He pointed his wand - and poured his entire being into one word.

"EMPATHICO!"

The spell sped straight and true toward its target - though Voldemort threw up shield after shield, the spell corkscrewed through the air, effortlessly dodging every obstacle until it struck the Dark Lord square in the heart.

And that heart opened.

It opened - and all the pain that Voldemort had caused - every curse, every torture, every death, every pang of grief, every fearful thought streamed into it.  He suddenly found himself understanding - sympathizing - and then, finally, regretting.

His howl of anguish warped the very fabric of time and space around him.

Harry felt one moment of triumph - "it worked!" he thought, and in the next moment his forehead literally exploded in a burst of blood and pain, and he sank into blackness.

Voldemort crumpled.  When he could finally move again, he looked up into the eyes of Neville Longbottom.

"Go ahead, boy," he croaked. "Finish me.  I can not - tolerate - this pain... please... I am so - sorry..."

Neville looked at the broken figure before him, and raised his wand.  He had done his own research - and those long walks on the heath had finally given him the answers he had searched for.

He pointed his wand.  Tears began to stream from his eyes.  In a quiet voice, not even a whisper, he spoke the word, the word that only he could say.

"Absolvo."

The spell of forgiveness.

A black, swirling cloud materialized before Voldemort's chest.  It grew, becoming a vortex, a tornado.

But it was not sucking things in - no, this was something coming out. The sound was deafening, the combined clamor of millions of sins being torn out of the Dark Lord's soul.  The swirling vortex appeared to ripping off Voldemort's very skin.  As it grew, it reached towards the heavens, towards the thundering clouds overhead.

And in a blinding flash of light it was gone, and all was quiet.

At Neville's feet lay not the reptilian countenance of Lord Voldemort, but the ancient, wizened body of Tom Riddle.  His eyes were open, his face frozen in astonishment....

And radiating light.

The light slowly died, and the eyes slowly closed.

Neville knelt next to the body, folded its arms, and then collapsed onto it.

Hermione felt something wispy tickling her face.  Her eyes fluttered open, and looked into the kindly smile of Albus Dumbledore.

She sat up - or tried to.  Where was she?  Looking around, she found herself in a landscape that seemed to be melting.

"Dumbledore!" she whispered. "But how..."

He laid a finger on her lips.  "Not much time," he said.  "Understanding will come soon."

Ron's face came into her field of view. "He - forgave him..." he said.

"Yes," said Dumbledore.  "He forgave him. And an evil forgiven is one that never happened."

Harry crawled over to them, part of his cloak staunching the bleeding of his forehead.  "I - hadn't expected him to do that," he said.  "The Empathico curse - "

"A fine discovery, Harry," said Dumbledore.  "It made it possible for Volde- for Tom to finally repent."

"And then Neville could forgive him."

"Yes.  He had to become aware first - and then feel true regret - before Neville's forgiveness could release him."

"But what is happening now?"

"This is the end of our story, Harry.  So much of it has been centered on something that now is no more - and so soon we shall cease to be as well."

They stared at him.

"But do not worry," he said, and smiled.  "I have made certain - arrangements, shall we say.  We cease, yes, but we shall also continue.

"I have identified a certain Muggle - she is alone, poor, and at her wit's end as to how to fend for herself. But her mind is fertile, and there we can grow.  We - our story, that is - even now we are being formed, taking shape in her mind.   She will take that story - and us, and Hogwarts - and make us all immortal."

Hermione smiled, let her head rest on the gently shifting waves, and closed her eyes.  In her ears she heard the sounds of a female voice muttering softly to itself - and the furious scribbling of a pencil.

/ /skip
Skip Mendler................................ BIG BROTHER LOVES YOU *SO* MUCH
NEW STUFF: www.skipmendler.com ..... HE CAN'T KEEP HIS EYES OFF YOU