Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

(A/N: Looking back I really did not like my first chapter so I decided to rewrite it. Hopefully you guys consider this an improvement. I do. Enjoy!)

Chapter 1: Running

Running.

The process of putting one foot in front of the other at a fast pace.

It was an action that had saved Harry many times before. He could only pray to any deity out there that it would do so again.

He dodged quickly to the right to avoid a stream of red light that would have assured his capture again. He felt a sharp pain shoot through him and his breath caught in his throat. He quickly wrapped an arm around his broken ribs in an attempt to hold them steady and continued to run.

He continued in this fashion for what felt like hours but what was really only a few minutes when suddenly a deep violet curse shot out low to the ground and hit Harry on his left leg.

He let out a cry as he felt his leg break and collapsed to the ground, his hands automatically moving to his new injury and grasped it tightly tears streaming down his face.

He lay there, his shuddering gasps for air the only sound in the silent clearing. The shouts of the Death Eaters who had been pursuing him through the forest had suddenly faded away.

Harry felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, knowing in his heart what was about to happen. It seemed his infamous luck had finally run out this time.

Sure enough, from between the trees a tall figure clothed in black emerged and made his way over on near silent feet to Harry.

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Voldemort said softly, "You didn't really believe you could escape me, did you?"

Harry gritted his teeth and glared up at him through streaming eyes but said nothing.

"You should have known that I would never let you get away alive," Voldemort continued running a long, cold finger down Harry's face, making his head practically split open in pain, "You've been far too much of a nuisance for me to let that happen."

"Well, you were never very good at keeping me around in the past," Harry replied, trying to keep the pain out of his voice, "So, I figured it was worth a shot."

Voldemort withdrew his hand, crimson eyes flashing dangerously,.

"Not this time, Potter," Voldemort said coldly, pulling his wand out of his robes, "There's nowhere to run and no one can save you."

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, knowing what was going to happen. He was going to die. And he would die curled up on the ground before his murderer. His parents would be so ashamed.

"Avada Kedav-"

Suddenly a calm voice entered the clearing cutting off the deadly incantation before the spell could leave Voldemort's wand.

"What if someone can, Tom?"

Harry eyes snapped open, hardly daring to believe it.

But there he was, in all his starry robed glory. By some miracle, Albus Dumbledore had come, twinkling eyes and all.

Harry could have fainted with relief. That man was the most welcome sight Harry had seen in three months.

Voldemort hissed, whipping around to glare at the Headmaster, enraged at the interruption.

"This is none of your concern, old man," Voldemort snarled, eyes smoldering, "Go back to your school and take care of your little mudbloods. Who knows how much longer they will be around to go back to?"

Dumbledore's smile did not waver, but his eyes hardened as he banished Harry's wand to his side, "On the contrary, as Harry is one of my students, this is very much my concern. And I take my job very seriously, Tom, as you well know."

Harry watched as something unrecognizable flittered across Voldemort's face before it was replaced by rage.

"Then die with him," he hissed, "Avada Kedavra!"

Dumbledore sidestepped the spell and it flew into the trees behind him, lighting them with a burst of bright, green flames.

"Armiso," said Dumbledore softly and a blue spell flew towards Voldemort. The Dark Lord quickly turned on the spot and vanished, reappearing behind the headmaster.

Harry watched as spells flew back and forth, with increasing intensity. He also became acutely away of how he was feeling progressively worse. He could feel blood leaking out of his leg where the broken bone had pierced his skin as he fell, and his vision was beginning to blur, making the duel become mere flashes of light being traded between two shadowy figures. He almost felt ready to cry in frustration at being so helpless, lying on the ground while Dumbledore fought on his behalf.

Finally, Voldemort seemed to tire of the fight, deciding it was time to end it. He turned viciously on Dumbledore and raised his wand.

Without speaking a word a red glow began to grow at the end of his wand, slowly growing in power and intensity until it became a roiling orb of scarlet and black energy that seemed to be struggling to release itself from the end of his wand.

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he watched the sphere of energy emerging and immediately brandished his own wand a gold glow beginning to appear.

The concentrated, raw magic expanded at an alarming rate until, with a great flourish, both wizards sent them flying at their opponent at the same moment.

Harry watched in slow motion as the magic orbs glided through the air toward each other and then smashed together. There was a pause and then a blinding white light erupted from the epicenter of the collision, blinding everyone in the vicinity, which was quickly followed by a shockwave that knocked both Voldemort and Dumbledore off their feet.

They all lay still for a few minutes, recovering from the power of the magical explosion and letting their eyes adjust as the white light slowly faded away.

Dumbledore blinked furiously, trying to clear the spots from his eyes and looked around wildly.

Harry was no where to be seen.

"What have you done with him?" Dumbledore demanded, feeling panic fill him at the thought of losing Harry once more.

Voldemort looked up sharply at that and glanced to the spot where Harry had last lain, only to find him gone.

His whole body began to tremble and his crimson eyes flashed with rage.

"POTTER!!" Voldemort screeched in fury.

Harry watched as the orbs collided and saw the magic contract before exploding. A blinding white light blanketed the clearing and Harry felt the backlash wash over him, making his skin tingle.

Suddenly, Harry began to experience the sensation of being tugged violently in many different directions and the light around him faded to reveal a multicolored vortex that swirled around him.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight down the nausea caused by watching the neon colors whirl around. He held his wand desperately in his good hand, groping for any kind of anchor in the chaos that surrounded him.

Finally the tugging began to lessen and the colors began to fade, being replaced once more by white light.

The light flashed and suddenly Harry's feet slammed onto the ground. A blinding pain shot up his bad leg and it gave out from under him, sending him toppling to the ground.

Harry moaned in pain, gripping his leg weakly in a vain attempt to ease the throbbing.

He took a deep shuddering breath as his vision began to fade. He was dying. He knew it. The Boy Who Lived wasn't going to live after all.

Just as he began to give into the temptation of eternal sleep, he heard faint shouts and shadowy figures filled his failing sight.

Harry blinked slowly, his head lolling to the side as he took in the features of the person nearest him.

It looked like a boy. He had glasses and hair that looked awfully familiar…

Harry's eyes widened in recognition. There was no way. And yet…

"Dad?" Harry whispered in disbelief.

Then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he knew no more.