The Legend of the Phoenix Well

Chapter Eighteen: When Darkness Comes

Harry got off his broom. "Harry?" Ron said. "What- what are you doing?" He peered at Harry worriedly.

"Something's wrong," Harry said, feeling the necklace against his skin. His scar began to hurt. "Something's happened..." he gasped, as the pain in his scar shot through his entire body, making him fall to the ground. "He's... happy..."

Hermione and the other two came running down from the stands. The other players dismounted. "What's going on, Harry?" Hermione said. Her eyes widened when she saw the necklace, glowing blue. "It's... it's glowing. Harry, what's going on?"

Harry got up, his scar nearly exploding from the pain. He winced, and said, "Voldemort... he's got something he's wanted for years." He concentrated on letting go of his Occlumency. An image shot through his mind. "Hogwarts!" he said.

As if on cue, a gargantuan green light shot up from the castle, beginning to form a circular shape. The shape soon became the dreaded symbol of Voldemort. The Dark Mark. "Where's all the professors?" Hermione said.

Harry thought. It was hard, through all the muddle and fear, but he remembered McGonagall and Snape sprinting past him while he was headed for Quidditch practice. "A diversion," he said. "From the real thing. Hermione, he's led them to a diversion from Hogwarts, so he could take Hogwarts over!"

The team began to panic. "Stop!" Neville said, surprising everyone. "Look. We're probably the only ones here who aren't captured. And there's a lot of us. We have brooms, too, so we can outrun the Death Eaters."

The younger students nodded, and the older ones looked at Neville, who seemed to be pale and determined. "Someone's coming," Ginny said urgently.

"Icicle," Ron said, squinting. Icicle was limping quickly for them, her robes singed and her hair a mess.

"They've captured the castle!" Icicle said hysterically. "Everyone! We were at dinner, and the professors had left the Prefects in charge, since they had heard of an emergency at the Ministry. The Death Eaters appeared by Portkey a few minutes later. They've put the rest of the students in the dungeons! And a few of the older students are gone!"

"Listen," Harry said. "Go to the Ministry, and find someone from the Order. You know a few of them, from the summer, right? Run to Hogsmeade, and Apparate from there."

Icicle nodded, and grabbed a school broom. "Good idea," Harry called as she flew away.

"Are you sure you trust her?" Ron said. Harry looked at him.

"We have to," he replied.

"Who are they?" Euan said, pointing at a large group of people making their way to the pitch. They were dressed in all black, and had their wands out.

Suddenly, Hagrid ran out of his cabin, his pink umbrella in his hand.

"HAGRID! NO!" Harry shouted. Hagrid made a beeline for the Death Eaters, who scrambled away from his path, their wands aimed at him.

"DON' YEH DARE HURT 'EM!" Hagrid roared. He ran towards them, shooting fire at them. A third year spell.

"No..." Hermione said, a tear falling down her face. Harry shut his eyes.

There was a loud whoosh, and a thud. Then silence, and a sob from Hermione. Harry gulped, and didn't look. They had to get away from the Death Eaters.

"Quickly, everyone on a broom! Into the forest! It's our only chance to hide!" Harry said. Hermione nodded, mounting behind Ron and holding onto him. Neville and Luna watched uncertainly.

"Quickly! Luna, on mine, Neville, go on Ginny's," Harry said, directing the two onto the two fastest brooms on the team. The Death Eaters had spotted them, and started shooting spells at them.

"Go!" Harry yelled. "Keep to the trees!" Luna held on tightly to Harry's waist, and screamed as the broom lurched when Harry started it. "Sorry," Harry said as he rose up into the air, shooting forward.

"The Firebolt has an acceleration speed of 150 miles per hour in ten seconds," Harry suddenly remembered from the past. Smiling, he began to urge the broom to go faster than he ever had during a match.

The Death Eaters stopped moving. Suddenly, brooms sailed to them from the castle. Harry recognised Lucius Malfoy's voice as he said, "Never underestimate the Death Eaters, Potter."

"Never underestimate the Gryffindor Quidditch team either," Harry said as they entered the forest, as scarlet and black blurs. "So, where's Bella? With Voldie? Aww, poor Malfoy, not important enough to be with Master..." Harry taunted. Harry found himself entering his usual cocky attitude he got whenever faced with danger.

Malfoy Sr. scowled and shot an Avada Kedavra. It hit the Death Eater on Harry's other side as Harry slid back a bit. The Death Eater rolled off his broom, and his broom crashed into a tree, automatically splintering into a thousand tiny pieces. Luna buried her face in Harry's robes.

Harry didn't dare look behind them. He didn't want to know if any of his team mates or friends had been killed. There was a scream from behind. Harry hoped it hadn't been fatal. A moment later, Ron shot up to where Harry was. Hermione was behind him, one hand on his waist, the other clutching her wand.

"Stupefy!" she called, reaching past Luna. The jet of red light missed Lucius Malfoy.

"How is it back there?" Harry yelled to the whirling winds.

"They're all fine. They're all still following you. Natalie has a bit of a nasty cut on her arm... that was the scream earlier, but they're still there!" Ron responded.

"Avada Kedavra!" Malfoy screamed. The curse hit a tree next to Ron, narrowly missing him. The elder Malfoy swore. Harry wondered where Draco Malfoy was. There was another scream from behind as a Death Eater was pushed off his broom. Then there was a loud crack as his broom was destroyed.

"The centaurs!" Hermione yelled. A large group of centaurs stood in their way, their bows strung with deadly arrows.

"FIRE!" Magnorian shouted. Arrows flew into the group of flying humans, hitting trees as they dodged them. There was a strange noise as one of the Death Eaters was hit in the throat. He fell off his broom.

"Ahh!" Ron screamed in pain as a hissing arrow hit him in the arm. His arms flapped uselessly, and his and Hermione's broom jolted wildly.

"Hold on!" Hermione screamed. She reached bravely past Ron, to his other side. Ron moved to the side, gingerly putting an arm on the broom handle again. Hermione put both of her shaking hands on the broom as well.

Red stunning spells were suddenly shot from the sides from Death Eaters on the ground, and Harry had to do a barrel roll to avoid them as well as the arrows. Luna screamed in terror. "Don't do that!" she screamed, all the dreaminess gone from her voice.

"I had to!" Harry yelled back. "Besides, it's not like I enjoyed it, either!" Malfoy smirked at him, and pointed his wand at Harry.

Suddenly, something scarlet pushed into him, making him fall off his broom in surprise. The look on his face was one of confusion as the centaurs' arrows met with him. Harry looked away. The centaurs disappeared from view.

"Are you all right?" Ginny yelled through the wind.

"We're fine!" Harry said. "Ron was shot with an arrow, but Hermione's controlling the broom! How are things back there?"

"Our team's really good at flying!" Ginny said. "None of them were unseated yet, and Lucius Malfoy was the last one!"

Harry nodded. "Everyone stop flying!" he yelled. He began slowing his broom down, until it was just hovering in the air. He began to descend.

"Where are we?" Mark said, as he came up next to Harry, breathing heavily.

Harry looked around. "This place looks familiar," he said finally. "I don't know where I've seen it before. Hermione, this isn't where... where Aragog was, is it?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I've never seen it in my life. I'm sure of it."

Harry looked around again. And suddenly remembered where he had seen that spot before. "The dream," he said. "Hermione, it was the dream that I had during the Christmas holidays. Which means there should be a clearing up there," he said, nodding up the path.

"The one on the cliff?" Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry said. "If we can get there, we'd be off Hogwarts grounds. And then one of us can Apparate to get some help, in case..." he trailed off.

"In case Icicle's a traitor," Ron finished grimly. "Right." He shouldered his broom. "Come on, you lot, we've found a way to get help."

The team shouldered their brooms like Ron. "Lead the way, mate," Ron said to Harry. Harry nodded, and began making his way up the path.

"Where are we going?" David whispered.

"Off Hogwarts grounds. So we can Apparate," Hermione explained. "Wands out, everyone. In case it's a trap."

A few minutes later, the roar of waves crashing against rocks could be heard. "So it is a real place," Ron mused. "Your dreams took you to a real place, Harry."

The group walked on, making almost no noise. Finally, Harry reached the clearing. He parted the bushes, and laid eyes on the clearing in reality for the first time. Quickly, he moved aside.

"This is beautiful," Hermione said, looking out over the waves. "I've only been to the sea once before. My parents were too busy to take me. This is a lot different from the beaches in France.

The moon was full that night. The group stood there, watching the waves crash against the Cliffside, for a moment. "Right," Ron said finally. "Neville. You Apparate to the Ministry, and find someone who can help us. It doesn't look like Icicle has done anything," he said sadly. "I can't believe it. I was starting to think she was all right."

Suddenly, there was a loud crack, as a twig snapped. "What was that?" Natalie said, jumping.

"DUCK!" Harry shouted as a myriad of stunning spells shot out from the forest. He pulled Mark and Luna down with him. The jets of red light, thankfully, flew over their heads. "It was a trap," he said. "Neville, go!"

"I'm not leaving you lot here," Neville said stubbornly.

"Go, Neville!" Ron urged.

"No!" Neville said as the Death Eaters began to emerge from the trees. Harry could see a tall, skeletally thin robed figure in the centre, its red eyes glowing maliciously.

"Stop!" Harry said. "Voldemort's here." He searched for a place to run. Then he saw it. The forest of fir trees. Their leaves never fell. Everlasting trees. His necklace became cold, as if agreeing with him. "This way," Harry said as he began to sprint. "No time for brooms. Just run!"

He led the way into the Muggle forest, crashing through the undergrowth. Behind them, he could hear yells as the Death Eaters shot curses at them while chasing after them in hot pursuit.

A Stunning Spell grazed the top of Harry's head, hitting a tree in front of him and setting it on fire. "Quickly!" Harry said. The team and the other three were able to make it past the flaming tree before it crashed to the ground.

Some of the team stopped to catch their breath. "No! Keep running! They'll get past soon enough," Harry said urgently.

"Can't," Natalie said. "My arm... it hurts like hell..." The arm seemed to be broken.

"Here," Hermione said. She tore a strip of cloth from her shirt, and tied Natalie's arm in a sling. "It's a Muggle thing. It should help a little."

"Come on," Harry said.

The group began sprinting again. "Well," Euan said, trying to make the situation brighter. "At least we'll be in shape for the cup, yeah?"

"Where are we going, Harry?" Ron gasped.

"The well. It's near here, somewhere," Harry responded. "The path! It's right here!" There was a loud explosion behind them that meant the Death Eaters had successfully blasted the tree away.

"Why can't they Apparate?" Neville said.

"You need to be able to see where you're Apparating," Hermione explained. "Except for the Ministry test. That one's like half Apparating. The Apparating is from one spot to another, so if you think about that white circle you're standing on, you'll end up in another spot. That's how the Quidditch World Cup worked."

"They can't see where they're Apparating," Ron said.

They followed the path, until Harry saw a glint of blue. "It's there," he said, his voice full of wonder. "It exists."

The well came slowly into view. The ethereal blue light seemed to reflect off the trees. The stone seemed decrepit and polished at the same time. "Those are Druid runes," Hermione whispered when they got close enough to see the small, precise carvings in the basin. "They're a traditional form of Ancient Runes."

"What does it say?" Ron said.

"We only covered it briefly," Hermione said, "but these runes are quite simple. It says that this is the Phoenix Well, the balance of the earth."

"Whatever that means," Ron said.

"Well, it seems that one of you is not as smart as I thought you were," said an amused voice.

"Eh?" Ron said, wheeling around. "What did you say, Harry? I didn't hear."

"But I didn't say anything," Harry said, confused.

"No," said the voice. "That was me." A hooded, black-robed figure stepped out from the depths of the forest.

From behind the group, the rest of the Death Eaters and Voldemort came. Some of the Death Eaters had snuck ahead of the students, and came from in front of them. They formed a circle around the students, trapping them.

"Hello, Potter," Voldemort hissed. "Welcome to our little... get-together. And I see. You've brought those blood-traitor Weasleys, the pathetic little Longbottom, and the Mudblood. How entertaining." He stooped to look down at Mark, who looked at him defiantly. "And this. This must be a relative of yours, Potter. He's got your mother's defiance in him," he said, chuckling.

"My name is Mark Evans," Mark said.

Voldemort laughed again. "Evans. Of course. I considered recruiting Lily once before, did you know that, Harry? Even though she was a Mudblood, she was powerful. Not unlike your friend, here."

"But she wouldn't," Harry said with a smirk. "Because my mother knew what was right."

Voldemort laughed again. "Admirable, yes. But that didn't keep her alive, did it? Expelliarmus." Ten wands flew into Voldemort's outstretched, spider-like hand. Ron shivered. Voldemort laughed. "Oops," he said. "Almost forgot to disarm you."

Harry reached out. A cuff appeared out of nowhere, and clapped itself on Harry's right wrist. Voldemort chuckled. "Did you think I didn't know? I was ready for that."

"Accio wands," Harry tried. None of the wands came. Instead, he felt a jolt of pain shoot through him.

"Pure gold," Voldemort said. "Silver is a werewolf's bane, gold is wandless magic's enemy." Malfoy must have told him.

"Oh, no," Voldemort said, amused, as if reading his mind. "No, Malfoy junior hasn't told me anything. In fact, I've received intelligence that Mr. Malfoy is quite the opposite." Harry's eyes widened in surprise. Hermione gasped softly.

One of the black-cloaked figures tried to sneak off, but another Death Eater grabbed him and threw him back into the circle. The hood fell off the first black-clad figures, and the glowing blue light illuminated his face. It was undoubtedly Malfoy. "You can join your fellow students," Voldemort said coldly. The second figure pushed Malfoy into Harry, then crossed its arms, as if pleased with its work. Voldemort took Malfoy's wand.

"And you may join him, Miss Chang. I know perfectly well that you are a spy for that mob that calls itself an Order," Voldemort said coolly, taking her wand.

Another Death Eater pushed Cho into Hermione. Her hood fell off as well, and Cho's face was revealed, looking frightened but determined. She would not look at Harry.

The information clicked in Harry's mind. The letter... it made sense. Percy wasn't asking for information on Voldemort, he had been asking for information at Hogwarts about finding Voldemort's spy at Hogwarts. And it had been Cho at Grimmauld Place, under a Glamour Charm or something, since she was a double-agent.

"And you two and Miss Zabini thought yourselves so clever," Voldemort said scornfully. "All three of you will join Snape in matching stupidity. Mr. Malfoy, I had thought so highly of you before, when you were younger. Your father was a good Death Eater."

"You mean slave to a half-blood," Malfoy spat. "I wouldn't work for such a hypocrite if it was for my life. Potter's blood is purer than yours."

Harry chose not to take Malfoy's remark as an insult. Voldemort, however, sounded amused. "Yes, you have shown that, Malfoy. You will die for your betrayal. You, after all, were trying to be like Miss Chang, here. Telling that McGonagall everything."

Harry looked at Ron. That part clicked as well. That was why Malfoy wasn't expelled. He had been a spy.

"And now," Voldemort said. "I think we should have some fun. Right, my faithful Death Eaters? Bring me the little Weasley girl."

"No!" Ron shouted. "NO!"

Voldemort laughed again. Frankly, Harry was getting sick of it. "Weasley, if you get Potter to give me his little trinket, I'll let your sister go."

"Harry, no!" Ginny said as she was dragged off. "Let me go!" she screamed, pounding one of the Death Eaters on the head. "Don't touch me!"

Voldemort strode up to Ron. "And now, young Weasley, it's time for you to learn the truth about what goes on between your ever-faithful, honest, and all around perfect best mate, and your virtuous, honour-bound younger sister."

Harry paled. So did Ginny. Ron, however, stared Voldemort in the eyes and said stonily, "Yeah, Voldemort, they're friends." He was outright rude.

Voldemort chuckled again. "Then you are in denial, Mr. Weasley. Watch this." He nodded at a Death Eater, who pointed his wand at Ginny.

"Crucio," he said.

Ginny screamed as the curse hit her. Harry winced. Voldemort looked in his direction, and smiled a lipless smile.

Ginny stopped screaming as the curse was lifted. Voldemort nodded again. This time, Harry sprinted forward, recklessly, and took the curse for Ginny. The pain shot through him like a lightning bolt, and he screamed in pain, his scar hurting from Voldemort's glee.

The curse stopped. "You see, Mr. Weasley? Your 'friend' took the curse for your sister before you could."

"That doesn't prove anything," Ron said. "Harry's that way."

"Then you are even more dense than I thought," Voldemort said. He nodded again, and the Death Eater grabbed Ginny, hoisting her up. There was a flash of metal as the Death Eater pressed a knife to Ginny's throat. Some of the girls screamed, and even some of the boys.

"Now, Harry, admit you've been sneaking around with the Weasley girl, and her throat won't be slit," Voldemort said, amused. "I enjoy these little games."

"You're sick!" Hermione said. "Why are you asking Harry this?"

"Because I know it's true, Miss Granger. Now, Harry, you're annoying me..."

"No, Harry, no," Ginny said softly. The Death Eater pressed the knife harder against her throat.

"Go on, Harry," Voldemort said.

Harry looked at Ron, then nodded. If he had to admit it, he wasn't going to admit it like Neville did when he lost something. "I did," he said defiantly. "And what of it, Voldemort, are your sick little fantasies satisfied?"

Ron began to shake. First he turned red, from the anger. Then he slowly turned paper-white. "You lied to me, didn't you, Harry?" he said.

"Oh, this is fun," Voldemort said.

"Ron, it was me," Ginny said. "Harry didn't want to..." She was interrupted by the Death Eater throwing her back down to the ground.

Ron gulped, then looked back at Voldemort. "If you were looking for me to go mad and do your dirty work for you, then it won't happen," he said levelly. "Harry and I go back a long way, and I'm not about to kill him for you."

"Is it my turn?" the cloaked figure by the well said. "I told you, Master, he wouldn't do it."

"Yes, yes," Voldemort said impatiently. "It is your turn. Potter, meet my highest and most trusted Death Eater..." He stopped. "No, that won't do. I could be talking about Harry Potter in that sentence..."

Harry was utterly confused and annoyed by Voldemort's antics. However, his confusion was destroyed the moment the Death Eater removed his hood. Harry was met with a mirror image of himself, with a few flaws. "You!" Harry said, taking an involuntary step back.

"Do you like my Death Eater, Harry?" Voldemort said. "Doesn't he look just like a father figure to you?" he mocked.

"You're not my father," Harry said. "My father was killed almost seventeen years ago. He died trying to protect my mother and I."

"Are you sure?" the Death Eater said. "I could have pretended to die."

"Wormtail said he killed you," Harry said.

"Wormtail lied. I would have thought you of all people would expect that."

"Well, if you betrayed my mother and I like Wormtail did, I suppose I'll have to get my revenge on you as well," Harry said recklessly.

"How?" the Death Eater said, his mouth forming into a smirk Harry had seen in Snape's pensieve two years before.

"Like this," Harry said. He punched the Death Eater, and grabbed the fallen knife that the other Death Eater had used to threaten Ginny. "It pays to have lived with Muggles," he said simply. He held the knife over the Death Eater.

"You're afraid to kill me," the Death Eater said, smirking, looking at Harry's shaking hand.

Voldemort, however, seemed to be taking no chances, and Death Eaters grabbed Harry, pulling him away. They took the knife forcefully from him.

Harry suddenly had an idea. "Go on," he said. "Prove that you are who you are. Transform."

"What?" the Death Eater said.

Harry smirked. "Become Prongs."

"What are you talking about?"

Harry nodded. "You're pathetic. You're not my father. You don't even know what Prongs is. And you would think that after being around Wormtail, you would know."

"Know what?" the Death Eater said.

"That James Potter was an Animagus," Harry said triumphantly. "You fraud. You're so pathetic, that you didn't even know one of the most important facts about my father."

The Death Eater smiled. "You're good, Potter," he said softly. "No, I'm not James Potter. I am the spy that was at Hogwarts, someone you never suspected." He smirked. "You thought it was Viktor Krum. His family has been ruined by my Master. You thought it was Percy Weasley and Cho Chang. Weasley. As if. Too pompous. And Chang, well, she's a spy... you know that. And definitely not that long-haired Malfoy's son, Draco. Oh, definitely not. He's not built to be a Death Eater... lacks the humbleness and the stealth. And besides, I heard Miss Velour's made him weaker..."

The Death Eater's face started to blur as his true identity began to come forward. "No, I'm someone you never suspected at all."

***

The Death Eater's countenance began to arrange itself. His robes became superfluous as he became shorter and mousier. The jet black hair lightened to a light brown. Finally, the transformation stopped, and Harry was pushed back into the group of students, gaping. "Colin?" he said in surprise.

Colin smirked. It was quite an experience. The smirk was pure, undiluted evil. "No. I'm not the real Colin Creevey," he said quietly.

"Then what the bloody hell are you?" Malfoy demanded before he could stop himself. "Don't tell me you're a prostitute off the side streets of Amsterdam," he added.

"You have a sense of humour, Malfoy," Colin said. While Colin usually sounded rushed and nasal, this Colin had a cold voice that sent shivers up Harry's spine. "No. I am Voldemort. A piece of his soul, anyway, bound to Dark Magic. He created me, in my first form, back in his first reign, as a back-up plan. He stored me away, until the day he would need me once more. He called to me from Quirrell, and I took my chance, becoming Colin Creevey."

"Where's the real Colin?" Harry demanded.

Colin chuckled. "You only knew the real Colin Creevey for a matter of months. No, I was not the one to kill him. In my first form, I could do nothing except assume a shape, which I would permanently become. No, the real Colin Creevey was killed by the basilisk, and taken by it into the Chamber of Secrets. It was an opportunity. All I did was take his shape, becoming petrified instead."

The students stood in shock from the revelation.

"Then how did you become my father?" Harry said. "If you're permanently Colin?"

Colin laughed. "Simple. Polyjuice Potion. You would know that one, Potter. I watched you, all those years. My services were called for by my master last year, when he remembered me. You wonder how I made the potion? My master has stores of hair from every witch and wizard he killed. It comes in useful at times."

"You're sick. All of you," Harry said, totally disgusted.

"Thank you," Colin said. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. You were wondering who the spy was. You see, I spied on you. I poisoned Dumbledore to get him out of the way. And I put the Imperius Curse on everyone. The Ministry didn't see because I was using a Death Eater's wand. That's the beauty of the Imperius Curse: it works like possession. The victim has no memory of the incident. I removed the curse whenever anyone got too near."

Harry suddenly remembered meeting the Creeveys before Diagon Alley that summer. "You put the curse on Fleur when we met you," he said.

Colin smiled. "Good, Potter. And all the others. Malfoy gave me trouble, so the second time, I told him you were messing with his girlfriend, and said that the necklace on your neck was a family heirloom you couldn't bear to lose. I let him do the rest."

Malfoy glared at Colin. "You little..." he said. "Malfoys aren't used like little lapdogs. At least not this one."

"Unfortunately, my plan didn't work," Colin said, rolling his eyes. "It didn't even make you late for your appointment with Blaise Zabini. I had to use a Muggle gun that day, since the Ministry was getting suspicious about the dark activity around Hogwarts."

"You were the one up in the courtyard!" Harry said.

"Yes. It was lucky Malfoy and his girlfriend left before Zabini could tell you anything. The moment they were out of sight, I shot Zabini. It was a bonus that the house elf saw them headed down the ladder."

"And what about the day Harry and Neville saw me in Potions, when I wasn't there?" Hermione said.

"Ah, yes, I was about to get to that one. I like it when I can spy. I take advantages of times when I could Polyjuice into someone without arousing suspicion. I was in the Common Room all night that day, you know. When I saw that you hadn't come, I got the Polyjuice Potion with your hair in it, and used it. But it was useless, since it was obvious Potter didn't know anything. So I left. And got a detention from Sprout when I had to wait in the bathroom for the potion to wear off."

"Did you ever use it again?" Harry asked.

Colin grinned. "You're not so stupid, Potter. Yes, I did. When Fleur Delacour's sister became ill and couldn't visit, the owl that sent the letter got lost. I became her sister for an hour. It was easy. I used a Glamour Charm for her. Fleur just thought her sister had grown a little, and so did you. I couldn't do the accent, though, so I had to speak in French. That was where I found out Cho Chang was a spy."

"You were Gabrielle?" Harry said in surprise.

"Yes." He looked at Harry. "And now it's time that I do what I was told to do. Give me the necklace, Potter."

"No," Harry said.

"Kill them," Voldemort ordered cruelly. The Death Eaters began to move in slowly. Their wands were pointed at the students.

Suddenly, Euan and David dove at Voldemort, had been holding the wands loosely, looking bored. That was his flaw. Harry grabbed his wand and Euan's, handing the smaller boy his wand.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at a Death Eater.

The Death Eater crumpled. Encouraged by this, the other students began shooting spells of their own.

"Naughty, naughty," Harry heard a woman say.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Harry greeted. "How are you? Still the Dark Lord's little lapdog? Are you glad Lucius Malfoy is gone?"

"Shut up," Bella said. She screamed and ducked as a curse was aimed at her.

"YOU!" Neville growled, looking very formidable and dangerous all of a sudden. "You tortured my parents! I'm going to kill you!" he yelled hysterically. "Harry, get out of the way!" Harry quickly dove out of the way, knowing Neville wanted his revenge.

Bella seemed to enjoy Neville's outburst. "That's it, Longbottom. Be angry. However, you forgot our selfish little Harry wants his revenge too."

She was blasted off her feet by the combined curses of Harry and Neville. "Go, Neville," Harry said softly. "But watch out if you're going to use the Killing Curse." Neville nodded, and ran off in Bella's direction.

Harry turned, and found himself face-to-face with Voldemort. "Hello, Harry," Voldemort said. "You have thwarted me for far too long. Avada Kedavra!" Harry's seeker reflexes allowed him to dodge the curse. The jet of green light hit a tree trunk and rebounded, hitting Voldemort, who laughed. "You see, Potter, you cannot kill me. I am immortal, as you have just witnessed. No prophecy can help you now."

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted. Voldemort dodged the Disarming Jinx. "I can make it so that you are injured," Harry said. "Incendio!" A great flame came out of his wand. Voldemort Disapparated, and reappeared silently behind Harry. Harry wheeled around.

"Do you like fire?" Voldemort said. "Very well. Because I like fire too, Mr. Potter. Avada Kedavra's not the only way to kill someone. Incendio!" A flame headed for Harry, who thought quickly. If he could Apparate silently, he could come up behind Voldemort. Unfortunately, he couldn't Apparate silently.

The necklace glowed, as if reminding Harry of its presence. Smiling, Harry began to weave his way through the crowds, to the edge of the well. "No!" Voldemort said. "Don't you dare!" Harry smirked, and dipped the necklace into the well like he had in his dream.

The clearing erupted with a blinding blue light as the necklace made contact with the water. There was a song Harry recognised as phoenix song. And then Harry felt himself change, as if someone had entered into him. The sounds of battle left his ears, and Harry found himself floating to the middle of the well. He realised he was the source of the blue light.

There was a voice in his mind, ancient, but ageless. It was strong and weak at the same time, male and female. "You are the boy written in the stars," it said. "What is it that you want of me?"

"I want evil destroyed, like the giant's legend said you could," Harry said. "I need you to help. Voldemort's immortal... he can't be defeated otherwise. I need you to destroy him, before he destroys all good."

The spirit in the well seemed to sigh. "I cannot do those things you ask, boy-of-the-stars," it said. "The giants have added myth to my story. I am a neutral force... one that keeps the earth in balance. I cannot destroy evil. That would destroy the earth that my makers helped create."

"The balance of the earth," Harry repeated. "So that's what that part meant."

"Yes, boy-of-the-stars," the spirit replied. "However, this Voldemort you speak of makes you unhappy. Is this true?"

"Well, in a way, yeah," Harry said, puzzled.

The spirit sighed again. "I can make this Voldemort mortal again. But you must pay a price. I cannot tell you what that is. Are you willing?"

Harry thought. The price was most likely death. Myrtle's words came back to Harry. Pain to all who loved him, and cared for him. However, the fate of the wizarding world was in his hands. And possibly the world. He had to save them. "Yes," he said. "I'm willing." He wouldn't tell anyone about it, so they wouldn't panic.

"Very well," the spirit said. There seemed to be a sound like a beam of light being shot at something, and the spirit disappeared from Harry's mind. Harry was put down next to the well again, right where he had been the second he had touched the necklace.

The world went back to normal. Harry withdrew the necklace from the water. "Well," Voldemort said. "It's over, Potter. Nothing happened."

"Oh, something happened, all right," Harry said. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, praying that the well had done its job.

Everyone seemed to stop to look at Harry and Voldemort. The beam of green light seemed to travel in slow motion to Voldemort, who looked amused. However, the amusement became a look of horror as the green light enveloped him. An unearthly scream escaped him, and he glowed green, his paper-white skin becoming darker, and his red eyes becoming blue. He became a wizard with good looks and grayed hair, but he was unmistakably Tom Riddle. His blue eyes dimmed as he dropped to the ground, dead.

Harry stood, watching disbelievingly at the man in front of him, formerly the monster who had killed his parents and countless others. Then he collapsed on the ground, senseless. Everything went black.