Chapter 2 – The first time

The six months passed very quickly for Harry and John; the training drained Harry every day in the beginning as he had no physical strength, John pushed him hard not allowing for excuses. Harry had grown very proficient with his hand to hand combat and his melee weapons but didn't feel comfortable with firearms yet. The recoil always proved too much for him and in close combat he didn't have enough time to recover

John had given him a stack of passports and credit cards and explained how best to use them in any situation; he was also given a back pack which had a secret compartment which he was told was to hide all these additional passports.

"We'll be going to the States for a month to work on firearms, there's a firing range there where we can work on your sniper rifle proficiency" John told him over dinner

"What if I can get better with firearms" he asked

"Many people in our profession don't use guns but I have a feeling about the sniper rifle" he said

"Why?" Harry asked

"I don't know exactly why but you're better close range with blades, I think it has to do with the kick that close range firearms give that throws you off. A sniper rifle gives you time, you have to learn to control your breath and make small and precise movements. I've seen you make those movements when you write, your movements are very small and you're writing neat but they are very quick. I think that since your movements are so nimble that you'd do well, I you can get used to the kick" he explained

"Okay then, will you be teaching me how to shoot?" he asked referring to the sniper training

"Maybe the basics kid but I have a colleague who is the best shot I know, he will train you for the month while I handle some work" he said pouring another glass of wine for himself

"Okay, my tutor will be arriving soon" Harry said

"Which subject are you covering today?" he asked already on the move clearing the table

"Latin, she feels that if I can grasp that then everything else should come a bit quicker" he explained

"I agree with Ms Giovanni, she has taught a great number of students using that technique. Now off you go, remember that time if used wisely can be your greatest asset" he said to the boy who nodded and left the room.

He often wondered in those early months why this would be the task Death would give him after all these years of faithfully serving him but then he saw the raw potential in this boy. He was a quick study and a hard worker; he had managed to land a blow on John only a month into their training, John knew fully trained assassins who couldn't land a blow on him. Then there was the gratitude and grit the boy showed every day, he made John realise that in the heat of the moment the boy would be able to defend himself adequately. He had already ordered a set of knives for the boy both here in London and in the States and planned on registering him with his contacts so that he could get all the weaponry he needed without John having to be in tow

He heard the lessons start up and decided that he would slip out for the night and take care of some business. He arranged for flights for the Sunday evening when security was typically at its weakest and then decided to get a few suits made for himself before they left.

Harry finished his lesson and crawled into bed; how could he be so happy when he knew what lied ahead of him. The answer came all too quickly and rather uncomfortably for him; he didn't care if he needed to take lives to secure his own future. John had told him to be selfish with his decisions and if he wanted something he needed to go for it no matter what it cost. So ten lives was what it would cost him; the training was really worth it. He enjoyed every minute of it and he had grown close with John who had taught him how life worked and Harry had helped sharpen the older man's skills unbeknownst to him.

In the States Harry met John's colleague named Marcus who trained Harry for the month; he gifted Harry a sniper rifle at the end of the training telling him that with more practice Harry could easily out shoot him. John simply smiled at the boy in an 'i-told-you-so' manner. The rest of the year went by quickly and his birthday arrived; Harry woke in a room different to the one he had went to bed in and immediately became defensive. He searched the room for a weapon but found none so he ripped a cord from the wall and held it taut in his hands.

He heard the door open and Death stepped through

"My my Harry what will the dear folks of the hotel think" he said looking at the cable in the boys hands

"Sorry, John done too well at training me" he laughed

"Good! Now firstly Happy Birthday, here's your birthday gift" he said and handed Harry three photographs with names written beneath them

Jeffrey Sloan

Mathieu LeFleur

Joseph Tshabalala

"These are the first three I suppose. Can you tell me where to find them?" He asked

"Houston Texas, Marseille France and Johannesburg South Africa. Now the next three I will provide you on the completion of these. Once you complete the next three I will kill Voldemort and all his soul pieces except one, don't want to give away clues to anyone" Death explained and sent Harry back to his bed

He found John immediately and told him about his new task, John advised that with the political climate in South Africa they may be able to pull it off without too many problems and should attend to that first to which Harry simply nodded

"And remember you're pulling the trigger" he said to the boy

"Understood" he said shakily

Harry and John arrived in South Africa two weeks later and immediately sourced a sniper rifle and a set of knives for Harry. Harry couldn't help but notice that John was spot on about the political climate, some regime seemed to be at its end they just hadn't realised it yet and the atmosphere was heavy with loss and angst. They found his target a day later and followed him for three days to establish a routine; after that John left him to do what was needed.

"You're on your own now kid" was all he would say before he left him in a street

After the first night passed and Harry saw that John was definitely not going to help him with his target he started making plans. Harry knew that according to the laws no people of colour, or non-whites as they called them, were allowed on the town streets after 6 at night and that Joseph took a shortcut to get to his transportation. That's where he would do it on that side street which was always quiet and without much foot traffic. Harry waited on the street sticking to the shadows so that no one asked him what a kid was doing alone on the street this close to the evening.

The man he was waiting for swung around the corner and was moving fairly quickly toward him. Joseph was wearing brown formal pants and a white shirt and had sweat on his brow from the pace he was keeping, he had been held up at work and now he was late and he couldn't afford to miss his transportation, heaven knew what awaited if the police or military found him in town after dark.

Harry knew it was now or never for him to honour Death's deal. He knelt and waited until the brown pants were in front of him and then he struck the man in the back of his knee and saw him drop to one knee as planned. Joseph looked down at the boy and felt a sharp pain in his stomach and continued staring at the boy who now rose and looked him square in his eyes. Harry used his blade and stabbed Joseph in the neck and then vanished from the scene by foot.

He waited to hear if anyone was following him but no one would have suspect a child of murdering a grown man. When he arrived at the apartment he found John sitting in a chair and cleaning a gun and Harry took the seat across from his mentor

"How did it go?" he asked seemingly uninterested but unaware to Harry, John had watched his movements carefully since he entered the room

"I killed him, I looked him dead in the eye before I struck the final blow" Harry said

"How did you do it?" John asked, he knew the first kill could be the worst

"I waited for him on the side street which he always cuts down to make sure he is in time to take his transportation. He was a little late which played into my hands perfectly because he wasn't really paying attention, I kneeled and waited for him to get close enough and then I stabbed him in the back of his leg and then as I rose I slashed across his midriff from right to left and then I stabbed him in the neck on the left side, all in one motion" Harry explained

"Why did you take the risk of him screaming by stabbing him in the back of the leg?" John asked

"I didn't think he would" Harry explained

"In future don't take the risk, people react differently to pain and it's a gamble. Always"

"I understand, but I think I'm going to stick to the rifle for the next two" He said

"It is difficult to kill close up and the fact that you chose that method for your first kill shows the resolve and skill you possess. I've never said this before but I'm proud of you Harry, you'll make a fine assassin one day and if I had to choose I would have my death come by your hand" John said which went some way to getting Harry to be okay with killing

"Thank you John" he said

"Remember why you're doing it Harry, I have no issue with taking life but for most normal people it is difficult and remembering what you're getting in return does make it more bearable. I do however believe that you will end up the same as me" John said to the boy

Harry spent the entire evening thinking about the look Joseph had given him, he remembered the sound of his blade tearing through the flesh. Then he thought about the discussion he had with John about being selfish and going for what he wanted. He wanted to live a happy life and have a family, Death was giving him a chance to have a life and the rest was up to him. Whether he could live the same way John did he didn't know.

John never spoke about a wife or girlfriend and those were things Harry definitely wanted, just the thought made him blush.