Changes

Part Twenty-Two

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Wormtail's trial cleared the name of Sirius Black. For his part Harry was awarded the Order of Merlin Second Class, the youngest to ever receive such a distinction. Wormtail gave up more information than any captured Death Eater in that second war against Voldemort. He was sentenced to only ten years in Azkaban, not such a bad thing now that the dementors were gone from the prison.

Exams passed almost without Harry noticing. His tension and sense of anticipation were still keeping him wound tight. Though he would not be riding the Hogwarts Express back to Privet Drive, as he was a security risk, he joined his roommates in packing their belongings. For once Harry actually wanted to return to the Dursley house. He had finally convinced Albus to remove several of the wards that kept him safe there, though the plan was not shared with the Order. The wards that remained would take long enough to break for the Ministry and the Order to get to Privet Drive to help Harry.

Along with the Order of Merlin Second Class came permission for Harry to use magic outside of Hogwarts and his apparition license, even though he wasn't of age until the end of July. The Order would not have to threaten the Dursleys that year. After dinner with the staff Harry was going to apparate to Privet Drive to do his homework and wait for Voldemort.

He looked around his room sadly, wondering if he would return the next year. He saw Neville carefully folding a colorful blanket he had never really seen before, "Where did you get that Neville?"

The quiet boy looked up in surprise. Harry noticed that his friend had slimmed a bit and grown a few inches. He was looking more and more like the powerful wizard that was buried somewhere inside.

"It was a gift from friends of my mum and dad," Neville said quietly as he smoothed the folds and lowered the blanket gently into his trunk. "They were away when the attack happened and sent it to me from India. Gran says that something about it comforted me."

Harry walked over and looked down into the boy's trunk. The others in the room kept packing but were sneaking looks at the conversation.

"It's beautiful," Harry commented. "Do you know who it was that sent it?"

Neville shook his head, "Gran never said. If I know them, they've never mentioned it."

"Remus was traveling then," Harry whispered. "So was Professor Jameson. They were in Gryffindor with your dad. I think he's in some of my pictures." Harry looked up and really considered Neville's face for the first time. "You look a bit like him."

Neville looked at Harry with an expression that Harry recognized deep within. Though Neville had family he probably didn't know as much about his parents as he wanted to. With his mediocre grades and clumsiness, Neville had probably never been favorably compared to his father until Harry did.

Harry flicked out his wand and summoned the photo album that Hagrid had given him. The others had finished packing and they all settled on Neville's bed to look through the pictures. Neville, Ron, and Seamus recognized some of the people in the pictures that Harry hadn't been able to put a name to before.

Wondering at the uncharacteristic quiet from the boys' room, Hermione and Ginny came in and joined in them. Hermione and Ron snuggled up together and Ginny climbed onto Dean's lap. Her joke on Ron had become a reality not long after their winter holiday. Only a few minutes later, the Creevey brothers walked in with more pictures to pass out to various Gryffindors before everyone left for the year. Eventually, the entire Gryffindor contingency of the DA, nearly the entire tower, was in the sixth year boys' room looking at the pictures of many of their parents' years at Hogwarts. Several of them ran to their rooms and came back with their own albums once they saw what was going on.

Hermione fetched a charm book from her room and found a spell to copy pictures. Soon most of the room had learned the spell and were getting copies of pictures that other people had that showed their parents. Harry produced an empty scrapbook and copied every picture he had with Frank Longbottom and put them in the book for Neville. Several pictures with Lily and James Potter were added to Harry's book.

The time flew by, and none of the Gryffindors realized that they were missing the leaving feast until McGonagall came looking for them. The look on her face when she found them all in the boys' dorm on one magically enlarged bed was captured on Creevey camera and Colin promised to owl copies to everyone. A laughing crowd entered the great hall to see many very confused people discussing the nearly empty Gryffindor table.

Though Gryffindor won the quidditch cup, as Harry had actually made it to every game that year and Slytherin had to reconstruct their team more than once that season, Ravenclaw won the House Cup that year. The Snape and Potter animosity, or acting out of it anyway, had cost Gryffindor a large number of points. Many had speculated that the absence of Fred and George Weasley would assure the Gryffindor the cup but the twins had left a void that too many had tried to fill.

Harry saw the train off and endured more hugs than he had received cumulatively in his entire life. Every DA member wanted to make sure they said good-bye to him, as they were all aware of the uncertain safety outside of Hogwarts' wards. When the train was only a spec in the distance Harry turned back to the castle and saw that his trunk, Hedwig's cage, and his Firebolt were all waiting in the entrance hall for his departure. He had a final duel with Jameson and Snape opposite him before he left for Privet Drive.

Aunt Petunia shrieked when Harry arrived in the kitchen with a crack.

"What are you doing boy?" Uncle Vernon yelled, his face already turning purple.

Harry shrugged and looked calmly at his relatives, "Magic."

They all paled when Harry drew his wand. He pointed it at his belongings and levitated them up the stairs, leaving his shaking and spluttering relations behind. Once in his room Harry opened Hedwig's cage and the snowy owl flew to his shoulder. He stroked the feathers on her chest.

"It's just you and me girl," Harry said softly with a tinge of sadness.

The days passed by and blended together. Harry continued to do a fair amount of the chores around the house, usually without magic to the relief of the Dursleys. He transformed the closet in his bedroom into a safe potions lab and kept his supply of Dreamless Sleep stocked. Late at night when Harry couldn't sleep, he would disillusion himself and transform into his griffin form to fly around the neighborhood.

His birthday was the next day. Albus had offered on his one of many visits to have a birthday celebration at Hogwarts for Harry, but Harry turned him down. With luck he would have many years ahead of him to celebrate his birthday. He could go one more year at the Dursleys' without a party. Harry didn't want to risk leaving Privet Drive and their plan falling apart. Albus had been there earlier that day. When he left he hugged Harry more tightly than he ever had before, surprising the almost seventeen-year-old. Harry had returned the hug gratefully.

"Damn you Snape," Harry muttered and flicked his wand. A book soared out of his trunk and landed on the desk. Harry flipped it open to the page he needed and continued to work on his summer homework. He truly didn't care why the discovery of the reaction of phoenix tears with powdered unicorn horn advanced the science of medical potions.

Harry had saved his potions homework for last. Flitwick's essay on warding and construction charms had been completed a week into the holiday. His transfiguration essay was specifically assigned for him. He had to research transfiguration involving magical creatures and relate it to his own animagus form. After a frustrated and probably too harshly worded letter to Albus in which he freely cursed Snape in language that would have earned him a month of detentions, Remus had shown up at Privet Drive and taken a list of books that Harry needed to complete his homework. It wasn't like he could go to the library on Diagon Alley that summer, or any summer really.

Harry leafed through various potions that used both phoenix tears and powdered unicorn horn to discover that the two ingredients were always combined separately before they were added to a potion. He was intrigued and started searching for a potion where that wasn't the case. Dudley's snores were starting to annoy him and Harry raised his wand to set a silencing ward around his room when he felt the house shake.

It wasn't the house, he sensed moments later. It was the more like air itself inside the house was disturbed. Harry snuffed the single candle he was working by, not being partial to the fluorescent lights the Dursleys provided in his room, and crept carefully to the window.

All of the street lights were out. Harry swore under his breath.

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He transformed into his griffin form for better night and long range vision. In the distance cloaked figures were approaching. Harry Potter sprang into action. It would take less than ten minutes for the Ministry and the Order to respond and probably about seven for the wards to fall. He transformed back into human form as he ran out of his room.

Dudley's door flew open without disturbing the whale of a boy on the strained bed. Harry cast a sleeping charm on his cousin and levitated him into his aunt and uncle's room. He set Dudley down on the floor and cast sleeping charms on the remaining Dursleys. He then began casting a series of wards he had decided on for this purpose when he did his charms homework. He magically reinforced the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room, making it impervious to fire, water, or collapse.

He cast the most advanced locking charm he knew on the door and set it to break when Voldemort died. Harry put the emergency Portkey that Dumbledore had made for him on the floor with a short note that he hoped his aunt would understand. If the Dursleys were in trouble they would wake and they could escape to the Hogwarts hospital wing. If Harry was killed they could still escape.

Harry looked out the back window and saw Belletrix Lestrange walking onto the property. He clenched his teeth in anger and forced himself to ignore her presence. He couldn't get distracted by that desire for revenge now. He grabbed a robe from his room and threw it on to hide his secondary wand. He didn't bother with a shirt or shoes. There was no time. He opened the door only as wide as he needed to slip through and stunned a Death Eater who had their back turned as they fought an auror.

The auror nodded and turned to fight another opponent. Harry cast a quick succession of curses, praying that they hit only foes. Though all the Death Eaters wore black, it was also the most common color for any witch or wizard to wear. From behind it impossible to tell friend from foe. The scene before him could only be described as chaos. Harry kept a shield up wandlessly while he cast curses left and right. A Cruciatus Curse got through and sent him to his knees. Harry gritted his teeth and fought through the excruciating pain. He spun towards his attacker, Avada Kedavra!

Harry almost froze when he saw the green light shoot out of his wand and hit his human target. Snape was right. It felt oddly good, in a sick empty way, to cast that curse and end a life. Harry shook himself out of his daze and stunned a Death Eater that was turning to attack him. He saw another that was killing left and right, friend and foe alike, not aiming his curses. The green light was flying without aim and the Death Eater killed more of his associates that he did aurors. Harry aimed carefully and cast the killing curse again, taking the loose cannon out.

Harry saw faces he recognized. Bill Weasley's long red hair was bound behind him as he fought ferociously, most of his curses in a language Harry assumed Bill had learned in Egypt. It was only a few days until the full moon and Harry saw Remus fighting, the wolf in him clearly affecting the man. He moved faster than any human should be able to. Harry finally saw the fight he was meant to enter. Albus was fighting Voldemort. The power coming off the two of them could be felt above the magic of the other participants in the battle.

Harry was running towards them, stunning anyone in his way, when time stopped for the teenager. A high ringing laugh echoed in his head as Voldemort cast the killing curse and struck Albus Dumbledore. Harry thought his heart would break in two as he cried out.

Voldemort turned and saw Harry approaching. Fallen bodies lay around them, giving them a clear circle in which to duel.

"The old fool cannot save you tonight boy," Voldemort hissed. "Are you ready to join him?"

Harry smiled, knowing it would infuriate the Dark Lord, "I don't plan to die tonight."

"Do you think you can kill me?"

"The prophecy says I can," Harry said calmly then lied outright, "and that I will."

He saw the fear flash in Voldemort's eyes.

"Aw, what's the matter Tommy?" Harry taunted with a grin. "Is the big bad mudblood Dark Lord scared? Do you want your mummy or your muggle daddy?"

"Shut up boy!" Voldemort shrieked.

"Nah," Harry laughed even as his soul cried out for his mentor, the only man who had truly acted as a father. "I think I'll keep annoying you. Did Severus surprise you? He's been spying since before my parents died, since before I was born. I think he was still a teenager when he turned. How dumb are you? A man who teaches children fooled you for years!

"No curse? Are you afraid that it will bounce back again? How did it feel to die Tom? When I beat you as a little baby did it hurt? Did you cry for Mummy to make it stop? Did you feel your soul get ripped out of your body?"

The red eyes flashed, "You're about to find out. Avada Kedavra!"

At the same time that Voldemort cast the killing curse Harry yelled out, "Expelliarmus!"

The golden cage of Priori Incantatum surrounded them and phoenix song filled Harry's grieving soul. Before Voldemort could react and force the spell to regurgitate spells from Harry's wand, Harry flicked his left wrist and yelled the instant the wood of his secondary wand touched his hand.

Avada Kedavra!

Harry thought of his love for his parents, his friends, and for Albus. The killing curse did not have to be cast with hate but most often was. What the wizarding world did not know was that the curse cast with love was exponentially more powerful. Rather than a simple jet of green light shooting out of his wand to strike down the Dark Lord, a continuous beam hit Voldemort, engulfing his whole body in a glowing green light. The green glow outshone the gold of the Priori Incantatum and Harry's scar erupted into mind shattering pain.

The pain was worse than any Harry had ever experienced. He fought to keep his eyes open as the body of the Dark Lord fell and the connection between their wands broke. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. As Voldemort's body fell the green light of the curse was sucked in. Harry was never sure, but he could have sworn he saw a red glow shoot out from the dying man. He felt the pulse of pure magical energy hit him and lift him off his feet. Harry flew back and lost the fight against consciousness.

His last thought was to notice that the pain in his scar was completely gone. Voldemort was dead.

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THE END

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A/N: Wow, that felt good. If you've read these fics in the order intended you can see that the circle is completed, or is it a Mobius strip, never ending? If you read this first and want to know if Harry is alive or dead, and what happens next, read Healing, followed by Another Chance and Behind Blue Eyes.

Please Review!

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