Harry Potter and the Storm of Nightmares
Episode XIX
Darkness and Fire
"Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived," Minister Fudge gloated triumphantly. "Though I suppose it should be something more along the lines of trapped dark wizard!" he continued smugly watching Harry intently for any reaction… fear perhaps, but sourly disappointed as Harry seemed more amused than anything else.
"You could possibly be correct," he answered nonchalant, shrugging. "But there is a difference between dark and bad, light and good, and a balance that must be withheld. If you continue down this path Cornelius you shall insight World War Three. Do you truly wish to go down in history as the man responsible for the death of billions?"
Fudge winced back at Harry's cold and hateful voice and momentarily looked unsure but shook those thoughts off quickly while Umbridge sneered but it was Lucius' expression that surprised him the most. He actually looked concerned compared with the Minister and Umbridge. Heck, Harry could tell that most of the Ministers supporters behind them looked confused.
'They haven't got a clue!'
Harry's cold eyes turned to Lucius in wonder, the concerned look turning cold. "I doubt very much that Voldemort…" as usual many people gasped, yelped and shuddered but he continued as if nobody did anything. "Has anything to do with this. He may be a sociopath with delusions of gander, but he's neither stupid nor insane. He wants to conquer not destroy. So answer me, why is he just sitting back and letting this fruit loop get away with whatever he wants?"
It looked as if Fudge was going to interrupt and that Lucius was not going to answer in favour of pretending to be on Fudge's side as usual. However, to Harry's surprise Lucius rose his hand and Fudge stopped in beginning.
"The Dark Lords stance of this foolishness is to sit back and watch as of now," he answered coolly. Harry was even more shocked by the surprised gasps from the crowd than Lucius answering. Did these people honestly believe Lucius innocent? "I my self have only been continuing my elegance with Fudge for my own amusement but even for me its getting dangerous, which is why I am no longer caring whether the moron knows where my elegance lie. Heck, I would rather align with you than this incompetent baboon."
Harry couldn't keep the dark chuckle at bay as Fudge's face drained of colour and he gulped. "I see Lucius," he commented as he returned his eyes to the bleach blonde. "Find anything that I might find of interest?" he asked reasonably.
Lucius sneered but answered anyway before Fudge or anyone else could get their Bearings. "Only what you've just discovered. The Key of Twilight," he muttered, amused now as he gestured the bracelet around Fudge's wrist causing the Minister to shift uneasily. "The fool has such a powerful, ancient relic and he brags about it to me, 'ME' of all people!" he laughed here with a shake of his head he gave the fool Minister what could have been a look of pity.
Harry let out a slight snort. "It looks like he has something both Voldemort and I want then. It's just the matter of who gets to it first."
"Oh and with you stuck in here Potter I think I know who I'll put my money on," he spat out smugly.
"Better prepare to pay up then Lucius!" he hissed out baring his teeth, his eyes glowing slightly causing the blonde man to flinch. "And as this…" he gestured him self. "You may call me Darc… as I am THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS!" he cried out the last few words on impulse sneering at everyone with a glare of ice as his voice reverberated around the chamber causing a deathly quiet to descend with a shiver of dread down their spines.
"You won't be going anywhere 'boy'!" Umbridge hissed out suddenly sneering out in smug satisfaction. "You're trapped. Imprisoned within the darkness container or are you really that naive that you believe we will free you. Perhaps you believe you can escape a creation of the Key of Twilight? One of the single most powerful objects in creation, other than the sword it is unbeatable."
Harry again snorted, amused. "Really now, I heard it was called the Crime Crisis Crycillist," he replied in amusement. "For one it only lasts two, maybe three hours at most," he began with a smirk as many people shifted uneasily and looked alarmed while others unbelieving. "And two, the most important thing is it will only hold those who deserve imprisonment, and when it does disappear will leave the criminal weakened. But if the person you try to capture has done nothing worthy of imprisonment he, or she could just walk out, or stay in here without anything happening to them."
"Nonsense Potter!" Fudge finally spat out but one growl from Harry's throat was enough to cause the Minister unease. "You're a fool Darc if you think I'll believe your lies. If you could leave you would have already!"
Harry laughed and rolled his eyes. "Why would I bother just yet when I can freely piss you off some more and you can't do shit as I'm safe in here as neither you or any of your men could possibly have the skill or power to break my 'prison'," he laughed as many employees protested loudly. "And Fudge, you don't have the know how to use the Key's power. If this is all you've got you might as well just hand the Key over!"
"You freak, Potter!" the Minister hissed angrily before turning to Lucius, the man looking mockingly amused. "Someone arrest Malfoy, and bring Potter to his knees!"
Several Aurors came forward full of glee and Malfoy surprisingly didn't object as two of them took his wand. He's most certainly up to something. However, Harry was too busy laughing at those trying to break his prison just to hurt him.
"Come on you woses!"
"My mother was just a 'lowly' mud-blood and she had more talent than you fucks could ever hope for!"
Curse
Jinks
Hex
Nothing
"Whoa, giving up already. Why don't one of you pant pissers try something a little more high society. How about using one of the unforgivables?"
"Are you chicken?"
"Too weak to perform one lousy killing curse?"
"Too pathetic to fire a little 'dark' magic at me, huh?"
"Fucking cowards!"
"I'm not a coward!" one portly buck toothed Auror cried out angrily suddenly, his wand pointed at Harry in anger. "Avada Kedavra!" he cried out but Harry just laughed at him as nothing comes out.
"That's like your dick… doesn't work!" he laughed mockingly as the portly Auror fumed.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry only had a moment to see the flash of green crash into the orange/gold wall of his 'prison'.
0oo00oo0
"Albus, surely we should enter now!" Remus complained as he looked to his watch in frustration as he along with other members waited to rescue Harry. "He could be in urgent need of assistance!"
"Indeed he could," the wizened Professor agreed. "However, Harry made us promise that we would not enter until precisely fifteen minutes after Nimphadora has left, which leaves us with." He quickly looked at his pocket watch and sighed. "Six minutes until we can enter. If we go early we may end up getting Harry hurt."
0oo00oo0
Harry watched disinterested as a lanky Auror with brown hair was hit by a golden orange bolt of lightning boiling his blood until his skin bubbled and exploded. The man roared in pain and horror before moments later crumpling to the floor. The auditorium was deathly quiet apart from the soft sizzling of cooked flesh and boiled blood as they all stared in open horror (minus Harry and Lucius (neither of them cared) and Umbridge as she's just 'evil') at the blood and tattered body parts of the man.
"P… Darc… w-what did you do!" Fudge demanded heatedly, panicking. "H-how did you murder him?"
Harry just rolled his eyes. "I didn't murder him you idiot. This is a prison, and prisons by design are supposed to protect people, even those it's imprisoned. It would have just knocked him out if I was actually guilty of any crime, but since I'm not… well, I guess it agrees with me. Turn around is fair play," he spoke mockingly.
"Y-you'll regret this!" he retorted with his eyes shifting all over the hall. Harry also looked to see the guy had noticed that some of his supporters were worrying, and rightly so (a few had even fled).
"And what are you going to do Minister?" Lucius suddenly butted in enjoying the showdown. He could scarcely believe that Potter has most of these people scared while they think he's seemingly trapped within the prison. "Perhaps before using the Key's power to create the 'prison' you should have found a manual on it so you would know of its limits. Just because the Key is supposed to be powerful does not mean that its tools and abilities are flawless."
"We'll see about that!" interrupted a huge set guy in Auror robes as he sneered hatefully first at Malfoy and then ten fold at Harry as he withdrew his wand. "We'll soon see how truly powerless you are when your lifeless body is dragged through the streets," he laughed as he raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" he screamed out angrily.
Nobody even bothered trying to stop him, which was stupid as the curse just fizzled out on the Crycillist into nothing as if it was not even fired. However, it happened instantly as an arch of golden orange lightning exploded up the outside walls to a tip on top and firing. The foolish man didn't stand a chance as he met the same fate as his fellow Auror.
"That guy was just stupid!" Harry commented off-handily. "Was he blind and death or something when his idiot buddy did the same thing just moments before?"
Fudge was grinding his teeth in anger, his vision tunnelled and seeing red. "Bring them in, it begins now!" he roared.
Harry looked from him to several smug Aurors as they quickly left. "Bring who in?" Lucius beat him to the question.
Fudge just looked at him before at Harry looking totally smug. "Oh… you'll both see soon enough, I assure you that!" he laughed, and Harry was starting to worry because Umbridge was smiling in triumph so it must be bad, so they waited.
Harry watched as eleven people were escorted in, beaten and bruised as Amanda had been, stumbling and shaking, four men and three women. However, what was worse were the four children with them, crying and shivering with cold and dread. The children… none of them could even be Hogwarts age yet.
It was also shocking to recognise one of the men, one Professor Severus Snape. They were all brought up front followed by a heavyset man with giant axe (no doubt charmed or he could never lift it) and wearing a medieval style hood to hide his face. They were lined up in front of his chamber looking at him in confusion and fear, well one out of them didn't hold fear but hope (his eyes pleading). He most likely expects someone to be on their way to rescue Harry (or at least hope they will).
"You see Darc," Fudge whispered mockingly. "If I can't hurt you within that prison then I'll just have to hurt your people," he spoke quietly and Harry could sense the excitement in his presence.
"Don't…" was all Harry managed to say as Fudge gestured to an Auror in gray work robes with a slight disfigured face.
Said Auror just grunted, drew his wand and before Harry could think much on it an orange spell hit one of the women squarely in the chest causing her to fall to the ground withering in agony, screaming her throat raw for a full ten seconds with everyone just watching before she was left be.
"And who says we're afraid to use such curses," Fudge commented with a wide grin as the woman panted and sobbed on the floor where Harry took particular note that her clothes were on haphazardly, his eyes narrowed in rage. He was pissed but Fudge was too far gone to notice the danger he was in. "She along with three of the filthy Mud-blood men were using their filthy Muggle connections to help impure Witches and Wizards out of the country," he spoke matter of factually.
"The other two women discovered our knowledge and tried to help them, but that didn't pan out too well," he laughed smugly. "The two boys, brothers," he went on in amusement. "Ten and seven… these Mud-bloods have been causing us a lot of bother with all of the accidental magic they've been party to. We've already done away with their 'memory', so they won't be missed.
"As for the girls… well I believe their filthy Blood-traitor whore of a mother, and Mud-blood father perished when we rightfully came to arrest the bastard father for theft of a wand and magic as a whole. They tried to fight us to protect their filthy children, and died most gruesomely in the process…"
"Took five of my friends with them…" someone in the crowd muttered darkly.
Fudge just ignored the interrupter and continued. "And last but not least, we can't forget your ex-Professor. Severus Snape, the somewhat off-again on-again Mud-blood Death Eater… it shall be a pleasure seeing his existence rid from the world," he gestured his Auror and with a flick of his wand the 'Mud-bloods' were on their knees. "I would have thought you to be happy to see Severus' head roll."
Harry just glared gritting his teeth. "Don't Fudge… this will become an open declaration of war. You can't win; we out number you, and out gun you."
"Your pitiful threats do not trouble me Darc!" he hissed out. "You are safely contained and there is nothing you can do about it!"
"Minister," Lucius suddenly took his attention. "You do not seem to realise the implication of what you are about to do."
"I do not care for your opinion any longer Lucius!" he hissed smugly. "You have betrayed my trust."
"Idiot," Lucius spat. "I played you like a child's version of chess. You were nothing but my pawn, and easily in my pocket as long as I gave your 'campaign' money no matter what other more trust worthy sources might say about me. I no longer care what you do, but I shall leave you with one parting piece of advice. Don't kill those people!"
"Do it!" Fudge hissed smugly.
"NO!" Harry cried out in rage drawing both his Desert Eagles the laser sights active as he stepped into the wall of his 'prison'. The wall flexed and stretched like rubber but bounced like jelly as he pushed through what should have been solid, and when he finally stepped out it pinged back into place, once again a perfect sharp solid.
However, he was too late as he barely managed to witness the axes second swing leaving only the two girls alive (the youngest of Fudge's prisoners) as they had managed to avoid the first and second. Harry looked through the mess of blood and body parts to find Snape and hope the Old Man doesn't take his loss too hard. He was startled however as the executioner went to swing a third time to kill the young girls that Snape had emerged from the blood (soaked in it) and grabbed at the heavyset mans arms stalling his murderous swing.
"T-they're just children you-you fat fuck!" he hissed out angrily before gasping for breath as the executioner kneed him in the gut knocking him down and the wind out of him. Harry was likely the most surprised by this attempted act of heroism as the axemen went to swing his axe down on him.
Bang!
The sound reverberated throughout the hall bringing quiet as they all stared at the axemen, eyes widening as he had paused mid-swing with a gurgle in his throat as blood began pouring out of his mouth and many people gasped as they took note of the huge chunk blown out of the side of his head, exposing gray matter as the axemen keeled over with Snape scrambling out of the way he crashed down, his axe clattering. He was never getting up from that and rightfully so few thought while others started panicking.
"What the…" the Auror in gray (the Torturer) muttered dumbly before looking down at his chest. "Huh?" he questions the little glowing red dot as he looked up as he could see a red line attached to him through the airy dust (most of the crowd also seeing it and looking too). "Potter… how?" he whimpered as several people in the crowd screamed in horror and most likely messed them selves.
Harry James Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the dark wizard, Darc, is free.
"Like I said bitch," Harry muttered coldly. "Don't!" he held his right gun steady with the other loosely in his left hanging at his side and a light film of steam rising from the guns muzzle. "Bang!" he whispered as he squeezed the trigger and watched as a hole exploded into the man's chest and he dropped to the ground dead.
Harry's head turned sharply to his right, ruby red eyes glowing with furry as they lock onto Fudge. The Minister was frozen to the spot as that same right hand gun swung round too pointing at the Minister's crutch. "I said don't!" he growled out.
Bang!
The Minister screamed high and long as a huge bloody hole erupted between his legs and he fell to the ground frothing at the mouth, continuous screams issuing from his lips bleeding his throat raw, his legs kicking out in his agony as he cries and screamed, begging for help, begging to not die.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry looked over to see Snape had secured the torturers wand and killed an Auror before pulling the girls over with him standing with Harry; he killed another as the chamber was starting to regain their senses, survival instincts kicking in.
Bang!
Malfoy's hand was nearly blow off as he had escaped his 'captors' (killed them with a spare wand, idiots hadn't thought to look for one) and tried his chances for the Key of Twilight.
"Don't even think it. The Key is mine," he said pointing his wand at the blondes head. "Tell Voldemort that I have no problems with his conquest of the British Ministry as long as he leaves the Scientific World alone, and that includes those with no mage heritage and allows them to flee the country."
Malfoy sneered before straightening up and leaving with an emergency Portkey (Ministry issue)
"I hope you have an escape plan Potter or we're screwed," Snape muttered as he made quick work of an Auror as the man had decided to raise his wand.
"You leave our exit to me," he muttered as he looked over to the phone box entrance where several glittering rings were going unnoticed by anyone on the floor. "You just watch my back and we'll all get out of here!" he added as he quickly fired at Umbridge but she managed to use her escape portkey before the bullet hit. "Bitch!" he muttered darkly.
Bang!
Fudge screamed even harder on the verge of passing out as Harry blasted one of his arms off (no need to say which one). He then grabbed Snape's robe and pulled him closer. He would rather use one of the girls but unlike Dumbledore he shall not screw up someone else's fate with such responsibility at such a young age, (so Snape will do, he internally shrugged).
He practically forced Snape to look at the dismembered arm. "What holds your loyalty… the truth now!" he demanded.
Severus didn't know what made him answer. Maybe it was the situation, or the urgency Harry spoke but he did. "I was an idiot who held stupid grudges… mainly against my father for treating me and my mum so poorly, and I screwed up… it screwed me up and I made some fucked up choices… I just wish to end this crap, and maybe some day your mother … and father will forgive me!"
"T-the bracelet, take it and put it on!" Harry commanded as he shifted his stance and the floor tiles exploded up before shattering under the weight of the spells coming their way, and Harry moves slightly to guard the girls firing his guns rapidly mowing down enemy after enemy. He glanced at Snape as the older man fired a few killers and eyed the bracelet he retrieved wearily. "Put it on!" he commanded as he fired some more using the occasional bit of ground to block attacks.
Snape slid the bracelet onto his left right with a blasting hex at an Auror. He then screamed out as it shrunk to size and his wrist burnt, he collapsed to his knees but Harry ignored him as he continued crying and withering in agony. Harry brought the girls closer hiding them behind the Crycillist and grabbed Snape's robes dragging his whimpering body behind cover to as the ex-Professor felt like his wrist had exploded a thousand times.
Harry used his once 'prison' as cover, shooting around it as the girls now held onto his jacket for dear life whimpering and crying. He fired both guns round the prison but the Aurors never seemed to stop coming and trying to kill him. It must be apart of that stupid oath Dora told him about that Aurors take that is stopping them from fleeing (or at least a tactical retreat). The idiots were totally unprepared for any kind of retaliation or they would certainly not be loosing to him and Snape (when the ex-Professor gets over his ordeal at least).
The pain in his arm just seemed to disappear as suddenly as it was there and Severus felt great. Hell, he wasn't even sure he had been hurt. If it weren't for the blood coating his robes he wouldn't be too sure he was ever in any danger. However, the sound of fighting brought him back to reality as he saw Potter firing around the cell (using it for cover) with the two girls clutching him and crying. Though, Potter ignored their cries as he continued shooting around the prison as it seems to be impervious to magic.
Severus pulled him self shakily to his feet and looked at his left wrist with wide-eyes… on a check list he would say, bracelet check, dark mark… gone. That weird connection he had always felt was gone and a less forceful one had taken its place… one he realised he controls as he can now make out the bracelet is covered in tiny engraved runes and seals the likes he had never seen before.
"P-Potter, what the hell is this thing," he spoke as he gripped the wand surprisingly still clutched in his right hand and joined in the defence. "It ripped off the dark mark."
"Oh, just the Key of Twilight," he replied nonchalant as he continued his defence.
"Oh," Severus replied as his eyes widened. "Just the-the what?" he asked, but awaited no response as he slashed his wand cutting three Aurors in half to drop in pieces. "The freaking Key of Twilight. That thing's real and you force me into wearing it? A fucking Celestial Item? Are you bloody mad? Have you been spending too much time with Dumbledore?"
"Maybe, but hey, at least I'm smarter than him," he retorted as he began muttering an enchantment under his breath and the ground began shaking. In front of the prison huge thick rose vines ripped through the ground as Harry's words spoke in (if Severus is correct an East Asian language, most likely Japanese) louder. The vines entrapped several Aurors (most likely killing them) as it created a secondary defensive wall.
Harry stopped chanting and smirked smugly as he continued speaking as if he hadn't done anything spectacular. "Anyway better you than one of the girls. I'm not going to force their destiny like Dumbledore does mine. Your life however can't get anymore dangerous."
"Then why didn't you take it," he retorted. "Surely your life can't get that much more dangerous either?"
"It won't work for me," he replied shrugging as he scooped the girls up and began running to the fountain with Snape on his heals before ducking down quickly as a hail of fire headed their way. "But it will work for you, and with the coming bullcrap our side can use all of the help it can get."
"And why won't it work for you?" Snape demanded in curiosity. "I'm pretty sure the world would rather applaud Harry Potter… a Celestial Knight rather than me."
Harry just gave him a quick amused smirk as he shot some guy trying to sneak up on them. "Sorry Professor, unfortunately my role is not Knight," he laughed rolling his eyes. "The bracelet won't work for me. None of the items will. I'm just not compatible."
Snape just sneered as he flung several stinging hexes before tearing through an enemy shield with a killer. However, he did look thoughtful as he assaulted his enemy. He couldn't think on it much but had noticed one thing; his magical stamina seems to have gone through the roof as he can practically feel the bracelet restoring his strength.
"So when is Dumbledore and the Order due?" he asked instead of anything he realised the boy isn't going to divulge (though he has partially realised what he means, he would rather not think on it much right now, or ever for that matter).
Harry glanced at his watch and grinned. "Now," he said gesturing the visitor entrance from the Scientific World as several small silver rings was floating above the ground. Severus was admittedly amazed as bright light fog began poring out and forming into members of the Order of the Phoenix. Its members automatically casting spells left and right, taking vantage points, and Dumbledore like the show off Severus had come to know over the years was just strolling at a brisk pace batting away most spells but conjuring or using rubble to block unforgivable with a look of alarm at the destruction brought upon the place, (mostly done by Potter – vines etc.).
Dumbledore soon reached their vantage point and took cover with them. "Severus," he said in quite amazement. "What are you doing here? If Tom discovers your involvement in this operation I'm afraid that it may take a lot to stay within his good graces."
"Yeah well the Dark Lord is the least of our troubles Albus," he retorted. "But I'll update you later; we have to get out of here."
Dumbledore nodded reasonable. "I concur, but where's Cornelius?"
"Damn, I forgot!" Snape hissed, wand at the ready as he looked back to his last known location to see several Aurors guarding him as a medi-wizard had stopped the bleeding and it looked as if they were about to move him.
"No you don't," Harry growled as he holstered his right gun and held his right hand towards them palm forward. He closed his eyes for a moment and they blinked open as he spoke. This time Severus understood the command as Latin. "Transductus!" he muttered and they heard Fudge cry out and could just make him out as he slid a little across the floor. The Aurors all looked over in shock and alarm but too late as they saw Harry.
"TRANSDUCTUS!" he roared out and the Aurors turned to see Fudge screaming as he was sent flying into what should have been the spiky orange gold wall of the Crycillist Prison like rubber jelly it sucked him in happily and dropped him to the floor, and anyone watching could see Fudge's strength (what little remains) being dragged from his crying, screaming, whimpering body.
"Harry, he was injured, by you it seems, was that necessary?" Dumbledore asked in a reprimand.
"Possibly not," Harry agreed. "But it will disappear in a few hours so who cares."
"Harry, Albus, Snape!" Dora had charged over and dropped down with them as the five continued to protect this vantage. "Moody said we should probably get out of here now as it seems reinforcements have arrived and more are on the way. We won't be able to hold our positions much longer."
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I could use a very long shower," he nodded in agreement as Dumbledore passed Severus a Translocator beacon and told him of its use. He immediately placed it on a finger. "So, Hogsmead, here we come," he muttered as he held the two young girls tightly in his arms, holstering his other gun and Severus noticed the ring around his finger too and shook his head.
"Well old enough to fight a war, old enough to apparate," he muttered to him self as he watched Harry and the girls explode into red mist (he figures Potter has to be different) and through one of the earlier rings as it reactivated and he was gone. Severus frowned before he left in black fog.
Albus sighed as he looked around quickly, battering the odd spell away before he too left the destruction and chaos just after Nimphadora.
To Be Continued…
A/N:I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Compared to the original of this chapter this is a complete rewrite, and I believe is fare better written and complete. I hope it was entertaining enough (feedback is of course welcome in the form of a review etc.). And I'll hope to have the next chapter up and ready soon. But I do have a few new video games (Arkham City, infamous 2 and others I still have to play so when I am updating this fic will be the most likely subject of my main focus). However, I do intend to soon continue with CyberTech, Emerald, and Eyes of Sight, with others such as Player etc. coming when I have free time such as Collision Course, and Fade in the Shadows, so thank you for being patient (I know how frustrating it can be waiting on a chapter to a fic you enjoy).