Chapter 35: Skill Against Skill Alone

"Before you die, it there anything that you wish to say?"

"Actually, yes." Harry replied without looking up from his hands, earning a surprised look from Voldemort. "just a short thing though… how did it go…"

"Now you're just trying to buy time." Voldemort scoffed as he raised his wand. "Goodbye Harry Potter. Aveda Kadavra!"

For a long moment, no-one moved and Voldemort stared at Harry, then he gave his wand a look.

"Aveda Kadavra! Crucio!"

"It worked." Harry sagged in relief.

"What worked?" Voldemort snarled, stalking closer to Harry. "What did you do?!"

"A little trick I learned." Harry slowly pulled himself to his feet, the lengths of chain clinking. "It's one of my Family Spells. Didn't you wonder why I was holding my hands like that? I was hiding the Sigils I was using."

"What. Sigils?" Voldemort growled.

"Zu Da Ur." Harry smirked. "It temporarily negates all spellcasting in the area."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Severus suddenly looking hopeful.

"It matters not." Voldemort pulled a dagger out of his belt. "I'll simply slit your throat and be done with it."

"One problem with that." Harry stated.

"What problem? You are in chains. You cannot escape."

"What chains?" Harry grinned, then he grabbed the links and pulled. The iron screamed as the links deformed and shattered, then Harry pulled the now-useless cuffs off his wrists even as Voldemort gawked. A backwards roll let him free his legs and as he came back up to his feet, he wrenched the collar off. "No magic, Voldie. Let's fight… Muggle style!"

"Impossible…" Voldemort breathed, then he dived sideways as the twisted collar was hurled at him. The mangled metal slammed into Malfoy, who hadn't dodged in time, piercing his mask and dropping him to the ground.

"Kill him!" Voldemort screamed. "Someone… anyone! Kill him! Dementors!"

"They're dead!" One of the cloaked figures shouted. "They collapsed as you tried to kill Potter!"

"Huh, so the spell kills Dementors." Harry mused before spinning to block the staff being swung at his head by one of the rough-looking men. Yanking the staff out of his hands, he spun it round, delivering a perfect rising strike that shattered his attackers jaw and flung him backwards.

"Kill him!" Voldemort repeated in a near-panic. "Now!"

One of the giants lifted his gnarled club and swung it down, intending to crush Harry under the branched end, but Harry managed to dodge and then punched at the giant's ankle, shattering it. With a surprisingly high-pitched squeal of pain, the giant slowly toppled over, landing on several of the slower Death-eaters. Pausing only to mouth run at a shocked Severus Snape, Harry moved onto the attack.

.

"We are almost at Riddle Manor." Jor-El stated as the shuttle dived. "Sensors have located Lord Potter. On screen."

Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Filius, Sirius, Remus and Albus all looked at the screen where Harry was flinging around Death-eaters and other assorted miscreants while a finely-dressed dark-haired man backed away.

"That's Tom." Albus frowned. "But why isn't he using any magic?"

"Sensors indicate that the magical environment for a distance of one point two miles around the Manor has been disrupted by the use of the Zu Da Ur combination. External use of magic in that area is currently impossible. Estimated time until effect fades… one point nine years."

"I… won't be much help." Albus admitted, then he stared at Filius, who was accepting a shield and battle-axe from the Golem Kelex. Remus stared at one of the display screens while Flitwick armed himself.

"You stay here, we'll take care of things." Filius said as the shuttle decelerated. "Ready?"

Neville and Hermione didn't even bother to respond as they took on their animal forms, as did Sirius, Ginny and Luna while Remus moved to a ladder at the back of the cockpit and started climbing up it. Flitwick led the charge out of the cockpit and through the seating area to where the rear ramp was opening, much to the shock of the few who were looking in the right direction to see a doorway opening out of thin air.

"For honor and profit!" Flitwick yelled as he charged into battle, his impossibly sharp axe cleaving through his first target even before he'd hit the ground. One of the rough men aimed an arrow at him, only to be brought down by a tiger slashing his throat with sharp claws, then a sound of thunder achoed across the battlefield as one of the giants toppled, his head removed by an attack like nothing anyone had seen before.

.

"Did I do that?" Remus asked in shock as he stared at his hands and the gunnery-turret control sticks they were holding. "Wow. I wonder if I can do it again?"

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Peter shrank into his rat form and dived into a tunnel that he had carefully created with magic weeks ago just in case he needed it. Mentally thanking his survival paranoia, he scuttled towards the cellars of Riddle Manor.

He could hide out until the screaming stopped, then check the situation to see who won.

After all, he was a spy and messenger, not a fighter.

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Bellatrix screamed in incoherent fury as she ran forwards, a poisoned dagger in her hand, then she felt something grab her ankle, causing her to slam into the ground. Looking round for the dagger she had dropped, she paused as she saw the thing that had grabbed her, something that looked like a depressed red furry beanbag.

"Let go of me or I'll use your fur to line my toilet seat with!" She snarled and the creature growled, then suddenly she found herself whipping through the air as it swung her. She had just enough time to recognize the shocked expression of her hopeless husband before the impact turned her world into nothing more than a sea of pain.

Her last coherent thought was regret that she would not be able to torture the Longbottoms back into insanity once more.

.

Rabastan Lestrange gaped as his brother was flattened by a screaming Bellatrix being swung like a club. His reflexively-fired organ-rotting curse didn't even cause his wand to spark, then the moaning figure of his sister-in-law was swung across, scything his legs out from underneath him. His last sight was her descending form blocking out the sun as she was slammed into him.

.

Luna aimed carefully, then dove, her wings beating hard as she picked up speed. Releasing the rock that she had managed to pick up despite her avian feet not being designed for it, she arced back into the air as the projectile slammed into a Death-Eater's hood, sending him to the ground in an un-moving heap.

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Severus shoved his mask into his belt-pouch as he ran, glancing behind him just in time to see a second Giant fall, its head no longer solid but a rapidly-dispersing pink mist. Shrugging off his outer robe, he shoved it into the enlarged pouch before concentrating on escaping whatever was happening behind him.

The tiny part of his mind not focused on simple survival wondered how Potter had recognized him underneath the heavy, hooded robes and mask.

Then again, that was a problem for another day.

Stumbling, Severus reflexively reached inside himself and a moment later, a dark-feathered bird clawed its way into the sky.

.

Voldemort slammed closed the door of Riddle Manor and locked it, then backed away from it, still holding his wand.

"Collaportus!" He tried, but nothing happened except for a long growl behind him. Slowly turning, he found himself looking at a golden-chested bear with extremely sharp teeth.

"Oh. Crap. Not good."

The bear seemed to snigger as it prowled closer, its claws gouging the wooden floor, and Voldemort dashed into the drawing room, aiming to reach the window before it could get its fangs into him. Landing in a clumsy roll, he pulled himself to his feet only to find himself facing two dogs, one black and the other white.

"This isn't good." He muttered to himself as his hand scrabbled at the empty dagger-sheath on his belt. "Oh hell."

The white dog charge forwards, teeth bared and an instant later, Voldemort's spirit fled the battlefield.

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Golgomath grunted in pleasure as he watched Kurkas' head explode, then he turned to face the direction that the killing bolt had come from. Squinting he made out a ripple in the air and charged towards it, lifting his club (an uprooted Oak tree) to smash whatever it was that had struck down the fellow Giant that he had been planning to kill himself.

The flash of light that removed his head just like Karkus' had been removed would have come as a complete surprise, had he enough time to actually register it.

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In the cockpit, Albus felt every year of his age as he watched the unfolding carnage.

"Tom… why did you make us do this?" He whispered sadly even as Remus' whoo of triumph echoed down from the gun turret. "Why can't you realize the damage your idea of a true society will cause? Why?"

.

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The shuttle lifted off, leaving the blood-soaked manor grounds behind and in the main compartment, a grinning Filius wiped the blood off his axe while the animagi around him resumed their human forms.

"What an axe!" He exulted, looking at the unmarred blade and the edge which, despite having been heavily used, showed not a single nick or blunt spot. "I hate to say it, but this is better than even the legendary Ghrkktlarzhakrahaal… the Great Wizard Splitting Axe wielded by the first Goblin King."

Filius looked up, just in time to see Ginny and Hermione clinging to each other, crying.

"First kills." Sirius explained. "I'd help, but…"

"But you have the emotional depth of an empty platter." Remus finished as he moved towards the weeping girls. "I'll handle this. Welcome back, Harry."

"Thanks." Harry said, tiredly. "But I really need to sleep. Those Crucio's didn't help much."

"How did you escape?" Sirius asked curiously, holding up a twisted cuff. "These should have stopped you using magic."

"The cuffs are designed to disrupt the wearer's magic as they push it into an external focus such as a wand." Jor-El volunteered. "Kryptonian Battle-Magic does not use an external focus..."

"So the cuffs don't react to is." Sirius nodded, then he gave Harry a long look. "You look like crap, pup."

"I have already sent Healer Pomphrey a list of your injuries." Jor-El said and Harry nodded.

"Thanks. You flying us straight to Hogwarts?"

"Well, we could use the switching rooms." Neville suggested. "One of the bunks was replaced by a switching room, so we can get to Hogwarts quicker that way."

Harry looked up at Neville, finally taking in his friend's triumphant expression. "Nev? What…?"

"I killed them." Neville sat down beside Harry. "Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. The three who took my parents away for over ten years and forced me to live a childhood where everyone thought I was a Squib. they're gone… forever. I… I killed them."

"They deserved to die." Filius agreed. "They were wild animals who lived only to destroy. They should have been put down years ago, not imprisoned until they were released to harm the innocent again. You did well, Neville. You are a true warrior. You are all true warriors and I am proud to have fought by your side this day. By the way, Harry, may I keep this axe? Please?"

Harry nodded as he closed his eyes and leaned back. "Sure…"

"Dammit!" Sirius shouted. "He's going into shock! We need to get him to Poppy now!"

"Let me help." Albus' voice seemed faint and far away to Harry. "Levicorpus."

.

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Severus Snape popped into existence just outside the Hogwarts gates and glared at the Centaur guard who had drawn his bow.

"Put that away." He growled. "You know who I am."

The Centaur looked conflicted, but finally nodded and slightly lowered his bow while the second one held up a framed piece of glass that Harry had provided to them at the same time as he handed out the maps. Although he couldn't see it from the side he was on, Severus knew that the Centaur was seeing an analysis of him, both visual and magical, which would uncover any attempt at disguise or hidden magical items.

"It's him." The Centaur confirmed, returning the glass to its pouch and the first Centaur grudgingly returned the arrow to its quiver before pushing the gate open.

"Thank you." Severus nodded to the more polite of the two Centaurs as he stepped through, then he strode towards the castle that he called home.

He still wasn't sure what had happened, but Albus needed to know that Harry could somehow negate all magic…

His footsteps stopped as he stared in horror at Hogwarts.

What would happen if Harry used that skill here?

Shaking off the unwelcome thought, Snape resumed his progress, forcing his thoughts into calmer directions.

He had to check on the project that Potter had suggested. The potion was almost ready to be tested.

And if it worked (or even if it didn't), his students would be getting bonus marks on their upcoming NEWTs for their hard work.

It was actually quite relaxing not having to deal with nearly as many dunderheads.

He owed Professor Tonks a favor.

He'd let her access his private library so that she could take her Mastery. That should do it.