Chapter 24 The Final Task and Battle

May 24, 1995

It was a relaxing spring day and they were all sitting in Gilly's and Sirius' cottage. They would now finally know what the Owens' witch had been up to. She had in her lap a brown package and she had waited all afternoon before handing it over. Now, she was sitting next to Harry with a smile on her lips. "Here you go, sweetie. I want you to wear this during the final task," the red-blonde said, holding out the gift.

Harry tore it open and inside was some black clothes, they were shiny and stiff, like pleather, and the teen looked at them doubtfully. "What are they?" he asked, reaching out to feel the smooth surface of the material. It was like touching a snake, cool and smooth.

"These are made from the skin of a basilisk," she answered, bouncing in her seat at a job well done.

"Really?" Harry asked now excited, the other boys leaned forward and also ran their hands down the scales. Luna just watched with a knowing look on her face.

"Wow, that is so cool," Jordan stated as he rubbed the sleeve of the shirt.

"How did you get them?" Neville asked.

"Gringotts," was the simple reply.

"Oh, I guess that works," the bleach-haired boy said doubtfully. Not that he doubted his aunt; he just didn't know the bank would have something like this.

"Dumbledore sold him that basilisk he killed in what was supposed to be your guys' second year. They were actually pretty happy to part with some of the skin," Gilly elaborated. "I had to get the suit made in the Alley but I bought the skin from Gringotts."

"Oh," was the soft response and the two older boys continued to check out the clothes, while Harry was moving the pants around to see if they would move freely. All three of them were surprised that despite the looks they were maneuverable. "That's so cool," the tri-color haired boy said as he stood and held the pants up to his lower body to make sure they would fit. It would be a tight squeeze, but since he was going to wear it under his clothes, well that was okay.

"Yup, they cost a pretty penny too, but I got a discount for you," Gilly answered with a giggle. All she had to do was bring up Harry's name and boom instant discount. It was good to have friends in high places.

"You shouldn't spend that much on me, what if I don't need them?" the youngest male asked, looking at his aunt.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry," she stated firmly.

"I can pay you back," the teen offered as he sat back down and moved the pants around again. I wonder if they will relax more if I wear them, he thought.

"Don't you even think about it, buddy," she said, poking a finger in his chest. "I've been saving for years to get something like this made."

"Did you get one for everyone?" he asked glancing at his friends, already knowing the answer, but hopeful nonetheless.

"Only vests," she said a bit sad that there was no way she could afford to get full suits made for all of the team. That and there wasn't enough skin for sale either. The goblins had already used much of it for their own guards. She did retrieve the three vests for the other teens and hand them out. She would give the rest of the team theirs later.

"Thanks, Aunt Gilly," came the chorus response.

"Well, I guess that's better than nothing. Thanks, Aunt Gilly, you are the best aunt ever," Harry stated firmly and kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh, you," she said with a giggle and kissed his forehead.

"I'm going to go and try these on and see if I can't loosen them up a bit," the tri-color haired boy stated as he went to the restroom to do just that. The two boys joined him and Luna headed to the bedroom.

It took a week, but he did finally get them relaxed enough that he didn't look like a robot when he wore them. It was kind of fun, ribbing Harry on how he looked in the black scales. Someone made the comment that he looked like Death, and the poor boy didn't understand why the youngest four broke down in laughter.

During that month prior, Harry read the journals of Gryffindor and the Potters and now had a firmer understanding of his family and the history of Hogwarts. He knew why Salazar had left the school and it was mostly what history said. What wasn't said was how it affected the other Founders to lose one of their own. The three that remained behind were devastated and hoped their friend would calm down and return, but he never did and they never found out what happened to him. That was really sad to read, Harry just hoped that the man died of natural causes and didn't fall to non-magicals, though given the time it was quite possible.

The rest of the SMI students set about reading everything they could on old spells and history. They had all been picked for this team, because they were the top of their classes and they could tutor the younger ones. They were also there as back up for the final fight or to provided legal help if needed. They were training every day and brushing up on their studies, knowing it would soon be time.

May 31, 1995

It was because the students shared their information at breakfast with the other schools that Gilly, Sirius, Harry, Claire and Mr. Scott were called to the Headmasters office. They had an inkling as to why the man was asking for them, but he would be sadly disappointed if it was what they thought. They made it to the gargoyle and up the stairs. They all trooped in and sat in the chairs they conjured; well, Claire leaned against the wall.

The usual Hogwarts people were there; Snape, McGonagall and Moody were all seated behind Dumbledore. "Harry, my boy, I hear you have something that belongs to the school," was the opening spiel as the old man folded his hands and put them on his desk in an important manner.

"I'm sorry, Albus, ole man, but what are you talking about? I have nothing that belongs to Hogwarts. Are you calling me a thief?" Harry asked with an angry look, daring the man to say that he had stolen anything.

The Headmaster opened his mouth to defuse that notion but was interrupted by his Potions Master.

"Don't play stupid, Potter, you have books that belong to the Founders," snapped the dour man as he rose from his chair and leaned over the desk. His sneer firmly in place and there was a gleam in his eyes that they would finally get one up on the arrogant child. He moved quickly back when Agent Mumford put her hand on her gun.

"Yeah, and?" was the blank comeback.

"Such treasures should be housed here at the school," Albus stated with finality as he looked over his glasses in that hated grandfather look.

"Ummm, no, they're family heirlooms and as such belong to me," Harry said firmly, folding his arms across his chest. There was no way he was handing over his legacy to this man, or anyone for that matter. He grew up knowing little about his birth family and now he was inundated with a lot of information and he loved every single second of it. There was no way this old bastard was going to take that from him.

"You are…" was as far as Snape got before he was silenced.

"I've knocked you down twice now; do you really want me to do it again?" Gilly asked with a voice as cold as ice. The wind picked up as it normally did when she was about to lose her temper.

"Severus, please," the Headmaster said, looking at the stubborn man. Snape harrumphed and sat back in his chair. "Now then, Harry, Founders' items belong to the school," reiterated the old man.

"So you're saying that if someone from Hufflepuff was directly related to the founder, then everything that was passed down the line, belongs to Hogwarts?" the teen asked, looking at Sirius in awed disbelief at the gall of this man. "I happen to be a direct descendant of Gryffindor, and you will never get my inheritance." There was a chill filling the air as his temper rose. Gilly laid a hand on his arm, but other than that let him handle this. She was keeping her eye on Snivellus.

"I know for a fact that the Hufflepuff cup was passed down until Tom stole it," Sirius said with a quirk of an eyebrow. He gave off the air of someone knowing something that he shouldn't. "You're saying that you're going to go to the Smiths and demand all of their treasure, because you say so?" he asked disbelievingly.

"What do you know about that?" Albus' head whipped around so fast they heard it crack. There was hardness in his eyes that usually were full of mirth.

"Just what I said," Sirius said in all seriousness, not understanding why the headmaster would be concerned about this. He should be happy that someone was taking care of business. "It was part of my project," he stated vaguely.

"I have been searching for that cup for many years, and, yes, I do believe that it belongs to the school," Dumbledore stated, cursing internally that someone found the cup before he did. He had to wonder if Sirius knew what it was. It could ruin his plans for Harry to go on the hunt for them. If he could just get the boy to stay and fight, then he could set him on that task and test just how powerful and resourceful he is.

"I can tell you that I have a necklace that belongs to Salazar, and you won't be getting it from me," the dogman said heatedly. "I can guarantee that the Smiths won't give up their stuff either. I dare you to take this in front of the Wizengamot, and tell them they have to give up their family heirlooms, because you say so," he bit out, leaning towards the desk as his eyes flashed fury.

Snape opened his mouth to retaliate, but a cold look from Gilly and a hand movement from Claire had him snapping it shut.

"You have some nerve, old man, to demand that I give up something from my family. If you had simply asked we would have been more than happy to share, but once again in your hubris, you have lost an opportunity to get on our good side. I believe we're done here," Harry stated as he stood and moved towards the door.

"Albus, I will thank you kindly to quit trying to rule over my students," Mr. Scott said as he too rose and headed out the door.

"Well, Albus, that's once more you've lost us a treasure," they all heard McGonagall say as the door closed behind them.

"So, we're not sharing?" Sirius asked as they moved down the stairs.

"Nay, I'm not that big of an as… jerk. I'll make sure copies get to the library when we leave," Harry stated right before he Jumped to the shore. The adults followed and continued the conversation.

"That's really nice of you, sweetie. I don't know if I would do the same," Gilly said, but then again she knew that for all his temper, he was a good boy.

"Well, what can I say; I'm awesome like that," the teen stated in a teasing voice as he puffed out his chest and struck a hero pose.

"That you are, Harry, that you are," Sirius said as he ruffled his godson's hair. The rest of the adults just chuckled and they Jumped to the boat.

"I'm going to go and find the gang. I'll see you guys later," Harry said and split from the group.

Gilly, Sirius, Mr. Scott and Claire grabbed the other agents and moved to the office, where they put the final touches on their plan. As time passed, they made sure to bring the FBI in so they wouldn't accidently clash with each other. The feds were grateful for that and set about working around the main plan. If everything went accordingly, then this Dark Lord would not be making a reappearance, or at the very least not a long one.

A small narration

It was a week later that the FBI caught Moody. They did a simple switching spell with a solution that tasted just like Polyjuice and the man transformed in the Great Hall at lunch time. Claire, who was guarding Harry that day, saw 'Moody' start to bubble, and immediately cast a stunning spell and wrapped him in ropes. There before everyone was a dead man, Barty Crouch Jr., which caused the Great Hall to breakout in chaos.

Dumbledore tried to take control, but Agent Mumford said that they needed to question the man, since he was their prime suspect in putting Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. So the FBI and the British Aurors were called. The professors and the Heads of the four schools calmed the students down and sent them on their way. Gilly and Sirius stayed to witness the interrogation. Harry and his cohorts had to go back to the boat, with Agent Stanley, and continued their day.

Knowing they had little time the feds pumped Junior full of Veritaserum and asked if he had put Harry's name in the goblet. Junior confessed to doing just that, and he stated that it was all part of an elaborate plan to bring back the Dark Lord. He couldn't tell them what, because every time he tried, he would choke on nothing. That was enough for the suits to hold him for more questioning.

The real Moody was found in his trunk and was recovering in the hospital wing. He was upset with himself for being caught off guard, but he was also quite angry at the fact that Dumbledore never caught on to the imposter. He thought the man knew him better than that. He would never drink that much from his flask, not without constantly checking it for tampering. Constant Vigilance!

Fudge, not believing the dead man was alive, had hurried to the castle. His Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, tagged along. The flustered Minister had wanted the man Kissed, before any more questions could be asked of him. Dolores called for the Dementors, but was shot down by the feds.

The FBI said they had jurisdiction and that the man would be extradited to the States for attempted murder. Fudge argued that he was an escaped convict and a Death Eater, so they had the right to retain him here in Britain. Crouch Jr. was eventually held in a Ministry cell, with guards from both factions, while the two governments waited for the ICW to decide who would have the right to sentence the man.

While they were holding him, he was questioned by both sides as to who the Death Eaters were, but everyone he named had already been tried or cleared. When asked if you could take the Dark Mark under the Imperius, he said he really didn't know, and then went on the tirade about cowards and traitors.

Fudge declared the man insane and once more tried to have him Kissed. His hands were stayed by the ICW, who was still debating with the United States President and the MUN on who could try the man.

Dolores, wanting to please the Minister, fed the prisoner poison and he died in his sleep. The feds were furious and arrested the toad on the spot—she left her fingerprints on the vial found on her person— then shipped her off to America for interfering with a sanctioned federal investigation. The ICW backed them the whole way. Fudge denied he had anything to do with it and was given a warning to keep his people under control.

Since Snape was now regarded as innocent in putting Potter's name in the cup, he resumed his favorite pastime in ridiculing the boy every chance he got. This caused Gilly and Sirius to up their own payback on the man, who was now bombarded with pranks and snide remarks wherever he went. It didn't take him long to realize he should stop spewing his contempt of all things Potter and Black, especially since the Headmaster was no longer confronting his tormentors.

Dumbledore was questioned as to how he didn't know that his old friend was an impostor. He weaseled out of it by using the fact that he was a busy man and his friend was always paranoid. Albus never questioned him, because the impostor really didn't do anything unusual. Upon him stating that he was too busy, Malfoy used it to convince Fudge to relieve Dumbledore of the Chief Warlock position.

The FBI then came back to Hogwarts under the guise of protecting Harry, since they didn't know Tom's plan. The poor boy now had three bodyguards wherever he went, which was good, because someone started putting compulsion charms on him again. They had stopped after the feds showed, but now someone was desperate to keep the Boy Who Lived in England. There were three of them almost daily, but all they were supposed to do was make him want to stay here.

They had no idea who, since the people were good at disguising their signatures. They had a suspicion that it was Dumbledore and the professors, but they couldn't prove it. There was a thought that someone from the Death Eater faction could be doing it under orders, but again they couldn't prove it. It got to the point where they had to scan him every time he left the castle. The feds taught him how to overcome these types of charms and were ecstatic when they found out he could overthrow the Imperius. They did still have to check the meals at breakfast, but nothing was found in the food or drink, but it never hurt to keep vigilant.

The Daily Prophet had a field day over the fact that Dumbledore was asked to step down from two prestigious positions. They ridiculed the Headmaster every way they could. They expounded on how Dumbledore was losing power and political stance. They did state that hope was abounding that now the he was only the Headmaster maybe the school would be in less peril. There was much speculation that maybe it was time he retired.

Death had visited Harry and told him that it didn't matter that Crouch Jr. was dead, he would still be ported away during the final task—it was destined. A disappointed Harry let his family, friends and bodyguards know —though he didn't tell the feds how he knew— and they tightened their plans.

June 17, 1995

It was a week before the final task, the Animagi were all ready to take the final step, so they were all seated in the magic room anxious and eager. They had worked hard every night for months to get to this day.

"You guys have been doing great. Of course, it was all due to my brilliant teaching," Sirius said with a giant grin on his face. He puffed his chest and rubbed his fingers across his shirt in a buffing motion.

"Whatever," came the chorused response from the teens and Gilly, though they did grin to take the bite out of it, which made the dogman mockingly deflate.

"Anyway, it's time for the final step. You've done every bit of the body now you should be able to do the whole thing," the dark-haired man said, walking around the room to help anyone who got stuck. "You are going to have to fight the instincts at first, so be careful. If you start to attack we will stun you," he threatened, very seriously. Mr. Scott, Claire and Isaac also kept watch, standing by those who would be the most dangerous.

Six people sat and concentrated, like they had been doing for months now, and one by one they transformed. It was a good thing the room was expanded for these nights, because a horse and a bear took up lots of room. No one attacked, but you could see the inner turmoil they were having. The four adults were keeping their wands at the ready.

Harry felt strong, stronger than he had ever felt before. His form wasn't that big, but he felt like he could take on the bear in the room with little problem. The only issue he had was that he wanted everyone away from him. He had to fight the instinct, so he didn't challenge the others to leave his space. It was a fierce inner battle, but soon enough Harry won control and looked at all the other animals in the room, without wanting to tear them apart.

Each animal was trying to gain use of their legs or wings. Chirps, roars, neighs and other animal noises brought the rest of the school in to see what was happening. Cheers came from the doorway as the students looked on with pride and envy. Luna was puttering around using her bill to snap playfully at the others. Gilly had gotten used to her wings and was zipping around the room. The others were walking and sniffing things. They let the human students pet and coo over them. Harry was simply watching everyone in admiration.

"Alright, you guys, now the hard part— change back," Sirius said loudly over the noise. He must have cast a Sonorus. Slowly but surely, and with a little help, everyone got back to their human form. Chatter filled the air as the non-Animagi asked what it felt like and the Animagi told them about the instincts of their forms. "Okay, settle down, now I'd like you to do it again and again until you can transform in under a few seconds," Sirius said, still with the voice enhancing charm on.

With the others looking on, they practiced all night and everyone got it down, though it did tire them out. When all was said and done, it was a happy group that went to bed that morning. The next night they were going to see if they could Jump in their animal forms. Sirius could, but he said it took a lot more concentration than it did when he was a human. Harry and Gilly were going to see if Owens' magic worked as well. If Harry could do these things then he would be closer to winning the fight with Voldemort.

The week passed and all the schools were in high spirits, Harry felt a little bad that the other champions wouldn't stand a chance, since it was all up to that Fate bitch. He didn't tell them though, they wanted to impress their school, so he would let them put on their shows of power. He was going to get through that maze as quickly and unobtrusively as possible. With his wolverine form, the Map and the Hallows there was no way he could fail. They did find they could Jump in their Animagus form, but the Owen's magic was much weaker, especially in Gilly's hummingbird form.

June 24, 1995

The day of the task classes were cancelled and it was around noon that everyone was assembled. Harry made sure to wear the gear that Gilly had gotten for him, as well as his cork necklace and the twine from Marie's rope that his aunt had given to him. That bit of rope would keep him from being possessed, hopefully. They weren't sure if it would work now that the curse was broken, or the fact that Harry was not blood, but they all prayed that Marie's magic would look after who they considered family.

The stands were much like they were on the other two tasks, only they were bigger, to house the dignitaries that hadn't been there before. There were several VIP boxes that were added. It seemed this final event was more important and hundreds more people flocked to watch.

Gilly reinforced the leash spell she had put on Harry when they boarded the vans back in Salem. She now had it tied to Sirius, Mr. Scott, Cathy, Scott and the feds. When Harry gets ported away, they would be going with him. They had been working on this plan for months. Every agent and team member knew what to do. The Animagus forms would come in handy. They were very hopeful that it would all turn out well in the end. Gilly was glad to see the clothes and the necklaces on her nephew, they should protect him as well.

If things went to plan the minions wouldn't even be there, however there was still the chance they could be called before the ritual. Evie predicted a long time ago there would be a battle, so they weren't taking any chances. There was also the possibility that followers would die from the Marks. The feds were unsure about that.

Evie's vision had Neville and Jordan fighting, but the rest of the adults didn't agree. So they made sure that the two boys understood that they were to stay here and protect the rest of the SMI group. Just because it was seen, doesn't mean it had to come to pass. As many times as they changed visions taught them that.

Fleur was to go first and then Harry, Krum and Cedric. As each champion lined up to starting point, the crowds went wild. Fleur was in a Quidditch uniform, like Krum and Cedric, only hers was powder blue and white. They all looked at Harry with his snakeskin outfit and Mokeskin bag tied to his waist. He wasn't carrying a wand and didn't look as nervous as they did. They all wondered why.

"'Arry, are you not worried?" the Veela asked as they waited for the crowds to settle.

"Nope, I got this," the youngest teen said with a cheeky grin, then he sobered and put on his game face. "Really, though, I am a bit worried, I just don't want to look bad." He glanced at the audience meaningfully.

That caused the other three to firm their faces and straighten their shoulders. They too wanted to appear strong for their schools. They had done well in the second task and had been working for months on what to do in the third. Though this time there were no clues on what it was, until Bagman showed them a week ago. They were all as ready as they could be, and they were each determined to win.

Bagman was commentating again. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the final task is upon us. Our champions will be facing many challenges in the maze you see before you. The Salem Magical Institute was kind enough to put up these screens so that you could see the action. The first to dare the challenge will be… Fleur Delacour!"

The cannon when off and Fleur ran in to the maze, wand drawn and ready for action. The audience turned their attention to the large screen that showed her entering and looking around. She started towards the first challenge and the screen switch views.

There were four screens to show who was where and a fifth screen that showed the Champion's Cup sitting on a pedestal in the center of the maze. Each champion wore a necklace and there were mirrors placed all around the maze that were spelled to project when anyone with the necklace passed them.

A few minutes went by and then the cannon went off again. Harry ran into the maze and quickly got out of range of the mirror. He ducked into a shady corner and withdrew the Map from his bag. He got his bearings and decided where to go. He then threw on his Cloak; cast charms to rid of sound and smell, turned into his wolverine form and scurried along the bushes.

The mirrors would still activate, but it would only show the challenge and the audience would wonder what was happening, which was Sirius's idea of a prank. You could hear the crowd boo when they didn't see anyone as the screen switched. They had all been anticipation the youngest champion to show great feats of magic.

The first obstacle Harry ran into was a Blast-Ended Skrewt. In his invisible form, he quickly got under the creature and used his very sharp claws to cut it deeply from neck to tail. He didn't want anyone to have to fight this fatal creature. He wanted to feel bad, but this was not a cuddly animal, this was a killer straight and simple. Now that it was fully grown there was no way it could be tamed, not even by Hagrid.

The Skrewt screamed and dropped as the wolverine ran out from underneath it. The tail blasted fire in his direction and he quickly Jumped to the other end. He stuck around to see if it would die, not wanting to leave a wounded animal to suffer or attack the other champions. It died quickly from blood loss. You could hear Hagrid's shouts of grieving, which almost made him feel sorry he killed it. Almost.

He then hightailed it to the next turn. After a few more turns, the next thing he encountered was a golden mist. He had no idea what it would do and he didn't want to find out, so he tried to Jump past it to the open area of the next bend of the maze that he could see on the other side. When he Jumped, his whole world turned upside down and he didn't land where he wanted.

The youngest champion turned into his human form and, still under the Cloak, looked at the Map again. He was on the other side of the maze. That mist had thrown him off his path. He gazed at the Map to see where the others were, and was fretful that Cedric was now ahead of him, until he realized the Hufflepuff was also heading to the mist. He got his bearings and once more transformed and started towards the middle again.

After scurrying around for about ten minutes, getting closer to his goal with each step, he ran into the Sphinx. Not wanting to have to solve some stupid riddle, he burrowed under the hedge and bypassed her. He chuckled when the Sphinx started calling out, "Who's there? You must face me to pass."

Now the youngest champion could see the Cup, the giant spider didn't seem to notice him, so he transformed back to human and ran, still invisible, and grabbed the trophy. He felt the pull at his navel and prayed their plans worked.

Sixteen people vanished from the stands, causing an uproar from those that had been seated next to them.

June 24, 1995, Little Hangleton's graveyard

Seventeen people landed in a graveyard and quickly rolled to cover. Harry looked around from his place behind a tree. It seemed that Voldemort wanted an audience for his rebirth. There were about a dozen people in black cloaks and white masks.

Those men and women were lifting their wands to fire spells at the people who had dropped out of nowhere. They were concerned, they had been told only the Potter boy would show. Most of them had been looking forward to the rebirth of their Master, and the torture session that was supposed to happen today. The Death Eaters were not prepared for over a dozen people to drop in on the ceremony.

A rat faced man, carrying a homunculus, ran for cover. There was a large cauldron sitting in the middle of the clearing and it was bubbling with a green, toxic looking potion. Wormtail was asking the being in his arms what he was supposed to do now.

"Find the boy," it hissed, "and complete the ritual. You must get his blood. Move, you whimpering coward," it yelled as much as its tiny throat would let it.

So Wormtail peeked over the cauldron to see if he could do just that. He had no idea what the boy looked like, since Harry never attended Hogwarts. So when he looked he didn't see anyone who looked like James, so he ducked back down and waited. "I don't see him, Master," he said in a squeaky voice, as a dark red spell flew over his head.

"Stupid fool, get out there and find him," the tiny being demanded, so the coward crawled around the cauldron and turned into rat form and searched the trees. He stayed away from the fighting a sniffed from afar. When he had made a full circle he went back to his master and said, "I don't think he's here, Master."

"Fool, of course he is here," the homunculus stated. "Find him," it demanded again. This time the rat only went to the other side of the cauldron and watched the fight. It didn't look good for his side.

Sirius was going from headstone to headstone. His mission was to kill the snake. He looked around the clearing and spotted it on the other side, so he Jumped behind it. The snake whipped around and reared back, ready to strike. Sirius Jumped behind it once again and severed its head with a cutting hex. He thanked Merlin every day that the Owens women taught him how to Jump, it came in handy in a fight. He then turned back to the battle that was raging.

You could hear the yelling of the Death Eaters as they cried to their Master for orders. The feds kept moving and were remaining quiet, so their location couldn't be found. Spells were thrown about and shields were erected.

A black mist rose from the corpse of the snake and screamed as it faded away. Voldemort, upon hearing the death of his horcrux, started to shout. He was attempting to see around the cauldron, but in his baby like form he was useless. "Leave Potter to me! Capture him! Kill the rest!" His orders rang across the clearing. "Kill them, you fools, kill them all!"

The Death Eaters fanned out and started fighting their opponents harder. Aimlessly shooting spells at the bushes, and enjoying the screams when one hit true. They didn't however take cover, firm in their belief that their shields would stop anything.

Harry, still under his Cloak, raised his hands and called up a snowstorm. Gilly raised her hands and made it brew faster. Soon the entire graveyard was a blizzard of white, with streaks of spell fire lighting the area.

The agents stayed where they were now, and shot stunners at anything they could see moving towards them, not wanting their own to fall to friendly fire. Though they did have their guns in hand for when the storm would blow away, by that time there would be less antagonists.

Cathy changed into a meerkat and ran around biting the ankles of the enemy so they would cry out and notify where they were. Spells would rain on the area, with hopes of hit the person making the noise. She would then disappear under the snow and sniff out the next one.

Peter was desperate now. He didn't know where the boy was, he couldn't see anything and he was to protect his Master. He was looking frantically for an escape. This was not the plan, nothing was happening the way it was supposed to. He knew his Lord would not rise this day, perhaps if he escaped with the tiny Master, then maybe they could regroup and try again. He can't carry his Master in rat form, so he hurried back around the cauldron and changed back to human. While he was frightened of the fighting, he was more scared of Voldemort, who was still demanding that he find the boy.

Harry, using the blinding snow and his Cloak as cover, snuck up on the ratman and stunned him with a wave of his hand. Then he waved his empty hand and put up a shield that would keep out most of the curses. The three Unforgivables would still get through, but he trusted his aunt to protect him. His hands shook a little as he stared at the baby like being that was glaring at him with red eyes.

"Do you think you can beat me, boy?" the being hissed as he looked everywhere for the boy. He couldn't find him and was hoping to draw him out. "I am the greatest Dark Lord of all time. You will never vanquish me. I have done great magic to keep me on this plain. You would do well to join me," it tempted.

Falling for the oldest trick in the book, Harry removed his Cloak and taunted, "Not even. You're like the tenth from the bottom. You don't even call yourself anything scary, Flight from Death, dude that's just stupid. By the way, Death sends his greeting." He was still pointing his wand at the homunculus, trying to figure out which spell to use to get the job done. Death said that love was needed, but for the life of him he didn't know a single spell that could do that, rituals yeah, but spells no.

"I see you do not have what it takes to end me, Potter," the tiny being stated, thinking the pause was fear. "You should join me and I can give you everything you ever wanted. I can bring your parents back to you," that creepy voice offered, it's red eyes never leaving the boy in front of him.

"If Jim can't do that, than neither can you," Harry scoffed, finally figuring out which spell to use. He was going to simply cut it down. Most things can't live without their heads. "Besides, ruling the world it too much paperwork."

While those two bantered, the blizzard started to die down and now visibility was better. It was useful when they knew where the enemy was, but now it was a hindrance. So Gilly dissipated it with a wave of her hands. The agents were now firing on the minions that were still standing, stupidly, in the middle of the clearing. The guns were now being utilized as they shot to incapacitate. The minions started collapsing as the bullets tore through their shields and wounded arm or leg.

Wormtail twitched and Sirius came out of nowhere and kicked him in the head. He then went back to rounding up the Death Eaters. Gilly was fighting right behind Harry to make sure no one got him in the back. The feds were winning, though not without injury. The Death Eaters were shooting deadly spells and the FBI retaliated in kind with spells and guns, more followers fell to lethal wounds.

Soon there were only three Death Eaters standing, they had thrown down their wands and their hands were in the air. One was the white-haired man Harry had met in the Alley, Malfoy.

"I am immortal, you foolish boy. You can cut me down now, but I will return," Tom said triumphantly, belying the fact that he was helpless and without a wand, which was still in Wormtail's robe.

Harry looked around, it had gotten quiet, and he saw the Death Eaters bound, knocked out or dying. The feds were trying to heal wounds and making sure the ones still standing were bound completely.

The streak-haired boy lowered the wand and pulled his Mokeskin pouch to the front. One by one he took out the defunct horcruxes. "Sorry, I couldn't bring your diary," he smirked as he held up the last one and dropped it in front of Tom, though he kept the stone in his hand, "but the Headmaster took care of it for me. As you heard earlier your snake is no more."

Voldemort shouted, "NO! It can't be! I am immortal! Kill him, you fools." But no one answered his demand. In one desperate attempt to live, a wraith rose from the body and flew to the boy.

Harry yelled and backed up as the Dork Lord tried to overtake him, but Marie's rope prevented that from happening. It was that love of family that kept the wraith out, but Harry knew that he would need something besides love to win. So his hand crept to his Mokeskin bag and he withdrew the Elder Wand, while that specter kept trying to penetrate his body. It would fly around him and then swoop down and attempt it from different angles. Its sole concentration was on possessing this Prophecy Child. If he could then there would be no more danger of him dying.

"I call on the Deathly Hallows to unite and bring forth Death," the teen murmured as he placed the Stone in his left hand and the Wand in his right. He stepped back and put the heel of his right foot on the Cloak. "Unite!" he yelled.

The Wraith seeing what he was doing shrieked in fear and tried to leave the dome. It banged on the golden shield and tried to get out, but all it did was give itself a headache.

When the Hallows were united Jim appeared and said, "Thank you, young Master, I will take care of this now." And with that he grabbed the phantom and stepped back into the shadows.

Harry sighed with relief, waved his hand and dispelled the dome. Gilly came up and put her arms around her nephew. "I am so, so sorry, that you had to go through that. That goodness, you have Marie's rope and the Hallows," she whispered in his ear as she rocked him in a comforting motion. While Harry didn't kill Tom directly, he still was responsible for that… man's death.

"No, it had to be done. Can we go home now?" Harry asked sadly, and then his head jerked up when shouts of pain suddenly started around the clearing.

Death Eaters that were still awake were writhing on the ground, begging their Master for release. The feds quickly gathered their wounded and all prisoners and portkeyed them to St. Mungo's hoping to save their lives. Unknown to them, Snape and Karkaroff were taken to the hospital wing in Hogwarts by the Headmaster when they too collapsed in pain.

Sirius, Gilly, Harry and Mr. Scott looked around after the agents left, noted they were the only ones there. The two oldest students having Jumped back to Hogwarts when the fight was over. The Vice Principal asked them to go and reassure everyone that they were fine. He commended Cathy on her use of her Animagus form, causing the shaken girl to smile before she disappeared. Agents Mumford and Stanley would meet them at Hogwarts, after they got the prisoners to the Healers.

Death came from the shadows again and said, "I thank you, young Harry, for bringing me Tom Marvolo Riddle. He had fled from me for too long. You saved many lives today, by being my hand. Sirius, you as well played a large part in today's battle. It would not have gone the way it did were it not for your efforts. For that, you have my thanks. Do not feel bad, young Harry, this was meant to be. Now I bid you farewell." The deity bowed to Harry and Sirius and stepped into the shadows.

"He is so weird," Harry said, shaking his head in bemusement. At least he felt better now, though he might still breakdown a little when he was alone or with Jessie, maybe. "I wonder if we'll ever see him again." He hoped so, he rather liked that deity.

"Well, you did reunite the Deathly Hallows, so that pretty much guarantees you will see him again," Sirius answered as he looked around the destroyed graveyard. "He did say that they would do something, though he never did say what."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Harry said as he too looked the mess. "We should straighten this out."

Shrugging the four cleared up all of the evidence that there had been a battle. Harry picking up the junk that used to be the horcruxes and tucked them back into the bag with the Hallows, and they made their way to the Cup and grabbed it. It ported them back to the stands and the crowd went wild, not knowing the battle they just faced. They weren't going to tell.

The SMI students flew from the stands, worried and happy at the same time. They all gathered around and started bombarding Harry and Mr. Scott with questions. They confirmed that no one was badly hurt and the tournament over. Sirius and Gilly were also asked what happened. They just tiredly smiled and said they'd tell everyone later.

"And the winner is… Harry Potter!" came Bagman's very happy voice over the loud speaker. The audience went wild again, clapping, shouting and stomping their feet. Some booed and called him a cheater, but they were ignored.

Cedric, Fleur and Viktor, all a little mussed up, but it appeared they came out of the maze uninjured, came and congratulated him on a job well done. They said they never would have thought of disillusioning themselves and sneaking past the obstacles. The males patted him on the back and Fleur kissed both his cheeks. They then went off to their own peers.

"Harry, my boy, I am glad to see you are healthy and alive. Can we go to my office and discuss what happened when you were ported away?" the Headmaster asked when he came up to them. His eyes twinkling like mad as if he knew something they didn't. "I would like to know how it is that my Potions Master and Headmaster Karkaroff are right now fighting for their lives in the hospital wing."

"What makes you think I had anything to do with that, Albus?" the tri-color haired boy asked, tilting his head to the side and plastering a look of pure innocence on his face. He didn't answer to this man, and it had been decided that if the Headmaster wanted to know anything he could ask the government officials, it was their job after all.

"Come now, my boy, we both know that Voldemort has risen," Albus said, causing the people around him to gasp and whimper. "It is time for you to fulfill your destiny and come back home. Only you can vanquish Tom," the old man said, still gazing at them with that I-know-better-than-you look.

"No," Harry said slowly as if speaking to a small child and not a powerful wizard, "I was here to compete in this fiasco. I won, and now I'm going home." He turned to Gilly and started to walk away.

Fawkes suddenly landed on his shoulder and flamed him to the Headmaster's office.