Summary: When aunt Marge visits the Dursleys after the events of OotP things become too much for the Boy Who lived and he snaps, the power of his dark side that Voldemort helped create on that horrible night fourteen years is unleashed and he decides to fight the war on his own terms, his ultimate goal to create a world where there is no corrupt government or discrimination towards magical animals and half-bloods or muggleborns.
Warning: swearing, angst and tragedy.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, Warner Bros., Inc. and Sunrise Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Everything else is mine.
Power
Of
Revenge
The beginning of the end
This chapter was written in memory of my grandparents, both have left the world now and can be together again.
I pray for them and hope that one day I can tell my grandkids stories like they once told me.
A warm breeze blew across the ocean. The small ship made its way steadily through the water towards the port. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the water was crystal clear and the small port looked like a picture from a travel destination guide. White beaches on either side and small wooden fishing boats moored on the wooden piers. Only two larger bulk carriers lay moored at one of the sturdier piers. It was peaceful here and calm here. Harry sighed and wished he could just live in a place like this and have nothing to do with the turbulent times in his own world, the world the entire planet almost knew nothing about. He flexed his hand as he looked at it and wondered what it would've been like to live life as a muggle. But he knew that could never have happened, he wasn't meant for such a fate. And if he was honest with himself he thought it was better to be in the thick of things instead of being on the sidelines or ignorant. He cleared his head of those thoughts. Times were calm again for a little while. Insania was preparing for the final stretch. At least he hoped it was the last one. The Americans had been dealt with. Even if it hadn't been made official rumours spread whether you wanted them to or not. From here on Voldemort was their main priority. As soon as preparations were complete it would begin. Voldemort had been very quiet lately and it disconcerted Harry. Like him Voldemort was most likely massing his forces and hatching schemes. It had already taken too long but so many things had happened since he started this crazy plan. It was almost a year since he had started preparing for Insania.
"Has it really been only a year?" he asked himself as he looked at the clear blue sky.
Almost a year since Marge had taunted him one time too many, A year since the power within him had been awakened, he had felt so angry at the time, and powerful. A burning determination to reap destruction had burned within him but it had turned into something else. Something far greater than he could ever have imagined. It felt like an eternity ago. There were so many things he had done, and things he still had to do. So much had changed. Hogwarts was gone forever, a new nation had arisen, the most powerful magical fleet in the world had been decimated, the Ministry was shown just how powerless they could be, he had a family now, sort of.
Family. The word called forth memories. And then something struck him. Remus. He had totally forgotten about the last Marauder. He smacked himself on the head. With all the chaos at the time he had completely forgotten.
"I something wrong Harry?" asked Luna as she walked up to him.
"Just remembered something." mumbled Harry a little ashamed.
"Was it important?" she asked concerned.
He thought it over for a moment. "Maybe but that doesn't matter right now. First we need to finish up here."
Luna nodded and turned around to look over the railing. Her hair was swaying in the wind and those pale bleu orbs were looking intently at the ocean. Harry found he was more admiring Luna at that moment than the view. Luna noticed his gaze and looked at him before giving a genuine smile. He quickly looked away when he realized he had been staring. Both remained silent until it was time to dock. They stepped onto the pier. They were moored next to one of the large freighters and wasted no time getting on board. Once on deck they sought out a crewmember.
"We're here to see Mister Guillaume." Said Harry, letting the pleasantries slide. He knew it was futile here anyway.
The man nodded and led the way to the bridge. They entered without a word. The ship's bridge wasn't what you expected. There was nothing here to actually operate a ship. The bridge had been transformed into a loft. Exotic goods were stacked on shelves all around and a black and white striped carpet adorned the entire floor. Yellow curtains held the sun out and a small chandelier offered some lighting at the centre. The humm of a fan at the back was the only sound in the room except for the ocean outside.
"Welcome Mr. Potter. It's good to see you alive and well." Said a man from the far side of the room with a French accent. Luna and Harry looked at him and both nodded. He was in his late forties but didn't show it. His hair was black and styled fashionably. He was wearing a blue business suit but the tie hung loosely around his neck. His small beard gave him the image of someone who knew how to do business.
"It's good to see me alive and well too." said Harry.
"Tss, you should really learn to relax sometimes Mr. Potter." Said the man as he reached for a box and a small and offered it to Harry.
"Cigar?"
"I'll pass. You know I don't smoke." said Harry as he relaxed slightly. You never knew in what kind of mood the man was.
"How about the little lady?" he asked as he offered the box to Luna. It sounded a little too lecherous for Harry.
"She doesn't smoke either." Said Harry a little more harshly with a sideways glance at Luna, she seemed more subdued suddenly.
The man sighed and put the box back down. "To business then?"
"If you please, we have a tight schedule."
"So tight that you are five days late?" asked Guillaume in a way that didn't sit well with Harry.
"We had a little problem." Said Harry neutrally.
"So I've heard." Said Guillaume with a snicker "You do realise that this delay will cost a little extra. Storage costs you know."
"I know, I have taken it into account."
"Very well. Let's see it."
Harry tossed a heavy bag onto the table at the centre of the room and Guillaume looked at it. He gave a sharp whistle and one of the men entered the room, this one carried an assault rifle.
"See if the amount fits the bill." Said Guillaume in a strict tone. The man nodded, picked up the bag and left without a word.
"Why don't we sit down and eat while my men take care of business. I'm sure you are quite hungry, sailing on the ocean always gives me quite an appetite." Offer Guillaume as he sat down at the head of the table in an ornate chair.
"We'd like that." Said Harry as he took a chair at the opposite end and Luna sat down next to him.
"Your delay probably had nothing to with something big that happened to the Americans a couple of weeks ago?" asked Guillaume as he pressed a button under the table and a local entered with a bottle of wine and three glasses.
"Nothing quite as severe as that." Said Harry, keeping his tone light hearted "But these are busy times for us."
"I must admit Mr. Potter, I'm quite envious of you." He took the offered glass and sipped it. He nodded and the servant poured two glasses that he offered to Harry and Luna. Both accepted with a nod. "You live such an interesting live."
"Some may call it that yes. But in truth I find you're not doing all that bad either."
"Bah," said Guillaume as he took a large swig "There's nothing interesting happening here. It's always the same, day in day out."
"There are many people that would trade anything to switch places with you." Said Harry as he took a sip and admired the taste.
"Perhaps. They say you should be grateful for what you have. But not everyone took it willingly."
Harry raised his eyebrows at that remark and agreed but he found it peculiar. In his case he didn't really choose for it. He was destined to end it, he just chose another path to walk to the same destination. Apparently Guillaume saw his confusion.
"You are aware of my status Mr. Potter." He said in a grave voice.
"I know you're a squib yes, if that's what you mean." Said Harry a little uncomfortably.
"To be honest Mr. Potter, how many squibs have you known that had a good job in the Wizarding community."
"Not that many." Admitted Harry.
"I was born in a magical family and knew nothing of the muggle world. I knew no trades, I had no skills. What path can you walk then?"
"Can I be honest with you Guillaume?" asked Harry frankly.
Guillaume looked intently at him and after a few moments he nodded.
"I don't judge people that easily, most of my enemies have done me some great wrongs. You're not my enemy and now you've shed some light onto your past. I can't really say I approve of what you're doing here. You make a lot of money dealing with nastier men than me." Guillaume looked a little irritated for a moment but didn't speak up. "On the other hand," continued Harry "I am grateful towards you. Without your…cooperation we would never have gotten this far. At least you are sincere and true to your word. I respect that."
Guillaume remained silent. He spoke up after a while, "And you're honest as well Mr. Potter, even in the face of danger. I could starve your nation and yet you gave me your honest opinion. I respect that as well."
Harry felt some relief at those words.
"Perhaps some day a new opportunity will arise for you Guillaume, you're a good tradesman. Such people are valuable."
Guillaume gave a pleased smile and the servant came in with their meals.
After a pleasant silence in which they enjoyed their meals Guillaume suddenly spoke up again.
"You must forgive me for asking this question Harry," he started "but who is this lovely lady accompanying you this time. I was expecting your, how do shall I put it, more sinister colleague."
Harry gave a barking laugh. "I know Severus is not really a people person but you should really watch what you say about him."
"I'm sorry but he is quite intimidating and demanding."
"I forgive you," said Harry with a dismissive wave "he's quite strict when it comes to the quality of his ingredients."
"I can understand that. It surprises me he is not here today."
"He had important business to attend to."
"I see, but you have yet to answer my other question." Asked Guillaume with a raised eyebrow.
Harry put down his utensils and looked sideways at Luna who was staring at her plate without really touching it. Her eyes swivelled sideways for a second and she gave a small nod.
"This is Luna Lovegood, another of my trusted colleagues and a good friend." Said Harry.
"A pleasure to meet you." Said Guillaume with a warm smile and a gesture.
Luna looked at him and nodded once. "Thank you."
"So how is she related to you Harry? Is she another colleague?" he paused as he saw Harry try to formulate an answer "Or perhaps a love interest?" he asked in a teasing manner.
Luna's cheeks turned slightly red but she tried hard to suppress it and turned looked down at the table, her hair obscuring her face but she couldn't deny that she ached for an answer from Harry.
"I'm afraid that's a little too personal a question Guillaume." Said Harry at last and Luna didn't know if she was disappointed or angry.
"I understand." Said Guillaume.
The rest of the meal passed in relative silence and only unimportant matters were discussed as they waited for the ship to be loaded.
When the small vessel set sail again its cargo holds were filled to the brim. Vital supplies for their growing nation. The breeze had turned into a strong wind and the waves were getting higher. Not that they proved a problem for the boat. Harry stood unafraid on the prow of the vessel looking out over the ocean. As he saw the vast forces of nature at work with nothing but ocean as far as the eye could see in front of him he felt a little insignificant. Luna approached him but kept her distance, standing a few paces behind him. He noticed her presence but didn't comment.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked
"Just how insignificant we are." Answered Harry a little listlessly as he kept staring at the ocean.
"That sounds a little pessimistic. What's the matter?" she asked as she approached the rail and stood next to him.
"It's not meant to sound like that but look at it but look at it." He said as he gazed as the ocean "The ocean is so vast and this is only a small part of the world we see. People always say how we will destroy the world if we don't do this or don't do that. How the world will be destroyed if we don't defeat Voldemort but that's not true. Even if we were to wipe each other out or a great catastrophe were to happen that meant the end of the world as we know it Earth would still be here. It wouldn't stop turning because we vanished."
"I suppose you're right when you look at it like that." Said Luna a little sadly "But the world isn't the Earth, it's our world, the world we live in. It would matter a lot if that vanished."
"I suppose you're right."
They both fell into contemplative silence.
"Say Harry…" she started. He looked sideways at her. She hesitated. "When Guillaume asked you what I was to you…what did you really want to answer?"
But Harry didn't answer and remained quiet, his eyes hooded. The silence stretched on until she couldn't bear it anymore. "Please Harry, answer me."
"Luna, please don't do this, not now." Harry said at last in a dead tone "I can't take this right now and I don't want to hurt you. You know you and I share something special but I also share something with Hermione."
A tear rolled down her check. She couldn't help it. He looked at her and felt ashamed for making her cry but he couldn't deal with this right now. He didn't want to deal with this right now.
"Forgive me Luna but I can't answer you right now. There's so much going on and I'm confused and maybe even…afraid."
"I understand." She said but didn't look like it.
"I'm sorry Luna." Was all he could say.
That night he was lying awake in his bunk. Still clothed and above the sheets. He had tried but sleep eluded him. It wasn't the rocking of the ship that kept him awake, he found that being on the sea felt quite comfortable for him. He liked being on the say, to feel the sway of the waves and feel the freedom it offered even if you were confined to a ship. It wasn't like his cabin on the Ekliptica where the ship hardly swayed at all unless the seas were really rough. He didn't know why he took pleasure in such simple things but he liked knowing he had a side like that. Not everything had to be almighty and great Harry Potter stuff. His troubles right now weren't either. Memories shifted in his mind. Memories of his time with Hermione and of his friendship with Luna, the times he had spent with both. And then there were the memories of Ginny. He didn't know what to feel about her anymore. 'She's been gone for so long' he thought. He still didn't believe she had betrayed him but on the other hand he didn't k now if she loved him in the first place. At the time it had all happened so fast but it had seemed…right. It had felt right as well, it had felt good to be loved like that but when he thought back about the time something nagged at his mind.
Flashback
His plans were going well he had to admit, he's never though he'd get this far in the first place. Despite his concerns it seemed that using his fame paid off. These days people who followed him were everywhere. It appeared that the youth that had grown up with bedtime stories of Harry Potter was willing to follow him blindly if need be. If only they knew what he had actually planned. His lessons with Dumbledore were going well too. He had finally bested the man yesterday evening. He cursed himself for it. He had let himself get carried away and know the old man would be more cautious around him. Someone his age shouldn't be able to do it, defeat Albus Dumbledore in a simple duel. He would have to hold himself back from now on. Everything was going well. Except for one little annoyance. Ginny. Even as he glanced backward he could make her out peeking around the corner at him. She was everywhere he was it seemed. Unlike last year whenever he tried to talk to her she seemed to avoid him and yet she was always around. She was stalking him and he didn't like it. It felt like she was spying on him and he couldn't have that, not when so much was at stake.
"Nothing can leak out, tonight I'll confront her. I'll deal with her if I have to." He thought darkly. He would have to be very careful of course, an absence in Hogwarts is quickly noticed. He made his way to the room of requirements where Hermione was working on perfecting the way to make electronics work on magic. He had to admit he liked his friend for her genius mind and regretted it a little that he had to lie to her but she would never agree with what he had planned. Soon she would see the truth of things. He knew she was too smart not too figure it out eventually. But he had safeguards in place. She wouldn't tell a soul, she wouldn't be able to. Still, he would miss her he guessed. Her mind would've been a useful tool. Although she never would've helped develop the weapons the others were working on. Luna had been a blessing sent from heaven in his eyes, while she was odd and eccentric she was far smarter than people gave her credit for. At least he would have her to take over where Hermione left off. He had to admit to himself he was starting to like Luna. Despite her constant dreamy air once she got serious she completely changed. If things kept going like they should he would be free soon. Free to enact his revenge. His body tingled as his magic responded to the thought. It was a strange but very pleasant feeling. He looked at his hand and flexed it, feeling the energy course through his veins. It sent shivers down his spine.
"The power of revenge is strong indeed." He muttered as he continued walking, aware of the ever-present shadow of Ginny Weasley following him.
When he entered the Room of Requirement it was busy as usual. People were sparring and duelling on the other side of the room. Everywhere others were reading books or jotting down notes. Harry had to admit he had never expected that students could be so devoted to a cause he had given them but they all knew Voldemort was back now. Those that had noticed him entering greeted him and a few even saluted which still surprised him a little but it pleased him as well. Dean was sitting in a corner with some students learning them common naval terms and ranks. He walked through a door on one side of the room and entered a much quieter area. This was Hermione's area where she worked. On all the walls in this room large sheets of paper hung, filled with schematics, drawings, formulas and quickly scribbled notes. A computer sitting on a desk in the corner hummed as it ran through several simulations. In the centre of the room was a large table with a strangely glowing device with a shaft protruding from one end. It was connected by a crystal tube to a black metal box inscribed with runes on all its surfaces. The crystal tube glowed as a pure white substance flowed through it. Harry could feel the power it held from across the room.
The glowing device sprang to life and the shaft protruding from the side started spinning. Hermione, whom had been looking at the device intently stood up straight and ran her wand over it, then the tube and lastly the black box before nodding in satisfaction. She hadn't even noticed him entering. A notepad appeared out of her pocket on which she scribbled a few notes before pocketing it again. She tapped the device with her wand and it started spinning faster. Again she repeated the process of going over the three components with her wand and writing down her observations.
When she was about to repeat the process again he cleared his throat. She started.
"Oh Harry, I didn't hear you enter." She said as she shut the device down.
"So I saw." He said with a smile as he walked over to the table and looked at the equipment "Still working on the engine prototype?"
"It's almost done." She said with a little pride in her tone "We've managed to raise its efficiency to ninety seven point eight per cent when it's run at full capacity but it does drop drastically when pushed further."
"That sounds very good." He said as he eyed the device.
"Oh it is. I've compared the output of energy of the engine versus charmed objects and it can produce at least three to four times the amount of energy." She said excitably.
"Impressive." Said Harry as he looked closer at the device "And the drainage on the core?"
"A small core like this one could power this engine for well over a hundred years. And we know that the power a core has increases exponentially when it increases in size, even a very big engine won't be a problem."
"Perfect, this will open a great number of possibilities." Said Harry "If you complete your theories you might even get an Order of Merlin for this."
Hermione blushed at the notion but nodded happily.
"Say Hermione, I have a favour to ask." He said and the happy mood in the room disappeared.
"What is it?" Hermione asked a little worriedly when she heard the seriousness of Harry's tone.
"I need you to ask Ginny something for me. I need to speak with her but she seems to avoid me."
"Okay." Said Hermione a little unsure "What is it?"
"Ask her if she could meet me in the common room at midnight."
Hermione nodded.
"Thanks Hermione. Keep up the good work, I need to go." Harry said and quickly left the room. He didn't want to give Hermione time to ask questions, he might have to wipe her memory if things went as he feared tonight.
In the main room it was still noisy and busy. He walked across the room to another door and knocked. It was time to see how Luna was doing but entering her turf unprepared was never a good idea.
It was getting late, the sun had gone down some time ago and yet Dumbledore didn't seem in a hurry to end their session. Like always when they were done with Harry's training they would sit down and have a cup of tea, discussing their duel at the end and how Harry could improve himself. It was more sedate than usual today. Harry suspected it was because he had lost today and won yesterday. As he sipped his tea Dumbledore was keeping a close eye on him. Harry hoped the old man hadn't noticed he had not gone all out today. He was starting to get nervous as well. He had to be in the common room on time for Ginny. He just hoped she showed up or it would be a long night and he was tired.
"Is something the matter Harry?" asked Dumbledore, breaking the oppressive silence.
"Not really sir, I merely got some things on my mind, that's all." Said Harry with an insecure smile.
"Anything I should know about." Asked Dumbledore with a raised eyebrow.
"Not really sir, just…I have to speak to someone in the common room soon." Harry said a little nervously. He truly didn't want to tell the man anything more. If he told him it was Ginny and he had to make her disappear he was doomed.
Dumbledore gave a chuckle and Harry looked at him a little confused. "Ah, I see Harry." He said with a smile "And might this person be a girl?" There was a twinkle in his eyes Harry didn't like.
"Yes sir." Harry mumbled as he stared fixedly at his teacup.
"I understand Harry. It's nice to be young like that. You can go, it's getting rather late anyway." Said Dumbledore with a grandfatherly smile.
"Thank you sir." Said Harry as he put down his teacup and stood up "Do I need to come over tomorrow?"
"Alas my boy, there are other matters that require my attention tomorrow. I'll let you know when we can continue."
"Alright sir, goodnight." Said Harry politely and left the office. Just before he closed the door he heard Dumbledore wishing him goodnight as well.
Once the door was closed he let his anger seep through and his eyes blazed. "Why do I feel like he knows something I don't?" he wondered as he made his way to Gryffindor tower.
It was close to midnight now. He was lying on his bed staring at his watch and let his arm drop to his side. He listened intently and heard the sounds of his sleeping roommates. He risked sticking his head through the curtains of his bed. They all seemed to be asleep. He quietly snuck out of the dorm and down the stairs. Just before he entered the common room he stepped and whipped out his wand. He didn't want any surprises. He listened for a moment but heard nothing. He peeked around the corner but the common room was empty. The fire in the hearth was still burning strong and bathed the room in its warm orange glow. He breathed a sigh of relief and entered the room proper. Ginny wasn't here yet which didn't sooth his nerves. He had half-hoped she'd be here already. The sooner this was dealt with the better. He walked around on of the couches in front of the hearth and was about to sit down in it when he noticed someone curled up in it. He jumped away and turned around, aiming his wand at the person. It was Ginny. She was sleeping soundly, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. He guessed she had been waiting for him for quite some time. Hermione had done her work. He knelt down beside the couch and nudged her. She didn't wake. His kept his other hand ready to clamp over her mouth should she start to scream. He nudged her again. She shrugged it off and turned her back to him, annoyed at the intrusion. He sighed and took hold of her shoulder, shaking her gently while calling her name. She turned around and faced him but remained asleep. Her lips moved and she murmured something but too quiet for Harry to understand. He shook and called her again. She started murmuring again.
"Yes Harry, I…"
But just then her eyes snapped open. When she noticed him she turned as pale as a ghost. She shot upright and a blushed furiously soon after when she saw him looking at her confused. An uneasy silence dominated the room as neither knew what to say.
"I…" they both started at the same time and stopped again.
"Why don't you go first." Offered Ginny with a nervous smile. To Harry she seemed a little pale. He noticed her hands were shaking too. She looked frail to him and suddenly his brass course of action seemed like something ludicrous, even to himself. He had planned to question her and see what she was up, deal with it if he didn't like it. But when he saw her now all those notions left at once.
"I was just wondering…" he started. He felt unsure now. "I've noticed you following me lately and I was wondering what for."
She blushed the famous Weasley red and Harry realized it had probably nothing to do with spying. All this scheming he was doing was starting to make him paranoid. She refused to look him in the eye. He waited for an answer. A few times he thought she would start speaking but she remained silent in the end. She started fidgeting.
He tried a different approach. "Ginny, look at me." He said and she did "I just want to know why, it…unnerves me a little."
"I'm sorry Harry, It's just…" she said quietly but didn't continue. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows questioningly. She let her shoulders droop and looked defeated. She took her schoolbag from beside the couch and rummaged through it. She took out a letter and presented it to him with both hands, her eyes downcast. He looked at her quizzically. "I've been following you because I wanted to give you this." She mumbled so quietly Harry had to strain to hear her. He looked at the letter apprehensively and took it from her. She let her hands drop and remained silent as if waiting for something. He looked at the letter and turned it over but there was nothing written on it. He opened it and started reading. It took only a few moments for him to realize what this was about.
It was a love letter.
He stopped reading. He looked up at her but she hadn't moved a muscle.
"Ginny…" he started in a very nervous tone, unsure of what to say "…I don't know…"
But she interrupted him. She looked up with a watery smile, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. "It's okay Harry. I was following only to give you this. It's alright." Without further comment she stood up and started to walk away, clearly convinced he was about to turn her down.
Harry himself was in a daze. He didn't know how to respond. He'd never been in such a situation after all. With all this planning for revenge and taking care of things that needed to done his mind hadn't really been on girls. But now that he was presented with the opportunity the idea seemed oddly appealing to him. He had to admit he didn't know Ginny all that well but she was pretty. He had to admit that and the times he had spoken with her she was a pleasant person.
Just before she got out of reach he snatched her hand. He didn't know why he did it but he did know one thing: he felt lonely sometimes. The anger that had been driving him these past months had taken a tool. He had less fun these days. He still kept up the pretence of being an average schoolboy. He played Quidditch and lounged around the common room with his friends but in his eyes it had all changed. He didn't really enjoy those times anymore. He longed for some warmth and comfort. Here he was, presented with an opportunity. And he decided to take it.
She stopped and looked back at him, something shimmering in her eyes. He was still sitting on the floor. Had been since he had tried waking her but he wasn't looking at her. His head hung low. He looked like a defeated man.
"Please don't go." He said "I haven't given my answer yet."
Her eyes widened and he rose slowly. When he stood upright she had to look up at him and when she saw his eyes it took her breath away. They seemed to be glowing in the light of the crackling fire. Emotions swirled in them.
When he looked down at her, her brown eyes wide with anticipation. Her pale skin a little flushed and her red hair glowing in the glow of the fire she felt irresistible to him.
She mustered her courage and asked: "What's your answer then?"
He never answered. Instead he bent down and captured her lips.
END FLASHBACK
When he reflected on it now he didn't really know why he had accepted her like that. He had felt compelled to. He even doubted she ever loved him in the first place. The more he thought about it the more he was convinced Dumbledore had had her under his control. She had a crush on him, that much was for sure but that hadn't been as obvious anymore during fifth year. He supposed that had been a turning point in his plans. Up until then he had planned to show the world what he could do with his new power but after that the anger had slowly ebbed out of him little by little. He had become more calculating. He supposed if that night had never happened they never would have made it as far as they had. He had started looking at the broader picture, seeking out people like Guillaume and Sarah Brown. But still, him accepting Ginny like that bugged him for some reason. At the time he had never really had romantic feelings toward her and he certainly hadn't been interested in having them with anyone. Revenge had come first. He thought about his many duels with Dumbledore and all the spells he had been hit with. Who knew what the old cod hat hit him with during those times. There had been dozens of spells Dumbledore had used that even now he didn't know the meaning of or even ones that weren't spoken aloud.
"That old meddling fossil." Muttered Harry angrily "Who knows all the things he's meddled in."
But if Dumbledore truly was completely responsible for getting him and Ginny together he had set up his own downfall. Ginny had been more support in the weeks after than he had dared to hope. He had told her his plans and she had supported him, letting him lean on her when he needed it. It still puzzled him why Dumbledore never suspected anything if he had controlled her. But maybe he hadn't expected anything so soon or of this scale. He might've have gotten them together for other purposes. He didn't know and he swiped at the air angrily, trying to push the memories and thoughts away. And at that moment he felt lonely again, lying in his bunk with no one to talk to. The crew of the ship was busy now that the sea had gotten rougher and Harry didn't think he could talk to them about such things anyway. He hardly knew these men. Luna had a bunk on another part of the ship. It was a five day journey from where they would meet up with the ship that would transport them back to Insania. It was a precaution to make sure they weren't detected. Luna had explained to him that the transportation drive left behind a magical signature that could be spotted from miles away. Even this ship was in every sense non-magical save for the cargo holds which were expanded to hold everything they needed but apparently the rune magic's signature was almost none-existent and never lasted for more than a few hours after passing somewhere. Hence the journey.
The door of the small room creaked and a person entered. Harry figured it was one of the crew and he remained silent. The curtain of his bunk was drawn and he remained quiet. Moonlight was filtering through the small porthole and he saw someone's shadow on the curtain. It was a short person. He was lying on the top bunk.
"Harry?" asked the unmistakable voice of Luna tentatively.
"I'm here." He said and drew back the curtain. He was slightly taken aback when he saw her. Her hair tangled, her eyes wide and the sunlight shining on her dirty blond hair. He shook his head. All this thinking about Ginny was playing tricks on his mind.
"I something the matter?" he asked.
She looked ready to say no but instead fumbled with her nightshirt. "I can't sleep." She said softly after a moment.
"Neither can I." admitted Harry.
"Is something bothering you." She asked a little hopeful.
"Just thinking." He said evasively "You?"
"Same."
They looked at each other, wondering what was bothering the other but didn't ask. There was something in the air between them that kept them silent.
"Harry?" she asked softly, he nodded "Can I…stay here for a while. I don't feel like being alone right now."
He nodded. "I don't really feel like being alone right now either." He admitted.
She gave a grateful smile. Harry let himself fall back down to the mattress again. He shot back up after a moment when Luna started climbing into his bunk.
"Luna, what are you…" he whispered fiercely.
Her face fell. "I'm sorry." She stammered "I just thought that…"
When he saw her expression he regretted his reaction and took hold of her arm, helping her up. "It's alright, I was surprised. That's all."
She crawled over him and lay down between him and the wall. The bunks weren't very large and they were almost pressed against each other but neither really minded. She shivered. It wasn't all that warm in the cabin anymore like during the day. He manoeuvred the sheets from under them and draped them over her. She gave him a grateful smile. They lay there in silence.
He realized he was thirsty and excused himself for a moment, extricating himself from the bed. He went to the small pantry and drank a glass of water. When he returned Luna was lying on her side looking at him with her luminescent blue eyes. He did feel tired now so took of his clothes and mulled on his pyjama bottoms. He felt conspicuous when he crawled into bed but he really needed someone near him right now. He drew the blankets over them both this time and Luna was no time in cuddling up to him. He stretched his arm put and she put her head on it. He drew her a little closer. He had to admit he missed this kind of thing since he and Hermione didn't sleep together anymore. They still shared his living quarters, neither had wanted that to change actually and Amy had seemed glad for it. Luna sighed contently and he let himself relax. When his eyes started to droop Luna spoke up.
"Where do you think we'll be in ten years?" she whispered out of the blue. Her breath tickled him.
He was a little surprised at the question. "I don't know." He answered truthfully, his much deeper voice sleepy "To be honest I don't think a lot about what could be in one or even ten years."
Luna mumbled some words of understanding. "Where would you like to be in ten years then?"
"Hopefully far away from things like this war. Somewhere quiet and peaceful and without a care in the world." He said and imagined such a place. The question had piqued his interest. "Where do you see yourself in ten years."
"I honestly don't know." Said Luna. To Harry she sounded kind of lost "I can't really imagine myself being anywhere else than where we are now. I'm afraid to think about it. I can't imagine things still being the same then. We have our troubles but to me it's nice to have so many people we cared about and care for us in return around. I can't see all of us, Hermione, Draco, Neville, even Severus being happy like we are now."
"I don't think we'll al drift apart just like that." assured Harry.
"But I'm afraid Harry, it all feels like a dream sometimes, a dream that could shatter at any moment." She said and had to stifle a yawn.
He squeezed her closer to him, giving some comfort. "It's all real Luna and it won't just simply vanish." He assured her.
"I certainly hope so." She said wistfully and closed her eyes, falling asleep soon after. When Harry heard and felt hear rhythmic breathing he let his face fall. He had to keep a brave face for them but he was afraid too. Soon the time would come, the time to face Voldemort and bring him down.
"I cannot fail them." He whispered fiercely and looked down at the beautiful girl sleeping. He realised you truly had to trust someone if you let yourself be so vulnerable around them. He too drifted off to sleep soon and despite his worries he didn't dream of Voldemort or anything related to the war that night.
The Minister of Magic of America and Great-Brittan sat together with Albus Dumbledore at a table high up in one of the rooms in the tower of Azkaban. Outside the weather was dreary. A storm was brewing and it didn't help the mood in the room. Each was reflecting on the past. Events the last few months had shown them a truth none of them had ever wanted to face. They were powerless. Every time Harry Potter had bested them and they hated it. A year ago none of them could have ever imagined sitting here on this dreary island, their forces in tatters, their people scared and afraid and angry at them. Albus faired none the better. The Order of the Phoenix was divided. He was certain that given the chance more than half would join Harry at this point but they knew he would never welcome them, no matter what. They were to close to himself. The others thought they should give up on Harry and go completely after Voldemort now. He was starting to agree with them. If the opportunity would've still been there he would most likely side with Harry himself but he had done too many wrongs to the boy. He was beyond forgiveness and he knew it. The voices in his head were very much opposed to the idea too. Especially Godric. Since Harry had so utterly bested him and even destroyed the great artefact that was the Sword of Gryffindor the founder of the bravest house was slowly becoming more vengeful. All he talked about was revenge on Harry Potter and it was starting to grate on Albus' nerves. The other two were in it as well but they still wanted to help him deal with Voldemort as well. Salazar had betrayed them. But that was not their priority. They had given themselves, their very souls, to protecting Hogwarts and they wanted it back, no matter what the cost was. He sighed, going against Harry was impossible right now. He had proven that to them. His island was an impenetrable fortress and Potter Mansion was a suicide mission to try and take right now. Albus looked sideways at Jonathan. The man was almost broken right now. His navy had disappeared from the face of the Earth, along with its base. Only a few remaining ships patrolled the island. He had promised that in the coming months new ships would join them but it would take years to rebuild the American fleet. The last time they had still had their base and had pulled all kind of ships from the queue to be scrapped and repaired them as best as they could, outfitting them with the new weapons they had thought up to counter Harry's war machines. He had helped them in the hopes of defeating Insania's fleet. It would've shown Harry he was not as powerful as he had thought. Boy, had he proven them wrong. The Warhammer had been an impressive feat. Ginny Weasley's powers that she had gained from Harry were impressive indeed. With his tinkering they had created a weapon that was beyond anything else. They had even knocked whatever Insania had been launching out of the sky. He had to wonder about the things Jonathan's men, the few survivors, had told him. Such a colossal structure high above them. He knew it couldn't be anything else than a devastating weapon. "Harry has certainly shown wizards how powerless they really are clinging to their ways and what potential the muggles truly possess." He thought grimly. He shuddered at the thought of Voldemort having had Harry's upbringing and then becoming a Dark Lord intent on murdering all the purebloods. They would never have stood a chance. He had to wonder if Harry was close to another girl, would she also be able to do what Ginny could now? The thought scared him a little. Harry seemed to be in control over his powers. As much as he hated to admit it he had been wrong about the boy. The power hadn't corrupted him. But other people weren't as strong. He decided he would focus his attention on Voldemort from now on. But if he did that, there was something else, someone else, that he would have to decide what to do with. Ginny was sitting in his chambers in the fortress, still under his control. This was perhaps the greatest injustice he had done to the boy. He had been responsible getting the two together and then he had separated them. Taking the girl with her had been another way to make Harry listen to him. Another big mistake, they had lost the ministry over it. He looked at his gnarled old hands and realized there was a lot of blood on these. Cornelius Fudge wasn't doing all that well either. Public opinion of him was at an all-time low but he refused to stand down. He only had a handful of Aurors left and they were doing what they could to maintain public order. The Ministry was in shambles, the people they were supposed to govern were being dragged into a war and they realised they were merely powerless onlookers. This was Harry and Voldemort's war now. The man had become strangely quiet lately, more contemplative. He was starting to see the truth, Dumbledore thought. He was curious to see how Fudge would cope with it. The competition Between Jonathan and Cornelius seemed to have abated too. The two talked a lot behind closed doors. He wasn't allowed in on their conversations anymore and he was curious if they were trying to plan something against Harry. The influence he used to have over them had disappeared as well. Too many things had gone wrong. And he had been at the root of a lot of those things. He would never be able to repent for his sins. All he could now was to try and find the wisest course of action and hope for the best.
Harry, Luna, Hermione and Draco were walking briskly through the hall. At the end was a set of wide double doors which promptly opened when they neared. The inside was a circular room pulsing softly with white light occasionally. Runes floated lazily inches from the wall and ceiling. In the centre was a circle a little whiter than the rest of the floor and the four of them gathered in it, the doors closing behind them. Luna waved her wand and pointed it at the ceiling. After whispering a spell the world turned white. When they could see again it seemed as if nothing had happened. They were still standing in the same room but none of them commented on it. The doors opened again but instead of the castle walls the hall was now made of bulkheads. The stepped outside and walked through the long and wide corridor, turning right about halfway and into an elevator. Luna hit the bottom for the top floor and after a short ride the doors opened to reveal Zeus' command centre. There were dozens of people now, all looking rather busy, nervous and anxious. The platform had been up in space for a week and a half now and everything seemed to function as it should. Hermione had been running tests on the station almost continually, making sure that nothing disastrous was sneaking up on them. Today was no different but they were not testing things like life support systems or simulating possible catastrophes. Today they were going to test the terrible weapon this station had been built around. The four of them took their positions on the pedestal at the centre of the bridge. They still had to find a commander to put in charge of the station once Hermione gave word that the station was completely safe to use.
Hermione gave the order to start. "Commence separation procedure."
The station's outer ring, to which the four colonies were to be attached in the future, was never meant to be part of the structure when going into actual combat. It was well armed on its own and it had the largest of the thrusters mounted on it complete with its own systems and smaller power plants. While it wasn't necessary to separate both structures before firing, it wasn't necessary at all in fact, but the station without its outer ring and later the colonies attached was far more agile and easier to aim. An alarm went off, signalling the people on board of the imminent separation. Doors hissed closed and air-tight shutters were lowered. The station went in complete lockdown in case something were to happen. An operator gave the signal that all was clear. Hermione nodded. A rumble raced through the station. The locks holding both pieces together were disengaged and segments connected to the outer ring retracted slightly, giving the station a little more manoeuvring space. The station's thrusters sprang to life, making it shudder slightly as slowly it drifted upward and away from the outer ring. Once clear the reverse thrusters fired, bringing the station to a halt.
Hermione gave some quick orders and the world outside turned on its side. The station's main gun now aimed at empty space. Harry could see Both Luna and Hermione were a bit nervous. The X1 MIEB was something of tremendous power, the equivalent of four Hiroshima bombs. Draco was merely here out of curiosity.
Now came the time of truth. Severus had been onboard the station for four days, brewing the catalyst required to make the weapon work. It was a very volatile concoction. He hadn't even dared bringing it here through the portal room. And nobody had tried apparating from Insania to all the way up here. Luna was still worried if magic reacted different in outer space in some cases. Getting splinched in outer space was a death sentence. And at the moment they didn't have shuttles to ferry them to and from. Sarah Brown was starting on the basis of some crafts together with Hermione but that was a long time into the future. She wasn't a space engineer after all. There were escape pods on board, looking much like the Apollo capsule. One of the consoles started emitting a beeping sound and Luna walked over to it, accepting the incoming call. The serious face of Severus appeared on the screen.
"I'm done inserting the potion. The weapon is loaded." He said and he seemed tired.
"Thanks for your work Severus." Said Luna. "Do you want to come up here?"
"I'd rather lie down and rest for a while. Brewing that stuff is rather stressful."
Luna nodded in understanding. Harry didn't really now what the potion was or how it was made but Hermione had told him it was a combination of some of the most volatile and magical components. It was a fluid that could absorb a massive amount of magic but in doing so it become unstable, causing a reaction that made it into one of the most powerful explosives, probably the most powerful.
"Release safety locks, start loading energy cylinders. Start up firing mechanism." Said Hermione as she sat down at one of the workstations and called up data on power usage.
The four cores that powered Zeus hummed as power was leeched from them into the energy cylinders. Unlike those on the fleet these cylinders were huge, as tall as a bus was long and as wide as a subway tunnel. For the X1 alone, sixteen of these massive energy storage devices were required, four per core.
It took a minute or two for these cylinders to be filled and when they were they all waited for the inevitable command.
"Fire."
The pall of magic in the air was unmistakable as all at once the energy stored in the cylinder was released, straight into MADs and then into crystals which focused all the energy in fine brilliantly turquoise beams. The beams hit the substance, suspended in a vacuum chamber by more of Luna's gravitation manipulation devices. The energy was transferred into the substance in a matter of seconds. The substance then became as hot as the core of the sun. Therefore that it needed to be suspended and not touching anything. Then the fields holding it in place collapsed. For a thousand of a second nothing was holding the substance in place before the fields that were the firing mechanism took over. They pulled the substance into the barrel and then accelerated it to near the speed of light by the time it exited the barrel. The now blueish-white substance exited the barrel and shone like a sun. Behind it was trail that looked remarkably like lightning, just as Luna had predicted it would look like. No one on the bridge could see that of course as the barrel was on the underside of the ship. But almost all the numerous amount of monitors on the bridge showed the image of the bright streak of energy leaving the barrel. The supercharged solution was meant to explode when striking something solid and in outer space it could've gone on forever were it not for the instability. It exploded a few moments later. In that short amount of time it had travelled about half the distance from Earth to Mars so the explosion looked rather small in comparison to the massive barrel dominating the screens but when Hermione pointed out how far that explosion actually was Harry's eyebrows rose and Draco let out a low whistle.
"Finished firing at twenty-five per cent, commencing barrel cool down." The officer in charge of the gun crew reported.
"Twenty-five per cent?" Harry asked perplexed as he looked at Hermione in astonishment.
"We didn't want to risk firing it at full power the first time." Said Hermione simply.
"That explosion was only a fourth of its normal fire power." He asked incredulously as he pointed at the bright spot now slowly fading on one of the monitors.
"Don't be so surprised Harry." Said Hermione, her voice cold, devoid of emotion. He had never heard her talk like that before. She sounded like an alien to him. "You knew we were building something unstoppable. A weapon that could defeat anyone. A weapon of mass destruction."
It hit him like a bludger. Was this what Dumbledore had been warning him for? He felt nauseous. Now he knew why Hermione hoped they would never have to use it. They could wipe everything of the face of the Earth with this thing! If this thing ever got into the wrong hands…
He shook his head to clear it of those thoughts and looked at her sternly. "I want this thing under tight security. From this point on it will require at least four people of the Iron Council to be here and input a personal password before it's able to fire. The potion is to be guarded closely as well and none of it is allowed on Insania or even on Earth for that matter."
She nodded in understanding but seemed rather miffed at him for talking to her like that.
"There's one thing I'd like to know." He said after calming down a little "When firing at full capacity, what changes? Is it the amount of potion? Because I was pretty sure I saw that the cylinders were filled to capacity on the screen."
"It's done using the MADs." Luna said "The cylinders need to be at full capacity, otherwise the flow of energy is not strong enough for it to be infused in the potion in time. It would blow up in the barrel. The amount of potion is also a constant otherwise we would constantly have to reconfigure the flow of energy and gravity fields. We've run hundreds of tests down in the labs on miniscule doses of it. Using the MADs to regulate the power is the best way although when not used at full power it means a rather significant amount of potion is actually wasted. But it's the safest way."
"Well," said Hermione, back to her usual self "now that the first actual test is over we can start working on improving it. I'd really like it if we could keep the solution stable a little longer. I'm off to look at the data we recorded and see if there's anything that we need to watch out for." And with that she left the bridge.
"Luna?" Harry asked a little softer so only her and Draco could hear it "If we shot this thing at Earth, what would happen?"
"Don't be so alarmed by what you've seen here. We're shooting in space. The vacuum doesn't make it lose half its power before reaching its target. Earth's atmosphere will. I must admit I'm a little surprised as well. I've never thought it would be this powerful when testing it in the labs. But as we all know it's very likely we won't ever use it on Earth. Not as long as we have Insania."
"Not as long as we have Insania." Harry repeated silently "I hope that damned island exists until the end of time."
Nr. 12 Grimmauld Place was as he remembered it, dark and dreary. Spider webs were everywhere and the house was eerily silent. He entered the kitchen but it was empty. He didn't know to be relieved or disappointed. Remus was gone. There were some papers on the table. Harry picked one up and looked at the date. The last one dated a few days after the fall of the ministry. Harry didn't know what to think about this. He hadn't really expected Remus to still be here after all this time. He cursed himself for forgetting. But at the time everything had been such a mess. They had blown up the ministry and rescued Amy. He had been concerned with the retribution his enemy would surely cook up. He looked around but found no note or anything else. Remus had left just like that it seemed.
"Perhaps I should write him a letter." Harry muttered as he looked around the dreary house one last time before leaving. It reminded him of his godfather and how he had been cooped up here. The memory of him falling through the veil came back like it had happened yesterday.
"One of the many reasons I am what I am today." Thought Harry grimly as he apparated away.
The Daily Prophet
Community cast into uncertainty.
By Rita Skeeter
It is a grim world we live in today. Following the decimation of the American fleet it has become clear that Insania, the nation controlled by Harry Potter, is now the most powerful magical nation in the world. While the war has been confined to a tedious battle between the British and American Ministry of Magic versus Harry Potter other nations in the world are voicing their concern about their own countries.
Strange things have been happening all over Europe in the past few weeks. Families have gone missing and drastic changes in policies are occurring everywhere. While nothing can be proven many people believe that Insania is trying to expand its power even further by overthrowing other governments. Harry Potter and his band of followers still claim to be fighting for the purpose of defeating Who-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named but nothing has been heard of him for months. No Death Eater activity has been reported anywhere. It would almost seem as if Who-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has already been defeated, that Potter is merely using him as an excuse to keep the war going. While there have been no reports of any fighting from his side either we at the Daily Prophet believe it is merely the silence before the storm. An invasion might be imminent. France and Germany in particular have been reporting of strange happenings in their countries. The number of vampire attacks in France has increased dramatically as of late and in Germany werewolf attacks have ceased to exist. In the Netherlands an entire business was decimated when their cattle suddenly disappeared overnight. Netherlands' authorities have issued a statement saying that they believe it was the work of giants but there haven't been any in their country for over four hundred years. Meanwhile our very own Minister of Magic has been quiet, refusing every request for an interview thus far. The people are scared and are asking for guidance and protection in these dark days but so far the only one that claims to offer them just that is the nation of Insania…
Wormtail was visibly shaking in fear as he read his master the article in the paper, already expecting the torture that would follow it. He nearly wet himself when instead his master laughed that mad cackle, which sounded more like a hiss sometimes, of his. He stroked his pet, the giant snake Nagini, lovingly. It slithered across his lap, around his throne and then reared its body so that it was looking its master in the eye, as if it was making ready to strike. Lord Voldemort merely gazed into its eyes.
"Isn't it wonderful Nagini." He said in a low tone as a bony finger slowly slid across the scales "The world has been lulled into believing I am gone and Potter is the villain. People are such sheep, they will believe anything if that's what they want to believe."
"But Master…" whimpered Wormtail.
"Silence!" boomed Lord Voldemort, his voice echoing of the stone walls. "Do you dare to question your master?"
Wormtail immediately cowered back, he got on his knees and lowered his nose to the floor, showing his submissiveness. "Of course not master. I was merely…"
"Do not tempt me Wormtail, even if this is what I had planned I am growing impatient. I might just find a use for you to stave of my boredom for a while." Said Voldemort with a cruel smirk "I must say there haven't been many uses for you as of late."
Wormtail shuddered. "If you have a use for me master, I will gladly fulfil it."
"Soon Wormtail, very soon. My preparations are almost complete. Our ranks have swelled once more. It is almost time to shatter the people's illusions of my defeat. All will know the power of Lord Voldemort once more."
There was silence for a while.
"Are you not curious as to what I have planned?" asked Voldemort after a while.
"Of course master. What is your plan?"
"It will start in Diagon Alley…"
Author notes: Hello hello, been a long time once more. First of all the regular: Reviews or still very very welcome. My yahoo group is still open of course except for those #&#§% spammers. The link is on my bio page. Maybe a bit of a slow chapter but things are bound to get interesting soon. The final showdown between Harry and Voldemort is nearing. I must say I'm quite eager to finally write the final chapter of this story but that's probably another few chapters away, I'm not really sure how fast things will go from here but there is on thing that bothers me. The ending has been clear to me for a very long time but in the end I think a lot of people will be going ZOMGWTF so this story will most likely have two endings, you can choose whichever one you like best and erase the fact that the other one even exists from your memory. I've posted a poll on the group about the ending and the results thus far disturb me a bit so that's why. If you feel like it let me know how you think this story is going to end, I'm rather curious to be honest how readers are imagining it. Hope you all enjoyed reading, 'till next chapter.
Review responses:
phantom guardian of shadow: Two words…and they made my day.
Pradeepadapa: If only I could do nothing else but to put the stuff inside my head on paper. No wait, forget I said that, did that once and it turned into a mini-series that scared even my friends who are used to my eccentricities. But I'll try to get the next one up sooner :p.
Teufel1987: Actually, that was just something I thought off, wasn't based of anything. Just got an image of a ship ramming itself into a port through barrages of enemy fire and blowing up. Seemed like a lot of fun. Yeah, AoE 1 & 2 were pretty fun. Recently played Black and White 2 again, fun for a while. Actually it does look a bit like the watchtower, but it's not based on it. I looked it up when you mentioned it. Zeus is just blockier in the centre and its outer ring can separate from the main body. I really need to finish that drawing I have lying around somewhere but something always feels wrong about it.
jdboss1: You got a good point, war means killing your enemy before they kill you but it's not that simple and it's more fun to write like this, adds some more complications. But the death toll will most likely rise in the coming chapters…exponentially.
Nxkris: Actually, he looks more like Dragoon from Beyblade (Damn there's truly nothing on at six AM) thought he looked cool with the blue metallic scales.
TJeanetteT: I sometimes can't believe how fast weeks go by without even noticing how long it's been since I updated. I'm getting old I guess :p.
mr occult: Actually, there will be a sequel of sorts but it won't be on I'm afraid and it probably won't be finished for a long time. Writing this story has filled my head with ideas and I'm turning them into a novel of my own. Although progress is slow but if I can get it done it'll be worth my time in my opinion.
Amazed Reader: Nobody is perfect, I don't blame you for it either.
Therio: Now this I can appreciate. You didn't like it, fine, but at least you showed respect for someone's work. Thank you.
Necratoid: Meh, it's strange what insomnia does to you sometimes, makes you get all kind of weird ideas…like flying horses, or magic, or God…
dragonmage666: To be honest I didn't want to include everyone from the books or all the other countries, there are enough factions for my taste already. I could have made it all more complicated, for me, and more interesting for the rest of you but I shudder to think of how long this story could've become if I took that road. Although I do like those kinds of stories. Reread the Kings and Tyrants trilogy from John Marco, kept me up a couple of nights too :p.
Lord Sia: And that's what I love about readers, to hell the laws of physics and all that rot, let's just have fun reading.
Thanks to the others that have reviewed:
Matt101, iccc, Darth Demon2, Lord of No Fate.