A/N - This chapter earns the award for the most procrastinated over chapter ever in the history of everything. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating. I don't own HP or "Back to the Future". A huge than you to my BETA's Katia, Dementor149 & Ragavendran.
Chapter 17 - End Game
He sat in his chair facing the fire, watching the flame flicker and dance and trying not to smile too widely. Everything had gone perfectly, better than perfectly in fact. The results of his latest plan had exceeded all of his ambitions and that was not something which happened easily or often. He steepled his fingers against his face in an attempt to hide a smile which continued to grow, being the worlds most powerful Occlumens he was (for the first time in years) having difficulty schooling his features.
Albus Dumbledore was dead, and though it had been achieved through his machinations it had not been undertaken as he had directed. Prior to this night he thought that at best he would get only one thing from this plan, either it would succeed in bringing about the death of Albus Dumbledore or it would fail and provide him with an excuse for the torture and execution of Draco Malfoy.
The Lord Voldemort was rarely surprised and even more rarely pleased but this night was one of those occasions. When the boy had contacted him requesting back up from other Death Eaters he had known that this night would yield results for him at last, finally he would be able to punish the boy at his leisure or he would be able to celebrate the downfall of the Muggle loving fool. He had not suspected that he would be able to do both.
He swung away from the fire, having at last mastered his joy, and faced his assembled Death Eaters. They were insane ghouls every last one of them, but they were as necessary to his plans as was the eventual demise of Harry Potter.
`It appears then, Draco,' he began, his voice high, cold and commanding as befitted a Dark Lord, `That you have both succeeded in your mission, and yet failed at the same time.'
The boy looked up in alarm, clearly Draco had been practicing Occlumency yet his mind control was not sufficient to prevent the most powerful Dark Lord in centuries from easily seeing his thoughts.
`I see that you thought you would be rewarded! Well, perhaps you shall in time, when you have shown yourself worthy of the Dark Mark which I have so graciously bestowed upon you.'
For a moment none of the assembled Death Eaters moved even an inch but then with a petrified shriek Narcissa Malfoy flung herself on the ground at his feet.
`Please, my Lord, please, spare my son.'
Now he allowed himself a cruel smile, he did so enjoy it when a woman grovelled at his feet and begged. He reached down and pulled off the Death Eater mask which covered her face, then grabbed her by her long blonde hair and pulled her to her feet.
`You are a disgrace to the name Death Eater!' He spat the words into her snivelling face, `you care more for your pathetic offspring than you do for the will of your lord.'
She was crying, her eyes red and her face ugly and blotchy but she did not deny the accusation. Her lack of response to the charges he had levelled against her was infuriating.
`You disgust me,' He spat at her and then threw her at the crowd of assembled Death Eaters, they parted like the Red Sea and she landed on the hard wood floor. But she was not his concern for the moment; he was far more interested in ensuring her son met with the proper punishment. He fingered his wand lovingly as he thought about the delicious torment he was about to dish out.
He pointed it idly at his victim, `Crucio!'
The boy's cries filled the room and he delighted in the sound of the young man's torment, his cries had the same adolescent quality to them as the young Harry Potter and were therefore most delightful to him. He lifted the spell and watched as Draco panted trying to catch his breath. Bella had told him how she had sent people insane using this spell and he wondered if a little insanity was just what the young Mr Malfoy needed. The Death Eaters watched as he paced in front of the prostrate boy, Narcissa had regained her feet but did not dare to intervene again. It was in that moment of stillness, everyone waiting and watching that a sharp piercing noise rent the air.
Vaguely Voldemort noticed his Death Eaters began to whisper frantically, but he paid them no mind. Nor did he pay any further attention to the young man lying at his feet; his full attention now was turned to listening, his mind working quickly over the possibilities of what the noise could be. Only seconds passed before the crashing sound of splintering wood filled the air.
`My Lord,' began one of his Death Eaters, `Are we under attack?'
`Ridiculous!' He snapped immediately, and it was ridiculous. Who would possibly know where to find him, who would dare? But no sooner had the word exited his mouth than muffled footfalls could be heard below.
`Avery, McNair,' He snapped, addressing two of his most faithful and competent Death Eaters, `Take Crabbe, Goyle and Gibbon and deal with this ... situation.'
The five Death Eaters looked at each other uneasily but hastened to obey their master's order. The other Death Eaters looked no easier about the orders given but none made any move to gainsay him, just as it should be, he thought with satisfaction. The blood of Salazar Slytherin flowed through his veins, however noble or ancient the families of these assembled wizards were his heritage was by far the greatest. It was only right that they should bow to his superior judgement. He turned back to the prostrate boy on the floor, he was confident that whatever they might find below his five Death Eaters would dispatch it easily enough, it was time for him to return to the task at hand.
`Now, Draco, I don't like to punish you,' he began, his voice soft and silky, from down below he heard his Death Eaters casting curses and smiled, `I want to see you fulfil your potential and become one of the greatest and most feared Death Eaters of all time.'
The sound of the curses faded, and no further sound came from below the stairs. Confident that their victory was secure he continued with his speech.
`But we cannot have a Death Eater who is afraid to kill, so I have no choice but to ensure that however much you fear killing... you fear me more.' He raised his wand and was about to cast the curse again when it suddenly occurred to him that no noise had come from below the stairs for some minutes and none of his five Death Eaters had returned.
He frowned and looked at his other assembled followers, `Dolohov,' he snapped addressing one of the more competent of the crowd, `Find out what is keeping Avery and McNair.'
Voldemort was not particularly concerned about the other three Death Eaters he had sent, Gibbon was a mediocre wizard at best and Crabbe and Goyle were downright incompetent. He looked back to the blonde haired youth on the floor before him.
`Now, where was I?' he tapped his wand to his chin as though considering the matter, `Ah, yes, that's right.' He raised his wand and pointed it, `I want you to fear me more. Crucio!'
Once more the pain-filled screams of the young main resounded in his ears delightfully, but he only enjoyed them for a few seconds before he was once more interrupted, this time by Dolohov rushing back into the room.
`My Lord,' the fool panted, `they are no-where to be seen!'
The other Death Eaters began to babble excitedly, their noise buzzed irritatingly through his head, `Did you conduct a thorough search of the premises?' He snapped irritably, his night had begun so well.
Dolohov's eyes seemed to bug out from his head, `No, My Lord, I thought it unwise to go alone into an area where five Death Eaters have already disappeared.'
The buzzing from the other Death Eaters intensified as they realised that to all intents and purposes Dolohov had just called his Lord "unwise". Voldemort stared into the man's enfeebled brain, he considered himself well within his rights to kill the fool where he stood for such insolence and yet a small part of him could acknowledge the truth of his words. He turned away from the crowd and back towards his fire which was still flickering in its grate and considered the possibilities.
`There is only one person, surely, who is both foolish enough and arrogant enough to mount such an attack against me.' The noise of the Death Eaters abated as they realised what their Master was saying, `this must be the work of Potter!' he growled the name; he wished he could grind the insignificant bug into dust. The child was an irritating fly and it was beyond time that this particular fly was squashed.
He turned back to his Death Eaters so quickly that his cloak swished around him, `Death Eaters, get down there and destroy them for their insolence. Do not take the stairs.'
The Death Eaters marched out of the room, each of them with a determined set to their shoulders.
`Severus, I want you and Dolohov to stay behind with me.'
Draco was picking himself up of the floor and preparing to leave the room, but Voldemort stopped him.
`Draco, if you ever want to become a truly feared Death Eater now is your moment to prove it to me. I want you to bring me the head of Harry James Potter.'
Draco paled and gulped but nodded, `Good boy then,' Voldemort said now, thoroughly pleased with his own cunning, `off you go.' A confrontation with Potter was exactly what the child needed. Potter wouldn't hesitate like the old fool had, Draco would either kill Potter or be captured by him and either way he would cease to be another problem.
Draco scampered out into the hall as fast as he could, before The Dark Lord could change his mind. He had thought, or rather hoped, that after what he'd accomplished tonight he would be one of the Dark Lords most favoured, but instead he had returned here in disgrace. He knew that he wouldn't be killed for his failure, since it wasn't absolute and he had succeeded in bringing about the death of Albus Dumbledore. Draco swallowed the bitterness that rose in his throat with that thought; it was his fault that Professor Dumbledore was dead there was no getting around it. Even if he hadn't cast the curse himself he had made it possible and that act alone was enough to seal his fate. The only thing that could make his fate bearable was to win favour with the Dark Lord.
Draco raised his head high and squared his shoulders, his resolution made; he would fulfil his potential and become one of the most feared Death Eaters of all time. He would present his master with the head of Harry Potter.
He took a few steps away from the closed door at his back and almost fell into the hole in the floor; obviously this was the solution that the other Death Eaters had found to getting around the stairs. They had simply blasted a hole in the floor and dropped down to the lower level that way. Draco looked into the hole. Plaster dust filled the air only broken by spell fire slicing through at random intervals. Through the haze he could see at least ten people duelling with each other and, if the spell fire was any indication, there were far more beyond the range of his sight.
It seemed that, by now, taking the stairs might be safer than following the way the other Death Eaters had gone. He skirted cautiously around the hole in the floor and made it to the top of the stairs but what he saw next made all rational thought flee his mind.
In the hall, near the foot of the stairs, lay his father. He was sprawled face down with one of his arms was bent at an odd angle beneath him. Aside from his father the hall was empty so Draco jogged down the steps towards the elder Malfoy. He had only made it down the top few when Harry Potter skidded into the hallway on his knees. Potter slapped something unceremoniously onto the unconscious man's back and then Draco's father was whisked from view. Potter stood up and looked ready to re-join the battle raging in the other room. Draco saw red; he let out a howl of rage and launched himself down the last remaining stairs towards his enemy.
Harry looked up just in time to see Malfoy rushing towards him and had just enough time to send the first spell he could think of at Draco's feet. It was only a trip jinx, but after what Harry remembered happening just that night between Malfoy and Dumbledore in the Headmasters office he wanted to give Malfoy a chance at least. His aim was true and the spell hit Draco's feet causing him to go flying face first into the floor.
`Malfoy, you don't have to...' Harry began, but he didn't get a chance to finish, Malfoy aimed a killing curse at him.
The spell struck Harry's shield and re-bounded off into a wall, `Stuff this!' Harry said. All thoughts of giving Malfoy a second chance now fled his mind. Whatever misgivings Malfoy had about killing the headmaster obviously didn't apply to him and Harry wasn't about to give him another chance. He fired off a disarming spell without another thought. The spell hit Draco as he was pushing himself up off the floor; it caught him right in the chest and flipped him up into the air. He landed at the top of the stairs with a resounding thud, his head cracked against the floor.
Harry rushed up the stairs trying to be quick as well as quiet. Voldemort was still up here with Merlin only knew how many Death Eaters; he would have to quickly get rid of Draco and then return to the rest of the group still fighting Death Eaters downstairs. He slapped the Portkey on Malfoy's robes and sent him off with his father. He half turned ready to head back when the flickering of firelight caught his eye. The door to the room was open and the opportunity to gather information was too overwhelming to resist. He skirted his way around the hole in the floor and with extreme caution he approached the door, but something made him pause only a few feet from the door. If there were multiple Death Eaters still inside, as well as Voldemort, it wouldn't do for him to be caught out here.
He peered into the hole in the floor, plaster dust still clouded the air and spell fire in the room below was thick. The hole in the floor was obviously not a safe escape route. He looked at the Portkey on his robes but dismissed that idea just as quickly; he didn't want to go back to Hogwarts until this was all over so using the Portkey as an escape route was not an option either. He could hear voices in the room and he longed to move closer, but he didn't dare, not until he could think of a way to move through the wards...
Harry nearly slapped himself on the forehead. It was so simple, he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it sooner. He quickly took the flask from his pocket, unscrewed the lid and took a sip before returning it to the pocket of his robes. Now if he was caught and outnumbered he could just apparate and return to the others.
He crept closer to the door inching it open slightly and peering inside.
`It strikes me as odd that a place which has been so long a secret should be discovered tonight, of all nights.'
It was Voldemort speaking, Harry could see only Snape and one other Death Eater within, he thought he could count on Snape to back him up but Harry was not keen to test the theory.
`My Lord I assure you...' Snape began, but he was cut off by the other Death Eater.
`Your assurances mean little around here, Severus,' the Death Eater sneered, `and I'm sure that an accomplished Legilemens like yourself knows exactly what I'm talking about.'
Snape whipped around to face the other Death Eater, `your puerile attack means little to me, Dolohov, if you cannot possess sufficient conviction to even give voice to your thoughts. Need I remind you of what I have accomplished tonight? I was responsible for the Death of Albus Dumbledore.'
`Do not remind us all of your failures, you did not secure the wand for me as I requested!' Voldemort snapped
`I could not my Lord, I have already explained...'
The other Death Eater intercepted again, `Yes, Severus, always quick with an explanation, aren't you?' He raised his wand but Snape was quicker. His curse hit Dolohov in the chest before he had a chance to even fire off a spell.
Time seemed to slow down to Harry, as Snape had turned to face his assailant on one side, and shot a spell in that direction he was forced to turn his back on another enemy. He failed to see Voldemort raise his wand preparing to strike.
Harry only had a split second to decide what to do, but it was all he needed. He had seen enough, whether Snape was with him or not was now irrelevant. Voldemort was alone but for one man, of questionable loyalty, and this might be the best opportunity that Harry ever got. Without another thought he flung himself into the room, with one arm he thrust his shield between Snape and the deadly curse and with the other he pushed Snape aside.
The Potions master hit the wall with a resounding thud but Harry could not spare him a glance, he had revealed himself to Voldemort and now it was time to end it. He steadied himself on his feet, his shield and his wand both held ready.
`Well, if it isn't Harry Potter, I had a feeling you were behind this latest piece of arrogance.'
Harry scoffed at Voldemort calling him arrogant, `That's a bit rich, isn't it? For you to accuse anyone of arrogance when you're so full of it yourself.'
Voldemort smiled and the expression caused a shiver to go down Harry's spine, seeing Voldemort smile was truly a horrific sight and one he hoped never to see again after tonight.
`Ah, Harry, you are so young... it really is almost a pity that you are about to die.'
Voldemort shot a killing curse at him but Harry deflected easily with his shield, the deflected spell hit the ceiling causing some plaster to fall away.
`You've been telling me that since I was a year old, and I'm not dead yet.' Harry stated confidently, firing his own spell in return. It was Aufero Veneficus, the spell which Hermione had found to strip Voldemort of his magic, if only Harry could hit him with it.
Voldemort laughed at him, `Is that the best you can do, Harry? Why it's possible that you are even more incompetent than Draco, did you know that I ordered him to bring me your head?'
`No, but then I didn't get much chance to talk to him before I sent him off to Azkaban with his father.'
Voldemort frowned at this news, `I'm surprised you have accomplished so much, especially considering that all of your previous success has been purely down to luck.'
Now it was Harry's turn to laugh, `Luck was it? You are more ignorant than you have any idea of, you can't even imagine the power I have behind me that has gotten me here today.'
`Tsk, tsk, Harry, I thought you weren't conceited.' Voldemort chided him and sent another killing curse sizzling through the air. It was cast so quickly that Harry almost didn't get his shield up in time. The spell caught the edge of the shield and sent it spinning off out the window.
Harry returned spell fire but again it was easily deflected, `I'm not talking about my power, you think for a moment that I don't realise I couldn't have done any of the things I have done without the help of the people who love me?'
`Ah I see, you really have swallowed the entire cauldron full of Albus Dumbledore's lies haven't you? The much vaunted power of love, well, enlighten me dear boy, what has the power of love ever really given you?'
Harry grinned, but it was a malicious grin which felt odd and foreign to him, `I could talk until I was blue in the face and it wouldn't help to enlighten you. Some people are beyond reach, though I hesitate in calling you a person.'
Voldemort's nostrils flared in irritation. He brandished his wand like a lasso and the floor beneath Harry's feet began to boil and bubble. Heat radiated up through his sneakers but Harry quickly levitated himself off the ground before shooting his spell at Voldemort once more, he hoped that Voldemort might be distracted enough to not block it in time but it was not to be.
He laughed and flicked the spell away as though it were nothing more than a fly, `You honestly think you are a match for me? You could train for the next twenty years and still not be my match.'
He cast the killing curse again and this time Harry dodged it. The spell hit the wall behind him and the resulting blast filled the room with plaster dust. `You honestly think I'm not your match?' Harry called back, firing off his spell once more, `You marked me as your equal! Or didn't you know that's what the prophecy said?' He fired off the spell again, five times in rapid succession.
Voldemort's only response was to flick them all aside and laugh, `There is not a spell you could throw at me that I could not block or dodge,' he flicked his wand again and Harry suddenly found himself upside down, `You on the other hand are now completely at my mercy.'
Harry struggled for a moment against the invisible bonds that held him and watched helpless as Voldemort raised his wand one final time, `There will be no more running from your fate Harry Potter, you can't get away from me now. It's time for you to die.'
Harry felt like something exploded in his brain, when Voldemort said the word time he suddenly remembered the precaution he'd taken before approaching the room. Harry closed his eyes and focused very hard, trying to ignore the beam of green light erupting from Voldemort's wand, he apparated through time and space once more. When he opened his eyes he was standing behind Voldemort. He raised his wand and pressed it against his enemy's skull and for the first time in months he spoke a spell aloud, so that there could be no mistake of his intent.
`Aufero Veneficus!' he cried.
Voldemort had no time for anything his eyes widened in horror at the same moment as the spell hit his head. It ripped through his mind and down his body like a tidal wave and when it reached his feet it exploded like an atomic bomb.
A wave of pure energy swept out from his body and threw everything out of its path, the windows shattered, and the walls were blown apart. Harry was thrown backwards into the fireplace and hit his head on the bricks. He blacked out for a moment and when he came too there was a terrible groaning noise as the roof began to fall in on top of him.
Bricks, chunks of plaster and beams of wood began to fall on top of him and all around him. Harry heard something crack as a large chunk of ceiling and roof fell on top of his legs and pain seared through him. One of his legs, at least, was definitely broken. Through the pain he realised that even if he could walk there was no way he would get out of here under his own power.
Another chunk of ceiling fell and Harry began to lose consciousness again, he had to get out of there and quickly. If he didn't get out before the roof came down there was no doubt in his mind that he would die in the rubble. He pulled his arm out from under the debris that was already half covering him and moved to touch it to his emergency Portkey.
Another loud groan came from the house and the chimney started to collapse. Bricks rained down on top of him and Harry lost consciousness.
He didn't realise that the rubble pushed his hand, which still held his wand, onto the emergency Portkey which was still pinned to his chest, he didn't feel the jerk behind his navel when the Portkey whisked him away and he was not aware of it when he arrived safely back in the Hogwarts Hospital wing.
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