The Final Battle

Old Friends Return

Snape came back into the temporary infirmary with a goblet in his hands and made his way over to Remus who at that moment was occupied with mending a deep gash in the leg of a Ministry Auror.

Snape waited until Remus had finished, then grabbed him by the sleeve of his robe and dragged him towards the wall, pushing the goblet into his hands.

"Drink this Lupin."

Remus raised an eyebrow.

"What is that? Severus, I told you that I am fine, I really don't need that potion."

He tried to turn around and walk back to see to another wounded, but Snape wouldn't let go of his sleeve.

"You've been fighting for minutes with somebody who had a silver arm. Besides, all the Aurors here have been protected by spheres of silver dust, so there's likely still something in the air here. I know that it's not very probable, but if any silver got into your blood system we have to neutralize it now, or it will be too late. So stop being the noble martyr and drink that potion, then I'll leave you be. But I don't want to have Black trying to chop my head off because I didn't give you the potion."

Remus sighed and took the goblet from Snape. He knew that the Potions master wouldn't leave until he had drunk it, so he gulped it down in one go.

"Thank you. What will the potion do?"

"Circulate in your blood system for twenty-four hours. If there's any silver in it, it'll neutralize it immediately. In case that happens, you'll feel slightly nauseous, but that's all."

Remus nodded.

"Thank you."

With that, Remus wanted to turn around and see to another wounded. Ever since he, Hermione and the Weasleys had come back to the castle and found out that Sirius and Harry had not returned, but that Dumbledore had left in search of them, Remus had been worried. He had wanted to leave again right after he had gathered the news, but in the end had let himself get convinced that without knowing where to look for them he would be on a useless mission out there. So he had started helping Madam Pomfrey and the medi-wizards in treating the wounded, just to keep his mind from thinking too much about everything that could have possibly happened.

But as he turned around, the room around him started spinning and there were sparks dancing in front of his eyes. He vaguely wondered that Snape had said the potion would make him nauseous, not dizzy, when everything before his eyes went black for a short moment. Remus stumbled and stuck out an arm to support himself on the wall. Snape quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and held him upright.

It was over as quickly as it had happened and Remus regained his balance. He frowned his brow and turned towards Snape.

"Did you feel that?"

Snape nodded hesitantly.

"I felt something, but not to the same extend that you did. In case we felt the same thing, that is."

"It felt like a huge...I don't know, a huge eruption of magic."

Again, Snape nodded.

"Something has happened, something big. It felt just as if a very powerful spell has been cast, more powerful than anything I can think of. It could..."

Remus didn't let him finish that sentence but stormed out of the Great Hall without hesitation. All of a sudden, he felt an urgency to get out, to see what had happened just then. Every sense in him was running amok, every alarm bell ringing at once. Something had happened, and it had been something important.

Snape didn't think twice but followed Remus, for once totally relying on the heightened senses of the werewolf.

On their way out, they nearly ran into Ron and Hermione, and without another question the two students followed Remus and Snape. Though none of them had felt the same extend that Remus had felt, all of them had sensed that something had happened.

The four figures ran across the Hogwarts grounds and followed Remus' lead into the Forbidden Forest. Remus didn't know exactly why he went in there, he somehow knew that this was the right way to go.

On his way, Remus threw a quick glance towards the battle that was still going on. Or rather not going on anymore, for the few remaining werewolves seemed to have felt that eruption of magic as well and had retreated into another part of the forest, whereas the remainder of the Death Eaters had by now been circled by Ministry Aurors and was being disarmed and bound.

But Remus couldn't care less at the moment. Every alarm bell in his head screamed that something was wrong.

He ran through the forest as fast as he could, not really caring whether Snape, Ron and Hermione were able to keep up with him. He reached the clearing where Harry and the others were shortly before Snape and the two youths did, and what he saw there made him stop dead in his tracks.

His heart missed several beats while he tried to process the impact of what he saw there on the clearing.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

For what he hoped would be the last time in his entire life, Harry heard the voice of Lord Voldemort.

"Avada..."

"No!"

With a huge physical effort, Harry rose to his feet and raised his wand. Frantically, he searched his mind for a spell, a hex, a charm, anything to stop Voldemort from killing Sirius. But nothing would come to his mind. Nothing.

"...Kedavra!"

"Expecto Patronum!"

Harry hadn't even thought about the Patronus Charm, the words seemed to have left his mouth on their own. Harry wasn't convinced that it would work, anyway. He felt too drained to even levitate a leaf, let alone conjure a Patronus. But, much to his surprise, immediately after he had shouted the incarnation the stag came out of his wand and raced towards the fallen figure of his old friend in a dead race with Voldemort's Killing Curse. The Patronus acted as if it actually knew the importance of its doing. When Prongs reached Sirius, he placed himself protectively in front of him and took the full impact of the Killing Curse himself, absorbing it in a faint green glow without as much as stumbling.

Harry was just about to wonder why his Patronus wasn't silver like it had always been, but rather brown like a real living stag, when from somewhere distant he heard Dumbledore's voice shout an incarnation. Then the forest around Harry seemed to erupt with magical energy. As if hit by the shock-wave of a dropping bomb, Harry fell back onto the ground and then everything went black.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Remus swallowed against the lump in his throat.

Four bodies were lying on the frozen forest floor, and none of them was moving. The only thing that clearly was alive was the animal that was standing protectively in front of Sirius. A stag. A stag Remus would have recognized amongst thousands. There on the clearing stood Prongs.

Remus heard footsteps behind him and then Snape, Ron and Hermione came to a halt next to him. All three of them took in the scenery with the same shocked expression as Remus had.

Snape just shook his head.

"What in Merlin's name has happened here? And what is that deer doing there?"

"That's not just a deer, Severus."

Remus stepped into the clearing slowly made his way to Sirius who lay closest to him. Prongs raised his head, making a few determined steps towards the intruder as if to show clearly that he was protecting the body behind him and would allow no harm to be done to the man. He lowered his head and pushed his antlers towards Remus and the werewolf understood the gesture. Carefully and slowly, he stretched out a hand towards the deer to show that he indeed meant no harm. The stag looked at the hand, moved his head close to it, then looked up at the Remus, staring at him from intense brown eyes. After some moments he obviously recognized his old friend for he stepped closer and softly nuzzled Remus' neck in silent greeting before he turned around and started walking off the clearing. Shortly before he reached the tree line however, the stag once more turned, looked at Remus and then slowly began to fade. After some seconds there was just an empty space where just moments ago the stag had stood.

Remus felt like fainting. What had happened here?

"What was that?"

Hearing Ron's voice, Remus turned around.

"That was Harry's Patronus, I think."

He quickly shook his head, as if to shake away all his questions and store them for later, then he crouched down next to Sirius and raised a shaking hand towards his friend's neck. He sighed in relief when he immediately found a pulse.

"He's alive."

Ron and Hermione exhaled deeply, but Snape didn't comment on what Remus had just said and merely made his way towards Dumbledore's body. Remus put a heating charm on Sirius to keep him warm on the frozen ground and then went over towards Harry. Again, he felt a steady heartbeat as soon as his hand touched the boy's throat.

He nodded encouragingly towards Ron and Hermione and then repeated what he had done with Sirius before he turned towards the fourth body that lay on the ground. Remus carefully bent over the form of Voldemort and couldn't prevent the shiver that ran down his spine. The Dark Lord appeared to be dead, but Remus didn't want to decide that for sure. He raised his wand and shot a battery of red stars into the nightly sky, a signal for the Auror Units to send help immediately. Then he put a couple of binding charms and wards around the body, just to make sure that he couldn't move in case he wasn't dead at all, before he turned towards Snape.

The Potions master knelt next to Dumbledore's figure, his head bent and his hand resting on the old wizard's shoulder.

"Severus?"

Slowly, Snape raised his head and locked his gaze with Remus. The look in Snape's eyes told Remus everything he needed to know. It had happened.

Albus Dumbledore was dead.

Remus turned around and fought the tears that suddenly stung in his eyes.

"Ron, Hermione, would you keep shooting red sparks so that the Aurors know where to find us?"

He was surprised how firm his voice sounded when he himself felt like breaking down and cry.

Both nodded and immediately started their task while Remus got up and made his way towards Snape. He knelt down on the other side of Dumbledore's body and tried to catch Snape's eyes.

"You knew that this would happen?"

Snape closed his eyes and it took some moments until he had collected himself enough to answer.

"I suspected it when he told me about the spell but refused to go into detail. I suspected that magic which was powerful enough to destroy a spirit like Voldemort's would draw the last bit of energy from the person who uses it. But I'm sure that Albus knew that this would happen."

Remus merely nodded. There was nothing more to say, so both wizards knelt in silent vigil over the body of their mentor, each lost deeply in his own thoughts.

After some minutes, raised voices from behind made them look up.

"What in Merlin's name has happened here?"

Remus and Severus got to their feet and saw that ten Aurors had run onto the clearing and now stared at the scene in disbelief. In front stood Arabella Figg, wand in hand and panting heavily.

"Remus, what has happened here?"

Remus stepped towards her and shook his head.

"I don't really know Arabella. We came here because we felt that something had happened, and somehow my instincts led me here. I guess we'll have to ask Harry and Sirius as soon as they wake up. They ought to be brought to a doctor immediately. Voldemort is dead from all that I can tell."

He paused, dreading the words he would say next, though he knew that he had to accept it, that it was real.

"And so is Albus."

Silence settled over the clearing once more as the Aurors tired to process that piece of information. Albus Dumbledore, leading figure in the fight against the Dark, was dead.

After some moments of silent respect, the Aurors however started with their task. Five of them slowly approached the body of Voldemort and so Remus quickly lifted the wards he had set up around it. While the Aurors were busy examining the corpse of the Dark Lord, Arabella and three other Aurors took care of Sirius and Harry while Snape conjured a stretcher for Dumbledore's body. He strictly refused the help of the remaining Auror, stating that he would bring the deceased headmaster back into the castle on his own. Remus somehow could understand him. From all that he knew - and he guessed that he didn't know half of it - Snape owed Dumbledore a lot, and during the time that Snape had been Potions master at Hogwarts a strong friendship and loyalty had formed between the two men. Something Snape had never really shown openly, but it had definitely been there. Dumbledore's death must be a hard blow for Snape.

The small procession of five Aurors, Snape, Ron, Hermione, Remus, the unconscious forms of Harry and Sirius and the dead body of Dumbledore slowly made its way out of the Forbidden Forest and back into the castle. Remus tried to avoid the curious glances they earned from the spread groups of fighters they met on their way back, but not long after they had re-entered the castle the rumour made its way around that Albus Dumbledore was dead.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Harry had the worst headache of his life. That much was for sure. So far, he had not dared to open his eyes, but ever since consciousness had once more slowly started to spread through him, the pain in his head had increased steadily. He also realized that he obviously wasn't lying on the cold forest floor anymore. The material under his back was soft and he felt warm, so he was obviously lying in some sort of bed.

After a quick inner debate, Harry decided that the task of opening his eyes was might be worth the struggle, maybe there was somebody out there who could give him something against the pain.

Slowly, he opened one eye and was relieved to notice that the room around him appeared to be dark. The other eye followed suit and Harry desperately tried to make out his surroundings, which was not easy without his glasses. He was in some sort of hospital, and he'd bet his Firebolt that this was the Hogwarts infirmary. He'd recognize that room anywhere, after all the time he had spent in here.

The room was only dimly lit, suggesting that it was either very early in the morning or very late in the evening. Someone was sitting beside him in a chair, head fallen to the side and breathing evenly. It was the figure of a man, so Hermione was ruled out. Also, the figure wasn't tall enough to be Sirius, not old enough to be Dumbledore and didn't have the red hair to identify him as Ron.

Though he hated to wake the obviously sleeping person, Harry desperately needed something against the pain, and so he tried a lucky guess to whom he was.

"Remus?"

Harry was shocked that his voice sounded so hoarse, but it had the desired effect nevertheless. The man's head shot up and he immediately bent down over Harry.

"Harry? Are you awake?"

It was Remus. Harry nodded.

"How are you feeling? Wait, I'll light that lamp here."

"No, Remus no light please. Hurts."

Remus seemed to nod, though it was hard for Harry to guess.

"Glasses?"

"Yes, wait a moment."

Remus rummaged around on the bedside table and then gently slid Harry's glasses onto his face.

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Major headache. And thirsty."

Remus smiled at him and got up from his chair.

"Wait a moment. I'll get Madam Pomfrey and then I'll bring you something to drink."

Harry nodded and closed his eyes again. True to his word, Remus returned only some moments later with a large glass of cold water. He helped Harry into a sitting position and then assisted him to drink the water without spilling everything onto the bed sheets.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, you're awake again."

Madam Pomfrey had stepped next to the bed and waved her wand over Harry's body in a quick examination. Then she handed him a goblet with potion.

"Here, drink this. It should help your headache. It's still quite early, but I'd advice you to stay awake for a while if you can. It should help to ease out your sleeping pattern. But if you feel like sleeping, then don't hesitate to do so.

Remus, remember that Mr. Potter needs rest."

Remus nodded at her and while Madam Pomfrey left, he got up and walked over towards the infirmary fireplace. While he was drinking his potion, Harry wondered to whom Remus might be speaking, but soon forgot about that thought when he felt the wonderful feeling of a vanishing pain.

The guy who had invented that potion had earned a Nobel Prize. Or the Order of Merlin, First Class. Or whatever praise else.

Remus returned and sat back in his seat, trying to smile at Harry encouragingly. But Harry realized that something had happened, for the smile didn't really reach Remus' eyes.

"Remus, what's wrong?"

Remus sighed.

"Harry, I asked Snape to come here now. We need you to tell us what happened there in the Forbidden Forest. Do you remember?"

Harry nodded as the memory came back to him. But why didn't the others know what had happened? While he had been out cold, Dumbledore and Sirius surely had told them.

"But Professor Dumbledore and Sirius surely have told you everything by now, haven't they? How long have I been asleep anyway?"

"Something around thirty hours. And we don't know anything so far. You see Harry, Sirius hasn't woken up again yet and Albus..."

Remus' voice broke and he stared at the wall on the other side of the room. Harry wasn't quite sure, because he could not see clearly in the half-darkness, but for a moment he had thought that there were tears in Remus' eyes.

"Remus? What about Professor Dumbledore?"

Remus returned his eyes on Harry and exhaled deeply.

"Harry, Albus died last night in the Forest. We guess that he knew it would happen, that's why he didn't teach that spell to anyone else. Albus knew that casting the spell would result in his death."

Harry was silent for a moment. Dumbledore was dead. That could not be true, could it? Dumbledore couldn't just die, not like that. He had always been there, how could he seize to do so, just like that? How could he give away his life, just because of Voldemort? Voldemort...

"Remus, what about Voldemort?"

A small smile tugged the corners of Remus' lips.

"Voldemort's gone Harry. Gone for good this time."

Harry sighed deeply, though he could not really believe it yet.

"Ron and Hermione?"

"They are alright. Charlie is back as well."
"What happened with Sirius and me? Why did we lose consciousness?"

Remus now merely shrugged his shoulders.

"We don't know everything yet, that's why we wanted to talk to you. The most obvious explanation is that you were very close to a huge eruption of raw magical power when Dumbledore's spell killed Voldemort. But there are some things I still don't understand, for example why Sirius shows signs of having been under Cruciatus for an awfully long time."

Harry swallowed hard and quickly looked away. No way he could tell Remus the reason for that. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned around to face Remus again. He smiled compassionately at him.

"Harry, I know that this might be hard, but we need to know what happened. And you'd better tell Severus and me before the Ministry questions you. Maybe we can clear up some of your confusion before that."

Harry nodded. Remus was right, as usual.

At that moment, the doors to the small bedroom in the back of the infirmary opened and Snape came into the room. With a quick greeting nod towards Remus, he approached Harry's bed and sat down after casting a silencing spell on the door. He sat down in a chair on the other side of Harry's bed and looked at them.

"I see that you have finally woken up Mr. Potter. Lupin has surely informed you of what has happened when we found you on that clearing?"

Harry nodded.

"Now Mr. Potter we need some explanations if you don't mind. The Ministry is running amok and as soon as they get the knowledge that you are awake they'll try and come running into here. Not to mention that blasted press. I don't know how many reporters I've hexed since yesterday evening. And that dratted Rita Skeeter tops them all!"

He shook his head and then focussed his attention back to Harry.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry sighed and tried to look anywhere but into Remus' or Snape's eyes.

"Okay. But please don't interrupt me, it's bad enough as it is if you really want to know the whole truth."

Both men nodded, Remus encouragingly while Snape seemed as if he just finally wanted some answers and so Harry started to tell.

He began with the night when he had fallen asleep, telling the two older men about how he thought he had spent time with his parents, what had made him so angry towards Sirius, how he had decided to return and why he had reacted towards his godfather the way he had done.

Then he continued with James appearance after Sirius and Remus had left him the previous night, he told how 'his father' had led him into the forest, told about Sirius' appearance and his doubt about the fact that it had really been James and Lily.

As he started to tell what had happened after Voldemort had appeared, he felt that his voice broke and tears started clouding his eyes.

Harry looked down at his hands and didn't want to continue. After some moments, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, look at me."

When he didn't react, he felt Remus cupping his chin with one hand and forcing him to look into the older man's eyes.

"Harry, I can imagine that it's hard, but we really need to know what happened."

For some long moments, both locked their gaze and finally Harry sighed.

"Voldemort put Sirius under Cruciatus. He didn't want to kill him at first, but the second time he used the curse, he did. I felt it, too, just like last autumn during the Death Eater raids. But then this image of my Dad took me in his arms and I didn't feel the pain anymore. 'Dad' said that Sirius would now receive what he earned for all that he'd done to me, and I did nothing to stop it. I didn't want him to suffer from something like this, but I did nothing. Nothing.

And then I realized that Mom and Dad were just images that Voldemort had created. They were connected to him by some kind of faint glow. And I realized that it strained him to keep up the spells, that it weakened Voldemort to hold up all this magic. So I decided that if he just kept up what he was doing, he would weaken himself enough so that Dumbledore and I could cast the spells. I knew that Sirius could die, but I just let Voldemort continue because I thought that it was more important to defeat him. Dumbledore had arrived some time around that, but I don't know how he found us."

At this, Harry looked up. He didn't need an answer to that question, but he desperately needed some time to get himself under control again before he continued.

Snape sighed.

"Before Albus left the castle, he saw on that map of yours that you were leaving towards the Forbidden Forest. And leading you there was a dot that was marked 'Voldemort'. Albus must have run after you, but how exactly he found that clearing I do not know. The Forest is not on the map, maybe he instinctively knew where to go."

Harry nodded.

"I thought that he realized as well what was going on and waited for Voldemort to be weak enough. But Voldemort took the curse off from Sirius before that. I don't know why, but I suddenly had the idea that if there was a connection between him and the images of my parents, then I could use it. So I cast Cruciatus on the image of my father and it worked, just like it worked last autumn with Wormtail.

Then it all happened so fast. Dumbledore told me to cast the spell he taught me, and when I did so a huge white light shot out of my wand and hit Voldemort. He fell to the ground and then this huge dark cloud formed over his body. It...it took a somewhat human form and...I don't know how, but it cast the Killing Curse towards Sirius. I don't know how it happened or why, I was so tired and drained, I could think of nothing to do. Dumbledore had told me that I would not be able to cast magic for a while after performing that spell, and I couldn't even think of something to help Sirius. But somehow I said the incarnation for the Patronus, I didn't even think about it then, and it worked. My Patronus, I think it took the Killing Curse instead of Sirius, but I really don't recall it exactly. Dumbledore must have said the other spell at that moment and then I don't remember anything."

Harry didn't really want to look up, but after some moments he forced himself to raise his head and look into Remus' eyes.

He couldn't really read the expression there, Remus stared somewhat lost at the wall behind Harry. Snape's voice made him turn his head.

"Mr. Potter, I want to ask you to levitate the pillow from the bed over there."

Harry frowned his forehead.

"Why?"

"Because it remains a mystery to me how you were able to cast a Patronus Charm after the large amount of magic you had just recently performed."
Harry's eyes widened.

"You don't believe me?"

"I didn't say that, Potter. If I didn't believe you, then I would have told you so."

He handed Harry his wand from the bedside table and with a sigh Harry took it. He pointed the wand at the pillow on the other bed and tried to focus.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Nothing really happened. The pillow moved a little but didn't even leave the bed. Harry handed the wand back while Snape shot a curious glance at Remus.

"Do you have any explanation for this Lupin?"

Remus shook his head.

"No, I don't."

Snape nodded, then thought for a moment before he rose out of his chair.

"I'd better go and tell the Wielding about Voldemort's death. Now he can confirm officially by which spell he died and who cast it. And then I think I'll hex some more journalists, I'm slowly getting the hang of it."

Harry just shook his head in confusion while Remus managed a soft chuckle. He knew that inwardly Snape was still just as shocked as everybody was, but he himself could at the moment not think of a better idea to let some frustration out.

After some moments of tense silence, Harry finally dared to ask what was on his mind.

"You detest me now, don't you?"

Remus quickly turned towards Harry and frowned in confusion.

"Why do you think I would detest you?"

Looking down at his hands that were nervously fiddling with his blanket, Harry continued.

"Because I was a complete arse. I didn't follow any orders given to me, I ran off with somebody who wanted to trap me, and...and I allowed Voldemort to do that to Sirius. I allowed him to torture Sirius, I knew that he would kill him but I thought it was more important to kill Voldemort than to save Sirius. I didn't care."

"Harry, look at me."

Once more, Remus gently forced Harry to look into his eyes. The boy was surprised that he didn't find any trace of the expected rejection and detest in those amber orbs.

"Listen to me Harry. It's weird, but something similar to what I tell you now I've told Sirius some time ago. Harry, I know that a lot of this fight with Voldemort has been focussed on you, but it's not been your fight alone. It's been your fight as well as mine and Sirius' and that of many other people. And we all knew, Sirius knew what could be the possible consequences. What we would possibly have to sacrifice to achieve our aim. Last night Sirius wanted two things: He wanted to see Voldemort destroyed and, even more important, he wanted to see you save. And he would have more than willingly given his own life to see both of that come true.

Harry, Sirius knew of the dangers when he went out there last night. And he certainly would not have wanted you to do anything else than you have done.

And I certainly don't think you didn't care, otherwise you wouldn't be so worried about all this."

Harry shook his head.

"But I should have done something."

"Tell me Harry, what could you have done to stop it? From what I know - nothing. And even if you had tried to do something, then it probably would have only made things worse. Harry, if there had been no possibility for you to cast the spell, then Voldemort would have killed both you and Sirius. And there wouldn't have been a chance to destroy him. That wouldn't have made things better."

"Sirius will be okay?"

Harry's voice broke at that question and Remus put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Madam Pomfrey said he will be just fine. It's okay."

Remus looked at Harry and tried to read the boy's expression. Harry didn't truly believe what he had told him earlier, that much Remus could tell. He was still fiddling with the blanket in his hands, still avoiding Remus' gaze whenever possible. A single tear escaped his eye and slowly made his way down Harry's cheek, and a moment later Harry seemed to lose the last piece of self control he must have had over himself. Harry tried to suppress the sobs that started ragging his body, but soon lost that battle.

Remus didn't need to think twice about it, he immediately sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled the sobbing boy into his arms. Harry stiffened at first, but then allowed himself to relax into the embrace, buried his head in Remus' chest and cried out all the tension and pain that had accumulated inside of him for far too long now. For long minutes, Harry just gave in to the violent sobs that shook his body while Remus slowly stroke circles across his back and told him that it was alright.

When Harry finally seemed to calm down, Remus let him down onto the mattress again and pulled the blankets over him.

"Better?"

Harry nodded and Remus gave him a warm smile.

"You need to sleep now."

"I can't sleep. Not now."

Remus got up from his chair.

"Then I'm going to fetch you a sleeping potion. You definitely need some sleep."

He ruffled across Harry's hair, then got up from the bed and vanished into the direction of Madam Pomfrey's office. Some moments later he returned with a goblet in his hands. He helped Harry sit up again to drink the potion, and moments later Harry was fast asleep.

Remus sat back in his chair with a sigh and watched the sleeping figure for some long moments. Voldemort might be finally defeated, but Harry still had a long way to go before he would eventually reach normality again.