Angels and Demons
By Byte
It was going to happen soon. Everyone knew it, he knew it but no one would tell him! He was seventeen, and this fact had been breathing down his neck since he was eleven. He had grown under that fact and it had been sharpened when he was fourteen when Voldemort was "reborn". He still had the scar on his arm from the knife, at least no one stared at that one he reflected grimly. Voldmort had always been planning to kill him, he hadn't managed that, yet. He always managed to escape, but others had not been so lucky. He had killed so many, Cho his first girlfriend, Cedric, Angelica, Lana another girlfriend, Fred and Justin, each for no reason but to hurt him. At first he had dreaded fighting Voldemort, now in some twisted way he was looking forward to it. He wanted revenge.
He stared at the clock in the Gryffindor, two o'clock in the morning. He didn't even consider going to sleep, in fact he only came down here at night. He liked it empty, it was best that way. He stayed away from people now, if they got close to him, Voldemort would kill them or use them against them. He had even pushed away Ron and Hermione, they said that they were still his friends, and maybe they were, though he suspected deep down they were afraid of him, no not afraid of him, afraid of what he had become. They were probably happier without him anyway, after a few failed romances they had start going out with each other. At first he had been jealous, he had liked Hermione, but he could not let her get close, and the worst part was that she had liked him too. To let the truth be known he suspected that the Ron/Hermione thing was not that they really loved each other, more like two people who getting together to keep from being alone. Either way it was beyond him.
He rubbed his temples, and looked down at the book he was reading, it had no title for it was such a powerful book that for it to have one it would have been an insult to the spells insides. He use to do homework at night, but it was the last week at Hogwarts so right now all that was left was for the teachers to tally their N.E.W.T.S. and their final exams. Hermione was destined to become Head Girl and the teachers had been hinting that he would make Head Boy. Just like my father. But he was determined not to die like his father. He would not. Until Voldemort was dead he would not let anyone close to him, to see some one die again when he could have done something . He couldn't let Ron or Hermione get hurt.
"As you all know graduation is only a few days away, and this is your last Defense Against Dark Arts Class. It's been a pleasure teaching you."
"It was nice also having a Defense teacher who lasted more than a year." Ron called out, causing Harry to smirk, he had followed in the twins footsteps as the class clown.
"Yeah Professor Halloway, It's been a small miracle." Lavender added. He was one of everybody's favorite teachers, maybe because he reminded everyone of Professor Lupin. That was easily explained, because it was Professor Lupin, he had been re-hired in Harry's fifth year, but had remained disguised for most of the students wouldn't trust a werewolf. Harry was the only person who knew his true identity, well him and Dumbledore. He had often felt that he should tell Ron and Hermione, but it was to the point were talking to them was just awkward.
"Class dismissed," Lupin said," thought I'll be seeing you soon, I hope. Harry would you mind staying after class?" Okay he hadn't been expecting this. The class quickly filtered out of the classroom leaving Harry and Professor Lupin alone.
"What is it Professor?" He asked.
"Harry, what do you plan on doing after school?" He asked.
"Um- I was thinking about playing Quidditch for England." He lied.
"That's bull Harry. I have a good idea what you're going to do." Lupin countered looking him straight in the eye.
"Er- Professor, I really don't have a clue what you're talking about." Harry was an excellent liar, not something he was proud about, but if people didn't know his plans, the less likely that they would get themselves killed.
"Don't lie to me Harry. I know exactly what you're going to do. You're going to go after Voldemort aren't you? Hunt him down and then what? You're an amazingly strong wizard, probably the most powerful seen this century, at least. But can you honestly stoop to Voldemort's level, because that is what you'll need to do. Harry, why are you doing this?"
Harry bit his lip, but his answer came bubbling out, "Because he's been making my life a living hell since I was a year old! Because he killed my parents! Because he killed the people that I cared about! I want to kill him before he can kill anyone else! Before he kills you, Ron, Hermione, or anyone else." He began panting, as if he had just let out something that he had been holding in forever.
Lupin had a stricken look on his face, "So that's why. So that's why you pushed everyone away. I always suspected that."
Harry squared his shoulders, he was taller than Lupin, taller than most people in fact. He had grown well over a foot since entering Hogwarts. "I'm going to do it Reamus. You can either help keep my friends safe it's up to you." He snapped. Instead of backing down like most people did, he narrowed his eyes. "This is stupid, do you think James and Lily saved you so you can run out and make a brave stand against Voldemort? Do you? Listen now, he is so powerful Dumbledore couldn't hold his ground now."
"Isn't that why I have to face him! Every moment he's out there he grows stronger, I have to defeat him now! It's what I got to do."
"It's your destiny?" Lupin had sarcasm dripping in his voice. "You've paid to much attention in Divination. Are we controlled by a higher power? Yes I believe that, but we have free will Harry, if we didn't, Voldemort wouldn't be a problem."
"I survived for a reason." Harry mumbled.
"Bah! You could have survived so that you'll marry and have two adorable kids. Then one of them will go kill Voldemort."
"Reamus! You're either for me or against me! What's your choice!?"
Lupin sighed, and his shoulders sagged, "On one term Harry, one term. That is you realize it is hopeless, run. You agree."
"Yes I'll agree to that." He would keep his word, but only if it was only him and Voldemort, if Voldemort had a hostage. Well then he would fight him. "I mastered Apperation, so I can get out of there in a second."
"Good, but Harry I hate to see you take this chance." Harry looked at the man who had become the person who had become the person who had become almost a father to him. Especially after Sirius died, that's when Harry had began pushing people away. Lupin though had refused to be rejected, and Hermione had refused to abandon him completely. Ron, well he changed after his brother died, he seemed to not go after things anymore, school wasn't important, friends only if they didn't become difficult, and for Ron sake, Harry hoped he at least cared about Hermione, because if he was just using her….
"I have to do this. I can't let him hurt anyone else."
" You're one of a kind. But you know what? The world would be a better place. And that sounds rather stupid? But good luck Harry, I hope you won't need it though."
"Harry?" A quiet voice behind him asked.
"Hermione? What are you doing up this late?" He was surprised that she was actually awake.
"Thinking." She whispered, taking a seat on the couch beside him. She like him had changed a lot like he had.
"Well, um- what have you been thinking about?" He asked feeling awkward like this was the first time he had ever spoken to her. Then again it was nice to talk to her again, even if it was just for a few minutes.
"Graduation mostly, I've been thinking about going into the Department of Spell Discoveries. They've offered me a job. Actually, good pay too."
"The Ministry?" He asked not trying to contain the dislike in his voice.
"Yes, the Ministry." She huffed slightly indignant," I just hope maybe I can do something good. Something that will help people. Unlike Ron! Oh he has all theses delusions of owning his own Quidditch team! Mind you, not playing Quidditch, I mean that takes serious skill. I just don't know about Ron anymore." She seemed sad in a way.
"Yeah sorry, me and the Ministry haven't gotten along real well for the past few years." He had mouthed of to Fudge a few years back, and it hadn't turned out very nice.
"Even now your people skills amaze me! I didn't know a person could use as many swears in a sentence as you could!" She teased It was like time had stood still between them, it was almost like old time. Almost. "Though I still don't get why you're up at this ruddy hour. And if it means anything, I've been worried about you." She added.
"Yeah- soon it'll be over."
"So you really are going to fight him aren't you? You're going to go out there and kill Voldemort."
"I've already had this lecture Hermione. I'm going to do this. So that I can actually not worry about people I care about getting killed by him. "
"I don't need to be protected Harry!" Though he detected a tone of satisfaction in her voice. She seemed to have gotten closer to him. He could feel his heart beginning to beat, hard.
"I'm not letting anyone get hurt because of me. Especially you." He announced sounding corny, like a hero in a movie.
"That's the part that hurts the most. If you meant nothing to me, but you do, and it kills me."
"When this is over.."
"Will it ever truly be over?" The answer to that scared him.
Harry stood on the Quidditch field, the day was gray and cloudy, yet it wasn't the weather that was getting to him. It was the though that this was the last time on this field. Every year that there had been Quidditch, his team had won. He had been team captain since his fifth year, though one person didn't win a Quidditch game, it had been all of them. He had thought about becoming a professional Seeker, though he didn't want to get a spot on a team just because he was Harry Potter. Some people would mutter about him having to much pride, or even being just plain stupid. He climbed up onto the stands and stared down at the field and it dawned on him, he had never actually been in these stands, he had always been on the field or the center of attention.
He didn't actually keep track of time, it wasn't until the sun just began going down did he realize how long had he been in the stands. Time passed quickly when your mind wasn't were there was time. In some corner of his mind a little voice was shouting "You've got memories! Yeah some good, some bad, but do you really want to die? True the world isn't an Elysian paradise! But were there is life there is hope! Don't give up so quickly!" He couldn't listen to that part of his mind, he had to avenge his fallen friends.
"I knew I would find you here!" cried a figure trotting across the field. As they came closer, he realized that it was Hermione, a second figure followed her, which turned out to be Ron. They quickly climbed the bleachers. Hermione as she got close, he realized that she had been crying, she didn't just sit down beside him, she collapsed.
"H-Hermione, um- what's wrong?" He stammered.
"HE'S WHATS WRONG!!" She yelped acting out of character. Pointing at Ron who had just arrived. "He's heartless, cold and a back stabber!! All those little things you told me! I guess you said the same thing to Pativi, didn't you?! I can't believe I sucked face with you!!"
"I-I can explain!" Making Harry feel like he had been throw into a cheesy romance novel. Just then Ron's face clouded over and gave Harry a dirty look. "Oh and when we're hurt we go running to Harry. Have you two been seeing each other? I think so!"
"Shut up Ron." Harry said standing up face Ron in the face. They had been best friends once, but tragic events change people for the worse.
"Ah! How the mighty duo has fallen! Beautiful, really!" A cold voice sneered from behind them. Voldemort. Harry spun around to face the man that put any Muggle dictator to shame. He hadn't changed, except he had more muscles, probably from beating up helpless victims. His crimson eyes and pale skin seemed to give the impression that his eyes were bleeding.
"How did you get in here?" Harry stated with gall.
"Let's just say, I bribed the door man." He stated coolly, but with a smile that told Harry everything he needed to know and it made him feel cold all over. Hagird was dead, and he would be joining him if he couldn't defeat Voldemort. He gritted his teeth. "Little boy Potter. The boy who lived, is going to die now. I hope I manage to draw this out. You deserve to die slowly, but in the end all I have is a trace more satisfaction."
"Never!"
"Oh Potter how can you say that?" He chided, "When you don't fully know the score." With that Voldemort withdrew a sword from a sheath near his hip. It was midnight black, and the handle was adorned with rubies the color of blood, like a demonic version of the sword he had wielded against the monster in his second year. But that was nothing, Harry felt his blood run cold and his veins freeze. Voldemort shrugged of his cloak, within a second, without a spell cast a pair of wings flowed from his back. They were black and red, and like a pair of over-sized bat wings. Demon wings, he thought with dread. He had always believed in Heaven and hell, and he knew were demons came from. This wasn't good.
"What the hell ARE you?" Harry managed to asked.
"Bloody bad pun Harry." Ron commented from behind him, it was a weak attempt at humor.
Voldemort only smirked, a nasty one that just raised more questions. Harry though of something he had once been told "I don't think he has enough human left in him to die." Was it possible that he wasn't human anymore? That in fact he was truly a demon? If he was, he wasn't playing for lives, he was playing for souls. He at least understood one thing, why Voldemort was using a sword, they couldn't risk using their wands against each other, the risk of what could happen was too great. Unfortunately Harry hadn't been jousting, and there was no doubt that Voldemort could use that sword as well as he could use his wand. Sudden movement, the monster that masqueraded as human took a flying leap toward him. Literally a flying leap, those wings weren't just for show.
Harry managed to duck at the last second but ended up slipping down the benches, and landing on his back painfully. Then Voldemort was there, standing right above him, like death itself. He brought the sword down, once again Harry managed to dodge it, and scramble to his feet. Thought he didn't notice Ron standing up, Harry did. Ron whipped out his wand and pointed it at Voldemort.
"Adeva Kedeva!" He shouted. And a sudden trial of horror raced though Harry, what if it missed Voldemort, and hit him? The green light raced form Ron's wand. And hit Voldemort in the back!
Harry saw a bit of blood come out of Voldemort's nose. He turned to face the bleaches, "Not how it's done. Schiesen!" With that the stands collapsed, with Hermione and Ron on them!
"Hermione! Ron!" Harry called.
"Worry about yourself Potter!" Then Voldemort lunged at him again. He managed to avoid the killing blow but the sword caught him just above his knee. He took in a gasp of air as the sword hit his leg, and crumpled to the ground.
"Harry!?" A voice called from the other side of the field, Hermione. She was by the collapsed bleachers, trapped by a large plank of wood.
Voldemort looked at him with a gleam in his eye, and he smirked. "I'll go give her your goodbye, though it won't be long before you see her again." He took of and flew toward Hermione. Harry managed to stand up, he couldn't make it to her, Voldemort was almost already there, and Harry he a bum leg.
"No! HERMIONE!!"
Hermione watched in horror as Harry received a blow to the leg, he fell to ground. She could see Voldemort towering over him, he was terror in it's purest state. She could barely get over the fact that he was here, let alone with a pair of wings, that seemed to have no explanation for them actually being there.
"Harry!?" She called, regretting it that second, Voldemort knew she was here. She knew he wouldn't ignore her, killing her would hurt Harry. It didn't matter that she didn't have her wand. Voldemort turned toward her and she realized in that second it was over. He spread his wings and sped toward her, like a bat, and she was it's prey. In despair she realized that Harry couldn't help her, he was just to fast. She was scared, but she wouldn't allow that monster to see her cry.
"HERMIONE!!" Harry called from across the field.
Then he was right standing over her. He was a demon, a real monster. And she hoped Harry would kill him.
"Monster!"
"I am a monster, but you know what? The monsters always have the power." He hefted up his sword above his head like an executioner. "Potter will join you soon." Then it came down like death itself. She closed her eyes in reflex, a second passed, no stinging blade into her side. She dared open her eyes, and she saw feathered wings. Her Guardian Angel? Her angel had come to protect her, she felt almost giddy? She looked up at were the sword was, a hand was wrapped around the blade. But it was wrong ,she could see blood from the hand. Angels don't bleed. Then her eyes drifted to her guardian's face, it was Harry.
"Harry?" She whispered, not truly believing it.
He was pale and looked drained, and she saw he was shaking. He didn't have his shirt on, revealing the benefits of playing Quidditch since he was eleven.
"Hermione," He whispered," I can't hold on much longer so I want you to run. Now!" Somehow he had managed to free her leg. She scrambled up, still in dumb shock. She got a good look at him, it was like something out of a portrait. He had about a ten foot wing span, they were almost pure white with a touch of gold to them. She could see the blood on his hand from grabbing the sword. She managed to get quite a few yards away from Harry and Voldemort before her lag gave out. Now all she could do was watch. What she wouldn't give for her wand right about then.
Harry let go of the sword and jumped back, luring Voldemort away from her. Then like a bird taking flight, Harry took to the air, she could see he was a little shaky, but he was also a natural at it. Voldemort followed brandishing his sword. Go Harry, beat him.
Harry took of gaining altitude drawing Voldemort away from Hermione. He still felt numb, like this was a dream, but he had decided he would be shocked later, if he could survive now. He was quickly realizing that the appearance of the wings, his wings. There was one small difference between him and his opponent, Voldemort had the sword. He managed to dodge Voldemort's jab again. Another swing from Voldemort, this time it caught him in his upper arm.
"Not even putting up a fight?" Voldemort mocked.
"Gimme a sword, then talk to me about it."
"Daddy dearest last words weren't sarcastic." He swung again, and clipped Harry's rib cage. But in that second Voldemort was unguarded, he kicked him in the stomach sending him failing away.
"HARRY!" A voice called across the field, it was Dumbledore, he even seemed to have a slightly shocked look on his face, but he contained it well. He seemed to mutter a spell and the air in front of Harry began to swirl like a tornado, in the center though, was Godric's sword, he proceed to tear the sword from the center of the cyclone. The sword which had been rather unwieldy when he was twelve, now fit his hand perfectly. It would have been a better idea to hold it two handed but his left hand was useless, grabbing the sword had ruined muscles and tendons. But the moment he had grabbed the sword Voldemort got off another swing, this time it caught him along his cheek bone, and barely missed his nose. In response Harry lunged at Voldemort with his new sword. His opponent backed up, re-measuring the circumstances. Harry took advantage of the situation with a swing, now that the sword was the right size, he found that dueling was natural for him, like Quidditch. He managed to catch Voldemort's left arm. They parried once, twice, and a third time.
"Blasted Dumbledore." Voldemort spat, obviously angered at this turn of event.
Harry didn't bother with a reply he was to focused, this was his chance to destroy that monster. He charged with all the speed he could gather. Voldemort tried to block it, but there was to much power in Harry's dive, he broke past his defense and shoved the sword in Voldemort's stomach. If it was possible he grew paler. Harry didn't notice that Voldemort hadn't dropped his sword. He brought it up Harry moved slightly. It entered just below his collar bone and when all they way though, missing his neck, heart and wing by inches, and he froze for a second in shock. With his free hand, the red eyed monster, grabbed Harry's arm, his hand might have just as well been a vice. He folded his wings in and fell taking Harry with him. He flared his wings in a effort to slow down, but Voldemort had gotten heavier, or his wings just weren't strong enough yet. The ground was rapidly approaching, he had managed to position Voldemort so he would take the brunt of the fall, but still.
Even though Voldemort it was like being trampled by a pack of hippogriffs. He bounced of and rolled, he didn't even have time to retract, if he even could his wings. He saw Hermione and maybe Ron running toward him, but exhaustion and pain finally got the better of him and he surrended to uncoincusisnes.
Hermione waited impatiently as Madame Pomfey's new assistant, and future replacement Stacey Snow fixed her broken leg.
"Do you know how Harry is?" She asked for probably the millionth time.
"Once again I don't know! Poppy hasn't told me anything! It's so frustrating! And be still this will only take five more seconds and it will almost as good as new, mind you when you're old, when ever it's rainy it might hurt. But that happens to everyone."
Stacey's word was good and in five seconds her leg did feel better, as soon as it did she was out of there and was rushing toward Harry. She couldn't get the last time she had seen him out of her mind, laying on the ground all bloody, except the wings, the blood couldn't touch them it seemed. Lying on the ground like a battle worn angel.
At the door stood a very emotion worn Professor Halloway. She knew him and Harry had been close, but he looked like what a father would look like. She proceeded to walk up to the door and began banging on it with all her strength.
"I've tried that already." Halloway remarked.
"Maybe this time is the lucky charm."
"I hope so."
"Ms. Granger? Professor Halloway?" Madame Pomfey asked at the door,"I'm afraid now is not the time…"
"Now is the time!" Halloway exclaimed.
"We won't do any harm, please?" She begged. The nurse sighed, and gestured that they come in. Harry was in bed, the wings were gone as if they had never been, they had been so strange and yet beautiful, though she still couldn't believe it. Where he had been cut there was a bandage, it was strange though, was there something special about Voldemort's sword that wouldn't allow normal magic to heal the cuts? She walked over and stroked his forehead while Halloway slouched in a chair with a look of desperation on his face.
"Oh Harry." She whispered. Hours seemed to melt by, she learned that Ron had suffer a nasty concussion but would live. In those hours Madame Pomfey didn't even attempt to drive them out of the room. Hermione stayed by his side and Halloway sat there with a look of self hatred that she felt sorry for him.
Finally he began to stir twelve hours later.
"Harry!" both her and Halloway exclaimed.
"How come I always end up in the hospital wing?"
"You should be glad you're alive to wake up in the hospital wing." Halloway lectured.
"I'm alive and Voldemort's dead. What else could anyone want?" His reply made Hermione smile. She leaned over and whispered,"Thank you Harry, for saving me…."
"Couldn't let anything bad happen to you."
"Do we have to worry about that now?"
"Bad things do happen, but the worst is over."
"I fully agree." Though a part of her heart told her that it was just the beginning of a new adventure. But one were that he wouldn't go though alone. At that moment though he kissed her it seemed to have a magic of it's own. And if this was what was between them they had nothing to fear. Though in sweet oblivion she though she heard Halloway chuckle.
The day before Graduation Harry found himself at the Quidditch field once again staring at the remains at the stands. The memories of that day would never leave him and wouldn't even become dull with time. But the memories weren't clear, they were shrouded with enigma. He had an idea about why he had all of a sudden he had wings, probably the emotional pressure of losing Hermione, but his theory was flawed, why hadn't it happen before? Did he need to be a certain age or were there multiple factors, but so far it was the best theory he had so far. On top of all of this when he woke up, he had a maybe six inch long tattoo on each of his shoulder blades, it was some kind Irish/medieval design, it was not the how of this, but the why. But he wasn't here to ponder about what had happened, he could do that anywhere. He was looking for the sword he had used, it wasn't going well though. His leg was still bum and he would have a limp for weeks, Voldemort's blow had gotten muscles in the process.
"You aren't going to find it here." Harry spun to find himself facing Dumbledore, he had been in his chambers since the battle.
"Huh? Do you have it?" What he wanted to ask was "What the bloody hell were you doing when I was nearly getting killed by Voldemort?"
"You have it with you now." Had he lost a few marbles?
"Uh- What do you mean?"
"Concentrate Harry. Think of it in your hand. No I have not lost my mind either. Just try it, have I steered you wrong before?"
It was worth a shot. So he though of how he had grabbed it out of the cyclone. Suddenly it was there in his hand, beautiful as ever, but where had it come from? "Where…?"
"Same place your wings do. Inside of you."
"How do you know all this? "
"That has been what I have been working on for the last few days. You see Harry your battle, you yourself were prophesized long ago, by Godric Gryffindor himself. It was said that one day near the dawn of the new millennium two people would battle, both with a stronger connection to good or evil than any mortal. So connected that they would each had a clear sign for the side they were connected to. But only one could be evil. The angel and the demon would fight almost every time, it is said. It can only be revealed when the time is right and when the emotions are too. That time had come, and you were ready. And the sword is a gift from Godric, pledged to you when he made the prophecy."
"It almost seems simple."
"Yes but it is both a gift and a burden, use it wisely, but of all the people, I believe you can handle it best."
"Harry?" Someone called across the field, Hermione, and Ron was behind her.
"Go to her, and patch things up with Ron, you three now share a secret. I don't think you could trust three better people."
"I know it."
The Beginning…..
Hi everybody been awhile! Sorry I' have just had to write this story but I'll work on my Being a Fifth Year BITES!! story soon. But in the meantime REVIEW THIS STORY PLEASE!!!!! The next story will hopefully be out soon!! High school has been a bummer. But I'll work on it!