Chapter Fifty Five

Chris' 'play things' consisted of a dagger with a slightly curved, poisoned blade, and a small box with potions labeled, 'Torture for all occasions.'

"Are you quite done?" Shades demanded.

Chris held his hand out, "If you take my hand we'll get gone."

Grabbing Chris' hand, Chris orbed them to the home on the person on the list, "Avery." Chris looked down at the list, they stuck their heads in the dining room, "Two small children and a wife."

"Lets kill them all." Shades snarled.

"No." Chris said, "We want the men. They killed her, not the others."

"So what do you propose we do?"

Chris flicked his hands and they walked into the frozen scene, Shades knelt beside the little girl, "We could snap their necks like twigs…" he said softly, "Right here…and no one would be the wiser."

"Focus." Chris snarled, moving to where Avery sat, pulling the chair out he threw the frozen Death Eater on the floor and unfroze him.

Shades stood by his side as the Death Eater clambered to his feet, drawing his wand, "Who are you?"

"Death." Chris said.

"And Vengeance."

"I don't understand, what do you want with me?"

Shades reached down and pulled him up by the front of his robes, "Don't you remember me?" Shades asked conversationally, "I mean, you just murdered my sister after all."

Avery's eyes widened, "Don't hurt my family!"

"Aw," Chris said, "That's so sweet, we're going to make him regret the day he was spawned and he's worried about his family."

Shades pushed Avery back, "Pathetic!"

Avery raised his wand, "Cru-"

"Ah, ah ah, no." Chris said with a smile, Avery's wand flying into his hand, "We will have, none of that."

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Make you wish we were Voldemort." Chris replied tiredly, "Shades," Chris said, the Phoenix looked at him, "Play with him, but don't kill him. We need him alive."

"Why?"

"You'll see." Chris grabbed a bottle of fire whiskey off the table and took a swig, "I'll just sit here and enjoy the show." He said, his now amber eyes twinkling.

"You sure?"

"Yep."

Chris sat, twirling Avery's wand and taking a few swigs of the alcohol, just listening to the screams of the Death Eater as the Phoenix got to work.'

An hour, and five torture potions later, Chris finally said, "That's enough."

Shades kept going, completely ignoring his friend, Chris got up and grabbed Shades' wrist and wrenched it behind his back, "Enough."

"Chris-" The whitelighter could see the bloodlust in the Phoenix's eyes, the Phoenix looked into his friend's eyes, "Why are your eyes amber?"

Chris shrugged and knelt down by the Death Eater, putting the man's wand in his hand, "Conjure it." He hissed.

"No." He screamed as pain laced through his body, "Alright! Fine, Modsmore!" a light shone upwards, it was done.

Chris forced him to point the wand at himself, "Do it."

Avery shook his head, "No. Please!"

"Listen to him beg." Chris said with a smile, looking up at Shades, "Anyone would think we gave a damn about what he wanted."

Shades laughed.

"Now do it." Chris snarled maliciously.

"Avada Kedavra." The green light slammed into the Death Eater and then he was dead.

"Effective, isn't it?" Chris asked with a smile.

"Quite." Shades said.

Pulling the list out of his pocket he dipped his finger in Avery's blood and crossed Avery's name off his list.

"Help me get him up." Chris said, together they pulled Avery up and picked up his chair, seating the deceased Death Eater back in his seat pulling up his left sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark, grasping Avery's wand Chris thrust it, tip first, into Avery's arm.

They walked out of the dining area and Chris unfroze the scene. Seconds later the screams could be heard as the rest of the family discovered that Avery was dead. They walked out the front door and turned around, looking appreciatively at the Dark Mark over the Avery home.

"One down."

"Five to go." Together they flamed to the home of Feray. Yes, the same unfortunate Death Eater who delivered Chris and Harry's package.

"You want to take this one Chris?" Shades asked.

"You sure?"

"Quite."

"In that case," Chris said as he froze the room, "I'd love too."

They tossed Feray on the floor and unfroze the Death Eater Chris currently had his foot resting on his privates, when Feray blinked Chris pressed down, hard, and the Death Eater screamed.

"Hi!" Chris smiled brightly, "We're from the 'You're fucked' friendship group, we'd like to extend an invitation for you to join."

"Who are you?"

Chris made a twisting movement as he stepped off his crotch, "I thought I just explained it to you. But in case you didn't understand, let me try this, you murdered my friend and now, it's my turn to play with you."

Feray was writhing on the ground, "Please, let me go!"

Chris looked down, Excalibur now in his hands, he sighed, "Okay." He took two steps back, "Off you go."

"Chris!"

Chris looked at the Death Eater as if he were an idiot, "What are you waiting for?" Chris asked, "I told you to go!"

"My family-"

"Don't worry, I'll kill them too."

"Please don't-"

"You don't understand, do you." Chris asked, "I told you to run. And if you don't, my friend here will start snapping necks."

Avery turned tail and as he started to run Chris threw a potion at him, a ring of fire preventing the Death Eater from moving. Walking over, Chris waved his hand and froze the flames, he pointed the tip of his sword at his neck, "I could kill you now…" Chris said softly, "Just end it now, thrust this sword, right into your neck. But I wont."

Feray swallowed, the tip of Excalibur grazing his throat, "You wont?"

"No." Excalibur disappeared and Chris raised his hand. Feray's hands shot to his throat and invisible hands closed around it.

When his lips started turning blue Chris relinquished his hold and orbed Feray's wand to him, straddling the fallen Death Eater he simply said, "Conjure the mark."

Feray couldn't argue anymore. Raising his wand he did as he was told, Chris forced the wand against the owner's chest, "You know what to do."

"Avada Kedavra."

Chris and Shades set it up like the first murder, and listened to the screams as they unfroze the scenes.

The torture got more and more creative as they moved through the rest of the list, but it always ended the same, the Death Eater sitting at the dining room table, wand plunged into his skin above the Dark Mark.

As they left the last house Chris said, "You should come back to Hogwarts."

"No." Shades said with a slight smile, "I have things I need to do. Arrangements need to be made."

"I understand."

"So you're coming to the funeral?"

"Of course I will." Chris said softly, "When is it?"

"Friday."

"Alright, I'll see you then." He orbed something into his hand, and put it in Shades', "Give this to Binky."

Shades opened his hand to see an amber triquetra necklace, "What?"

"Wyatt had it made a few days before the accident…" Chris explained, "It didn't get a chance to protect her in this life, maybe it can protect her in the next."

"Thanks." Shades smiled, "Bring Hermione to the funeral, the others are welcome to come if they want."

"I'll pass that along." Chris pulled Shades into a hug, "Stay safe my Shadow." He whispered.

"You as well my little Kitten."

With that, Chris and Shades shimmered and flamed in opposite directions, Shades returning home, and Chris returning to school to find Harry, Hermione, Ron, Remus and Sirius waiting for him in the Gryffindor Common room for him.

Hermione ran to him and engulfed him in a hug, "Where have you been?"

"I had to meet Shades…" Chris said, simply standing there and letting Hermione hug him. He was too numb.

"I saw the paper Chris." Sirius said, "what happened?"

"Bianca's dead." Chris said coldly, "Tortured and murdered by Death Eaters."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"They killed her." Chris said, "Lucius stupefied Shades, the rest tortured and murdered Bianca. In my home."

"Cub," Remus said slowly, watching the amber-eyed witch standing emotionless in the middle of Common room, "Why do you smell like blood?"

"It happens when somebody bleeds Remus. I just got a little blood on me." Chris said, shrugging the long black jacket off, "Shades asked you guys to come to the funeral."

"Of course, when is it?"

"Friday." Chris replied, "I'm going to go shower."

"Chris…" Hermione and the others watched Chris' retreating back.

As Remus picked up the jacket the list fell out of one of his pockets, "What is it Moony?" Sirius asked.

Remus unfolded it, his eyes wide, "It's a list. Seven purebloods. Six of their names are crossed off…in blood."

"What?" Sirius snatched the list away from him, "What the hell does this mean?"

"I think it's a Death list." Remus said.

"You don't think-"

They all headed to the boys bathroom where they could hear the water running in the shower stalls, as they continued walking they came across Chris' boots, a pair of socks, fingerless gloves, an emerald jeweled athame and a sinister, slightly curved athame.

Hermione raced forward but with some trepidation they came to the very last shower stall Harry rose his wand, "Lumos."

"Chris what are you doing in here?" Sirius asked

"They're dead." Chris whispered with a soft laugh, his lips twisting into a parody of a smile, "They're all dead…"

"Who?"

"The Death Eaters." Chris said softly, "On the list, we…"

Sirius turned sharply, "Everyone out! Moony, you stay. Lock the door."

"Sirius-"

"Harry, just go!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione left the bathroom and could hear the door lock behind them, "Do you think he meant he killed them?"

"We won't know." Hermione said.

Back inside the bathroom Sirius grabbed Chris by the shoulders, "Chris, what did you do?""

Chris swallowed and looked at his father brokenly, "Binky's dead." He sobbed, "I saw the paper…that was my house! They murdered her!" He was almost hysterical, "And Shades came here, so we froze the Great Hall and I unfroze Snape and he gave us the names-"

"I find that hard to believe."

"I threatened him." Chris said softly, "Told him I'd make him wish I was Voldemort… so we went to the Malfoys to get conformation on the list…

"And then?" Sirius asked.

"We orbed to their homes, freezing them at dinner… then we unfroze the Death Eater and we, we tortured them, not too much…I let Shades do most of it. But I used my potions…and my toys." He took a breath, "Then we made them conjure the dark mark before we made them use the killing curse on themselves. Then we put them back at their dining room tables, pulled up the sleeve that was hiding the mark and thrust the wand above the mark…then we left and unfroze the rooms…"

Sirius pulled Chris into him tightly and Chris curled into him, clearly sobbing, "It's going to be okay Chris." Sirius whispered, "Don't worry."

"How can you say that?" Chris asked, "I helped torture six people!"

"I know." Sirius whispered to him, "I know."

"I, I knew what I was doing," he whispered, "part of me knew it was wrong, another part wanted vengeance for Bianca…and then there was something else…"

"Something else?" Remus asked.

"It knew what I was doing was wrong and it reveled in the pain Shades and I were causing, it never wanted it to stop. It was so primal...animalistic…"

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look, the taps were turned off and Remus cast some drying charms.

"It's going to be okay Chris," Sirius said, "I swear to you. It'll be okay. They have nothing to pin you or Shades to the murders…you didn't use your wand did you?"

Chris shook his head, "No. No I didn't."

"Well they can't trace your magic…" Sirius said, "So they can't trace it back to you…"

"Do you hate me?"

"No. Of course I don't Chris. I could never and I never will."

"I bet Moony does." Chris mumbled.

Remus knelt down besides Chris, "Of course not cub."

"You mean it?"

Remus nodded reassuringly, "Yes."

Little Tiny Line Break # 208

"Six houses." Kingsley said, "Each murder the same way, methodical…all six of them Death Eaters…"

"You know," Tonks said as the looked up at the Dark Mark hovering over Avery's house, "if someone's out there killing Death Eaters, perhaps we should just let them do it."

"We might have too." Kingsley said, "We can't pinpoint anything about these murders that would tie them to a person."

"I know." Tonks said, "And the Daily Prophet's got some good pictures and everything."

"Unsolved murders." Kingsley laughed, "The public's going to love this."

Little Tiny Line Break # 209

Chris continued to sit in the shower stall clinging to his father and had finally started sobbing as Bianca's death finally hit him. Remus got up and walked out of the bathroom.

"Remus, what's wrong with Chris?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Chris' friend's death has just started to really hit him." Remus said, "Sirius is just sitting with him at the moment."

"Why were his eyes that different colour?" Ron asked.

"It's nothing for you to worry about." Remus said.

"Remus-"

"Harry enough. Now I want you to go to your bedrooms and you'll see Chris in the morning."

"R-"

"Now Harry." Remus said sternly. He watched the Gryffindors retreat up to their dorms before going back into the bathroom, he stopped at the last stall, "How is he?"

Sirius had managed to stand, the sleeping whitelighter clinging to him, "Sleeping. He's cried himself to sleep."

Chris curled tighter as Sirius walked out of the bathroom where Hermione was waiting there.

"Hermione, I told you to go to bed." Remus said.

"I'm sorry Remus," Hermione said, her eyes on her boyfriend, "but Chris is my boyfriend and I want to know if he's okay!"

"We're going to put him up in his bed." Sirius said, "Let him get some sleep." He noticed Hermione was clutching Chris' jacket in her arms.

"I cast some cleaning charms on it, the blood's all gone. Did he really kill all those people?"

"No Hermione." Remus said as they started climbing the stairs, "He wished he did though."

They walked into the fifth-year dorm where both Harry and Ron were sitting up waiting. Remus turned down the covers and Sirius slid Chris underneath him. Hermione, in her pajamas turned to Remus and Sirius, "The password for the rooms is Quidquid luce fuit, tenebris agit." she paused, "Or, you can just take the passage way." She pulled the latch for the passage.

Sirius and Remus disappeared down the tunnel and it closed and Hermione, despite the stares of Ron and Harry, climbed into bed with Chris and pulled the covers over them and wriggled closer to Chris.

"Sleep well Chris." She whispered. She waved her wand and the hangings around Chris' bed closed.

Little Tiny Line Break # 210

When Hermione woke again Chris' arm was wrapped around her middle protectively, "Chris," she whispered, "Could you let me up please?"

A low growl escaped Chris' throat followed by a sleepy, "Stay."

"Chris I have to go to the bathroom." She said as she tried to lift his arm but he pulled her in tighter another low growl escaping his throat, "Let me go!"

"Stay."

"Harry!" Hermione called a little panicked.

A sleepy Harry pulled open the curtain, "What is it Mione?"

"Help me up."

"Just move his arm Hermione."

"I would if I could," she snapped, "but every time I try he just pulls me in tighter. He's still asleep."

"Fine." He grabbed Chris' arm and pulled it back so Hermione could get up. The second Hermione left his side amber eyes snapped open and in a quick movement Chris had Harry pinned to the floor growling, "She's mine!" he gripped Harry's wrists so tightly he was going to leave bruises.

"Chris let me go!" Harry snapped.

"No one touches my mate!" The amber eyed Chris growled lowly, "Especially not you, you filthy little dark one! Or the Firestarter!"

"Chris what are you talking about!" Harry asked.

"Chris let him go!" Hermione cried, "Please!"

During the commotion the other occupants of the room had woken up, and were now working on pulling the angry Chris off Harry. Neville ran off to get Professor McGonagall and ended up getting Professor Snape as well.

So now the two teachers had arrived in the dorm where Harry, Ron and Hermione were on one side of the room and Seamus and Dean were having a hell of a time restraining Chris on the other.

"What is going on here?" McGonagall demanded.

"Chris attacked Harry!" Ron said.

McGonagall looked at Chris and let out a gasp, "Severus, look."

Snape looked at Chris and gasped when he saw the amber eyed witch, "Black what is the meaning of this?"

"He touched her!" he growled.

"What?"

"He touched her! He's not allowed!"

Snape turned to a terrified Hermione, "Miss Granger, what does he mean?"

"I, I stayed in here tonight, and Chris was asleep and he wouldn't let me go. So I got Harry to help me get up and then Chris just, well-" she gestured to her boyfriend.

Snape pointed his wand at Chris, "Stupefy!"

It didn't work.

"Immobulus!"

You guessed it, didn't work.

"Petrificus totalus!"

Again, it didn't work. Harry had a thought, Sirius and Remus were downstairs, before anyone could say anything he raced out of the room and headed down to the Founders' rooms.

"Quidquid luce fuit, tenebris agit" he said hurriedly. The portrait opened and Harry ran inside, "Sirius! Remus!" he called, "Come quick! We need you!"

Remus and Sirius left their respective bedrooms, "What is it pup?" Sirius asked, he saw the handprints around Harry's wrists, "What happened?"

"Chris-" Harry said, "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean something's wrong?"

"I mean four people had to drag him off me and stunning spells aren't working so will you stop asking questions and just come with me?"

Sirius and Remus followed as Harry ran back up to the dorm, when they entered they saw a still Chris, standing and still restrained by Seamus and Dean, Ron sitting on one bed and Hermione on Chris'.

When Remus entered the room and saw the amber-eyed boy staring directly at him his first thought was, 'fuck'.

"Severus," he said, "do you still have some of my potion left?"

"Of course I do."

"Get it." Remus said, "Harry, Hermione, Ron, Seamus, Dean and you Minerva, all leave, slowly."

"Remus," Minerva asked, "What in the name of Merlin is going on?"

"We'll explain everything later." Sirius said as they left, "Close the door behind you."

They all left and Chris turned sharply to Remus, "What do you want wolf?" he snarled.

"For you to stop." Remus said sternly, "It's not your time, or your place."

"You've no right to order me around!" he snarled as Remus stepped directly in front of him and pushed him into the wall.

"Go." Remus growled, "It is not your place cub." He paused, "You can come back when it's time."

Chris growled, still struggling against Remus' hold for a moment before his eyes locked on the Werewolf's and bot Remus and Sirius watched as the amber in his eyes just seemed to dissolve and his eyes turned back into emerald green.

Chris slumped against the wall, "W, what happened?"

Snape opened the door, vial in hand, "I have it."

"Chris," Sirius said softly as he took the vial from Snape, "I need you to drink this for me, okay? Do you think you can do that for me?"

Chris nodded and brought the bottle to his lips and drank some of it before he started coughing, "Gross."

"Chris," Remus said, "You need to drink it all."

Chris shook his head, "Don't wanna. Feel sick."

"You have to kiddo." Sirius said.

"No! Sick." He whimpered.

"I know you feel sick." Sirius said soothingly as Chris curled into him again, "But this will make you feel better, I promise."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Chris took the bottle again and drained the rest of it and the smoke inside his head seemed to clear and he frowned, "Still think it tastes disgusting." He said as he rose to his feet.

"How do you feel?" Remus asked.

"Like I've been hit with a ten tonne truck." Chris replied, "Wh-" his eyes widened as the events of the last three-quarters of an hour replayed in his head, "Are Harry and Hermione okay?"

"A little shook up, Harry's got some nasty bruises but he'll be okay."

"Can I see them?" he asked, looking to his father and well, his godfather.

"I don't see why not." Remus said as he opened the door.

Slowly they walked down to the common room where Hermione, Ron, Harry, Seamus, Dean and Neville were sitting with McGonagall.

Chris cleared his throat to draw attention over to him, he didn't miss it when half of them tensed when he saw them, "Um, hi?"

"You're not going to try and kill Harry again, are you?" Neville asked.

Chris shook his head, "No."

Hermione stood and with her arms wrapped around her middle walked over to Chris and studied his eyes.

"Has it passed?" She asked quietly.

Chris nodded, "Yeah…"

She slapped him across the face, "Don't you dare scare me like that again! You almost flattened Harry!" She started crying, "You were so scary, you weren't you-"

Chris pulled her into a hug, "I know," he whispered, a soft golden healing glow escaped his hands, "I know I scared you and I'm so sorry for that. I love you."

"I love you too."

He let go of Hermione and walked over and stood in front of Harry, "You okay?"

Harry pulled up his sleeves and showed his whitelighter his wrists, "Except for a few bruises."

"Oh shit," Chris cursed and knelt down in front of Harry, "Give me your hands." Harry stretched his hands out and holding his wrists gently a soft healing glow washed over them and the bruises slowly disappeared.

He looked around the rest of them, "Did I hurt anyone else?" Chris ended up healing bruises on Seamus' arm and a couple of scratch marks on Dean's face and neck before sitting in an armchair close to the fire.

Sirius and Remus sat down and Minerva asked, "What exactly is going on?"

Remus sighed, "We'll tell you what we know…"