At The Heart Of The Matter

Authors Note: Thanks again to ALL my wonderful reviewers! You guys are the BEST!!! Harry Potter is still not mine!

Chuzzor Havoc

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The next morning, Sirius woke up around 7am, and looking around his room from the bed, he began hearing odd noises every so often. Knowing Poppy would be there soon, he debated getting up to investigate, but thought the better of it. If Poppy showed up and he was out of bed, she’d make him stay put for another day, just to spite him, for disobeying her orders. The sounds were becoming more frequent, but were still muffled and not very loud, so he figured there wasn’t anything detrimental happening, or he’d be sure to hear Harry taking care of the problem. Barring a catastrophe, Sirius was not leaving himself open to Poppy’s wrath.

A few minutes later, the sounds got louder, and now being able to make out what was being said, Sirius groaned to himself as he heard, “Harry! Please…stop….teasing me….and….make love…to me!” Blushing at the thought of his godson having sex just a few doors down, Sirius was stuck listening to everything that was going on due to their lack of a silencing spell. So, over the next 90 minutes, he suffered through, hearing every word and moan the newlyweds made.

It was close to 8:30, when Harry and Alicia finally yelled out as they climaxed, with Sirius muttering to himself, “Thank the heavens above….they’re done. Who would’ve thought they could last that long!”

“They are young, you know.” said a chuckling Poppy.

Startled at first by the nurses appearance, he responded, “Even so….you didn’t have to listen to your godson and his wife go at it for the better part of an hour and a half, because some neurotic nurse condemned you to bed rest! I still can‘t believe he‘s married, having sex, and about to be a father.”

“Hate to burst your perfect little world, but from what I’ve heard, your godson was quite the ladies man before he married Alicia….kind of like someone else I know, hmmm?” teased Poppy.

“Really….that’s very interesting. Of course, with the Potter charm, and my influence before going through the Veil, he was bound to be quite the womanizer…he does me proud!” said Sirius with a chesire grin on his face.

“Sirius, you’re impossible! You were just complaining about Harry having sex a minute ago.” said an exasperated Poppy.

“That’s because I was forced to sit here and listen to them….not because he was having sex. A young man his age should be having sex….often.” Sirius said, giving the nurse a wink.

“Well, you don’t need to worry then, with her hormones, you might want to ask them to put up a permanent silencing spell. From what Harry’s told me, they go at it, as you put it, about 5-6 times a day.” said a smug Poppy, once she took in the unbelieving look on Sirius’s face.

“WHAT! Impossible….no one has that kind of stamina. Wait! He actually told you about his sex life?” asked a stunned Sirius.

“Yes, he did. Although, he was more concerned about the situation at the time. Trust me when I tell you he doesn’t think it’s normal either…he has to take energy potions just to keep up with her. I told him to enjoy it while it lasts.” Poppy said, then both started chuckling at their topic of conversation.

Before either of them could say another word, they heard Harry moan out, “Yeah, Baby….Aahh, Merlin! I love….what you do with….that mouth of….yours…”

“Good God…not again.” said a distraught Sirius, then he asked, “How could they possibly be able to go again so soon?”

“As I said when I walked in, they’re young. I’ll put up a silencing spell for you, then we’ll do your check up so you can get up and leave you torment behind.” teased Poppy.

“You’re cruel, you know that….right? Just get on with it.” mumbled Sirius.

After Poppy checked Sirius over, it was about 9:30, and giving him a clean bill of health, they left his room and made their way down to breakfast where Harry and Alicia were already seated. “Harry, I’d like to thank you for my wake up call this morning.” said Sirius, in a flat monotone voice.

“What are you talking about?” asked Harry, with a knowing glint in his eye.

“You have heard of the spell ‘Silencio’, haven’t you?” asked Sirius

“I sure have.” said Harry, holding in his smirk.

Noticing Harry was barely holding back his laughter, Sirius narrowed his eyes and said, “Then why don’t you start using it? You have no idea how hard it is to listen to the person you consider a son having sex!”

Harry, unable to contain his mirth any longer, looked over to Alicia, and suddenly, they both burst out laughing.

“You two aren’t even sorry, are you? What’s worse, you’re not even embarrassed!” said a shocked Sirius.

After a few minutes, the newlyweds calmed, and Harry said, “I’m sorry, Sirius. We’re so used to being alone in this suite, we did honestly forget to put up the spell. We’ll be sure to do it next time….and, no, we’re not embarrassed. Alicia and I are married, and she’s pregnant, so obviously, we’re not blushing virgins.” said Harry in a no nonsense way.

“Merlin, you’re so much like James and me….it’s actually quite scary.” said Sirius, shuddering at the thought. This got all four laughing again as they continued with breakfast.

“Harry, what’s on your agenda for today?” asked Sirius a few minutes later.

“Most of the ‘First Strike Team’ has agreed to meet everyday after dinner at the Ministry and basically just hang out there until he calls his follower, at which time, we’ll go into battle. He normally plans and attacks at night, especially now that he’s got some vampires on his side, so our confrontation will probably happen in the evening. I’ll spy on him after lunch to see if it looks like it’ll happen today, but one never knows with that megalomaniac. I’m planning on stopping by Cornelius’s office to get your official pardon papers this morning.” said Harry

Taking in the last of his coffee, Sirius asked, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to tag along with you today, until you need to leave tonight?”

“I don’t mind at all. It’ll be great seeing you officially freed, then we can head over to Gringotts to make sure your accounts are unfrozen. Alicia, what are you planning?” asked Harry.

“I’m going to visit with Mum and Dad this morning. I’d like to have them for dinner tonight to tell them our good news about the twins. If you do go to battle tonight, they’ll be close by and protected here more so than at home….plus, they can help Sirius and I if the need arises.” said Alicia.

“Sounds like a plan to me. Sirius, if your ready, we’ll leave in about 15 minutes.” said Harry, then he teased by saying, “Being the generous, lovable, perfect godson that I am, I’ll even treat you and Poppy to lunch later, that is if you‘d like to join us, godmother dearest?”

“You’re right, Sirius….it’s quite scary how much Harry’s like you and James. We’re definitely going to have our hands full if any of these genes get pasted onto those twins. And, yes, Mr. Smarty Pants….because of your cheekiness, I’ll be expecting lunch at one of the very fine, and expensive establishments in Diagon Alley.” said Poppy, with her nose slightly turned up, mocking her godson.

“Man! You’re tough….but you win, of course. We’ll meet you in the Atrium of the Ministry around 12:30.” said Harry.

Harry left the dining room to fire-call Cornelius’s office, scheduling an appointment, making sure that the paperwork was complete and ready for their arrival. A little while later, the two men left for the Ministry, but not before Harry spent several long minutes kissing his wife goodbye.

After flooing into the Atrium area of the Ministry, Harry and Sirius made their way to the Minister’s office. On their walk, Sirius said, “You and Alicia seem to really love one another a great deal. I’m very happy for you, Harry….I just wish I could’ve been there to see it.” said Sirius.

“I know what you mean, Sirius. Right before getting dressed for the ceremony, I told Remus how much I missed you and how much it hurt not having you, Mum, or Dad there. If you want, after lunch, I could put the memories of the event into my pensieve….I know it isn’t the same as being there, but it’s the best I can do…” Harry trailed off, not sure what else to say.

“I’d like that. Could you include the entire day? I’d like to see how nervous you were, and how much you tormented your groomsmen.” teased Sirius.

“Sure thing…it was quite comical, actually. Remus did say that I wasn’t as bad as Dad.” said Harry.

Laughing at the memory of James, Sirius said, “Oh Merlin! James was a total basket case that day….I thought Remus was going to lose it and gag him, but it all worked out in the end.

It was two laughing men that came upon the Minister’s secretary. Giving them a smile, she said, “Gentlemen, good morning. Minister Fudge is waiting for you inside, and Mr. Black, congratulations on being free and we’re all glad your back amongst the living.”

“Thank you. It’s good to be back.” responded Sirius.

Going into the office, both were shocked by all the people waiting inside. Cornelius was there, as well as Amelia, Manuel Zabini, Remus, Mrs. Longbottom, Moody, Kingsley, Tonks, Luther Gumboil, Alicia, Rhonda and Marcel Spinnet, Poppy, Arthur, Molly, Minerva, Paole, Bianca, Blaise, Neville and Hermione. After introductions were made, and several hugs from those who knew Sirius, Cornelius stood up from behind his desk, making his way over to Sirius, and said, “Sirius Black, as Minister of Magic, I, Cornelius Oswald Fudge do pardon you of all crimes pertaining to the night of October 31, 1981. Furthermore, you are also pardoned from any crimes relating to your escape from Azkaban. The Ministry would like to offer you a formal apology, and will be compensating you for being wrongfully imprisoned. On a more personal note, It’s good to see you back, and I can see, just by looking at him, how happy Harry is to have you here. You should be very proud of you godson, Sirius, as he’s a truly wonderful man that I’m honored to call friend.”

“Thank you, Minister. I am extremely proud of Harry, and I’d like to thank you for what you’ve done to help him through these difficult times….actually, I’d like to thank everyone in this room for being there for Harry. He’s told me the quick version of the events, but has spoken of each of you with the highest regard.” finished Sirius.

“Sirius, I’m sorry for the way things were handle back then, but I’d be honored if you’d consent to being an Auror again. You’re a natural at it, and with a little retraining, you’d be right back on top of your game.” said Amelia.

“Wow….Amelia…..let me think on it for a few days and get back to you. As for your apology, it’s not needed. You weren’t head of the department then, and if you were, I feel safe in saying, I would’ve never been railroaded through the system like I was. Same goes for all of you. This current administration had nothing to do with my situation, so I hold no grudges with any of you.” said Sirius.

“You’re a bigger man than most, Sirius.” said Moody, giving him another shake.

As lunch time approached, Harry invited everyone there out to lunch, letting Poppy pick the place. Lunch was spent getting reacquainted with everyone, and shortly before 2pm, Harry, Sirius, and Remus made their way to Gringotts. When going through his financial statements, they were all shocked to see two deposits from the Ministry. The first deposit was the compensation promised by Cornelius for 7.5 million galleons, 500,000 a year for the 15 years he was a convicted murderer, and the second deposit was for 1,000,000 galleons in lost interest due to the Black estate being frozen.

Harry joked, saying, “Maybe you should’ve picked up the tab for lunch. You‘re loaded, Mr. Moneybags!”

“Who are you kidding….you’ve got way more than I do!” Sirius teased back.

This got the three laughing, along with Hordak and Koldbuk who had joined them shortly after they entered the bank. After saying goodbye to his goblin friends, they left the bank, and headed back to Harry’s suite. As promised, the three men along with Alicia, spent the next couple of hours viewing Harry’s pensieve memories of the wedding day. There was a lot of laughing, and a few very tearful, sentimental moments, but Sirius was thrilled to have seen the events. Around 5pm, Harry told his godfather that he was going on a little spy mission before dinner, and leaving him with Remus to finish viewing the memories, Harry and Alicia made their way to the master bedroom.

“Don’t forget the silencing spell this time!” yelled Sirius.

“Sirius, we’re not going in their for that….I just said I’m going on a spy mission, besides, Alicia’s parents will be here shortly.” said a scowling Harry.

“Whatever you say, godson of mine….just don’t forget the spell.” said Sirius, receiving a growl and a slap to the back of his head from Harry.

When the couple came out of their room, about half an hour later, it was a far less jovial Harry that stood before them. “Remus, do you mind getting everyone to the Ministry by 7:30? Make sure their ready….it looks like tonight’s the night.” Harry stated.

“Sure thing, Harry. I’ll leave right now.” Remus said.

“Be careful, Remus…I don’t want to lose my best friend tonight.” said a somber Sirius.

“I will.” and with a hug from both Alicia and Sirius, Remus left.

When Rhonda and Marcel showed up, they could instantly tell something was wrong by the tension in the air. Alicia explained what was most likely going to happen that night, and after reassuring their son-in-law that they’d stay with Alicia and Sirius, they all sat down to dinner. The mood lightened considerably when the newlyweds announced that they were pregnant.

“OH! This is so exciting….we’re so happy for you both!” said Rhonda, tears of joy in her eyes.

“This is really great news!” said Marcel, giving Harry a clap on the back.

“You want to know the best part?” asked a smiling Harry.

Looking at the couple with confusion written all over her face, Rhonda asked, “What could be better than this news?”

“Mum, Dad….we know what we’re having. One is a boy, and the other is a girl.” said Alicia, enjoying the game she was playing.

“Huh? A boy and girl? Then that means you’re having…” Marcel said, being cut off by his now yelling wife.

“TWINS! Oh…my….word!” yelled Rhonda, finishing her husbands sentence.

When the hugging and cheering was over, they all toasted the happy news. As the hour of 7pm drew closer, Harry grew more and more serious, and left to go get ready for the upcoming battle. Donning his battle gear, Harry made sure he had everything, including his wand, katana, throwing stars, the ceremonial blood knife, and the stone basin.

Walking back out to the living room, Harry saw that Poppy, Minerva and Filius had joined the others. Harry said goodbye to his in-laws first, receiving a good luck from Marcel, and a teary hug from Rhonda, then he did the same with Minerva and Filius.

Walking over to where Poppy was standing, Harry hugged her tight and said, “Be ready for anything and everything. Hopefully we won’t have to many problems. I love you, Poppy.”

“Don’t you dare say goodbye to me, Harry. You’re going to win this war, I just know it.” said Poppy, then pulling away from him slightly, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, “I love you, too…please be safe.”

“I’ll try my best.” said Harry, moving on to his godfather.

“Harry, I want you to listen to your godmother…you know she’s always right. You’re definitely going to kick that snake-faced, evil bastard’s ass tonight…I have no doubt. You’ve got everything you need?” asked Sirius.

“Yeah, I have everything. Sirius, thanks again for watching over Alicia for me…I couldn’t leaver her in better, more capable hands. I’ll see you later.” said Harry.

Reaching out and grabbing his godson into a fierce hug, Sirius said, “Be careful, and remember that we all love you…...that I love you, kiddo. Come back safely to us.”

“I love you, Sirius….I’ll be back as soon as I can.” finished Harry.

After parting from Sirius, Harry went to Alicia, and without ushering a word, he took her in his arms, as she let fall all the tears she’d been holding back. A few moments later, he took her face in his hands and gave her a very tender, loving kiss, then to everyone’s surprise, dropped to his knees and bestowed to more kisses to his future children, all the while, holding Alicia close.

“Hey there, little ones. I need you to take care of Mommy for me while I’m away, and be really good…no making her sick tonight.” Harry whispered, then choking up a little, he continued, “Remember that I love you, and always will.”

Rising back to his feet, he again hugged Alicia while lovingly whispering in her ear, “Baby, please try not to worry to much, even though I know that’ll be hard. I’m not going to say goodbye, but I do want you to know that you’ve made me a better man by being in my life, and I’m more complete because of your love. To this day….I still have no idea why you picked me, but I’m honored and humbled that you did. There will never be anyone else for me…I love you, forever.”

Looking up at her husband, with tears streaming down her face, Alicia said, “You’re right….this is definitely not goodbye. It will never be goodbye for you and me. I love you so much, Harry, and I’m so happy to be the one you chose to love and be the mother of your children. You’ve blessed my life with so much….so, please come back to us. I love you, forever.”

“I’ll come back, I promise.” said Harry, with a sense of conviction that none in the room had ever seen. Bending down to Alicia, never releasing his hold on her, Harry showed her just how much she meant to him by giving her the most searing, passionate, and loving kiss he’d ever bestowed. With a few more, tender kisses, the newlyweds looked into each other’s eyes, and as he ‘Glided’ from the room, they both said on more I love you.

When he was gone, she collapsed, being caught by her father, then broke down completely. It took Poppy giving Alicia a mild calming draught to finally calm her down. “My precious baby girl….he will come back to you. Trust me…my hunches are never wrong.” said Marcel, still holding his only child close.

In a voice barely above that of a whisper, Alicia asked, “You think so Dad….you really believe that he’ll come back alive and well?”

“Absolutely! Like Poppy and Sirius said, he’s going to win this war, then you and your family…all of us will live in peace.” finished Marcel.

When Harry arrived at the Ministry, everyone was waiting in the conference room, including the Death Eater they would be using. “Okay, everyone…can I have your attention?” said Harry. Once the room quieted, he continued, “Earlier this evening, I spied on Riddle, and he’s definitely going to call Ralph Bernsting, the DE we have here, tonight. I was unable to find out what time, but taking an educated guess, I’d say it’ll happen around 9:30. Neville, Remus, Hermione, Oliver and Tony, are your groups ready?”

“Yeah, Harry, we’re all set. Are there any last minute details you’d like to go over?” said Hermione.

With a nod, Harry responded, “Yes, there are. Once we arrive, I want you all to know that I’ll be using my Repalliator animagus form so that I can get to Riddle unseen. Each of you need to make sure Blaise and Paole are kept safe….that is your top most responsibility. Without them, I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to finish this, as Blood Magic of this magnitude is very draining. I know for a fact that Riddle has 15 vampires, and at least 100 dementors within his camp at all times. What you need to do, as quickly as possible, is to take down any DE’s that are there, then use the new Patronus Bombs the twins have developed and turn away as many of those creatures as possible. Fred, George, how many bombs do we have on hand?”

Fred answered, “We’ve only been able to produce about 40, but each one is a very concentrated form of the spell, so each bomb should be able to drive away around 25-30 dementors.”

“You two are pure genius’s….that’s excellent work. Don’t waste them, folks. Only use them if the dementors are advancing. Now, Paole, you’ve been working on the vampire issue, what have you come up with?” asked Harry.

Paole stood, and taking on his instructor persona once again, began his lecture, “During one of our late night research sessions, Lisa and Justin found a potion specifically designed to eradicate normal vampires. What I mean by ‘normal’ is, vampires like myself, the Daywalker’s, aren’t as affected by this potion as we already have a tolerance to the sun. Don’t get me wrong, it would definitely not be the most pleasant experience I’ve ever had, but it wouldn’t kill me. The Sunburn Potion, as it’s called, when it makes direct contact with a vampires skin, begins eating away at it, causing extreme pain. If it’s ingested or enters the blood stream in any way, the potion will cause death in under a minute, eating the vampire from the inside out.”

Looking around at his pupils, making sure they all understood what he was telling them, Paole took a sip of his drink and continued, “After several botched and destroyed potions, we finally managed to brew a version that also maintains its potency when dry. We felt this was important because the safest way to administer the potion is to lace our weapons with it, and in order to do that, it must be able to dry, adhering to it. By coating our swords, daggers, throwing stars, or any other weapon, we don’t have to get to close to the vampires, thereby saving our necks, literally. Make no mistake, they will attack with vengeance, so be sure you always have an ally covering your back. Now, it is only necessary to actually touch any exposed skin of the vampire with the potion, but I highly recommend that you do your best to cut or spear these vampires, ensuring death….they will still be able to fight with rotting skin, and they will be very pissed about it, if you know what I mean.”

“Paole, what exactly will happen if you’re accidentally exposed to this potion, and does it have any adverse affects on witches and wizards?” asked Lee Jordan.

Smiling at the concern showing on the faces of all his allies, Paole said, “Don’t worry about me. The worst that could happen would be a severe burn, that could easily be healed later. My natural resistance to the sun, plus the antidote I took will protect me. Oddly enough, The Sunburn potion, when applied to the skin of humans, will produce a wonderful tan, with the only exception being those that are naturally more prone to burn in the sun receiving a slight sunburn. Hermione and Blaise have been brewing for days now, and if you look about the room, you’ll find several cauldrons full. Please make sure you coat your weapons well. Don‘t put them away until they are completely dry, which should take about 5 minutes.”

“Outstanding work, you guys.” said Harry. He then reached into his pocket, and withdrew a small bag, that when enlarged, held hundreds of throwing stars in all shapes and sizes. Dumping the bag on the table, Harry said, “Everyone, come up and take at least 5 throwing stars, and be sure to coat them in the potion. Let’s get this prep work done, just in case Riddle decides to call earlier than expected.” said Harry.

The meeting, which took about 30 minutes, left them approximately an hour and a half to get everything squared away. With a total of 10 groups going into battle; five teams of six from the Aurors, and five teams consisting of six to seven from the ‘Warp Crew’, each group was given four Patronus bombs. After everyone was done coating their weapons, Hermione, Bianca, Lisa, and Susan bottled up the remaining supply, and handed each group three more vials, just in case they needed them.

At 8:55, the prep work was finished, and everyone was tensely waiting for the call. A few people ventured into small conversations, but most were rehashing the plans and mentally preparing for battle. A sudden harsh intake of breath from Ralph, which showed the pain he was feeling from being summoned but unable apparate due to the many wards put up by Bill, was the signal they’d all been anticipating. It was now 9:18pm, a time which no one would ever forget.

It only took seconds for the ‘First Strike Team’ to spring into action, gathering into their prearranged groups. Less than a minute later, after reading the aura of the Dark Mark then following that string of magic through the network, using his Chuzzor ‘Glide’ meditation, Harry yelled out the coordinates to the team captains which they promptly used to make portkeys, set to go off with the word…VICTORY. This mode of transportation would only work when Voldemort temporarily dropped the wards to his meeting room allowing his summoned followers to apparate directly to him.

With everyone set for battle, at 9:20pm, all portkeys activated after Harry took out his katana, then yelled out VICTORY, he grabbed the Death Eater and ‘Glided’ them both to Riddle’s camp. Arriving first, mere milliseconds ahead of the others, and without giving Ralph time to yell out a warning to his master, Harry stabbed him through the rib cage, dropping the dead Death Eater to the floor, then proceeded to turn into the Repalliator, disappearing instantly when he activated his cloaking ability.

Seeing Bellatrix make a beeline towards Riddle to help protect him from the invasion, Harry used the Repalliator speed and invisibility to his advantage, and coming up behind her, sunk his razor sharp teeth into her lower calf, ripping apart her Achilles Tendon, which instantly caused her to drop to the floor, screaming in agony. Noticing Neville’s feral look, Harry left Bellatrix in the hands of his best friend. Neville stood over the woman who had ruined his life, and for the first time, Bellatrix had true fear in her eyes at the pure hatred emanating from the young man above her. Without a flicker of remorse, Neville pulled out his sword, and with one quick jab, speared her in the chest, eliciting another scream from her, then re-aimed his attack, and proceeded to behead one of the worlds most evil and vile woman, ending her existence for good.

Voldemort, still stunned by the unsuspected attack that had started just mere seconds ago, was quickly surrounded by Harry’s people, and in no time, Bill and Charlie had anti-portkey and anti-apparation wards up preventing anyone from entering or leaving. As Harry proceeded towards the throne that Riddle was now using as a shield to protect himself from the onslaught, he noticed that only about 12 Death Eaters were present, but there looked to be about 25 Vampires here.

With spells flying everywhere, the sound of metal hitting bone, screams from the now burning vampires, and the chaotic shouts from Voldemort, the battle raged on. Outnumbering the enemy almost 2 to1, it didn’t take long for the ‘First Strike Team’ to overpower and/or kill everyone in the room.

Neville, Oliver, Adrian along with their team members, and three Auror groups started making their way through the compound, hunting down any other followers, and trying to locate the dementors that had yet to show. A few moments later, those remaining in the room where Voldemort was, heard several of the bombs go off, then most deafening, ear piercing screeches soon followed.

Harry, by this point was directly behind Voldemort, and with his 30 plus friends all having their wands and/or swords trained on the Dark Lord, who was alone and unarmed, it gave him the few seconds needed to transform back into his human form and quickly gathered the mist needed to slow his enemy down. At this point, Harry stepped into Tom’s line of vision, and said, “It’s over, Tom. You’re through hurting anyone ever again.” then he released the mist. When Voldemort opened his mouth to retort, ‘The Breath’ entered his body, having an almost instantaneous effect.

“What is this!? How…are…..you……doing………this………….to……………..me?” said the slowing, but panicky Riddle.

“I’m what you call a Chuzzor. You’re going to die tonight, Tom..…forever will your soul be locked away, suspended in nothingness. It’s the least you deserve. I’d have sent you to hell, but you’re likely to make friends there, and come back to this plane again, and I couldn’t have that. I would like you to know, one of the people who thought up this plan was my friend, Hermione….a muggleborn witch. It’s quite fitting, don’t you think.”

“Y.o.u.r…………………..w.h.a.t?” asked Tom, who was now almost completely over come by the mist. It was a sign of how magically strong Tom was that he was still able to talk some.

“I’m a Chuzzor, and I just administered ‘The Breath’ on you.” said Harry, and took great satisfaction by the horrified look that now bestowed Riddle’s face. People may not know what a Chuzzor was, but legends and myths made sure most everyone knew what ‘The Breath’ was. He finished by saying, “Good riddance, Tom Riddle.”

When Tom was slowed down to a zombie like state, Blaise got to work, stripping the dark wizard, much to the disgust of those in the room, and using the syringe, which he pre-cast with runes certifying its use a ceremonial instrument, he extracted the semen directly from the one testicle Riddle had. Once that was complete, he emptied the contents of the syringe into the ceremonial bowl, then withdrew blood directly from the vein in the groin, this being the best location to extract the blood, utilizing its close proximity to the sexual organs.

With both the blood and semen in the ceremonial bowl, Blaise began casting the runes needed in preparation for Harry to transfer Riddle’s soul to the stone basin for banishment. The first rune he cast was a reversed Tiwaz, for separation, then he next cast Sowilo, for life force/soul. These two runes caused the blood to mix with the semen, and when this was complete, he cast the last two runes; Nauthiz, drawn in reverse was for the constraint of freedom, then Halagaz, also drawn in reverse, for loss of power.

The glowing runes swirled violently within the contents of the bowl, and as this process slowed, a black shadow began to lift from Voldemort’s body. As Harry prepared to start his end of the ritual, Paole was also busy setting up for the banishment incantation.

In the days leading up to the final battle, Harry, Paole, and Blaise researched and decided that Paole would draw seven runes in a circle placed on the floor surrounding Harry and the stone basin, to provide a protection and positive reinforcement to be activated during the incantation that was the last step to ending Tom Riddle’s existence.

The runes were:
1. Sowilo - For success
2. Berkano - For the promise of new beginnings
3. Ehwaz - For teamwork
4. Kenaz - For the power to create your own reality, and for energy
5. Nauthiz - For recognition of one’s fate
6. Eihwaz - For strength, endurance and achieving goals
7. Dagaz - For hope and balance

When finished, Paole turned to his other two Blood Magic companions just as Harry began his end of the ritual. When the shadowy life force/soul was completely separated from Riddle’s body, Harry quickly cut into the vein in Tom’s wrist and started his castings. He cast Raidho first, for relocation of the life force/soul, then cast Ehwaz for transportation, that once activated by Tom’s blood, joined the runes Blaise had cast, and both sets began surrounding and entrapping Riddle’s shadowy soul.

While this was happening, Harry took the stone basin, and using Tom’s blood once again, he activated the first of seven runes on the perimeter of the basin; Algiz, drawn in reverse, for the consumption of the soul by divine forces. Instantly, the soul of Voldemort was drawn into the basin where Harry activated the second rune, Nauthiz for containment, which lay on the opposite side of the basin. The last five runes, over the next 10 minutes, were activated in the following order: First, Uraz for the shaping of power and patter, which controlled the parameter’s of the casting; second, Wunjo reversed, for alienation; third, Thuriaz reversed, for defenselessness; fourth, Thuriaz drawn normally, for the reactive force of directed destruction; and lastly, Eihwaz, drawn in reverse, for destruction, symbolizing the end of Tom’s evil empire.

When all the runes on the basin were activated, Harry stood, wavering slightly as he felt the exertion of his magic weighing heavily on him. Picking up the stone basin, he carried it over to the circle Paole had laid out, and once he placed it in the center, Harry cut his wrist, dripping blood onto two of the runes Paole had drawn on the floor; the first contained the rune Kenaz, for energy, and the second held the rune Eihwaz, for strength, endurance and achievement. Harry instantly felt his magic levels pick up some, and proceeded to start the incantation, which had to be said in Latin first, then the castor’s native language, then again in Latin to finish.

By this time, everyone was back in the room watching the proceedings in total awe of the complexity involved in using this ritual. Most of those present had never witnessed Blood Magic before, and none had ever seen any magic of this magnitude performed, making it quite the site to behold. Noticing how pale the three castors were, especially Blaise and Harry, and showing worry when Harry swayed while standing, they all now understood the seriousness of what had been explained to them about this branch of magic being very draining on the castors. They shuddered at the thought of what Harry would be like right now if Blaise and Paole had not made it through the battle to assist him during this ritual.

Making sure his wrist was still bleeding, as he would be activating the last five runes while reciting the incantation, Harry spoke, “Ab animea captum intus, ego extermino abs citer caputitis, nunquam ab recurro, in laqueo inter se ab planus ad cuntus aevum. The soul contained within, I banish from this existence, never to return, entrapped between the planes for all eternity. Ab animea captum intus, ego extermino abs citer caputitis, nunquam ab recurro, in laqueo inter se ab planus ad cuntus aevum.”

When Harry finished the incantation, the room began to flash vividly, as if lightning was going off, and the magic around them grew heavier, leaving them feeling like they’d be crushed under the onslaught. Moments later, a black circle began peeking out from under the stone basin, and when it was larger all the way around by three inches, the basin began to sink into the nothingness, disappearing all together within a few seconds. During this, there was a loud vacuum like sound and the heavy magic in the room seemed to be converging on the black hole, twisting its way into it, then as the last of the magic disappeared, there was a loud whistling then a bang, and the black portal was gone. Harry then walked over to what was left of Tom Riddle, and taking his katana, stabbed him in the heart, killing the soulless creature instantly.

Stunned silence permeated the room, until Hermione screamed, “Harry!”, breaking everyone out of their stupor as they watched Harry collapse to the floor. What scared them the most was the blood trickling from his nose and mouth like that of a person who had suffered a massive head injury. Katie instantly sprung into action, being the one who had trained the most, besides Alicia, with Madame Pomphrey.

While Katie was attending to Harry, Hermione said, “Bill! Get these wards down, then go and get Poppy! Everyone else, make sure this place is secure and there are no other injuries. If there are, bring them in here!”

Within minutes, Poppy was working on her godson, while Katie and Hermione tended to the smaller, less serious injuries of the few that got hurt during the battle. Ginny had a sprained ankle, Hannah was bleeding a little from a small cut on her cheek that she got when a spell just nicked her, and Seamus was suffering from a slight concussion after hitting his head on the floor while diving out of the way of an oncoming spell. Other than those three and Harry, the ‘First Strike Team’ was healthy and intact, although a few more were given Pepper-Up Potions to combat some fatigue.

It appeared the surprise attack had played to their advantage just as Harry had hoped. The one thing Tom never banked on, was an assault on his home base, and in this arrogance, it had lead to his downfall.

As the group gathered around their appointed leader, they all watched as Poppy cast spell after spell, trying to diagnose what was wrong, and when it appeared she’d figured it out, she began administering several potions with Paole holding him upright and Oliver rubbing his throat gently to get him to swallow.

When it appeared that Poppy was done, Neville nervously asked, “Poppy, what’s wrong with him, and is he going to be alright?”

Giving him and everyone else a reassuring smile, she said, “He’ll be fine, really. Harry just overtaxed his magic, which caused him to have a few small magical seizures. The blood you saw was the byproduct of a burst blood vessel and a bit tongue that occured during the seizures. I’m going to bring him back to Hogwarts, and after resting a day or two, he’ll be right as rain.”

“Pop…Poppy? Quit lying to these people….I’ll never be right….” Harry joked tiredly as the mild sleeping draught he was given started to kick in.

Turning around quickly at the sound of Harry’s voice, Poppy sternly said, “Harry, save your strength young man. I’ll not having you taxing yourself any further.” Then bending down to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, she said, “Harry….I’m so proud of you. I told you, you could do it.”

“So you did, Poppy. Let’s get out of here….I know Alicia’s been worried sick, and I want to see my wife so she can see that I‘m fine.” said Harry, almost asleep as he finished.

“Oh yeah, that will reassure her.” said Tony sarcastically.

“Hey….I heard that.” retorted Harry sluggishly, causing most of the room to start chuckling.

Harry arrived back to Hogwarts shortly before 10:30pm with everyone who was not an Auror. By the time they got him to his suite, not only were Alicia, her parents, Minerva, Filius, and Sirius waiting, but Cornelius, Amelia, and Manuel were there also.

“Harry! Oh God! Are you okay?” said an anxious Alicia as she first saw him coming through the door, being supported by Neville and Tony.

“Yeah, Baby, I am. Just used a bit to much magic, according to Poppy.” Harry said as he was settled onto his bed, only Alicia remaining behind.

Climbing in after him and hugging him tight, with tears streaming down her face, she said, “I was so worried when Poppy was called away because you were hurt. Please don‘t ever do anything like this again…I don‘t think I can handle it.”

“Alicia, I’m going to be fine, and I hope I never have to anything remotely like this again. I love you, Baby.” he said, and as he finished speaking, gave her a very loving kiss.

Laying her head on his chest, Alicia said, “I love you, too, Harry. It’s hard to believe Riddle’s gone, but just maybe, we can all find some peace now. I’m very proud of you, you know…even if I was a complete basket case while you were gone.”

Chuckling, Harry responded teasingly, “You were a basket case? I don’t believe it!” then squeezing her tight, he turned serious again, quietly expressing his thoughts, “I know it’s hard to grasp, but Tom is really and truly gone…we all saw the basin containing his soul fall into the portal. He can never hurt anyone again.”

“You’re an amazing man, Harry Potter. I love you.” finished Alicia, as they both fell into an exhausted sleep, leaving the rest of the group to share the details with everyone not present during the battle.

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Okay, everyone, there you have it….the final battle! Tell me what you think. Also, I’ve had several requests already for a sequel that details Harry and Alicia’s normal life…I really don’t think I’ll be doing that, but I will add a couple of chapters to the end of this story instead of just an epilogue, if that‘s what everyone wants. Again, thanks to all my reviewers out there!