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This is it, folks. The final battle. My version of such, using J.K's characters, because it wouldn't be any fun without them.
There are a few people I'd like to thank for allowing me to get this far, since I'm here. Thanks to Mom, Dad, and Grandma for their constant encouragement (sometimes overencouragement, but that's not important now). Thanks also to the many friends, family, and children of coworkers who have been so helpful in reading this story and commenting on what you found good or bad. Thanks to Ian and Allie for telling me when I'm being stupid about the whole thing, and thanks especially to the authors of Fan Fiction I so greatly admire, without whom I never would have had the courage to tell my own story, especially Melindaleo and cts.
No one in the Order had much time to worry about the fates of Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy. They were too busy trying to keep the wizarding world from falling apart. Attacks daily, constantly trying to heal sick or injured people, caring for the people who had been Kissed, and the pressures of living under the thumb of Voldemort were wearing on the Order rapidly. Harry was determined to end the whole thing once and for all.
He had been preparing his strategy for quite some time, and felt sure that he could pull it off. All he needed now was Voldemort, and to his great surprise, that was exactly what he got the very next week.
An army of Death Eaters appeared in front of the castle at seven in the morning that Sunday. They marched on the gates, and only the barking from Hagrid's three-headed dog, Fluffy, alerted the castle. As the Order, the D.A, and most of the inhabitants who were capable prepared to defend the school, Harry felt a strange calm drift over him.
Fluffy's barking suddenly stopped.
He could just tell that this was it.
He carefully climbed the stairs to his dormitory while Ron was organizing the students who remained in the school to fight. Unnoticed, he slipped under his bed, and pulled out the box he had retrieved of Sirius' things.
The box had contained Sirius' wand, a few Galleons, and a tattered photograph. The picture seemed to be of the Marauders – except Peter Pettigrew had walked out of it. Harry's father and his father's friends waved at him from the picture, smiling and wrestling with each other.
“This is it,” whispered Harry. “I'll try to make you proud.”
Harry set the picture on his pillow and stared at it for a minute, then turned and left the dormitory.
HPHPHPHPHP
He walked out of the school almost in a daze. The battle was already raging, but he didn't feel guilty for his lateness. The Order was putting up a hard fight, but he had more important things to do.
Harry could see that Hagrid was lying next to Fluffy's still body near the gate, but he had no time to grieve. He simply continued forward, joining the loose line of Order members who were fighting in front of the school.
He could see Lupin down the line, battling with Peter Pettigrew, and knew without a shadow of a doubt that Lupin would win. Sometimes it was just meant to be.
To his right, Ron and Hermione were fighting with several hooded Death Eaters, but they appeared to be winning. And in front of him was his target.
Voldemort was looking at something to his side, and had not yet seen Harry. Harry preferred it that way. He began walking toward Voldemort, picking his way through the battle.
Suddenly, he heard someone cry “Avada Kedavra!” behind him. He stopped and turned, astounded at what he saw.
Fenrir Greyback was crumpling to the ground, the predatory gleam already gone from his eyes. And behind him, holding a wand, was Peter Pettigrew.
Pettigrew and Harry shared a look, and suddenly there was another cry of, “Avada Kedavra!” and Pettigrew, too, crumpled. Remus Lupin and Harry stared at each other for a minute, and Remus took in the body of Fenrir Greyback before nodding to Harry and turning back to the battle.
Harry turned back to Voldemort, who was now focused on the battle behind him. He made it to within ten feet before Voldemort turned and saw Harry standing there, looking him straight in the eyes.
Harry knew one thing and one thing only. Neither of them would come out of this alive.
A/N: I know you wanted something longer, but trust me, this is the best pause point for a while. The next chapter has been posted at the same time as this one. Because I'm nice that way.
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