63 - Fortress

Night was falling cold and fast. Harry watched the sun sinking beneath the low clouds in the distance; it would soon slide behind the peaks of the other mountains surrounding them, causing the earth to slip into a slow, frozen sleep. Not a sound could possibly be heard at this height beyond the howling wind; neither bird nor the breath of trees sounded. The wind screamed against their ears, causing them to pull their cloaks closer still over their shivering bodies, clutching at the material with seemingly bloodless hands.

The Giants had been magnificent. Although Tom questioned their intelligence harshly, Harry couldn't help but find himself impressed by the way they reacted to visitors, the way their unwavering distrust persisted throughout the first meeting and the early meetings following. They lived within the mountings in a cave that was very well hidden, so rarely ever seeing humans. Neither Tom nor Harry could wait until the Giants were under their control.

Their plan to convince the Giants to join them them was working well. Harry and Tom had spent a lot of time deciding on what gifts to find and to create for them, before ordering the Knights to search for the items while they, together, enchanted what they needed to. The two of them planned to take the offerings to the Gurg personally, without any Knights around. It was such an important moment for Tom that Harry simply couldn't miss it. He wanted to see it all...

"It is a shame I never convinced that oaf at Hogwarts to be of help in gaining the Giants' trust," Tom mentioned as they entered the cave where the Knights had set up camp. "It could have made this quite a bit easier – it's evident he already talks giant half the time."

Harry laughed honestly, thinking back to memories of how Hagrid spoke. He knew Tom was saying this in an attempt to lessen their solemnity, in relation to a problem they had faced earlier on. Two Giants had taken hold of (and had nearly killed) one of the Knights, who they had found wandering in the wrong part of the mountain. He hadn't been alone; a second Knight had brought him back here alive – without disrupting the trust of the Giants, which was all Tom truly cared about.

As they approached the campsite now where a few chosen Knights rested, they could see Gonson healing the German Knight that had been attacked. Harry wasn't sure what his name was. Tom made a point in the past of telling him that it wasn't worth him knowing the names of all the Knights, so often times he simply chose to forget it, to not ask at all. He didn't need to know everyone, for they were expendable, thus to become attached to them was foolish.

Tom headed over to Gonson after a few short words of explanation to Harry. He was checking up on the magic being used, asking for the story of what happened. This left Harry standing alone in the middle of the freezing camp. He decided to join a nearly deserted fire, not wanting to wait around in the cold for Tom.

He sat down. The only other person at this fire was Nott, who Harry took only vague notice of at first. It occurred to him after a minute, however, that this was the first time he had been alone with Nott since he had left Harry's home. This caught his interest, saving him form a few minutes of boredom.

Nott was often chosen to deal with Magical Creatures. He had received an Outstanding in his OWLs and NEWTs, being one of the only students alongside Tom to gain this achievement. Past all of Tom's doubts and dislike for Nott over the last few months, there was no Knight who would be wiser to bring along than Nott to help with the Giants.

Nott looked up, catching Harry watching him. He averted his bright eyes after a moment, nodding shortly to Harry in a mute 'hello'. He went back to staring at the fire. He was so still, Harry wasn't sure why. It didn't look as though he was really taking in the sight before him. His eyes would wander as if driven by thoughts rather than interest in his surroundings. His eyes shined more than usual.

"Those Giants were brilliant," Harry mentioned, hoping to start a conversation to avoid the silence. "It's mad, seeing the way they live."

"Yeah..."

"I've never seen them that close before," he said, still impressed. "Well, not like that anyway."

"Neither had I."

"And the way they attacked like that, towards anyone who wanders..." Harry was smiling, recalling the story. "It's mad. The look on his face when he came back! Imagine his face when those giants picked him up? He must have known how much they were going to hurt him."

Nott said nothing to this. He stared at Harry for the first time. In the silence they could hear Tom talking to Gonson above the wounded Knight, who moaned in pain even with the aid of magical healing. Nott's brow was furrowed.

"What is it?"

Nott's expression dropped at the question. He looked a little uncomfortable. "No, it's nothing... That's just... well, that isn't something I thought you'd say."

"Well, it's true."

Nott didn't seem to want to hear this. He looked confused again.

"You don't agree?"

"It's just... surprising you'd say that..."

This didn't make any sense to Harry. Was he supposed to talk in a certain way to Nott, then? Was something expected of him? He wanted to ask Nott what he meant, but that odd, saddened expression before his eyes stopped him.

"You look different," Nott mentioned quietly. The fire between them cast flickering shadows across his torn expression.

"It hasn't been that long since I last saw you," Harry joked.

Nott looked as though he wanted to smile, but couldn't. "It feels like a while ago now..."

Harry's smile faltered at this. It felt the same way to him, in honesty. If someone said it had been a year ago since he made a Horcrux, he would easily have believed it. The suffering certainly felt that long.

"Nothing's really changed though, has it?" Harry asked lightly, to try and change Nott's sadness.

"No."

They could hear a group of Knights laughing by another fire. Lestrange seemed to be telling what the others thought was a very funny joke. The sight caught Nott's attention.

"No... I don't suppose anything has."

A silence drifted forth.

The look on Nott's face was one that Harry still struggled to make sense of. Expressions in general seemed hard to understand lately, and the fact that Nott knew even simple Occlumency made it even more difficult for Harry to make the situation clear. He felt a dull emotion playing at the back of his mind. It felt strange.

"Do you miss him?" he asked without thinking.

This made Nott look up. They stared at each other for a long while.

"Every day..."

His eyes continued to shine.

The same odd, shadowy, unidentifiable emotions playing at the back of Harry's mind distracted him. It felt like dark sea creatures swimming beneath the surface of already darkened waters. Creatures that he had once known, that he had once swam with, were half gone now, fleeing as he himself became another being. He was unable to comprehend them now...

Harry craved to understand what was happening in Nott's mind. Lestrange was here, Harry reflected, he was right there... Lestrange had been Nott's best friend for so long. For so short a time, Lestrange had allowed himself to feel the same way Nott felt towards him, and this above all else was likely what tormented Nott now... This thought latched onto Harry, pulling him down into a torrent of confusing. He was close to wishing he had avoided Nott altogether – or better yet, that he hadn't asked at all.

But then, slowly (and he wasn't sure what had come over him) a deep sense of need to watch those large blue eyes was settling over Harry. He wished Tom hadn't given Nott the keys to lock his mind. The echoes of emotions he could see in Nott's mind were intriguing him. He sensed them strongly as Nott gave up caring to conceal his thoughts. It felt like a forgotten language, a puzzle that was so satisfying, already, just to look at. If he could only put it together...

"What did you do?"

The question broke Harry's concentration. He blinked many times, looking at Nott's expression now rather than reading his mind the best he could. Nott had sounded so frightened when he asked this question, Harry was stunned. He had whispered it, as if he didn't want to say it any louder in fear of it reaching other ears. Something about the way Harry had looked at him had struck panic in Nott had before he could stop himself from speaking.

Harry wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to. Nott stood up. Lestrange was still laughing with the others and this, as well as Harry, made Nott want to leave. Harry had upset him, clearly, by getting him to talk about what he was feeling, then by reading his mind so eagerly. The emotions that Nott had tried so hard to suppress were rising up within him and suddenly his shaky hands met his face in nerves, to protect his shining eyes from being seen, even as he turned from the light of the fire.

Harry was left alone. It took a few seconds before his mind began working properly again. He sat staring off into the shadows, wondering where Nott had gone.

– X –

A few weeks later, they had made great progress in convincing the Giants to join them. Naturally, there were mistakes quite often concerning how well Harry and Tom gained their trust, but for wizards so young they were doing tremendous work. Tom had explained to the Giants just how rare such groups of magical creatures were becoming. He explained how the Ministry kept information on groups Giants, Merpeople, Centaurs, Dragons, and so many other creatures, watching them. Some of the Giants had heard stories close to this. Tom assured them that with him, they would have the best protection possible. He promised to them that he would give them everything they wanted.

With the Giants on their side, every moment of the next few days was heavenly for Harry. They had left their camp in the mountains for the final time after weeks. The anticipation for the battle ahead of them was causing Harry so much joy, he felt not a moment of dissatisfaction. He helped to raise Tom's army with ease, taking great power in the nervousness the Knights were showing. They too loved the hope of a battle, being addicted to the Dark Arts almost as much as Harry was now. He felt so strong in the knowledge that he had to protect all of them, to lead them into war.

The night of their final battle fell fast and early. The Knights of Walpurgis had been split into three groups; two groups leading the Dragons while a third bewitched Inferi. Harry was in charge of three Dragons, Tom was leading an army of Inferi alongside several Giants, and the last Dragon was being controlled by a group of ten or so Knights, lead by Gonson, Nott, and Rosier.

The most brutal fighters (Mulciber, Avery, Dolohov, Gibbon, Ransom, Rowle, and others) were fighting with Tom. Harry was left to lead some of the smarter Knights, wizards like Lestrange, Black, Dorn, Weiß, and Malfoy, and German Knights he didn't know. They were to be fighting from brooms around the Dragons, landing to join Tom once the Inferi were released. Tom had collected so many bodies of Grindelwald's people, his army of Inferi surpassed the number of Knights he had.

"It will scare them beyond belief to see their old friends and partners in the Dark Arts fighting as corpses," Tom explained to Harry in a fevered moment of joy as they worked out their plans. "It will show them their inevitable fate... They will not have seen this sort of magic since Grindelwald's prime. The fact that we, like him, shall rise the dead again before their very eyes... it will be extraordinary."

Tom still had the knowledge of how to break into Grindelwald's Fortress. He had sent spies there throughout the months, watching the area from afar. His spies had listened to the conversations of various followers in other parts of Germany as he sent them silently to begin watching. Lestrange, Rosier, and Black were his best spies. They were the slyest of the Knights, the most patient, the most trusting. Tom sometimes sent the Knights he found in Germany, like Dorn, to watch the wizards they once knew, yet this was more rare. Tom didn't trust the ex-followers of Grindelwald quite as much with this.

Now, as they got ever nearer to the already crumbling headquarters of Grindelwald's, it mattered not which Knights were trusted. They were all aware of the fact that Tom would win this war. He had plans built up from months of information, he had watched as followers disappeared and fled from Grindelwald's army in fear and understanding that their time was over. It was back in Albania when Tom explained most of this to his Knights in a carrying voice.

"It is time," he said, "to prove your strength as worthy enough for our cause. With relentless vigour and eager bloodlust, I ask you for your best efforts tonight. In contradiction to common assumption, I must inform you all that we shall not be merely killing all of Grindelwald's people off once and for all... we shall be destroying the last headquarters of the followers foolish enough to stay loyal to their weak, fallen leader. We shall let them understand, finally, who are the true masters of the Dark Arts now!"

It was dark when they arrived in Germany. They had flown all the way from Albania, Harry monitoring the Dragons with all of his Knights as they rode on broomsticks besides the great creatures. They stood together now as group that was to follow Harry's every command. They were waiting for a signal. The cold wind of the night air carried the booming cries of the Dragon's voices far, but it couldn't affect Harry now. It couldn't affect the Knights, whose hearts hammered in a thirst for battle that overpowered their numbing fear.

"This is it," Harry said, all of them unmoving where they stood. The Dragon's kept letting out long, echoing cries of desire to be freed in their irritation. They thrashed against the magical binding and chains around them. But still, Harry spoke. "This is what we've been working towards for months, this is why we were there, in Albania, for so long. All we have to do is wait for the sign..."

The wait wasn't long. To Harry, it seemed like no time at all. Before he had done much more than admired the fearful minds of Tom's followers, they could see sparks bursting in the sky not far away. Displays of red and green hit the clouds like fireworks, leading up to a final flash of light, doubtlessly from Tom himself. The Dark Mark appeared in the sky.

The forearms of the Knights burned, sending them into a shock of movement. Harry's eyes had widened at the sight of emerald green. His heart felt as though it was going to burst and his face was numb with elation. He felt like a completely different person – this felt like nothing more than a dream. He registered only vaguely that his forehead burned too as he got back onto his broom, shouting orders for the Knights to mount theirs. The blood within him seemed to be awake from a long slumber, pulsing though his veins with sickeningly glorious enjoyment.

They flew towards the Dark Mark in soaring happiness. From high above, Harry could soon see where a battle was commencing. The light of spells below and the Dark Mark above was illuminating the whole scene as Harry zoomed above it with all of the Knights. They were torn between watching the battle and watching the Dragons, many of them almost forgetting their duties here in the sky.

"Black, Dorn!" Harry shouted to the Knights closest to him, "remember your signal! Stay up here. Lestrange, watch your group! Weiß, Malfoy, follow me with the others!"

He pelted towards the earth, knowing that the Knights all remembered their orders anyway. Weiß and Malfoy were right behind him, followed by seven or so Knights surrounding a Dragon. They landed smoothly quite a bit away from the battle, before the Dragon came crashing down with a sound so loud, it shook the floor under their feet. Grindelwald's followers were throwing spells out at them in panic. Gonson's Dragon was already here too.

Tom's Inferi were already advancing to the Fortress. It was visible from here; Tom was conducting the Inferi as if they were a part of a terrifying ensemble. They were ripping followers apart, unhurt by the innumerable spells and attacks being used against them. Being dead already, it was impossible to stop the Inferi from advancing no matter how many Stunning Spells were thrown, however many limbs were severed and broken. Grindelwald's people hadn't leant how to defeat Inferi, having never been the victims of them before. The screeching and screaming of furious rage reached Harry's ears between the roars of Dragons.

The noise of all that surrounded him was so loud that he couldn't hear his own voice – and he loved it. He shouted for the Knights to follow him, guiding the frantic and enraged Dragon along with them. Satisfaction ran through him down to the bones as several Knights, followed by the Dragon, flanked him. He was meeting up with Tom, who's few close Knights were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the fighters Harry brought. They had been waiting to join the battle with them.

Harry didn't want to be the leader of the Knights of Walpurgis, but the idea of helping Tom so much was a source of great happiness for him. He wanted to be with Tom and wanted to feel this thrill of battle, it seemed only logical to start leading again, as Tom's best follower. He wanted to protect Tom, as well as to be protected. He wanted to give something back for all those years of being guarded when he couldn't (and wouldn't) help himself. They were shielding the Knights as well as each other, causing all of them to be so much stronger than before.

The two Dragons circling the sky above them burned a deep red from the light of battle, spinning on and on around the looming Dark Mark. Tom was pleased by their arrival. He had just sent his maddened Inferi in the fortress to begin tearing up the place like a quick disease, killing everything in their wake. Gonson's group headed over with their Dragon. The Giants were already attacking the walls of the building, being hurt very little by the followers of Grindelwald who tried to attack.

"Those of you who shall be fighting next," Tom called, speaking loudly over the crashes and cries around him. "Upon my command, enter Grindelwald's fortress and kill everyone in sight!"

Those closest to Tom, such as Dolohov, Avery, Mulciber, and Ransom, were excited by these commands. The Knights instructed earlier to form a group began now, leaving only a few chosen others to look after both Dragons here. Tom was commanding the Inferi again, telling them all to come back out of Grindelwald's Fortress the way they had entered it. Harry was sure that a lot of them must have died, yet not as many as Tom must have killed.

The Inferi began speeding out of the fortress with continued force. It reminded Harry wildly of screaming children, so full of energy, but in this case so eager to kill. These Inferi, however, were dropping to the ground as soon as they reached a safe distance from the building. Tom was allowing them to rest, taking his magic off so they lacked the energy he had pumped into their bodies.

Tom told the Knights to begin their battle and they did so without hesitation. They were running the distance to the fortress, a few surviving followers of Grindelwald shooting spells at them as they advanced. The Giants continued to smash away at the face of the fortress, killing off the wizards who still tried to fight them. The two Dragons in the sky continued to spin around and around. The Knights were starting to go inside.

Now that the Inferi were down, the Dragons could be used. Their fire would, before, have warded off the mindless monsters if they had been too close. In a few minutes, as soon as the Knights began running back out of the fortress, it would be their signal to begin using the Dragons. Harry wished it would be sooner than this. He wanted to be a part of this as quickly as possible. Watching the Knights zooming about the circling Dragons above, it seemed a waste to keep them suspending in the air for so long.

It wasn't long, however, before there were none of Grindelwald's people left alive outside. They had retreated inside, and within a matter of minutes the Knights were speeding out of the building with excitement, shooting spells into the air in celebration. The Knights in the sky were told of what was happening at this, thus many of them began shooting spells up even higher, letting them explode like fireworks around the Dark Mark. It was time, now, to begin destroying Grindelwald's Fortress.

"Harry," Tom said quietly to catch his attention. He was smiling, but said nothing beyond this. He was heading towards the nearest Dragon. Harry watched him for a moment, struck by wonder as he waiting to see if Tom would do exactly as he himself thought idly of doing. Tom did indeed; he was walking past the cautious Knights without comment, before he found a way to climb onto the Dragon before him. He was going to control it from up there.

In a fervent rush Harry headed to the second Dragon after thinking for a split second about joining Tom. The Knights would have thought that odd, however, and two Dragons were far stronger than one. Harry would rather do as much damage as Tom, rather than to share the damage with him. This was something Harry knew had changed in him recently; he no longer wanted to follow in Tom's shadow, to be protected. He wanted to help, to use his own power too.

The Dragon's scales were hard and unmoving as Harry began to climb. The beast continued to roar and thrash about madly – weather it even noticed Harry, he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that suddenly he was fully on the Dragon's back, holding onto it as securely as he could manage. In a movement that reminded him so strongly of escaping Gringotts, he pointed his wand to the Dragon's chains.

"Relashio!"

The Dragon was freed in an instant – and it seemed to feel it as the chains loosened their grip. Harry wasn't even completely sure if he was doing the same thing that Tom was, even if he had a strong feeling he was. The next thing he knew voices were shouting and figures below him were backing away fearfully as the Dragon stretched out it's hard and powerful wings once more. The Dragon gave a tremendous roar of triumph, taking flight.

There was no controlling it physically, the beast simply wouldn't feel it if Harry moved or kicked, and even if it could there would be no way for it to make sense of his movements. It had taken a great deal of lessons from Tom for Harry to learn how to control a Dragon with magic, using mainly pain and possession, and although Harry didn't know the magic very well he knew enough to guide a Dragon with simple steering.

It was so powerful that he was at Grindelwald's Fortress after a few meagre beats of the Dragon's huge wings. They didn't even need to take flight fully, they were at the building and the Dragon was climbing up it as soon as Harry guided it to. Tom and his Dragon followed them shortly, with far more skill and ease but less eagerness to guide this attack. The walls of the fortress were crumbing under the Dragons' forceful claws. Their fiery breath was blasted against the stone, curving into windows, travelling throughout rooms and down corridors within.

The Knights had almost all vacated the fortress and those last few who were leaving shouted loud warnings to the corridors behind them for good measure. Enemies of Grindelwald's had been found in their cells within the fortress, most of them having been trapped here since long before Harry had joined their small prison. The Knights had broken them free, Harry soon learned, allowing them to flee the building with them before the two Dragons began their attack.

Without having to discuss their plans, Harry and Tom both had the same idea on mind: to blow fire into as many of the rooms as possible whilst helping the Giants to smash the top of this mainly underground structure. They commanded their Dragons simultaneously, soon drawing the attention of the Knights above, who took their attack as a sign to bring the last two Dragons spiralling down to earth. There were soon four creatures attacking the building viscously, ripping stone and dirt apart as their reptile-like bodies twisted in unusual ways for the best angle of attack.

It wasn't long before they had completely succeeded in destroying the outside of the building. All of this destruction now was for the mere fun and amusement for Harry and Tom. Many of the Knights threw spells at the bricks and stones to help, carving the place though with determination until more and more rooms were revealed. When it was finished, all that remained was the walls of the Fortress torn apart and scattered, areas covered in blood from where the Inferi had attacked. There were bodies strewn across every surface, illuminated by the Dark Mark looming eerily. Tom began withdrawing the attackers.

The Dragons were wild with ire as they backed off. They had done as much work that could easily be done here; the rest of the work would have to be left to magic. When all the Knights, Dragons, and Giants had backed away from the fortress, Tom produced Fiendfyre. The moment he saw this happening, Harry joined in, despite – again – having only learnt the magic recently. His craving for the battle was such that he couldn't stand around and just watch anymore.

He was laughing madly, throwing the fire in all directions with Tom. They were standing together like two deranged dancers, swirling around the terrifying, consuming flames that scorched and spread across the walls of Grindelwald's fallen fortress, causing the ground beneath their feet to erupt in fire. Except, Tom suddenly wasn't producing as much magic. Harry couldn't understand it at first, but he stopped too, turning to face him with an expression of awe at their work. Before he could make sense of Tom, however, both of them seemed to remember that they couldn't stay near this area for long.

Harry knew a great change had come over him, but he found himself caught up in so much enjoyment that he didn't care. He was so freed from his previous state of depression and confusion, all he could do was relish in the new comfort he had so resentfully found the path to. He was taking back control over what happened to him, and this beyond all else felt glorious. What made Harry true to the Dark Arts now was that he wanted to do it. What caused him to want the Dark Arts was a desire to protect himself, and what made him want that was his weakened, scared, selfish shred of soul. His decisions, however, were still wholly conscious.

They rode the Dragons all the way home, Tom giving commands to his awaiting Death Eaters from the back of the creature. They had to flee to Albania without stopping. The flight was one Harry felt he would remember for a very long time; he was gliding though the clouds close to Tom, followed by the last two Dragons. They twisted and coiled through the air beneath the stars. They were firing spells in celebration, giving no consideration to the countryside that swooshed past far below them. Harry felt as though he could hear Tom laughing madly in front of him, his voice carried by the rush of the wind.

"We have all done tremendously well tonight," Tom said in a proud voice when they gathered in their headquarters back home. "Our work here has ended in greatly rewarding results; through our war against the now defeated followers of Gellert Grindelwald we have gained not only new knowledge, skills, and experience that will be of help to us for as long as we live, but we have grown in numbers upon bonding over the downfall of a failed Dark Lord. Let us raise our glasses, now, to the Knights of Walpurgis!"

The Knights all did so with pride, gathered around a long wooden table that Tom had set many drinks upon with a simple swish of his wand. "The Knights of Walpurgis!" they said in unison, smiling broadly at both the prospect of drinking and the happiness at being in Tom's favour tonight.

"Now, the Ministry of Germany will doubtlessly be examining the fallen fortress we have so recently abandoned," Tom informed them all after a moment of drinking. The others' voices died down at these words as they listened closely. "It is unlikely that they will find any evidence to suggest who might have committed such a crime, but I must advice you all to be cautious."

"What happens if they do find out?" Dolohov asked from the crowd.

"Then with luck and skill, we shall put an end to their suspicions."

Many of the Knights seemed unsure. Low mumbling broke out amongst the group.

"However," Tom carried on, "it occurs to me that perhaps the best solution will be to escape the possibility of suspicion in the easiest way... If any of Grindelwald's people still remain, they could very well decide that warning a Ministry of who we are could put a quick stop to our organisation. So, naturally, a wise idea would be to move away entirely, to cut out the risk of a follower remembering where we reside."

"So, we're gonna change locations?" Avery asked.

"Indeed, Avery."

"To where?"

A look of satisfaction washed over Tom to say, "To England once more."

The change in the room was immediate; the British Knights were bewildered and beaming at these words, many of them seeming to believe they can't have heard Tom properly. The German, French, and Knights of other nationalities were entertained by the others' excitement, even if they themselves had no concern for where Tom wanted to go. Harry had no opinion. All he cared about was the look of satisfaction that Tom cast him from across the room...

"Tonight we celebrate in triumph," Tom said when his attention was drawn back to the Knights. "Reward yourselves, my dear Knights, for a year of brilliant work..."

Harry was leaving the room, sure that Tom wouldn't stay here for long. An exit at this time for Harry would go unnoticed in the others' determination to start drinking. He knew Tom would follow him. The thought was pleasing to him as he walked slowly down the corridor, away from the loud voices of the rejoicing Knights.

He heard the door open once he was halfway down the corridor and the sound of footsteps was clear. When he looked around, Tom was walking towards him, as he had hoped. Tom was a long way away and Harry was in no mood to wait for him to get all the way here. He headed into the nearest room, a meeting room.

The place was empty, filled with only a tall shelf on one wall and a medium-sized table that fitted around ten chairs in the centre. Most of the chairs were in odd spots in the room, for the Knights had spent some time here gambling in groups late at night. Harry walked over to lean against the table, facing the door as he waited for Tom to catch up.

When Tom arrived he closed the door closely behind him, least he should be seen. He turned to face Harry, whose heart was beating faster at the sight of him. Without needing to be told, Tom locked the door with silent magic. All he could do for a moment was gaze at Harry with a look of overwhelmed happiness.

"You did brilliantly tonight," he said in a hushed voice.

Pride filled Harry at these words. "So did you," he responded, smiling.

A smile broke across Tom's face too, with a breath of laughter. He was taking quick steps towards Harry, until he was close enough to touch him. Although he stepped close, they didn't kiss yet. Tom appeared crazed with adoration, his hair a mess for once with the night's events. He stood examining Harry with a look of joyous disbelief, awed still by what had happened.

"To see you handling Dragons with such skill," Tom whispered, pushing a strand of loose hair away from Harry's face, "it is a gift to me, one comparable to little else. To see what I have taught you, what you have learnt to do..."

He was leaning ever closer to Harry, his wild eyes softening as they travelled down to his lips.

"There is nothing to compare to my desire for you..."

He was inches away from Harry now. Their eyes closed.

Tom kissed him softly, then him again and again. Feeling him against him, above him, caused Harry's mind to freeze as their lips touched like this. His hands reached up for Tom's hair, unable to take the distance. He was pulling Tom nearer as they panted against each other now, kissing deeply and passionately. Tom was pressing himself on Harry, pushing him against the table in rough, even movements.

Harry groaned, biting Tom's lips and clawing at him to make him respond with as much force. It seemed to work; in a fevered rush Tom was tearing at Harry's clothes, trying to feel as much of him as possible. He ripped at Harry's shirt until the buttons began to loosen and tear off. They fought for control of the kiss, until both of them were worked into an utter fever of desire.

"I love you," Tom told him in a strained voice.

Harry moved his lips lower, to the side of Tom's neck. "I love you too... so much..."

Tom pressed his hips forwards harder as Harry licked his neck, breathing hotly against his skin. He pushed Harry's shirt off completely and whispered to him in Parseltongue, "I cannot believe the power that you too possess..." Harry rose to Tom's jaw, kissing him there over the sound of his hushed words. Tom breathed against him as their lips met again and moaned into his mouth as their tongues began to slide against each other's, fighting. He grinned into their kiss as he felt how much Harry liked this.

He did it again, pushing himself against him. Harry kept biting his lips, pushing back against Tom as his craving thickened. Tom pushed Harry back when he felt this, watching as he slammed into the hard wooden surface. Harry enjoyed this greatly; he wanted Tom to take him now, where he lay. He took a moment to examine the sight of Tom above him, his eyes gazing at Harry's body and his face flushed with fevered lust. Harry wanted, suddenly, to be the one dominating Tom again. He sat up.

Although there was no way of Harry knowing now, he would later learn and understand that during the course of the evening, great fear had gripped Tom. He had bee been happy to see that Harry lead his group of Knights without problem across Germany, but at the sight of Harry releasing the Dragon from it's chains, attacking the fortress with such avidity and throwing Fiendfyre with such ease after learning it so recently, Tom's fear was deepening. This didn't even go on to mention how soon Harry had controlled the Inferi, how soon he had been able to twist the emotions of the Knights even before he wanted to be a Dark Wizard.

Harry, naturally, still wasn't quite what Tom was with the Dark Arts, he didn't learn the Arts quite as quickly, but the fact still remained that Tom couldn't grasp why a wizard so talented would have stayed away from the subject for so long. He had never properly witnessed Harry leading other wizards before, nor acting with such bravery upon the call of battle. Tom had never seen someone suddenly so strong, even if the Dark Arts often gave wizards new strength. He was scared, now, that Harry would surpass him in levels of power. He knew he himself was the next greatest Dark Wizard to be known... but what if Harry was too?

As soon as Tom saw him sitting up, he pushed him back down again, harder this time. He looked ready to climb above Harry then, to keep holding him down, but Harry wanted Tom more. Getting back up, his lips crashed into Tom's and began kissing him with such force, Tom couldn't push him back again. Harry pulled him closer, biting him, breathing his name, and standing up in quick succession. He was trying to get Tom to do what he wanted, but Tom simply wouldn't allow it. It was with skilled force that he managed to turn Harry around, whispering sickening sweet words to him in Parseltongue. He wouldn't be beaten...

A while later, after they were through with their private celebration for the downfall of Grindelwald's people, Tom spent more time making an appearance for the Knights while Harry joined in only half-heartedly, not truly caring how the Knights wanted to show their joy in response to all of their appreciated accomplishments. There were so many thoughts buzzing through Harry's mind, he wanted to discuss it all with Tom. He thought about England, the future for the Knights, his own future living with Tom, and setting up a hidden place for the Dragons and Giants.

The two of them headed back to Tom's house, leaving the Knights to continue doing whatever they wanted to do tonight in their own building. Harry and Tom were exhausted; they wanted nothing more than to just fall asleep together in Tom's room. As he waited for Tom to get ready for bed, Harry's mind began to wander over to thoughts of Horcruxes. He had caught sight of the Sword of Gryffindor stored away under many enchantments in Tom's dresser. Horcruxes were an interesting subject to him for the mere sake of contemplating the concept, of course. Emotion-driven thoughts were so rare in his mind these days, unless of thought of his love for Tom.

What made a Horcrux truly bad, he thought, wasn't even so much the act of killing, but rather the act of gaining so much from the innocent. Many people died in war and many people were murdered out of pure wrath for doing equally as terrible crimes to the killers themselves; they were not killed innocently. Harry honestly believed that killing Emeric wasn't a crime, for he had been insane with wrath, driven by obsession that arose for reasons Harry couldn't have helped.

Even Tom, in the case of his grandparents, didn't kill the innocent initially. Hepzibah Smith, the attack on Borgin and Burke... those had been rational crimes. The Muggle Tramp hadn't... but Harry understood Tom suffered a lot as a child due to Muggles. He knew it wasn't right. Despite some of the words Tom spoke about Muggles to teach the Knights to hate them more, Harry still couldn't hate them, personally. There were wizards Harry still despised more than any Muggle, thus for him it would be irrational to hate all Muggles. But Tom had reason.

As Harry looked at the Sword of Gryffindor now, it made him think about his second year at Hogwarts. He had used this item for 'good' in the past... it seemed like he was meeting some conclusion by having it as a Horcrux. It was the final step towards moving into the Dark Arts, to becoming a proper Dark Wizard with Tom – not only because it was a Horcrux, but because it was an item of such history to Harry, reminding him of such an important point in his life... It, like he, had now changed.

It was Slytherin over Gryffindor, the dark side over the light. Except, Harry felt as though he was a bit of both. He felt as though it was just the same. He was sure that both Slytherin and Gryffindor had done bad things – the fact that Gryffindor fought with this sword suggested it, at least a little. He had defeated wizards with this item, gaining strength from their defeat... What made this different to a Horcrux, really? It protected his life. It took in all that made itself stronger, just like how a Horcrux used all that it could to strengthen and protect itself.

"I see you're examining your Horcrux," Tom said softly as he approached Harry. He had just gotten out of the shower.

"Yeah," said Harry, "I never really get to see it like this."

"We could place it somewhere else," Tom suggested, apparently liking the idea. "Perhaps let it be seen by us, even with magical barriers around it."

"I'd like that," Harry said. "Maybe in our new house in England."

"Indeed." Tom smiled.

"I was thinking," Harry said, turning as Tom walked around to the other side of the bed, "since we'll be in England soon, maybe we should start writing up plans about getting that wand?"

Tom pulled back the covers of the bed slowly, watching Harry. "The wand in Dumbledore's possession?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed. He then added, "Grindelwald's wand."

A soft smile, perhaps in comfort, crossed Tom's lips. "Ah, yes."

"Do you think we could get it?"

"You must first understand, Harry, that Dumbledore is a very dangerous wizard."

"I know he is, but that's the only wand I want. I'm protected now anyway, you know that. We can do whatever we want."

"We are immortal, yes, but this doesn't mean I'm willing to let you die at the hand of Albus Dumbledore," Tom said. "I'm not willing to throw you into danger as such if it risks years of imprisonment for you, or a rebirth at such a young age. We must still be cautious."

"We've just defeated Gellert Grindelwald's Fortress, Tom," Harry said, just to remind him of the glorious things they had done today alone. "We've gained so much power, we have so many Knights and beasts now –"

"None of that will help you in a confrontation with Dumbledore," Tom reminded him. "We have done some great things, yes, and tonight is a night of celebration, but don't mistake impressive accomplishments with your own abilities as an individual, Harry. A person's greatest skills are often unexplainable to others; to attempt to catch it's glory in words is to smudge the delicate detail that only the live eye can see, only the live ear can hear. Accomplishments stated one after another are misleading, they create wrong assumptions of power – which are no more or less than what is real, but what are nevertheless mislead."

Harry thought about this for a minute. It sounded slightly like an insult, like Tom was suggesting Harry thought he had more power than he truly had because of his willingness to list the things they had accomplished in Albania, yet he understood what Tom meant. Just because they had been powerful enough as a group to rid Grindelwald's people didn't mean that he would be able to fight Dumbledore all on his own.

"You really fear him, don't you?"

Tom knew he was referring to Dumbledore. He was sitting on the bed, watching Harry as he tried to find the words to respond to this.

"Dumbledore never took any sort of liking to me. He's been suspicious of me since the moment he met me, for many reasons – some bias, perhaps – after visiting that filthy Muggle orphanage I grew up in. Perhaps it was the way I acted that struck concern in his eyes, or the way I grew in Hogwarts that made him suspicious... but my point here is that Dumbledore is no friend of ours, Harry, and to steal that wand will give him the perfect excuse to stop us progressing in the world."

This made Harry wonder more about Tom's thoughts on Dumbledore's distrust. Did Tom perhaps think Dumbledore only disliked him because of the orphanage he had lived in? Did Tom carry on his hatred for the Muggles so far as to blame the orphanage, his association with Muggles, for why Dumbledore had never given him any form of respect?

Harry might have begun thinking that Dumbledore could have been bias, if it weren't for the fact that the Professor was a skilled Legilimens. He had been watching Tom's mind since he was eleven years old, he knew how he had grown and how he hadn't. He wasn't prejudiced against Tom because he hated Muggles – he wasn't like his father, accused of Muggle hate and imprisoned for an attack against them.

"It isn't as though I have to fight Dumbledore though," Harry mentioned. "I won't even have to talk to him – I could just take the wand and go, in the middle of the night or something."

"There's no way you could take that wand without Dumbledore knowing," Tom told him. "No matter how the night ends, he'll have found out what happened by morning."

"But don't you want to make a fool of Dumbledore now we have the chance to?" Harry asked. He was taking a different approach to the subject, trying anything to convince Tom. "It'd remind him that he isn't as great as he thinks he is. He doesn't deserve that wand – he isn't even supposed to have it, and it'd be our last step in defeating Grindelwald. There's nothing I'd want more than that wand."

A few months or weeks ago, Harry might have felt bad for twisting the truth so boldly to Tom, but this, he felt, was excusable. He had said worse lies, after all, and this was just a direct result of that. All he cared about was getting the Elder Wand, he was sure he'd be able to. Dumbledore or no Dumbledore, they had the knowledge to pull something like this off if they wanted to – and he very much wanted to.

"Don't you want to seek revenge on Dumbledore for what he's done?" he asked more quietly.

Tom debated over thoughts for a moment. His mind, however, appeared to be drawn to the idea of his dislike of Dumbledore rather than to his dislike of the idea of letting Harry go get that wand. Dumbledore still troubled Tom, even from years and miles upon miles of distance. Tom sat up a little straighter where he rested.

"I seek revenge already," he said in a quiet voice, "by knowing Dumbledore is sitting in his office at Hogwarts, contemplating his petty classroom troubles before he allows himself to wonder, for what he promises himself is the last time, what has happened to dear Tom Marvolo Riddle, who has vanished for reasons Dumbledore will link to the truth…"

He was still very angry about Dumbledore, Harry knew. Although the Professor hadn't done very many obvious things to stop Tom from progressing (minus preventing Tom from being a teacher at Hogwarts, in spite of Headmaster Dippet's enthusiasm), the fear that Dumbledore struck, the feeling of constantly being watched and judged, still stick with Tom. He couldn't shake off his fear of Dumbledore because he knew the Professor was sitting there, waiting patiently for him to slip up in some way. He was waiting for that eleven-year-old to show in Tom again in weakness, he was waiting to show the world his box of hidden, stolen trophies...

"Perhaps it wouldn't be impossible..."

This, Harry knew, was Tom's acceptance. He waited.

"If you wish to gain power from weakening Dumbledore in some way, from stealing from him, from reminding him that Grindelwald wasn't only his to defeat... there are ways it could be arranged..."

"You want to get back at him, don't you?"

"You require a new wand," was all Tom responded.

"He can't hurt us," Harry said, trying to sooth him, "and anyway, you know we can't be defeated."

"But that is the problem, for neither can he..."

Tom looked genuinely intimidated by the idea, his expression grave.

"Even without Horcruxes, even without the immortality Grindelwald might have sought, Dumbledore remains unharmed, unscratched..."

Harry moved a little closer to Tom on the bed, catching his eyes again at a nearer range. "He can't hurt us, Tom. He won't expect it at all, I can get the wand and leave without getting into any trouble."

"He'll know you're there. No matter what we plan, he'll know."

"I can get the wand before he realises it – I'll take the cloak, in fact. I know enough magic to sneak in."

"Dumbledore has already shaken you before by finding your weak spot, Harry," Tom reminded him again in a warning tone. "This is what Dumbledore does, he finds where you are weak and he attacks you relentlessly with the knowledge, until you break. "

"What could he have on me now though? I don't care that he knows we're together, he can't use that to hurt me anymore, nor to scare me."

Tom gave no response. Harry knew he wasn't mistaken, Dumbledore wouldn't see it coming, wouldn't be prepared for it. Harry doubted weather the Professor had even given him much thought since leaving Hogwarts, for he had no connection to Harry. 'Jonathan' had just been another student.

"Tom?"

"He scares me..."

His words were so quiet, barely a whisper. Harry might not have heard them had either of them moved, or had the house not been so still.

"He knows, Harry... He always knows..."

As Harry looked into Tom's face all he could see was the fearful, mistrusting eleven-year-old he had once been. Despite it being ten years later, Dumbledore pulled Tom back to that period of time. He reminded Tom of the past that he tried so hard to forget. He had been a constant reminder at Hogwarts that Tom's sort of personality was hated in the Wizarding World too; his love and obsession for the Dark Arts, the skills that he possessed in doing brilliant magic that so few other wizards could ever master, made Dumbledore, and so many other wizards if they knew, hate him more than anyone else had...

Professors like Slughorn and Dippet adored Tom's power as much as Tom could hope, but it was obvious that as soon as they found out who Tom was, they too would hate him. His own Death Eaters, who were some of the closest people to Tom, would end up begrudging him mostly, loving him and admiring him only if they themselves were as twisted as he, some of them wishing to stab him in the back eventually. Dumbledore was the first of so many...

"I'll go on my own," Harry said, wanting to shield Tom from any contact with Dumbledore so soon. He preferred this idea, anyway. "That way, he won't think twice about you even if he ends up seeing me. It'll be alright."

"I would like to go with you... but the complications would be many."

"I know."

"I'll bring you there."

"That'd be good."

They could have continued talking here, watching each other and discussing how they would break into Hogwarts. They could have planned how Harry would take the wand before Dumbledore knew, or how they would warn each other if something went wrong, but it had been a long night and they were both very tired.

Tom edged closer to Harry, until their noses touched. He kissed him once and told him how much he loved him. Harry did the same thing, feeling so happy to be here with Tom after such a whirl of events concerning the defeat of Grindelwald's people. It wasn't long after this that both of them fell asleep, blissfully content in the comfort of each other's arms.