Chapter 18
Finding Nagini ended up being easier than he thought. He found the large snake close to Riddle manor in the middle of the night, a week before his fourth year began. She was muttering some things he couldn't make out, but the frustration in her incessant hisses was quite obvious. "Is there anything bothering you, mistress?" Harry inquired in a soft unthreatening hiss. Nonetheless, the great snake whipped her body to face him quickly, her body tense in her startled state. She bared her impressive fangs at him once he was noticed. "Who are you, and how did you find this place? My master would not invite strangers." Harry raised his hands in a placating manner. "Calm down princess, I am not here to start a feud. Though I must say I am disappointed. Tom never told you about me? The one who defeated him as an infant." Nagini coiled tighter into herself, raising her head to better look at him. "Oh, it's you. You are quite brave to show up at my master's premises. Tell me, do you hope to achieve any good by being here?"
"Actually, yes. I was hoping to kill you and be rid of the horcrux that your master made out of you." Nagini spat ferociously at him, but Harry continued. "But I have a better idea. I will not kill you if you agree to lead me to your master and we would speak like sensible adults. If we come into an agreement, all the better for everyone. If we don't, he dies along with you." "What makes you think you have the capability to destroy my Tom." "I'm sure your Tom told you about the prophecy at least. I'm the only one who can defeat him. I have already destroyed all his other horcruxes, the only one lest is you. Compared to me, you are vulnerable. So is Voldemort in his current state. Do the math my lady. I could be rid of both of you today if I wished."
Nagini hissed in frustration. "Fine, I will convince my master to speak with you and come into an agreement. You're a speaker anyway, those are so rare nowadays. Can't have Slytherin's genes go to waste so meaninglessly. Wait here." Harry watched the snake slither away, again mattering to herself. Harry wondered if insanity was a Parseltongue trait, seeing as he himself was not all there at times. After a long while Nagini came back. "He agreed, but you have to swear on your magic not to do any harm to us." Harry lifted his right hand. "I, Hadrian James Potter, hereby swear on my magic to not harm Tom Marvolo Riddle or his familiar Nagini unless I am provoked to self-defense. So mote it be." His body glowed white for a second then settled. "Follow me." Voldemort's familiar said and slithered in the dilapidated building's direction. The wards let him in easily, which was a good sign as far as Harry was concerned. He was led to a sitting area where Voldemort's aura, weak as it may be, was strongest.
The sight of Voldemort was not a pleasant one. He was a little babyish thing , gaunt and frail in appearance. It spoke. "Harry Potter. A surprise to see you here, in my manor." "A surprise to see you in such a depraving state. I expected more from you Tom." Voldemort glared at him. "Do not underestimate me Potter. Once I regain my body I will have power the likes of which you had never seen." "I don't doubt that." The raven said patronizingly, making the dark lord glare at him harder. "But I'm interested. Why are you so keen in destroying the wizarding world?" "Not the wizarding world Potter; the muggle world. Those insects have polluted our atmosphere for too long, they need to be extinguished." Voldemort spat, his hatred clear." Harry raised an eyebrow. "Insects? How original Tom, though I must say you are right. Muggles have no place mingling with us." Voldemort paused for a second, then said. "I'm surprised the Golden Boy agrees with me, the tyrant of society. I wish to know why." Harry snorted. "Not everything is as it seems. If you haven't notices I'm not a Gryffindor, I do not just conform to the expectations of society like a brainless tool. No, I am smarter than that. However, I cannot say the same for you." "Hm?" "The boy who was born in an orphanage and grew up in one, bullied and unloved. You grew to hate the world that scorned you because you were different, wanted to make them pay for all the pain they inflicted on you. So you found a little niche in a world you felt you belonged in, and grew. You became the student everyone wanted to be, but not all was as it seemed. You were dark beyond redemption the moment you stepped into the Great Hall, vengeance was on your mind, it drove and fed you. Until you became this monster whose name is taboo even now, weak as you are."
"Your point Potter?" Voldemort sneered. "I am better than you, even the fates agree. I was born to defeat you and you were destined to die by my hand. It's really quite simple Tom; your time is drawing to an end and I will be the omega of your existence. You will bow to me Voldemort, whether you like it or not." Those words stroke a cord in the dark lord. "Empty words Potter. You cannot defeat me. I am the greatest dark lord that ever existed." Harry smirked. "You forget that each generation has its own dark lord. Your time has passed old man. The new generation will rise and be better than the old. It's the natural order of things." "Nagini told me you have a proposal to make, I did not expect it to be your death." "As if you could do anything to me, weakling." Harry hissed in parseltongue, the words mocking. That seemed to be the last straw as Voldemort whipped out his wand with surprising agility for his current body. "Expulso!" He snarled the spell. Harry smirked. He pulled out his own wand and forcefully caught the curse at its tip, then flung it back at Voldemort. The dark lord raised a shield in time. Nagini, who had been watching the exchange silently, lunged at the seemingly distracted boy, fangs bared for the bite. "Avada kedavra." He intoned and the snake bonelessly flopped to the floor. Shocked and enraged, Voldemort flung the killing curse at Harry. The Ravenclaw dodged. "Sectumsempra." The spell hit baby-Voldemort straight in the chest. Almost immediately his body was perforated with holes.
He slumped into his chair as Harry drew closer. "The oath." "I swore not to harm you only if I wasn't provoked into self-defense. The power of word manipulation, isn't it great?" "Curse you Potter." The raven smiled. "Before you go; you are wrong about the muggles. They don't need to be 'extinguished' as you say. No, they need to be ruled, and I will be a great ruler of both worlds. Good bye Voldemort. Avada Kedavra." The all-too-familiar flash of green light washed over the room and the last piece of Voldemort's soul was sent to the realm of the dead.
'That was easy.' Lelita commented, the disappointment in her voice making Harry smirk. 'It was wasn't it. As if I could deal with an insane man. A wizard's overconfidence is his downfall it seems.' 'Yes. Maybe Dumbledore will pose a greater challenge.' Harry frowned in thought. 'Dumbledore. The man definitely needs to go. I have no interest in haggling with him for longer than I have to. Once Akatsuki has created a firm base he will not be missed.' Lelita laughed. 'I can't wait to see the light leave his eyes.' 'I can't wait to see the look in everyone's eyes when they realize they are not fighting Voldemort anymore, but their own savior. For now, Voldemort will live on. I'm sure the goblins can duplicate Tom's magic.' 'I love goblin might.' 'Pity most wizards don't appreciate it.'
"My Lord, the Tri-Wizards Tournament has been firmly secure…" the words died in Bartemius Crouch Jr.'s throat as the killing curse hit him. Harry lowered his wand. "Thank you Barty. I appreciate the effort." He said with a small smile on his face. Things were going really well.