Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Ron watched as Morgan's face appeared in the portal with growing horror.
She looked just as Merlin remembered her. Pale, almost ashen skin, dark circles around her glowing red eyes, and dark throbbing veins pulsating along her face.
Ron recoiled back as he saw her, his face going pale. "God," he muttered, unable to think of anything else to say.
She was emerging from the portal millimeter by millimeter, the portal continuing to grow as they felt the icy darkness of her oppressive magic surround them.
'How long?' Harry thought as his friends stumbled back, feeling the full brunt of the dark magic.
"Not much longer now," Merlin replied somberly. "You need to hurry."
"Guys," Harry said, addressing his friends. "You need to get back."
"Harry?" Hermione asked, a worried look on her face as she took in the state of her friend. He still glowed with the ethereal magic, but up close she could see the damage he had taken, multiple cuts and bruises, torn and tattered clothes, and dark veins running up and down his arms and neck.
"I have to take down the barrier," Harry explained, never taking his eyes off of Morgan. "I… I don't know what's going to happen to me. You can't be near me if there's an explosion."
"An explosion?" Ron asked, eyes widening as he put together what Harry was saying. "This is going to kill you, isn't it?"
"No!" Hermione said, in denial. "NO. There has to be another way."
Draco put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, shaking his head. Now wasn't the time for this. He shared a look with Ron and Harry, knowing there was no other choice. Harry was the only one strong enough to take down the barrier. Then, and only then, did they even have a chance of shutting down the portal.
"Harry, what do you need us to do?" Draco asked grimly.
Hermione's protests died on her lips as she saw the determined expression on Harry's face. Her heart broke at the realization this could very well be the last time she saw Harry alive, but she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye, and from the looks on their faces, neither could Ron and Draco.
"When the barrier comes down. You need to move. Morgan is going to do everything she can to put it back up," Harry explained, too exhausted to realize he let slip Celestia's true identity. "Cut Sally, Wayne, and Oliver loose, and get them as far back as you can. That should close the portal."
"Should?" Draco asked, looking back and forth between the portal and Harry, hoping for something more definitive to go on.
Harry nodded, drawing more magic into his system, preparing for his attack. "The ritual is powered by three elements. The magic they've stored over the centuries, the sacrifices, and the tome."
"She's been planning this for a long time, making adjustments to the ritual, countering everything we've done to stop her," Harry explained. "Getting Sally, Wayne, and Oliver out now, part way through the ritual, it may not be enough to stop her."
"Then we'll take the tome too," Draco concluded. "That has to be enough to stop her."
"No," Harry shook his head sharply. "I don't want you three getting anywhere near that thing. It's corrupted just about everyone who's ever come in contact with it. It's directly responsible for the deaths of millions."
"We won't keep it then," Ron promised. "We'll just get it out of the ritual circle."
"That's how it starts," Harry warned. "There's always a reason, a justification, an excuse. Call it whatever you want, but that's how it gets its hooks into you. It happened to the Alumni, the study group… everyone that it could use. Promise me you'll stay away from it."
Hermione, Draco, and Ron shared a look before nodding. "Alright Harry, we promise," Hermione said.
"Good," Harry said, his skin becoming so bright his friends had to look away. "Now get back," he said softly before raising his hands as he faced the barrier. "Be careful when the barrier comes down," he warned. "She's going to do everything she can to keep the ritual going."
*
Albus watched with dawning horror as the face emerged from the portal. There was no question about it. Whatever was coming through was a monster. He tore his eyes away from the terrifying sight as he looked at the body of his former student, the one that started all of this.
He had never seen anything like it. Egwu's remains, if you could even call that, didn't even look human anymore, a shriveled and gnarled figure, his face frozen with a look of abject horror on his face.
He averted his gaze, shielding his eyes as Harry lit up with a bright, white light. It was almost impossible to even make out his features. He had been too far away to overhear what he said with to his friends, but from the way they reacted it looked like they were saying goodbye.
He could only wonder where this power of Harry's came from. Was there any limit to what he could do? How had he achieved it? He remembered the strange and ornate wand the boy possessed, the one he found in Merlin's vault, making him wonder if there was more that he took from the vault than he let on.
Albus returned his gaze to Egwu's remains. He'd seen him put his wand in his pocket after disarming him. Shakily, he got back up to his feet, feeling every one of his years as he limped forward. He was near magical exhaustion after the battle he had just been through, but would still feel a lot better with the familiar weight of his wand in his hand.
He dropped to his knees in front of Egwu's remains, digging through his pockets until he found his wand, pulling it out triumphantly, but nearly dropped it in his shock as he saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye, turning to watch what Harry did next.
*
Harry stared at the barrier as the magic continued to build up in his system, then at his friends writhing and screaming in agony inside the ritual circle, then at the portal. It was six feet across now, and Morgan's head had fully cleared it.
Their eyes locked as they saw each other, Morgan's eyes widening as she sensed the power building up inside Harry.
Harry could see the panic in her eyes just before he released the beam of pure magic from his open palms. It streaked towards the barrier, slamming into it with a deafening bang. He continued to pour on the magic, watching as a spiderweb of cracks formed on the barrier, slowly spreading outwards as the barrier buckled under the force of his attack.
His eyes widened as something changed, but he didn't know what. Morgan was still coming through the portal, but it was faster than before, even though the portal itself hadn't grown any larger to accommodate her.
"It's Morgan," Merlin replied, sharing Harry's growing panic. "She's expelling her magic to get through the portal faster."
'Isn't that a good thing?' Harry thought, confused. 'She'll be less powerful.'
"Power is a relative thing, Harry," Merlin explained. "Yes, she will be less powerful, but even a quarter of her power will be enough to rule the world like a living god. It will make little difference to her goals."
Harry nodded in understanding. Even after all these years, Morgan's greed and lust for power were still her greatest weaknesses.
He felt lightheaded as he continued to pour on the power, watching as the cracks in the barrier widened before finally shattered in an explosion of light. "Go!" he shouted to his friends as he dropped to one knee, catching his breath after the attack, surprised that he was still alive.
He looked down at his forearms, seeing the black lines running up and down his arms, and the burns on his hands. He couldn't even guess the number of magical pathways he'd burned out throughout the battle, and how many more he'd burned out with his last attack.
He could only watch as his friends sprinted past the barrier, using cutting curses to cut away the ropes binding Sally, Wayne and Oliver. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Morgan either, but with the rest of the study group writhing on the ground, she didn't have anyone left to defend her.
"Don't count on it," Merlin said into his mind as three tendrils of magic emerged from the portal. They were visibly weaker than the ones she'd used before, but no less deadly.
"Get back!" Harry shouted a warning to his friends, who turned around quickly and scrambled back, but Morgan wasn't content with chasing them off, using the tendrils to attack.
He watched as Ron, Draco, and Hermione quickly got into formation, throwing up a three layered shield, but even he could see from this distance it wouldn't do any good.
The tendrils tore through their shields like tissue paper, each of them aiming for a killing blow as they continued to advance on his friends.
Harry exhaled, knowing what he had to do. With the few functional magical pathways he had left, he directed his magic to his muscles, setting off into a dead sprint.
He wasn't as fast as before, but he still had a chance. He wasn't dealing with multiple enemies, and it was a straight line to the ritual circle.
Harry pulled out his dagger, switching to an underhanded grip as he closed in on Morgan. He would only have a brief moment before Morgan saw him, and he lost the element of surprise. He had to make this count.
*
Ron couldn't hold back the scream of pain as the magical tendril bit into his leg, making the wound feel like it was on fire as he collapsed to the ground, Hermione and Draco falling down next as the other two tendrils struck them.
He could feel it boring through his skin, and into the muscle. He grabbed it, trying to pull it out, shake it loose, anything to stop the pain, but he couldn't, feeling a painful shock the moment he touched it, making his fingers go numb.
Then his eyes widened with fear as more tendrils emerged from the portal, and the dark and malevolent eyes of Celestia focused on him, a cruel and vindictive snarl on her face, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt this wasn't the person Egwu thought she was. At this point, he wasn't even sure it was a person at all.
He could only watch as the tendril drew closer, and closer, moving much slower than the first one that pierced his leg, as if it was drawing this out to make it as terrifying as possible for him.
*
Harry turned sharply, slashing his dagger at the tendril a foot away from Ron's face before using a downward slash on the one one in his leg. He looked at Draco and Hermione. They were in much the same state as Ron, taking a hit to the shoulder and forearm as well.
He turned back to look at Morgan, seeing her shoulders crest the portal, then at Wayne, Oliver, and Sally, still bound to the stone pillars. Their hair had turned white. It wouldn't be much longer before they ended up like Egwu.
He cast a glance at the study group, who were in even worse shape, their hair white, and their faces wrinkled as if they'd aged fifty years since the start of the ritual, thrashing on the ground in agony.
Then finally at the Darkhold, resting on the stone dais in the center of the ritual circle. He didn't even need his magical senses to feel the dark and corrosive magic oozing from the tome as it glowed with a foreboding light.
He calculated the possibilities in the blink of an eye, using his enhanced perception to find the best avenue of attack. Freeing his friends was still his first priority, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough to stop the ritual anymore.
Morgan had already adjusted for the loss of Andre, and with her already a quarter of the way through the portal, there was a good possibility she could supplement the loss with her own magic.
He looked back at the Darkhold, tempted to pick it up, and throw it out of the ritual circle. It was the key component of the ritual, and not something Morgan could easily make up for, even this late in the ritual, but he knew it wouldn't be that simple.
The Darkhold wanted this to happen, for this portal to be opened. It was what it had been created for, and it would have the strongest protections of all.
He could see Morgan turning her head to look at him as she realized he destroyed her tendrils, and knew he was out of time. The only thing he knew for sure was he had to get his friends to safety.
He used hardening on his feet as dashed towards the stone pillar Wayne was bound to, jumping into the air as he slammed into it with both feet, the stone shattering on impact, and freeing Wayne who slumped to the ground unconscious.
Using the momentum, he continued forward, landing on the ground in a sprint as he made a beeline for Sally's pillar next. He brought his dagger up, slicing off a tendril before it cut into his neck, hopping over another one as he dashed forward.
He raised his arm by his side, using hardening on his arm and shoulder as he slammed it into the pillar, shattering it on impact as well.
He turned sharply. Only Oliver's pillar was left standing, but what he saw out of the corner of his eye nearly made him stumble in shock.
Morgan was halfway through the portal, and worse, she had another eight tendrils of magic, but not all of them were being sent to attack him.
Three of them were quickly moving towards Hermione, Draco, and Ron, who were only now stumbling to their feet, but it wasn't to kill them. Morgan intended to use them to power the ritual.
Two more tendrils were making their way towards Sally and Wayne, while the remaining three were flying towards him.
He ducked just in time to avoid the tendril skewering his head, twisting his arm up and to the side as he cut off the tendril before jumping in the air to avoid the other two, but Morgan had already redirected the tendrils. Both of them taking sharp turns, coming at him from either side. He slashed one, but the other one bit into his shoulder, sending him to the ground, the dark magic hissing as it burned a hole in his flesh.
He couldn't feel the pain of the attack with Merlin blocking his pain receptors, but instinctively knew it was bad. Slicing off the tendril, he scrambled back to his feet in time to see Morgan's other tendrils make their way to Sally and Oliver, but didn't see the remaining three she sent after Hermione, Draco, and Ron.
"She can't maintain them," Merlin explained. "Look, the portal stopped growing."
Harry chanced a glance at Morgan. She had just got her hands through the portal, letting out an inhuman screech as she did, and there was another change he noticed right away. The dark, pulsating veins on her head were gone. She still looked like a demon sent from hell, but slightly more human now.
Harry surged forward, noting that his arm was limp, the one Morgan had hit, but he ignored it, focusing on getting to Sally and Oliver. With them out of the ritual circle, it would weaken Morgan further.
He didn't have time to be gentle, especially with only one working arm. Using his good arm, he picked up Oliver by the ankle and threw him clear of the ritual circle, watching as he landed hard, rolling on the ground as he came to a stop.
Without a moment to spare, he cut the two remaining tendrils before throwing Sally out of the circle as well.
The effect was immediate as the ground shuddered beneath his feet, and the portal contracted, albeit slowly, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief for the first time since the start of the battle.
"Don't celebrate just yet," Merlin warned, drawing his attention back to Morgan as she sent a jet of flame at him.
Harry felt the heat of the fire the moment Morgan created it, knowing instinctively that should it even graze him, it would turn him to ash instantly.
He threw himself to the side as the spell passed over his head, incinerating a corpse of trees behind him. He scrambled back to his feet, just managing to dodge another jet of flame from Morgan.
He knew he had to hurry. Even though the portal was contracting, Morgan was still inching through the portal, but it was next to impossible to formulate a strategy, much less execute it while dodging Morgan's attacks.
He glanced at Wayne. He was getting worse by the second, with only him and the study group left to anchor the ritual.
"Get back!" Harry shouted to his friends as they struggled to their feet, narrowly dodging another spell from Morgan.
He dashed forward again to one of the few remaining safe places in the ritual circle, the pillar Wayne was bound to, and ducked behind it. Morgan's spells stopped immediately, but he knew it was only a temporary reprieve as she regrouped.
"Harry!" Merlin warned, sensing a change in the magic. "The barrier! She's putting it back up again!"
Harry cursed mentally, knowing that he didn't have enough left to take down the barrier a third time. Hardening his fist, he slammed it into the stone pillar, shattering it, and freeing Wayne, but also destroying his only cover from Morgan's attacks.
Harry lifted Wayne up by his collar as the barrier formed, starting on the ground, and working its way up to enclose them in a dome. Enhancing his strength, he threw Wayne up in the air, clearing the dome just before it closed, watching as his friends caught him, and lowering him safely to the ground.
He turned back to see the portal had shrunk down again, now only four feet across, but Morgan had one of her clawed feet out of the portal as she continued to force her way through.
He looked at her, expecting another attack, but was caught by surprise when she just smirked at him, razor sharp teeth protruding from her mouth in a macabre smile.
*
Ron, Hermione, and Draco stared impotently through the barrier at Harry facing off against Celestia. They could see their lips moving, but couldn't hear any of the words through the barrier.
"There has to be something we can do," Hermione said desperately.
Draco sighed, looking down. "There isn't," he replied, knowing what it took for Harry to take down the barrier. "We're not strong enough."
Ron spun around quickly, hearing a twig snap behind him, wand drawn, only to lower it in surprise when he saw who it was. "Professor Dumbledore?" He asked. "You're alive!"
Albus nodded grimly, moving to stand beside the first years as he examined the barrier. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, far more advanced than any shield spell he'd ever seen, and considerably more powerful.
"Professor!" Hermione said, her eyes lighting up as she felt a flood of relief. "You have to help Harry!"
"I wish it were that simple Miss Granger," Albus replied, casting a look at Filius, Severus, and all the death and destruction that surrounded them. "The barrier is simply too powerful."
"…But," Hermione said, trying to make sense of what Professor Dumbledore was saying. He was supposed to be the greatest living wizard. Why couldn't he take down the barrier even once when Harry had done it three times before? "You're…"
"The only thing we can do is wait, and watch… and hope," Albus interrupted, hating that he had to make this admission, that despite his best efforts he had been outclassed from the start of this battle.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Ron asked, trying to read Celestia and Harry's lips.
*
"Harry Potter," Morgan drawled, as she stared down the boy that had caused her no end of trouble these last few months, and to think she had considered making him one of her new acolytes, after disposing of the old ones once they served their purpose.
"Celestia," Harry replied evenly, playing along as he used her false name. "So this is what you truly are."
Morgan sneered, glad to finally be done with all the pretense. "Yes child," she hissed. "I am a god, and you had an opportunity to serve me, one you squandered."
"Squandered? Not from my perspective," Harry denied. "I've seen what you to do your puppets," he added, glancing at the study group, still screaming in agony on the ground.
"They are unimportant," Morgan dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Just like all the others, they were here to serve a purpose, and now I have no use for them. You, Harry, could have been different. I had such plans for you. You could have been my herald, telling the world of my greatness. You could have had everything you ever desired and more. All you had to do was bow," she said, shaking her head in disappointment. "What a waste."
"And spend the rest of my life on my knees, watching as you enslaved the world? No thanks," Harry replied with a shake of his head.
"So young, so foolish," Morgan replied, her eyes darkening. "To think that death is the worst thing you can conceive of. No, there are far worse punishments I have in store for you. Long before I am finished, you will beg for death. This I promise you."
Harry felt a chill go down his spine at Morgan's words, knowing she meant every word of it, and with her slowly inching out of the portal, it seemed more and more like a reality.
"It's not over yet," Merlin spoke into his mind. "Don't let her rattle you. There is a purpose behind everything she says and does. Always."
"You're stalling," Harry realized as he stared down Morgan. He hadn't noticed until now, but the portal was shrinking faster than she was coming through it. "It's taking everything you have just to keep it open, isn't it?"
Morgan's face morphed into an inhuman visage at Harry's revelation, almost as if an illusion had been shattered. She let out a scream of anger, sending out a jet of hellfire at him.
Harry scrambled back, falling to the ground as the spell sailed over his head, missing his face by mere inches, but he could still feel the heat of the fire burning at his skin.
He quickly amped up his perception, feeling as if time had slowed down to a crawl as he rolled to the left, then quickly to the right, dodging another two of Morgan's spells.
He couldn't even tell what they were, but knew they were powerful, far stronger than he could ever manage, even at full strength.
'Focus,' he thought to himself. Morgan had to have a weakness he could exploit. He couldn't fight her toe to toe, he knew that much, and he was running out of time fast.
It wouldn't be long before Morgan was out of the portal, and to make matters worse, he was fighting on borrowed time. He could only empower himself for so long before he burned out the rest of his magical pathways, and that was assuming the large in flux of magic currently running through his body didn't kill him outright.
"Look there!" Merlin shouted into his mind, pointing out that not only had the portal shrunk after her attack, she had also slid further back.
It seemed that Morgan also came to the same realization as she immediately cut off her attack, this time sending three tendrils of magic at Harry instead. They required far less magical power than her spells and allowed her to slow the shrinking portal.
Harry saw the attack coming, and jumped to the side as the first tendril zoomed past him, using the dagger to cut it off as it passed. He ducked under the second one before jumping over the third. As he came down, he slashed the dagger at the third one, leaving only one behind.
He watched it carefully as it moved from side to side, feigning left and right before it darted forward, aiming for his head.
Rather than dodge out of the way, Harry planted his feet, raising his dagger at the last second, watching as the tendril struck the blade, splitting in two before disintegrating.
"Impressive," Morgan acknowledged, trying to buy as much time as she could. "Perhaps there is some use for you yet."
Harry considered going on the attack himself, but could feel his own body weighing fast, not sure if he could keep up another sustained attack.
He chanced a glance behind him, seeing Dumbledore standing alongside Hermione, Draco, and Ron, knowing instinctively none of them could take down the barrier. If his attacked failed, there would be no one to prevent Morgan's return.
"I told you before, I'm not interested," Harry replied with a glare.
Harry's tone made Morgan pause as she regarded him. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite place it. She had dismissed it earlier, assuming he was a descendant of one of Merlin's students, and shared his idealistic and ultimately idiotic views, but now she wasn't so sure. It nagged at the back of her mind, but remained annoyingly illusive.
"What are you, boy?" Morgan demanded, her eyes narrowing. "What are you hiding from me?"
Harry schooled his features, hoping that Morgan hadn't figured out his connection to Merlin as he remained silent.
"Fine, keep your secrets," Morgan dismissed with a sneer. "It hardly matters now. Look at you, already half way dead, or did you think I hadn't noticed?"
Harry remained silent, slowly drawing more magic within himself as he prepared to go on the attack, instinctively knowing this would be his last.
"Oh, so now you have nothing to say?" Morgan crowed, letting out a dark laugh, as she devoted more of her focus on keeping the portal open so she could slip through. As long as the boy didn't realize her temporary weakness, she could still salvage this.
"It's obvious. You've burned out most of your magical pathways already. I can see the black veins on your arms and neck, and I'd wager it the same everywhere else. You're going to die here today, boy," Morgan gloated.
"As long as I stop you, it will be worth it," Harry ground out. He just needed a little more time to prepare.
"It doesn't have to be this way," Morgan tempted. "Perhaps I was too harsh. Maybe I can find some use for you yet. I wasn't lying when I said I could heal my acolytes, you know?"
"No," Harry denied, shaking his head. "Your manipulations won't work on me. I know you had no intention of helping them."
"Well, that's true," Morgan acknowledged with a sardonic smile, surprising Harry with her honesty. "But that doesn't mean I can't. I simply chose not to. Healing your injuries is child's play, compared to theirs. How does eternal life sound to you, Harry?"
"Eternal life?" Harry spat. "In the world you create? It sounds more like a nightmare than a life."
Morgan chuckled darkly. "Perhaps for most, but not those that I favor. You, even your friends, you could all live in the lap of luxury," she tempted. "Think of it, never wanting for anything in your eternal lives. You could have it all. You simply have to bow. Such a small thing, isn't it? For all that I offer in return."
Harry regarded Morgan, having a new appreciation for Merlin's warnings about her. She was an expert manipulator of the highest order, knowing exactly what to say, and when to say it so that it had the most impact.
He could see how so many had fallen for her honeyed words, not seeing her for the snake she really was. Morgan had no intention of keeping her word. She would never share power. Her pathological need to rule, to conqueror, it was absolute.
Harry exhaled slowly, lowering his head as he pretended to consider it, lulling Morgan into thinking she had won him over. He could practically feel the smirk on her face as she observed him.
Without warning, he snapped his arm out in front of him, sending out a powerful wave of raw magic at Morgan.
It was his last chance. He could feel the stored magic the Alumni had meticulously collected and stored fading, dispersing far and wide, no longer concentrated and as easy for him to gather and use.
Morgan's eyes widened as she felt the wave of magic bearing down on her. She sent out her own magic to counter it, gritting her teeth as their magics clashed, grinding against each other as they fought for supremacy.
Forced to split her attention between keeping the portal open, slipping through it, and fending off Harry's attack, their battle was far closer than she would have liked.
She glared hatefully at the boy for seeing through her manipulations, and pushing her as far as he did. He was no match for her, her power far outstripping his, even in her weakened state, but with the vulnerable position she was in, their battle was nearly even.
She pushed a little more power into her attack, wanting to end it quickly, but had to dial back her attack almost immediately as the portal rapidly shrunk, forcing her to use even more of her magic to keep it open.
Harry could feel the magic burning at his fingertips as he kept up the attack, slowly lost the ability to block out his pain. He no longer had any illusions about surviving this battle, but forced himself to see it through to the end.
He had thought he had her when she increased the power of her attack; the portal shrinking around her as she pushed his magic back, but she had quickly caught on to his plan.
Harry dropped to one knee as he kept up his attack, his arm shaking from the force of the magic flowing through him as he redoubled his efforts, watching as a ball of magic formed in between their attacks, swirling and crackling with power.
The magic around them continued to thin, making it that much harder for him to collect it and funnel it into his attack. Morgan didn't have that same limitation, and with a battle of attrition, it would always favor her.
Shakily he got to his feet, using nothing but sheer force of will as he took a step forward, his feet digging into the earth as he contended with the force of their combined magics.
"NO!" Morgan denied as Harry shortened the distance between them, cursing mentally as Harry's plan became clear. If he could push the ball of magic into the portal, it would set off a chain reaction, destabilizing the portal, and shutting it down.
She racked her brain, thinking of a strategy to counter him, but nothing came to her mind. This was a battle of wills, not just power, and with her handicapped as she was, there was little she could do to turn it around on him.
She had to maintain her attack, otherwise he would simply push her through the portal. She couldn't add more power to her attack, not while keeping the portal open. It was maddening to be so close and feel her victory slipping through her fingers like this.
"You won't beat me!" Morgan screached as Harry took another step closer, a hint of desperation in her voice as the ball of magic drew closer. "The backlash will kill you too!"
"I'm already…" Harry groaned, "on borrowed… time, anyway!"
Morgan screamed in frustration as the portal shrunk again, and she was forced to use more of her magic to stop Harry from advancing further. She couldn't lose, not again, not when she was so close.
"I'll give you everything I promised, and more!" Morgan promised desperately. "Don't be a fool!"
Harry took another shaky step closer, hoping it would be enough, letting out a scream of agony as he lost the ability to block out the pain completely, feeling the magic shredding his insides as he pushed himself forward by sheer force of will.
"ARGHHHH!" Morgan screamed out, cutting off her attack and taking the full brunt of Harry's attack, feeling her skin sizzle and burn as she clung to the edges of the portal.
She could see the magic burning Harry's flesh, his magical pathways rapidly burning out as the power of his attack weakened. She just had to hang on. His attack would fail any second, and then there would be no one to stand in her way.
There would be nothing, and no one, that could stop her once she crossed the portal. Without having to split her attention and focus on the portal, she would be unstoppable.
Harry's limbs shook. His whole body feeling like it was on fire, his magic tearing at his insides as he forced himself forward, screaming in agony just as loud as Morgan as his very essence was torn apart.
He squinted his eyes through the near blinding flashes of magic, locking eyes with Morgan, now that they were only a few feet apart.
She looked to be just as bad as he was, a large hole bored into her chest with dark blood oozing from her wounds as she struggled to hold on, but he knew he couldn't let up, not even for a second or she would be free.
Unlike him, Morgan's injuries would heal, and slowly but surely, she would recover. He couldn't allow her to get a foothold, especially now, with his own attack dwindling.
Morgan fought through the pain. "No," she groaned. "I won't be… beaten," she said, tightening her grip on the edges of the portal. "Nothing you do will matter… I will be free. Your magic… I can feel… it's nearly gone. You've failed," she said, cackling victoriously as the power of Harry's attack continued to drop, and she gained ground again, her injuries slowly healing.
"Tell her," Merlin said softly into Harry's mind. "It's the only way," he added, sensing the objections in Harry's mind. "You need to break her concentration."
"Not yet," Harry groaned. "I beat you… once before, and… I'll do it again," he said, allowing Morgan to make the connection.
"What?" Morgan said, furrowing her brows in confusion before she looked at Harry closely. She had always sensed something familiar about him, but could never put her finger on it. But now, with their faces just inches apart, she could finally see it.
It was his eyes. She didn't know how it was possible, how he survived as long as he did, or even how he ended up in a body not his own, but there was no mistaking it. "Merlin," she breathed, unable to keep the shock out of her voice as she stared into the eyes of the man she thought long dead.
Her mind swirled with powerful emotions, all fighting for supremacy. Hatred, anger, envy, disgust, even hints of regret as she regarded him. "How?" she finally demanding, needing to know how he survived, how he came to be here, where this power of his came from, her concentration slipping just a fraction as her need for answers momentarily superseded her rage.
"It doesn't matter," Harry replied, abruptly cutting off his attack, using his last shred of strength to slice Morgan's fingers with his dagger.
Morgan screamed out in surprise and shock as she felt a searing pain in her hand as she lost her grip on the edge of the portal, holding on with only one hand now. She tried to grip the edge of the portal again, but couldn't, realizing only then that her thumb and index finger were gone.
"NO!!" she screamed out, her grip slipping as she struggled to hold on with just one hand. She could see the glimmer of magic in Merlin's hand. It was the same thing he attacked her with so long ago.
She felt her grip weaken as Merlin collapsed to his knees in front of her. "NO!!" she screamed out again. She couldn't lose now, not like this, not to Merlin all over again. She ached to choke the life out of him, realizing that even that would be taken from her as Merlin lay there, dying at her feet.
She could fell the portal rapidly closing as she looked into Merlin's near dead eyes, letting out another murderous scream of frustration and anger as more than a thousand years of meticulous planning and sacrifice blew up in her face.
"I don't know how, but someday Merlin, I will find you again!" Morgan growled as the portal shrunk to the size of her head. "In this life or the next, I will find you, and you will pay!!" she screamed out just before the portal winked out of existence.
Harry's head slumped down as he remained on his knees. 'Is it over, Merlin?' he thought.
"Yes Harry," Merlin said softly. "It's over… You can rest now," even though neither one of them believed he would wake up again.
Harry's eyes closed as the barrier collapsed. He could faintly hear his name being called, hearing footsteps rapidly approaching, but it was hard to concentrate, hard to think, hard to do anything but lay there.
"Goodbye, Harry," Merlin whispered, feeling Harry's consciousness fade. "It's been an honor to know you."
'You… t-too,' Harry thought back as his shoulders slumped, feeling his life drawing to a close.
*
Albus watched silently as the children ran to Harry, scarcely believing that he had somehow snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, feeling a growing respect for the boy's sacrifice.
He eyed his wand, then the heavily injured form of Harry Potter as he fell to the ground surrounded by his friends, promising himself the boy would be given a hero's funeral. He deserved no less after what he had sacrificed.
In death Harry would become a martyr, his martyr. He would invoke his name, his sacrifice, to shape the world to his vision.
He looked back again at his wand for a moment, knowing that he couldn't leave such a moment to chance. Harry had to die to ensure his vision was realized.
He superstitiously raised his wand, keeping it low. He knew just the spell for this, a mild shock of electricity. In Harry's weakened state, it would appear as if his heart gave out, not an unexpected outcome after the many battles he had been through today.
The spell was colorless, and would see him go on to the next great adventure painlessly. He deserved that much at least.
***
Hi! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. We've finally concluded the year end battle. There are a few more chapters that will deal with the aftermath, wrap up the end of the year, and setup what's coming next for Harry, and co.
Please take the time to review, let me know what's working, what's not. It helps a lot with figuring out what I need to adjust or change to improve the story.
If you would like to support me and my writing, please consider visiting https://taplink.cc/jumpin for all the stories I'm currently working on and early access to chapters 70, 71, 72, and 73 of Legacy of Merlin, along with some character portraits for Merlin, Morgan and Nimue, and an audio versions of the chapters.