Destiny

A/N: THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE END! Thanks to everyone who's been reading along from day one! You are all amazing! I was quite pleased with the way this turned out... read and review! Enjoy!

Severus and Dumbledore gaped at the sight. Hastily casting a glamour to make himself fairly unrecognizable, Severus' blood boiled as he took in the sight of a small crowd of Death Eaters, led by a squat, fat, robed figure heading toward the Potter house. Lord Voldemort stood next to the short figure, impressive as he towered ominously over the rest. He raised his wand and, grasping the short figure by the shoulder as the smaller man grasped the doorknob, shot an electric blue spell at the home he could finally see.

Severus roared in anger as the Fidelius Charm became visible for a moment before shattering. He ran forward as the crowd surged inside, drawing his wand and firing indiscriminately into the crowd.

Relashio! Crucio! Reducto! Sectumsempra! Severus fired spells off as quickly as his magic would allow, his heart pounding terribly. Cold fury had overtaken Dumbledore's demeanor as well as the infamously Light wizard cast highly advanced spells as if he were merely lighting the tip of his wand.

Severus barreled through the confused swarm of Death Eaters. As Severus wounded them, Dumbledore bound them magically and prevented the monsters from Apparating to safety. Lord Voldemort had disappeared, it seemed, so the Death Eaters began to fight back against Severus and Dumbledore.

Driven by full-blown hate for the Dark side, Severus dueled three Death Eaters at once, laughing maniacally. "Is that all you've got?" Severus roared, easily dispatching the three. An angry howl sounded and a Death Eater stepped forward, tearing off the plain white mask.

Bellatrix Lestrange faced him, her eyes flashing. "You think you're such a big shot? Fight me! Once I'm through with you I'm moving on to that slutty bitch Lily Potter!" she cackled, firing a Slashing Hex. Severus dodged it easily, his muscles knotting. He threw a murderous look at the crazed witch and fired a Disemboweling Hex she also dodged. She cackled again. "I knew it! You filthy half-blood traitor, you fucking piece of shit turncoat! I knew you had to be a spy, Severus; I knew you had to have been fooling the Dark Lord somehow all these years and now I have proof! Finite Incantatem!"

Thrown by her accurate speculation, Severus couldn't dodge the spell aimed at his face. A cold, abrupt tingle told him his hastily-cast glamour had been ripped off, and his stomach dropped. For an instant, the rest of the inner circle simply stared at the traitor in their midst before Dumbledore took the advantage, Disarming and Binding close to half of those present.

Severus felt the Dark Mark burn horrifically and the remaining Death Eaters abruptly turned on the spot and Apparated away. Desperate, Severus fired a last hex at Bellatrix as she spun on the spot, hitting her straight in the heart. Her momentum and magic carried her around one last time, allowing Severus to triumphantly see her vacant eyes before her magic mercifully Apparated her body away. Just after, the air took a strangely greenish tinge- someone had cast a powerful Atmospheric Anti-Apparition ward.

Severus ran up the sidewalk to the front door, bursting in so fast the splintered wooden door fell off of its hinges.

"So it is true. You betrayed me," a high, cold voice snarled behind Severus. Fear gripped his mind, but he forced himself to turn around confidently, wand out, and face the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort smirked. "You are no match against me, Severus… and to think I was going to spare the Mudblood for your enjoyment. No matter… you shall watch. Incarcerous!"

Before Severus could dodge, thick strong ropes sprung out of nowhere and wrapped themselves tightly around his body. Lord Voldemort levitated his struggling body and Dumbledore tried to run inside, but ran straight into an unseen ward. Severus scowled and kept struggling, trying to point the wand he'd thankfully not dropped at the ropes binding him.

As Dumbledore fired spell after spell at the ward, trying to break it, Lord Voldemort and Severus went upstairs. Severus' heart dropped as he heard hurried frantic voices and Harry's confused cries. Lord Voldemort looked for Harry's nursery, and his anticipation at finishing off a threat made his magic blast the door open as he reached it.

Lily screamed, shielding Harry from the force of the blast. James tried his best to shield the both of them, ignoring the bit of wood that struck his cheek. Lord Voldemort stalked inside, smirking heavily.

"Ah, at last, Lily and James Potter are in my hands! It's time to hand over the child," he said, bringing Severus into the room still bound. Lily whimpered slightly, her hand covering her mouth, as she realized her best friend had been discovered.

James' eyes narrowed at the unspoken threat and he stepped forward defiantly. "Don't you dare hurt Harry! You'll have to go through me!" he declared, his wand at the ready. Severus heard voices downstairs and his heart lifted as he recognized Sirius' panicked growl- the Order had arrived and managed to break through the ward! More footsteps thundered up the stairs as James shot a hex at Lord Voldemort.

Enraged by James' show of bold resistance, Lord Voldemort snarled, "Avada Kedavra!" Lily and Sirius, who had just arrived in the doorway, screamed as the jet of green light struck James in the middle of his chest. James' brown eyes gazed out emptily as he fell to the floor. Sirius ran in and tackled Lord Voldemort, hitting Severus enough to move his tightly bound right arm just enough to point his wand at the ropes. As Lord Voldemort fell over, Severus released his arms and tried to free his legs.

Sirius only managed to hold Lord Voldemort down for a minute, as he was strong as he was cunning. Lord Voldemort threw Sirius off and raised his wand again. He fired another Killing Curse, aimed at Lily, but Severus had rushed in and pushed her and Harry out of danger. Varied shouts below informed the Potions master that the Death Eaters had returned, fighting the Order members downstairs. The roof of the house shuddered and broke from the impact of the curse, giving the house an air-raid look.

Sirius groaned. He had landed heavily on his left side, and moved as though every inch was painful. Severus stood in front of Lily and Harry, scared but determined. He and his former master began to duel, their rapidly-fired spells increasing quickly in power and Darkness. Severus saw Lily try desperately several times to Apparate away, but the Atmospheric ward hadn't shattered with the roof's destruction. With a jolt, Severus remembered the jar of Floo powder downstairs.

"Lily! Get the Floo powder! Get out!" he yelled to her, throwing up a Shield Charm just in time to block a nasty jinx.

She shook her head tearfully. "We don't have anymore," she said, her voice catching. "Peter 'accidentally' knocked our jar over and I Vanished the mess,"

A sense of pure hopelessness stole over Severus. He froze momentarily and Lord Voldemort managed to tie Severus up again. This time, however, Severus dropped his wand. Falling over in the opposite direction of his wand, Severus cursed his horrid luck and struggled mightily against the ropes. A hideously loud buzz filled the room as the Order tried to break through the ward sealing off the nursery Sirius had managed to slip past, but for the moment those wards held fast.

Lord Voldemort bound Sirius too, laughing cruelly as Sirius cried out in pain when the ropes tightened around his left leg. He surveyed the room, drinking in the sight of Lily pressing herself against the far corner, gripping Harry tightly as they cowered next to the useless fireplace. The harsh buzzing intensified as Lord Voldemort advanced threateningly toward Lily and Harry. Severus and Sirius cried out various obscenities and threats, hoping to distract Lord Voldemort for even just a moment.

Lord Voldemort smirked maliciously. "Checkmate," he said softly. "Avada Kedavra!" A jet of green light sped toward Lily and Harry. Instinctively, Lily turned so that her back faced the men as she desperately tried one last time to protect Harry.

The Killing Curse hit Lily's back, and she uttered a small, "Oh!" Severus cried out, his damaged heart breaking. Her lithe form sagged against the corner and she slid down. Harry landed rather ungainly, and began to cry from fear and pain.

For the first time in many long years, Severus felt burning hot tears spill onto his sallow cheeks as Lily fell backward, her vacant eyes open and staring straight at him. His best friend… dead… and it was all his fault. He went limp as Sirius yelled and raged, both men crying for fallen friends.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lord Voldemort said, jabbing his wand at the crying child. The three men watched in wonder as the curse sped towards Harry, hit him straight between the eyes, and rushed back to the Dark Lord.

Lord Voldemort screamed comparably to a banshee as Harry's wails intensified. In that instant, the wards around the nursery fell and Professor Dumbledore barreled inside. Lord Voldemort's screams doubled in volume and all those inside, including the Order members that had poured in just after Dumbledore, gazed in horrified wonder as the spell wrapped around the Dark Lord and ripped his body away, leaving behind a wraith.

"Incarcero spectralis!" Dumbledore rumbled, and a golden lattice "jail", of sorts, constructed itself around the wraith-form of Lord Voldemort. Unable to flee, the spirit shivered in place, a snarl forming in the insubstantial mist.

Arthur Weasly released Sirius from the ropes binding him as Dumbledore undid the ones binding Severus. Immediately, the two men rushed to Lily's side and Sirius plucked a still-screaming Harry from Lily's protective postmortem hold. Severus felt more hot tears roll onto his cheeks, landing on Lily's beautifully peaceful face as he leaned over her.

His best friend and his first and only love was dead.

After a few minutes of regaining his composure, Severus stood and acknowledged the Order, who finally knew him as their spy. He walked over to the shadow of his former master; every breath pained him as he struggled to fully come to terms with Lily's death.

A barely-discernible face in the mist turned to face Severus. "You foolish brat; I provided everything you ever could have asked for," the wraith hissed. Severus' eyes narrowed.

"I am not normally known for my compassion, Voldemort, but let me say this. You get this one chance to come clean. One chance, to tell me what ties you to the living world even after being hit with the Killing Curse. One chance, to tell me everything you've done to be close to immortal. If you decide not to take this chance, I'm sure you'll not be a danger after a Dementor is through with you," Severus said haltingly, glaring contemptuously at the noxious-looking yellow fog. "Else you will simply remain in this form as the rest of the wizarding world figures out how to kill you. May death be all that you fear, you disgusting old fool,"

Severus picked up his wand and looked over again at Lily's and James' bodies. He looked over at Sirius, who was tearfully trying to console Harry although the broken man needed consolation of his own. His eyes lingered on the bloody lightning-shaped cut on the baby's forehead, and his fingers tightened dangerously around his wand. Severus turned to face Voldemort again, who sneered and turned away as best as he could.

"I'll not tell you anything," he said mockingly, his voice echoing as it resounded from the mist as a whole.

Severus' eyes narrowed. "By my magic, I swear I will dedicate the rest of my life in finding out your secrets and unraveling your plan. I will avenge Lily," he said softly, dangerously.

"Have fun trying!" taunted the mist, though Severus detected a hint of fear. As Dumbledore moved the imprisoned wraith, intending to keep Lord Voldemort under lock and key for many many years, Severus smiled wickedly.

"I intend to," Severus declared. His obsidian eyes glittered ominously and his wand heated slightly in anticipation.

Severus had no intention of making Lily's child a murderer. Instead, he would take destiny into his own hands, and kill the one who killed his love, his best friend, his light at the end of life's dreary tunnel. If it took the rest of his life, Severus swore to himself he would see the end of this monster.

For Lily.

After all, Severus reasoned, death didn't kill a friendship. He and Lily were friends forever... no matter what.