Unofficial Portkey Archive

The next day, Harry woke up with a pounding headache. Groaning softly, he swung his legs off the bed and slowly stood up, gripping his head between his hands. The events of the night before came rushing back to him as he stumbled into his bathroom, in desperate need of a Headache Potion.

Dumbledore had escorted him back to the West End Tower, where the other Heirs had practically pounced on Harry in anger before Dumbledore intervened. He quickly explained some of what had happened to the three, who were all stunned into silence by his words. Dumbledore then left them, promising to explain more the next morning.

Draco, Ginny, and Hermione had then rounded on Harry once Dumbledore left. Their anger was quite justified but it still annoyed Harry to no end. He had managed to escape them before things got out of hand, and now he was dreading the inevitable meeting.

Harry pulled the cork on the small vile of purple liquid and quickly drank it. The taste was slightly bitter but he immediately felt the pounding in his head receding. After he washed up, he left the bathroom and got dressed. He left his bag behind as he entered the Common Room, having a strange feeling he wouldn't be needing it that day.

As his door shut after him, Harry's eyes fell upon the figure standing in his path. Hermione was leaning against a couch, her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. Harry sighed and tried to move past her but her arm flung out and stopped him.

"Harry," she said firmly, "we have to talk. Now."

Harry merely nodded and slumped into a chair. His girlfriend sat in a chair across from him and studied him intently. Biting her lip, she finally straightened in her seat and fixed him with a glare he knew so well. She was serious and wanted no interruptions as she spoke.

"What's happened to you, Harry? Lately you've been so uptight, snapping at everyone, blowing up windows, and ready to curse any of us with your wand. We're all in this together yet you act like it is your job alone to face Voldemort and save Ron. You can't do that, Harry, it's unfair to all of us. The more you push us away, the harder it will be for us to unite. What is it going to take? How much will it take out of each of us before this Key is really established? Stop pushing us away, Harry, let us help you. I love you so much and it breaks my heart a little more each time to see you like this. Please, tell me, what is going on?"

She stopped and dropped her head a little, sighing deeply and looking so sad that Harry felt his heart clench. Before he knew what he was doing, he had dropped to his knees on the floor and had crawled over toward Hermione. He grabbed her hands in his and looked her in the eyes, wanting to tell her everything and knowing he should.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said gently, squeezing her hands. "My intent was not to hurt you or Draco or Ginny or anyone else. I was being selfish, I know. I was taking my grief out on everyone around me when I should have gone to you all for comfort. I was just so angry, with everything. Voldemort takes Ron and in the process, he splits up Hogwarts. Then, then I had that dream…."

He trailed off and looked away. Hermione's hand reached out and touched his cheek, drawing his gaze back to her.

"What did you see, Harry?" she whispered.

He closed his eyes painfully at the memory. Very slowly, he repeated it to her, every detail. She gasped in a few places and tears leaked down her face as she imagined the pain Ron was enduring at Voldemort's hands. As he finished, she leaned forward and wrapped Harry in a hug, as he succumbed to his grief and cried quietly on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry," he repeated over and over again in her ear.

"Shh…" she said. "It's all right, we'll get through this."

Harry pulled away from her and lightly ran the back of his hand down her cheek. He studied her brown eyes before speaking.

"Do you understand now, why I did what I did last night? I had to find Dumbledore as soon as I saw Ron being tortured. I never would have used my wand against you but I had to scare all three of you off. I had to, Hermione, I had to."

"Harry, shh," Hermione said again. "I do understand, I do. Just please, next time, let me share your grief with you. I don't want to be pushed away like that again. I love you too much to let you bear that all alone."

Harry nodded and on sudden impulse, leaned forward and pressed his lips to Hermione's. She wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss. All their love they could feel through that kiss. Though Harry had damaged their bond with his temper, nothing could fully break what Harry and Hermione shared. Their love ran too deep for anything to pull them apart.

They pulled away from each other and Hermione smiled at Harry, standing up.

"Come on. Ginny and Draco already went to breakfast and I think Dumbledore is going to explain everything else now."

Harry's face went grave as they exited the Common Room and walked through the corridors. He held Hermione's hand tightly and a deep fear gripped him. He glanced sideways at Hermione as he remembered what had happened to her last time she was at the Department of Mysteries. He had to keep reminding himself she was a stronger witch now, they were all stronger.

"Hermione," he finally said, interrupting their silence, "tonight…..I…I don't know what will happen."

Hermione stopped and gave Harry a firm look. She shook her head from side to side slowly.

"If you think you are going to try and stop me from going, forget about it. I am an Heir, Harry! The Heir of Rowena Ravenclaw! I don't know fully about what will take place tonight but I know one thing, I shall be there, no matter what. Ron is my best friend, along with you, and Voldemort is my enemy. We are in this together."

Harry nodded. "I know, Hermione, I know. Last time though….."

"Last time will not happen again," she replied sharply.

She tugged on his hand and they continued walking, no more said between them. They finally entered the Main Hall, where they were surprised to see a larger number of people gathered.

Harry and Hermione moved forward toward where Dumbledore was standing. He smiled grimly at them and indicated for them to take a seat by Ginny and Draco. They obeyed and Harry noticed, as they both sat down, that the other couple were effectively ignoring him. Blaise, Hannah, and Luna were a little further down the table, all three looking very worried and confused.

Turning his attention to Ginny and Draco, Harry opened his mouth to apologize to them when Dumbledore began speaking in a very commanding voice.

"There is much all of us have to discuss. Please, let us all sit."

When all were seated, Harry took note of the new faces at Illustris, all of them members of the Order of the Phoenix. It was obvious these were the ones Dumbledore had owled the night before. Nymphadora Tonks sat next to Professor McGonagall, her hair at the moment waist length and blonde; Kingsley Shacklebolt sat next to Remus Lupin, his bald head shining in the torch light; Arthur and Charlie Weasley were side by side, both wearing matching looks of seriousness. Mad-Eye Moody, Professor Snape, Professor Trelawney, and Madame Pomfrey were all present as well.

All of those there were seated at the two long tables, which faced toward Dumbledore, who had conjured a squashy red chair to sit in.

"I'm glad you were all able to come," he started, nodding to the Order members. "I do not think we will need any more reinforcements than this, for I have a feeling that Voldemort will be sending a small number to the Ministry tonight."

Folding his hands in front of him, Dumbledore continued. "Last night, Harry Potter received a vision through his dreams of Voldemort's intentions and with my persuasion, was able to re-enter Voldemort's mind to discern the time of the attack. Tonight, at the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort will be repeating his actions of last year and will attempt to retrieve the very valuable Prophecy of Merlin. He has kidnapped Ronald Weasley, who's name resides on the Prophecy, to obtain it. As you all well know, this must not happen and a group of us will go to the Ministry as well, to intercept his attack. The damage that could be inflicted on the Light side if Voldemort knew the full Prophecy….I don't want to even begin to imagine."

He studied the silent group and then went on. "The group that is going shall contain myself, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur and Charlie Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, and the Heirs."

A slight cry of indignation came up from Hannah before she blushed in embarrassment.

"Why aren't we allowed to go, Professor?"

"I do not wish to throw you three into a battle yet," Dumbledore replied quietly. "You shall be at the Final Battle but none of you know enough yet to go against the Death Eaters as of now."

"We want to fight though!" Blaise said loudly, looking angered.

"I am sorry, Mister Zabini. But I can not allow it," Dumbledore said with finality.

"I was there before though!" Luna spoke up, blinking rapidly.

Dumbledore sighed. "I know, Miss Lovegood, but that attack was unorganized. We want this one to be more prepared. You will have your chance to fight for the Wizarding World, I assure you."

That matter then closed, though Hannah, Luna, and Blaise did not look at all pleased. The Heirs said nothing, torn between wanting their friends there to help them and not wanting to put them into the danger everyone was walking in to.

They returned their attention to Dumbledore, who had resumed talking.

"Severus, I would love to have your expertise in battle, but since Voldemort believes you are spy for him, I believe it is best if you stay with the others and watch Illustris. Madame Pomfrey, be prepared to heal any wounds once we return, and Sibyll, I want you to closely watch Miss Abbott, Miss Lovegood, and Mister Zabini to make sure they do not try to plan any type of escape."

The three teachers all nodded and then Dumbledore went on to explain his plans for the attack that night.

"I believe it would be best for us to split into two groups before we arrive at the Ministry. All of us together could mean a sure disaster. I will be the head of the one group and Kingsley, I am appointing you the leader of the second group. The Heirs, along with Charlie, shall come with me. The others are with you."

"Dumbledore," Lupin said quietly, "are you sure you want to keep all of the Heirs together?"

"Yes, they must be kept together. As I have said before, they are strong apart but even stronger united. I have no doubts that their combined powers will take down many tonight."

The Heirs blushed at the compliment as Dumbledore resumed his plans.

"Since we can not Apparate into the Ministry, both groups will be Portkeying in at different times. My group will Portkey directly into the Department of Mysteries and your group, Kingsley, shall Portkey into the main lobby. Join us as soon as you can and make for the Room of Prophecies. I am sure that Voldemort will have brought Mister Weasley down there, but I am also sure that he will have his Death Eaters stationed everywhere to stop an attack. I have a feeling he will be expecting us."

"Then won't the surprise be off us, Dumbledore?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"That may be so," Dumbledore answered, "but I don't think he's expecting such a rescue as this to take place. He may be hoping for a repeat of last year, which will not happen."

Harry sighed in regret as the wizard made the second reference that morning to his blunder at the Department of Mysteries last year. He truly wished they could move beyond that, though the memory of that fateful night still haunted his sleep from time to time. Hermione heard his sigh and gave him a worried look as Harry shook his head, trying to reassure her.

"That is all for now," Dumbledore said, standing up. "Be ready by midnight, all of you. My group shall Portkey from the Main Hall at that time and the second group will Portkey five minutes later. I shall see you all then."

He turned to the Heirs and the other three students.

"No classes shall take place today. Please prepare yourselves instead."

They nodded in response and slowly, the group left the Main Hall. The members of the Order and the teachers all followed Dumbledore to his study, probably to discuss more of the events that would take place that night. The Heirs along with Hannah, Blaise, and Luna headed for the West End Tower to discuss more as well.

As soon as everyone had entered the Common Room, Ginny and Draco rounded on Harry, wearing matching looks of anger.

"So, Potter, thought you could just waltz into breakfast and we'd forget everything?" Draco drawled slowly. "Your girlfriend may be more forgiving but I'm not. So talk. What happened last night?"

Ginny had her arms crossed over her chest and she raised an eyebrow when Harry looked her way. It was obvious she wanted the truth as well. Hannah, Luna, and Blaise all looked confused by the tension between the Heirs, taking their seats and wondering where the unity Dumbledore had spoke of was.

Harry started pacing the room, his movements being watched carefully by everyone in the room. He finally halted and stared off toward the wall, not daring to look anyone in the eyes.

"You have every right to be angry with me but I am sorry for the way I acted last night. I panicked when I had that vision of Ron being tortured and what Voldemort wanted with him. I couldn't control my anger and I took it out on you three. I already explained everything to Hermione but to you, Ginny and Draco, all I can say is I'm sorry and hopefully you will understand that my dream was so horrible that I couldn't let any of you stop me. I swear, I will never draw my wand on any of you again unless under dire circumstances."

Harry finally chanced a look at the Heirs of Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Both looked thoughtful before Ginny stood up and embraced Harry in a hug. Kissing his cheek, she pulled back and smiled at him.

"Apology accepted, Harry. Just don't do that again, or I will have to kick your arse."

Harry laughed as Ginny winked and sat back down. Draco made a grumbling noise before nodding his head toward Ginny.

"What she said, Potter. I don't fancy have your wand in my face again though."

Then he gave Harry an uncharacteristic grin and shrugged his shoulders.

"No hard feelings. I've done worse in the past I believe."

Hermione snorted. "A bit of an understatement there."

Draco huffed in annoyance. "Well, I didn't ask your opinion."

Everyone laughed and the tension lifted as the bond of the Heirs remained intact and, if anything, grew stronger. The bond strengthened with each fight that was repaired, for unity can only succeed if it is tested.

"It's amazing to see you four getting along so well now," Blaise commented in wonderment.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Harry said with a bit of pride in his tone.

………………………

Midnight came much faster than anyone liked. The Heirs had changed into jeans and t-shirts, with their cloaks wrapped around their bodies. Their wands were gripped tightly in their hands and each wore a look of determination as they marched into the Main Hall.

Blaise, Luna, and Hannah followed closely after them, looking worried but silent. The adults looked up as the seven students walked in, resignation on their faces as they thought about the upcoming battle.

Dumbledore stepped to the forefront and beckoned the Heirs forward.

"Good, you are here on time," he said. "We must be off immediately, Voldemort and his followers are probably already there. Here, hold on to this."

He showed them a glittering Sneakoscope, which he handed to Harry. Charlie Weasley stepped up next to the Heirs and gave them all a quick smile. Dumbledore then turned to the remaining group and spoke.

"The Portkey will activate shortly. As I said before, the next Portkey will follow five minutes after us. Make for the Department of Mysteries as quickly as possible. Good luck."

He turned back to his own group, all of them placing a finger on the Sneakoscope. Everyone held their breath as the Portkey suddenly activated and the six people disappeared in a flash of colors.

Seconds later, the ground rushed up to meet them and the Heirs stumbled on the hard concrete of the corridor while Dumbledore and Charlie merely looked wind-swept. The Sneakoscope clattered to the ground where it immediately begin spinning rapidly, it's bright colors flickering on the walls and the high-pitched whistle ringing in their ears. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore silenced the still spinning Sneakoscope.

He turned to his companions and whispered out commands.

"I shall go first. Charlie, you will keep behind the group. As for the Heirs, stay together and be watchful. I have no doubt traps are set up for us."

With that, he turned and marched toward the heavy black door at the end of the corridor, his midnight blue robes swishing lightly behind him. Harry and Hermione scurried after him as a pair. Ginny and Draco were behind them with Charlie bringing up the rear. All of their wands were drawn and tension hung like a cloud around them.

Dumbledore reached the door and with a tap from his wand, it swung open, revealing the circular room on the other side. Harry sucked in a shaky breath as he took in the familiar blue candles and the black, handless doors that surrounded the group. He expected to see masked Death Eaters waiting for them, ready to spring into action and attack the six, but no such plan was in place. The room was empty and silent, apart from the rapid breathing of the Heirs.

"How do we know which door to go through?" Draco muttered, an edge to his voice.

"Silence," Dumbledore responded quietly.

The old wizard moved to the center of the room, the Heirs following. Charlie remained by the open door, not allowing it to fall shut. They watched as Dumbledore raised his wand and waved it in a series of complex motions, all the while muttering under his breath. When he lowered his wand, he turned to Charlie and nodded, the latter letting the door shut with a soft click.

Harry waited for the walls of the room to start spinning but nothing happened. Shocked, he exchanged looks with Hermione and Ginny before moving closer to Dumbledore.

"Sir? Aren't the…."

"I immobilized the doors to make it easier for us to find the right one," Dumbledore interrupted, keeping his eyes fastened on the doors. "It's a complex charm but I am quite capable of performing it. Ah! I think it's that one!"

He pointed to the black door directly to his right. Charlie started for it but Dumbledore held his hand up to stop him before indicating to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, if I remember correctly, you performed a spell that could mark off certain doors that were wrong. Would you mind doing that again? I told Kingsley that he should enter the door that did not have a large red X on it."

He smiled at Hermione, who blushed and pointed her wand forward.

"Flagrate!" she repeated until each of the doors, besides the one they were to enter, was covered in a fiery red X.

When she was finished, the group moved toward the remaining door and Charlie pushed it open. Wands drawn, they slowly entered, but found the room devoid of any occupants. The glittering from the millions of clocks nearly blinded them all but they pushed forward, all on edge.

Draco glanced around the room in amazement, wondering how Dumbledore had known this was the right door to go through.

Then again, he is Albus Dumbledore, Draco thought bitterly.

He was about to stop by an interesting bell jar that contained a hummingbird that rose out of an egg and then proceeded to fall right back into it, when Ginny grabbed his arm and dragged him away.

"Not now, Draco, you don't want to stare at that forever, do you?" she hissed.

He shook his head in annoyance and watched as Charlie pushed another door open to reveal an immensely large room filled with towering shelves that emitted a soft glow. Everyone stepped cautiously through the doorway, a slight draft breezing by them. The silence was eerie and pounded in their ears. There was still no sign of any Death Eaters or Voldemort.

"Stick close together," Harry whispered through his teeth. "Row 79."

So the small group crept forward, their feet padding softly on the floor. The numbers became greater as they passed the shelves, each of the millions of glass orbs glowing dimly. A sudden shuffling noise to their left caused Hermione to grip Harry's arm tightly. Dumbledore waved his arm quickly to halt them.

"We're not alone. Be cautious," he whispered.

Ginny leaned back and peeked down the one aisle. She could have sworn a dark figure had just rounded the corner with a swish of fabric. Gulping, she continued behind the others, breathing deeply and trying to calm her nerves.

When the group stopped again, Ginny looked up and saw the number 79 staring back at her. They had finally reached the aisle Harry had seen in his dream. This was it.

Harry turned around and whispered hurriedly. "Wands out and be ready for anything on the other side."

Not knowing what else to say, he gave them all a quick smile before nodding at Dumbledore and the pair of them stepped into Row 79. Harry gave a yell and before Dumbledore could stop him, he was rushing down the aisle. Hermione, Ginny, Draco, and Charlie all gasped in shock and darted forward.

The sight that met them made them all reel in horror. Harry was kneeling next to a bloody and bruised figure. The arms and legs were bent crookedly and blood pooled around on the floor. Through the mess though, no one could mistake the body. It was Ron.

Harry looked up at them, tears swimming in his eyes as he gripped Ron's hand. Hermione, Ginny, and Charlie fell to the floor next to him, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Ron was still alive. Dumbledore and Draco stayed standing, both of them feeling as if the whole situation was just wrong. Dumbledore's blue eyes moved around the entire aisle, waiting for Voldemort to appear.

And then Harry cried out and grabbed his head, falling flat to the floor. Hermione reached for him and leapt back in shock as Harry lifted his head, his eyes blazing in anger and his scar glowing red.

"Where are you, Tom?" he yelled, pushing himself off the floor.

Laughter resounded around them and the others jumped to attention, wands out. Dumbledore moved forward to stand beside Harry, who was glaring at the opposite end of the aisle. It was only fitting that two of the most powerful wizards ever would fight side by side.

"Well, Harry Potter," Voldemort's voice echoed around them. "I see you brought your friends along with you again. More prepared this time, are we? Do you really think you can defeat me?"

"Yes," Harry growled, "we will defeat you. Now show yourself!"

"As you wish."

Voldemort then stepped out of the shadows in front of them, flanked by six Death Eaters. He grinned maliciously at the dead body of Ron.

"Sorry to see your friend dead, Potter?" Voldemort hissed. "He was getting to be a nuisance so we disposed of him once he did his job. Do you know he begged? Fell to his knees and cried? It was quite pathetic."

The Death Eaters laughed as Charlie and the Heirs all bristled in fury. Dumbledore simply watched Voldemort's every move with fire in his eyes, waiting for his enemy to strike. Voldemort's red eyes were fixed on Harry, who was standing rigid, anger pouring out from him.

"Enough talk!" Voldemort said suddenly. "I think it's time we played."

Just as he twirled his wand forward, Hermione shot her wand at the shelf to her left.

"Reducto!" she cried.

The glass orbs burst apart and glittering shards flew in all directions and scattered on the floor. Voldemort let loose a scream of rage as Dumbledore released a cloud of thick smoke from the end of his wand, covering his group.

"Run the other way," he said. "This is no place to hold a battle."

They ran in the opposite direction, hearing the poundings of pursuit. Hermione blasted the rows of shelves behind them as best as possible, hoping to slow down the enemy. Ginny gave a soft sob next to her and Hermione soon realized her face was wet with tears. She couldn't believe Ron was dead. Her best friend was gone.

She shoved those thoughts backwards as she kept running. Soon, they were somehow back in the Room of Time. Charlie slammed the door shut as Dumbledore turned toward it.

"Colloportus," he muttered. "It won't give us much time but some."

"Really none at all, Dumbledore," a cold voice said.

They all swung around to see Voldemort standing in front of their only way of escape.

"Do you think doors can stop me? It's time this battle was properly fought. One of my followers already has the Prophecy of Merlin so this little plan of yours has fallen through. But no bother, I will have rid of you all soon anyways."

"I think you underestimate the powers of the Heirs you face, Tom," Dumbledore said, stepping forward.

"Do not lecture me, Dumbledore," Voldemort snarled. "Your time has come. Now fight!"

As he rose his wand, the door behind the group burst open with a bang and the Death Eaters rushed forward. Their white masks glimmered oddly in the bright room as they pointed their wands forward.

"Protego!" Charlie shouted, as one of the Death Eaters made a slashing movement, the purple flame bouncing off the protective shield.

Dumbledore grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him forward gently.

"We have to fight Voldemort together. Let the other take care of the Death Eaters, I know they can handle them."

"But what about the Prophecy and the fact that the Heirs have to be in this against Voldemort together?" Harry shouted as he jumped away from a desk that was blasted apart.

"This is not the Final Battle, Harry," Dumbledore said grimly. "Now follow my lead."

With a sudden flash, Dumbledore disappeared and reappeared right next to Voldemort, who stumbled in shock but shot the Killing Curse at Dumbledore's chest. The old wizard merely flicked his wand, creating a shield which deflected it. Harry ran forward and started yelling out curses.

"Expelliarmus!"

Voldemort deflected it easily, turning to sneer at Harry.

"Do try better, Potter! Those are first year spells!"

A long coil of rope erupted from Dumbledore's wand as Voldemort turned. It wrapped around the Dark Lord's body, who merely laughed and disappeared. Harry's scar was on fire as Voldemort appeared behind him.

"Crucio!" he screamed, knocking Harry in the back with the curse.

Harry screamed and fell to the ground in pain. Seconds later it was lifted as Dumbledore blasted a curse at Voldemort, which caused the Dark Lord to scuttle to the side. Dumbledore then sent a second curse just like the first one, Voldemort disappearing once more.

Harry stood up shakily and wiped his brow. Before he could think properly, a cry came out behind him.

"Harry! Look out!"

Harry whipped around and ducked as a Stunning Spell hit the wall behind him, some of the stone crumbling. Hermione was white in the face as she looked back at him, diving over a desk to escape a Killing Curse. Harry was finally able to look at the other battle taking place.

Ginny and Draco were back to back, fighting off two of the Death Eaters each with various Stunning and Disarming Spells. Charlie was backing three more into a corner, the mask of one slipping down his face. Hermione had picked herself up and was fighting the last Death Eater, a fiery anger in her eyes. Harry briefly saw a flash of silver underneath the arm of his robes.

"Wormtail," he muttered.

Harry then doubled over as his scar seared once more. He spun around and shouted out a spell through his pain.

"Stupefy!"

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted.

The two curses met in midair and connected, a golden thread spreading out from the meeting point. Voldemort cursed in anger as Harry's eyes widened. Dumbledore moved into his line of vision and Harry cast him a fearful look.

"No, Harry! Break the connection!" he called.

With great strength, Harry snapped his wand upward and the string broke, the golden light vanishing. Dumbledore then aimed his wand at Voldemort and shot another cloud of thick smoke at him.

"Run, Harry!" Dumbledore shouted.

Harry darted through the smoke, crashing into a desk, before he burst through the door and slipped on the black marble floor of the circular room. The door leading to the corridor was flung open and he ran through it, all the way to the lift. He slammed the golden gates shut and hit the button to the Atrium. The lift clanged loudly as it rose, Harry breathing harshly through his nose. As the lift halted, Harry heard the distant sound of shouting and curses blasting off the walls.

Screwing up his courage so he could help the second group, Harry planned to run forward as the door slid open. But his escape was blocked as he froze, his scar once again burning with pain.

"Not this time, Potter," Voldemort said, laughing. "This time, we truly duel."

…………………………

As the smoke penetrated the Room of Time, Draco coughed and tried again to Disarm the Death Eaters in front of him. They ducked effortlessly and laughed cruelly, attempting to perform the Killing Curse on him again. Draco was struck with a sudden crazy thought and dived to the ground in front of the two, knocking them off their feet as he slammed into their legs. The one Death Eater careened back, his head slamming into the wall where he slumped, unconscious. The other Death Eater lost his wand and scrambled frantically after it.

Draco righted himself and chased him down. Just as the Death Eater closed his fingers around his wand, Draco reached him.

"Stupefy!" he cried.

The red light hit the Death Eater square in the chest and he fell to the ground. Draco turned and through the fading smoke saw Ginny disarm the Death Eaters in front of her and then tie them together with thick cords. A cry of dismay came from Hermione as the Death Eater she was fighting kicked her feet out from under her and took off running for the door. Draco aimed his wand just as his robes swished out of view.

"Damnit!" he yelled.

A flash of green light came to his right and he fell to the floor as it shot over his head. Ginny and Hermione were running towards him, two Death Eaters in pursuit. Draco jumped up and fled for the door. He ran through it, with the two girls right behind him, Hermione slamming the door and sealing it shut as a bang came from the other side. Immediately the doors rotated around them before stopping, another door gleaming darkly in front of them.

Draco looked behind him and noticed something.

"Where's Charlie?"

Ginny dropped her head. "He knocked one of the Death Eaters out but then one of the others hit him with the Cruciatus Curse. He couldn't move when they took it off and then they came after us. I hope he's okay."

The look on her face was of extreme worry. She had already lost two of her brothers. Draco desperately wanted to comfort her but suddenly the door behind them was thrown open and the two Death Eaters came out, pursuing them. Draco shoved the door ahead of him open but before he could shut it, it was flung back causing Draco to slip and fall down a steep row of stairs. He hit the ground hard and groaned in pain. Hermione was rushing toward him, frightened. She grabbed his arm and hauled him up.

"We have to get out of here," she said desperately. "This room is not good to stay in."

Draco looked at her in surprise, wondering what was to fear about a room that contained stone steps and benches, a stone dais, and a tattered, fluttering black veil hanging from a crumbling archway.

"Granger, what?" he snapped.

"This is the Death Chamber," she whispered frantically. "Sirius Black died here because he fell through the Veil. Don't go near it. We have to leave or they may try to push us in."

Draco stared at her in shock but moved forward, trying to climb back up the stairs. To his left he could see Ginny dueling the one Death Eater, jets of red light issuing from her wand as she repeatedly ducked the Killing Curse. As he started to make his way to help her, a cry of pain was heard from Hermione as she stumbled to the ground. He whirled around and saw that her robes were torn open at the shoulder and a bloody gash was etched into her skin.

Draco saw the other Death Eater pointing his wand toward her, about to finish the job. The blonde Slytherin leapt forward though and knocked his wand away. The two fell in a heap and a sharp kick was aimed at Draco's stomach. He wheezed and rolled down the few stairs to the bottom before rising to his knees and seeing the Death Eater rushing toward him.

Draco jumped to the side as a curse was flung at him, leaping up and throwing a Shielding Spell around him as another curse was deflected off of it. The Death Eater then begin to chuckle loudly.

"You have learned some at that pathetic training castle, haven't you, Draco?" a malicious voice said from behind the mask.

Snarling, Draco glared in anger at the man before him. "Father," he spat.

"Very good," Lucius Malfoy said as he ripped his mask off, revealing his gray eyes which glittered in amusement.

"What do you want?" Draco asked in a deadly voice.

"Want?" Lucius laughed. "What do I want? I want you dead, my son. I always hoped I could raise you to turn out the right way, my way. The Dark Lord had such great plans for you, plans to make you the greatest of the Death Eaters. You are more powerful then you can imagine and you can still become much more powerful. But no," Lucius' face twisted into an expression of fury, "you had to follow Dumbledore and become one of his little Heirs. You had to listen to the old fool and become a member of the Light. You betrayed the Dark Lord and you betrayed me, Draco. You are not worthy to be called my son anymore. Soon, I will have killed you and this great Key that is so essential to the Heirs will be broken forever and never regained. Then I will take the place you should have and be the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. Now, my dear son, bow to me, and we will duel."

Draco grimaced before smirking at his father. "I bow to no one, Father. And your fantasies for glory will never come true. Once again, I will escape and Voldemort will be most unpleased with you. Though I do not trust Dumbledore, Voldemort's powers are no more greater than his. The Heirs, along with he, shall defeat him and you."

Lucius' eyes grew dark with anger. "So be it, Draco."

Before Draco could react, a curse was thrown from Lucius' wand and blasted the ground in front of him, causing him to be flung backwards and slammed into the stone benches. He vaguely heard Ginny's scream and opened his eyes to see Lucius flinging the red-head through the air to land in a crumpled heap next to Hermione. Draco snarled and launched forward.

"Impedimenta!" he cried.

"Protego!" Lucius answered.

Draco ducked sideways as his own curse was deflected back to him.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego!"

Draco breathed hard and stood up straight. Lucius was laughing again, his wand pointed at Draco's heart.

"You need to learn some harder spells, Draco. Do you hope to defeat the Dark Lord with a few simple Stunning Spells? I hardly think so."

"Potter seemed to do a good job at defeating him with a Disarming Spell," he spat back.

Lucius glared. "Precious Potter never defeated the Dark Lord. He ran like a coward and the help of Dumbledore has been all that has saved him. Do not try to match the powers of Harry Potter to the Dark Lord, it is impossible."

"I think you underestimate us, Father," Draco said slowly, walking forward.

"Underestimate?" he said mockingly, taking a few steps back as Draco came toward him. "What powers are there to underestimate? All of you are weak and pathetic. At this very moment, the Dark Lord is dueling Potter and Dumbledore. Your second group has been waylaid by another group of Death Eaters and two of your Heirs are over on the floor there. So, Draco, who has been underestimated?"

Draco saw a flash of color from the corner of his eye and he took a chance.

"I think, Father, that it is truly you."

"Why….." He halted and narrowed his gray eyes.

The back of his knees had hit the stone dais on which the Veil hung. Realizing what lay behind him, Lucius aimed his wand and shouted.

"Avada……"

"Stupefy!" a female voice shouted.

The jet of red light hit Lucius in the chest and he was flung back, barely missing the Veil and crashing into the stone archway before crumpling down over the edge of the dais and sprawling ungracefully on the floor. Draco rushed forward and quickly procured black cords to wrap around the unconscious man's body.

Feeling a twinge of guilt at seeing his father battered and bruised, Draco knelt and touched his hand.

"I'm sorry, Father."

He turned and saw Hermione lifting Ginny to her feet, both of them pale and shaky. Draco walked up to them and quickly put Ginny's one arm around his shoulders. He looked at Hermione and nodded.

"Thanks, Granger."

The young witch smiled at him, pocketing her wand.

"Anytime, Draco."

…………………………

Harry could barely move, could barely breathe, as he stared into the red eyes of Voldemort. His wand was almost limp in his hand. How was he to defeat Voldemort? He had gotten away every other time by chance, not strength. But he was an Heir, Gryffindor's Heir. He had to remember that.

Voldemort backed away from him and Harry stepped out of the lift. Their eye contact never broke.

"Our wands can not go against each other, Tom," he said quickly.

"Then we won't be using wands I guess," he responded with a ugly grin. "I'm sure you've heard of wandless magic, Potter?"

Harry had no time to react as Voldemort flung his hand out and blasted Harry back into a wall. He slammed into it and slid ungracefully to the floor. His wand fell next to him and Harry groaned, feeling blood on the back of his head. Voldemort was in front of him now and he felt himself being forced upright and pinned by magic to the wall.

"You are worthless, Potter," he hissed, leaning forward. "How you are considered an Heir is a mystery to me but I am offering you a chance. Join me and help me bring the other Heirs to my side. Together, we can defeat the Light and rule over the world with them. Do you want that, Potter? The Light side will disregard you after a few years but I will keep your glory aloft forever. Whoever the Heirs support, that side wins. What do you say, Potter?"

Harry turned blazing green eyes on Voldemort. His scar was aching but he gritted his teeth against the pain and managed a response.

"Never," he said. "You've destroyed almost everything that ever meant something to me. I will never join you, nor will the other Heirs."

Voldemort cursed. "I think you are too trusting in your companions, Potter. But so be it. You have made your decision. You and the others will die. I will make sure to painfully torture Miss Granger before her death, for your reluctance to comply with my wishes."

A blind fury rose in Harry. Voldemort had killed his parents, Sirius, Hagrid, and now Ron, he would not allow him to take Hermione as well. The anger kept building until he noticed Voldemort backing away.

"What is this, Potter?" he screeched, releasing his magic and causing Harry to fall.

Harry immediately stood, his eyes a fiery green and his black hair blowing. He raised his arm and a blast of wind slammed forward and hit Voldemort in the chest, the Dark Lord being flung back with it. The duel between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters halted as the fierce wind reached them and knocked them all backwards.

Bellatrix Lestrange tore her mask off and cackled loudly.

"Has itty bitty Potter finally gotten some powers? I don't think you can stop curses though."

She raised her wand and opened her mouth but suddenly the water in the large fountain she was next to stirred. It erupted upwards and crashed down on Bellatrix, causing her to cry out. The other Death Eaters started scrambling anxiously for an escape, fear filling them as they saw their Lord being pushed further and further back by Harry's angry wind. They then caught sight of the other Heirs, each of them looking as angry as Harry. The Order was frozen, not knowing how to handle the situation. Dumbledore appeared by Kingsley's side.

"Let them realize their powers together," he spoke quietly.

Hermione kept shooting up great towers of water as Draco kneeled on the ground and slammed his fist into the floor, the building shaking and a few of the Death Eaters stumbled to their knees. Ginny flung her hand at some torches, which moved off the wall and shot like fireballs toward the enemy.

The Death Eaters shrieked, not knowing what to do. Bellatrix Lestrange's mouth was hanging open, for once she was rendered speechless. Voldemort had managed to stable himself and drew his wand, pointing it at Harry and releasing a powerful energy force which knocked Harry off his feet, the wind abruptly stopping as he lost concentration.

"Even with your Elemental powers you can not defeat me!" he shouted gleefully.

Hermione tried to throw a wave of water toward the Dark Lord but he threw up a shield and disappeared. He reappeared by his Death Eaters and watched as the Four Heirs lowered their Elemental powers and drew their wands on him. He laughed sharply and threw his arm to his left side.

"I think it's time I show another weapon to you. This one may just destroy you."

A tall, thin figure stepped out into the light of the Atrium, causing the Heirs to gasp. Harry took an uncertain step forward.

"Ron?" he whispered.

His red-headed best friend stared back with emotionless eyes. His wand was pointing right at Harry's chest as he stopped several feet away and spoke.

"Harry Potter," he said in a monotone voice. "It's time for you to die."

"No, Ron!" Hermione screeched. "Don't listen to Voldemort! He's cursed you! Fight it!"

Ron was unmoving though and Ginny sobbed in Draco's arms, not daring to look. Dumbledore stepped to the side, ready to take action but just as shocked to see Ron as the others.

"I have the Prophecy in my possession," he continued. "Soon, the Dark Lord will know your secrets and victory will be in his hands."

"Please, Ron," Harry said, dread clenching around him, "please listen to me. We're your friends, we've always been there for you. Voldemort never has, don't listen to him."

Harry saw something in Ron's eyes falter but no one else noticed. Voldemort was laughing again.

"He's too far gone, Potter. He is mine!" He looked at Ron's back. "Now, kill Harry Potter."

Ron raised his wand, Harry reaching for his own, not wanting to use it. Hermione made a dash forward as Dumbledore pointed his wand, not at Ron, but at Voldemort. The next event was so quick is happened in seconds. Ron kept his wand pointed forward but spun around quickly and aimed it at Voldemort.

"Avada Kedavra! He shouted hoarsely.

Voldemort managed to disappear in a flash and appear again a few feet away. His face was livid as he drew his wand.

"Accio Prop…"

He was stopped short by a loud bang echoing from Dumbledore's wand and he screeched as a Death Eater next to him fell. Harry rushed to Ron as the red-head fell to the floor in exhaustion. Hermione, Ginny, and Draco ran to them as well, dropping to their knees.

"Get the Prophecy! GET THE PROPHECY!" Voldemort shouted.

The Death Eaters pulled their wands out and scrambled toward the Heirs. Tonks, Kingsley, McGonagall, Arthur, Moody, and Remus jumped in front of them and more duels broke out. Dumbledore quickly enabled a Portkey out of a broken bit of stone and hurried toward the Heirs.

"Go, go! We'll take care of them! We must keep the Prophecy safe!"

Draco grabbed the Portkey and the others touched it, Harry still holding Ron's arm. Voldemort dashed toward them but Dumbledore created a shield and blocked him.

"DUMBLEDORE!" The Dark Lord cried in anger.

Then the Portkey activated and the last thing the Heirs heard was a cry of pure rage from Voldemort as they were flown away from the battle.

..............................

Author's Note: Whew! I'm SO sorry about the delay with this chapter! I had every intention to have it out this weekend but my work schedule was hectic and I barely found time to write. This chapter is MUCH longer than my other ones so it took a lot of time to complete and I've been writing it in segments. I truly am sorry and I will seriously try to be better about the updates!
The length of this chapter is unusual so don't be disappointed with me about the next ones because they'll be a bit shorter than this. I hope you liked the battle I wrote, it's hard to write them because so much is going on during it. I hope it was acceptable though! :) I probably freaked a lot of you out with making you think Ron was dead and an explanation of how that was done will be in the next chapter. Chapter 36 will have Prophecy of Merlin told from Merlin himself...hmm...nothing huge but important nonetheless. Ah, and btw, the number 79, I got it from something really simple. If you recall, in OotP, the number of the row the prophecy resided on was 97, so all I did was switch the numbers. Kinda cool? lol, not really, just interesting.
Well, thank you for all the wonderful reviews from all of you! I really hope you did enjoy this chapter and please leave me comments and reviews! I love all the ones I read! :)
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