Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor - 21. Chapter 21

The last day of Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry dawned gloriously golden, with birds singing and a bout of fantastic make-up sex with the one Draco Malfoy. Draco was still upset that Harry hadn't warned him about Dumbledore's offer of a teaching position the week before. The scene in the great hall at lunch had been spectacular and started a series of arguments between the two that required make-up sex almost every day.

Quite an enjoyable way of passing the time though, shagging was.

Harry had a wide smile on his face all throughout breakfast. Not even an argument between Ron and Hermione could stifle it. Ron was insisting that Hermione marry him and Hermione was insisting she didn't want to be more than friends. She was planning to spend a few weeks of the summer with Neville's grandmother, who had taken to writing to her every day. The poor old woman was losing it badly after Neville's death and the only thing she had to cling on was the baby that Hermione was carrying.

The final potions class was uneventful, except that Snape insisted on verbally reviewing the summer assignments he would be giving and what he expected to see upon their return for the final N.E.W.T. level course. Still, Harry's smile persisted, something that only made Severus Snape more infuriated. Yes, they were friends now, but in the classroom Severus insisted on maintaining control and Harry's smile just irked him.

During Harry's first DADA section where he was handing out his own summer assignments out (the news of his appointment for the next year still was not made and would not be made until the Welcoming Feast next year), he had a visitor. Two visitors in fact. Both were wearing the dark robes and masks of Death Eaters. They entered the room with their wands drawn. Before either could cast a spell at him, Harry's students had acted. Several dozen Expelliarmus and Stupefy spells hit the pair before Harry had even finished turning to face the intruders. He glanced around and every single eleven year old student was on his or her feet, wands drawn and all breathing heavily.

"Excellent!" Harry cried out to the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as he drew his own wand and revived the two slumped forms. Crabbe and Goyle removed their masks as they woke, standing up and glaring at Harry.

"Next time you're getting someone else!" Crabbe snarled, but with a smile. Goyle just shook his head gently. Harry's students were staring with mouths open.

"This was your final test." Harry told them with a smile of his own. "You all passed perfectly. Before you get upset, think about this: How would you have reacted to seeing a Death Eater before this year began and how did you react today? Are you better able to defend yourself than you were a year ago? Ms. Tomlinson?"

"Sir, I never thought I'd…" The young Hufflepuff stuttered, before stopping with her eyes wide in realization.

"You never thought you'd be able to stand up and cast a spell at the mere sight of a Death Eater?" Harry asked her as Crabbe and Goyle took themselves to the infirmary.

"No." the first year replied. "I can't believe I did that. I just saw them and just reacted."

"Which is exactly what I was hoping for." Harry said. "You might not be able to stand toe to toe with them yet, but you've got six more years of school to learn that. All that you need to be able to do now is to react in a way to defend yourself. How many of you would have been able to escape from this room if this had been a real attack?"

"All of us." Michael Jenners, a Ravenclaw said firmly.

"And then?" Harry asked.

"We'd form into groups with the upper classes just like we've drilled." Michael answered with a nod. "Wow, all those practices really did work."

"That's why I always practiced at Quidditch." Harry told them. "Even when you've got good natural skills like I do as Seeker, you still have to practice to make them better, and practice can take someone who is just mediocre and turn them into excellent players. In fact, a naturally good player will lose to a mediocre player if they don't practice regularly. Which is why I've given you these summer assignments. I want you to practice during the summer so we won't spend the first term of next year getting back up to speed."

"Who will be teaching us next year?" Tomlinson asked.

"With Hogwarts and the DADA job, you never know." Harry said with a smirk. "Class dismissed early."

His second DADA class was even better. Fred and George had volunteered to be the Death Eaters. The Gryffindors and Slytherins were slightly more advanced and he had to remove more than just the two spells the earlier class had used. Someone had jinxed them with jelly legs, bat bogeys, and boils as well. As the three left for lunch, he was subjected to a long string of threatened jokes until he mentioned that he might pull out his endorsement for one of their hottest selling new items. The twins quieted down after that.

However they soon switched to complaining about being away from their business for the year. Harry didn't bother listening as they entered the great hall and sat at their table for lunch. Their business was doing well with the salespeople they had hired. They'd be keeping that staff while focusing on brewing up new concoctions. Their rising popularity as Defenders had done nothing but help their business and word was that Zonkos might be in trouble if WWW ever opened a store in Hogsmeade. The smile faltered from Harry's face though when Seamus mentioned something to them about the invitations everyone had received a few days ago.

"Of course we're going." Fred said.

"Can you imagine…" George began

"…the entire Weasley family actually in Malfoy Manor?" Fred finished.

"Even Charlie is taking the day off from Azkaban to be there…"

"…and Bill is bringing Fleur." Fred added.

"Crickey" Seamus muttered. "Ol' Lucius must be having a heart attack at the thought!"

"There will be no…surprises will there?" Harry asked darkly.

"Now Harry…" Fred started

"We told you we'd be on our best behavior." George ended.

"That's what has me worried." Harry replied, regaining his grin.

"Besides, Dad nixed the idea about the garden gnomes." Fred said.

"And mom absolutely refused to sneak any Umbridge Destroyers in her purse." George added.

"Oh, Merlin." Harry sighed as Ron and Hermione entered, still bickering.

"Ron, I already told you that I want to spend some time at home with mom and dad after visiting Neville's grandmother." Hermione said as she sat down at the table. Ron was sitting next to Harry and Hermione was on the other side of him.

"But still, why can't you just stay at Black Manor with the rest of us?" Ron whined as he filled his plate with food. Hermione was still not showing any signs of her pregnancy, but it was now an openly discussed manor. Harry noticed Draco entering, deep in conversation with Pansy and Blaise. Still, they shared a brief glance and smile before the blond moved to his own table.

"Look, maybe the last week after our trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies." Hermione said firmly.

"But I'll be gone most of that week!" Ron whined.

"You're the one who wants to work with the Chudley Cannons so badly!" Hermione growled as she stabbed a boiled potato and bit into it viciously.

"Blimey." Ron muttered. "Maybe I'll try and visit your home then."

"Oh my." Harry muttered before cracking out in laughter. "Ron in a muggle house!"

"That sounds like a disaster!" Seamus added with his own chuckle.

"HEY!" Ron shouted. "I can manage to live in a muggle home if I want to!"

"Ron, I don't know if my parents would…" Hermione began, but then shrugged her shoulders. "We'll talk about it over the summer, okay?"

"Okay." Ron agreed, digging into his plate. Lunch passed normally after that. Harry's afternoon classes were all just reviews of summer assignments and the usual end-of-year stuff. Hagrid tried passing out his rock cakes but everyone stated they were still full from lunch and would eat them later. Harry managed to ditch his by tossing it at the castle. He just hoped no one would notice the chipped stone and realize what had happened.

The Leaving Feast was later that night and Harry was supposed to meet Draco in their rooms to pack before the feast. Of course Harry was not allowed anywhere near the trunks. Draco had despaired of ever getting Harry to fold anything and was insisting on doing it himself, with the help of his wand and several spells Harry had never bothered to learn. Clothes were flowing from their closets and folding themselves neatly into two trunks. School books, scrolls, quills, ink bottles, and various knick knacks were following them sedately, filling appropriate spaces in both trunks. Draco had everything done, except for the formal robes that they would wear for the feast and the clothes that they would wear the next day.

They still had plenty of time for a bath before the feast began, and Harry relaxed as he sat between Draco's legs and rested his head on Draco's chest. It was the most relaxing end of year that he had ever had. Voldemort always seemed to mess up the past five, and it was a blessing that this one was proving to be so different.

They were dressed in their formal robes, swords belted into place, and everything perfect as they strode into the great hall moments after the Feast had begun. The entire room went silent as they entered side-by-side, and then applause broke out. On Draco's cue, they bowed in unison before separating to their own tables. Above them the red and golden banners of Gryffindor proclaimed that Harry's House had again won the House Cup. Of course it had been by a mere three points that Slytherin lost, and Harry was not going to tell anyone that Draco had taken three points off of a Slytherin first year the day before.

Draco had beaten himself up more than enough already.

Dinner was filled with talk about summer plans. Most of the sixth and seventh year students would be seeing each other the next evening at Malfoy Manor, but everyone had exciting plans. The lack of Death Eater activity over the last few weeks had created a holiday atmosphere in the entire wizarding world and families were planning celebratory parties all summer long. Black Manor would be filling up over the holidays as various students and friends planned visits in and out. It seemed that Harry's new home was becoming a popular residence.

It actually made him feel better. Instead of a lonely summer on Privet Drive he was going to be surrounded by his friends and schoolmates. He'd always dreamed of really being a part of the wizarding world and now he had that dream, as well as someone to stand by his side.

Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts had been full of changes, dangers, and losses, the same as previous years, but for the first time Harry felt himself truly at home in the wizarding world. Much of that was due to Draco's influence and he knew that he owed his blond-haired lover a great gift of gratitude.

Dinner was finished and people had begun their desserts at last. That was when Harry lifted his wand under the table and spoke the word activating the gift he had been working on with Professor Snape. It only took it a minute to arrive.

A great roar announced its arrival. All over the hall, hands went to wands, but relaxed when the silver shape appeared through the entrance. Two feet long, the silver dragon flew on wings each of which spanned a foot. A thin silver tail, also a foot long whipped around as the dragon flew into the room. Its ruby eyes shimmered in the lights from the candles as it flew over each of the tables, then flew over the great table where the Professors sat. It spat out a long golden flame as it approached the Slytherin table and the hall erupted into excited chatter and gasps of appreciation at the beautiful creature.

It circled the Slytherin table twice before it landed on Draco's shoulder. It began a soft trilling that was comforting to everyone who heard it. It fluttered its wings once before folding them along its back and nipping Draco's ear before wrapping its tail possessively around Draco's neck. The blond young man stared into the ruby eyes for the longest time before standing at his table and bowing to Harry. Harry stood and returned the bow, his eyes full of mischief and a grin plastered on his face. Draco wore the most contented expression he'd ever seen.

That was when a second roar erupted in the hall. Harry turned to the entrance to see a small, foot long golden lion strutting into the hall. It shook its full mane once everyone was looking at it and began to prowl the great hall. It started at the Slytherin table, jumping up on it and striding the entire length, only pausing to bow to Draco before moving on to the Professors table. It made its circuit of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff before jumping up on Gryffindor table and letting loose another roar.

The Gryffindor table exploded in a round of clapping and cheers as it made its way to Harry. Standing proudly, it seemed to be examining him before it let out another roar, and jumped onto Harry's shoulder. It rubbed its golden mane against Harry's neck and began to purr. He felt his eyes tear up before he stood and bowed to a grinning Draco.

Professor Dumbledore chose that moment to stand at the table and lead a round of applause for the young couple. As the cheering died down, everyone sat back down, but Dumbledore remained standing. An expectant silence filled the hall as everyone prepared to hear his farewell speech.

"Students, Staff, Professors, Friends." Dumbledore began solemnly. "I doubt that any of us ever predicted the events of this past year. Never before have we had such great cause to celebrate and to mourn. I have never been so proud of the students here at this school as I have been this year. Through hardships no young student should ever have to face, you have pulled together and become a shining beacon of hope for the entire wizarding world. I am proud of each and every one of you, for you have achieved miracles together. While the enemy has suffered a major defeat, he still lives and will one day try us again.

"Do not forget the lessons you have learned as you return home for the summer. Enjoy yourselves but remember caution. There are still more trying days ahead of us, and I wish for all of you to live through them. Next year we will continue many of the changes we have made, so be ready for the challenges you will face. Until then, drink, be merry, and have a wonderful summer!"

The cheers shook the mighty great hall itself. Harry was carried out of the hall on the shoulders of his fellow Gryffindors, followed by Draco on the shoulders of the Slytherins (who weren't to be outdone). The party in the Gryffindor common room was exciting and lasted into the wee hours of the morning. Despite Draco not being there (he had his own party to go to in the Slytherin common room), Harry had enjoyed himself tremendously. He smiled at the sight of Draco stumbling up from the dungeons and they grinned at each other before entering their own room. Their own private party didn't end until the sky began to lighten with dawn.

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For the past years, the morning trips to the train station had been depressing for Harry. This year it was exciting. He shared a carriage with Ron, Hermione, and Draco, and all four talked about arrangements for the party the next night. Hermione's parents had agreed to let her stay at Black Manor for the night and would pick her up the day after the party. Ron was staying as well, in a room that Harry had permanently assigned to him. Hermione had her own room too, also permanently assigned. Only a few of their regularly planned guests would have their own rooms, but he wanted his best friends to feel that Black Manor was their second home.

Pansy Parkinson would also be staying with them over the summer, a regular guest with her own room. Her parents had all but disowned her for her renouncing Voldemort and Harry did not hesitate to provide her with a place to stay. Officially she would be joining Jeremy as a personal assistant for Draco. Jeremy would also be staying with them on weekdays, starting from the second week of summer, and would return home each weekend. His income had saved his family home and was making life a lot more comfortable for his family.

The train ride back to Kings Cross Station was spent in long conversations with Michael and several other seventh-year Slytherin students. Most had gotten the jobs they had applied for and the rest were finding work in different areas that Harry and Draco needed contacts in. About twenty minutes before arriving at the station, Harry and Draco changed into Armani suits (muggle clothing) and put away their wizard robes. Their swords were fastened to the tops of their trunks in the luggage compartment, but their wands were inside their suit jackets in specially designed pockets. After changing they joined Ron and Hermione and waited for the train to complete the journey.

The platform was soon crowded as students began disembarking and meeting their waiting families. Draco and Harry stood with Ron and Hermione waiting for their luggage. All of the Weasleys were coming to the Manor with them and Molly would meet them there for the floo trip home. Harry was staring at the human porters unloading the luggage when he met one of the porter's eyes. They flashed with some emotion, and Harry felt a chill run up his spine.

Reacting on nothing but instinct, he reached inside his jacket, pulled out his wand and held it pointing up into the sky. "ALARM!" He cried, sending sparks of glaring red into the sky from his wand and touching his Defender's badge with his other hand. The adults meeting their children froze in place, but not the children. The Hogwarts students reacted with a speed that was frightening.

Parents were dragged into the middles of fast forming groups of twenty or so students and told to pull out their wands. First and second year students formed the core of these circular groups. Third and fourth year students formed a ring around them while fifth, sixth, and seventh year students gathered around them. There were no set groups, but students gathered with those closest to them, wands out and ready.

It happened so fast that the suspicious porter had only finished straightening from where he was putting down a trunk and the echoes of Harry's shout had not faded before every Hogwarts student was in place and set for battle. That was when the porter removed his own wand and cast a spell at Harry and the platform shook as hundreds of people in black robes appeared suddenly. Harry had no sooner blocked that first spell when a figure appeared before him with red glowing eyes and cadaverous white skin. Harry's hand went to his side, but he realized that the Sword of Gryffindor was sitting on his trunk which was still in the baggage compartment of the train.

"Why Harry, were you expecting me?" Voldemort said as battle started between the students of Hogwarts and Voldemort's Death Eaters.

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Albus Dumbledore turned from where he was watching the last of the student carriages carrying his charges to the train and faced the assembled staff of his school. His professors were arranged in a semi-circle before him and were waiting patiently for him to begin the annual after-school meeting. There was much to discuss - from arranging private lessons for Harry and Draco to the strengthening of the school wards.

As they discussed the business at hand, Albus' mind began to reflect on his years at this school, and the many mistakes that he had made as well as the victories that they had achieved. Harry Potter had grown into such a fine young wizard that any mentor would be proud of. The changes in the young man this past year were amazing, but he couldn't help the nagging doubt he still felt about those changes. Draco Malfoy's influence was very much evident in many of the changes, however there had been no signs that the influence was anything but good.

Still he couldn't quiet that nagging doubt. The Malfoy family had always been ambitious and wedded closely with the Dark Arts. Harry might truly be the influence needed to bring them out of the abyss of darkness, but he couldn't help about worrying whether some of that darkness might take root in Harry himself.

Dumbledore had made a mistake in Tom Riddle. He'd thought he'd been able to help the young man overcome his past and his hatred of his father and muggles. He had thought that when Tom Riddle graduated with such honors Tom would go on to do great things, and he had not foreseen the dark road the bright young man would one day take.

Would Harry follow in that path?

That was a concern for another day. Harry showed no sign of embracing the dark arts, and had even made such a change in Draco Malfoy that Albus now hoped one day to see the young blond man become a Professor at Hogwarts. He certainly had the ambition and capabilities to one day assume Albus' own position as headmaster.

The meeting was ending with Professors Trelawney and Sprout discussing their plans to stay at the school as usual when he felt the vibration of the necklace he wore. That could mean only one thing, and by this time Harry and the other students were at Kings Cross Station in London itself.

"Someone is attacking the students at Kings Cross." Dumbledore said, rising to his feet and taking out his wand. The Professors, after a moment of surprise, were soon on their feet as well, wands also drawn. "Sybil, when I take down the anti-apparition wards, go to the Ministry and summon the Aurors. Poppy, go to St. Mungo's and get an emergency medical team ready for casualties. Everyone else, prepare to go to the station."

He looked around the room seeing everyone nod before he summoned the powers of Hogwarts to him. As Headmaster he had great control over the ancient wards of this building, something that idiot Dolores Umbridge had never understood. It took only a moment to bring down the wards preventing apparition. When he nodded again, every professor disappeared with a crack and Albus closed his eyes before leaving the building that had been his home for so long.

When he opened them again, he saw a scene that made his heart jump to his throat. Tom was casting the killing curse at Harry, but the young man dodged to the side, as did his three companions. The curse exploded against the side of the Hogwarts Express, leaving a hole in the train. Around them, groups of students were battling groups of Death Eaters. The defensive groups they formed, the idea of Draco Malfoy, were working far better than anyone had dreamed.

In each group, the fifth and sixth years were blocking spells cast at them by Death Eaters. The first, second, and third years were casting basic spells to disarm or disable the Death Eaters. The Death Eaters were having a hard time blocking spells from so many students at once, leaving them open to attack from the sixth and seventh years who were using more advanced spells to bind and slightly injure the Death Eaters. Already, mere moments into the battle, more than a third of the attackers were disabled while the only casualties on the other side were a few parents who had panicked and fled from the groups.

Albus' attention was dragged back to his greatest failure though, as Tom prepared to cast another curse. Dumbledore's own whip attack distracted him though, and Tom's cold smile made his stomach freeze. Without any taunting or useless words, the two began to duel once again, the power of their spells so tremendous that they overshadowed all the other magic being cast around them. Silently, Albus prayed Harry would get to wherever he had left the Sword of Gryffindor and claim it before his own strength gave out.

Tom had become just too strong.

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The green blast of the killing curse streaked through where Harry had been and he looked up to see Voldemort preparing to cast another one. Before he could move however, several more cracks filled the air and he felt a reassuring presence behind him. Sure enough, a familiar whip spell flew over his head and struck Voldemort. The Dark Wizard forgot all about Harry as he began to duel with Dumbledore.

The Sword of Gryffindor.

Harry rolled out of the way of the duel now taking place. Ron, Hermione and Draco were at his side as he began to move towards the baggage car. Together they moved down the platform. Ron and Hermione were blocking spells that came at the small group while Harry and Draco felled several Death Eaters. One of the student groups met up with them, providing even more cover. Fred and George were leading this group and together they cut a clear path through the battle for Harry to get to the baggage car.

That was when the Death Eaters realized they only had one weapon that could overcome the student groups.

As if prearranged, green blasts of the killing curse began to streak from every Death Eater still conscious. Most were dodged by students, but two hit parents that were too slow in dropping to the ground. As more green blasts filled the air, the student groups began to break up in order to dodge the blasts of the green curses. The tide of battle had turned in favor of the Death Eaters.

In the confusion of those minutes, Harry got separated from everyone but Draco. They still inched their way towards the baggage car, but had to dodge several blasts. That was when reinforcements arrived. A team of twenty Aurors and over thirty Magical Law Enforcement agents swarmed onto the platform through the barrier, spells flying from their wands into the surprised Death Eaters. Four of the Aurors went down immediately as killing curses hit them, as did five of the Magical Law Enforcement agents, but the Death Eaters were soon too busy dodging and blocking spells to cast more killing curses. The students began to recover into their groups, coming back into the battle and helping to bring down more Death Eaters. More cracks filled the air as forty more Death Eaters joined the fray, and the battle ascended into chaos.

Harry and Draco finally reached the baggage car, and immediately spotted their swords lying on top of trunks halfway into the car. Harry leaped into the car while Draco guarded his back, prepared to block any spells coming their way while Harry retrieved his sword. In a few seconds, Harry had grabbed the Sword of Gryffindor and pulled it out of its sheath. He noticed that the blade immediately turned red and he knew that Dementors had arrived.

No sooner had he exited the car when the Porter he had spotted before appeared in front of him. The man sneered at them, and he could feel Draco tense up for a moment. There were four dementors behind the man, and they were moving towards a group of students that seemed to be frozen in fear. Harry reacted immediately, moving towards the dementors while Draco cast a spell at the Porter.

"Well, well, if it isn't my wife's murderer." The man said, and Harry realized it was Rodolphus Lestrange. Harry longed to return to Draco's side, but knew that he had to get rid of the dementors or students would die. Putting the duel his lover would be fighting behind him, he made contact with the first vile beast, cutting it in half with the Sword and yelling at the top of his lungs.

There were ten dementors on the platform and he couldn't get the last two before they had given their kiss to two students. One was a third year Hufflepuff he knew vaguely, and the other was Tomlinson, the first year Hufflepuff from his DADA class. Tears were now streaking down his face as he cut the dementor who had kissed her into pieces. He dropped down next to her and took her cold hand in his, the battle raging around him forgotten until Hermione's shout recalled him to the present.

"EVERYONE DOWN!" Hermione's voice range out onto the platform. She must have used a spell to enhance her voice, and every student and professor immediately obeyed except for Harry, who was already kneeling, and Dumbledore, who was locked in battle with Voldemort. Harry looked towards the barrier and saw why she had shouted.

Muggle soldiers were flying through the barrier, their guns in their hands. With horror he watched as the soldiers raised their weapons and small puffs of fire appeared at the end of the guns as they roared and spat out bits of metallic death. Death Eaters began falling, but Harry returned his gaze to where Dumbledore stood dueling with Voldemort. As if it was happening in slow motion he watched several bullets spark on some type of shield around Voldemort and bounce off. Dumbledore wasn't prepared though, and with horror Harry watched as several bullets penetrated the old wizard's body. Blood splattered from the old wizard's frame, and he collapsed bonelessly to the ground. Voldemort started laughing, and his laughter filled Harry's mind with a rage he'd never known before.

He raised the Sword of Gryffindor and began to cast stunning spells at the troops filling the platform. Hermione led a group of students in doing the same and soon all the troops were down as Death Eaters joined in sending the Muggles into oblivion with their killing curses. When the last muggle was down, the Death Eaters returned to battling the students, but the tide of the battle had changed. The students were now filled with a rage that the Death Eaters couldn't match.

"So, Harry, are you ready to stand against me?" Voldemort's words cut through Harry and he regained his feet, grasping the Sword of Gryffindor in both hands and smiling firmly at his nemesis.

"C'mon, Tom." Harry muttered through gritted teeth. "It's time to die."

Voldemort's first spell was the killing curse, which Harry evaded easily. He responded with a series of minor spells that he was able to cast so quickly that Voldemort couldn't recover long enough to cast another spell. The entire time Harry moved steadily closer while Voldemort kept stepping backwards. Harry kept up the series of spells, not really noticing that the battle around them was faltering as both sides stopped to stare at the duel now taking place. Harry managed to get the anti-disapparition jinx to hit Voldemort, but the delay of casting the powerful spell allowed Voldemort to cast cruciatus.

Pain filled Harry for a brief moment before he was able to shrug it off and send back a simple stupefy that Voldemort easily blocked. Their battle continued with Harry resuming the casting of simple spells and stepping closer to Voldemort. Voldemort couldn't cast his own spells because he was too busy blocking the simple jinxes and hexes that Harry was sending his way, and he couldn't really take the time to see where he was going as he backed away, out of the sword's reach.

That was why he didn't see the baggage cart until he tripped over it while taking a step backwards. Harry saw his chance and leaped to close the distance separating them. With a shout of rage, he drove the Sword of Gryffindor into Voldemort's chest. The barrier that had stopped the muggle bullets from striking Voldemort slowed the Sword and deflected it a bit, but didn't fully stop it. Instead of puncturing Voldemort's heart, it punctured a lung. Voldemort's cry of pain ended the fascinated stares of his surviving Death Eaters, who all disapparated as they saw their leader being stabbed by Harry. As Harry pushed the Sword deeper into Voldemort's chest with a growl of rage, his vision blurred and there were several flashes of light that caused him to relax a bit.

"It's over, Tom." Harry muttered.

"It's never over, Harry." Voldemort gasped, blood rising from his lips. "It'll never be over between you and me. Just get this over with!"

"Sorry Tom." Harry said with a smirk, his rage lowering to a simmering level. "You killed my parents, you killed Cedric, but I'm not going to kill you. You're going to spend the rest of your life rotting in prison, powerless, a stop on a guided tour of a failed dark wizard!"

"As long as I live, I'll always have my powers!" Voldemort gasped through a fresh stream of blood coming from his mouth. His hand moved ineffectually to his wand that was lying nearby, then moved back to his side.

"This is the Sword of Gryffindor." Harry murmured. "It's leeching your powers as we speak, Tom. When it turns green, you will be powerless, your powers dispersed forever and never to be reclaimed. Then I'll let a medi-witch come and heal you before you are put on trial. Don't you think that's grand?"

"NO!" Voldemort shouted, his hand moving faster than Harry could have imagined. Voldemort removed a small rock from his pocket and within a second he was gone, as was about six inches of the Sword that had been buried in his chest. Harry collapsed to his knees in shock, barely feeling the magic seep out of the Sword, leaving nothing but a piece of broken metal.

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A/N - Okay, take a deep breath. The story is NOT over yet.

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Draco Malfoy stood tall and proud as he faced the husband of the woman he had killed. He sensed Harry moving off to face the dementors, and did his best to ignore the effect their presence was having on him, ignoring the memories of his father standing over him, wand in hand and the word crucio coming from his mouth. The tall, proud form of Rodolphus Lestrange was the only thing he had to focus on at that moment.

"You murderous, traitorous, brat." Rodolphus sneered at him. "I will make you scream for a thousand years for what you've done."

"Is that all you're going to do?" Draco sneered back, his voice full of Malfoy sarcasm. "Bark like some old lady's lapdog faced by a dragon?"

"Fancy yourself a dragon, do you?" Rodolphus sneered again, moving to the side and raising his wand again. "Let me show you how a real wizard fights! Crucio!"

"Protego" Draco muttered before the pain could do more than tingle inside him. "Please, cousin. My father used that so many times on me that it's nothing anymore. Phantasmo!"

Rodolphus blocked Draco's own spell that would have created a horrible illusion for him and returned with a stunning spell. Their duel settled down to steady rhythm of curse and counter curse, neither gaining an advantage. As minutes passed by, tiredness began to creep into Draco. The energy he was spending on this duel was enormous, but he could see the sweat standing out on the older man's head. When Hermione's magnified yell thundered over the platform, it distracted Rodolphus just long enough for Draco to get a full-body bind on him. As the older man fell to the ground, defeated, Draco heard a strange stuttering roar and felt a stinging sensation in his arm. It quickly turned into blinding pain as he fell to the ground, finally noticing the muggle soldiers and their weapons. With a gasp of pain for the wound in his arms, he picked his wand back up and joined the other students in felling the muggle soldiers.

Then he joined a smaller group of students in facing off the remaining Death Eaters until the sounds of Harry's duel with Voldemort shook the platform again. As he dropped another Death Eater, he noticed the other Death Eaters and students were now staring at the duelers and he joined them. His first thought was that Harry was magnificent.

Harry was throwing basic spells so fast that Voldemort could do nothing but block them. A few ricocheted, hitting a some students who were knocked unconscious, and two of the Death Eaters watching the duel as well. Harry didn't seem to notice that, a fact for which Draco was very glad. It would have caused Harry to change his attack pattern and maybe give Voldemort an opening.

He finally saw what Harry was doing as he maneuvered Voldemort towards the luggage cart, and suppressed a cry of encouragement. Draco's arm was still burning, but he was ignoring it as he watched the battle ensuing before him. He noticed out of a corner of his eye as Colin Creevey put his wand away and pulled his camera out of his backpack. With a small corner of his mind he made a mental note to have a talk with Colin about revenue sharing from the pictures he was taking.

That was when Voldemort fell over the baggage cart and Harry leaped across the intervening space to plunge the Sword into Voldemort's chest. A cheer rose from the parents, students, and Aurors while the Death Eaters began disapparating, fleeing to their hiding places in defeat. The words shared by Harry and Voldemort were audible to everyone, and Draco smiled as he realized Harry's plan on using the secret power of the Sword only Harry, Draco, and Dumbledore knew about. It really was a fitting end, and it would not require Harry to kill another human being.

Draco was glad for that.

However, it seemed that Voldemort had another trick up his sleeve. His use of the portkey shocked Draco tremendously, and as Harry fell to his knees, Draco rushed to his side. That was when he noticed the fallen body of Albus Dumbledore and felt tears leap up inside him. Still, he had someone else to comfort. As he reached Harry, he pulled the now useless Sword from Harry's grasp and took the crying Gryffindor into his arms. That was when Madame Pomfrey arrived with a team of medi-witches and wizards to see to the wounded, and Minister Fudge himself showed up with more Aurors and MLE agents.

Draco pulled Harry to his feet and apparated to the first place he could think of, their home at Black Manor. While Kreacher brought tea into the sitting room, he sat down with Harry still crying onto his shoulder. He himself was shaking from the experiences they had gone through, and he wondered how long they had to recover before they were bothered and had to stand proudly before the world again.

Still, the wizarding world would soon know that Harry Potter had finally beaten Voldemort and this time it was Voldemort who had barely escaped with his life.