Where the Heart Is

A/N: Heh, just had to fix the Latin. Seems aff.net changes the macrom over the letters to something else. Odd. Please review.


Chapter Twenty: The Final Battle


Cassandra had left Voldemort’s side for a little bit to gather the prisoners. She had to get ready as well. She stood in front of the mirror and dresser set in her room. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she knew that this was it. She placed the two vials in her cloak pockets. She looked upon the shiny dagger, covered in various poisons. She then picked up the dagger/sheath and fastened the sheath onto her long, firm calf. Her long black dress covered the dagger as she stood up and looked at her reflection. She remembered her father’s words that she was going home, yet she knew what she had to do no matter the outcome for her. “It’s now or never,” she stated more confidently than she felt and walked back to where Severus was. “We have to bring out the prisoners now.”

Severus nodded. They gathered the prisoners and brought them to the Great Hall, placing them around the room. They were strategically placed for them to take out the Death Eaters once they were released. Severus took his own spot as Cassandra walked up and sat down in the make-shift throne beside of Voldemort’s.

A pinkish hue fell over the Great Hall as rosy fingered dawn spread forth among them. Voldemort sent the call, and the grounds was covered with a mass of shadows infiltrating the castle and filling into the Great Hall. They spoke little for such a massive group as all seemed fairly shocked to be called to Hogwarts. The hushed whispering was quickly silenced when Voldemort raised his hand. The mass bowed down and only rose at his word, looking toward their leader for advice.

“You all are probably wondering why I summon you to the great Hogwarts. Two of our flock have managed to do what the rest could not. Take over Hogwarts.” A slow smirk fell to his lips. “We are now going to slaughter our prisoners; thus eliminating the threat.” He looked out among them. “Bring up Harry Potter.”

Severus practically dragged the boy up there, tossing him to the Dark Lord’s feet. He then took his place among the crowd.

Voldemort slowly stood up and walked over to where Potter was on his knees. He brought his hand down and forced the boy to look at him. “Potter, you have been a thorn in my side for far too long. Now, it is your time to die.” He took out his wand and raised it.

“My Lord, wait,” Cassandra called out, causing Voldemort to pause. She stood up and went over to him. “May I ask a favor from you?”

Voldemort eyed her almost suspiciously. “You may ask, my dear.”

She gave Harry a glare of utter distain and disgust and lowered her voice so only Voldemort could hear her. “Allow me to kill him. He has bothered you for so long. You do not need to show that you can kill this mere boy. Killing Dumbledore will win them over much more. Give him to me to take care of. I will make sure his death is slow and painful.” She brushed part of her dress aside, allowing him to see the dagger she had.

Voldemort hesitated. He wanted to destroy Potter, but he was also worried that he would be unable to, since Potter had continually managed to live. “Yes, you may,” he said. He turned to the others. “I have decided to allow my dear Cassandra to give the final blow to Potter.”

She bowed low to him, revealing quite a bit of cleavage. “Thank you...father.” She leaned up, giving him a daughterly kiss on the cheek. She knelt down and pulled out her dagger, going over to the boy. Her hands felt over his back as if she was searching for the correct place to stab him. “My Lord, point me to where I should place this?” she said in an innocent tone.

The Dark Lord smiled almost warmly at her as he went over. He bent over, finding the place that would cause Potter’s death but also the greatest pain. “Right about h—“ A scream of pain fell from his lips as he straightened up, looking at Cassandra and the bloody dagger in utter betrayal. “Cassandra?”

She brought the dagger up again, burying it to the hilt in his chest. “You disgust me, Tom. You have to die for your crimes,” she hissed. His blood spurted out of his chest onto her hands. She moved away from and and pulled out her wand, freeing Harry and tossing his wand to him, which he promptly took and pointed it at Voldemort.

Voldemort took a couple of steps back, looking completely betrayed. “I would have never expected this from you,” he said softly, his voice full of hurt and betrayal.

From the moment of the dagger hitting Voldemort, Severad fad freed the others and returned their wands to them. The Death Eaters were completely surrounded as they were still in shock of being betrayed. Chaos and panic washed over the group. Spells were cast on both sides, quickly taking out several Death Eaters. Some were trying to flee and others began to fight.

Harry called out to Voldemort, taunting him and turning his attention to him instead of Cassandra. She took a Death Eaters out and went over to the north corner of the Great Hall, taking out the vial and poured out the libations on the ground, which was a mixture of honey mingled with milk, sweet wine, water thick wit with barley, and ram’s blood. She cast a spell, extracting Voldemort’s blood into the mixture on the ground. Raising her hands, she began to call up the spirits, the victims by Voldemort’s hand. “Emergite, animi. Hostiae mali domini. Emergite. Poena exspectat vos. Carpite suum animum ex eo mundo. Numquam videbit is solem aut lunam. Emergite!” She continued the chant, calling for the spirits to come. It was a draining process in itself and required her concentration.

The battle was going on around Cassandra though. Quite a few Death Eaters had been captured. Others had managed to break through and escape like the cowards they were only to be caught by the aurors from the Ministry who had been notified to come.
Dumbledore was taking out Death Eater after Death Eater easily as he was keeping an eye on the few students that had stayed to fight, knowing that they would need extra help. Surprisingly they were holding their own, and he smiled, knowing that they were truly well-taught.

Lucius had managed to get amongst the group, taking out several Order members. He was going to kill the one who had betrayed them all. He was going to get his revenge on the one who had taken his son. He was about at Cassandra to cast his spell when Arthur Weasley took him out, casting him into a full body bind with ropes. He fell heavily to the ground and then was hit by a stray killing curse and died.

Severus was pushing through the group, trying to get to Cassandra to protect her. He saw Arthur take out Malfoy, but he knew that others would be after her as well. He managed to get through and stayed along the edges, casting spells at his former fellow Death Eaters, letting them know that he was a betrayer as well. There was no going back. Th. They had to win or die trying.

Harry and Voldemort kept circling around while the fighting continued around them. Both had cast several spells toward the other, knowing that if their wands met it would cause the Priori Incantatem. “It’s over for you, Voldemort,” Harry called out, casting another spell at him which managed to hit.

Voldemort was getting slower. He was in agonizing pain as the blood seeped out of his wounds. He was not going to go down easily, yet even he knew that it was almost over. His body was weakening as he cast another spell which Harry easily dodged. He had turned in such a way to be in a fairly clear line to Cassandra. “I may die, but I’m not going alone,” he hissed, pulling the dagger from his chest. It rose in the air via wandless magic, and he sent it flying through the air.

“Cassie! Look out!” Harry called out as he watched the dagger fly through the air toward her.

Cassandra was continuing the incantation, watching the spirits begin to rise and accept her libations to them. In the back of her mind, her concentration was broken as she saw the dagger flying toward her. She heard Harry’s voice and turned. She was too late as the dagger hit her with a force that caused her to stagger backwards. She hissed in pain and regained her footing. The incantation was almost complete. She had to continue. “Emergite,” she commanded again, seeing Voldemort’s victims spirits come for him, inclu Jam James and Lily Potter. The spirits were getting restless as she glanced around the room, noticing that things were starting to get under control. “Take him out, Harry,” she called out, wincing in pain at the effort.

Harry looked at her, spotting the spirits by her side. He clinched his jaw and glared at Voldemort. “Your reign of terror is over.” He raised his wand, and in rongrong voice, he called out the spell, “AVADA KEDAVRA!” Green light shot through Harry’s wand. Voldemort didn’t have a chance as weakened as he was by the lack of blood and the poison. His red eyes went blank as he went spread eagle as he was dead.

“Go, spirits! Take him!” Cassandra called out. The army of ghosts rose and surrounded the body. A high pitched scream emitted into the air as the ghosts took hold of Voldemort’s soul and dragged him with them back to the spirit realm. The glass in the Great Hall had shattered from the scream and a silence fell over the Great Hall as the last few Death Eaters still in the Great Hall were taken out.

Harry stood there and repaired his glasses which had broken from the scream. He looked around, and his bright green eyes fell on his father and mother standing before him. “We won,” he stated in awe as he looked at them.

“Yes, all of you did, son,” James said proudly to his son.

“We’re so proud of you,” Lily stated softly as she raised her hand, lightly grazing her fingertips along his cheek although she could not touch him.

The two of them faded away with the other spirits then as Harry watched them leave, letting his fingers touch the skin that his mother could not.

The feeling ran through everyone. After all of these years, they had won. It was over. Screams of joy and excitement washed over them, filling the Great Hall as the bright sunlight shone around them. It was troverover! Congratulations went around as they began to celebrate Voldemort’s demise.

Cassandra pulled the bloody dagger out of her chest. She was feeling very weak as she allowed it to clatter to the ground. They had won. Her plan worked. She swayed slightly as the room was beginning to spin. han hand went over her chest, trying to stop the blood. A soft moan fell from her lips as she collapsed to the ground.

Severus felt so free after Voldemort’s spirit left. He looked down at lef left arm, noticing that the mark was slowly fading away. He turned to tell Cassandra that her plan had worked. “Cassandra,” he called out as he rushed over just catching her before she hit the ground. He pulled her on his lap and held her, feeling a warm, wet, sticky liquid seeping through his fingers. He pulled his hand away, noticing the blood. “Gods, Cassandra. What happened?”

She looked at him as her eyes were filled with sadness and pain. “The dagger. Voldemort...” She ced ped painfully. “…sent it back to me.” She began to fumble the cloth of her cloak. “Must get vial. Dagger was poisoned.”

His fingers dove into the cloak, finding the vial. He took the stopper out of it and held it to her lips. “Drink,” he said, his voice shaking slightly.

Her lips parted, taking down the bitter liquid which caused her to cough again. A thin sliver of blood trickled out the side of her lip as her dark eyes fell on his. “I’m sorry,” she said softly as she looked at him. She knew that this was going to happen, yet she hadn’t told him. She couldn’t stand seeing him so sad.

He took off his cloak, placing it over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. He held her closer and lightly wiped the blood from her lips. “No, this isn’t your fault, Cassandra. You gave us the perspective to be able to stop Voldemort, and you are going to live,” he said firmly. He was not going to lose her.

She gently nuzzled against his warmth as she felt chilled, causing her to shiver slightly. Her head lifted, lightly touching his cheek. A soft smile fell on her lips as she felt the stubble on his face where he hadn’t had a chance to shave in over a day. “I love you, Severus. Don’t forget that,” she said softly.

He placed his fingers against her lips. “Don’t talk like you are leaving. I know you love me. I love you too,” he said, bearing his soul for her as he was completely unaware that others were noticing them and watching in shock.

Her dark eyes shimmered in the light with unshed tears. “I’m sorry,” she said faintly as her eyes fluttered close. A single tear trickled down her pale cheek as she went limp in his eternal embrace.

*Latin Translation: Rise, spirits. Victims of tark ark Lord. Rise. Vengeance awaits you. Take his spirit from this world. Never will it see the sun or moon. Rise!