DISCLAIMER: Only the story concept is mine. The characters belong to the remarkably talented JK Rowling.
A/N-1: Once again, this story has not been reviewed by anyone but me. Please feel free to point out any errors while you post other review comments. I love to read the reviews so I would greatly appreciate hearing what you have to say. Thanks in advance!
~ Dramatization ~
The following is an actual, albeit dramatic, account of the events that occurred the night Tom Riddle, formerly known as Lord Voldemort, a.k.a. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was once and for all vanquished from this world. Make no mistake…the drama comes only by way of imagery. There is a hero and his heroine is at his side…
This is only the beginning…
It was a cold, dark night and three lone figures could be seen standing on the grassy knoll. The occasional snap of their cloaks could be heard echoing across the stillness as sudden gusts of wind ripped their way through the night. Their silhouettes appeared fearless by the light of the moon as not one of them made the slightest effort to hide. They had trained relentlessly for this moment; this battle was theirs and they were prepared to die fighting it. In the center stands the hero: Harry Potter; the boy whose defeat of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort when he was but an infant, sealed his destiny as the savior of the wizarding world. To his right, in the place of honor, stands the heroine: Hermione Granger; best friend and most loyal companion of the hero. Her never wavering belief in him the only constant in his otherwise turbulent life. To his left stands his best mate: Ron Weasley, more than a friend, he is his brother; not by blood but something much more powerful…choice.
The final battle had been waged and the three heroes were standing tall, fighting the good fight; determined to protect the world from the darkness that constantly threatened to consume it. Observers who were willing to shift their eyes from the awe-inspiring sight of the heroes could see that the tree line surrounding the field was dotted with other brave witches and wizards who had joined in the battle to defeat the dark lord. Some were merely teenagers; like the heroes themselves and others were aurors; soldiers trained for battle. There were those who joined to avenge loved ones lost in the previous battle with the dark lord and still others who were simply tired of living in fear. With the exception of the heroes and the aurors it was, by all accounts, a ragtag bunch…but they fought hard and their courage and determination were commendable.
On the other side of an invisible line the darker forces stood, led by the dark lord's most trusted ally Lucius Malfoy with his minions known as Death Eaters.
Across the dark sky flashes of multi-colored lights penetrated the night as spells, hexes, and curses flew haphazardly between the two sides…some reaching their intended targets, others reflected by invisible shields, and still others dying aimlessly in the dark of night.
By now the war had raged on for nearly a week. As is the way with war, both sides suffered numerous casualties. They were tired, hungry, and beyond ready for the end; but still they fought. Good versus evil. The ultimate battle: light and dark following their leaders; both sides determined to rise victorious.
Only a handful of people knew what the prophecy foretold. Only they understood why this battle raged on relentlessly and they waited anxiously for the events that would finally bring about the end. As the one predestined to lead this battle, Harry Potter had been trying to end it since it started. To this point Voldemort had been an invisible leader of his army…a coward, and Harry had been searching for him since the battle began. And so our heroes fight…visible for all to see, in the hopes of finally drawing the dark lord into the battle.
Just 17 years old and already a valiant warrior and powerful wizard, Harry's abilities are second only to Tom Riddle; a.k.a. Lord Voldemort…but only just. Due to the transference of Voldemort's powers to Harry when he'd tried to kill him as an infant, Harry's powers had been instinctual and he'd needed very little in the way of instruction in their use. He was a quick study. He absorbed all that he was shown as quickly and effortlessly as a sponge absorbs water. It was this natural ability that set him apart from any other witch or wizard in history. As a young wizard Tom Riddle studied tirelessly and had found it necessary to immerse himself wholly into the dark arts to gain his power; and in the process, sacrificed his very soul to the darkness. He worked diligently to become the powerful wizard who now lived not only because of his fear of death, but to find new ways to torment the one wizard he'd tried and yet failed to defeat; Harry Potter, the boy who had, to date, defied him five times.
Because his powers were self-taught and not instinctual, Riddle had an awareness of all of his powers. It was this combined with his ability to use them as easily and unconsciously as breathing that gave him the edge over Harry. Harry had powers yet untapped and with the start of the war there was no time left to delve deeper into his abilities.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione; more commonly known as `The Trio' for the better part of six years, worked together like a well-oiled machine. They'd been together for so long that each instinctively knew what the others needed, especially in times of crisis. Throughout the battle there had been more than one occasion when their intuitiveness had been tested as they continually strived to keep themselves and each other alive.
Hermione had just cast the `protego' spell over herself to deflect a Death Eater's curse when she heard a feral sound escape Harry. She chanced a look in his direction and saw a mixture of anger and relief pass across his face as he stared in the direction of the Death Eaters. She followed his gaze until she saw the cause of his sudden outburst…Voldemort had finally made an appearance. Finally this war could end. Everything they'd trained for came down to this…these final moments. They were ready.
In the brief moment that Hermione's attention was drawn away from the fight she was struck low by a misplaced spell. The impact threw her backwards and a loud, resounding crack echoed through the sudden quiet of the night as her head made contact with the ground.
Everything began moving in slow motion as Voldemort entered Harry's unguarded mind and forced him to watch her fall over and over. "HERMIONE!" He heard himself shout, his voice so disconnected from his person that it sounded as if it came to him from a great distance. He could barely comprehend Ron's words through the sudden pounding in his head, "She's alive but unconscious, Harry."
She's alive…unconscious…alive…unconscious… When Ron's words finally registered in his mind he returned his full attention to Voldemort who was laughing as he too felt Harry's pain.
"That is only the beginning Harry Potter." He could hear Voldemort's voice, that inhuman hiss, echoing in his head. "We end this tonight. I shall be victorious before the next dawn. Then you will know just how foolish a sacrifice your parents made when they died to protect you. You cannot win against me." His maniacal laughter increased the nearly unbearable pain that already hammered in Harry's head.
Harry's voice pierced the silence of the night as he yelled across the field, "No more, Riddle. I'll not let you do this to me again…to any of us. You have taken too much. Your time has come. You'll not leave this place alive…" If that is what you call your current state of being, Harry thought.
Voldemort's voice cut into his thoughts and his words brought with them a certain clarity, "What's the matter, Potter? Does it hurt knowing you've lost your Mudblood? She'll surely die if she remains here and there is no place you can take her. Do you see now how love blinds you, makes you weak…distracts you? Love will most assuredly kill you just as it killed your parents so long ago."
Harry needed to get back to Hermione; he needed to see for himself that she would be all right. To their own peril Voldemort and his minions were keeping him from her, as he could not go to her while they were still a threat. He knew that this was it…the battle would end now. He turned to look at Hermione and his mind began to flash back to all of the time they'd spent together, her sacrifices for him, her patience, her guidance, and above all else; her love…love. In that instant he realized that his life would be meaningless without her. Lost momentarily in his thoughts of her, he didn't notice the pale white light that had begun to surround him. The more he thought about her the brighter the light became.
He could feel something building within him, the feeling foreign to him. The power coursed through him, growing stronger and stronger as thoughts of all the people in his life began to make their way into his mind; those he had loved and lost combined with those who are with him now. As pictures of loved ones began to swirl in his mind the light surrounding him grew in its intensity. He gathered strength from his memories; from all the people who had become such a part of him and made him the man he was. As the power of their love coursed through him the now blazing light began to pulsate; waves of light becoming visible to the naked eye. While it was hard to look away, many were forced to close or shield their eyes for fear of what the brightness might do to their vision.
The only ones who seemed unable to avert their eyes, no matter how desperately they longed to, were Voldemort and his followers. They were held prisoner by the blinding whiteness that surrounded Harry. The more they tried to avert it, the brighter it burned in their mind's eye. Physically it hurt less to look directly at it then it did to turn away. Through their fear they could not see the beauty in the light or that the images of his loved ones that had been swirling through his mind had now begun appearing intermittently through the waves, urging Harry to hold on. They knew only that the end was near…and that realization left them scared and defenseless.
Harry could not put conscious thought to what was happening to him, so he cleared his mind and let the power overtake him and fill every part of his heart, body, mind, and soul. He unknowingly placed his hands together above his heart and focused solely on what he now knew to be the power of love that had amassed within him. He threw open his arms and a tremendous wave of light encompassed the night sky, seemingly turning it to day. It permeated the dark lord and his followers, incorporating itself into the whole of their being. The screams ended almost as quickly as they began as the dark lord and his followers faded away into the night; a sudden, deafening silence ensued.
Harry turned to go to Hermione and after a few staggering steps his legs gave way as the energy he'd expended vanquishing the dark lord left him exhausted. He fell next to her; his arm draped across her stomach. She didn't move. He barely registered the world around him before he laid his head upon her chest and the dark of unconsciousness overtook him.
Now that this part of the tale has drawn to a close one must wonder, are the hero and his heroine of this world or another?
As this tale unfolds it is important to note that while the best friend…another great hero and the third point of their triangle…is not at the forefront, his vigilance is constant…he is forever looking on; his concern etched unremittingly upon his face and fear ever-present in his eyes.
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A/N-2: This is meant to be a brief introduction to the next part of the story. I have intentionally left a lot of stuff out because the real focus of the story will be in the following chapter(s)…it is not on the defeat of Voldemort.
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