Disclaimer: For this chapter and all chapters, I don't own Harry Potter. This is just to improve my writing skills, and no money is being made etc. etc.
Chapter
1 - Nothing Lasts Forever
"You have served me
well, Lord Voldemort. The situation, however, has changed."
Voldemort knelt before the cloaked man standing above him. He knew
that this man had the power to kill him in one swift stroke. It was a
commanding voice, and if you heard it, you didn't dare disobey.
"How so, My Lord?" Voldemort asked, intrigued into this new revelation, yet still careful to remain polite.
The Cloaked Figure studied him for a moment. Voldemort, under that gaze tried not to shake. Whether he was successful or not he didn't know, "Harry Potter knows now that you are avoiding him. Remember, the confrontation is inevitable." Voldemort knew he had to face Potter, but what would happen if Potter killed him? He would ruin everything he, Voldemort, had worked for these past nine years, ever since he got that second chance.
"I know My Lord. But if Potter can somehow manage to destroy me-," Voldemort tried to make his case to the Cloaked Figure, but he would hear none of it.
"You
fool!" The Cloaked Figure snapped, his usual way of telling
Voldemort that it didn't matter. "You once again fail to see
the larger picture! My plans go far beyond you Voldemort. You
are but a shadow of me. I made you what you are! It was me!"
Voldemort felt anger inside, a longing to rid himself of this
beast.
"Yes My Lord!" he said instead. He said that
so often he could drown himself.
"And if I find
the need for Potter to destroy you do not make the mistake of
thinking that I won't allow him to do it." Voldemort didn't
worry about things like this. The man said this so often that
Voldemort just stopped taking him seriously. The man was on his side,
wasn't he?
"Voldemort, my plans are your primary concern, not yourself," The Cloaked Figure chided casually, with just a hint of threat in his voice. There was something else there, pride perhaps?
"I
know My Lord!" Voldemort said in the same voice, becoming more
annoyed by the second. He hoped his emotions didn't show through
his anger right now.
"Do not underestimate me." The
Cloaked Figure said warningly. "You are powerful yes, but you fail
to master your emotions. What I am doing is for the greater good! If
you seek revenge, your vengeance will only come to fruitation if it
is part of my plan."
Voldemort's anger was gone in a
flash. "What is your plan then?" He had been trying to find out
this person's motives for years, and he still had that to achieve
yet.
"That is not for you to know. It is a magic
that has been brewing since the beginnings of time. It has survived
all the ages of this world and will survive until the destruction
destruction of time."
Voldemort was at a loss for words. He
made many speeches like that, but never so...so...detailed as
that.
The Cloaked Figure smiled as he said this. Voldemort was beginning to be more of a liability than ever. Hopefully Voldemort wasn't stupid enough to try to overcome him. If such an incident occured it would be unfortunate to destroy Voldemort, but not a major loss. He could continue his plan because he kept the balance. He was the Master. "Come on Harry mate! What's the matter?" The voice was full of concern, concern that Harry Potter didn't want at the moment.
Harry, twenty-three years old, looked at his best friend Ron Weasley in a long sidelong glance that gave Ron a few hints about what he wanted. Peace and quiet.
"Nothing's wrong," Harry said, when Ron didn't pick up the hint. He wished he felt that way privately. Truth be told, this evening had been one of the longest of his life's, though not because of anything he or Ron could control.
"Harry, I've been your best friend for what is it now, twelve years?" Ron replied. "I know when something's up with you so spill it," he said with a grin but still looked at him sympathetically. "In all honesty Harry, I've seen when something's up with you a lot more than other people. And believe, something is always up with you.
Harry glared at him from behind his glasses, "What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped. How dare Ron even consider-!
Ron held up his hands, "It's not an insult mate. You know I know you can't help it, but there was usually something bugging you at Hogwarts."
"Ron if you think that you-," Harry replied hotly. He wished Ron would just leave now.
"Harry mate, I meant no insult. I just know when something's bugging you because I am your best friend."
Harry looked away at the dank surroundings. It was dark, here the bar. A bartender quietly wiped a glass with a grimy rag. The glass was probably dirtier now that the rag had touched it.
In the
background was a light dance music fluttering over towards the bar,
but Harry didn't feel like dancing. He didn't feel like doing much
anymore.
Ron persisted, "If you don't want to talk about
it now I don't care because I understand that. Harry, though, this
will eat you up if you don't tell someone. When you want to talk
I'll have an open ear."
"Thanks Ron," Harry
said sincerely. He knew he would never talk to Ron about his
problems, but at least he was there. This wouldn't eat him up! It
was Harry's problem that Harry had to figure out.
"Things are
just too complicated now."
Ron looked at the ceiling
for a moment, "Aren't they always?" he said dreamily. He wasn't
really even saying it to anyone, jst sort of musing in his own way.
There was a grain of truth in his words though and his meaning was
loud and clear. When Harry was involved, there were always
complications.
Harry looked at Ron, "You know, I always
wondered what it would be like to not be Harry Potter. To live a life
without Voldemort, without being the Boy Who Lived." This wasn't
why he was broading, he just wanted to get Ron off of his
back.
Ron's eyes told Harry that he was sincere when he
said, "Harry, even if you weren't you can't escape
You-Know-Who. He terrorizes everyone." Ron added hastily when he
saw Harry's green eyes flash at him, "Now I don't mean to say
that everyone has as hard of a life as you, but Harry-," he trailed
off, lost for words.
Harry sighed. Everyone was vulnerable and
no one could escape Voldemort if Harry didn't do something soon.
Voldemort was out there, waiting to strike. It had been a very
stressful time and Harry knew he couldn't rest until Voldemort was
defeated.
"Look Ron, go have fun yourself, you can't help
me now."
"Are you sure-,"
"You're wife is
already giving you the 'evil eye,'" Harry said jokingly.
"Yeah
I better get over there," Ron said smiling. He took the hint to
leave, finally, and got up, walking in the direction of his new
wife.
After Ron had left, Harry realized that it wasn't
going to get any better here. He didn't want to leave on his best
friends' wedding night, but he had to figure some things out. He
slipped out the side door, and went around on the the street. The
street was dark, with only a few pedestrians milling about. It was a
cool night, and darkness was in the sky, with a haze of pink.
It
had only been in the last few months that he had realized something.
Voldemort was scared of Harry. He could cause as much chaos as he
wanted as long as Harry wasn't in the way, thus he had stopped
seeking Harry out, but rather avoiding him. He wouldn't want to
gamble everything on the slight chance that Harry might kill
him.
When Harry finally realized this, he took it for granted.
It was great that Voldemort was avoiding him wasn't it?
Of course it
couldn't be as simple as that. It never could. Harry sighed. If
someone died from Voldemort it meant that someone was fighting
another losing fight. He had the best, no the only chance
against Voldemort, and who was he to sit around while some guy got
killed?
The problem was, if Voldemort killed him in the end,
what hope did anyone have of stopping him? It was almost as if Harry
couldn't take the chance of dooming the Earth if Voldemort won.
But
he couldn't let this continue. He had to end the wondering. He had to
finally tell the Earth if they were doomed or saved.
Harry
knew he would have to flush Voldemort out, maybe even trap him, and
then kill him. Harry shivered. What was the balance point between
good and evil? If Harry killed Voldemort wouldn't he be just as evil?
At what point does defense become agression?
He couldn't
seek Voldemort out. That would be murder. He had to kill Voldemort in
self-defense. But Voldemort wasn't coming for Harry anymore was he?
It was an impossible dilemma, but Harry knew that whatever he did, he
couldn't go looking for Voldemort. What if he became a Dark
Wizard like Voldemort?
That thought churned it his stomach,
wizards trembling to say his name. He could imagine it now, a family
like the Weasley's flinching everytime someone said his name. Harry
shuddered.
The moment had been long in the making, and Harry
knew that sometime, somewhere he would have to face Voldemort. Harry
would have to seek Voldemort out, and somehow, use every ounce of his
strength to fight him. There would be no escape. It had to be
victory.
He just feared what would happen afterwards.
