Harry had to look away from Gryffindor’s ghost directly in front of him when he realized his forearm near his elbow was still burning. Along with the others, he pushed back his sleeve to find the pattern of coloured bands had expanded and completed itself finally after all these months. They all now matched perfectly, thin bands depicting the houses and Hogwarts and their bonds: green, blue, silver, gold, black, gold, silver, yellow, and red, ending just below their elbows.

“Would someone answer me already?”

Harry was pulled from his shock by Kingsley’s voice echoing down to them in the core.

“Would you all get up here, you bastards? We’ve got a situation, in case you’ve forgotten!” Kingsley yelled again.

“Harry, you’ve got to see this!” Ron called down.

Harry gave the others a puzzled glance before leading the way up out of the core. As soon as he was back in the main chamber, Harry saw what Ron had wanted him to see. Another large handful of people had joined those that had already been there: the entire Weasley family, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Penelope Clearwater, Fleur Delacour, Augusta Longbottom, and two other adults he’d never met.

“How is this possible?” Harry said, blinking at the newcomers in surprise.

“Oh, Harry!” Mrs. Weasley said, hurrying over to hug him tightly. “We are so glad you’re alright through this whole mess.”

“And so proud of all you’ve done,” Mr. Weasley said. “A Hero of Hogwarts. Remarkable.”

Harry frowned as Mrs. Weasley released him. “What are you talking about? Have you known?”

“We all have,” Bill said.

“For how long?” Harry said, stunned.

“Not long,” Fred said.

“At least, not for Mum, Dad, and Bill,” George said.

“You’ve known?” Harry said and the twins nodded. “How?”

“It was an experiment for a new product actually,” Fred said.

“We were experimenting with temporary memory potions,” George said.

“We tested one—”

“—and we started remembering—”

“—things that had never happened,” Fred finished.

“Turns out, we’d made a counter to Mind Magic—” George said.

“—and it broke all those years of Dumbledore’s control,” Fred said.

“We gave some to Percy and Charlie—”

“—but had to wait for Mum, Dad, Bill, and Fleur—”

“—given they’ve been active Order members—”

“—he would’ve noticed if they weren’t under Mind Magic anymore,” Fred said, getting nods from those family members in agreement.

“We also gave it to Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Penelope,” George added.

“How are you here?” Harry asked, still completely confused.

“Dumbledore’s sealed the entrances,” Draco said. “It’s impossible to get in or out.”

“Ron owled,” Fred said.

“Told us you needed help—” George said.

“—so we grabbed the family—”

“—and the friends—”

“—and we used one of the secret passageways from Hogsmeade—”

“—he can’t seal what he doesn’t know about,” George said with a smirk.

“And the three of you?” Severus said, gesturing to Augusta and the other two adults Harry didn’t know.

“This is my gran, of course,” Neville said, stepping up to the older woman. “I owled her and told her what was happening.”

“I’ve known the truth all along,” Augusta said and Harry looked at her in awe. “I had to protect Neville, though, so I couldn’t say anything. If Dumbledore had known I knew, there is no telling what he would have done to Neville, considering what he had happen to my darling Frank and Alice. I knew you were all safe as long as you were under the Mind Magic, though it was the hardest thing to let you stay that way.”

Harry’s heart clenched, remembering seeing Neville’s parents in St. Mungo’s the previous year.

“This is my father, Xenophilius,” Luna said, standing next to the man. “The wisps told him we needed help.”

Harry didn’t bother to ask what little creatures Luna was referring to, but nodded in acknowledgement at her and her father before turning to the last woman as she stepped forward slightly.

“And I am Andromeda,” the woman said. “I am Nymphadora’s mother.”

“Mum, don’t call me that,” Tonks said, scowling at her mother and her hair turning red in her irritation.

“I refuse to call my daughter by her surname,” Andromeda said dismissively, keeping her eyes on Harry who was startled to see features he recognized. “I learned the truth recently, from a letter I received from Sirius after his death.”

Harry’s heart restricted at the mention of Sirius, realizing those were the features he was seeing. “What?” he breathed.

She stepped towards him and grasped his upper arms gently with a soft smile. “It is why he was at the Ministry. He had learned the truth and went there to stop Dumbledore, to protect you. He had infused a letter to me with magic that helped counter the Mind Magic. He wanted me to help you.”

“He…he knew?” Harry whispered.

“He did,” Andromeda said, nodding. “He loved you so much and wanted to free you, to free all of you,” she said to him as well as Draco, Severus, and Tom, all of whom looked just as shocked when Harry glanced at them.

Harry felt his eyes burn as Andromeda pulled him into a hug, cautious of the sword he still held. After a few seconds, she pulled away with another smile, returning to stand next to her daughter. Harry’s eyes closed for a moment against the pain, letting out a slightly shuddery breath when he felt Severus’ hand come to rest lightly on his back. Knowing Sirius had known the truth by the end, had known everything, even about him and Severus, and had supported it, had died trying to help him get it back…it was painfully overwhelming.

“You told him we have an army, mate,” Ron said and Harry opened his eyes to see several students were joining them from the tunnels. “Well, we’ve got one.”

Harry gazed at the couple dozen people that stared back at him, faces full of determination. It wasn’t a large army, but it was certainly far more than what they’d had. They could actually have a chance.

“So, the Mind Magic was broken?” Draco said, making Harry look at the professors and Order members as he was reminded what was meant to happen once they completed the core restoration.

“Yes,” Lupin said. “Whatever you did, we all remember everything.”

Harry held up Gryffindor’s sword. “We restored the core, but not everyone is free of Dumbledore’s control.”

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked.

“Dumbledore has the other professors and Order members under a modified Imperius,” Harry said.

“You will be fighting your friends and colleagues,” Tom said.

“Who are you exactly?” Hestia asked with a suspicious look at Tom.

“Tom Riddle,” Slughorn said, stepping forward, his eyes wide and glued to Tom.

He had been concealed by the others, hidden until now. Harry glanced over his shoulder at Tom whose eyes had also widened while his face paled and a small tremour ran through his body. Harry could only imagine what the two were feeling, having believed for so long they had betrayed each other. For Tom, this had been the one adult that had truly cared for him, had helped him, had seen him. Harry moved to the side, standing in front of Severus and beside Draco to allow Slughorn to approach his once beloved student. The two stared at each other for a long while.

“My dear boy,” Slughorn said quietly.

“Professor,” Tom said, bowing his head. “I cannot begin to express how sorry I am for betraying you, all you had done for me. I was weak—”

“No. No, my dear boy,” Slughorn said, shaking his head, and Tom raised his hesitantly. “I fear I am the one who failed. I trusted in Dumbledore instead of you. I abandoned you for lies. I should have known you would not have chosen the path you took. I should have had faith in you.”

“You had more faith in me than anyone, including myself,” Tom said. “Thank you doesn’t seem to be enough.”

Slughorn smiled teary and pulled Tom into a hug. Harry couldn’t help but smile at the interaction, watching Tom squeeze his eyes shut to obviously fight back tears. Harry leaned back slightly against Severus’ chest, the man’s hand coming up to rest on his shoulder.

The moment was interrupted by the violent shaking of the Chamber. They all fought to keep their balance as the tremours continued, threatening to throw them to the floor. Many held onto each other to remain standing. Dust began to rain down on them and water sloshed across the stone floor. All eyes darted around, startled and afraid.

Finally, it stopped, only to be replaced by Dumbledore’s booming voice.

“Come now, Harry, this is not how I raised you,” Dumbledore said. “I raised a hero in you, not a coward. The others are the cowards in this game.”

Harry glanced at Severus, Draco, and Tom, finding anger in their eyes. He felt his own rage rise on their behalf. They were all far beyond cowards.

“It is time to fulfill your role, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “Come and face me, or do you not believe in your army as I do mine?”

Anger filled everyone else’s faces at the reference to his control over their friends, family, and colleagues.

“As you said, my boy, it is the final round,” Dumbledore said. “You get the next move. You know where I am.”

“We have to end this,” Neville said firmly.

“He said it’s our move,” Harry said. “Which means he’s going to wait before doing anything else.”

“So, what do we do?” Ron asked, looking around at everyone.

“The students,” Severus said. “He’s sealed the common rooms, trapping them.”

“We need to protect them,” Harry said and suddenly the Founders appeared before them.

“Bloody hell!” the twins cried.

“Right,” Harry said. “Everyone, meet the Founders of Hogwarts. They’ve been sealed away by Dumbledore, but they’re free now, as they should be.”

“As you will all be,” Ravenclaw said.

“You are in need of our assistance,” Slytherin said.

“Can you override Dumbledore’s sealing of the common rooms?” Harry asked.

“With Draco’s assistance,” Ravenclaw said, looking at Draco who appeared startled.

“Me? What can I do?” Draco said.

“Our swords provide our heroes with unique, powerful magic when being wielded,” Hufflepuff said.

“Mine grants you the ability to control and manipulate wards,” Ravenclaw said.

“You need to go with them, Draco,” Harry said, turning to his brother. “You need to get everyone out. If anyone wants to fight, they can, but everyone else has to be brought here.”

“They will be safe here?” Mrs. Weasley asked, obviously concerned.

“Yes,” Hufflepuff said. “Dumbledore cannot harm the Chamber, nor anyone inside.”

“I will go with you,” Tom said, looking at Draco who nodded. “Dumbledore could have his people anywhere, waiting.”

“I will come as well,” Slughorn said, putting his hand on Tom’s shoulder in support.

“Us too,” Bill said, stepping forward with Fleur. “We could be some help with wards.”

“Alright, you go and do this,” Harry said. “You can do this,” he added at Draco’s skeptical look.

Severus put a hand on the side of Draco’s neck. “Be careful, my son,” he said and turned to the others that would be with Draco. “Protect him.”

“With everything we are,” Slughorn said seriously.

Severus nodded, face tight. Harry could hardly imagine how hard this was for Severus, sending his sons to battle rather than keeping them hidden away, safe.

“Go,” Harry said, stomping down his own worry for his brother.

Draco nodded. “You all be careful too. Do not make me be the only one left.”

With a hard hug between Harry and Draco, Draco hurried from the Chamber. Harry watched with a constricting heart and stomach as Draco disappeared down a tunnel, followed by Tom, Slughorn, Bill, Fleur, and four ghosts.

“The rest of us have to take down Dumbledore’s army,” Harry said, turning to everyone else. “We need them out of the fight so they don’t get hurt or killed under his control.”

“We split up,” Kingsley said. “We cover the school, take out who we can.”

“And Dumbledore?” Charlie asked.

“He’s waiting for me,” Harry said, remembering what the headmaster had said. “He’s in the headmaster’s office. That’s where I’m going.”

“Not alone,” Severus said firmly.

Harry looked at him and nodded, though there was a part of him that was sure he would end up in that office alone.

“We’ll come with you too,” Ron said, Hermione nodding beside him.

“The rest of us will split into teams and take a part of the school,” Kingsley said.

Harry took a deep breath, clutching Gryffindor’s sword. “Let’s make our move.”

Harry cringed at the sound of exploding stone from somewhere down the corridor where people were obviously fighting. He pressed himself against the wall and let his eyes close. A strange feeling, like something hovering in the back of his mind, pulsed and he knew it was Draco and Tom. He could feel them, had impressions of their conditions. They were alright, but nervous and Tom had just finished fighting. He could also feel the pull on his magic, the magic of the Founders that had entwined with his, telling him Draco was working on the wards of a common room.

It hadn’t taken long for all these things to start. It seemed he’d started hearing fights almost as soon as he left the Chamber, using the fourth-floor mirror passage. He, Ron, Hermione, and Severus had run through the corridors, trying to get to the tower with the headmaster’s office. They had been fortunate and had not yet run into anyone to fight.

“Down!”

Harry’s eyes flew open at Severus’ shout and ducked with the others just in time to avoid the Killing Curse aimed at them. He stared in shock at the scorched hole left in the stone wall before turning to find the caster. His eyes widened as they found McGonagall, her own glazed and far away as she stood with her wand still pointed at them. Harry stood, holding tightly to both his wand and Gryffindor’s sword. As Ron and Hermione stood, Severus moved to stand in front of them as McGonagall waved her wand and four large, stone knights dropped from nowhere to join her. They each held their huge swords at the ready, clearly awaiting McGonagall’s command.

“You three, go, get to the office,” Severus said, holding his own wand and sword ready to fight.

“What? No, we’re not leaving you,” Harry said, shaking his head.

“I can handle this,” Severus said.

“McGonagall, maybe, but not McGonagall with stone soldiers,” Harry argued.

Severus turned to him. “This is not a request.”

“Dad—”

“Damn it, Harry, just do as I say for once,” Severus snapped. “I cannot fight her if I am worried about you being here.”

“I can’t do this without you!” Harry said, fear gripping him as he remembered Dumbledore’s threat.

“The hero always loses those he loves in pursuit of victory.”

Severus turned around fully before kneeling in front of Harry. He put Hufflepuff’s sword on the floor and gripped Harry’s wrists. Harry gazed down into his father’s dark eyes, hating the pain and fear he saw there that the man couldn’t hide.

“You can. You are capable of so much more than you believe,” Severus said. “You are not fighting alone, though, not this time. Trust in us, in everyone that is fighting right now.”

“I can’t lose you, Dad,” Harry whispered.

“Nor I you, so let’s endeavour not to, but this fight must happen,” Severus said.

Harry sighed and nodded in pained resignation.

“Go,” Severus said. “Take care of each other,” he added to Ron and Hermione who nodded seriously.

Harry watched as Severus picked Hufflepuff’s sword back up and stepped forward into the corridor to face McGonagall and her stone knights. Harry wanted to argue more, wanted to pull his father away.

“Come on, Harry,” Hermione said quietly, tugging on his arm.

Walking away from his father to leave him to fight McGonagall was one of the hardest things Harry had ever had to do. It took everything in him not to shove Ron and Hermione away, and return to Severus. Sending silent hopes for the safety of his family, Harry ran through the corridors with Ron and Hermione. They hurried down halls, peeked cautiously around corners, and dashed up and down flights of stairs.

They had managed to make it to the long, winding corridor that would bring them to the headmaster’s office when they found their path blocked by Moody. If it was anyone else, a single opponent wouldn’t seem so terrifying, but, given it was Moody, they froze. His real eye was glazed like McGonagall’s and his false eye was stationary for the first time, locked on them unsettlingly.

“Honestly,” Ron muttered, “of all people.”

Harry snorted quietly, inappropriately amused for the situation. It didn’t last long as Moody slashed his wand through the air, a purple curse flying towards them. With wide eyes, the three of them threw up shields and dove towards the Trophy Room as the curse bounced off their shields. It ricocheted to the side, exploding the windows and stone in the immediate vicinity of its hit. Stone, dust, and glass rained down on them as they ran into the Trophy Room, catching in their hair and nicking their exposed skin. They paused in the doorway and peeked out at Moody, only to find him approaching. He waved his wand again and they all ducked the Blasting Curse that blew out a chunk of the doorway and wall over them.

Harry stumbled as he tried to dash into the Trophy Room, just barely staying on his feet. The three of them separated as they hurried for cover as they heard Moody’s clunking steps enter the room behind them. As he waved through cases, he was able to spot Ron and Hermione do the same. He had to skid to a stop and fell to the floor when a curse had a large case toppling over directly in his path, glass flying and the brass trophy inside clattering across the floor, dented from impact. Rolling over, Harry’s eyes widened when he realized how close Moody was. When a Killing Curse was sent his way, he barely thought. He raised Gryffindor’s sword in a fruitless hope of shielding, only to have the green light bounce off it and into another nearby case, scorching it.

“Harry!”

Both Harry’s and Moody’s heads turned towards Hermione at her cry. Moody sent off a curse immediately and Harry scrambled to his feet, watching it head for Hermione’s hiding place.

“Hermione!” Harry yelled, finding himself echoed by Ron who threw himself in front of Hermione. He pushed them back just enough that the curse hit the floor instead of Ron. The impact exploded the floor and sent Ron flying, Hermione dashing after him with a scream.

Harry took off just as Moody turned back to him, once again darting through the room as cases were destroyed around him. He skidded around a huge case that he knew held the House Cup, sliding to the floor to lean against it. He was breathing fast and his heart was pounding hard as he tried to remain hidden.

“Harry.”

He turned his head to the left at the whisper, finding Ron and Hermione. Ron was mostly laying on the floor, partially propped up against another trophy case with Hermione on her knees next to him. Glancing around his hiding place for Moody, Harry quickly crossed the short distance to join his friends. Ron had a large gash across his forehead, blood pouring down over one eye, and blood was soaking his shirt from a cut on his right bicep.

“Bloody hell,” Harry breathed, fear filling him again for his friend.

“I’m okay,” Ron said, though his voice was weak-sounding. “You have to go, mate.”

Harry frowned. “What? No, I’m not leaving you here,” he said, shaking his head at being asked to leave those he loved behind once again.

“Harry, you’re the one that has to go on, you’re the one that he’s waiting for,” Ron said and Harry was reminded of Ron saying something similar back in first year during the trapdoor’s chess match.

“Ron’s right,” Hermione said quietly.

Harry shook his head again, remembering all the times he’d gone after the danger in the past. “No, I’m not doing this alone, not again.”

Hermione reached out and grasped Harry’s hand around the sword. “You’re not alone. You were never alone.”

“We are all here with you,” Ron said. “We’ll find you.”

They all cringed as a trophy case exploded nearby. Harry peeked around their hiding place, spotting Moody slowly searching the room for them. He turned back to his friends.

“Don’t you die,” Harry said firmly.

“We won’t,” Hermione said.

“Don’t you die either,” Ron said. “Snape will kill us if you do.”

Harry smirked, holding back a chuckle to avoid being detected. His smile fell away as he turned and readied himself to run across the Trophy Room. A hand landed on his arm again and he looked at his friends.

“We will come find you,” Hermione said again, a promise.

Harry swallowed thickly and nodded. With a small smile, Hermione quickly spun and cast a Stunning Spell at a nearby case, making it bounce off and catch Moody’s attention.

“Go,” she whispered and Harry took off.

Despite Hermione’s distraction, Moody still spotted Harry. He had to duck to avoid the Killing Curse that soared just over his shoulder. He hurried out of the Trophy Room, skidding into the corridor that was covered in glass and destroyed stone. The floor was also wet as it had begun to storm outside, heavy rain pouring through the gaping wall where the window had been. Harry couldn’t help but feel the storm was an appropriate mirror of the happenings inside the castle.

Gripping his wand and Gryffindor’s sword tightly in determination, he ran along the corridor. It didn’t take long for him to arrive at the griffin that would take him to Dumbledore. He stared at it for a moment, having not been given a password and knowing it wouldn’t be a sweet like the last five years.

No, everything had changed.

With that thought, Harry stepped onto the staircase. “Hero,” he said, and the griffin began to spin and rise.

At the top, he stepped off and approached the door to the headmaster’s office. As he got closer, it swung open on its own and he slowly walked through, tense. In the office, he climbed the stairs and found Dumbledore sitting serenely behind his desk, just like so many times over the years. At the top of the stairs, Harry stopped, on guard and glaring across the room at the man.

“I am very glad you made it, my boy,” Dumbledore said, smiling.

Harry’s glare deepened. “Are you?”

“But, of course!” Dumbledore said. “I want to give you the greatest send off my hero can have.”

“I am not your hero,” Harry bit out.

“Are you sure about that?” Dumbledore said, leaning on the desk. “I made you, after all.”

Harry shook his head. “No, I am not who I am because of you. I’m more than that.”

“Are you saying I had nothing to do with who stands before me?” Dumbledore said, raising an eyebrow.

“No, you had everything to do with it,” Harry said, forcing himself not to choke up at the sheer betrayal hitting him in that moment. “You are the reason I’m standing here. You didn’t make me, you made the part of me willing to stand up against evil, only you screwed up. You thought you were turning me into a soldier to fight Voldemort, but you were actually making me become the one that would end you.”

“Fascinating theory,” Dumbledore said, managing to sound legitimately interested and impressed.

“I want to know one thing,” Harry said. “You owe me that much.”

Dumbledore gestured for him to continue.

“Why?”

Dumbledore raised his hands to the sides. “Why not? Life is a fascinating game, is it not?”

“It’s not a game,” Harry said, eyebrows furrowing. “You destroyed lives.”

“I made people into more than they ever could have hoped,” Dumbledore argued. “I’ve always been curious about the choices people make, where their beliefs and loyalties come from.”

“And what you did to us? To me, Draco, Severus…to Tom?” Harry said, hurt clear in his voice.

“Well, I wanted to see what four little boys with no one to ever love them would choose when faced with two paths,” Dumbledore said casually and Harry’s eyes narrowed at the callousness.

“But we didn’t choose, not really,” Harry said. “You set it all up. You used magic to control us.”

“The underlying intent of your choices and actions were still all yours, my boy,” Dumbledore said, sounding like he was revealing something he knew would hurt Harry.

Harry glowered. “So, what was the plan? You were going to end the game and then what?”

“Go to a larger scale, of course,” Dumbledore said. “Imagine the world I could create with the Ministry in my pocket.”

“You mean under your control,” Harry snapped. “And how did you plan to do that? Hogwarts’ magic was never going to last that long.”

“No, but yours will,” Dumbledore said and Harry frowned. “I just require your, Severus’, and Tom’s deaths. Then I can harvest your magic, put it into Hogwarts, and have unlimited magic.”

“I destroyed the hourglass and our marks,” Harry said, tensing as Dumbledore rose, slowly circling the desk towards him.

“You did, but you are now tied to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said. “I can now use that connection. I can take your magic and take over everything. I will be the beloved leader of the wizarding world.”

“What’s the point when their loyalty isn’t given freely?” Harry said, glaring.

“It is still loyalty,” Dumbledore said with a small shrug

“It’s control,” Harry said.

“What do you think loyalty is, my boy?” Dumbledore said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Harry glowered, holding his wand and sword tightly.

“After all, think of everything you and Severus were willing to do out of loyalty,” Dumbledore said with a smirk.

“Not anymore,” Harry said. “Never again. This ends today.”

“We finally agree, my boy,” Dumbledore said, drawing his wand. “You were my best. I will miss you.”

“I can’t say the same, I’m afraid,” Harry said, readying for the battle.

The fight that erupted between them was spectacularly destructive. Spells and curses of absurd power flew, threatening severe bodily harm while scorching and exploding the office. They were both successful at injuring each other, achieving burns, cuts, electrocutions, gashes, and various tortures not limited to the Cruciatus. Gryffindor’s sword had increased the strength of his offensive magic, rendering Dumbledore’s shields nearly useless against his attacks. Harry ducked, cast his own shields, and used the sword to avoid Dumbledore’s increasingly harmful and deadly attacks.

Harry had no idea how long they’d been fighting, but he could feel himself tiring. He was responding slower, allowing more and more of Dumbledore’s curses to land. He was quickly becoming bloody as he accumulated more burns and gashes, his body hardly ceasing its trembling anymore as a result of the Cruciatus and other torturous curses.

He cried out as an Electrocution Curse ran through his bones, making blood trickle from the corner of his mouth and ears. He fell to his knees as weakness overtook him. He glared up at Dumbledore as the man approached him.

“I applaud your strength, my boy,” Dumbledore said. “I did well with you, but here it must end.”

“They won’t stop fighting,” Harry spat.

“No, but without you, the Heroes of Hogwarts will be incomplete,” Dumbledore said. He waved his wand and Harry found himself flying through the air until he crashed into the glass cabinet that had held the memories he’d been shown that year. He gasped and groaned and coughed, spewing blood, as he laid, dazed, in the shattered glass. “Hogwarts as you know it will fall.”

Harry searched with his hand for Gryffindor’s sword, unable to move more than that. He winced as glass buried itself in his hand as he slid it around. His heart sank as Dumbledore approached again and his vision tunnelled.

“Goodbye, my boy,” Dumbledore said and Harry let his eyes close, sending out a last burst of love for Severus and Draco. “Avada Kedavra!”

There was agonizing pain and then nothing.