Disclaimer: Not mine. Never has been. Never will be. All belongs to JK Rowling.

Author's note: This chapter gave me all sorts of problems, and when you have major writer's block to begin with…lol. Well, as my beta said, he was looking forward to FINALLY reading it, so hopefully y'all are to.

As always, suggestions are welcome

A tall figure in black with sweeping robes entered the room imperiously, and instantly

Harry looked up at him and glared. "Did you even think that maybe, just maybe, I might have other people over here? Like Professor Lupin? No, you just come sweeping in here, determined to blow all my plans to Hell!"

"Lupin was here?" Snape asked in consternation, his black brows drawing together over

his prominent nose in a frown.

"Yes, Snape. He just left day before yesterday. The Old Man needed him."

"Why was he here?" Harry narrowed his eyes at the greasy git.

"Because he knows he's welcome, and we were working on the wolfsbane. He was taking notes from Gin, and helping me get set up."

"A medium now, is he?"

"You don't have to be a medium to talk to ghosts, Snivellus."

"My name is Professor Snape, Potter."

"Okay, Sev." Harry half-smirked, having taken quite a bit of pleasure from the expression that came upon Snape's face when he imparted the news that Ginny was a ghost. He didn't really think that Snape would have been that surprised about it, but…

"You impudent little –" He stopped short when he felt the tip of Harry's wand suddenly pressing into his jugular.

"Shut up. I'm not in the mood for it. I've just spent the last three days working on version after version of this blasted potion. So just shut up." For the first time, Snape really looked at Harry, and saw the exhaustion smudges under his eyes, and the darkening of the emerald green.

"You think you're the only one who's ever stayed up working on countless versions of a potion, Potter?" The Potion's Master sneered and batted Harry's wand away, then shook his head in disgusted amusement. "Poor Potter. Just because he's tired we're all supposed to walk on eggshells. After all, he's the boy-wonder. The Boy Who Lived. We should all just fall to –"

"CRUCIO!"

Instantly the Potion's Master dropped to the floor, a scream of pain overtaking him before he had time to stop it, from the sheer swift surprise of the attack. Almost instantly, Harry lifted the curse, but not after a small, cold smile had appeared on his lips. "I told you not to piss me off, Snape." He said as he slid his wand into the wrist-holster. "Now, Gin said that this was just fine, so I'll bottle it and send it off to Lupin."

Shame was filling him over what he'd just done, but he was determined not to let it show.

Shame because he hadn't used the curse in the heat of battle, but instead had done it simply because he was extremely annoyed, and needed an outlet.

Watching the Potion's Master out of the corner of his eye – after all, he'd just cursed the man – Harry continued on as he began to bottle, "You might want to check the potion." Snape, glowering, got to his feet, and sneered.

"I don't care if the werewolf dies or not."

Harry felt the urge to curse him again.

"I was talking about the one that we're going to use on the Old Man, you Slytherin idiot."

"Harry, be nice…" The words, her favorite rebuke, were whispered into his ear, and he jumped in surprise.

"Ginny?"

"Do you know of any other dead people that are currently floating around your house, Harry?" The words were tinged with amusement, but she never appeared. She'd exhausted herself with the first few days of potions with her former husband. Now it was all she could do to talk to him.

His jaw hardened at the casual way she mentioned her death, and the black-haired young man snapped, "That's not funny, Gin." Then he finished what he was doing, finishing the bottling and cleaning out the potion, then exiting the room to send it off.

Maybe he's not going to be able to handle me being around, Ginny thought as she hovered near him, and resisted an urge to reach out and caress away the anger and pain she saw in him. Would it be better if I just left? She contemplated it momentarily, but with what she'd witnessed just a few minutes ago, she knew she couldn't do that. Harry needed someone to pull him away from the abyss he was so close to; perilously close to at night, in fact. Too bad I can't write a note, I'd invite Hermione…although I don't think that would go over too well. Feeling her strength draining, she consciously put a stop to the thinking she was doing, and let herself just float, absorbing the magical energy that the house encapsulated.

On the other side of the room, just as Harry reach the Apparition boundary anddisappeared, the Potion's Master pulled a small white mouse out of his pocket after conjuring a cage for it, and holding it with one hand, pulled a small pipette from the various clutter on the table, and proceeded to test the potion.

Seconds later, casting a dark curse that would only work on something that was well and truly dead, he noted with some surprise that the potion worked.

Now for the antidote… "Sweet dreams, Albus."

Some kilometers away, Harry reappeared outside the anti-Apparition barriers around his former Professor's home. A visibly worried Remus Lupin answered the door, and Harry forced a smile to his lips. "Wolfsbane done, matches specifications exactly, as far as can be told."

Lupin ran his fingers through his hair, and reach out for the box. Having it handed to him, he carefully set it aside, and then motioned towards the wing chairs positioned in front of the fire. "Please, have a seat, Harry."

The Boy Who Lived opened his mouth to say that he had to get going, but unexpectedly, Lupin made a sharp motion with his hand to cut off any protest. "Have. A. Seat. Harry." He said clearly and sternly.

Surprised, Harry meekly did as was told, and wondered what was going on. A minute later, he found out.

"I know."

Long black lashes came together and back apart several times. Oh Hell… "You know what, Professor?"

"About you…about Voldemort." Harry swallowed hard.

"About the fact that I'm to kill him?" He asked quietly.

"About the fact that you've joined him." Tears were in Lupin's eyes as he sank down on his knees in front of Harry, much like he'd do if talking to a small child. "Why, Harry?" He couldn't help but ask. "What would make you join that monster, after all he's done."

He wanted to tell him the truth.

He needed to tell him the truth.

He couldn't tell him the truth, not about his plans.

"Because with Ginny gone, I have nothing else to live for."

As he expected, the former DADA professor's expression hardened, but then he said something that took him quite off-guard. "You're lying. I can smell it. So, I'll ask again, Harry James Potter. Why did you join Voldemort?"

Harry lifted his chin a bit, and stared back at Lupin. "Because it was something that I had to do." He said cryptically, and his companion sighed before rising wearily to his feet.

"I never thought I'd have to say this, Harry. I never thought I'd find myself thinking this, much less saying this." He took a deep breath, and went on. "Your parents would be so disappointed in you."

Instantly, emerald green eyes flashed ice, and Harry shot to his feet. "WELL, I WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT WOULD I? I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER MY FATHER, AND ALL I REMEMBER OF MY MOTHER ARE HER SCREAMS!"

Lupin matched ice with fire. "Exactly, Harry! Her dying screams! She died to save you from Voldemort! Not to make it so you could grow up and join him!"

"SHE DIED TO SAVE THE WORLD'S WEAPON!"

Crack! The sound of Remus Lupin striking him echoed throughout the room, and then silence fell.

"You listen to me, Harry. You listen with all that you can." He said coldly. "Your mother died to save her son. To save Harry James Potter. Now, you need to get off the ego trip you're on. I never thought I'd agree with Severus on this, but it seems to be a day for "never thought's", doesn't it? You are rather arrogant. Thinking that you're the "world's weapon". I know about the prophecy, so yes, I agree, you were supposed to fight Voldemort, but you are-weren't going to take on everything alone! And what, Harry? Do you think after he dies, that peace will reign forever? Because it won't. Dark rises. It always rises…and Good is always there to fight it."

He let the tears run down his cheeks unashamedly as he confronted the boy he'd been an unofficial godfather to. "This was never about Harry versus Voldemort. This has always, and will always be about Good versus Evil, Harry. So." He didn't know what made him ask this last question, but he knew he had to. "What side are you on?"

"I'm on the only side I can be on, Professor." Harry said quietly, face pale except for the red mark where Lupin had struck him. "My side." He nodded in the direction of the potion he had placed on the table, and then looked at Lupin. "The wolfsbane is safe. On that you have my word. Take it, or not."

With those words, the Harry that could laugh and tease seemed to disappear, and with a small bow, Harry then walked out of the house to find the edge of the anti-Apparition wards that his former professor had put up, and was gone.

He wasn't angry.

He wasn't sad.

He was just determined more than ever to finish this, and die in the process.

The abyss he'd been looking into was now more inviting than ever.

And he was decided.

He would not become the next Dark Lord.

Thanks to all those that have reviewed. I'm not going to name them off, but you know who you are, so thanks. Btw- looking for good stories to read, anyone know some good finds not already on my favorites?

-Aeri