Old Foes, New Enemies

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled as the spell blew his black hair back. The red jet of light went flying across the room, just missing the black cloak of a dark figure and hitting the wall, sending bits of stone scattering from the impact of the spell.

"Don't think your precious castle can save you," a cold voice said from behind Harry.

Harry looked around quickly to find himself face to face with the person who had killed his parents. Lord Voldemort. He had finally managed the impossible; he had finally found a way to get inside Hogwarts castle.

"Where are my friends?" Harry demanded.

Voldemort looked into Harry's eyes. "Friends?" he said an innocent voice. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Voldemort laughed mockingly.

Harry glared and raised his wand.

Voldemort leered, "Are you going to hurt me Potter? Kill me?" Still looking evilly into Harry's eyes, smiling even more widely as the boy retreated a step.

"This madness has gone on for too long," Harry said loudly. "I've had enough! You're through destroying everything I care about."

Voldemort smiled and slowly put a hand into his robes, "Very well boy, you want it to end?" He withdrew a long wand. "Fine. I promise it will all end tonight." He watched as Harry glared defiantly and placed himself into a fighting stance. Voldemort shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Before Harry could react, a jet of green light burst from the end of Voldemort's wand, and Harry stepped back in surprise. He watched the green light speed towards him, and the next thing he knew he was on the ground.

"Run Harry!" a voice called.

Surprised, Harry looked up to see his headmaster standing between himself and Voldemort. "Dumbledore?" he asked in disbelief, squinting up.

"Harry, run. I will deal with Voldemort," Dumbledore said, also raising his wand.

Harry acted at once. Gathering his energy, he managed to boost himself to his feet. There was another flash of green light and Harry heard the sharp clanging sound of metal hitting the floor. Without looking back, Harry ran.

The castle seemed deserted. Harry desperately looked left and right, but saw no sign of life. Not even the portraits on the walls had any magical movement left in them. Harry could still hear the sounds of the battle he had left behind echoing down the hallway. He knew he had to get out. He turned left and sprinted down the hall, but still found no indication that there was anyone at all left within the castle.

"Where has everyone gone?" he thought aloud, not expecting an answer, and not receiving one.

Harry reached the end of the hallway and found himself at the main staircase. He scrambled down the steps, leaping two and three steps at a time. He had nearly reached the bottom when the staircase suddenly started to move. Harry held tight to the rail and waited until it ground to a halt. When he finally felt the jolt that told him that his unexpected detour was over, he jumped the last step and continued down the nearest corridor.

Looking around, Harry realised that he was in the corridor that led down to the kitchens. He ran past the picture of the bowl of fruit that was the kitchen's entrance. He didn't want to stop for anything; Dumbledore had put himself in jeopardy to give Harry the chance to get out safely. The castle suddenly shook violently, as if it's very foundation was unstable, and many of the surrounding pictures fell from the walls and crashed to the ground. Harry understood that the battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore was escalating, and that the castle could crumble from within. Harry wasted no time, and ran forward.

He skidded into the great hall clutching at a stitch in his side; he was nearly there! The four house tables still stood silently in the cavernous room, but there was still no sign of any student or teacher. The castle shook again. Harry marveled at how intense the ongoing battle must be. He staggered onward towards the main entrance hall, completely out of breath. He thought that if he could just get out onto the grounds, he could make it to the nearby wizarding village of Hogsmeade. He made it through the doorway into the entrance hall, when a little voice called, "Harry Potter, sir!"

Harry looked around for the source of the greeting and found a familiar small creature standing in the middle of the hall. Dobby the house-elf was looking up at him with his massive round eyes full of worry.

"Dobby has come to collect you and help you out of Hogwarts, Harry Potter, sir," he said walking up to Harry and grabbing his hand. "We must hurry, the Dark Lord returns, Harry Potter, sir."

Harry nodded, and followed the elf towards the main doors of the castle. Praying that there was safety on the other side of those doors he grabbed the handle.

"And where do you think you're going?" a horrible, high voice said from behind him.

Harry turned to once again come face to face with Voldemort. He was standing on the main staircase, wand raised, pointed unwaveringly at him.

"Where's Dumbledore?!" Harry yelled.

"Ah, the old fool has fled." Voldemort said in an amused tone. "Where has your saviour gone now?"

Harry felt a lifetime of hatred building up inside of him, "If you've hu-"

"You will not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby cut in, shielding Harry.

Voldemort glared down at Dobby, who had stepped between Harry and his foe, "Get out of it, house-elf," he said pointing his wand towards Dobby. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry watched in shock as the powerful green light hit Dobby square in the chest. With a slight thud Dobby hit the wall, lifeless.

"No!" Harry yelled in rage and terror as he ran over to Dobby. The house elf had fallen to the ground in a heap, not moving, not breathing. Dead. Harry looked back at Voldemort tears in his eyes and hatred burning within him. "You'll pay for that, you bastard," he snarled.

Voldemort laughed cruelly, "Oh will I, boy?" He aimed his wand at Harry. "I should have finished you off when I had the chance three years ago," he continued. "Say goodbye, Harry Potter."

There was a loud bang and a rush of air, Harry shielded his face with his arms, but he knew it was of no use against the killing curse. Harry heard the green light connect, and saw the flash of it behind his closed eyelids, but felt nothing. Had the curse missed him somehow? He looked up and saw Dumbledore standing in front of him, a tense, determined look upon his face.

Voldemort cried out with glee, as Dumbledore fell to the ground, "I've done it!" There was a hint of amazement in his voice. "I have defeated the so-called greatest wizard in the world!" Voldemort laughed again. "I am now the most powerful wizard! AND NONE CAN STOP ME!"

Harry looked up. The anger and hurt now flooded like a torrent though his veins. He whipped out his wand, "Neither can live while the other survives," he muttered fiercely. "You've forgotten the one wizard that still has the power to kill you, Voldemort," he cried, tears freely flowing from his eyes. "This is for everyone I ever cared for!" Harry raised his wand, a green and red light flashed out of the end of his wand, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"