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A/N This is the first chapter which I hadn't finished writing yet when I posted the previous chapter. Given that there are only two more chapters left after this one, I suppose that's a decent record: I managed to stay ahead of myself for most of the fic. Enjoy.
Chapter 28: Optimus Prime vs. Megatron
Optimus Prime charged at Megatron with an unmatched ferocity, slashing at him with his axe-blade. Megatron started backtracking as he deflected Prime's strikes with his flail. The Energon weapons stuck each other releasing small cackle of energy with every hit, lighting up the grounds in several locations.
"Why the Hallows Megatron?" demanded Optimus. "Why by the source are you trying to claim them?" He slashed downward only for Megatron to dodge the strike by feinting back.
"And why shouldn't I, Prime?" said Megatron as struck at Prime's head with his free hand, "The power to be the 'master of life and death'! Why let it go to waste?"
"It's a power that belongs to the wizards!" declared Prime as he too struck at Megatron with his free hand. The two fists struck each other, the force of the blow sending a minor shockwave throughout the Hogwarts grounds.
"Humans don't deserve this power!" snarled Megatron. He twirled his flail once before striking it down on Prime's shoulder.
"They deserve the right to choose that for themselves," said Optimus. He leapt up and rammed a kick straight into Megatron's torso.
"And what did they choose to do with it?" said Megatron. "Ignore it! Bury it! Treat them as nothing more than ancient relics and fairytales! Great power gone to waste!" He flung his flail out forth, striking back Prime's axe-blade.
"For good reason," said Prime. With a tug of his blade, he yanked Megatron closer and walloped him in the face with his free hand. "In the end, power of that sort will bring nothing but misery!"
"Yes," said Megatron, "Misery brought by me!" He managed to grab Optimus by the connections around his neck and flung him over his shoulder, sending him flying in to the castle wall.
Before Megatron could attack Prime's prone form, he sensed a presence behind him. He barely managed to spin around in time to use his flail's chain to block Grimlock's sword strike. Though Megatron managed to protect himself, his flail's chain was snapped in two by the force of Grimlock's titanic strength.
"Megatron! Me Grimlock crush today!" snarled Grimlock. He readied his sword for another strike.
"Perhaps someday, Grimlock," said Megatron as he retracted what was left of his flail. "But it won't be today!"
Grimlock charged at Megatron slashing his sword. Megatron caught Grimlock's sword arm in his left hand, holding his sword above their heads. He then jabbed with his right arm into Grimlock's torso. Already severely damaged by his duel against Shockwave, Grimlock was shoved back and collapsed on the ground. One strong kick in the face from Megatron knocked Grimlock out of the battle.
Optimus had regained his footing and charged at Megatron. The lord of Destruction transformed into a jet and zoomed away only to fly by the Whomping Willow and grab Predaking's discarded sword while in midflight. Transforming back into robot mode, Megatron slashed at Optimus with Predaking's sword. Optimus blocked the strike with his axe-blade. Megatron however grabbed Prime at the back of his head and shoved him down into the dirt. He stomped on Prime's axe-blade and snapped it in two.
As Megatron struck down with the sword, Optimus transformed into a truck and dodged the strike by swerving away. He then circled around and rammed Megatron in the torso at full speed. He further transformed into robot mode and used the momentum of his ramming to land a powerful dropkick into Megatron's chest. He rolled back backward as the lord of destruction fell onto his back. Regaining footing, Prime ran toward Megatron and leapt toward him.
Using what little strength he could muster, Grimlock tossed his Energon sword at Prime. Optimus caught the sword in mid-leap and slashed downward at his opponent just as Megatron was standing back up. Their swords met in a mighty clash.
"The Hallows will mean the end of you," snapped Prime as he shoved his sword against Megatron's. "They will destroy you just the way they destroyed Voldemort!"
"Voldemort was a fool who tried to obtain a power he couldn't comprehend!" snarled Megatron as he shoved his blade back against Prime's. "I've heard the prophecy! 'The power he knows not.' Voldemort was destroyed because he failed to understand the true power of the Deathly Hallows!"
"And what makes you so sure you understand?" said Prime. "Your only source comes from legends and fairy tales! For all you know, you could be making the same mistake Voldemort did!"
Megatron pushed Prime back with his sword and managed to shove him onto his back. He slashed downward only for Optimus to roll away and stand back up. Optimus spun around and slashed his sword at Megatron. Megatron blocked the strike and slashed back, the blow also blocked by Optimus.
"You dare to presume that I would make the same mistake a cowardly fleshling made, Prime?" snarled Megatron. He swung his sword at Optimus continuously. Prime managed to block each slash.
"You're not infallible, Megatron," said Prime as he struck back. "I know that better than anyone!"
"And neither are you!" hissed Megatron. He slashed at Optimus with an intense fury and the Autobot leader was barely able to block or dodge each blow.
* * *
"Are you feeling better?" asked Harry as he gently cradled Hermione.
"I... I think I'll manage," said Hermione. "I'm sorry I broke down. But it's just..."
"I know," said Harry. He gently kissed Hermione's forehead and held her close.
"When will it be over?" asked Hermione. "Are our lives going to be tainted with violence forever?"
"I don't know," said Harry. "All I know is that every time violence does rear up, I'm going to use everything in my power to put a stop to it."
He stood up and looked over the grounds and was surprised that there were only two combatants left: Optimus Prime and Megatron. "I need to help Optimus!"
"I'm coming with you," said Hermione, standing up.
"No you're not," said Harry, whirling around facing her. "It's too dangerous."
Hermione did not look pleased. "Oh honestly, Harry," she snapped. "That excuse might work for Ginny but you'll have to do better for me! If it's too dangerous than that's all the more reason for me to go with you!"
"Hermione..."
"I'm not Ginny, Harry!" said Hermione. "I won't let you rush off headlong into danger alone!" Harry sighed. "Yeah, I figured as much. I'm sorry." Hermione suddenly collapsed onto the ground, caught by surprise from a non-verbal leg-locker jinx. Before she could even had a chance to undo the jinx, Harry had ran off intending to help out Prime.
* * *
Megatron slashed downward and struck Optimus deeply in his right shoulder. Optimus grunted in pain and backed off, transferring Grimlock's sword into his left hand, his damaged right arm now hanging limply. Megatron smirked and gloated, "Finished already, Prime?"
"Not... likely," said Prime. He threw Grimlock's sword at Megatron, knocking Predaking's sword out of his hand. Prime next charged straight at Megatron and smashed a direct forward kick into Megatron's torso. The force of the kick was enough to send Megatron back about a hundred feet.
Megatron roared in anger and charged at Optimus. Prime calmly crouched low and landed a low jab with his left hand into Megatron's already damaged torso. "Looks like I have a few tricks left," said Prime.
"Oh, do you?" snarled Megatron, "Reducto!"
The sudden shock of the blasting hex coming from the Elder Wand caught Optimus by surprise. Prime was knocked on to his back, his windshields shattered and his right arm even further damaged.
Megatron smirked and strolled over toward his fallen enemy. At the right timing however, Prime swept his feet and knocked Megatron down. "You still don't command any true power over magic, Megatron," said Prime as he stood back up. He attempted to stomp on Megatron. Megatron rolled away and avoided it.
"We will see about that," said Megatron as he stood back up. "Once I kill Harry Potter, the Elder Wand is mine!"
Prime shook his head and said, "Megatron, Megatron. Why do you always say these things that bring out my best?" He dashed straight at Megatron and took him by a left arm lariat to the torso. He then spun around and slammed a high kick into Megatron's face. Before Megatron could regain his bearings, Prime slammed a high knee kick into his chin.
Megatron staggered back as Prime attacked him again. Megatron smirked however and shoved his gauntleted hand into Prime's chest and yelled, "Crucio!" Prime was unprepared for the sudden searing pain of the Cruciatus curse as it ripped through his body.
Megatron wasn't done however, grabbing hold of Prime's damaged right arm, Megatron used all of his strength and ripped it right off. Severely damaged, Prime fell to his knees before his enemy.
"Hmph, disappointing," said Megatron as he tossed Prime's arm onto the ground. Prime however clearly wasn't finish yet as he suddenly grabbed his severed right arm and used it to whip Megatron in the face. The force of the blow was strong enough to knock Megatron back about fifty feet.
"Still disappointing?" hissed Prime. His armor was cracked and smoking. His windshields were shattered and pieces of his chest covering had fallen off revealing his internal machinery. And he was holding his severed right arm in his left. Yet, Optimus Prime was not defeated.
"Optimus!"
"Harry?" exclaimed Optimus. To his surprise, Harry appeared out of thin air: he had come close to the battle with the Invisibility Cloak.
"Optimus! Your arm!" said Harry. "I can fix it!" He raised his wand intending to perform the Reparo charm.
"Harry! No!" yelled Optimus. The warning came too late; Megatron had readied his auxiliary cannon and fired.
Harry felt only pain as his prone body was flung through the air. Optimus managed to catch Harry's form and cradled him to his chest. "O-Optimus," whispered Harry. "I... I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry about," said Optimus. "I should be the one apologizing. If only I could've defeated Megatron..."
Megatron was laughing hysterically. He held up his gauntleted hand and proclaimed, "Yes! It's mine!" Lightning blasted forth from the Elder Wand, striking down everywhere upon the Hogwarts Grounds. The sky above started to blacken and the ground started to shake.
"W-what's going on?" exclaimed Ron from nearby the surviving Autobots.
"I-I don't know," whispered Luna.
"Megatron," said Prowl. "Oh no."
Hermione, having undone the leg-locker looked over toward the source of the lightning. "The Elder Wand?" she exclaimed. She gasped and tears started forming in her eyes. "Oh God, Harry!"
"I feel the power!" exclaimed Megatron. "It's coursing through me! Power like nothing I have felt before!" He closed his gauntleted hand into a fist, the light of the Elder Wand shining from within it. Nearby, Prime was on one knee, his remaining arm cradling Harry's body to his chest.
"So it has come to this," Prime said solemnly. "Megatron, Master of the Deathly Hallows."
"Yes, most appealing," said Megatron. "As of now, I am the master of all life and death... although, it is kind of irrelevant."
"Irrelevant?" hissed Prime. "All these deaths? All this destruction? For a purpose you consider irrelevant?"
"Ha! You still don't get it do you Prime?" said Megatron. "Yes, the appeal of control of all three artifacts was certainly a strong motivation. But it pales in comparison for my true purpose. You see Prime, what I really wanted was the weapon that could lose no duel: the Elder Wand. But, that could essentially mean that I could very well end up making the same fatal mistake Voldemort made! Therefore, it was necessary to make sure I claimed all three Hallows so that I could cover my tracks! But it all boils down to this very moment! The battle! The wizards! The Dementors! The Autobots! The Decepticons! Harry Potter! All merely stepping blocks to achieve my true purpose: to use the weapon that can never lose a duel against the one being whom I have never been able to win in a duel against! From the very start, this whole plot had but one ultimate purpose: the death of Optimus Prime!"
Megatron held his gauntleted hand outstretched toward Optimus and Harry. "I would've waited an eternity for this moment," he snarled, "It's over, Prime!" A green light started gathering in his gauntleted hand, at the very tip of the Elder Wand. "Avada Kedavra!"
A/N Whew! Finally got that chapter done. That was intense. And left you guys with quite the cliffhanger, didn't I? No worries, I've been updating this fic rather regularly and the last two chapters will be coming just as fast. And next, the conclusion!