Harry awoke with a start, the rising sun casting its rays upon his eyes. He lie for a moment, deep in thought. Today was the day, today it would all end, one way or another. Despite the coming darkness he could help a smile as she slightly shifted in her sleep. He looked down to her beautiful face, watching her as she rested. After their declarations of love they had moved as one to her quarters, their eyes never wavering from their gaze. He couldn't remember walking up the stairs, or entering her room, what he could remember was her lips, the feel of her soft body in his arms, her declarations of love throughout the night. He sighed to himself, almost wishing it hadn't happened. He had just found the love he so desperately wanted, and now he was off to face his fate.
`Figures,' Harry thought to himself, `soon as I find what my soul has been seeking I go off to lose it.'
With this thought a fire awoke in Harry. A fire that had been awoken by what Dumbledore had told him years before; love. He felt it then; he felt the power the dark lord knows not. He felt it swell within his chest and within his soul. He could not leave her now, just as he found her. He would not give up what his heart had greatly desired because of a maniac murderer full of hate. He would not allow it, today would be the end of this conflict, but it would not be his end.
Harry slid from her embrace, wishing it wasn't so. He pressed his lips to her forehead, inhaling her scent one last time. `No,' Harry thought, `it will not be the last time.' He resolve strengthened he turned to leave, pulling his cloak on as he moved toward the door. He exited the room quietly and moved through the early morning corridors of the school. As Harry arrived at the entrance to the school he was met with a sight that he should not have found surprising. Albus Dumbledore stood by a window, looking over the early morning grounds. At the sound of Harry coming down the stairs he turned, the twinkle no longer evident in his eyes.
"Professor." Harry said.
"Harry I think by now you have earned the right to call me Albus." Dumbledore responded.
"Ok, Albus," Harry said, "What are you doing here?"
"Truthfully I don't know. I know you must go out there alone Harry, but I'm finding it hard to repress my protectiveness of you." Dumbledore responded solemnly.
Harry sighed, "I understand Albus, but you and I both know what has to happen. It's him or me."
Dumbledore returned his sigh, "Yes Harry, I'm just deathly afraid of what might happen."
To Dumbledore's surprise, Harry smiled. "Oh don't worry about that Albus. You see last night I found what I've been looking for my entire life, and I'll be damned if I'm letting some power hungry maniac take it from me."
"Well then all I have to say to you is good luck." As Harry turned to open the door Dumbledore's voice stopped him. "Oh and Harry?" The raven haired man turned, "Will you do me a personal favor?"
"Yes?" Harry asked uncertain.
Dumbledore smiled, a bit of twinkle returning to his eyes, "Would you please kick his arse?"
Harry returned his smile, "It would be my pleasure."
With that The-Boy-Who-Lived walked out of Hogwarts, into the newly risen sun, to face his destiny.
Harry stood in the new morning sun, carefully surveying the grounds. As his gaze drifted over the great lake he sensed something. A darkness that had loomed in the distance now felt close. His gaze quickly shifted to the Forbidden Forest. He searched the dark woods with careful eyes, willing his senses to absorb everything around him. His eyes drifted behind Hagrid's cabin, where the darkness seemed to grow thick within the woods. Harry knew he would find Voldemort there and quickly moved toward the darkened trees.
The raven haired man entered quickly and quietly, the darkness no longer seeming to exist, but rather, it smothered him. He knew it was not natural, that the darkness exhumed from the evil within. He moved with stealth deeper into the woods. Entering a small clearing he stopped to absorb his surroundings. He knew Voldemort was close, Harry felt himself being watched.
"Show yourself coward." Harry said, trying to antagonize his opponent into revealing his location.
"Patience young Harry, I want to enjoy this moment." The snake-like voice of Voldemort answered.
"Well I don't." Harry said, more to himself, but was heard by the Dark Lord none the less.
"I don't blame you Harry," Voldemort responded, then suddenly from close behind Harry, "I would want my death quick as well."
Harry turned to find himself staring into the red eyes of his of his nemesis.
"Of course I'll never die, so I don't have to worry about that."
Harry's pulse quickened as Voldemort raised his wand, "Don't worry Potter, I'll make this as quick as possible."
"Don't bet on it, Tom." Harry responded raising his own wand.
Voldemort's eyes widened at Harry's use of his real name, "Do not dare call me that filthy muggle name, I am no mere mortal, I am power incarnate."
"Ok then Mr. Power Incarnate, are you going to talk all day or are we going to fight?" Harry said, his sarcasm covering his trepidations.
"Crucio." Voldemort said as a red beam shot from his wand, hitting Harry squarely in the chest.
Voldemort's eyes widened in shock as Harry took the curse, and remained standing, completely unaffected by the blast.
*"I see you are powerful, as I have foreseen." Voldemort said.
*"You'll find I'm full of surprises." Harry said, raising his wand once again. "Let's finish this."
Albus Dumbledore stood outside the castle, wondering where Harry had gone. Suddenly there were explosions coming from the forest, spells so powerful he could feel their essence through the very air. `God help you Harry, please come out of this alive.'
A few moments later the very ground shook with the force of a spell so great even Dumbledore awed at its power. Suddenly there was silence, and the great wizard knew the conflict was over. He sped quickly to the location of the battle, moving hastily into the woods. Dumbledore entered the clearing and knew it to be the site of the battle. Trees lay on their side, split at the trunks, the ground was blackened, the very dirt scared from the conflict. Two bodies lay unmoving on the ground, mere feet from one another. The Headmaster moved swiftly to the green cloaked body, fearing the worst. He rolled the body very slowly onto his back, moving his hand to the young man's throat, praying for a pulse.
-I know I know, cliffies are terrible, but everyone uses them now and again don't they?
*And Yes, I am aware that the two lines from Voldemort and Harry are from Star Wars, but I'm sitting here watching it as I write and they seemed to fit, what can I say? I'm a sucker for the galactic battles….
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