Purpose

~ Chapter 53: Duels ~

At the Burrow.

It had been an hour since dinner had been laid out for the Weasley family. It had been fifty-two minutes ago when Mr. Weasley, Percy and Bill had Apparated home together. It had been forty-nine minutes ago when the three had just sat down without any kind of greetings for the rest of the family members. It had been forty-four minutes ago when Mrs. Weasley had looked anxiously at her husband and the twins had exchanged puzzled glances with Charlie and their two younger siblings. It had been thirty-nine minutes ago when Mr. Weasley had said gently to his wife that Snape had been kidnaped two days ago by Voldemort's henchmen.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes had gone wide and Ginny had given a horrified gasp. Ron simply looked stunned. It was thirty-three minutes ago when Bill had told the rest that Dumbledore, Aberforth, Moody and several others had gone on to Fenix's house earlier that morning. It was four minutes later when Mrs. Weasley finally understood what her husband had been trying to inform her.

Thirty-one minutes had passed and the Weasleys were still silent, their dinner forgotten. It was two minutes later when Mrs. Weasley finally broke the unbearable silence. Her face was quite pale, her eyes filled with fear as she stared at her husband.

"They will be all right, won't they?" she asked softly, looking pleadingly at her husband.

"I hope so Molly. I hope so..." her husband answered as he got up to give his wife a reassuring hug. It was then when the Grangers suddenly appeared.

Not really caring if Mrs. Weasley would be offended by her affectionate gesture, Hermione fled into Ron's arms and hugged him tightly. The adults exchanged somber greetings and Mrs. Weasley looked at Mrs. Granger in confusion when Hermione's mother handed her a piece of paper. It turned out to be a letter from the oathbrothers. Although it was addressed to Hermione alone, the two boys had expected her to circulate it.

"We just received the mail this afternoon," Mrs. Granger spoke softly. "We would have come here sooner--"

She was quickly interrupted by her husband who spoke in a weary voice. "- If we had not been so shocked by the news."

"So, what did they say?" Ginny asked in a small voice, with Fred placing an arm around her small shoulders.

Mrs. Weasley began to read the letter in a monotonous voice, her brain not really registering the words that she was reading aloud.

"Dear Hermione & Co.

We just want to inform you that my godfather had been abducted by the Dark Lord's followers and we're about to attempt a rescue mission in about a few hours time, but we would probably be at it once Hermione show this letter to you.

*Harry speaking now* This is really strange, typing words on a keyboard but I guess Drake is more bewildered by the technology than I. Anyway, we have found out where Snape was taken and tonight... well, it's going to get very noisy.

*Drake speaking* We'll try to get everyone back safely, alive and in one piece. Don't worry too much about us. We'll do the worrying for you. You guys stay home and stay out of trouble. Oh yes... Sirius wants all of you to keep your wands out and ready. Death Eaters might be Apparating all over to add on confusion."

"Crazy git," Ron mumbled, still holding Hermione. "He tells us to stay out of trouble and then says that we might be jumped on by lunatics." His mother continued from where she had stopped.

"*Harry speaking* PS: If you have any requests on what I should do when I meet up with Voldemort, send messages by the Sylphs. I had one from Fenix: she wants me to stick Voldemort with several sharp knives. Sirius wants me to deflate his ego. Prof. Lupin wants me to clean Voldemort's mind inside out. Drake wanted more or less the same things.

*Drake here* We're smiling as we write this or should I say type? Whatever... but we can't help smiling because we're feeling sadistic (though Green-Eyes say it's just my Slytherinish nature) so hope you don't mind the bizarreness of the letter. We hope we can get the job done by tonight.

We love you and hope tonight was worth our lives.

Love again,

The Sadistic Oathbrothers."

The dining room fell silent once more and Mrs. Weasley carefully placed the letter on the table, staring avidly at it.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered.

"So..." Meridien the Sylph called into the kitchen. "Any requests?"

"Make Voldemort feel extremely bizarre!" blurted the twins, Ron and Ginny.

"Added. More?" the Sylph asked again.

Bill, Charlie and Hermione's parents smiled evilly. "Death comes for him."

"Added," the Sylph responded and went to hover in front of Hermione. "No request from you?"

"The Silver Wheel. I want Fenix to send him there," Hermione whispered, with a stony expression on her face. "I'm not going to worry much about Harry, but I want Fenix to make sure that Voldemort won't be able to be revived no matter what circumstances."

"Done." The Sylph disappeared to pass the messages to the other Sylphs.

**********

Even at such close quarters, Draco was calm and his mind was strangely clear. His eyes flickered steadily with dark emerald fire as bursts of white light shoots out from the tip to his wand and then collided with the Death Eaters that he had targeted.

Narcissa was looking at the young man with disbelief. Although the adults were larger in numbers and they were certainly more experienced in magic than he, they couldn't even disarm the boy with the simple but effective 'Expelliarmus'. Narcissa watched Draco angrily, not quite believing that Lucius had turned treacherous to Voldemort. Draco was still standing protectively before his 'fathers', defiance showing clearly on his face and his ethereal eyes.

Draco was just playing with the followers that wanted him, his father and godfather dead. But Draco had set up some codes of general ethics (for now) that he would not kill at such a young age in the calculative manner that Fenix was capable of. So he was content to deliver major but non-life threatening blows to the opponents. Draco dimly heard his father's gasps of agony and he noticed that Lucius's breathing had turned irregular. Draco knew that the bracelet Fenix had made for him held a bit of Healing magic and Snape by now had recovered enough to move a little.

While Draco was concentrating on the Death Eaters that kept coming for them, the Potions Master had ignored his own injuries (especially his injured shoulder) to remove the knife that was buried deeply in Lucius's back. He did not have his wand. Voldemort had probably destroyed it or something but it didn't matter to Snape now. The Potions Master was almost about to put pressure on the wound using his own hands when something pushed him away.

:It's me, :

Krill's deep mindvoice resonated heavily in Snape's mind. Then relief quickly turned into alarm when the Salamander began to yell extremely vile things in Snape's mind. He vaguely made out that Voldemort had successfully managed to cast some sort of a death spell in Lucius's body. It was Snape's turn to curse and he informed his godson who was now flicking spells with one hand while his mind worked to insinuate impressions in their minds. Some Death Eaters bolted out of the cellar, screaming at the top of their lungs.

After a moment of consideration, Draco divided some energy into his father to stabilize the man's condition while he dealt with three demons that had been summoned by Narcissa and several others. The cellar stank with the scent of rotten things and Draco's nose itched uncomfortably. The Slytherin wished he hadn't examined the demons carefully because they were extremely rude in terms of appearance. He couldn't help snarling in disgust as he watched the creatures trying to claw their way in through his shields.

Knowing that more demons would probably be summoned and that the others might be caught unaware, Draco made a quick decision to Apparate out of the cellar. He had not taken the test much less getting the license but he and Harry had been studying that ever since they had taken residence in Fenix's house. He was greatly relieved when he found that he had Teleported his 'fathers' safely into Fenix's house. It seemed that the Elven Lord had been waiting for the injured and Draco watched as Evangiana and her betrothed, the computer whiz, Cathal stepped forward to help.

Snape was looking at Giana with apprehension and she chuckled warmly. : Don't look at me like that. I'm well out of your reach now. Happily betrothed, Sev, : her eyes twinkled as she used the nick that Fenix had tagged the Potions Master with.

Snape's face cleared, obviously relieved that he would not be entangling himself in romances. The other elves and Giselle came forward, and Giselle began bossing the elves around, much to Giana's amusement.

Draco left them and reappeared in the cellar. Amazingly, it hadn't occurred to Narcissa ti let the demons go and create chaos elsewhere. Draco flexed his muscles a bit. The knowledge that no one was there to reprimand him for his actions made him feel even more daring. Not to mention that he wanted to experiment with his powers a little. Draco waved his wand and Narcissa was blasted off with a strong stupefaction charm. Transforming himself, Draco engulfed the demons, and began purifying the Unclean beings to harmless dust. Once the demons were out of the picture, Draco paid more attention to the Death Eaters that were looking at him with uncertainty. A smile began to form on Draco's face and it wasn't pretty to look at.

**********

Ninety minutes later...

The Phoenix bit down on the shoulder of the smaller eagle and then she herself was bruised on her side as fisted talons knocked her off. The fight had abruptly changed into a contest of physical strength and tactics rather than simply magic. The three Ancients were fighting off in another dimension that Damien had created inside the forest, to prevent any kind of interruption. The only escape route out of that dimension (for Fenix at least) will be opened if Fenix managed to kill the creator of the place.

Inside, Fenix was troubled. She did not really want to kill her own kind, but she was uncertain. They were fighting too seriously and it was her instinct to fight back and survive. Damnation... I have to make up my mind soon... She had never dueled using her own form for long periods of time and it was an exhilarating experience. The strange vibrations in the surrounding alerted her that the twins were about to use magic on her.

She felt the bigger of the two began to tear her outer defenses brutally, probably trying to find the core that held her life. She was then distracted by the smaller eagle who had created another 'self' but only that the Phoenix was of red flames.

All right... Bloody hell... Now I have to deal with another me. Just great. My night couldn't get any better...

Fenix skillfully dodged a talon but that did not prevent the other Phoenix from sinking its razor sharp teeth around her neck. If Fenix had been in her human form, she was more than likely to be blinded by the strong waves of magical energy coursing through her mind and body. She cried out in pain, automatically clenching her talons on one wing. Fenix grew increasingly tired when the three began to attack her furiously.

The Red Phoenix was certainly doing much more damage than the other two Ancients and Fenix surmised that if she left the situation as it is, she'll be in trouble. BIG trouble. She had to find ways to neutralize the other Phoenix. She dropped her shields and the two eagles scattered, horribly startled by the burning inferno. Then Damien belatedly realized why she had all those shields in the first place. It did not come across his mind that the shields were actually protecting them than the other way around. She was a being of Fire, the strongest of all Elements. The Red Phoenix was just an imitation; it didn't burn the way Fenix did. Damien's reflexes had somehow slowed as he watched the fiery blue Phoenix gain height and then plunged to take the Red Phoenix down. Sharp, fiery talons pierced through the imitation easily, Fire and Magic had begun to spread quickly inside the imitation. Since Damien was still linked to his creation, he was infected too. Raw power spread throughout his body like a neurotoxin, quickly paralyzing him.

One eagle disappeared from the battle zone and so did the dimension. Isaac took some time to process what had just occurred and blinding rage consumed the Ancient. He shrieked and rushed for Fenix. He had been watching how she had killed the imitation and he guessed that her life source should be in the same general area. His bigger build provided him with an advantage and the Phoenix squirmed against his vicelike grip. Isaac delivered his power of destruction directly into her chest, not caring that her Fire was scorching him painfully.

Rational thoughts disappeared as killing and survival instincts took over. Fenix wasn't sure what had happened. She only knew that she was desperate to live, unwilling to let go now that she had found her mate. If she happens to get eliminated now, there was no way that she would be returning to the world. She suspected that she might have cheated, using her gifts as a Healer and an Empath. However, she still had no idea of how Isaac died in her hands- talons to be precise. The battle ended, and Phoenix descended to the ground. Seconds later, Fenix, mussed, bloodied, and disheveled sat tiredly against a tree, looking at the dead twins in a dazed manner. She was horrified by what she had done and her mental, desperate cries brought her werewolf running to her.

The urgency of her cries made Remus left the body to Jaheera and Moody took his place so that he could go to her. One wizard tried to stop him but Remus's hand flickered so quickly that the spell hit the wizard's neck and snapped with a sickening sound. His run slowed to a walk as he saw the Fire Master. In the dim moonlight, he saw her shoulders trembling with grief but her eyes were surprisingly clear. She's in shock, he thought to himself. He didn't let go of his wand, watching the surroundings carefully as he held her.

She still had not stopped trembling as they watched the bodies of the Ancients began to turn into dim white sparkles, slowly evaporating into the air. Remus had something important to tell her, but he feared that the news might break her heart if she hears the news now. So the werewolf kept his silence, holding her, caressing her mind with wordless comforting thoughts, still watching the forest warily.

**********

"Crucio!"

Voldemort roared as Harry shouted a Shield Charm and the spell bounded off harmlessly. While Fenix had been fighting off the two Ancients, the two wizards were still flinging spells at each other.

Harry had brought the other wizard to his own world, a world that was only filled with white light. Harry was working on the Dark Lord until Voldemort became slightly crazed by his annoying intent of just defending himself against Voldemort's attacks.

"Stupefy!"

Harry's young voice echoed in the room eerily.

By now, Voldemort was incoherent with rage. As the words 'Avada Kedavra' left his mouth, his mind willed several numerous chains to appear. They wrapped around Harry's tall and slender form, and began to contract. Harry saw stars for a moment and fought off the wave of dizziness that arose from the lack of air. He knew that at least several of his ribs were either cracked or broken. The Killing Curse was negated quickly by a jet of blue light that Harry threw, and just in time. Harry did not care to experiment if the curse would in the end kill Voldemort. Harry paled as Voldemort commanded the chains to bind him much harder and Harry's wand dropped to the floor.

Voldemort was making hissing noises and the next thought that flashed into his mind was 'Bloody hell'. Vipers were entangled all around him and he wondered what he should do to get himself out of that. Harry managed to steal a glance at Voldemort. The Dark Lord was looking at him and Harry felt a sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach as he watched Voldemort's face broke out into a cruel, insane smile.

"You're just a boy. A Gryffindor boy with no sense. But I... I am a sorcerer. The greatest," Voldemort whispered, the smile not quite dying from his face.

Harry took a deep breath to calm his nerves and without thinking, he had actually answered the Dark Lord. "Whatever."

To Voldemort's profound amazement, the vipers dropped to the floor after finding themselves clutching at nothing but empty air. Then he saw Harry standing five feet away from the pool of vipers. Then he saw another Harry. And another. Voldemort frowned. The boy couldn't have created illusions at such a short notice, Voldemort thought incredulously.

The Dark Lord quickly muttered something in Norse and an illusion of Harry disappeared as Voldemort's spell hit the image. Harry's eyes narrowed at Voldemort's tired but quick response. And here I was wishing that he's getting tired. Harry reappeared behind the Dark Lord's back but Voldemort did not notice him, so intent on blasting of each of Harry's illusions. Harry ignored his forgotten wand for a moment and he reached out to yank Voldemort's mind painfully. That caught the Dark Lord off-guard and Voldemort let out a strangled shriek.

: I seriously recommend you not to think about anything lest I pick up your secrets accidentally. I'm just doing Fenix's request right now. She didn't really appreciate the anxiousness you had caused her by torturing our Potions Master. :

Voldemort muffled his screams as his mind exploded painfully, like as if someone was piercing him repeated with a cruel meat-hook. Harry calmly summoned his wand as he watched Voldemort fighting an internal battle. Out of the blue, Voldemort whipped his wand out and a spell sent Harry flying to land on his back. "Crucio!" Voldemort shouted furiously. He seemed to have gotten his control back and was already- though a trifle shakily- getting up to his feet.

Harry still lay flat, thoroughly winded, gasping for breath and his eyes watered. His glasses had disappeared somewhere and he cursed vehemently. He felt his insides burn, and his heart constricted painfully then gave a mental curse at himself for getting too agitated. Then he cursed again when Voldemort hit him with another Cruciatus. If his ribs had only cracked, they were certainly in a more serious state now. Harry began to build shields to protect himself for as long as he needed to catch his breath. The pain had begun to intensify and Harry fought with himself. He did not want to writhe on the ground, portraying his agony, not with Voldemort watching.

Harry slowly pushed himself off the ground and got up to his feet with great difficulty. I hate being short-sighted... Although the scene about him was blurry, he managed to stare directly into Voldemort's eyes. Harry took a deep breath and felt the earth energy about him, along with the ancient magic that had been cultivated by the no-longer present Leridiens, slowly entered and suffused him. That numbed the pain that was wrought by the Cruciatus curse and Harry felt that he was at least able to breathe without difficulty.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Voldemort launched the spell as he took several steps forward. The curse fragmented as it hit the shield.

Quite suddenly, the world they were in began to shrink and Voldemort was closed in with Harry. Both of them were within touching distance and the Dark Lord was more than just surprised by that. "I would have done this months ago," Harry said in a soft voice as he raised both hands to rest gently on Voldemort's shoulders. Once again, Voldemort was paralyzed by something and he felt that he should have recognized the touch but it eluded him. The Dark Lord was still clueless that it had been Harry who had drained him of his powers those months ago. "But I wasn't really there at that time so I had to leave you be," Harry murmured and dimly heard the sudden noise when Voldemort's wand dropped. They stared at each other for a long time, even if Harry's eyesight were taking the fun out of it.

Minutes passed and Harry felt Dumbledore's presence although Harry couldn't see him. Then Sirius was there and so was his oathbrother. Harry waited patiently. Remus came in, carrying a weakened Fenix. That worried Harry a bit but she assured him via mindspeech that she was up to the task. Harry finally closed his eyes and felt Voldemort's furious gaze upon his eyelids. Harry lost his substantial form, becoming a cloud of hazy, white cloud and slowly curled about Voldemort.

No one could have prepared what happened next. It felt like the world had somehow dropped and their stomachs lurched uncomfortably. Voldemort's screams were scary, booming over and over again. The Dark Lord had regained control of his body and was trying to escape the cloud that was Harry. Slowly, Voldemort's heart stopped beating and he finally stopped struggling. The body was slowly disintegrating and a smoky apparition began to emerge from the spot where Voldemort had died. It was Fenix's turn to move.

**********

The apparition became more visible and Fenix was about to lose herself in her other form when she was firmly stopped by three beings.

"You're tired, Fenix. Not much reserves left in you. I doubt your partner will be pleased if you become a vegetable for the next six months or so,"

Damien said lightly and Fenix stared at him, stunned beyond words.

"Leave him to us. We're heading in the same direction anyway,"

Isaac agreed as he reined in Voldemort's writhing soul. He made a clucking sound at the Dark Lord. "Death isn't so bad you know but I doubt you'll understand my eagerness."

The third person with the Ancients tilted his head solemnly at the Fire Master but she didn't return the greeting. Harry had returned as himself and sat gingerly on the cold marble floor, hands carefully cradling his chest. The third man bent down toward Harry and handed the glasses and wand to Harry. Once Harry's eyes focused, he and the stranger stared for a long time before the stranger gave him a nod and smiled. Harry returned it and watched the three with the Dark Lord disappear into nothingness.

**********

Death watched the twins holding the Dark Lord tightly. Death wondered, why is he so afraid of me? I can't be that horrible. Right? Death was uncertain as he watched Tom Marvolo Riddle struggling in the grasp of the twins.

"Isaac, will you hand him over to me?" Death requested politely and Damien narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"We will, but don't you dare let this guy slip off from your hands. The world has enough tyrants to maintain the balance but we don't have to complicate matters by letting him go to join the crowd," the older twin replied. His voice sounded uncertain but he released his hold and Damien followed several seconds later.

Voldemort stood still as the twins walked off, wondering just who the third person was. Damien looked back to stare penetratingly at Death, who was scrutinizing the Dark Lord carefully. The twins had finally reached the edge of the cliff and looked down. They took a deep breath and holding each other's hand, they let themselves fall into the slowly turning vortex.

Voldemort wanted to run but somehow, Death's brooding gaze prevented him from doing so. "You've created so many chaos while you lived, Marvolo. And you had also managed to scramble the course of Time as well," Death murmured quietly into the darkness. "Why are you afraid of me?" Death whispered, taking several slow steps to get closer to the Dark Lord.

"I'm afraid of no one!" Voldemort hissed, stepping back from Death unconsciously.

"Is that so?" Death asked mildly. "Then what are you afraid of?"

Voldemort frowned then snarled at him but Death's eyes seemed to have seen the truth.

"Ah... is that it? You want to be dominant, to continue on living. You're afraid of dying. Thus you are afraid of me," Death stated in a satisfied voice. "Now don't feel ashamed. Everyone fears me at one point or another. Nevertheless, it feels good that I'm appreciated. Wish that the one named Fenix would appreciate me a little more," Death pouted and skillfully took Voldemort's hand in his. "But she comes in and out like it's routine." Death suddenly stopped in his tracks, giving Voldemort a sidelong glance. "You're a cold person, aren't you? I thought I was the coldest male in town but it seems that you had surpassed me," Death commented then tugged Voldemort to keep up with the pace.

They kept on walking until they came to the edge of the cliff. Death gave a small smile. "You don't understand what I am I can tell."

Naturally, Voldemort looked down and was hypnotized by the slow movement of the silver whirlpool at the bottom of the abyss. Death was speaking again, "Sorry lad, but it's not quite time yet. Why don't you step along that path there and see where it leads? I'll be waiting here for you," Death spoke gently and prodded Voldemort to move.

The Dark Lord was no longer in control of his body and he walked on the path then found himself sealed inside a vast gray room. He heard voices. So many voices that they drowned out each other and Voldemort could not make out a single word. Then a warm hand curled at the back of his neck and tightened steadily. Voldemort struggled briefly but stopped when he saw the face. A boy Voldemort had killed on the day that he had been resurrected.

"There are worse things than Death himself," Cedric breathed into the Dark Lord's ear. "Welcome to the realm of Judgment, Lord Voldemort. We have been waiting for you for quite some time," Cedric whispered silkily.

Terror. Horror. Fear. Those emotions flashed across Voldemort's face. There were so many of them. Victims that he was responsible for and he couldn't run. He couldn't hide. Droning filled his mind and he screamed, but no sound came from his throat.

**********

"You all right, Green-Eyes?" Draco asked his oathbrother, his silver eyes darkening with grim concern.

"Yeah. Sirius?" Harry looked around for his godfather and was slightly worried when Sirius ambled forward. The wizard was limping slightly and Harry saw that one side of his face was bruised, looking thoroughly walloped.

"I'm here. Don't worry. I'm seriously all right," his godfather answered then slowly ran his fingers through the boy's dark, tousled hair. "But what about you?"

"Broken ribs and Cruciatus... coming full force soon," Harry answered smiling a little. "But other than that, I think I'll live to see another year."

"Right you are boy," Moody congratulated although Harry secretly wished they would stop calling him a kid. Dumbledore and the rest looked relieved but the elves looked strangely somber.

"Fenix?" Remus whispered and the Fire Master tilted her head up to look tiredly at him. "Please, you have to come," the werewolf said softly. Fenix stared at him for a moment, and kept staring at him even as he lifted her once again.

Harry urged his godfather to help him up, feeling slightly alarmed by the werewolf's graveness. : Casualties? : Harry asked, his throat suddenly went dry at the thought of it. Draco's lips tightened and he nodded once. Harry gulped and they silently followed Dumbledore out of the mansion.

The building looked as if it had seriously undergone a world war. Death Eaters were sprawled unconscious everywhere, a few of them dead. Their backup had already arrived, mainly made up of the members of the Order, Aurors and the Ministry. They're in charge of putting Voldemort's cronies into prison, or a mental institute if required.

Harry supported both by his oathbrother and godfather, walked slowly, trying to minimize his own movements. They were finally free from the shelter of the mansion and they were walking toward the wood. It was then, under the darkness of night and several small hovering mage lights that he saw Fenix. She was sitting on the ground, stroking the head slowly. Her eyes were blank and her face was masked, although she was crying. Remus made no move to comfort her; he just stood behind her back and watched. Harry frantically studied the faces of the elves but he couldn't tell who was missing from the group.

When Harry got close enough to identify whom, it was that was lying on Fenix's lap, it felt as if he had been thrown off from his broom from a great height. Harry stopped and Draco could feel his shock. "Aldren..." his voice trailed off.

"We tried to sa-" someone spoke up but Fenix cut him off quickly.

"Please... I don't want to hear it..." the Fire Master choked back a sob.

"We'll have to Gate," Cadriel said in a soft voice as he stood up. He had been kneeling at Aldren's side ever since the elf went down. The other elves nodded their agreement.

: Oathsib, :

Fenix called Sirius urgently and Harry's godfather carefully let go of Harry's waist. Sirius quickly went to his oathsister and pulled her close, though he was careful not to dislodge Aldren from her lap. Harry saw that his godfather's face was tense, strangely looking as if the wizard was trying to hold back his tears.

Both the oathbrothers backed away from the view and Draco guided Harry to the shelter of an oak tree. Both sank to the ground carefully and leaned against each other for comfort. Both felt totally drained and Draco berated himself for using his powers too excessively.

: Well, at least this time we know Voldemort's done in for good, :

Draco said gravely. Harry could only nod to that sentiment.

: How did Aldren... :

Harry couldn't force the words out of his mouth so he kept his mouth shut and waited for his oathbrother to answer him.

: Aldren was cut off from the rest and he was rather outnumbered. But I kept having the feeling that it was deliberate, coming from the Death Eaters. One of them had cast the same spell that Voldemort used to charm a knife and then Voldemort had thrown the knife at my father, :

Draco said quietly. : A life-energy draining spell as well as a way to shut down the system. But Aldren had been struck at his heart. At least it was a quick death. Aldren was dead even before he fell to the ground. :

Harry stared at his oathbrother, feeling a little disturbed by the Slytherin's emotionless voice. : Drake? :

: It also means that my father won't live for long. There's no way to counteract that spell. : Draco closed his eyes and let his head rest on Harry's shoulder. Harry's arm came up automatically to hold his oathbrother and rested his cheek against the blond's hair. They sat together in silence, waiting for the elves to call them when they're ready to move.

**********

Saturday, 6^th July.

Fenix was roaming the woods behind her house silently with her two wolves. Aldren was safely buried in the Grove last night and Fenix was just trying to pull herself out of depression. When they had returned home, Derian had been the first person to greet them. He took Aldren's death quite calmly and so did Mineif, but their sister was devastated. She had taken off, still in tears and Cathal and several of the elves had followed her, just to make sure that she would be all right.

Fenix stopped thinking, just feeling the gentle warmth of the sun and the scent of summer about her. She sighed and turned back toward the direction of her house. Wind and Silver were silent most of the time and Fenix felt grateful to them. Draco was waiting for her by the kitchen door, his eyes gazed absently at the herb garden.

Seeing him, Fenix gave him a warm smile and returned the hug he gave her. His eyes searched her face carefully and softly asked the Fire Master, "Feeling better?"

Fenix gave him a sad smile before she answered him. "I don't know Drake. I'm feeling too stoned to react properly. But what about you?"

: I'm not handling it well either, :

he answered her truthfully. : Mineif says that Father doesn't have much time. :

: Then all the more you should be with him, even though he's sleeping, :

Fenix said softly and Draco looked at her contemplatively.

: Why is it that you don't mind him being here? :

Fenix gazed at him steadily and answered simply. : Because he is your father, who loves you. : She took his hand and gently squeezed it. Uncertainty rippled through the silver depths and the sight of the Elven Lord standing at the bottom of the stairs made him tremble.

"There's nothing I could do for him, young one. Save for numbing his pain," Mineif spoke in an apologetic voice. Aldren's death had not stopped him from treating Lucius, but he was grateful that there was at least something he could distract himself with. Draco let out a sigh which he hadn't realized that he had been holding and quickly trotted up the stairs.

"Mineif. I- " But the Elven Lord swiftly placed one long, graceful finger upon her lips, shaking his head slightly.

"What's done is done. Life goes on," Mineif whispered and Fenix let herself be embraced by the elf. "You should visit 'Sev'. He's complaining to Sirius about why you have not been coming to check up on him."

"I certainly don't believe that he wants me to get 'mothering' now," Fenix muttered darkly under her breath and pushed the Elven Lord to the living room, where his godson was waiting for his daily shoulder-ride. Fenix went up the stairs at a more sedate pace and stopped at the bedroom where Lucius was sleeping soundly. She saw Draco just sitting beside the bed, holding his father's hand and just stared at his father's face. She took a moment to examine Lucius from the door. The man was considerably paler and he had lost a lot of weight. She sighed, wishing that she could ease Draco's pain but unable to.

Next, she stopped at Harry's bedroom. : Harry? : she called out softly and he opened the door. She noticed that his eyes were red and puffy and he definitely looked like he hadn't slept last night. : Lad, you should rest, : Fenix said as she tentatively touched his bandaged-covered ribs.

: I know but I just felt that I should let it all go, :

Harry lied smoothly. Well, he didn't really lie to her. Yes, he had been crying for years of anxiousness but he had also cried when his parents visited him for the last time. The reason as to why his parents had been lingering around had suddenly become very clear that Harry was surprised that he had not guessed it himself. Now, Voldemort was no longer a factor of their lives and his parents were free to move on.

: I'm visiting your Potions Master. Coming? :

Fenix asked, not noticing that Harry had wandered off in the space of his mind.

Harry smiled and said, "Why not?"

The two of them walked to the end of the corridor, to Fenix's bedroom to be exact. That was where Giselle had placed the Potions Master. Snape smiled when he saw who it was peering into the room. Fenix swiftly made her way to give Sirius a kiss and a hug before she gave Remus a full-blown kiss that made the werewolf blush painfully with embarrassment. Then she moved on to Snape, a little surprised that the Potions Master was wearing almost next to nothing except for his underpants and the bandages all over his body.

"You see the truth now?" Snape demanded, looking indignantly at Harry's godfather. "She's the one who is ogling me!"

"Careful Sev. I have dozens of drawing paper and lead pencils in this room," Fenix said in a dangerous tone. "And then I could send them over to Professor Vector as keepsakes." Sirius snorted at that and Remus's eyes twinkled mischievously.

: Are you okay? :

Snape asked when Fenix had cooled off a little and gave him a careful hug.

: Yeah. I'll live, I guess. :

Fenix sat herself beside Snape while the four males exchanged news as to what had been happening all over the world and Fenix was contented to just sit down and listened to them while she soothed the aches that the Potions Master was experiencing. She let their voices filled her mind, feeling the presences that made the room so alive and chuckled when Snape bellowed a protest when Harry impudently sat down on the bed, narrowly missing Snape's sprained ankle. He didn't realize he had twisted it during the brief scuffle after his meeting with the other Potions Masters. Her pain regarding Aldren gradually lessened as minutes passed. Several hours later, Draco joined them for dinner, having left his father in the care of Cadriel. Two hours later in that same bedroom, Sirius had grudgingly helped Draco balance the Potions Master as every bit of furniture (including Fenix's bed) was sent off to other parts of the house. Harry then conjured up a huge mattress into the room, along with several pillows and bolsters.

For safety reasons, Fenix had arranged a soft but a reliable bolster beside Snape, so that he wouldn't hit his nose against the hard stone wall should he attempt to roll over in his sleep. She was lying down beside Snape because she did not trust Sirius all that much to sleep beside the Potions Master. Especially since she had accidentally heard him discussing with his godson about mummifying Snape's face.

An hour later, the house was quiet and most lights were out except the kitchen and the living room, and the small mage light that was left in the room where Lucius slept under the watchful gaze of Cadriel. Fenix slept easily, her fingers resting lightly on Snape's left forearm while Remus had unconsciously treated her like a very comfortable bolster. Sirius slept on his side, with an empty space beside him since Harry knew that his godfather would roll about, sooner or later. Harry was the last one to fall asleep, since he wanted to watch over his oathbrother. The Slytherin was acting quite vulnerable, so torn with indecisions and worries. Harry had stopped all of that by saying simply that all of them would be there for him if he ever needed them. The two finally surrendered themselves to sleep.

**********

Monday, 8^th July.

It was midmorning and Lucius was awake although he was weak. Draco still held onto his father's hand and Lucius seemed to be oddly comforted by that small gesture. Harry was looking out the window and he felt a little queasy being in the same room. Obviously, he felt like an intruder, clearly feeling that the Malfoys should be left alone but Draco had pleaded him to stay and Lucius did not demand that Harry should leave.

"I can't hold on for much longer," Lucius whispered and Draco tightened his grip on his father's hand. "Give me your right hand, Draco," he commanded and Draco complied, automatically releasing his father's hand and opened his right palm. Lucius brought up his left hand and dropped something onto Draco's palm. Lucius breathed heavily as he withdrew his hand, trying hard not to succumb to sleep. He did not want to go. At least until he had said everything he had to say.

Draco was looking down at his palm, feeling his father's magic spreading throughout his body. A signet ring. His father's own signet ring. Draco felt a little confused by that.

Lucius interpreted his son's bewildered look accurately. "It's up to you if you wish to carry on with my name. You're more than equipped to handle the estate even by yourself. Just because I am a Death-Eater doesn't mean that I had gained everything illegally. I did work when I was younger if you must know." His lips quirked up into a smile when Draco blushed. "Behind your life-sized portrait is a safe that only you can open. It's not totally dependent on the ring. Can't have your mother swindle up your proper inheritance, can I? Oh... I know she must have forged that, that's the reason why I had another set of locks." Lucius paused, trying to clear his blurring eye. No... just a bit more... time...

Harry had stopped staring at the landscape and had approached the bed slowly, finally stopping at a comfortable distance and began to slowly soothe the pain that Lucius was experiencing. Draco's father spoke again, in a much stronger baritone.

"Did you remember the time when you had Transfigured the feathers of a mynah?" Lucius asked and smiled when Draco nodded, though a little hesitantly. "Do you remember what I had said to you when the bird flew away?" Draco shook his head in a negative response. Lucius smiled faintly at his son. "If I remember rightly, I think it was this: This is what I had wanted to show you. You might be too young to understand it but you will someday. There are just some things that you truly have to let go, for the better." Lucius's smile brightened although Harry noticed that his eye was slightly unfocused. "You should tell your godfather that."

: Drake, :

Harry whispered in his oathbrother's mind.

: I know, :

Draco answered as he stood up and was now sitting on the bed and Harry aided both of them so that Draco was able to hold his father in his arms. Draco tried to breathe evenly but the knowledge that his father was about to die was frightening him beyond imagination. "Father," Draco whispered in his father's ear. "I love you."

Lucius looked up, willing his eye to focus again on his son's face. "I am proud of you, Draco," he said simply that he abruptly addressed Harry in a smooth voice. "Mr. Potter, look after this brat of mine should Severus manages to blunder in the future."

"Yes, I will," Harry responded in a soft voice.

Lucius intertwined his fingers with Draco's left hand and placed it on his heart. "I had never regretted the day ever since you came into being Draco. I can't remember if I had been deliriously happy before you were born. But I wished that you had siblings. If you had a sister, she'll be beautiful, considering how striking you are now. But maybe it's good that I don't have a daughter. I probably will have kittens when she starts growing into a teenager," Lucius's smile turned dreamy and he gave up in trying to force his vision to clear. "I love you, young dragon," Lucius murmured, smiling as he closed his eye.

"I love you, Father. Love you," Draco whispered hoarsely, as he struggled not to keen. He continued to watch his father's face. The wizard looked younger and peaceful, something Draco hadn't seen for a very long time. Draco felt the beatings of the heart beneath his fingers gradually weakened. It seemed that it had taken forever for his father to finally leave the world and yet it had been too soon. Draco did not stop the tears from flowing from his eyes, falling on top of his father's silvery-blond hair. Harry watched, saddened both by the man's passing but more of his oathbrother's sadness and he left the room to inform Snape and Fenix. Draco continued to hold onto his father, still repeating the three words in a voice below a whisper, while his mind sought to remember Lucius's voice forever.

**********