The Last Battle

The setting:

A Death Eater initiation ceremony.

Draco is being forced to take the dark mark.

Harry & co. show up= Hermione, Ron, Draco, Professor Snape, Sirius.

Hexes are thrown around. Almost everyone ends up with some kind of wound. Many Death-Eaters die; the rest run away.

Eventually, Voldemort is left to stand alone.

~~~

Voldemort called out to Harry.

Harry turned his attention to the owner of the cold, growling voice. "One last battle, Voldemort."

"My thoughts exactly," Voldemort hissed in reply.

Severus remembered that the wands of the two enemies would not work against each other. Knowing Voldemort´s attention was elsewhere, he aimed his own wand at Voldemort.

"You traitorous fool! Can´t let Harry handle his own battles, can you?"

Snape looked at Harry encouragingly. "Now, Harry!"

Voldemort held his ground and stared into Harry´s eyes. "You think you got me, don´t you? You will never get rid of me, Harry. I am part of you."

"I´ve learned to put that part to good use, Voldemort. Bet you didn´t know you could do any good. I have manipulated your evil connection to me. The mischievous impulses you passed on to me helped me a lot over the years. And the Parseltongue you gave me helped me with that nasty little Basilisk problem in second year. Not to mention, these Slytherin qualities you gave me helped me to bond with Draco. He told me what was going to happen tonight and I just had to come and crash your little party. In a way, you could say that you practically defeated yourself when you tried kill me 16 years ago. But this is the end, Voldemort."

With a surge of adrenaline, Harry pointed his wand directly at the area where Voldemort´s heart would´ve been if he had one.

"Harry, if you kill me, you kill yourself! We´re bound by our blood. That curse wasn´t the only reason we have similarities. Did it ever occur to that James was not your real father? Yes, you look a lot alike; but, so do we, Harry. Tom Marvolo Riddle is your father. He and Lily were lovers in their last years at Hogwarts. She found out that she was going to bear a child, Tom´s child, and she ran...straight into the arms of James Potter."

Harry froze, a wave of a thousand emotions coursing through him. `My father?´ He thought about all he had learned about his parents and not once did anyone give a clue that someone other than James was his father. He glared at Voldemort through narrowed eyes. "You think that if I thought you were my father, I wouldn´t kill you? You´re lying because your scared! I see the fear in your eyes, no matter how hard you try to hide it. You´re a spineless snake, Voldemort. My father, indeed! I´d take the Dursleys anyday over you. You never were and never will be considered family to me! You used evil to make people obey you and you would kill anyone if it got you the power you desired. You couldn´t stand up your father and try to gain his love. You took the heartless way out and killed your family; then you killed mine, and many more. Because you couldn´t deal with a little emotional problem you had when you were younger. You´re a coward! "

Voldemort laughed a ruthless laugh. "Oh I assure you it is true, Harry. You got your Slytherin qualities from me alright, but not through any ugly scar you´ve ever received."

"Having you for a father would be the ugliest scar! If you were my father, then why didn´t you actually be my father? I would think that you would have enjoyed raising me and teaching me your evil ways. Wouldn´t you have wanted a son to help you carry out your ultimate goal of conquering the world? To carry on your wicked legacy? I have too much Gryffindor in me to be related to such a vile creature as yourself. James and Lily Potter are my parents, whether biologically or not."

"Don´t you mean were your parents, Harry?" Voldemort enjoyed watching his cold words attack Harry.

Draco stepped next to Harry, taking him by the shoulders and turning him so he could look into his lover`s eyes. "Harry. Don´t listen to him. He´s not even human. You have your family right here. Me, Ron, and Hermione. Sirius and even Professor Snape. We love you. I love you. You beat him, again. You don´t have to kill him. Send him to Azkaban."

Harry´s heart broke at the thought of Draco suffering. "Draco, my love. How I wish it could be that easy. Azkaban won´t hold Voldemort. The dementors would have no effect on him. He could easily escape. Even if his quest for power came to an end, he would still get his revenge. By killing himself, he would kill me. I want this to end my terms, not his."

He looked over to the others standing with their wands pointed at Voldemort. His best friends in the world, his wonderful godfather, and his secret protector. With determination racing through his veins, he spoke to them through trickling tears.

"Severus, we had a rocky start but I´m thankful to have known you. Thank you for all the times you´ve protected me, even when it meant defying your own feelings towards me. Sirius, look after Ron and Hermione like you did me. They look up to you and could use your wisdom. Thank you for honoring my parents and caring for me. Ron, Hermione, take care of each other and know that I couldn´t have gotten far at all without you. And please, promise me that you won´t push Draco away. Put the past behind you. He needs friends, real friends like you. Draco, you have my heart. Keep it with you and I will never leave you. I love you."

Draco embraced Harry tightly. In that moment, Harry poured all his love into him. Then they faced each other and Harry gave him a light, loving kiss. Their last.

Reluctantly, Harry released him. "Go to the others now, out of the line of fire."

"Harry, No. There must be another way!"

"This is how it has to be, Draco."

Professor Snape took Draco by the arm and lead him over to the others. Draco was consumed with anger and sorrow. He turned away from the sight of his lover´s impending death and cried into Snape´s arms.

Harry turned back to Voldemort who stood there with a victorious smirk on his twisted face, his arms crossed over his boasting chest.

Then Harry steadied his wand and with the look of pure hatrid and disgust, his emerald eyes boiling with wrath, he spoke his last words. "Now you die...Avada Kadavra!"

A brief gesture of surprise on Voldemort´s face before...

A bright flash of green light exploded from Harry´s wand. A loud boom sounded throughout the forest.

The foes have fallen and the only sounds to be heard were those of grief.