The Contract

Author’s Note: Watch for the changes in Point of View…







Chapter Forty-Six – Duel of a Lifetime





When the old man stood up, the hatred he felt for the teenager was palpable. With a wave of his hand, Harry flew through the air. The crowd gasp as he stalked toward his prey.



Leaning down over Harry, he said, “So you think that this is a game? This is life, boy, and you will not be living it for long. When I finish with you, I will deal with that whore pregnant with your children.” A soft orange flash flew toward him. Harry did not raise his shield fast enough.



Crucio hurt, but this was so much worse. Harry’s nose began to bleed as he screamed in pain. Fawkes swooped in to the field and grabbed the man’s hair with his talons and attempted to pull him off the ground. The old man’s concentration broke long enough to break the hold of the curse. Harry regained himself.



Rising to his full height, Harry Potter was angry. This man had threatened his family, and that simply was not done. Casting wandlessly was something that Harry had become rather adept at, as he had shown the crowd earlier. The crowd watched the two men on the pitch silently as Fawkes flew off to land on Ron’s shoulder.



“Why have you done this to me?” Harry screamed at the man. “I loved you! I trusted you! How…”



“You idiot child. You were never supposed to survive your fight with Voldemort. You were supposed to die. The rest were just a precautionary measure.”



“Dumbledore…” Harry began.



The bearded man laughed out loud. “Dumbledore is dead. I killed him over fifty years ago.” He bragged. Fawkes screeched his anger at the man.



It all sank with a clunk into place.



This was Grindelwald. Dumbledore had not defeated him. Grindelwald had won and assumed his place of power.



“I killed him and I will kill you. Then I will kill your precious pregnant bitch and will take the power the children have as my own. Their legacy will be MINE!” He screamed.



“You are awfully confident to be that stupid. You’ll never get to them!”



“The goblins work for me you ignorant fool. They have him right now, in the depths of the bank, but they won’t keep him from me. I will be able to get to him anytime.”



The lightening flashed across the sky at his words. The snow began to fall outside of Harry’s dome around the pitch as the pitch began filling with an armed Goblin army.



**************************







Draco paced the length of the horde’s village and back again. Narcissa watched his progress. The babies were screaming inside of him. He had to leave. He had to get to Harry. Turning to her, he said, “I’m leaving.”



“No, love. You can’t leave here without Harry coming back for you or Garen believing it is safe.”



“We’ll just see about that.” Opening his mouth, breathing deeply, he bellowed “GAREN!”



The little goblins that had been playing in the area ran for their parents. Doors were bolted against the man. Hunters and fighters surrounded the man and actually pointed long jagged looking swords at him. But, Garen answered his summons.



“What have you done?”



“Take me to Harry.”



“It isn’t safe.” The other Goblins looked from one to the other speaker without lowering their weapons.



“I don’t care. He’s in trouble.” His hands touching his belly protectively, “The babies are screaming for him. I don’t know how to explain it. Take me to him.”



Narcissa walked closer to the scene. “It is time. We must take them. I’ll go. It’s time he be allowed to be a man.” She loved her son desperately, but also knew that he would find a way to go, whether it put him in danger or not. “Take him to Hogwarts.” She carried herself as royalty. Her commands, heard as suggestions, made her seem as though there were no options but to follow her.



Garen looked from one to the other for a moment. Speaking in harsh Gobbledegook the village went into action. Moments later, Draco had his own army which made human armies seem insignificant.



**** ****** ****** ******



“If you do manage to kill me, boy, they will gut your precious tart and remove those babies piece by piece. He will only survive long enough to scream…”



Harry refused to believe it. Draco was his. Draco was safe. If Draco died, he would personally kill every goblin, he vowed. But that was for later. For now, he had to dispatch this imposter.



Circling, the two ended up in the center of the pitch. Spells flew from their fingertips as found themselves locked in mortal combat. The shielding surrounding the two men failed on occasion and a hex or spell would get through.



The failure of the shields also allowed Fawkes to enter the battle. Screeching, wings flapping, the bird attacked Dumbledore. The spectators covered their ears in pain. Except for the Goblins, those who had been on the pitch had found themselves removed to the stands to give room for fight.



Harry was tired, even with Fawkes help; he knew he was not going to be able to last much longer. An hour or more had passed since he asked for the Mistress’ to bring this man and the fight had begun.



He focused on the memory of Draco’s face. Shifting quickly to the rounded tummy, which held his children.



The pain and anger of being kept from them by this man forced its way to the surface.



Heartfelt hurt at being denied a childhood.



At losing his parents.



At the betrayal of the Wizarding World.



It had to end. Harry knew it. Fawkes was trying to help him. It was necessary for the victory to be gained soon. Pushing the hurt to his fingertips, Harry screamed “AVADA KADAVRA!”



Pain had no meaning to him when he realized that his actions had killed his family.



Green light left the tips of his fingers, swirling into one steady green light until, at last, it hit both the bearded man and Fawkes and rebounded to the still screaming man.



The crowd held its breath as the duel ended.



Silence fell between the two men and the screeching bird.



It was over. Grindelwald was dead.



Harry Potter fell back as his own curse hit him.



Ron ran down the steps of the stands, Sirius, Remus, and Severus hot on his heels. The four men burst onto the pitch to try to catch the man who had saved his family, from the one man everyone loved.



Harry James Potter had just murdered the single worst dark wizard in history in front of the entire Wizengamut, representatives from every Wizarding publication in the world, and all he could do was fear for the lives of his family. His fears faded into blackness even as the tips of his fingers, singed with the dark magic of the Unforgivable Curse became blood red and blistered.



The lightening bolt scar ripped open before he hit the ground and knew no more.





****** ****** ****** ******





With a nod, the goblin army allowed the men’s entrance to the pitch and Draco at the highest point of the stands watching as his love fell to the ground and caught by Ron.



Draco’s world focused in on the narrow vision.



Harry Potter had killed Dumbledore.



Harry was dead.



Draco could not turn away. He could not speak or scream. He could not move his body to go to the man. His babies moved inside, screaming in pain as they felt their papa’s pain.



He stood there, mouth open in silent horror.



The crowd around him began to cheer and holler.



Draco could not admonish them. He could not verbalize his pain. His life had ended in that moment.



Harry had died.



As his eyes began to close in a single instant, he found himself surrounded by magical arms holding him safe. He heard the whispers in his heart.





: Come, love of my human. I will protect you.



The Mistress of Hogwarts deposited him in the Infirmary and set the alarm to summon Madame Pomfrey.



As darkness overtook him, he lost the will to go on. 'None of it matters anymore... I've lost everything...



~~~~~TBC?~~~~~