Disclaimer.
Warnings: Mentions of disturbing themes, much like Rosalie's story...mentions of obliviate abuse, minor mentions of implied sexual abuse. More implied than anything else. Violence...um...
Chapter 9:
(9/11)
Bella sighed.
Alice had kidnapped her on Edward's orders so she didn't go to La Push to visit Jacob, even Alice seemed to think she was in danger when in company of the werewolves.
Alice had ordered good Italian take away and spent time giving Bella a pedicure but she didn't like being kept against her will.
She had wanted to go to La Push.
Harry also seemed to disapprove of Alice and Edward's actions much to Bella's surprise. He said it was too controlling and that he couldn't abide the prejudices between the wolves and the vampires.
Alice avoided Harry's gaze whenever they were in the same room. Harry had laughed at her when she did this and explained to Bella why Alice was slightly wary of doing something Harry so obviously frowned upon.
"Well, once, when my children were all being very bull headed and not listening I sort of may have taken an essential part of their cars out of every single car in the garage, even Carlisle's. They listened after that and three hours later had to admit I was right." Harry told her with a reminiscent smile, Harry had gotten them to stay inside instead of attending school, they hadn't listened when he had said blood would be spilt too close for them to be around.
They hadn't listened because Alice didn't have a vision and Harry had only told them on a tip from his friend Luna Lovegood (another vampire) whom they saw as well...not quite there, a few screws loose Harry thought the phrase was.
They had apologised later and Harry had given them the parts of their cars back, he had been able to take them out but not put them back in.
"Why is it that you're the only one who thinks I'm perfectly safe around the pack and Jacob?" Bella asked Harry grumpily as he chopped up some chicken for kebabs he was making Charlie.
Harry chuckled.
"I don't think you're perfectly safe around them." Harry stated simply. Bella turned to him mouth agape with surprise and a hint of outrage. Harry smiled and held up a hand to halt Bella's tirade before she even started.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't think you or anyone else is perfectly safe anywhere. And the wolves are dangerous but so are we; vampires are just as dangerous to you as adolescent wolves. And you are friends with Jacob; I don't think it is fair for Edward to say you can't see your friend. Carlisle isn't against you seeing them and Emmett doesn't see a problem. But the rest..." Harry trailed off and Bella smiled ruefully.
She felt better knowing that Harry also thought that Alice and Edward were being stupid.
"But why do you not have a problem with the werewolves?" Bella asked noting that Harry hadn't actually answered her question. Harry smiled.
"You don't miss much do you." Harry stated admiringly but explained at Bella's expectant look.
"When I was human my sort of second godfather, a man I much admired and thought of as an uncle, was a werewolf. Not a shape-shifter like the La Plush pack but a true werewolf, allergic to silver and turning to a mindless beast on a full moon. He was the kindest, gentlest man outside of his transformations and yet many people hated him just because of something that he couldn't control and only occurred once a month! It was prejudice, pure and simple." Harry finished with a slightly resigned bitterness. He smiled a little ruefully.
"Sorry, the subject is dear to me." Harry explained. Bella closed her open mouth.
"I didn't know there were actual werewolves other than the La Plush pack." Bella stated eyebrows furrowed in thought. Harry chuckled.
"Oh the La Plush pack aren't werewolves! They are shape-shifters it is only chance and a genetic quirk that they are all wolves instead of...eagles or bears." Harry corrected carefully putting some green pepper on each skewer.
"What happened to your...uncle, the werewolf?" Bella asked curiously wincing at her lack of tact once the question left her mouth. Harry smiled reminiscently.
"He...there was a war on that we were part of. In the final battle I found his dead body next to that of his wife, she had fallen protecting his corpse. They left behind their son and my godson, little Teddy." Harry explained smile slipping and Bella left the room as his green eyes darkened in memories, lost to the world now, stuck in his memories.
...
Bella lay on the couch in Edward's room thinking over Rosalie's sad story.
It was, as she had told Rosalie, nice to know the reasons why she didn't want Bella to be a vampire but her story had been...unpleasant to say the least.
A knock came from the door for the second time that night.
"Come in." Bella called. Harry stood at the entrance looking slightly discomfited before he wandered in looking from the empty large ornate bed to Bella who was situated on the couch with the huge gold duvet instead. His lips twitched and Bella knew he was resisting the urge to laugh.
Harry sat on the edge of the sofa; probably to make her feel more comfortable, standing up while others were sitting did tend to unnerve people normally.
"I couldn't help but hear Rosalie's and your conversation, privacy in a house of vampires is very hard to obtain." Harry said with an odd skew to his lips.
"It's probably not conductive to a goodnights sleep, hearing her story, is it?" Harry commented eyeing her slightly disturbed expression with sympathy.
"I suppose I wanted to come and explain why I too was reluctant in agreeing to you being turned...but I have already done so. I won't convince you to change your mind, that would be unfair." Harry stated. Bella frowned.
"Then, not that I don't like your company, what did you want to talk about?" Bella asked curiously. Harry chuckled without mirth.
"I am sure you have realised by now that none of our stories are particularly happy ones. I won't burden you with my story, I used to get nightmares when I was human I wouldn't wish them on anyone." Harry began. Bella eyed him curiously, now she wanted to know how he had been turned, what his story was.
"I suppose I wanted to make sure you make a fully informed decision when you decided to be turned. I don't suppose anyone has explained what it entails? The differences between humans and vampires?" Harry asked. Bella wordlessly shook her head, she was glad now Harry would tell her. Edward didn't want her to know about these things, he had been angry with Alice when he realised she had told Bella that their venom turned people over three days.
"Right. You know how painful a bite is, I am sure you remember the burning agony...I'm sorry to say it gets worse at the end. I think I screamed twice to begin with before realising screaming didn't help and I was used to torture, torture that is more painful than a vampire bite but not as long lasting." Bella blanched at the thought and Harry hurried on a little chagrined he had scared her.
"Anyway after it gets worse it stops suddenly, your heart stops and the pain ends. It is a magnificent feeling, the new strength and the lack of pain. But mere seconds into waking up newborn vampires become overwhelmed with thirst. It takes over everything; you would do anything for the succulent blood contained by fragile human containers. You lose all rational thought." Harry swallowed.
"I was very close to attempting to kill my friend. And apparently as a newborn I had exceptional control." Harry held Bella's gaze, his green eyes burning.
"My best friend who had also turned at the time attempted to kill me to get to the humans in the house or the streets in London. I still bear the scars. He has learned control now and he remains repentant for attacking me no matter how many times I tell him it wasn't his fault!" Harry shook his head a grin on his face. Bella could tell Harry was editing his story, keeping quiet the more gruesome aspects so as not to scare her so much, Bella wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or irritated. She went with relieved.
Harry rolled up the sleeve of his t-shirt to reveal his pale shoulder. He gently took Bella's hand so she could trace the outline of raised skin, a scar her eyes couldn't see in the darkened room. Bella gasped.
"That feels like my scar!" She exclaimed tracing the familiar shaped scar on her hand, the hand James had bitten.
Harry nodded.
"Yes, I was the most controlled out of all the newborns for some reason so I had to deal with them. There were no other older vampires around. I barely managed to save one of my friends who had saved us from the party, a newborn had bitten her but I got him off of her and protected her. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done, her blood was so tempting but I didn't breathe, I didn't smell the air and I made it. She was turned also. Luna didn't even seem fazed by it all; when she was fully turned she just turned to me and said 'oh, well that wasn't an experience I would like to repeat. But it wasn't half interesting.'" Harry chuckled.
"Blood. That is all a newborn wants, all it can focus on for a while, normally a year. They are also strong, far stronger than Emmett even. It is very hard to control a newborn and I have never been more thankful for my magic when I was dealing with more than ten newborns relatively alone." Harry paused rubbing his chest in remembered pain there was more to Luna's story and his ability to resist her blood in that instance but he didn't need to go into it now.
"Every human calls to vampires, even very old vampires. And Carlisle isn't counted as old by the way." Harry offered with a chuckle; a light snore hit his ears and he noticed Bella was sound asleep a tiny frown crinkling her forehead. Harry chuckled once more and left the room silently.
...
Harry was all set to berate Edward for having kidnapped Bella when he came back from hunting but surprisingly before he could even speak Edward nodded, reading his thoughts, and he agreed with him.
It had surprised Harry and pleased him. It was good Edward was attempting to get over his prejudice and trying to not be quite so overprotective of Bella.
But...
It seemed like he was just pretending, acting like it was all fine. Harry couldn't totally be sure seeing as Edward was a truly amazing actor (Harry was a truly appalling one).
xxx
Harry ran around Bella's house, it was his turn to keep guard, all the Cullens were taking turns and so was Jacob in his wolf form.
Harry started leaving out some food and a pair of trousers for the boy whenever he knew Jacob would turn up after Harry's shift, he even got the others to do so too.
According to Edward Jacob was not only patrolling around Bella's house but also doing his fair share of the patrols for Sam and the La Plush pack...the boy was probably exhausted.
Sometimes when Harry collected the plates they were empty and at others full...it was as if Jacob was torn by the decision to accept the vampires help. Harry left two pairs of trousers hidden at the base of a tree; Jacob would smell them out if he needed to.
Harry ignored the paper, the killings in Seattle were still rising in number and Harry had a feeling that there was more than one newborn running amok...it was not a cheering thought.
...
It was mere days before Edward, Alice and Bella's graduation when Edward walked into the house with Bella, they were both skipping school as was Alice.
Harry listened intently to Jasper's story as he told it to Bella, editing out the worst, he like all the others had heard it before but it held interest for Harry, he all too visibly recalled how a newborn vampire, how many newborn vampires, were.
But Jasper's tale of newborn armies was far more bloodthirsty and horrific than Harry's own dealings with a large collection of newborns.
Jasper being able to manipulate emotions but also feeling them from others lived by emotions. For his first century (nearly) as a vampire Jasper had lived surrounded by bloodlust, hate and anger and so inevitably he felt those emotions too. It was a sad cycle, a catch-22, and Harry was extremely glad that Peter had come back for Jasper and that Jasper had left Maria of his own free will.
Jasper had turned a blind eye when Peter ran away with Charlotte, and Peter and Jasper were friends. Maria had not been happy with Jasper for not even trying to kill Peter for his desertion.
Harry smiled at Jasper and Alice's clasped hands, they were so good for each other.
His smile faded when he realised the implications.
He had been correct there was more than one newborn loose in Seattle.
There was a newborn army.
Harry sighed, Jasper was going to teach them how to fight newborns, Harry hated fighting and he despised fighting newborns.
Newborns, generally, were so consumed by bloodlust that they had barely another thought in their minds apart from their next meal. They were feral, dangerous and their minds stuck on blood. They would tear through anything in their path for blood; literally, they were dangerous in their unthinking savagery their simple brute force charge.
Harry listened absently to Carlisle's phone call. He was calling the Denali Coven to see if they would help them destroy the newborn army set to attack them. Harry snapped to attention, flitting over to Carlisle's side when he heard the irritation in Carlisle's voice, he so seldom was irritated by anything.
"They won't help." Harry guessed frowning in confusion, why not?
Oh. Irina had loved Laurent and the wolves had killed him defending Bella. Irina wanted revenge on the wolves and the price for their help was destroying the wolves first.
Something none of the Cullen's would agree to.
Which meant the chances of all of the Cullen's surviving the battle against the newborns was low...too low.
Harry clasped Carlisle's hand and looked around at his children, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, Edward and Bella. Would this be the last week he saw them all together, all healthy and alive?
xxx
Harry groaned as Alice told him to put up some fairy lights in the drive so people knew where to go to get to their house. He grumpily made his way outside trailing the fairy lights over some trees swiftly then going back inside hoping to avoid Alice.
No such luck.
Alice was setting up the house for Bella, Alice and Edward's graduation party; she was going all out and had invited far too many people.
Harry, when he had finished the next task Alice set him to, snuck into Carlisle's study.
Carlisle chuckled as he watched Harry slink behind a book case and out of sight of anyone coming in through the door.
Harry frowned to himself getting his thoughts in order. Alice had told them all that Bella had worked out something. That the same vampire that had stolen some of Bella's clothes was taking it for the person running the newborn army, that the newborn army was targeting Bella specifically, not the Cullens.
At least they knew it wasn't the Volturi. It was Victoria getting her revenge for James's death. Well Harry assumed it was, Edward was still stuck on the suspicion that it was the Volturi.
Harry sighed and restlessly made his way over to Carlisle smiling when Carlisle tugged him gently onto his lap. Harry could feel the tension leave him as Carlisle mapped out his mouth in a deep kiss.
They didn't need oxygen so they could just sit their kissing for hours without pause...if the door hadn't swung open and Alice hadn't danced in.
Harry broke away from the kiss and whined pressing his head against Carlisle's shaking shoulder, Carlisle was laughing at him. Alice dragged him off Carlisle's lap and out of the room telling him what she needed done now. Carlisle laughed harder at Harry's petulant expression and grumpy faces sent at Alice's back.
Harry attempted to look welcoming and untroubled as people started pouring in for the party. How many people did Alice invite? 60? 70?
He thought he succeeded especially when people started talking to him, the humans avoided the rest of the Cullens...Harry thought it was probably due to the odd light in their living room that now resembled a night club, the light glanced off their too pale skin oddly. It also was probably due to the fact humans felt uneasy next to vampires...apart from Harry.
Harry knew the instant the three Quileute shape-shifters arrived, he could smell the wet dog smell...it wasn't very pleasant but then vampires smelled awful to the shifters as well. Harry edged towards Bella curiously, the wolves fascinated him and he hoped Jacob wasn't as tired as Edward had mentioned he was from all the extra patrols.
Harry stiffened as he caught the conversation and hope lit his eyes. Would the wolves really work with them to destroy the newborns and Victoria? With them the numbers would be far more in both of their favours...the newborns wouldn't stand a chance.
Harry eyed the three hulking boys that seemed to be eagerly anticipating the fight. What they really needed was...bait. Harry's eyes glanced over Bella.
Suddenly Edward appeared snarling at Harry; obviously Edward had heard his thoughts. Harry held up his hands eyeing Edward with clinical observation.
"I wouldn't suggest using Bella, that would be dangerous...although actually having her with us would be the least dangerous for her safety, what if a few of the army followed her without our knowledge? But I was actually thinking of one of us wearing Bella's clothes, or even all of us wearing something with her scent on to draw them somewhere where we can meet the newborn army so no more humans are killed." Harry realised he had Bella, Alice, Jacob, Edward, Jasper and Jacob's two friends attention.
Jasper, Alice and Jacob's two friends looked considering, Jacob and Edward however looked slightly enraged at the threat to Bella.
"It's a good idea; they are hunting vampire girl after all." The taller of Jacob's friends commented.
"So when are we meeting to get some practice in fighting vampire armies?" Harry asked trying to redirect their attention.
They settled on a time and the wolves left looking exulted.
Harry rubbed his head, it ached.
...
Harry waited in the same field they usually played baseball in for the wolves and for Edward.
Edward arrived with Bella and it wasn't even two minutes later that the wolves arrived. Harry gasped, there were ten wolves!
Last Harry had known there had been five and that was considered a big pack!
"Fascinating." Harry and Carlisle breathed in unison before sharing an exulted grin.
Sam, using Edward as a mouth piece- Edward could read his thoughts and spoke for the wolves, said the wolves would watch and not participate.
Harry waited for his turn against Jasper. Harry was undoubtedly the worst at hand to hand combat and it showed quite obviously. While Alice beat Jasper, Jasper beat Rosalie after a while, Jasper and Edward drew, Jasper beat Emmett and Carlisle and Jasper sort of drew but the odds looked to be in Jasper's favour, Harry was taken down within seconds.
Harry grinned at Jasper; he really sucked at hand to hand combat. The wolves seemed to be amused at his failure. Jasper tilted his head to one side watching Harry.
"Edward and Alice, how about we all go against Harry and he uses his gift." Jasper suggested with an uneasy look to the wolves, he didn't particularly want to reveal more to them but Harry did need practice and Bella seemed worried at how Harry would fare seeing as he was taken down so quickly.
Harry twitched his fingers making sure his wand was in his hand. Bella frowned.
The attack was swift and over quickly. Jasper, Edward and Alice lay on the ground unmoving and Harry stood serenely, he had barely moved, just tapped them all gently.
Harry knew it wouldn't have worked if Edward could read his thoughts clearly and if Alice's visions were as clear with him as they were everyone else's (apart from the wolves).
The wolves looked more than a little shocked. Harry moved lightly over to the three prone forms and with a mutter inaudible to the wolves or vampires tapped the three gently. Alice, Edward and Jasper jumped up, Jasper grinned throwing an arm around Harry.
"You did something different this time!" Jasper exclaimed looking thrilled. Harry smiled gently at Jasper's enthusiasm.
"Severus does like creating spells." Harry commented quietly, rubbing his head. "It wears off after ten seconds though."
Stunning spells did not even down a vampire and so Severus had been attempting to create a spell that would, this was his latest invention and it was a significant improvement. It sort of froze all the blood in a vampires system for a few seconds and as vampires got their strength from blood...It was a spell that would kill a human.
Harry stood next to Carlisle as the wolves approached; the wolves needed each of their scents so they would recognise them later and so they wouldn't mistakenly attack them in the battle.
The wolves seemed to wince as they sniffed each of them in turn and Harry frowned. He stepped towards them once the scenting was done.
"Is the way we smell a problem? Is it physically painful?" Harry asked head cocked to one side. Edward spoke for the leader.
"The smell is sickly sweet, much like bleach." Edward spoke for the big black furred wolf.
"Hmmm." Harry made a slight movement of his wand and the wolves looked at him in surprise even as Jasper frowned in thought.
"What did you do?" Edward once again spoke in a monotone, speaking for Sam.
"I tried to reduce or dampen our scents...I don't think it will last long but I can do that tomorrow as well if you want?" Harry offered, vampires scent seemed to burn the wolves noses when they smelt it and Harry himself detested the smell of bleach.
"That is appreciated." Sam thanked through Edward stiffly.
The wolves had left, apart from Jacob who was talking to Bella and Edward back in his human shape.
Harry made his way to Carlisle rubbing his head. Carlisle absently wrapped an arm around his waist and they stared at the stars each lost in their own thoughts.
...
Harry leaned into Carlisle's side absently. They were back at the baseball field for another practice at fighting.
Three wolves had turned up this time instead of the whole pack and Harry recognised Jacob, they were just waiting for Edward to appear, probably with Bella. Edward had told them that he would be sitting out the battle, staying with Bella as per her request along with Seth.
Bella seated herself next to Jacob in his wolf form and Edward went to help Jasper. Jasper was showing them tactics to fight against multiple opponents.
It was halfway through their practice when Alice stiffened as did Edward. Edward was by Bella's side in a flash startling her by her small jump.
"Wha-" Harry froze. No one in the field moved; not even the wolves or Bella. They were stuck rigid in the positions they had been just a split second before as if they had been put under a 'Petrificus Totalus' a body bind spell.
Harry could see the darting eyes from everyone as they tried to work out why they couldn't move. Harry followed where Alice and Edward were looking to the exact place where James, Laurent and Victoria had appeared before.
A low musical chuckle drifted across the field and if he could have Harry would have flinched. He knew that darkly amused chuckle well.
Long before Bella's human eyes could spot them Harry noticed the figures approaching, the world faded from Harry's view and his eyes locked on the centre most figure, everyone else was irrelevant.
"Tsk tsk, Harry. You need to look after yourself better; it would be so easy for me to tear that pretty little neck to pieces." A rich warm voice spoke the smooth, kindly tone making the words so much more sinister.
Suddenly a hand grabbed his throat and Harry looked down the long arm holding his throat in one hand to the tall, muscular man with curly blond hair and blood red eyes. Harry tried to glare but couldn't.
"Is that all? No greeting for little old me? Surely you remember me, dear? No 'Hello Theodore it has been a while', no 'sorry for the last meeting', no 'sorry for ripping off my arm'?" Theodore commented one eyebrow raised looking faux hurt. "Shame." He commented in a cold voice that was all the more terrifying for his warm tones (fake though they were) before.
He threw Harry away from him and Harry still trapped in the body bind (how had Theodore done that? Normal body bind spells didn't work on vampires and shape-shifters.) fell to the ground stiff as a board.
Harry heard a howl in the distance.
"Pathetic." Theodore spat. "You always were rather pitiful but you have sunk to new lows." Theodore's voice turned warm, cajoling almost as he paced in a circle around Harry's prone form. "At least in the past you led battles to war, you led people to victory. Now what do you do? You play happy families." Theodore snarled picking Harry up with one hand around the back of his neck and shaking him.
"Don't you remember? You rallied the troops; you at seventeen years old led an army against one of the most powerful men in existence. And yet, since you have become so much more, a vampire with enhanced everything; you have refused to take a single life. Pathetic. But I digress." Theodore shook his head smiling a seemingly benign smile, Harry watched him warily struggling, trying to break whatever was holding him in the body bind.
Theodore's moods had always been...unpredictable but they were downright unstable now.
"You see, after our last encounter, where you sent me to prison, I decided I would have to gain more power, more allies. So I studied magic fully, I do hope you are enjoying my invention. It tends to incapacitate a large number of people at one time, makes them completely immobile but they are still conscious. You are but a mere thorn in my side now, Harry dear. You were the only one who escaped." Theodore patted him none too gently on the cheek.
"Now, I want to tell you a story, do sit tight." Theodore chuckled at his own joke and gracefully, even for a vampire, knelt by Harry's side so Harry could see his face easily.
Another howl rent the air.
"Once upon a time there was a boy-hero, his name was Harry Potter. Now this Harry Potter, while not minding breaking a few rules, or laws, was a goody-goody, he had won a war against a rather powerful man all before he reached the age of eighteen. Now as we know in a battle there will be deaths, two people very close to the hero-boy died in the final battle and so poor little Harry was left with their son to look after.
Little Teddy was only a few months old at this point so Harry and the babies grandmother became his new parents. And all was well for a while.
But what is a fairy tale without a good old fashioned villain?
So the bad guy of the story, one Theodore Nott, entered the picture. Now Theodore wanted the boy-hero, Harry was just so irresistible then, so innocent and naive, so young with such compelling big green eyes. So Theodore set out to woo the boy-hero.
Harry, you were so easily led, so easy to enchant.
Theodore pretended to care for the boy-hero all the while laughing at the boy's naiveté. And soon the boy-hero fancied himself in love with the big bad nasty bad guy.
It takes one word, a simple 'obliviate' and your memory is wiped. You never really questioned the slight blank spots in your memory, nor did you rationalise the fear you occasionally felt in my presence. Until the one time you escaped before I had wiped your memories and healed your body, you look so enticing covered in bruises, dear.
And then the big bad guy saw the boy-hero cosying up to one Severus Snape during an open ball. The big bad guy was already furious at the boy-heroes escape, no one had denied Theodore before, but he waited biding his time to destroy the boy-hero who had humiliated him so by leaving before he was finished with the green eyed boy.
Then he struck the perfect idea. What did the boy-hero love more than anything in the world? Why, his four year old godson, of course." Theodore paused and Harry felt horror building in his gut and a sinking realisation.
"So Theodore plotted and planned. He even gained some allies, vampires in fact. This was perfect! Another way to attack Harry, so Theodore tricked the vampires into going to a party where many witches and wizards were attending, Theodore had promised them a banquet; he said nothing about the humans being able to fight back.
He had never imagined though, that the boy-hero himself would be bitten! So Theodore refined his plans, he decided to leave little Teddy alone, maybe as a vampire the boy-hero might lose his control and kill the boy himself.
That would have destroyed you.
But Harry being the little martyr he was stayed away from his beloved son, he didn't want the boy to be at risk. The boy-hero even looked after all the other vampires turned the night of the ill fated party, stopping them from killing human filth!" Theodore paused again and speedily ripped Harry's shirt and removed it from Harry leaving his torso bare and the many bite marks that littered Harry's chest on display. Theodore caressed them with a gentle fearsome touch. One long finger tracing down Harry's chest.
"No matter how many times they bit and attempted to kill Harry the boy-hero stayed looking after the newborn vampires until they learnt some control and wouldn't go out and massacre hundreds of humans. But some of the vampires chaffed, they didn't want to drink animal blood like Harry told them to, they wanted delicious human blood. That was when one of Harry's little human friends was bitten.
You came so close to killing your friends that day, it would have been delicious to see you unfettered by your sickeningly moral constraints.
After roughly fifteen years Harry though himself in enough control to return to see Teddy, little Teddy all grown up now." Theodore chuckled and it was not a nice sound.
"Now, Teddy's father was a werewolf, a true werewolf of the moon, and isn't it curious the natural dislike between werewolves and vampires?
And Theodore was curious, what would happen if a werewolves child was injected with vampire venom? Teddy died in a fever; the venom seemed to have burnt through his system slower than it turns people, probably battling the werewolf gene.
Harry's face when he returned to find out little Teddy had died of sickness just two months before hand, thrilled Theodore for weeks afterwards. The boy-hero had looked so agonised, so in pain it was delicious.
And then the pain had turned to rage.
The little boy-hero was ready to kill to avenge his dear child. But Severus Snape restrained Harry, unfortunately." Theodore turned burning red eyes to Harry and his face was twisted with an odd intense sort of madness.
"Your anger would have been perfect! Brilliant and beautiful as you spilled guts and blood just as a red sun rose. Such a shame you resisted." Theodore stood looking down at Harry triumphantly.
"I broke the golden boy, I broke Harry Potter. You were never the same after you sons death." Theodore stated with exultation. In a sudden unexpected move Theodore leaned closer and bit savagely into Harry's shoulder adding to the plethora of marks already etched on Harry's torso.
A howl, much closer now could be heard and Theodore looked to the sound and turned to leave.
"I made a new friend, one who seemed bent on getting revenge on the Cullens for some reason, Victoria is her name, I'm sure you know her." Theodore directed this smirking comment to Edward.
"Do you like the magic that is currently freezing you all in place? I designed the ward, it feeds a continuous loop of blood freezing curses at any vampire I have set it to, using all of your...signatures I should say even though most of the pitiful vampires you surround yourself with don't have a drop of magic. It works on wolves as well; your little human pet only needed a well aimed body-bind. Such a shame the wolves only sent three of their members...it doesn't work so well long distance." Theodore sneered.
"The best part about the ward? It feeds off of your power Harry. And I do hope you're enjoying the headaches, Harry dear, it took so long to unearth that particular curse..." Theodore smirked tapping Harry's head.
"Come, it's time to leave. I played my piece; the next move is Harry's. The wolves weren't held for long, they were too far away to be affected properly." Theodore ordered the vampires that accompanied him.
Harry lay, trapped by the body bind, mind racing but stuck on one point. Theodore had killed Teddy.
Theodore murdered Teddy.
Theodore murdered Harry's Teddy.
Theodore murdered Harry's son.
It didn't matter that Teddy had died nearly 200 years ago, as a vampire time flowed a little differently and Harry doubted any parent got over the death of their child fully. And Harry's human memories hadn't faded, he could still picture Teddy's toothy grin and wide eyes, his little heart shaped face so much like his mothers.
Harry felt a blinding fury rise up within him, someone had murdered his child!
Harry's finger twitched.
Theodore was just there...just a mere metre away...
Snap!
The invisible bindings tying his magical signature to the ward broke and Harry was up and moving.
He leapt for Theodore before he had even realised his own escape.
Theodore dodged out of the way looking utterly surprised Harry had already broken the bonds. Theodore laughed.
"Don't interfere, this is Harry's move, he was always terrible at chess." Theodore ordered his companions dodging again.
Harry wasn't aware of anything but the burning fury that lit his veins and blinded him.
Was it moments later or hours? When Harry had Theodore trapped, his teeth poised to tear a chunk out of Theodore's throat. Harry wasn't good at fighting but neither, it seemed, was Theodore. Theodore chuckled.
"There's the hate! The beautiful anger! Your true nature unveiled. Are you going to kill me Harry?"
Theodore's words stopped Harry cold piercing through the red fog that had clouded his mind.
He remembered his third year at Hogwarts and Sirius Black, his godfather, saying those very same words to him 'Are you going to kill me Harry?'. He also remembered his passionate appeal to Sirius and Remus not to kill Peter Pettigrew because he thought his father wouldn't have wanted his friends to be murderers.
Murderer. He was holding a murderer and Harry didn't want to be a murderer.
Harry let go of Theodore, dropping him suddenly.
Theodore turned face full of shock and burning anger.
"No! You were supposed to lose yourself to your anger! You weren't supposed to stop! Your rage is magnificent, you were supposed to...Why must you always spoil my fun?!" Theodore raged eyes a gleaming sinisterly, blood red.
Harry stepped away from Theodore face blank but his green eyes burned.
A swift mass of fur landed on Theodore's distracted form and the massive creatures teeth tore into Theodore.
Harry remained motionless as all the Cullens, Jacob and his two friends in wolf form and Bella started to wriggle and slowly regain full control of their bodies. Harry didn't even flinch when the remainder of the pack, not the three sent to watch the Cullens learning to fight newborns, tore Theodore and his companions to shreds with violent ripping noises and fierce snarls.
Harry gasped when Carlisle wrapped him in an embrace.
If Harry could have cried, tears would have been falling without pause down his face. Instead he cried tearless, heart breaking dry sobs into Carlisle's chest.
"He killed Teddy...Teddy...I should have protected him...I should have returned sooner...my son...Teddy..." Harry gasped incomprehensible words and sentences.
Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie or Alice must have seen the wolves off with a thanks as Carlisle wasn't moving from Harry and Harry barely even realised he was being held.
Eventually Harry stilled quelling his tearless sobs.
Carlisle tilted up his face and brushed away his perpetually messy hair from his face. Harry didn't know what Carlisle saw in his face but whatever it was meant Carlisle pressed his lips against Harry's forehead and left them there and Harry was not going to argue with that.
"Would it sound condescending to say I am very proud of you?" Carlisle asked gently a small smile on his lips. Harry's lips twitched.
"I don't think I have ever killed anybody, really, not with the intent to kill anyway. I was so close, Carlisle, so close to ripping out Theodore's throat..." Harry shuddered and Carlisle tightened his grip around Harry.
"It would be justice to kill Theodore because he killed my son. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him. Anyway, just because it is justice doesn't mean I get to dish it out." Harry stated in even tones. Of course if someone was murdering lots of people indiscriminately or committing other horrendous acts then they should be stopped, Harry had managed to get Theodore sent to Azkaban for a while due to some pretty nasty things Theodore had done, but Harry meant they should be sent to prison...not killed.
He was far from calm really, but he felt a peace he hadn't felt since he was human, almost like a piece of jigsaw puzzle that Harry couldn't find had been found in the great puzzle that was life. And while the piece may have been bent out of shape it still fit in its slot.
He loved Teddy, he always would but he had grieved for him properly before...this new revelation didn't really change anything, Teddy was still dead.
It might have made Harry feel even guiltier he wasn't there to try and prevent Teddy's death from ever happening but even then he might not have been able to save Teddy's life.
He linked arms with Carlisle; his children had long since left the field, probably to give him and Carlisle some space and privacy, and sent a sideways slanted look in Carlisle's direction.
"Shall we spend the night elsewhere from nosy brats?" Harry asked grinning cheekily, it was a faint grin not nearly as bright as his usual grins but it was better than the blank expression Harry had sported before. Carlisle blinked before chuckling.
"Lead on."