I Will Always Find You

AN: Thanks to my wonderful Beta Sunflower. The title of this chapter comes from the Princess Bride. This isn't going to be a big battle scene or anything like that, it's mostly going to be between Harry and Voldemort and the others in the RoR. Some of my ideas came from HBP indirectly. Sorry this took so long. I had to go and babysit for a friend of mine. Disclaimer: See chapter one. Reviewers: lydia: I'm glad you liked it. I know it wasn't the greatest chapter; but it was leading into this one. Sarah-Ayn: Sorry about the cliffhanger honey. I hate to do it because I hate them too; but sometimes I just feel that it's the right thing to do. I hope I can get this out fast enough that you won't suffer too badly. LOL firewall: Oh, I've got plenty of story ideas that I'm working on right now, and there's It Is the East and She Is the Sun to look forward to as well, though I won't be doing anything with that one until this one is finished. JTBJAB: Your wish is my command. Here you are. angel: I'm very glad you liked it and I'm glad that I was able to express the emotion well enough too. Thanks for the review. Cherie: Glad you liked it. Hope you like this one. Christie: Yea, I find it VERY terrifying that I am here at last. But there is also the epilouge to look forward to. LOL I hope I do the story justice with these last few chapters; but I'm sure that Sunflower will tell me if I don't. LOL Chapter 24. Drop Your Sword Tension was rolling off of the occupents of the Room of Requirement. Everyone was silent and Hermione could see the fear written on the face of her best friend. He knew that it was him or Voldemort and he was terrified. Hermione was terrified too. She knew what was coming. It would be worse than anything that had transpired in the Department of Mysteries in fifth year. She suddered, remembering the chaos of that night. And the loss. Losses would be unmeasurable this evening. They had all been given special portkeys that would activate and immediately draw them to wherever they were supposed to be. All except Severus, who was to wait for Voldemort's signal to lower the wards. The wards being lowered would activate the portkeys. He would lead Voldemort to where Harry waited for him. Dumbledore did not want Harry fighting until Voldemort was upon them. He was to be kept safe and away from the battle. The room had adjusted itself so they could see what was going on outside. They would not be surprised. In the entrance hall, Severus stood while Voldemort and the others apparated in. "Severus. Where are the old fool and the boy?" "I will take you to them, My Lord." "I know you have betrayed me. You will pay." "I expect I will; but you still need me to find them." He wordlessly turned away from the revolting Dark Lord and led the way to the seventh floor. He hated leaving his back vulnerable to Voldemort; but it couldn't be helped. Voldemort glared at Severus and followed him. He was enraged that he could not break into the man's mind. He was a better Occlumens than Voldemort had guessed. He couldn't kill Severus until after he had led him to the boy. He watched groups of his death eaters as they walked through the castle. Some were deuling with students and teachers and others were searching the castle looking for anyone who might be hiding. He was confident that he would win this battle and then there would be none to stand in his way. Severus felt like he was being eaten from the inside by worms with blunt teeth. This was it, the final showdown, so to speak. He sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening to give them all the strength to come through it alive. He cringed as he stepped over someone's body. It wasn't a death eater; but he could not tell who it was either. He took a deep steadying breath as he led Voldemort on. ~' Inside the Room of Requirement, Harry was pacing back and forth in front of the others, ocassionally glancing towards the hallway. It loooked a bit distorted, due to the differing thicknesses in the wall; but it was good enough to see when danger was coming. "Harry, you're making me seasick." Hermione complained, blinking. "Then don't look at me," he snapped, then immediately apologized. "Sorry 'Mione. Didn't mean to take your head off." She waved him off. "I know you didn't mean it." He gave her another apologetic smile and stood his ground in front of the door. Hermione concentrated on sending calming and loving energy towars Harry. She knew that this was effective, having studied it in both wizarding and muggle communities. It was what Dumbledore's plan was based on. She had read of people, muggle and otherwise who had been very ill and miraculously recovered after people prayed over them or merely sent good thoughts thier way. Her thoughts were distracted when she saw Severus round the corner. "Here he comes!" she hissed. Harry stiffened visibly, and thrust his wand out in front of himself, backing a few paces to allow them room to enter. Severus strode past the doorway three times and then entered, followed by the most hated wizard in the world. Voldemort was surprised to see more people than just Potter and Dumbledore in the room waiting for him. He cast his mind around the room and startled, let it rest on the mudblood girl for a moment. He was surprised by what he found there. "So Severus, you've finally found yourself a whore I see?" he sneered. "You will not speak of her!" Severus thundered levelling his wand at Voldemort's throat. "Stop! Professor, this is my fight. He'll only kill you, which is what he wants," Harry said, placing just his fingertips on Severus' wand arm. Severus nodded, not taking his eyes fron the dark lord and stepped back. Harry stood in front of Voldemort. The years had given him hieght and Quidditch had given him muscle. Hermione could see the man emerging from inside of him and she couldn't be more proud of her friend than she was in that moment. Fawkes had given a signal to the others who were supposed to come and support Harry from outside the room. They were arriving now and Dumbledore nodded to them. They could now see into the room just as the ones inside could see out. Hermione could see a few were missing and willed herself to be strong. She saw Professor McGonagal standong on the other side. Her hat was missing, her hair askew, and blood ran unbidden down her cheek from a large gash on her temple; but the fire in her eyes was strong. They locked with Hermione's for a second, and they nodded to each other. Both respecting the warrior they saw in the other woman. Harry and Voldemort were sizing each other upin the middle of the room. The others were standing at measured intervals in the room. Suddenly Voldemort raised his wand and without a sound, a spell was launched in Harry's direction. Harry hastily drew his wand up and deflected the spell. It hit the wall. Dumbledore looked to Hermione and noticed she was not looking at Harry; but Voldemort. He also noticed that her eyes were not hard or clouded by hate; but misted over and full of love. He knew her mind was not on the scene in front of them; but far away. Hermione was remembering the dream she had had so many moths before. She had been so peaceful in that garden, and the scent of those mysterious flowers had ensnared her senses, just like the man she loved. In that moment she realized that it was not the flowers that smelled that way; but him. Severus was thinking of Hermione as well. He doubted they'd have gotten this far without her. He looked at her and noticed the glossed over look in her eyes. He wondered what she was thinking about that put such a lovely smile on her face in such a moment as that. In the time it took the three of them to think these things Harry and Voldemort had slung more spells. Many of them had just missed the other occupants of the room and Dumbledore had quickly put a shielding charm over each of them. Those outside the room were focusing thier love for Harry onto him. They were trying with every breath to push that love to him for his use. Suddenly Voldemort threw a spell and Harry threw another at the same time. Thier wands joined like they had when Harry was in his fourth year. Harry knew what to do and used every ounce of his considerable will to send the point where the spells were joined into Voldemort"s wand. Voldemort had no wish to go through this again, and struggled to send it towards Harry's wand. The others watched as the spell made sure there would be no outside interfenece by making a magical cage around them and lifting them into the air. They held thier breaths as the bead of light danced between the two wands, sliding back and forth as if pushed by invisible hands. It danced dangerously close to Harry's wand tip, and then danced back toward Voldemort. It then stopped in the middle. It sat there for a second or two before it shot toward Harrys wand and stopped but a hiarsbreadth from the tip. "Give up boy!" Voldemort hissed angrily. "Never," Harry whispered, looking into his eyes. "I'm not a coward like you." Harry had taken a chance by taking his eyes off of the dot of light; but it paid off. Voldemort was distracted by his insulting words and this distraction was enough for Harry to slam the dot of light into his opponents wand. The Priori Incantatem began again and it was mostly distorted screaming until a smoky shape began to come from Voldemort's wand. It was a moment before he was completely free so that they could all see him. Dumbledore muttered something that no one could hear; but it was obvious he knew who the man was. The cloudy memory of a man floated to Harry, who was having a hard time holding his wand, and whispered something to him. Other shapes were maiking thier way out of Voldemort's wand. Many people that Harry had never seen even in pictures came to him to whisper encouragement. Harry's wand was burning his hand; but he held on to it for dear life. He would not lose. When it was finally emptied of past spells, Voldemort looked up at Harry. He knew that the battle was lost for him. "AMOR COMPLEO!!!" Harry screamed, and a burst of white blinding light filled the room, along with a deafening roar. They were all knocked off of thier feet. When the light and noise faded away, they tentativly sat up. Harry was lying on the floor in the middle of the room with Severus next to him. Hermione ran to them. She could see that Harry was okay; but Severus was not. He was writhing in pain and clutching his arm. "What is it?" Hermione pleaded. "What's wrong?" Dumbledore rushed over. Harry was sitting up, and as soon as he had assured himself that the boy was okay, he turned to Hermione and Severus. "Please help him!" Hermione begged. Dumbledore made an odd sound in his throat and then whistled a light trilling tune. Fawkes appeared instantly and landed on the Headmasters lap. "Can you help him, my friend?" asked Dumbledore softly. Everyone was watching sadly. Hermione was sobbing and held Severus' head in her lap. Most of them thought he would soon be dead. Fawkes waddled off of Dumbledores' lap and up into Hermiones'. He cocked his head over Severus' mouth and let three pearly tears fall into it. Severus swallowed them reflexively and almost instantly relaxed. "Let's get him to Poppy." Dumbledore said. "Harry too." We must go and help the others. If how Severus has reacted is any indication, I'd say the death eaters are finished." Hermione sobbingly thanked Fawkes and the Headmaster before levitating Severus out of the room. "Why's she so upset?" Ron asked no one in particular. "Why don't you ask her when everything calms down?" Said Harry who was leaning on his friend. "You might get yourself a surprise." "You don't think they're.... Oh that's just wrong, they couldn't!" "Ron, shut up and take me to the infirmary. I'm tired." ~' The next day, the uninjured students, teachers and Aurors were trying to clean up the castle and fielding questions from the ministry, among others. Hermione, Harry, Ron, Severus and many others were hiding out in the hospital wing with Mme. Pomfrey. Severus had awakened mid-morning, much to Hermione's relief. They'd proceeded to answer Ron's questions from before in a manner that left no one in the dark about thier relationship. Ron had turned a bit green, as they openly snogged among various noises ranging from catcalls to gagging. Mme. Pomfrey came in to see what all the ruckus was about, stopped dead, started laughing and returned to her office. No one was more stunned than Severus. They could still hear her laughing. "Well, I never expected that reaction." Hermione mumbled from where she was being hugged into his chest. He let up on the pressure and she surfaced for air. "I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried." "I knew something might go wrong with the mark. I didn't want to worry you. I would have died, I expect if Fawkes hadn't helped. I owe him and the headmaster thanks." "You owe me a lot too for not telling me about it, and I intend to collect when you're feeling better," she whispered back. Severus groaned. "You'll be the death of me yet, woman." Hermione just giggled and laid her head down on his chest. Soon her rhythmic breathing let him know she was asleep. AN: I really hope you all liked this. I had a really hard time with this chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to get the epilouge up soon. Anyone want to take a stab at the meaning of Amor Compleo? Or who came out of Voldemort's wand and spoke to Harry?