manage. He ran past the thing when it became the size of a cockroach.
The twins were hot on Harry's tail. They arrived at the center of the maze and saw the gleaming golden cup. Harry skidded to a halt.
"Malfoy was here," said Harry.
Fred and George looked at one another and started casting spells.
"The cup is a portkey," said Fred.
Harry looked at it. He could feel it. This was it.
"I'm going to take it. It'll take me to Voldemort," said Harry.
"We're coming," said Fred and George in an eerie malevolent echo.
Harry thought hard. He pulled his invisibility cloak out. "Put it on and get behind something solid immediately. Don't interfere unless I'm losing. Just, get ready to catch the death eaters," said Harry. "I'm sure some of them will be there. Malfoy may be one," said Harry.
"We'll get him if he is," said Fred with vicious glee. The twins quickly got under Harry's cloak. Harry took a deep breath and reached out for the cup.
"On three. One, two, three," said Harry. They all grabbed the portkey together and shot through spacetime.
Harry fell to his knees and rolled. It was a good thing he did. A spell barely missed him. It looked vicious. He heard the rustle of grass beside him and saw an imprint big enough to be the twins behind a headstone.
Harry waited but no more spell fire followed. He conjured a mirror and looked up. He saw a dark cowl and light blonde hair.
"Malfoy," said Harry, angrily. He rolled to his feet and shot a stunner at the unmoving figure. They whirled out of the way in a fashion Draco Malfoy would have never managed.
The cowl slipped away.
"Narcissa?" asked Harry.
She scowled an insane look on her face. "You think you can harm what's mine, steal from me, and get away with it? I will make you pay for the harm you've done to me and my family," screeched the insane woman.
Harry rolled further away from the twins behind a large headstone. It was a mistake. Narcissa hadn't been trying to hit him. She was herding him. The large stone angel reached down and gripped him hard around the middle. Harry choked at the pressure but didn't drop the wand in his trapped hand.
Narcissa marched up to him and smacked him so hard it left the taste of blood in his mouth. "You belong to my lord but I will still see you pay with my own eyes. You may have stolen my name but I am still a Black. We always get our revenge," she swore.
Narcissa left Harry attached to the headstone and walked over to a small building. She floated a large cauldron very carefully. It appeared to be full of pure, sparkling water but the viscosity was off and the smell was foul. She set the cauldron down and lit the fire. Then she disappeared behind the building. She came out carrying a small thing that looked like a deformed and deceased baby.
"Potter, oh how the powerful are brought low, but you will aid me in my rebirth. Then, I'll kill you," said the little baby thing.
Harry could barely breath from the tight squeeze of the stone angel, holding him in place. "Riddle," was all he could choke out.
Voldemort cast a spell on him. Harry whited out for a moment. The pain was so great and his ability to breathe so restricted. Thankfully, the bastard was too weak to hold the spell for long. Harry panted as he hung in the angel's arms.
"Let's get this done. I want to take my revenge," said Voldemort.
Narcissa took the baby over to the water and put it inside gently. It sank to the bottom of the cauldron. She chanted.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will revive your son," said the woman. She cast a spell and a bone lifted out of the grave Harry was trapped upon.
"Flesh of the servant, willingly given you will revive your master," she said with a stone cold look on her face. She carefully cut off her pinky finger. She quickly cauterized the wound. She was panting as she said the next bit.
"Blood of the enemy, unwillingly given, you will revive your foe," she said. She gave Harry a look of malice and came over to him. She stabbed him in his left arm. Harry cried out as the knife hit bone. She jerked it back and took the knife to stir the blood into the cauldron in a complicated pattern.
The cauldron started to bubble rapidly. The liquid evaporated and left a man behind to rise from the dark depths of the large cauldron.
The figure stood. Narcissa brought him a robe and his wand that she had kept from when Pettigrew was captured.
Voldemort took the wand in hand. Red steam hissed from the end of the wand. Voldemort sighed. He turned and looked at Harry. He cast the spell on him one more time. Harry screamed as he felt the all over pain that lasted much longer this time, even though it was only a few seconds.
"Excellent. My wand is working perfectly and I feel divine," said the dark lord as he slipped on the acromantula silk robe Narcissa held out to him.
"Let me call my own to me, then we'll deal with you," said the dark lord dismissively. He turned to Narcissa.
"Your arm, my dear. You've earned your place among my chosen, just like your sister before you. We will free her tonight," said Voldemort.
"Yes, my lord," said Narcissa, demurely.
Voldemort cast a spell. Narcissa cried out as Harry's vassal mark was replaced with the dark mark. She sighed in relief to have the hated reminder of Harry on her body finally gone.
Voldemort laughed as the woman stood trembling but silent. He touched his thumb roughly to the mark staining her body. She cried out and he smiled. He touched his wand to her arm. She whimpered in pain and he licked his nonexistent lips. He grinned and his barely present nose turned into slits like you might see in a snake's face. Like the slits filling his red eyes.
"You return. Yet, many are missing. Some died in my service. Some are in prison. Yet some are alive and well and yet it took a person who was not one of us to see me returned to power. Why is that?" asked the terrifying man in a silent hiss of a voice.
The death eaters all started to grovel. Voldemort quickly threw several cruciatus curses around. He let up and let his crying subjects stand.
"You thought a child could vanquish me? I am immortal!" shouted the man. "I will show you today that Harry Potter is quite mortal. We'll sacrifice him to restore my soul to full power, bringing my eternal reign into fruition," said the insane dark lord.
He turned to Harry. He cast a spell and Harry flinched. He couldn't help it. He expected to die. Instead, he fell to the ground as the stone angel let go of him. He gasped in pain and coughed for several minutes. Harry stood. He saw Fred and George, their terrified faces exposed. Harry shook his head. He turned back to Voldemort and stood.
Voldemort laughed. "Good. Stand boy. Best to die on your feet. Now, we will duel. Bow to death, Harry Potter," said Voldemort.
Harry barely inclined his head as custom dictated. Voldemort didn't return the courtesy. He cast and Harry spun, shooting his own spell to meet Voldemort's. Voldemort gasped in shock when the spell backfired and connected to his wand, spinning an instantaneous web of light and magic around them.
Harry felt the space where the spells connected. He started to push. He needed his own spell to connect with Voldemort's wand if this was going to work.
Voldemort let a momentary flash of panic fall over him before he became angry. He felt the magical energy coming towards him and he didn't want to find out what would happen when it touched his own wand. He tried to let go or to apparate away but the vibration of the wands held his hand in a death grip around th stick, despite his deep desire to let go.
"You're weak, Potter! I will crush you!" screeched Voldemort as he pushed with all his will towards Harry.
Harry didn't respond. He just pushed harder. He could see death eaters falling to the ground all around him. The twins weren't wasting the distraction.
Harry saw the faces of Hermione, of Gabrielle, of Jameson, and Julius, and the rest of Harry's family and friends. He felt a burst of love and magic as he felt his deep desire to be with them all again. He pushed with a loud, guttural yell and the spark of the connected spells touched Voldemort's wand.
The vile dark lord screamed as the energy of his magic was drained hard and fast as the ghosts of the people he had killed climbed out of his wand. Frank Bryce, Lily Potter, James Potter, Dorcas Meadowes, Gideon and Fabien Priutt. They formed as full corporeal beings of light. As the energy drained more and more from Voldemort, his death eaters started to scream.
Their own magic was being drained out of their writhing bodies, one by one. It went on and on as more beings of light coalesced until four more people stood before them. The beings grew more solid and more colorful as first the magic and then the life drained out of the being known as Lord Voldemort.
Voldemort fell to the ground just as Harry felt a true, deep wish enter his heart as he looked at his parents who looked so solid they might be living, breathing beings standing before him. He wish with all his heart that Tom Marvolo Riddle was dead and that these people had lived.
The beings around them gasped as the spark of life lit within them once more. Magic rewarded Harry for his work. Death gave Harry a gift. Seven people would live once more because seven pieces of Tom Riddle had died. Seven lives not yet meant to be reaped were returned to the Earth. Harry saw his beloved parents. He smiled beatifically and immediately passed out.