Here is the twenty-seventh chapter in Book 3. As promised, this is out on time and my goal to catch up with the upload schedule is almost complete. I am working on the next chapter's edits so it should be done by sometime tomorrow. There are no questions to answer here so sit back and enjoy the 27th full chapter in the third installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 3: Unity.
Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.
Chapter 27
Harry kicked the door down with such force that the slightly rotten wooden door was blasted off its hinges and flew across the room where it shattered against the far wall. Harry strode into the room in the Avatar State, looking around the one room apartment. As Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville and Draco filed in behind him, all armed or in battle stances and garb, Harry swore and exited the Avatar State. The room was empty.
After heading to the Academy to search for Albus and Scorpius; Harry, his team and Draco had come to Hogsmeade after learning that his son and Draco's had been coming to the village pretty much every weekend since the start of the Academic year. That was odd as while the students could go to the village, few went that often so Harry was worried as to why his son and Scorpius would be coming here so frequently.
Once in Hogsmeade they learned from the owner of the Three Broomsticks, a friendly woman called Madam Rosmerta who had been there since Harry's days at the Academy at least, that the boys had often been there. However, they had not been alone, they had been in the company of a young woman in her early 20s with blue tipped, silver hair.
Harry had instantly gone numb at the description as it sounded like the one they had of Delphini, Pyrites's murderess and Voldemort's daughter. Upon learning that she had gone by the name Delphi and was staying in a single room apartment down by the docks and working as a trainee healer, Harry had no doubt that it was the same bitch who had killed Pyrites. Harry was certain that she had his son and had a plan to use him against Harry.
They had been so focused on Cresswell and Johannes that they had forgotten about Delphini and the threat she posed to the world that Pyrites had warned about. That oversight had cost them as she had clearly been scheming for months and had slithered her way into Albus and Scorpius's lives so as to use them to go after Harry.
"Fuck." Harry said again as he walked into the spartan room. "That fucking cunt isn't here."
All the room had was a single bed, an old two way radio on a desk, a wardrobe and a single chair that was at the desk. Delphini had been living under the radar and under their very noses for almost a year without giving anything away. Clearly she was smart, sophisticated and skilled to accomplish this. Harry had underestimated Delphini, he would not do that again.
Harry didn't know how his son had fallen into her trap but that was immaterial. He knew that Tom Riddle, before he became Lord Voldemort, was a charmer and Harry doubted his daughter was no different. Being a woman and targeting teenage boys also made it easier for Delphini to succeed. The boys didn't stand a chance.
"Harry, I found something." Ron said as Harry sat down on the bed in frustration that their best lead had turned up nothing. Harry wiped his head towards Ron and noticed the President-elect of the United Republic was holding a slip of folded paper.
"A note?" Harry asked standing and walking over to take it from his best friend. "Where was it?"
"Weighted down by the radio." Ron said. "I presume that bitch left it here for you to find. She seems to have thought of everything."
Harry nodded and unfolded it to find a messy handwritten note addressed to him. Taking a seat again Harry began to read it, anger and pain growing inside him as he read.
Avatar Harry,
If you are reading this then my plan has worked and you have found my small, humble apartment in Hogsmeade. As you know by now your son and the son of the blood traitor Draco have been taken by myself and my two co-conspirators in justice against you and your many heinous crimes. We have them in one of the many caves that are hidden deep within the Foggy Swamp so you will never find them without our directions. We will exchange them for you.
Once you find this note, turn on the radio. It is set to a specific wavelength that is the same as the one set on untraceable portable radio I have on me. Once you have done that, we can make arrangements for the swap.
Your day of judgement is upon you, Avatar, and you will finally pay for the countless crimes you have committed against the natural order of the world, against balance, purity and the rights of benders. You have accused me of murdering the traitor Pyrites and I confess that I did execute him for his crimes. That execution should show you my conviction to avenging my father and bringing justice to those responsible for destroying his noble goal, illegally taking his bending, falsely imprisoning him and ultimately his death.
I would hurry if I was you Avatar, my patience is not as great as my father's. The choice is yours. I await your call.
Sincerely,
Delphini, heir to Lord Voldemort, the last Purist and the restorer of the Dark Lord's legacy.
Harry silently handed the note to Ron who read it then passed it on to the others in turn, unable to speak after he had read it. Once they had all read it they turned to Harry to await his response.
"Well at least this confirms a lot of suspicions regarding Delphini." Ron said as he passed the note back to Harry. "She did indeed kill Pyrites and is Voldemort's daughter. Neither is good but it does end the speculation."
"She has my son." Harry said barely controlling his anger. "And Draco's. Draco, I am sorry about this, your son is only collateral because of my own shortsightedness with my own son. I drove Albus away and now his best friend and your only child is in danger because of me."
"No Avatar." Draco said firmly. "Albus and Scorpius may be best friends and do everything together but it is not your fault. My son was there for his best friend when neither of their fathers were and I am proud of him for that. He has shown great loyalty and I will never be angry about that. Besides, it is no secret that I renounced the Purist philosophy upon my arrest and the deal I struck with the World Leaders that helped put away many of the Purist students for a long time. If Delphini didn't take Scorpius it would only have been a matter of time before she came after us for what she sees as my treason."
Harry just nodded at Draco unable to find the words to answer him. Harry looked over the note again, making sure he understood everything that Delphini was talking about. Harry knew that he had to save his son and Draco's. He would sacrifice himself for his family and if it meant that but he knew he would have to contact Delphini first then he would also seek advice from a source, one who had a similar dilemma almost a century ago. He would contact Korra.
"Harry, what are we going to do?" Ginny asked and for the first time Harry could see the strain this was causing his wife. In the past their adventures and challenges had been just them but now a mad woman and two unknown co-conspirators, a fact that explained how Delphini had been so successful, had their son and were using him to get to Harry. "This is something we have never faced before."
"I am going to contact Delphini and see what she wants." Harry told Ginny and everyone else in the room. "Perhaps even find out who the two helping her are. Then I am going to contact Korra and seek advice from my past life while Ron and Draco plan the rescue of our son and Scorpius. Ginny could go home and get James and Lily and bring them here while I am in the Spirit World, I would appreciate it. This bitch has gone after our family so we should do this as a family and James at least is more than ready."
"And Lily?" Ginny asked with a note of concern in her voice. "She is younger than we were back when we first had to fight against the forces of evil. She may be the same age as Aang was but Aang was the Avatar so an exception."
"True but with me likely captured we will need her as well." Harry said with resignation at having to potentially put his daughter in danger as well. "Remember, Lily is the best lavabender since Ghazan and for some reason I have a feeling we will need a lavabender at least to save Albus and Scorpius and well Lily is one of only 2 others in the world and the only one we can trust. I don't want her fighting unless absolutely necessary. She is to be there for support and lavabending only."
"Agreed." Ron said with a nod. "She may be older than Toph was but again that was exceptional circumstances that we have not yet reached. I don't know about y'all but gut is telling me that the two co-conspirators are going to be Cresswell and Johannes."
"What!" Draco exclaimed in shock. "An avowed Purist working with the last two Enlightened. I am assuming by Johannes you mean Johannes Jonker of the Southern Water Tribe and that he is the Water Enlightened. Still, that is not an alliance I would expect to occur."
"Desperate times create strange bedfellows." Ron said. "And for those two movements it certainly is desperate times. We still do not have proof that Johannes is the Water Enlightened but he has as much confessed to it to me when I confronted him about it. This must have been what he was warning about."
"Still an odd mix." Draco said. "They may be two sides of the same tyrannical, intolerant, authoritarian coin but they have radically different goals. The Enlightened were formed to be the extreme anti-Voldemort force, his antithesis, and they have shown it with their brief takeover of the Fire Nation. Now they have united and are working together, if Ron's theory is correct. It just seems a little much to me."
"Actually it makes sense." Neville said speaking for the first time before elaborating when everyone looked at him. "Think about it. In Harry's life he has angered many but such is the lot of the Avatar and his duty to bring peace and balance to the world. Of all the groups who hate him there are two who hate him the most: The Death Eaters and The Enlightened, along with all of their subordinate groups."
"Yes but they are still diametrically opposed to each other." Draco said. "Even with their hatred of Harry, they can't hold in their extreme views and how much the other side pisses them off to plan this."
"I'm not sure they have fully held it in." Neville replied. "Harry and Team Avatar have successfully destroyed both groups to the point that there is only three hard core fanatics left, one on the Purist side and the surviving two Enlightened. We know that Delphini was stalking Pyrites before we got to Ember Island so what if she overheard mine and Harry's convo with him about the raid on the Enlightened Island and followed us."
"Then when Cresswell escaped she followed him and learned who the Water Enlightened was, likely Johannes, and formed an alliance with them." Ron said as he continued Neville's train of thought. "An alliance that we know neither side will agree to for long, pretty much until Harry dead, and then they will turn on one another again as soon as the biggest threat to their power is out of the way. It just makes sense."
"Neville has a point." Luna said as she hovered in a corner not looking at anyone and if it wasn't such a serious situation Harry was certain she would be her usual dreamy self. "Both the Enlightened and the Purists would see their actions as legal, justified, and good for the world in their own twisted, warped way while thinking that all Harry has done for the world, such as crushing both groups, as evil."
"That is true." Ginny said. "They always did see anything against them as evil because of what they thought was good in the world. At least the Enlightened did, Voldemort only wanted power."
"Also remember that they think that their cause is a noble one, fuck knows we have encountered their delusions plenty of times during the Second Purity War and the Fire Nation Liberation." Luna added. "It was clear back then that they are convinced that Harry is the true villain so why shouldn't they still think. They are extremists who won't stop until Harry and ultimately all of us are dead for our alleged crimes against them."
"Delphini did mention crimes in her note." Harry said thoughtfully. "And remember how Hermione has never once thought her actions to be anything more than justified, even in her admission of guilt. Neither did Pyrites though at least he knew his actions were wrong by societal norms. Hermione always saw me as the true evil in the world, second only to Voldemort, and all I did as stuff to be punished while she could do no wrong."
"And you think the others share her views?" Draco asked. "I don't doubt that the remaining Enlightened are extremists but from I have heard Hermione was insane by the time she was removed from power."
"Oh she was and was by far the worst but I wouldn't put it past Cresswell and Johannes to share similar views even if Hermione went to extreme for them." Harry said before getting up with from his seat on the bed. "But enough talk of my past enemies, I shall contact Delphini now and find out what my current enemy wants. Given the delicacy of the situation I believe that this should be handled internally so as to avoid provoking them. Just us and our kids as support. James can fight on the front line because of his age and experience but that is it, Lily will remain in reserve in case we need her."
"Agreed." Ron said with a nod. "My transition team can handle the shit I need to get done for a few days. They think I need a break so this will be it."
"Besides they are in the Foggy Swamp." Ginny said. "If her letter is to be trusted. That makes it either Foggy Swamp Tribal, Imperial, or neutral territory depending on where in the swamp they are. As the Avatar, Harry can act without bureaucratic bullshit in an emergency like this but to get the authorities involved would be too complex and take too long. We should also see if Chief Tobias has an update on them as we did let the World Leaders know about the boys being missing and seeing as they are in the Swamp, Tobias might have some answers."
Harry nodded at his wife's assessment and stood up and headed over to the radio while Ron silently left to contact the Chief of the Foggy Swamp Tribe for an update. There was no point in delaying the inevitable any longer. After a moment trying to figure out how the antique thing worked and making to not change the frequency as it would cost them dearly, Harry finally figured out how to turn it on.
Taking a deep breath and steeling himself for what he had to do, Harry flipped the right switch. There was a loud and painful crackling as the old radio and receiver crackled to life for what might be the first time in years. After a moment it settled down and Harry looked at the receiver thing wondering if he should speak first. That decision was taken from him when there was a second cracking and a voice came in over the radio.
"Avatar Harry I presume." A cold, confident, mocking female voice with a thick Foggy Swamp drawl came in and Harry had no doubt who it was on the other end. "I am Delphini, heir and scion of Lord Voldemort and therefore the only valid authority in this world and I have ya son. So let's make a little deal. Ya hour of judgement is almost upon ya."
"While we may disagree on the whole judgement shit, it would appear that you hold all the cards." Harry said forcing calm into his voice. "So let's talk."
"I do." Delphini replied and Harry could hear the smile in her voice.
"Well what do want?" Harry asked as he tried to hold his anger in check.
"Ya, dead at my hands." Delphini replied. "That's just the appetizer though, there is a lot more that I want."
"Join the cue." Harry said with dark laugh. "Many have desired that and yet I am still standing while almost none of them are. Your father tried and failed, as did Hermione the Cruel, the worst tyrant in history. I took their bending for their crimes, don't expect yours to survive this."
"Yes but unlike my father and that mudblood cunt I have something that they didn't have." Delphini said sweetly, not at all phased by his threat. "I have ya son, and the traitor Draco's son as well just for good measure. Now, while both are blood traitors, a waste of good pureblood stock and deserve to die for their crimes, they have a higher purpose. Leverage."
"I am willing to listen to your offer." Harry said with a sigh. "You have my balls in a vice so squeeze bitch."
"I do don't I." Delphini said happily. Harry was certain that she was completely mad from bloodbending, almost as mad as her father was. "And it is time to squeeze. Here is my offer. I propose a simple swap, ya for the boys."
"I can agree to that." Harry said. "I presume that there are a few conditions for the swap to occur."
"Of course." Delphini said matter-of-factly. "Ya will meet me alone and unarmed, I know what ya can do with those twin blades as well as ya bending prowess, on open ground in 24 hours. If I see anyone where we meet I will flee and drain ya son and his friend of all their blood before dumping their bloodless corpses on your doorstep, is that understood?"
"Perfectly." Harry said disgusted at the sadism of Voldemort's daughter. "I will come alone."
"Good." Delphini said and Harry could tell that she was enjoying the power. "We will meet on the dry plains to the east of the Swamp. Just within the Imperial State of Gaoling, the state where my father was raised in an orphanage. Once ya are there and in my custody, I will instruct my co-conspirators to release ya son and Draco's to Draco and President Ron, again they must be alone."
"They will be." Harry said knowing that they would already have a plan for how to get around this. "Now where are my son and Draco's?"
"They are being held in a cave deep within the Swamp." Delphini answered. "The precise coordinates of the cave is located under a lose floorboard under my bed where ya are right now. Again, if more than those two show up the boys will be killed and I will disappear. Is that understood?"
"I understand." Harry said. "I have already said that Ron and Draco will go alone as instructed. I assume that your co-conspirators are the two surviving Enlightened."
"Astute Avatar." Delphini said without mockery. "I assume that it was President Ron who worked it out, he was always the brains of ya operation. Yes Cresswell created the cave and is there with the Water Enlightened awaiting ya. They may be mudbloods but they are skilled enough and have as much of a wish for justice against ya as I do. They have made useful allies in our shared goal to bring ya to justice."
"I'm surprised that you chose to ally yourself with people who stand for everything you are against." Harry said trying to get a response out of Delphini. "They don't believe in dominance over nonbenders or that purebloods are the best, quite the contrary actually. They would lock you up for life for just thinking about Purist philosophy, Hermione did that so we know that that is what the Enlightened believe."
"Yes it is a surprise but as ya know, sometimes enemies must unite to fight a greater evil." Delphini said, not raising to the bait. "In this case that greater evil is ya. Ya should know all about working with your enemy, after all ya fought alongside the traitor Pyrites to bring down the Fire Utopia, after working with him to weaken my father before ya ended his noble quest."
"That was different." Harry snarled. "He had a use to us and we were fighting to bring down the second most evil person in the last century after your monstrous excuse for a father, a monster with no humanity. It was a necessary deal and one Pyrites stuck to up until the day you murdered him."
"My father was no monster." Delphini shouted back and Harry smiled finally having struck a nerve in the girl. She clearly had embraced Voldemort's ideology and his legacy to the point of insanity. "The Dark Lord was a saint, a visionary and above all else a hero for benders, balance, purity and the natural order. Pyrites was his most trusted servant and he betrayed the Dark Lord and all his followers after you caught him. He was executed for his crimes by my very hand and I took great pleasure in killing him."
"I was impressed that someone managed to kill Pyrites." Harry said idly, fishing for anything that might help them by playing to Delphini's clearly massive ego. "He was a tough bastard who knew how to survive, must have taken some serious skill to end him."
"Ya know it." Delphini said with pride. "He was a tough fight, best I've ever had and had it been a fair fight he likely would have won but I don't fight fair, especially not when I have bloodbending on my side. Once I was done toying with him, I ended him like the elephant rat he was."
"It was theorized that bloodbending played a part in his death." Harry said. "As well as Shirshu venom, though neither have been confirmed."
"Yes I used both." Delphini said as she began to laugh. "It was the greatest pleasure I have ever experienced when I held him in my blood hold and then slowly inserted my venom laced knife into his heart, just enough to puncture it and make his death as slow and painful as he deserved. I still masturbate to the memory of it and it always gives me the most intense orgasms."
Harry had no idea what to say to that. He knew many Purists had taken great pleasure in the pain and death they caused but this was one of the worst he had heard. Delphini appeared to be on the same level as Macnair when it came down to pleasure from killing.
"However, ya have distracted me Avatar with joyous memories of the past and the future when I execute you." Delphini continued. "I have convicted ya for your countless crimes against the world and have sentenced ya to death for them. Ya have 24 hours from the moment I hang up to meet me or else I kill little Scorpius, just as I killed that student from the Foggy Swamp Tribe who came looking for them. I will see ya soon Avatar Harry. Within 48 hours ya will have finally faced the justice you so rightly deserve. The end is nigh for ya Avatar, enjoy ya last dies on earth."
With that Delphini cut the connection before Harry could say anything. Harry took a moment of pause before he turned off the radio. The bitch really had him by the balls and he had only one real option going forward.
"Wow she is one mad cunt." Luna said breaking the silence. "I would say that she needs to get laid badly but any guy or gal who fucks that will likely end up dead seeing as that appears to be what turns her on."
"Thank you Luna for summing up the situation in your own unique fashion." Harry said trying to smile and failing.
"Your welcome." Luna said with a nod.
"But in all seriousness she does hold all the cards." Draco said. "And I don't trust her and the Enlightened to hand over my son and Albus without some treachery. They don't have any honor."
"She won't." Ron agreed, he had come back at some point during the conversation. "Cresswell and likely Johannes will try to kill us just for being purebloods once the Avatar is in chains, that I do not doubt. Once Harry is immobilized she will bloodbend him to wherever they plan on executing him."
"Then you need to make a plan for support from Ginny, Neville, Luna and James at least with Lily hidden in case we need her talents." Harry said as he rose and settled cross-legged on the bed. "I need to enter the Spirit World, I expect the first stage of a plan to be done by the time I get back."
"No, I am going with you to the exchange." Ginny said forcefully. "That is non-negotiable."
"No dear you are needed with the boys." Harry said as kindly as he could. "Our son will need you and your skills as I doubt they are in a good shape after being capture by someone like Delphini. Please, be there for him and for Scorpius. I must face Delphini alone."
"Fine." Ginny said her tone softening at Harry's words. "But once we have them and come rescue you, that bitch is mine."
"No one will stand in your way." Harry said smiling at his fiery wife, he knew that when Ginny was pissed, few would survive the encounter. "Now I must try to contact Korra and seek advice from her. While I am gone plan the rescue of Albus and Scorpius."
No one spoke as Harry closed his eyes and began to focus on his breathing. In seconds he felt his spirit leave his body and enter the Spirit World once again. Opening them and standing up Harry realized he was in a grove of trees. He knew this place, he had been here once before back when he had first met Korra. He was back in Xia Bau's Grove.
"Why do I get the feeling that the Spirit World is telling me something by sending me here." Harry muttered as he looked around. "I know that this place is important but I can't remember why."
"Likely because it is doing exactly that." A kind female voice said from behind him. "That is how the Spirit World works."
Harry didn't jump or anything as he knew who it was who was behind him. Turning slowly Harry saw a tall, tanned woman in her early 20s wearing water tribe clothes, her long hair in three braids, two on either side and one just behind the center of her head. Harry smiled as Korra, the only past Avatar he could connect too, approached him from the edge of the grove. She was alone this time and Harry had a feeling that this conversation was just for them.
"Avatar Korra." Harry said bowing to her. "As always a pleasure to see you again, even if it is under such dire circumstances."
"I know." Korra said with a bow in return. "As your past life I can see all that has happened to you if I want. That is why I believe the Spirit World chose for us to meet here in Xia Bau's Grove."
"Why though?" Harry asked. "I know little about this place."
"It is named after the founder of the Red Lotus and became a meeting point for Zaheer to meet with his underlings during his time as the group's leader." Korra said. "And given the predicament you are in is very similar to the one Zaheer had me when he took the Air Nation hostage. I believe that the Spirit World chose this place for us to meet as you are seeking my advice, or blessing, given that I have been through something similar."
"I always felt that the Spirit World had a sense of humor." Harry said with a slight smile.
"It does." Korra said. "I have been here for 43 years and it still finds ways to make me laugh in new and interesting quirks. However enough pleasantries as I know that this is not a social call. Are you here for my advice or my blessing?"
"Both in a sense." Harry said getting serious. "I will make the swap for my son and his friend, that decision has been made. All innocent life is sacred and I will not let my family suffer any more than it already has because of me. If I must sacrifice myself so be it. I know it is not as noble as your sacrifice and all that it would have ultimately entail all those years later but it is something I have to do."
"My sacrifice may have been more noble given the fledgling Air Nation but it doesn't diminish your reasons for your actions." Korra replied. "You are doing what is right not only as the Avatar but as a father. I may have ultimately died from the poisoning I received that day but that was only because of a bloodbender of Voldemort's skill enabled it to be so and not because of Zaheer. I cannot truly aid you in dealing with family as I never had children for obvious reasons but I know that Aang would have done anything for his family. In this regard, you have my blessing for the course of action you are intending to take but be careful."
"That was the advice I wanted from you." Harry said with a small smile at Korra. "What to do after I am captured? That is where I need your advice."
"Well if they plan on poisoning you and killing you while in the Avatar Cycle to end it then I advise you to not let that happen." Korra said simply. "But all I can really say is be patient as you have a great support team who will come and do everything they can to save you. So long as they are in time and free you then Delphini and the Enlightened have no chance against you."
"I know, once I am free I will take them down and make them pay for their crimes." Harry said seriously. "The threat they pose to the world will end."
"Good but it will be a tough path, I will not sugarcoat it for you, but have trust in yourself and your team." Korra said. "There will almost certainly be treachery given who you are up against but stick together and fight like you have in the past. Together, Team Avatar will win. Remember, you are not against a madman or a tyrannical dictator but the combined remnants of their groups so your challenge is more personal than in the past."
"They also have my son which makes it truly personal to me." Harry said. "I know the risks but I will take them for my family and for the world."
"That is why Raava chose you to be the Avatar." Korra said with a smile at him "I have faith in you Harry, you have shown your skill time and time again so go back to the physical world and end the legacies of Voldemort and Hermione once and for all. Restore balance and bring peace to the world."
"Thank you Korra." Harry said with a smile and a farewell bow. "As always you have been a source of great wisdom and advice to me in my time of need."
"Don't let Tenzin hear about this." Korra snorted as she began to fade and travel to another part of the Spirit World. "Now go and save the day once more Avatar Harry. I expect to see you again soon and under much better circumstances."
Harry smiled as Korra faded away. He had come here more to reassure himself that his plan was an acceptable one. According to Korra it was so he could go and possible face his death with a clear conscience. Closing his eyes, Harry sent his spirit back to his physical body in Delphini's apartment in Hogsmeade. Opening them Harry saw that no one had left the room and his Team and Draco were deep in discussion about the plans.
"Alright team let's do this." Harry said as soon as they all realized he was back with them and turning to him. "We have less than 24 hours to perfect our plan so what do we have so far? Remember that this has to be airtight because in 24 hours I will be a prisoner of Delphini and the Enlightened and in 48 hours one of two things will have happened; either the Enlightened and the Purists will be ended once and for all, or I will be dead and the Avatar Cycle will be no more. So, no pressure guys."
For once a short chapter by my standards, the first sub 6,000 word chapter in a long time (first since the 39th chapter of Book 1). As is obvious, this chapter and the rest of the arc is based of the final arc of the third season of Korra but there will be a twist. As it is obvious where the next chapter will go I will refrain from adding anything more at this time. That is all for this post chapter note, as always please like, favorite, follow, review, this story and any questions asked in reviews or PMs will be answered at the start of the next chapter. Until next time.
Stringdog