The New Lightning Bolt

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed throwing herself into his arms. Harry hugged her back fiercely and Ron looked on amused.

"Hey, man," Ron said smiling. "Get your paws off my girl friend."

Harry looked down at Hermione smiling and bent down to sweep her off her feet. She gave a surprised gasp and threw her arms around his neck.

"Never," Harry said, trying to keep a serious face, but failing miserably.

Ron pointed at him and said, "Then I challenge you to a duel."

Harry put Hermione back down and walked up to Ron still trying not to smile. "Shall it be to the death?"

Ron rubbed his chin in mock consideration then shook his head sending the black locks of his hair over his eyes. "No, not to the death, but until someone cries 'Uncle.'"

Harry ran to him and tackled him on the common room floor and Ron used his momentum to roll on top. Ron grabbed Harry's sides and started to tickle him ferociously. Harry laughed and laughed until he was out of breath and to weak to do anything let alone draw in air. He couldn't say the word to make the tickling stop so he flicked his wrist to draw Uncle! in the air. Ron saw it and stopped, satisfied. Harry drew in shaky breaths threw a devious smile.

"I never said uncle," Harry said putting emphasis on the 'said'.

He flipped the confused Ron over and began to tickle his with just as much ferocity as he was shown earlier, but was snuck up on from behind. Hermione started to tickle him and he let go of Ron. Bad mistake. Ron ganged up with Hermione and Harry was overtaken. He was laughing so hard--again--he thought he was going to pee.

"Uncle," he said with the last of his breath, but neither of them heard.

Hermione went to push her hair behind her ears because it was getting in the way and Harry was able to fill up half his lungs before Ron jabbed a particularly ticklish spot and he was once again writhing on the floor laughing, with tears spilling out of his eyes.

"Uncle," he whispered.

"What was that, Harry?" Ron asked, letting down a bit.

Harry drew in air. "Uncle, uncle, uncle, uncle, uncle, uncle!" Harry drew in another breath.

"That's what I thought you said."

"No fair," Harry breathed, "Two against one." He took in another breath of life giving air. "No fair."

"You know, Harry, you could have just magicked us off or something," Hermione said pulling her long, dark hair into a ponytail.

"That would have been unfair," he replied.

"Ah, see Harry, that's where you're wrong. This was a duel and we laid no ground rules," Ron said helping Harry to his feet.

"So technically nothing was illegal or unfair," Hermione said as Ron, too, helped her up.

Harry took off his cloak and set it on the back of the couch and turned around to ask a question when Hermione spoke first.

"You have the amulet on."

Harry looked down and the emerald glinted off the common room fire. "Well, yeah. It was a Christmas gift after all. That reminds me, Ron, what do you know of this amulet."

Ron glanced at Hermione and she shrugged. He cleared his throat.

"Well, kinda not that much."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"He means that we couldn't find any info on it. We searched the library high and low and couldn't find anything on it," Hermione said. Hermione not knowing something was a rare sight that Harry always treasured.

"I do know that my Grandfather never took it off though."

"How could he?" Harry said rolling his eyes.

"What do you mean, Harry," Ron asked a slight bit hurt.

"How could he take it off if the knot disappears right after you tie it?"

Hermione gave an inquisitive head turn, which reminded Harry of a dog when you make a strange noise or ask a question that the dog doesn't understand. She came up to him and pulled on his shoulder for him to bend down so she could inspect the leather cord. Sure enough after a few seconds she decided she couldn't find the knot.

Ron continued with the story and he went to sit down. "He wore it all the way up until he died, at which point he took it off and gave it to the youngest Weasley at the time, which was me because Ginny wasn't born yet. Mum said nothing about a knot never being there only that when he was on his deathbed he took it off. He was the longest living Weasley that ever lived at 134. Mum said that it was the amulet that kept him living so long. It protected the wearer against harm and evil, but could not stop old age or a natural death."

"Why don't you wear it, Ron?" Harry asked.

"It grew hot on my skin and burnt me when I was a kid." He pulled off the Wealsey sweater he was wearing and it was not maroon this time, but black with a maroon R in the middle. His black wife beater rode up on his ribs and he fixed it. He pulled down on the collar of his shirt and took his wand out to tap his chest and say "Finite Incantatem." Scar tissue in the shape of the amulet appeared near the end of his sternum.

"Why is it so low?"

"I was a kid, Harry. It hung this low when I was a kid, when I was a baby."

Harry sat beside his friend and touched the roughness of his scar and asked, "Why did it do this to you and not me?"

He let go of his collar and fetched his sweater and after he put it on Hermione sat in his lap as comfort. Harry noticed she too had a Weasley sweater on thought it was a dark red, almost black sort of color with an H of a brighter red in the middle. The sweater went nice with her new Harry.

"Mum said that it...rejected me because I didn't need it. She said only someone who needed protection could wear it. She let me keep it just in case when I grew up and found someone I cared for, I could give it to them."

"Why doesn't Hermione wear it then?"

"Oh, Harry. I don't need protection, not like you do. I am not the one who has to face You -Know-Who," Hermione said lifting her head off Ron's shoulder.

"But Voldemort is going to be executed soon, so I don't need it," Harry said leaning back.

"Don't be silly, Harry. Just because the Dark Lord will never again be, don't think for one minute that his followers are going to take this laying down. They will avenge him."

Harry studied his hands not wanting to look into their eyes. He didn't want to see the pity. Harry took a deep breath and tried to get the conversation going, perhaps in a different direction.

"Why did your Grandfather need the amulet?"

"Well, he was born when the Ministry was having problems," Ron said.

"It was during The Last Battle," Hermione added.

Harry looked confused and Hermione sighed. "Honestly, Harry, I don't know how you pass Binn's class, nor you, Ron." She eye rolled him.

"It's easy, we just copy you," Ron muttered.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I said: It's easy, we both study too."

Ron smiled an innocent smile and Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Harry smiled lifting one side of his mouth.

"What are you smirking about?" Hermione said glancing over at Harry.

"Was I smirking?" Harry asked in mock puzzlement.

Hermione eye rolled him again and Ron gave a quick thumbs up to which he changed it into cracking his pointer finger when Hermione looked down.

"Tell me about The Last Battle, Hermione," Harry said.

Hermione forgetting about their little detour went straight into Miss Know It All. "The Last Battle was the last battle of the goblins. The era was changing and evolution was definitely on the side of the goblins. Their brains started to grow and they took on intelligent math jobs, like accounting. The Minister of that time, Matthew Bulgosh, was prejudice against them because a long time ago, one of them took an ear off. He motioned the Ministry to get rid of them and take away their jobs. Mind you that they were intelligent and saw the Minister as unfair, thus proclaiming war on the wizards. Needless to say blood was shed and only when Minister Matthew Bulgosh was murdered and the new Minister--Tedious Manus--was assigned did the goblins stop to hear what he had to say. The new Minister put in a decree for the goblins and their jobs. He gave them to run Gringotts."

"That's was fascinatingly boring, Herm," Ron said.

"I still don't see how your Grandfather needed protection," Harry said trying to stifle a yawn.

"He was one of the people hired to guard Minister Matthew Goulash."

"Bulgosh, Ron," Hermione said disapprovingly.

"Same difference. Anyways, my Grandfather was given the amulet from his father to protect him while he tried to protect the Minister. Grandfather fought well and when the goblins realized they couldn't hurt him they tied him up and went for the Minister."

"What do you mean they couldn't hurt him?" Harry asked.

"Dunno. I asked Mum the same thing, but she always shrugs and says she doesn't know either.

"So...I'll be wearing this until I die or I am on by death bed. Interesting."

"Yep," Ron said.

"So, Harry, how do you feel about the execution tomorrow?"

"This week has gone by fast and I don't want tomorrow to come," Harry said.

"Why not? I would you of all people be glad about seeing his true demise," Ron said.

"I am," Harry said.

"But..." Hermione said to continue him speaking.

"But...I don't want to see the press."

"That's understandable, Harry," Hermione said sliding off Ron's lap to sit next to him. Ron put his back to the arm of the couch and laid his long legs across their laps.

"Yeah, mate; it is understandable. Why don't you prepare what you have to say? Maybe that will help."

"I guess," Harry said.

"But..." Hermione said again.

Harry looked at her. "But, I don't know what I want to say."

"You could leave Swirly to talk about how you captured him and you just answer some questions," Ron suggested.

"Yeah I think...I will think about it."

Ron's stomach gave a suddenly loud grumble and both of them looked at him. He shrugged. "I guess it's lunch time."

Harry laughed. "I'll say."

Ron removed his legs from their laps and stood up. "Let's go."

***

"Once you are done with the execution and all the media crap, you'll come into the Slytherin common room and give your other speech," Bayne Premont reminded Draco as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.

"If they don't eat me alive first," Draco commented.

"No problem. If someone comes up to you freeze them or something."

"Oh, I'll do more than that."

"I know," Bayne said. "Just remember to pick me as the representation for first years."

"I'll remember, but how are you going to make the other first years like you," Draco asked rounding a corner. "You know blackmail isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Bayne looked at him suspiciously. "How do you know?"

"Experience."

"Do tell."

"Let's just say that there was this seventh year who thought, since it was his last year, that he didn't have to do my work. He thought the dirt I had on him, which was proof of him and a certain one time fling with a--get this--Hufflepuff," Bayne made a disgusted face at that, "was nothing; that the photos of him and her were nothing."

"So what did you do?"

"I hung them up on the Slytherin bulletin board and made them so only I could take them off. He got ridiculed for days, but after a week he twisted the story so it made him seem like a player and the rest of the house accepted that. My transfiguration grade dropped a bit and my dad went ballistic on my ass."

Bayne and Draco walked in silence until they reached the Great Hall. "I see what you mean, Draco. I will think of some other way to get their likings."

"I have only one suggestion and that is to not hide behind someone."

"I understand."

They walked into the Great Hall and had lunch and later that evening they had dinner. Draco and Harry slept cozy in each other's arms, glamour free, but both dreaded the morning to come. Tomorrow was the day that their reason for hell on this Earth would be executed and die in front of their eyes. Tomorrow was the day they got revenge on their parent's death. But tomorrow was the day they both wished would never come.

Chapter Fifteen

The Execution

Harry and Draco lay on a red and gold bed with their limbs intertwined. The covers were pulled up to Harry's neck and over his shoulder where Draco's head rested. Draco was always covered completely while sleeping. Draco said it had something to do with warmth or whatever. They slept soundly unaware that it was morning, the next day, the execution day. Birds could be heard chirping in the distance, but everything else was quiet, no snoring here.

In an instant two people screaming and two dead weights crashing onto the bed broke the silence. Harry's eyes bolted open to see his two best friends smiling down at him. He also felt Draco stiffen and cast a glamour charm to cover his new scars up. Harry was too disorientated to care if his real self was showing.

Hermione reached over and pulled the covers off Draco just as he was covered by the spell. Draco blinked sleepily at the girl.

"Wakey, wakey, guys. You need to be by the lake in a bit," Hermione said still smiling at Draco.

"The execution," mumbled Harry, throwing an arm over his eyes, and bringing Draco's attention to him.

Your scars are showing, Draco thought to Harry.

Harry lifted his arm off his eyes to look at it. He saw his scars and his friends trying not to stare. Harry casted the glamour charm with a flick of his hand and sat up, pulling Draco with him.

"Are you guys going to be all touchy feely in front of the press?" Ron asked.

"First of all we are not touchy feely and secondly we are going to keep up the image of hostility between us," Draco said.

"We are going to pretend we have nothing in common except that we both utterly hate Voldemort," Harry added. Ron flinched.

"Okay then, let's go," Hermione said grabbing Draco at both wrists and pulling him out of bed. Ron was doing the same thing to Harry.

"You're stronger than you look, Granger," Draco commented.

"Hermione, call me Hermione or Herm or Mione, but cut the Granger crap out."

"Okay...Hermione."

"Thanks, Draco."

Draco smiled as he was being led to his wardrobe. Not many called him Draco, only Harry, Bayne, and Pansy. He hated Pansy and she only was aloud to speak his first name because they grew up together. Everyone else was either too afraid or hated him enough never to speak his name; Granger, no Hermione, was different. She neither feared nor hated him and that was fine with Draco.

Together Draco and Hermione came up with his outfit. Black everything with some silver to match his earrings and silver tips. They were just discussing which clasp for his cloak he should wear when Harry and Ron joined him.

"It is official," Ron said.

"What?" Hermione and Draco asked at the same time.

"That I have no nice clothes besides school attire," Harry said looking at the ground.

"Then borrow something of mine; we're the same build you know," Draco said turning back to his clothes to find something for him.

After a while Hermione and Draco managed to pick out something similar to Draco's and figured out that Draco would use the snake clasp while Harry took the Mosaic looking clasp. They decided it would match his amulet, though it would not be showing do to the cloak, which led into questions from Draco about the amulet. Harry just shared his memory with him and muttered something like 'Stupid Gryffindors' when he saw the tickling party.

After they both were dressed Draco, Ron, and Hermione fussed over gelling Harry's spikes. Draco's hair was already done and perfect so they didn't need to worry about it. He had tried to get the right side flattened down a bit, but it was no use. After Harry looked like he had the first day he had his new hairdo, mysterious and a little dangerous, they went off to the lake.

They looked like a moving mass of black. Hermione was wearing all black except for a red nearly black shirt under her cloak and Ron was wearing all black. The only color he had was the white on his Converse. With Harry and Draco walking beside them they all looked like the epitome of darkness.

Many people were already there filing up the makeshift stands Dumbledore, no doubt, had conjured. Speaking of the man, Albus Dumbledore was waving the four of them over to which they went. When they were there he spoke.

"Harry, Draco, you will be sitting in those seats," He said as he pointed to two lone chairs on one side of the make shift stage. "Hermione, Ron, I saved two seats over there," he pointed, "for you. Go claim them before the press get antsy and want to move up and 'accidentally' remove the reserve signs.

Hermione hugged Harry then Draco and said, "You'll do great." Ron just shook their hands and wished them good luck. Dumbledore turned back on them after they left.

"The ceremony will be easy. The minister will announce what is to happen, then you two will come up and tell how you captured him, then answer a butt load of questions from the press, and then we will execute. Understand?" They nodded. "Good, now go sit in your chairs. As soon as the stands are full we will begin."

Harry and Draco walked to the stage not talking physically just in case someone saw them. They had a reputation to obtain.

Did the Headmaster just say a butt load? Draco thought to Harry.

Yeah, he did. Draco?

Yeah?

The whole wizarding world is going to want to see this, right?

Most definitely.

Then how will they see it? There aren't many seats in those stands.

We have a system for important events just like this one. It's kind of like a tevision for muggles.

A television?

Yeah, that's it. Anyways, you see those guys dress in neon green in the front row?

Harry sat in the seat as Draco did and looked to the bottom of the stage. Three men spaced out evenly stood in neon green cloaks. They were holding a small purple outline of a box up arms length away. It reminded Harry of when professional photographers are looking for a picture and hold their thumbs and pointers up to make a box. The purple outlines were being pointed every wear growing or shrinking to the holders choice.

Yeah, I see them.

They are called Picture Men. Those outlines are kind of like a camera and they view what they are being pointed at and sent to a magical system where the ministry projects what the outlines have in them to fireplaces. Every magical fireplace in the world has those pictures projected in them. To zoom in they make the box smaller and to zoom out the make it larger.

So, it's kind of like a movie or something.

What's a movie?

Harry shared his memories with Draco and he nodded his head.

Yeah, it's kind of like that.

The stands were being filled up and reporters were clicking their cameras off everywhere, but mainly sticking to taking picture of Harry and Draco. One of the Picture Men had had his picture box pointed at them the whole time, zooming in and zooming out every once in a while.

Harry tried not to stare at the picture box. He looked left to find Draco had the Malfoy Sneer on and Ron and Hermione were making out in their seats. He looked right and saw that the admittance for the stands was coming to an end. He stared at his hands and wished he had Draco's to hold. Nervous? More like terrified and a little needy. Harry suddenly felt calm and had a warm fuzzy feeling growing inside him. He glanced at his lover and Draco gave him the Sneer, but it didn't reach his eyes. His eyes were concerned and sympathetic.

No worries.

Harry laughed nervously and trembled a bit. Why was he shying away from the thought of ending the most evilest of evil's life today? Where was his Gryffindor courage? Probably in his other cloak.

I have a bad feeling, Draco?

No worries, Draco repeated. I won't let anything bad happen to you.

Okay.

A furry of camera flashes brought Harry's attention to a man walking up onto the stage. The Minister Cornelius Fudge strode up to the center of the stage. He wore a deep blue cloak with very small white stitching and a matching pointed hat on top of his head. His dragon hide boots clicked softly on the stage making tracks on the thin layer of snow that had built up. After the applause had died down, the picture boxes all rested and the crowd had seated themselves the Minister spoke.

"Welcome witches and wizards here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy and to those at home watching in you fire place. Today is the day the entire community has been waiting for."

Some applause broke out and the Minister grinned and held up a hand for silence. It became quiet once more.

"Today, my friends, is the day to many things. Today, December 31, is the last day of the year and the last day for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Today is the last day of grief, sorrow, and fear because today we end it. We as the wizarding world have had enough and we have earned, by conquering and surviving, the right to a new life. And tomorrow will begin as a new year unlike any other."

The applause broke out as the Minister put his fist in his hand to show pure determination or pure stubbornness. Harry noticed a bunch of the witches were crying. Cedric Diggory's father and family were huddled in a group, leaning on each other's shoulders, crying tears of joys.

Harry saw his old Professor and parent's best friends, Remus Lupin, sitting quietly with a single tear down his cheek, petting a black dog's head in his lap. Sirius Black had his eyes shut very tightly, no doubt to stop tears and to not alarm the people around him that a dog was crying. That just had animagus written all over it.

Sirius? Draco asked Harry.

Yeah. I want him to look up here, but his eyes are closed and Remus is to busy trying to dry his eyes out to look up here.

Do a little magic or something.

Like what?

Tug on the leash.

Harry did it, without a wand of course, but made his magic colorless. Sirius's collar was tugged twice. He took his head of Professor Lupin's lap and looked at him quizzically. Remus just looked down and asked, "What?"

Harry gave another two pulls and Sirius looked at Remus's hand to notice no leash in them. He looked around confused, going from person to person, but no one was looking at him except one. On stage a boy with black spiked hair with silver tips was staring at him. Behind his curtain of bangs Sirius notices green eyes; it was Harry. He wagged his tail and felt a hand stroke his head, but Remus's hands were in his pockets. Another stroke made him look back at Harry and Harry smiled a new smile he had been working on, that went well with his new look. It said I know I look different. Then he gave his usual Harry smile and Sirius wagged his tail, beating it on the snow, attracting Remus's attention. He looked at what the supposed-to-be-acting-like-a-dog Sirius was looking at. It stopped the tears threatening to spill over.

The Minister was talking about decrees as to why a public execution was in order and how his ministry reign was the best ever in all the years, blah blah blah. Remus, very carefully, waved to Harry and got a smile in return. Draco looked over and when he was sure no one was looking gave Sirius and his old Professor a genuine smile. Sirius seemed to wag his tail harder because Remus bent down and whispered in Sirius's ear while pretending to fix his collar. Sirius stopped wagging his tail, but was having an awfully had time trying to sit still.

Applause broke out and Harry and Draco looked at the Minister who was announcing their names.

"And now Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Draco Malfoy will tell you personally how they captured He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." The Minister held out a hand of invitation for them to take the center stage. Slowly they got up and walked to the center together, aware every one was looking at them. The Picture Men followed their every move. Harry was going to be sick from all the flashing cameras and heavy, hungry stares. The crowd became quiet in anticipation. Draco spoke first.

"We caught Voldemort," Draco rolled his eyes at the gasp from the crowd, "by Stupefy-ing him."

A number of gasps and confused murmurs spread through the crowd. Harry leaned in and whispered, "Start from the beginning."

Draco cleared his throat. "Voldemort--oh for goodness sakes, shut up. Voldemort created a minor black hole of doom to try and suck Potter, here," he pointed with his thumb at Harry, "into his doom. He was out riding his broom when the sky started to suck up anything not securely placed. He went down to the beams of the Quidditch Stadium and held on. He lost his broom and glasses in the attempt to hold on for dear life."

Your turn, Draco thought to Harry.

Harry gulped and found his Gryffindor courage. A series of flashes blinded him momentarily as he spoke his first word. "Malfoy was on a different beam trying to hold on to, but lost grip and crashed into my pole. I accidentally let go and Malfoy caught me and brought me behind the beam where the wind wasn't so bad. That's when Voldemort showed up disappointed I didn't die." Harry just looked at Draco to signal his turn.

"After telling his plan and brooding over the failure of it, he decided he didn't like our--"

Your, Harry mentally corrected him. Draco ignored him.

"snide remarks. He tried to erase my voice, but H--Potter got hit. After some more name-calling he fixed Potter's eyes and then finally erased my voice. He forgot that we had our wands and we Stupefy-d him. We sent the rest of his followers that had circled us, into the sky and ultimately to their doom." A few people gasped and Harry took over.

"We couldn't find Voldemort, but my scar said he was close." Confused murmurs.

Draco spoke, "He came out from behind a beam, ended the vortex and tried to get us to join him." A few gasps, but some angry growls over rode their noise.

Harry then said, "Since we couldn't speak we flipped him off." A nervous laugh spread throughout the crowd.

"We combined our spells and Stupefy-d him as much as we could," Draco said.

"We called Professor Dumbledore and he came."

"And that's how our most favorite crazed bastard was caught," They both said at the same time. Camera's clicked away and they both smiled. Draco with his sneer and Harry with his mystery smile.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy," a woman reporter said bouncing on the balls of her feet. Draco looked at her and she continued. "How did you get that swirl?"

Silence broke out. Draco pushed the hair out of his left eye to look at her with both. "Voldemort wanted to get rid of Potter's scar and I pushed him and got his with the spell instead. It made this swirl; the left side goes down and the right, up."

"Why did you push him?" the woman reporter asked.

Harry spoke, "Because I had pushed him when Voldemort tried to erase his voice. I didn't do it for heroics I did it because he was being a smart-ass and at that was before my eyes were fixed so I didn't see the spell. He pushed me only for retaliation."

"Who did your make over?" the woman reporter asked before anyone else could speak.

"We did our own," Draco said looking at Harry, daring him to protest.

"I love your earring. Or is it earrings, as in plural?" She asked misty eyed.

"Whatever you want it to be," Draco said giving her the ol' Malfoy charm. She blushed giving time for other reporters.

A man with a charcoal gray cloak and a matching hat on spoke first. "What are you going to do now that you are the sole owner to the Malfoy estate?"

Some one to his left asked, "How did your father die, Mr. Malfoy?"

"How about your mother?" a man asked with an American accent.

The questions were becoming very personal and Harry had to do something. He looked back at the Minister who, you could tell, was eager to find the answer to those questions as well. Harry did the unthinkable. He put an Imperious curse on the Minister and his face went blank. Harry made him walk up to the center and hold up hands for silence. The reporters backed off. Harry cut the link and watched him come back to his senses. Confusion quickly spread to his face and he analyzed the situation promptly. He cleared his throat and hoped what he was going to say was the right thing.

"And now for the moment the entire world has been waiting for. You-Know-Who will be brought up on this stage shortly, but first will the executioners please join me."

Albus Dumbledore stood up and a picture box squared in on him. A different Picture Man zoomed in on Alastor Moody, while the third stayed firmly on the Minister. The three were joined in the center of the stage and when Moody's wooden foot stopped clunking did the Minister continue. He said only three words: "Bring him out."

A dull throb grew in Harry's forehead and he reached under his bangs to rub his scar. Draco just felt a lesser version of it and tried to shake it off. When Voldemort came into sight Harry and Draco hissed. He had his hands tied behind his back and was being dragged onto stage very carefully, because it was slippery. Cameras clicked and the crowd gasped. Surely that ... thing could not be human, could not be Voldemort. Harry felt pity for the world; no one should see that thing. At least if he was in any of their dreams he was a normal human, now the true picture would haunt the little kids. Perhaps and perhaps not.

When he was near the center and the two men escorting him backed off did all three "executioners" point their wands at him. All wands were old and used totally unlike Voldemort's, which was in Draco's pocket that very moment. Funny how they never did find his wand. Voldemort just looked at them and smiled, as much as he was able to, at their wands.

"Do you have anything to say before we rid you of this world?" the Minister asked.

He took his time looking at the Minister, then at ex-Auror Moody, and finally at Dumbledore. Voldemort gave him a look of utter disgust. He looked to the right at Harry and Draco and simultaneously they sucked in breath. A picture box was pointed at Harry and Draco, another at the Executioners, and the other on the hideous form that was Voldemort. He opened his mouth and hissed. The crowd gasped, but Harry heard words.

*/Harry Potter, hear my words: they cannot kill me, only my body. But I shall return in new form and you will surely die./*

Harry hissed back in parseltongue. */What does it take to kill you?/*

Voldemort laughed aloud, a belly laugh, which gave Moody a jump and sparks fell from his wand. */My boy, do not be naïve. I cannot be killed./*

"We'll see," Harry spoke aloud.

*/Why do not speak the snake language?/*

The Minister was getting antsy not understanding. "Is that your last words?" Harry held up a hand for him to wait one minute and he sputtered indignantly.

*/Why are you prolonging your death?/*

*/I have much to tell you, Harry Potter./* Voldemort hissed as he took a step forward. The crowd gasped and more than three wands were being pointed at him now. Harry shook off the pain of Voldemort coming closer. Harry held up another hand.

*/Then speak now and hurry, your death awaits./*

*/My boy, death does not await./*

*/Well, Voldemort if you do survive this, which I cannot see how, I will give you all the time in the world to have more snake language talks with you, then you can tell me everything you want to tell me./*

Voldemort smiled. "I look forward to it." He looked back at the executioners and said, "I am ready."

The Minister nodded and so did Moody, but Dumbledore gave him a quizzical look. The Minister counted down from three and they all shouted, "Avada Kedavra." Two things happened at once. A figure rose out of Voldemort's body and three green spells hit Voldemort's body. The figure went invisible and Voldemort's body hit the ground, dead. Harry's scar started to throb and the figure appeared just in front of his face. No one was watching; they were to busy cheering. The shadowy mist extended to touch his face and Harry swallowed a scream as he sunk back in the chair; the mist disappeared, satisfied. Voldemort was still alive. How? And how are you really supposed to kill him?

Draco sat down in the chair next to Harry and cradled his head as Harry drew in slow breaths. Draco couldn't shake the pain easily as last time.

"I saw the whole thing," Draco said rubbing about his eyebrows.

"Even the parseltounge?"

"I was in your head."

"I didn't feel you," Harry said through clenched teeth.

"Voldemort's pain was to big for you to notice anything."

Dumbledore walked up to them and extended a hand to each of them. "Come boys, let us talk about what happened, and hurry because here comes those pesky reporters."

Draco and Harry were helped up by the Headmaster and led to the warmth of Hogwarts castle, being chased by reports wanting to know about what You-Know-who said. Inside Madame Pomfrey gave them painkillers and Professor Dumbledore ushered them into his office after giving orders to Minerva about the students returning early from Christmas Break. After offering a Lemon Drop Albus Dumbledore said, "I saw the mist and I know he isn't really gone. What did he say to you, Harry?"