I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

And now, a conclusion...

I may have dated myself a bit with that line. Hope people get a kick out of it. Also note it is 'a' conclusion and not 'the' conclusion of things. Also, I was terribly tempted to post Extended today for the funnies. I hope everyone has a good start to the week and have a lovely day! Enjoy!

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A Taste of Magic

106th Course – Once and For All

"Ladies and Gentleman, it is time for the third and final duel of the day. We are blessed to witness an exhibition duel between Quirinius Quirrell, Headmaster of Sanguis Verus Academy, and Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts!" Graves announced.

The crowd roared. While the vast majority had no knowledge of Quirrell or his skills, Dumbledore was a near-legendary figure to them. Most knew of him as the one that stopped Grindelwald and that he was incredibly talented in spellwork as it was. To see him duel in front of them all was something truly special.

Flitwick whistled softly, watching Dumbledore climb onto the dueling platform. "Stone me, he's serious."

"You can feel his intent," Amelia said with wary wonder. "It's coming off him in waves."

"Good," Ariana said approvingly. "About time he lets loose some and there's no finer target than that sod facing him."

Quirrell glared hatefully as he too climbed onto the platform. His eyes changed in hue, his skin crawling ever so slightly. He paced back and forth at his end of the platform, also seemingly eager for the duel to start. Dumbledore seemed completely composed in contrast. He stood there with one hand on his wand but was still otherwise, a benign smile on his lips. His eyes were blue and steady, looking at Quirrell with calm intensity.

"The rules for this duel are as follows," Graves said. "It ends only when one duelist capitulates to the other through verbal consent. Falling unconscious is not a form of submission." The crowd became deathly still when they heard that. "Any spells that are deliberately aimed to kill will be frowned upon and catalogued. Punishment will be hard and swift at the end of the duel if necessary," Graves said gravely. "Do I have your understanding, Gentlemen?"

"You do," Dumbledore said smoothly.

"Yes," Voldemort hissed.

"Are you ready?" Graves asked. After the two nodded, he swung his wand down. "DUELLUM!" and he immediately vacated the platform.

Dumbledore began moving before Graves finished leaving the platform. He traced forms with his wand and a burst of golden light conjured three statues made of gold: a human male, a centaur male, and a male house elf. The centaur galloped to the side, aiming with a bow and arrow while the human stood to one side and the house elf charged Voldemort.

Voldemort sneered, blasting the house elf statue aside and deflecting the arrow shot from the centaur statue. He shot a spell at the centaur statue, making it crumple to the ground as it began to tarnish and dissolve in front of them. He shot another spell at Dumbledore that was neatly blocked by the human statue and that too began to dissolve. He hissed in pain when the house elf statue tackled him bodily, slamming into his midriff.

"Just like Inky did," Remus said with a grim smile. "Love it."

Voldemort shouted and the house elf statue shattered into small pieces that Voldemort turned into a cloud of spikes. He shot them at Dumbledore, following them with several jets of burning light. Dumbledore swept his wand around and the sand on the platform came up, forming a wall. The wall of sand absorbed the spikes and the spells, shuddering and undulating under the assault.

Another gesture from Dumbledore and a focused stream of fire erupted from his wand. He aimed it at the sand wall and magic took the flame and sand, spinning them around and around until a round pane of glass was formed. Dumbledore then split the pane into two and sent one flying up into the air and the other went to one side.

Voldemort had not been idle during that. He incanted and threw his arm out violently. A line of spikes burst from the ground, the sand turned into black metal, and the path of spikes went straight for Dumbledore, spreading out and making a carpet of hideously barbed protrusions.

Dumbledore incanted swiftly and aimed his wand at the incoming spike trail. With a flourish, he twisted his wand and the spikes went all around him, leaving him standing in a clear space. They turned into a soft purple color and he sent them back to Voldemort with a wand flick. He then aimed at the floating glass at his side and a jet of bright light flew from his wand and into the glass.

Burning sunlight bathed Voldemort from on high, startling him and making him cry out. He looked up, squinting his eyes, and saw the first mirror, floating right above his head. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he dispelled his taken spike trail and then shattered the glass above. The light went out and the force of the blow traveled along the connection and shattered the glass beside Dumbledore too, making him jump to the side. Bellowing, Voldemort gathered the razor-sharp shards to him and he threw them at Dumbledore.

A series of flicks and incantations turned the hurtling shards back into sand and the particles were thrown about them. Dumbledore countered with a cloud of Bludgeoning Hexes, making Voldemort block some and dodge others, though a few broke the shield and hit him directly. Hissing in pain and anger, Voldemort conjured a globe of lightning and sent it at Dumbledore. It flew at him, leaving scorch marks in its path as bolts of lightning struck the ground.

Dumbledore shot it with a spell and the spell pieced the globe, absorbing it. Voldemort countered with the same spell and the two men were connected by a line of crackling energy and they both visibly pushed into the spell, forcing the opposite man to fight to stay upright.

The crowd cheered and shouted, astounded and enthralled by the magical display. The students from Sanguis yelled for their Headmaster though Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa were oddly reserved, looking on with intense concentration.

The Hogwarts group cheered for their Headmaster. Fawkes had joined them at the start of the duel and he trilled loudly, his voice a symphony of brass.

"I never knew he could duel like this," Primrose gasped, watching the two men fight.

"Albus is an accomplished duelist," Nicolas said, watching closely. "He usually does not indulge in it but that does not mean he is not capable."

Voldemort twisted his wand and the connection broke into a cloud of sparks and light. Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, he ran forward, throwing Cutting and Piercing Curses at Dumbledore. Dumbledore slapped them aside with jabs of his wand and cast a Rebounding Jinx in front of himself, making the last cutting spell bounce back at Voldemort. His eyes widened as Voldemort seemingly took the blow on purpose, the top of his robes parting violently.

No spray of blood came out however. Instead, something dark uncoiled from around his neck and a deep hiss filled the air. A sinuous form launched out from the opening in his robes and it grew in midair. The serpent opened its maw wide, gleaming fangs dripped with unknown liquid, and it tried to bite Dumbledore. Dumbledore managed to knock the snake away and leapt back to gain space. The snake pursued him and Voldemort cast a spell at Dumbledore's feet. The ground melted into a sticky morass and Dumbledore landed awkwardly, nearly falling. The snake lunged forward and it and Voldemort hissed in victory.

CRACK

Fawkes appeared in the dueling circle in a gout of flame and light, shrieking a war cry that sounded like war drums. The phoenix tackled the snake, latching his talons into the snake's face and beat his wings powerfully, dragging the snake away. The snake lashed the air with its body, hissing in pain and outrage but Fawkes was undeterred. He pecked and stabbed at the snake's head with his beak, screaming angrily.

Dumbledore gestured with his wand and the sticky ground became solid once more and he climbed to his feet, stable once more. Fully trusting Fawkes, he pressed the attack on Voldemort, launching spell after spell at the other man who was now on the back-foot, his hidden ace temporarily thwarted.

People watched on as there were two duels now: one between wizards and one between magical beasts. Both fights were turning even more frantic and violet. Fawkes managed to throw the snake to the side but a heavy tail nearly knocked him from the sky. As he flapped his wings hard, regaining his balance, the snake lunged and with gigantic jaws, swallowed Fawkes whole.

Everyone shouted, seeing the snake swallow Fawkes with Harry crying out loudly, jumping to his feet. They watched in horror as a long thin tongue licked the air and for a moment, the snake looked incredibly pleased with itself and it bunched its coils to resume its attack on Dumbledore. However, something made the snake pause and it had an almost comical look of confusion on its face before it screamed in agony. Its black scales were turning red from within and when it opened its mouth wide, flames shot out and Fawkes clawed his way out, covered in saliva and venom and spittle and shaking from outrage.

Fawkes flapped out and spun. With a resounding kick, the snake flew back and Fawkes spat on it, engulfing it in flames. The snake shrieked as it burned rolling before going still and turning into stone.

"No!" Voldemort shouted and he threw a bright green Curse at Fawkes who managed to dodge it, but only just. Dumbledore reached into his robe pocket and removed a vial. He bit the top off and threw a handful of something into it and threw it at Voldemort. A thick black liquid spilled from the broken vial and it clung to Voldemort, holding him in place and making him fall as it constricted, contorting his body.

"Fawkes!" Dumbledore called and the phoenix nodded, understanding. Fawkes flew up and hovered over Voldemort and opened his mouth. He began to sing but it was the most jarring, discordant, cacophony of noises that Harry or anyone had ever heard the magical bird make. It scraped and screeched, like a thousand nails of rusty iron scraped along a poorly made blackboard, making the spine shiver and the skin crawl. To the watchers, it was incredibly unpleasant with those close to the platform shying away.

To Voldemort, who was right under Fawkes, it was undiluted aural agony. He screamed but could not be heard screaming, and he writhed in place as the black goo held him down.

Dumbledore reached into another pocket and removed slim stone circles with runes etched on them. He threw them around Voldemort, making a large circle. He began to incant, unbothered by the cacophony of noise, and continued to chant in a smooth manner.

"What's so funny?!" Sirius asked. Drake, Nicolas, and Perenelle had started laughing when they recognized the spell that Dumbledore was casting. "What's Albus doing?"

"Oh my, he is so dramatic sometimes," Drake said, wiping tears of merriment away. "I love it. What a treat to see this today."

"He is casting a very tricky and very old spell," Nicolas said, deeply amused. "It actually has the roots of one of the ones you call Unforgivables, the Imperius Curse."

"He's casting an Unforgiveable, here?!" Amelia squawked.

"It is not that, but similar," Perenelle said, staring at a screaming Voldemort with extreme satisfaction. "There was a time when ancient magical rulers would demand fealty from their subjects. So there was a spell that needed a powerful source of magic as well as some carefully laid out runes for it to work. Essentially, it forces the one within the circle to do one thing, and one thing only, proclaim fealty. One is trapped within and unless they do so, they cannot leave."

"What happens when they don't?" Sprout asked, eyes round.

"They eventually lose consciousness, the weight of the caster's will lies heavily on them," Nicolas said. "It also turns their magic against them, forcing them to submit. It is very painful to fight against. The spell is very difficult to cast, difficult to maintain, but if you do so perfectly, it is devastatingly impactful."

"I've seen traces of the spell before, but never casted," Bill said with awe.

"Can you force someone to do anything you desire?" Valentina asked, looking uneasy.

"No, you literally can only demand a person's submission," Perenelle said. "It is actually a very inefficient and inflexible spell. Literally the only thing you can do is to force a person to kneel and submit to you. There are not even lasting consequences after the spell ends. Only that you are forced to sincerely submit to the caster if you cannot overcome the caster's will."

"And if you are insincere or are lying in the moment, it will not free you," Drake said with grim amusement. "It is very embarrassing."

"That's my brother," Ariana said proudly.

At Dumbledore's nod, Fawkes stopped singing. The phoenix landed on his shoulder and smoldered, glaring down at Voldemort. Dumbledore aimed his wand at the closest runestone and finished the incantation, "Rex Imperator." The stones glowed and a ring of light connected them, sealing Voldemort within.

Voldemort roared and the black goo burned away. He rose unsteadily to his feet and aimed his wand at Dumbledore.

Unconcerned, Dumbledore spoke, "No."

The circle pulsed with power and Voldemort cried out as he felt the magic pull his arm down, forcing him to aim at the floor. His face twisted from concentration and effort as he tried to force his arm up.

"You know what to do," Dumbledore said conversationally. "I advise you to do it."

"Never!" Voldemort said. He tried to aim once more but the circle pulsed more and magic thrummed. He felt his body starting to crumple beneath the weight of the ritual spell and Dumbledore's will. He howled and cursed and Cursed, his own magic going wild within, but nothing escaped the circle drawn by the runestones.

"This can only really end in one way," Dumbledore said, still speaking in his pleasant conversational tone. "There is no need to suffer."

"Shut up!" Voldemort fought to stay on his two feet but was slowly losing the conflict. He sank down slowly, fighting every inch of the way.

"Quirinius, Tom, Voldemort even," Dumbledore said quietly, "you fought well, but it has come to an end."

"Curse you and your veneer of pleasantness!" Voldemort struggled, his eyes crimson pools of hate. "I will not give you the satisfaction!" He climbed up, his legs shook. He started to straighten. The muscles in his neck stood out and he began to sweat.

"I take no satisfaction in this," Dumbledore said, the warmth in his words leaching away. His tone became professional, matter-of-fact. "Truly, I do not. I never want to prove myself better than others, I know I am not in many ways. That said, this has gone on for far too long and make it simple for yourself, for everyone."

"Curse…you," Voldemort growled, his chest heaving with exertion as he bit the words out.

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well," he said simply. His eyes hardened. "Kneel."

The magic forced Voldemort down and he cried out as he landed on hands and knees. The Colosseum went quiet, enthralled by the scene before them. "I will not…succumb to you!" Voldemort spat.

Dumbledore said nothing, staring at Voldemort with pity mingled with determination.

"I…will not…surrender!" Voldemort tried to climb back up but the inexhaustible force of the spell began to crush him into the sand and stone of the platform.

Dumbledore continued to say nothing.

Voldemort bit his lip, blood trickled down his chin. "I…will-!" He pushed himself up and managed to lift off his hands and get his feet beneath him before a focused spike of pure magical strength from Dumbledore reinforced the circle and he crumpled to his knees once more. "-yield!" he gasped.

"Louder," Dumbledore said. "I did not hear you."

"I YIELD!" Tom screamed and as soon as he said the words, the magic broke and the circle exploded, releasing power and light into the air. The words, magnified by the ritual, were heard by all and the crowd exploded at the admission.

"WINNER!" Graves shouted. "ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!"

The watchers jumped to their feet and they cheered and applauded, the sound of their admiration like an ocean's roar of sound. They screamed and clapped, seeing such a dramatic duel played out before them. More than a few looked at Dumbledore with open awe and more than a few looked at him with guarded apprehension.

"If Albus Dumbledore wished it, he would rule a not inconsequential part of the magical world," Drake said as he applauded.

"And that is the man that stopped Gellert Grindelwald," Nicolas said proudly. "Exquisite."

Dumbledore stood on the platform with one hand raised, a gentle smile on his lips and he bowed modestly to the applause. Fawkes looked majestic, shining with brilliant light on his shoulder.

Voldemort slapped Graves' hand away and climbed to his feet, ignoring the look of affront on the judge's face and the clucking of people commenting on his poor sportsmanship. With one last hate-filled glance thrown at Dumbledore, he fled the arena and when it seemed like some of the Sanguis students were going to follow, Narcissa stopped them. She bade them stay and they did, continuing to look at Dumbledore with respect mingled with something else.

"That was incredible, Sir," Harry said when Dumbledore rejoined them.

The man smiled. "Thank you, Harry. A bit overdue." He looked to Drake. "Drake, summon him and let us go to your office. We must end this now, while we can."

"Agreed," Drake said. He smiled and his eyes turned light red and his fangs appeared. "Let's finish things off properly."

-0-

The door to the office banged open and Voldemort walked in, followed by Narcissa and Lucius. It was almost exactly like the meeting from a few days prior, save this time, Harry and Fawkes were there as well. When the door closed behind them, Narcissa looked about. She noticed that Snape was standing in the corner, close to the door. Dumbledore stood at the fore on the opposite side of Voldemort with Drake on his left and Nicolas on his right. Harry was placed in the far corner with Sirius, Andromeda, Perenelle, and Ariana around him and Fawkes planted firmly on his shoulder.

Andromeda's eyes met her sister's and at her look, Narcissa took a small step back and dragged Lucius with her who looked at her curiously.

"You cheated!" Voldemort shouted.

"How so?" Dumbledore asked, looking confused.

"Your bird interfered!" Voldemort seethed when Fawkes blew a raspberry at him.

"And what about your serpent?" Dumbledore asked.

"I brought it with me while your thing was outside the circle. You cheated! Admit it! The great Albus Dumbledore, a cheater and oathbreaker!"

"I deny that utterly," Dumbledore said coldly. "I have broken no oaths. But fine, if you so believe that I broke the rules of the engagement, I suppose we must agree to disagree."

"Awww, so terribly outclassed and beaten, you have to grasp at the thinnest of straw to make a case," Nicolas said, his words dripping with condescension.

"Do you want a rematch? We can arrange that," Drake said coolly.

"No! I did not break the rules, therefore I should be compensated!" Voldemort glared. "Give me what is mine!" He looked at all the others in the room with his gaze settling on Harry last. "Or else."

"You would be dead a thousand times over before you even get the chance to think it," Perenelle said, her eyes blazing. "And I would keep you on the edge, on the line between life and death for an age. I would keep you there forever more. Your screams would be music to me."

Her voice dropped into a cold whisper. "My only regret would be that I would only have an eternity to torture you."

Everyone shuddered at that, save for Drake and Nicolas.

"You do not frighten me," Voldemort lied. He glared at Dumbledore. "We can do this the right way, or the bloody way. You decide, Dumbledore, and know that your decision will be the catalyst for any future blood spilled."

"It does seem to be like that for me more often than I like," Dumbledore said wearily. He looked at Voldemort with a complicated expression, one with a hint of sadness mixed in. He reached into his pocket and removed the locket, letting it dangle from his fingers by the chain. Voldemort looked at it hungrily, licking thin lips.

"Harry, what say you?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Harry.

"He has no say in this! He has no involvement!" Voldemort cried.

"False," Dumbledore said calmly, continuing to look at Harry. "Harry does in fact, have a say in all this. And if you wish to blame anyone, blame yourself for marking him by your own hand." His expression softened when Harry touched the scar on his forehead. "Harry, Voldemort claims that this is his. We believe that this does not belong to him, at least, not all of it."

Voldemort stiffened and stared at Dumbledore. Narcissa and Lucius looked confused. Dumbledore ignored them and continued. "You, out of all of us here, have lost the most due to him. You two are, for lack of a better term, connected over something related to this. Therefore, you have a say in it."

Harry rubbed his neck nervously, put on the spot. "Why do you want it?" he asked Voldemort.

"None of your business," Voldemort hissed. "It is mine! That is all that needs to be said." He pointed at Dumbledore accusingly. "You made a deal. You broke the rules of the deal. That was our wager and not only is it mine by right, but by terms of the deal we made!"

"I still categorically deny that," Dumbledore said coolly. He looked back at Harry.

"Will…will it bring you peace?" Harry asked softly. "Will it make you stop?"

"Yes," Voldemort hissed, eyes glinting.

Harry took a deep breath. Truthfully, he was afraid. Being so close to the man that murdered his parents, that tried to murder him when he was a baby, terrified him. Part of him wanted to deny Voldemort the locket. A part of him wanted revenge.

He looked around at the others in the room. He saw their expressions. Anger, hate towards Voldemort, apprehension, steely resolve. They all, save for Voldemort and Lucius and Narcissa and Snape however, shared one similar facet in their expression, care for him. He saw that they were worried for him, about him. That they cared about him.

He felt safe in that moment. He felt warmth.

He let the breath he held go and nodded. "I hope you find your peace," he said at last. "It took me a while to find mine and I'm not letting it go."

Dumbledore looked at Harry with an expression of intense respect and warm fondness with a trace of sadness mixed in. He nodded and with almost careless ease, tossed the locket at Voldemort.

The man snatched it out of the air and began to laugh. "At last!" he shouted. "Return to me, return what is mine!" He howled in victory and pain as the locket glowed with fey light. The object shrieked and tendrils of black substance oozed out and pierced Voldemort's skin. His howl turned into a shriek of ecstasy and ruin as the black substance wormed into his skin and flesh.

The others looked warily on, drawing back even further with more than a few shielding Harry, hands going to wands and other things. When the light finally faded, Voldemort climbed to his feet. His skin was alabaster pale and his eyes completely blood red. His smile was a touch too wide, his teeth too sharp. He laughed crazily and his wand was in hand. He threw the locket aside without a trace of care. "Finally, I am whole," he said, his voice deep and awful. "What do you have to say now? Dumbledore?"

"Goodbye, Quirinius," Dumbledore said with sincere remorse. "I tried my best."

"What?" Voldemort looked confused. His confusion grew when he looked down and saw his hand rising. His face contorted and it looked like he was fighting with his own hand. "What?! What are you doing?! Quirrell, stop you fool!" He raised his wand and aimed it at himself.

"Expeilliarmus!" Narcissa shouted, aiming her wand at Voldemort's back. Voldemort shouted and turned when his wand went flying from his grasp. Lucius gaped at his wife but put his arm around her and pulled her back with him, away from Voldemort, aiming with his own wand.

Drake spoke a word and stomped his foot. A line of magic grew around Voldemort as the others cast charms and spells around themselves and Harry, gathering together. At a look from Andromeda, Drake stomped his foot again and another line of magic grew between Narcissa and Lucius as well as Snape who was on that side of the room.

Voldemort tried to lunge past the magic line before it solidified but he fell to his knees. One foot had risen while the other had resisted movement, making him fall. He looked down at himself, an expression of pure anger on his face. "Quirrell! Stop this! What are you doing?!" His skin began to literally crawl and he started to scream. He clawed at himself, tearing his robes and more.

"Dear Merlin, he's literally tearing himself in half," Sirius gasped.

"Good," Nicolas and Perenelle said.

"Dumb bastard," Drake said, his face a picture of condescension.

Voldemort's face twisted and his anger was replaced with genuine fear. His eyes kept shifting in hue, his hair changing length and color, the bones in his face grinding and twisting. With a last, long, tortuous scream, his hands dug into his throat and tore apart and he flopped over, going still. He laid there, looking up sightlessly, one eye a light brown and one eye a deep crimson.

"Well?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Drake.

Drake cancelled the spells and stalked over and sniffed the body a few times and then picked up the locket and sniffed it. He looked confused then incredibly concerned when his head twisted and he looked at Harry with large startled eyes. "Harry, are you well?" he asked, worried.

"Uh…yes? Aside from seeing what just happened," Harry said, also confused with the others sharing the confusion.

"Oh, good," Drake said hurriedly. He sniffed the locket and the body once more before looking at Dumbledore. "It is done."

"Completely?" Dumbledore asked hopefully.

"Yes," Drake nodded.

Dumbledore looked to Snape who lifted the left sleeve of his robe. The man gasped as he looked at the rapidly fading mark on his forearm, watching it disappear completely. He looked back at Dumbledore with wonder, like a man who finally saw the sun after years of the dark.

"Thank goodness," Dumbledore sighed, looking relieved and weary. "It is done."

"Not yet." Perenelle walked over and reached into her robes, removing several long daggers. She knelt and stabbed them deep into the ground, making a circle with them around Tom and Quirrell's body.

"What, no do not do that here!" Drake complained, taking a closer look at the daggers. "This is my office. You're ruining my rug! I have extreme…value of some sort involving that rug!"

"I bet that rug is worthless," Nicolas snorted. "It probably shares a color with someone you dislike wears and you have some satisfaction stepping on it but otherwise it has no actual value."

"You are correct but that does not mean I cannot be somewhat upset over it," Drake huffed.

"I will get you a new ugly rug with the same ugly color," Nicolas snorted again. "Let her do this."

The others watched on as Perenelle sprinkled a few things on the body and started incanting. She spoke in a language that Harry did not recognize.

"Is that ancient Latin?" Ariana asked with interest. "The oldest tongue?"

"That is," Drake sighed. "Thought I recognized those daggers."

"I love my wife," Nicolas said proudly and lovingly.

When Perenelle said the final word, the daggers glowed and a fire burst into being within the circle. It was so sudden and intense; it made the others cry out and step back on reflex. Even Fawkes looked at the fire with interest, tilting his head inquisitively. The fire raged within the confines of the circle made from daggers, turning into a barely contained inferno. The body within burned fiercely and violently and Perenelle looked down with grim satisfaction.

"Burn," she said in French, staring at the burning body. "Burn to nothing, past ash, past cinder. Burn painfully. Nothing will remain of you on this Earth. No remains, not a trace. Burn knowing that you are worth nothing. Burn in fires hotter than Hell. Burn, you pathetic thing. Burn to nothing."

"I love my wife," Nicolas sighed with a warm smile of admiration.

"Get a room," Drake snorted. "Not this one either."

In a remarkable short time, the fire disappeared. The circle within the daggers was utterly bare, down to the stones. The stones inside were gleaming and a neat hole was punched through the rug. Not even smoke could be smelled or seen and not a speck of ash remained.

"I should have saved some for me to piss on," Perenelle sighed regretfully.

"Do not be disgusting," Drake chided while Nicolas laughed and the others stared at her. He turned to look at Narcissa and Lucius. "Now then, what to do with you two?"

"I helped," Narcissa said, raising her chin.

"You did cast a spell at your master's back," Nicolas said agreeably.

"Not my master, never was," Narcissa said. "I used him as much as he used us."

"Used? Or willingly given?" Sirius asked, staring at Lucius.

"No, I am talking," Narcissa said, giving her husband a look when he opened his mouth. "That is in the past," Narcissa said, looking at Sirius and the others. "But I have helped in this. Not just now either. I encouraged us to accept the invitation to the Showcase despite seeing it as the trap it was. I allowed him to try and show off, enabled him even. I helped drain him of much needed resources to attend the Showcase."

"It is true, she did," Lucius said, nodding.

"The school stands on Malfoy achievements, not Voldemort's or Quirrell's," Narcissa continued. "It exists because of the work we put in. His influence was only ever drawing former supporters in and being a figurehead. His supporters however have no stake nor claim and are all but gone as it is."

"And you think you can just continue to be at the head of your school with no other consequences?" Ariana asked.

"By all means," Narcissa said, arms wide. "Pursue us to mete out some form of judgement and we will tell everyone of what happened here. How many would believe that Voldemort was back and would allow you to remain unscathed?"

"Three of us here do not care about your country's laws or judgement," Nicolas said lightly but his eyes bore into the Malfoys. "In fact, you should be on your knees, thanking Albus with hands clasped for it is his will that kept you and yours alive and unharmed."

"You would have attacked us? Without provocation?!" Lucius gasped.

"Without hesitation," Perenelle amended. "Plenty of provocation."

"For him?" Lucius asked, pointing at Harry.

"For him," Nicolas said coldly. "Now point elsewhere unless you want to eat that finger."

"I would have loved casting that spell while he was alive," Perenelle said sweetly, looking at the gleaming circle surrounded by daggers. "I would have done it so easily."

"What your master did was a crime against nature," Drake said, staring at Lucius. "And I know many things about that. That enough warrants censure. Everything else he did, the crimes he committed, well, that was overdue."

"What are your terms?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Narcissa.

"Dumbledore," Nicolas started.

"No, we want to put this at an end and I intend to do so," Dumbledore said softly. "Enough blood has been spilt over Tom, let his be the last." He looked at Narcissa. "Well? Headmistress?"

Narcissa hesitated for a moment. "Let his be the last," she repeated with a nod. "We swear to not interfere with Hogwarts at all. I intend to maintain the school as a proper school for education. We will not mention what has happened at all. We can say that Quirrell has always been of ill health and passed from complications. Perhaps in a few weeks to not have any blame for you. We can even say he was recommended not to partake in the duel and signed something stating no blame to be placed on you."

"Kind of you," Dumbledore said genially. "I would also insist on any information regarding Voldemort's remaining supporters to be made available and be passed on to the authorities. Your role in such will remain secret."

"Agreed," Lucius and Narcissa said together.

"I think we can reach an accord," Dumbledore said. "I always thought more schools were better for students. Perhaps we can even help each other in some ways, visitations, friendly competition, that sort of thing."

"I agree," Narcissa said, nodding slightly.

"Very good. I look forward to meeting with you on the regular then, Headmistress," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"As do I, Headmaster," Narcissa replied. She rose and with a nod to him and a smaller but heartfelt nod to Andromeda, left with Lucius.

"Are we really letting them get away?" Ariana asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Dumbledore said. He rubbed his eyes wearily. "I do not doubt that they are guilty of some things, but in all honesty, this was the best-case scenario. Voldemort is dealt with, completely. Narcissa and Lucius know that they will always be watched and that we know what actually happened."

"Lucius is so image focused, he doesn't want to risk anything," Sirius said. "Narcissa too."

"I truly believe that she does care about the school and the students," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps I am being overly hopeful on that, but she does seem to care. Ted has told me about meetings with the Governors and she does take her duties seriously."

"Not to mention she knows how we are compared to her," Andromeda said softly. "She has always been on to calculate the odds. She also now knows how capable we all are and what lengths we will go to."

"That and we are essentially immortal," Drake said, gesturing at himself and the Flamels. "We can come down on her with wrath and ruin and she knows it."

"Uhm, I have a question," Harry said with his hand raised.

They all chuckled at that. "My apologies Harry, of course, ask your question," Dumbledore said warmly.

"Can someone tell me what happened?" Harry asked. "I am so lost right now."

"Of course." Dumbledore cleared his throat. "As I told you this past Halloween, Tom survived through dark means. We determined that he had created horcruxes, cursed objects made from terrible Dark magic. A person splits their soul and implants it into something and as long as a piece of their soul remains on this earth, they will not die. Not entirely."

"That's awful," Harry shuddered.

"It is," Nicolas said with a moue of disgust. "It is incredibly selfish because you essentially murder innocents to fuel the ritual so you are sacrificing others for your own longevity. It is heinous."

"We learned that Tom created several horcruxes and that made his soul incredibly fragile," Dumbledore continued. "And it became apparent that a piece of his soul was possessing Quirrell. At one point, he started to reacquire his horcruxes and started reassembling his soul. At the same time, he began a campaign to create Sanguis to further his ideals while trying to ruin Hogwarts' reputation."

"Why was he trying to reform his soul?" Harry asked.

"Magic is linked to the soul," Perenelle said. "How and how much has always been up to debate. Perhaps he thought that he needed more of his soul to regain his magical strength. Also, a soul's natural state is to be whole. Perhaps there was some compulsion for him to regain the pieces, a need that he was not completely aware of."

"But one of the fundamental rules of magic is that one body, one soul," Drake said. "Two souls in one body would be wholly unnatural and the strain would be too much. Especially if they both are magical. That much power in one vessel can only result in the vessel breaking. Just like when you try to pour too much magic into a spell or an object."

"I had guessed that once it came to that part, Quirrell would panic," Dumbledore said sadly. "With Tom regaining strength as he absorbed his soul pieces, he would keep Quirrell subjugated, a prisoner of his own body. When Tom had his whole soul back, Quirrell would fight because he knew he could be cast out of his own body and he would, essentially, die. A person fights hardest at their most desperate state."

He shook his head. "That is why I wanted to duel Tom. I wanted to exhaust him magically, make him desperate as well. I drained him of his strength in stamina in an unnecessarily public and showy duel to make him weak. Then with the strain and the turmoil from regaining his soul piece, his final one, would make him weak enough for Quirrell to have a fighting chance."

"What would you have done if Quirrell lived or if Tom won?" Sirius asked.

"I do not know," Dumbledore admitted. "I was committed to ending it, but not sure if those scenarios came to pass."

Drake, Pernelle, and Nicolas shared a look. They knew what they would do.

"Are you okay?" Ariana asked kindly.

Harry blinked a few times. "I think so. I have another question." He raised his hand again making the others snort. "Why were you looking at me funny?" he asked Drake.

Drake grew sad. "Because I could smell a trace of his magic on you."

"Voldemort's?!" Sirius grabbed Harry. "Are you okay?! Wait, maybe the curse scar?"

"I believe so," Drake said slowly. "And while I said a body cannot house two whole souls, it certainly can hold pieces of another, much like a possession. Or, something else…"

A heavy silence fell over them.

"I was like a horcrux?" Harry asked, voice shaking.

"That day," Nicolas gasped. "When I retrieved the stone and the trolls attacked. Quirrell was surprisingly hale after the fight."

"Of course," Dumbledore said, eyes widening from realization. "That must be how it started. Tom must have been possessing Quirrell and that is why he wanted the stone. Then he came into contact with Harry and the soul piece that was there. It must have attached itself to you that Halloween night."

"So I was being possessed?!" Harry began to panic. "I'm like him?!"

"Harry, sweetie, I love you dearly, but don't be stupid," Ariana said firmly. "You saw short-thread there. How he acted. That is the completely and utter opposite of how you act."

"You do so much for people for the sheer fact that you like to see them smile," Perenelle said lovingly. "You have empathy for people. You are nothing like that thing."

"You offered one last gesture for him to find peace," Dumbledore said softly. "A gesture many would never make, something Tom would have never even thought to do. He was selfishness personified. You are incredibly selfless."

Harry began to breathe easier. He could feel the warmth and care from the others once more and Fawkes warmed on his shoulder, singing softly and encouragingly. "Thank you," he said sheepishly. "I'm sorry for being stupid."

"You have experienced a lot in the last few minutes," Andromeda said with a smile. "I think it is allowed." She looked at Drake. "You are sure he is gone?"

"Positive. While, well alive is not the most correct term but the closest, his things had a smell to it. An active one somewhat. Now, there is a whiff but it is fading even more now." Drake nodded with confidence. "I would bet much on it."

"Another reason why I had wanted Severus here as well," Dumbledore said.

"The Mark is gone," Snape said, his voice shaking. "It was indistinct all these years, but not gone, not completely. But now, it is truly gone." He stared at his forearm, at the unMarked skin. He gave Harry a complicated look and with Dumbledore's nod of acceptance, he left the office, looking like man with an immense burden taken off his shoulders.

"So it's finally over," Sirius said thickly. "He's gone. James and Lily, all those people he killed, they can finally rest."

"Yes, it is finally over," Dumbledore repeated, looking tired but happy, as if an immense weight was lifted off his shoulders. "But we cannot be too complacent. We have to continue to push on, to try and not recreate an environment for such hate and darkness to thrive so easily. We must do our best and build a better tomorrow, for the ones who cannot see it, and for the ones that will."

"Hell yeah," Sirius said, wiping tears away but looking firm and resolute.

"What do we do now?" Harry asked, feeling buoyant, feeling better at seeing the others looking so relieved and bright.

"Anything we want!" Perenelle nearly shouted. "We live well, live happily! We make bonds and memories and live life to the fullest." She hugged him tightly, kissing him on the cheeks.

"Sounds good to me!" Harry laughed, hugging her and kissing her back. Smiles broke out on everyone's faces and they too laughed and cheered.

"Wait!" Ariana shouted.

"What?!" Dumbledore replied, looking alarmed.

"I just remembered something important!" Ariana looked at Harry and a gigantic mischievous smile appeared. "Are you and Lavender a thing now?!"

"What?" Harry replied flatly, looking at her.

"I saw a very sweet kiss from her to you, one that was very different," she teased. "Well?"

"I think I need to see a healer because you just gave me awful whiplash," Harry said, flushing.

"We will find you one soon, after you answer the question," Andromeda smiled.

Dumbledore began to laugh and soon they all joined in, filling the office with unmistakable brightness.

-0-

Narcissa and Lucius walked all the way back to the Sanguis tent without saying a word. They entered the, now Headmistress, office and sat down heavily on a couch. They cast copious protective and secrecy charms and sat there in silence for long moments.

"Any complaints?" Narcissa asked at last.

"Many," Lucius said, making her snort. "In regards to how you handled that? I have none."

"Truly?" She looked at him.

"Truly," he repeated. "In all honesty, this is the best-case ending for us. We remain in power of the school, are not being directly blamed for aiding…him. And the consequences of such are more-or-less delayed. We will never be fully free from the gazes of the Alchemist, his wife, and the Tepes Eld, but there are worse things." He snorted. "We could be dead."

"There is that," she said agreeably. She rubbed her face wearily. "We did put too much work into the school to have it be completely taken away."

"We will have to forever be on our best behavior," Lucius said sourly. "Always in fear of reprisal."

"Yes, but we can continue to live on our terms and create a lasting legacy like we have always wanted," Narcissa said. "And at least we have a future." She gave him an arch look.

"Yes yes," he said, rolling his eyes at her. "No more family decisions without involving you."

"We were very lucky with how things came out here," she said sternly.

"I do not disagree," he sniffed. He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Let us take this third chance then and make it last."

"Agreed," she said. "For I doubt we would be fortunate enough for a fourth."

-0-

"Hey, are you okay?"

Harry smiled a little, hugging Lavender back. He had returned to the train with the others and Lavender had been waiting for him outside of it with Hedwig. "I think so," he said at last. He smiled when Lavender hugged him even more tightly and Hedwig fluffed on his head. "I definitely will be though," he added softly.

-0-0-0-

AshokaTheGreat - Hope it was good tears. Glad you enjoyed.

Mzad - Thank you, glad you liked it.

Hands Off MY Wolfie - Yup, gloves are off and the game is on. Tom was devious but it came to a point. Thank you, I worked hard on the duels. Thanks for reading.

TheSphynx - I always liked that line and it's really true. They're in for a painful lesson as you will see.

odononnellzoo - Yeah, she would teach Harry to fight dirty and be utter unapologetic about it. I really worked on hard on the duels. I wanted them to feel fresh and new and reflect the different schools. I hope you really like today's. I wanted it to be on a new level to show the abilities and the stakes. Thank you.

61394 - He did change some, became more 'proficient', then still miss the mark and see who is to blame. I tried to show Narcissa a little differently here too. He's going to learn that lesson for sure.

Kaya - Thank you so much.

DarkRavie - Thank you.

justanfanboy - Hope you enjoyed today's duel.

alix33 - Recall that the Dumbledores can communicate without speaking out loud, hence the italics.

SixFtWookie - Yes she is. It's a lot of fun.

- Thank you so much.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Yeah, not a real cliffhanger, but a pseudo one which amused me. I haven't really done on in this fic. Not so much a DND reference, but more that the Patronus is a being of protection and the whip therefore became less damaging to a non-dark entity, despite him acting darkly.

Guest - Thank you.

1529 - And here is the continuation.

poka - I'm glad you liked the pacing and hope you continue to enjoy today's. I wanted things to feel eventful and not loiter at all. And I really wanted to show Harry shine in this. I've had complaints that he is weak or boring and I understand that people have different expectations, but I always liked him being kind and focused on his favorite thing, but that does not mean he isn't competent otherwise.

scpotter - Hope you like today's duel.

Five of Seven - I was pretty satisfied with how Harry was during the duel and the end of it, I wanted it to fit his character in this setting. And yes, Dumbledore is about to prove that he earned his reputation.