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The Four Heirs begin to walk slowly toward Lord Voldemort, their eyes fiery with suppressed rage and power. A deafening silence descended on all of those around them, Aurors, Order members, and students watching with bated breath, mouths moving in soft prayers that the Light would be victorious. Down in Hogsmeade, the silence fell there as well, as the last fires were put out and the remaining population slowly made their way towards the battlefield. Everyone's hope now rested on the Heirs, who felt that weight but now knew that they could carry it.

The Heirs finally halted, only a few meters from Voldemort, who clutched his wand tightly and sneered at them. Their faces were calm yet hard, fully prepared to take on the darkest wizard ever to set foot in the world. With brief glances at each other and swift acknowledgment, Harry and Hermione stepped away from Draco and Ginny, forming a half circle in front of the Dark Lord, who considered them with narrowed eyes.

"Is this a fight?" Voldemort spat, looking slightly gleeful. "Or are we merely going to stare each other down for eternity?"

"No, Tom," Harry said quietly yet with strength in his voice. "This is the end."

"The end for all of you," the Dark Lord snarled back, raising his wand up.

Just as the first syllable of a curse fell on Voldemort's lips, Harry swung to Draco, who was already staring back.

"Now, Draco!" he shouted.

"Validus calligatio!"

The blonde Slytherin yelled out the spell without once touching his wand, instead outstretching his hand. The brilliant white light shot out and connected with Voldemort before the wizard had time to realize what the spell was. The second light came back to Draco before fading, the Dark Lord now surrounded by a faint glow.

So, Lord Voldemort, Draco's voice said harshly in his head, what have you been planning for us in here?

You will find nothing! The Dark Lord shrieked, slamming up mental blocks. Foolish Slytherin, do you think you can play these stupid mind tricks on me?

You underestimate my abilities, Tom, Draco snarled back, just as you did before.

Then Voldemort felt an intense pain like never before, as Draco worked his way around the mental blocks and searched through his mind. Clutching his head and almost falling to the ground, the Dark Lord desperately tried to go against him, but Draco was strong and continued on, the pain ever increasing. Finally, something snapped in his head, as a certain block fell down, and Voldemort let out a loud and angry wail as Draco extracted information before vanishing from his mind.

Draco sagged against Ginny's shoulder as his magical power dropped slightly. All of the Heirs knew of this risk, one of them becoming weaker just to find out information, but they all felt it a necessary step in defeating the Dark Lord. Draco's powers would soon return, since being an Heir allowed him that, but for a few minutes he knew he could not do much. Hopefully the other three would be able to hold off the Dark Lord for a time.

Feeling his power starting to return, Draco straightened, turning his head to nod at Harry, who smiled back grimly. Voldemort was picking himself up off the ground now, shaking and looking angrier then ever.

"Who is the foolish one now, Tom?" Draco said with a hint of laughter on his tongue.

With a show of agility, Voldemort leapt upwards and raised his wand, a jet of bright yellow light flashing forward. Ginny barely gave a seconds thought before she grabbed Draco and disapparated them a few feet away. The curse sped away into the trees.

As Voldemort let out another scream of rage, Harry and Hermione looked at each other, grabbed hands, and made a silent agreement. Concentration fell over them as their eyes turned blue. A sharp crack of thunder followed by a howling of wind caused the watchers to jump in shock and fright. Immense dark clouds were rolling in, flashes of electricity going off within them, and a terrible wind pushing them. Another sharp crack and howl had the various students, Order members, and Aurors running for cover, most of them dashing for the castle.

Just as they reached safety, the sky broke open and a torrential rain went hurling down, a severe wind raging right with it. The Four Heirs remained not surprisingly untouched; simply standing still and watching their powers slam into the Dark Lord who had caused them so much grief over the years.

Harry and Hermione separated, moving closer to the Dark Lord without allowing their Elemental powers to falter. Voldemort was procuring shields to block the assault but to no avail. The rain and wind were much stronger than his shields, fueled by an amazing amount of love that nothing he could do could conquer. He was now drenched and shivering, no menacing air about him now. He tried one last spell, which managed to halt the natural forces for a few seconds before Harry and Hermione lifted their arms and flicked the shield away.

As the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw pair continued to attack Voldemort with the elements, Draco and Ginny came around behind him and started to fire off various nonverbal spells. The Dark Lord started as the first one grazed past him, before pointing his wand at them at shooting out his own spells. A flurry of colors became blurred to the observers, the rain obscuring much of what they saw.

Just as Harry managed to knock Voldemort sideways with a blast of wind, Draco pointed his wand at his fellow Heir. He hoped his next spell wouldn't cause Harry's concentration to slip.

"Validus calligatio!" he cried out once more, bracing himself for the drainage in his magic.

The white light struck Harry, who almost seemed to be expecting it and didn't even stumble. The wind started to die for a second before it surged up again, fiercer than ever, as if Harry was suddenly doubling his efforts. Draco's and Harry's thoughts immediately connected with a snap, the Slytherin feeling an amazing amount of power rippling through their connection. For the first time, he fully realized and appreciated the extent of Harry's abilities and magical power.

What are his plans? Harry asked simply.

Protect Hermione, Draco responded back quickly, trying to keep the connection short. He wants to use her against you, feeling if he manages to capture her, the battle will be won. Just watch her back; his main plan was to get to her. After that, his tactics are no different then ours because all of his minions have been destroyed. He's strong though, incredibly strong. We need something to drain his power.

Thanks, Draco, Harry responded tersely, mind already distracted with plans to keep Hermione from harm. He would die before Voldemort would be allowed to touch her.

Sensing Harry's determination, the blonde withdrew from his mind, the connection breaking. Staggering for a few moments afterwards, Draco quickly tried to engage himself in the battle once more. He refused to use the telepathic spell any more during the battle, since one more time would be too much for him to handle. His mission was accomplished and that was all that mattered.

As Draco and Harry were conversing through their thoughts, Hermione dug deep within herself to bring up more of her magical strength. She focused her empathic abilities and brought them down upon Voldemort, hoping she could discern some of his motives by just knowing his emotions. Her eyes cut a path through the rain, resting intently on the form of the Dark Lord as she edged out her mind and opened up to his feelings.

Hermione was assaulted by such immense feelings of anger, malice, and hatred that she almost buckled under the weight. Reeling, but still managing to stay upright, her Elemental power only suffering slightly from the small slip in concentration, she opened her mind up a bit more cautiously. Probing gently, she touched his mind once more, almost reeling again from a new emotion that sprang up.

Voldemort wanted her. For what, Hermione couldn't figure out, but only ill intentions seemed to be backing up the thought. She pulled back from his mind before he noticed her there, her thoughts turning back to the steady fall of rain. Only one last question still lingered.

Why does Voldemort want me?

The question seemed almost ridiculous though. She immediately knew why Voldemort would want her first, out of all the other Heirs. The Dark Lord's fears rested on Harry defeating him, and if he could get Hermione, Harry would almost certainly give in to save her. She couldn't let that happen, no matter what. This last war would not be lost because Hermione couldn't protect herself.

Harry was already trying to devise a plan though, his mind swirling with various spells he could use and other such tactics. If only he could create a shield that Voldemort wouldn't be able to penetrate.

Before he could fulfill any of his ideas, Voldemort decided to execute his own plan on Hermione, smiling gleefully the whole time. A thin yet fiery red rope came twisting out of the tip of his wand, flashing in the rain as it uncoiled and raced toward the Ravenclaw Heir. Harry let out a shout and released a spell, which only deflected off of the rope. Hermione, sensing the danger instantly, spun around and pulled out her sword just as the cord reached her.

The rope made contact with the blade of her sword, wrapping around it instantly. Hermione let go of the handle and with a sharp wave of her hand, the tip leveled off and shot right back at the Dark Lord. A howl of curses escaped his lips as he dodged the deadly blade, which slammed into the ground several meters away.

"I will not be taken that easily!" Hermione shouted over the din.

Voldemort snarled.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione quickly rolled to the ground, her shirt becoming soaked with water, to avoid the Killing Curse. Harry shot out a Stunning Spell in retaliation, which was easily deflected into the forest. Hermione rose once more and with a nod to Harry, the two of them released their Elemental powers, the sky turning light once more. The Dark Lord barely had time to regain his balance before a loud rumble and a crash echoed across the grounds. Behind him, Draco had knelt to the earth, his palms downward as he brought forth his own Elemental power.

Standing slowly, Draco remained concentrated as the ground shook again, a crack forming in the surface before him. Voldemort's red eyes were now fixed on him intently, calculating what the Slytherin was about to do. He did not expect for the ground to suddenly cave in before him with a terrible sound, a crater forming and causing him to scramble for safe footing. He raised his wand to take his enemy down, but Ginny had predicted this move. She quickly rose her hands above the newly formed pit, a burst of flames appearing within it. They rose towering before her, obscuring the Dark Lord from view. The bright orange and yellow flames were bright, dulling out the sky and creating a glow that could be seen from miles around.

Both Ginny's and Draco's eyes had changed colors like Harry's and Hermione's, showing the amount of effort they were putting into their powers. The Dark Lord was screaming in rage again, trying to shot spells through the flames. The flames were off a different substance though, simply absorbing many of the multicolored lights.

As the fire distracted him, Draco turned his concentration into creating a pit all around Voldemort, to trap him for at least a little while. Harry and Hermione were shooting out spells now, most of them bouncing off various shields. When Draco was finished, Ginny filled the whole pit with fire, circling the Dark Lord with a blazing inferno. His screeches of rage reached the Four Heirs, who halted their spells, Ginny simply left to keep the flames in the pit going. Harry and Hermione now joined their two companions, all of them watching silently and waiting for any movement from Voldemort.

With a nod from Harry, Ginny raised her arms higher, her eyes burning with concentration as she caused the flames to contact and create one huge ball of fire. The blazing orange was now so bright many had to look away, the crackle of it piercing their eardrums. Ginny then lowered the flames directly onto the area where Voldemort stood, one last shriek escaping from his lips. Then with a sharp crack, the flames disappeared and no sign of the Dark Lord could be seen.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath now, watching and waiting, almost sensing that the fight wasn't over. The Heirs were poised, their bodies tense and ready, knowing better than anyone else that Voldemort was not finished yet.

"Do you think simple tricks such as those could defeat me?" the hissing voice came from behind the four.

They all spun around, hands held out defensively, to see Voldemort in dueling stance, his wand directed right at them.

"I would express myself disappointed, Tom," Harry growled, "if you had fallen that quickly. Disappointed, yet happy to see your demise."

"Such talk gets us nowhere, Potter," Voldemort spat.

"You asked for it, Tom," Hermione said sharply, her eyes glittering with hatred for the creature before them.

Before a response came from him, the Four Heirs disappeared with a series of loud pops, to reappear behind Voldemort already transformed into their Animagus shapes. The Phoenix let out a beautiful cry of his song, before diving into the sky and melding with it. The Dragon arched his neck, steam billowing from his nostrils as one of his yellow eyes glared with intensity at his enemy. The Chinese Fox slithered through the grass, hiding in dips and baring her teeth in a snarl. The shining Unicorn pawed the ground and lowered her head, the point leveled directly at the Dark Lord's black heart.

Voldemort's eyes widened for a second in surprise before narrowing again, thin red slits showing. He tucked his wand back into his robes and curled his lips into a sneering smile.

"We can both play this game," he whispered.

With a snap, he whirled out of sight and appeared seconds later as a large and hideous snake. He towered above the ground, almost as large as the Dragon, with dripping fangs and huge red eyes. His long black body lay coiled on the ground, with his ugly head raised and ready to strike. It was apparent that Voldemort had worked on his Animagus form until he could manipulate it, making it so he could become whatever size needed. Few wizards could do such a thing and the act was considered Dark Magic, something that wouldn't be a stretch for Lord Voldemort.

A forked tongue flicked out menacingly as all the other creatures started in shock and simply stared, clearly not prepared for the sudden change. A series of hisses escaped his mouth; eyes intently caught on the Dragon's, who understood his every word.

The Unicorn first, yessss, and then, and then the rest of you.

The snake's black head dived down at the same time the piping music filled the air once more and the brilliant Phoenix appeared, wings spread. The noise distracted the snake, which swung his head, narrowly missing the Unicorn, who galloped sideways. The Phoenix's beak struck at the snake's eyes, which simply whipped his tail up and almost knocked the bird from the sky. The Dragon let out a roar of fire, which the snake managed to avoid, showing an amazing amount of agility. The Chinese Fox, now severely dwarfed, continued skirting through the grass, a devious plan forming in her mind.

The Phoenix returned quickly, flying beside the Unicorn, as the Dragon dove into the air, distracting the snake from above. His massive wings beat the air as the snake raised his head once more and struck. Sweeping away, the Dragon let out another blast of fire, this time catching the snake on the top of the head, causing him to howl in agony. The Unicorn and the Phoenix came to him just at that moment, the Unicorn piercing the soft underbelly with her horn as the Phoenix swerved easily and struck one of the snake's eyes with his beak, a shower of blood raining from both puncture wounds.

Howling louder, the snake dropped his head, causing all three creatures to leap out of the way to avoid being crushed. The Dragon crashed back to the ground, the earth shaking from his weight as he started to charge at the vicious animal. The Phoenix dived for the other eye, this time narrowly missing the snapping jaws of the snake. The Unicorn galloped away for several meters before turning around and charging once more. The Dragon came to the snake first, slamming into his head and knocking the snake over, where it writhed in pain. The Phoenix struck again, this time puncturing the snake's nose as the Unicorn pierced his belly a second time.

All three backed away, leaving the creature to bleed and spit in growing agony, allowing the Chinese Fox to make her way forward and complete her plan. With lightening quick moves, she struck her tail numerous times along the ground, each patch of grass erupting in flames until the whole snake was encircled. With a last touch of her tail, the small fires joined together and created a massive fire that was equivalent to the one before. The four Animagi then backed away and watched as the snake struggled to sit upright, a wailing hiss escaping his throat as the flames licked at his scaled body.

With soft pops, the Four Heirs changed back into their regular forms, panting with slight exhaustion and watching as the flames concealed the great snake from view. None of them look injured, except for Harry, who had a large bruise forming on his right side from where the snake's tail had struck him. Wincing, Harry inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes, the pain vanishing seconds later as he healed it. Reopening his eyes, he gazed tiredly at his companions.

"It's not over," he said quietly. "This will not have defeated Voldemort."

"Aye," Draco replied, "he is stronger than that. He is even more wounded now though."

"Just one last blow," Hermione whispered, "and he'll be gone forever."

Ginny bit her lip in worry.

"But what though?" she asked. "What will finally bring him to destruction?"

"We will," Harry said with determination. "All of our love and trust that we've built up over the months will be needed for that very moment. Voldemort will not be able to defeat powers such as those."

They all fell silent, still watching the fire until Ginny raised her hand, lowering it with a flick of her wrist. They disappeared entirely, smoking embers only remaining as they stared at the spot where Voldemort had just lain. A chilling laughter cut through the silence, causing the four to turn to their right, facing the Dark Lord once more. He seemed no worse than before the fight, only one of his eyes glistening with something that looked disturbingly like blood. He stood straight and tall before them, anger radiating off of his being as he pointed his wand at them again.

"No matter how much you fight me and damage me," he said harshly, "I will always come back. Nothing you do to me will kill me, for I am immortal."

"No, Tom," Harry said. "You may think you are, but you're not. Your heart may be black and your mind may have turned toward the Dark Arts but your soul still remains, the last bit of you that remains human. You can die, Tom, and we will prove that."

Voldemort hissed in rage.

"Try all you want, Potter, Heir of Gryffindor, but your trying will be worthless. I will defeat you and take the Wizarding World as my own, destroying all that you and your pathetic people have worked for. People will worship me once the world is mine and you will be forgotten. The Boy Who Lived shall become the Boy Who Was Nothing."

"I do not fear death, unlike you, Tom," Harry said softly, but loudly enough for Voldemort to hear.

"You will when I am through with you," he sneered in reply.

"Then fight!" Hermione cried, unshed tears filling her eyes. "Bring some truth to the words you speak!"

"Why don't we listen to the Mudblood for once," Voldemort said maliciously. "End this too long battle like you said before, Potter. Let the Heirs show some of their prophesied strength if they can."

The time had now come. The Final Battle was to end and only one side would be victorious. With the bearers of the Light watching from the castle, the Four Heirs, predicted saviors of the Wizarding World, began their last assault on the Dark Lord.

Every part of their training had brought them to this; every amount of love and trust had led to this last fight, where only one side would remain standing. With the weight of the world on their shoulders, the Heirs opened their minds to each other and let the power of the Founders descend upon them.

There was no turning back.

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

Author's Note: I'm so sorry about the delay once again and also for the shortness of this chapter. I tried to make it longer but I like how it turned out and I feel adding any more would make it seem like I'm rambling. As for the lack of updates, that's because I've been so incredibly busy. I've been working all through the break and now I'm returning to school again on sunday. I will have this finished soon though, only 4 chapters to go! :) I want to thank all of my reviewers for urging me to continue and sticking by me, you are all amazing! I'm working on the Yahoo!Group because I got such a nice response for it but it's still in progress and probably won't be completed until I'm done with this story. If anyone would like to create a piece of art that I could post on the main page, I would really appreciate it! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please leave a review! I will seriously try to get the next chapter out faster, I know it's the one you're all waiting for!

PheonixFirebolt