Title: Revenge from the grave.
Author: Black blade
Chapter tile: Blood tells no lies.
Disclaimer: umm, looks up innocently, not mine.
A/N: Thanks to every one that reviewed (Chapter 8: SaintEmo, Childe of the Night, XyBulmaXy, and Zelina. Chapter 9: SaintEmo, Phoebe Halliwell, dmweasley, Childe of the Night, lilyeyes, Myrddin Ambrosius, severusphoenix, and Lady urguentha). The last chapter when posted was unbeta'd, it has now been beta'd if you wish to go back and have a look.
Beta: Websurfer.
A/N 2: I would like to address a reviewer that calls their self, Slash Killer, the first thing I would like to call you is a hypocritical Hack. What do you do, you sick moron, go to every slash story out there, read every chapter they have posted, and then criticize their work? I have yet to see you write one chapter let alone a nine-chapter story containing over twenty thousand words! This is fiction you fool! The whole story is in my mind, I am simply expressing it into writing! I am doing this for me, not you! I warned everyone that this story contained Slash. Why you, for some reason beyond understanding, if you hate slash stories, decided to read it is beyond logic! Where I come from we only say two words to a hypocritical homophobic hack like you and that's to Fuck Off!
Summary:
Slash, One year has passed since the day Harry Potter was killed by Voldemort in a desperate effort to save Snape from certain death. Harry is back from the grave to finish the job he was born to do. Kill the murderer of his parents. Will he succeed or will he fall? For there is no coming back from the dead if he fails
Chapter 7
Red, red rivers, red lakes, red pools. Everywhere red, everything else came second to that colour. He could see it, a deep red making tracks toward him, in a way that made his stomach roll with nausea. Everything else was dull as if seen through a foggy glass window, except the red. A dipping sound penetrated in his mind as if the colour was paint dripping to the floor. Loud cackling laughter filled the air drowning out the dripping. He didn't know what sound he would rather hear. Screams picked up in the background as the rivers of red turned darker.
xXx
Harry woke with a scream in a sweat. A thump from the other room alerted him that he wasn't the only one awake. Harry however couldn't dwell on that for he was dashing to the toilet, hand clasped over his month. All that he had eaten came up in a rush as he fell to his knees, with a sharp crack, in front of the toilet. A cool soothing voice floated into his conscious as he gasped for breath. A cool towel was placed on the back of his neck as he weakly slid to the ground. All his energy spent. He didn't even move as a cold hand was placed on his forehead and a calming voice talked to him.
All he could see was red from his nightmare and the terror he'd felt. Helplessness burned in him as the dream played out again and again in vivid clarity.
"Harry?" A calm silky voice cut through his red tinted sight.
Harry carefully turned his head to look up into the potion's master's concerned eyes.
"Severus?" Harry gasped weakly.
"Harry what's wrong? Do you want me to alert Poppy?" Severus asked in a rush as he patted down Harry's sweaty forehead with the damp cloth.
Harry mastered up a small reassuring smile, but by the look in Severus' eyes he didn't think he managed it.
"I'm okay. Just a nightmare," Harry whispered.
Harry tried to push himself up weakly, strong hands clamped around his arms as Severus gently helped him up. Harry leaned heavily on Severus as they made their way back to the lounge. Once there Harry bonelessly slid onto the lounge in a pile of limbs.
"Are you sure you don't want Poppy to look you over?" Severus inquired again.
"Y-yes just need to lay it off, it was only a nightmare," Harry snapped, his emotions thin.
Severus sighed before leaving him there. Harry closed his eyes slipping into blissful darkness.
xXx
"So, mate. How come Dumbledore is having you go to classes?" Ron asked around a mouthful of food.
Hermione, whom was sitting across from the boys, looked at Ron with disgust. She opened her mouth to tell her boyfriend off, when Harry beat her too it.
"Ron, swallow first, I do not want to see what you are eating," Harry playfully joked. Hermione settled a scowl on her face as she turned away from Ron's disgusting display.
"Dumbledore said that it would be good if I took up classes again," Harry shrugged. "I think he just wants me at the school so that Fudge can't get to me. You know the laws on raising the dead even if I didn't have anything to do with coming back."
"Oh Harry," Hermione cried, making many look up however once they realized it was Hermione they went back to what they were doing. "I didn't even think of that!"
To the amusement of both boys she stood suddenly, "I'm going-"
"To the library," the two boys finished for her.
She scowled the two before leaving in a huff, with the laughter of her two best friends following her.
"Do-do you think she knows we have class in ten minutes?" Harry gasped.
"We do?" Ron laughed. "Ha! That means they won't let her in the library!"
Ron then sobered up with a moan, "No, that means I have to listen to her all the way through Herbology, moaning about it!"
Ron turned to Harry a mad glint in his eyes, "Harry mate, buddy. You wouldn't mind sitting next Hermione would you, buddy, old pal?"
Harry slowly backed away from the deranged red head waving his hands in front of him as if warding off an evil demon.
"No, no I think you could handle her, hey look it's Neville. Hey Nev!" Harry stutter before running off to where Neville was leaving the hall. Ron's laughter following him much like theirs had followed Hermione minutes before.
"Hey Nev! Wait up!" Harry called.
The blond turned around at his name, when he saw Harry he smiled and waited for the other boy to catch you with him.
"Hey Harry, how are you?" Neville asked as Harry fell into step beside him.
"Good as can be, yourself?" Harry answered with an easy smile.
"Excellent, no potions today and two hours of Herbology this morning," Neville said excitedly.
"Ah Nev, I don't know how I would live without you," Harry gushed swinging an arm around the pudgier boy.
Neville blushed scarlet at those words and ducked his head, blushing like a Weasley.
"Now Nev, I have to ask you an important question," Harry said seriously. Pulling his arm back and making the other boy face him.
"What is it Harry?" Neville asked softly.
"I'll be starting classes today and as I've been away for the last year and I don't have a partner in Herbology, so I was wondering…" Harry trailed off, letting Neville's mind fill in the blanks.
"Oh, well Harry you could be my partner," Neville said in a rush then looked down.
"What? Oh thanks Nev, so how's Ginny? I've heard you're going out with her?" Harry said moving the conversation along.
The two made their way towards Green House Two, where class was being held, talking away with everything that had happened to Neville and Ginny. Harry couldn't help the small sweet smile as Neville gushed story after story of him and Ginny.
When they reached the green house Neville was still talking, they took their seats to the glare of Ron and the interest of Hermione. Harry watched the others file into the class with interest as he listened to Neville with one ear, as it had been a year ago the classes were a mix of all houses. He took special notice as Malfoy and a girl in Ravenclaw walked in together talking. Something must have happened while he was gone, for he couldn't see Crabbe or Goyle in sight, then again they may not have made it into the class they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, even if they were the biggest.
"Good morning class," Professor Sprout called out as she entered the classroom. "Today we'll be working on your class project. Mr. Potter I see you have partnered yourself up with Mr. Longbottom, he will explain the assignment to you. Now class you may start."
The class bustled around Neville and Harry as the former boy explained to the latter, the assignment. The project was to take a clipping of Midnight Augustus and grow it into a small tree. Harry let Neville handle the well groomed tree and followed every instruction the other boy gave to the letter. Harry could easily see Neville's plant was the best out of everyones for it, unlike most others, looked like a tree. Hermione's was the only other plant that resembled a plant, that's if you tilted your head to the side just a little. Harry grinned as he saw Malfoy and his partner's plant which looked like a stick in a pot.
Harry turned back to Neville's tree when Neville called his name.
"Sorry Neville what was that?" Harry asked with a sheepish smile.
"Oh, I asked if you could just cut off a few leaves while I get some more soil, see all you have to do is…" Neville quickly explained what to do before hurrying off.
Harry sat back in his seat and looked at the plant. It was a beautiful plant with dark green leaves on top while underneath was a pale gold, the gold looked as if some one had brushed the underside with golden dust. The tree had naturally formed into something that closely resembled a chandle's flame. All the leaves twirled up the trunk to come to a point at the top. Neville had explained that the tree was also called the flaming bush, for at midnight every night the plant would come alive with a non-burning flame.
Harry took up the clippers, he was hesitant to clip the beautiful plant but Neville said that it helped the plant if its old leaves where cut away. Harry started in on the plant carefully cutting away the old growth.
He twisted around the clippers to get to a stubborn leaf that he couldn't reach properly when the clipper slipped, cutting deep into his hand. He dropped the clipper as he pulled his hand back with a curse.
Neville suddenly appeared next to him at that moment, when he saw Harry's bleeding hand he rushed over with a few tissues he'd gabbed off the teacher's desk.
"Here Harry that will stop the bleeding," Neville said quickly, handing over the tissues.
"Thanks Neville," Harry smiled.
He placed them over the gash to stop the bleeding but he needed have worried for he could feel his skin pulling back together, much like when he was in the burning house.
When he pulled the bloody tissues away nothing was left of the cut but the bloody tissues, a gasp next to him reminded him of Neville. Harry turned to the other boy knocking the tissues unnoticed onto the floor as he faced his friend.
"Ah Nev, you can't tell anyone about this, okay?" Harry asked in a panic.
Neville looked into Harry's pleading eyes before slowly nodding with a smile, "Of course Harry, you're my friend and friends keep other friends secrets."
"Thanks Nev," Harry cried, to a blushing Neville.
The bell ringing interrupted the two. Harry and Neville quickly packed up their supplies the bloody tissue lying unnoticed by the two boys as they left the room.
Smirking a grey-eyed figure re-entered the green house after everyone had left, they made their way over to the work station Harry and Neville had been working at. In one swift movement the figure held the forgotten bloody tissues in one gloved hand. With another smirk the figure left the green house heading to their next class, tissues tucked safely away in a concealed pocket.
xXx
"Coffee beans," Harry called to what anyone else would have believed as a plain wooden door.
The wall across the way from the door opened instead, which didn't worry the Gryffindor, as he skipped into the room beyond, the archway closed instantly behind him.
"Hey Severus, you here?" Harry called as he collapsed on his lounge.
A clatter from Severus' room answered Harry's question, even if the man himself did not.
Fire, red and raging. Ash twirled around under his wings as he pumped to get higher. Flames licked at his feathers as smoke clouded his vision. Air, freedom. He flapped harder as he broke free. The house below him however was left to ruin.
Harry jumped like he'd been electrified, his eyes wide as he flung off his robe to reveal jeans and a shirt he picked up his jacket before slipping from Severus' rooms. In his hurry he didn't notice grey eyes following his every movement.
Harry raced to the borders of Hogwarts, where he promptly disappeared. His Shadow had called and he was damned if he didn't respond. Once he arrived Shadow winged down to him, his feathers singed and blackened with ash.
There was nothing left of the house except rumble and slanted walls to stubborn to fall as fire consumed the last of the building. Many neighbours gathered around white faced in shock. Harry could see they were just coming to the realization that it could have been them inside.
"Why didn't you call me earlier?" Harry demanded of the crow.
Shadow gave him a great imitation of a Severus glare.
"Sorry," Harry apologized. "Was there anyone inside the house?"
"Caw!" Shadow replied flapping his wings.
Harry wasn't too sure if that was a yes or no.
Shadow gave another cry before lifting himself into the air, the crow flapped away down a side street. Harry glanced back at the ex-house before following.
Shadow led him to a small park two blocks away from the burnt house. Harry followed as the crow landed on a large pipe lying on the ground. Harry guessed it was part of the play set in the park.
"Caw!"
"Okay, okay," Harry snapped at the bird as he came closer. He leaned down and peered into the pipe.
A young boy of five lay curled up inside, his face blacken with soot and clothes torn and burnt in some places. The boy shivered as his large brown eye stared up at Harry with terror.
"Hey," Harry greeted kindly.
He'd had no experience with young children, the only children he'd come into contact with were the younger years at Hogwarts.
"I'm here to help you, to take you some where safe," Harry continued as he lowered himself to the ground.
The child just shivered harder, eyes growing if possible wider as if he was seeing a ghost.
"It's okay I wont hurt you," Harry coaxed.
"No but I will,"
Pain shot through Harry as a metal pole collided with his side. Harry was flung into the air from the impact. He landed hard on his side, seeing little snitches as his head hit the ground with a soft thud. His breathing coming in painful gasps as he tried to rise to his feet. He could see a large death eater reaching into the pipe and hear the terrified screams of the child.
With a roar Harry surged to his feet. The death eater didn't even have time to look up before Harry was plowing into him. The two fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, with Harry on top and the death eater on the bottom, as Harry punched him over and over. A power surged through his body like nothing he'd ever felt, it was like fire in his veins pushing him to pound the death eater into the ground.
A sudden kick to his side, forced him back into reality. The death eater tackled him to the ground, his nose and lip bleeding freely. Harry and the death eater wrestled for a few minutes before Harry's strength over powered the other man. With one well placed punch the death eater was out cold.
Harry scrambled to his feet as he heard more voices coming towards him. Shadow crowed loudly, Harry looked over to see the small child running towards the street.
Harry chased after the boy, his side healing as his lungs burned. The child looked over his shoulder with wide eyes that pulled at Harry's heart. Harry however didn't stop as he scooped up the boy in one movement, ignoring the squeal the boy made. He didn't have time to convince the boy he wasn't going to hurt him, not with death eaters so close by.
With a thought Harry and the boy were no longer running down the street but stood in Hogsmead. The boy crying and kicking feebly at Harry as he held him in his arms.
"Shhh, it's okay now you're safe," Harry cooed in his ear trying to calm him.
It seemed to work as the boy stopped kicking him, Harry slid to the ground in the alley. He set the boy down on the ground, tearstained cheeks and red-rimed eyes stared up at him.
"It's okay, calm down. I would tell you everything will be okay but I can't," Harry told the boy softly. "But I can tell you that you are safe with me, understand?"
The boy nodded his head shaking and shivering. Harry pulled his jacket off and swung it around the boy's small shoulders.
"What's your name, kid?"
"S-Sam," the kid stuttered.
"Okay Sam I'm going to take you to see the wise old man that lives in a castle. How does that sound?" Harry smiled.