Parallel

CHAPTER 16: REMATCH/DEATH OF VOLDEMORT/GINNY'S INJURY

The four were breathless by the time they arrived at McGonagall's office, bursting in unannounced, apologising even as they did so. "Minerva! Sorry ... to barge in like this, but ... something very bad has happened!"

"Harry, slow down! Catch your breath before you try to speak!" McGonagall admonished.

"Sorry again ... but we just saw the Dark Mark! It's ... hovering over the North Tower!"

"Oh, sweet Merlin ..." she murmured under her breath. "The students!"

"We've ... got to ... see that they're ... protected ... contact the Order ... the D.A. ... Aurors ..."

"They will be contacted, I assure you, Harry. Now please calm yourself or else you'll be useless, both to yourself and us."

It took several minutes, but finally everyone had managed to calm themselves and settle their heartbeats and breathing into more-or-less normal patterns. McGonagall conjured up some water for her unexpected guests to drink and bade them sit down in the chairs in front of her desk. Since there were only two, the girls had to sit on their men's laps--but considering the fact they were all newlyweds, no one minded.

"Now," McGonagall continued softly. "Suppose you tell me what happened."

"We had just destroyed the fifth Horcrux when I ... heard the girls scream. That was when I followed their pointed fingers and saw the ... Dark Mark over the North Tower. Some ... Death Eaters must have been placed here in an attempt to ... protect the Horcrux, but it turned out they couldn't ... so they must have left to tell ... Voldemort. He's bound to be ... fighting mad because of this, so we've got to be ready for him ... when he comes. Be as ready ... as we can be ... to fight both the Death Eaters and ... dementors."

"As I said, Harry, we shall be. Wait here." With that, she grabbed a handful of Floo powder, stepped into her fireplace and said, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place!"

McGonagall was gone for roughly half an hour, but when she returned, her demeanour was that of someone who had just had the weight of the world taken from her shoulders. "Everyone has been notified, Harry," she told him. "They assured me that they're ready to assist us whenever we say the word. Now to take steps to protect the students."

She clicked on a small button on her desk, then began to speak. "All students of all Houses and years ... this is Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. I have just been informed that we will soon be invaded by the forces of Darkness and are therefore in grave danger. Classes are suspended until further notice. All of you return to your dormitories immediately and remain there until I or another faculty member says otherwise. Do not leave the dormitories under any circumstances. I repeat, do not leave the dormitories. If you do, we cannot guarantee your safety."

Upon completion of her announcement, McGonagall released the button and lifted her head to face Harry and company. "I have done all I can do, Harry. It's up to you and the others now."

"I know, Minerva, and we'll be ready," Harry assured her. "All of us."

Just then Ginny took a swig from her bottle of Anti-Nausea Potion since her stomach had begun churning dangerously and she didn't want to throw up in front of McGonagall. Just the same, the older witch suspected something and wasn't afraid to voice her concerns.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" she asked Ginny. "Are you not feeling well?"

Ginny was torn between her desire to tell her of her pregnancy and remaining by Harry's side to defend his back; the latter eventually won out. "I'm all right ... Minerva," she insisted.

The Hogwarts Headmistress frowned skeptically but didn't question her. "If you say so. We had better go outside and prepare to meet our reinforcements. They told me the majority of them would be Apparating to save time; as a result, we'll have to meet them at the gates and let them in ... then watch for the rest, who will be coming via Portkey."

"I just hope Voldemort and company don't beat them here," Harry put in as they headed down the road in front of the castle, on their way to the gates, upon leaving McGonagall's office. It took several minutes for them to make it outside, but once outside, they made good time. There were several dozen witches and wizards of varying ages and colours of robes, along with the majority of the Aurors Harry worked with standing at the gates. The D.A. must be coming via Portkey, so he had to watch for them ... and mentally directed his wife to do so as well.

McGonagall pointed her wand at the gates, said "Open," and they did so, allowing the large group of witches and wizards outside to come in. Once everyone was in, she said, "Close," and the gates closed ... and locked. When they arrived back at the courtyard, they were gratified to see that virtually the entire D.A. membership was there. Upon reaching them and looking around for Angelina Johnson and the Patil twins, Harry stepped up to Neville Longbottom and asked where they were.

"The Patil twins, family emergency. They had to go back to India yesterday. As for Angelina ..." Neville's voice trailed off ominously.

"What about Angelina?" Harry persisted.

"Some of the Order went to her home, concerned when she didn't answer their summons. They found her ..."

"Found her? What happened?"

"They ... detected Dark magic residue in the wreckage of her house upon arrival. Mad-Eye says that ... either Voldemort himself or some Death Eaters ... got her. She and both her parents are ... dead."

"Sweet Merlin ..." Hermione murmured, horrified. Ron looked as though he had been hit by a strong Stunning Spell; he said not a word, simply stood beside his wife, clutching her hand tightly, speechless with shock and horror. As for Ginny, she stood beside her husband, clutching his hand in a death grip, also speechless with shock and horror.

Harry closed his eyes in pain. He had known and liked Angelina; she was an excellent Quidditch player, almost as good as he was ... not to mention a talented witch, particularly in potion-making, which had never been his strong suit--at least not until he had obtained the Half-Blood Prince's Advanced Potions textbook. Now she and her parents had become the first casualties of this newest war ... and would not be the last.

"Neville, do you know if ... Angelina had any other family besides her parents?" Harry wondered. "If so, they'll have to be notified."

Neville shook his head sadly. "She was an ... only child, I'm afraid."

"Dear God," Harry murmured, almost too quietly for even those nearest him to hear.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Neville apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Neville. None of us could have foreseen the killing starting so soon. This is Voldemort's fault--and I'll see that he pays dearly for every life he takes, every drop of blood he sheds!"

Just then, an ominous voice laced with quiet malevolence reached their ears. "Indeed, Harry? It'll be most interesting to see how you do it."

Harry and company whirled around to see Voldemort standing there, less than thirty feet away from them.

"Voldemort!" was all he had the chance to say before the Dark Lord pointed his wand directly at his adversary and prepared to shoot the Cruciatus Curse at him. He was surrounded by Death Eaters, dementors and werewolves, most prominently Fenrir Greyback, Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr. Lucius Malfoy didn't seem to be in evidence; perhaps the Expelliarmus spell Ginny had hit him with had affected him more than he let on. After all, he was no longer a young man.

"So, we meet again, Potter," Crouch hissed. Bellatrix hadn't spoken yet, although it was not necessary. Harry could see the hatred of him and his friends in her blazing eyes as she pointed her wand in his direction, also prepared to shoot an Unforgivable Curse at him ... preferably the Avada Kedavra.

"Lay a hand on either of the girls and you'll regret it, Crouch," Harry returned, his voice quiet and deadly.

"Really. And just how do you plan to stop me?" Crouch shot back.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Ordinarily what Harry was doing would be nothing less than foolhardy, what with several Death Eaters' wands pointed straight at him, but fortunately for him, his companions were prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect him.

Ginny, in fact, had her wand pointed straight at Crouch, while Hermione had hers pointed at Bellatrix. As for Ron, he had followed his wife's directions and was helping her hold Bellatrix at bay. But how long they could do so, neither could have said. They just hoped they could do it long enough to give Harry the upper hand.

"Where are your ... reinforcements, Potter?" Crouch taunted him.

"Oh, they're here, you may have no doubt of that," Harry threw back, even now seeing some of them creeping up behind the Death Eaters. Unfortunately, there were also several dementors and werewolves behind the D.A. and Order members. Harry didn't dare shout a warning to them, so he sent a mental message to Neville and Mad-Eye to be careful, that dementors and werewolves were trying to sneak up on them, trusting them to spread the word to the others with them.

He couldn't watch what was happening to them, being too occupied with Voldemort and his trained killers, though he did catch some crying out and flashes of light as wands shot waves of debilitating energy toward the adversaries, eventually driving them back a safe distance. For a while it was quiet, then Harry spoke again. "Told you."

"And I seem to recall telling you that one day your luck would run out, Potter--and that day has come," Bellatrix finally said, her voice fairly dripping hatred and contempt. "And as I have said before, no one destroys part of our master's soul and gets away with it!" With that, she pointed her wand at him and shouted, "Crucio!"

"Harry!" Ginny shouted, prompting him to move aside just in time even as she pointed her own wand in Bellatrix's direction and shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Unfortunately the spell missed Bellatrix and hit one of the other Death Eaters, Harry wasn't sure which ... but this gave him time to point his own wand and shout the same thing Ginny had. Bellatrix screamed as the spell hit her, then froze like a statue, unable to move.

"You'll pay for that, Potter," Crouch snarled, lifting his own wand up and preparing to use it.

"Why don't you just shut it, Crouch? You're becoming bloody annoying," Ron interjected, his wand now pointing toward the young Death Eater.

"Yeah? And what do you intend to do about it, Weasley?"

"You'll be sorry you asked that," Ron returned, his tone becoming just as deadly as Harry's as he pointed his wand at Crouch. "Crucio!"

The spell hit Crouch square in the chest and he fell to the ground, screaming and hissing like a snake, writhing in agony as Ron held him captive with his wand ... and shortly thereafter, Hermione's joined it.

By this time, Voldemort had stepped closer to Harry and the two were exchanging murderous looks at each other. "You and your friends are entirely too cocky for your own good, Potter. That is what is going to get you killed."

"Oh, really? We'll see about that. I can't afford to die, you see ... not before I kill your snake ... and you! And I assure you, I will kill you both! I've got a lot of vengeance that's built up in me over the years, over all the innocents you've killed, including my parents--and now my friend Angelina and her family. If you push me too far, I'll use some of that and make you sorry you ever crossed paths with me!"

"Really? I assure you, Potter, the wizard hasn't been born who can best me!"

"You forget the prophecy, my Lord. He already has ... and he is standing before you right now! Prepare to die!" Harry then lifted his wand, pointing it at his adversary and prepared to use the same spell Voldemort had used to kill his parents ... and attempted to use on him as a helpless baby.

"No, Potter, you prepare to die!" Voldemort shot back, his wand pointing directly at Harry's chest, intending to hit him right in the heart. But before he had been able to do so, he was distracted by Bellatrix's scream. He had attempted to ignore it, but in the end could not--and this was his downfall, literally.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry shouted, his wand pointing directly to the Dark Lord's chest. The killing energy shot out and struck him right where the heart would be in a normal person. Voldemort let out a blood-chilling scream and dropped his wand, collapsing to the ground and lying still.

For a long time there was deathly silence, then the remaining Death Eaters came to life. "Get Potter! He's killed our master!" screamed Macnair, who had been nearest Voldemort when he fell but unable to catch him before he hit the ground. But to their shock and dismay, the D.A. members and the Order swiftly and efficiently dispatched the remainder of the Dark forces, including Macnair, via a mixture of Body-Bind spells and Petrification. Or so they thought ...

Unknown to anyone, Crouch had been fighting with every ounce of his strength to resist the Cruciatus Curse, and before anyone could stop him, he weakly lifted his wand and pointed it at the nearest person ... Ginny. "Imperio!" he croaked.

Ginny screamed and collapsed; Harry realized what had happened once her grip had relaxed. "Ginny!" He wondered who could have done it, then looked around from where he was kneeling next to Ginny's prone body and spotted Crouch, still in agony but obviously strong enough to fight off the curse, if only for a short time.

"You may have killed the Dark Lord, Potter, but I have control of your wife! Release Bellatrix and myself or else I'll make her kill you ... then your friends and herself!"

This time Harry literally saw red, hatred welling up inside him like lava in an active volcano. He was mad as hell and wasn't going to take this anymore ... particularly not when it involved the woman he loved, the mother of his child. That does it, Crouch, he thought murderously. You had your chance and you blew it. I had intended to spare you and simply put you back in Azkaban ... but you just forfeited your life with what you've done to Ginny!

Harry didn't say anything verbally this time, simply allowed his actions to speak for him. Avada Kedavra! he thought, pointing his wand at Crouch's back, just ten feet away, aiming for his heart. Crouch screamed and fell back onto the ground as the killing energy from Harry's nonverbal curse hit him. He rolled over face-down and was still.

After that Harry returned his attention to Ginny; he leaned down and gathered her into his arms, resting her head on his nearest shoulder. "Gin ... Honey ... Speak to me! Tell me you're all right!"

For a while she simply lay limp on his shoulder, her eyes closed and her face pale, but then she spoke. Almost too quietly for anyone to hear, but Harry did. "Harry ... Harry, what hit me? I felt a sharp pain in my chest, then screamed and collapsed."

"Crouch hit you with the Imperius Curse. His plan was to control you, make you kill me, Ron and Hermione ... but I stopped him dead. Literally."

"You ... mean ..."

"Damn bloody right. I had intended to spare him, simply return him to Azkaban, but when he shot you, he forfeited his life right then and there."

"What about ... Voldemort?" she forced out, still cradled in her husband's strong arms.

"I got him," Harry informed her. "He's finished. It's over. The Order and D.A. are mopping up the rest of the Death Eaters, werewolves and dementors." Before he could go on, he found that Ron had joined him and dropped down on his sister's other side.

"Sis? Sis! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Ron. We've done it--we've won! Thanks to Harry."

She then tried to get up but neither of them would allow it. "Oh no, you don't," the latter admonished. "You're too weak to walk just yet. I'm going to carry you to the Hospital Wing and see that you get checked over--then have Madam Pomfrey give you something for sleep."

"But, Harry ..."

"No buts," he returned firmly. "I want to make sure you and the baby are both going to be healthy." Ginny couldn't argue with that, so she quieted and simply allowed Harry to carry her back to the castle, Ron beside him the whole way. Hermione remained back with the rest of the good forces, helping them cart off the bodies and bring back the injured for treatment. Once that was finished, she would join them in watching over Ginny.