Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: And we're finally back for the final installment of the Gray saga! If you have not read the first seven books I recommend you do so as this won't make much sense to you otherwise and if you have then I hope you'll enjoy this last book. For anyone who asked questions on the preview chapter of book VII I reformatted the book and answered them in the last chapter of that not in this one so check that out. And I hope you like the book cover because this website did not and its taken me longer to get that uploaded then it did to draw the damn thing and write this whole chapter, that's why this is so late. That's all for now so... read on anyone who still is

It was cold she noticed as she was carried by Specters to the outskirts of London, despite it being summer although she supposed it was evening. The orange orb was sinking low on the horizon, the fading light mirroring off the river that ran through the city. Or maybe it was just she'd spent too much time abroad and gotten used to warmer weather, she didn't know, she didn't care.

She closed her eyes, letting the icy tendrils of air glide through her dark waves of hair as she gazed through the Specters she had soaring through London. It was partially evacuated now of course, Alaric mustn't have taken any chances. There were less people then there should be in the city and the ones there were cowards, hiding away in their homes like the flimsy walls could possibly protect them from her. Did they really not know who she was yet?

The ones out were fleeing, the muggle roads out were clogged with those filthy smoke spewing automotive vehicular transports the muggles used to get around as people tried to flee the city, others were just walking alongside them laden with bags. Aurors of all people were trying to direct them, standing by in case her Inferi reanimated and lying to the muggles that they were safe now to get past. Wizards were fleeing too of course, fireplaces were flaring and there were more pops all over as people apparated with as much as they could carry. Again some were staying put stupidly though despite Ministry officials urging Diagon Alley residents and even Knockturn Alley ones to flee, more were trying to finish evacuating the emptying St Mungo's with Portkeys.

It was a lost cause though, they were too late.

She focused her magic now it had recovered and snapped her fingers, hearing the thrum of power pulse outward to seal all kinds of magical transportation. She kept her eyes closed, watching the confusion on the people's faces as they suddenly found the Floo no longer working, apparation impossible and Portkeys ceasing function. She smiled joylessly as their expressions quickly turned to fear and panic, it was just… so easy for her. So easy.

She opened her dark eyes once again. She of course being Sal, short for Salazia Riddle. The daughter of Voldemort, heir of Slytherin, descendant of Herpo the Foul, she was the Shadow Master. And she was done with her parents' homeland evading her grasp, she was done letting anyone stop her, she done with mercy.

Sal used a Specter to conjure her staff to her hand, modelled after her ancestor's Scepter she'd recreated from his notes. Gray hadn't thought of that when they destroyed a priceless piece of history, why would they? They underestimated her, everyone underestimated her just like they always had. But she'd show them, she'd show everyone that she could succeed where her father had failed, where everyone had failed. She'd already managed to become immortal without even trying, she genuinely had no idea why or how. She supposed it didn't matter now, did anything?

She raised her free hand and the dead rose with her inciting the expected panic as they made to block those who ran like cowards, she didn't even need to look as she conjured platforms of magical energy to climb into the sky like a staircase of her creation. Instead she willed the Specters to possess any non-Gray souled witches and wizards she could, tearing their magic from their souls and hearing their screams breaking the prior silence of the twilight. She had the orbs of power fly over the city, hovering there like fireflies. It was almost pretty.

"People of London," Sal spoke, magically carrying her voice through the city she now stood over effortlessly, "It is I again, the Shadow Master. You might have remembered me from the other day, I tried to take your city then but I failed. I was betrayed…"

Sal trailed off, dark eyes drifting below to the spot Brutus had quite literally stabbed her in the back. A lump formed in her throat and she heard explosions she couldn't control, it hurt. It more than she could possibly have imagined, maybe precisely because she'd never imagined he'd betray her. She'd loved him and he betrayed her… and for what?

She didn't know where he was, if he was even alive and their child… She squeezed her eyes shut as the sound of more explosions tore the world up around her, she had no idea where Omega was either or if he was alive. They weren't in London, she knew that much.

Sal tried to blink back her tears but failed, instead letting the tears roll down her cheeks. It wasn't like anyone could see her. She turned back to the city already in flames and felt the pain twisting in her heart, she had to stay focused lest she lose control of the power coursing through her veins. Brutus had been right about one thing, it did have to end.

"But I'm back now, third time's the charm," Sal continued her speech with every effort to bury the tears in her voice and sound strong, lazily waving her hand up and carrying most of the orbs of into her Scepter's orb, "And since you all spat in the face of my offer of mercy, this time its final. No one's getting out alive. Kill them, Inferi, we're going to kill them all."

Sal flung the spare orbs down upon the city – the city Brutus had so wanted spared - while the Inferi poured into the populace without restraint, overwhelming the Aurors and tearing them to shreds. Those avoiding Inferi were instead facing inescapable explosions of the raw magical energy taking out whole city blocks, vaporizing their worthless lives and lighting neighborhoods. She found herself laughing against her better judgement, a hollow, bitter empty laugh. London was burning.

The Boy Who Lived remained by his godson's bedside the next day, the recently orphaned Vale was still recovering from his father's attempt to murder him and already fallen back asleep despite the early hour. Vale wasn't broken up about Cel's death, having heard some of the things he'd done from the boy Harry could hardly blame him. He thought it was good to spend time with Vale as he already made the executive decision to take him in, it felt like the right thing to do. The three year old wasn't to blame for his father's crimes and he didn't really have anyone else, Harry was his godfather and Ginny… Ginny had basically died for the kid.

He sighed heavily and rubbed at his stinging emerald eyes behind his glasses, stinging both from tiredness and the tears he'd shed earlier. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night on the uncomfortable hospital chairs, not that he thought that was the issue anymore then he thought taking in Vale was a good excuse to whittle away his time in St Mungo's waiting with him. He was Head Auror, he was sure there was more he could be doing. Instead he just found himself reeling from yesterday's events, he wasn't even sure he trusted himself anymore.

"Mr Potter?" a voice prompted and Harry looked over at one of the Healers approaching him, "We'd like to evacuate yourself and the patient now if that's alright."

"Alright," Harry agreed resignedly, Alaric Layton – their Minister – seemed determinedly committed to evacuating London.

It wasn't that Harry couldn't see the logic behind it, it was just the Shadow Master didn't have a history of attacking the same place immediately after a failed attempt. She had a history of recovering, regrouping and trying again, now more than ever she definitely needed time to restore her magic so it made even more sense she'd wait. He very much doubted as soon as her power was back she'd come kick the walls down so taking the time to have a thorough, proper and more organized evacuation seemed a more logical decision then this kind of mad rush they had now. Or maybe not, who was he to praise his judgement these days.

So Harry allowed them to move Vale, barely paying attention as they readied the Portkey and just doing as told. Not even the stomach wrenching Portkey travel fully snapped him out of it and he continued barely being aware as they started moving Vale and other patients out of the room they were using for transporting to make more space. He did return a vague to his other godson Teddy, who had become an Auror himself and was sitting with his arm in a sling at the bedside of his wife Victoire who had also become an Auror and both had been injured by Cel.

"Harry!" a familiar voice he would rather not hear called, finally forcing him back into reality as Harry turned to the Minister for Magic, "We should talk."

Alaric was looking more unkempt than usual and shadows clung beneath his navy eyes, rather like Harry himself usually looked as he constantly overworked himself in the war. This caused a painful pang in his heart, lately he'd spent more time working with the man who betrayed him then he had home with the woman who loved him. His distraction had allowed Alaric to take his arm and lead him into an empty room to give them some privacy, Alaric also looked pissed.

"What the hell, Harry?!" Alaric barked at him angrily, Harry had known this was coming, "I told you one thing – one thing – about the Shadow Master's containment and that was don't give Cel full access! And what did you go and do?!"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Harry explained the reasoning he sorely regretted now, "If I died the protection would crumble, it's more secure with two and we knew there was a spy who could've come at me."

"And Cel was the spy! I never fully trusted him, that's why I didn't want you to either. I told you, Harry, I bloody told you!"

"Well I did, okay?!" Harry snapped defensively and unhappily, "I was wrong, I put my faith in the wrong person and I'm sorry. And that's not even an apology to you, I just am sorry, trusting him is one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my life and I'll regret it until the day I die but I can't change it, at the time I trusted him completely and the extra security made more sense so I ignored your order. I was in the wrong, I already know that and I already regret that. There's nothing more to say."

"There's plenty more to say!" Alaric yelled sounding understandably frustrated, "That was our one chance, Harry, the one time the most wanted and dangerous person in the world is going to be handed to us in a bow on a silver platter and you somehow managed to fuck it up!"

"My wife is dead because of me, do you really think anything you say is going to have more impact than that?" Harry pointed out and for the first time it seemed to give Alaric pause, "Ron is probably dead too, Hermione is maybe dead and then James is a Shadow, Albus and Lily are Gray from what I heard and Vern's dead. Give me a break, Alaric, I know how badly I've screwed up and that's not even counting every other bad thing Cel did thanks to the trust I gave him."

"If you really feel bad then-"

"Sir!" an unfamiliar voice yelled and they heard the door hammered on, "Sir, I have big news!"

"What?" Alaric asked tiredly in a tone resigned to dread as he opened the door to a frantic Auror.

"The Portkeys are no longer allowing entry to London, Floo and Apparation isn't working either!"

"Great," Alaric sighed heavily and exchanged a look with Harry, while surprised he did recognize what this meant and desperately wished he had been right, "She's attacking London again. And this time she'll probably succeed."

Brutus Ashain stirred slowly, his first thought being how strange it was his bed was now really hard and cold. It didn't even feel like a bed, it felt more like he was lying on the ground. His dark chestnut eyes snapped open and he saw his little boy nestled against him sleeping soundly, his heart twisted as the painful memories to come tumbling through his mind. The deaths, the attacks, betraying Sal... a shuddering sigh escaped him and he held the raven haired toddler close. At least Omega was okay but what of his twin? And what of Vathan? Where were they and were they even alive? Where was he for that matter, that was probably a good place to start.

Brutus sat up slowly, very careful to keep Omega cradled comfortably in his arms to not disturb the poor child. He cast his eyes around and saw somewhat ironically that they seemed to be in a basement of some kind, just a vast empty space with a cold concrete floor. He had been healed though, he noticed, whatever Healer had done a good job.

"You're awake," a familiar voice commented before Brutus had finished scanning the room, his eyes snapped to the source.

Varanian. Least Brutus thought it was him sitting on some rickety wooden steps, he had to do a double take despite being quite familiar with the metamorphmagus. He didn't even look that different, he was tall and thin just like his natural appearance was, Caucasian with dark shadows beneath his eyes. He had his horrific burn scars on full display which encompassed his hands, wrist, neck and sides of his cheeks while his hair was scruffy as it always had been but the tawny color was fighting a losing war with iron gray. What really stood out were his eyes, one was an icy blue and one was silvery gray. Brutus had never seen him with two different eye colors before, it was strangely unnerving and made him look somewhat demented. Or maybe that was because Varanian had been fiercely determined to kill him the last time he'd been conscious, Varanian was holding his wand.

"Where am I?" Brutus wondered quietly, feeling too drained to fight.

"Somewhere," Varanian answered vaguely, staring at him unblinking and thumbing his wand. Brutus held Omega a little closer.

"What are you planning on doing to us?" Brutus asked equally quietly.

"A part of me thinks you could be useful which is why I'm holding you prisoner… but another part of me just wants to kill you."

"And my son?" Brutus pressed and Varanian's disturbing eyes drifted to Omega for the first time, his expression darkening briefly from the blank one he'd kept the entire conversion but he merely shrugged, "What about the other kids?"

"Oathan's being treated. Don't know about the others," Varanian informed him, glancing back to him and Brutus forced himself to nod as he swallowed the fear in his throat. Varanian not knowing meant the others could still be alive, they could, "Your girlfriend destroyed London, did you know that?"

"No," Brutus admitted and averted his eyes unhappily.

"You don't seem surprised."

"Why would I be?" Brutus scoffed, bitterly leaning back against the wall and glancing back to Varanian, "She's going to be upset, anyone would be. Sal just has a lot more power than anyone."

"So you betrayed her knowing she'd be mad and would destroy a city?"

"No, I betrayed her thinking how could Harry Potter possibly fuck up being handed the most dangerous woman in the world after I stripped her power," Brutus snapped back testily and a little too loudly as Omega started to awaken, Brutus sighed heavily and unhappily, "I tried to do the right thing, what more do you want from me?"

"Dada?" Omega whimpered frightfully as his dark eyes darted around in fear, "Where is Laz?"

"It's okay," Brutus lied gently, cuddling Omega to comfort him and stroking his hair gently, "I'm here, you're okay."

"I don't like," Omega moaned and they both jolted at the slam of a door, Brutus looked back up and saw Varanian had left which was presumably what the door had been. It still scared Omega though as the small child started to cry, "Where is Laz? Where is Mama? Where is Vathan?"

"I don't know," Brutus was painfully forced to admit as Omega broke further into tears, pulling him close to him once again, "But I'm here, long as I'm here you'll be okay."

"I w- want go home, Dada," Omega sobbed into his chest, "I want go home, I want all my families."

"I know, Om," Brutus whispered sadly, kissing his son's head lovingly, "We all want that."

Wyatt Grant lay on the ground screaming uncontrollably as the pain of the Cruciatus Curse tore through his veins, his body writhed instinctively against it although he was barely aware he even had a body at this point. All he knew was pain… And then just like that it stopped, or rather he felt the force of the curse leave. The residual waves of pain continued to pelt him like an outgoing tide but it was weakening and the tension left his body, he crumpled onto the cold stone floor still shaking.

"You ready to talk yet?" his torturer's voice barked and Wyatt immediately felt himself hauled up roughly, thrown down into a chair.

Wyatt shook his head vigorously, instinctively. He didn't want to betray Gray, it was the last thing they needed right now. For once acting without thinking seemed to be doing him good, it was harder to say no if he let himself stop to think how surrender would stop the pain. He had no idea how long he could last, Leebin and Molly had both held out for months but he wasn't as strong as they were, nor was he as skilled at Occlumency.

He was torn from his thoughts as he felt a fist colliding with his face, throwing his already bruised body back onto the painfully hard ground. He tasted blood in his mouth and tried to spit it out before he was hauled roughly back up again, thrown back into the chair. A hand then grabbed his face and he tried not yelp in fear while he was yelping in fear which made a strange strangled sound as he was forced to look into the cold brown eyes of his torturer, James Sirius Potter.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," James growled threateningly, digging his nails in necessarily and Wyatt coldly kept the gaze. That was another thing he thought was useful, he loathed James. He truly hated him, he hated him more than he feared him. What wasn't there to hate about a cruel sadistic bully and murderer who'd betrayed his family and everything good in the world? Plus James was gay and being gay himself, Wyatt felt weirdly insulted, "It's only polite."

"And torture's polite?" Wyatt wondered bitterly, prompting James to strike him again although not forcefully enough to knock him over this time just away.

Wyatt let his gaze stay away and his body continued to shake from the waning pain, at least in the wake of this Cruciatus Curse the blows or bonds digging into his wrists didn't feel so bad. This time James grabbed his hair, painfully tugging it to make him look again at the freckled face that otherwise bore a strong resemblance to his brother. Except James' dark hair was shorter making it look tamer then his younger siblings, he was also fitter then Albus but shorter too.

"I have to stop torturing you with the Cruciatus Curse now, wouldn't want to risk your sanity," James informed him casually and a part of him actually felt saddened by that, after all logically if he went mad he couldn't betray Gray and if he was mad would he even know if he was in pain anymore? Not that he really wanted to lose his sanity but… well it wasn't like his life really mattered. A sadistic smile crept onto James' face, "But that's okay because this is where the fun begins, that or I could have a go at your buddies."

"They're not Gray, they don't know anything," Wyatt insisted truthfully and not for the first time, James leaned back smugly.

"That's exactly what a Gray member protecting his comrades would say."

"Or just a decent human being who doesn't want or see in the point in innocent civilians suffering."

"They're hardly innocent," James laughed, "That Byron is a real piece of work and Koray wanted me expelled."

"You attacked his son," Wyatt pointed out incredulously, James was also kind of delusional he was noticing.

"His son started it," James scoffed irritably as he folded his arms, "And if you want to protect them so badly you could just always spare them the pain of torture by telling me what you know."

Wyatt felt a surge of guilt, he wasn't entirely sure it would make James spare them but he could still probably save them. This was his fight not theirs and he was never sure which was worse, hearing his dad – regardless the issues they had – tortured, the kid or the children begging for James to stop hurting their dad. But he couldn't, sparing them meant damning Gray. James had said they'd already destroyed the main base, he didn't know how bad it was but he did know whatever was left was unlikely to recover from a second attack while hurt and scattered. There were kids in Gray too, non-combatants and people he considered friends. He couldn't damn them to possibly save five people, they were the only chance of ending the war too so it would be damning everyone. Wyatt averted his eyes and shook his head, earning another punch from James.

"What did I tell you about looking at me?!" James snapped and forced Wyatt's head to look at him again, James' cruel smirk had returned, "And see? If you really cared about protecting the innocent then you'd protect them, Gray is just as selfish and terrible as people claim we Soul Eaters are."

"Oh, fuck you," Wyatt spat which knocked the smile of James' face, it also caused him to draw his wand while digging his nails roughly in again.

"Language," James criticized calmly and that sadistic smile again rematerialized as he held his wand up, "You know, Wyatt, at first I was bothered when Marigold told me I couldn't make you bleed until you recovered enough to stop needing Blood-Replenishing potion lest you die. But it's been kind of fun finding ways to hurt you that don't need to make you bleed, plus something else he said struck me as curious. He said that your wounded eye could still be salvaged so long as he could treat it but, I wonder…"

Wyatt jumped – or tried to, James' nails held him firmly in place – in surprise as the tip of James' wand lit up suddenly. And not like a Wand-lighting Charm, like a molten fiery light. Wyatt could feel the heat of it already.

"Do you think he could salvage it if I gouge it out?" James asked casually and Wyatt hoped very much it didn't show on his face that his heart leaped fearfully, he couldn't take his eyes off the wand, "If I use burning it won't even make you bleed, it'll cauterize any damage and burns don't make you bleed. They just hurt, like a lot. So what do you think, Wyatt? Feel like talking or feel like having your eye gouged out in burning pain?"

Wyatt said nothing, not trusting himself to speak lest he accidently blurt out and beg pathetically for his eye. He might hate James more than he feared him but he certainly feared that. James' sadistic smirk crawled back onto his face, he was going to enjoy this.

"I guess the eye it is then," James said aloud and moved his wand closer, Wyatt felt the heat intensifying and tried to move his head away but James' grip held him firm, "Uh-uh, no weaseling out of the bed you made…"

"Master!" a voice called and Wyatt didn't think he'd been more relieved to hear anyone say anything in his life.

James was forced to angrily let him go and turn his attention to the speaker as the door opened, revealing an olive-skinned teenager with a mop of course dark curls. The boy was dressed plainly and looked almost unhealthily underweight but most notably, he had a brand on his cheek that Wyatt knew the Shadows used to mark slaves.

"What have I told you, Yannis?!" James yelled at the boy who was taller than him despite seeming little younger, storming over and striking him violently. And again, punctuating every syllable with another blow, "Do. Not. Int-err-upt. Me."

"I'm sorry, Master," Yannis – assuming James had the name right – whimpered as James flung him onto the ground, holding his hands up protectively and preemptively from further attack which James did go to do, "Stephan told me to get you right away though! I was just following his orders!"

"Well why didn't you say that sooner!" James angrily yelled, pulling Yannis back up and slamming the fearful youth into the wall.

"I'm sorry, Master," Yannis apologized again and looked like he was bracing himself for further attack, for a second Wyatt thought he would receive it but James seemed to reign in his temper.

"Well I best see what Stephan wants, I'll deal with your punishment later," James said instead and headed out, Yannis leaned back against the wall and looked after James with an unmistakable look of loathing. It quickly reverted back to fear as James stormed back an instant later but Wyatt still caught it, the slave hated his master, "Come on, Yannis! I didn't tell you to stand there like an idiot and Wyatt, enjoy your last few minutes with that eye."

Yannis cast him a look of sympathy briefly before following James out, James slamming the door behind them and leaving Wyatt in complete darkness as the torchlight died when James left. Wyatt took a deep breath, he had been left on his own before but he was still recovering from Lysander crushing him and as a result had felt so weak he'd just slept or collapsed. But not this time.

Wyatt leaped to his still get, finding himself a little unsteady but it would do. It had to. He needed to get away, he needed to get away right now. He stumbled forwards until he reached the door and tumbled blindly about for any opening large enough to fit through as a lizard, that was all he needed to escape, just a small crack. Anything! But he wasn't finding anything, the door was pretty secure and there were no bars. No gap beneath it, or above or on the sides.

"No, no, please, come on," Wyatt begged desperately of the nothing, "Please."

He moved instead to the walls, running his bound over the stones in search of a sliver of space he could crawl into. It was all he needed, it really wasn't a lot. But he wasn't, he wasn't finding anything. Or on the other wall or the door's wall, not even the final wall. Not up, not down, not center. There was nothing, no way a lizard could crawl out of the room.

"No," Wyatt moaned, slumping to the ground as his trembling legs half-buckled beneath him. He couldn't get away, he buried his face in his hands. He didn't know what else to do, he wasn't strong enough or smart enough to find a way out of this like any of the others probably could've. There was no escape for him.

"Sorry about that," James' voice commented and Wyatt jumped fearfully at the door was opened again, looking up as James closed it behind him. The torchlight sprang back, casing a crimson glow on James as he held up his wand and the tip glowed red again, "So where were we?"