Hello everyone! Here we finally are: the last chapter! Thank you so much for everyone who has continued to read this series and has commented. I can't ever express my gratitude to those who enjoyed the story. As I have said before this is only my second completed story and I was mostly using it as a way to practice in preparation for someday publishing my own original work. I am so happy for the way it turned out and as always I would appreciate any feedback or comments you might have.

Any excerpts have been taken from Deathly Hallows and I don't own any characters except my OC.

Please read and enjoy!

Chapter 21: The Last Horcrux

Somewhere in the Albanian Forest, July 1946

Voldemort was beyond thrilled with the success Ivy had achieved by becoming an Animagus. She had always been a quick study and he had no doubt that this project would be any different than other things she had completed in the past. As he stared out the window of their lodgings—a convenient cave that sheltered most of the weather—he turned his thoughts over and over in his mind.

He had become more restless as of late and he found sleep nearly impossible. Luckily he very rarely felt fatigue and was usually content to sit up through the long hours of the night as Ivy slept. Voldemort glanced behind his shoulder and reassured himself that Ivy's breathing hadn't changed, that she was indeed safe and nearby as she should be. He considered her immobile form for a moment; his thoughts continuously circulating around and around like a Hippogriff chasing its tale.

Voldemort wanted Ivy—that hadn't changed. He would always need her, to possess her, but he was beginning to recognize that while he was safe, immortal, through his Horcruxes, she was not. And deep down, he had always known that while she helped him with his research, his projects, she herself would never create one. Therefore he would need to take a different track in assuring her safety and her own immortality.

He stopped to consider the fact that a future without her had never been something that could ever be his reality.

And so, a plan had begun to form in his head man years ago. It had required some experiments along the way, testing numerous materials and several objects for the best that could contain a Horcrux. There was the diary—simple leather and paper—which had held up quite well considering how ordinary the object was. Then there was the ring—pewter with a dark stone which had never seemed to be anything of significance, though it created a magical buffer which allowed Voldemort to cast several more curses within the ring for extra protection. Third was the diadem—bronze with sapphire, not very durable and he had noticed that he had to be quite careful not to cast more complicated spells in its vicinity due to them reacting with the piece of his soul. The cup was the fourth experiment—made of a gold alloy, definitely goblin made and as a result very stable though it did not allow for any additional dark magic to be performed once the Horcrux had been completed. And finally the platinum locket of Slytherin by far the most compatible with the dark magic of the Horcrux, almost as if it was made for such a task. The locket was the most stable and perfect of all the objects.

All-in-all Voldemort was able to decipher much from his research, and so he continued. He would often leave Ivy's side (though never too far) in order to capture small animals—and sometimes Muggles—and conduct additional research. He had done so for the last month that Ivy had been completing her transformation to become an Animagus and was confident that the last stage of his plan would be a success. He would ensure that she would be his—forever.

His theory was that though human Horcruxes had never been successful (indeed he had never come across any documentation of such a case), he could achieve it if it was performed on a human taking the shape of an animal. Therefore, now that Ivy had achieved her transformation (and it pleased Voldemort to no end to discover that she was a serpent) he could complete his plan and ensure her safety and her companionship for eternity.

For there was yet another fact that he had been able to discover about Horcruxes: in order for them to be truly destroyed they must be damaged beyond repair. Magically there were only a handful of ways to do this—the two most obvious being Basilisk venom and fiendfyre. He was confident that he would be able to eliminate those threats indefinitely which left only one other obstacle: who would be the victim for his last Horcrux?

A rustling sound caught his attention and Voldemort paused in his thoughts to glance back at Ivy who had only turned over in her sleep. His eyes, glinting red in the dark, rested upon the small leather-bound book that she kept in her arms, kept safe by her presence even in her dreams. Voldemort smiled faintly and made a mental note that once she became a Horcrux he would need to find a suitable hiding place for the book.

But first, he needed to satisfy something else that had been nagging him in the back of his mind. He slowly, carefully eased his first Horcrux from Ivy's secure embrace. Once it was within his grasp, he opened it and allowed his mind to meld with the magic hidden within its pages.

"Hello, Tom." Voldemort said quietly.

The projection of his younger self looked up from the book he had been reading and raised both eyebrows dangerously close to his perfect school-boy haircut.

"Voldemort," he acknowledged as he raised his lanky form from the mattress. "I wasn't expecting company, how can I help you?"

Voldemort smirked at his younger self and quietly walked towards the bed. He sat down and gestured for his companion to regain his previously seated position.

Tom did so and waited with carefully masked impatience for the older man to state his purpose.

"I know that you have become…accustomed to certain arrangements. I have allowed you, my first Horcrux, to be cared for and protected by Ivy." Voldemort began, "I wanted to let you know that that will soon change."

"…How so?" Journal Tom's voice was controlled, though Voldemort was certain he detected both curiosity and annoyance. He considered with some amusement that if their situations were reversed he would certainly be feeling the same thing. He found that to be interesting, but not unexpected.

"I will need to remove the diary from Ivy's possession—and soon. I can't risk having so many of my Horcruxes in one place. I will find another safe haven instead where the diary will be well cared-for and protected."

Journal-Tom again controlled his face though Voldemort could see anger within his handsome features. "Where would I be removed to? And I was unaware that you intended to create another Horcrux so soon, I had thought we had achieved our goal for the present moment. I always knew that our total would amount to six but I thought we were waiting to possess another suitable artifact."

"Indeed," Voldemort acknowledged. "Allow me to fill you in." And so he did. He explained to his first Horcrux, the only one to truly bond with Ivy, why it was necessary to lock him away. Why it was imperative that the sixth and final Horcrux be completed as soon as possible and just who it would be designed to protect.

At the end of the explanation, his Horcrux was silent, calculating. "You intend to never be separated from her?" He asked quietly.

Voldemort took a moment to respond. "That was always the intent. You have merely been a piece of the game…one of my pawns. I have allowed you to become close to her…to know her in every way. But it will end once we return to London. Ivy will become the last Horcrux and my preparations will be completed."

Journal Tom looked at his original self with a mixture of anger and pride. It was everything he always wanted…everything that he had always dreamed. And so he allowed himself to be locked away though he couldn't ignore an aching pain in his chest whenever he thought about doing it alone. He knew and understood that he wouldn't truly be separated from her.

Hogwarts, Scotland, Present Day

Dumbledore continued his dialogue. "It is my theory that because of Ms. Petros and her level of importance to Voldemort that he structured his entire life around ensuring their future together for all eternity. I believe that it was his desire to own her so completely that caused him to turn to Horcruxes, to find a way to immortality and thus creating a world where they could continue like they always had.

"I believe it was the closest to love that he could ever hope to get."

Harry absorbed this information with great difficulty. "So how did this change him?" He finally ventured. "How did this turn him into a monster?"

"I would have thought that was obvious." Dumbledore said gently. "But I will, however, provide you with an answer. You and I have often spoken of love and of the magical protection that it brings."

Harry nodded, briefly thinking of his mother and her sacrifice.

"What most wizards fail to realize is that what drives our strongest magic is our feelings. When we are young we often engage in accidental magic due to some difficulty or through desperation or even happiness. And as adults and fully-trained in our magical abilities it is easy to forget that our magic still expresses itself it those ways, but much less obviously."

Harry nodded at each point remembering different scenes from his childhood that resulted in magical outbursts. He even considered the incident where he blew up his Aunt Marge the summer before his third year.

"Take for example your Patronus charm a very powerful spell that can only fully be awakened through a powerfully happy memory. It is with these sorts of human emotions: anger, sadness, love…and other things, that our magic manifests through purpose."

"So what you are saying is that Ivy changed Voldemort because of the way she made him feel?" Harry hazard a guess as he tried to follow what his Headmaster was saying.

"That is my belief." Dumbledore said gravely. "She created an obsession so great that she changed his very purpose. She, someone so precious to him, something so coveted, sparked a desire to make his ownership last forever. And it is through this obsession that Voldemort left a trail for us to follow." Dumbledore pulled out one of the draws of his desk and took out the tattered and destroyed diary and placed it on the desk. He removed the ring from his hand and placed it beside the book. "Diary, ring, diadem, cup, locket…and snake. These are the Horcruxes of Voldemort…and by destroying them all we will achieve victory."

London, England September 1949

Abraxus looked himself in the mirror with shrewd eyes. From a lifetime spent in the company of upper-class wizards he had been trained from a young age to pick out every detail that could be seen as messy or undignified. He scanned his person for several minutes, taking in as he did so the fine cut of his black dress robes. He straightened the emerald flower boutonniere that had been placed into his lapel, finally satisfied with the finished result.

"Are you ready?" He asked himself as he was the only one present in the dressing room.

Today represented several years of hard work in what he still was only half-convinced was the right direction. There had been recruitments, fundraisers and handshakes with wizards from families much shadier that his own. The result was that today, his wedding day, was a gathering of the most influential group of pure bloods to be found across more than ten countries in Europe. Yet it was supposed to be the happiest day of his life and it had somehow turned into this three-ring Muggle circus.

A knock at the door drew his attention and Nott poked his head in to announce, "Abraxus, its time."

The Malfoy heir took a deep breath and made his way to his place at the end of the aisle. Once he was positioned he scanned the crowed seated before him. He saw members from the highest of Wizarding society including highly ranked members of the Ministry of Magic and the administrative staff from not just Hogwarts but also Durmstrang. But there was one person that always seemed to catch his eye.

Seated almost dead center of his view but two rows back was Ivy. She looked beautiful in her dress robes which were of a soft purple. The color brought out her eyes and he felt his heart constrict. He allowed his gaze to linger always painfully aware of Voldemort who stood to his left.

How did I let it come to this? He wondered. How did I turn into such a cowered? So desperate for power that I let myself become blinded. I never even told her that I love her.

Allowing himself one last second to gaze at what his future could have been, he instead turned towards the great double-doors in the back of the hall. He stood up straight and pushed all other feelings to the side. He would do his duty, like any loyal pure blood.

Abraxus steeled himself as the music began to play and the double-doors opened.

Hogwarts, Scotland, July 1957

Voldemort was positively furious at the latest rejection from Dumbledore. It had been over ten years since he had last walked the halls of Hogwarts and though he knew it was a long-shot, he had still inquired about the position. And despite his best attempts of convincing the old man, as usual he saw right through him.

The Dark Lord took several moments to contain his anger before following though his the second, and main, reason for his visit back to the only place he had ever considered a home. He paused as he passed through the silent corridors, remembering to jump over the trick step in the staircase. He allowed himself to sink into blissful remembrance as he continued the familiar path towards the room on the third floor.

He glanced around quickly and determined that he was quite alone before he passed once, twice, and three times in front of the blank wall before him. I need somewhere to hide an object, I need somewhere to make something safe. He repeated these thoughts as he paced and was rewarded upon the third trip as expected.

He opened the door that had materialized in front of him and was delighted to find mounds and mounds of items left by present and past Hogwarts students. It was almost enough to make him forget his anger towards the old fool…almost. Voldemort stepped into the room, his dark eyes quickly scanning the mounds of junk looking for the perfect place. His eyes widened as he viewed a particularly large mountain containing broken wands, a large portrait of a fat wizard…several Muggle bicycles and several thousand other items he didn't care to identify. He took out his wand and silently levitated the other item he had removed from his jacket pocket: the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw.

He watched as the item was placed safely upon the stack in front of him and then left the room with a swish of his cloak. He exited the castle as silently as he could and though still angry with his rejection, he congratulated himself upon finally achieving sufficient hiding places for all of his Horcruxes. Scattered all across England and Scotland he was now assured that he had achieved his goal.

He walked down to Hogesmead, his black shoes crunching along the lose stones in the cobbled path. He entered the Hogshead, immediately catching the eye of his band of followers.

"Black, Lestrange, Nott, Avery. Come, our business has been concluded. Malfoy…do you have Nagani?"

His blond lieutenant nodded and lifted his cloak and allowed the green serpent to slither out and glide across the floor and up Voldemort's leg.

"Excellent, then lets carry on."

The six men… and one Animagus turned on the spot and disappeared.

Hogwarts, Scotland, May 1998

Ivy wasn't sure where all the time had gone. It seemed like it was only yesterday that she and Tom were exploring the European wilderness with Abraxus. She reflected back across the decades, first there was the initial rise to power, watching Tom gather all of the followers, watching her old school friends grow up and begin families.

She often found herself, while in her snake form, watching Abraxus and his wife along with their son Lucius with the most intense sort of envy. She felt that though she had many of the things she had always wanted, a home, stability, knowledge, that through her current state she was cheated out of the novelty of a 'normal' experience.

Then, after that fateful Halloween night, she remembered the horror she experienced as she watched Tom as he was suddenly and violently ripped from his body. She felt the tremor through her own Horcrux as the residual magic from the curse blasted the surrounding area.

She remembered the months and years that came after, the searching, the painful nights spent locating the largest part of Tom's soul. During that time it was the loneliest she could ever remember feeling. The Horcrux that resided inside of her was damaged since she was so close to the blast and as a result she was alone even in her own head.

Finally, after years of searching she had been able to locate him. He of course was a shadow of his former self having undergone years of attaching himself to various animals and finally to a young wizard named Quirrell. She had heard that the wizard had failed in his task of obtaining the Philosopher's Stone and the resulting battle had left her lover even weaker than he had been before.

She had worked diligently then, caring for him, allowing him to attach his spirit to her, the two of them finally feeling some sense of certainty in the future. Then, two years after that they were joined by another wizard, another Animagus named Wormtail. Ivy had been forced to remain in her own Animagus form then, at Tom's request that she remain safe. Then, another year passed and Tom was finally able to regain his former strength and an adult form through a dark ritual that Ivy had helped him create.

Now, here they were, almost exactly three years after that night in the graveyard, on the eve of yet another possible transformation. Tonight, after all the setbacks, all the pain and loneliness they had experienced all those years apart, they could finally be sure they were creating something, something that would be sure to last.

"Feeling alright?" Came a silken voice in the back of her head. "You seem tense."

Ivy sighed as she leaned back into the comfort that she felt at that voice. The Horcrux that had resided within her head had repaired itself with Tom's help after his full return to power.

"Nothing, just thinking of how far we've come."

She felt a reassuring hand rest on her shoulder and looked up into Tom's handsome face. The Horcrux was only a wisp of spirit, gaining enough strength to retain visibility through the help of her own soul. She liked it when he chose to do that, it helped her feel less crazy, like she wasn't simply talking to a voice in her head that no-one else could hear.

"Indeed, we have come very far. Tonight will be the night that will make up for all the struggles we have experienced. This is it, the night where everything ends."

Ivy nodded and looked forward once more, her violet gaze taking in the sight of Hogwarts, glowing brightly under the light of the moon in the valley far below.

Hogwarts, Scotland, May 1998

Voldemort could only watch as the sword of Gryffindor swung in an arc as Nagani—as Ivy—lunged towards Nevil Longbottom. He could do nothing but scream as he felt the silver blade cut through skin, muscle, and bone. He stared in complete disbelief and denial as the snake's body, decapitated, bounced in the dirt outside the castle walls.

He felt something crack within him, some sort of internal structure fall away. He knew of course that the portion of his soul that he hid within her Animagus form so long ago had been destroyed, but the level of pain he felt could not account for only that. He had lost his precious, precious possession. Something he had worked and bled to never experience.

Voldemort screamed.

His throat tore with the effort and rush of emotion and horror that ripped through him. And over the louder sounds of battle and chaos, no one but those in his immediate vicinity could hear him. He blocked out all other noises, all other sights and his vision tunneled to focus on the body of the snake that lay before him.

Immediately his mind began to consider all possible spells that could rectify this situation. He took several steps forward when a huge, lumbering voice caught his attention.

"HARRY!" The half-giant Hagrid, the third year he had pinned the death of the girl who became his first Horcrux all those years ago, yelled. "HARRY—WHERE's HARRY?"

Voldemort's attention changed again, and all of his fury and pain centered onto a single target: Harry Potter. He began to scream out orders, jinxing and cursing his enemies left and right with little regard for his own allies who stood in the way.

He moved through the crowd, looking for the Boy Who Lived. Suddenly, his path was blocked by an older witch, McGonagall, his old Professor Slughorn, and another wizard his shell-shocked brain couldn't identify. His face convulsed into a look of cold furry as he fiercely began to deflect and fire spells with startling clarity. If he could just kill Potter, then it would be alright. He would make this work, he would achieve his goals. He would bring her back.

Suddenly his attention was pulled away again as from the corner of his eye he saw Bellatrix fall as death claimed her. It was too much, his anger overtook him in a blind furry and he screamed in agony again. He took more steps forward and raised his wand in the direction of the older witch with red hair that had defeated his latest lieutenant.

Suddenly a shield charm, cast seemingly from no-where, blocked any attempt he would have made on the witch. Voldemort jerked in surprise as Harry Potter materialized from thin air, and stood to face him at last.

"HE'S ALIVE!" The crowd all around them crowed, but then almost complete silence fell over the crowd as they realized the final duel that was about to take place.

"I don't want anyone else to help." The idiot boy in front of him said. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

Voldemort hissed with a mixture of agonizing humor and cold fury. "He doesn't mean that." He replied almost conversationally. "That isn't how he works, is it?" Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody. There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…"

"One of us?" Voldemort mocked in response. The boy's egoism never ceased to amaze him. It was a quality that he had constantly exploited over the years. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

They began to circle each other, each sizing the other up, each exchanging barbs and insults to the other. Potter had the nerve to bring up so many things from his past. He revealed how he knew about the Horcruxes, about his biggest mistake which was to place any sort of trust in Severus Snape. But the final straw, the last thing that Voldemort could stand, was when he brought up her.

"You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done…Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle…Think about Ivy."

"What's this?" Voldemort's blood ran cold at the very mention of her name from this boy's infuriating lip. How did he, how could he, know anything about her? Perhaps Dumbledore had taught him, perhaps he even managed to get a few things right.

But no-one, especially not this cursed child, would ever speak her name again.

"It's your one last chance," said Harry, "it's all you've got left…I've seen what you'll be otherwise…you'll never see her again, you'll never be with her again…Be a man…try…Try for some remorse…"

"You dare mention—you dare to speak her name?!"

"Yes I dare," said Harry, "because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle."

And the last thing that Voldemort was aware of was a brilliant flash of green.

Epilogue: Somewhere Beyond

Ivy's death had been quick. But she had also felt something else die inside of her. She knew it had been the last piece of Tom's soul. She attempted to analyze how she felt about this but found only emptiness where her heart used to be. For the first time in decades she was truly alone. She blinked her violet eyes and found a very odd sort of place in front of her.

To the left was her old orphanage, impossibly clean and seemingly brand new. To the right was the outside of a train station…Kings Cross if she remembered correctly though she hadn't laid eyes upon it since her last trip from Hogwarts to London in her seventh year. These two buildings looked spotless and very much empty but the strangest part was that they were so close to one another, something that she knew to be false in real life.

She took a step closer to the orphanage. It was strange how, when she had been alive, the very thought of her childhood caused her only pain and anxiety. She had hated that place as had Tom. Now though as she looked between the gleaming iron gates she found that its memory wasn't so painful anymore. When she gazed at the front door she remembered how the matrons had ushered the children to take trips to the park on nice days. When she looked at the left window on the third floor she remembered the many rainy days that she surveyed the cobbled streets below from Tom's bedroom, the two of them bored by the lack of stimulation that the orphanage provided. She recalled the many discussions that had together as young children, before all this business of magic and wizards had changed their lives forever.

She stepped away from the building representing her childhood and instead turned towards the train station. King's Cross represented everything that came after her childhood, indeed the very moment that Ivy felt her life truly began. She took another step and suddenly it was as though there were invisible strings pulling her forward, she felt compelled to enter the station.

The air felt strange the moment she stepped inside. It was very clearly as empty as the bright world outside but it felt peaceful. Not knowing quite what else to do, she took a seat on the nearest bench.

She sat there for what might have been an eternity or maybe a few minutes when she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye. Ivy turned and was quite surprised to see a little boy several yards away, his back turned towards her.

She stood up and made her way over as she tried to identify the youth. He was perhaps eight years old; his hair was such a dark brown that it was almost back in color. He was tall and skinny and Ivy noticed that he was very neatly dressed. Suddenly she felt as if something had poured ice water down her back.

"…T-Tom?" She asked softly when she was only about six feet away.

The little boy turned to face her and indeed, she found herself looking into the face of Tom Riddle. She stared at the boy's face and realized that she had over-estimated his age. The Tom who stood before her was only about five years old and looked exactly the same as the first time she had met him when they had been children. Always tall for his age, five-year old Tom studied the woman before him quietly before answering.

"I don't know you." He said this in a matter-of-fact way then his tone switched to a demand. "Tell me who you are."

Ivy smiled, remembering with such fondness that it made her heart ache that exact expectant expression on her lover's face as an adult.

"I'm Ivy, Tom. And you might not know me yet, but you and I are best friends."

Little Tom frowned at her. "I don't have any friends." He said it clearly but, she, who knew him so well, could tell that his words held a hint of longing though it was buried under much bravado.

"Well, you do now. Would you like to take a walk with me?" She held out her hand to him.

The boy's dark eyes regarded her with suspicion at first then his expression changed as he seemed to decide something. "Only if you promise not to leave. I don't like it here, it's too bright." He hesitantly reached up his hand and placed into hers.

"Don't worry Mav, I'll never leave you."

Together, hand in hand, Ivy led Tom away into the beyond, knowing as she did so, that everything would turn out alright. After all, they were together at the end and together was how they had started.

The End

Again thank you everyone for supporting this story! I can't ever truly express my gratitude!