Title: Is It Worth It 2: The Final Battle
Summary: The temptation of darkness ebbs away at Harry's last nerve as he attempts to keep his views out of public eyes. Everyone believes he has returned to the light, but has he really or is he fighting for both dark and light, inside himself and in the impending war. Sequel to: Is It Worth It?
Pairings: I don't think I'll have one. Maybe keep Harry and Ginny, or I might make them break up, they're not doing so good as boyfriend/girlfriend kind of thing.
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Here goes...I don't own him, no one does. He is his own person thank you very much!
A/n: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE!
Chapter 5 "Revelations"
Harry crept into the Order's headquarters below the Weasley's house. He knew perfectly well that he was not allowed down without someone with him.
He did not care much, they all knew he was part of the Order and the only reason they were keeping him out was because he was found to be sneaking off to see Voldemort. Harry did not bother to set them straight.
Now he found himself walking the maze of hallways to get to the Order meeting room.
"...that's what he told me Albus."
Harry stopped mid-step and quickly retreated to a corner.
"We must talk to him, I cannot let him play us for fools. Harry has to let us in on his secrets, he cannot keep us guessing."
"And what have you done to him these past years, Headmaster? He is only returning the favor."
Harry could hear Remus' voice along with the headmaster's. Harry felt the familiar anger well up inside of him. They were talking behind his back again. His eyes began to blaze as his element began to show, something he wished he could get control over.
"Albus we need to give him his space. He has already been through so much."
"He cannot keep in contact with the enemy. Harry needs to learn where he stands in this war. I cannot allow him to keep switching sides. If he is going to act like he is now, I do not know what will happen, I am just afraid that we may lose him Remus."
"If you keep going behind my back than maybe you will lose me." Harry stepped out of his hiding place and walked to stand in front of the startled adults.
"We promised that we would not keep secrets from each other, headmaster."
"Albus I told you about Harry so you do not think wrongly of him." Remus said. He left Dumbledore and crossed to stand next to Harry.
As Remus spoke, his face was stern and left no room for argument. Dumbledore, it seemed to Harry, to have grown older and looked more frail than normal. The annoying twinkling in his eyes was gone.
"Since we are on the subject of telling secret Professor, I have one too. Remus here's one you've probably been wishing you had known for years. Have you heard of the prophecy Remus?" When Remus shook his head, Harry smiled.
"Perfect. Well, it wasn't destroyed in the Department like we thought. It was with the person that had heard it when it was told." Harry pointed to Dumbledore. The old headmaster was shaking his head.
"You don't want him to know? Don't you think that he deserves to know? He is my guardian now, I think he deserves to know."
"Mr. Potter, we must speak, Remus will you please excuse us?"
"No, Albus. Harry is right, no more secrets and if this prophecy is the reason all of this is happening than I do deserve to know."
"This is why Sirius died." Harry said quietly, glaring at Dumbledore.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal... but he will have power the dark lord knows not...And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."
As Harry finished he found Remus gaping at him and Dumbledore looking disappointed.
"Albus what does it mean?" Remus whispered.
When Dumbledore didn't say anything, Harry was very helpfulin statingthe obvious, "It means that I can never have a normal life. This prophecy is the only thing that's keeping me from going totally insane. It is the only reason why I am still in England."
"What do you mean?" Remus asked. Dumbledore too looked as if he wanted to question, but thought better and kept his mouth shut.
Harry sighed, he didn't want to tell anyone anything, but as it turns out he could not keep anything away without it being found out.
"After what happened last year I thought that it would have been nice if I disappeared from this country. I was planning on leaving for America and live out my life there without anyone knowing who I am. When Sirius died, I wanted to fully put my plans into action, but when Dumbledore here whisked me away after the incident with Voldemort, I couldn't do anything. I had to wait and let him tell me all about why Voldemort gave me those visions of the Department. He wanted the prophecy. When I didn't respond to his attempts, he started playing with my emotions and sent me a vision of Sirius being trapped there, so as the brave hero I went to rescue him, the rest you know.
"After I left the Department, I crashed Dumbledore's office a bit and than he told me the prophecy. The reason why I survived when I was a baby and why Sirius died." Harry fell silent and stared at the floor. Even though he got over Sirius' death, the pain was still hard to bear.
"Dumbledore, is this true?" He heard Remus whisper. He didn't hear what Dumbledore said, nor did he want to hear it. Before he knew it Harry found himself at the entrance to the headquarters.
Without turning back, he made it to his room and locked himself in.
He didn't know how long he spent in the room, but he knew that it must have been at least a week. The others in the house had tried to call him out, tried to make him come out to eat, but Harry ignored them. He had magicked himself some food and immersed into Salazar's Potions book.
Before he knew it the 25th was on him and Voldemort's warning letter showed up. The raven that had brought it had left as soon as Harry took the letter out of its beak. The letter basically said that he would meet with Voldemort in the same pub that they met with Anthony, only in a more private room.
Harry had gotten dressed and fire traveled to the pub, disguised as one of the drunks always hanging around.
"Tell me good ssir, I am ssupposs'd t'a meet with this guy here?" Harry said drunkenly. He swayed on the spot for good measure and when the man at the bar scowled but told him to follow, Harry obediently tried to look professional. It wasn't easy trying to act professional and drunk at the same time.
"This way." Tony, as the man was called, led him through couple of hallways before coming up to a red door. He said the password and ushered Harry in quickly.
"You must be careful, the dark lord has not been in a good mood lately."
Harry raised his eyebrows, "And he is other times?"
Tony ignored him and rolled his eyes. "It's your funeral."
Harry bowed clumsily and waved a good-bye before entering. The door slammed tight behind him and wands were immediately trained on him. Harry's eyebrows shot up again.
"Is that anyway to treat a guest?"
"Who are you?" One of the masked men asked. Harry immediately recognized Lucius Malfoy.
"I'm a drunk, who do you think I am?" Harry said confidently.
The wands came closer and all pointed at his heart, Harry couldn't help but smirk.
"You'd think Death Eaters act before they question."
"Watch your tongue, Drunk. You should get out of here and no one will be hurt. This place has no drinks for filthy things like you. Now if you value your pathetic life you will leave." Lucius said menacingly.
Harry smirked, "I don't think you could do anything even if you tried, Malfoy." He spoke under his breath and his glamour spell vanished, leaving Harry as himself again. Malfoy gaped under his mask.
"Potter! What the hell did you think you were doing?"
"Having fun?"
"Get on with it, the Master's not very happy right now."
"That's what Tony said, why isn't he happy?"
"How the hell should I know, just go before we all end up under the killing curse!" Lucius pushed him forward through the Death Eaters, straight through the black door.
As Harry entered the room, he had to duck as the red light connected right on the wall where his head was just seconds before. Harry stood up slowly and glanced around the room.
"Is that anyway to treat a guest?"
"Sit down, Serpent. I am in no mood for games." Voldemort came out of the shadows and Harry found himself planted firmly on a chair.
"So, what's the meeting for?" Harry asked cautiously.
Voldemort's red eyes turned on him and stared at him.
"You know perfectly well what it is for, you going behind my back." Voldemort hissed.
"What are you talking about? I never went behind your back, well this year anyway." He added as an after thought.
"I'm sure. I guess bringing Anthony here was just a game for you and not a plot to make him bring out the good side in me." Voldemort said sarcastically, making Harry's eyes widen.
"Well I didn't know that our bet was off." Harry said.
"I only made that bet because I was sure Anthony would not get involved, he knows what happened the last time he tried to step between me and someone else."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. He really, really wanted to know what happened between the two friends.
"Nothing, forget that. Back to our business, you were told not to get involved in the war personally, yet you did."
"I did not!" Harry jumped out of his chair.
"Sit back down. I would call bringing painful memories back, plus the person that was in those memories into my life again, personally getting involved."
"I didn't do it. I didn't actually get involved, Ginny did most of the job and-"
"Ginny? Ginerva Weasley? That brat?" Voldemort said. Harry snapped his jaw shut. He knew he said too much.
"Well I helped, she did this while I was here, she didn't know that the bet was called off." Harry lied.
"You're lying, don't it's unbecoming." Voldemort sat in a comfy black chair at the fire place across the room. Harry stood up and sat on the other one.
"What did you mean about you and Anthony? If you don't tell me I'm sure Anthony will."
Voldemort growled, "You will not go asking around about my past! It is mine to sort, not yours!"
Harry felt the shiver rise up his back. "What happened to Anthony?"
"Nothing, it is none of your concern! That man is sitting on his head, rather than on his arse! I did not know someone who could hold such a grudge!"
Harry swallowed, he hoped to God that nothing happened to Anthony. If it did, than it would all be his fault. "Where is he?" He asked softly.
Voldemort looked up at him and glared, "I told you that it is none of you business where that prick has gone! I wish he went to hell!"
"What the hell do you mean?! Where the bloody hell is he!" Harry yelled getting up off his chair and glaring at Voldemort.
Voldemort finally had enough sense to see what Harry must have been thinking because he smiled suddenly, which turned into a full blown laughter. Harry stood glaring at him in disgust.
"If you are thinking that I killed him, than no, I did not. He is safely at my headquarters, locked up in the room I gave him and not talking to me."
Harry felt his muscles visibly relax. He slowly sat back down, "You just love scaring people don't you? Do you have any idea what would have happened to me if that man died? I was the last person he was seen with. They would have hung me."
Voldemort smirked at him, "You really need to get rid of that "saving people thing" you have."
Harry scowled, "You're quoting my friend."
Voldemort stood up straight, "Which one?" It was Harry's turn to laugh. Voldemort just shook his head, muttering.
"Well I guess this meeting is over. I just wanted to hear that you have not been involved personally in this war." He paused for a moment before continuing, "And I wanted cheering up after my talk with Anthony. He had me a bit angered, even more when I knew he was under your protection and considered as your 'friend'."
Harry smiled at the 'feared' Dark Lord's sulky voice. "You weren't really planning on killing him were you?"
"Harry, you must remember that when I am angry I usually act before I think."
"That's for certain, it was the only way I escaped from you all these years." Harry muttered, but Voldemort heard him all the same.
"Funny." He growled and waved his hand in dismissal.
"I will see you sometime."
"I thought we weren't going to associate with each other?"
"Changed my mind, it is kind of hard when we are going to be the death of one another."
Harry smirked and opened the door. He waved good bye and shut it.
Lucius waited for him on the other end. Harry smiled at him, "You have to start treading on eggshells boys, I think I just angered him a little bit more."
Without waiting for questions he left, behind him groans were heard from the Death Eaters, and one 'stupid Potter' from Malfoy. Harry smirked.
When Harry returned back to the Burrow, Remus quickly ushered him into his room.
"What happened?"
Harry stared at him before remembering that he left a letter to the werewolf telling him where he was.
"Nothing, he just wanted some-uh-'cheering up' I guess." Remus' mouth dropped to the floor and Harry had to fight the urge to laugh.
"He didn't torture you did he?"
"No, we just talked and I had some fun with the Death Eaters."
"What kind of fun, you didn't use any of the Unforgivables did you, what about your element?"
"No Remus I did not use any form of torture, just some careful choosing of words." Harry smirked in memory.
Remus stared at him for a moment before smiling. "Tell me about it."
Thirty minutes later, Harry finished and they both sat drinking tea. "Isn't itsuspicious that Voldemort wants you to stay out of the war? He is involved in it."
"So am I Remus, he just doesn't know that. Most of the plans I gave to the Order was straight from strategy he taught me. I may not be involved in the battles but I do keep our men and women from dying."
"That's true, and you will kill him later."
Harry squirmed slightly in his seat. He didn't want to think about the prophecy and his so called destiny.
"Remus, you have anything to eat?"
Remus stared at him, "When was the last time you ate?"
Harry shifted, "Um, yesterday morning. I conjured some breakfast and than I forgot to eat for the rest of the day." He didn't want to mention Salazar's book, it was only for his eyes. After all, he couldn't tell anyone about Laudia's store, she could get in deep trouble. Not to mention the book would be immediately put on display or tried to be translated, in turn ending up in Voldemort's hands. Harry wanted the book to himself.
"Well looks like we're going to eat a lot tonight, Dobby sure brought a lot of food."
"Dobby?" Harry glanced up.
"Yes, Dumbledore brought him over here. There are too many people in this house for Molly to feed us all, so Dobby asked if he could come help. Actually now that I think about it, he only said he wanted to come after he over heard Dumbledore and McGonagall talking about you being here."
Harry laughed.
"Shall we dig in? I haven't eaten since you left today either."
Harry snorted into his food, "Another Sirius."
"Better believe it, come on eat up, you're too skinny."
This time Harry scowled, "Why does everyone say that?"
"Because it's true and since I am now your guardian, you are going to eat or I will feed you myself."
"I'd like to see you try." Before Remus could threaten any longer Harry began to eat quickly.
A/N: HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THOSE THAT CELEBRATE IT! FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAPPY KWANZAA! FOR THE OTHERS THAT CELEBRATE OTHER HOLIDAYS DURING THIS TIME HAPPY THAT HOLIDAY! LOL! Bye everyone! REVIEWS ARE VERY MUCH WELCOME!