All Along the Watchtower

Chapter 13- Doomed to Fall

Harry re-set the video-camera for the fifth time. He couldn't get it right. This would be the final time he decided. The 'death DVD' was a tradition within the squads but one of the obscure traditions no one really talked about. But in Harry's line of work one could never be so complacent; three Talons were killed the week before and two were critical in the ICU. Doctor Landry was doing her best for Connor's boys. Their Captain was one of the three killed and Connor had taken over. Harry was disappointed have lost him but he had no doubt the Talons would benefit greatly from his leadership.

Harry and four others were heading to Afghanistan to assist with a situation which had arisen and he knew they'd miss him. Mark was also going, along with Paul and John. Harry hoped they'd all be back before the week's end, it was his Mother's birthday and Harry didn't want to disappoint her by not turning up. He avoided his old home and family too much and it would be good for Sirius's incessant curiosity in his affairs quiet a touch. His Godfather didn't quite understand the dangerous game he played with his investigations

Harry finished re-setting the muggle device and settled onto his bed. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Hi guys." He breathed out in annoyance. "A death DVD? This all seems like a bad cliché to me but I've got to do this eventually." The DVD was for Cho and Kaden. If he died the two of them would need the most closure. Everyone else; his family, Sirius, Karen, Aberforth, Remus, Hedwig and Shan, even the Old Man had a pre-written letter.

Harry smiled as best he could under the grim circumstance. "Hi Cho…by now you know what I do for a living, well what I did. I hope it lives up to your wild expectations. I'm not a Hit Wizard or Unspeakable; I'm an Assassin of the Elemental Order. Ask Mei-Lin or Kaden, they can fill in the details. I hope you can be proud of me and understand why I do this. Hell…" Harry snickered at the notion, it was too predictable. "Kaden probably went down with me; he claims I get all the credit."

Harry sighed. "But if you're watching this…I'm dead…all I can say is I'm sorry and I don't think it'll be anything too heroic. Don't blame yourself, it wasn't anyone's fault, I chose this life and I know what it could bring about." Harry took a moment and gathered his thoughts. "But even in my world of darkness and the never ending streaks of grey, there's always been a light at the end of the tunnel. You're that light. You're reason I want to kill that bastard and have that happily ever after you always go on about. I know we've been having problems but who doesn't? I've changed, I know that but I've changed because I have to. It's the only way. I'll never be the perfect paragon of light like Dumbledore, I use what I have to win, Dark magic, my Element, enhancements, I'd do a deal with the devil id I could!" Harry paused." I need you to know that I love you, please remember that. I may not have said it yet, but it's the reason I get up in the morning. Your laugh, your snoring of all things and the way you can brighten even my best days just that bit more, and for that I want to give you this."

Harry searched around in the cardboard box at his side. He brought out a small box and opened it; revealing a beautiful mythril necklace with an incredibly unique gemstone. "This is an adamantine gemstone with a chain is made of mythril and the stone is infused with my Element. When you wear it, you will feel me. Even if I die, a part of me will always be with you." Harry closed the box up trapping the fiery violet gemstone inside. "Cho I mean it when I say move on, find someone who can make you happy. I love you Cho."

Harry looked away before turning back to the camera with a lopsided grin. "Onto you now Blackwood, you better not have sailed down with me otherwise I'll kick your Scottish ass! That beautiful Princess needs you, so does Karen…and as much as she'll hate me saying this, look after Cho."

"Kaden…before you came to Hogwarts, I didn't have anyone. Any friends were driven away by James; I never understood why my brother would treat me like that. I'm only a Raven; it's not like I was a Snake, sometimes I wished I was just for it to make sense but I think it was fate. You gave me the confidence to fight back, to show people what I can do. For that I'll be always grateful. Never think I didn't want this life, that you pushed me into it. Being an Assassin has given my life purpose and meaning. Hopefully you'll never see this. Take care; you're a better brother than I could ask for."

"Look after everyone for me and don't give up. Kaden go after that bastard like a bat out of hell, AK him for me once and do it again just for kicks. Look after Karen; she needs you more than she lets you know. Tell the boys…cheers for a great ride…especially Rossi. Danielle, if you're there, you've surprised me over the past six months. At first I thought you were just another girl Kaden drew in, an airhead with the emotional depth of a teaspoon. But you've been like a sister to me these past few months and I can't thank you enough for that. You've helped me in my darkest hours, just remember he doesn't deserve you, he never did and don't laugh I'm in no way kidding!"

Harry couldn't hold back a smile at the bizarre situation but it died on his lips "Kaden please deliver the letters in the box to my mum and family and get someone to read Shan and Hedwig's to them they'll understand. Find a good home for them, try and make them all understand why and tell my mum that I love her. Thanks you. Kaden, the journey here has been incredible but you're on your own for the home stretch. Cho, I wish I could be there for you, I love you."

xxxxx

Kaden stared at the blank TV as Danielle rose from her seat and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, careful to avoid any of his injuries. "I'm going to check on Karen," she glanced over at Cho, "talk to her, it'll help."

"Thanks Princess," Kaden said quietly. As Danielle turned to walk away Kaden grabbed her hand and she looked at him, "don't be long."

"I won't." Danielle said; managing a small smile as she disappeared from sight.

Kaden composed himself and looked up at Chang who was busy studying the mythril necklace she recovered from the box. They were both dressed in black with Kaden wearing a completely black suit, shirt and tie, whereas Chang was wearing a modest black dress. They were just back from his best friend's funeral so Kaden could forgive her in the fashion stakes.

He knew he wasn't looking great after Sirius drunkenly blamed him for Harry's death. Kaden didn't defend himself as Sirius gifted him a black eye and burst lip. The cover story implemented over Harry's death was a simple Death Eater attack on a club in London. Harry supposedly took two Blasting Curses which had torn him apart, given them a convenient closed casket funeral. The story was corroborated but over twenty muggles before their memories were wiped clean by the Auror's Investigative Division. Sirius knew the head of the investigation well, and the man had obviously shared any doubts over the rather clean Death Eater attack, which had led to the death of no muggle bystanders. Kaden made a tactical retreat after the accusation was thrown despite Lady Potter's frantic apologies.

"Are you just going to stare at that thing all day?"

Cho looked up from the fiery crimson gemstone. "What?"

Kaden waited to answer. He didn't know about Chang but Harry being dead hadn't sunk in for him, even as he cradled the boy's broken body, the sadness and hopelessness outstripped his anger by lengths. Kaden spoke to him, shouted at him for ten minutes to wake up before Richie dragged him away as the Relief and Med teams arrived and he fell into a crumpled heap until Danielle arrived. She had consoled him, held him as some form of reality attempted to settle in and he refused it; using her powers to distract him and stop him from doing anything stupid. Kaden was grateful in a way but she didn't understand.

They were best mates. It wasn't fair that Harry died when Kaden didn't, it wasn't right. They did everything together.

Kaden gripped his thigh tightly, hard enough to bruise, forcing the sadness back into the depths. There was a time and a place for that. "Well first off you have your appointment with the Council tomorrow, are you ready?"

Cho nodded, still staring into the swirling flame. "Yes." Cho said bleakly. She didn't know why she was bothering with the whole charade. Harry wasn't there anymore and Mei-Lin didn't want her, undoubtedly her Uncle would follow if Mei-Lin had a whisper in his ear. She would lie, but that was it for a long while. "I don't see the point if Karen has her-"

"-Karen won't say a fucking word. You can hold me to that. One of Harry's last wishes was that you lived and I'll make sure that happens!" Kaden affirmed strongly. His sister had responded to Harry's death in a not-so-unexpected fashion. She almost publically blamed Chang for his death. Saying he was too distracted by her and what she was, that a distracted Assassin was a dead Assassin. Kaden had quickly shut her up but he was sure Karen's words bit deep, very deep, even Kaden could see the truth in them. "As soon as you pass the Council's trials you're a Reaper."

Cho nodded but looked surprised.

Kaden shrugged. "AJ's going to be in the Infirmary for a while and Rossi's going to be my new Lt but I've still got two spots open. One's going to some Italian guy call Gianluca Auditore and the other's on my command crew with Ollie, another Thunderkid would be welcome. Unless you want to try and patch things up with Mei-Lin and become a Dragon or a Night-"

"No." Cho said quickly, she wasn't ready to face Mei-Lin again. Not for a long while. "I want to be a Reaper." She squeezed the small jewel tightly in her hand, ignoring the sharp pain as the warm edge of the stone cut into her palm. "I want to find the bastard who killed him and you can help me."

"That's good to hear." Kaden said quietly, Chang needed something to live for; vengeance was as good a reason as any. "But one thing's for sure, Harry was our last hope. Now we fight until we can't fight anymore."

"I know." Cho whispered as she covered her eyes, the last thing she needed was for Kaden to see her cry again. He was terrible at comforting a girl beyond mindless sex and Cho would rather jump off a bridge, cliff or walk headfirst into a Killing Curse than go down that road.

Kaden perked up. "What do you plan on doing the rest of today?"

Cho sighed placing the necklace into the handbag at her side. "I was just going to go to bed, you don't mind if I…"

Kaden shook his head in disappointment. "When he was here you made him happy, you know that right?"

Cho gave a short, derisive laugh in response. In the end she wasn't happy, Harry wasn't happy. There was a wall between them that neither dared cross for fear of what would happen and when they eventually blew it up; they didn't have the time or energy to repair it. "He's gone, it doesn't matter anymore-"

"Yes it does! It tore him apart that he couldn't tell you. Why he had to lie and mislead you, he hated himself for that. What he said was true," Kaden continued, "you were why he did this! He knew people would look to him, but he didn't care about what anyone else thought but you. I remember after the First Task, he was scared that you'd look at him differently, think he was a freak." Kaden grinned. "Though right enough later he found out you were part of an ancient cult, hell bent on killing anyone like him..."

"I did look at him differently. He wasn't just my Harry anymore; he was everyone's Harry after the First Task. That was when he slipped away and Karen reached out to him." Cho wiped away a stray tear. "She always loved him better than I did. She pushed him; I was selfish and wanted to hold him back."

Kaden snorted. Chang was either horrible at reading people or had a blind spot when it came to Harry. God knows Kaden did. "Chang that's normal, d'you think I like the fact that Danielle's a Veela anymore than you liked the fact Harry was an insanely powerful wizard?"

Cho gave him a confused look. Cho knew Danielle was more than a fair catch; the looks were just the half of it from what she heard about Veela.

"You know what I mean, I hate it when guys sit and stare at her for no reason other than how she looks. They never realize how amazing she is, how annoying and stubborn she can be." Kaden smiled slightly but paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "She pulled me back from the edge after I found him. I was ready to go out, and it would've been big and bloody…now I'm at two, two people I love have died because of me and my mistakes-"

"-but it's not your fault, Harry chose. He even said so." Cho felt a strange kinship with him for the first time. "Merlin knows why, you're narcissistic, pretentious, a complete ass-"

"You have to remember that. He did this for you, not for anyone else or what they thought of him. Only you, so you could have that fairy tale ending."

"He told you about that?" Cho asked quietly, an unexpected tear leaking from her eye.

"Of course he did, he told me everything. We were best mates Chang; we didn't have too many secrets from each other and…" Kaden's hand fished around in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, placing them in her hands.

"No Harry wanted you to have it I know-"

"-no, it's only fair. You didn't get the house or dog. So the Shelby's yours but look after it; I'll just add some more green to the 350." Kaden said with a slight smile. The Shelby Mustang GT500 was of the '67 variety and very rare. Kaden was distraught when his dad agreed to sell it to Harry, he thought it was revenge for the Lamborghini incident of '05; his dad still brought that up every Christmas.

"Thank you." Cho said, toying with the memento.

"Don't worry about it and-" Kaden hesitated. "Well…if you ever…need to, you know…talk, I'm here…okay?" Kaden finished awkwardly.

Cho looked at him strangely; his discomfort evident. "And by talk you mean get drunk?"

"Yes, get into the most horrible state of drunkenness and reminisce…but Danielle thinks I've given up the drink…well mostly, she's not stupid. So we'll settle on talk…you know a code-word…we are Assassins after all or you will be." Kaden said.

Cho couldn't help but smile herself, it seemed like something stupid Harry and Kaden would have made up together while conspiring against the villainous Veela who'd incinerated their coveted Firewhiskey stash. "Okay then let's go 'talk'."

xxxxx

Cho Chang stepped out of the shower carefully to avoid slipping on the cold linoleum before stepping out into her messy room. Clothes were strewn on the floor, both clean and unclean, along with a few stray bullets and her two swords. The gleaming sliver edge of Sorrow and the midnight blue sheathed Blue Queen where badly in need of maintenance but she couldn't be bothered. Blood would still stain the blades when they took more, as it stained the tiles in her bathroom and her hands.

It was a long and hard eight months since Harry's death and the lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll. She was mentally and physically exhausted but knew the reprieve of sleep would never take her. Every time she caught even a second of its precious warmth she was reminded of him. His ghost whispered behind every swing of her swords and thrust of her wand. She felt hollow for months and nothing could fill the deep craving and desire to join her lost love in the afterlife.

But she had a purpose on the war torn Isles of Great Britain. She was an Assassin and a fairly spectacular one at that. She was assigned to the command team of the Reapers, the most legendary and feared name to be whispered among the Dark Lord's Legion.

Cho understood Harry more than she ever did when he was alive. She understood the burden of guilt he carried. Every weapon that lay strewn haphazardly on her floor had been used to bring death to her enemies, to his murderers. Make no mistake; Cho held everyone who bore the Mark responsible and she refused to part from the world until she had made them pay.

Stryfe vanished from the face of the earth after their duel a mere week and a half earlier in which he almost killed her. He succeeded in adding more scars to her body but Cho left him with a few to remember her by too. Her unlikely saviour was Gianluca Auditore da Firenze. Yet another boy who fell to her charm and almost paid the ultimate price. Luca was good for her and he made her smile, even if it was forced and made her laugh even if she had to push herself a little to break the dam. But despite his companionship Cho was still in his room, surrounded by his things, using his things, driving his car and wearing the necklace he left her. In the end if all came down to him.

So Cho dried herself off and put on some clothes. She laughed as she looked over the room, he was always the neat freak, and he would kill her for leaving his room in such a state. But he was dead.

xxxxx

Cho stepped out into the cold night, to her favourite place in the entire academy. The second floor balcony gave the perfect view of the Academy and the magnificent halo which encircled the building at its peak. It was a full moon and could faintly hear the howling of wolves deep in the forest. She knew Captain Wilson and a few of his Wolves, those who were actually werewolves where out. They had been unable to procure the ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion for two months and had been forced into the woods for the duration of their changes.

Cho leaned on the railing, taking a sip of the scalding coffee in her hand. She knew it wouldn't help her sleep as Malfoy, who was in the kitchens grabbing a late night snack, pointed out. She snapped at him reproachfully, even if he didn't deserve it. Cho couldn't help but feel he contributed to Harry's death. If he hadn't turned his back on the Death Eaters the mission never would've taken place and Harry would still be alive.

Cho looked out into the distance. Mei-Lin was out there somewhere too, keeping an eye on their stray dogs along with a few of her Night Blades. They barely spoke and when they did it was all business. She was attached to the 'Blades for a week in the summer and Mei-Lin made her stance clear, Cho was alone except for the Reapers. They welcomed her into the fold as one of their own.

She even had a brief, albeit physical relationship with Richie. But the Lieutenant was far too cold for her, she realized within a few weeks that she wouldn't be the girl to break down his walls and he wouldn't be the guy to salvage her broken heart.

Boomer took Harry's death much harder than most and took a while to accept her, blaming himself for what happened and not staying with his Lt to the end.

AJ before he died was much the same, reserving judgment for a long while until his demise at the hands of Bellatrix Black. Even his MP5 and true aim couldn't break down her shields or block the sickening green energy which took his life.

Ollie accepted her easily, recognizing her skill in Arms, Magic and Element as another tactical advantage.

Jack took to her a little too quickly. Cho liked Jack but she didn't deserve a guy like him, so young innocent and idealistic. He reminded her of Harry in that respect, from his emerald eyes to the fiery handling of his Element. She pushed him after their other Veela Princess, little Penny. She helped the boy a lot more than Cho could when he lost his best friend.

"What're you thinking about?"

Cho leapt back, startled. Her cup shattering on the steel beneath her feet as a hooded figure dropped from the roof above her, landing lightly on the railing in front of her.

"It's just me Chang." The figure said, lowering his hood and revealing his identity as Connor Blackwood.

"Sir!" Cho said instantly, snapping into a sharp salute on the instinct which had been drilled into her for months.

Connor waved the gesture away as he hopped off the railing and landed lightly on the balcony, "We're off duty Chang, cut the saluting and tell me why you're not in bed. You came back from a Graded Recon Op with a broken collar bone and you opened up your stitches, again. You should be resting up, not out in the cold."

Cho relaxed only slightly. "I don't sleep much anymore, not since he died."

Connor settled back against the railing, taking in the fresh cool air. He pulled off his hoody and threw it to the shivering Chang, "For the cold."

"What about you?"

Connor laughed, "I've not had a cold ever…probably something to do with the vampire in me!"

Cho couldn't help but smile as she slid on the heavy hoody. Connor and Kaden where very alike once one got to know them; Connor was just a touch more reserved in public. Kaden was the Rebel and Connor was the Leader, two halves of a whole both destined to wield the blades of Hyperion. Cho even heard a rumour that it was impossible for one of them to take up both of their swords due to their mixed blood. "Thank you, sir."

Connor shook his head, "People never let up with that do they?"

"Bad habit, so why are you still up sir?"

"I don't sleep at all, Vampires don't need sleep Chang. Well so long as I take my serum or knock back a few pints a day I don't need sleep." Connor said with a grin, flashing a tiny bit of fang in her direction.

Cho frowned. "I thought because your half human you had to sleep?"

"Once every blue moon maybe or when I draw too much on my Element even then it's only for a few hours."

Cho stood silently, feeling rather uncomfortable. It wasn't everyday she stood alone, with no weapons, next to a vampire who admitted to drinking blood on occasion and was technically her boss.

"Are you going to Fleur's wedding?" Connor asked as he stared off into the distance.

Cho nodded. The Matriarch of the United Veela Colonies of Europe, Danielle's Grandmother was conducting the ceremony and she requested the best the Academy had to offer as her protection detail. That meant the Reapers and they had been inactive until their new recruit, Ryan Stevens was fully integrated. A protection detail was a good way to get him into the swing of things, away from harm. Even if the Weasley-Delacour nuptials did attract trouble, Cho was confident the Reapers could take care of it.

"Are you going?" Cho asked tentatively, she knew of Connor and Fleur's troubled relationship. Many at the Academy viewed them as the perfect couple, both exceptionally good looking and rich with Fleur's outgoing attitude trumping Connor's quiet nature, but in the end, Connor's insecurities let them down.

Connor gave a short laugh. "I think I'll avoid it. Don't think I could keep silent during the old 'if anyone objects to this union speak now or forever hold your peace' bit. Fleur would just end up hating me more than she already does and I could live without that."

Cho sighed; he was afraid and hid behind a stubborn wall of sarcasm and indifference. "You should speak to her; you love her, don't you?"

Connor laughed, lighting a cigarette and taking a lung-full of noxious fume. "Getting personal? I never figured you the sentimental type Chang."

"You never answered my question and I'm not; I'd just rather you not make the same mistake I did. You should enjoy the time you could have together, not let what happened in the past get in your way." Cho said; regret seeping into her tone.

Connor's face turned instantly, his cigarette crushed beneath his foot in an instant. "You forget Chang, Potter is dead. I don't plan on Fleur dying period and me? I don't see myself surviving this and she'll be as far away from me as I can get her when I go out."

"You make it sound like she doesn't have a choice in the matter!" Cho said accusingly.

"She doesn't and she never will, I love her too much to give her one. I watched my brother lose the most important person in his life and I'll never let her go through that, even if I have to watch her be happy with someone else!"

"You'll be there won't you?"

"I wouldn't miss seeing her in that white dress for the world even if she isn't standing next to me in it." Connor said and he jumped over the railing into the night.

Cho smiled to herself, maybe Connor was right. Maybe being alone was easier, but she'd never trade away the time she and Harry spent together. Not for anything or anyone.

xxxxx

Harry woke up abruptly almost choking on the sulphur rich, smog like air of his prison. It burned the back of his throat, but not like the pleasant burn of whiskey. It was pain; outright unrelenting pain. That was the only way Harry could describe his last two years. Pain, he thought he had learned to temper it. With the aid of his magic, once upon a time, he could've endured hours of it before a whimper even left his lips. No pain could have compared to that which he suffered during his Fifth Year at Hogwarts, as his body burned and wailed at the magic he forced through it, the magic he was once told he would never wield again but he proved them all wrong even if it was excruciatingly painful to use at first. The magic he no longer held.

Harry wasn't even sure if it had been two years. The days bled into each other, literally, the coppery taste of his blood barely left his lips, unless his torturer decided to burn or freeze the torn parts of his body or plunge into his soul and force him to re-live the moments his body was torn open and burned by his own magic. But it didn't matter how many times he was cut upon, heard the wet flapping of his own flesh as he was torn open at the seams, every time he woke up his body was fully healed to a perfect imitation of what had once been his on Earth.

Harry was growing sick of the constant pain. He longed for a second in her arms once again, longed to meet Kaden in the training hall, to see Hollow Manor and his Mum and Sirius…Harry was at the point where he'd give up anything for those moments, anything to be away from his perpetual torment.

Harry heard the door of his rocky prison screech open and groaned pathetically as the pervasive smell of burned flesh and heat poured down on him. "Hey Bob." Harry whispered through cracked lips, he couldn't help as his lip trembled at the words he spoke, he would never admit it but he scared. He was scared of Bob and the pain he would reap on his soul. Harry craned his neck to look at the disgusting imitation of a man, only to find someone else. It was like looking at a picture of his best friend, the same dirty blonde hair all messed up, along with casual light jeans and brown leather jacket.

The main difference was the eyes; completely yellowed with streaks of brown and the darkest, blood red irises with skin as pale as marble and probably as hard. He carried himself lightly and seemed to float a few inches from the ground. Harry knew exactly who he was. "Nathaniel."

He wore a brilliant smile. "Harry my boy; I hope you are still enjoying the hospitality of my Kingdom."

"Bob's a host and a half once you get him started!" Harry muttered.

Harry knew Nathaniel well; he was one of the original Seventy-Seven Fallen of Lucifer's Rebellion against Heaven and one of the Thirteen Demon Lords of Hell. He and his fellow's perpetual mission, to free Lucifer from imprisonment behind the six hundred Gates created by Gabriel's Horn and sealed by Michael's Sword.

Nathaniel told Harry much of history, about how his people where the last descendants of the Fallen. The Angelic Wars cleansed most Angelic blood from the human population but some persevered and Elementals where born from it. Harry found he was descended from the Demon Lord Lasciel. That she was a bitter, sick and twisted imitation of her former self. Having was once praised for her voice and beauty among the Angels, Nathaniel made it a simple statement. "Lassy carried a few children before the Angels found her and threw her into the pit. She was young and innocent for one of us; she only wanted a family and a good life. Now she's twisted; a shell of the beautiful being she used to be. She would have loved to get her hands on you, one of her own hasn't been sent down here in years!"

Nathaniel circled Harry. "Are you sick of it yet boy? Ready to sign up and join my side, Bob must've had some effect on you? I can taste your fear; it saturates your being, seeps from every pore-"

"Go fuck yourself!" Harry bit out, pulling against the shackles which bound him to stone.

Nathaniel laughed. "Ever the spirited one, you have no idea how similar you and Lassy are!"

"Go fuck yourself, I'll never join you!" Harry spat venomously.

"Oh, Harry, my dear, dear boy. There is no need for such language, are we really so different?" Nathaniel questioned, drawing an ice cold hand down Harry's arm, freezing the flesh in its wake carelessly.

Harry inhaled deeply, biting his lip. "We are…I am…I do what I have to do, you kill people because you enjoy it, you want people to suffer! I want to save them!" Harry almost shouted; his pain and anger gaining release.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Come now Harry, you've sent enough souls to hell in your time, you and my precious descendants have a body count rivalling even my time on Earth. Granted I was mostly enjoying the pleasures of the flesh, but it's a moot point. Do you know how cheap and sinful you all are to my kind, to the Angels of the Lord, the most perfect and powerful beings ever in existence. Do you know it took barely a whisper in the ear of Kaiser Bill and pushing an idealistic little tosser the right way to kick start the entire First World War; I was barely involved in the Second. Humans have killed more in their time than we could ever hope to."

"We make mistakes, at least we have a-" Harry reasoned before his head snapped back as Nathaniel plunged a rust ridden, serrated dagger into his thigh, Harry barely stopped the scream of pain from leaving his lips.

"You see that's part of the problem." Nathaniel twisted the blade as Harry squirmed in pain. "Even with a choice, you humans still help us. The last time we tried to break the seals we were stopped by four pillars of magic; Godric, Salazar, Rowena and Helga; what worthy adversaries they were!" Nathaniel mused, dragging the flame covered blade across Harry's abdomen, carving simple sigils and runes.

"Is there a point to this?" Harry snapped, trying desperately to reach for his power as he always did, but it parted with him when he lost his mortal vessel.

"Of course there is, now SHUT UP!" Nathaniel roared as he drove a flame covered palm into Harry's chest and Harry screamed until his throat burned for water. "Long story short they fucked us over and closed the gates. The cheeky bastards even built a school over the most powerful seal, to use its power for good." Nathaniel snorted. "Slytherin even thought he could Master the power buried within. Low and behold we turned the bastard crazy and he was one of us in a few years. Gryffindor killed him; Hufflepuff was distraught and left the school and G's pretty little wife Ravenclaw left him too. Little bitch couldn't handle the guilt of all things! Idiot; she moved East, gave you your pretty little Asian bird. You know you should thank me for that one, she is one fine piece of ass!"

Harry gritted his teeth, "Talk about her again and I'll kill you!"

Nathaniel looked down at Harry, chained, bloodied and half mad. "Oh my little, little boy, you don't understand do you? I can't die and I already have one of the keys…Riddle is just a pawn in my chess set son, Hogwarts merely a space in my ever changing board. I've danced to this tune many times and I have it down to a tee."

"They'll stop you, they have to and they don't need me to do it…every-time…have you ever thought there's a reason you never win." Harry said but he doubted himself, he didn't think they were strong enough to survive, never mind win.

Nathaniel's face darkened as the thunder crackled in his palm and the ground shook beneath his feet. Angelic Grace was a wonderful thing, granting power over the Elements and Magic, arcane and pure. His face twisted with malevolence. "It took the four most powerful beings of an age to stop us. Do you think two pathetic half-breeds, one who is too afraid acknowledge his power and the other walking that thin fucking line between our side and yours along with that scared little girl can stop us? He's taking up right where Sally let off and doesn't look like stopping. I'm almost proud of the crazy little bastard; he's a masterpiece of hate, repression and all round misery! Perfect for Lucifer when he rises from his prison, he even thinks we'll make him immortal! What a laugh, your pathetic friends will never win; without you they are nothing, he will slaughter them one by one and I will make sure of it." Nathaniel gripped his hair and leaned close, until Harry could see into his crimson eyes. "And when they come to the pit I will enjoy her to no end, I will cut into my pathetic descendants for their ignorance and turn them to my side. You can either watch or you can join me and make things easier, for them and for yourself!"

A tear almost leaked from Harry's eye as he gained the information he sought for two years. Aral would be there soon, to help him, he could go home again.

Nathaniel turned back to Harry, his face having softened considerably. "You can go home again, if you join me, you can see her again. Before the end…"

Harry's head fell back, cracking against the rock hard. Even he couldn't resist an end to his hell. He would play along till it suited him. He could only pray the Angels saved him soon. "I'll do it."

"You will?"

"I'll do it." Harry admitted painfully.

With a snap of Nathaniel's fingers Harry's bindings disappeared. "Kneel."

Harry struggled to his feet before falling to the hard earth at Nathaniel's feet. "I swear to serve Lord Nathaniel, ruler of the Thirteenth Kingdom, my life, my death, are yours to command forevermore." Harry grit his teeth as the Rune of Nathaniel was branded into his chest.

"It is done, rise." Nathaniel watched as Harry stood shakily. "Another Hero of the Light in my service, come boy you have much to learn."