money from it, so please Mrs. Rowling if you read this
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though.
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Chapter 19 Part Two: Checkmate
Dumbledore apparated from the tower where he had set the containment dome with Ron and Hermione into the vast courtyard that the main gates of the outer castle walls opened onto. He cringed for half a second at the broken remains of one giant lying with his body half submerged in a fountain.
His eyes were ripped from that gruesome sight when he saw Arthur Weasley fly through the air and crash into the statue of Salazar Slytherin that stood in the center of the fountain. The giant who had struck him advanced on his fallen form only to be engaged by Hagrid and Grawp.
“DAD!” Bill Weasley shouted rushing from behind the stone wall where he had been sending spells at the giants. The spells of more that fifty sorcerers tried to cover him from the swinging arms of the other giants. He had nearly reached his father when one Giant broke through the wave of spells and his hand slammed down onto the back of Bill’s head, crushing his skull and killing him instantly.
“NO!” Remus shouted as both he and Tonks physically restrained Percy and Charlie from rushing into the open also.
Taking a lesson from Ginny Potter, Dumbledore let his anger mount. His power began to flow, building to a crescendo he had not reached since defeating Grindelwald.
The Crushing Spell erupted from his wand striking the giant advancing on Bill, square in the face. The giant’s brains exploded from the back of its head and its dead body tittered precariously towards the statue and Arthur’s crumpled form at its base. Dumbledore just managed to summon Arthur to him before the Giant fell onto the statue with a deafening crash.
Behind Dumbledore, an explosion of non-magical making went off at the feet of another giant. The beast screamed in agony as both of its legs were blown off, sending it crashing to the ground.
Fred and George stood up from behind the wall they were using for shelter. Together they levitated the third and last bomb they had made from their fireworks supply, sending it into the open and near a giant whose back was turned to them. A bolt of fire shot from the wand of Professor McGonagal to the bomb. The explosion, larger than the last one, tore into the giant killing it instantly.
The giant fighting both Hagrid and Grawp was joined by three others, and Hagrid was sent flying through the air into the wall of the castle. His body struck it with such force that a Death Eather standing on top of it was knocked off balance. The Death Eater fell, bouncing off of Hagrid’s motionless form on his way to the ground.
Grawp’s howl of rage at the sight of Hagrid’s motionless body precipitated and attack of such ferocity that the four giant’s he was now battling seemed to loose confidence.
Dumbledore’s own rage threatened to consume him as his most loyal and dedicated friend lay motionless on the ground. The spells that flew from his wand slammed into the four giants that were now falling back under Grawp’s attack; a few moments later only one was left standing.
He turned to flee in the direction of the wall where Fred, George and Professor McGonagall were hiding. As the three of them began to run from behind the wall, Professor McGonagall was hit by a stray spell and fell with a broken leg. The onrushing giant was struck in the back by more than thirty Crushing Spells and began to fall towards her. Fred and George stopped and turned to rush back to Professor McGonagall in an attempt to keep the Giant from crushing her.
“Petrificus Totalus!” Professor McGonagall’s spell hit them when they were only feet away. The Giant’s body crashed down onto her. The head of the creature only inches from the twins frozen forms. They could only watch in horror as Dumbledore levitated the giant off of Professor McGonagall. A moment later he released the twins from the spell she had cast on them.
“Quickly,” he said. “Take her and the others who are injured outside of the containment dome. Use your portkeys and take them to the hospital wing.”
Fred and George nodded and levitating her body, moved through the gates of the castle towards the staging area for the attack. Dumbledore headed back into the castle.
Listening quietly for a moment, he turned to towards the sounds of the most vicious battle coming to his ears. Moments later, the Death Eaters understood the power available to a man who could kill a giant by himself with one spell.
Neville peered around the corner. He could see that Bellatrix and her husband had managed to disarm a couple of people that he did not recognize. He only knew they were on his side because of the blue glow coming from their crumpled bodies. They were both writhing in agony under the effects of the Cruciatus Curse.
Neville and Cho stepped out from behind the corner each sending binding spells at the two Death Eaters. Bellatrix caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and dove out of the way of the spell sent at her. As she rolled to her feet, she directed a releasing spell at her husband and then her own stunning spell at Cho. Cho’s wand waved in a circle creating a shield which sent the spell back at Bellatrix. Hit by her own spell, Bellatrix was thrown into the fountain behind her.
Neville advanced on Rodolphus Lestrange in a slow steady march as the two of them battled back and forth, spells flying furiously through the air, neither getting the upper hand.
Snape took the opportunity to pull the two crumpled forms to him. Neither of them did anything but groan when his reviving spells hit them. Snape frowned. The battle was not very old for their minds to have split. Yet he knew if anyone could inflict enough pain to have driven them to that point in so short of a time, it was Bellatrix. Snape directed a stabilizing spell at the two victims and activated the timed portkey that would take them to St. Mungoe’s once the containment dome collapsed. He then turned his attention back to the battle in front of him; the wounded would have to wait. These two, now that he had found them, must be captured at all costs. If Longbottom and Cho were not up to the task he had to be ready to step in.
Bellatrix came up from the fountain, infuriated; profanity flowing from her mouth in a manner Cho did not know was possible. Bellatrix’s power was nearly half that of Hermione’s and the spells that came at Cho drove her back for a moment.
Cho had stood up to spells from Harry over the course of the last year. She couldn’t do it for long but she had grown powerful herself. Motivated by the death of her father, Bridgette, the other DA members killed that past summer and her own time spent suffering the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, she fought back. She had lost Cedric, her first love, to Voldemort in this war and she would be dammed to hell if she would fall to this woman or lose Neville.
Neville started to gain an advantage against Rodolphus Lestrange and was forced to cast the phoenix charm as the man sent the death curse at him. Rodolphus was forced back into a wall as the spells from Neville began to overwhelm him. It was his own binding spell that Neville reflected back at him that finished him. A moment later he was hit by Neville’s stunning spell and his wand was ripped from his hand by a summoning charm. Neville turned to watch as Cho and Bellatrix battled back and forth.
Bellatrix was growing desperate, aware that her husband was out of the fight and pushed to her limit by this girl, her own spells coming back at her from the shield Cho would erect, the death spell useless against her. And then it happened. Her shield spell failed under the force of Cho’s stunning spell. Her wand was ripped from her hand and she was bound in anti-aperation coils a moment later.
Neville levitated the unconscious form of Rodolphus Lestrange next to his snarling wife and joined Cho as she stood over her.
“You will both suffer for this when my master comes for me,” she spat at them. Snape joined them a moment later and sent a reviving spell at Roldolphus Lestrange.
“I doubt that, Bella,” Snape sneered at her. She looked at him, her anger lost in curiosity for a moment, the voice she knew, but not the face.
Polyjuice potion, Bella,” Snape remarked, “only a few people know that I truly fight for Dumbledore. Most think I am the traitor who brought Potter’s wife to your Master. The disguise keeps them from killing me on sight.”
“You are a dead man, Severus,” Bella hissed at him. Snape ignored her.
“Longbottom, I never thought I would say this, but I’m impressed,” Snape said to him. Neville merely nodded at him.
“Judgement has been passed on these two already, Longbottom. You can kill them where they have fallen with a clear conscience,” Snape said. Neville looked at the two Death Eaters, who only glared back at him.
“No, Professor. I will not kill them, they can go back to Azkaban or be sent through the veil, whatever the Ministry decides.” Bellatrix started laughing insanely at the three of them.
“I will escape and hunt you down, boy. You will join your parents in St. Mungo’s before I am finished with you,” she screeched at him. Snape looked at Cho and Neville and then turned to Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange.
“I’m afraid not, Bella,” he replied raising his wand at her. “I have fewer morals than Longbottom or Professor Chang, the price I pay for having associated with you, for far too long. For the first time since falling to Cho, Bellatrix’s eyes showed fear.
“I’ll see you in hell,” Snape said and the Death Curse leapt from his wand, twice, killing both Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. He turned and his eyes met those of Cho and Neville the three of them looked at each other for a moment before anyone spoke.
“Let’s go see if anyone else needs help,” Cho said quietly, before turning to lead the way to the next courtyard.
The pain surged in Harry’s scar as the connection between he and Voldemort opened. The battle of wills that had ended in a draw almost a year ago resumed. All of the love Harry felt for his family and friends flooded into Voldemort’s body, driving the Dark Lord to his knees screaming in agony. The bolt of red light streaming from Harry was met by the green bolt from Voldemort as he fought back.
Despite how much Voldemort had been weakened by fighting against Ginny, Ron and Hermione for the last three weeks. The pain that Harry felt from Voldemort’s hatred surged into him, stronger and more powerful than last year. Harry staggered back, focusing on directing the pain to his fourth voice. The red and green bolt of light streaming between Harry and Voldemort stabilized for time; wavering slightly towards Voldemort and then back to towards Harry. It stopped again, then, almost imperceptibly, the red beam from Harry began to steadily eat away at the green light streaming from Voldemort.
Voldemort, knowing he couldn’t run this time, that for at least one of them this would be the end, managed to climb to his feet. Fighting as desperately as Harry, he lashed out with his hand sending a flaming blue serpent at his enemy. Harry flicked his wand and the Phoenix Charm flew from it. The bird streaked at the striking serpent catching it in its talons and carrying it away from Harry. The two flaming forms crashed into the wall of the chamber and a purple light flared around the room as the flames spread and then dissipated.
Harry’s wand flicked again, wrapping Voldemort in a cocoon of molten red light. When Voldemort had sent the serpent at him, the effort of countering the spell had caused the green beam of light streaming from Voldemort to surge towards Harry. Now, wrapped in the cocoon of Harry’s new attack, the red light from Harry surged towards Voldemort, regaining the ground he had lost and a little more. Voldemort struggled to throw off the new attack, finally causing the cocoon to uncoil around him, falling to the floor at his feet. He threw his hand towards Harry and the glowing red coils flew towards him. Harry caught them in the sweep of his wand, ducking under them and allowing them to carry past him to the wall where they instantly turned to ash.
Harry renewed his attack into Voldemort’s mind, harsher than before. More personal memories flowing from him: filling his mind and heart with feelings of love. The image of Ginny standing in front of him the night he gave her the diamond earrings.
“How about, because I want it?” The memory of Ginny’s words to him, flooded into Harry's mind. The felling, of utter devotion, resonating in his heart at that moment in time drove into Voldemort, throwing him back against the wall of the chamber.
Harry was only aware of Voldemort’s screams of agony in a detached way as the red light from him surged to the form that was struggling to its knees in front of him now. The pain in his own mind became harder to ignore as he forced his way deeper into Voldemort’s mind, threatening to spill over his ability to direct it to his fourth voice.
Draco Malfoy moved, silently and unseen under his invisibility cloak, along the edge of the path. Having been in the castle most of the Christmas holiday, he had made a point of learning the layout as best he could. He had been in the dungeon once; and only hoped he could remember how to get there again, and that when he did, he would not be too late. What he was going to do once he got there, he had no idea.
The sounds of a fierce battle came to his ears from around the next bend. As he peered around the corner he could see the backs of at least eight Death Eaters and the fallen bodies of a least a half dozen more. He looked up at a smaller dome of webbed light spread over the courtyard and grimaced. Apparently these followers of the Dark Lord had decided if they could not escape, they would take some of their attackers with them.
He crept forward, trying to see whom they were fighting, contemplating what to do. He couldn’t take them all. The best thing to do would be to find the witch or wizard casting the web and allow the people they had trapped a chance to leave.
Draco stepped into the stairwell and quickly moved up to the walkway that surrounded the courtyard. Looking down, he was stunned to see what appeared to be one person surrounded by a makeshift shelter of stone benches, holding off close to twenty Death Eaters arrayed around him in a circle. The fallen forms of over two dozen Death Eaters lay strewn about courtyard. He watched, as despite the spells raining down on the benches they held together, and the person inside sent the green bolt of light that was the Death Curse randomly in a circle. The Death Eaters would occasionally attempt to send the death curse back but each time, it was met by one of the flaming birds that formed a defensive ring around the stacked benches.
It actually works, Draco thought to himself. They had been teaching it all year in Defense Against the Dark Arts at school. Few students had managed it and they had not actually seen it performed against the Death Curse. Draco focused back in on the person trying to defend themselves. He couldn’t see where the containment web was coming from. But up here, he could get off a number of spells before the Death Eaters knew what hit them.
Hermione was in trouble; she and Ron had both over estimated themselves after taking the Pepperupper Potion. And now, even though Ron was no longer unconscious, he could barley hold the benches together. Hermione was having to help him with it. Her concentration was starting to fail. She was having trouble maintaining the Phoenix Charm around them, and she could feel every spell she sent, draining her further.
She looked desperately around the courtyard; just catching sight of a glowing blue form watching from above. A second later the Death Spell erupted from the person’s wand, once, twice, a second blue form appeared next to the first and joined it in attacking the Death Eaters surrounding her and Ron. Hope swelled in her heart, adrenaline surged through her body, renewing her strength momentarily.
The first indication that the Death Eaters had of someone behind them was Malfoy’s third spell slamming into the stone wall to the left of its intended target. His aim was destroyed from the surprise of the person who joined him in attacking the Death Eaters.
"Hit what you’re aiming at, boy,” Mad-Eye growled at him. Malfoy stared at him, stunned to see him there. Mad-Eye didn’t look at him as he continued to send spells at the Death Eaters below him.
“Fight boy, they’re in trouble down there. We need to clear an escape route for them.”
Malfoy focused back in on the scene below him. Mad-Eye had either killed or stunned three more of the Death Eaters who stood between the person barricaded behind the stone benches and a path to safety. There were still four Death Eaters blocking a way out of the courtyard for whoever was trapped down there.
The Death Eaters spun and started to move for cover from the two people attacking them from above. They were somewhat trapped; if they moved to the other side of their stone wall, they would open themselves to Hermione’s spells.
“Can you get up yet?” Hermione yelled at Ron. Ron staggered to his feet next to her.
“Yeah,” he gasped leaning heavily on her with his arm draped over her shoulder for support. She staggered slightly under his weight. Her eyes widened when she saw the pink frothy spittle at the corners of his mouth.
We have to get him out of here! the voices screamed in a panic in her head.
“What do you think we’re doing?” Hermione snapped at them.
“What?” Ron wheezed.
“Nothing, get ready to run, we have help from over there,” Hermione indicated with her head while sending another Death Curse at one of the Death Eaters who was still blocking their way out of the courtyard and had moved too far around the side of his hiding spot.
“She got another one,” Mad-Eye remarked as the Death Eater fell.
“She?” Draco asked as he took aim at one of the three Death Eaters still blocking the escape route.
“Look’s like Ron can at least stand,” Mad-Eye said. “Good. Means I won’t have to go in and get him.”
“Is that Weasley?”
“Both of them,” Mad-Eye replied as another Death Eater fell. He and Draco were being forced down now as the Death Eaters on the far side of the courtyard started sending spells at them. Mad-Eye ducked down, and then popped back up sending the Death Spell at one of the two Death Eaters still blocking Ron and Hermione’s escape route, missing him to his right. Mad-Eye ducked down and watched through the stone floor with his magical eye as the two Death Eaters turned tail and ran, clearing the path for Ron and Hermione.
“We have to cover them now boy, no ducking out of the way until they make the arch below us.”
Malfoy nodded at him.
“On three we cover them, when I tell you, go for the stairs and pull them up here with us,” Mad-Eye said to him.
Draco nodded again. “Ok.”
“Three!” Mad-Eye bellowed as he jumped up and sent the Death Curse at the Death Eaters hidden on the far side of the court yard.
“COME ON WEASLEY,” he thundered. “WE AINT GOT ALL DAY!”
Malfoy jumped up and added his own spells to Mad-Eye’s.
Hermione watched the last two Death Eaters run from where they were hiding and then she heard the voice of Mad-Eye bellowing at her to run.
“Ready?” she asked Ron, he nodded at her. “On three send a spell behind us and let’s go.”
Ron pointed his wand back over his shoulder. “Two,” he said, tensing his body as he prepared to try and run.
“THREE!” Hermione yelled and they bolted from the shelter of the falling benches. Ron could barely make his legs work and Hermione nearly fell as she dragged his staggering form along with her.
“Now!” Mad-Eye barked at Draco.
Draco darted for the stairs and reached the bottom just as Ron and Hermione got to them. He stepped in front of Hermione; she and Ron crashed into him and fell to the ground. Ron screamed out as his ribs protested the abuse being heaped on them.
“THIS WAY!” Draco shouted pointing up the stairway. He and Hermione grabbed Ron and looped his arms over their shoulders; causing him to scream out again as the two of them dragged him up the stairs. Mad-Eye met them at the top.
“Is there somewhere we can hide, Malfoy?” he growled, shoving Hermione out of the way and taking her place in supporting Ron.
“Through here,” Malfoy replied dragging them down a corridor. He stopped and hit the wall with his wand; a panel slid to the side and allowed them access to a small room. They ducked into it; dumped Ron to the floor and he hit the wall with his wand again. The door panel slid closed and locked.
“Move!” Hermione demanded pointing her wand at the lock.
Malfoy jumped out of the way of her spell.
“Recognition!” she snarled. Mad-Eye and Malfoy looked at her. “They might find us, but they won’t be able to unlock the door,” she snapped at them.
“Nice to see you too,” Mad-Eye growled back at her.
Ron had tried to get to his feet after Mad-Eye and Malfoy had dumped him upon entering the room and now sank to his hands and knees. He was overcome with a fit of coughing, hacking up blood and phlegm from his lungs. Hermione sank down and pulled him to her and he leaned weakly up against her. Mad-Eye squatted down in front of them. Ron managed to focus on Mad-Eye and reached his hand out clapping it on his shoulder.
“Thanks,” he gasped. And then he turned to Malfoy who eyed him warily. Ron put his hand out. “I suppose I owe you my life and my wife’s,” he said quietly.
Malfoy took Ron’s hand in his. “Consider it paid, your sister saved mine,” he replied.
“Remind me to thank her. If I ever see her again,” Ron said quietly. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. Hermione stood up after watching this exchange. And now she stepped forward and hugged Malfoy. His response was similar to what Ron would have done three years ago if she had hugged him.
“Thank you, Draco,” she said. Before letting him go and moving back to Ron.
“Erm…yeah,” he replied. Draco suddenly remembered he was trying to get to Ginny when he found Ron and Hermione. “We need to go. I know where they’re keeping Ginny,” he said urgently. Hermione looked at him quizzically.
“Relax, Malfoy,” Mad-Eye replied sitting down on the floor. Draco looked at him in disbelief. “She escaped just before we started the attack.” Malfoy’s mouth dropped open. “Dumbledore didn’t trust you. So he sent you after her, with me as a tail. We figured either way we came out ahead. You would do as you were told and try to reach her or you would lead me to a nest of Voldemort’s biggest followers. Either way, we would find out if you were trustworthy.” Malfoy’s eyes blinked. “Besides that, Ron is in no shape to go anywhere.”
“She escaped?” Malfoy asked in disbelief. “How?” Mad-Eye grunted at him.
“Just because I trust you doesn’t mean I’ll tell you everything.” Malfoy continued to stare at him. “You saw the mess these two made of those Death Eaters before you found them?” Mad-Eye asked him.
“Yes,” Malfoy replied cautiously.
“Let’s just say that Potter’s wife would not have needed our help,” Mad-Eye commented. “Frankly,” he added, “if these two had not just spent three weeks helping her fight the Dark Lord, they probably would not have needed help either. You two look like hell by the way.”
Ron opened one eye and looked at Mad-Eye. “You’re one to talk,” he quipped, his voice heavy with pain. Malfoy just stared at them opened mouthed. Mad-Eye looked at his watch.
“Only about five minutes left, any chance you know how to apparate Malfoy?” he asked.
“I’ve been working at it,” Malfoy replied hesitantly.
“Yes or no, Malfoy,” Mad-Eye growled.
“Yes.”
“Are you two up to it?”
There was no response from Ron as his eyes rolled back in his head, a raspy gurgle accompanying each breath he took in. Hermione started moving her wand over him trying to find what was wrong.
“Guess not, we’ll use our portkeys,” Mad-Eye said. He waved his wand over himself, Ron, Hermione and Malfoy, activating the timed protkeys that hung on a chain from each of their necks. “Let’s get him to the hospital,” he added as he started helping Hermione try to determine what had happened to Ron.
Draco watched, surprised at his own anxiousness and cursing himself for not knowing anything that could help.
Just before she felt the tug of a portkey in her tummy, Hermione was able to determine the spell that Ron had been hit with. Her eyes filled with tears and her cry of anguish went unheard as she traveled through the abyss to the hospital wing at Hogwarts.
Harry had forced his red beam of light to within inches of the Dark Lord. And now, he reeled with the hatred he encountered in the mind of Voldemort. The pain he was feeling seemed almost to be beyond his ability to register anymore. If he could have spared the energy to think about it he would have wondered if it was possible to kill one of the voices and if you did, what it would do to you.
Harry focused his mind on the last night he and Ginny had spent together, before she went willingly to be captured by Voldemort. The emotion of finally sharing himself with her welled within him and the red beam of light forced its way down and touched Voldemort.
When it did, the battle changed. The pain being sent at him became less focused, but now he was forced to deal with the images of Voldemort’s crimes. Harry cringed under the onslaught of visions of people being tortured.
Sensing his revulsion, Voldemort started consciously thinking of the most heinous acts he had committed. An infant being skinned alive in front of its hysterical parents flew into Harry’s vision. He recoiled from the inhumanity of the crime and Voldemort was able to throw him out of his mind.
Harry staggered back and as he recovered himself, he looked up to see Voldemort changing shapes, assuming his Animagus form. He retched violently as the toxic breath of the deadly nundu filled the chamber. The giant, panther like, creature, nearly twice the size of Ron’s lion form, began to charge at Harry even as he himself began to change shape.
Harry was nearly transformed when the nundu’s jaws clamped around the throat of the dragon. The thick scales on the dragon’s neck prevented the nundu from ripping its throat out. The dragon shook its massive body and threw the nundu from around its neck across the chamber. The dragon’s head followed the flight of the giant cat and a tongue of flame leapt from its throat. The cat, twisting in the air, landed on its feet and bolted away from the raging inferno that followed it around the chamber.
The noxious fumes of the nundu’s breath filled the chamber and the air itself ignited as the dragon continued to spew fire from its throat. The inferno raged, filling the room, enveloping both creatures in flames. The stench of burnt hair and flesh filled the chamber as the nundu’s body began to burn and its screeches of agony echoed off of the chamber walls.
The dragon, protected by its hide from the heat of the flames whirled its tail and caught the nundu with its spikes, impaling the creature on them. The dragon’s tail whipped again, and the nundu was tossed into the walls of the chamber shrieking with pain. The nundu crashed to the floor of the chamber; its body so badly damaged that it could not move out of the way of the tongue of flame the dragon directed at it.
As the dragon paused to breath in, the nundu slowly changed back to its human form. Burnt flesh hanging off of Voldemort’s body fell to the floor leaving the white bone of his right forearm completely exposed. The dragon instantly became Harry.
Back in his human form, Harry’s assault against the Dark Lord’s mind was renewed. The bolt of red light leapt from him, slammed into Voldemort, pinning him against the wall of the chamber.
The pain of the renewed contact with Voldemort’s mind flooded into Harry, driving him to his knees. But this time as Voldemort tried to force the images of his crimes into Harry’s mind, Harry blocked them. Once again, feelings of his emotions from his last night with Ginny flowed across the connection. Harry continued to feed his emotions into Voldemort, forcing his way deeper into Voldemort’s mind. And as he did, he could hear the voices of Voldemort’s different selves.
No! one of them screamed, get him out!
Tom Riddle had started down the path of Lord Voldemort very young. His voices had started speaking to him when he was less than three years old. And they had wanted to hurt things. Tom had listened to them willingly. And at their urging his crimes had become more violent. By the time he had left for Hogwarts, he was torturing small animals to death, and inflicting whatever pain he could get away with on the other children at the orphanage.
He will destroy us! another voice bellowed in agony at the foreign feelings coming to it from Harry.
Tom Riddle’s arrival at Hogwarts had brought a change in him. He had become subtle, controlling, without calling attention to himself. And he was brilliant. The voices found a way for true revenge on the people who had hurt them.
Tom Riddle was more than willing to drink the potion that gave the voices control of his body. He was only too happy to open the Chamber of Secrets and set the Basalisk on the school. Moaning Myrtle had been the first person he had killed and he had reveled in the power he felt from her death.
Creating the diary that Ginny had been given by Lucius Malfoy, was his first attempt at immortality. It had nearly worked. What the voices had not counted on when the diary was created, was the girl who found it.
The diary had manipulated Ginny like it was intended too. But the concept of Ginny truly falling in love with Tom Riddle had not been counted on. Nor was the effect her love would have on the part of Tom Riddle’s soul that had been left in the diary.
Voldemort was alive and in control of Tom at that point. Tom wanted it that way. It made him powerful, strong, and feared. It was good to be feared. People respected you if they feared you. But Ginny’s love had touched something in Tom that was not yet, Voldemort. And Tom Riddle had tried to fight back; tried to take control of his soul again. Those were the flashes that existed in Ginny’s memories of being possessed.
Ultimately, once she became aware of what Voldemort was doing to her, Ginny’s love had turned to hatred. Hatred of Tom Riddle that had caused him to stop trying to fight back and instead, when she came into possession of the diary the second time, his desire to destroy her was even greater.
Help me, Harry! Tom Riddle gasped.
NO! YOU WILL DESTROY US! a third voice thundered.
Harry forced a memory across the connection between himself and Voldemort. An image, from the point of view of an infant in its mother’s arms. A memory that Mark had found in the room with the locked door and released into one of the storage boxes. He had brought it to Harry just before he went to sleep three weeks ago.
An infant will always know the love of its mother. Even Tom Riddle, who was held only once by her, it was the one time in his life he had given love to someone else.
ARRRGGGHHH!!! the voices screamed. Fleeing from the pain of the emotion that now welled from within Voldemort himself; as Tom Riddle fought to the surface of his own mind and asserted control over the voices for the first time since he had drank the potion that had given them control.
There was a flash of green light yet oddly no crash of thunder to go with it; and the life in the death of all of the people Voldemort had killed was released into the room. It hung there, as a softly glowing mist, and began to filter towards the stone arch; slowly being sucked away.
Harry had fallen to his knees when the red light from his body had reached Voldemort. And now as the pain from his connection to the Dark Lord subsided, he struggled to his feet and stood over Voldemort who was was slowly pushing himself to his knees.
Still connected with the Dark Lord, Harry continued to force the image of Tom Riddle in his mother’s arms into Voldemort’s mind, holding the voices at bay. Voldemort raised his head to look at Harry. Harry’s face twitched at the burnt husk of body in front of him, but forced himself to seek out Voldemort’s eyes. And though they were still red and snake like, the insanity was no longer there.
“Harry?” a voice whispered in his mind.
“Tom,” Harry replied.
“I tried, Harry. Once I gave them control, even the one time I wanted to, I couldn’t stop them.”
“I know, Tom,” Harry answered as he raised his wand at Tom Riddle.
“Tell the phoenix, I am sorry.”
Harry nodded his head.
“You will only have a second to exit my mind once you cast the curse.”
“Goodbye, Tom Riddle.”
“AVADA KADAVERA!” Harry thundered as he desperately pulled away from Tom Riddle’s mind. Harry felt Voldemort’s voices rushing back in to take control. Desperately trying to pull back the magic that would protect their soul, if not their body from the death curse. As Harry fell to the ground, his magic exhausted, he watched the green bolt of light strike Tom Riddle’s body, saw it crumple to the ground. There was a rush of air that blasted past him and the veil on the stone arch fluttered.
The glowing mist in the chamber began to rush to the veil, threatening to carry Harry with it. With the last of his strength, he lunged frantically for a bench and held onto it. The force of the air reached a climax and Harry’s grip began to weaken; his fingers slipped and he was being dragged across the floor to the arch. He clawed desperately at the floor of the chamber trying to prevent himself from being pulled through the veil. Finally the force of the air began to dissipate and it was no longer enough to drag him towards the arch. Harry didn’t even have a second to let out a breath of relief when a blast of light erupted from Tom Riddle’s body. The wave of light slammed into Harry, tossing him away from the veil. His unconscious body was thrown into the wall, and slid down it to the floor in a broken heap.