Pieces of Us

"It's over, Potter. I have finally beaten you," Voldemort hissed coldly in Harry's ear, but the pain of the Cruciatus curse rendered Harry indifferent. I don't care! Just make the pain stop... he pleaded silently. A load moan escaped Harry's lips as he writhed on a wooden ground. He couldn't exactly place where he was, but Harry swore he'd been before. In fact, Harry was almost certain he'd been there before with Voldemort himself.

"Looks familiar to you, doesn't it, Potter?" Voldemort sneered. "Yes, I thought killing you at Godric's Hollow was very fitting." He lifted the Cruciatus curse almost idly, and Harry stopped thrashing. A dull throbbing replaced the intense pain of before, but Harry had little time to get adjust before Voldemort cursed him again.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort cried. Harry immediately began writhing once more. The pain... he thought. Let the pain stop... just kill me... Just as before in the Department of Mysteries his fifth year, Harry's thoughts turned to those who had passed on before him. I'll see my parents... and Sirius... and Hagrid... and Cedric...JUST MAKE IT STOP! his mind cried.

"Imagine, Potter. The irony of killing you in the very place you almost defeated me when you were only a baby. I only hope the humor of the situation does not escape the public's attention." As if assuming Harry's pained expression was due to the thought of the public not understanding the irony, Voldemort chuckled evilly. "Not to worry Potter, I'll be sure to tell them. You needn't look so miserable."

Voldemort lifted the curse once more, and Harry gasped for air. He attempted to crawl away, but Voldemort only cackled. "Trying to escape, are you? I can't imagine you'll get far, as your wand is still in the Great Hall. Fancy that." Harry continued to struggle to move his limbs, but Harry felt as if he had consumed a billion Ton Tongue Toffees and the effects had spread through every inch of his body.

Focusing his efforts of moving, Harry muttered feebly, "Keep fighting."

"Keep fighting? Fighting what? Potter, you cannot escape. You are wandless and at my disposal. Perhaps I should use the Cruciatus curse for every time you have thwarted my plans. Appropriate, wouldn't you say? Crucio!" Voldemort taunted.

As Harry flailed in pain, Voldemort began recounting all the times Harry had spoiled his plans. "Ah, the Sorcerer's Stone. I had not counted on your mother's sacrifice to save you a second time. But it was no matter, Lucius slip little Ginny Weasley a very special diary. But you thwarted me again by defeating my basilisk and destroying the diary. After that, I knew to be cautious in my plotting. But a loyal servant returned to me, and I began planning my final return. But you-"

"Ah, Tom. I thought I might find you with Harry," a voice interrupted. Harry faintly recognized Dumbledore as the speaker and vaguely wondered how Dumbledore had arrived. Despite his pain, Harry detected amusement in Dumbledore's tone.

"Dumbledore! You fool! It is too late!" Voldemort snarled, but there was no mistaking the fear in his voice. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

As the deadly words left Voldemort's mouth, what seemed to be a thousand voices to Harry cried, "DEMORIOR PATRONUM!"

For a split second, Harry could faintly make out silvery outlines of what appeared to be people, but the pain of the curse overtook him. He fell unconscious, and Voldemort's final cries fell upon deaf ears.