Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; they are property of JK Rowling.
A/N: For the external aspect of Voldemort's whereabouts I imagined something half way between Orthanc and Barad-dùr, so those of you who know the Lord of the Rings(A lot of you, I guess…) can imagine it. For the others, hope my description gives you an idea of it. Harry's "pep talk" before the battle has been inspired by Aragorn's one in front of the Black Gates of Mordor (in the movie).
Chapter Fifteen
"Final Battle"
Harry and the others landed in the forest, and immediately the Ringwraith's voice was heard.
"Welcome, our Master. We are ready to start the battle. Voldemort's Headquarters are just out the forest, near the sea."
The Order members looked toward the sea, where they saw an high black tower, raising violently toward the sky, with pointed pinnacles all over the external surface, all made of steel. Dark clouds were all above it, and on the top a small clearing surrounded by other high and pointed pinnacles could be seen. Voldemort's whereabouts.
"Ok, guys. Let's go!" Harry said, after having taken a deep breath and all the members followed him, the Ringwraiths and the Dark Army did the same. They crossed the Forest, and when they reached the border of it, Harry stopped, to explain his battle plan, which he had thought about during the travel to Hogwarts and now, during the crossing of the Forest.
"Well. I think that the maximum surprise we can achieve will be the better for us, so first of all you, Ringwraiths, should go to control if outside there are guards, and if they are, kill them. We will wait here for a sign from you."
The Ringwraiths disappeared, and some minutes later they returned, their swords covered with blood. "We found three guards, all are dead now. We have free entrance to the tower, now."
"Good job," Draco and Neville exclaimed, but Harry interrupted their joyfulness.
"Yes, good job indeed, but this is only the start. People, I'll ask you another last time. Are you ready to risk your life trying to save the Wizarding World? I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come, when the courage of good wizards fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves, and dark wizards may come when the right values will crumble. But it is not this day. This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you to stand, Order of the Shadows!" he said, raising his wand to the sky.
Immediately, all the members, who actually were very frightened, raised their wands, with a new determination in their eyes. They were definitely ready. So, Harry moved toward the castle, followed by them, the Dark Army and the Ringwraiths.
They reached the massive main entrance of the tower. "Alohomora Maxima!" Hermione cried. It was the most powerful unlocking charm, one they had learned back at the Fortress. Suddenly, the heavy doors unlocked, and pushing on them, two werewolves opened the gates, their extraordinary strength handy in that situation.
The Order entered the castle, with the werewolves and the Dementors. The giants had remained in the Forest, waiting for a signal to join the battle. Hagrid was leading them, with Grawp.
They inspected all the rooms on the ground floor, but they found nothing. So, they used the stairs to reach the first floor. Harry opened many rooms, but nothing was there. In the last one, however, they found ten Death Eaters.
"Avada Kedavra!" three of them cried, but Harry and the others were quick to throw themselves on the floor, while Draco, Neville and Hanna, who had hid behind the door, counter-attacked.
"Expecto Gladiatorem!" they cried, and three Gladiators appeared, attacking now and then all the Death Eaters, who were now in strong pain. They were now easy targets for the Order; so after ten death curses, they were dead. The Order left their wands where they lay.
They proceeded to the second floor, and here they found some Dementors, but they defeated them easily, crying "Expecto Patronus!" In the meanwhile, however, twelve Death Eaters had entered the corridor, and they were ready to attack the Order from behind, when they were stopped. The werewolves took care of them, breaking their necks, seizing them with their hands, throwing them against the walls. Their strength was too much for a human to resist, and so the Death Eaters lay, dead, on the floor.
The Order's Dementors, then, were useful when, entering the third floor, they found a room full of Death Eaters. In few minutes, all of them received the Dementor's Kiss, while Harry and the others were going on, unaware of that. They had missed that room, but fortunately the Dementors were ready to feel and attack the opponents, who were exiting it to attack the Order from behind.
The group examined the entire third floor, but they found nothing else, so they went to the fourth one. Here, they encountered some orcs, patrolling the corridors, but that was an easy work for them. Harry and Hermione, who were in the first line, cast quickly many death curses, while the others started to do the same, destroying rapidly the orcs squads.
In a room, Harry found some maps and parchments, in which was planned an attack to Hogwarts, for the next week. Harry was shaking with rage, if there was something he could not allow Voldemort to touch it was Hermione and Hogwarts.
"Incendio!" he cried, and the sheets went burning. In few minutes, only ash remained on the floor. They continued their "tour", reaching the fifth floor, when they heard some Chinese speaking.
Harry looked attentively from behind his corner, and saw a group of Chinese Death Eaters. He turned and whispered to the Ringwraiths to kill them, because he knew they were very able with some Dark Arts unknown in Great Britain, so he didn't wanted to risk some members' life, not really knowing what could be waiting for them.
The Ringwraiths disappeared, and then suddenly the Death Eaters voices turned in a suffocate lament. The Ringwraith had cut their heads, with their poisoned swords.
The Order could continue the exploration of the tower.
They controlled every room in the floor, and then reached the sixth one, were they had to face twenty Death Eaters, with their wands already raised. Somehow, they were waited. It was not a surprise anymore that they were there.
A huge battle started, and Harry and the Order were in troubles, defending themselves with the strong Shield Charms they had learned but not able to counter-attack. Their fate seemed signed, when the Dementors and the werewolves, which were hidden behind a wall, appeared, saving them.
The Dark Army's creatures distracted and attacked the Death Eaters, so Harry and the others could kill them. Nine death curses were cast, but Harry wanted to try a different curse he had kept from the others as it was most dangerous for the caster if done wrong.
"Internum Exploder!" he cried, and his opponent's body exploded as he had a bomb into himself.
The other enemies were killed by the creatures. Then, they examined the rest of the floor and finally, they reached the stairs for the last one.
The floor in which surely Voldemort would be. The place of the final battle. The floor, which would sign the destiny of all of them.
They entered a huge room, in which at least fifty Death Eaters were, and in the centre, the Dark Lord was. Finally, they had found him.
"Welcome, Potter. I knew you would have arrived, eventually. I see you have company with you. Well, we can enjoy that a little more, cannot we, my faithful Death Eaters?"
All of them laughed, then they raised their wands, and started the battle. Every member was quickly surrounded by many opponents, so they could only defend themselves, without counter-attacking.
After some minutes, the Ringwraiths entered the scene, with the werewolves, and helped them, killing quickly the Death Eaters who were taken by surprise, not expecting the Order to have those creatures on its side. Voldemort seemed quite surprised too.
However, Bellatrix Lestrange, who got particularly upset by that and the fact that after all, the Order members were just young people, but the Death Eaters were having serious troubles in killing them, fired an "Avada Kedavra," and Justin fell on the floor, dead.
He was the first death for the Order of the Shadows.
Then, Ernie, who was duelling with Dolohov, was near to suffer the same destiny. However, a werewolf pushed the Death Eater, the curse hitting one of his fellow dark wizards.
Draco found himself facing his father.
"I'm disgusted to see what you've become, Draco" Lucius said coldly, wand in hand.
"I'm disgusted to have been under your influence so long, Father" Draco replied, his grey eyes full of hatred.
"Well, let's finish this, then. Avada Kedavra!" Malfoy cried.
Draco quickly rolled out of the curse path, then cried "Expecto Gladiatorem!"
His father quickly was in pain, but managed to control it before Draco could finish him. Years of punishments from Voldemort with the Cruciatus curse made him a bit used to it. Plus, Draco's power and hatred was not like the Dark Lord's one, so it was less effective.
The man stood up again.
"Nice trick, son. But it won't help you. Crucio!"
Draco let the curse hit him, but just one moment before it did, he used a special technique he had learned at the Fortress. His body remained where it was, but his soul exited from it, so the curse did not affect him.
While Lucius wondered why his son wasn't in pain, and lowered his wand, Draco quickly re-entered his body and cast the Killing Curse.
Lucius was so shocked he couldn't move, and so he died killed by his own son.
After almost an hour, the Death Eaters were mostly dead, thanks to the Dark Army too. However, twelve of them were able to imprison the Order members. At this point, Harry and Voldemort ordered to their respective followers to stop, leaving them the space to duel.
The moment of closing all the bills had arrived.
"Are you still sure you want to do it, Potter? You can still join me, and save your friends lives."
"Sod off, Voldemort. Speak less, and start the duel. Crucio!" Harry cried, but Voldemort defended himself with a quick movement of the wand, which created a grey wall around him. The same he had used with Dumbledore in the Ministry, and the one Harry had not yet managed to learn well.
The wall adsorbed the curse, then Voldemort counter-attacked.
"Crucio!" he said.
"Circulum Erigeo!" Harry cried and defended himself with a circular shield of blue light, then he cried "Expecto Gladiatorem!" and the Gladiator appeared.
For some moments, Voldemort was in pain on the ground, but then he managed to break the curse, and continued the duel.
The battle continued in this way for a long time, without a winner. Suddenly, however, Krum, who was one of the remained Death Eaters, cried, from Harry's behind: "Expelliarmus!" Harry's wand flew away from his hand. He should have expected that.
The Death Eaters did not like to play by the rules.
Voldemort smirked, and then the Dark Lord spoke.
"Ok, Potter, you are dead, now. But before I really kill you, let's enjoy a little with your companions' sufferings," he then spoke to Krum.
"Viktor, if I don't remember bad, you have a bill to close with the Mudblood, there. Let's start from her." Krum smirked, and gladly accomplished.
"Crucio!" he cried and Hermione fell on the floor, crying in pain. She had failed in creating the wall Harry had used just before. Actually, she did that, but it resulted to be too weak.
Viktor laughed evilly. "Finally you, little bitch, are paying for having broken up with me. You should have known that it wasn't a good choice," the Bulgarian said.
Harry was enraged like never before. Seeing Hermione in pain pushed him over the edge.
Suddenly, from his handbreadths, a blinding white light started to glow. All in the room were astonished, then the light became a ray reaching the ceiling, and Harry spoke, but not in his normal voice. It sounded more deep than usual, almost ethereal.
"Voldemort, this is the moment of your end. You've trespassed every border. Be ready to die"
Harry then united his handbreadths, and directed them toward Voldemort.
The ray of white light reached the Dark Lord, who created another grey wall in desperation. But this time it was perforated by the ray, which then touched his body, and Voldemort screamed inhumanly.
Then, some moments later, his body was perforated, and suddenly disappeared. Only his soul remained, but the ray engulfed that too, and destroyed it. The Dark Lord was dead.
The Death Eaters started to run away, while Hermione was standing up, not in pain, now. Krum was escaping, so he had lifted the curse but Harry led the ray on him, so he burned alive like his Master. Then, an acute whistle sounded, and when the Death Eaters who managed to escape the Order Killing Curses reached the main entrance to escape, they found the giants waiting them.
So the last Death Eaters were killed. Hagrid enjoyed the pleasure to kill two of them himself with his bare hands, while Grawp took care of three of them. The Order exited the tower, Harry ordered to the giants to destroy it. After it was done, all of them started their travels, to the "Fortress of the Shadows" for the Dark Army, and to Hogwarts for the Order members.
Before leaving, however, Harry tried to maintain the old swearing done to the Ringwraiths. He didn't know if he was the one they were waiting for, but he tried.
"My faithful Ringwraith, you are free now. You had helped me to accomplish my task and now I free you." Immediately, the shadows dissolved, leaving some ash in their place.
"Bad idea. Really handy those guys when you're in a tight spot" Draco said wistfully.
The Order Apparated to London, then they passed some time in the town, before reaching King's Cross to return at Hogwarts. "Harry, I still don't know which spell you had used to defeat Voldemort," Draco asked once on the train, amazed.
"Draco, I don't know too. I'm pretty sure that was the Ancient power that I have, but Voldemort knows not, though. That was the strength of my love for Hermione. He didn't understand love, so he couldn't stop it with his shield," he then kissed Hermione deeply in front of all of them.
"Hey you two, get a room!" Draco remarked, faking to be puking.
All of them erupted in laughter while the happy couple stuck their tongues at him.
When they arrived at Hogwarts, they found all the Professors waiting for them, and Dumbledore ahead the others. All of them had huge grins on their faces, and Dumbledore hugged Harry, tears flowing on his cheeks.
The Headmaster knew that they had not gone home when they left. He had never showed that, but the fact Harry had taken the lead had made a little hope to be reborn in his heart. He knew Harry was the Heir of one of the darkest wizards of all times, so that was the reason he had tried to isolate him the previous year, seeing signs of darkness in him the moment he had tried the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix, and then after he was possessed by Voldemort in the Ministry. He didn't really think the boy was responsible for Sirius' death, but that was the only reason he could ask the Order to detach themselves from him.
He had feared the events of that night and the following anger may trigger the darkness in him. What he had done last summer could have been another sign of that, but instead Dumbledore had understood Harry was now simply fighting the war on his own terms. Dark terms, it was true, but what was important was to kill Voldemort for good, now. The fact Hagrid was with him gave the Headmaster the final sign Harry may have chosen to use dark arms, but he was definitely fighting for the Light. The half giant would never disobey the Headmaster's orders if not for doing something good in his own way.
"Sorry, Harry, if I doubted of you. I should have known you could never join the Dark side, even if you're the Heir of one of the darkest wizards ever."
"So you knew it!" Harry said, looking the Headmaster in awe, forgetting for a moment his anger at the old wizard.
"Yeah, Harry. I've always known, and last year I feared something could have triggered the darkness lying within you, that's why I tried to isolate you. It has indeed happened, with results I admit I didn't expect like the destruction of the Order of the Phoenix, but you used it for the Light side, so it is no bad thing after all"
"And now the Dark Lord has been destroyed" Harry finished, happy to not have totally lost the esteem of who he thought his mentor, even if still upset for all what the man had put him trough. He ahd led him to kill many people who didn't deserve that, like Tonks, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Moody…even Ron could have not become so hostile and deserve his death if the Headmaster hadn't spread those things about him, and those wounds would probably never heal.
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