“Not again,” thought Harry. “I’ve led them to the danger again.”
“No, you didn’t,” said Ginny’s voice. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Where are you?” thought Harry, not moving from his hands and knees.
“Behind you,” said Ginny, and Harry turned his head.
She was standing a few feet away from him, a Death Eater pointing their wand straight at her heart.
“You should keep a closer eye on her, Harry,” said Voldemort’s voice from nearby. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had her within an inch of her life.”
“Yes,” Harry replied to the darkness, “she’s always got away.”
“Ah, but this time, she’s not going to have you to rescue her…”
Harry looked up and saw a dark, looming figure approaching. Voldemort stopped just half a metre away from the lily and Harry got to his feet so that he could face him properly. Ginny’s thoughts were darting to and fro across his mind, connecting with his on their way to create the spindly web of a plan.
“But don’t worry,” hissed Voldemort, “I’m not going to kill you both just yet.”
“Where are the others?” thought Harry.
“That wouldn’t be half as much fun as what I’ve got in mind.”
“I don’t know,” said Ginny’s voice.
“Time for you to meet some old friends of yours, Potter…”
Harry saw movement out of the corner of his left eye and swung round to fight whatever was there. A pair of shadows was emerging from the night: a man and a woman…
The man had dark, knotted hair, but the woman’s was long, wispy… and red. Gazing unblinkingly at Harry were two startlingly green eyes… Harry’s eyes…
Harry’s mother. And Harry’s father.
Rags hung off them and their mouths hung open. There was no expression in their faces, no real life in their bones “ they were just bodies… not parents… just bodies…
“Do you remember them, Harry?” asked Voldemort, as if it amused him that Harry now stood before his dead parents. “Funny, how you watched them die, and now they’re going to watch you die “ “
“You’re sick!” screamed Ginny, her face contorted with hate and disgust.
Voldemort watched her for a moment as she glared at him.
“So this will be your great achievement?” asked Harry. “The one you’ve been so dying to fulfil: killing two teenagers who hardly had a chance?”
“Oh, no,” said Voldemort, red eyes flashing. “I want to see you squirm, first…”
He turned to the bodies of Harry’s parents and gestured with his wand “ they began to walk slowly towards Ginny, who took a few, small steps back, her wand poised for attack. The two bodies lifted their hands, pointing them at her. Instantly, she began screaming; her whole face screwed up in pain and her body shook violently. She fell to her knees, then keeled over onto her side, writhing and crying out so disturbingly that Harry hardly noticed the volcano that had just erupted in his forehead.
As the reality of the image hit him, he, too, fell to the ground and vomited on the grass. Trying to ignore the pain penetrating deeper and deeper into his brain and the terrible absurdity of what he was about to do, Harry lifted his wand and brandished it at his father.
“Stupefy!” he yelled, and the corpse fell motionless. Harry turned on his mother, pulling her golden necklace from his pocket and stumbling forwards, holding the chain before him.
“YOU’RE MY MOTHER!” he screamed. “LILY POTTER! MY MOTHER!”
The corpse staggered, its glazed eyes shining with a lost beauty for a moment “ and for that moment, Harry was sure that his mother lived once more “ until she dropped slowly to her knees, then fell to the ground.
Ginny stopped screaming and the physical pain subsided. Harry stared at the corpses of his parents, on the point of collapse, before losing his balance and falling to his knees beside his mother’s body.
“Why did you die to save me?” he cried. “Why didn’t you stand aside? WHY DIDN’T YOU STAND ASIDE?”
His vision was blurring.
“Don’t let him get to you,” said Ginny’s voice.
“SHE’S NOT YOUR MOTHER!” Harry screamed, turning on Ginny.
He gasped; for one, split second, he had seen his mother in her. Not just in her face; he felt the spirit of his mother in Ginny’s thoughts that ran through his mind, heard her in the sound of her voice, which now spoke to him, softly…
“She’ll always be with you…”
Harry buried his head in his hands and let the racking sobs shake his body dry of feeling. Ginny knelt by him and reached out to put her hand on his shoulder, and Harry tried to let her consoling thoughts penetrate his distraught mind.
“Is this revenge enough for what you did to me, Harry?” came Voldemort’s voice. “If I killed you now, would you have suffered enough? Would I be satisfied?”
Harry remembered where he was and looked up, wiping his face on his sleeve.
“No…” whispered Voldemort and he raised his wand again.
Two figures flew through the air and landed beside Harry and Ginny. Ron and Hermione instantly dropped down to see if they were all right, Ron retching slightly when he saw the remains of James and Lily Potter “
“Harry!” gasped Hermione, reaching out and putting a hand on his cheek. “What happened? What has he done?”
Ron and Ginny were looking at each other, and Harry could fully appreciate in that moment that she was his little sister.
“As if I didn’t know where you were hiding,” sneered Voldemort.
They raised their wands at him, but he just laughed and clicked his fingers: four more Death Eaters appeared and surrounded them. Harry and the others helped each other up and Harry stepped in front if Ginny so that he was between her and Voldemort. Anything he wanted to do to her, he could do to Harry.
Voldemort began to pace slowly towards them, speaking softly:
“These are the ones you love, Harry. They are your weakness… Crucio!”
Hermione let out a high-pitched scream and spasmed from head to foot; Ron instantly jumped in front of her and the curse passed to him, making him fall to his knees and twist and shout “
“Stupefy!” yelled Harry, pointing his wand at Voldemort, but he was too quick, moving just an inch or two to the side so that Harry’s jinx missed him completely.
The Cruciatus Curse lifted, leaving Ron lying on the grass, panting.
“Ron!” cried Hermione, kneeling beside him.
“Her “ Hermione,” gasped Ron, and he pulled her head down and kissed her.
Voldemort scowled.
“You see?” he hissed. “See what love does to you? Now do you understand why I have never needed it? Never wanted it?”
“I could never understand you,” muttered Harry.
He couldn’t think of any way that they were going to escape this time. There had always been someone to save them before now, but this seemed like the end of the line: his life had started at Godric’s Hollow and now, it would finish there…
“Not if you don’t let it,” thought Harry, forcefully. “There’s so much to live for,” and he squeezed Ginny’s hand. Yes, love can destroy you, but it can also give you more than anyone without it could ever imagine “
“Okay, fine,” said Harry, firmly. “If you want to fight it out, then let’s do it.”
“Harry, no!” whispered Hermione, but Harry had already stepped forwards.
“That’s more like it,” said Voldemort, lifting his wand so that it was level with his chest.
“But I thought you said that your wand wouldn’t work against Voldemort’s,” said Ginny’s voice warily.
Harry knew that she was right, but he wanted so much to have a fair duel with Voldemort, once and for all, that he studiously ignored the nagging voices in his head. He took another pace towards Voldemort, keeping constant eye contact.
“Harry “ it won’t work!” said Ginny’s voice, following Harry’s conscience. “You can’t use your wand against him! You’re just going to get yourself hurt!”
He faltered and, not being able to help himself, looked round at Ginny. Her face was etched with worry and pleading; her vibrant, red hair “ which had been tied up in such a neat ponytail on the back of her head “ had fallen about her face. Harry forgot all about his situation and couldn’t help but stare at her in all her beautiful glory.
“Come on, Harry,” her voice pleaded frantically. “Think about it.”
“Are you going to face me like a real wizard, or not?” jeered Voldemort, jerking Harry back to reality.
He turned and raised his wand. What was he supposed to do? Stand there, looking totally vulnerable, totally unprepared, just waiting for Voldemort to kill him? He had to at least try “
“EXPELLIARMUS!” he yelled, but Voldemort jumped aside.
“Come on, Harry “ put some effort into it!”
Harry gritted his teeth and stepped closer, but Voldemort began to stride towards him and a great force pushed Harry to the ground. He could see Ginny running, her vivid hair flying out behind her like the flames now consuming the nation “
“HARRY!” she screamed.
“Avada Kedavra!” cried Voldemort, pointing his wand at Harry.
“NO! GIN “ !”
A flash of green light, a flash of red hair, then a pain beyond anything Harry had ever felt “ this was pain beyond burning, beyond cursing, beyond torture “ was this what it felt like to die? Was this the last thing that he, Harry, would ever feel? No “ this was the pain of love “ love that was being ripped and torn and shattered but would not break, would not shatter, would not die…
Harry screamed as his soul was split and half of it destroyed in that one, life-changing second. Voldemort was powerless “ bodiless once more “ but that didn’t matter now… none of it mattered now…
…and all he could hear was her, screaming…
...“I’ll always be with you…”
He woke without her in his arms.
A/N: UPDATE: the epilogue - "The power of love" - is now up!
A/N: Well, there it is...
Finishing stories always feels strange, but this was the strangest. I cried a lot and felt odd for hours. I really hope it made some sort of an impact on you.
I'd like to say a quick thank you to Libs (user name: There You Are Peter), who has given me so much support and has nagged me for chapters constantly! It's thanks to her that you haven't had to wait months and months between chapters! Please do go and read her story about James and Lily - it really is excellent.
A final thank you to you guys, who make it all worth while. Please do review - it's what keeps me writing.
Thank you,
xxx hattiepotter xxx