Disclaimer:  Harry Potter characters don't belong to me. 

This is the last chapter people!  Or at least I hope it is. Review if you like it!  Please?!!!!!

This is for Kalih and Ms. Prongs, for the only reviews I have gotten in a while and to Kalih, again, for kicking my butt into gear.   

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Draco, Crabb, and Goyle all felt their faces flush as all eyes turned to them.  Prudence looked absolutely livid.  They tried to make a hasty retreat, but were each grabbed by the collar by Professors Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall. 

"It was you who stole the staff?"  It was more of a factual statement than a question.

Draco was watching their faces intently, trying to gage exactly how much trouble he was in.  It was a lot.  Deciding he was screwed no matter what, since he had technically been caught in the act, he went with the truth.  A first for Draco Malfoy.  He looked at Prudence before speaking, making sure to keep at a safe distance.  He looked at Prudence before speaking, making sure to keep at a safe distance.  He had just seen her temper.

"It was I." he said, sounding more snobby than he had intended.  Toning it down a bit, he tried again.  "My friends and I were…..eavesdropping, I guess, and we heard you and Potter speaking to each other.  We heard about the staff and we wanted to see it."

"And then you decided to steal it and blame it on Harry!  Didn't you, you stupid git!"  Ron had gotten into Draco's face and was screaming at him.  McGonagall put a restraining hand on his shoulder.  Ron backed off.

"Well, if I hadn't had it in here, it wouldn't have gotten to Harry, now would it!" shouted Draco, trying to save his ass. 

Ron, looking quite flustered, was on the verge of decking his worst enemy across the face, but thought better of it.  Ron was about to discover that Prudence was the Queen of verbal bashings.

"You listen here young man, that staff would have made it to Harry just fine without your interference.  It probably would have arrived faster if you and your idiot friends hadn't been restraining it under the table.  You THREE could very well have cost Harry his life!"

This time, Ron didn't hold back.  He threw back his fist and let it fly straight at Draco, and knocked him flat on his rear.

"If anything happens to Harry, you white haired freak, you'll pay for it!" Ron hissed.  No one had ever seen Ron so mad before.  Fred and George had to physically hold him back from using his wand.

"What about Harry?  Shouldn't we do something?  Isn't there a way to get through the floor again?  We have to do something!" Hermione was becoming hysterical again.  Dumbledore gently laid a comforting hand against her shoulder. 

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do Hermione.  Harry is on his own.  I only hope he can make it."  Everyone who was still in the room (all the other students had been sent to their common rooms) looked extremely frightened.  Harry's screams were still echoing in their minds.

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Reaching past his agony and fear, Harry opened his eyes and looked wearily around him.  He could never remember feeling so drained in all his life.  Voldemort was no where in sight, however he knew he was near because his scar was still burning fiercely, but not nearly as bad as before.

Standing up uncertainly, he took a closer look at his surroundings.  He couldn't be sure, but he was almost positive he was in a cave, although how he got here was beyond him.  He was beginning to wonder if he could get back out by the way he came, but further inspection of the cave ceiling showed no such luck.  Harry had begun to shiver from the cold.  The cave he was in was freezing and damp.  All Harry had to protect himself from the weather were the thin clothes he had on.  Today was not a Care of Magical Creatures class day, or otherwise he would have dressed more warmly for the outdoor class.  Reaching into his robe's pocket brought him more dismay.  His wand was not there.  Searching frantically on the ground, he ran his hands all over the slimy, rocky area, but he couldn't find his wand.

"Damnit!" he breathed.  Suddenly, the sting in his scar began to intensify until he could hardly stand it.  Harry was now on his knees in the middle of a cave with his hand grasped firmly to his forehead.  Panic ensued.  He began to scramble backwards, frantically trying to put more distance between himself and his enemy.  Without his wand, he was worthless.

Voldemort stepped closer into Harry's view sight.  "Mr. Potter.  It is so very good to see you again." he hissed.

Harry was breathing hard through his mouth, trying to control the pain in his scar.  He was determined not to let it get the better of him a second time.  Still moving backwards, he felt the end of the line as his back hit the wall.  Voldemort took out his wand and pointed it at Harry's head.  Fear coursed throughout his body.  He had no way to defend himself and there was nothing to hide behind to ward off the curses blows.  He was at the mercy of a crazed lunatic.

'I'm going to die.' thought Harry.

Voldemort smiled evilly at Harry.  "Should I kill you…………hmm……..or torture you first?"  Harry, garnering more courage than he felt, dragged himself into a standing position.  He wasn't going down without a fight, wand or not.  Harry glared at Voldemort.

This only served to make Voldemort mad.  "Still trying to defy me in the hour of your death?!"  Harry flinched.  Voldemort smiled.  "Perhaps we'll play a little first."  said Voldemort,  bring up his wand.  Saying something that Harry couldn't hear, he suddenly found himself being thrown violently across the cave, and was sent crashing into the wall behind Voldemort.  Harry could feel the rocks cutting through his clothes and tearing into his skin.  Blood began to pool in small puddles beneath him.  Harry gingerly got back to his feet, facing Voldemort again.  Voldemort growled at the boy in front of him.

"Crucio." said Voldemort, calmly, while Harry began screaming and withering on the floor.  His screams were burning his throat and his nemesis seemed in no hurry to take the curse off of him.  Suddenly, the pain stopped and he was able to breathe again.  He looked up into the wild eyes of Voldemort and wished that he was anywhere but here.  All of a sudden, Harry saw ropes come flying out of Voldemort's wand and come flying at him, dragging him up to a large rock that was hanging from the ceiling and binding him there.  He struggled desperately, but wasn't able to break free of the ropes. 

"Harry, it is time we said our goodbyes, I'm afraid.  Tell your mother and father hi for me, won't you?"  Voldemort sneered.  If Harry hadn't been tied up, he would have dived at him.  "I hope this isn't too painful."  Voldemort raised his wand and pointed in directly at Harry's neck.  "Diffindo." 

He could feel his neck ripping open, like someone was cutting it with scissors.  He started gargling and gasping for air, but all that came up was blood.  He could feel his life draining away, and saw as four Death Eaters entered the cave.  They each looked up at Harry's body and smiled. 

"Watch him, call to me when he's dead.  I have some 'business' to take care of."  With one more smirking grin towards Harry, Voldemort swept out of the cave. 

Harry's chin was now dangling limply on his chest.  Harry Potter knew no more.

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Dumbledore and the others were still sitting nervously in the Great Hall.  They were hoping against hope for some news of what had happened to Harry.  Nothing had happened, and they were beginning to get worried.  The hour was growing late.  Harry had been gone for almost half a day, breakfast would be in only a matter of hours.  However, if Harry didn't return soon, the whole school was going to be evacuated.  Minister Fudge had already stopped in and told them this himself.  So much for not believing that Voldemort was back.  Hermione had had a few choice words for Fudge as well.  Blaming him for Harry's disappearance and supposed death was only the beginning. 

Now they all sat dejectedly at the Gryffindor table, waiting for Harry to show up.  No one had spoken since the little fiasco with Draco and his friends.  Their minds were filled with worry.  When the doors burst open and McGonagall came rushing in, none of them noticed.  She went immediately to Dumbledore's side.

"Professor, we have a problem."  Tears were streaming down her face.  "Voldemort has just stepped over the barriers of the school.  He's coming in!" 

Dumbledore shot up from his seat, this time everyone's attention was gained.  "Dear heavens, he couldn't get in…unless…" 

Professor McGonagall nodded her head glumly, tears now flowing freely.  "Harry must be gone, sir."

A moan from nearby caught their attention just in time to see Hermione fall to the floor.  She had fainted.  Ron was immediately at her side, tears were also streaming down his face now.  He was able to revive Hermione and they both wept together.   Fred, George, and Ginny all sat down beside them on the floor.  No one seemed to care that Voldemort was about to attack, all that mattered was that Harry was dead.

Dumbledore was about the usher them out of the castle when the doors burst open again, this time with the foul looking Voldemort leading the way.  Death Eaters were following him in. 

"Ah, mourning, are we?  So you have heard?  Yes, your dear Harry Potter is dead!"  He seemed to revel in his victory against the boy-who-lived, but who wouldn't live again. 

Dumbledore and the other professors in the room stood protectively in front of the students, who were now all standing, wands drawn, ready to fight.  Screw death, it was a good day to die. 

"You think you can win against me?  I don't think so my imbecilic friends.  Perhaps you would all like to hear how he died?"  Those in the room began to pale.  "No, you don't want to hear it?  You don't want to hear how the blood was draining from his severed neck as I left him behind to die?  How he couldn't move to staunch the bleeding because he was tied to a rock up on the cave ceiling?"  He could see them shaking with anger, and jeered them on.  "How I made him endure the Cruciatus Curse again?"  He started to laugh hysterically in their faces. 

Dumbledore sent Voldemort crashing into the wall.  No one had even heard him speak.  "You coward.  If he had had his wand, he would have succeeded in destroying you.  But no, you had to use his weakness against him.  How dare you."  Dumbledore was seething in anger now.  Voldemort was actually beginning to shrink against the wall, he was still frightened of the headmaster.  But suddenly he stood back up and raised his wand. 

"You shall never beat me, Dumbledore.  I will win!  Crucio!"  he yelled, hitting the professors, leaving the students unguarded and vulnerable. 

They all began to huddle closer together.  They knew what a dire predicament they were all in.  Odds were against them.  Once again, Voldemort raised his wand and they braced themselves for the worst.

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A/N:  You people had better be singing my praises, because I am continuing with this even though I am dead tired.  Just so you know.  I want reviews, many reviews.

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Cold…it was so cold.  Warmth was just beyond his fingertips, if he could only reach it.  He knew that if he wasn't dead already, he would be soon.  He could hear the incoherent mumblings of the idiots called Death Eaters in the background.  He could feel the presence, but of what, he didn't know.  There was something near him that he had to reach.  He could feel his being growing dimmer.  He was dying. 

Stretching out his hand as much as he could with the ropes binding him to the rock and his lack of energy, he spoke with his mind, hoping to call the presence to him.

'Accio.' His mind screamed.  He became aware of an object that seemed to have dropped into his outstretched hand.  Warmth started to flow throughout his body, beginning with his hand and going inwards from there.  The pain in his neck disappeared along with the pain in his body.  Opening his eyes, he looked around the cave once again.  The Death Eaters were completely ignoring him, and were all standing down on the cave floor talking amongst themselves.  He peered to his right and saw that in his hand was the staff of Egis, it was glowing dimly, as if waiting for a chance to really glow.  He closed his eyes again and thought to himself, 'undo.'  The ropes fell to the floor and he dropped to it as well.  The Death Eaters all jumped up, looking like they were about to bite the dust.  There was no way in hell that Harry could still be alive, but here he was, alive and kicking. 

He raised his staff to the Death Eaters and a pulsating light burst forth, delivering the same blow as a stupefy curse would have done.  Turning around, he stepped into the middle of the cave, and looked upward, exactly the spot where he had fallen in from.  Once again he raised his wand and pointed it upwards.  The phoenix that was perched on the top of the staff began to flap its wings powerfully, all the while the staff itself began to glow a bright red again, brighter than it had in the Great Hall.  Light and power exploded upward in a gush of wind, blowing the cave ceiling open.

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Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it directly at the group of students huddled together in the middle of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. 

"It's time to wipe the face of the earth of your presence."  Hermione and the Weasleys were all throwing spell after spell at Voldemort, only to watch in horror as they seemed to bounce off of him.  "It's too bad your little friend isn't here to save you anymore, isn't it?"  Voldemort hissed at them.  "Avada Kedavra."  Green light came out of the end of Voldemort's wand, heading directly for Harry's friends.  Screams were heard throughout the castle, students in their common rooms sat up straight in bed, knowing right then that it was the end of the world. 

The deadly green light stopped right before it hit its target as the ground beneath it burst forth, sending chunks of stone and metal into its path, plus Harry Potter.  The devastating green light hit the phoenix and exploded into a flurry of sparks.  It was as if a fireworks show had gone off in the Great Hall. 

At first, Hermione, the Weasleys, and the professors couldn't tell what had come up through the floor, but as the smoke cleared, they could just barely make out the form of a person. 

"Holy crap!" said Ron in amazement. 

"Harry?"  said Hermione uncertainly.  Hearing his name, Harry turned around quickly and ran to his friends and professors. 

"Are you alright?"  Harry was beside himself with worry.  He could sense that the Avada Kedavra curse had been sent.  "I thought you would all be dead."

"We can't die, when you come bursting through the floor like that."  said Fred and George, still gawking at him. 

Harry looked down in embarrassment.  He hated when they all looked at him like that. 

"Harry!  Look out!"  McGonagall screamed as Voldemort sent the Avada Kedavra at Harry's back.  Harry could feel a fierce pain enter him from behind and he arched his back in response, on the verge of letting out a scream.  The others in front of him looked on horror stricken, while Voldemort laughed evilly behind him.  The dark light flew through him, causing every part of him to contort in pain.  Then it reached the hand that still held the wand.  The dark light entered the staff through Harry's hand and it absorbed it out of Harry.  The phoenix began to glow so brightly that no one could stand to look at it any longer.  Then a bright crimson red burst from the phoenix, blinding those around it.  When they were all able to see again, Voldemort was no where to be seen. 

All eyes were on Harry, and Harry's eyes were on the floor.

"Wow."  was all that Ron could seem to say.  Hermione and the others were in the same boat.  Professor Dumbledore finally broke the silence.

"Well done, Harry, well done."  Dumbledore quickly enveloped him in a hug, which not only surprised Harry, but everyone in the room as well.  "thought we'd lost you there, young one.  This happens entirely too much to you."  He slapped him on the back, breaking the gushy moment.  Then he looked at the staff that was still grasped firmly in his hand.

Prudence spoke for the first time.  "It appears that the staff has finally chosen its keeper Harry."  She too took Harry into a firm hug, "I'm so sorry I was unkind to you earlier Harry.  I never should have doubted you, and I never should have reacted in such a way." 

"It's alright Prudence, all is forgiven." Harry kept looking over to where Voldemort had been standing only moments before.  "What happened to him?"

"Well, I believe that an even stronger form of the Avada Kedavra curse was thrown back at Voldemort." Dumbledore too was looking at the spot. 

"I don't think I killed him." 

Those in the room became suddenly quiet.

"What do you mean?  We all saw it happen Harry, that staff of yours blew 'him' up."  Ron decided to join the conversation.

"Actually, none of us saw it at all, it was too bright, remember."  Ron began to look doubtful and nervous.

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I don't think he's dead.  Look," he pointed to the wall, "the wall is scorched from the blast, shouldn't there at least be an imprint of Voldemort if the light had struck him?"

The thought had now all sunk in to those in the room that Voldemort could still be out there, still at full strength, and they would never know.

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The rest of the school year had past with no sign of Voldemort's return.  Many people began to think that perhaps Harry and his staff had destroyed him.  Others believed that maybe he had gotten away right before the light had burst forth.  However, Harry had a deep feeling that Voldemort wasn't dead, that he was still out there, waiting for the opportunity to attack again.  As Harry boarded the Hogwarts train, on his way to go live with the Weasleys, no more abuse for him, he couldn't help but feel happy.  Now if only that dreadful feeling that Voldemort was nearby would only go away.

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 THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!

I may take this to another story, or I might not.  I might just start something fresh.  Tell me what you think?  I'm going to go watch Monsters Inc.  now because I can.  Love ya guys!  Thanks Ms. Prongs for all your hasty emails.  You're a big help.  Later.