Vengeance

Summary: Harry has been asked to leave the Wizarding World after a great deal of dark magic entered his bloodstream. No one expected him to return. What if he does- angry?

Notes: Dumbledore has survived, Harry is powerful/dark(especially later on in the story), and romance is expected(although it is not the main focus).

Time to Go Back

Pain.

Watching his own hands covered in the blood leaking from his black eyes. Roaming foreign lands with beaten robes and black veins. Black. Color was something from the past, along with faces he distantly remembered. Yes, these faces would meet their demise.

Dumbledore. Ronald Weasley. Ginny Weasley. The whole bloody family of redheads. Hermione Granger. Neville Longbottom.

Harry smiled darkly, kicking stones across the frozen creek. Winter- his favorite month. The season was cold, unforgiving, harsh. Harry had to admire the fact that something seemed close to matching his current personality.

A lone rabbit crossed the grassy road Harry was walking on. With a flash of green light, the rabbit fell to the ground. Its two eyes lay on the dirt-ladened rocks a few feet away. Harry continued to walk, the first signs of his destination appearing.

Hogwarts was closer than he had estimated. At least, that's what the voice told him.

Flashback

"Harry, please, you have to understand." Dumbledore pleaded, grasping Harry's shaking arm. "We're not safe if you continue staying here." Harry roughly tore his arm from the old man's grasp, a dark look remaining on his face.

"I still don't understand, Albus. I don't feel any different. You must be mistaken if you think I'll turn evil in the blink of an eye." Harry remained standing, looking at the faces in front of him. A tear stained face of Hermione Granger, a look of fear on his red-headed best friend.

"Mate, please. We really don't want to do this." Ron said shakily, his wand still pointed at Harry's chest. "Just go- far away. We're not safe here with you." Ron's other hand remained wrapped around the waist of Hermione, who had thrown her wand down and refused to participate in the killing.

"Ron, please. You know it won't happen. Hell, I'm the bloody person who saved your guys's arses from Voldemort." Harry was pinned against a stone wall. He looked at McGonagall, Flitwick, Kingsley, Bill, Molly. All looked on the verge of tears, each threatening the Boy-Who-Lived with their wands.

"Harry, you know what happened! Stop denying it! You know what will happen to you, yet you can't admit it!" Hermione cried, throwing herself at Harry. He uncertainly rubbed the back of his best friend, who was sobbing profusely on his robes.

"Ms. Granger, get away. He's dangerous." Dumbledore said sharply. Ron quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Hermione, please!" Hermione ran out of the room, never to be seen by Harry again. He looked at Dumbledore a final time.

"Fine. Fine. You know what? I don't give a **** about Hogwarts anyway. I'll leave. I really enjoyed this congratulatory party for killing Voldemort."

"You know it's not like that, Harry. We wouldn't be doing it if..." Ginny was cut off by the terrifying scene of Harry jumping out the window.

"NO!" Ron screamed, running towards the window. He looked down to see nothing.

Harry was gone...for good.

End of Flashback

Hogwarts: 19 Years Later

"Ron, will you stop eating like a pig in front of the entire school?" Hermione asked, exasperated. "Set a good example for the kids!"

"These kids don't need examples! I swear, I've never seen such inflated pieces of..."

"Ron!"

"Sorry! It's true, though." Ron looked across the Great Hall to see the first years trickling in through the doors. Hagrid wore a pained smile on his face, something all the professors could relate to. The kids were getting rowdier and more annoying each year.

"Mm, looks like Hagrid had some fun this year." Hermione commented, the Care of Magical Creatures professor dripping in what looked like water.

"Appears so." The sorting commenced, the final tally going to Hufflepuff with six new recruits. Gryffindor, sadly, had gotten only two new members.

"Welcome to yet another year here at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore boomed over the chatter of students. The hall immediately became silent. "Due to Professor Flitwick's retirement..." Loud groans could be heard across the room. "Due to his dreaded retirement, a new Charms teacher has been asked to teach here."

"Doesn't look like he showed up." Ron muttered quietly, looking around the staff table. The Charms professor's seat remained unoccupied.

"Maybe he's late." Hermione sounded nervous.

"He has asked for no introduction, though. Charms classes with him will start tomorrow." Dumbledore continued with the usual housekeeping notifications, leaving both the students and teachers mystified.

"Want to go welcome him after the ceremony." Hermione asked. Ron wasn't sure. The guy sounded- strange.

"Yeah, just make sure you don't meet him without me." Hermione rolled her eyes and lightly punched him.

"Seriously, Ron. He doesn't sound like a serial killer."

"Just, please, we'll go together." Hermione smiled inwardly. She loved her husband- even with his major jealousy flaws. Ron was caring, nice, funny, and great to have around. He had made it easy when Harry had been forced to move.

"May another school year remain safe and fun!" Dumbledore finished, raising his glass. Ron and Hermione left the hall in a hurry, hoping to avoid the stampede of thrilled students.

"We checking the Ravenclaw staff room first?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded.

"Well, if he is replacing Flitwick, I'd say he also replaced his position as Head of House." They continued walking in silence, enjoying the feel of being back in the old castle. Both had been teaching at the school for three years- Ron enjoying his position as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Hermione teaching Ancient Runes.

The two found themselves looking at the wooden door of Ravenclaw's Head of House.

"I'll knock." Ron said. The two waited for the new professor to answer the door, but no sound came from inside. Ron tried again.

"He may still not be here." Hermione said. "We'll just come tomorrow." The two turned.

"Why, hello. Didn't expect to meet anyone so soon." A dark-haired man stood facing the two professors. Ron sized him up. The man was about five inches taller than he was and seemed almost too normal.

"Ron, Ron Weasley." He stuck out his hand. The Charms teacher seemed to flinch, but regained his composure and smiled at him.

"Ah, yes! The Defense teacher! I've heard good things about you, Mr. Weasley." Ron turned bright red.

"Urr, never knew I got that much credit." He mumbled. The dark-haired man chuckled. He turned to Hermione.

"And who might this beautiful lady be?" Hermione blushed. Ron smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"This is Hermione Granger, my wife." Ron confidently said. He took pride in the fact that many men would want to be him. After all, his wife really had turned quite pretty. The dark-haired man raised his eyebrow.

"I would think Mrs. Weasley would have a say in the conversation." Ron flushed an even deeper red and grew interested with a tiny bug on the wall next to him.

"My husband may get a bit overprotective when it comes to me." Hermione said, smiling. "Yes, I'm Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you." They shook hands.

"Oh, how rude of me! I haven't introduced myself yet. Harry. Harry Vindicta. And no- I am not related to Foryt Vindicta."

"Good night." Ron said abruptly, ushering his wife out of the corridor. Hermione had become extremely still.

"I'm sorry, Ron. It's just..." Hermione started to sob on Ron's chest. He kissed the top of her head.

"I know- Harry is someone that can be hard to forget. We just have to accept that he's not coming back."

Harry sat near the crackling fire, his wand rolling in between the slits that formed between his fingers. A cold draft pushed itself through the open window, disturbing the flames that had captivated the Charms professor for endless hours.

He checked his clock. Two hours past midnight. Harry liked being alone- away from the crowded Common Rooms and Halls. He just hoped that no one would recognize him.

"We'll start in a week." Harry muttered.

"A week?" Harry asked incredulously. "I thought the plan was to go to action tomorrow?"

"I need time to look around- get a feel for the place. It's been awhile since I last explored the castle."

"A week- no more."

Harry fell asleep next to the dying purple flames. He really hated that voice inside his head. In his dreams, the voice was gone. He could be him- the real Harry. The real Harry wouldn't kill. The Harry with the voice and excruciating pain? Yes, that Harry could slaughter any human.

Evil still coursed through Harry Vindicta's blood. He was back home at last.

A/N: Short, I know, but the background had to be laid out. Next chapter promises to be longer and more exciting.

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