Tangled Web

A/N: I know, I know!! It's been forever since I've update. Well, not forever, but a very long time. Blame it choochool and lack of motivation. I seriously hope not to take this long next time to update, and the story will be finished. I promise. Also, I put updates in my livejournal, so if you want to know where I'm at in updating and such, you can find it at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/cassie_snape/ . Also, please review!!! They are very welcomed. And, thanks again to snapeaholic for beta-ing this.

Also, there is some violence in this and character deaths. The end of the chapter is extremely important though.


Chapter Four: The Tempest

By the time Harry had called all of the remaining Order members and arrived in Dover the wizarding section of town was already up in smoke. The cluster of houses beside the cliffs was dim and appeared desolate as if the inhabitants had left. Shadows could be seen moving about the village, and a foul stench filled the air that could not be quelled by the rain. The Dark Mark was floating in the air.

Harry looked to those around him. “We go and meet them,” he stated as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. He was glad he remembered that charm that Hermione had used to keep the water off his glasses. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to see in the intense storm. “Charge,” he called out as he took the lead, running toward the town with his wand out, ready for action.

The others followed him. Soon the Order met up with the Death Eaters, fighting them and driving them toward the white cliffs. They had to step over the dead bodies scattered along the streets and in the doorways as the victims had been trying in vain to flee the Death Eaters. Flashes of spells filtered through the rain as lightning flashed, illuminating the sky. The area was hazy from the smoke rising from the houses as the flames could barely be seen through the rain.

A small boy around the age of four was crying; his wails were barely heard over the commotion. He was running through the streets, looking for his parents, who had been brutally murdered.

Macnair spotted the boy and laughed as he pointed his wand at him. He was just about to cast Avada Kedavra when a green light hit him first. He fell to the ground with his eyes wide open.

Harry scooped the young boy up in his arms. “Hermione, take the boy to some place safer,” he instructed as he handed the child off to her.

Hermione nodded and began to backtrack to get the boy to safety.

The rest of the Order continued to press forward. They gained and then lost ground and gained some more. The Death Eaters were nearing the white cliffs, and Voldemort was there blasting various objects left and right.

Severus was near the cliffs, seemingly fighting off the Order members in order to blend in with the rest of the Death Eaters. He noted that there was probably one Order member for every three Death Eaters. It was a completely unfair fight, and he had a bad feeling about this.

Ginny was beside Voldemort and Lucius. She was supposed to be looking out for Harry as the Dark Lord had requested. She spotted him nearing the area where they were. “He approaches, my Lord,” she told him over a loud boom of thunder.

The Dark Lord smirked, knowing that this would be their final confrontation. He could feel it in his blood. “Excellent,” he said as he readied himself for Potter.

Ginny shivered slightly and kept on the look out.

Lucius was casually casting spells toward the Order members, reveling in each kill he made. He especially wanted to get the big oaf coming towards them, flinging Death Eaters out of the way as if they were mere rag dolls.

Hagrid had been in France with Madame Maxime, trying to gain more support from the giants, when Dumbledore had died, and he had been unable to come to the funeral. He was positively furious, and it was time to avenge Dumbledore’s. He was using his umbrella, which had part of his wand in it, to cast spells while he otherwise grabbed the Death Eaters and threw them into each other or against buildings. He spotted Voldemort as the Death Eaters began to move away from the irate half-giant. “You are going to pay for killing Dumbledore,” he roared at Voldemort as he began to run toward him. He grabbed one of the Death Eaters and flung him towards the Dark Lord.

Voldemort smirked as Hagrid came towards him. He had to move out of the way. “Stupid fool,” he hissed.

Lucius saw his opportunity. “Avada Kedavra!” he yelled out, stopping Hagrid in his tracks as he fell to the earth.

Harry saw Hagrid fall before he could do anything to stop it. His eyes closed briefly as he felt sick to his stomach that he had lost yet another good friend and person. “It ends tonight,” he stated to himself as he opened his eyes and pushed forward, finally coming to where Voldemort was. “Voldemort,” he stated coldly as he glared at the wizard before him.

Voldemort’s red eyes blazed as he looked at Potter. “Harry Potter. We meet yet again.”

“This will be the last time,” Harry stated as he pointed his wand at Voldemort, focusing mainly on him. He glanced around, not knowing who else might attack him.

Voldemort gave a slight wave of his hand as the other Death Eaters scattered a bit, giving them space to duel. He pointed his wand at Potter, knowing that casting the spell would have to be when their wands would not connect. “I’ve waited many years to finally destroy you, Potter.” He began to circle around Harry.

Harry wasn’t going to let Voldemort get the best of him. “Too bad it’s not going to happen,” he said as he circled as well. “Expelliarmus!” he cried out suddenly.

Voldemort managed to move out of the way as he cast his own spell. “Stupefy,” he called out as the red beam of light from the spell went toward Potter.

Harry barely managed to get out of the way as he stepped closer to the edge of the cliffs.

Thunder clamored with a force that shook the ground. The Death Eaters were still fighting the Order members, who were losing badly.

Hermione had gotten the boy to safety and had given him to a teenage witch she had found in the woods. She thought she recognized her, but she couldn’t place a name. She left them together and ran back into the battle. She felt ill as she saw all the death and destruction, especially with the fact that some had lost body parts, and the worse was seeing someone who had been hit with an Entrail-Expelling Curse. She looked straight ahead instead and managed to push her way towards where Harry and Voldemort were. She cringed when she saw Harry so close to the edge of the cliffs as the two fought. “Harry, look out!” she called, although her voice was covered by thunder.

Harry could not hear Hermione. He didn’t even realize that she or the others were there. He had to focus on Voldemort, and he didn’t want to cast the killing curse yet in case he missed and someone else was hit. He cast another spell, hoping to stun Voldemort with it, but Voldemort now had out a shield and deflected the spell.

As Voldemort deflected the spell, he cast another one. “Imperio.”

Harry was hit, and he froze a bit as he felt the bliss of the Imperius Curse wash over him.

Voldemort smirked. “Jump off the cliff, Harry,” he hissed.

Harry half-turned toward the cliff while the other half of him stayed in place as he fought the Imperius Curse. “NO!” he shouted as he pointed his wand back at Voldemort.

The Death Eaters and the Order members were beginning to pause in fighting each other to watch the interaction between Voldemort and Potter.

Voldemort was furious that the Imperius hadn’t worked as he had hoped. He shot another spell at Harry, which hit him, knocking him back even closer to the edge of the cliffs as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky.

Harry barely managed to regain his balance. He cast his own spell, which blew Voldemort’s shield into pieces. He then heard a song penetrating the commotion, and he felt strong as he knew it was Fawkes. He pointed his wand at Voldemort. “Avada Kedavra,” he called out as his green beam of the spell shot through the rain toward Voldemort.

Voldemort barely managed to dodge the spell as he cast one of his own again.

A red beam of light from the spell struck Harry in the chest. He stumbled backwards, teetering dangerously on the edge of the cliff as he tried to regain his balance. Lightning flashed. Another spell hit him before he could regain his balance, and thunder covered up Harry’s scream and who had spoken the spell. With the next flash of lightning, Harry James Potter was nowhere to be found.


A/N: Please review! It does give me some hint of what people think of the story that way. :)