The Initiation

It was two days since he returned to Hogwarts and Harry Potter was completely nervous. He was pacing in the Gryffindor boys dormitory, muttering "What am I going to do? What the hell am I going to do?". He knew his initiation was that night, but he didn't have the list finished. He needed the names by tonight, but how was he supposed to find them? That method failed him time and time again over the break. His past six methods (not counting the one he was told would work) didn't work. He needed to come up with an excuse. NO! He would be able to tell that whatever I tell him isn't the truth. Harry moaned, put his hands on his head, and threw his head back. "What am I gonna do?"

"About what?"

Harry turned and saw Hermione's face. She looked worried about him again like she was over break. He knew that he kept using that method he was told about, but it never worked. "Nothing at all, Hermione. I was just thinking about some stuff that's all."

Hermione took a seat on the bed nearest her. "You and I both know that's not true." Harry looked over at her. He saw her eyes were blank like she was in one of her trances. "I know that you are going to become the Dark Prince. I don't believe that you are capable of becoming the Dark Prince." It was then that he knew that this wasn't Hermione talking. It was someone else...a guy who knew the truth about him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"You know who I am, Harry. You and I have met before." The guy used Hermione's hand to grab Harry's shirt. Harry could see that he was changing into himself. This guy had a mad look in his eyes. "Remember at the Ministry during your hearing? The one who told you to kill the Minister? In Dumbledore's office, I was the one who suggested that you kill Umbridge. I'm you."

He remembered all right. Those suggestions sounded very tempting right now. "Then why did you just tell me that I'm not capable of becoming the Dark Prince?"

"I just don't think that you would be fit to be him at all." Harry snapped. He pulled out his wand. Apparently, this was something that this guy wanted to happen. He smirked. "I have a feeling that you want to know why that method didn't work." Harry nodded as he put his wand away and looked away. "It only works if you have the mark." He grabbed Harry's left hand and pulled the sleeve up. "And, from what I can see and remember, you don't have it yet. Besides, the list isn't due yet. We have enough time." At that last word, Harry looked back at him and saw a boy that looked exactly like himself. The only differences between Harry and the boy in front of him were his eyes and skin tone. Harry had emerald green eyes and and skin that was a shade that, if you looked at him from far away, you would believe that he was tan. The boy had brown eyes, the same exact brown as Hermione's, and tanned skin. His hair was ebony, like Harry's, but his was messier than the Chosen One's.

Suddenly, there was a screeching sound. The two boys turned and saw a tawny owl. In it's beak was a folded piece of parchment that had Harry's name on it. She was standing on Harry's bedpost. Harry took the piece of parchment and opened it. The boy that was now standing next to him tapped his foot. "Well, aren't you going to read it out loud?"

Harry rolled his eyes and began reading the letter aloud.

"Harry,

"Tonight is your initiation into my world. I'll need what you're going to call yourself in front of my Death Eaters. Send the name back with Cally. She'll know where I am. I'll see you when you get here tonight.

Voldemort"

Harry groaned again. He had forgotten about the fact that none of the Death Eaters could know that he was being initiated tonight. "What could I call myself tonight?" he whispered. He looked to the other boy for help, but he wasn't there anymore. Annoyed, Harry started pacing again while he searched through the list of boy names he could think of. He didn't like the ones he thought of until he found one that fit him perfectly. So he took out a piece of parchment, a quill, and ink bottle and started writing his letter to Voldemort. Harry stopped after he wrote his new first name, his quill poised as he thought of a last name. He tried combining words together until he found one he liked. He wrote the last name down, folded the piece of parchment, sealed it, and gave it to Cally.

"Give this to him," Harry whispered to her. "Make sure no one else reads it but him." She hooted and flew out the same window she entered. He watched her fly away until she was out of sight. Then he turned around and walked out of the boys' dorm. When he entered the common room, he saw that Hermione and Ron were arguing again. Hermione's hands were on her hips and her eyes were swollen and red. Harry sighed because they argued all the time now.

"Why are you yelling at me for that?" Ron told Hermione.

Hermione glared at him. "It's our six month anniversary today, Ronald, and you were kissing her in the library! I know you've been with her for longer than you were with me!"

Harry figured that he should step in before things got rough. "Can you guys just chill for a minute?" he asked. They stopped arguing for a bit as they exited the Gryffindor common room. "Thanks. Now, can one of you two tell me what it was about this time?" They nodded.

"Well," Hermione started, "today I was in the library reading Twilight for the sixth time. In a few minutes, I was completely absorbed by the book. Suddenly, I heard a moan of pleasure coming from one of the aisles of books. I decided to see what it was." She stopped as if she believed she was going to cry again. Harry motioned for her to continue. "I saw Ron kissing Lavender in the Restricted Section. They didn't notice me at all, though. They just kept snogging the life out of each other. As I looked on, Lavender ripped off Ron's shirt. That shirt was the one I got him for Christmas last year."

"I told you that she was forcing me to kiss her. I was being blackmailed. If I didn't kiss her, she would have revealed a certain picture that I don't want to talk about ever. Believe me, Hermione. I was being forced," Ron told her. Hermione's liquid chocolate eyes turned solid as she looked at her boyfriend of six months. They were now in the Great Hall, where every single students' eyes were on the Golden Trio as Hermione and Ron argued and Harry listened. The teachers weren't even there yet.

"That's what you said when I caught you snogging the past Merlin knows how many girls, Ron! Don't say anything to me! Don't even speak! We're done, Ronald! Through! I know that I've said it before, but this time nothing you say can do anything to change my mind! Not this time!" Hermione turned around like she was going to leave, but then she did what no one thought she would do to one of her best friends: She punched Ron in the face. Everyone in the Great Hall heard something crack. When Hermione pulled her hand back, there was blood running into Ron's mouth from his nose. There was a stunned silence as Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall.

As soon as the door closed, Lavender rushed over to the two Gryffindor boys. "Ronniekins!" she screamed. "Are you alright?" Ron shook his head. Lavender took his arm and walked him out of the Great Hall.

After the doors closed again, the whole student body (besides Harry, of course) started talking about what just happened. Harry glanced at his watch and saw that it was time. He decided to sneak out of the Great Hall before some curious students asked him questions about the Gryffindor couple break-up. Fortunately, he was out of there unnoticed, mostly thanks to Ron not being there. Harry cursed Ron's stupid curiosity for the millionth time as he walked toward Gryffindor common room to get his black cloak.

A few minutes later, he was standing in the same spot where he first apparated to Malfoy Manor to ask for help. This time, though, he put on his cloak and whispered the Glamor spell to make him look like the person he was going to be every single Death Eater meeting. Then he disapperated to Malfoy Manor again with a silent pop.

He landed softly on his feet in the grass. A few feet in front of him was the meeting place Voldemort had told him about in that first meeting. He walked towards the place, slowly at first, as he checked his surroundings for patrolling Death Eaters. Like last time, he wanted to be caught. It was what needed to happen. He started walking at a normal pace, wanting to get there faster as he thought about what he would have to say. Suddenly, he found himself only a few seconds away from the place he wanted to be in at that moment. He kept walking though.

"Stop right there," a male voice ordered. Harry rolled his eyes and kept walking. "I said stop right there. You can't go in there."

Harry turned around and saw Parker, the Death Eater that brought him to Voldemort last time. "I can and I will. I was invited by him," Harry told him, motioning his head toward the entrance. Parker gaped. Then he closed his mouth.

"He invites no one."

Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Really? 'Cause he invited me to this meeting."

Parker eyed him speculatively and then said, "Follow me, then." He walked into the cave and Harry followed. It turned out that it wasn't really a cave. It was actually a part of a manor. He didn't care about which manor it was this time. He needed to concentrate on what he was there for.

Parker turned to look at him. "What's your name, boy?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "He knows my name already. Just go tell him that I'm here." He was telling the truth. Harry described what he was going to look like in his letter to Voldemort along with his name. Parker almost glared at him, but, instead he turned around and entered the room where Voldemort and the Death Eaters were having the meeting. Five minutes later, Parker came back. "He said to go in."

Harry nodded and entered the room Parker just exited from. He felt every single pair of eyes on him as he walked toward Voldemort, who was smiling broadly. "We were wondering when you were going to show up," Voldemort told Harry.

"I explained to you when I was coming," Harry said.

"My lord," a male voice called, "I believe we need proof that he's the one to find the Ghosts."

"I have already given proof of this, Yaxley," Voldemort said tiredly.

"I realize this, my lord, but what has he done to receive that mission?"

Harry conjured a dead body. "Here's your proof," Harry told him. The body was face down on the ground. It had long black hair and was wearing a t-shirt and a skirt. Harry looked down at it.

Yaxley stepped forward. "How are we supposed to know that you didn't remove this body from it's grave?" he asked.

Harry flipped over the corpse with a lazy wave of his wand. At that moment, there was a dead silence as Yaxley and the other Death Eaters stared at the body. Suddenly, there was a loud scream.

"He killed my daughter!" a woman's voice yelled. Harry looked up at the woman who shouted at him with his cold brown eyes. Then it was silent except for the crying of the woman. Voldemort looked over at the woman.

"She disobeyed me, Maureen," Voldemort told the woman. "I ordered him to do it to prove himself and he has. Is there any other person who wants to object my decision?"

Suddenly, the door crashed open and a voice called, "I do!" It was a man with messy blond hair and eyes that were as brown as dirt. Voldemort stood up from his throne.

"Then it's a duel. Jericho versus the Chosen One," Voldemort said.

Harry took out his disguised wand and Jericho took out his. They faced each other first. Jericho looked completely confident in himself, but Harry could see fear in the wanna-be Death Eater's eyes. Harry smirked at him and he kept smirking when they were taking the steps away from each other. Then they faced each other. Before Jericho could even say a word, Harry whispered something and a green light came out of Harry's wand. The light surrounded Jericho and he fell to the ground, dead. There was silence again until a high cold laughter echoed through the room. Harry turned to face Voldemort.

"Is there anyone else?" he asked the crowd of Death Eaters. No one answered for they knew that he was the one. There was no doubt in anyone's mind about this boy. Voldemort beckoned Harry forward. Harry complied.

"Kneel." Harry did as Voldemort took out his wand. Harry rolled up his left sleeve, revealing the unmarked skin beneath it, and he held it out. "Ecliprince," Voldemort whispered and a Dark Mark appeared, but it wasn't like the normal Mark. It was the same one that Harry had seen in his dream, the one he drew that day in the Room of Requirement. Now he felt right. He had completed what he had set out to do. He now wasn't a martyr for the "Light" anymore. He felt different. "You may rise now, Jacob Diamondback."

"Yes, my lord," Harry whispered as he rose. He was about to turn around when Voldemort put his hand on his shoulder. Harry understood what the gesture meant: Voldemort was going to introduce him with his new title.

"My Death Eaters, may I present to you the Dark Prince Jacob Diamondback."

Voldemort took his hand off of Harry's shoulder and Harry turned around. When he was facing them completely, he heard a few gasps of surprise. He wondered why. I'll figure it out when I get back to Hogwarts, he thought. He turned back to Voldemort.

"This meeting is over!" Voldemort declared. Then, the Death Eaters started disapperating back to their homes. When all of them were gone, Voldemort looked at Harry in his eyes. "Well done, Harry. I'm proud of what you did tonight."

Harry bowed. "Why did I hear some gasps when I faced them?" he asked.

Voldemort laughed as he conjured a mirror. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about this before, Harry." He held it up.

Harry looked in it and saw himself as Jacob Diamondback, but there was something different about him. He looked closer at his reflection and saw his eyes. They were completely black except for a slit of red in them. His eyes looked the exact opposite of Voldemort's.

"That looks creepy," Harry said after staring into his new eyes. "How are we going to be able to hide them from everyone at school?"

Voldemort held up his wand and whispered a spell so quietly that Harry couldn't hear what it was. "Like this. Now everyone at Hogwarts will see your eyes as they were before you received this mark." Suddenly, Harry heard a swish of a cloak. Harry quickly turned around and ran toward the location of the sound and grabbed the person who was listening to their entire conversation. He dragged him back to Voldemort by his collar.

"Ah, Severus. Couldn't stand to leave me?" Voldemort inquired. Harry looked at the man he was holding by his collar and saw that it was his Potions Master that was eavesdropping on their conversation. "How much have you heard of the conversation I was having with the new Dark Prince?" Harry pulled out his wand and put it to Snape's throat. Voldemort looked at Harry as if he expected him to know the answer to that question. He did know. He just didn't know how he knew.

"Every word of it, my lord," Harry answered.

Voldemort looked back at Snape and said, "Then you cannot live if you know that information." He looked at Harry again. "Kill him," Voldemort said in Parsletounge.

"Avada Kedavra," Harry whispered. There was a flash of green light and Severus Snape was no more. Harry let go of the body of the Head of Slytherin House. "What do you want me to do with his body, my lord?"

"Apparate it back to Hogwarts and make sure it is found by one of the teachers."

Harry bowed and apparated it back to school. Then, after good-byes, he apparated back to Hogwarts as well.

That night, Draco Malfoy was patrolling the halls (one of his duties as a prefect). He was now on the fifth floor. Suddenly, he tripped over something. He looked over at it. Merlin! I hope it wasn't something that belongs to a...

Before he finished that thought, he saw his godfather laying on the floor. "Uncle Sev? Are you all right?" he asked as he shook Snape, but something didn't look right. He was laying face down on the floor, sprawled out too. Draco turned his godfather over and saw that his eyes were wide with fear. Draco touched his skin and it felt like... NO! Draco ran up to the Headmaster's office. "Let me in, you stupid gargoyles! It's an emergency! I need to see Dumbledore!" They let him in without a password. Then Draco ran up the stairs and opened the door. Dumbledore was sitting in his chair when Draco entered.

"What seems to be the trouble, Mr. Malfoy?" he asked.

"It's Professor Snape, sir! I found him laying on the floor on the fifth floor. I accidentally tripped over him! I don't know what happened to him! His eyes were wide with fear and his skin felt like a dead person's!" Dumbledore placed his hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Take me to it." Draco nodded and a few hours later, they were there. Dumbledore knelt down and touched Snape's body. Then he looked back up at the distraught teen. "I'm afraid he's no longer with us."

Draco did nothing but stand there. The cheer of that morning was defeated by the sorrow that the man he called uncle was no longer alive. He felt as if he was watching this scene above them.