A familiar feeling stirred in Harry's mind, something he couldn't quite place, but it was familiar nonetheless. It felt like a sliver of light shining at the end of a dark tunnel. He felt a tingling sensation in the tips of his fingers, and, with great effort, tried to move them. To his immense surprise, he felt motion among them. His fingers clasped around his weapon, his wand.
"Harry, come ON, mate! Don't give up now!" he heard Ron's echoing voice somewhere off to his right. Then, he heard a sharp laugh that sent shivers up his spine.
"Did you hear that, Potter? Your girlfriend LOVES you! How amusing! And quite sad as I am about to kill you." Voldemort paused, studying Harry. Harry wanted to reach out and strange him. He had already reached his decision. Instead, he shut his eyes tight and willed his brain into sending motion signals to his feet. After a few moments of concentration, he felt his toes wiggling inside his shoes.
"Then again, Potter, perhaps it would be better if your girlfriend here witnessed you being kissed. That would really throw her for a spin, would it not?" There was that piercing laugh again. "Boys, if you would be so kind..." Voldemort called.
Harry felt the cloak of cold envelop him at once, seeping through his skin into his lungs, constricting his breath...
Concentrating with all he had, he managed to force his eyes open. The surroundings seemed so much brighter. He blinked slowly to clear his vision, his breath coming in ragged gasps, and saw two cloaked figures drifting toward him. Something in his mind told him that these weren't Death Eaters. The hand poking out from under the sleeve was a rotting gray, the skin peeling and decaying. As the two drew nearer, their rattling breaths chilled Harry to the core.
"This is your reward for helping me get my faithful servants out of Azkaban," Voldemort informed the pair, who were inching closer to Harry with every passing second.
"Expecto... Expecto..." Ron struggled to remember the rest of the spell as he aimed his wand at the grotesque figures. "Damn! Hermione, what was the rest of that spell?!" he asked frantically.
"Patronum!" Hermione answered, panicking, as she watched the Dementors near Harry. They were an arm's length away...
"Um, Expecto Patronum!" Ron bellowed, his wand hand shaking violently. Nothing appeared.
"It's not working!" he cried, shaking his wand.
"Think of something happy!" Hermione said, her eyes not leaving the Dementors.
"Trying to conjure a Patronus, Weasley? I don't think you have brains enough to do that," Voldemort said with a sneer. "Very nice fire spell, but I suspect that's the closest you can come to a real spell. Since you are about to die as well, the least I can do is let it go. One of you. Take care of this obsequious human being," the Dark Lord waved his hand in Ron's direction. Immediately, one of the Dementors turned around and floated towards Ron. His blue eyes grew wide as he tried to budge, but found that he was rooted to the ground.
"Finally, this is goodbye, Potter. How I have longed for this moment," Voldemort said triumphantly. "And aren't you happy your dear Weasley friend is going with you?"
So many words flew through Harry's mind that would have made Hermione say, "Harry!" More and more of his body parts were beginning to function properly. He forced his tongue to function inside his mouth, then, squeezing his eyes shut, forced words to the tip of his tongue. Prying his mouth open, he whispered, "No one's going to die except you."
Voldemort's eyes grew wide.
"Harry!" Hermione's voice sounded relieved. The Dementor was almost face-to- face with Harry, and, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Ron was in the same predicament. He couldn't move his arms, especially his wand arm. Even then, he doubted he would've been able to fend off the Azkaban guard. The cold enveloped him completely, and all happy thoughts were driven out of his head.
The screams echoed in his head, terrible, pleading screams.
"Mum…" he whispered, barely moving, his eyes squeezed tight. Further away, he heard Ron utter a terrified scream.
"Harry! Ron! No!" Hermione cried desperately, her voice full of emotion. Harry knew it would all be over in a matter of few seconds. He would be with his mum and dad again.
"Expecto Patronum!" a powerful voice sounded off to the side, and the Dementor, which had been in the process of lowering its hood, leapt back abruptly. Harry's breath was heaving as the cold immediately swept away, replaced by a much warmer but stronger breeze. Harry cracked his eyes open and saw a beautiful stag, much as the one he had produced in fourth year, gallop soundlessly toward the menacing Dementors, driving them back until they disappeared completely. With a bow in Harry's direction, it disappeared as well.
Looking around as best as he could, Harry saw a flash of silver. He also noticed that the Dementor had back away from Ron was slumped on the ground, shaking and unconscious.
"Expedio," the person said, and Harry saw the flick of a wand. He felt himself being lifted into the air, then lowered onto solid ground. He had never been happier to be able to stand. He immediately collapsed, as the feeling in his legs hadn't returned yet. He lay there for a few moments, eyes closed, breathing deeply to calm himself down. He had never been so close to death, or a Dementor for that matter, before.
"Are you OK?" Hermione's voice asked and he felt her hand on top of his. He opened his eyes and saw her face in front of his. He strained a smile.
"Yeah. You?" he asked, squeezing her hand.
"A little shaken, but OK," she replied.
"I'm glad," he said.
"Dumbledore. Not surprising," Harry heard Voldemort say bitingly. Harry scrambled to his feet, Hermione following. She held onto his arm until he felt a tingling sensation in his legs and was able to use them again. Hermione, as if sensing this, lowered her hand. Harry's hand gripped his wand tightly.
"How are you, Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked calmly, walking forward.
"Professor, how did you know where we were?" Harry asked.
"After Professor McGonagall came to me posing a question about identifying Portkeys, I deduced as much. My Futurall didn't hurt, either. Professor Trelawney can be useful," he answered, his eyes carrying the familiar twinkle as he glanced at him.
"Your star students got it before you did, it seems," Voldemort said with distaste.
"Yes, it seems they have," Dumbledore replied, kneeling next to Ron. "Ennervate," he muttered. Ron groggily started, then opened his eyes and slowly sat up. Glancing around him, he spotted Voldemort and scrambled to his feet, scooting next to Harry. Voldemort, however, did not notice him. His angry red eyes were fixed on Dumbledore.
"It's been a while, Dumbledore. My resurrection was inevitable. You were probably prepared, but that does not mean I cannot outsmart you. After all, I am here, aren't I?" the Dark Lord spoke at last.
"True, true," Dumbledore said, standing up, "but that does not mean you are as powerful or strong as you once were."
"You doubt my strength?" Voldemort sneered. "Let me demonstrate, then. Imago Viscus!"
"Protego!" Voldemort's spell seemed to bounce off him and it headed in Voldemort's direction. He nimbly stepped aside and the curse hit one of the Death Eaters squarely on the back. He screamed, a piercing scream that erupted into the night, as he fell to his knees, doubled over. Hermione gasped.
"Evito Eruptum!" Dumbledore retaliated. A blast of red light shot out of his wand, making a beeline for Voldemort's chest. With a crack like a whip, he disappeared, only to reappear behind all of them, on the other side. The strand of power caught a trembling Death Eater, and he gasped a strangled gasp, then swelled a bit and... small pieces flew in every direction, along with flecks of blood, causing all of them except Voldemort to hold their hands in front of their faces as a shield. That man was no more.
"Still not convinced, Dumbledore?" Voldemort asked, making everyone turn their heads to face him.
"No, no. I can't say that I'm not convinced. However, you do have weaknesses, Voldemort," Dumbledore replied.
"What are you talking about?" Voldemort spat out as he strode forward. Dumbledore walked toward the evil man as he spoke.
"You are missing one thing that we all have," Dumbledore went further, as good and evil grew closer with their strides.
"And what might that be?" Voldemort asked, his words dripping with disdain.
"Love," Dumbledore simply answered. They stopped abruptly, facing each other. "We all have people who love us, whereas you do not."
"I do not NEED people who love me. I have power. And that is more than enough." Voldemort grinned maniacally. "And power means that I have followers, authority, and most of all, the ability to kill whomever I please. Addinquo," he suddenly said and pointed his wand at Harry without taking his eyes off the wizard in front of him.
Harry felt as if he was a magnet. He was quickly drawn to Voldemort. Even though Hermione and Ron were holding onto each of his arms, and Ron uttered, "Finite Incantatem!" it did not work. Harry felt them let go behind him as he was drawn rapidly to Voldemort, who held his neck lightly at arm's length once he reached him.
"Muggle way or magical way, Potter's going to die tonight. See, Dumbledore? People who have love are foolish. Now, power. That lasts forever." As he spoke, his long, white fingers tightened around Harry's neck, slowly cutting off his oxygen supply.
"Solvum!" Hermione cried, her wand pointed roughly at the two. Harry heard a snapping sound, and he was able to breathe again.
"Clever girlfriend, Potter," Voldemort growled. "Dumbledore, you fool, watch as your special students suffer death at the hands of special me. And then, it will be your turn."
"Victum Angustus!" Dumbledore cried in a voice that was quite surprising to Harry. The friendly demeanor had dissolved, and there was a surge of power that emanated from him that made Harry understand why Voldemort feared him.
What happened next shocked Harry. Voldemort seemed to go rigid, much like Neville had done when Hermione had placed a body-bind curse on him. But, as his eyes glinted maliciously, silver cords began to appear. Then, when his eyes began to emit sparks, so did his skin. It began to steam and in a matter of seconds, the silver cords had been burnt through completely, freeing him.
"Didn't think that would work, did you? Face it, old man. My power is no match for you," the Dark Lord said.
"Well, let's see, shall we? Opisthunum!" Dumbledore responded. Voldemort's body seemed to involuntarily bend backward at an unnatural angle, and as his head neared the ground, he snapped right back up again, a manic glint in his eyes.
And so they dueled, Voldemort Apparating and Disapparating to dodge Dumbledore's curses, Dumbledore following him to pronounce curse upon curse on the Serpent King. After a few minutes of arduous dueling, they came to an abrupt stop, facing each other, standing at the edge overlooking the dangerous sea. Their wands aimed at each other, their gazes never wavered from each other's faces.
Harry couldn't take any more. It looked like the next time one of them uttered a curse, the other would definitely fall off the ledge to their death. Hoping it would be Voldemort, but not being able to bear the fact that it might be Dumbledore, Harry took a step forward.
"Don't, Harry," Dumbledore spoke firmly, eyes still on the evil man in front of him. Harry took another small step forward.
"Harry, don't!" Hermione whispered.
"Harry, listen to Dumbledore," Ron said quietly, his eyes on the pair. Harry didn't say anything, just stared at the two wizards, trying to determine their next move.
"I can't let Voldemort do this. I can't let him kill Dumbledore," Harry had made up his mind way before he said this. "I've got to stop him." With that, he took another step forward.
"I will not let you foil my Master! Congelius!" a squeaky voice cried. Wormtail was instantly at Harry's side, detached from the Death Eaters' circle. He had noticed Harry inching forward and had heard Harry's finalizing words.
Though shocked by this impulsive movement, Harry ducked just in time. As the bullet of electric blue light whizzed past his head to freeze a swaying bush nearby, he heard two strong voices up ahead.
"Trucidus!" "Interfectum!"
There was a blinding flash of green light that carried all the way to the edges of their environment. Harry looked up to see the two gone.
"Professor!" he yelled and ran to where they had been standing. Behind him, he heard Ron yell, "Petrificus Totalus!" and a body hitting the floor. With the knowledge that Wormtail was lying motionless, he ran faster. As he ran, a random thought reached him: Sirius could be cleared now, that Wormtail was bound and on the floor.
Reaching the edge, he saw both men hurtling downwards, getting closer and closer to the jagged rocks below. Surprisingly to Harry, they were moving, it seemed, in slow motion. Dumbledore's face was expressionless, but Voldemort's bared an expression that was a mix between defeat and triumph.
A million spells ran through Harry's mind at once. Then, taking a deep breath, his mind focused on the ones he needed.
Conjuring up all his strength, he aimed his wand at Dumbledore, the spell on the tip of his tongue.
"Addinquo!" he said clearly, but he thought he heard two other voices along with his. Turning for a split second, he saw Ron and Hermione, concentration etched on their faces and wands pointed at Dumbledore.
There was a jolt, and Harry lurched forward. Keeping his toes firmly planted, he closed his eyes and willed his energy on the spell he had just cast. After a few seconds, he reopened his eyes to see Dumbledore drawing nearer to him. With a small sigh, but not letting his attention slip off, he concentrated until Dumbledore was safely in front of them.
"Solvum," Hermione said, ease in her tone. Dumbledore straightened out his robes, then beamed at all three of them. But Ron wasn't paying attention.
"Look!" he exclaimed. All of them looked over the edge to see Voldemort right above the jagged rocks. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared. Harry felt the anger well up in him. As they turned back around, they noticed that the cliff was deserted. All the Death Eaters had disappeared, even the binded Wormtail. The anger was topped off with disappointment. For a fleeting moment, Harry had thought that his godfather would've been liberated...
"Thank you, all," Dumbledore said, still smiling.
"You're welcome, sir," Hermione smiled back.