The Return of the Saviour.
Your worst nightmare.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the world of Harry Potter in any form, as it belongs to J.K. Rowling. The lyrics in this chapter the song "Let her fall" were made up by me, and therefore, belongs to me. Do not copy and use without my permission!
SUMMARY: After Voldemort hits Harry with the killing curse in a battle at Hogwarts at the end of Harry's seventh year, Voldemort is forced to retreat, as his soul is once again ripped out of his body when the killing curse bounces of the boy-who-lived for a second time. However, life isn't all roses as Harry himself disappeared mysteriously when the curse hit. Three years later, Harry is back, but this time with a new identity and new powers. Voldemort has returned, and become stronger than ever in Harry's absence, and it is up to the boy-who-can't-seem-to-die to put a stop to the Dark Lord, once and for all.
PAIRINGS: Harry/Luna, Ron/Hermione, Remus/Tonks.
Harry's heart was drumming wildly against his chest as he arrived in Hogsmeade soundlessly. His eyes immediately teared up from the heavy smoke pouring out from the burning buildings. The air was filled with curses, most of them red and green, and the inhabitants of the small village could be heard screaming, crying and pleading for mercy.
Above the village, a giant Dark Mark was burning in bright green.
Looking around wildly, Harry slowly crept towards the wall of a crumbled building, crouching slightly. A few feet ahead of him, a Death Eater was cursing someone whom he immediately recognized as Madame Rosmerta, sobbing in pain.
"Please, stop! Please! Have mercy! I'll do anything…!"
"CRUCIO!"
"AAAAAAIEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The pleading words coming from Three Broomstick's owner struck a chord deep inside Harry – they were eerily close to his own mother's dying words.
His blue eyes flashed green – luckily, no one was around to see this – and he raised his hand. A flash of bright light suddenly lit up the entire village, forcing everyone – Death Eater and villager alike – to temporarily close their eyes. When they opened them, the smoke was gone.
Harry raised his wand, quickly stunning the Death Eater torturing Madame Rosmerta. The Death Eaters, who had been slightly disoriented from the bright flash, and lack of smoke covering them when it disappeared, let out shouts of outrage, and quickly starting shouting out more curses. Most of them were green this time. Apparently, they had realised something was wrong.
"You'll be alright now," Harry mumbled, hurriedly placing a hand on Madame Rosmerta, who was sobbing in relief and gratefulness, clutching his hands.
"Thank you. Thank you!"
Harry just nodded. There was another flash of light, and Madame Rosmerta disappeared, now safely in Hogwarts Hospital Wing, the place Harry had transported her too.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Hogwarts' staff arriving, immediately engaging in battle with the Death Eaters. Relieved, Harry stood up, looking around for his true target – Voldemort. Narrowing his eyes, he saw the Dark Lord, further up the street, smiling in grim pleasure at the destruction going on.
Concentrating, Harry disappeared from his spot, and reappeared behind Voldemort.
"Hello Tom," he said conversationally.
Voldemort spun around, sneering, as he looked him up and down.
"Who are you?"
"Your worst nightmare," Harry growled, before sending a slashing curse towards the Dark Lord, who quickly blocked it.
Voldemort laughed. "Really?"
Harry pursed his lips, sending of more curses in rapid succession, most of them those you were taught within the Hogwarts curriculum. Voldemort seemed amused by his display, easily side-stepping or blocking each and everyone of them.
"Ah, so you are yet another Harry Potter-wannabe. Trying to be a hero, boy?" He asked, chortling.
"My name is James Ruoivas," Harry said, while flinging a bombarda curse at Voldemort. The Dark Lord easily re-directed it, letting it fly into a building which exploded. "I believe you've read about me in the newspaper?"
"Yes," Voldemort said amusedly. "I have. To be honest, from the way the media has been going on, I expected someone…bigger. More powerful. It is now obvious they were exaggerating. You are just a small annoyance, if that. I could crush you before you realised what was happening. Do you really expect these curses to hurt me, boy? They are child's play. And I am immortal."
"No one is immortal," Harry snorted. "Not even you." Before Voldemort could utter another word, Harry flung out his hand, and Voldemort's eyes widened as he felt himself flying through the air, landing on the scorched ground several feet back, disoriented and slightly confused.
Harry smirked. Mission one – make the Dark Lord underestimate him: Accomplished. Mission to – give the Dark Lord an uncomfortable surprise: Accomplished. Mission three – kill the bastard: Soon to be fulfilled.
Walking forward, Harry sent of more wandless curses at Voldemort, who had to roll away in order to not get hit. Sooner than Harry wanted to admit, he was standing, and they began to exchange another volley of curses, all of them on a higher level than the 'child's play' they had previously been doing.
"I suppose the newspaper were correct, to a certain extent," Voldemort admitted. "But you still have nothing on me. Harry Potter was the only one who could kill me, and while this display is more impressive than what you lead me to believe you were capable of – " he made a theatrical pause, before flinging out his own hand, and it was Harry's turn to fly several feet, as a fireball his him in the chest, heavily scorching him, the power breaking several ribs.
" – it has nothing on my own power," Voldemort finished.
Harry coughed weakly, cursing himself for doing the same mistake as Voldemort – he had underestimated his oppononent. Why hadn't he listened to Luna? It was obvious Voldermort was also more powerful this time around.
Harry struggled to his feet, while ducking and blocking Voldemort's curses – all of them now wandless and deadly.
"I suppose play-time is over then," Harry said, levitating himself into the air, and bombarding Voldemort with curses from above. Voldemort looked slightly shocked, but quickly retaliated by levitating himself up also.
Their duel had now left the grounds, and as the two kept blocking and cursing each other, the wind forced them closer to the centre of the village, neither of them noticing. Below them, the battle between Death Eaters and the Hogwarts staff continued.
Harry lifted his hands towards the skies, and there was a large flash of lightning. The clouds thundered and rain started to fall upon them, putting out the fires below.
Voldemort couldn't help but be impressed – and more than slightly intimidated, now when it was obvious Ruoivas had a lot more power than he had let on. The curses now coming from the young man – all of them wandless and silent – some of them even without any movement with his hands to direct them – were all destructive, designed to kill – or rather, obliterate him from existence completely.
Harry re-directed a lightning bolt towards Voldemort (inwardly appreciating the irony in that) while sending of several other curses with his other hand.
"James Ruoivas," Lord Voldemort yelled out. "I am impressed with your power, and Lord Voldemort can be merciful. Join me, and I will spare your life."
Harry rolled his eyes. Why had he just known those would be the next words out of his mouth? The battle below had come to an abrupt stop as everyone, dark and light soldiers alike, along with the remaining villagers, stared up at the skies and the epic battle going on above.
"Let me think…hmmm…NO!" Harry yelled. Around them, the wind grew wilder, and a whirlwind began to form itself beside Harry. With a swish of his hand, the tornado, flashing with electrical torrents, approached Voldemort. The Dark Lord desperately tried to stop it and control it before it reached him, but to no avail, and Voldemort's eyes narrowed.
"This is not over," he hissed, before teleporting away from the skies, taking his followers – most of them bound or incapacitated – with him.
Harry's shoulders slumped. Damnit! And he had been so close…
The storm settled, and fluffy white clouds reappeared, the sun shining brightly upon the destroyed village. Harry slowly floated to the ground, breathing heavily as his wounds made themselves known.
The professors of Hogwarts stared at him with wide eyes, impressed, and more than scared of his display of power they'd seen above.
Closing his eyes, Harry focused his power – Merlin, he was tired – on healing the village and the remaining people. Houses became hole, scorched colours became new and bright, wounds disappeared and windows repaired themselves. The burned ground on which he walked became green again.
Dizzily, Harry teleported himself into Hogwarts hospital wing, were Luna let out a gasp of shock and dismay at the sight of his wounds.
"Ha – James!"
The last thing he saw before slumping into unconsciousness was Luna's concerned face hovering above him.
ATTACK ON HOGSMEADE!
JAMES RUOIVAS PROVES HIMSELF AS THE NEW SAVIOUR!
Yesterday, in an attack that shocked the wizarding world, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named launched a surprise attack on Hogsmeade Village.
Luckily, Hogwarts staff was quick to respond to the threat and appeared in the village were they proceeded to engage the Death Eaters in Battle. Everyone, that is, but James Ruoivas, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
Ruoivas, upon apparating into the village – this reporter reminds his readers that it is impossible to do so from Hogwarts grounds, and should have been made even more impossible due to the anti-apparation wards put upon the village (which made it impossible for the Ministry Aurors to reach the area) – engaged in battle with You-Know-Who himself.
In a battle taking place in the skies, You-Know-Who proved why he is the most dangerous foe the wizarding world has seen – even more so than GellertGrindelwald – and why James Ruoivas is the new hope of the people of Britain.
In an impressive display of magic, Rupivas managed to not only hold the Dark Lord of, but also drive him away from the scene. Following this, Ruoivas single-handedly healed every wound of those remaining in Hogsmeade, and restored the village to its former glory, before apparating back to Hogwarts.
- A complete second-to-second account of the battle between You-Know-Who and James Ruoivas, along with moving pictures see page 3-5.
- For witness statements, see page 6-7.
- For an interview with the Minister of Magic, see page 8.
- For an interview with un-named Unspeakable, and why the display of magic Ruoivas did should be, for all intent and purposes, impossible, see page 9-10.
"Why did you not tell me of James Ruoivas, Severussss?" The Dark Lord hissed, red eyes glinting as he stroked the back of Nagini.
"I apologise, my Lord," Severus Snape said, inwardly gulping. He knew that whatever he said here today would end in pain. Since the defeat in Hogsmeade, Voldemort was in a foul mood.
What was supposed to have shown the wizarding world that the Dark Lord was back, and would show no mercy – even more than the outbreak of his followers in Azkaban – had become a humiliating defeat.
Britain was hailing James Ruoivas as their new hero, and almost every newspaper and radio broadcast were publishing debates of how and why Voldemort would soon be defeated. The light side was in high spirits, while the dark had been forced to move back into the shadows, skulking, and tail between their legs.
"I swear to you that I had no idea of the power James Ruoivas wielded," Snape continued. "I had been lead to believe Ruoivas was just another dunderhead on the Defence post. If I had known, I would have let you know, my Lord."
"You should have known!" Voldemort spat. "Never assume, Severus! CRUCIO!"
Snape gritted his teeth, bowing his head against the pain, which was even worse than usual. No, the Dark Lord was not pleased.
"Tell me what you do know," Voldemort ordered.
"Yes, my Lord. James Ruoivas was born on the exact same date and year as Harry Potter. He is extremely secretive, and has not said where he was schooled or where he came from. In his classes, he is trying to make the Houses work together. He seems to believe that nothing is impossible."
"Nothing is impossible?" Voldemort sneered. "Why did you not tell me about him? The information you just gave me should have shown that he could be a force to be reckoned with! CRUCIO!"
Snape's eyes bulged as the curse hit him again.
"Born on the same day as Harry Potter," Voldemort spat, increasing the power under the curse.
"The same year!"
Snape writhed in pain.
"A secret past!"
Snape's mouth opened in a silent scream.
"Removing the boundaries the Houses places on the students!"
Snape couldn't help it – he screamed.
Voldemort lowered his wand. "Do not displease me again, Severus," he warned.
"Never, my Lord," Snape panted. "Never again."
"Good. You are dismissed. Call for Wormtail."
"Yes, my Lord," Snape said, standing up shakily, bowing and backing out of the chambers, stumbling and sweating.
Voldemort was afraid. He would never admit it, but his encounter with Ruoivas had scared him more than he thought possible. And the information from Snape was worrying. Born on the exact date as Harry Potter… Seemingly unlimited Power… No one knew where he came from…
What if James Ruoivas was the boy in the prophecy?
Had he, the great Lord Voldemort, wasted his time and resources on Potter for no reason?
Why had he not known of James Ruoivas existence?
Was James Ruoivas even his real name?
"Y-you s-summoned me, my L-Lord?" Peter Pettigrew entered his chambers, bowing.
"Yes. Go to Hogwarts. Spy on James Ruoivas. I want to know…everything there is to know about him. Do not come back until you have information."
"Y-yes, my Lord."
"And Wormtail? Keep an eye on Snape as well. The fact that he did not see it fit to tell me about Ruoivas until I had met him, is…worrying. He may not be loyal."
"Y-yes my Lord."
"Try to find out if Ruoivas can be turned. He said no when I asked…but there was so much anger there," Voldemort mused. "If he could be turned…that would remove all my troubles. I would be undefeatable, once and for all."
"O-of course, my Lord," Wormtail simpered, bowing and bowing, kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes.
Voldemort rolled his eyes. "What are you waiting for? Leave!"
"Yes my Lord!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning around and scurrying from the chambers.
"Wormtail!" Voldemort called after him, and Peter froze.
"Y-yes, my Lord?"
"Never turn your back on Lord Voldemort," he said silkily. "CRUCIO!"
The song from the last chapter is taking a little longer than expected. Half the story is now finished and published.