Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter.
AN: Let's all give a hand to Nimbirosa, who beta-ed this chapter and made it flow all the more smoothly.
Chapter 10 Sin
Harry stood at the edge of Paradise, shrouded in beautiful moonlight, and sighed. He had been doing that a lot in the past week as he examined each defense, watched his creatures-no, Monsters, he corrected, and generally tried to avoid thinking about that weight in his gut. That weight... that feeling of being unclean, of Evil, Of Sin.
He needed to expel that feeling somehow, rid himself of it before he went insane. He desperately needed to do so, before this dark feeling overwhelmed his soul and sanity. Suddenly, his muse spun him an idea. He could drain himself of that feeling, expel all of it out into one area and one time.
The thought of such freedom enticed Harry to the point where he almost did it right then and there. But something stopped him.
Paradise had been tainted enough. It should not have to bear the weight of his Sin.
Glancing at the sky, he saw that Lily was still up there, still watching him, as always. Calling her down, he said softly, "There is something I must do alone. Wait here for me."
Lily seemed to want to protest, but respected her master's wishes.
Harry turned and exhaled, preparing himself for his task. Briskly, he proceeded to walk away from the Guardian, heading into the interior of Paradise. After an indeterminate amount of time, he found himself at what he considered the heart of Paradise. The oasis that he had first started with, that singular body of water that he crafted. His first-born creation.
Perhaps this was the right place to begin his journey to purge himself of his sins. Turning away from the oasis, he came to a small clearing a small distance away from the water. Mostly empty, as if Harry had always envisioned this spot to be used for this purpose. Closing his eyes, Harry pictured a tunnel, going deep, deep, deep into the earth, deep into the island that was Paradise. Opening his eyes, he found a gaping darkness awaited him, as if hungry for his Sin.
Glancing around one more time, as if taking in the memory of Paradise before he began his descent into Hell to purge himself, Harry drank down his fear, packing it deep into the festering pit of Sin in him, and took a step into the Darkness.
Severus Snape knelt in Darkness, kneeling as he fought down the usual revulsion and bile at the sight of the Dark Lord. The red eyed demon stood tall and straight, as if carved out of limestone, simply standing still, waiting for the rest of his Inner Circle to arrive. The Devil stood cloaked in black, covering his missing limb and revealing only the pale ivory of his right arm and the small sliver of wood that was his wand.
After almost an Eternity to the Potions Master, the Inner Circle was assembled. For a moment, there was utter silence and shadow. And then the demon spoke.
"Why so silent my servants?" Lord Voldemort hissed softly, not moving, "Why do you not inquire as to your Lord's health? Are you afraid? Or are you perhaps rethinking your loyalties?"
Immediately, a small burst of indistinct voices began chattering in a single chorus, which Voldemort silenced with a raise of his right hand.
"I sense doubt," the Dark Lord whispered, and sniffed the air, his crimson pupils glinting dangerously. "I smell fear. Are you afraid of that... apparition," he asked quietly, rhetorically.
"I believed I had proven my power when I disposed of Potter. Perhaps a reminder of my power is in order." Lord Voldemort whispered, raising his wand, his voice echoing throughout the chamber as every Inner Circle member prepared themselves for the assault.
"CRUCIO!"
The Dark Lord basked in the glorious symphony of screams and closed his blood red eyes in rapture.
Harry found himself going deep, deeper, deeper, deeper into the bowels of the Earth, deep below Paradise and earth, deep, deep into the pits. Next to him bobbed a single golden light that guided him further and further into the pit. It would be here where he would expel the Evil that lurked within his soul, that had compounded with every single deed that had dirtied Paradise.
Here he would expel his Morningstar from the gates of Paradise, and cast Sin deep into the bowels of the Earth. To keep Paradise from being compromised any further... he would do the unthinkable. He would create Evil in opposition to Good, he would create Hell below Paradise. This was all necessary, for if perfection was to exist, imperfection had to exist to show what was not perfect.
There are more things about Heaven and Hell than man has ever dreamed, Harry thought wryly, considering his unique position, to create Evil to defend Good.
Sighing, the Creator continued his descent into Darkness.
Severus Snape did his best not to collapse to the floor as the demon let go of cursing his Inner Circle, feeling every limb, every part of him scream in protest for not letting them collapse. To do so would only mean more pain.
The Dark Lord did not seem satisfied, obviously only relieving his servants of pain to keep them sane. But a dark glint in the devil's eyes told the Potions Master that there was more to this meeting than a simple torture session.
"Rookwood." Lord Voldemort spoke softly, and immediately, the Death Eater scurried forward.
"My Lord?" Augustus Rookwood asked fearfully.
"You did not kill her, as I asked." The demon whispered, and his words seemed akin to a death knell ringing out.
"M-my Lord, she was too quick, Dumbledore-" That was all Rookwood could offer before, in a flash, the Dark Lord cast off his cloak and finally moved and a near collective gasp from the entire Inner Circle was heard. August Rookwood screamed in agony as he felt his life, his essence, his soul being violently ripped away from his body, seizing it and consuming it, and then suddenly his voice died off, and a withered, empty corpse collapsed to the stone floor.
Snape swallowed in fear at what he was saw, and knew that this did not bode well for the Order.
Where Lord Voldemort's left arm had been cut off, something new had taken its place. When the torchlight's danced correctly, glittering, dangerous silver that gleamed in the shadows softly, as dagger-like claws flexed slowly, small droplets of Rookwood's blood from shallow cuts coating the deadly argentite. Almost unseen, within this bizarre limb, lay a single dark green, almost midnight black gem that seemed to absorb all light.
"I do not accept failure." The Dark Lord began, stepping towards his Death Eaters. "But even in death, Rookwood served his purpose. He has shown you the price of such failure. He has shown you my power."
Every Death Eater paid rapt attention. Any misstep would mean Rookwood's fate.
The Devil had stepped past his Death Eaters, and did not turn to face them, his back an immovable wall. "We will begin an immediate search for that... thing." The red eyed devil spat, as if spitting forth bile, "And we will kill her, and that master of hers."
Lord Voldemort turned back towards his servants of Darkness, a lethal glint within those crimson pupils causing a suppressed shudder within every Death Eater. "And this time, Lily Potter will not survive."
At long last, the Creator found himself in the deepest Darkness, far below Paradise. Although the air had thinned, a mere thought had suddenly made the air breathable. His small orb of golden light was all he had to see now, sending back the Shadows, casting them all across stark and empty rock and dripping drops of water.
Two steps, and Harry reached this single massive stone chamber that lay within his mind and within reality.
It was time to expel Sin from deep within the Creator. Closing his eyes, Harry dragged up all the unclean feelings, the uncertainty, the doubt, the fear. Slowly they came, drawn from the shadows of his soul, but then they began coming in faster, faster, faster, and then suddenly there was a flood of dark feelings, of midnight and impurity, of Evil, of Sin pouring from him, and it felt that though he would drown in the ocean of Darkness.
Abruptly it ceased, and Harry gasped, opening his eyes, stumbling backwards at what he saw, feeling horror and bile rise within him, feeling nothing but absolute terror and utter revulsion in the face of his newest creation.
Somehow, he knew this twisted hulking mass of flesh was grinning viciously at him, despite the fact that it did not have a recognizable face. This horrible, terrible, completely his, embodiment of Sin, Avatar of Evil.
Hello Father, Sin boomed out, as if its voice had echoed from the depths of Time and the limits of Eternity, stretching from the Beginning of Everything to the End of All, reverberating within Harry's soul as if it was a part of him.
And the Creator fell to his knees in fear and vomited all over the unforgiving floor, his soul and body and mind quaking in fear. A single sentence, a single thought rebounded within the mind of the Creator.
"What have I done?"
Ginny Weasley sat at the edge of the Astronomy Tower, finally able to relax and think. Her mum had been absolutely furious with her and Ron, and she wasn't certain her ears had stopped ringing from the shouting the Weasley Matriarch had done. After that, they had to be extra careful and try not to draw attention to themselves, but so many people were trying to talk to them about what happened that there was no time for the redhead to finally deal with all the things that were bothering her.
After enough persuasion, Hermione lent Ginny the Invisibility Cloak to give the younger girl some time to think on her own.
A small smile flickered across Ginny's face. This had always been her favorite spot to just sit and think, although there were often some snogging (or more) couples around, her spot was relatively untouched most of the time. As the youngest Weasley sat at this precarious seat, dangling her legs off the edge of the tower, she began to think.
Ever since she saw that angel, something had been bothering her, a feeling that kept nagging at the edges of her consciousness, a feeling she just couldn't explain. When Hermione and Ron told her that it had looked exactly like Harry's mum, a feeling had grown inside of Ginny, a feeling that she just couldn't explain or comprehend.
Harry was alive. Harry was alive, and had sent that angel to stop Voldemort.
The mere thought of the boy she secretly loved was still alive filled her heart with a joy she had never known before, replacing all the months of pain and sorrow and grief in an instant. It was as if she had been walking in the deepest night, and then suddenly, the dawn broke, and sunlight once again shined on her. She felt alive again, as if she had been half dead when it seemed Harry was lost.
And a new thought entered the redhead's mind. She had to find Harry. She needed to see him, to know that he really was alive and unhurt.
And with that, that devious glint normally associated with the twins' eyes made itself known in the redhead's own as a plan formed itself in Ginny Weasley's mind. After all, anything's possible... if you've got enough nerve.
Harry stood before the personification of absolute Sin, and could do nothing but gape in utter revulsion and fear at the hulking, twisted form it took. Everywhere, the massive bulk of the monstrosity stretched, immense and bulbous, a pale, sickly fish-belly white, mottled and wrinkled. Tentacles whipped about, striking the air and walls, exploring the cavern, like the first steps of a child. The face, if it could be called that, was too massive for him to see clearly, but it was filled with rows of dangerously sharp teeth that gleamed like blades.
The creature seemed almost smiling dangerously at the Creator, as if pleased with the fear and dread that was almost drowning Harry. Forcing himself to speak and not vomit, Harry said shakily, his voice laced with terror, "Wha-What are you?"
A dark, deep, booming chuckle burst forth from the abomination, the noise rebounding about the chamber and surrounding Harry in its clamoring din. I, it began amusedly, I am a monument to all your sins. I am the epitome of all your demons; brutal, vicious, and lacking truth. I am the perfect, true reflection of your world, your... Paradise, the last word was said with such sarcasm that it shook Harry viciously and he bristled, as I am lacking truth, and yet I exist.
"You are my Sin," Harry whispered softly, disbelievingly.
Another chuckle resonated about the chamber. Indeed... for I have been within you since that first creeping shadow fell in your heart, and have grown softly, steadily, as a tree grows stronger with each passing season.
And somewhere with Harry, he knew it was true, that this abomination's words rang true. And with that thought, the Creator knew only one thing could be done. Sin had to be locked away, buried down here. It could not be destroyed, not now, not here, in this place. The Creator did not have enough strength... yet. Slowly, Harry stood defiantly against his own Sin.
"I cannot let you leave this place." Harry said firmly, standing tall and unbowed.
This time, a deep, Earth rattling waterfall of laughter cascaded about the chamber. You cannot stop Sin. You cannot stop yourself, the monstrosity responded, its tone smug and amused.
"We'll see." The Creator responded, and turned to leave the chamber, ready at a moment's notice to create a barrier to defend himself. But Sin did nothing, not when Harry entered the tunnel, and said nothing when Harry reached the end of the tunnel, about to enter Paradise.
Taking a step back into the waning moonlight and the rising sun, Harry closed his eyes as he turned, preparing to seal up the tunnel, undo everything he had done, and seal way Evil.
Go on and seal me away for now. But Sin cannot be stopped, for it exists in all things. I will fester and grow until only Darkness remains beneath you. From beneath you, I will devour you, Sin called out at last, from deep below the surface, within the Darkness, just as Harry opened his eyes and the tunnel ceased to exist, replaced by solid, impenetrable rock.
Harry suppressed a shudder, and, against all odds and all his power, felt a fearful suspicion that the abomination's words were true.
Thanks to arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, SeekerTLK, Cattatra, Wren Truesong, Emma Barrows, nogoalielikeme, Pleione, x, phoenix catcher, Vegita43, japanese-jew, PinkyTheSnowman, korrd, Dumbledore, FroBoy, Lady of Masbolle, Silver Warrior, Phoenix Fawkes05, Xandrine, Hekate101, Surarrin, Silver Sen, mashimaromadness, Bobboky, and Dreaming Rabbit for reviewing!
QA
arekuruu-inabikari-no-She- Ah... the Phyrexians. Man those guys have inspired me a lot. A little bit of it here, more of it in other fics.
SeekerTLK- Thanks. You're right about most fics not raising thoughts, which is another reason that I hope sets this story apart.
Cattatra-Nah, Lily's not his real mother, and she's not really able to lecture him. Not in her nature. Harry's powers can also create land, so the island can grow and grow. Sirius brings back painful memories, and Harry's kind of been trying to run from them. He sent Lily out to rid his mind of Voldemort.
Wren Truesong- Hope your mom's okay. And who says there aren't dragons... but benign creatures like Lily aren't fully equipped to wage cold-blooded war.
Things like Sin up there, however, will have no qualms.
korrd- The island is somewhere in the Atlantic. Harry's blood isn't in his creations, just pieces of his mind.
Dumbledore- I'm purposefully not showing you all the defenses, or telling you everything about the island. You'll get the full description later, when events start moving. Harry's a bit hesitant to make a full retinue of Guardians, seeing as how just the image of Lily disturbs him. But then again, I haven't shown you all the creatures in his army.
Lady of Masbolle- Lily's blood will teach you something about the nature of Harry's creations. And I can't wait either for the waiting and preparation to end.
Silver Warrior-A little from Krosa, a little from Fangren. Some of the creatures however, stretch back a bit farther back into the Urza cycle.
Phoenix Fawkes05- I've decided to make this H/G, but you'll have to wait a while for it.
Surarrin- They aren't demons so much as really dangerous animals. But you might see a stag or two...
Silver Sen- Harry needs creatures of murder and hate to wage war, not defenders. Plus, who really wants to use pure creatures like Lily to wage war against pure Evil?
Bobboky- That grass field is a barrier between Evil and Good. The creatures don't have instincts to leave their respective areas. Everything that cannot think or purposefully defends Harry (i.e. Lily) cannot harm him and obeys his will. Sentient life, however, has a curse. Free will.
Dreaming Rabbit- Please stop spamming my stories, begging for a sequel. All that's going to do is annoy me.
AN: As we see more of Sin, MTG players might notice a few similarities between it and two different Magic cards. Even if you don't play MTG, you might be able to catch the other inspirations (hint: They come from video games). I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'd love to hear from you!