The Second Sacrifice

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"Harry, you shouldn't be standing. Here, sit down, you've been through a lot." Hermione tugged on Harry's sleeve of his ripped, soiled robe, signaling for him to sit on the floor.

"No, Hermione, I'm fine. We have to keep going. He has to be close by, I can feel his presence," Harry replied intensely, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Harry's eyes ran over every inch of the room. Dizziness erupted inside of his head that caused him to stumble and land his back to wall. He leaned on the cool surface, trying to gather his strength back quickly enough to continue on. The beating in his head became worse and Harry felt his breaths were heavy and unsteady. He closed his eyes to make the vertigo disappear, but it persisted, setting off the feeling that a hammer was striking Harry's skull. His head continued to spin and throb and he finally gave in. As much as he wanted to stand, he found that he couldn't - his knees went as if his legs had been kicked out from under him, and he slid down to the floor with his back against the wall.

"Take some time to recover, mate. Gin and I took care of the group of Death Eaters back there," Ron said, worried.

Harry opened his eyes and he saw Ginny beside him, pushing the locks of sweat dampened hair out of his face. She smelt sweet like a freshly picked rose from a garden. Her face was glowing as if a sunset was happening just behind her. The brown, soft eyes that met his made the pounding in his head stop.

"Harry, just take a breather," said Ginny softly.

He nodded and his tense muscles relaxed as his shoulders fell slightly.

Hermione walked across the room on the marbled floor which held reflections of everything the light touched. The room was large with stone walls where lit torches were resting on attached holders made of gold and jewels. Hermione admired them for a few seconds before making her way to a large painting that hung on the middle of the wall, loosely crooked. It was destroyed and burnt around the edges and some places in the middle of the picture, but still visible beyond the scorch marks. The painting was of four people, two men and two women.

One of the men was tall and handsome with muscular arms and chest. He wore a golden yellow cloak on top of scarlet red robes. In his hand was a beautiful sword with a jeweled handle and the blade of the sword gleaming the name 'Gryffindor'. To the right of him was a woman who sat gracefully on a chair with her hands folded on her lap. Her smile was elegant and her red hair curled around down her shoulders. She was unmistakably Helga Hufflepuff. Next to her sat Rowena Ravenclaw whose appearance was as breathtaking as ever. Her body was fitted into a glamorous purple dress that matched the pearled hair net that held her hair in a tight bun. On the other end of the painting stood opposite from Godric Gryffindor was Salazar Slytherin. He was dressed in his green and black colors. A locket bound to his neck was made of silver and gold, appearing to be heavy. His face had a grimaced, thin smile that matched his dark, uneasy eyes.

"One more to go," Hermione whispered to herself. "Then, it will all be over."

"Can you believe that we found and destroyed three Horcruxes over this past year?" Ron reminisced, walking up behind Hermione.

Hermione smiled as she wrapped her arm around his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Harry picked himself up from the floor with Ginny's help and the two of them made their way towards Hermione and Ron. The four of them gazed at the fifth Horcrux to be demolished. They knew that the war would end soon after the sixth Horcrux is found and then destroyed.

"You think Nagini is with him, don't you Harry?" Ginny asked, staring up into his brilliant green eyes.

"I want to finish it here and now," Harry replied firmly.

"Well, I don't think he is going to come looking for us. Let's get out of this room," Ron said, leading the way to the exit.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione followed Ron across the sleek floor to an iron door that was ajar and left with their wands at hand. They enter a long, vast hall with similar marble flooring as the room they just stepped out of. Instead of torches, the hall was lit dimly with candles. The softness of the light made shadows of the four of them, dancing along the wall behind. All of them expected for at least one Death Eater to be around, but none were present. This seemed odd and it made them apprehensive.

"Where do you think everyone is?" Ginny whispered in a low, concerned tone. Her grip on Harry's arm tightened slightly.

"I don't know, but I'm getting a feeling he knows we're in his mansion," Ron replied back, glancing over the edge of the wall before leading his friends around the corner.

"He has known. We set off the alarm a while back, there should be at least someone, maybe even a house elf," Harry said dubiously.

"This doesn't feel right, something's wrong, Harry," Hermione admonished. "Voldemort wouldn't have fled, he's not a coward."

"He could have gone to regroup more Death Eaters, we did take out a lot of them when we searched through each room of this gigantic house for the painting," Ron suggested. "God knows he has an unlimited supply of them."

They reached the end of the hall that led them to another door. It seemed like the only way to go, since they searched throughout the whole house already. Ron reached out to the handle of the door, but Hermione stopped him. She clenched at Ron's hand with her eyes transfixed on something in front of her. Ron turned to Hermione for a reason why he shouldn't open it until he saw for himself why. Once he turned he looked pass Harry's head and over Ginny's to find five Death Eaters.

A pyramid was made from the position the Death Eaters stood in as if it was planned to be that way. They seemed different, more determined to kill when Harry noticed none of them wore their mask. In front of the pack was Lucius Malfoy with his grey eyes and unsettling stare. Behind him were Crabbe and Goyle, larger than ever. The last row of Death Eaters consisted of Greyback with his sharp, wolf-like teeth that saliva hung off of, Bellatrix, the murderer of Sirius Black and lastly, Macinair, who escaped Azkaban along with many others including Lucius.

"Well, well, Mr. Potter, no one expected you to come this far without you're precious Dumbledore guiding you," Lucius taunted. "Bellatrix and I made a bet that you wouldn't even find Slytherin's locket, but I guess I was wrong. Surprising, since I am never wrong."

Bellatrix let out a high pitch crackle and the others grunted a wide smile.

Harry held out his arms, excluding himself away from Hermione, Ron in Ginny. He wanted to be alone in this fight. The thought of Ginny, Ron or Hermione dying in his fight against Voldemort burned inside of him. Dumbledore believed Harry was able to find the Horcruxes and that was what determined Harry to find them. Revenge for his parents, for Sirius, for Dumbledore and the others whose families were destroyed because of Voldemort ran through his veins and blood.

Ron knew what Harry was doing, he knew Harry was going to bargain with Lucius to let Ginny, Hermione and him go. He pulled along side with Harry through the search for Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup. He battled with Death Eaters to find the second to last Horcrux with Harry. Ron was not going to let Harry fight this alone, not one chance in hell. He pushed pass through Harry's outstretched arms and landed himself in front of Harry.

"If you want to fight Harry you have to go through me," Ron stated firmly.

"And me," Hermione said, stepping up beside Ron.

"And me," Ginny added, leaving Harry standing behind three of his friends that were willing to die for him.

"Ah, yes, the whole friendship thing," Lucius laughed. "I remember very well back in the Ministry. I may have gone to Azkaban, but as you can see I am free once again."

"Let's just finished the little rascals off, Lucius," Bellatrix hurried. "The Dark Lord said not to spare one life."

"Now, now, Bella, patience is the key for a successful plan. We wouldn't want to fail him again, do we?" Lucius pointed out in a mocking sense.

Bellatrix fell to a hush and scoffed at Lucius silently.

"What do you want?" Harry asked scornfully.

"What I always do, Potter," Lucius replied, "you dead."

"That's not going to happen," Ron assured. "You will have to point your wand at Harry over my dead body."

"You kids, always wanting death," Greyback growled. "We never said we wanted to kill you, but if you insist."

He made a sudden move toward Ron, but Lucius stopped him. "Not yet," he said flatly. "The boy needs to go through the door first."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ron miffed in an angry tone.

"Stupid boy, what would the Dark Lord want from a Muggle-loving Weasley?" Lucius spat at Ron. "Mr. Potter on the other hand is great use to the Dark Lord. So, if you please Mr. Potter, walk through the door."

"I'm not leaving them out here with you," Harry said, staring at Hermione, Ron and Ginny with fretful eyes.

"Harry, take Ginny with you and go. Hermione and I will be fine," Ron hissed abruptly, before directing his wand to the group of Death Eaters.

Harry didn't get a chance to reply. He knew Ron already discussed this with Hermione. She had her wand steady in her hand, ready to fight. Ginny on the other hand looked as confuse as he was. Her eyes locked with his and looked into her eyes until he heard Ron's voice.

"Incarcerous!" Ron cried, pointing his wand at Lucius.

Lucius took it by surprise and he was unable to parry the spell. Vines erupted from thin air, wrapping Lucius violently from behind. The other Death Eaters stared in disbelief, not know if they were to attack or wait for Lucius's orders.

"You idiots, do something!" Lucius demanded fiercely.

Goyle raised his wand, but he was too slow.

Hermione struck up her wand first. "Furnunculus," she shouted at Goyle.

His face erupted in boils and it caused him to clasp his hands over his face, cursing furiously. Bellatrix ran toward Lucius as she pulled her wand from her robes.

"Impedimenta! " Hermione shot at her, sending the Death Eater away from Lucius and flying toward the stone wall.

Greyback emerged from the back of the Death Eaters to the front. Ron quickly hurled a stunning spell at him before he was about to attack.

"Ginny! Go now!" Ron said urgently toward his little sister.

Ginny knew what she had to do instantly. She grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him toward the door, away from Ron and Hermione frantic fight with the Death Eaters. It was days ago when Ron discussed this with her. His voice was still echoing in the back of her head in an instructive way. 'This is the end of it, Ginny. Once the painting is destroyed we're going to go after Voldemort. I know Harry; he's not going to wait much longer to end this. Once the time comes, you have to go with him, he needs you there. Hermione and I won't be there, but you will.' Ron never said why he wasn't going to be there which annoyed Ginny, but from the tone in her brother's voice, she realized he knew what he was doing.

"Ginny, what are you doing? We have to help Ron and Hermione!" Harry appraised, witnessing a duel between Hermione and Macnair out of the corner of his eye. "We can't just leave them there."

"Yes, we can, Harry. Come on!" Ginny ripped open the door and shoved Harry into it. She turned to take one last glance at her brother, who was now battling Crabbe and prayed she was doing the right thing. Without another thought, she went in after Harry.

It was a pitch black room on the other side of the doorway. Ginny turned around to watch the door close on its own, creating a loud bang that echoed throughout the room. She was not able to see Harry or anything for that matter. Once the echo died away, she listened closely to the silence, waiting for it to be broken. Minutes passed and not one sound was heard. Ginny began to worry, wondering where Harry gone off to.

"Harry," Ginny called out to the blackness, not wanting the pitch of her voice to become a question, but a firm statement instead to insure herself that Harry was indeed in the room with her.

"Ginny?" Harry's voice was soft and calm with a little surprising tone to it.

"Yeah, I'm here," Ginny responded in relief. She drew out her wand and whispered, "Lumos." The tip of her wand ignited into a bright, white light and she held it high.

Harry was standing a few yards away from her. He lifted his head to the light and his eyes fell on Ginny. "What are you doing here, Ginny? I thought you just pushed me in and didn't follow me. Why did you follow me? Why did you push me in?"

"Ron wanted me to be safe, so he told me to come in here with you," Ginny lied horribly.

"He wanted you to be safe? Does he know it's more safe out there than in here at the moment? I can feel him, Ginny," Harry said warily as he touched his scar lightly. "I want you to leave."

"I'm not leaving," Ginny insured. "I'm not going to disappear and abandon you to your death. If he's in here than we will fight him together."

"I'm not going to die and you're not staying. Ginny--"

"Harry James Potter, do not tell me what I can and can not do. If I want to stay than I'm staying! You can try to throw me out if you want to, but you know I cast a 'marvelous Bat-Bogey Hex,' remember?"

Harry knew what she meant. Back in the 'Slug Club,' in their sixth year, Professor Slughorn saw Ginny perform a Hex on Zacharias Smith and asked her to join his club. It was very amusing at the time and when Harry thought back on the incident which brought a smile to his face. He had the nagging voice in his conscience telling him to keep trying to keep Ginny safe by forcing her to leave, but in his heart he knew Ginny made up her mind in staying.

He walked over to her and embraced her. "I'm not going to die," Harry reiterated, making sure she heard him.

The hug took Ginny took by surprise, but she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "You don't know that," she whispered into Harry's ear.

Harry pulled away from her and stared deeply into her eyes. He could tell she was afraid and she did a very well job at hiding it. Her gentle, brown eyes brought ease to him somehow for a reason he did not understand. Just looking into her eyes he knew everything was going to be okay and that Voldemort will be defeated. He was not scared because Ginny made all his fears melt instantly, although he felt Ginny have fears of her own. Harry wanted to make them disappear as she did for him, but Ginny turned away before he was able to say anything.

"Am I interrupting anything important?" A man's voice drew out from the dark. It was cold and drawling with a sense of invincibility in it.

Harry shot his eyes toward the darkness of where the voice spoke from. He still was not able to see anything, not even the outline of anyone standing there.

"I was hoping you would have come alone," the man said in a high spirited manner, "but, no worries. Mistakes can be fixed."

Lights appeared from the center of the ceiling where a diamonded chandelier hung beautifully. The room was dungeon-like, but instead of having no windows, it had two on the east wall of the room. Outside the window, redness had seeped from the day and night was arranging itself, staining and dyeing the evening purple and black. Each of the four walls that made up the room was bricked with many gray stones. A large indigo blue, velvet rug was placed in the middle of the floor, covering it fully. There were embroideries of shapes and pictures sewed into the rug which were artistically and expensively done.

Harry fixed his eyes on the skeleton shaped man across the room. He leered into his blood red eyes, but he notice those eyes were not gazing back at him. Instead, Voldemort's eyes were on Ginny. An urge erupted in his gut to stand in front of Ginny to protect her from Voldemort. Harry shifted a little toward Ginny, but he was stopped. Not by Voldemort, but by Ginny.

"Don't, Harry," Ginny spoke directly, adjusting herself by Harry's side. "I'm not scared."

A cold laughter sprung out from Voldemort. He did not have laughing smile on his face, but a sinister smirk. "Not scared, are you? You should be."

"It ends now," Harry ensured flatly. "We destroyed the painting, it's done. There is only one more Horcrux and you will no longer be immortal."

"Ah, yes, Harry. You've done well with killing off parts of my soul, but do you really think I am foolish enough to allow you to defeat me?" Voldemort condemned viciously. "I hid the very last part of my soul in a place where you will have to die to find."

Voldemort moved a few feet to his right and Harry saw the rug stained with blood. He moved his eyes further to discover a large, long bodied reptile lying lifeless. The shock struck Harry hard in the chest. He was so sure that Nagini was the last Horcrux, but why would Voldemort kill one of his own Horcruxes. Harry realized he was wrong and he knew Nagini meant nothing. Determination fell from his mind and all he wanted to do was run, taking him and Ginny far away from Voldemort as possible. Harry didn't know what was left to do.

"Dumbledore was once again mistaken. Nagini was only a pet, not one of my Horcruxes. It was a shame I had to kill her, but the expression held on your face, Mr. Potter, is priceless," Voldemort said with an ounce of pleasure.

"Let Ginny go, it's me you want," said Harry instinctively, knowing Ginny wouldn't be too happy about it.

"No," Ginny cried, "I'm not leaving."

"Is it love?" Voldemort questioned to himself. "It must be; the determination to die for him lies in her eyes."

"I would do anything for Harry," Ginny consented. "I do love him."

Harry turned to her and gazed into her eyes. That feeling came over him again, letting his mind alleviate. He loved Ginny in the same way, but he did not tell it to her. It seemed not the right place or time for spilling emotions. What difference would it make if he told her now or tomorrow? The fact that he might die right here and now lingered in his mind. He searched his thoughts for a plan, any plan to get Ginny out of this place and safe. Harry then remembered what Voldemort had said to him, 'I hid the very last part of my soul in a place where you will have to die to find.'

In some way Harry knew it all along. A part of him was connected to Voldemort through the scar he received the night his parents died. The way he was able to hear and see what Voldemort saw and heard was not just through a connection, but a part of Voldemort was inside of him, a part of his soul. Harry was the last and final Horcrux of Voldemort and he knew what he must do to end this fight.

It felt like hours of thinking to Harry, but it was only seconds. His stare was still on Ginny and she watched him as if his thoughts ran through her mind as well. Harry had the longing to pull her to him and kiss her, but he didn't. He continued to stand there, with no words spoken until Voldemort began to make his way toward them. Harry did not take out his wand nor did he make an effort to look at Voldemort.

"You silly girl, you would do anything for love?" Voldemort hissed, drawing out his wand and directing it to Ginny. "Then death is what anything is. Avada Kedavra!"

"Ginny, I love you, don't forget that," Harry whispered swiftly into her ear as he grabbed her and forced his body between her and Voldemort.

Ginny screamed once she saw the green light strike Harry squarely in the back. He collapsed into her arms. She fell to the ground, gradually placing Harry next her. Tears streamed down her face and fell onto Harry's cheeks. Ginny rested her head on his chest, wishing a single rhythm of his heart to beat, but she heard nothing. She cried harder hope her tears would soak into Harry and bring him back alive. He was gone and Ginny fought with all her strength to make it not true.

Voldemort's face infuriated with fury. His eyes narrowed at the boy's body on the floor, dead. He realized what he had done and he felt his immortality lift from him. This feeling made him vulnerable, defenseless, powerless and exposed; all the feelings he feared and tried to escape. The anger in him boiled the blood in his veins and compelled him to kill. His eyes darted at Ginny whose back was turned at him. He walked over to Ginny and held out his wand inches away from her.

Ginny took no notice. She felt his shadow dawn over her, but she refused to turn around. Dying was not her fear, losing Harry was. The pain in her heart exploded, but it did not drive her to kill or anger. The agony of the pain collided with her heart so violently that she felt it burn into ashes. Her eyes were closed tight and her hands were holding Harry's.

"Avada Kedavra."

The green light flashed behind Ginny's eyelids, but she felt herself still breathing. Her eyes opened to find the great and all powerful Voldemort disintegrate in front of her. She did not understand what had happened. As she wiped tears from her eyes, she looked over and Harry. His hands were cold and his wrist had no pulse, but she did. It made no sense to her. How was it that Voldemort killed Harry, but could not have killed her? Pain seared down the right side of her back and she turned her head and stared down at her shoulder

A scar appeared that was left by Voldemort, but created by Harry's love. It protected Ginny from dying and killed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. A small, thin shaped lighting bolt which cut into her delicate skin was all she needed to know that Harry's love was inside of her always.

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