Who Am I?

by DZ2

Challenge and story in one: details in the first chapter! When Harry awakens from an accident after the First Task, he finds that he can't recall the past four years at Hogwarts? What can a certain brunette do to help him? H/Hr

14. 13: The Third Task: Harry's Choice

Who Am I? A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of the chapter.

Harry/Hermione

Neville/Ginny

Draco/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

{Parseltongue}

Review Answers:

To all who reviewed the last chapter, I won't answer them because it would give too much away, so, with that in mind, it's thanks to:

MariusDarkwolf, Blueberry Babe, LovinLife710, bosk, Rainbow2007, ILoveGeorgeEads, Goldencoyote, Slytherin66, hpnut1, Airlady, Zamia and dennisud;

All reviews are appreciated and I always enjoy reading what you say about each chapter; so, with that in mind, here it is: Harry's Choice!

'What do I choose?' thought Harry, staring out at the April sunset, 'And how will I know that my choice is the right one?'

Silence was his answer…

Chapter 13: The Third Task

The summer skies over Hogwarts were filled with sun and clouds, though within its walls, a storm was brewing; the four Champions were eagerly awaiting the day of the Third Task and, amongst all of them, only one of the Champions had a harder task to worry about than the maze.

Harry, sat on his bedroom balcony, one leg dangling over the side almost nonchalantly, seemed to be locked in a trance as yet again, he found himself asking the questions, 'My freedom or my place in this war? Tom or my family? Ward and warrior or betrothed and brother? I simply can't decide and the Third Task is getting nearer.'

Harry was so fixed on his task that he didn't notice he had company until a pair of familiar arms snaked around his neck, a very familiar furry presence nuzzling his palm as he sat there. With a smile, Harry muttered, "I'm not expecting anyone Sirius so you can change back and, as for you my love, keep yourself there."

There was a sigh of contentment from Hermione before Harry heard Sirius' voice speaking to him as he asked, "Nervous pup?"

"Not really," lied Harry, his eyes staring at the scene outside his chambers, "But I don't really need to worry: I mean, I know what to expect and there won't really be any surprises because I know what he's doing in the Third Task, so, aside from ensuring that I emerge as Champion, I have no real worries."

"So you've made your choice regarding his offer have you Harry?" asked Hermione, Harry mentally slapping himself as he realised that he shouldn't have bothered trying to hide his fears from the girl who had his heart.

"No," Harry admitted, "Sad to say that I haven't Hermione, but how do I choose between the Dark Side of Magic and knowing who I really am over the freedom of who I really am as Lord of Three Houses and my place in the world as your boyfriend?"

"You don't have to choose anything really," Sirius informed him, joining Harry on the balcony, his back to the sunlight, "You choose to accept whatever path is rightfully yours by following your heart and not your head. We all know that he told you that, if you chose not to accept his offer then he would leave both you and Hogwarts alone, so you would be free to have a life."

"And yet," Harry remarked, "If I choose to side with him, I have the chance to unlock the potential of a magic that is older and more powerful than Dumbledore could ever understand."

"Harry," whispered Hermione, placing a soft kiss on her boyfriend's neck, "I want you to know that whatever you choose to do, I will stand with you no matter what and so will the Vindicators."

"And me," Sirius added, "Not to mention Remus, Severus and Minerva and, if push comes to shove, then I'm sure we could arrange for you to be protected: remember, one of the Vindicators has a relation with the Head of the DMLE: even if you chose to discover your true power, I'm sure that even Amelia Bones wouldn't stand in your way, not if her niece stands with you."

"I guess you're right," Harry smiled, still looking into the sunlight as he felt Hermione's kisses work their way to his cheeks, "But I still don't know what path to choose; and to follow my heart makes this as confusing as ever."

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"Because my heart is as undecided as my head," Harry told her, finally turning away and returning her kisses with a warm, passionate kiss to the lips, "Because no matter which way I decide, I know that I still have you and you still have me."

"To the end of time my love," Hermione whispered, both of them aware of Sirius becoming Snuffles as he left them alone, "To the end of time."

WhoAmI?

Harry's nerves mounted as June the twenty-fourth drew closer, but they were not as bad as those he had felt before the first and second tasks. For one thing, he was confident that, this time, he had done everything in his power to prepare for the task. For another, this was the final hurdle, and however well or badly he did, the tournament would at last be over, which would be an enormous relief.

Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the third task. The post owls appeared, bringing Harry a good-luck card from Sirius. It was only a piece of parchment, folded over and bearing a muddy paw print on its front, but Harry appreciated it all the same. He knew that Sirius would have preferred to give his well-wishes in person, but, due to the fact that the stands surrounding the maze would be packed and that Dumbledore would be watching for any signs of deception had given Harry enough reason to warn Sirius to either stay away or remain with Ragnok and Hermione – Harry entrusting the safety of his girl to no-one else – in his newly-coloured form.

Hermione gave him a warm good-luck kiss on the cheek before she whispered to him, "Whatever you choose to do, I will always love you, but if you choose not to come back, I will hunt you down and kill you myself."

"I understand love," Harry smiled, watching as the Vindicators throughout the hall gave him a warm and pleasurable salute of luck and hope, Harry noticing that Cedric Diggory seemed rather distracted and Malfoy was actually smiling at Harry from the Slytherin Table – Harry had decided to join the Gryffindor Table for meals since the capture and mesmerising of Hermione and Ginny.

Turning back to the Gryffindors, Harry noticed Ginny and Neville were now visibly linking hands, both of them happier than they had ever been while, down the table, Fred and George Weasley seemed to suddenly turn into a pair of bodyguards as they moved to Harry's side, Fred on Harry's side while George sat next to Hermione.

"Harry," whispered Fred, pouring a fresh batch of pumpkin juice for the Gryffindor Lord as he spoke, "Just wanted to warn you: before the task, the Champions get the chance to meet with their families and supporters."

"I know," Harry smirked, before he dropped what he knew was a masterful bombshell for the twins, "I have Messer Moony meeting with me along with Professor McGonagall: they are my Vassals after all."

"M-M-M-M-" stammered George, dropping the jug he was holding, spraying milk over his robe.

Hermione shook her head, before she cleaned the mess of the boy's robe as Harry finished, "Moony, yes: as in the Marauder; your idol; the man who, with a little persuasion from me, has managed to acquire the means for that little business you two wish to set up."

"Really?" asked Fred, before the penny finally dropped as he asked, "Wait a minute: you said that Moony was your Vassal?"

"Yes I did," Harry laughed, knowing full well where this was going.

"But that would mean," gasped George, finally getting it himself, "Moony is…was…is…"

"Remus Lupin," the three of them chorused, though Harry was a little less enthusiastic than the twins as he then asked Fred, "What's your point about the families?"

Fred's answer had Harry's blood boiling with expectant rage, a sense of manipulation in the air as he answered, "Mum's coming."

"Is she?" asked Harry, instinctively clutching the hilt of his sword as he felt Hermione's hand on his own, "Well then, I guess I'll be saying hello."

"Harry," whispered Hermione, "Don't do anything you'll regret."

"I won't love," Harry replied, kissing Hermione on her knuckles as he turned to Fred and George as he asked, "By the way, you and the Vindicators: you're still with me, right?"

"To the end," Fred answered.

"No matter what you choose," George explained, "We stand with you…"

"My lord," they then saluted, Harry noticing Ginny and Neville following suit as the Tri-Lord shook his head in amusement.

"Thanks guys," Harry replied, returning to his breakfast.

WhoAmI?

The Third Task was set to start at 6pm, which meant that the meet and greet was set for midday, which would give the Champions plenty of time to speak with families and take a stroll to quell any last-minute nerves. When Harry saw Remus and Minerva waiting for him, he smiled with welcome as Remus held him in a warm, almost fatherly-hug before Minerva whispered, "Harry, there's something we want to warn you about."

"You mean that Mrs Weasley is here?" asked Harry, "Don't worry Minerva, the Vindicators already warned me, which reminds me: Remus, would you mind if I introduced the twins to their hero?"

"I don't think I would." Remus smiled, watching as Minerva left their side, the werewolf looking around in a manner that could only be described as being alert, "On a more personal note: it's taken me a long time and a lot of assistance from Ragnok, but I finally managed to get you out of Privet Drive."

"That's brilliant!" Harry grinned, his eyes shining as he felt a sense of true freedom rising within him, "So they'll never be able to hurt me anymore right?"

"No they won't cub," Remus replied, before his smile became almost forced as he added, "However, there was one little stipulation and, if you didn't accept it, then you'd have to go back."

"Never!" snarled Harry, wind blowing all around him as he looked to Remus, "What's the stipulation?"

"Harry," Remus warned him, "I tried; I did everything I could to keep him out of it but…"

"What," Harry repeated, "Is the stipulation Remus?"

Remus sighed, before he explained, "You spend this summer…at the Burrow!"

"And who orchestrated that?" asked Harry, his tone still dangerous, though the winds were dying down: he knew who the Burrow belonged to and, though he couldn't confirm it, he had a sneaking suspicion who the conductor to this little orchestra had been.

"Dumbledore," Remus explained, "According to him, you have nowhere that you can legally acquire because you have no recognised guardian: when I tried to explain that you had Vassals, a member of the Ministry named Dolores Umbridge asked if they thought a werewolf made a reasonable guardian and, Harry, I'm sorry," he lowered his head and Harry, magic peaking once more, though he did all he could to keep it under control, "I lost my temper."

"Don't be sorry Remus," Harry sighed, "You were played by the best of them: if the Burrow, home of the Weasleys, is to be my place of residence for the summer, then so be it; however," he grinned slyly as he saw Remus lift his head, a look of curiosity on his face.

"However?" he asked, feeling like he had once before; as if he were about to be informed of some master prank.

"I have to stay at the Burrow over the summer, this is true," Harry then revealed his teeth as he added, "But it doesn't say that I have to stay in the Burrow, does it?"

"No," Remus replied, realising where Harry was going with this.

"Contact Ragnok," Harry instructed his Vassal, "Then see if you can speak to Neville about joining us: leave the rest to me."

Remus gave the expectant bow of respect that a Vassal shows his or her Lord, "As you wish milord."

"Harry dear!" called a high-pitched voice, Harry's shark-like smile fading as he turned to see Mrs Weasley approaching with a tall pair of men; one was dressed in shabby robes and had short-cut hair; the other had long red hair and a fang-shaped earring hanging from his right ear, his robes indicating status as they were decorated with the Gringotts Crest.

"That's Bill," Remus whispered, "He works for Gringotts: you could inform him of your message and he would see it delivered."

"Why?" asked Harry, his smile as warm as it had been for Remus, even if it were forced.

"Because he's a clan brother like you," Remus answered, "I don't know the exact details, but apparently he is held in pretty high regards."

"I see," Harry replied, before he reached into his robes and withdrew his wand, the motion revealing the sword of Gryffindor at his belt as he pointed it at Mrs Weasley, his tone rising as he spoke to the newcomer, "Not another step Lady Weasley: what someone was trying to do by inviting you as my family representative, I don't know, but, thanks to your idiot son and your oh so thoughtful advice, I no longer had to hide that I am not the Harry Potter they knew, but someone far different."

"What Harry's trying to say Molly," Remus warned her, Harry knowing that the full moon wasn't too far off, so pissing him off would be a bad idea, "Is that if you wish to earn his respect, we can start with an apology."

"An apology that we are willing to give," Mr Weasley remarked, holding out his hand as he exclaimed, "As Lord of the Weasley Family, I offer my hand in apology and a chance to reunite our friendship with House Potter."

"Oh shut up Arthur!" hissed Molly, Harry suddenly getting an image of a dog and his master as Mr Weasley visibly flinched, but the hand was not removed; instead, Mrs Weasley added, "I will willingly apologise if Harry answers this question: has he left her and given just rewards to Ron for the injuries he caused?"

"I can assure you Mrs Weasley," Harry replied, his voice indicating a threat while remaining civil, "I made sure that Ronald was given his just desserts, or didn't you hear that he's now a Slytherin?"

"WHAT?" Yelled Molly, Harry not even flinching from the woman as she asked, "And the bitch?"

"Big mistake Molly," Remus growled, Harry now unsheathing his sword as he pointed it at Mrs Weasley, his emerald eyes filled with fire.

"Molly Weasley," Harry growled, "As Lord of Gryffindor and Slytherin, I am ordering you off the premises of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, will you accept?"

"I will not bow to the will of some boy!" Molly hissed, Harry's eyes now like emerald infernos as he listened to her, "Especially one who allows some mudblood freak to take him away from someone as proud as my Ginny and…AH!"

Harry had heard enough; hearing those two curse words that he had been forced to endure had been bad enough, but insulting Hermione, as any in Hogwarts should know, was the final straw. Harry had reacted with wandless magic and summoned flames from the tip of his sword, the fire now burning Molly's face in the same manner that Ronald had been burned.

"Never," Harry growled, "Ever insult my girlfriend in my presence: your Ginny is perfectly happy to stand with her real boyfriend and the only Weasley who is possibly worse than your son, Molly, is you! Now, I won't ask so nicely again: leave this school or you will discover what happened when your son dared to insult Hermione the first time. Mr Weasley, Bill," he then turned to the two Weasleys and, to Remus' surprise, Harry seemed to cheer up as he explained, "The two of you are here to watch me compete and I am thankful for that: consider yourselves my honoured guests."

"Thank you Lord Potter," Arthur bowed, Bill following suit.

Harry, however, just laughed as he explained, "Please Arthur, Bill; call me Harry."

As he reached out to take the hand offered by Mr Weasley, Harry was suddenly thrown off his feet as he was tackled to the ground, a pair of strong hands around his neck and a crazed voice whispering, "You will break your relationship with the mudblood boy or I will see you in Azkaban for what you've done to me!"

"ENOUGH!" Roared Harry, his magic now blasting outwards, Molly flying off him as Harry rose dangerously, his eyes burning madly and his magic flowing throughout the room. "You dare to lay your hands on me you psychotic bitch? I am a Lord of two Founders, Head of Three Families and recognised by Hogwarts herself as her new Lord: who the hell do you think you are? Molly Weasley, I asked nicely; now I'm telling you!"

He raised the sword high, his magic seemingly making him glow as he demanded, "GET OUT!"

There was a crack of thunder, a sound like the wail of a banshee and, when the magic died down and Harry was finally able to sheath his sword, there was no sign of Molly Weasley anywhere within Hogwarts.

However, the use of such magic in such a manner wasn't without its limits and, as Harry sagged forwards, sweat pouring off his forehead, he looked up at Arthur and, with a shake of his head, whispered, "I'm sorry Arthur, but I can't accept your hand, but know this: you, Bill, Fred, George and Ginny will always be friends to House Potter and you Bill will always be honoured as my clan brother. For now, please…just go."

Arthur bowed with respect to Harry's request, the Lord of Three Houses feeling a familiar pair of arms holding him as Remus whispered, "Come on Harry; we'll see if Poppy has anything that can help recharge you."

"Remus," Harry whispered, "Find Hermione and tell her what happened here, then tell her this…"

He gave a gasp of fatigue as he allowed Remus to help him stand, his eyes burning as he exclaimed;

"Thanks to that bitch, I know what path I'm going to choose!

WhoAmI?

The stands around the maze were filled to the brim, but for Harry and the Champions, all that really mattered was what lay ahead of them: the maze and the recovery of the Tri-Wizard Cup; when Harry had been taken to the Hospital Wing, Poppy had fed him Pepper-up Potions and then Severus had provided Harry with an elixir that, as soon as he drank it, seemed to have the same effect as an energy drink as it filled the Tri-Lord with raw power and made him feel alive again.

With regards to his decision, Harry had sent a warning to the Vindicators, which was then passed onto Cedric – no matter what happened in the maze, Harry had to be the one to touch the cup – as both a meaning to his decision and a thanks for everything the Hufflepuff had done for him.

As the sound of the first cannon was released into the air, Harry and Cedric rushed into the maze together, Harry noticing the entrance closing behind him as he turned and began tracing his path mentally, trying his hardest to concentrate on the magical presence of the Cup to guide him and not the magic of the maze. The two Vindicators had agreed to split up and, in the off-chance that they met at the Cup, Cedric would act as the decoy for Harry while the Tri-Lord went on to face his destiny.

This was something that gave Harry a strong sense of warmth and companionship: he had known that Cedric would stand with him, even after he left Hogwarts and, through what happened tonight, Harry also knew that the Vindicators would stand with him. It didn't matter that eh wasn't the same Harry Potter that people had said had cheated his way into the Tournament. No, to them he was the Tri-Lord and the one truly worthy of the title Champion: to them, he was the one who could truly be a leader and they would follow him to the end.

'Who am I?' thought Harry, turning along one of the maze's pathways, still following the magical trace of the cup, 'I am Harry James Potter, Triple-Class Lord, Heir of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin; I am a Triwizard Champion and soon, I will be so much more!'

The maze was silent, Harry's breathing the only sound around him as he wandered through the pathways, the animate environment of the maze making the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He knew that there would be trials, but now, other than the foreboding feeling of not knowing what was around the corner, Harry just concentrated on getting to the Cup.

As he turned through another pathway, there was a sudden rumbling coming from behind him and, as Harry turned, he saw a web of large vines suddenly snake out from the hedgerow and worm their way towards him. With a sad smile, Harry unsheathed Godric's sword, the blade humming with the magic that was in the air, before the young Slytherin slashed downwards, the blade cutting through the vines as though they were made of paper. Following the path of the vines, Harry suddenly came to a stop as a flash of green light passed his face, Cedric's voice crying out a warning as a red spark was returned; something heavy hit the floor and, as Harry turned, he then saw Cedric standing over the stunned body of the Durmstrang Champion.

"Imperious," Cedric gasped, turning to see Harry standing there, "I think he was put here as a means to make sure that you and you alone made it to the cup."

"I'd have to agree," Harry remarked, looking around as he asked, "Where's Fleur?"

"Krum got her," Diggory answered, still gasping for breath as he asked, "How close are we?"

"Judging by the fact he wanted to use the Avada Kedavra Curse on you," Harry replied, "I'd say we're pretty close: Cedric, listen…"

"Harry," Cedric laughed, "It's all right: I got the message and the Vindicators have one for you."

As Harry looked to his fellow champion, Cedric lowered himself to one knee, his hand crossed over his chest, his other arm behind his back as he recited, "We the Vindicators pledge our life and services to Harry James Potter; we are his warriors, allies, brothers-in-arms and friends for as long as he needs us. Every one of them made the pledge," he added, rising again and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, "We're yours to command and do with as you wish, my Lord Harry Potter."

"Thank you," Harry replied, before the rumbling started up again, Harry noticing movement from behind them as he added, "Now run!"

The two champions, side by side, tore through the maze, the foliage now closing in around them as if trying to snare them in its trap; while Cedric worked with cutting curses and flame jinxes, Harry slashed and hacked at the vegetation with Godric's Sword, before both of them came to a stop at the end of a long pathway.

The Triwizard Cup was at the other end, gleaming with silvery light and shining through the darkness of the maze; looking to his lord, Cedric nudged Harry forwards, "Remember the plan," he told him.

"Thank you," Harry nodded, before he saw a smile on Cedric's face as he asked, "What's so funny?"

"You are," Cedric answered, "I had a feeling about what choice you'd make from the start and, from the moment I signed on with the Vindicators, I knew that you were the only one of us worthy to be Champion. That's why I told you about Longbottom and the giant squid and why I chose to stay by your side; Harry, Lord Potter, if there's one person in my life that I am honoured to serve, it's you."

"Thanks Cedric," Harry replied, the two embracing one another in a strong hug of friendship, before they both clasped the other's hand in a gesture of brotherhood.

"Now go," Cedric insisted, "And make sure you come back to us…my Lord."

Harry nodded and, with vim and vigour filling his steps, he raced ahead of the Hufflepuff, the maze now doing all it could to halt Harry's pursuit, even going as far as unleashing spikes of vegetation that, had it not been for the sword in his hand, would have skewered Harry.

The Triwizard Cup now stood, gleaming silver and resonating with warm magic, in front of Harry; turning one last time to look back, Harry saw Cedric give him a salute, before the youngest Champion reached out and snagged the Cup, a strong feeling of pull being felt against his navel as the whole world spun with centrifugal force, before Harry dropped down onto a hard floor, an even colder environment than the one from the maze welcoming him to this new destination.

Staggering to his feet, his body covered in gashes and scratches from the maze, Harry looked around, taking in every single detail: he was standing in some kind of graveyard, tombstones and statues decorating the area, a clearing formed in the centre of the graveyard, where Harry noticed a mysterious cauldron on top of a large pedestal.

'The ritual,' he nodded, moving into the centre of the clearing, a large stone angel of some kind looming over him; knowing what he had to do, Harry stabbed the sword of Gryffindor into the ground and began to remove his robe, exposing pale flesh to the night sky as he looked around, knowing who was coming.

{Tom!} he called, Parseltongue rolling off his lips, {I'm here and as promised, I willingly give my blood: tell me what I must do.}

There was a moment's silence and, for a short second, Harry actually feared that he was the victim of a trap set either by Tom or by Dumbledore, but, as he thought on this, an icy voice hissed in response, {Step back Harry and allow my servant to do his work; when he comes for your blood, make sure you have that sword in hand. In return for this, I give him to you so that he whom you love dearly can finally be with you.}

{Thank you Tom,} Harry remarked, stepping back and withdrawing the Sword of Gryffindor from the ground, knowing that Tom was obviously talking about Sirius, which meant that Wormtail was here.

A short moment passed for Harry before a door opened at the opposite end of the graveyard and two figures emerged from the building; one was a bundled figure being carried by the second, a short, portly man with a very snivelling appearance to his face, his front teeth almost sticking out like the rat that he was.

At the same time, Harry watched as the flames beneath the cauldron began to spring into life, the weak and weary voice of the Dark Lord hissing, "Do it…now!"

He could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was standing, its glossy eyes watching the young wizard as it slithered around his feet, before Harry heard a voice that he figured was the snake as it, or she as he found out, hissed at him. {You are the one my Master needs: he talks of a choice you must make.}

{Rest assured,} Harry replied, watching as the snake then seemed to slither up his body until she was wrapped around Harry's shoulders like a scarf, {I have made my choice and I know it is the right one.}

Wormtail pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and Harry let out a gasp that was lost by his reasoning as to what was about to happen: It was as though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind – but worse, a hundred times worse.

The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face - no child alive ever had a face like that - flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.

The thing seemed almost helpless; it raised its thin arms, put them around Wormtail's neck, and Wormtail lifted it. As he did so, his hood fell back, and Harry saw the look of revulsion on Wormtail's weak, pale face in the firelight as he carried the creature to the rim of the cauldron. For one moment, Harry saw the evil, flat face illuminated in the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion. And then Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; Harry heard its frail body hit the bottom with a soft thud.

Wormtail was speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

The surface of the grave behind Harry cracked: Harry watched as a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail's command and fell softly into the cauldron. The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions and turned a vivid, poisonous-looking blue. And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs.

"Flesh…of the servant…w-willingly given…you will…revive…your master."

He stretched his right hand out in front of him - the hand with the missing finger. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left hand and swung it upward. Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a second before it happened – he closed his eyes as tightly as he could, but he could not block the scream that pierced the night, that went through Harry as though he had been stabbed with the dagger too. He heard something fall to the ground, heard Wormtail's anguished panting, then a sickening splash, as something was dropped into the cauldron. Harry couldn't stand to look, but the potion had turned a burning red; the light of it shone through Harry's closed eyelids.

Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony. Not until Harry felt Wormtail's anguished breath on his face did he realize that Wormtail was right in front of him.

"B-blood of the enemy…forcibly taken…you will…"

"Don't even try it," Harry warned, lifting the sword to the snivelling coward's face as he then stepped forwards, holding the sword in his hand as he looked at the bubbling mass. Then, as he stared, he felt a second mind link with his own, his magical knowledge suddenly growing and, holding the sword in his hand, Harry lifted it high and held his other hand over the cauldron; he didn't know how, but he knew what he had to say and do.

"Blood," he recited, "Of the forsaken one turned your enemy, willingly offered, you shall restore he who has fallen!"

Then, with the tip of Godric's Sword, Harry sliced a cut across his finger and watched as a steady stream of red blood began to drip into the cauldron, before he stepped back and, pushing his wandless magic into his will, Harry healed his cut and watched to see what was going to happen.

The cauldron began to spit and fizzle, its base turning from the colours of crimson fire into a strong mixture of silver and emerald that rose around the cauldron, the pot itself melting to reveal a much stronger figure than the one that Harry had seen beforehand. As he and Wormtail watched, Harry felt a smile tug at his lips before the figure's body began to become renewed by flesh, bone and blood, its muscles growing and, as Harry watched, he saw a head of sleek black hair cover the figure's head, the snake-face almost shifting into one more human, albeit still one with the red eyes.

Then, as this new figure was lowered to the ground, Harry watched as the shadows covered him, creating a set of long black robes that covered the figure, his head the only thing that was revealed, exposing a youthful, but clearly human face as the figure then opened his eyes and stood, his feet covered by the long robes, his hands revealing themselves from the sleeves of the robes and his eyes looking to his restored body in shock.

"Harry," he then whispered, his voice slick and oily, but with a slight hiss to it that made Harry's blood boil with excitement and raw magic, "You kept your word."

"As promised," Harry replied, watching as Wormtail scurried forwards, his free hand holding onto a wand that he offered to the man.

"Ah," the man remarked, "Thank you…Wormtail: Stupefy!"

Harry felt the magic as well as saw it; in a flash of red light, Wormtail was thrown to the floor, his eyes wide and his body unmoving as the figure stepped over the body of his servant and, stopping before Harry, he asked, "Any pain?"

"None," Harry replied, "You were right."

"As I suspected," the man, a renewed Tom Riddle, replied as he turned away from Harry and cleared the debris from the graveyard; once he was done, Tom spoke again, "I intend to summon my followers and bind them to my services in life and magic, so that not even Dumbledore can claim them; while I do that Harry, I want you to go over to that shack and wait. I will call to you in our tongue when I want you to re-appear; then, before all of them, you will give me your answer."

"Of course," Harry replied, before he remembered that he still had the snake around his neck; stepping forwards, he asked, "Do you want her back?"

"No," Tom answered, "Nagini will keep you company until I am ready for you; oh, but make sure that your face is hidden so that, when I reveal you, I will know once and for all whether or not I have traitors in my ranks."

"As you wish," Harry replied, striding past the Dark Lord and walking over towards the shack where Wormtail had emerged from; hiding behind the doorway, Harry waited with baited breath, his magic somehow growing stronger with each passing second as he listened to the sounds outside.

There were occasional sounds like wailing and the icy feeling in the graveyard was becoming even colder, but, as Harry listened, he was still sure of his decision and of what was about to happen; around his neck, Nagini gave him a gentle puff on the chin as if to soothe the excited young wizard before Harry, remembering Tom's instructions, used his own wand to craft a new set of jet black robes – though this time without his Crest – as well as a hood that completely obscured his face. With that task done, Harry secured the sword under his robe, hid his wand in its holster and, stroking Nagini, Harry waited as the inevitable moment drew nearer.

The first thing he heard was Tom speaking to what Harry assumed were his gathered followers, the Death Eaters, "Welcome my friends; thirteen years it's been and yet here you stand before me as though it were only yesterday. I confess myself…disappointed: not one of you tried to find me: Crabbe, Dolohov, McNair, Goyle," there was a pause and several gasps of pain from the Death Eaters; Harry assumed that Tom must have ripped something from them, possibly their masks – he had heard and researched the Death Eaters with help from Remus not long after the Second Task. As he listened, Tom's voice was close to silent as he spoke to one in particular, the name ringing a bell with Harry, "Not even you…Lucius!"

There was another gasp of pain before Harry heard a thud and a voice that was almost as low-toned as Severus spoke to Tom, "My lord, had I detected a sign or a whisper of your whereabouts…"

"There were signs everywhere, my slippery friend," Tom laughed, Harry wondering how much of this he was actually enjoying, "And more than whispers."

"I assure you, my lord," Lucius replied, "I have never renounced the old ways; the face that I have been forced to present each day since your…absence; that is my true mask."

"Oh yes," Tom agreed, "You have done well in your pretence, but you failed to understand the one thing I required for my return Lucius: you, who used the classic excuse of being under the Imperious to escape your punishment, should have been more careful as to who you chose as your enemy. For you see," his voice had raised and Harry seemed to prepare himself, as if he knew this was the moment. "Your actions at the Quidditch World Cup impressed me greatly; and afterwards, when my plans were put into motion, relying on such helpers as Wormtail here, who chose to fail me at the last moment, as well as Bartemius, who I sense shall be joining us shortly, I knew that the time would come for the inevitable encounter. You see, there is one more among us tonight; one who is the true reason for my return and, before I introduce him to you, I want all of you to kneel!"

There was a shuffling of robes and Harry, still eager to move from his location, listened as Tom spoke with an almost malicious tone, "You all chose to abandon me: I wish to say…thank you, because you are traitors; yes you are; as soon as you heard that Wormtail had returned, you jumped on the Dark Lord's bandwagon and started to, as Lucius clearly said, detect the signs and whispers of my whereabouts. So, this is your reward: you all bear my mark and you have all felt its pain; now, assembled before me, my Inner Circle, do you swear on the magic of your mark to never betray me again?"

"We swear, my lord," the group replied, Harry knowing the time was close.

"Do you all swear to obey my commands and pledge your loyalty to the true darkness?"

"We swear, my lord."

"And," added Tom, Harry knowing that it was close, "Do you all swear on your very lives that none of you shall ever ignore who and what you are from this day onwards? Do you swear to take your place as the rightful power in this world to aid me in stopping those like Dumbledore from taking my life again?"

"We swear my lord!"

There was a powerful flash of silver light that seemed to spread among the Death Eaters, before Tom's voice was directed in Harry's direction, {You may come out now Harry: keep to the manner of your character until I tell you otherwise.}

{Yes Tom,} Harry replied, ensuring his hood was secure, before he decided to add to the masquerade, conjuring a Death Eater mask that was made from silver and held a blood-red edge to it, as if symbolising his power, before he stepped out and strode with confidence through the kneeled Death Eaters, catching sight of Lucius Malfoy among the gathered followers, the blonde-haired man watching the newcomer with bewilderment.

"Ah yes," Tom remarked, smiling proudly at Harry, "There you are my friend: you see, all of you are nothing compared to what this being has done for me on this night. For it was his willingness to grant me my power once again that gave me back my body; now, not too long ago, I knew I would need this man and I gave him a choice: once his task was done, I would either give him his freedom or he would become my right-hand, my…prince, one could say. Now, my friend, if you choose your freedom, then turn your back to me; if you choose your place at my side, my young friend, then kneel before me."

There was a long, drawn-out pause, during which Tom seemed to examine the being before him, his eyes looking to the mask as if he were admiring its creativity, before he was given his answer.

Harry James Potter kneeled before the Dark Lord Voldemort, his voice distorted by his mask as he answered, "I choose to serve you, my Lord."

"Very well," Tom replied, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, "But you shall not serve me, my young friend; you shall stand by my side as my Prince and my ward; now, with that in mind, why not let your face be known to them?"

"Yes my Lord," Harry replied, before he looked to Lucius, a smile curling under his mask as he reached up and removed his mask, before banishing his hood with but a mere gesture, revealing the face of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Surprise!"

Chapter 13 and Harry's choice has been made: he chooses to become the Pure Magic Prince, but what will he do about those who follow him and how will they take it?

Keep Reading to Find Out…

Next Chapter: Harry returns to Hogwarts with a present for Sirius and a new destiny to be unleashed, but his actions against Mrs Weasley have Dumbledore watching him closely; what can he do to distract the old man from interfering over the summer? Also, Ragnok approaches Harry with regards to his summer at the Burrow and his new status as the ward of the Dark Lord…

Please Read and Review…