All I Ever Wanted Was the World

chapter 37

Red flew from Harry's wand and clashed against the green in a powerful surge of energy.
Although beaten and battered from all his previous efforts against Voldemort, Harry stood firmly, his stance securing him to the ground as he kept his shaking wand arm as straight and strong as he possibly could.
His eyes were drawn to the pale, snake-like face of Voldemort, and he felt some sort of satisfaction at seeing the vile man looking bloodied and beaten, and probably the worst he'd ever looked in Harry's vision.
He could feel the tremble in his arm travel through his body, and he didn't know how much longer he would be able to hold off Voldemort.
He wasn't even sure if either of them would come out of this alive.
Harry would accept his death with no hesitation, and it made him feel something to know that Voldemort was desperate to stay alive, desperate in his final stand against Harry.

A sandy boy was limping to the side of the duel, and he was looking at Harry with an expression he couldn't quite read. Harry saw the movement out of the corner of his eyes and recognized the boy, connecting that it had been the very same one who Voldemort had tortured beneath his foot and could have possibly killed had Harry not intervened.
He saw it then.
The flash, as if there had been a glamour cast across his features.
They fell.

Harry's eyes widened, and he saw them just who it was.

Tom stood there, his hand clutching at his side. His clothes were severely rumpled and ripped, and there was dirt and rubble coating his hair and body. Blood had come from both his forehead and his mouth, and the dark red had stained his pale skin, dripping down his chin and to the side of his cheek. He looked crazed, but his gaze had softened considerably when he met Harry's eyes. He was breathing hard, straining against the pain.
Anger flared in his body at the sight of Tom, the young man who had not only saved Harry on and off again, but had shared painfully sensitive and private  moments with him. This was the same man who stood in front of him, his killing curse in action and still trying to kill Harry. But no, the boy to the side was not the same as the man who stood before him, his lips drawn in a snarl and his pale, snake-like face beaten and bruised by Harry bloody knuckles.

His green eyes narrowed, and Harry stepped forward, his arm rigid and feeling much stronger than before.

It was then it happened, a sudden burst of energy.

Everyone around them had flinched and their eyes closed as the light grew bright, then it glowed brighter than it had ever been before.
Voldemort's red eyes were wide and a his mouth fell open in shock.

Harry's red overtook the green and the wand flew from Voldemort's grasp, throwing itself in Harry's direction.
His legs shook as he caught the wand in his free hand, and his hand never dropped from its raised position as the green curse had not disappeared from view.

It seemed to have bounced-
bounced right back towards its source, an echo of what had happened all those years ago.

A pale foot took a step back and an inhuman shriek left the tall, cloaked figure of the Dark Lord as the curse struck his body. A great plume of smoke was released as the target was hit. The smoke grew in size and rubble flew across the entirety of the area. Harry could see that his face had a mortified expression and he fell to the ground, his body rolling until Harry could see the snake-like face glimpsing into his own, and his breathing was slowing down at a tremendous rate.
He supposed that for trying to be immortal, his death was more slow and painful, some type of punishment for the many lives he took and ruined.

Harry collapsed onto his knees and used his hands to break his fall, the wands in his grasp clattering to the ground at his side. He heaved out great big breaths and a broken sound left his throat. The crowd was unable to see the scene before them.
With bated breath, no one moved. No sound was made as eyes were glued onto the form of Voldemort, who clung onto what little life force he had left.