Disclaimer: Not mine. No characters are mine, nothing is mine. Well, except for the writing style, though I haven't really figured one out yet...
A/N: Though this is not the first story I've written, it is the first story under this name, and one of the first non-romance stories I've written. I hope you enjoy it, and please do not flame me too harshly.
Warnings: Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, slight spoilers for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, and major spoilers for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
How many times now? How many times?
Sometimes it seems that no one listens to me, even though I'm right, even though I'm Harry Potter. This time...was so much worse. In first year, it wasn't that bad. 'I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected.' That's what Professor McGonagall told me when I tried to tell her someone was going to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. In third year, 'Sirius Black is innocent!' I told them. But once again, I was only a child, and that foolish man Fudge didn't believe me. Now I wonder, why didn't they put my memories into a pensieve so they could look and see Peter Pettigrew? They were idiots, and I was one as well. Not that I knew of them- pensieves- at the time, but somehow, I should have tried harder.
Now, because no one listened, now He's dead. I tried to tell them, 'Malfoy's up to something. Snape's helping him.' But no. They just told me that I was being paranoid, that Malfoy wasn't doing anything. That Snape was really on our side.
But they were wrong! They should have listened! He's dead because no one listened. And He trusted Snape, the man who saw my parents dead! He trusted him because Snape appologized, because Snape said he never meant for it to happened. Snape was a traitor to the Dark side, he would help the Light win, should Voldemort return.
But he lied.
No one should have trusted him. But they did. Now the man who was like my grandfather is dead, and nothing save Necromancy will ever bring him back. But Necromancy is for the evil, for the Dark. It would not truly bring him back, only give animation to his body. His spirit would not return.
I remember, in my first year, after I saved the Stone from Quirrell, when He told me that He wasn't afraid of death, for death is but the next great adventure.
I'm not going back next year. He might have wanted me to, but I have to find all the Horcruxes left. Then, and only then, can I kill Voldemort. Just as He would have wanted. Maybe, after that, I can finish school. See Ginny again. I really do love her. I just don't want her caught up in this mess. I don't want her killed to hurt me. When it's over, I'll ask her out again.
But first, there are three people on my 'To Kill' list.
Bellatrix, Voldemort, and Snape.
One killed Sirius. One killed my parents. One killed Him.
I will never forgive any of them, and I swear that they will die by my hands. Bellatrix killed her own cousin, my godfather! He was like a real father to me. I wish I could have known him longer, better. Voldemort, well, he has killed so many. More than I could count, most likely. My parents, Cedric...I hate him for it.
Snape, though. Him I hate the worst. He killed the man he was suposed to be loyal to. He killed Dumbledore. I can't believe he was the Half-Blood Prince! He will die first, and probably the most painfully. Perhaps Muggle torture? No, the Avada Kedavra is painful enough. I've felt it, through Voldemort, ripping your soul from your body. That will be enough pain, for even though I hate him, I really don't want to kill. But I know in the end, it doesn't matter what I want. I have to kill at least Voldemort.
Might as well practice will Bellatrix and Snape, right?