Six - The Final Battle, Part I

~ + ~ SWEET MEMORIES ~ + ~

an original fanfiction by olivia

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Six

The Final Battle Part I

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Severus Snape led Harry and Ginny down the hall of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, where they had just Apparated to from the Shrieking Shack. Snape had just told them that Ron and Hermione had been restored to memory by Kingsley Shacklebolt. They were to meet in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and get more information about what was going on in the world since they’d left Hogwarts.

Ron and Hermione were indeed sitting at the kitchen table while Kreacher, muttering under his breath, served them soup and Kingsley stood nearby. Harry’s best friends looked up, and their faces almost glowed when they saw him.

“Harry!” Hermione cried, jumping up to hug him and nearly knocking her chair over in the process. Harry, too, was nearly felled at her embrace.

Ron got up too and exclaimed, “Blimey, Harry, two years of lies! Bizarre.”

Harry nodded in response to Ron’s comment once Hermione had loosened her grip on his neck. “Weird,” he agreed.

Snape looked annoyed at this exchange. “Come now; we haven’t time for this,” he said, irritated. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry all sat down and looked at Snape expectantly. He began talking almost immediately.

“As you all know, the Horcruxes have all been destroyed. But now, we’ve had word that Voldemort is amassing thousands of Death Eaters for his final showdown with you, Potter. That’s why I chose now to bring you out of your memory-charmed lives. The four of you must fight to defeat Voldemort once and for all.”

All four sitting around the table nodded.

“We’ve assembled all the Order members there are, and they are all prepared to die for you. Potter, now is the time you have to exit your celebrity shell and fight for the entire Wizarding world.”

Harry nodded. “I can, Professor.”

“Good. Miss Granger, Mr. and Ms. Weasley, you are the ones that must help him.”

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny nodded in unison.

“All right, then. Now is the time that we fight. The final battle will commence—tonight.”

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Harry stood shivering in the wind, even with his three layers of clothing. The harsh breezes bit at his face with the texture of icy knives. He was standing just inside the Hogwarts gates, ready to strike at any moment. The Order had received word that Voldemort was going to try and take Hogwarts tonight, and at any moment a Death Eater could walk through.

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny stood near him. He hadn’t wanted Ginny to come; he cared about her too much. But she had insisted, and he was now regretting giving into her. She’s too young! his mind screamed. But yet another, more rational part, soothed, She’s only a year younger than yourself. She’ll be fine, even if you aren’t.

Suddenly, a footstep echoed in the wind. Harry looked around wildly from under his Invisibility Cloak. A long, thin man built like a twig was walking over to Hogwarts.

Over his face was a dark Death Eater mask.

Harry knew that if he cursed this man, hundreds more would come pouring out of the woods. He was the tester; the one sent to make sure all was clear. It would be foolish to act now.

The Death Eater walked through the gates and stepped carefully inside. One step. Two. Three. He began to walk faster, then turned and motioned, presumably for his comrades.

More and more Death Eaters became visible, all leaping out from behind bushes and trees. Harry drew his wand back, ready for a fight. Behind him, he heard Ginny let out a tiny, strangled gasp. He wanted to shush her, but didn’t dare.

It was time. Harry leapt out, yelling, “Impedimenta!” The Death Eater closest to him was so shocked, he didn’t have time to react. He fell over instantly rigid.

His friends were jumping out are around him, screaming curses. Jets of light flew everywhere once the Death Eaters realized they were under attack. As more and more bodies hit the ground, more and more leapt out of the trees. Harry and his friends fought off as many as they could, but they were greatly outnumbered. Harry just hadn’t expected this many, even after Snape had warned them.

Oh, God. They needed some help. Harry cried into the rapidly blackening sky, “Hermione, Patronus!” This was their signal for Hermione to run off and perform a Patronus that would carry their message of help to the Order. The Order hadn’t come along originally because they thought it would be too conspicuous.

Damn. The Order better get there fast, Harry thought as he, Ron, and Ginny Stunned three Death Eaters at once.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of red light, and Ron was lying on the ground. Fortunately, he too had only been Stunned, but he’d hit his head on a rock and was now sporting an egg-sized lump.

Damn! Harry wanted to stop and help his friend, but if he did there was a very good chance of him (Harry) dying. Instead, he a took a second to cast a Shield Charm over Ron so he couldn’t be hit with another curse… say, Avada Kedavra.

Suddenly, an enormous, booming voice filled every pocket of air available. “Harry Potter,” it thundered. “This is Lord Voldemort, your superior. I see you’ve come out of your memory charm. I am impressed and curious too, but there is no room for stories tonight. Tonight is the night where you fall for good, and the night Hogwarts finally becomes mine.”

Ginny clutched at Harry’s arm, and he could feel that she was shaking from fear, which scared him: Ginny was one of the toughest people he knew.

“Now, I command my Death Eaters to cease fire. I am coming into the fray myself, Harry Potter, to destroy you. Be ready. Tonight will go down in history as the night the powerful Lord Voldemort defeated the cowardly Harry James Potter.”

The voice ceased, and Hermione came running back from her private spot in the woods. “Harry, I’m scared,” she said. “I couldn’t reach the Order. Oh, I’m so sorry, Harry, it’s my fault—”

“It’s okay, Hermione,” Harry replied, cutting her off. He now realized that he couldn’t have any help from anyone to defeat Voldemort. Not from Hermione, not from the unconscious Ron, not from Ginny.

Oh. Ron.

Harry quickly walked over to his friend and murmured, “Ennervate”, waking him. He sat up, disoriented.

“Hm—?” he murmured. Hermione bent down and hugged him, trembling. Harry stood again from his kneeling position and said, “Look, you all go hide. I need to do this by myself. It’s now or never, really, and it’s only me who can do it. Go now. If I make it—” Ginny gave a little gasp of fear, “—I’ll meet you in the Forbidden Forest.”

Amazingly, they obliged. Harry was left standing there in the dark with only his wand and the weight of the Wizarding world to accompany him.

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