c20

Sirius and Gawain awaited the approach of the creatures whose presence had flooded every one of their senses. They shivered from the cold that had seeped in and tried to make small talk to ignore the terrible sounds each were hearing within their own minds as their worst memories replayed over and over again.

Gawain had felt safer in the presence of the marauder as they dealt with the giants but it was now certainly Sirius's turn to take comfort in the abilities of the other man.

Sirius detested the Azkaban guards above all else. He had spent 12 years in their company and they affected him much worse than the average witch or wizard, something he was crudely aware of. One did not become immune to their effects the more they were exposed to them. In fact, a hypersensitivity to them was the outcome of prolonged time with them and Sirius Black had had his share of time with the Dementors.

"They're getting closer" Gawain muttered uncomfortably.

Their patronuses were clearly under the same impression as they charged towards the cloaked creatures as they came into view around fifty metres away from the duo, causing them to shiver more violently.

Before Sirius could even attempt to focus on maintaining his spell a loud explosion rang out as he was ploughed into violently and found himself sprawled on to the ground under the weight of his companion.

"What the fuck" the marauder grumbled as he pushed the man off of him.

His eyes grew wide as he caught sight of the auror he had only just been speaking to.

Gawain Robards was dead.

His entire back was simply missing; all that remained was a large cavity in his torso that once housed his organs.

Sirius swallowed and looked at the man's face. There was no expression of pain or shock, it looked as impassive as ever.

He then realized that the cold he was feeling had only increased as his and Gawain's spells had failed and the Dementor's were drawing ever closer, but that was the least of his worries.

Approaching him with a maniacal grin was Voldemort, his wand drawn and looking like the predator he had always been seen as.

Sirius was relieved to find his wand was still in his hands and he stood to confront the man that had murdered his best friend.

"Mr. Black" Voldemort greeted him casually. "It seems as though your companion took the brunt of my spell" he said with a frown. "Shame" he added. "I'll just have to kill you another way" he finished with another grin.

Sirius laughed at the Dark Lord and shook his head.

"Fuck you Tom" he spat angrily. "You might kill me, but Harry is coming for you" he warned. "You have no idea what he will do to you" he concluded with a grin of his own.

The Dark Lord growled in anger and began firing spell after spell at the man that dared speak to him in such a way.

Sirius dodged and batted away the spells as best he could but he knew he was no match for the man.

He was very powerful, perhaps more so than his godson but the animagus doubted that Harry had ever fired a spell at him with his full power.

One thing he did notice that Harry was certainly faster than Tom, considerably faster if this was all that he had to offer.

A lull in the onslaught of spells came and Sirius noticed that the Dark Lord was looking at him critically.

"You have a lot of skill Mr. Black" Voldemort praised sincerely. "If you would have joined me you would be even better".

Sirius chuckled darkly.

"I wouldn't have joined you if you pissed whiskey and shit gold" he informed the man gleefully and fired of a blasting curse.

Voldemort erected a shield and felt himself pushed back a couple of feet by the power.

"Avada Kedavra" he roared.

Before he could even consider conjuring a shield Sirius felt himself launched through air and he landed with a heavy thud on the ground.

He felt the coldness and despair of the Dementors recede as his vision returned to normal after his surprise banishment.

Turning to look for what had sent him on his way he spotted Harry landing on the ground in front of Voldemort who was looking very surprised by the younger man's arrival.

He could see the two talking but could not hear what was being said as he had been sent a considerable distance.

Harry suddenly waved his wand and a circle of black fire surrounded the two, blocking them from view.

"Fuck, no" Sirius cried desperately as he ran towards the flames and found himself bouncing off them time and time again.

He attempted to fire a few spells and found they did nothing but bounce off also.

All the marauder could do was wait and see what would happen.

He swallowed deeply and watched the flames intently, his attention not wavering, not even for a fleeting second.

(BREAK)

Hermione came to as she felt herself being shaken violently.

It took her a moment to remember what happened and she groaned in pain as she felt the strain on her body while she attempted to sit.

"Hermione" a voice called desperately though it sounded partially muted.

"Hermione" the voice sounded again a little more clearly this time as she was shaken again.

"Neville?" she asked uncertainly as her vision began to right itself, much to her relief.

She saw the boy in front of her with congealed blood streaking across his face from a reasonably deep wound on the side of his head.

"We have to help Hannah" the boy choked emotionally. "She's not breathing" he explained frantically as he pointed to a body laying several feet away from them.

"What happened?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"I don't know, a blasting curse I think" he answered distractedly as he pulled his fellow Gryffindor to the side of their downed friend.

Hermione found her wand in her robes and began casting diagnostic charms on the girl.

She swallowed deeply in shock at the results.

"She's dead" she whispered and choked back a sob.

"No" Neville croaked disbelievingly. "She can't be, help her" he pleaded.

"I can't, Neville she's gone, her lungs and heart are ruined" she explained sadly.

Neville fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably as he clung to the girl and buried his face into her robes.

"What the damn hell are you doing here?" a voice growled angrily, interrupting the pair.

Hermione turned to see Mad-eye Moody and Remus Lupin stalking towards them looking furious.

"We were trying to help" Hermione choked.

"This isn't a place for kids you morons" Moody scolded them as he pulled a distraught Neville to his feet.

"Longbottom is it?" the head of the DMLE asked.

Neville just nodded mutely.

"How the hell were you planning on helping?" Moody questioned.

"Hannah and I have been practicing healing, Madame Pomfrey trained us" she explained.

"Come with us" Moody commanded with a frown. "The castle is locked down and you may actually be able to help if Pomfrey taught you" he conceded reluctantly.

Neville whimpered and refused to move.

"She's dead Longbottom" Moody stated dispassionately. "Don't let it be for nothing boy, make your trip out here count for something for her" he advised pointing to the blonde.

Neville sniffled and nodded.

Remus put an arm around him as they continued on their way.

"What is that?" Hermione asked pointed to the black flames as she spotted them.

"We are going to find out" Moody responded. "Stay close and if things go tits up, you run, got it?" he asked sternly.

The two students nodded readily.

They came upon the flames and Moody frowned at them uncertainly.

"Sirius" Remus called as he spotted his friend but the man did not respond. "Sirius" he called again loudly and grabbed the man and shook him as he reached where he was stood simply staring at the flames.

"Remus?" Sirius asked weakly and pulled the man into a tight hug.

"What is that" the werewolf asked pointing towards what he could see now was a circle of flames.

"Harry's in there with him, Harry conjured it" Sirius explained worriedly.

Remus's eyes went wide.

"Shit, why would he do that?" he asked.

"I don't know" Sirius answered honestly. "But if you saw him before we came you would swear he'd lost it, I could actually feel his anger Remus" he added, clearly concerned for his godson.

"Did you say Harry is in there?" Hermione questioned the marauder.

Sirius frowned at the girl but was stopped from questioning her when Remus cut in.

"They've already got it in the neck from Moody" Remus informed him.

"Good" Sirius intoned.

"What are these damned flames Sirius, and where's Gawain?" Moody broke in as he hobbled over.

"Gawain is dead" Sirius whispered.

"Shit" Moody sighed. "He was a damn good man" he added genuinely. "And the flames?" he repeated.

"Harry's in there with him" Remus answered.

Moody barked with laughter and pounded his wooden leg with his fist.

"Trapped the prick then" he growled happily. "Our resident Dark Lord has no idea what he's facing" he finished with a chuckle.

Moody noticed the looks of shock he was receiving and shook his head irritably.

"From what we've seen the lad is more than a match for the bastard" he explained confidently. "I doubt we've seen everything he's capable" he mused aloud as he took a seat and waited.

The small skirmishes had long since finished and all that was left was the conclusion of what was occurring within the flames.

After several minutes more and more people joined them and the media and even members of the public began to arrive in the village after word of the battle had clearly spread.

All eyes were on the flames. None could see in but they knew what was happening.

The wizarding world watched on tenterhooks and with baited breath for the conclusion of the day.

They could only hope that Harry Potter would emerge victorious, particularly those in the crowd that knew the young man personally.

(BREAK)

Harry propelled himself towards where he had heard the explosion as quickly as his magic would allow him.

As he neared where he knew his godfather would be he shook himself as he felt the presence of the Dementors growing stronger but he persevered, knowing that he could fight the effects a little longer.

He blanched when he came upon the man he was looking for.

He was dueling Tom and though he was doing a rather good job at avoiding the spells that were sent at him Harry knew that Sirius would not last much longer, despite how good of a wizard and fighter he had become.

The young man smiled as he watched his godfather fire a blasting curse at Voldemort, forcing the man to conjure a hastily shield.

His pride in the man was short-lived however as he saw the telltale green jet of light indicating that Tom had fired a killing curse.

Thinking quickly he sent a powerful banishing charm at Sirius and breathed a sigh of relief as the curse missed him and impacted against a nearby building.

"Expecto Patronum" , he muttered sending the inbound Dementors scarpering as Druella flew towards them.

Harry noticed the look of surprise that Tom wore as he noticed him flying towards him.

The shock was evidently enough to prevent the Dark Lord from firing any spells or curses at the airborne teen.

Harry took his opportunity and landed in front of the man.

"You've taken enough people from me Tom" he growled angrily as he felt the same fury course through his body that he had felt that morning causing his eyes to pulse eerily once again.

"Potter" Voldemort spat simply. "You and your allies have fought amiably, but we both know you are no match for me" he added confidently.

Harry grinned maniacally.

"I can smell the fear on you Tom, believe me, I am going to cause you more pain than you can imagine" he promised.

"I do not fear you Potter" the Dark Lord denied angrily.

He smirked as he absorbed the rest of what Harry had said.

"Dear, dear Harry, you haven't turned dark have you?" he asked mockingly.

"No" Harry replied casually. "But I doubt anyone would approve of what I am going to do to you, but let's keep that between us shall we Tom, you deserve a special kind of justice after all" he finished with a feral grin.

He waved his wand and conjured a circle of black flames around the duo, hiding them from view.

The world around them fell dead silent. There was no screeching from the griffins or screams of pain from the injured and dying. The only thing that could be heard was the gentle crackling of the conjured flames.

"What is this? Voldemort asked angrily.

"Just something that will ensure our privacy" Harry answered casually. "No more running Tom" he added seriously. "This ends now" he growled as he fired a particularly dark cutting curse, that would cut into the bone and sear the flesh and muscle around it at the man who side stepped it warily.

"Impressive" Riddle conceded. "You must have dug quite deeply to find that one" he acknowledged with a nod. "But not good enough" he roared as he fired a string of curses towards Harry.

Harry recognized a blood-boiling curse, an entrail-expulsion curse and a heart-stopping hex. He dodged the first two and batted the other back towards Tom who dodged it nimbly.

"Not impressed" Harry shrugged as he slashed his wand through the air quickly launching a purple bolt in Tom's direction.

He saw a look of surprise cross Tom's face before he quickly conjured a large silver dome around himself, which absorbed the spell, much to his relief.

"One of Antonin's favourites" Voldemort observed. "A very dangerous spell to play with Harry" he warned as he shot the same spell back at the teen who conjured the same shield he had just witnessed to prevent the curse from hitting him.

Harry growled angrily and began firing curses at will towards his foe who followed suit.

The two men danced around shooting an array of lethal hexes, jinxes and curses at one another, dodging, shielding and batting them away when necessary.

The time for talking was well and truly over, for now.

They pushed each other to the best of their abilities and soon found themselves in a stalemate, a fight between equals as Tom expected from what the prophecy had stated.

Each man was certainly impressed by the skill that each other was showing, though they both expected the fight of a lifetime from the other.

Harry began shooting off some of the more obscure spells that he had been learning from his Grandfather's collection and was pleased to see a look of concern cross Tom's face as he clearly did not recognize them.

Tom dodged the spells he did not recognize. He may not know what they were but he knew that they were intended to kill or maim. He could feel the power the younger man possessed and began to worry to at the unrecognizable spells that were coming at him thick and fast.

He grew weary of the attritional fight he found himself in and decided to fight with the curses that had not failed him yet.

He began firing killing curses as quickly as he could. They were tiring but he knew the fight would be over if only he could catch the nimble younger wizard.

Harry began conjuring granite slabs and blocking the killing curses, he knew that Riddle was getting desperate if he was resorting to only firing them.

He paused to fire a powerful bone-breaker, only to realize that he had made a mistake by pausing in his movement.

"Crucio" the Dark Lord roared triumphantly as he saw Potter pause to fire his spell.

He wasn't particularly keen on prolonging the fight with the cruciatus curse but the incantation was much shorter and it would incapacitate the teen so he could be finished at will.

Harry collapsed as sheer agony ignited throughout every nerve ending in his body but was surprised to only feel it for a split second.

He heard Tom scream in pain as his own curse impacted, it did not deter the Dark Lord though.

Without missing a beat he fired off two cutting hexes in quick succession catching the teen on the thigh flush and glancing his face as he turned to avoid it.

Harry hissed in pain as the curse struck his thigh and quickly turned his face as he spied another heading towards it. He felt it brush against his cheek, opening another wound but breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was only a flesh wound.

He rolled backwards to his feet and grinned evilly when he saw that Tom's left arm had been mangled by his spell, rendering it useless.

Harry was impressed by the pain threshold of the Dark Lord, that amount of damage would usually incapacitate someone. He grudgingly gave the man some respect for his determination.

He quickly healed the cut on his leg knowing that he was losing a considerable amount of blood from it. It wouldn't do to become weak due to blood loss.

"You've fought well Harry" Voldemort praised pulling Harry from his observations of his injuries. "But surely you can see that we are evenly matched" he added with a mocking sigh. "The prophecy even said so" he pointed out. "But if you continue to fight then we will both die, and you know as well as I do that I will be back" he finished smugly.

Harry chuckled.

"The prophecy said you would mark me as an equal, it doesn't mean that it would always be that way" he responded.

He had listened to it a few days prior to the battle. He refused to take any chances when it came to Riddle, even if he did despise the subject of Divination.

"And you are referring to your Horcruxes?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I admit that you did well locating most of them" Voldemort ground out. "But you didn't get them all" he continued with a smirk.

"Ahh you mean your snake" Harry returned with a smirk of his own and was both pleased and relieved by the jaw of the Dark Lord becoming agape in shock. "She is being dealt with as we speak" Harry informed him casually.

"You lie" Tom spat furiously. "She is protected by my most trusted".

"Bellatrix?" Harry questioned. "She definitely isn't your most loyal" he mused aloud. "What's wrong Tom, scared?" he finished mockingly.

"You've already proven you can't beat me Harry" Voldemort replied exasperatedly. "I've seen your best and it is lacking" he concluded.

Harry smirked dangerously.

"You've seen nothing yet Tom" he replied with a dangerous grin as he drew his second wand.

Voldemort's eyes grew wide with shock and concern. He had heard of those that could use two wands but it took a lot of practice and he had never encountered one as powerful as Potter that had the ability to do it.

He himself had never bothered after Dumbledore had refused to give him another feather from his phoenix for a second wand.

He had tried several others but none were as good as his own so he abandoned it knowing that it was a very rare skill indeed and it was unlikely that any who could use two wands would be a threat to him.

Now, he wasn't so sure as he watched Potter twirling both wands equally well in both hands.

The Dark Lord swallowed deeply and braced himself. He knew that it was more tiring to use two wands in a fight but he had already been struggling thus far against the younger man and he himself was feeling fatigued by his exertions.

'I need to allow him to tire himself out' he thought desperately.

He managed to erect his golden mage shield in the nick of time and the various curses Potter fired at him reverberated against it, pushing him back violently against the wall of flames that he simply bounced off.

Harry gritted his teeth firmly and braced himself as he began hurling rapid and powerful bludgeoners, bone-breakers and blasting curses from each wand in a dangerous rhythm at the shielding in an effort to break it.

His efforts were rewarded after a few moments as he began to see it flicker and weaken under the strain of his onslaught.

The Dark Lord dug as deeply as he ever had into his magic but knew that it would not be enough.

He felt himself growing weaker and caught sight of the triumphant smile the boy wore as his shield turned translucent as it began to fail him.

He felt the panic rise within him and threw himself to the ground in a final bid of desperation causing his shield to collapse.

Although he had thrown himself as clear as possible from the spells of the path, it wasn't enough. No sooner had he landed that he felt the first curses impact against him and his body erupted into agony.

The spells stopped and he found himself shaking uncontrollably as the adrenaline and endorphins attempted to stave off the pain he was experiencing.

He took stock of his body and knew immediately that many of his bones were broken, he simply could not move.

He saw that his wand arm was nothing but a useless lump of flesh and crushed bone. His wand hung limply in his hand and no matter how much he willed the appendage to move, it wouldn't.

He caught sight of his leg and realized that is was several feet from his body, removed by a blasting curse though it was probably the least amount of pain he was feeling.

He knew he was defeated and he only hoped that Potter was bluffing about the fate of his beloved familiar.

Harry stepped towards the downed body of the Dark Lord cautiously. He could see that he had been mangled and even partially dismembered but he knew that the man was still dangerous.

He saw that he was still in possession of his wand though, by the state of his arm, it was unlikely that he would be able to use it.

He summoned and pocketed it with a shudder as thoughts of the amount of murder and torture it had been used for played around in his mind.

He shook his head from the disturbing images and approached the pitiful sight before him.

"You fucked up when you attacked my family" he stated darkly. "You really shouldn't have come for me Tom" he added. "Now you will suffer for what you put me through, all I wanted was a normal life but you couldn't just allow it could you" he spat bitterly.

Riddle said nothing but stared at him with complete hatred in his eyes.

"I said to you the night in the graveyard that one day you will be on the other end of the wand that will decide your fate, do you remember? Harry asked angrily.

Still Tom said nothing.

"I also remember saying that I hope that they show you the same mercy you have shown all of those you tortured and murdered" he continued. "I'm glad it's me that's here" he added. "Now you will suffer Tom, the next few minutes are going to be very unpleasant for you" he concluded as he began twirling his wand in an intricate pattern while mumbling.

After a moment Tom felt his whole body erupt in a type of pain he had never even comprehended could exist.

It felt as though his insides were on fire, yet there were no flames. It felt as though he was being stabbed, yet there was no blades entering or exiting his body. And it felt like his skin was being stripped away from him in chunks, but it remained on him.

He held on as long as he could but began screaming as the pain become worse the longer the curse was coursing through him.

"You said once that we were similar" Harry began speaking again when he knew the curse was doing its work. "You were right" he admitted reluctantly. "Both orphans, both raised in shitholes by bastards and both having Hogwarts as our first home" he reeled off as he paced. "But that is as far as it goes" he continued after a moment. "I wouldn't kill an innocent person and I wouldn't torture someone for fun" he explained. "This" he said indicating to the Dark Lord himself, "is justice, you reap what you sow Tom and you deserve every single moment of this and more" he spat angrily. "But I am nothing like you" he finished flicking his wand towards the throat of Voldemort and severing the head away from the body.

He placed his second wand back in its leg holster, he didn't want the world knowing what he was capable of after all and burnt the remains of Tom's body minus the head which he picked up with a grimace and walked towards the black flame wall to begin undoing the spell.

If Bellatrix had been successful then the war was finally over and Harry Potter could finally have the peace he had sought for so long.

(BREAK)

Bellatrix Black had been waiting nervously for an inordinate amount of time for some kind of signal on what she should do.

She did not want to simply just kill the snake on the chance that the Dark Lord was successful. He would simply kill her if things did not go as planned and he returned to find that she had destroyed what she had been tasked to guard.

The woman was not ashamed to admit that she was terrified.

The snake watched her as she paced backwards and forwards from one side of the room to the other.

The task itself was not particularly difficult but she was very aware that it was the most important one that had been set for her in her life by both factions of the war.

She could just as easily carry out the instructions the Dark Lord had given her but she knew that her life would be forfeited for a fact.

If she sided with Potter then he would be true to his word and ensure that she would get a cell without Dementors lurking in the corridor and with any luck some real food.

She stopped her pacing suddenly as the snake began thrashing violently on the floor.

She tentatively drew the dagger she had liberated from the Black vault many years before and made her way slowly to the flailing creature.

She watched in fascination at he threw itself to and fro in obvious pain and discomfort.

She readied herself and launched into her attack. She drove the dagger with all her might into the snake's head, eliciting a screech of pain from the beast and more violent thrashing that sent the woman flying and crashing into the wall.

After catching her bearings she saw a deep black oily substance leaking from the wound she had inflicted while the snake continued to scream in agony, but the animal was not finished yet.

Once the oily substance had stopped flowing the snake turned towards her and struck, sinking its venomous fangs into her shoulder repeatedly.

Bellatrix fought back as best she could by stabbing the reptile time and time again with the dagger and just when she thought she had nothing left, the creature fell limp.

Bellatrix was in a very bad way. She had several puncture wounds spread about her body and she was already feeling weak from the effects of the toxins.

She began to breathe heavily and knew she needed help. She quickly activated the portkey that would take her to Potter and hoped that he was in a position where he could save her.

She wasn't ready to die yet, not when life was about to get much easier for her.

(BREAK)

The crowd gathered in Hogsmeade had been watching the odd black fire mostly in an anticipatory silence that was only broken by the clicking of cameras from the journalists and the occasional speculative whisper by those predicting the outcome of the fight taking place. Many were torn between disappoint and relief that were not having to witness the event which they knew would be nothing short of brutal and ferocious, thought they knew it would be an incredible display of magic.

Sirius, Moody and Remus had been joined by: the Weasley's, Tonks' and the remaining members of the order.

Percy had sadly perished from his wounds despite the effort his family had made to save him, though the redhead had died with a smile on his face as he had been surrounded by his father and most of his brothers. His final words had been spent declaring his intentions to watch over his mother and sister for them until they would all be untied together again.

Tonks was rather subdued as Kingsley hadn't made it but had prevented many more lives being lost as he had single handedly fought and defeated Jugson, Selwyn and Macnair after they had tried to ambush her group as they were fighting off the Dementors and the trolls. He had been gravely injured but managed to finish off the trio of men despite this. She certainly would never forget the dark skinned man that had taken her under his wing on her first day in the academy.

Albus Dumbledore made his way through the crowd to those he had led, his expression nothing short of heartbroken. He had prepared Minerva's body in a way he knew she would approve and had had transport her into her private quarters so that he could bury his friend later to her requests.

He wanted nothing more than to be alone but he had to see this through to the end and ensure that Tom was killed. If Harry hadn't succeeded in his efforts then he prayed that Tom had been weakened enough for himself or someone else to finish him.

'Probably Sirius' he mused spying the man who already had his wand in hand.

He joined his friends but said nothing; he simply watched and waited along with them. He had already deduced that Tom and Harry were within the flames and that there was nothing else he could do.

Sirius gasped as the flames began to flicker and fade. They suddenly collapsed leaving only a thick cloud of smoke in their wake and he swallowed deeply as he raised his wand, followed by Moody, Dumbledore and Remus.

What they saw emerge left them all feeling relieved and nauseous.

Harry Potter limped out of the smog covered completely in both fresh and congealed blood. His glowing green eyes stood out above it all; the young man looked completely sinister as he clutched the head of Lord Voldemort under his arm.

"Harry" Sirius choked as he stepped forward to greet his victorious godson.

He only made it a couple of paces however when an enormous golden griffin landed in front of him and screeched threateningly. The beast was joined by a Thestral that simply glared dangerously at the crowd who all stepped back from the threat of the beasts.

Harry stepped in front of his friends and deposited the head to the ground, quickly pulling both the griffin and Thestral into a hug as best he could.

"You guys were amazing" he whispered. "Why don't you head home and I will see you there" he suggested.

The griffin screeched gently and continued to eye the crowd and nodded sharply in their direction causing Harry to chuckle.

"I'll be fine, I promise" he said softly in an attempt to placate the irritable creature.

The griffin screeched again and rubbed his head against the teens face affectionately before screeching loudly one final time causing the rest of his group and the Thestrals that had accompanied them to take flight and make their way back to Potter Manor.

The gathered witches and wizards watched in awe as the young man spoke with the animals. None had ever seen a griffin before and had only heard that they were exceedingly dangerous.

Harry turned to face his godfather who pulled him into a hug and cried into his shoulder, clinging to the young man.

Harry wrapped his arms around the man and shook his head amusedly.

"You do realize there are cameras" he whispered .

"Don't care" Sirius mumbled.

He eventually extracted himself away from his godson and looked him over critically.

"Are you hurt?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine" Harry assured the man.

He felt a heavy hand clap him on the shoulder and turned to see Moody grinning at him.

"Got him then" he growled as he nudged the head with his foot.

Harry just nodded.

"Good lad" Moody praised. "What are you all standing there gawping for?" he questioned the crowd angrily. "We have a hell of a mess to clean up and you've all just been drafted" he added with a smirk.

That seemed to snap the crowd out of their awestruck state.

"Lord Potter" a voice called and Harry turned towards it to find himself faced with a dozen journalists, clearly waiting for a story.

He just raised an eyebrow at the familiar site of Rita Skeeter.

"What happened in there?" she asked with a predatory grin.

"What happened in there is between myself and Tom Riddle, you certainly will get no explanation from me" he answered coldly. "All that matters is that he is dead and he will not be coming back this time, that is all you need to know" he finished sternly.

"The wizarding world has a right to know" Skeeter tried again receiving several nods from her colleagues.

"And I have the right to some peace" Harry ground out. "I will not be answering questions about this" he added shaking his head. "You will respect my wishes" he demanded.

"Did you use dark magic to defeat him?" Rita pushed a little further.

"Would you like to find out?" Harry growled angrily at the woman who blanched as she saw him fingering his wand.

"That is enough" the voice of Amelia Bones cut in furiously. "You will all leave Lord Potter alone" she commanded. "He has the right to privacy as he pointed out, and he will have it".

"Thank you Madame Bones" Harry said gratefully.

"Now I believe Alastor Moody requires help" she addressed the crowd. "It is now time for us to pull together and help one another out, let's get to it" she instructed with a clap of her hands.

Those in attendance grumbled but obliged and began making their way to be given a job to do.

Harry sighed and began making his way to Dumbledore along with Sirius and Remus when a heavily bloodied body landed in front of him.

"Shit, Bellatrix" Harry exclaimed in recognition as he bent down to check on the state of the woman. "I need a healer" he called desperately.

"All the healers are busy" Remus said in disbelief seeing Harry attending to Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Time to shine Granger" Moody growled as he pushed the girl forward.

Hermione swallowed and made her way over to her friend and the deranged woman.

She began casting diagnostic charms while giving the woman a confused look.

"She's poisoned, and lost too much blood, blood replenishers won't be enough" she sighed.

"Fuck" Harry growled.

"I got her Potter" Bellatrix said weakly. "She's dead".

"Then you did good" Harry praised.

"There may be a way to save her" Hermione piped up uncertainly.

"Then do it" Harry commanded.

"It's risky" Hermione explained. "We need two people who share her blood, one won't be enough they would die from the blood loss" she added shaking her head.

"Sirius and I can do it" Harry responded quickly. "We both have Black blood".

Hermione sighed and began conjuring tubes and some pumping equipment.

"Blood transfusion, but I don't know how it will work with magical blood" she warned.

"Looks like we will find out" Harry sighed as he rolled up his sleeve.

Sirius followed his lead and Hermione began setting up the equipment. She placed the needles into each of their veins and began the process.

"You better have a good explanation for this Potter" Moody stated with a glare.

"If it wasn't for her then this wouldn't be over" he answered simply.

"Your informant?" Moody questioned with a frown.

Harry nodded.

"Damn" Moody growled. "I won't question it" he added. "You've proven that I can trust you lad, I'll take your word for it" he concluded showing some confidence in the teen.

"Thank you" Harry replied sincerely.

"She will be coming into custody though" the head of the DMLE warned.

"She already knows that" Harry answered.

"Lestrange" Neville spat angrily as he drew his wand and aimed it at the woman.

"I wouldn't do that Neville" Harry warned seriously.

"She's the reason I have no parents" the boy gritted out.

"If you want your revenge then you can challenge her to a duel but you won't attack her when she can't defend herself" Harry responded with a glare. "If you try then it is my duty as her head of house to defend her, don't make me do that Neville, she will pay for her crimes" he promised.

Neville was clearly torn but after considering his options for a moment he placed his wand back in his pocket. He certainly did not want to fight Harry and he knew that his friend must have a reason to be keeping her alive.

"She's starting to stabilize" Hermione announced, surprised. "It's working" she added disbelievingly. "She will still need to go to St. Mungo's though".

Harry nodded and felt a wave of relief wash over him.

'I hope you appreciate this Arcturus' he thought as he shook his head.

"Ok, she's ready to be taken now" Hermione explained as she finished sealing the last of the puncture marks. "I've done everything I can".

"Ever the genius Hermione" Harry said with a smile as he pulled her friend into a hug.

"We all mistakes Harry" Hermione replied sadly, thinking of her Hufflepuff friend that had been killed.

"But we learn from then" Harry returned seriously to which Hermione nodded. "Tonks" Harry called.

The metamorph stepped forward and eyed her aunt warily.

"Take her to St. Mungos and stay with her, I will explain everything later" he promised.

Tonks looked towards Moody who nodded.

"Aye lass, do as he says" her boss instructed.

Tonks took hold of her aunt's hand and portkeyed away.

Harry breathed another sigh of relief.

"Who did we lose?" he asked worriedly.

"Percy" Charlie answered with a choke.

"I'm sorry" Harry intoned sincerely.

The Weasley's had now lost 3 members of their family to this conflict.

"Gawain" Sirius cut in.

"Shit" Harry grumbled as he pulled his hand through his hair.

Over the past few months he had grown to both like and respect the head auror. He had a very dry sense of humour and was very gifted with his wand. He would certainly miss the man.

"Minerva" Dumbledore sighed sadly.

Harry felt a lump form in his throat at the last name. Professor McGonagall had always had his respect. Although she was a stern and fearsome woman there was always a warmth around the transfiguration professor.

Before Harry could express his sorrow, Dumbledore spoke again.

"How about we go and get cleaned up" he suggested. "I'm sure there is a certain young lady waiting to see you" he added to Harry.

"Daphne" Harry whispered in realization and nodded to the headmaster who began leading the way, followed by the teen and the rest of the order.

"You may want to clean yourself up a little pup" Sirius advised. "You look completely deranged with all that blood on you".

Harry began removing as much from his skin as he possibly could; he knew it wouldn't come out of the very torn clothes he was wearing so left them as they were. He would send for Elgar to bring him some when he got the chance.

(BREAK)

The atmosphere in the Great Hall was one of complete tension, felt by everyone assembled in the room.

They had listened intently to the explosions they could hear from within the castle along with the occasional earsplitting screams that permeated throughout the room.

But the sounds of battle had finished quite some time ago and now the occupants of Hogwarts were simply waiting for word on the outcome.

Several voices suddenly became audible from outside the hall and the students and staff alike stiffened, some drawing their wands ready to defend themselves.

The door opened to reveal a very tired looking Albus Dumbledore and a sigh of relief escaped many at the sight of the man.

The headmaster was followed by a limping and blood clad Harry Potter, his green eyes glowing in their usual fashion.

Harry had barely crossed the threshold when he heard his name shouted and a blonde blur ploughed into him and began crying into his chest in relief and happiness.

"I'm ok" Harry assured Daphne has he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him.

Sirius followed his godson into the room and was accosted in a similar fashion.

"Dad" Natalie cried as she fell into him.

Sirius immediately bent down and hugged the girl, fighting back the tears that were forming in his eyes. This was the first time she had called him that and it filled him with a tingling sensation.

"Not princess this time then?" he asked with a watery laugh.

Natalie just shook her head firmly and held the man tighter.

"Albus?" Professor Sprout questioned worriedly.

Dumbledore shook his head and made his way to the podium in front of the staff table. He looked around and sighed before he addressed the room.

"Lord Voldemort has been defeated" he informed them.

A loud cheer erupted within the room but Dumbledore held up his hands to gain their attention once more.

"This war has been costly" he began again. "We lost many good men and women today and one student" he explained sadly. "Let this be a lesson to you all that war is neither fun nor glorious" he continued firmly.

"Which student did we lose?" Slughorn asked with a swallow.

"Hannah Abbott" Dumbledore answered with a sigh.

Susan Bones and many of her housemates began to sob at the news.

"Where is Minerva?" Sprout questioned.

Dumbledore choked back his emotion, he would have time to mourn later.

"She didn't make it" Flitwick cut in, seeing that the headmaster was having a difficult moment and could not answer.

"Oh no" Sprout gasped, covering her hand with her mouth.

Dumbledore released a deep breath before he addressed the room again.

"We largely have Harry Potter and Sirius Black to thank for todays victory" he explained with a nod towards the duo. "Not only were they both vital personally in battle but they helped prepare our forces to the best of their ability with the help of Alastor Moody and Gawain Robards who sadly did not survive today" he said gravely. "Had these men not prepared and fought so diligently we would certainly have lost more people and perhaps even lost the war" he added genuinely. "I will of course keep you all updated with any relevant information" he finished as he stepped away and exited the hall.

Harry watched the man leave and saw the lost expression he war.

"I'll be back soon" he promised Daphne who nodded her understanding.

Sirius made to follow also but Harry stopped him with a shake of his head.

"Take Natalie and let your wife know you're ok, we can catch up later" he said to the man who nodded and took his daughter as he left the castle.

Harry left the hall to find the headmaster.

Most seemed content to leave the man to his own devices but Harry wasn't. He wanted to be there for the man if he needed him in any way.

To many, Albus Dumbledore was untouchable and unshakable. Harry however had seen the vulnerability of the man and saw him simply as a human being, a unique one of course; but human nonetheless.

(BREAK)

Sirius arrived home along with Natalie to find his wife in tears and distraught in the kitchen.

As the pair entered Marlene stood from the chair she was sat in and just stared at her husband as though she was trying to decide if he was really there or not.

"You made it" she whimpered as a fresh stream of tears made their way down her cheeks.

"I did" Sirius choked with a nod. "It's over" he sobbed as he pulled his wife and daughter into his arms and held them, simply savouring the moment.

(BREAK)

Harry made his way through the castle, heading for the headmaster's office.

He reached the stone gargoyle and sighed as he realised he didn't know the password.

"Could you just let me pass?" he asked the statue that just remained idle.

"Young man" a voice called.

Harry turned to see a portrait looking at him intently.

"You will find the headmaster in the deputies office" the painting informed him.

"Thank you" Harry replied gratefully and made his way to McGonagall's office, somewhere he used to fear being summoned to.

He came upon the room to find Dumbledore stood in the middle of it and simply staring around.

Harry placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder to get his attention.

Dumbledore jumped at the contact bus visibly relaxed when he caught sight of the teen.

"Should you not be celebrating Harry?" he asked with a light frown.

Harry shook his head.

"I'll leave that to those that don't have blood on their hands" he answered. "I won't celebrate death and violence when I was a part of it".

"As always you show wisdom beyond your years" Dumbledore praised, inclining his head towards the teen.

"I like to think I've surrounded myself with wise people sir" Harry responded sincerely.

Dumbledore just smiled sadly and continued his observations of the room.

"This place won't be the same without her" Harry spoke after a few moments.

"Indeed" Dumbledore answered. "She is just as much a part of this castle as I am and I will miss her dearly" the old man admitted. "It is a shame that you only got to know her as a professor Harry, she was a remarkable a woman" he added with a sigh.

"I'm sure she was" Harry responded. "And I'm sure she would give you a dressing down if she saw you moping" he finished with a raised eyebrow.

"That she would" Dumbledore chuckled. "Though I find it difficult to simply move on".

"And you don't have to" Harry returned. "Those we lose are always with us and waiting for us when it is our turn in the next great adventure" he explained with a grin.

"Ahh, using my own words against me, touché Harry" Dumbledore acknowledged. "Did you ever get to taste one of Minerva's ginger newts? The headmaster asked.

"I don't think I ever had the pleasure" Harry answered.

"They are rather delicious" the old man intoned as he retrieved a tartan tin from the shelf behind the desk. "She would be most upset if these went to waste" he added offering the open tin to the younger man.

Harry took one and smiled at it.

"I think we will need some tea with these sir" he suggested.

"You would be right" Dumbledore acquiesced with a nod.

"Elgar" Harry called. "Could you bring myself and Professor Dumbledore some tea and some clothes for me?" he asked.

"Of course Master Harry" the elf replied, clearly pleased to see his master had survived the battle.

The two men sat in silence for some time while they drank the tea and ate the biscuits.

"War is too costly" Dumbledore sighed exasperatedly.

"It is" Harry agreed. "Not only to those that die but to us that are forced to take lives and continue living when it is done" he added.

"A burden that we must carry as unfortunate as it is, I myself took a life today, and not by accident" Dumbledore admitted bitterly.

"Do you see me as a bad person sir?" Harry questioned the man.

"No Harry, I see you as one of the greatest men I have ever met" Dumbledore said without hesitation.

"Then you should not see yourself that way" Harry returned firmly. "If you can justify what you did and you know that it was the right thing to do in the moment, then you did the right thing, do not feel guilty for those that force our hands" he finished.

Dumbledore nodded reluctantly.

"I am here for you sir" Harry said softly placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "People see us as invincible when we probably feel more pain and carry more burdens than any of them, we all need someone sir, even the great Albus Dumbledore" he concluded with a soft smile.

"Thank you Harry, I may take you up on that offer of help" he chuckled warningly.

"Anything you need sir" Harry reaffirmed sincerely.

"You're a good man Harry, a much stronger one than myself and I am grateful for your friendship, truly" the headmaster explained genuinely. "But you should not be here with me right now, I will be fine, I just need some time to let it all sink in. Go and enjoy some of the peace you have fought so hard for, I imagine it will be disturbed before you are ready" he warned.

Harry nodded and left the man to his thoughts.

He had no doubt that Dumbledore was right. Though he wished for nothing more than peace, he knew there was still much more to do before he could have it.