Chapter 16
...Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it...
~Mark Twain
English Channel near Bournemouth
United Kingdom
The dark haired wizard flew the Nimbus racing broom he had stolen in France over the English Channel as high as he dared. He was pretty damn sure he was in the upper stratosphere by the lack of oxygen and the freezing cold air. He had to keep reapplying the Bubblehead charm to breath and a Warming charm so he wouldn't turn into an ice cube. He didn't know why he was having trouble maintaining and casting his spells. He didn't know if it was the lack of oxygen in space (or near space), variations from the earth's magnetic field at higher altitudes, dark matter, particle physics, or pixie dust.
But either way his spells have been giving odd effects.
His initial Bubblehead charm solidified the moment he reached the lower troposphere. The resulting creation almost looked like an astronauts helmet. The quick loss of air and the heaviness on his shoulders scared him shitless enough to almost fall off his broom.
His first warming charm had created a super-heated flame thrower that nearly seared his legs. After twenty minutes of trial and error, he was finally able to cast his spells with some degree of success. The fluctuating power levels of his spells forced to him reapply them every few minutes.
"Better this than fucking with the American destroyer ships", he whispered, thinking about his last encounter with them.
He would have just destroyed them but the young man was on a specific mission with a very particular objective. Sure, he could lay waste to the ships and spread his discontent to his homeland, but that would be counter productive; at least in his mind. The first part of his plan was for show. Massive property damage and public panic. He wanted Aurors and the military to focus on something other than where he wanted to go.
When everybody was looking the other way, Harry would pay Tom a visit.
'Take care of Riddle', Harry thought conflicted. The long conversations with Bella and his grandfather have constantly replayed in his mind ever since he left Canada. 'Do I kill him or threaten him? Can I trust that a threat will keep him away? What would happen to the country if I killed him? Anarchy? Civil War? Foreign invasion?' Harry didn't know. This plan truly needed to be completed one step at a time and for the most part, he was winging it...like most of his missions.
He reapplied another Bubblehead charm before checking his position in the English Channel. 'I should be clear of the Americans by now', he thought to himself. He used another spell, named the Point Me spell, and found that he was just off the shore of his destination. Bournemouth.
Anticipation of the event to come soared through Harry's veins. Excitement for the coming battle mixed in with a shit ton of adrenaline and a dash of fear. The sudden feeling negated the problems he has been experiencing with his spells. Harry thought of nothing but the upcoming fight...
He took out his wand and cast a spell for a cloak of dark shadows. Then, he shot towards the Earth like a falling meteor.
If the the man took a moment to see the effects of his spell, he would have defecated all over his midnight black monk robes. Not only was a stream of thick black vapor following him, but the sky was turning black as well. It looked as if the Gods were unzipping the sky. Darkness eerily rolled outwards and blacked out a good portion of the blue sky; an unholy eclipse of the Sun.
Thunder cracked above him as he continued his decent towards the ocean just off the beach. Rain as black as tar followed in his wake. At the last moment, the man pulled up on the broom. The resulting sonic boom exploded on the ocean's surface and fanned out behind him while he aimed towards the pier.
Onlookers and beach goers alike were staring at the phenomenon with rapt attention, even as the wind from his flight blew away towels and beach chairs. They finally began to move when the black rain started to burn and stain their skin. If they didn't start running from that, they bolted when the wizard cast a Bombarda spell at an abandoned lifeguard tower. All of them scattered and screamed in terror. People able to do magic retrieved their wands and either tried to put out small fires or heal minor wounds. A couple of them were even brave enough to fire spells at the man. Nobody was able to stop the acid rain.
He easily dodged or blocked the spells cast at him. Then he returned fire with a quick stunning or petrifying spell; nothing harmful. He walked past the boardwalk and quickly cast a Homenum Revelio spell on the empty buildings nearby. He set fire the two buildings on the pier, ripped the carousel from the ground, and shattered the windows of the tourist information center. Cars were thrown upside down or set ablaze.
Visibility was low from the steam of the acid rain melting stone and concrete coupled with smoke from the objects the wizard was burning. An unexpected, yet welcome, side effect from the magical phenomenon of casting spells in the upper stratosphere that he wasn't going to complain about. Nothing could be seen past fifty yards and he intended to use that to his advantage.
He could hear police sirens in the distance as he walked across Bath Road to the Pavilion. He had just tossed a red hybrid vehicle into the large building when he met his first Auror. With all the destruction around him, the cocky witch had the nerve to think a simple Expelliarmus spell would stop him. A quick flick of his wand and she ran off without her clothes. The wizard shook his head in disgusted amusement. Then he checked the Pavilion for people, via spells, before collapsing it within itself.
The young man unsheathed a throwing knife in each hand before running full speed towards two Aurors that were hiding behind a parked car. He jumped and smoothly slid over the vehicle's roof. At the end of his slide, he twisted his body to face the direction he had just came before landing and tossing a knife at both Aurors. The blades pierced their rib cage with an echoing 'thud'.
'Nothing deadly', Harry commanded. He looked back at them writhing in pain, 'They'll live!'
The wizard ran through the Pavilion's parking lot and set fire to parked vehicles along the way. He used the water from a nearby fountain to smash all the windows of Fun Central and the Ben & Jerry's building. He took a right turn and sent a Bombarda spell at the Premier Inn when two police cars rounded the corner at the same time. Debris from the force of the blast flipped them both off the road and slung them into nearby trees.
A pair of Aurors tried to stop him from collapsing and burning the Royal Bath house. They were easily dispatched by a petrifying spell and moved to watch the building burn. Looking North, he could barely see the police cars blocking the road at the intersection of Bath and Russell Cotes Rd. The young man in dark robes walked in their direction, setting fire to every building along the way.
He was about to stun the four police officers when a large green military truck, rightfully called a deuce and a half, arrived. The officers ducked for cover as the dismounting soldiers opened fire with fully automatic rifles. Bullets whizzed by him making a snapping sound before he cast a shield to stop physical objects. A nasty looking red spell narrowly missed him. Looking over at the castor, the wizard realized that at least a dozen Aurors had shown up.
He threw a few stunning spells at them and apparated before they could put a ward up against portkeys and apparition. He was doing his damnedest to not kill anybody. So far he thought he was doing a remarkable job of it. The soldiers shooting at him with the police officers in the line of fire pissed him off a little. But he maintained true to his master plan. He would cause as much destruction as he could in order to get to the Emperor easier. Just like a good ol' fashioned rope a dope.
Harry figured that nothing would change if he and the Emperor kept going back and forth fighting each other like they have been. At the very least, if he lost, then maybe Riddle would stop looking for his family; wherever they are.
The man set fire to several more buildings along Bath Road and St. Peters Roundabout. He apparated again when the Aurors caught up to him. Three out of the twenty went down with broken bones of some kind.
He apparated farther up Bath Road to a larger traffic circle named the Lansdowne Roundabout. Police cars blocked and diverted all traffic away from the destruction. The police officers didn't even know their quarry was there until he levitated their cars, along with an empty double decker bus, and tossed them into the Roundhouse Hotel. He popped open fire hydrants and used the rushing water to bust out more windows. Then he found another empty bus near a post office and set fire to the both of them. He tossed the bus across the street into a shop that quickly set the building ablaze.
He looked for more objects to destroy. He just realized that the black colored acid rain had stopped when multiple pops of apparition sounded behind him. He didn't even look as he shot off a string of stunning, cutting, and petrifying spells. The wizard used everything within reach to block the spells the Aurors were casting at him. He needed to save his magic for the Emperor and holding any type of shield, against magical spells or from physical objects, took their toll on a castor's endurance.
He counted thirty Aurors this time with a few squads of soldiers slowly surrounding him. He could tell the difference in the two department's offensive tactics. The Aurors used two man teams to advance on a target while the soldiers employed a blunt yet effective charge. Magicals within the squad would cover an automatic machine gunner who would lay down hundreds of rounds of cover fire. Others within the group played different roles like offensive spells or sniping. He knew his chance of survival with multiple military squads were none existent. At least in this mission where he didn't want any casualties.
The haze caused by the acid rain made it difficult to see exactly how many squads were coming, but it was enough to make things difficult. His hearing was consumed with the whizzing of bullets and the sound ricochets bouncing off the cars. Spells were being cast all over the place. This situation was very confusing...and very terrifying. The situation was hopeless.
Thinking that he had failed, the man slowly brought his arms to his chest and sucked in the magic around him. He pushed outwards and created a concussive wave that shattered all the windows in a two block area. Electrical poles splintered and sparked. The wires attached to them waved uncontrollably like an inflatable flailing business ornament. The concrete sidewalk around him cracked and looked like a life sized spider web that covered the entire road.
The assassin doubled over in exertion as sweat poured down his forehead. His breathing was so heavy his lungs were wheezing. His muscles burned with lactic acid. His vision blurred and turned dark with twinkling stars. Unable to hold his weight any longer, he dropped to his hands and knees.
Soldiers and Aurors, slowly recovering from his magical blast, started to form a perimeter around the man. Fingers started to pull back on their triggers and wands were being raised when a booming voice and unbelievable magic stopped their progress.
"SIEZE FIRE!"
Right before their eyes, their Emperor appeared fifteen feet away from the fallen wizard. His wand was already pointed at his target when he turned his head and ordered the troops to cast anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards.
As that was being done, Tom slowly walked to his quarry. "I have been waiting for this moment for awhile now. Tell me, are you the blonde that took away my dear friend Bella", he asked. The assassin gave no response.
"Ah", he said faking brilliance, "Harry Potter then?" The wizard looked up at Tom and took a shaky step to get off of his knees. When he was able to maintain his balance, he stood toe to toe with the Emperor and bowed his head slightly.
The Emperor felt the thrill of the upcoming battle in his bones. The anticipation of a good fight and the end to this whole dilemma washing over him. He stared his opponent down and spoke loudly, "for the crimes against Britain and it's people..."
"...and what of your crimes Emperor", came an ethereal voice from under the monk's hood.
The voice gave Tom a split second pause before he continued, "...for the murders of..."
"...yes, let's talk about murder...".
"...Walden McNair...".
"...Father Matthew Jacobs...", the voice said over the Emperor.
"..of Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy..."
"...how about Krista Parks, Peter Riley, and Michael Shaw...", he countered.
Getting pissed off, Tom shouted the remainder of his friends, "...and of Peter Petegrew, Igor Karkoroff, and the Lestrange brothers..."
The assassin canted his head sideways before speaking, "...and what of the fifty men, women, and children you burnt alive! My brothers, MY SISTERS, MY FRIENDS", the ethereal voice said in a rage.
Tom Riddle was about to retort when the young man brought up his wand and cast a cutting curse. The Emperor batted the curse away with little effort. Which was good since several other spells were right behind it.
Using a combination of shield spells and debris, Riddle deflected every spell that was thrown at him. The wizard in dark robes was a blur of motion, casting curse after curse. But none of it had any power behind them; making the Emperor wonder what all the fuss was all about.
After a minute of defense, Tom stopped playing around. He batted away a bone breaking curse and returned with a dark mass of energy that connected with the young man's left hand. Riddle's curse melted the man's hand to the bone. The liquefied skin and muscle slid off the hand like water on an umbrella. Amazingly, the assassin didn't seem to notice.
Riddle conjured a whip of fire and lashed out at the assassin, scoring several hits. He levitated shards of glass and banished them towards his enemy. They swarmed around the man like a hive of angry bees. The assassin had countless shallow and deep lacerations before he was able to dispel the glass. Yet, the wounds he received still didn't register with the man.
The assassin valiantly tried to outmaneuver Tom, but the Emperor was just too strong. A large piece of concrete slammed into his back; dislocating his shoulder. A transfigured spike shot up from the ground and passed through his calf muscle. A conjured mamba bit him twice, releasing it's venom, on his melting forearm. And still he fought! His movements were slow and his spells were severely under-powered, but he fought nonetheless.
The assassin's spells were so weak that Tom used wandless magic to create his shield. Slightly disappointed with the "great assassin's" performance, the Emperor ended the fight by sending a powerful cutting curse across his opponent's body. The force of the curse propelled the man against the door of a nearby car. The door caved in and the windows shattered as the man slid to the ground. His remaining hand twitching like it wants to continue but unable to do so.
The Emperor slowly walked to his enemy, disgust written clearly on his face.
"Pathetic", he told him. "I expected so much more from you."
Tom reached down and removed the hood covering the assassin's head. Bushy, matted hair fell down and covered the man's face like a veil. The assassin's face was emotionless, except that the eyes were full of fire. They never moved from Tom's eyes, even as the Emperor pointed his wand between the man them.
"Avada Kedavra"
The green light connected with man and instantly killed him. Hands stopped twitching; his feet lay still and his head slumped to the side. After a few seconds, the wizard's cloak started to puff out wisps of smoke. It was gradual at first, but quickly escalated to a full fledged fire. The wizard's body went up in flames so hot it melted the car it rested upon. After ten seconds of intense heat, the flames died down and disappeared altogether.
Leaving nothing but burnt metal and ash behind.
********oooo********
It was hours before Tom Riddle was able to return home to his luxurious manor. He walked to his study and went right to his mini bar. He poured a decent amount of Scotch in a glass and sat at his desk with a content sigh.
He took a few sips and instantly started to unwind. It had been a trying day after all. Between war plans, the assassin, and the cleanup afterward, he was beat. He started reminiscing about his lost friends when he felt it. A subtle shift in the magic. His eyes shot up to look around the room but they didn't need to. The reason was sitting right in front of him, with his damn feet on his desk like he didn't have a care in the world. Then he froze.
"What", Harry Potter asked. "You didn't really think that was me? Did you?"
One hour before the beach landing.
Calais, France
Harry decided that his grandfather had a good point. He still wasn't sure about killing Riddle, but in their eyes, for all the crimes that Tom Riddle committed against his family, his debts were paid. So the young assassin came up with a plan to not only give the Emperor the story he needs to carry on with his utopia plan, but for Harry to ultimately live with his family in relative peace. In order for his part of the plan to work, he needed a distraction; something to draw as much attention as possible. He needed witnesses so that they could testify to his death. For that he needed a patsy.
Harry walked along a path similar to Knockturn Alley. He strode purposefully to a seedy looking bar that Davin had mentioned when he left for Russia. Once found, he entered the bar and started scanning the clientele inside. Most were rough looking individuals that you would never see walking the common wizarding areas. And most were habitual lawbreakers of some violent crime or another.
Harry didn't know shit about the french language, so he sat at a stool in the back and lightly opened his mind to the people around him. It took a little while, but he finally settled on a man that, with a little transfiguration, could pass off as him. The patsy was a lot skinnier than he was with matted down brown hair, but he would do.
Harry finished his firewhiskey and made his way to the target. He came up behind the man and wrapped his left arm around his shoulders like a friend. He gripped his wand, that hidden inside his coat pocket, and whispered in the vagrant's ear, "Imperio".
The vagrant's face went slack as Harry mentally ordered the man to greet him as a friend and follow him outside the bar. They walked down the path a little ways laughing and carrying on like happy drunkards do. Turning a corner, Harry apparated them to a secluded area on the beach. He used a charm to darken the vagrant's hair and adjust his cheekbones slightly.
When the drunk had facial features close to resembling Harry, he was given black assassin robes to wear. Harry added a charm that tied the robes into the man's heartbeat. It was a complicated piece of magic, but should the heartbeats stop, the robes would burst into flames.
Harry instructed the man to steal a broom and fly as high as he could to avoid the American destroyers patrolling the English Channel. While the vagrant completed that task, Harry took to the sky on his own broom. By the time he arrived at Riddle Manor, the patsy started his path of destruction across Bournemouth.
It didn't take the assassin long to slip past the impressive wards guarding the Manor. That's not to say that it was easy though. It took power, finesse, and a sturdy wand to poke a hole in them long enough for him to sneak through. Within minutes, Harry was standing inside the Emperor's study.
He sat in the chair across from Riddle's and took a more active role in controlling his patsy. Reaching out with his magic, he latched onto the vagrant's consciousness like a leech. His patsy had just set fire to a double decker bus and levitated it into a building. When Riddle showed himself, Harry took full possession. The ethereal voice, the second wind his patsy seemed to get, and the fire in the vagrant's eyes were all Harry.
The assassin didn't expect to win through his possessed puppet, hell it took quite a bit of magical strength to get the patsy to give a good show. Right before Riddle cast the killing curse, Harry returned to his body. He cast a powerful disillusion spell on himself and rested until he finally met the Emperor face to face.
'It's only a matter of time', Harry thought.
Riddle Manor
Hours after the fight
"What", Harry Potter asked. "You didn't really think that was me? Did you?"
Tom Riddle sat frozen in front of the true assassin with a tumbler of liquor near his lips. He wasn't scared frozen, he was magically frozen. Tom felt the magic that was preventing him from moving and he tried to overpower it with his own. He was so close until the young assassin stood up and slammed a knife into his desk.
"I am not here to kill you! I could've done that the minute you walked into the house."
Harry met Riddle's eyes, "I only want to talk. You can thank Bella for that!"
Harry grabbed the tumbler from Riddle's hand and sat back down. He saluted Tom before downing the entire contents and sitting it on the desk. "I've struggled with what to do for the longest time until she talked to me. Since then I've opened my eyes to the good you have done."
Harry got up and walked over to the mini bar. He poured two glasses, "even with all the shit you pulled...from sending assassins after my parents to murdering my entire guild...I can still see how strong Britain's people have become and what our world will be like if they embraced what you have done."
Harry walked back to the desk and set Riddle's drink in front of him. He waved his hand and released the Emperor from the Petrification spell. "So Bella's alive then? I wasn't sure after the report I read on the Cuba incident."
"As far as I know, "Harry admitted. "Not too long ago, your SpecOps teams killed two Weasley children and maybe another friend of mine. You see", Harry said before downing another shot, "that's what has me so conflicted. We both have killed but you had it taken to a whole new level by killing children."
"It was never supposed to be that way, I swear", Tom said. "Had I known, I would have acted differently. I was led to believe that you were going to kill Sirius Black..."
"...we never attacked him. Bella attacked us as soon as we met him..."
"...she painted a different picture."
Harry huffed in annoyance, "we were there to ask Sirius about Dumbledore. We captured Dung Fletcher and the info he gave us created opportunities to find the old man. She barged into his office wands a blazing! Then you went and burnt my people alive!"
"You have to realize the type of threat your people posed Harry? I had assumed you were coming for me since I was the one who hired the assassin."
Harry wordlessly summoned the bottle of Scotch into his hand and poured the two of them another glass. After downing it, Harry looked Tom dead in the eyes, "I want to leave this life. I've found someone I'm willing to give everything for and I have a family, a real family, to be apart of." Harry breathed in deep and exhaled, "no more shadow games and no more blood."
After a sip of his glass, Tom said, "I can respect that, but why come to me now? Why not just leave after this morning's...incident?"
Harry pondered the question for a minute trying to come up with a reasonable answer. "I can't answer that. Up until the moment you came in, I was still deciding on whether to kill you or not."
"I was leaning towards living", Harry said quickly, "but...anyway." The young assassin grabbed another shot of Scotch, "one for the road." Harry raised the glass in another toast, "here's to never coming across each others past again."
Harry chugged the shot back before melting into the shadows of Riddle's study and out the Manor.
One hour later, he was calling the cell phone he gave Dumbledore to find out where home was going to be. For now.
...Loyalty to country ALWAYS... ~Mark Twain
The End
A/N: So this is it. Sorry it took so long, but between injuries and other job stuff, I just got time to go through everything again. This last chapter is rushed a bit, I'm getting ready to switch jobs and this story wouldn't have been finished if I didn't do so. I hope you enjoyed it anyway...if not, well...there are plenty more free-to-read fanfiction stories to look through.