Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Harry Potter. They are the property of J. K. Rowling.
Harry felt the hairs of the back of his neck tingle, and his scar burned intensely. He turned away from his friends, and his eyes gazed out towards the battlefield.
"Harry, what is it?" Sirius asked.
That was when they all saw it - the form of a huge snake rising off the ground. It had grown to almost forty feet long, and when it opened its eyes, they were crimson red.
"Voldemort," Harry stated, and his teeth clenched.
"But I thought he was dead," Remus said in shock.
"It appears that his essence has possessed the body of that snake," Dumbledore explained.
"Harry…Potter…ssss…" The snake's eyes glowed bright red, and it hissed at the young wizard menacingly.
"That does it!" Harry clenched his fists in anger. "This is the last time."
"Harry, take this." Dumbledore reached into his robes and drew out a gold-hilted broadsword. "I thought you might need this."
The young man took the sword from his mentor and grasped it firmly in his hand. Harry knew this sword; it was the sword that belonged to Godric Gryffindor. He'd used this same weapon back in second year against that horrible basilisk.
'It doesn't matter. The snake's just twice as big this time,' Harry thought to himself. The blade glinted from the now afternoon sun, and the rubies engraved in the hilt glittered with subtle power.
Stepping back outside the archway, Harry clasped his sword in his right hand. He extended his left hand out towards a grove of trees.
"Accio Firebolt!"
Harry's broomstick shot out of the trees and came to his side at his command. He took the Firebolt in his hand and turned back to his friends and teachers.
"No one follow me." It was not a suggestion but an order.
Mounting his broom, he gripped the handle with his left hand and the sword in his right. Harry kicked off the ground and flew off the face his enemy.
The mighty snake hissed appealingly when it saw who was approaching it.
"Harry…ssss…Potter…ssss…"
"Voldemort, you're going to stay dead this time!"
Harry was floating on his broom directly in front of the snake's head. The serpent's eyes shown with utter disdain. Opening its mouth, the snake revealed two huge razor-sharp fangs ready to sink into Harry's body. The young wizard barely moved out of the way when Voldemort lunged to take a bite of him.
"You're quite fast I sssseeee."
"I'm just getting started. Care to try again?" Harry taunted.
Voldemort hissed angrily and went after him with a vengeance.
Inside Hogwarts' medical wing, Madam Pomfrey was tending to Hermione's wounds. Ron and Lavender were by her side, waiting to hear the news.
"Will she be all right?" Ron asked worriedly.
"Eventually…yes, but she's gonna need about a week to recover. She sustained a lot of damage to her internal organs, and she's lost a lot of blood. I'd hate to think what would've happened if she hadn't been brought here sooner."
"I hate to think what Harry would've done!" Lavender said with a smile.
"Harry!" Ron gasped. In his rush to help Hermione, he'd completely forgotten.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine," his girlfriend replied and squeezed his hand. It was then that two heard a loud hissing noise coming from outside.
Rushing to the window, Ron pushed it open, and his eyes near bulged out of his head.
"What in bloody hell?"
"It's a giant snake!" Lavender gulped. "And look who's flying around it."
They both watched at Harry ducked and dove around the snake's head, several times nearly avoiding being chomped by its massive fangs.
"I don't get it. Where's You-Know-Who?" Lavender asked, "I thought Harry was fighting him."
It was then that Ron saw the serpent's eyes - their blood-red shade.
"I…I…I think that snake is You-Know-Who!"
Harry swerved out of the way as Voldemort took another swipe at him. What was he supposed to do? Trying to run through plans of attack while dodging a giant snake was not that easy.
'Come on, Potter, think! Use your brain for once - just like Hermione taught you.'
Then, it clicked - Hermione! Before he'd left, there was an assignment in Potions involving poisonous snakes. He and Ron had hated the work as usual, but Hermione had been patient and showed them what the method was for neutralizing and if possible killing a venomous serpent.
'Dammit, I should have paid more attention to her!'
Harry rolled over to avoid Voldemort's latest attack and continued his brainstorm.
'What was it she said? A snake's most vulnerable spot is…is…it's head…no…' Harry was getting frustrated, '…wait a minute, the base of the head!' Now, he had a plan.
Voldemort was getting aggravated at missing Harry time after time, and his hissed angrily at the young wizard.
"This is the end for you, Potter!"
Harry banked to the side and avoided the attack. He flew up into the air and circled around for his own attack. He couldn't just fly right in, or he'd be chomped for sure. No, he needed a distraction. Flying over Hogwarts one last time, Harry lined himself up for his attack. He had an idea, but there was a price to pay - his Firebolt.
'I'm sorry, old friend, but I don't see any other way.'
Harry dove towards the mighty snake and readied his sword.
"Yessssss, Harry Potter, come…come to your death…ssss…"
Harry crossed his knees under his broomstick to steady it and extended his left hand. He saw the snake opening its mouth ready to eat him alive. Just a little closer…
"INFLAMARE!"
Fire erupted under the serpent's belly, and Voldemort wailed in pain. His eyes closed momentarily, and when he felt something hit his jaw, he bit down and swallowed. The fire had burned his outer scales, but it hadn't done that much damage.
"Say goodbye, Harry Potter!" The snake laughed triumphantly.
What Voldemort couldn't see was that Harry had apparated off his broomstick and onto the top of the snake's head. Clutching the sword of Gryffindor with both hands, he raised it above his head.
"Goodbye!" he shouted.
Voldemort only had time to gasp before Harry drove the sword into the base of the snake's head. The Dark Lord howled in agony and immediately tried to throw off his attacker.
Harry was being jerked around wildly, but he held onto the sword and pushed it further and further into the serpent's head.
"Die, you bastard!" and he rammed it all the way inside.
The serpent wailed and hissed, and its head snapped from side to side as it tried to helplessly dislodge the sword. Harry was flung into the air, and he hit the ground with a hard thud.
The snake collapsed to the ground twitching wildly and gasping its last breaths. At last, the mighty head hit the earth for the last time. Upon its death, the body shriveled up and shrunk down to a pile of scales and molted skin.
Harry slowly stood to his feet, holding his side. He felt like hell and had a headache the size of a dragon. However, he could still feel the presence of evil magic and remembered what had happened when Voldemort's body had turned to ash.
Just as he predicted, Harry could see a dusk cloud rising from the corpse of the great serpent. Voldemort was trying to escape - not this time.
"Voldemort!" Harry roared at the top of his lungs.
Using every bit of strength he had left, Harry extended his arms, and the phoenix exploded out of his body. The young wizard rose into the air, and he raised his hands to the sky.
The dusk cloud howled in disgust and scurried towards the Dark Forest, but Harry was not going to be denied any longer.
"I've had it with you, Voldemort, it's over!" Harry thrust his hands forward.
"PHOENIX FLARE!!!"
When the words left Harry's mouth, the phoenix separated from his body and dove toward the escaping dust cloud. You could hear the once great Dark Lord Voldemort screaming in fear as he tried to flee from the firebird's pursuit, but it was to no avail. The phoenix caught the evil wizard's essence, and it erupted into a sphere of white-hot fire.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
You could hear the demonic wail of the evil wizard echo through all of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and perhaps even the entire planet. The fire continued to burn, consuming all that was Voldemort, formerly known as Tom Riddle, as he was condemned to his own personal hell on Earth!
Harry watched the fire consume his mortal enemy, knowing that it was over at last. He remained in the air until the flames had consumed the last of the Dark Lord's essence. The phoenix returned to Harry once it had finished its duty, and the firebird disappeared back into the young wizard's body. His task accomplished, Harry allowed himself to give into the pain and soreness that his body was feeling, and he collapsed to the ground.
Back inside the main gate, Sirius, Remus, McGonagall, Fudge, and even Snape stood dumbstruck at what they had just seen Harry do. Even Dumbledore was beside himself. He'd never thought that Harry Potter carried such incredible power inside him. Their silent gawking was only broken when they saw the young man's body give out.
They all rushed to help him, which was quite difficult for Sirius and Dumbledore since they were both still banged up from their earlier injuries. Minister Fudge was the first to reach him, and he carefully rolled Harry onto his back.
The young wizard groaned in pain, and his eyes opened slightly. He saw himself surrounded by his trainers, teachers, and occasional adversaries, but they were all his friends - one way or the other.
"You okay, Harry?" Sirius asked as he leaned on Remus for support. He only got a nod for an answer.
"You're parents would be proud of you," Dumbledore said with a warm smile. Harry cracked a small smile at them.
"The nightmare is over." Those were his last words before unconsciousness claimed him.
Harry slowly opened his eyes; he felt like bloody hell! Letting out a rather loud yawn, he rubbed his eyelids and heard someone laughing next to his bed. His senses told him that he was in the medical wing inside Hogwarts.
"Well…well…the dead have arisen," a familiar voice teased.
"Shut-up Ron!" Harry groaned and rubbed his head. His best friend calmed down and put a serious look on his face.
"You okay?"
"I think so…" Harry was cut short by an intense soreness in his left side, "…course, I could be wrong."
"Ron, where's Hermione?" he asked; his voice dripping with worry.
"There," his friend pointed, indicating the bed next his, "She's pretty banged up, but Madam Pomfrey said she'll make it."
Ignoring his body's plea to stay put, Harry pulled off his blankets and stood up, steadying himself with the bedpost.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked rather annoyed.
"I want to see her," Harry said stubbornly.
Forcing his legs to move, he walked around the curtain separating their beds and saw her. Hermione lay motionless on her back. Harry could tell she was asleep and carefully sat down by her bedside. Her hands were wrapped in light gauze, and Harry could see a large bandage wrapped around her midsection. There was a large bruise on her forehead and several scrapes on her face. Picking up her small hand, he gently kissed her fingertips, and it caused her to stir slightly.
Harry couldn't resist as his hand came us to caress her cheek. Even though she was bruised and beaten up, her skin was still as soft as a feather.
Hermione slowly awakened to feel someone touching her face lovingly. Only one person knew how she liked to be touched - Harry. Opening her eyes, she found his beautiful, emerald pools shining down at her.
"Hey," he said with a small smile.
"Hey."
"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Harry said, and he cupped her cheek.
"No Harry, it wasn't your fault," Hermione sighed and nuzzled his hand. Ron picked this as an opportune time to leave them be.
"Hermione…" Harry's arms came around her, and he hugged her softly.
"Ouch!" they both said at the same time.
"I should let you go."
"No!" she objected, "Please don't."
"But I'm hurting you, Hermione."
"I don't care, Harry, just hold me. I've missed being in your arms." He couldn't say no to her.
Harry clutched her to his chest and buried his face in her brown curls.
"I love you so much," he said almost desperately. She cupped his face in her hands.
"I love you too." She looked into his eyes and saw them moisten.
"Harry, you're crying!" A single tear slid down his cheek…and then other and other.
"I know, I'm just…"
"But you never cry," she interrupted. Harry finally broke down, and the floodgates opened.
"I'm sorry, Herm, it's just that…when I saw you get hurt…and then cry out in pain…I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I made a promise to myself and to you. I swore that I wouldn't let you get hurt, but you did anyway."
"Oh Harry, nobody's perfect, we're together now. That's all that matters." He clutched her in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest.
"Voldemort is finished, Hermione, he'll never hurt us or anyone ever again."
"I know, my love, I know."
Harry lifted her chin and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. Hermione could taste the salt of his tears on his lips, but it didn't matter to her. She felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. The pain that was in her muscles and bones began to disappear, and she could sense magic in the air.
"Harry, what did you just do?"
"I didn't do anything. Why?"
"My pain is almost gone," Hermione said in astonishment. She wiped the tearstains from his cheeks, and something clicked in her mind.
"That's it - your tears."
"What about them?"
"Don't you remember, Harry, a phoenix's tears contain great healing power?"
"Oh yeah, you're right…hey, wait a minute!" Harry gulped. Had he just heard her mention the phoenix?
"Hermione, what did you just say?" She smiled at him tenderly.
"Harry, I know…about Gemstar… and the power you possess. Professor Dumbledore told me a few months after you left. He felt that I deserved to know."
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, Herm, but I made him a promise that I wouldn't tell anyone. It was part of our plan. Forgive me?"
"Kiss me again, and I'll think about it."
"With pleasure, sweetheart." Harry took her mouth greedily, and their tongues fought a long awaited duel with one another.
Hermione groaned slightly, and Harry let her go. Healing magic or no healing magic, their bodies still needed time to recuperate.
"We better get some rest, Herm."
"Stay with me?" Her eyes pleaded with him.
"You know I can't say no to you when you look at me like that!" That brought a wide grin to Hermione's lips.
"I know, Harry, I know." She giggled softly and moved over.
Harry slipped under the covers, and Hermione practically fell into his arms. She laid her head on his chest and sighed contently. His fingers combed through her long, brown locks, and Hermione purred softly.
"Sweet dreams, Harry." He chuckled at her choice of words and kissed her head.
"I plan to have very sweet dreams…of you," he teased, and she smacked his chest playfully.
"Well then, I guess you won't mind if I dream of you too."
"Not at all, Herm. Who knows? Maybe we'll have the same dream?"
"Goodnight, my love." Hermione snuggled into his warmth, and Harry clutched her tightly.
"Goodnight, sweetheart." Their eyes slowly closed eyes, and the two teenagers were asleep within the next five minutes.