Chapter Twenty Three: Shredded Skin

The ground was rough, as was his landing as he twisted and bent, the Portkey rolling away from him his only light source. With a quick wave of his index and middle fingers, he summoned a small but bright ball of light when he righted himself. His sharp eyes filing away every piece of information, he recognized the vague area as Little Hangleton, that meant the decaying manor nearby was Riddle Manor.

"I owe Gamma a drink…" He mumbled to himself, he kept his head low and he aimed to feel out the surroundings nearby; it was how nearly every powerful wizard could tell who was close. He felt himself being drawn to a particular grave, one near a large black and boiling cauldron.

'He's close!' He could hear Sal scream in the back of his mind, it would appear that Salazar had more of a beef with Voldemort than Harry did himself. Not truly surprising, after all Volde did inadvertently leave Sal behind within the Potter Heir.

"Come out. I will not ask again." He shouted into the darkness, he felt his scar prickle at being so close to his foe, his rival, his Creator; while it was true that Bella had done a marvelous job breaking him even more, everything stemmed from Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Harry ducked to the right, a bright orange spell splashing harmlessly again the stone behind him. Without much thought, he tapped the stone in front of him and with a light push, his magic sent it barreling at his foe. To dodge another spell, he rolled to right and brought the earth up in front of him, the rough grass caught against the harsh spell fire from his foe.

He pulled himself into smoke and dodged behind another stone, rolling behind another as that one was blown apart.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Harry!" He heard the sniveling sickening voice, the man who had ruined his life, the man who had cursed his God-Father, the man who got away.

Harry twisted his neck, his eyes in wide anger at the man before him, the man was short and sickly looking, his thin mousy brown hair was almost gone near the top. The cloak that he was wearing was thick, and could like take all but the harshest of spell fire; annoying. What caught his eyes though was the bundle of wraps tucked gently under his left arm, his scar trobbed aggressively at the sight 'Tom' Sal and Harry thought together.

He gave the man another glance, slapping a binding hex to the side with his free hand "You lost that right a long time ago, Wormtail." He spat out, his features darkening at the sight.

"Wormtail, it is nearing the time!" A light voice filtered across the graveyard, Harry assumed it was coming from the bundle, from Voldemort.

Wormtail paled looking up to the sky, then nodding quickly his wand starting to glow an angry orange "My apologies, Master." He whispered, his eyes narrowing on the Potter heir "I think it is time for me to get serious Potter."

Harry cocked a brow, a thin smile spread across his features "Oh my? I do hope you don't think I have been in any way serious, Pettigrew." He confessed with a sigh, a flick of his wrist and his wand landed in his palm, his right leg went forward a little and his wand arm back just slightly "Please do go on, I would love some entertainment."

The two wizards clashed in a wave of spell fire, the colors of the rainbow lit the graves up and Pettigrew was forced to smuggle Tom behind a grave to keep up with the Potter. Orange, blue, green, green, purple, and red; they ducked, slapped, shielded and rolled away from the incoming spell fire…well Potter slapped them out of his way. Harry narrowed his eyes, sidestepping a blood boiler and firing one of his own back at his foe.

Peter floated a grave in front of the curse, he was breathing quite heavily at the physical exertion, he hadn't been this pressed in a fight for a very long time. The decade he spent as a common house rat had caught up to him, curse those endless hours of treats and sleep. "Y…You're…good." He breathed out, still aiming to catch his breath.

Potter stood there cocking his head to the side, the man was physically exhausted "Please tell me you're joking, we've only been at this ten minutes." He said looking down at his watch and casually slapping another binder out of his way. "It's to be expected from the weakest." He sighed.

Peter went red with exhaustion, and then he went redder with anger "Shut…Shut up…Potter." He growled, his hands resting on his knee's hunched over; he could feel his masters displeasure.

"I am so intimidated." Harry spoke in a void voice, his eyes narrowing "Tom! It took you close to three years to possess an infant." He called out, his features becoming feral almost "I wonder how long it'll take you when I'm th-" He head went back at the sudden slash of spell fire across his left side "AGH!" He felt himself scream.

His arms and legs locked together in the familiar body bind, his glasses had been cut off his face and now he couldn't see more than a few inches in front of him and that was blurry. A pair of dark boots and darker robes filled his vision, he tried to squint through the pain, to get a better view. "To think a child would reduce you to this state, Pettigrew." A thick voice filled the air, a voice Harry had heard all year round.

"Timely intervention, Igor, as always." Voldemort's voice filtered across the air, the malice next was almost pliable "Wormtail, you were beaten by a child, completely unacceptable."

Someone floated him towards the cauldron, tying him to the stone with chains, hoping to keep him still long enough for the ritual to be completed. He could barely open his left eye, Harry could feel blood leaking down his features, he noticed that everything was black; his eye was likely destroyed by the curse. 'Well, you're in quite the pickle aren't you.' Sal whispered through his mind, and he could already feel himself slipping back to the House.

XX~XX~XX~XX~XX

The basement was still dark, still haunting as ever with its lightly glowing green candles. Salazar looked a bit better from last time, he looked more filled out, his skin was paler though and eyes still burned red "Harry Potter, what will you do?" The creature asked simply, head cocked to the side.

Harry glanced around him and felt no one else, James, his Family Spirits, His Demons, Lily…..just Sal. He closed his good eye for a moment, his left hand running his index finger across the wound, wincing at the pain. "I…am unsure." He admitted, while he could see clearly in his mind, he knew that without his glasses, he was likely to die there.

Sal slipped forward a little, a smile coming across his features, something that reminded him of a serpent, the chains tightened around him "You've….witnessed, what I am capable of, Harry." He whispered, their eyes locked "And unlike you, I do not require glasses."

Harry frowned "I am quite certain that my body, still needs glasses Salazar, or I might consider it." He admitted, his features still narrowed, after all the runes across him arm were designed for two things; to keep Sal contained and to limit his exposure.

Sal grinned, slowly and cautiously bringing his right hand to his mouth, where he tore into the flesh between his index finger and his thumb. Blood started to pour from the wound, and with his left hand, he began to draw on the wall beside him. It looked like a spiral of sorts, with a triangle in the middle and something similar to an eye inside of that. "I know that you are already bleeding, use your blood and trace this." He tapped the rune lightly "Then, let me do the rest."

Harry frowned, he was glancing around but still felt nothing near him and he took a slow shaky breath "Will you return when it is over…" It wasn't a question, it was more of a term, an order.

Sal grinned even more "Scouts honor." He said brightly, before sighing "Truthfully Potter, I just want to rip Tom apart, let me out and I won't hinder you." He locked eyes once more "I'll even help you build your Mother, when it is all over."

Harry took a step forward, his hand extended and his features grew dark "Shake on it." He growled out, his mind made up.

Sal finally felt the chains around him all but vanish, he slowly brought his bleeding hand up and clasped his with the Potter "It's a deal then!" His eyes started to glow a bright red and Harry felt everything going black again "Now sit back! And let me drive!"

XX~XX~XX~XX~XX

Harry opened his eyes once more, he was still in control for the moment and was just in time to watch as Wormtail cut into his left arm for blood. "Blood of the enemy, forcefully taken, you will revive your foe." The sickly man spoke shakily, before flicking the blood into the cauldron. The mixture began to bubble uncontrollably, smoking something mixed between green and purple, bluish?

Harry shook his head, using his middle finger to trace the rune that Sal wanted, making sure it was all on his skin, his left hip was just barely exposed. He kept his movements to a minimum as the Mixture seemed to vanish, and a tall pale, boney man stepped out it "Wormtail….my robe." The figure whispered, Voldemort had a body, his rune was only halfway finished.

A laugh filled the air around him, and Harry could feel his spine and scar prickle at it….was this…Fear? He was afraid? Absolutely not! His features darkened and he continued to trace the rune on his side "Igor, your arm if you would." Voldemort commanded his accomplice.

"My…My Lord, you promised!" Wormtail spoke in something mixed between a wail and cry of pain.

Voldemort flicked his wand lightly at the man, the smell of burned flesh and smoke filled Harry's nose as he still worked away, then the sound of screams "That is for my displeasure, you shall not die here Wormtail but I will not give you the hand that you wish." Voldemort spoke in a voice filled with anger "Igor!"

"Of course, My Lord."

Harry could feel Voldemort glance over at him, so his fingers stopped their tracings, a frown marking his features. "Harry. You look horrible!" Voldemort grew closer to look at him better, he still couldn't see much "Igor, did you have to maim his face?"

"Apologies, My Lord, I knew that Potter was weak without his glasses." The Ex-Headmaster confessed.

Voldemort waved him down "Igor tell me, how many do you think will return?" He asked the Death Eater.

It was silent for a moment before the man sighed "Truthfully my Lord, had you not approached me, I would have likely fled, and I imagine that some still shall….Severus for example."

Voldemort once again waved him down "Severus is in the perfect place, he cannot leave and neither can our other ally." He turned back to Harry "Do you know on which Grave you stand Potter?"

Harry was still breathing lightly, his face twitched in pain, something that he couldn't get used to again "Your filthy Muggle father? The one your Squib of a mother seduced through a potion." He recited from memory, then cried out in pain as the cruicatious washed over him.

Voldemort was laughing "That's accurate! You've done your homework!" The man was clapping lightly, almost mockingly "I am truly impressed, but how much of my history do you know?" He asked his pale wand was close enough for Harry to actually see.

Harry was silent for a moment, he figured that all eyes were on him "She died in child birth…..you grew up in an orphanage….alone and bullied." He flinched as a wave of memories filled him "Hogwarts is the only home you've ever known….and Dumbledore all but banned you." He laughed a little "So you've created an army to take back what is yours."

Even though Harry's eyesight was still trash, he could see the look of astonishment on Voldemort's features "If I was your Professor again Potter, I might have given you an O." He spoke lightly before turning towards the dark clouds that were coming in "But I have other guests to entertain, don't go anywhere."

Harry smirked lightly, and began to trace the final touches of his rune, completely ignoring the monolog that Voldemort had begun. Once he was finished, he forced a little of his magic into the rune and slowly opened his left eye and for once in his life, he could see clearly without the aid of his glasses….and he began to laugh.

Harry could now see so clearly, as to identify most of the people here to their names that Voldemort had whispered to, but now all their eyes were on him "Pray tell, Harry….what is so funny." Voldemort asked hauntingly at being interrupted.

His scarred eye trained on Voldemort and his smile not once vanishing "Ah nothing….just thought it was funny that you gave me more targets is all." He admitted then started to twitch as the curse washed through him again.

"How does your insubordination feel Potter! Does it hurt!"

Once it was over and had been washed away, Harry leveled his eyes at the creature before him "Of course it hurts…." He breathed out, his eyes closed for a moment but the smile returned "I've come to realize something…that Pain is your closest friend….after all it tells you when you've been wounded…." He laughed lightly, sounding crazed as his runes started to twist and bend alive "The best part about pain?" He leveled his cold red and green glare at Voldemort "It lets you know that you aren't dead yet!" The chains around him suddenly broke snapping free like they had been blasted apart.

The second his feet touched the ground, he rushed forward and sidestepped to the left, a single bolt of green passed over his shoulder. The Death Eaters looked surprised by the display of wandless magic that Harry had just accomplished; it was hard to explain why he was so good at it. Without stopped he thrust his hand forward and caught Wormtail by the jaw as he looked stunned, slipping around him and laughing at the men in front of him.

Voldemort however looked unimpressed "I hope you don't plan on using him as a shield, because I will kill him." He spoke rather slowly in a deadpan.

"Nah….Something better Tom." Harry said as sparks suddenly began to fly, his features didn't change as more electricity suddenly filled the air around him and Peter fell limply to the floor, his features stuck in a look of pain and shock; no pun intended. "Did you know that the nervous system is nothing but electrical pulses from synapse to synapse?" He clutched the electricity in his fingers and then threw it forward.

Voldemort pulled his father's gravestone in front of him to protect himself, but the Death Eaters around him were not so lucky. In gasps of pain and screams, the men fell around him twitching as if under the Crucio, he almost felt sorry for them. He narrowed his eyes on Potter, the boy had what he would have assumed his good eye closed and his now bleeding, scarred Red eye was glaring at him.

"Impressive…Harry…."

Harry made a mock bow, as he did so, he plucked the wand that Wormtail had taken from him "So….how long has it been Tom, since you've had a straight up duel?" He asked, head cocked to the side and a smile on his face "Wait, don't answer that, it's been far too long."

The two took their stances, Voldemort noticed that Potter was mirroring him and that made him raise a brow. Then they both fired the same curse, dodging to the left and together filled the sky with lights and bangs. While Harry was calm and collected, though his smile never wavered, Voldemort was slowly freaking out, Potter was mirroring him; he knew his style of fighting.

"Who taught you that!" He slapped the Egyptian Bone Crusher to the side, it was something that very few people actually knew about and even fewer could perform flawlessly; and he was one of them.

Harry cocked his head to the side, his smile growing "Why Tom, where would be the fun in telling?"

"Stop calling me that!"

Their Fire Serpents clashed above them, leveling the other out and filling the sky with flecks of burning embers and smoke. Voldemort frowned again, they were evenly matched? It shouldn't be possible, even if Potter had the same power as he did, his experience would still trump that, it was why Dumbledore was the only one who could beat him. Yet here was Potter, a boy who was barely out of his fourth year, standing toe to toe with him, how was….

"Bellatrix." Voldemort whispered, his eyes growing wide "Sirius Black!" He shouted, chaining several curses together in an attempt to stop the boy from tiring him out. "That was who broke her out! She betrayed me!"

Harry grinned even more, his features seemed slight different and the runes on his arms were still turning like gears "Ah, my favorite Aunt!" He called out, slapping a curse out of his way "If only Narcissa and her worm of a husband would side with us!"

The Death Eaters had started to stand once more, not knowing if they should get involved or not, after all their Master was very protective of his foes, aiming to kill them personally; Lucius recalled how he personally killed the McKinnon family.

"Potter!" He shouted in rage, sending a large and blinding killing curse at the boy.

The boy sent his own killer at Voldemort and the two curses connected, locking their wielders in a firm grip of the other. "Priori Incantatem" The two breathed out at the same time, something like this was extremely rare, their red eyes locked on the other and suddenly a dome surrounded them.

"Stay away!" Harry shouted, as suddenly wisps surrounded him, two taking the shape of the Muggle Care Taker and Jorkins. One more came suddenly, taking the form of a young man in his twenties, his hair was wild and long, silver eyes framed by square glasses and his jaw set firmly in anger.

"Harry, you need to get out of here!" The ghost whispered, his eyes wide with fear "Your mother's protection has failed! He'll overpower you!"

Harry glanced to the side "Sorry, but Harry isn't here right now, take a message, you got a pen?" He said with a wide grin as the two curses still battled for control.

James frowned at that statement, looking from Voldemort then to Harry "Ah, a split, Lily! Take care of him will you! I'm going to do something reckless." With that James and the other spirits filled the Graveyard with their haunting presence.

Harry grinned a little, he could feel the real Harry almost screaming in the back of his head and Lily too if the female voice was anything to go by "Have a little faith!" He shouted back, leveling his glare at Tom "Haven't you learned yet?" He shouted out, making Tom raise a brow "Don't play the Devil!" Harry pulled his wand up towards the sky and rushed forward in a cloud of smoke.

The light and sparks blinded Voldemort for a flash of a second but that was all Harry needed, something flashed in his right hand and brought it down on Voldemort's wand arm. The two locked eyes for that second before the sound of tearing and something shattering filled the air, the sword in his hands cut halfway through and then shattered into multiple fragments.

"He always cheats." He whispered hauntingly, before jumping back and leveling his left arm with his wand in it. Voldemort was in shock, in fact he was too shocked to scream in the pain that he felt, Potter had just defeated him….Potter had just defeated him!

"Kill HIM!" Voldemort screamed at his Death Eaters who leveled their wands and started to throw curses at the Potter heir. Knowing that he had far too many wands trained on him, and Voldemort to still deal with as he had a slight knowledge of Wandless magic; he opted out.

Harry rushed towards the left, rolling by one of the graves as protection and grabbed Wormtail by his robes. He put his left hand forward, creating a wall of earth to protect him as his right hand summoned the cup; he just hoped that the original Portkey would still be on it.

The second it touched his hand, he felt the pull of his magic around his navel and vanished with a pop.

XX~XX~XX~XX~XX

The ground he landed on was softer in comparison to the Graveyard, the sounds of trumpets and other instruments filled his ears and he pulled his wand out. Eyes flaring around him, wondering if he was truly safe, what if Voldemort had followed him; even weakened as he was. Harry found nothing but students in the stands, they all looked shocked at his appearance.

"Harry!" He heard someone call out in front of him, it was Dumbledore, the man crouched down low towards him "Your runes….Salazar.." He growled out, his eyes glowing with slight anger at the creature posing as Harry.

"He-He's fine.." He breathed out, suddenly feeling fatigue "Had to take over….he lost his….glasses…"

Dumbledore nodded before looking at the body below him "Peter Pettigrew…" He breathed out, before looking back at Fudge and his detachment of Aurors "Cornelius! Potter has returned with a Death Eater!"

"Death Eater! Why Albus, stop saying such things! We've gotten them all accounted fo-" He stopped when he got a good look at said Death Eater, Peter Pettigrew "Aurors! Arrest Potter! Arrest him right now!"

"What!?" Was heard around the Potter heir, who merely leveled his gaze at the Minister.

"He has used Dark Magic, cursed Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour and now Order of Merlin First Class Peter Pettigrew! This is all I need to put him away! Aurors!" Fudge shouted out, suddenly Harry was surrounded by ten well trained Aurors.

Harry slowly and shakily stood, his brow was covered in sweat and blood "Professor….don't get in the way." He mumbled to Albus, who glanced at the boy before stepping away, wondering slightly if Salazar was going to give up that easily.

"Harry James Potter, you are herby under arrest." Fudge said darkly, glancing to the left "Moody, cuff him." The gruff Ex-Auror nodded, a small smile on his face, taking a pair of the runic cuffs from one of the Aurors and stepped towards Potter.

"Good job, Potter, my Master will deal with you soon." Moody whispered with a grin as he came around the young teen, but then stopped as his body was filled with pain. "Agh!"

"Moody!" Someone shouted.

"He's back!" He shouted, he had backwards kicked the man in the fake leg sending him towards the ground. He grabbed him by the wrists, snapping one of the bones as he locked eyes with Fudge " The Dark Lord Voldemort has returned!" He then looked down on Moody, snapping another bone "And it was all your fault!" He screamed down at the man.

He felt something stir in him at the word screamed "Arry!" He felt himself flinch inside like someone had pour acid over his whole body. Harry was screaming inside, even Sal had to look down at the man before him, his magic flaring protecting him from the simple stunners. "Please look away…" He whispered, his eyes connected with Moody.

"What's one thousand minus nine?"

Everyone look on in shock at the young man before his body went rigid and he started laughing "I guess my time is up." He looked over at Dumbledore, the smile faltered for a moment "Good job on the Runes." He confessed rubbing the back of his head with his free hand "See ya later, Crouch!"

Harry sagged for a moment, breathing heavily, his whole body seemed to be weighted and he slowly brought his eyes up. One dull green eye, trying so hard to see in front of him but failing, the other still bright red and seeing perfectly. "Hahaha….Sal…you fucker." He mumbled out, before straightening "I'm not going to surrender, you have no cause to arrest me."

"You have been caught in the act!" Fudge all but screamed "You've just assaulted Alastor Moody!"

"No I haven't." He spoke dully, looking down at the man for a moment before looking over at Dumbledore "Isn't that right Sir?"

Albus frowned for a moment, before narrowing his eyes at the groaning man on the floor "That's not Alastor, I've not once known him to moan in pain….Ah…Polyjuice…a useful potion." He rubbed his beard sagely "I assumed that some mischievous children were experimenting again…." He locked eyes with Potter "It appears that Severus' claims were quite serious."

Fudge sputtered for a moment, shaking his head and stepping forward "As Minister of Magic, I am placing you under arrest by article Five Three B, I can arrest any suspicious Wizard or Witch for seventy-two hours as we begin a case, should such-"

"I know the law." Harry growled out, his eyes narrowing but placed his wrists forward "Fine, do it before I change my mind." He mumbled as Fudge placed the cuffs on him.

"And to think you were a Hero." The Minister spat at him, lowly so only those close would hear.

Harry narrowed his eyes, his green once wincing in pain as it tried so hard to focus "Sometimes the world doesn't need another Hero." He growled out, stepping forward, two Aurors grabbed him by his shoulders pulling him back "Sometimes what the world really needs, is a Monster." He breathed out, as the sky cracked with lightning.

To the side he could see his friends standing there, Daphne was crying into her sleeve, Hermione refused to look up but he could see her shaking….Fleur…Fleur was openly sobbing, her light hands covered her mouth but her watered eyes locked onto his pained ones.

"I love you." He mouthed to her, his expression softened and then suddenly he was gone, as was the other Aurors, Alastor Moody, Albus Dumbledore and Pettigrew's body.

Fleur stood rooted for several long seconds before she whispered back to the empty air "I love you too."

XX~XX~XX~XX~XX

Hello Hello, so as I have said before Act One is coming to a close and will hopefully be completed within the month as there is only two chapters left of one of my favorite stories. Sal and Harry are finally working together, sorta kinda. Voldemort has returned, and Igor is now a full Death Eater once more, how will this change the story? Sorry if this still seems like a little crazy, but just wait for the end, everything will work out guys, the Sun is coming, just wait for the Sun. Demon.