"And he asked him, What is thy Name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many."
A.N.: the songs featured in this chapter do not belong to me. As always I would recommend listening to them as they appear in the story. They are both Breaking Benjamin: Into the Nothing, and Dear Agony
Chapter 19: Dear Agony
Dumbeldore had never felt his age as much as he did now looking at the remains of his Order and thinking of the events of the last three weeks. In one night everything they had fought so hard to protect had been shattered in a moment of fire and ash taking more then just the muggle world. The tide was turning against them, steadily rising to drown them in their mistakes and the worst of it was that they had never saw it coming.
James and Lily had shared their memories of that night with him; what he had seen was beyond disturbing. The glimpse of the horrific scars on Harry's body had been a devastating blow and hinted at a past that had lead him down the dark path. It pained him to know that he may have very well set to motion the downfall of all that was right in the world that night oh so long ago. That was nothing in comparison to listening to Harry claim responsibility for the destruction of an entire race of people and the enslavement of the survivors.
Dumbeldore was quite sure he could live a thousand more years and still not forget the coldness of that boy's voice as he announced his group over the wizarding radio.
"…some know me as Tristen Winter, others as Prince Le Fey, but I was born Harry Potter. I am here to tell the world that I have done what countless wizards and witches have claimed impossible! I have reclaimed the world for all of Magic! I have destroyed the cancer that had threatened to consume everything and slowly kill us all! I have given you a world that we no longer have to hide in fear!"
He remembered how James had bristled, indignant at first but then slumping as if some great weight had suddenly pressed down on him with fantastic force.
"…and we have been afraid! Don't try to fool yourself thinking that we were the ones in control all along. No! We were hiding, slowly allowing the muggle trash to kill us! So afraid of being discovered that our children couldn't use magic freely, so afraid that we hide like rats! Well no more! The world is ours now! I have given it to you! Its yours now, take it! Some will say that I am a monster, that my Dark Angels are mindless followers of a Dark Lord but I will show you the glory of the Dark! I will show you the shadows that you are so afraid of so that I might liberate you from your fears!"
Lily had gotten so depressed after hearing her son that day that she hadn't spoken since and not even James seemed to be able to shake her out of it. James himself had mixed feelings, as an auror, as a soldier, he knew he had to keep himself focused if they wanted to stand a chance. But the father in him was so overwhelmingly both angry and sad that he didn't know what to do with himself. He had thrown himself in trying to bluster their ranks reaching out to the countries outside of Britain.
That was a blessing because even though the other communities had refused to give them more add than sending supplies there was some that answered the call. They were trickling in slowly, risking much sneaking into the country in occupation but the displaced muggle borns had a fire inside of them. The muggle borns had experienced the annihilation of the muggle world, they had seen the horrors, and they had heard the cries of their loved one knowing they could do nothing to help. That had put a fire inside of them, they wanted revenge, and they wanted to fight!
It was slow going, but gradually their ranks were swelling. The whole process was very dangerous for if the enemy were to take wind of their location before they were ready all would be lost. They just didn't have the numbers for a counter strike yet but soon they would be ready. Fawkes had managed to bring him everything he would desperately need from his office and had proven invaluable in getting new recruits to their base.
Dumbledore was under no illusion, they were at war and the lines had been drawn. Harry would seek to subject the entire world to his and Voldemort's madness. Dumbledore couldn't allow that to happen because who knows what sort of world that would bring about. He was already getting some disturbing reports from the muggle borns that had tried to locate the surviving muggles. Large masses have been given the vampire, werewolf, elemental, and various creature clans. There were confirmed sighting of the werewolves raping and subjecting the muggle women to accelerated pregnancies.
One muggle born woman had related the horror of stumbling upon a werewolf raping one of the young muggle girls, who couldn't have been more then ten. She had tried to save the girl but the collars around their bodies kept the muggle from even thinking of trying to escape and the muggle born woman had come to join them soon after. So much horror, so much pain, and Harry hadn't even gotten started yet. With Harry at Voldemort's side they were capable of unimaginable horrors. The only thing holding them back was this small resistance army that refused to sit back and let this horror happen.
-x-
Clark gripped his pillow tightly not caring much as he heard the slow rip of the fabric to lost in his own thoughts. He had come to the conclusion that it was her fault, Suzie Forester; it was all her fault. He remembered her cry of 'brother!' He remembered finding out that his older brother had been before him that entire year and he hadn't had a clue. But she had! Clark was certain that if he had known that Tristen or Harry or whatever had known that they were brothers things would be different.
All his life his Mother and Father had told him stories about Harry. How they imagined he was spending his time and how much he would love him when they met! Clark had been looking forward to that meeting all his life, and now every hope he had was dashed cruelly upon the rocks. It wasn't fair! It had to be that girl! It was all Suzie's fault. Clark had known there was something wrong with that girl the moment he had laid eyes on her.
Suzie must have been the one turning Harry against them all because she wanted him all to herself. She wasn't even his real sister! Harry shouldn't love her; he should love Clark and be his big brother! Clark felt the fabric in his hand give with a loud RIPP and imagined it was Suzie's neck instead. That calmed him down a bit and that gave Clark pause. If Suzie were dead, gone, then there would be no one standing between Harry and his family. Harry would come back! A rush of excitement flowed through Clark at the thought. If Clark killed Suzie, Harry would come home, their mom would wake up from her sadness and everything would go back to normal!
All it would take would be killing one stupid useless girl that no one cared about anyway. Without her Harry would open his eyes and love them again! In fact, Clark was sure that the reason Harry was so bad was because Suzie was drugging him with potions or casting the imperious on him! She was evil! He had to save his big brother from that evil witch! He had to, because if he didn't it would mean giving up on everything his parents had ever told him about his brother. Clark couldn't do that, giving that up would be like giving up on everything he had thought he had known about the world!
-x-
Hermione was nervous, her plan was risky and had a lot more holes in it then she was entirely comfortable with. However, she didn't have much choice if she wanted to escape from here and get back to her prince. Their enemies were gathering forces, every day more and more people were lead into the manor, and soon they would become a real threat. Mcgonagall was crafting golems, Mr. Potter was training the older students, and people were already starting to question her closeness to the dark side.
It would be risky, but there wasn't much else she could do. So Hermione waited until midnight, having watched the guard shifts for the last three weeks to learn their habits and shift changes. At midnight it would be a couple of seventh year students, and they got distracted easily being jumpy in their inexperience. She timed it so that her spell went off down the hall, making a loud sound to catch their attention. Hermione estimated that she had a minute tops before they regained their calm if she was lucky, she needed to use that time to slip past them with a notice me not and sound damping spells cast liberally around herself.
The bang went off, she ran as fast as she could back down the passageway slipping past the distracted guards and kept running as far as she was able. Never noticing the shimmer of displaced air that followed her closely behind, a shoe peeked out every so often as if from thin air. Hermione ran as hard as she could, taking in deep gulps of air and hoping that they still were short enough on fighters to not place guards inside the tunnel.
-x-
Harry watched Suzie inspect the room from the doorway while Tink chattered in his ear everything she had learned about the manipulative old coot. Suzie was determined to find the passage the remains of the rebels had to have used to escape, totally ignoring the fact that no one else had been able to as of yet. Tink had found out a lot of information, some of it irrelevant, but some was very interesting. It seems that the old coot was very close to finding the hiding spots of the remaining Horcrux that Tom had made and they would have to be moved or absorbed quickly.
Suzie was inspecting the fireplace very carefully when it fell away startling her enough to call out to Harry, who hurried to her in the office. He waited in the doorway of the office, wanting room to maneuver should it be needed and stared at the revealed passageway with intensity. Suddenly Hermione stumbled through, huffing and puffing as if she had run a very long way. Looking at the utter darkness of the tunnel Harry wouldn't be very surprised if she had.
When Hermione caught her breath enough to actually look at her surrounding she was stunned to find she had made it back. "Thank goodness!" She exclaimed collapsing on the floor. "My Prince I have so much to tell you!" she huffed breath still coming in pants. "You should catch your breath first silly!" Suzie said as she conjured Hermione a chair. "I assume you've been with the rebels this entire time," Suzie continued as she got Hermione some water by calling a house elf.
"Yes, they have been hiding out in Godric's Hollow! They're amassing an army filled with mostly muggleborns who feel wronged and angry." Hermione began. "Do you feel wronged, Hermione?" Harry asked quietly, eyes glowing. Hermione gulped some water before answering, "Of course not, I wouldn't be here otherwise. What you did was liberate an entire species from an oppressive force! You gave this world a chance at a new life. I have lived in the muggle world most of my life, I know what it was like not only for people like us but for the planet in general." Hermione said.
"The muggles were a step away from destroying earth as it is! Pollution, over consumption of its natural resources, deforestation, mass hunger, oppression of anything abnormal, and that's just the tip of a very big problem. The muggles have been close to nuclear war multiple times, something that could have killed us all and the entire planet! So am I angry or feel wronged by you wiping that big problem out! Hell no! You gave us a chance!" Hermione said passionately.
"And your parents?" Harry asked. "My parents and I have never gotten on very well. We lived together, they provided me with everything I needed, saw to it that I was healthy and got the things I wanted most. But they were distant, they couldn't understand me long before they found out I was a witch and just thought I was gifted intelligently. Adding magic into the mix, along with being away from them most of the year, well, is it any wonder that I wasn't very attached to them?" Hermione said logically.
Suzie nodded patting her hand gently saying, "Totally understandable, and very well thought out Hermione! I expected nothing less!" "What else did you find out about the rebels?" Harry asked coolly. "They are making golems to fight your creatures, I know the guard shifts at the entrance to the base but that will change soon when they notice my absence. Dumbledore has been planning something big, I haven't been able to find out any details but it involves getting to Voldemort first. He has been using his phoenix to run errands for him." Hermione said disappointed she didn't have more for them.
Suzie turned thinking she had heard something from the entrance, but turned around when she saw nothing there. "We should gather the others now ahhhhh!" she screamed as something hard and sharp pierced through her back bursting out her chest with a shower of blood. For a moment time seemed to stop, Harry's eyes widened in disbelief, Hermione screamed, and Clark slowly came into view as an invisibility cloak fell to the floor at his feet. Suzie moaned in pain, shock, the feeling of hotness running down her back and her front as blood escaped her.
Clark absently thought that it felt strange to stab someone with a sword, it took more force then he thought to get it to go all the way through. Everything sped up again as Harry flung him against the wall, cracking Clark's head against the stone wall knocking him unconscious and he grabbed Suzie before she could fall. Suzie gurgled, blood welling up and spilling out between her lips. She was smiling at Harry as he frantically tried to figure out how to save her.
The Blade was a cursed sword, he couldn't remove it without destroying the curse and by that time Suzie would have died already. Instead he tried valiantly to heal the damage as it was done around the blade to keep her alive. He cradled her in his arms as he slid to the floor, healing her as she was dying giving her a few more moments as more and more blood drained away. "Don't leave me, not yet Suzie, not yet…"Harry whispered into her hair as he rocked her. "You weren't supposed to die before me…don't go…"He whispered eyes never leaving her face and magic trying to stop the inevitable.
Suzie smiled gently as she coughed up more blood, hissing in pain as the action jarred the sword inside of her, she struggled to raise her bloody hand. Harry grabbed her half raised hand pressing it into his face, faintly feeling the coolness of the blood sliding wetly across his cheek. Suzie struggled to stay, Harry could only do so much, wheezing she choked out, "I…love…you…don't…give…in…promise…" She tried to say something more but it was too late. Harry's magic was unsuited to healing, the curse sword was too close to her heart, and had run through his locket, there was just not enough time. Suzie's hand went slack, her eyes emptied of all that was her, and Harry sat in shocked disbelief.
It had all happened so fast, too fast for him to stop it and save her. "Suzie," Harry mumbled desperately shaking her, "Suzie wake up." Harry knew those eyes, he had made those eyes in countless people, but on Suzie it was all wrong. Suzie wasn't meant to have nothing behind her eyes, she was supposed to outlive everyone and die old in her sleep. She wasn't supposed to be broken, bloody, run through with a sword, so young, so fragile and so broken. He hugged Suzie close to his chest, mumbling under his breath as he rocked her body in his arms, and then something inside him snapped. Harry screamed, long, loud, a scream that he had been holding in all his life, a scream of desperate loss.
-x-
Voldemort felt Harry's anguish before he heard it along with that scream made his stomach drop through the floor and feel as if ice water ran through his veins. He flew to the sound, fearing what he would find when he got there. The scene he ran into was something he hadn't thought he would ever see, Harry holding a girl in his arms screaming in grief. Voldemort had thought him too detached for such a thing but his agony called to him.
He knelt behind him encircling Harry and the girl into his arms as he pressed himself against Harry's back. "Shh, quiet my soul," Voldemort said as his arms tightened around them. "It will be alright, they will pay, all this suffering you are feeling is nothing compared to what they will soon feel, shh," Voldemort whispered into his ear and gradually Harry's screams faded. A dead, jaded look entered his hard green eyes making them seem as if they had been cut from emeralds.
Harry turned his attention from the girl in his arms to the boy that laid crumpled on the ground not to far away. Voldemort followed his gaze, "We will see to him personally, he will beg for death, we will skin him alive and string him up by his muscles. By the time we are done, there will be nothing left of that boy and only a sobbing insane broken thing will remain." Voldemort continued to whisper into his ear all that they would do to Clark and Harry wrapped himself up in his words.
Harry had to be cold now; he had to think about his revenge because if he thought about anything else there would be no going back. "Dumbeldore knows about your Horcrux, how many I don't know," Harry began slowly, "Absorb all but one or two, then hide them were no one will ever think of finding them. Away from anything you ever associated with." Voldemort nodded ever so slightly in agreement. "They are building an army, but we will not give them the chance to fight back. We gave them time to hope, now its time to crush them, Hermione knows where they are hiding, and it is time we crushed them!" Harry hissed.
"Yes, I do believe you are right," Voldemort smirked at the thought, "Dumbeldore is mine." "Leave the Potters to my mercy," Harry replied coldly. They had to pay, they all had to pay, and Harry would make sure they would regret the day they betrayed him. "Come, we will lay the girl to rest in honor, and then we must plan." Voldemort said as he urged Harry to stand. Harry nodded casting cold eyes on Hermione, "You will come to the meeting to lay out what you know." It was not a request and Hermione hastily stood nodding. Harry grabbed Clark by an ankle with a flick of his magic and began dragging him along the ground after them.
-x-
The scream was faint, but the nervous seventh years heard it as if it was right next to them. One ran off to get Dumbeldore and the other stayed behind sweating bullets. Dumbledore went to investigate while James began taking a roll call of everyone inside the safe house. James paled immediately when he failed to locate his son Clark, and another girl named Hermione around his age. Hoping they hadn't gotten into anything foolish James went to join Dumbledore at the passageway.
Dumbledore had already begun to collapse the tunnel, not wanting to take any chances that the enemy had gained access and would try to invade. They had kept it open in the hopes of using it as a way to form a sneak attack directly into enemy territory. It was too late now because the same could happen to them now if the tunnel remained open. "We must begin to prepare for a counter attack we cannot wait any longer I fear our time here is short," Dumbledore began as he moved through the mansion getting the troops moving and the children prepare to go into hiding.
-x-
Harry was unmoved by the screams as he slowly skinned the boy before him, making sure that he was numb enough to not die from the shock but not numb enough that he didn't feel as every inch of skin was peeled back. When Harry was sure that the he had gotten every inch of skin, the boy was staring at him with lidless eyes, he forced a potion down his throat to grow back the boy's skin. Growing back the skin was even more painful but Harry made sure the boy wouldn't lose consciousness. He had to feel every moment of this, because the boy had taken something from him that couldn't be replaced.
He stepped slightly to the side when the skin was regrown and dipped his head to Voldemort. Voldemort grinned wickedly as he opened the boy's stomach very carefully and started to pull out his intestines. The screaming wasn't enough, it wasn't enough, that boy had taken something and his screams weren't enough to pay for it. Harry broke into the boy's mind violently, twisting the mind easily, showing him all he had ever been frightened of and forcing him to relive it beside his current horror.
Suzie had been more valuable to him then a few screams, Harry had to make sure that her murderer was properly punished. Voldemort cast the crucio while he slowly cut off his fingers and toes. He stemmed the blood flow, and then burned each wound closed slowly with a careful deliberate manner. Harry wasn't sure how many days they had been doing this, hurting, healing, hurting, healing, but it was just not enough. "I think we should do this in a more public setting, broadcast his screams over the wireless and show everyone what happens to those that take from us." Harry said in a dry tone. Voldemort grinned at him wickedly and kissed him soundly putting some life back into his jaded cold eyes.
-x-
Lily shook as the screams resounded through the wireless, and pressed her hands over her ears trying to keep the sound out. "…Mr. Potter took something from me, its seems he doesn't like the price he has to pay. I have decided to be merciful; I'll give Mr. Potter back to his family if his father comes to take his place. This offer will expire at the end of the day when Mr. Potter does…" The screaming came back in full force before a shaking voice came on the wireless.
"…Julie Lanchaster here to provide commentary for the esteemed Dark Lords…" A loud inhuman shriek interrupted, "The Dark Lord La fey has begun skin Mr. Potter again, while the Dark Lord Voldemort has begun breaking…" Her voice was cut off as James violently threw the wireless into a wall and moved to leave their new hideout with their old home in Godric's Hollow. Only to be tackled by no less then three other Order members as they tried stopping him. "They will kill you both!" "Giving into those mad men will do nothing!" "We can't afford to lose you too!" Lily whimpered as she rocked trying to forget the sound of her baby screaming and drown out the sound of the others arguing.
-x-
As the sun went down it bathed the steps of the Ministry in an orange glow highlighting the blood spilled throughout the day. Harry looked at the ruin body of Clark Potter and felt this overwhelming sense of emptiness. It wasn't getting any better, even after torturing Clark in the most creative ways he could think of it didn't help. Harry sighed as he cut the boy's head off, mounting it on a spike. He put several charms and curses on it along with the body that he had crucified next to the head. It would remain fresh looking and no one would be able to take them down from their mounts.
His heart felt tight, heavy in his chest as he thought of Suzie, and he felt a heavy making moving his body feel as if it was an extreme effort. Suzie had taken a piece of him with her to the grave and Harry was beginning to think it was a very important piece. Suzie had always been there; humming in the back of his mind connected to his magic through the locket and seemingly close. Now the locket, the connection, the humming that had been Suzie, all these things were gone. He had taken responsibility for her, Suzie had been his to protect, his, and now she was nothing. Nothing, just an empty corpse awaiting burial, and the thought made everything in this world worthless.
Harry had done almost all he had set out to do, he had conquered the muggles, he had established Voldemort as the ruler of Britain and soon they would crush the last of the rebellion. What was left for him to do? Voldemort didn't need him, and Harry only held on for the remains of Tom inside of Voldemort. Harry knew he was connected to Voldemort, their fates had always been intertwined, and he supposed he held on since he had that at least. He had Voldemort.
He returned to Hogwarts with Voldemort, Harry wasn't sure what it was that had made his emptiness so unbearable lately but it was beginning to suffocate him. He watched as Voldemort rolled the compressed, material piece of his magic in his hands and suddenly Harry needed to feel something very desperately. He grabbed Voldemort as soon as they reached their chambers and soon Voldemort took control of the situation.
Voldemort kissed him violently, pulling him in and crushing his form against his own. A small spark of something lit in his chest as Harry pressed against him. As Voldemort began dominating him, Harry felt something lift as his choices were steadily taken from him and he was left blissfully submissive. Voldemort wasn't kind, wasn't careful, and took what he wanted from him forcefully without any consideration on his part. Harry liked it, he was tired of thinking of life, he was tired of being the one to make the decisions and he needed this more than he wanted to admit.
Ever since he had first touched Voldemort's horcux all those years ago there had been this sense of kinship and understanding between them. When you have suffered long enough, been beaten down long enough, been living in a dark place full of hate long enough you begin to see more of the world than one would like. The world is ugly, cruel, and doesn't hesitate to hurt even the youngest more innocent of victims. There was only power, no good, no evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.
Either you were the one hurting others or they were hurting you. There is no middle ground, and you have to choose: be the Prey or become the Predator. When Tom was small he learned this lesson as well as Harry had when he had been young. Nothing was wrong; you could never go too far or hurt enough. Because there was nothing more infuriating then seeing people not understand what it is to suffer. Why should Tom or Harry have to suffer so, while watching everyone else smile as if the world were fair and nice. No this was the path they had chosen, and soon the entire world would see what it is to suffer. They would begin to understand that there is no light only the darkness.
-x-
Dumbledore tensed as he felt the enemies wards fall down on top of their own, looking out across the village he couldn't help but feel that they would never be ready for this face down. They were outnumbered, but not as much as they had been at the beginning maybe there was hope yet. Soon, he feared that no one would be able to recognize Godric's Hollow after today. James was tense at his side clutching the sword of Gryffindor like a lifeline and Lily was at his side resolute looking with her wand at ready.
At their back was a thousand wizard and witches strong, along with a few thousand Golems, and what Magical creatures they managed to muster to their side. They were dressed in light colors; all on their side were wearing a red phoenix badge spelled to remain untouched so they could cut down on friendly fire. They had enough problems without accidentally taking each other out in the heat of battle. Across the Village the Dark Lords' armies were amassing, gorgons screeched at the front, werewolves howled, fire elementals flared wreathed in flames. Voldemort stood at the front with his Death Eaters flanking his sides, and Dumbledore could just make out Harry in the back gathering his own Dark Angels around him.
The muggleborns tensed when they heard the instruments begin to play and Harry's voice rang out clear as day across the Village. Dumbledore began gathering his magic along with the closest members of his order in preparation for whatever Harry had planned casting musically.
Screaming on the inside
I am frail and withered
Cover up the wounds
That I can't hide
Walls that lie between us
The saint within the sinner
I have lost the nerve
But it's all right
Carry the wounded and shut your eyes
All will be forgiven
None will rise
Bury the fallen and lead the blind
I will fight the loss
Dead inside
The screaming at the back took them as a surprise as the ones that had been a part of the muggle wipe out tragedy began to panic. Dumbledore could see bands flare into sight around their throats; many began to desperately claw at it drawing blood and creating mass panic.
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let you fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive
They fell to their knees, some rolled on the ground still trying to fight while others seemed to have given up entirely. One began screaming, "Get out of my head!" another yelled, "You killed my family!" and yet another started sobbing openly mumbling apologizes over and over.
Leave me at the bottom
I am lost forever
Letters from the dead
Say goodbye
Sorrow falls upon us
This will be the last time
Days begin to end
But I'll get by
Follow the hopeless
And shut your eyes
There wasn't time to help them the gorgons were being held back the golems but the others were breaking through. Spells lit up the sky; clouds began to form over their heads as the high concentration of magic charged the air. Voldemort stepped out calmly sliding through the battle towards him as if he was strolling through a park.
All will be abandoned
None will shine
Gather the broken and leave this life
Lying in the earth
Side by side
The sickening thud of bodies hitting the floor, Lily was covering his back as he faced off against a pack of werewolves that were circling him. Sirius was trapped behind the fire elementals trying to join them but the enemy wasn't giving him the chance. Screams, the smell of blood, the horrible thump of flesh giving away to his sword, and James couldn't help thinking that this was WAR.
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let you fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive
Some of the muggle borns were still fighting against the voice singing to them but some just couldn't fight it. Soon their allies began to turn against them, and began attacking from within their ranks at their back. James cursed, this war was much different then the one he had fought before. Thinking of those scattered skirmishes, the late night calls, the mysterious disappearances, James almost thought that that hadn't been WAR, because this was much, much worse.
I'll keep you inside
Where I lead you cannot follow
Straight into the light
As my breath grows still and shallow
Voldemort lashed out with a whip of flame, Dumbledore countered with his own of water, clashing the battlefield filled with steam making the experience more hellish. You couldn't see friend or foe, only hear the screams while smelling the overwhelming stench of blood. A huge Stone Golem slammed down a foot, shaking the earth and crushing a gorgon under its heel. Minerva made it to Dumbledore's side, transfiguring a small stone into a lion that charged in taking a killing curse meant for him.
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let you fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive
The ground broke under their feet; James and Lily made it to Dumbledore's side. Sirius was busy dueling a cackling Bellatrix, Shaklebolt was dead, Tonks was injured pretty badly and Remus was trying to keep her from dying. The music seemed to mix with the screams, the sound of battle and became much more terrible.
Stay with me
You're all I have left
I know we can make it out alive
Stay with me
You're all I have left
I know we can make it out alive
Harry finished the song, and started to make his way into the battlefield now that the muggle born that had been touched by his original spell were under his control. The wind elementals were pushing the steam off the battlefield while the waters were getting the injured on their side treatment. Then Harry saw something that stopped his heart for a moment, Voldemort was facing down Dumbledore, James, Lily, and Minerva. They had managed to push him away from his death eaters and Sirius was keeping them away using the golems.
His Dark Angels had already left his side to join the battle. Harry began making his way to Voldemort, cutting a path through the battle with horrifying ease and precision. Everyone who tried to stand in his way was killed before they could even pose much of an obstacle. Every so often he heard a twang of an instrument as someone from Noctiluca cast using it and soon a scream would follow. There was blood flowing on the ground, pieces of creatures, golems, and people littered the ground. A body that was mostly intact was seen occasionally having fallen to the killing curse but hadn't remain untouched as they were used as meat shields.
Harry was single mindedly cutting his way through the battle, tolerating no one. Voldemort might not need him but the sword in James Potter's hands was too close to the cursed sword that his son had wielded to take Suzie. James Potter would not take what was left of his attachments from this world, Harry would kill him first and he was determined to do just that. He faced Sirius Black first; he was a good dueler, light on his feet and very inventive on the uses of his spells. However, Harry had no time to humor him this day and simply used his magic to overpower him.
He pushed his will upon Sirius, making him experience in his mind everything he had ever feared while mixing in some of the experiences of his past victims. It wasn't so much a spell, as a manifestation of his will brought to life with magic and as such had no counter curses so Minerva couldn't help him. Though she was trying, desperately, to help him since it appeared she couldn't turn her back to his cries for help and his screams of pain. Surprisingly, James Potter was more focused on trying to get the upper hand in his own duel to turn to help his childhood friend. Harry trapped Sirius in his mind, putting him in a nightmarish coma that only he could wake him from before he turned his attention to Minerva.
She was a tough old bitty, transfiguring almost everything surrounding them into some kind of weapon that she used creatively against him. Harry was far more powerful, having the advantage of youth, and a wider repertoire of magic at his fingertips. He incased Minerva in crystal, freezing her in a living dead state that would not allow her to die but in turn keep her from living. She would be forced to see everything from her crystal, never being able to do anything but watch as the world around her went on while she remained. Harry thought it would be a horrible enough punishment; death was too sweet for any of these bastards. She would be insane soon.
Harry tuned as he felt a great stirring of magic, Lily Potter and Dumbledore where weaving a powerful curse together while James faced off against his Voldemort. Harry had finally made it through but the magic was thick, there was no good way to join the fight without distracting Voldemort at a critical moment. Lily Potter and Dumbeldore unleashed their curse; Voldemort raised a golden shield to keep it at bay while he tried to fight off James. The curse, whatever it was, wouldn't be held off for long and soon Voldemort would fall to one or the other.
Desperate Harry pushed his magic into Voldemort using the gem he had given Voldemort as a conduit to help with his shield. However, even with his help Voldemort was weakening, and soon Harry feared he would have to watch his lover die. He physically couldn't walk through this thick field of magic to help him; with the double layers of wards against apparition he couldn't just jump there either. Then he saw Voldemort fall to one knee, James poised the sword of Gryffindor above him and Harry screamed. He would not watch this again, Harry pushed with everything he had to apparate through the wards to Voldemort's side. For a heartbeat Harry thought it wouldn't be enough, then there was a horrible screeching sound and Harry was facing James.
It was so sudden, that Harry couldn't stop the sword as it sliced a hot trail across his stomach and he felt his guts begin to pool outside the cut. Harry pressed his hands against the wound trying to keep his organs inside as he fell into the awaiting arms of Voldemort. There was a great backlash of magic as the wards shattered, pushing Dumbledore and both Potters flat to the ground. Everything got very silent, the pops of his elite surrounding them rang in his ears as he tasted his blood and felt it gather in his mouth. Voldemort was trying to heal the wound, but the sword was goblin made having so much ancient magic that true healing would be impossible.
Harry thought it was ironic; that he should die much in the same way Suzie had and found he didn't particularly mind that much. He knew that living was never in his grand plan for things, dying this way would be preferable and he was almost content to just let go. Yet, there was a desperate look in the eye of his followers and Voldemort's that Harry couldn't understand. Then his eyes saw the glee on his father's face and Harry thought there was one thing left for him to do…take the fight out of the enemy so when he let go there would be no more resistance.
He coughed up the blood from his mouth to clear it, sent his will to his elite and their instruments flashed into existence around him. Harry smiled a bloody red smile, it was horrible to look at, and nodded at his most trusted. Voldemort wasn't taking his attention from the wound, still desperately trying to heal him, and he was succeeding enough that Harry thought he might last long enough…. The sad melancholy tone of the instruments began to play and Harry began to sing his last song.
I have nothing left to give,
I have found the perfect end,
You remain to make it hurt,
Dissapear into the dirt,
All around people fell into a fog inside their minds, and they began to experience something very strange. It was as if they were watching, and experiencing his earliest memories as him as well as outside of him. At first there was just an impression of darkness, loneliness, a crushing hunger, the feel of spiders crawling on them and all they could see was his cupboard.
Carry me to heavens arms,
Light the way and let me go,
Take the time to take my breath,
Then when they were adjusted to this horrible double vision enough to understand what it was they were seeing Harry began to show him his life under Vernon. Every beating, small at first, harsher as he grew, the crushing hunger, the maddening thirst, the darkness, they experienced every moment of it alongside him.
I will end where I begin,
And I will find the enemy within,
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin,
Harry felt it was almost funny that he should meet his death here, and he watched with satisfaction as the glee was wiped from James Potter's face as he watched the first beating done with Vernon's belt. Felt the sting of the blood, and heard the crack of the leather as it whipped through the air with force. They felt the desperation as the realization that if Harry stayed a day longer he wouldn't live to see the next. They felt the resolve inside him harden into something no child should feel…the cold resolution to kill or be killed.
Dear agony
Just let go of me
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear agony
Soon, they watched and felt what it was like sliding a knife across that fat fuck's neck. They felt his terror, watched in horror as it was done and then his escape. Then they were in the orphanage with him, hearing the taunts, feeling the knife slice through the flesh of his back while watching the words form. Harry was happy to show them his next set of murders, he wanted them to all know what it was like to suffer, to be in this agony alongside him.
Suddenly the lights go out,
Let forever drag me down,
I will fight for one last breath,
He let them see his rescue of Suzie, how careful he had been to take care of her, how pampered she had been and he let them watch as he manipulated the adults around him. Then they felt his rage, his horror, felt the terrible darkness open up inside as he watched the Potters the first day he had seen them. Harry watched the Potters as they realized, as they understood just what they had done to him and he hoped Madeline killed them slowly.
I will fight until the end,
And I will find the enemy within,
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin,
They watched, they experienced his life and he knew they were horrified. He could feel them try to deny it all and yet they could not deny the truth. Harry watched them as they experienced his life laid bare.
Dear agony
Just let go of me
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Don't bury me
Faceless enemy
I'm so sorry
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear agony
Harry allowed them to see it all, every victim that fell under his touch, every action, every pain; he let them watch every horror and hid nothing from them. They had to see it all, experience that spark of something as a woman screamed beneath him as his experiments ravaged her body. He made them watch that gay couple as they burned with their small daughter by the hands of muggles and the countless other cruel acts of muggles he had witnessed.
Leave me all alone
God let me know
I'm blue and cold
Black sky will burn
Love tore me down
Hate lift me up
Just turn around
There's nothing left
Somewhere far beyond this world
I feel nothing anymore
They heard his songs, understood their meanings, they walked beside him as he traveled further and further into the darkness. Harry sang on weakly as he watched as Dumbeldore seemed to get older and older with every word he sang. He showed them what it was like, what it felt like to tear down the muggle world and shape it into something beautiful. They felt what he did then, the hope he thought he was giving the world by taking down this terror. Finally he gave them what it felt like to watch as Clark killed Suzie, his Suzie, their Suzie, the one they had been so careful to take care of and establish in a loving home. Suzie that had been one of the two to hold the remains of his heart and felt the all-consuming emptiness of her absence.
Dear agony
Just let go of me
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Don't bury me
Faceless enemy
I'm so sorry
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear agony
Harry smiled as darkness started to crowd into his vision, he welcomed death now, he had done all he had set out to do and he would finally be embraced into sweet nothingness. Then he felt as Voldemort's magic washed over him, freezing time around him and with a dawning horror he realized that Voldemort was casting him into a void of time. Voldemort pressed the frozen gem of Harry's magic against Harry's chest as he cast the most powerful magic he had ever done. Slowly the blackness of the gem spread over Harry's body like liquid marble as it engulfed his body. When the spell was finished it looked as if someone had sculpted a statue of a fallen hero in black marble and it felt cold to the touch.
Voldemort knew that Harry would be safe from death inside the cast of marble, frozen in time at the edge of life and death he would not die or gain any more injuries. After that was finished, it was pathetically easy to dispatch the last of the enemies, most had given up entirely, the Potters and Dumbledore surrendered quietly allowing them to capture them without much of a fuss. It seemed the shock of living life as Harry had been too much for them.
It had done exactly what Harry had intended, it had taken the fight out of them seeing the pain they had brought onto the world. Lily Potter sat staring blankly ahead as Madeline viciously bound her laying her out on the ground. When it looked like Madeline would move to kill the witch Voldemort stepped in grabbing her arm to stop her from lashing out at her more. "What?! She deserves everything I will do to her!" Madeline hissed.
Voldemort looked her dead in the eye, "The Potters are promised to Tristan," he said simply.
Madeline slumped, "Will we even be able to save him?" she asked despondently.
"There is magic in this world that even the esteemed tutelage of Noctiluca does not dare to cover, I have searched the darkest corners of the earth to find them…Tristan is not lost to us…not yet." Voldemort said simply.
"I don't think he wants us to save him," Madeline said brokenly, "he is so lost…he welcomes death I think."
Voldemort hissed eye narrowed at her as he said scathingly, "His life is not his own…he is mine and it is not his place to decide to let go of life. Only I have that privilege." He left her scooping up the marble statue that was the frozen Harry gently. Dumbledore had been stripped of his wand already and Voldemort barely paused to bind his magic so tightly within the old man that Dumbledore passed out from the trauma. As he walked away from the battlefield Harry's Dark Angels swarmed around him.
"What do we need to do?" one asked.
Voldemort barely glanced at them, "Simple…we save him." Voldemort said as he disappeared in a swirl of black mist.
A.N.: Ahhh one more chapter to go before this whole thing comes to an end! It's been a wild ride! So here it is I hope it was worth the wait! I had been planning to just finish it this chapter but I decided to spilt it up so I could update this sooner! Please tell me your thoughts I love the feedback!