Chapter Three
Over the past three years Harry had purposely pushed all thoughts of the tri-wizard tournament out of his mind. He knew that if he dwelled on them too long then they would haunt him forever. Not only had Harry pushed all thoughts of this from his mind, he tried to act calm and collected at the moments he wanted to lash out most. He was finally controlling his emotions, which at this stage of his life tended to change constantly.
He tried to act happy and live his life the most he could even though he knew what awaited him. Thankfully it was still his choice what happened in the end. Whichever way he chose it was his decision in the end, and no one could change that. Harry was positive what he was going to do, the question was could he accomplish this seemingly impossible goal.
He had yelled at his best friends and probably his biggest supporters. He was almost always angry, or sad. He was not willing to do that again. Harry had finally come to the realization that if he was going to end the pain and suffering of the many, he needed to end it within him first. There was no way he was going to be able to defeat the Dark Lord if he constantly was depressed and angry. So over the summer of his sixth year he concentrated and grabbed control over his slippery emotions.
His next goal was to never let Voldemorte enter his mind again, no one would get hurt because of him. So he had bought a book on occlumency and started his training from square one again. He resisted the charm every time during his renewed lessons with Professor Snape. He wouldn't give Snape the pleasure of seeing his memories of his godfather, because Harry knew that's what he would see if he entered his mind again. Never again would someone get hurt because he couldn't control himself. If there was a way to prevent it then he would do it, no matter what the cost.
Most of all he needed to forget these things because of his excruciatingly real like dreams. The first summer after the Tri-wizard tournament, he had terrible dreams Voldemort returning time after time again. Cedric dieing over and over in his mind, a hidden voice telling him it was his entire fault. Reliving these things was getting him no where. So he took extreme precautions with potions for dreamless sleep (he had bought it in Diagon Alley). He never forgot to take this potion, except once... the first night at Hermione's house...
"Hello?" Harry called to a seemingly endless flat plain.
No answer, just as he suspected. He was dreaming he knew it now for sure. The question was where was Voldemort? He had forgotten to take his potion and he was sure that Voldemort wouldn't pass up this opportunity to torture him. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting the potion; if he hadn't been so enveloped in his feelings for Hermione then he might have remembered. Once again his emotions were going to cause him pain. There was nothing he could do now except ride out the dream.
The scene changed he was in a Desert the stillness of it was unnerving. Cactuses grew all around, and jack rabbits hopped away from Harry. Harry noticed the many lizards and snakes that slithered or skittered fearlessly by. It seemed as if he really was here, he could feel the water evaporating right out of his pores. It felt as if he was being sucked dry. He was going to need some water to live if he stayed much longer. The rational side of his brain bickered with the other. This was a dream, how could I be feeling this? But what if it is more than a dream, something dangerously real. Harry pinched himself for good measure, it hurt and left a red welt on his arm.
"Strange." Harry muttered.
Harry was wondering when Voldemort would appear, when He finally showed himself.
"Hello, Harry." Voldemort said in his snake like tongue.
"So you finally decided to show up huh?" Harry said, knowing that there wasn't much the Dark Lord could do.
"So why aren't we in the graveyard?" Harry questioned.
"I have a proposal to make." Voldemort said.
"I never knew you thought of me that way, Voldy Dear. But I'm just not ready for this kind of relationship." Harry said with sarcasm dripping on his voice.
"Don't make fun Potter! That little remark will cost you dearly later." Voldemort spat out.
"I want to offer you something. I want to offer you companionship. I am willing to put our...past differences beside. If you are willing to join my legion of death eaters. I can make you powerful, armies will bow down to you command." Voldemort said.
"Why would I want that I have all I want?" Harry said, a bit taken back.
"Let me finish Potter. As this Desert, it can be deadly in two opposite ways. If you join me then all your friends will be against you,"
as he said this the suns intensity seemed to double in power, now Harry was absolutely drenched in his own sweat.
"You will never be lost again, you will always have me by your side. I can teach you things that Dumbledore can only dream of. But on the other hand."
He waved his hand in the air. And the scene changed, now it was night time in the desert. The first and most appalling difference was the temperature, it was now freezing cold. Harry's teeth started to chatter as he watched animals cuddle together for more body heat. Owls hooted in the distance, surveying the scene from there far away perch. Night time predators were hunting there unsuspecting prey, scorpions glowed ominously. Coyotes howled at the full moon, Harry wondered if there were any werewolves nearby.
"If you choose to fight on the 'good' side then, yes you would have your friends."
As he said this he appreciated the cold environment, because it was better than the hot.
"But, you will have me as an enemy. Never knowing what to do or to expect. Do you really want to be lost all the time with no one to guide you? Lost in you own thoughts maybe? I can help you Harry. They can't, its as simple as that."
At this the cold seemed so cold it was oppressing him, freezing him to the bone.
"Which would you rather have? Would you rather have me and all the power you could imagine, or you sissy little friends, and me as an enemy? Make your decision soon, I won't give you forever. I am giving this chance to you once and only once. Choose wisely."
Then he was gone.
Harry thought over what had happened, the desert, it seemed like he used it to further prove his point. In the desert there were no in-betweens, no shades of grey. It was either black, or white. It was cold or hot, but each time had its ups and downs.
The day time, in this sick analogy it represented the evil. He would have power, and Voldemort as a friend and leader. He would never wonder what was right or wrong, he would never be lost. He would always be able to see what was ahead of him. The dark on the other hand, represented the good. It was cold, very cold. But not as dangerous as the day time, where you could die of thirst or starvation. He would have his friends but he would have Voldemort as an enemy. The most dangerous animals come out at night, hidden where no one can see them. Lurking around every corner. He couldn't see what was his future was, he would never know when he would strike again.
Voldemort had made his side seem more enticing and enjoyable, but Harry saw it for what it was. Fear. Voldemort was afraid to have him on the opposite side, afraid to face a 17 year old boy. Harry knew which side to choose, he never had a doubt, but he decided to let the Dark Lord simmer in his own mess.
Harry was deciding that it was time to leave, but he didn't know how.
"Well?" a sinister voice said that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.
"I'll never join you Voldemort!" Harry said his emotions getting the better of him.
"Fine, your choice has been made." The voice called.
Then a flash of green light was rushing at him with blinding speed. Harry didn't have time to do anything. The light he knew as the killing curse hit him and threw him ten feet backwards. Immense pain was searing through his scar. It felt as if it was on fire and someone was rubbing gasoline on it to make it worse. The last thing he could do was clutch his forehead, screaming in agony.
Hermione sat bolt upright in her bed, a terrible scream issuing from the room next to hers. She dashed from her bed and ran into Harry's room. Harry was sprawled on the floor, his left hand clutching his forehead.
He was out cold.
Hermione knew what to do. Professor Dumbledore had sent her an emergency Portkey just incase this happened during Harry's visit. Of course she had asked him before she had asked Harry. He had said that it would be alright, but he sent the portkey for emergencies like this one. She grabbed Harry around the neck and simultaneously clutched the portkey. Feeling the familiar tug behind her navel she and Harry were sent through the swirling mass of light.
Over the past three years Harry had purposely pushed all thoughts of the tri-wizard tournament out of his mind. He knew that if he dwelled on them too long then they would haunt him forever. Not only had Harry pushed all thoughts of this from his mind, he tried to act calm and collected at the moments he wanted to lash out most. He was finally controlling his emotions, which at this stage of his life tended to change constantly.
He tried to act happy and live his life the most he could even though he knew what awaited him. Thankfully it was still his choice what happened in the end. Whichever way he chose it was his decision in the end, and no one could change that. Harry was positive what he was going to do, the question was could he accomplish this seemingly impossible goal.
He had yelled at his best friends and probably his biggest supporters. He was almost always angry, or sad. He was not willing to do that again. Harry had finally come to the realization that if he was going to end the pain and suffering of the many, he needed to end it within him first. There was no way he was going to be able to defeat the Dark Lord if he constantly was depressed and angry. So over the summer of his sixth year he concentrated and grabbed control over his slippery emotions.
His next goal was to never let Voldemorte enter his mind again, no one would get hurt because of him. So he had bought a book on occlumency and started his training from square one again. He resisted the charm every time during his renewed lessons with Professor Snape. He wouldn't give Snape the pleasure of seeing his memories of his godfather, because Harry knew that's what he would see if he entered his mind again. Never again would someone get hurt because he couldn't control himself. If there was a way to prevent it then he would do it, no matter what the cost.
Most of all he needed to forget these things because of his excruciatingly real like dreams. The first summer after the Tri-wizard tournament, he had terrible dreams Voldemort returning time after time again. Cedric dieing over and over in his mind, a hidden voice telling him it was his entire fault. Reliving these things was getting him no where. So he took extreme precautions with potions for dreamless sleep (he had bought it in Diagon Alley). He never forgot to take this potion, except once... the first night at Hermione's house...
"Hello?" Harry called to a seemingly endless flat plain.
No answer, just as he suspected. He was dreaming he knew it now for sure. The question was where was Voldemort? He had forgotten to take his potion and he was sure that Voldemort wouldn't pass up this opportunity to torture him. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting the potion; if he hadn't been so enveloped in his feelings for Hermione then he might have remembered. Once again his emotions were going to cause him pain. There was nothing he could do now except ride out the dream.
The scene changed he was in a Desert the stillness of it was unnerving. Cactuses grew all around, and jack rabbits hopped away from Harry. Harry noticed the many lizards and snakes that slithered or skittered fearlessly by. It seemed as if he really was here, he could feel the water evaporating right out of his pores. It felt as if he was being sucked dry. He was going to need some water to live if he stayed much longer. The rational side of his brain bickered with the other. This was a dream, how could I be feeling this? But what if it is more than a dream, something dangerously real. Harry pinched himself for good measure, it hurt and left a red welt on his arm.
"Strange." Harry muttered.
Harry was wondering when Voldemort would appear, when He finally showed himself.
"Hello, Harry." Voldemort said in his snake like tongue.
"So you finally decided to show up huh?" Harry said, knowing that there wasn't much the Dark Lord could do.
"So why aren't we in the graveyard?" Harry questioned.
"I have a proposal to make." Voldemort said.
"I never knew you thought of me that way, Voldy Dear. But I'm just not ready for this kind of relationship." Harry said with sarcasm dripping on his voice.
"Don't make fun Potter! That little remark will cost you dearly later." Voldemort spat out.
"I want to offer you something. I want to offer you companionship. I am willing to put our...past differences beside. If you are willing to join my legion of death eaters. I can make you powerful, armies will bow down to you command." Voldemort said.
"Why would I want that I have all I want?" Harry said, a bit taken back.
"Let me finish Potter. As this Desert, it can be deadly in two opposite ways. If you join me then all your friends will be against you,"
as he said this the suns intensity seemed to double in power, now Harry was absolutely drenched in his own sweat.
"You will never be lost again, you will always have me by your side. I can teach you things that Dumbledore can only dream of. But on the other hand."
He waved his hand in the air. And the scene changed, now it was night time in the desert. The first and most appalling difference was the temperature, it was now freezing cold. Harry's teeth started to chatter as he watched animals cuddle together for more body heat. Owls hooted in the distance, surveying the scene from there far away perch. Night time predators were hunting there unsuspecting prey, scorpions glowed ominously. Coyotes howled at the full moon, Harry wondered if there were any werewolves nearby.
"If you choose to fight on the 'good' side then, yes you would have your friends."
As he said this he appreciated the cold environment, because it was better than the hot.
"But, you will have me as an enemy. Never knowing what to do or to expect. Do you really want to be lost all the time with no one to guide you? Lost in you own thoughts maybe? I can help you Harry. They can't, its as simple as that."
At this the cold seemed so cold it was oppressing him, freezing him to the bone.
"Which would you rather have? Would you rather have me and all the power you could imagine, or you sissy little friends, and me as an enemy? Make your decision soon, I won't give you forever. I am giving this chance to you once and only once. Choose wisely."
Then he was gone.
Harry thought over what had happened, the desert, it seemed like he used it to further prove his point. In the desert there were no in-betweens, no shades of grey. It was either black, or white. It was cold or hot, but each time had its ups and downs.
The day time, in this sick analogy it represented the evil. He would have power, and Voldemort as a friend and leader. He would never wonder what was right or wrong, he would never be lost. He would always be able to see what was ahead of him. The dark on the other hand, represented the good. It was cold, very cold. But not as dangerous as the day time, where you could die of thirst or starvation. He would have his friends but he would have Voldemort as an enemy. The most dangerous animals come out at night, hidden where no one can see them. Lurking around every corner. He couldn't see what was his future was, he would never know when he would strike again.
Voldemort had made his side seem more enticing and enjoyable, but Harry saw it for what it was. Fear. Voldemort was afraid to have him on the opposite side, afraid to face a 17 year old boy. Harry knew which side to choose, he never had a doubt, but he decided to let the Dark Lord simmer in his own mess.
Harry was deciding that it was time to leave, but he didn't know how.
"Well?" a sinister voice said that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.
"I'll never join you Voldemort!" Harry said his emotions getting the better of him.
"Fine, your choice has been made." The voice called.
Then a flash of green light was rushing at him with blinding speed. Harry didn't have time to do anything. The light he knew as the killing curse hit him and threw him ten feet backwards. Immense pain was searing through his scar. It felt as if it was on fire and someone was rubbing gasoline on it to make it worse. The last thing he could do was clutch his forehead, screaming in agony.
Hermione sat bolt upright in her bed, a terrible scream issuing from the room next to hers. She dashed from her bed and ran into Harry's room. Harry was sprawled on the floor, his left hand clutching his forehead.
He was out cold.
Hermione knew what to do. Professor Dumbledore had sent her an emergency Portkey just incase this happened during Harry's visit. Of course she had asked him before she had asked Harry. He had said that it would be alright, but he sent the portkey for emergencies like this one. She grabbed Harry around the neck and simultaneously clutched the portkey. Feeling the familiar tug behind her navel she and Harry were sent through the swirling mass of light.