Chapter Fourteen: The Faceoff:

Lily looked up at her son and fussed with his cloak, straightening what already was straight. Harry was clad in battle robes of green that matched his eyes and golden armor with a dark green cloak over all. He looked every bit the warrior he was but Lily could only see her baby boy she had held in her arms such a short time ago. He was taller than her now, a man in fact not a boy and it was hard for her to realize that. She had not seen him grow up, oh he had given her memories to see but it was not the same, not the same at all! Harry smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder, and this did help a little bit. Severus came up clad for war in black battle robes and black armor with a sword at his side. Next to him stood Sirius also clad for war in blue robes trimmed in black with slivery armor, Remus was not clad in armor, all he had on was a pair of leather breeches, he might not be a full werewolf anymore but he could transform at will to his were form and would along with several other cured werewolves.

"Nice outfit Moony, trying to seduce the female death eaters?" Sirius said.

"No the male ones." Remus shot back getting Sirius to stammer, "always shuts him up."

"We will take care of Harry, rather I will Lily, his story is not over by a long shot." Severus replied.

"I just want this over with." Lily said, "it's been hard, so very hard for me, oh I am sorry…"

"It's alright mum I we will have lots of time after this to spend." Harry said, "in fact I would love it if you lived at Stag cottage."

"Yes Harry is not normal, a teen wanting to live with family." Sirius said. "Then again I did enjoy living with your grandparents, the only real family I could claim."

"Well you are part of ours, though I am older you know." Lily said.

"I know and far better than me." Sirius replied.

"Well I got a dark lord to take down." Harry said, "we can take this mushy stuff up after alright?"

He grinned a cheeky grin refusing to show any fear and walked from his mother's chambers, down the stairs with Severus to the great Hall. Severus took his place at the head of the vast great hall on the dais with the heads of houses here all clad in robes in the colors of their houses. The students were here, all fifth year and up, the younger years to their anger and frustration were locked in their common rooms for safety reasons. If Voldemort did not keep his promises and attacked they wanted only those who could fight back here. The minister and others were here too below the dais on the right of the hall. Harry stood before them the students making a path for the evil dark lord. Harry stood tall and waited, he looked every bit the part of the warrior and hero he was. He did not have long to wait as Voldemort came with the last of his followers. He did not have many of these, a whole pack of werewolves from America had joined Voldemort. There was no reason for them to do this only that they liked to hurt and kill, Remus was teaching them why it was not wise to do so.

"It's down to you and me Tom." Harry said calmly, "you are mortal and you will die today."

"I am far more powerful than you Harry Potter!" Voldemort said.

"No, no you are not, I am. I do not say this to boast, but it is true, I will kill you today." Harry replied.

"I see, then let's see you try!" Voldemort shouted.

Harry drew his wand and the battle began and what a battle it was. Harry proved he was very, very powerful and was a match for Voldemort. His spells were far above any that one of his age should be able to do but he was marked to defeat Voldemort and that was just what he was going to do. Though he was far better with a sword he was going to prove today he was very powerful magically and would take Voldemort down that way. Spells flew back and forth, white, blue, red and green they flew through the hall. Harry conjured up walls and stones to block Voldemort, his training coming very handy. Though Voldemort was strong he just could not keep up with Harry who managed to cut him with a Sectumsempra that sliced through most of his left side. Harry was hit with shrapnel from a bombarda as his shield did not fully block it. He wiped the blood out his eye and cast a chain of spells back at Voldemort. Harry was starting to have fun, this was his element, he loved to duel and dueling Voldemort had got his blood up to be sure.

"You are talented." Harry said to Voldemort as he shot the counter to the Fiendfyre a wall of water that incased the fire and turned to ice. "Very much so."

"I have had years of study boy, I know more than you ever could dream of." Voldemort said casting a spell to break the ice and send shards at Harry.

"Well yea but see I got power on my side." Harry said, "I mean seriously I am really powerful, scary really."

"I will defeat you!" Voldemort said casting a killing curse that Harry side-stepped.

"Now that was rude." Harry replied, "and I was having fun!"

The spells got more violent and faster if that was possible. Both were equally matched, Voldemort had a vast array of spells while Harry had raw power. Both were terrifying in power and fought on giving as much as they got. Both were battered and bruised, bleeding and hurting as the battle went on. Harry was saved only by his armor on many occasions. Yet the battle could not continue on forever and finally Harry got the opening he needed, he did not use the killing curse, why would he? He had sent a spell chain that ended with several knives, Voldemort ducked and blocked all the spells but the last. It took his wand hand off and Harry did not give him a chance to recover, he slashed his wand violently and hued the evil dark lord's head from his body. Voldemort sank headless to the floor leaving a battle bleeding and wear but triumphant standing before the school as the clear winner.

"So who is next?" Harry asked looking at the remaining death eaters, "who wants a go?"

"Take care of the rest." Severus said and the heads of houses had no problem ending the lives of the last death eaters here and now, "now no more, no more killing, no more death this is over."

"I could not agree more." Harry replied, "it is done."

"Time to celebrate then." Fred said coming up.

"Agreed, first a bit of clean up? Oi Gawp come and help us old chap?" George called and a small giant around eighteen feet high slumped in and took the dead away, "great chap, great fellow, so let's celebrate!"

Before Severus could stop them (not that he really wanted to) they set off fireworks inside the great hall. Harry was cheered and hoisted up and Severus stepped aside and this once let Harry take a seat in his chair. Severus never thought that he would survive, that he would live to see the end of Voldemort. For so long since the evil dark lord had come back he had believed he would die. So had most of the death eaters who had left Voldemort, Lucius had never expected to survive after his loss at the department of mysteries. Yet he had and so had Severus and Severus was thinking of what he would do now. Well he knew he would stay as headmaster, a job he could only dream of in the past but one he was humbled and honored to have now.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Snow covered the ground outside the school and the temperature dipped far below freezing. Inside the castle it was cozy and warm enough though most still hovered around the fires and students and staff were layered in layers of warm clothing and robes and cloaks. Severus was seated in his office watching Oscurita as she at a bit of crumb he had "dropped" on the desk from a biscuit he was eating. He sipped at his tea and looked over to see Lily reading with Harry sleeping curled up by her side. Severus smiled at the scene, Harry was a teen boy but he of course needed his mother and would until he married and even after that. Lily was the light of life for so many and she was touted as much a miracle as Harry these days.

"He is a great wizard." Dumbledore said from his portrait, "far better than me."

"Yes that is true." Lily said not looking up from her book, "but then you never did ask others for help, you might be alive today if you had."

"Yes and I would have fought Tom, I am glad you do care my dear about a foolish old man."

"Only reason I wish you alive is so I could still curse you." Lily said, "what you did to Severus alone was wrong."

"I am sorry."

"Yes I am sure you are." Lily said carding her hand through Harry's unruly locks, "you thought of my baby boy as nothing but a pawn."

"You know I was thinking, since we have won this war a trip is in order." Severus said just as Harry yawned and woke.

"Trip were Severus?" Harry asked.

"I was thinking Disney World, muggles do make wonderful things." Severus said, "as Lucius is my responsibility I could bring him."

"You are terrible." Lily said smiling, "though Narcissa and Draco would have fun."

"I could bring Ginny, and invite Ron and Hermione." Harry said, "Ginny would like it."

"That would be good, we could go at the end of this school year, things should have settled down by then." Lily said, "it would be a great treat for Harry in getting his NEWTs as well."

Harry smiled, he was happy Voldemort was gone and that he was truly free, oh there were still things to do and evil creatures to destroy but in the end it was the dawn of a new day. Not a single death eater remained alive, dark wizards and witches the world over were being hunted down as never before, those that continued to embrace evil and harmful and hurting magics were being taken care of. Most supported Voldemort and had to be removed, they would not stop until Harry or they were dead. Still it was a happy time for Harry and he was looking forward to Christmas as he was going to for the first time in years spend it with his mother!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

So there is the final battle with Voldemort, he is well and truly dead by Harry's hand. Harry is extremely powerful, more powerful than Voldemort, however as stated here Voldemort has more skill though power as we see did win out.