Chapter 11
He Who Fights Monsters
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster.
And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
— Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
-#-
HARRY POTTER: THE BOY WHO LIED
By Rita Skeeter, the bestselling author of the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, and Snape: Scoundrel or Saint.
Our children grew up listening to the tales about Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.
They grew up listening to the tales of his bravery, honesty, and everything that is Light and Good.
We taught them how to be exemplary citizens of Wizarding Britain by making Harry Potter the benchmark they must strive to be.
My dear and loyal readers, it was all a lie.
Harry Potter is neither good nor Light. He has fooled us all.
The truth is, not only Harry Potter is a Dark Wizard, but he is also a liar and an adulterer. Yes, my readers, that is all true. Imagine my dismay when I have discovered that the Boy-Who-Lived has committed infidelity to his fiancé, Ginevra Weasley! They were as good as married, and the poor girl's heart seems to be completely broken. The witnesses—who wish to remain anonymous—say that they have seen Ms. Weasley sobbing in Neville Longbottom's arms after discovering the fact of infidelity. Now, This Author would never dare to speculate about the nature of Ms. Weasley's relationship with Mr. Longbottom, so she would concentrate on the subject at hand. Upon seeing his sister's state, Ron Weasley was seen verbally abusing his best friend and trying to hex him. It must be noted that Mr. Weasley failed to do that, and no wonder: we all know about Harry's being an extremely powerful Dark Wizard.
Now, you are probably wondering how I know for certain that our Saviour committed infidelity.
As you all know, I despise slandering innocents, so I had to get undeniable evidence before revealing Harry Potter's true nature to you.
So, my readers, I did.
Shocking, but Harry Potter was seen kissing Luna Lovegood in the library of Hogwarts yesterday! All evidence suggests that Ms. Weasley saw them and that is why she left the library in tears and fell into the strong arms of Mr. Longbottom.
A Hogwarts student who wished to remain anonymous shared with me his opinion: "I knew Potter and Lovegood had something going on ever since I saw them together at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party back in 1996."
That piece of information is certainly interesting, as it makes me wonder whether Harry has been having an affair with Ms. Lovegood for years behind his poor girlfriend's back.
Now, my dear readers, you are probably wondering who Luna Lovegood is. Fear not, I will shed light on this mystery.
Luna is Ginevra's classmate and best friend, which makes matters even worse. She is also a pureblood witch and the only daughter of Cecilia Lovegood, the infamous Spell Creator. It is a well-known fact that Cecilia Lovegood experimented with Dark Spells and died trying to invent one, so it is quite logical to assume that Luna is a Dark Witch as well.
A Dark Witch and the Saviour?
Or, perhaps, a Dark Witch and a future Dark Lord?
I shudder at the thought. Has she been corrupting Harry or is it the other way around? Or are the two of them already corrupt and beyond salvation?
Only a few months ago, we celebrated the Dark Lord You-Know-Who's demise. Were we just lulled into the false sense of security?
One thing is for certain: the Wizarding Britain's future is dark and ominous.
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"Well, that was fast," Harry said, grimacing at the Daily Prophet Hermione had handed him. Rita had outdone herself.
Hermione took a seat at the table and glanced around with obvious disapproval as the house elves bustled about, carrying various platters of food and drink. Finally, she turned back to him. "You can't hide in the kitchen forever, Harry."
"I'm not hiding," he said, setting the paper aside and returning to his breakfast. "I just don't feel like being stared at and gossiped about. Been there, done that. What are you even doing here anyway? Aren't you angry with me, too?"
Hermione gave him an offended look. "Ron and I are separate individuals, you know. He is the one angry with you. I'm just...I'm confused, Harry."
Harry took a gulp from his coffee. "Why? Not every couple gets a happily ever after."
"It's not that, Harry. I never thought Ginny was the one for you anyway."
He looked at her curiously. "Why not?"
Hermione looked uncomfortable. "Harry, when you really love someone, you want to be with them no matter what and you don't ditch them when the relationship is inconvenient for you. Besides, to be honest, I always thought Ginny was a carbon copy of your mother and you just wanted to be like your dad—"
"That's ridiculous, Hermione." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter now anyway. So why are you confused, then?"
"Because I don't understand, Harry. You seemed pretty happy with Ginny lately, but all of a sudden Ginny breaks up with you and wouldn't even look at you." She examined his face. "Rumours are running amok, but I want to hear the truth. You didn't really cheat on Ginny with Luna, did you?"
Harry winced. "Do people actually believe that bullshit? Is anyone giving Luna a hard time?"
"I don't think so." Hermione gave him a flat look. "And don't change the subject, Harry. I want to know the truth. Ginny refuses to tell me. She only said you were a liar and a cheater, and that she never wanted to talk to you again."
Raking a hand through his hair, Harry looked down at his cup. At least Ginny hadn't told them about Riddle. "It's true. I cheated on her."
Silence.
"With whom?"
Harry looked at her. "What? No righteous indignation?"
Her face was inscrutable. "With whom, Harry?"
Averting his eyes, Harry hesitated.
What the hell.
"Tom Vergne."
Silence fell again.
"Well," Hermione said after a while. "I suppose I should have seen that coming."
Harry's gaze snapped to her. "Why?"
She was blushing. "Well, I've seen the way you look at him sometimes. And the way he looks at you when you don't look at him—"
"And how does he look at me?"
Hermione blushed even harder.
Seeing her blush, Harry felt awkward too. Blimey, what was that about Hermione that made him feel like he was thirteen all over again whenever they talked about things like sex?
"Er, like he wants you," she said awkwardly. "And like he wants you to look at him."
When Harry said nothing, she looked at him curiously. "So are you together now?"
He laughed. "No."
He studied her. "You're very calm about it."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "I certainly do not approve of cheating, Harry. But I can understand." She shrugged, blushing slightly again. "He's very handsome."
Harry snorted. "Don't let Ron hear you say that."
Hermione chuckled. "I'm in a relationship, not blind. As long as I just look, it's..."
An awkward silence stretched between them.
"So am I back to being a Dark Lord in the making?" Harry asked, changing the subject.
She sighed. "I'm afraid yes. People were starting to forget about the snakes incident, but now everyone remembered how evil and bad you are."
Harry smiled without humour. "Some things never change, do they?"
She didn't smile. Instead, she eyed him sadly. Reaching for his hand, she squeezed it. "Harry, we might not be as close as we used to be, but you do know I'm here for you, right?"
Harry felt a lump form in his throat. He swallowed past it and pasted a strained smile onto his face.
Bloody hell, he wanted to tell her everything so badly, but he couldn't. He couldn't lose Hermione too.
She was the only thing he had left.
"I know," he said, squeezing her hand back.
#####
Harry entered the Slytherin common room and was about to quickly pass through it, as he always did, when a thought stopped him.
Why not stay here?
After a moment of thought, he walked to the armchair in the corner of the room. He felt Slytherins turning and watching him warily, but frankly, he couldn't give a damn. He had been on the receiving end of many dirty looks—Ron's in particular—the entire day, so it was nothing new. At least there was no chance in hell of Ron coming here; that was one confrontation he wanted to avoid. This way he could at least pretend their friendship wasn't destroyed beyond repair.
Dropping his bag on the floor next to the armchair, Harry sat down and, leaning back, eyed the Slytherins.
He didn't really expect any trouble, since the upper years weren't in the common room.
Therefore, he was a bit surprised when a tiny boy left a group of Slytherins and approached him.
The conversations came to a halt, the room going eerily quiet.
The boy stopped before him. "They say you are a dark wizard."
Harry studied him. "Do they?"
The kid was clearly unnerved but was trying hard not to show it. Harry mentally applauded him. "So is that true?"
Harry considered his answer carefully, aware that everyone was listening in. "Yes."
Whispers and murmurs broke out among the audience.
"Then why did you kill the Dark Lord? If you're one of us, why did you fight against your own kind?"
One of us. That phrase again.
Harry studied the boy, who seemed genuinely confused, before shifting his gaze to other students, who looked downright angry and distrustful. "What is your name?" he asked the kid, returning his eyes to him.
The boy frowned. "Noah Stardust."
"You see, Noah," Harry started, considering and discarding ideas quickly. Then he remembered a movie he'd once seen Dudley watch. "The thing is, I wasn't a dark wizard until I killed Voldemort. So naturally, I fought the Dark. But when I killed him, his powers transferred to me."
Another round of murmurs went around.
"It is not possible," some girl said, stepping forward. She looked to be a fourth or fifth year. Something about her oddly reminded him of Hermione. "It doesn't work like that, Potter."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "And you would be?"
She lifted her chin up proudly. "Melinda Nott."
Interesting. Was she Nott's sister?
"And how many dark lords have you killed, Melinda?"
The girl flushed. "Still, it is illogical. You can't possibly think we'd believe that."
"I don't care whether you believe it or not," Harry said with a smile that had an edge to it. "That is the truth."
Ignoring the murmurs, he reached for his bag and pulled out Rowena's book. If he was going to pretend to be a real dark wizard, he could as well finish it.
He opened the chapter on Occlumency; it interested him the most. He knew it was a major weakness that his mind was so unprotected. It was about time he finally learned it. He hated that Riddle read him like an open book.
He couldn't help but think of Snape's words.
I told you to empty yourself of emotion! ... Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily — weak people, in other words — they stand no chance against his powers! He will penetrate your mind with absurd ease, Potter!"
How right Snape had been.
Pushing the memories away, Harry concentrated on the book.
Rowena Ravenclaw must have been a very good teacher. She described Occlumency techniques very differently from Snape, using concepts he understood easily. Instead of simply saying to clear one's mind, she described how to do it. It was really fascinating, and soon enough, Harry nearly forgot where he was.
However, he stiffened when he heard the whispers die down again as an odd tension filled the room.
Harry looked up.
Nott was walking to him, his face twisted in an ugly expression and his wand out. "What do you think you're doing, Potter?"
Setting the book aside, Harry kept his face impassive. "Just enjoying my afternoon," he said calmly, pretending that he had no idea that all Slytherins were watching them like hawks. "It's my common room, after all."
"No, it isn't," Nott said with a sneer, stopping in front of him. "You know the rules. This is the Slytherin common room, for Slytherins only. The fact that McGonagall put your lot in our dorms doesn't make it your common room. Get out of here."
Harry narrowed his eyes, slipping his wand out of his sleeve.
"Theo," Melinda said uncertainly with a wary glance at Harry.
"No, let him talk," Harry said, standing up. He knew that confrontation was long in coming. Most Slytherins were still very unhappy about having students of other Houses—Gryffindors in particular—in their territory.
"What is there to talk about?" Nott spat out. "How dare you to show your face here, in our common room, after getting our fathers and brothers thrown into Azkaban?"
Harry met his eyes steadily. "I don't recall throwing anyone into Azkaban. If they got thrown there, they're the ones responsible for their stupidity, not me."
With a snarl, Nott whipped out his wand and shot a spell towards him. Harry swiftly blocked it and disarmed him nonverbally. Nott's wand flew into his hand.
"If you're looking for a fight," Harry said coldly, eyeing the enraged boy. "I'll have to disappoint you. Moreover, I'm a bit disappointed myself. I thought Slytherins were famous for their ambition and cunning, not their reckless stupidity. What did you hope to accomplish by openly attacking a war hero, the recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, while you and your mother barely avoided Azkaban? I heard you were this close to having all your properties confiscated. Even if all of your friends here lie that you didn't attack me, it would be my word against theirs, and who do you think the Aurors would believe?"
Nott visibly paled but sneered. "You aren't exactly popular right now, Potter."
Harry smiled. "Actually, that is a perfect opportunity for me to get into people's good graces again. Harry Potter, attacked by a dark wizard… Surely, I can't be dark, then, can I?"
Nott pressed his lips together. In his peripheral vision, Harry could see other Slytherins shift uneasily.
"Potter," Melinda said hesitantly. "Please don't tell—"
"I won't tell anything." Harry said. And then, a part of him—the same part that was sickeningly fascinated with Riddle—made him add, "For now. If you annoy me again, I might change my mind."
Nott nodded curtly, his eyes brimming with pure hatred, but there was also a grudging respect lurking somewhere in there.
Harry settled back in his armchair and resumed his reading. Or rather, pretended to.
He waited.
He didn't have to wait for long.
"Potter," Nott gritted out. "My wand."
Harry looked at him, then at the wand in his hand. "You know, Nott," he said, playing with the wand idly. "I take it rather personally when people attack me."
Nott glared at him. "What do you want?"
Harry made a show of considering it. "I want you to serve as a messenger." His gaze swept over the room, his expression hard. He was so sick of this. Sick of his life spiralling out of control. Screw Tom, screw Ginny, screw the Prophet, and screw the Ministry. It was about time he regained some control over his life. It was about time he was the one to set the rules. "I want you to make it clear to everyone that I'm not to be bothered. No one should stare at me like I'm a circus animal—I'm getting rather tired of it. If I want to spend time here, I will do that and will be left alone. If I want to sit at the Slytherin table, no one should make a fuss about it. It's not a lot to ask, is it? I think I'm being very reasonable here."
Nott's jaw clenched. "I don't have authority over everyone. You can't ask me that—"
Harry smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. "You misunderstood me, Nott."
He stood up and, walking to Nott, thought of Malfoy's words.
You are the most powerful wizard in Britain.
Most powerful? Hell, maybe it was time to put that power to use.
His lips twisting, Harry reached for his magical core. He had been suppressing his magic and fighting to control it for months, but now, he did the opposite: he called it to the surface, letting it pour out of his body, letting it reign.
The air charged with magic, becoming oppressive and heavy, and gasps sounded around the room, but he didn't pay them attention.
He concentrated on Nott, whose pupils dilated, face flushing and eyes glazing over.
And Harry pushed his magic at him and Nott fell to his knees, breathing hard. The air became so saturated with magic that he could both smell and taste it.
Looking down at Nott, Harry felt something within him click and settle into place, as if he'd been missing something for a long time.
"I wasn't asking, Nott," Harry said softly, but his voice was easily heard in the utter silence. "That was an order."
