AN Well, sequel to The New World, if anyone actually remembers that, sorry it took so long but I've been busy with college and I still have a ton of work to do… Oh well, I'd take fanfiction over college any day.

Rating: PG

Summary: What happened after Harry turned his back on the light. But are things really as clear-cut as they seem.

Disclaimer: If I said I didn't own Harry Potter would anyone fall over in shock?

The End of an Era

"Bastard!"

Harry Potter spun round to see Hermione Granger break free from the bonds that several junior Deatheaters had her in. She launched forwards as fast as she could and he watched her with a detached interest. A second before she reached him he snapped his fingers once, invisible bindings flew towards her and she stumbled, the Deatheaters who had let her go in the first place hurriedly moved to grab her again but they were stopped as Harry held up a hand.

He gently reached down and turned Hermione's tear, dirt and blood streaked face up towards his before gently brushing a hair out of her visage with his other hand, she snarled and spat at him. Harry didn't react, he wiped the spittle off and looked at it consideringly before he moved so quickly they didn't even see him, to backhanded one of his oldest friends so hard across the face her neck snapped round despite the magical bindings.

"Never do that again." The voice was quiet, silky and almost friendly but all who were listening were completely aware that if she didn't listen to him the repercussions would be severe.

"Bastard," the voice was weaker this time, the brunette woman speaking through a bust lip and what sounded like a broken jaw, "how could you? Bastard. How could you betray them like this, Sirius, Dumbledore, your parents… us."

He laughed lightly. "Can't you see?" A hand tenderly brushed her cheek in a bizarre parody of affection. "This is the new world, a new era, no more war, no more fighting, no more…"

"I don't care, I'd rather die in battle than live in slavery."

He stood up sharply, "watch your tongue mudblood, or your death wish might be granted, don't presume you have any more right to demand my motives than anyone else does."

She dropped her head, defeated, he could do it, he would do it, that she knew. She was lucky to have survived this far, unbelievably so, if, it could be defined as luck that is.

"But… why..?"

"I was once told that there is no good and no evil but only power and those too weak to seek it. Voldemort sought power and he gained it, he seeks to restore stability to the wizarding world, he aims to ensure that the we don't have to hide in fear from the muggles that have persecuted us for so long, why should we, the ones with the power, skulk in the shadows, avoiding their gazes as if afraid of who we are? Dumbledore too sought power, he sought the type of power that comes from public opinion, his type of power meant that he was regarded by many as omnipotent however he could not manage to stop three eleven year olds from going after a wizard who wanted to kill them to protect a stone that was going to be destroyed anyway. He, with all his glory, wasn't able to stop one boy from committing murder at eleven."

He laughed at her mockingly upon seeing the expression on her face, "what did you think had happened to Quirrel, did you believe that he had just popped out of existence? When I realised his weakness I took advantage of it and he died as a direct result."

"But… but he was trying to kill you."

"And I tried to kill my master, for many years and as I tried and failed to kill him he tried and failed to kill me, now the killing has stopped, I thought you'd be relieved Hermione."

She didn't look relieved, she looked heartbroken and betrayed, not angry anymore. But she wasn't going to understand, she couldn't, the ideas of good and evil were too deeply embedded in her mind to change, he couldn't save her…

Hurriedly he turned away and disappeared down a dark corridor, why places like this always seemed to be built in dungeons he didn't know, he wasn't going to accuse Tom of having muggle-movie-cliché hallways though, after all, it was exactly what their enemies suspected, they had to give the public what they wanted…

Stepping forwards he raised his head and looked at the three Deatheaters guarding the doors he was aiming for, two backed away hurriedly, respectfully but one smirked and held out a hand, "Welcome to the winning side Potter."

Elegantly, as Tom had taught him, he too held out a hand. Draco Malfoy, back in Deatheater robes and looking a lot more comfortable than the last time Harry had seen him, dropped and kissed it hurriedly realising his manners.

"It's good to be here," and it was true.

Entering the room he didn't bother with the bow that came so automatically to so many but instead glided up to the man leaning over a desk.

"I sssaw you coming." Even a thousand restorative drafts from Severus Snape could remove the slight sibilant hiss that punctuated his words. But the man he was looking at was incomparable to the man he had stood before and glared at with all the hate he knew how to possess, for the first time, almost six years ago now.

He didn't respond, there was nothing to say. He'd known that Voldemort would be watching of course.

"Ssshe upssset you."

It wasn't a question but Harry ran a hand through his hair and tried to find the words to answer none the less. "Yes… I don't know why but…"

"You care for her."

The answer was so simple and matter of fact that Harry blinked, it wasn't the answer he was expecting, mainly because he would never have expected Tom to admit to a flaw in his favourite.

"Yeah, I guess I do. I wanted her to understand, I knew she wouldn't but I just wanted her to say… She knew why I did what I did, she understood why I couldn't live with the killing anymore, just that she forgave me… She spat on me, like I wasn't even worthy of her contempt, I just wish she could see, wish she could understand what he was really like, why I did what I had to do… If she looked around I think she'd be surprised to see just how many of her 'dead' comrades there actually are around here. She won't though, he got her too young and too deeply. She has to die and I regret that."

"Do you regret joining me?"

"No! No, but sometimes I wonder… what would have happened if he knew, if Albus knew what I was going to do in the end, even suspected that I'd realise what he was like, that the entire plot against you was just a scheme so he could move against the world. So he could rule, without anyone realising he was doing it. If I had realised, actually looked into your mind properly when I had the chance, before he ordered me to block it out with Occlumency, actually listened to Severus or Draco… just once… Would I still be alive or would I have met with an unfortunate accident. Like Sirius did. Like my parents did. Like you nearly did… Somehow I don't think I'd still be breathing."

There was no response, Voldemort just watched quietly as his favourite struggled to recover from the deaths of so many he had cared about before they had perfected the escape route that so many from the 'light' side had used.

And tried to cope with the betrayal of the one he had trusted so much.

End

AN Well, that took entirely too long to finish for what if was but hey, I kinda like the end result. On another note I've got ideas for a couple of Harry Potter/Gundam Wing crossovers, would anyone be interested in reading one?