Harry Potter and the Ultimate Battle

Harry Potter opened the Daily Prophet that had just been delivered to the small flat in London, which he shared with his best friend, Ron Weasley. He growled, the headline read "More Muggle Killings." As Ron walked into the kitchen, Harry threw the paper on the table. Ron picked it up and cursed, throwing it down again. Their flat was small because of the modest budget that went into it. Harry played Quidditch for a minor league team and Ron was a junior agent in the Magical Law Enforcement Agency in the Ministry of Magic.

An owl that neither of them recognized flew in the window and fluttered down onto the table next the Daily Prophet. Harry reached out and read the letter to himself. He looked up at Ron with a grim smile on his face.

"Well," Ron asked, "What is it? Who is it?"

"It's Albus Dumbledore, he wants to meet us for lunch, today in fact, to discuss 'current events' with some old friends," Harry answered.

* * * * * *

About half an hour after receiving the owl Harry and Ron wandered into the Leaky Cauldron. They were immediately ushered into a private meeting room by Tom, the innkeeper. Inside the room sat two men, one with his back to the door and the other at a table. The one sitting at the table was none other than Albus Dumbledore flipping through parchments of varying sizes.

The man sitting in the chair had white blond hair. Harry didn't recognize him at first. The man turned around. Ron growled. It was Draco Malfoy, "Professor Dumbledore, why is he here?" Ron asked.

"Yeah Professor, you said old friends, Malfoy is no friend of ours," Harry said.

Dumbledore frowned slightly, and said, "You are no longer at Hogwarts and therefore have no need to call me Professor. As for Draco, he will explain why he is here as soon as everyone arrives." At that moment Hermione and a large black dog were led into to the room by Tom. Hermione smiled at Draco and sat down at the table as Tom brought in food and hot tea and set them on the table. Ron looked at Hermione, horrified. Hermione either didn't see the look or chose to ignore it. She took a sip of her tea as Remus Lupin, Hannah Bell and Katie Bell were led into the room.

Hannah and Harry had only become friends in their fifth year at Hogwarts. Hannah had taken Wood's place as keeper on the Gryffindor house Quidditch team. Hannah had also helped Harry stop blaming himself for Cedric Diggory's death, not by simply telling Harry that it wasn't his fault but by making Harry relive everything that had happened the night the Triwizard tournament had ended again and again. Through reliving it Harry had seen for himself that it was just plain bad luck, chance, and evil men that had killed Cedric.

Katie Bell had been one of their most useful supporters inside the Ministry of Magic. She had been giving Dumbledore information ever since she had gotten her job as Cornelius Fudge's personal secretary.

Professor Dumbledore looked at the clock on the wall and shook his head. "We will give the others time to come in," as Dumbledore spoke Charlie, Bill, Molly and Arthur Weasley walked in followed shortly by Fred and George Weasley.

"Unnecessary, Albus, we're all here," Arthur said looking around.

"Quite. I called this meeting between friends," he emphasized the word 'friends' with a pointed look at Ron and Harry, "to discuss our group's situation and welcome," another, pointed look at Ron and Harry, "our newest member, Draco Malfoy." Dumbledore smiled at Draco and nodded for him to speak and tell why he of all wizards had joined the 'good fight' so to speak.

"As you may know my father was and is a Death Eater," Draco started, "he brought me to Voldemort about two weeks ago." he looked at Hermione who nodded encouragement, Draco smiled, although not happily, back at her and continued, "as an initiation to the ranks of Death Eaters, Voldemort assigned me to kill one of the people who fight him. He assigned me to kill Hermione," Draco looked at Hermione again and continued, "I... I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. I tried to make myself do it. But she had never done anything bad, well other than breaking a few stupid rules at Hogwarts. She's smart... and she's a good person," All this came out in a rush and an unsteady voice that wasn't at all like Draco's normal voice. It wasn't as arrogant as it had been in school, as self-assured, nor did it have the venom that Draco usually spoke to Harry and his friends with. His whole appearance was changed from the cold and rich brat Draco had been at Hogwarts. His clothes were still the neat and expensive but Draco himself had changed from the last time Harry had seen him in the end of year feast just over a month ago.

Draco looked at his hands and continued, "I came up behind her that night and I couldn't do it. My father was right next to me waiting for me to say those two words that could end my world. After a few minutes I think he realized I wasn't going to kill her. He cursed me and called me... he called me a disgrace to the Malfoy name. I hit him with the stunning spell while he was yelling at me, he didn't expect it," he stopped abruptly and buried his face in his hands and his shoulders began to shake in sudden, shocking tears.

Hannah, her eyes a crystal blue colour, walked over to Draco, put a hand on his shoulder and said quietly, "Your father saw you then, or rather the man you have become. Your actions, while difficult, saved your life, Draco."

Draco looked up at her with tears on his cheeks and in his eyes, "The man I have..." he nodded to her and wiped his face, "thank you Hannah." Hannah nodded and sat in a chair near Draco while he continued his story "After I stunned my father I went and told Hermione what happened. She... she took pity on me and brought me here, made arrangements for me to stay, and sent an owl to Dumbledore telling him what had happened." Draco, eyes still bright with tears looked at Harry.

After stretched silence, during which the tension between Harry and Draco became quite palpable, Dumbledore said, "Harry, Ron, Draco, the three of you have never been friends, but this whole fight isn't about friendship it's about good versus evil and the side that is the strongest, will prevail. Our success could very well depend upon how you work together."

"You are all here because I trust you," Dumbledore continued. He looked at Draco and continued, "Draco, can you tell us any information about the Death Eaters and Voldemort's movements?"

Draco looked up and said, "I was never truly a Death Eater so I can tell you very little about their movements. I can tell you that Voldemort sent envoys to the Giants about a year ago and those he sent were never seen again," Draco half-smiled to himself, "I didn't find out until this morning why that was. I don't think Voldemort and his crew knew why either."

Dumbledore looked at the large black dog that had come in with Hermione, "Sirius, reveal yourself. All those here are here under my invitation and as such are trusted," there was a silence and a pause before the black dog changed into Sirius Black. Draco's eyes widened and he stared at the man who was wanted by Voldemort's forces.

Sirius and Draco regarded each other for a moment before Draco said, "So that's why Dumbledore was walking around with a dog the night the Triwizard Tournament ended. I always wondered about that." Sirius nodded.

"Now I think we can use this to our advantage," Dumbledore said after a moment, "here's how..." The group discussed the new plans until late in the afternoon and finally dispersed shortly before the dinner hour.

"Ron, Harry, are you two coming to join us for dinner at the Burrow?" Molly Weasley asked as the meeting broke up.

"I'll be there in a moment. I want a word with Malfoy," Harry answered Molly, "go on, Ron. I'll see you there," Ron shrugged and walked out of the room with his parents, brothers as well as Remus, Sirius, Hermione and the Bell sisters.

Draco, who had stood up when Dumbledore had apparated when the meeting had broken up, sat back in his chair. "How do I know that you're not a spy?" Harry asked.

"The same way you knew that Sirius hadn't betrayed your parents," Draco answered. "Gut instinct."

"I don't like you, and you probably know it, but Dumbledore trusts you and I respect him, so I'm going to have to trust you for now," Draco and Harry walked out of the meeting room together. They walked into six masked Death Eaters. Harry glared at Draco and growled, "You bastard! I should have known!"

"I had nothing to do with this," Draco yelled back, as Harry glared at him, "get Ron here with his squad." Draco jumped forward, wand raised at the same moment as a Death Eater pointed his wand at Harry and cried, "Crucio!" Draco yelped as the curse hit him. Draco fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

That was enough proof for Harry he pulled out his wand and hit the Death Eater who was torturing Draco and yelled, "Expellarimus!" The Death Eater's wand flew into his hand. As he performed this spell Harry turned to Tom, who until this point had been standing there completely pole-axed, "call the Magical Law enforcement," when Tom didn't move as soon as he caught the Death Eater's wand, Harry tossed it to Tom, to wake him up, "Come on move!" Harry yelled. Tom fled. The remaining five Death Eaters that still had their wands, turned to Harry and advanced upon him, wands raised. Draco got to his feet and stood back-to-back with Harry as the Death Eaters encircled them.