Summary: When Harry begins his search for the Horcruxes, a mysterious man appears. Is he friend, or foe? Can Harry finish his task and beat the Dark Lord, or will he be Swallowed by Shadow? HP? HGRW RLNT
Date: 28 May 06
Chapter 9 The First Kill
"Look him in the eyes now, Harry," Regulus said. "Look at what you're about to do. When you strike, you will end his life."
Harry did as told, and looked into the eyes of Severus Snape. He brought back his sword, staring into the eyes of the man in front of him. He was laying on the ground, defeated by Harry in a sword-on-sword battle. His eyes were wide in fear as the two locked eyes.
Harry never thought he'd hesitate to strike against him. He remembered all the times those dark eyes had locked with his, all of the criticisms Harry had received at the tip of Snape's sharp tongue. He tightened his grip on his sword, pent up anger and rage burning through his veins.
"Please, Harry," Severus stuttered.
The words triggered a memory that Harry had tried to push out of his mind. He saw himself standing on the astronomy tower at Hogwarts. An eerie green light lit the area, coming from the Dark Mark floating above them.
"Please, Severus," Dumbledore said, facing a dozen Death Eaters. unarmed.
Without a word, Severus stepped forward, calling, "Avada Kedavra!" and flicking his wand lazily.
A green light shot out, hitting Dumbledore in the chest. He was immediately picked up off the ground, and thrown back, off the tower.
He hung there for a moment, before his body fell a hundred feet to the ground.
Harry looked into the pleading eyes of Snape again, comparing them to those of Dumbledore that night. Severus had been ruthless then, carelessly taking Dumbledore's life. But Harry wasn't Severus.
With a snarl of frustration, Harry threw his sword down and fell to his knees.
Snape looked at him in confusion for a moment, before the dark room vanished, replaced by the familiar setting of Harry's basement at the Potter Mansion.
The dark shadow of Regulus Black came to stand next to him.
"Why didn't you do it, Harry?" he asked, breaking the glamour on the dummy with a wave of his wand. "You told me you hated him, more than anything or one. Is that not true?"
"Yes," Harry said quietly. "I hate him more than anyone, except for maybe Bellatrix."
"Then why--?" Regulus began, but was cut off.
"Harry, Regulus," Hermione said, breathless. "Minerva flooed, there's an attack, we have to go!"
Harry jumped up immediately, taking the stairs three at a time in Regulus' shadow.
They ran into the kitchen, where Hermione quickly pointed her wand at a pan and said, "Portus."
"3, 2, 1," she counted, as everyone grabbed a hold of it silently. Everyone felt a familiar tug in their navel as they were teleported away.
Harry felt his pulse quicken as they landed in what appeared to be the town square of a small village.
"Lumos," Harry muttered, lighting his wand as he looked around.
Screams were heard in the distance, but none of the four could tell where from.
"Stay close," Regulus said. His voice was disguised, and Harry knew without looking that he had assumed his glamours again. The Order had decided to keep his return a secret for now. Regulus was to be a 'card up the Order's sleeve' as he had put it himself.
Just as Harry was about to suggest they move, he felt more than saw their opponent appear.
The stars seemed to go out as Harry was forced to relive the memory of his parents' death. The green light, the snakelike man... all of it passed before Harry's eyes as a cold feeling crept into his gut.
"Dementors," he whispered, raising his wand. He thought back to the night he and Regulus had had not so long ago, dueling with tickling and stinging curses.
Has it really only been a week? he thought as he raised his wand.
"On three," Regulus said predictably. "1, 2, 3!"
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" the four cried in unison.
In four separate directions shot out silvery Patroni. Harry's stag ran straight into a group of a dozen Dementors, gauging two before they had time to scatter.
The other three had similar results: Hermione's otter comically chased away a group of three, while Regulus' lion pounced upon one, clawing another, and Ron's dog bit into another.
"Good job!" Regulus called, smiling.
Harry smiled as well as the other Order members Apparated and portkeyed in.
"What took you?" Ron asked at Bill and Charlie.
The two shrugged nonchalantly and asked back, "Anything left for us?"
Harry looked around, searching for any others. His eyes didn't pick any up, but the cold feeling in his stomach remained. Frowning, he turned back to the others.
Before he could make a comment, Mad-Eye drew in a sharp breath and growled low, "Get ready. I count 150, coming from all directions. Muggles are dying everywhere."
The Order members gasped audibly. "150?" Harry heard someone hiss.
"Harry!" Regulus said quietly. "You know what to do."
Harry turned to him, his eyes wide. He couldn't do it, it had taken Regulus years to learn how, he had only had a week!
"But--" he stuttered.
"No," Regulus said immediately. "No buts. You can do it, Harry. You have to. The Order needs you, these Muggles need you."
Harry looked into the trusting eyes of his currently blonde friend.
"Alright," he said. "I'll try."
"Those who try fail," Hermione recited quietly. "Those who do, do."
Harry gaze her a small glare before Minerva called out orders.
"Form a circle," she said, her voice calm but demanding. "Two in the center."
Remus came up beside Harry, Tonks at his side. "You ready?"
Harry nodded with a small smile as Regulus went to the other side of the circle of witches and wizards.
The entire Order was in formation in seconds, and left to wait as the hopeless feeling crept into their guts.
"Lumos Solarus," he heard Hermione mouth quietly. A pure white light shot out of the tip of her wand, lighting up the area in front of them. Gasps of horror went around the circle as the spell light revealed a semi-circle of Dementors.
The hooded figures floated menacingly toward the ring of Order members.
"Everyone ready?" Minerva asked.
Grunts went around as the assembled men and women focused on their happiest memories.
"On three, then," she said. "1, 2, 3!"
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" cried the Order in unison.
A wave of silvery animals shot out in every direction, charging straight toward the circle of Dementors. The strange army collided with them, knocking them all backward. But not ending it.
"Again, then," Minerva said. But before she could count off, the Dementors charged.
Several people collapsed immediately with the close proximity to the dark creatures, and those who stood had to fight to do so. The feeling was worse than Harry had ever felt. All of them, there together, feeding off the group of only a dozen or so Order members. The Dementors swarmed as the remaining members tried but failed to fight back. Whisps of white smoke went up all over as more wizards fell.
"Harry!" Regulus called. "We have to do it now, Harry!"
Harry fought with all his strength to move back, going back-to-back with his godfather's brother.
The Dementors seemed to be circling the two menacingly, but not attacking.
"What are they doing?" Harry asked.
"Toying with their prey," Regulus said, his voice low. "We're the only ones left, Harry. We have to do this."
Harry visualized his life without Voldemort, what it would be like if he and Ginny could be together, Sirius would be alive, and Lily and James. A small smile crept onto his face as his mind's eye took in the picture. There, in that world, he could be happy.
"On 3, Harry," Regulus said, drawing a small part of him back to the real world. The Dementors were still circling them, but Harry had the strange feeling they were restless.
"1, 2, 3!"
"COMPLEXIO--EXPECTO AVIS/PATRONUM--INCANTADO!" the two cried in unison.
From Regulus' wand tip shot out a flock of silvery birds that quickly drove out at the Dementors in front of them, but from Harry's wand shot only two whisps of white smoke.
The Dementors by Harry shot straight at him, and he felt himself collapse. The happy thoughts were gone as one of the Dementors bent over him, his lips drawing ever closer.
"Harry!" Regulus screamed, but it sounded faint, somehow distant to Harry.
The lips came closer, closer, until they were about to touch. Harry wasn't even aware of Regulus running at him, or the rest of the Dementor. All that mattered were those lips. When they touched him, his pain would be gone, it would all be over. He would be free!
He heard Regulus' screams as he fell under the horde of Dementors, his Bird-Patroni dissipating.
Just as the lips of the eyeless face was an inch from his, a crystal clear image appeared in his mind of Ginny's face.
He saw her happy, in his arms. Was it their wedding day? Was this what he was going to give up? His love? The woman of his life?
His hand clasped around his wand, hard.
"I...I won't let you take her from me," he croaked, punching up hard.
The Dementor flew back from the force of the blow, off of Harry and into those behind him. Without hesitation, Harry jumped to his feet, raising his wand.
"I love you, Ginny!" he exclaimed, crying out, "COMPLEXIO--EXPECTO AVIS/PATRONUM--INCANTADO!" pouring his emotions into it. He was not going to die here, he wouldn't, he couldn't. He needed to live, because if he didn't, he would never be able to be with Ginny. And that was unacceptable.
For the longest moment of his life, nothing happened. No whisp of smoke, or brilliant light. No force to push back the Dementors, or magical drain. It seemed like the spell had never been cast.
Then it happened.
A blinding light shot from the tip of his wand, straight into the Dementors in front of him. The creature screeched loudly, its voice the wail of a banshee as it burned where the light touched it.
All of the Dementors backed off in fear of this light, clearing an area around him ten steps in any direction. Various Order members were scattered on the ground, but Harry ignored them. His spell wasn't done yet.
He pushed more power into it, more happy feelings. He knew he could do it, because he had to. The Patronus light wouldn't be enough. He had to have Patroni. And so he did.
From the tip of his wand shot out a silvery bird that immediately began to circle around Harry, joined soon by another, and another. Before long, an army of silver Bird-Patroni surrounded the teenager.
"Push them back," Harry said, his voice low and dangerous as his eyes set upon the bodies of Regulus, Hermione and Ron. Remus' body must have been lying a foot or less outside of the Dementor-less ring.
Without hesitation, the birds pushed out in all directions, pecking and clawing at the dark creatures that surrounded them. But they weren't enough alone, and Harry knew it.
Sighing deeply, he realized he was still in his training clothes, with a sword strapped to one hip and a knife in the other. The sheathe of the sword he had been training with was strapped across his back, empty and completely useless.
"Ennervate," he muttered, pointing his wand at Regulus. The man woke immediately, jumping up and spinning around.
"Good job, Harry," he said quietly, realizing what was happening. Without another word he revived the others around him, before turning back to Harry.
"Your birds are amazing," he said. "I didn't know they could be sustained for this long."
"Neither did I," Harry said quietly, watching as the circling birds kept the foul creatures back. "I don't think they have much longer."
"Cast quickly," Regulus said, looking around. The birds were slowly dissipating and the Dementors pressing forward, ever slowly.
The others nodded, but Harry could tell by the dazed look on their faces that they weren't ready to fight again. Remus would give them all chocolate, but Harry didn't have any. Or did he?
"Accio Chocolate," he said, drawing the gazes of his two best friends and Regulus.
A small rustling sound came from just outside the ring of Dementors, before five blocks of Honeyduke's finest came soaring through the air at them.
Harry grabbed them deftly and threw them to the other 3. "Eat quickly, I can feel my Patroni fading," he said, taking his own advice and tearing a piece of the chocolate off and putting it in his mouth.
A warm, tingling feeling spread throughout his body as it melted in his mouth.
"You ready?" Regulus asked after a moment, as more of the Patroni faded.
The others nodded, and he raised his wand.
"I want you two to twist, if you think you can," he said, looking at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked uncertain, but Hermione nodded.
"We've done more before," she said. "Just Bird-Patroni?"
"Yes, that should be fine," Regulus said, turning to Harry.
"Can you cast--?" he started, but was interrupted.
"No," Harry said, drawing his sword. "But I'll protect you with this."
Regulus looked uncertain, but nodded nonetheless.
"On three, then," he said. "1, 2, 3!"
Just as he counted the last number, the remaining Patroni faded into nothing.
The Dementors rushed forward, to be met by cold steel.
Harry slashed out, cutting deep into the chest of one Dementor while he kicked at another. He knew that he couldn't win a fight like this, because he'd get warn out too easily. Dementors didn't die, either. At least, Harry had never heard of one dying.
He heard the others send out two flocks of Bird-Patroni, but he didn't take much notice. His sword cut deep into another, black blood spilling out to coat his sword.
Without stopping to register the injury he'd done, he cut into the next. More blood spurted forth, but he felt himself growing weaker. His arm was tired, and he felt himself falling into the dark energy of the creatures. They surrounded him, pressing in on all sides. He realized too late that he was totally cut off from the others.
He turned in a small circle, his sword raised in a defensive position. Harry heard Hermione scream, and immediately jumped toward the sound. The Dementors jumped at him, though, not giving him an inch.
"Get out of my way," he growled in a low voice.
The Dementors seemed to laugh at him, their bodies chortling in mirthless laughter.
"RON!" he heard someone scream, and knew he could hesitate no longer.
"I warned you," he said quietly, pulling back his sword and rushing forward, straight into the arms of the waiting Dementors. His sword flashed in a blur as he cut into them, but as each fell back, another took its place. He knew he couldn't beat them like this, they were already beginning to heal through their innate abilities. So he had to make it so they couldn't heal.
He felt arms clasp around his back as someone screamed again, and he didn't hesitate. He would do what he had to do.
His sword slashed in a graceful, full 180 degree arc, he spun. The weak arms of the Dementor lost their hold easily. It connected with the neck of the Dementor, and didn't stop. It carried straight through, severing the head in a gross spurt of blood.
As the disembodied head hit the ground with a sickening thud, the Dementors all around stopped dead. No one moved as the body fell first to its knees, then flat on its stomach.
Harry stared at the body, unable to believe what he'd done. Dementor or not, he had taken a life.
Time enough for that later, a small voice said in the back of his mind. Get to your friends.
Harry nodded, turning his back on the sight.
"Get out of my way, or I'll kill you too," he said, glaring at the Dementors. But he need not have made the threat.
The Dementors scattered at his glare, running past him to their fallen comrade.
Harry ignored them and rushed past, straight through to the fallen Order.
Ron was lying on the ground, Hermione and Regulus standing over him. Harry joined them quickly, and asked, "Is he alright?"
Regulus looked up at him, noticing the marks on his skin where the Dementors had tried to grab him. "He'll be fine," he said.
Harry nodded, turning back to look at the dark creature's retreat.
In a huge spiraling motion, the 150 Dementors swirled around the fallen one, rising high into the air like a reverse tornado.
Harry remarked that it was strangely beautiful in an odd sort of way as the final Dementor faded into the clouds.
"Let's wake the others," Regulus said.
Harry nodded, trying to stand up, and failing. He collapsed straight back to the ground, completely exhausted physically, magically and emotionally.
Harry opened his eyes slowly as he even more slowly woke up. His body was sore from the exertion of both his magic and his muscles.
With a slow throb in his arm, he turned over on the bed and noted that he was alone. He tried to remember what had happened, but it took him a moment to recall.
The moment he did, he saw the cleanly severed head fall to the ground, black blood gushing everywhere. The sight made him go queasy, and after a moment he began retching violently.
All of his disgust at his first kill poured out in tears and sick.
Vaguely he heard someone come in, and felt a comforting hand on his back as he leaned over the bed, unable to stop vomiting as the image of the Dementor dying.
"It's alright, Harry," Regulus said softly. "You did what you had to. You're the first to have ever killed one of them, Harry. No one has ever tried to take a sword to them. But now, we know how to do more than push them back, we know how to kill them."
Harry slowly regained his composure, trying to think of Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Order. That is why he did it. Not for the blood, or the death, but to protect his friends. That's what mattered.
"Harry, this doesn't make you anymore like them," Regulus said. "What makes a killer isn't the act, it's the motive, Harry."
Harry looked into his friend's eyes, and knew that he was right. He wasn't a killer, just a man who had killed.
"What happened after I fainted?" he asked quietly.
"The Ministry arrived just in time to watch you fall," he said. "They were shocked that one lay dead, and decided to keep the entire matter under wraps."
"What about losses?" Harry asked, afraid of the answer.
"Two Muggles were Kissed, but all of the Order members were fine after Remus gave them chocolate," the man replied with a smile.
Harry nodded shortly, but didn't say anything. He had really done it. He had taken a life.
"I'll let you to yourself," Regulus said, standing. "You have the day off."
Harry nodded again, too queasy to express his gratitude.
As Regulus reached the door, he turned, saying softly, "Thank you, Harry."
At Harry's silence, he said, "You saved my life. You saved all of our lives. Thank you."
Then the man was gone, leaving a very confused teenager to return to his thoughts of his first kill. Unfortunately for him, it would not be his last.
A.N.--OK, another chapter down! BTW, I have a new beta! SkyHighFan has agreed to take over betaing do to...stuff. Anyway, he began betaing last chapter, but I'm lazy, so I'm putting it in here!
REVIEW, we BOTH need the love!