Unstoppable!

Chapter Fifteen

Voldemort apperated out of the path of Harry's charge, leaving him to slam into a tombstone, shattering it. The masked wizards began to rain spells on to the oversized teen. Keeping his feet moving, Harry was able to ignore most of the attacks though he had to dodge the bright green jets. He snatched up a marble headstone to use as a shield from the Killing Curses. It lasted through three. In that time Harry was able to knock several Death Eaters off their feet. He was trying to be careful not to hit them too hard.

Voldemort stayed out of his range. So Harry decided to change tactic. While still moving, he stated firing Disarming and Stunning Charms at the snake-faced wizard. Voldemort was able to easily bat them aside. He tagged Harry with a "Crucio!" which caused the teen to stumble. Harry flung the remnants of his marble shield at Voldemort. The dark wizard tried to shield against the missile but it was too heavy and travelling too quickly. It broke through the shield and caught the desperately dodging wizard on the shoulder. This sent him spinning in to the night.

Harry felt a mist settle over his mind. There is no need to fight. Just relax and lie down. You are so tired. Harry felt himself slowing, obeying. Then his elementary occlumency triggered a warning. Someone was trying to control him. Harry gathered his not inconsiderable will and threw out the invader. "No!"

"You can't fight us all, boy," yelled Malfoy.

"I taught you, kid. We know your weaknesses and, together, we're stronger than you," added Crouch Junior.

"Surrender to me, Harry," Voldemort spoke as he stood beside a mausoleum. "You are no light wizard. You call on eldritch powers and have killed with your bare hands. Join me and I will raise you to heights you have never imagined. If you want the girl, you can have her. Her and others like her. Join me or we will kill you and all you know and love."

Harry felt confused. He knew what they were saying was wrong, but it made so much sense. He also knew they were not using the Imperious on him. He did not know what to think. He heard a shouted "Finite Incantiatum!" and suddenly his mind felt clear.

"The girl is still here somewhere!" Malfoy yelled.

"Find her." Voldemort ordered.

Enraged that they would threaten Hermione again, Harry stomped his foot hard on the packed ground, sending a shockwave that knocked most of the Death Eaters off their feet. He followed with a barrage of Blasting Curses, sending half a dozen masked wizards flying. An overpowered "Sectumsempra!" sliced across Harry's chest, leaving a bloody gash.

Harry grabbed Malfoy, who tried to stab him with a poisoned blade, and tossed him into Crouch who was casting another Killing Curse. The green curse missed Lucius, but hit another masked wizard. Harry had stopped holding back as much. The Death Eaters were playing for keeps and he was not immune to all their spells. More importantly Hermione was somewhere and he could not let her get hurt.

Voldemort popped up and cast "Fiendfyre!" A huge gout of flame flowed from his wand and rushed towards Harry. The fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts. Flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again as it rushed towards him. Harry managed to invoke the Scarlet Shield of Cyttorak in time to block the flames. Denied their target they flowed around him, consuming grass and stone, as well as two Death Eaters that could not get out of the way fast enough. Harry used the dark wizard's concentration to slip a Summoning Charm through. "Accio Voldemort's wand arm!"

The snake faced wizard cried out as his arm was almost wrenched from its socket. He flew toward Harry, barking his shins on several gravestones. Harry dropped his shield and caught Voldemort's arm. Before Harry could do anything the older wizard cast a wandless "Legilimens!" and invaded Harry's mind. Inside they wrestled, the master Legilimens and the apprentice Occlumens. Harry did not have much chance and Voldemort started peeling away Harry's defenses, gaining access to his secrets, and calling forth his greatest shame and fear.

"Crucio!" Hermione's voice was close. The spell hit Voldemort in the back, causing him to cry out in pain. This broke his connection to Harry's mind. The dark lord tried to spin around to find his attacker, but Harry still had hold of his wand arm.

"No more!" Harry cried and squeezed Voldemort's hand with all his strength, crushing both the hand and the wand to pulp. Again the dark lord screamed in anguish. Having finally extinguished the Fiendfyre, the Death Eaters turned their attention back to their master's plight. Dozens of spells lanced at Harry, including several "Crucios!" Harry released his grip, allowing Voldemort to fling himself away. Hermione, crouched between a marble pedestal and Harry, cast her strongest Shield Charm to deflect as much of the barrage as she could. Harry returned fire with several Blasting Curses.

Voldemort took the opportunity to retreat. He turned on his heel and started to apperate away. Harry saw what was happening and invoked his patron's power. As the dark wizard vanished Harry cast -

By Cyttorak's Crimson Bands!

I send thee through the unseen door -

Go thou where my spell commands

Fetch he that was here before!

Crimson chains lashed out of his hands and pierced the air where Voldemort had disappeared. They reached through the magical ether to grab the dark lord and drag him back in mystical bondage. Before Voldemort or his Death Eaters could react Harry chanted –

By the power of the Crimson Chaos

In the name of Cyttorak

I banish you to death and beyond

And abjure you to never come back!

With a great cry Harry yanked the chains tight, crushing the dark lord's new body. The bonds sliced the wizards into bloody chunks. The chains formed a tight knot in front of Harry's chest. The gobbets of Voldemort that splashed to the ground started to evaporate into a crimson mist that was absorbed by the knot of chains at the center of where the wizard had been. The chains pulled out of Harry's hands and spun tighter to form a sphere which then formed a pulsing ruby crystal hanging in the air. The crystal then shrank and disappeared with a near silent 'pop'.

After a moment's silence, the Death Eaters began to scream – "No!" "He killed the Dark Lord!" "Bastard!" and curses began to fly again. Harry ran to the edge of the graveyard where a line of utility poles stood along the side of the road. He pulled a pole from the ground, snapping the wires. He yelled "Get behind me Hermione!"

He felt her hand on his back and a quiet, "I am."

He charged forward, swinging the pole at groups of Death Eaters and whipping the wires like a lash at individuals. He knocked several down, but their compatriots started to disappear, taking the unconscious wizards with them. In moments Harry and Hermione were alone in the ruined graveyard.

Hermione threw off the cloak and raced to hug Harry. Arm in arm, they looked around at the battlefield. They were the only ones left. Harry noticed a large snake crushed under a fallen stone. "Is it over?" he asked.

"I think it is. You vanquished the Dark Lord."

"I don't know …"

"Come on Harry. Surely no one could have survived that."

They looked around for a moment, then heard the warbling sound of a police siren. "We have to get out of here."

"I wonder…"

"What?"

"The Cup. Where's the Triwizard Cup? It was a portkey to get you here. Maybe it can get us back too."

"Hang on." Harry put his arm around Hermione's waist and summoned the Cup. It flew to his hand and as soon as it touched him both teens were yanked through magical space to the stadium at Hogwarts.

The Stadium was empty, except for several aurors in uniform. There were even a few flying air patrol on brooms. Hagrid was also around, moving the last of the creatures from the remains of the maze. He spotted Harry first. " 'arry!" he bellowed. This caught the attention of everyone in a quarter mile. People began to run towards the pair. The groundskeeper got there first and wrapped Harry and Hermione in a great hug. "Yer alrigh'! We've been so worried. You've been gone for hours. Wha' happened?"

Harry pushed free of the half-giant's embrace. He had to be as gentle with Hagrid as Hagrid did with Hermione and the other kids. "We're alright, Hagrid. Just fine, but we need to talk with the Headmaster."

"What's all this then?" came the voice of Harry's least favorite auror, John Dawlish. "Where have you kids been?"

"I'd rather tell the tale only once if possible. I know Professor Dumbledore will want to hear it and if the Minister is around he may as well." Harry tried.

"Don't give me that. We've got a whole shift of aurors looking for you two. Now tell me where you've been."

Harry sighed and held out the Cup. "When I got to the center of the maze someone had made the Cup into a portkey that took me to a cemetery where I was attacked by the same Death Eaters that attacked the World Cup. One of them, a guy named Barty Crouch Junior, kidnapped Hermione here at Hogwarts and they tried to use her as a hostage against me. We fought. Finally we got away. This was a double portkey and got us back here just now."

Everyone looked at him strangely. Hermione looked like she wanted to correct him on all the things he left out. Harry looked in her eyes and shook his head slightly. She looked put out, but nodded fractionally.

"But where were you?" Dawlish insisted.

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly. "There was a graveyard, and a house up on a hill, but other than that I've got no details."

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore said as he and Professors McGonagall and Snape arrived. "Are you unhurt?"

"We're fine," Harry said, emphasizing Hermione's presence. "This may not be the best place to tell you what happened. Can we go to your office, or at least somewhere more private?"

"Kid, that's no way to talk to the Chief Warlock," Dawlish started, but Dumbledore cut him off.

"That's fine Harry. Let's take this to my office. Mr. Dawlish, thank you for your assistance. I will be sure to let Rufus know you are being so diligent." Dawlish just nodded as the Headmaster led the little group back to his office. Harry and Hermione were drawing lots of looks from the people they past. Harry realized that his clothes were torn, burned, and bloodied. Hermione's were not a lot better. Eventually they reached the gargoyle.

Once inside the office, Professor Dumbledore asked if Harry and Hermione could give their memories for viewing in the pensive. "I have a way of combining and synchronizing the memories of more than one witness to the same event. It offers better detail and more perspectives than those from a single witness." The Headmaster showed them how as neither had ever given a memory, though Harry had seen other memories in this pensive before. Once the silver strands were taken they were combined and set in to the large stone bowl.

"Everyone stick a finger in and we will all view these together. I would suggest we go through once with no commentary or questions. Afterwards, if needed, we can go back through and discuss what we see." So they did.

Harry was surprised that he could tell when Hermione was under the Imperious. Her memories were more clouded. They saw the man that looked like Moody put her, Ron, and Neville under and set up the hostage display in the stands before confronting Harry. As soon as Harry was in the maze, Moody and Hermione left the grounds and apparated to the graveyard. Harry apparently beat them there, but not by much.

He had been rendered unconscious by the waiting Death Eaters. Hermione had seen Harry struck down with several Killing Curses. Then the black-robed bad guys had levitated him in to positon on the tombstone of Thomas Riddle. Crouch had started the lengthy ritual that included preparing the baby homunculus and brewing the potion base. There were two parts of the ritual, the bone of the father and the flesh of the servant, Harry had not been fully cognizant for, though he had seen the disgusting arm-lopping bit.

The professors seemed agitated when Harry started using his sorcerous invocations. When he finally sacrificed Voldemort to Cyttorak Harry could hear their disquiet increase. They exited when the two teens returned to the stadium.

"Harry, you promised not to use sorcery." Dumbledore said sadly.

"I didn't think I had any choice." Harry defended.

"As may be, but there are likely to be significant consequences." The Headmaster replied. "Most of the Death Eaters got away. They may file charges against you with the Ministry. You would have a hard time disproving the evidence the Unspeakables will surely find at the site. I would not be surprised to find they are already investigating. The Trace on Miss Granger's wand will have reported the presence of both underage magic and sorcery."

"But it was all self-defense," objected Hermione. "I've studied both the Statute of Secrecy and the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic. Both have self-defense clauses that surely apply here."

"For your wanded and Mr. Potter's wandelss casting, that is likely the case," Professor McGonagall agreed. "But the sorcery Harry used is considered the darkest of magic. Harry sacrificed a person, albeit a truly evil person, to a demon. That too is evil. You should be ashamed, Mr. Potter. I am."

Hermione was speechless at her favorite professor's statements. Harry was enraged. "Different is not evil and Voldemort was already dead. I sent an evil spirit possessing a magical construct back to the afterlife. That's no more evil than a priest performing an exorcism, calling on the power of his god."

"Is Cyttorak your god, Potter? Are you his priest?" Snape snapped.

"No. I've refused to commit myself to his service. He gives me his protection though I've asked him to take it from me. He claims the chaos I wreak is sufficient payment for the level of power he gives me. The invocations I use are the simplest kind. Almost anyone can use them. You don't have to be pledged to him."

"And that's the problem," Professor Dumbledore said. "Anyone can access this level of power, but for more power – and people always want more power – they have to sell their soul. That is evil."

"I disagree," Hermione said. "As Harry said, it's just a different kind of magic. Can it be used for evil? Certainly. Baron Mordo and Doctor Doom are just two examples. But it's a magic that can be used for good. Harry did that. He used it for good."

"Miss Granger, that sounds awfully like You-Know-Who's mantra of 'There is no good or evil, only power …' Surely you don't really think that."

"No, ma'am. And that's not what I said. I said there is evil and good, but it's not in the magic, it's in the person. And Harry is good."

"It's alright, Hermione. If the Headmaster or the Deputy Headmistress or the Minister himself think I am too evil to be allowed in their world, that I must be ashamed of who and what I am, then maybe I don't want to be in their world." Harry's voice was full of pain and sorrow. Once he felt this place was his home. Now he just wanted to get away.

"Maybe your right, Harry. Maybe it's not the place for me either."

"Miss Granger … as I said, you did nothing wrong, though I am not sure you don't need to rethink your priorities. There is no reason for you to go."

"But Harry should?" the young witch asked. The older witch refused to meet her eyes.

"That might be problematic, Harry," Dumbledore said slowly. "There was a prophecy."

"A prophecy?" Harry replied.

Dumbledore told the group about how Trelawney had given the prophecy when she was applying form the job. The Headmaster recited it in full – "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark lord approaches…" Professor McGonagall was shocked. Hermione was thinking fast trying to analyze the blank verse. Harry just shrugged.

"Seems like I have fulfilled it more than once, if it actually means anything."

"Yes but there may be a problem. You mentioned that you knew about horcruxes?"

"I mentioned that I'd heard the term. Doctor Strange explained them in more depth. I was one, but the soul shard was absorbed by Cyttorak when he first gave me my powers. The diary was another. It's also gone. The homunculus held a third shard of Riddle's soul. It's toast. Are there others?"

"We don't know." It sounded like it hurt the Headmaster to admit that.

"Well, if more pop up, I'll have to vanquish them too. In the meanwhile, why don't you arrest the thirty or so Death Eaters that came to the ritual? They all seemed to be casting Unforgivables like rice at a wedding."

"Oh my god!" Hermione cried. "I cast an Unforgivable." That silenced the group effectively. Harry thought back to the fight. Hermione's Cruciatus Curse may have saved his life. Only an Unforgivable was guaranteed to get through Voldemort's defenses. And he had Harry on the ropes.

"Hermione, the reasoning you used for my sorcery apply to this as well. You used a bad spell to save my life and helped defeat a dark lord. It does not make you evil."

"But it may send her to Azkaban," Dumbledore said.

"Again, what about those Death Eaters? Will they go to Azkaban this time? Or will they buy their way or lie their way free?" Harry's voice was rising. The three professors looked at each other.

"Perhaps it is better if both of you plan to leave Britain." Dumbledore said slowly. "It might be safest for you."

"And it keeps Harry in reserve if you ever need him again, is that it? You have your weapon against the Dark Lord just waiting?"

"It's better than Azkaban, girl. Take what you can get." Snape spewed.

"You can take your OWLs at the Salem Institute," Professor McGonagall added.

"The laws there are more forgiving of both sorcery and secrecy." Dumbledore advised. "I can prepare an admission packet for next term. You should both do well there." His voice dropped. "Perhaps it is for the best."

After a bit more detail, Harry and Hermione left the Headmaster's office. Both were quiet. Harry reached out for Hermione's hand. She clasped his and a small smile spread on her lips.

"Maybe the whole day was not wasted," she whispered. Harry gently squeezed.

"You made a great partner out there."

"Maybe Bastion needs a sidekick?"

"No sidekicks. But I would love a partner."

"Partners then."

~~ The End ~~

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