Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: The story's culmination has arrived...

Chapter XLIII: Full Circle: A Second Turn

The Order of the Phoenix had assembled for an emergency meeting, when the urgency of what was going on became clear once the members who had been sent into the field returned.

The hour was early too - the clock's hands did not point at six o'clock yet. That didn't matter, however, as adrenaline was running high with the anticipation of what this day would bring.

"So you did hear her right," Remus turned to the twins for the consecutive time. "She's planning the attack for today."

"Yes," Fred and George replied in one voice. "That's all we heard. She sent two of her idiot goons after us."

"You are sure you heard nothing else," the werewolf continued the repetitive interrogation.

George was beginning to grow annoyed. "Yes!"

"Just to sum up," Harry intervened, "Lestrange is planning to bring down the Ministry of Magic surreptitiously from the inside, then launch a nationwide campaign to cause confusion, death and destruction, while she surreptitiously goes in to consolidate her hold."

"That does sum it up nicely," Ron commented. "But we have no idea when she is going to do it."

"Luna," Harry turned to her, "go to the Ministry, make the necessary preparations to be ready to respond. "Ginny, you and Draco do what you need to maintain control of the most vital regions."

"That would be London and Manchester," Ginny referred back to her knowledge.

"What did the Auror mission find out?" Ron asked her.

"Nothing as useful as compared to what you did. All they came back with was that there was a massive attack planned, but none of the particulars you uncovered."

"What about the MLE?"

Draco's expression turned even graver. "They were ambushed by a detachment of Death Eaters. The two that survived managed to apparate back, but had found out nothing. Based on that, I can tell something bad is going to happen."

"Damn," Harry swore. "Alright then. You three, go and make sure that we take as little damage as possible. Luna, consider making the information public...if she wants a revolution, we will give her one that will wipe her out of existence..."

Venom seeped from his last words.

"I'll secure the Ministry," Luna said shakily into the silence that followed Harry's outburst. "Ensure that nobody can come in and out unchecked."

"You do that," Ron said instead of Harry, whose eyes were still fixed on the table's wooden surface. "We'll be in the Ministry too, not too long from now."

"Ginny, Draco, come with me," Luna requested of her two most trusted aides, and quietly, they joined her side. Within moments, all three were gone with a loud crack.

"Harry?"

He looked up. "Yes?"

"You alright?" Hermione asked him.

"No," he snapped. "I want to kill Lestrange personally."

There was another pregnant pause following his words.

"Demetris," Ron turned to him to alleviate the sudden tension. "I wanted to ask you about something."

"What?"

"When Harry and I went out yesterday, there was a mention of something called the Merlin business, and you were apparently involved...what is that about?"

Demetris expression darkened. "I don't want to talk about it."

Avery looked at the old man. "Really sensitive about that," he explained. "It wasn't good, at all."

"You might as well tell them," Demetris told him quietly. "I can't bear to face it again."

Avery took a deep breath. "I won't, if you don't want to."

"Tell them," Demetris' repeated more forcefully. "There are no secrets in this organization."

His comrade inhaled deeply once more, and lowered his eyes to recall the details of the story.

"Well, this wasn't too long ago," he began. "The Merlin project was an initiative that started years ago. For the Death Eaters, it was ambitious: to eliminate the Order of Merlin. You know what I'm talking about - the wizards who protected the three spells we're currently doing our best to stop Lestrange from acquiring."

"Project Merlin?" Harry repeated faintly. "I became a part of it."

"Exactly. It was a secret association composed of all the wandmakers in Europe. And as you know, they aren't many. Britain had three, other countries one, some none - you see how scarce the talent for making wands is, the magic ability it requires, and the responsibility that comes along with knowing the craft. As such, these people protected the resurrection and soul spells, because in the wrong hands, they can be used to wreak havoc and destruction with unimaginable consequences."

Everyone listened to the story very intently. Only Demetris had looked away and seemed disinterested.

"Anyway, a few years ago, Lestrange initiated this project. She explained it only to the wizards closest to her. At that time, Demetris wasn't in the Inner Circle, and she told him that if he carried this mission out successfully, he would be promoted. Naturally, he accepted, or the alternative was death, and he did not want to die."

"Can you skip over the details?" the old wizard asked him impatiently.

"No," Avery replied sternly. "Anyway, to the point, the mission was to seek out and destroy the Order so as to be able to gain access to the spells. She was going off information that Voldemort had uncovered much earlier, but kept to himself. Not even she knew until she found his personal files. With the details his research provided, it was easy to find out who was who and establish that it was a secret union between the wandmakers."

"So, he began to slowly track them down and kill them. He told me how much it disgusted him, but to maintain Lestrange's loyalty, it was a task he had to carry out. That's how Gregorovitch was killed, and why Olliviander died. The reason the Ministry investigations found nothing was because it wasn't a random crime. It was orchestrated from the top echelon of the Death Eaters, specifically. When Mortimer Evans was killed - he was the last one. Only then, the information we were seeking passed to Harry."

"How?"

This time, Demetris looked up. "I arranged it."

This time even Avery gaped. "You arranged it?"

"Yes," Demetris nodded. "Before I killed Olliviander, we had a long conversation. He knew I was deep in the Death Eaters and maintained that I had to stay alive if I was to escape at a favourable opportunity. He told me that meant keeping the Order of the Phoenix within sight, and consequently, you, Harry. That's why you found that piece of paper with one of the three spells written on it and that it was Godric's Hollow was no coincidence either. You were meant to find that book all along."

"Throughout the entire time, Lestrange did not stop trying to look for ways to distract your attention and find ways to kill you. That would explain why Dolohov was sent out on numerous occasions to strike close to you. All these attacks...they were meant to occupy the Order until she found a way to destroy it, and nearly succeeded with the remote killings while you were doing the resurrections."

Harry was aghast at this new information. Demetris had not only kept watch over Avery and Nott. He had also masterfully made sure that the Order of the Phoenix was always one step ahead of Lestrange and her supporters, while maintaining his cover with them...

"You're telling the truth," was all he could manage.

"I wouldn't lie, Harry," Demetris said firmly. "Else I wouldn't be here telling you all of this."

"Don't worry, I believe you," Harry dismissed his tension. "I'm just having a bit of a difficult time processing all of this."

"Well, understandable," the old man agreed. "This is why I detest the Merlin project. It was aimed to kill off the wandmakers, and it was a good opportunity to affirm my show of loyalty to the Dark Side, while clandestinely keeping the Order of the Phoenix ahead. What I regret most was that it was at the expense of the lives of good and innocent people."

"The circumstances forced you to do what you did," Harry tried to allay him. "It doesn't make you a lesser person in my eyes."

"Thanks, Harry," Demetris appreciated the sentiment. "But that won't change how I feel about it all."

The raven-haired wizard understood completely.

"Well," Ron said. "What is in the past cannot be undone. We can regret it, but it's just the way it is. A price was paid - it was unjust, but necessary."

Demetris only nodded gravely.

"Now," Avery made every attempt to move the discussion ahead. "What about the Ministry?"

"Is all of going a good idea?" Hermione asked.

"If Lestrange is going to strike at the Ministry, I want to do all I can to stop her," Harry declared. "I don't want to lose any of you, so please, whatever happens, stay alive!"

"I'm going too, Harry," Hermione stated.

He was slightly taken aback. "What?"

"You heard me, I'm going too," she repeated.

"I don't think so," he objected. "You'll stay here with the Arthur and Molly."

Hermione snapped up from her chair. "You're not my superior, Harry!" Now she was mad. "I can choose what to do! The Order's cause matters to me as much as it does to you, if not more! I'm going to be a part of this and fight!"

Shocked by her outburst, Harry could do little more than nod.

"Hermione," he finally found his tongue. "I care about you. I love you. I don't want you to risk your life and our future together. If someone is expendable, it's me, not you. Please, understand!"

"Harry, quit being a selfless prat," she chastised him. "We are going to live a long life together, and enjoy it with all the people you see in this room."

"I don't know what will happen, Hermione."

"Neither do I," she rejoined. They had slipped back into their own world again, but neither noticed as Hermione continued. "All I ask is that you believe in our success, Harry."

He inhaled heavily. "I suppose you're right. I will believe."

"Now that was just inspiring," James commented after the several moments of silence that followed. "I think I'm going to let a tear fall!"

"Shut it, dad," Harry shot him a look that was meant to be disdainful, but somehow did not hold the necessary malice.

"Alright!" Sirius stood up. "Who's up for kicking some Death Eater arse?"

"Marauder style?" Remus joined him.

"You read my mind," Sirius smiled. "James?"

"You have to ask me?"

"Of course! I don't want your delicate little self to come in harm's way..."

"Go sniff a butt, Padfoot," James retaliated jokingly.

"Enough nonsense," Lily put a stop to the Marauders' antics - she still disapproved of their tendency to laugh off grave danger.

"Alright, let's go," Ron said loudly. "Luna's office is our destination. We'll go from there!"

One by one, the Order members began to disappear to the assigned spot. Ron, in the meanwhile, went to his parents.

"Mum, Dad," he said. "Will you look after the kids if anything happens to Luna or me today?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled sadly. "We survived the last war, Ron. We can survive this one just as well."

"I hope so too, Mum, I'm just saying..."

"Son," Arthur stood up. "I'm coming with."

Ron was momentarily confused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm coming," his father told him. "I've sat aside too long, Ron. It's not fair you have to fight Lestrange on your own."

"Dad! No!" Ron protested vocally. "You have done your part, this is my job!"

Arthur smiled. "Are we going to just sit here, or go save the world again?"

"There is no arguing with you, is there?"

"No, son," Arthur nodded. "Only your mother can influence me, but she's not objecting. Thus, I'm coming."

Ron looked at his mother, but she did not react as he expected her to. "Come back alive," was all she said.

Apparating away one after the other, Weasley father and son were the last to arrive in Luna's office.

"Mr. Weasley!" Harry was taken by surprise at the appearance of the patriarch of the family. "What are you doing here?"

"Going to fight alongside all of you," he replied.

"Don't bother, Harry," Ron cut across Harry, who was about to say something in protest. "He has already made up his mind."

"So be it," Harry resigned. "Now, there will be two groups of Death Eaters infiltrating the Ministry. Luna told me it was already too late to prevent them from coming in, which means we are going to have to meet them head on."

"Given that," Ron took the word, "they will be aiming to kill my sister, Luna and Draco. They don't know we're expecting them, which means that once they are inside, they will head for the MLE, Auror and the Minister's departments. Those are the areas where the confrontation will take place."

"Does she want to take us out with one quick strike?" Remus asked. "Or maybe she has a second wave planned."

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "But what I do know is that we have to face anything that comes our way and prevail in one piece."

"It's only best if we split up," Hermione commented. "Some of us should go with each department."

"Right," Demetris entered the discussion. "We'll split up as we did in yesterday's mission. Only this time, the twins stay with the MLE."

"We'll take the Aurors," Harry said, pointing to himself and Ron.

"I'll stay with Hermione, Fred, George and Luna," Mr. Weasley chipped in his thoughts.

"No, wait," Demetris reconsidered. "The best option is to leave this office empty. Split ourselves between the Aurors and the MLE. That way each can take on a group of Death Eaters."

"OK, new plan," Harry took the word. "Ron, me, Demetris, Avery, Hermione, Fred and George, Luna and Mr. Weasley - with the Aurors. Everyone else, join the MLE. We'll give our visitors one hollow victory."

It was settled, but for the sake of evening out the balance, the twins ended up going with the MLE squad.

As soon as they were in position, awaiting to confront the Death Eaters, two Aurors who had been sent to scout out the present situation returned out of breath.

"They're here! The main lobby is in chaos!"

"Go warn Draco Malfoy and tell him to head down to the lobby!" Ginny instructed him.

"You ready?" Ron turned to her.

"We'll live to see another day."

"Let's move!" Ginny rose up, and with her, the rest of the Order and the present few dozen Aurors.

The elevators were too much of a strategic risk that could turn them all into sitting ducks, and that's why the stairs were chosen as the preferred option to reach the lobby.

"Be as quiet as possible," Ginny passed on the message back. Several flights above her, she could hear the footsteps of the MLE detachment. Apparently she wasn't the only one with sensible thinking...

It took only a few minutes to reach the bottom and cautiously open the inconspicuous door that led into the lobby. Through the crack, Ginny could see the assembled Death Eaters in front of the fountain. There were two squads as their intelligence had revealed.

What surprised her was the presence of Bellatrix Lestrange, who was standing on top of the fountain's mantel, holding some kind of speech, but Ginny was too far away to make out what she was saying. Around the intruders lay the bodies of around twenty unfortunate souls who had been taken by surprise.

"So much for a lightning strike, Harry whispered beside her. "You don't hold speeches if you want to take over the Ministry as quickly as possible."

Wasting no more time, both groups sneaked into the vast hall, but remained in the shadows.

"Quickly," Harry found Draco. "Take the left flank. We'll take the right. You give the cue to attack."

The youngest Malfoy nodded, and departed. Thankfully, most of the path to their destination was dark enough for them to not be noticed for quite a while, until -

"Aurors!"

Their secret was out.

"Engage them!" Draco shouted, and that served as the simultaneous command for the Aurors as well.

Multiple flashes of spellfire shot from two sides on the mass of Death Eaters, and even if a few fell, it became obvious from the start why they were the best - protective shields went up immediately, and they formed into their assigned units.

"Better trained than I expected," Harry muttered to Ron. "Let's take them!"

"You attack, I'll cover you," Ron answered.

Breaking from the formation, Ron put up the strongest shield he knew of, and from behind it, Harry released a barrage of offensive spells.

"Confringo!"

"Expelliarmus!"

"Expulso!"

It had the desired effect. Several of the shields covering their enemies dissolved, and two Death Eaters met particularly nasty ends - one burst in bright orange flames, while the other one was blown to bloody smithereens...

The rest were not phased in the least. They reformed the line quickly, and the shields were back up in moments. Three Reductor curses barely missed Ron and almost caused him to fall over.

"Close call, mate," Harry said. "Let's do it back again, only we switch!"

"Hurry, my shield is cracking!"

"One moment!"

Expertly, Harry swished his wand, and a silvery shield, different than Ron's, replaced his the moment it broke.

A few wands were already rolling on the floor. "Round two!"

"Impedimenta!"

"Furnunculus!"

"Confundo!"

Ron fired off several shots of each spell in one constant stream, and succeeded in disrupting the Death Eater line even better than Harry.

"Good job, mate. Head back in formation."

"Ditto."

With that, the two best friends, this time both carrying protective shields, re-entered the ranks of the Aurors.

"Aim for Potter!" rang Lestrange's voice over the din of spell fire and confusion.

"Diffindo!"

To Harry's right, an unfortunate Auror was impacted by the yellowish-orange light in the stomach, and it was a gruesome sight when his innards spilled on the stone slabs, while he did not even have the chance to scream - instead he fell over and did not move.

"Cover the right flank," Harry instructed Ron. "Seek out their best fighters and kill them off!"

"Ginny, come with me!"

His sister obeyed and went with him. In the meanwhile, Harry looked around wildly for Hermione, and saw her with Luna, doing much the same in terms of what he and Ron had worked together for earlier. Luna was looking after the shield, while Hermione used every spell she knew to penetrate the strong shields of the Death Eaters.

He ran and slid beside her. "Hermione!"

"Don't distract me, Harry," she did not even turn to him. "What is it?"

"Try Impedimenta. Reductor Curse destroys the shields."

It was at that moment that the fight took on another level.

"Avada Kedavra!" an eerily familiar female voice screeched through the cavernous lobby.

In horror, Harry watched as three killing curses headed right for him, Hermione and Luna.

"Dodge!" he bellowed, and grabbing Hermione around the waist, rolled to one side, while Luna dove to the opposite one in safety. The curses broke right through her shield and blasted the wall behind them.

"Are you hurt?" Harry checked Hermione up and down.

"No, I'm fine," she said. "I'll go back to Luna!"

"Be careful!" Harry called after her, and using a spell that he had developed earlier on, traced Hermione's path to Luna with a shield, but he could only hold it for so long...

"Hurry!"

Hermione literally ran, and dove beside Luna's shield just in time. She gave a thumbs up to Harry. He nodded, and focused his attention back on the battle. The Death Eaters had sought it a good idea to advance on the Aurors.

"Restore the line!" Harry amplified his voice and shouted over everybody. "Restore the line! Defence behind, offence forward!"

With surprising speed, the Aurors were assembled to request. One continuous shield went up in front, and an Order member was found on either flank and in the center. Arthur had chosen the center for some reason...Harry was worried how well he would respond to the intensity of the fighting...

"Aim for the center!" Lestrange shrieked again.

Then it hit Harry. Mr. Weasley had taken a defensive position, and he was the weakest link in the whole chain...

"Hermione!"

She looked at him. "Cover Mr. Weasley! Go!"

Proving how far her pragmatism went, Hermione quickly apparated behind her assigned charge. "Mr. Weasley!"

"Hermione!" he breathed, startled. "What's wrong?"

"Apparate to Luna. You're under offence now," she told him.

He was not about to argue. "Done."

With that, Harry ensured as much as he could that his line would hold.

"Fire!"

The Death Eaters fired their own barrage of spells, which thankfully did not include Avada Kedavra, but to no effect - the silvery shield remained unscathed.

"Kill them!"

"Prepare to evade!"

Harry gave the command precisely when the Death Eaters did fire the deadly curse all at once. The Aurors dived in various directions, but a few were unlucky to be struck by the sickly green beam of light.

Yet, Harry took advantage of the break in the Death Eaters' shield line, which was necessary to cast a killing curse, to cripple the enemy.

"Everyone: Impedimenta!"

The Aurors had hastily regrouped, and on the request that everyone pick a target, the force of several dozen impact curses threw the entire Death Eater detachment back.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Incarcerous!"

For those able to throw off the body freezing curse, they were not prepared to be bound in ropes so suddenly.

One of Lestrange's groups was almost entirely immobilized.

"Fall back! Shields up!"

"Fiendfyrius!"

Harry hated using the spell, and he had had to do it once before, hoping to not resort to it again. The massive, fiery serpent shot out in a streak from the tip of his wand, lit up the entire chamber, and the Aurors watched in fascination, as Harry directed it towards their enemy.

Lowering its head, the serpent slithered, leaving hot traces behind, right at the helpless Death Eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange watched with an unmasked expression of gruesome delight, as her followers were consumed and burned to a crisp by the beast, leaving only a pile of ashes...

Sensing he was losing control of the flame, Harry ended the spell. "Finite Incantatem!"

Only three of the Death Eaters remained unscathed. They were frozen in fear and shock. Lestrange had retreated to her other group before the snake had managed to reach her.

"Capture them!"

Ron and Ginny shot ahead, and working quickly, bound the incomprehensible captives in ropes and confiscated their wands. "You two!" Ron called out to a couple of nearby Aurors. Pull these back and make sure they don't try to escape.

Harry made his way to Ron and Ginny.

"I think - "

"LOOK OUT!"

Ron dove forward, and pushed Harry and Ginny down on the ground with him.

Harry saw Lestrange on top of the statue in the middle of the lobby, describing some complicated motion with her wand, and from the end of it, a continuous purple streak was being emitted towards the unsuspecting Aurors. Shaking Ron off, Harry saw almost twenty lying motionless on the floor.

He stood up, and took aim at the statue's base. "Reducto!"

Ron joined him, as did Ginny. The foundation was blown to bits, and the huge statue began to lean, disrupting the focus of Lestrange's spell.

"Watch out!!!" Harry magnified his voice, and as the statue fell, Bellatrix apparated back onto the floor.

"Harrykins!" she cooed, appearing very close to Harry. "Good one!"

Within a moment, she was gone again.

"Let's go help the others!" Ron said. "Harry and I will go ahead. You gather up the survivors."

"Fine," Ginny agreed. "Go!"

Looking back, Harry noted that the three Death Eaters they had captured were dead along with their guards...

"Ginny, help me," Hermione called over her very close friend.

The redhead heard her, and rushed over immediately. "Are you alright?"

"I'm exhausted," Hermione gasped. "I need a break."

Ginny mentally cursed. This was definitely not good timing. "Fine. Demetris, Avery!"

The two former Death Eaters heard her, and doubled back. Demetris was surprisingly agile for his age.

"What's wrong?"

"I need you two to protect Hermione. She needs to rest, but there is no way. Put up a shield around her, and bring her over to the MLE formation. We are all going to join them."

"No problem," Avery ascertained. "Demetris, on three."

Ginny left them to the task of assuring Hermione's safety, while she went about to collect the Aurors, who had already formed up in another line, and awaited instructions. Even Mr. Weasley seemed eager...there was a glint in his eye Ginny had not seen in a very long time.

"Move around to join in with the MLE detachment!" she shouted. "Hurry!"

Running around the perimeter of the lobby, the surviving Aurors managed to reach Draco's group. The tail end dragged a bit to allow Demetris and Avery cover while they were ferrying Hermione, and it was by pure coincidence they were not a target for some curse or jinx...

Harry and Ron were already heavily involved with the fire. Draco was a bit further back, picking out shields and bringing them down. Ginny fought her way between the ranks to reach him.

"Draco!"

He heard her, but did not turn his head. "What?"

"How are you doing?"

"Bloody bastards are good. So far we're holding them, but we can't penetrate them!"

"What are your losses?"

"So far thirteen. We've only killed four."

The Marauders were on the right wing of the formation, and had established a system of their own, where Remus was covering James and Sirius, while they were firing spell after spell.

"Stupefy!"

"Langlock!"

"Incendio!"

"Reducto!"

James and Sirius were among the most prodigious. Their target was a pair of Death Eaters, much organized as they were, whose shield had fallen after the battery of curses from the two Marauders, and now found themselves unconscious or unable to speak.

"Burn them!" Sirius shouted out in the frenzy of the fighting

"Relashio!"

Two well placed charms caused two more Death Eaters to drop their wands and extinguish their shields as a result.

"Accio wands!" Harry was the first to summon the fallen wands. That rendered those two enemies useless, as long as they weren't capable of wandless magic.

"Sectumsempra!"

James dealt two rounds of the nasty curse, and each found its mark in the form of the neutralized Death Eaters.

On the opposite end, Lily and Tonks were subjected to heavy fire, and both had to resort to shield charms, but under the pressure, they seemed as if they would soon crumble under the pressure.

Draco took note of this, instructed Ginny to guide the movements of their now mixed forces, and went off to assist the two women in distress. "Come with me," he dragged two MLE officers with him. "Do you see those three Death Eaters battering Lily and Tonks?"

"Yes," the officer nodded.

"I'll engage them along with your colleague," Draco said. "You take them towards the center to safety. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," came the reply.

"Take them!"

Neglecting to place a shield to protect themselves, the Death Eaters were easy pickings for Draco and the other MLE officer - that's how focused they were on destroying Lily and Tonks.

"Aim to injure them irreversibly!" Draco shouted over the din. "Niapin Laf!

The golden streak struck two of the enemies at once and they were pummelled at least twenty feet, hit the wall hard, and fell face down on the cold slabs - they did not move again. The third one was taken by surprise, turned to face the new threat, but it was too late, as the other MLE officer sealed his fate with another Sectumsempra...

"Morsmodre!"

Bellatrix Lestrange's voice rang through the Ministry's welcome hall once more. Her wand was high in the air, pointed straight up. Out of its tip, the ugly green stream materialized into the dreaded skull with a snake going through it.

"Long live Voldemort!"

The slogan sent chills through every single person present. Harry's blood boiled. "She'll die before she brings him back."

"Ron!" Harry called over to his best friend. "Let's do that run one more time. You cover, I shoot, then we reverse."

"I thought you'd never ask!"

Starting from the flank of their formation, they ran along the length of their own line, and Harry repeated the earlier barrage with a few differences to give his side an edge...

"Obscuro!"

"Impedimenta!"

"Reducto!"

This was all he managed to do in motion, but his effort paid off - more than ten Death Eaters went down. "Your turn, mate."

"Before we begin," Ron rejoined, while Harry set up the shield.

"Piertotum Locomotor!"

Ron pointed his wand at the statues of the fallen fountain. Harry had a sudden memory flash to his fifth year, when Dumbledore had resorted to the same means...

The wizard, the elf, the miniature giant and the centaur charged at the Death Eaters from the back, ensuing more panic and confusion. Behind them, however, Lestrange kept watch, and with a flick of her wand, all four figures were blown to bits, injuring her own as well as some Aurors that way...

"One more trip!" Ron said, "Let's go!"

It seemed, however, that this time would not be as easy. The maniac leader of the Dark Side had spotted them, and fired off a particularly powerful curse at them. It impacted Harry's shield, a loud clang was produced, but there was no damage to it.

"Bloody hell," Ron said.

"She wants to take us on," Harry replied. "When we come out of the end of the line, head for her. She dies today!"

His tone was particularly angry when he uttered that threat...

A few seconds and several deflected curses later, the two friends were standing face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Harrykins!" she smiled her twisted smile. "Do you want your friend to die first?" she asked him in sickly sweet tones.

"Harry!"

Startled, Harry turned. "Sirius! No!"

The last horrible memories of his encounter with Lestrange stirred Harry's mind.

"Protego!" he heard Ron say, and immediately snapped back to face his lesser nemesis.

"Aw, Hawykins, you need to pay attention!" Lestrange continued to coo him.

"You sicken me," Harry told her loudly. "I will kill you, here, tonight!"

"Harry don't want to play nice, does he!" Lestrange rejoined sarcastically. "So be it! My dear cousin and your coward of a friend are next!"

"Don't try anything," Harry turned to Ron and Sirius. "Her Inner Circle is here."

Nodding ever so slightly to indicate they understood the implication, Ron and Sirius retreated. In the background, the battle was still raging, and they saw it fit to hope for the best that Harry won, while they assisted in bringing to a successful conclusion the other part of the campaign...

"You don't trust me, Harry," Lestrange recaptured his attention. She was circling, and Harry followed her every move.

"Of course I don't!" he answered. "I have no reason to. You're a bigger load of dragon dung than Voldemort!"

"Harry, listen to yourself, I want to help you!"

He quickly grew tired of her pointless words. "You'll join that traitor and a coward, Riddle, in Hell soon enough!"

Harry knew his taunts were striking Lestrange right where she was the most sensitive and bound to lose control.

"Crucio!"

He sidestepped the curse easily. "Voldemort can do better from the grave!"

"Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!"

Several curses shot out in succession, and Harry had a bit more of a difficult time dodging them. He almost turned an ankle on the last one...

"I am going to make you dance, boy!" Bella cackled as she released more killing curses.

"Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!"

Harry was indeed dancing through the flashes of green light, dodging with inches to spare. He looked for any opportunity to strike back.

Her aim began to grow more and more chaotic. It was still generally in his direction, but she was either growing tired, or simply could not focus as well...she had lost her mind, after all, and that he was sure about...

Considering his options almost cost him his life...one stray curse nearly grazed his forearm.

"Damn it," he swore. "Impedimenta!"

This had been the opening he was looking for. The yellow beam streaked towards Lestrange and hit her squarely on the chest. She flew back several feet and collapsed on her back.

"Accio wand!"

Her magical conduit flew from her hand, and right into Harry's.

He rushed forward to ensure she was unconscious, but she was not out yet...

"Reducto!" she screeched, and the harmful curse shot from her fingers, as she sat up and looked at Harry maniacally...

"Sectumsempra!" His quick reflexes saved him. His curse hit Lestrange's head on, and with the force of a moving freight train, pushed it right back to the source.

The effect was gory and curious at the same time. Having her own curse turned on her, Lestrange's arm gave a sickening twist, as it was dislocated from the elbow, and twisted painfully all the way around. The added curse from Harry's wand washed over her chest, and incised the trademark gashes that were the last injury any Death Eater received and never lived to tell the tale...

Harry recovered quickly, and ran up to Lestrange's side. A pool of blood was quickly forming under her body, but she was still faintly breathing. Her eyes were open, and she was still conscious.

"Harry..." she rasped, turning her neck towards him.

He looked at her with no trace of sympathy or compassion in his eyes. No words escaped his lips.

Bellatrix Lestrange still had her eyes fixed on Harry when she gave her last breath.

**

The combined forces of the MLE, the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix managed to break the back of the Death Eaters, and those that were not killed, were captured. Harry abandoned Lestrange's body, and went back into the battle to prevent any more casualties on his side.

It had cost them dearly as well. Overall, fifty Aurors and MLE officers had been killed in the conflagration. Mr. Weasley had suffered some injuries, but other than that, the Order was still in one piece.

The surviving Aurors had been assigned to guard the two dozen Death Eaters that were captured alive. In the meanwhile, Harry led Ron and Hermione to where Lestrange was lying, motionless and cold.

They stood silent over the corpse for a few minutes.

"So this is what we have been fighting for all this time," Ron said. "To see her die."

"Yeah," Harry said. "It almost feels surreal."

"It does," Hermione agreed. "I can't believe we have a good life ahead of us now."

"Free of Death Eaters, death and danger," Ron added.

The Marauders, accompanied by Lily, came up behind them.

"Did we succeed?" came James' voice.

Harry turned. "Yeah, we did," he simply said, and out of nowhere, embraced his father tightly.

James returned the hug. "I love you too, son."

Lily had tears in her eyes. "I'm proud of you, Harry."

Draco, Ginny, Tonks and Luna were the last to show up, after checking on the aftermath of the battle. Draco had landed a supporting shoulder to Mr. Weasley.

"We won!" the elder Weasley declared. "We won!"

"I know, Dad," Ron smiled, "We did."

The realization that this was all over still had to sink in. Thus most of the Order members were still speechless.

"Auror Weasley, what are we to do with the prisoners?" An Auror called over to Ginny, startling her from her reverie.

"Put them under permanent arrest in Azkaban!" she directed her employee. "Until the trials can be arranged."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's over," Luna said lightly. "It's really over."

Ron moved forward, embraced his wife, and kissed her passionately.

"Let's go home."

A/N: This is the last chapter of the story...only the epilogue coming up. And come on, what do you guys think??!!

-->