Darkness Shadows Light

Chapter Twenty Three - On The Keyboard Of Life, Always Keep One Finger On The Escape Key

Harry didn\'t want to open his eyes as he fell to the ground - he knew that whatever he was going to see wasn\'t going to be good - but his biggest fear it would be the graveyard where Cedric had died that had haunted his dreams for months afterwards.

Taking a deep breath, he finally opened his eyes and to his great relief he was in what looked like a ballroom, not a grave in sight. His next fear was that the sudden journey might have hurt the baby, but as he felt a healthy kick, he knew he or she was okay.

But that was where the goods news ended. For a start there was a circle of maybe twenty Death Eaters around him, all garbed in their black robes and white masks.

\'Harry Potter,\' hissed an all too familiar voice. \'How good of you to join us.\'
Clumsily Harry got to feetfeet and turned to face the voice. For some reason he felt strangely calm, as if this had been inevitable. He forced himself to look into those evil red eyes.

\'Voldemort.\'

He was just considering reaching for his wand, when he found his arms gripped by two Death Eaters who had come up silently behind him. Voldemort glided towards him until he was so close that Harry could smell his rancid breath.

\'I don\'t think you\'ll be needing this,\' he sneered, reaching into Harry\'s sleeve and removing the wand he kept there. It took all Harry\'s self-control not to flinch at the feel of that clammy hand with its unnaturally long fingers on his wrist.

With one swift movement there was a crack as Voldemort snapped the wand in two and this time Harry did flinch. That wand had been a part of him for seven years.

Voldemort pulled out the phoenix feather and with a muttered spell it burst into flames. They both watched as it turned to ashes until he dropped the smouldering remains on the floor. Harry found his arms released and the Death Eaters noiselessly return to their spaces in the circle.

\'There will be no miracle escape this time,\' he said with a satisfied note in his voice. \'This time you will die.\'

\'No!\' exclaimed a voice slightly to Harry\'s right. \'You said you would kill the child and I could have Harry.\'

With a sinking heart, Harry recognised that voice. The thought that had been going through his head since he had realised the \'gift\' was a Portkey, was true. His best friend had betrayed him. Eyes flashing, he turned to face the traitor and spoke scathingly.

\'You idiot Ron, you know very well that killing this child means killing me, there\'s no other way.\'

\'He told me he could,\' Ron said pleadingly, removing his mask so Harry could see his face. \'I wouldn\'t hurt you, Harry. I love you. Snape never deserved you.\' Suddenly the full realisation of his betrayal seemed to hit Ron and his face filled with horror. \'Oh god, Harry, I\'m so sorry. What have I done...\'

\'You\'ve sentenced me to death, Ron,\' Harry replied in cold anger. \'As surely as if you\'d stuck a knife in my heart.\'

\'You made a foolish choice in friends,\' Voldemort sneered at Harry, obviously enjoying himself. \'This one is not just stupid, but easily convinced of things they know cannot be true. Take him away, I\'ll deal with him lat He He has outlived his usefulness here, but may be of use in our...celebrations.\'

Pleading and struggling, Ron was dragged away. Harry tried to feel sorry for him, but he had brought it on himself. At the moment he was more worried about his life and the baby\'s...and Severus.

Where was he? Obviously Voldemort knew he was a spy for Dumbledore and therefore he should be dead, but for some reason Harry felt he would *know* if that were true. He turned back to face enemenemy.

\'Where\'s Severus?\' he demanded.

\'Ah, your lover. No punishment will be enough for him,\' Voldemort snarled \'I do not tolerate traitors, especially those who help create the child that would destroy me.\' He nodded to a Death Eater by the door. \'His first punishment will be watching you and the child die.\'

As Snape stumbled through the door, roughly pushed from behind, he looked slightly dishevelled, but not injured. When he saw Harry though, he turned deathly pale.

\'No,\' he whispered in disbelief. \'It can\'t be.\'

\'It certainly can, traitor,\' said Voldemort, the sadistic enjoyment plain on his face. \'Your boyfriend is far too trusting.\'

\'I\'m sorry,\' Harry whispered.

\'It\'s not your fault,\' Snape said shortly, eyes flashing with anger. \'Weasley is the one to blame.\'

\'Enough!\' Voldemort said caustically. \'I didn\'t bring you here for a reunion.\'

\'What *do* you want? I take it e\'se\'s a reason why I\'m still alive.\' Snape said icily

Harry couldn\'t help but admire the lack of fear in his husband\'s voice. He wished he had even half that strength.

\'Oh, there\'s a *very* good reason why you\'re here. I want you to watch whilst I kill your lover and your unborn child.\'

His expression didn\'t even flicker.

\'You will have to kill me first,\' he said stonily.

\'Now where would be the fun in that?\' Voldemort sneered, his red eyes menacing.

Snape shook off the Death Eaters holding him.

\'Crucio!\' Voldemort shouted.

Harry watched in horror as his lover fell to the ground writhing in agony. Unheeding of any danger, Harry ran over to him, surprising the Death Eaters so much that they did not attempt to stop him. From the corner of his eye he saw Voldemort lower his wand, releasing Snape from the curse. Kneeling down next to his husband, he held him as he continued to shake from the after effects of the Unforgivable. The emerald pendant he always wore around his neck came untucked from the neckline of his robe as he leaned over his lover. For a moment he wished it did have some protective power and was not just a piece of pretty jewellery.

He looked into the face of the man that had come to mean so much to him and could see under the set determina a h a hint of hopelessness in those dark eyes.

Harry could feel the anger growing inside of him, a deep fury at the futility of their situation - he could see no way out. Last time he had faced Voldemort, his speed and agility as a Seeker had helped save him, along with his wand, but this time he was eight months pregnant and his wand was a broken stick with no core.

Eventually he helped his lover to stand and they faced Voldemort together, fingers tightly entwined, if he was going to die today, he certainly wasn\'t going to do it on his knees.

For a moment there was complete silence.

\'You had better say goodbye.\' Voldemort mocked at Snape, raising his wand once again.

The next few seconds seemed to go in slow motion for Harry. Even as the wand came up he felt a flush of magic go through him much like when he and Severus had gotten married, which, with a sudden flash of knowledge, he realised had been the joining of their magic. But this time there was another element, he could feel the combination of not just two sets of magic, but three. Then he realised the emerald around his neck was glowing and he got the same feeling he had every time he held his wand, the same sense of focus.

Even before Voldemort had fully raised his wand, Harry said the words that would send the Dark Lord to where he belonged.

\'Avada Kedavra!\'

A beam of green light leapt from the emerald straight into Voldemort\'s chest. With a look of horror and amazement, he crumpled to the floor and the glow of his red eyes slowly faded. Just when Harry was considering moving - or collapsing - a backlash of energy was thrown from Voldemort\'s body and entered all of the Death Eaters, including Snape, leaving just a pile of ash where Voldemort had lain. With a chorus of groans and yells they fell to the ground, some grabbing their arm in pain. Harry watched in terror as his husband also slipped to the ground. Almost too scared at what he would find, he reached down and felt for a pulse at his husband\'s neck, sighing with relief when he found one. He realised that they were all just stunned from their connection to Voldemort from the Dark Mark. He pushed up the sleeve of Snape\'s robe. The skin there was smooth and unblemished - Voldemort was truly dead.

Realising that he would be in just as much danger if the Death Eaters started to wake up, he got up from Severus\' side and walked over to the pathetic pile of ashes which was all that was left of emoremort. Right next to it was the wand that had very nearly killed him. He picked it up,ptedpted just to break it, but his common sense told him that it was probably the most compatible wand for him in this room. He waved it and a shower of sparks emerged - yes it was indeed a good match.

Swiftly and efficiently, Harry went around putting the Death Eaters in body binds. He knew there were probably more than were just in this room, but he didn\'t dare leave his husband to go and try and find them. Instead he put a very strong locking and warning spell on the dohopihoping that would be enough.
He was just considering how to contact the Ministry and Hogwarts when he felt a sharp pain in his stomach that left him gasping for breath. He fell to his knees as he realised what was happening.

The baby was on its way...