Open the door
Give me your hand
Save me today
Drag me across the ground
Be there and I'll follow
Take me from this charnel house

DSz

Finally I've returned to the place where I first lay eyes on my love. This shattered castle, lonely and cold, my heart remains here. Oriel, her eyes bright with promise and hope. How young we were. How young I was. A small spark of that joy is still inside my soul, buried and hidden away.

I have no love for battle. I have no passion to fight. You were my escape from a world that created Harry Potter. I created us, you and I, apart from all of the pain. I didn't know what you were…didn't really care to know. You were what I made you and I was what you made me, and we were both perfectly happy with that.

I denied you nothing, he did the same. Now we are both ruined while you have the last laugh…wherever you are.

DSz

The smell was one that Harry had never forgotten. It hit him as soon as he entered the old mansion. He closed his eyes, awash in long forgotten memories. In his mind's eye he could see the front hall, glittering in silver and green tapestries. No portraits on the walls, only beautiful landscapes. A fine white rug stretched the length of the floor, charmed to never collect dirt. Oriel always said it was made of hair from the tails of a thousand unicorns, she was sure of it because her father told her so, and Harry would laugh at her naivety.

Now the place seemed dark and sinister. As they slowly moved through the empty corridors, the ghostly echo of Oriel's laughter seemed to follow. Twice Harry caught himself turning toward a sound long gone.

"This place gives me the creeps," whispered Finis as he came up behind Harry.

Harry nodded. "It wasn't like this before, at one time I would have even called it beautiful. Now…it feels like a tomb."

"Let's hope we don't run into anything dead…or living," Severus broke in nervously.

"You didn't have to come Snape," Harry stated with concern. He'd never seen the ex-Death Eater look so worried before.

"The Dark Lord wants me dead and he will most likely succeed. I may as well make myself useful until that time comes."

Harry motioned to the group to stop. As quietly as possible he looked around the next corner. A few seconds later he waved to the group to follow him down a passage to the right.

"I do have to thank you for inviting me along." Dumbledore grinned. "I haven't had such an adventure in a long while."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Leave it to Albus. We could be stuck in a pit full of serpents and in a few hours he'd have named all the snakes." McGonagall snickered behind her hand and Harry shot both Professors a look of warning.

"I don't know where you think you are," he hissed to the group, "but we couldn't be in more danger if we wandered into a cave full of giants, so I suggest you keep it down. We're coming to the guest quarters now. My guess is that we'll find Malfoy in one of these rooms."

"Finis and I will take the left side of the corridor," offered McGonagall.

"Dumbledore and Snape will take the right," Harry commanded.

"And you Potter?" Snape questioned curiously.

Harry eyes shifted to the side for a moment. "I've got to take care of something while I'm here. It should only take about five minutes. If I'm not back by the time you find Draco, then leave without me." And then he disappeared down the corridor, a determined air surrounding him.

The curtains which once covered the windows were now gone, leaving Oriel's bedroom full of eerie shadows and ghastly blue light. Harry cringed at the cobwebs and hollowness of the empty room. A bed was there, sheetless and naked, glowing white in the darkness. He ran a hand across it and shook his head. This isn't the place it was. This place is a dead place, no life remains.

"Looking for something?" A soft voice questioned from the doorway. Harry turned quickly to find Evelien Riddle staring at him with soft eyes.

Harry shook his head. "I knew it wouldn't be here. He'd never let me have it because it was hers."

"You're right," Evelien admitted sadly, "He would have taken it for himself, if he would have known it was still here." Harry's eye widened in surprise as she crossed the room, hand held out in front of her, a small piece of wood in her palm.

Harry's hand hovered above it for a moment before snatching it away and holding it to his chest. "I can't believe he never found it."

"Your magic is still inside that little stick," Evelien stated, a tinge of envy in her voice. "It wouldn't work for me of course, but I can still feel it inside that little piece of willow. It makes my hair stand on end." She chuckled lightly. "She rarely used it for anything. I think she was convinced that if she used it, then the magic would run out."

"She loved magic, it's too bad she was born a muggle."

Evelien shook her head. "She wouldn't have been all she was if she hadn't been a muggle." She touched her palm to his cheek and he was amazed at the softness of her skin. The way she was looking at him, almost like a mother would look at a son. It was too much for him to take and he turned his eyes away, a lump welling up in his throat. "She brought the two of you together. I find it funny how much you both profess to hate the other, even though you should be friends."

"Friends," Harry scoffed, "We could never be anything but enemies."

"But you were once," Evelien stated, "In an ancient time you were the best of friends."

Harry turned to give her a dark look. "You know too much."

"And you know too little! I may be a simple muggle but I know all about you…Gilgamesh."

"Don't call me that!" Harry shouted, placing his hands over his ears. "I'm…"

Evelien urged him to continue. "Yes, who are you? James Riddle, Harry Potter, Gilgamesh…The Boy Who Lived. You've always been the one who lived and you always will be…and he will always be the one who dies."

"No," Harry cried in a quite whisper.

"The brightest candles burn fierce and quick," Evelien continued, "For some a low flame just will not do. Oriel was like that."

"And now she's gone," Harry whined pitifully.

"Her flame burned fast and quick," Evelien nodded. "Yours is not a flame, it's a bonfire, a volcano, a great sun which brings light to everything it sets its sights upon. That is you Harry Potter, a great sun bringing light to the world. You brought light to this place," she motioned to the room around her, "and now it is gone. The only thing left here is death and darkness. Take your friends and do not return here."

"Is he here?"

Evelien shook her head. "He comes and goes. I have no idea what he's up to." She led him toward the door. "His magic is gone, but many dark wizards and dark creatures still rally around him. Those creatures are dangerous Harry, more dangerous then the Death Eaters you've fought before." She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "They are not human."

Harry stopped in his tracks, turning to give her a curious look. "Then what are they?"

"He calls upon Ereshkigal, she who is compassionless and full of rage." Evelien's voice was filled with so much fear that Harry could feel goosebumps on his arms. "Wife of Erra, god of war and plague. She sends him these monsters to use as he wishes. They are unnatural and so filled with evil that even Dementors have reason to cower in fear."

"But what can we do against them? What kind of army can defeat demons sent by gods?"

The old woman's eyes crumpled at the corners and her lips turned up in a sad grin. "Only Mammetum can help you now. Find her and she can show you the way." She turned away from him as they stepped out into the gloomy light of the hallway.

Harry reached out to stop her. "Where do I find Mammetum?"

"My dear boy," Evelien chuckled, patting Harry's hand softly. "She is the maker of fate. I'm sure she is watching you very closely. Perhaps you've already met her but not known." She tapped his forehead. "Think…who has made your fate."

The wizard watched as the old muggle woman glided down the hallway, her white dress making her appear more ghost than human. Voices coming from around the corner caught his attention. He sighed and kicked at the rug in front of him.

"We found him." Finis stated as he and McGonagall spotted Harry.

"Good," Harry replied through gritted teeth. "Let's get out of here." He walked past them without looking up. "I hate this place," he added with a scowl.

DSz

The sound of a bell ringing echoed through Draco's room. He looked up from the chessboard in front of him where his hand hovered above a pawn. Voldemort snapped his fingers and immediately a black robed figure appeared at his side. The man whispered something into the Dark Lord's ear and then disappeared with a crack. Voldemort appeared slightly amused by whatever news he was given.

"You look pleased," Draco stated before moving his pawn forward.

"It seems someone has broken through my wards and they are intent on rescuing you."

Draco's brow rose marginally. "And who might these rescuers be?"

"Harry Potter of course, along with Dumbledore and Snape." Draco noticed Voldemort's eyes flashed for a brief second at the mention of his former spy. "Along with Minerva McGonagall and her son… and mine, Finis."

"You have a son?" Draco questioned in surprise.

"A son and a daughter," Voldemort grumbled angrily, "Both worthless to me."

"But they're both wizards!" Draco exclaimed. "How can they be worthless?"

Suddenly the chessboard and chess pieces went flying across the room courtesy of Voldemort's left arm. "I don't want them, I want Jenny! I want his daughter, his love!" The Dark Lord eyes seemed to glow bright red and Draco slowly stood up and backed away, watching the man with a confused expression.

"I don't understand," Draco whispered fearfully.

Voldemort shook his head and turned away. "I want what he has. I want to take it from him like he's taken from me. Why should he live on and have happiness when all I've known is death and decay?" Then he hissed something in Parseltongue that Draco couldn't understand.

"But it doesn't have to be this way, does it? Why do you or Potter have to die?" Draco gave him a questioning look.

"It has always been me who dies," Voldemort explained, eyes glowing red in the pale firelight. "Weak man against a god and so it shall always be my defeat that comes while he survives. I shall put an end to him whether I become a wizard again or not. There are powers far superior to wizarding magic."

A bright twinkle formed in Draco's cold blue eyes, a twinkle that Voldemort did not miss. "What will you do with Jenny? Will you hurt her to destroy him?"

"Of course not." A smile formed on the handsome wizard's face. "She will be my princess, which means I shall need a prince." He moved to stand in front of the younger wizard, taking Draco's shoulders firmly in his hands. "You could be that prince Draco, you could have everything you've ever desired."

"Jenny would be yours," Voldemort continued, "The name Malfoy would be powerful once again. No one would think to stand against you." The sound of voices grew louder and Voldemort took a step back. "Think on what I've told you Draco, think on it long and hard. Should you wish to live out your days as something other than a pariah, seek me out and we will discuss plans for our bright and profitable future." Then the man disappeared into thin air.