The Boy who Lived
By Jerle Shannara
Chapter 6: The Warrior's Trial
Halloween had come and gone, then the Thanksgiving holiday as well. Before Harry knew it, it was December. Even though he hadn't lived with the Halliwells for more than five or six months, the manor felt far more like home than Privet Drive ever had. Even Hogwarts couldn't quite compare. Maybe it was his blossoming relationship with Paige. They still slept in separate rooms, but Harry felt things hadn't progressed far enough for them to take that step. Even if nothing came of it till they were married, sharing a room with someone isn't always an easy thing to do. Harry knew from his life in the Gryffindor boys' dorm at Hogwarts that sharing a room with other people could get on one's nerves from time to time.
Harry crawled out from under the covers with regret, noticing how cold it had become lately. He dressed as quickly as he could and headed downstairs. Nobody was around, but Harry found a note from Piper on the kitchen table. There were cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator if he wanted one. She'd gone to run errands and both Paige and Phoebe were at work. Harry decided he'd help himself to a cinnamon roll. Piper had spent most of the day before yesterday making them. He turned towards the refrigerator, and that was when the stunning spell hit him full in the back.
When Piper came home, she noticed that the house was alarmingly silent. She called Harry's name but got no response. Only then did she hear the cries of her sons. In sudden panic, Piper hurried upstairs. Chris and Wyatt had been bound with magical cords. Wyatt was fighting with all his strength to try to get free of his bonds, but they apparently resisted his every effort. Piper glanced around and saw a note on the dresser. She picked it up and read as follows:
"We have the Potter boy. Do not attempt to find him. The cords with which I bound your children are spelled to perform a killing curse should you interfere. Would you sacrifice your own sons to save a stranger? I think not." A slow and terrible rage began to work its way through Piper's blood. Quite apart from the fact that these people would put two children's lives in danger, they had the nerve to attack an unsuspecting boy from behind. Piper didn't have to have seen the attack to know that was how it had happened. Piper wanted very much to lay hands upon Mr. Lucius Malfoy, whom she was quite sure was behind this attack. If she could just get her hands on him for five seconds, he would rue the day he'd been born.
Darryl Morris was napping when he felt the tremor in the air. It was almost like tossing a stone into a still pond. The rock would create ripples, which would travel the entire surface of the water. That was how this tremor felt, and Darryl knew it wasn't good. He also knew that it had something to do with Harry. Instantly the amulet that he always wore now began to throb against his chest. He moved as quietly as he could in hopes of not disturbing his wife. But the red glow that came from the amulet penetrated her eyelids. She sat up in alarm.
"What?" she cried groggily.
"I think Harry's in trouble." Darryl said. "I think something's happened to him." Sheila had been introduced to Harry shortly after his arrival, and the young man had become almost like a son, even though neither she nor Darryl was all that much older than he was.
"Then you'd better go to him." she said.
"But you---" Darryl began.
"We'll be fine." Sheila replied. "Remember what the Elders told you. Harry has to protect Wyatt and Chris. If he doesn't, nothing will matter. Besides, if Paige loses Harry---"
"It'd be too much for all three of them." Darryl agreed. "I'll find him." He focused his thought on the medallion. Using its power, he was instantly at the Halliwell Manor.
Harry came awake with a start. He was tied to what must have been a stone pillar. Before him stood the figure of Lucius Malfoy.
"I knew I'd catch you one of these days, Potter." He said coldly. "Your lady friends weren't much help to you. And do you know why that was? I diverted them. Paige had no temp job, and Phoebe wasn't actually called into work. Piper did have some errands to run that weren't of my making, but it worked to my advantage, wouldn't you say? And they won't come after me. I've arranged it so they'll be afraid to in case their children come to harm. I find the threat of harm to loved ones is even more effective at keeping people in line than actually harming them. The imagined harm is far more terrible than the real thing. In that respect my lord was in error. Now with him gone I can seize power in my own way. But first, someone wants to say hello." A figure materialized out of flame right in front of Harry.
"I've been waiting to get my revenge against you, Potter." Barbas said. His voice was hot with rage.
"You!" Harry snarled.
"Nobody kicks Barbas in the balls and gets away with it." The demon growled. "It was quite unbearable when Inspector Morris saved your sorry butt from me just as I was about to break you, but that was nothing compared to the humiliation you caused me! But my pal Lucius gave you to me as a gift in exchange for my services. He wants you out of the way. I offered to accommodate him and he graciously accepted."
"After his spirit is broken," Lucius said, "I will inflict upon him such torment that he will wish he were insane. But we shan't grant him that relief."
"You'll pay for this." Harry said. "Sooner or later they'll come."
"And I will deal with them as easily as I have dealt with you." Lucius said. "Understand this, Potter. You are in no danger of being rescued."
"Or of overcoming your fears." Barbas said. "I'll see to that even if they do find a way to vanquish me later. I'll go knowing I cowed the mighty Harry Potter!"
Darryl stood in the kitchen, his senses alert.
"He was here." He said to Piper. "He was standing right about here." He moved to a spot in front of the fridge.
"What can you sense?" Piper asked frantically.
"He was attacked while he was reaching for the door to the fridge." Darryl said. "It's almost like I'm actually seeing it."
"Who did it?" Piper asked.
"All I can see is a---a hand?" His voice was puzzled.
"What?" Piper asked.
"It's a silver hand---" Darryl's voice trailed off. Then suddenly he reached out as though he could see someone. There was a startled scream and a rat materialized in Darryl's hand. Darryl made as though to crush the small creature.
"Show yourself." He growled. "Your friends aren't here to save you, so unless you want me to squash you you'd better show yourself." Reluctantly, the rat changed into a human. The sight of Darryl in all that black Paladin armor was quite intimidating to Piper, but it was far more so for the little man on the floor.
"You c-can't d-do anything." The man squeaked. "If you do t-try to interfere your c-children will die."
"That's what he wants us to think." Darryl said. "I saw through that one right away."
"Give him here." Said a voice. It was Paige, but her tone was so unlike her usual cheery one that Darryl almost didn't recognize her. He considered.
"Yeah." He said. "I think we'll let Paige question you." Paige seized the little man roughly and had to exercise in human control to keep from wringing his scrawny neck.
"Where is he?" she demanded.
"I w-won't t-tell you anything!"
"No?" Paige's voice was icy. Instantly electrical energy surged from her hands into the little man's body. He screamed. Darryl was reminded of the way Leo had supposedly reacted when future Chris had died.
"You're Wormtail, aren't you?" Paige asked. She sent wave after wave of electricity into Wormtail's body, never changing expression as she did. "The name's not unfitting." Paige went on. "I mean, no other animal would sell his best friends to a power hungry psycho just to stay alive."
"All right!" Wormtail finally squeaked. "I'll t-tell you what I know!"
"Where did you send him?" Paige demanded.
"H-he's at Malfoy Manor." Wormtail said. "Lucius M-Malfoy wanted him."
"We got that part." Darryl said, drawing his sword. He later admitted to Harry that he hadn't known exactly how he'd summoned the armor or the weapon, but right then he didn't think about it.
"Tell me how to find him." Paige said. "I'll find out from you one way or the other, but if you want to do it the hard way I'll be more than happy to accommodate you."
"I can't." Wormtail sobbed. "I d-don't know."
"He's lying." Darryl said. "I don't know how I know, but I know. He's hiding something." Darryl set the point of his sword against Wormtail's neck.
"You seem to be in a bit of a bind." He said conversationally. "If you tell us anything ol' Lucy'll kill you. If you don't, I will. Even if I don't, Paige will make you wish I had." At that moment, Leo Orbed into the room. He saw Wormtail and his face went white with rage.
"I should've known you were behind this you sorry bastard!" He grated. "You're going to tell us everything, or I swear I'll make you wish you'd never been born!" Slowly, Wormtail spilled out the story. He told of how he'd been set to spy on the family and how he'd cleverly manipulated Paige and Harry together.
"Cleverly manipulated my ass." Paige muttered. "That might've been a mistake. We've got each other to fight for now."
"He hoped to use you to weaken Harry." Wormtail admitted. "He knew he could never hold you even if he could catch you, so he thought to capture Harry and threaten him with harm to you."
"We'll do more than threaten." Said a new voice. Gideon had somehow snuck in without being noticed. "If you don't tell us where Harry is, I really will inflict unspeakable agony upon you, or Paige will. Hell, we can do it together. Now spit it out!"
The last few hours had been an unending nightmare for Harry. Barbas had hammered his mind with image after image of Ron and Hermione and all his friends. They'd either died or abandoned him, thinking him a traitor. Next, the demon had hit him with images of himself failing to fulfill his destiny, always a fear that had gnawed at Harry's mind. And now Lucius was hitting him with the Cruciatus Curse. The agony was unspeakable, but Harry had not screamed once. Lucius and Barbas had silenced him with their magic. Now both were lashing at him with their powers, their expressions twin masks of unholy delight.
"Awwww," Barbas mocked, "Did I hoit you?" this served only to make Harry angry. Barbas realized he'd lessened his victim's fear with that taunt and hammered him with more terrible visions. This time they were of Paige. She was in trouble and he couldn't go to her. Then she accused him of betraying the family.
"That's more like it." Barbas growled. "Shall we continue?"
"Let's." Lucius agreed. And so they did.
Not long afterward, Lucius and Barbas left Harry to anticipate what they would do next. They were replaced by Draco, Lucius' spiteful son. Draco tortured Harry a little himself, using all manor of spells to inflict pain. Harry began to despair. If the Halliwells could have done something, he thought, they'd have done it before now. Then a voice spoke directly to his mind. It was Gideon.
"Concentrate on the medallion Prue gave you." He said. "Remember what Aedrus told you." And Harry did. Almost the last thing Prue had done before she'd departed was to give Harry that amulet.
"You'll need it." Was all she'd said. Then Aedrus had come and given Darryl a similar amulet.
"You are both Paladins." He'd said. "Those amulets connect you to each other and to your armor." Harry bent all his failing will upon the medallion. It was at exactly that moment that Lucius and Barbas made their return. They stopped in the doorway, stunned by what they saw. A silver aura had sprung to life around Harry, an aura that would shield him from all attempts to harm him. Lucius was the first to break the silence.
"No!" he roared. The silver aura solidified around Harry, becoming armor. Barbas roared in rage and launched himself at Harry. He struck at Harry and managed to dispel the aura.
"None of that!" he snapped. But in that instant an image had appeared in Harry's mind, an image of Paige. She was questioning Wormtail in the kitchen at the manor. Her strength washed over Harry and he found comfort in it.
"No!" Barbas bellowed, as his hold over Harry was broken. Lucius rounded on the demon in rage.
"You said you could break him!" he snarled.
"Don't take that tone with me, buddy." Barbas said coldly. "I could easily break you. After all, is your greatest fear not discovery? Don't you fear that you'll lose your influence over the Minister of Magic? I could arrange that if I so chose. You're just lucky I have to deal with Potter." Barbas' eyes glowed blood red and locked onto Harry's. Instantly a searing pain filled Harry's being as the demon's magic burned through him. Harry's resistance crumbled at last as he lost his grip on Paige's image. Barbas and Lucius both shouted in triumph as they saw the will to fight leave Harry's eyes. He was theirs---or so they thought.
Paige saw the red sparks crawl over Darryl's armor and knew that he was sensing Harry's pain. The black-armored Paladin bore his comrade's suffering well, but Paige could feel Darryl's anger beginning to build.
"Why doesn't he use the medallion?" Darryl demanded at one point.
"He tried." Gideon said. "He almost succeeded but Barbas got to him too quickly.
"I'm going after him." Paige said.
"No!" Gideon cried. "It's too dangerous!"
"You can't stop me!" Paige retorted.
"I---" Gideon began, but Darryl cut him off.
"At least let me go with you." He said to Paige. "Somehow I've got a feeling I have to be there."
"You can't be serious!" Piper exclaimed.
"They are." Gideon said calmly. "Moreover I think they may be right."
"I'm not losing her!" Piper retorted.
"Then let her make this choice on her own." Gideon said. "If Wyatt and Chris are going to be saved, Harry must be protected. It very much looks as if the only way that's going to happen is through Paige. Since neither one of us wants Paige to go alone, the best thing is for Darryl to go with her."
"He has a trial to face." Leo agreed. "He still harbors a lot of anger towards us, and in order to become a true Paladin he has to overcome that."
"Then it's decided." Darryl said. "Paige and I will go after Harry."
"I'm coming as well." Gideon said. "I have some business of my own with Lucius Malfoy. Piper, you and Leo keep an eye on Master Wormtail. Don't let him escape."
Harry's life had become an unending torrent of pain. All his defenses had been stripped from him. He was helpless. He ceased caring about whether or not anyone would be there to save him. Thus it was that he didn't notice right away when Lucius' exultant laughter became a cry of dismay.
"What?" he demanded. "I thought I---"
"You've gone too far this time Malfoy!" Gideon's voice snarled. "First you manipulated me and now you torture an innocent man. There's one advantage to my not being an Elder anymore. There's nothing to stop me from killing you!"
Gideon hammered into Lucius with waves of lightning. Paige was dueling with Lucius' son Draco and quite clearly in need of help. Darryl was engaged in deadly combat with Barbas.
"They almost got you killed last time." Barbas said. "Oh, and let's not forget the time they stole your soul without your permission. Seems to me that isn't the mark of a true friend. Shouldn't you hate them? They should be your enemies, not your friends. You should turn them in as Witches." At those words, Darryl's resolve began to waver. He hadn't realized just how much anger he still harbored toward the sisters, but apparently it was there. If it hadn't been, Barbas' words would have had no power over him. As it was, they were extremely persuasive. He could insure that nothing happened to his family just by blowing the sisters' cover. For a long moment he glanced from Page to Barbas, his mind racing with indecision. Could he keep his family safe at the expense of another? It almost seemed as though he could do just that, and indeed he came very close to doing it as the memories of what had almost happened to him rushed through his mind. It would be an easy thing to have the girls arrested for all the people they'd killed in the course of their Wiccan duties. But then he glanced at Harry and saw that the lad was thoroughly broken. His eyes were dulled by pain and he seemed unaware of his new situation.
"Strike me down." Barbas challenged. "Give into your anger and you'll be ready to do what you have to do." But the voice no longer held any power over Darryl. He turned calmly to Barbas and sheathed his weapon.
"I don't think you've got any hold over me anymore." He said. "I could turn the girls in, but that would go against who and what I am. I won't risk innocent lives to save my own."
Barbas looked stunned. For a moment he simply stood there, his blazing eyes wide with shock. Then he launched himself at Darryl with a roar of pure fury. He never made it. A portal of flame opened around him and he was sucked down into the depths of the Underworld. This left Paige, Draco, Gideon and Lucius. Lucius had drawn a small poisoned dagger, and Darryl was just in time to see the knife sink into Gideon's throat.
"Gideon!" he yelled. But something extraordinary happened. A wave of energy erupted from Gideon's wound and hammered into Lucius, and in an instant his body had disintegrated. From its remains rose a black shadow that took form, becoming someone Darryl knew.
"You!" he snapped.
"Me." Cole Turner agreed coldly. For a moment there was stunned silence. Then Page spoke.
"But how---"
"I traveled back in time and took possession of a mortal body." Cole said. "I was weaker than I'd ever been, so I fed on the boy's anger. I grew strong. With my aid he discovered the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts. I used that to cover up my true goal, to grow strong enough to take revenge on the Charmed Ones. I'd have succeeded if not for this boy!"
"You're Voldemort." Harry breathed.
"Indeed." Cole snarled. "When you were born I knew you would threaten my very existence if you were allowed to grow up. I tried to kill you but of course that failed. Tom Riddle's body was destroyed and I was almost exposed. I took refuge inside what was left of his soul and I waited. When I returned to power ten years ago I thought I was safe, but then you interfered again. When you vanquished Tom Riddle at the end of your seventh year at Hogwarts I knew I could not rely on him for concealment anymore. I chose Lucius Malfoy. But still you were there, biting like a mosquito that I couldn't reach no matter how hard I tried! Then, much to my dismay, you moved in with the Charmed Ones and got together with Paige. Now look what you've done!" He raised his hands, but Paige and Darryl were ready. Darryl shattered Harry's bindings and Paige Orbed the three of them out of the demon's reach. The last things they saw were Cole and Draco's enraged expressions. Then they were gone.
"What about Gideon?" Paige suddenly cried.
"He's gone." Darryl said sadly. "I think he knew he wouldn't survive that fight."
"SO this is how they reward him?" Paige demanded. "They kill him again?"
"Don't worry." Darryl replied. "He's at peace now. The Elders will learn from his mistakes."
Harry awoke to find himself back at the Halliwell Manor. He ached all over from the Cruciatus Curse, but at least the torture had ended. Gradually he became aware that Paige was hugging him.
"How is he?" Piper's voice asked.
"Weak." Darryl replied. "They got him pretty good."
"I can't believe it was Cole all this time." Phoebe sounded stunned and horrified all at once.
"Something's not right about that." Darryl observed. "I sensed something when I saw him take form. I have a feeling it may not be just Cole. Something's influencing him."
"What do you mean?" Piper asked.
"I mean he's drawing his strength from some other being, maybe even more than one." Darryl replied. "All I know for sure is that they're more powerful than anything this world has ever seen, and that means they're that much more dangerous."
"And with Belthezor to aid them---" Phoebe left the thought unfinished.
"We have to stop them at any cost." Darryl said. "If we don't---well, I don't think any of us would like the future they'd create."
"Magic owes Harry more than ever now." Paige remarked, quite clearly having heard none of the conversation that had just taken place.
"You're its payment." Piper said, clearly welcoming the change of subject. It was apparent that she had fully accepted the reality of Paige and Harry's situation. "The Elders owe you both, so they brought you together."
"I think some peace is in order here." Aedrus' voice said. He materialized in the living room, and everyone was amazed to see his company. Lilly and James Potter hurried to their son, followed closely by Sirius. Then came Prue, Penny and Patty.
"I told you we'd meet again." Prue said to Harry. She gave him a big hug, apparently not concerned about showing her feelings this time. "You used the medallion, didn't you?" Harry was too weak to reply, but Prue didn't need him to.
"Belthezor's going to be very weak for some time." Aedrus was saying. "Even with his new allies to aid him it'll take him a while to pull himself together. We're going to give Harry that time to recover, with a little help from Miss Paige of course. Wyatt and Chris will want a strong healthy Whitelighter." He smiled and added, "They'll want a strong healthy uncle as well." At that, Harry finally managed to speak.
"What?" he asked.
"Don't tell me you haven't caught on?" Aedrus laughed. Darryl saved his friend.
"Could I ask you something?"
"Of course." Aedrus replied. "Then again you just did, but I guess I can let you ask me something else."
"What happened to Gideon?"
"He'll be fine." Aedrus replied. "He's very weak at the moment, but we got to him in time. He's earned a place among the greatest heroes today."
"He could also use as much food as you can scrape together." Said a new voice. Gideon had appeared, leaning on the arm of his old friend Sigmund who, surprisingly, seemed to have either forgotten about or forgiven Gideon's attempt to kill him.
"We'll take care of it." Aedrus agreed.
When Harry awoke the next morning, he found himself lying close beside Paige in what was clearly her bed. Apparently she'd been shaken badly enough by yesterday's events to make the next move. Harry had no objections. It was nice and cozy under the thick blankets and Paige's hair felt good when his fingers happened to brush against it. This brought Paige to consciousness and she turned to face him.
"You're not gonna freak?" she asked.
"I think if I was I'd have done it before now." Harry replied.
"What do you say we make this little arrangement official?" Paige suggested. Harry smiled and nestled close against her. He knew that with her at his side things would be just fine.
Author's Note
Yeah this story's proceeding more quickly than I'd originally thought it would, but I'm happy with it. I've pretty much decided it's going to be a series and not just one story. The next installment will probably pick up a few years down the road for the Halliwells and probably be a more lighthearted tale like what I'd originally planned for this one. I'll probably squeeze in a few misadventures for Harry and Darryl before this Fic's over. I did hint at that after all, and they'll want to train up before they fight their final battle, so there's room for some amusing misadventures. Some of you might think I didn't emphasize Darryl's test enough and you're probably right. I'm always rewriting chapters of my stories, so I may rewrite this one at a later date. Maybe I can even do it without totally screwing it up. All I can say right now is that I certainly enjoyed writing this chapter, and hopefully at least some of you will enjoy reading it.