Harry Potter and the Fastest Gun

Harry knew this was it. He was going to sacrifice his life for the magical world, for his friends and all the kids and adults at Hogwarts. He knew the prophecy and now he knew he was a horcrux as well. He and his friends, Ron and Hermione, hunted down the remaining horcruxes that Voldemort made and rid the world of them. But, of course, there was still another left, the snake Nagini. And let’s not forget about the accidental one in Harry that Voldemort never knew he made.

When he cast that killing curse at baby Harry, he was surprised when it returned back to him and struck him down. Voldemort had already prepared to make a final horcrux with the child’s death so a piece of his soul broke off and did not enter the trinket the dark lord brought to house it, but instead it entered the 15 month old boy with black hair and startling, emerald-green eyes. In fact, it went into his forehead and left a lightning-shaped injury that eventually became a well-known scar that never seemed to heal.

Harry had already used the Resurrection Stone and spoke to the ghostly images of his parents, Sirius, and Remus before he moved on to the area of the Forbidden Forest where Voldemort was waiting. His time had come and this was the only way to get rid of the horcrux and make it where anyone could then kill Voldemort once Harry and the snake were dead. He had left word with his two best friends and Neville to kill the snake if they came across it.

Harry didn’t want to die but at least he could go and join his parents once it was all over. It would be very nice to get to know them and spend time with them. His short conversation with them earlier when he used the stone just whetted his appetite for more. These were two people he knew without a doubt truly loved him. After all, they gave their very lives to make sure he lived and there can be no greater love than to lay down your life for another.

Harry finally stepped into the clearing and eyed Voldemort with his strange looking face, pale skin, and evil red eyes. He could hardly be called human anymore. Close by him were all his crazy Death Eaters. Harry then saw Hagrid who cried out “No, Harry!” because Harry actually arrived to give himself up as Voldemort was demanding. Harry saw that Hagrid was tied to a big tree and held at wand point by several Death Eaters surrounding him.

Then Harry heard that familiar raspy voice. “Come to die, Harry?” asked Voldemort, as he smiled knowing he was finally going to kill this threat to his grand plan to rule the world.

“Yes,” he said looking back at Voldemort, speaking with no fear. “I see no point in drawing this out and watching you kill more innocent people all because you believe yourself special. You’re not special. Your nothing but a psychopathic megalomaniac with visions of grandeur. Your mentally challenged and someone needs to put you out of not just your misery but everyone else’s as well.”

There were sharp gasps of breath from the Death Eaters who couldn’t believe anyone would speak to their lord like that. But Voldemort remained unfazed with a slight smile still on his thin lips.

“Ah, ever the sharp wit, Harry. You do realize, don’t you, that I have your blood now running through my veins? I can kill you with no worry of it coming back at me. Your mother used old magic tied to your blood, but it will no longer work against me. This time you. will. die.” he said slowly with emphasis on that last part.

“Well, at least I’ll be in a better place, Tom. I’m quite certain you can’t say the same when you die.”

“You dare call me that?!” he asked furiously.

“Do you really think I’m afraid to speak my mind? If you do then you truly are mentally challenged. I mean what are you going to do about it? Kill me?” Harry chuckled. “Go right ahead, Tom. I’m waiting.”

“You are a very powerful wizard, Harry, and it’s a shame you have to die. But that’s the necessity of it. Have it your way. Good-bye, Harry,” he said softly, then with all the hate he could muster, “AVADA KEDAVRA!” Voldemort yelled as he raised his wand and cast the spell.

Harry watched as the green light of the killing curse sped toward him. He had an urge to move out of the way and use his wand against Voldemort but that would defeat the purpose, so he stood there and watched it get closer. It seemed to almost be in slow motion, or did his awareness and thinking just speed up? When it finally hit him he knew no more. His body was alive and now it was dead.

Voldemort thought for a moment that he messed up again because when the curse hit Harry it blew the dark lord backwards off his feet and it did that incredibly hard. He noticed though that none of his Death Eaters were knocked down from the force, only himself. He checked his body for any injuries but found none so he quickly stood back up, checking to see if the boy was moving at all. He was tired of these surprises but it looks like he finally finished off that troublesome Potter.

The boy truly was powerful, or was it more than that, he was thinking. Nevertheless, it was finally over. All who can truly challenge him were dead. Dumbledore last year and now finally Potter. There were no more who could stand up to him.

His reign was assured.

Harry woke up in a different place. He was wearing very neat clothes that fit him perfectly for a change. He stood up and heard a noise. It was coming from under a bench not very far away. In fact, there were several benches as it appears he was in some place that looked a lot like King’s Cross Station, although it was a lot cleaner.

The thing making a noise was all deformed looking. It even looked a bit like the ugly face of the baby homunculus Voldemort possessed before his rebirth at the end of Harry’s fourth year. It then dawned on Harry that it had to be the horcrux he was finally free of. But what was this place and where does he need to go? He died but now he was in this strange place and there was no one else around that he could see.

Suddenly he heard his name being called. He looked up and he saw two people fading into view out of thin air. They started running toward him, calling his name, and as they drew closer they looked like his mum and dad. He suddenly knew for sure that it was them. Elated, he started running toward them too. He was finally, after all these years, going to be with his parents.

They met halfway and a big group hug commenced. They could not get enough of each other. They hugged for a long time.

When they finally parted a little, Harry said with tears in his eyes, “I’ve been wanting to see you guys in person for so long.”

“My brave, brave boy,” Lily said with tears flowing.

“I couldn’t be prouder of you, Son,” James added with a hand on Harry’s shoulder, his eyes also misty.

“Thank you,” Harry said shyly, then looked back up at them. “So, what is this place?”

“It’s basically a stopping off place,” his father explained.

“A place that is in between,” his mother added. “It can look different for everyone though.”

“So, you’re here to take me to the final place?” Harry asked slightly confused at their explanations.

“Not quite, Harry,” Lily told him, “and we only have a little time to explain.”

“What is there to explain?” he asked confused again.

“You have a choice, Son. A death requires a soul and that horcrux over there under that bench is a soul, or at least part of one. That means you can go back and finish what you started. The snake still needs to be destroyed but after that Voldemort will have no more horcruxes left. His body is a magical construct so when that last horcrux is killed he’s going to be weakened because his tether to life will be at its weakest point.”

“You can then kill him and live your life never having to worry about him again. You will be free from him finally, Son,” his mum assured him.

“But what if I want to stay with you?” Harry asked.

“You can do that if you truly want to, Harry,” James told him.

“But you should go back, fall in love, and continue the Potter name with as many grandbabies as you can give us, Sweetie,” his mother explained. “Wouldn’t you agree with that?” she asked smiling.

Harry began thinking it over, pondering the possibilities of each choice.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be here, Son,” James assured him, “waiting for you when it’s your time. It’s just not your time yet. You have a very long life ahead of you and a lot of good you can do for the world.”

“But you guys didn’t get a long life. You both died young!” he complained.

“That was our purpose, Harry,” explained Lily. “We fully understand that now. Our purpose was to have you and make sure you survived because the rest of the world is depending on you. Not us, but you. Understand?”

Harry finally nodded reluctantly then changed the subject, looking at his father. “You know, all my life I’ve been told that I look a lot like you, Dad, but with Mum’s eyes. We’re not exactly alike but I can definitely see the resemblance.”

“Very true, Harry, but I can tell you that there is another Potter who you favor even more and that is your great-grandfather Henry. It’s amazing how much you look like him. In fact, except for the eyes, you could be his identical twin. You are both about the same all over, including height and build.”

“Really?” Harry asked. “Is there a portrait anywhere I can see for myself?”

“Yes, there is. You’ll find him in Potter Manor. There’s also an extra portrait of him when he was younger in the Potter family vault which you are now old enough to manage yourself.”

“I’ll check them both out,” he assured them.

“You should know that he travelled to America back in the 1870’s as a young man. He left when he was about your age now of 17, as a matter of fact. He bought him a pistol with holster and a rifle that were popular back then and learned how to use them really well. He was a cowboy and was even known as a quickdraw artist. He had some big adventures, that’s for sure. He brought it all back with him and his old western guns are stored in the manor for safe keeping.”

“Wow! And he was your grandfather?”

“Yes, he was something else. Very brave like you, Harry.”

“I can’t wait to talk to him. I bet he’ll be a blast!”

“You can count on that,” James said with a smile. “My parents had me late in life but I met him as a small child. He was very old and missing his wife, my grandmother, who died young. In fact, she died not long after my father was born so I never got to meet her in person. Just her portrait which my grandfather spent a lot of time in front of. He lived a long time without her and would have likely lived a good bit longer but he often spoke of my grandmother and how much he missed her. I think he went earlier than he would normally because of that, but he was a very powerful wizard so he should have had a longer life. Just another thing you have in common with him, Harry. Lots of power.”

Just when Harry was going to ask more, they suddenly heard a tinkling bell sound.

“That’s our cue, Harry,” his mother informed him. “I’m afraid our time is up.”

“You’ll need to go back now, Son. And we’ll go back where we belong,” James informed him.

“I love you guys,” Harry cried with tears in his eyes realizing how lucky he was to spend this precious amount of time with his parents.

“We love you too,” they both said together as all three joined in a group hug again.

When they stepped back, Harry asked quickly, “How do I go back?”

“I suspect you merely intend to do so and it will happen,” his mother said cryptically.

As his parents began to fade away, Harry remembered what his dad said about his great-grandfather and he desired very much to talk to him. He then intended to go back and finish the job.

Harry woke up again but something was different. He did not feel like he was back in his own body. Nor did he appear to be back at Hogwarts. There was no sound of the Death Eaters nearby and he wasn’t laying on the ground where he fell. In fact, if he had to guess, he seemed to be a passenger in someone else’s body. He was trying to see what was going on but everything was black and he couldn’t get his eyes to open.

He ventured a “hello” to see if anyone responded. The body he was in jerked awake and stood quickly, his eyes looking around everywhere. Now Harry could see and everything looked very rustic and a bit on the dusty side.

“Who said that?” asked the man with an English accent but with a touch of the American west mixed in. He was still looking around for the person who spoke and woke him from his slumber.

“Please remain calm, sir. I’m just as surprised as you are. My name is Harry Potter and somehow I ended up in your body. Sorry, but it’s a very long story.”

“Hang on! You said your name is Potter?” he asked slowly realizing the voice was inside his head.

“Yes, I’m Harry James Potter.”

“Curious. My name is Hank Potter. Do we happen to be related?” he asked within his mind this time.

“Is Hank a nickname for Henry?”

“Yes, my real name is Henry Potter but I go by Hank these days.”

“Well, that makes you my great-grandfather,” he told him wondering how this could happen.

“What?!” Hank exclaimed loudly. “I’ve never even had kids.”

“You will. I assure you. I’m from the future and somehow I need to get back to my timeline. Hopefully magic will correct the mistake. By the way, what year is it?”

“1875, Harry. What year are you from?” he was speaking again internally.

“1998.”

“Whoa! That is definitely in the future. Are you sure I’m not dreaming this?”

“Maybe, but then I would have to be dreaming too, right?” Harry asked.

Hank sighed. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to tell me how you got here, even if it’s a long story. This is strange, but it’s magic we’re talking about. Sometimes it doesn’t always make sense. Maybe we can figure it all out together.”

“Okay, here goes,” Harry started as he told him practically everything, leaving out things he should probably keep him from knowing so the future doesn’t get changed unwittingly from that knowledge.

“Harry, I can’t imagine what all you’ve had to put up with and yet you are still going. Sounds like magic had other ideas for you, at least for now. I believe that since it’s your purpose to rid the world of that dark lord, then I have to believe magic is going to make sure you are allowed to finish the job. How? I don’t know yet but I’d bet the ranch on it.”

“Thanks for being willing to help me out and not freaking out about this weird situation. I hope you are right and I can get back to finishing the job. Meanwhile, since we are in this predicament, is there anything you can teach me while we wait and try to figure out what to do so I can kill that madman? I’m 17 and haven’t graduated Hogwarts yet. I could use some help since he has about 50 years more experience than me.”

“Why certainly, Harry. The reason I came to the American west is because I was fascinated by it. I’ve learned to use their weapons. I bought a pistol and a rifle, both chambered for 44 cartridges so they use the same bullets.”

“Sounds interesting.”

Hank went on to explain to Harry about the guns and how he, with the help of some other magicals who were more knowledgeable than himself, was able to enhance the guns with magic. He had a black holster with a black 1873 Colt revolver known as a “Peacemaker,” with its handle made of pearl. His rifle was a Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action.

Both were enhanced with runes that caused all the ammo to be conjured permanently whenever a chamber was empty which was right after the cylinder rotated to another round. That way he never ran out of bullets or had to reload.

Plus, the guns were even more magical than that, Hank explained. The runes also kept them clean and oiled properly while preventing them from wearing out from excessive use and firing. Plus, both guns had a silent mode but he tended to keep that off in America, unless he was just practicing, as it would draw too much attention with people around. In addition, he could call them from anywhere and they would appear in his hand, including the holster. They were tied to his Potter blood and he assured Harry that when he returned to his own time he would be able to call those same guns to him since, as Harry explained, they would be stored at Potter Manor after Hank returned home.

Then Hank went about showing Harry how to use them. He did a lot of target practice normally so he went outside for some more and so he could show Harry at the same time. Harry had no control over his great-grandfather’s body but he did feel all the muscle movement as he was along for the ride. He could basically feel everything but was not in any control over it.

He supposed if he did then that would be a form of possession, something he did not want to happen. Hank assured him it did not feel like a possession either. It was just a second voice in his head besides his own, as far as he could determine, with him still having full control. In fact, there was no struggle to maintain control.

Hank was in his early twenties now and had already spent a few years in America, from not long after he turned 17. Whatever he needed to do or wherever he needed to go, he went and did it with Harry now tagging along for the ride. One evening he rode on his horse to a nearby town, left his horse at the hitching rail, and went into a saloon to have a drink. He was soon braced by a surly cowboy who heard Hank Potter was a fast draw.

Hank, like most all the other men, wore a cowboy hat with his boots, pants, shirt and vest. Everything was black except for the shirt, which was a dark red. He was neatly clean and trimmed, plus his clothes stayed dust free due to magic. The same could not be said about the other cowboy who was feeling his oats. He was a bit on the dusty side in some well-worn clothes. He did keep his gun clean and in good condition though.

“Hank Potter!” he called out.

“Yes?” answered Hank as he turned toward the voice on his right. “What can I do for you?” he asked the other man, as Hank was slightly leaning against the bar on his left elbow in a relaxed manner, his right hand near his pistol.

“I hear tell you’re fast with that there pistol. Well, I believe I’m faster,” he said with bravado.

“Is that so?” Hank said standing up tall from his relaxed position. “Well, congratulations on your confidence in your ability. Too bad we can’t prove it.”

“We could draw against each other and that would prove it,” he stated like it was simple as that.

“Why in the world would we do that?” Hank asked him incredulously. “If I have to pull my weapon against you then I’m likely going to have to kill you. No, it’s best just to leave that question unanswered. No one needs to die tonight.”

There was a pause after Hank finished but then the other cowboy decided he wasn’t done. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“You better draw you yeller-bellied coward!” he yelled.

Suddenly the man was looking at the pistol in Hank’s hand and he drew it so fast everyone was shocked that they barely saw him move he was going so fast. The cowboy wasn’t expecting that at all. He thought Hank Potter would then agree to gunfight him, they would stare at each other for a moment, before going for their pistols. Wasn’t that how it was supposed to work?

“Oh, sorry. I thought you were ready,” Hank told him congenially. “I’ll holster mine and you can try again.”

Hank spun the pistol on his finger and deftly slipped it back in its holster as smooth as can be. But it leaped back out as soon as it landed in the holster and Hank was pointing it at the cowboy again whose eyes grew very large at the speed he did that.

He then realized Hank Potter could have killed him twice now, but he was talking again so he decided to pay attention.

“Well, if you weren’t serious about showing me how fast you are then I’ll just finish my drink and head on home,” Hank told him as he spun the pistol again with extra spins this time and even tossing it into the air slightly only to have it land perfectly back in the holster. “That alright with you?” he asked him seriously when he finished the display, his hand still close to his gun.

The cowboy just nodded in agreement and sat back down to have another drink as Hank was left alone to finish off his.

“Very well played,” Harry told him as they headed out of the saloon. “I can see why all the practice. It served as a deterrent and no one had to die.”

“He was an idiot who probably drank too much, Harry. He certainly didn’t need to die.”

“You’ve become very good with those weapons, Hank. If I ever get back to my time I’ll have to see if I can be just as good.”

“I have every confidence in you, Harry. I also have plenty of confidence that you will get back to your time. Don’t worry. It will all work out.”

Hank took Harry travelling with him to different parts of the west, showing him the sights as he took them in as well, experiencing more gun play as they travelled. They even road on the stage coach to one town and it ended up being held up by some criminals. They were planning on stealing the strongbox that had a shipment of money going to a bank in the next town. There was a guard riding in the stage accompanying the money. The driver was alone with no one riding shotgun as they were not expecting any trouble.

When they stopped the stage and had everyone get out at gun point, Hank, the guard, and the others, which included a couple of women, climbed out with Hank giving the ladies a hand as they stepped down. The driver had already climbed down from his perch.

Hank could tell that the guard took his job a bit too seriously and was likely going to get himself and others killed with his carelessness. It was only money and not worth dying over. There were five of the bandits with guns pointed at them so remaining calm was the best bet. Sure enough when one of them climbed up on top of the stage and reached for the strongbox, the guard went for his gun.

Hank was waiting on his chance. He knew if the guard went for his gun then that would be the best time while they were focused on the guard. The guard managed to shoot the one with his hands on the strongbox and while most of the other four were watching the strongbox too. The man he shot did not even have his gun in his hand as he was dealing with the heavy box with both hands. It was just the fact he was taking the box that caused the guard to shoot.

When the guard went for his gun, Hank’s hand flashed and suddenly he was fanning his pistol as he shot three of the men out of the saddle very quickly, but the fourth man, who was more off to the side, managed to shoot the guard before Hank’s fourth shot took him out. The bandit managed to shoot the guard immediately after the guard shot the one getting the strongbox.

While all the bandits were dead from being shot through the heart, the guard was still alive though because the horse jerked when the man shot him during all the gunfire, so the shot was a little off. However, he was still hurt pretty badly. Hank quickly drew his wand and extracted the bullet before sealing the wound as best he could. He wasn’t a healer but had picked up a few minor healing spells in his studies. He then obliviated everyone all at once to remove the memory of seeing him use magic. They believed instead that he deftly and quickly dug it out with a knife.

They were still in shock anyway from his speed at taking out 4 of the 5 bandits.

They then watched as he quickly climbed up for his bag then dug around in it, where he permanently conjured some bandages but kept that hidden within the bag and with his back to them. He then bandaged the guard’s wound in his side and helped put him inside the stage with the ladies who were going to look after him.

The men then tied the dead bandits to their horses and the horses to the back of the stage before getting back on their way into the next town where they would release the bodies to the marshal and get the guard to the doc.

No one was surprised when they learned that the guard shot one of the men and Hank took out the other four. The name of Hank Potter being quite fast and good with a gun had spread. Now, he was even more well-known and the incident in the saloon with fancy gun play was still a big topic of interest most everywhere a person went in the west. After all, news was rare so it travelled fast in the west.

Hank continued to show Harry even more and used his guns frequently, even if it was just practice. He always used both the pistol and the rifle when he practiced. He was not only good with the pistol, but he was an excellent marksman using his rifle from a long distance.

Hank spent a few more months in America before he decided it was time to go home. He had scratched his itch and even made a name for himself with his ability with guns. It was time to get back to Potter Manor and finish training so he would be ready to take on managing the Potter fortune from his dad when it was time.

He also planned to see if Elisabeth Fleamont was still waiting for him after all her extra schooling. She was two years behind him in Hogwarts but the prettiest girl in the school according to him. She was also planning on attending university after Hogwarts so that gave him a few years for his adventures in America. Yep, there was just something special about that girl.

Hank took a portkey back to Potter Place where Harry was able to see the manor for the first time and even meet his great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother. Hank never mentioned Harry to them. When he went to bed that first night back in his own manor suite, he told Harry that he would speak to his parents and fill them in the next day and see if they had any ideas that would help get him home.

However, during the night while Hank was sleeping Harry remembered what his mother had told him in that final sentence she uttered, how he needed to intend to go where he wanted. He recalled thinking about talking to his great-grandfather right before he was sent from that place and lo and behold he appeared in Hank. However, during the night Harry disappeared while Hank was sleeping because he intended very clearly to be back in his own body this time.

Hopefully, his knowledge he gained of using a pistol and rifle will come in handy as he planned to finish off Voldemort for good.

This time it worked because his soul left and was returned to his own body in his own time. In fact, he realized after he woke that he was being carried by Hagrid and now Voldemort was bragging how he killed Harry Potter and how they all just needed to surrender. There was no need for further loss of life, he told them. They only needed to bow down and accept Lord Voldemort as their merciful lord.

Harry could hear many of the ones at the school crying due to the news of his death. His head was turned to the side away from Hagrid so he opened his eyes and saw Ginny crying, saying “No, no, no. Not Harry!” That prompted him into action.

With a jerk, he rose up in Hagrid’s large arms to a sitting position.

“Let me down, Hagrid. I’m not done yet,” he told him quietly then jumped down to the ground, firing a curse at Voldemort as he did so.

Voldemort simply blocked the curse but was shocked to see Harry back alive. How? How could this be happening? By the time he thought to cast back, Harry had disappeared from view and the ones in front of the castle were attacking his followers with renewed vigor as they backed themselves into the castle again for protection.

Many of his followers died in the skirmish because they were all looking at an alive again Harry Potter while the ones at the castle were quicker to lend a hand. Voldemort turned toward the ones firing curses, blocked a few, and then decided to fire some killing curses at them. A couple of his senior Death Eaters decided to join him. However, some of the teachers, other adults, and older students were throwing debris in the way of the curses to block them as everyone fled for cover.

Surprisingly, the stone statues that had come to life earlier stepped in front of the fighters and took on the killing curses for them. Normally a killing curse would destroy the stone but these were magically enhanced so very little damage was done. A little more damage was done with Voldemort’s power but they still stood.

The fighting continued with the Death Eaters doing better than they were before, after they started paying better attention, while the ones at the castle were now defending themselves as best they could.

Suddenly there was something coming from the side in the direction where Harry Potter had run off. Voldemort could see blood show up on the chests and sometimes head of his Death Eaters but he could not see the spells. However, they appeared to be very powerful piercing spells from the looks of them. They were being killed by something he couldn’t see or hear. Voldemort yelled for them to fall back to cover before he lost too many. He saw several more die though as they ran for cover.

When Harry jumped down from Hagrid and fired that curse at Voldemort he felt more alive than he has felt in a long time. He immediately took off running to find cover before he was killed again and likely for good this time around.

He made it behind some large stone from the castle that the giants broke off before he ran straight, keeping the large piece of stone between him and his enemies. He finally managed to get far enough away and into a secure enough place, in an outside alcove of the castle, so he could prepare for the fight ahead. He was now covered on three sides by the castle and there was no one in sight on the open side.

Then with a thought he called for Hank’s weapons, hoping they would show up. Sure enough they did but they had a small chest chained to the holster belt buckle. Harry whipped out his wand and released the chest from the holster before reversing the shrinking charm he was sure was placed on the chest. It immediately grew to a normal size.

Harry opened the chest and found that it was larger on the inside. He then saw what looked like Hank’s hat, clothes, and boots. There was also a note included so he read it.

Harry,

I included my clothes in this specially enhanced chest, protected with blood wards, because I never told you that my outfit and hat are covered in runes on the inside to protect from harm. Even if I ran across someone faster than me, the runes would have stopped the bullet. I could not take the chance of getting killed or I never would have heard the end of it from my dad. He thought me running off to the wild west was silly in the first place. I had to make sure I would return and take up the Potter headship when it was my time.

Wear them for protection, Harry. Don’t worry. I made sure they were cleaned and kept that way. You told me what your dad said about us looking like twins, except for your eyes. I’m sure they will fit just fine. If not make any adjustments you need. You are after all a wizard and don’t forget, an important Potter too.

The runes will also stop most spells but not all powerful ones, especially the unforgivables. Don’t let those hit you. Take care of that dark lord and make your great-grandad Hank proud. I have all the confidence in the world for you to succeed.

By the way, I was surprised when I woke up the next morning to find you gone from my head. I even missed you for a while. I got accustomed to hearing your voice, Harry, even though you kept it to a minimum so as not to distract me or hinder me. Know that you were never a hinderance, Harry. But I understand you are better off in your own body and finishing the job you were meant to do. It was my pleasure serving as your host and teaching you about things even though I was only a few years in age older than you at the time.

At least we had that time together. Without that fluke of magic we never would have had the opportunity so I’m very thankful that I got to meet you in that way and we had the ability to talk to each other. I hope you are thankful too and know that I’m looking forward to seeing you face to face even if it will be mine from my portrait.

Remember not everyone needs to die, but from what I understand about your dark lord and his followers they do not fall in that category so give them what they deserve and hit them where it counts the most.

Go save the world from that lunatic, Harry!

Love from your great-grandfather (Hank)

Harry smiled. He really loved his great-grandfather. They were like two peas in a pod, not just how they looked but how they thought and acted. Anytime Hank looked in the mirror while Harry was with him, it was like looking at himself for Harry, except for the eyes of course. Hank’s were a light grey.

Harry quickly stripped and then reaching into the chest he donned Hank’s pants, shirt, belt, socks, boots, and cowboy hat. Everything fit him perfectly. He put his discarded clothes inside the chest and shrunk it back down before putting it in his pocket. He then picked up the holster with the pistol in it and strapped it on, then tied it down to his right leg. After it was situated perfectly with his pistol in easy reach, just like Hank carried it, Harry picked up the rifle and set out to finish the job he started.

He then remembered something so stopped, checked, and activated the rune for silencing on both weapons.

After that was done, he went quickly until he was back at the fallen castle stone. He then eased over to the right side that had a piece that jutted out for a little protection. He used his wand to transfigure the stone so it protected him more with a slot he could both see and shoot out of. He then used the rifle and sighted on the Death Eaters in front of Voldemort that the dark lord was using for protection as they fought the ones from the castle.

His rifle made no sound when he squeezed the trigger, but a Death Eater’s chest burst with blood before he fell down dead. That wasn’t too hard, he thought. It seems he did learn a lot from all that time spent with Hank. So, Harry commenced to shooting as many as he could and as fast as he could before they could do anything about it. He was working that lever on the rifle as fast as he could go. Most were shot in the heart but some he had to shoot in the head if that was all that he could see.

As he was shooting and it was becoming harder with the Death Eaters disbursing to cover behind something in a hurry, Harry heard a noise to his right. He then heard the start of the killing curse.

“Avada Ke—”

Without even thinking about it, Harry dropped his hand from the rifle and quick as lightning he pulled his pistol and shot the Death Eater who found his hiding place. He was much quicker than the spell completion. He could see the person out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned his head while firing the shot he discovered it was Bellatrix Lestrange.

“Too slow Bella,” he told her. “You should have led with the torture curse. Half as many syllables,” he explained as she fell over straight backwards in shock, dead due to being shot in the heart with a 44.

Harry could see that he gained muscle memory while with Hank. He appeared to be just as fast or faster with his quickdraw.

He decided to leave his spot since he could no longer see any Death Eaters or Voldemort. He made his way slowly around much of the debris and the dead bodies looking for more Death Eaters and Voldemort, his rifle pointed in front of him as he prowled around.

At one point he saw a giant causing more damage but he seemed to be the last one left. Harry sighted on one of the giant’s eyes and popped it a couple of times with his rifle. He then watched as the giant died, falling over to the ground. The bullets went into his brain. Fortunately, he also fell on a couple of trolls left and several Death Eaters nearby, decreasing their number. Harry managed to finish off the few remaining trolls by shooting them in the eye as well.

Occasionally, Harry would flush a Death Eater or two out of their hiding place, killing them quickly with his rifle before they could get a spell off. He continued on being as careful as he could be. He had just turned a corner into a small open space and was moving to check behind the next possible cover when he heard a voice behind him.

“We’ve got you dead to rights, Potter. Put down the muggle weapon or we’ll kill you where you stand.”

Harry turned slowly to find seven Death Eaters with their wands on him. He noticed two of them were the Lestrange brothers. The other five he wasn’t sure of. Seeing they had the drop on him, he knelt down and placed his rifle on the ground in front of him. He then raised back up and waited to see what they would do next.

He heard and saw one of the brothers say, “Don’t bother with the Killing Curse as he is obviously immune, however that works,” he said confused.

“Probably the only person in the world that is, brother,” the other Lestrange agreed.

“Yeh, but there are plenty other spells that will kill a person,” another one added their two cents. “I say we find out what works on him.”

Many were nodding their heads, but looked unsure.

“Are you guys afraid of me? A seventeen year old?” Harry asked them.

“You’ve got to admit, Potter, there’s something different about you,” Rabastan said.

“Definitely, Potter, something very different,” agreed Rodolphus. “By the way, have you seen my wife, Bellatrix?”

“Yes, I have. She’s dead, by the way. I killed her.”

“That’s it!” he said incensed. “Kill him now!”

They all moved their wands to cast their spells, but Harry had already remembered the incident with the stagecoach when Hank fanned his gun to kill the bandits.

Suddenly his pistol was in his hand before they could blink and Harry was fanning it as he began mowing down all seven of them one at a time. He did step to the side while he kept firing to sidestep some curses two managed to cast but all seven were dead before they could cast another.

Checking that they were all dead, Harry twirled his pistol and placed it back in the holster smoothly. Muscle memory for the win, he thought to himself. He then bent over and retrieved his rifle from the ground, brushing off any dirt. He then turned and continued on his way.

A good many of the newly marked Death Eaters, who noticed all the giants and trolls were dead, were also finding most of their fellow Death Eaters dead in many places with some being members of the inner circle. They decided they weren’t interested in the cause anymore, especially if it meant your life was forfeit. They quickly made their way off castle grounds so they could apparate away before it was too late. Some made it, others were caught and killed for desertion.

As Harry continued to look, he finally found Voldemort in a protected and open area. Not far from him was his snake Nagini. There were only a few of his Death Eaters still hanging about. Harry saw Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, Thaddeus Nott, Augustus Rookwood, and Peter Pettigrew.

Using his rifle before anyone spotted him, Harry shot the snake through the head and then Pettigrew who was close to it. He walked out and continued shooting, this time from his hip with his rifle, to take down the other Death Eaters as they tried to defend themselves but were way too slow.

Harry noticed that Voldemort looked a bit weak after the snake died. He muttered a desperate “no” when he saw it happen but had not managed to fight back yet while his Death Eaters died quickly.

Harry continued walking but had his rifle hanging down in his hand by his leg now. Voldemort was the only one left that Harry could see. There might be more on the grounds but the others from the castle were likely dealing with them.

“A rifle, Harry?” Voldemort rasped. “You’re using a filthy Muggle weapon as a wizard? How shameful!”

“It did the job, didn’t it?”

“And why are you dressed as a cowboy? Do you think this is a game? Are you playing cowboys and Indians?”

“No, no game. This is in honor of my great-grandfather, Hank Potter, who was a gun-slinger back in the 1870’s in the American west. This is what he wore and the weapons he used, he said holding up the rifle. It’s magically enhanced of course.”

“What about the pistol on your hip?” Voldemort asked.

“Also enhanced, but I only use that one in emergencies. It requires much better skill and aim.”

“So you plan on trying to kill me with a Muggle rifle?” he asked incredulously, as he could produce a shield strong enough to block it.

“No, of course not. You are looking a little peaked after I destroyed Nagini, your last horcrux. I’ll put the rifle down and fight you with my wand in my left hand, which is my off hand, just to make it fair.”

Harry laid the rifle on the ground and let his wand drop into his right hand from its holster, but then switched it to his left hand, as he straightened back up. He then stood ready with his wand out in front but pointed slightly down, his right hand hanging straight down by his side.

“You destroyed all my horcruxes!?” he asked very upset.

“Dumbledore helped but I did most of them,” Harry answered calmly. “You even helped destroy one.”

“How?” he asked very confused.

“I was an accidental horcrux, Tom. My scar held the piece of your soul that you were going to use to make another one. But, when your curse bounced back and struck you down that piece of soul went into my head as a baby. Then, when you struck me down in the forest earlier, it was not my soul that passed on it was yours. After all, you carry some of my blood so the death curse would not remove my soul but the foreign one that did not belong. That’s how I survived the second time from your killing curse. In fact, I doubt seriously you can kill me with a killing curse. Soul magic is very tricky in our situation.”

“But I am still the most powerful wizard even without my soul anchors!”

“No, not really,” Harry answered as a simple matter of fact. “I doubted it at first but I finally understood and accepted the part of the prophecy that said you would mark me as your equal. It basically means I’m just as powerful as you magically, but you currently are weakened because your tether to life is at its weakest point with no soul anchors left to tie you to this earthly plane.”

“That may be but I am still far more than you can handle. I have the experience and still plenty of power to finish the job. I can then find a new way to immortality. The dark arts are practically limitless in that regard.”

“Very well, let’s see what you got. I’m ready when you are,” Harry said moving his wand a little and gripping it tighter.

Voldemort was looking more confident than he should be, especially when he said, “It’s very foolish of you, Harry, to use your off hand, but I appreciate your confidence. Prepare to die.

“Crucio!” Voldemort yelled.

Harry’s right hand flashed as he took two steps to the right at the same time to avoid the curse. His pistol fired twice into Voldemort’s chest which caused him to drop to his knees. A third shot put a hole in his head, right between the eyes, before he fell over face first to the ground.

The greatest dark lord for centuries dead by Harry Potter’s hand and his great-grandfather Hank’s pistol.

Harry calmly walked over to retrieve his rifle from the ground where he left it. He removed the shrunken chest from his pocket, expanded it again, and opened it. He then picked up the rifle, dusted it off, and placed it into the chest for safekeeping. He shrunk the chest again after that and placed it back in his pocket before heading back to the castle.

A great cheer was lifted up by the survivors for his victory when they saw him. They were so happy he managed to rid the world of that monster.

Harry found out later that nearly all of the Death Eaters were dead, even the ones that were captured. A few who were still alive no longer had any magic or very little. Turns out that after Nagini was killed by Harry and Voldemort was feeling weaker, that he used the dark mark to drain the magic from his followers.

It was something he put in the dark mark just in case he needed it. So, instead of helping the Death Eaters near him as Harry killed them, he was draining their magic and all the others still alive. That’s why he felt more confident when he should have still been weak when they faced each other that last time, Harry realized. “It seems we both had secrets,” he was thinking. “Oh well, I finished the job either way,” Harry said to himself.

Everyone was so happy to see him but many were also mourning for the ones that died in the battle. And, even though Ginny was sad at the loss of Fred she was overjoyed to see Harry Potter alive, even if he was dressed as a cowboy.

Harry removed his hat as he stared down at Fred’s body, but then he was suddenly engulfed in a hug by a crying Ginny, her tears wetting the front of his shirt and vest. Harry put his hat back on his head so he could have both arms free to hug her close and let her cry.

He would have cried with her but he was feeling way to numb after everything he had been through and accomplished, all the death he witnessed and dealt out with his own hands. It would take some time to feel normal again.

It took a while but she finally stepped back and took in his appearance with a smile on her face, even though her cheeks still had tears running down them.

“I never knew about this side of you, Harry. A cowboy? I mean you really look like an authentic cowboy.” She paused as she looked him over again. “It’s a really good look. I have to admit,” she said with her cheeks turning pink.

“All this is courtesy of my great-grandfather Henry Potter, although I’m fond of calling him Hank. He was a cowboy in his day. This is what he wore and the weapons he used. As soon as I can I’m headed to my ancestral home, Potter Manor, to find his portrait and have a nice long chat,” he said with a smile.

“You have a manor?” she asked.

Harry nodded in reply. “Would you like to see it sometime?”

“I certainly would, but first you need to kiss me. I know I look a mess, but I still need that kiss. Please?” she begged softly.

“As you wish, my Ginny,” he said with a smile.

Ginny reached up and removed his cowboy hat, before using her other hand to pull him by the back of his neck down to her waiting lips. Harry wasted no time wrapping his arms around her tighter and hugging her closer as their tongues sought each other out.

There were cheers from their friends as they witnessed the act, but the couple paid them no mind. This was a long time coming.

Yes, they would have to bury a lot of people and mourn their loss but both knew the future held far more of this for them both and Harry was perfectly willing to shoot anyone who would dare try to stand in their way.

Harry first went to Gringotts as soon as he left the castle to get a portkey out of the family vault that will take him to Potter Manor. He then went to spend time with the Weasleys, his adopted family, and Hermione who was staying with them too. Of course, Ginny was part of that Weasley family so he planned to be at her side as long as she needed him.

After the many funerals were over and they made it through all the intense mourning, Harry finally took his portkey to Potter Manor. He was surprised that there were house elves still taking care of the place. There were three of them, Mattie, Lucy, and Jojo, and they were very happy to see the last Potter show up to claim his position in the family.

Harry missed Dobby, but was glad he had new friends to share his life with.

After they fed him and showered him with attention before putting him in the Master Suite with his belongings to let him get settled, he let Mattie know that he needed to see a particular portrait. She of course, knew exactly where it was.

Harry took the time to dress in his western outfit, along with the guns, before setting out to talk to the portrait. There was a good bit of chatter from the other portraits as they saw him walk by in his get up, but he didn’t stop until Mattie had him in front of his great-grandfather Henry’s portrait.

“Hello Hank!” Harry said cheerfully.

“Harry?” he asked. “Wow, you do look just like me when I was younger. That’s amazing! My outfit still looks as good as the day I bought it too. Although, I would have to say it’s yours now.”

“I’m so glad to see you again, Hank, although you look more like my great-grandfather at this age.”

“That’s what happens, Harry. So now you know what you will look like when you reach my age. I still can’t get over how you look just like me.” He paused then continued. “Anyway. Tell me how it went with that dark lord of yours. The elves made sure we got the news from the Prophet because we were all interested in how the last Potter faired.”

“Well, I appeared back in my body when I realized I had to intend specifically for that, remembering what my mum said….”

THE END