Narcissa wanted to scream, but she knew it was pointless. Bellatrix had told the Dark Lord many stories about Potter's extraordinary abilities, but he insisted that the three of them could defeat the boy if they formed a Circle. Now the fool was dead, and they were at the mercy of this "Dragon Reborn". Hopefully her niece Nymphadora and the other witch would be able to restrain him in some way, but that didn't seem likely.
"I know you are angry with me, but how could you possible side with that worthless piece of excrement?" Harry asked Bellatrix. "What honor is there in serving as a Death Eater?"
Narcissa looked over at her sister and was shocked at the expression on her face. Bellatrix was not angry about the Dark Lord's sudden demise. No, the most feared witch in all of Europe looked ashamed. It was amazing. Even as a child she had never been ashamed of anything—even when she had good reason to be.
"As the leader of the Aiel you were too weak to save us. You will doom the wizards and witches of this time as well."
Potter sneered at her. "What would an ignorant savage like you know of a true leader's strengths or weaknesses? In three thousand years of history the Aiel never created anything of value. Killing was all your people were good for, and I have no doubt the world was better off once they were finally gone."
When Bellatrix heard these words she leapt at Potter in rage, but the boy sidestepped her attack with easy. A sword of blue Air suddenly appeared in his hand, and he used it to strike her in the stomach. When she doubled over in pain Potter struck her again, this time in the legs. Bellatrix dropped to the ground, but her pride prevented her from crying out.
"Harry, what in the name of Merlin are you doing?" a furious Tonks asked. She and the other witch were now pointing their wands at Potter, but he didn't seem to care. "We arrest Death Eaters, we don't torture them."
"Oh, how could I forget? That was something else the Aiel excelled at: torture," Harry said coldly as he stared down at Bellatrix. "Nothing made them happier than a chance to inflict pain on some poor Wetlander they captured. The Wise Ones in particular boasted of their skill at "questioning" prisoners. They would have been so proud of what you did to Frank and Alice Longbottom."
"I will kill you Rand al'Thor!"
"You've tried twice already and failed both times. If you try again nothing will be able to save you," Harry told her.
"Potter!" the older witch shouted. To Narcissa she had the look of an Auror. "What is going on here? Who are the bloody Aiel?"
The boy looked over his shoulder at the two witches and grimaced. Clubs of Air suddenly appeared behind them, much like the blue sword Potter still had in his hand. These clubs stuck the pair behind the ear, knocking them both out.
By this point Narcissa was in danger of soiling herself. Not only had Potter killed the Dark Lord in a matter of seconds, but he had also had them shielded at the same time. Despite these shields, he was still able to create and manipulate three separate objects using the One Power. Bellatrix said he was powerful, but that was a gross understatement. To him they were nothing more than annoying insects, and now they were completely at his mercy.
Harry turned his cold green eyes back towards his prisoners. "You didn't teach Tom Riddle anything about Saidin. He learned about it from Dumbledore's portrait."
Narcissa wasn't sure if that was a statement or a question, but it didn't matter. Bellatrix might not have a problem with being torture, but with her Master dead she was willing to answer any questions the boy had.
"Yes, that is exactly what happened. We tried teaching the Dark Lord for several weeks, but it was useless. So he started spending all his time with Dumbledore's portrait. He claimed he had learned how to control the magical portraits at Hogwarts by the end of his second year. "
"That must have made releasing the basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets much easier," Harry mused. "Why did he move against me so quickly? Why not take more time to train?"
"The Dark Lord knew he could never match your skill at channeling, so he decided to ambush you here in the Forbidden Forest. A single shot in the back would have ended the threat posed to him by that insane prophecy." Narcissa explained.
"Then why did he try to kill Tonks first?" Harry asked.
"He wasn't trying to kill the little mudblood," a disgusted Bellatrix answered. "He hit her by accident."
"Did Riddle or either of you teach the other Death Eaters anything about channeling the One Power?"
"No, the Dark Lord claimed they couldn't be trusted with that kind of power," Narcissa replied. "He wouldn't allow us to teach any other witches. He said he would kill us if we even tried."
Potter looked down at his unconscious friends, and they immediately rose off the ground on comfortable beds of Air. "Tonks and Professor Vance need to be examined by Madame Pomfrey. You two will walk in front of me as we all make our way out of the Forbidden Forest."
"May I see my son Draco before you hand us over to the Ministry of Magic?"
"Minister Scrimgeour and Wizengamot would simply throw you through the Veil, and that is something I can't allow. Even if you both deserve it."
Soon they exited the Forest near the stone hut where the Keeper of Keys lived with his collection of magical beasts. Potter bound the two of them, and then they rendered them invisible. Bellatrix had tried to teach her sister this useful trick, but Narcissa always made a hash of it. Potter knocked at the door of the hut and soon Hagrid emerged. After a short conversation the half-giant picked up the two unconscious witches and began running up the path towards the castle.
"Hagrid will be in the infirmary before he realizes I'm not following him. Come on, it's time to see your new prison," Harry told them. "We are all going to be hidden by the Mirror of Mists when we arrive. Do not give away our position, or there will be unpleasant consequences."
After they passed through the Gateway, Narcissa found herself agreeing with Potter's assessment of the island. Unlike Azkaban it was a tropical paradise of surpassing beauty. She noticed two distinct groups: a number of older men who looked to be European, and much younger group of South American women. The small village made Hogsmeade look boring. No two buildings were the same, and some looked bizarre—even to a witch who had studied the history of magical architecture.
Potter ignored everyone, and led them down the village's main thoroughfare. When they reached one of the larger houses he used the One Power to rip the entire roof off. An elderly man came running out of the damaged house, and was immediately bound with yet more weaves of Air. At the same time Potter dropped the Mirror of Mists as a large crowd gathered to see what was going on.
"That is the Dark Lord Grindelwald," an impressed Bellatrix said as she motioned towards Potter's third prisoner with her chin. "I thought he died in Nurmengard a few months ago."
"So Trixie, how does it feel to meet one of your idols?" a familiar voice asked.
When Narcissa turned to see who it was, she could scarcely believe her eyes. "You were executed by the Ministry of Magic!"
"Cissy, it's good to see you," a grinning Sirius offered. He was wearing nothing but a muggle bathing suit. Luckily the older men were all wearing uniforms. "My godson here managed to fake the execution. It was prank worthy of the old Marauders."
Narcissa found herself smiling. Sirius might have been a blood traitor, but he was an amusing blood traitor. "I heard you mooned the Minister of Magic before you jumped through the Veil."
"And half the Wizengamot. Where is that bastard Riddle? I find it difficult to believe that he let Trixie here off her leash."
"Tom Riddle is dead," Harry snapped. Apparently he was the only one who was allowed to insult Bellatrix.
"Honestly? Then let's have a party!" Sirius declared.
"First we have a little housekeeping to attend to," Harry said as he turned to Grindelwald. "I take it you have a portrait of Albus somewhere in your possession?"
"It's in the locket I wear around my neck," Gellert replied. He seemed unconcerned with the boy's hostile attitude.
Harry reached down the man's shirt and pulled out a silver locket. Inside was a tiny picture of Albus Dumbledore. "You've been using this to pass messages to Riddle, to teach him about Saidin and the One Power. You wanted to train him, to make him so powerful that we would end up at each other's throats."
"Yes, that is exactly what I wanted. A war of that magnitude would be impossible to hide from the muggles."
"You were trying to force my hand," Harry reasoned. "You want me to seize control of the muggle world as soon as possible."
"The muggles are suicidal," Gellert replied without a trace of remorse. "It is only a matter of time until they cause some sort of disaster. Global warming, an artificially engineered plague, or maybe an old-fashioned nuclear war. Who knows what kind of perversion they will come up with next? We have to move now before it's too late for our people."
"Argus!"
Narcissa was shocked to see the former Caretaker of Hogwarts step forward in one of those odd uniforms. So Potter had taught squibs of all people how to channel the One Power? Like all purebloods, she had treated the squibs she dealt with like dirt. If they came looking for revenge who knows what would happen.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Are you familiar with the concept of a firing squad?"
What followed was a brutal affair, even for the wife of a blood-thirsty Death Eater. The Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald has taken to the other end of the island. Once there Potter actually summoned a large column of stone out of the ground, and the old wizard was secured to its base. The strange army of squibs lined up, and then used the One Power to create a tidal wave of pure Fire. There was nothing left of Grindelwald once they were done—not even ashes. After witnessing the execution even Sirius sobered up.
"Mrs Malfoy, your sister has taught you how to channel?" Harry asked once they returned to the small village.
"I can embrace Saidar, but that's about it," Narcissa replied truthfully. After witnessing the boy's idea of justice she wasn't about to lie to him about anything.
Harry then turned to Bellatrix. "You have proven to me that I can't trust you, not under any circumstances. I'm sorry to have to do this, but there is simply too much at sake."
Potter then permanently severed Bellatrix from the One Power.
Narcissa knew this instinctively because her sister started screaming. Just when she thought she couldn't be anymore frightened of the boy, he went and did something awful like this. All she could do was hold Bellatrix in her arms as she continued to scream.
Harry turned to Argus and Sirius. "I don't want another repeat of what happened with Gellert. They are both to be kept under guard at all times, even when they go to the loo. Do not underestimate Bellatrix. She can kill any of you with nothing more than her bare hands, so always maintain a safe distance."
"Will Trixie be alright?" a concerned Sirius asked. Even with all the bad blood between them, they were still both members of the Black family. That meant something, even to a blood traitor.
"No, she will not be alright," Harry replied as he opened a Gateway back to Hogwarts. "If she wants to end it... don't stop her. I will be sending my holidays here at the Academy, so I will see you all in a few days."
That first night was awful. Bellatrix finally did stop screaming after an hour, but the vacant expression that came over her face was in some ways worse. It was Sirius and his muggle who came to Narcissa's rescue. The pair invited the Black sisters to their primitive but large tiki hut down by the ocean. Esmeralda even helped her feed and bath the comatose Bellatrix. It seemed like the young woman had done this sort of thing before. Since her Spanish was nonexistent, she asked Sirius what Esmeralda's profession was.
"She use to work in the hospitality industry," he replied sheepishly.
That was a polite way of putting it. If the muggles had their own versions of Knockturn Alley, then she must have had plenty of experience dealing with traumatized women.
"How could Potter do something like this to his own wife?" Narcissa asked the next morning as she picked at her breakfast.
Sirius shook his head. "Harry isn't like anyone I've ever met before. My godson claims to be over four hundred years-old, and I believe him. He is capable of the most incredible acts of kindness and compassion, yet the very next moment he can be as cruel as Tom Riddle on his worse day."
"Padfoot, if what he is telling us is the truth than he was fought in two wars, and now he has been brought back yet again to solve our problems," Remus Lupin added. "Living through all that tumultuous history would make any man cold-hearted."
Narcissa never knew that one of Sirius' best friends was a werewolf, and the truth made her look at the wizard in a different light. She had always dismissed Remus as another immature prankster, much like that wanker James Potter. But to have graduated from Hogwarts while suffering under the burden of Lycanthropy was an impressive achievement. She also noticed that he hadn't taken up with one of the native women like Sirius had.
These pleasant thoughts were interrupted when Bellatrix started sobbing. Narcissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The great aristocrat then got up and headed towards the bedroom. She didn't particularly like her sister, but she did love her. Poor Bellatrix wasn't going to face this alone.
Harry was sitting in the middle of the Quidditch pitch when Minister Scrimgeour finally found him. The self-important git had brought along an entourage, but the flunkies wisely kept their distance. Only Rufus had the nerve to actually approach the Boy-Who-Had-Saved-Them-Again.
"Is he dead?" Rufus asked without preamble.
Harry looked over at the wizard. "Was he dead the last time?"
"That is a very interesting question, and one I don't have a conclusive answer for. The Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries can't seem to make up their bloody minds one way or another."
"I killed Tom Riddle," Harry offered. "Trust me, I really killed him. But I have no idea if he will stay dead this time. Headmaster Dumbledore might have been able to give you an answer, but Riddle murdered him before he could share that information with us."
"What about Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy?" Rufus asked. "Vance and Tonks told me the two dark witches were with Riddle when he attacked you out in the Forbidden Forest."
"Lestrange is no longer a threat to anyone. As for Mrs Malfoy... she is on a little vacation right now. I've no idea when or if she will be returning to Britain," Harry answered truthfully.
"I could charge you for not cooperating with a Ministry investigation, but my Aurors claim your abilities at wandless magic are nothing short of miraculous."
Harry jumped to his feet with surprising speed, and turned to face Rufus. His nerves were raw at the moment, and he had no patience for verbal fencing. "Minister Scrimgeour, please believe me when I say that I've no wish to be your enemy."
"I don't know if we can avoid being enemies given the current political situation here in Britain. Riddle may be gone, but the pureblood movement is alive and well."
"Then you will just have to decide who is the bigger danger to your political survival: the pureblood élite or me," Harry observed. This threat was delivered in a soft voice, but that only made it more effective.
Rufus laughed nervously. "Potter, you are better at this sort of thing than Albus Dumbledore ever was."
"I will be out of the country until the New Year. You can inform me of your plans when I return."
Without another word Harry returned to the castle. He remembered very little of the week that followed. The news of Riddle's death was being kept a secret, so the other students were treating him the same as always. Well, Tonks was acting a bit odd. The Auror was so grateful for what he did out in the Forbidden Forest that she attempted to seduce him on a daily basis. He wasn't interested, a fact which only aroused her more.
Harry was so reluctant to return to the Academy that he decided to take the Hogwarts Express, since it would kill a few hours. During the long trip to London he was struck by a bolt of inspiration.
"Luna, how would you and your father Xenophilius like to spend the holidays with me?"
Hermione immediately stuck her nose in the conversation. "But I though you were living at Hogwarts this year? Do you move, and if so where did you move to? And can the rest of us come and visit?"
With both Albus and Tom dead, Harry wasn't as concerned about losing secrets visa via Legilimency. A small part of him was also hoping someone would be stupid enough to attack the Academy. A bit of violence would be a wonderful distraction.
"I bought a tropical island. You, Ron, and Ginny are spending the holidays with your families, which means you won't have time for a visit. Luna lives alone with her father, so that's why I invited her."
"Can we visit you during the summer?" a hopeful Ginny asked.
"Perhaps. So, what do you say Luna?"
Her smile was so painfully sincere that Harry had to turn away. The Ravenclaw pointed out that she would have to ask her father before making any plans, which is what they did when they reached King's Cross Station. Xenophilius Lovegood agreed to the proposal at once, and Harry had a feeling the man wasn't all there mentally. This hypothesis was confirmed when he opened a Gateway. Neither father nor daughter raised a pale eyebrow at this unusual display of magic.
"Look, it is Stubby Boardman!" Luna shouted when Sirius and Remus came out to greet them.
"You know Stubby?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Everyone knows Stubby Boardman," Luna replied with exaggerated patience. "He was the lead singer for the Hobgoblins."
Sirius and Remus could barely keep a straight face as they listen to this exchange. In less than an hour everyone on the island was calling the Marauder by his new name. Luna and Xenophilius seemed to be enjoying themselves, but Harry wasn't really paying attention to his guests. He kept looking around for Narcissa or Bellatrix, but they were nowhere to be seen.
"She is still alive," Remus said as he sat down next to Harry on the beach where they had all gathered to watch the sunset.
"Am I being that obvious?"
"You should go to her," the werewolf said. "Before it's too late."
Narcissa wasn't happy to see him. She simply pointed to one of the bedrooms and left. An older Argonauts was standing guard, so Harry ordered him outside. When he entered the bedroom he found Bellatrix curled up in a ball on the floor. Her body was perfectly still, but her eyes followed his every move.
It was well after midnight when she finally spoke. "How could you have done this to me?"
"You committed hundreds of crimes as a Death Eater."
"It was a war."
"Try telling that to Frank and Alice Longbottom."
"You are just using them as an excuse," Bellatrix hissed. "I rejected you, so you lashed out at me in the worst way possible."
"I see you're still as self-absorbed as ever," Harry remarked. "Do you remember the first time we made love? I asked for your hand in marriage, and you rejected me back then too. Not only that, but in the following months you kept prancing around in the nude. I was slowly going insane thanks to the Dark One's taint on Saidin, but you felt the need to continuously taunt me with your body."
"I could not marry you without the permission of my near-sister Elayne Trakand. It would have been dishonorable."
"The fate of the entire world was resting on my shoulders at the time, and I needed you!" Harry shouted. "Maybe that was a bit more important than your bloody sense of honor! Did you even consider that?"
"My honor..."
Harry rolled over her. "And now in this life you sided with Tom Riddle of all people. Why do you think I wanted him dead?"
"You wanted to destroy the pureblood..."
"I don't give a rat's ass about your purebloods. They can go on screwing their first cousins until the end of time for all I care. What I care about is the Dark One's prison, and the fact that Riddle was in danger of opening it by accident."
"Tom Riddle sought to free the Dark One?" a shocked Bellatrix asked. "I swear to you that he never spoke of such a plan."
"I would have shared this information with you, but you felt the need to stab with a spear of Fire during our first meeting," Harry snarled. "I've brought your sister Narcissa a new student, so you now have a choice. You can stay in this bedroom until you rot, or you can help train Luna."
"How can I possible train the girl without access to Saidar?"
"Did the Maidens of the Spear use Saidar in battle? Half of the Wise Ones lacked the ability to channel, but they were still the equals of those who could. As I said, the choice is yours."
When Tom Riddle was growing up at the orphanage, one of his first exposures to magic was a crude storybook about Merlin and his cave of power. It was also in a cave by the sea where he had performed some his most dangerous spells as an untrained boy. Later he had hidden one of his horcruxes there. And at Hogwarts he had searched obsessively for the Chamber of Secrets, which was basically a cave hidden beneath the castle.
So it was understandable that caves held a special significance for Riddle, and that was why he was sitting in one twenty meters below the city of Norwich. The wizard was completely naked, but that didn't concern him. What concerned him was the three horcruxes in front of him: the Gaunt Family Ring, Albus Dumbledore's Wand, and Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak. Somehow these three horcruxes had spontaneously resurrected him without the aid of any rituals.
It was a puzzle he was having difficulty solving. Riddle picked up his Family Ring, and studied it under the ball of light he had effortlessly summoned upon waking. A Cloak, a Wand, and... a Stone? Surely that was just a fairy tale. He would have to study the matter further.
There was no sense in wasting any more time, so Riddle open the trunk full of supplies he had placed here a few weeks ago. The clothes were muggle in style, but hiding among the freaks would offer him a measure of security. Unless... he quickly checked his face. Yes, he still had a nose and a full head of hair. But what about his eyes? Luckily there was a mirror at the bottom of the trunk.
"Well, that is something you don't see everyday," Riddle mused aloud as he studied the handsome reflection in the mirror.
His eyes were now completely black.
