[Standard Rowling/AOL Time Warner/Toriyama/Toei/Funimation disclaimers
here.]

The onlookers stood, stunned, unable to believe what they were witnessing.

The lifeless body fell to the ground with a dull thump.

Then, the high, cold laughter rang out, rising in pitch and volume as the
triumph of Lord Voldemort registered.

Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the final defender of the wizarding and Muggle
worlds alike, had fallen...

*****

"I can't believe it. He's gone...Harry's...*gone*...we're all doomed..."

"We can't ALL be doomed, Harry at least made Voldemort mortal again, didn't
he? There's got to be a way..."

"He's too powerful! Nobody can defeat him!"

A tap at the window.

"Never seen THAT owl before..."

"Hang on..." Hermione unfurled the note the strange black owl had brought,
reading it, eyes wide. "'Please research the legend of the Dragonballs, and
learn methods of detecting them. You have one year. Once you have gathered
them, wait until precisely 364 days from the date Harry James Potter was
slain, and use the Dragonballs to bring him back to life. TELL NO ONE OF
THIS QUEST. The Dark Lord must NOT be allowed to know of the existence of
the Dragonballs...' Dragonballs? What...?" She paused. "BRING HARRY BACK TO
*LIFE*!?"

"That's...that's madness!"

....

"But...if there WAS a way..."

*****

"Where...where am I?"

"Proceed down this road, young wizard."

"Road...?"

"Proceed down this road. If you reach the end, you will be trained...you
will receive the power you need to defeat your enemy."

"Defeat...? But..."

"Go now. Quickly.

*****

"Can you believe something like this actually exists?"

"Well, why not? Come on, we've got six more to find..."

*****

"How bloody long IS this stupid road? Got to keep...going..."

*****

"Just one more left..."

*****

"Now how am I supposed to get up there...? Oh...right, I can Apparate.

...WHY DIDN'T I REMEMBER THAT SOONER?!"

*****

"Wow, it's usually martial artists I get up here, not wizards. Not that I
get very many visitors at all, mind you."

"Who...ARE you?"

"Don't you know? You came here to find me, didn't you?"

"I was just told to follow the road until it ended."

"Ah, I see. Well, allow me to introduce myself..."

*****

"It's today, right? Today's the day?"

"Yes."

Ron and Hermione stood on the roof of the Astronomy Tower, cloaks whipping
in the wind. Hermione gingerly opened the small rucksack she held, and
emptied seven round amber spheres onto the stones. They began to glow and
flash wildly, the red stars embedded in their surfaces shimmering with
something akin to anticipation.

The two young mages exchanged dubious looks, and then Hermione intoned,
crisply and clearly, "Arise, Sheng Long! Arise, Eternal Dragon! Come forth
and grant our wish!"

The wind shifted; the already-cloudy sky swiftly turned inky black.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, and a column of deadly energy erupted
from the seven orbs, lashing furiously into the sky, where it began to take
the shape of an immense, coiled serpent. After a moment, the light became
scaly flesh, and a massive head with burning red eyes glared down at them.

"SPEAK YOUR WISH, THAT I MIGHT GRANT IT AND RETURN TO MY SLUMBER."

Ron whimpered. Hermione cleared her throat nervously. "We...we wish for you
to return Harry James Potter to life."

The dragon's eyes burned brighter than coals. "IT IS DONE. FAREWELL..."

The dragon began to disappear, and the sky cleared, restoring the previous
storm. The seven balls shot into the air and scattered, streaks of
rapidly-disappearing light on the horizon.

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. "...now what?" Ron asked.

*****

The remaining faculty of Hogwarts, a dozen assorted members of the D.A., the
entire Weasley clan, and the handful of remaining Aurors faced off against
the pale, red-eyed figure, who regarded them with calm amusement.

"You pitiful fools. You really expect to finish me? I, the greatest sorcerer
the world has ever known, fall to the likes of YOU? When not even Dumbledore
or his besotted saviour brat could finish me?"

"We're not going down without a fight!" Ron bellowed.

"So be it...fool."

*****

Ron and Hermione clutched at bleeding wounds as they sheltered behind a
burning fragment of wall. "Now...what?" Ron hissed.

"Now...we..." Hermione sighed. "We die."

"No..."

"Oh, WHY didn't it work...?"

[IT DID.]

Three heads snapped up at the voice which permeated their minds. "What...?
Who...?"

Ron and Hermione curiously peeked out from behind their shield, noticing
that Voldemort's attention was also drawn away from them. They followed his
gaze...and stared.

Advancing across the battleground, gingerly avoiding the remains of the
brave defenders, was a tall, powerfully-built young man. He was shirtless;
he wore only loose scarlet trousers, a golden rope belt, and black boots.
His upper body and arms rippled with muscles; in his right hand, he clutched
a wand. Spiked, messy black hair blew about in the wind, occasionally
revealing the narrow scar on his forehead. Jade eyes flashed angrily from
behind the lenses of battered black glasses.

"Harry..." Hermione breathed.

Voldemort's eyes widened. "POTTER! Impossible! How--"

Harry made a sharp gesture with his wand. Voldemort froze in mid-word, his
body seizing up.

Another sharp gesture sent the Dark Lord's wand flying away; Harry advanced
on him silently, a grim expression on his face.

"Whoa..." Ron gasped.

Harry walked directly up to Voldemort and grasped him firmly round the neck
with his free hand. A weak gurgling noise rasped from the dark wizard's
throat as he thrashed limply, motion returning to him gradually.

"No speeches. No spells. Now, you die," Harry said.

He closed his hand.

Hermione and Ron winced.

Harry tossed Voldemort's lifeless body onto a pile of burning wood, then
turned to his friends.

"I'm sorry I was late."

Hermione and Ron fainted.

==============================
If you meet a scary man, protect your
wallet and your arsehole no matter what.
==============================
The Eternal Lost Lurker
(Bloody click the link.)
www.lurkerdrome.com



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