CW: this chapter includes scenes and mentions of torture, graphic violence, necrophilia, and death. Bill Cipher is involved, that's practically expected with him.

The world is colourful. Soft. Endless.

Melissa floats gently in the void. Echoes of voices drift by in orbs of thoughts. They soothe her to sleep.

There was pain before. She remembers that. Remembers a sensation like Pop Rocks in her brain as orbs burst by the dozen. Then came a force. Tightened stomach, burning throat, shivering and fear. Sleep was a welcome reprieve. Its balm is a daily comfort.

"What are you playing at?!"

Melissa turns to the noisy orb. One boy shouting at another. The orb shifts to the second boy, who is confused by the outburst. She knows that boy. Harry? No. Not Harry. Daniel Radcliff from the movies. Movies? Oh, yes, Melissa remembers now. Movies and books based on her friend's life. Funny. She could have sworn things happened differently in real life.

That… that isn't me.

But it is.

No. That's an adult.

That's from when I was older.

Was? That can't be right.

But it is. She is me, and she is not me.

That doesn't make any sense!

…Doesn't it?

I shouldn't be here. The thought broke though the calm of the colourful void. Nothing about this place is normal. The bubbles, the colours, the memories, the gaping maw that once held a door- Odd, she never considered that gap before. But it is an exit, isn't it? She swam closer to it, the awkward density kept her pace slower than any water. The way cluttered further out. The bubbles nearly blocked her sight of the gap. A white bubble with a black stripe gleamed and ballooned in front of her face. Yellow light shone around it, solidifying into a triangle.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Melissa blinked at the odd being. "Outside." Something about the shape seemed familiar. She knows him. But… something's not right.. "Bill? What am I doing here?"

"You moved in here, silly."

"...Why would I live here? This is… dreams, right? Memories?"

He narrowed his eye. "Memories you almost lost!"

"...How did I do that?"

"Don't you worry, Quaver." He patted her head like a dumb puppy. "Just stay here, all snug, and I'll keep up my end of the deal."

"Cipher! Where are you? This isn't the deal! You lied! Let me out!"

"Ugh, enough with all the shouting." The Dream Demon rolled his eye as he flowed down into view. With a swipe of his hand, Melissa's lips vanished. The air from her lungs tried to burst from her mouth, but it was all in vain. "If it's any consolation, this will be over soon. Your brat came to visit just now. The train comes tomorrow night. By then I'll be long gone. I should thank you, though, for all the help. It's been a gas!"

Melissa tried to scream at him. Nothing came through. Cipher laughed at the sight, wriggling his hands above her. "You know what, I'll be generous. You get one threat, kid, make it count."

With a wave, air fell free from her lips. "You son of a bitch! I didn't help you!"

"Sure you did!" Bill raised his arms high. A flurry of bubbles and orbs came at his call, surrounding her like a cage. "Well, this was fun, but I gotta run now. Try to relax and enjoy a bit of nostalgia. Bye!"

"Cipher, wait!" Melissa reached after him as he floated towards the door. Unfortunately one of the orbs got in the way of her arm. Arm grazing it, a light shined and-

Opening her eyes, she found herself standing on a grassy hill. The streets of London stretched out before her.

"Are you asleep?"

Melissa turned to the voice- her voice- and found a clone of her body sitting against a tree. Harry was there, too, resting his head on her lap as he answered "Just resting my eyes."

The clone was smiling down at him. Yet the smile was an unnerving one. It didn't feel real. It didn't feel like her. The clone spoke. "I'm trying to remember something. Back on the train, what did I tell you would happen next year?"

"Hmm? Oh. Voldemort plans to possess Ginny and try to use Caireen to attack the school."

The leering lessened to amusement. "That's it? I never said how he does it?"

"Yeah?" Harry opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Why? Did you see something else?"

"Not really." The clone shrugged. "I just forgot to mention how he tricked her into helping him. Did you know she's going to have a crush on you?"

Harry grimaced at that. "Really?"

"Yeah. Embarrassing, isn't it? She willingly lets him use her to play 'damsel in distress' so that she can get rescued by you."

"Ugh. No thanks. I'll keep my distance from her, that'll stop the crush from happening."

"Good idea, kid. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna get some shut eye."

Melissa pulled out of the memory, shivering with disgust. That- that wasn't me! She looked at the orbs around her. Her voice echoed back, but it wasn't really her. What was he doing? She reached out for another orb.

She's in one of the dungeons. A loud thump directed her to the scene. Melissa- no- Cipher had Jacinth pinned to the wall.

"Bennett! What the bloody hell are you doing!"

"You broke the deal."

"Deal? What are you talking about?"

"Quaver helps you get a little girlfriend, and you keep those pureblood fucks on a leash!" One hand left his collar as s/he pointed to the blood on her robes. "Look at this mess! This flesh prison's bad enough without some pimple-faced fuck busting her head open on an ice tray!"

"Quaver? Who are you talking about? And what's wrong with your voice?"

"Shut it, Stone!" Cipher cut, lifting him higher. "You broke the deal, so now you gotta make amends. Fortunately, you're useful, so this outta be simple enough." He dropped him on the ground. Though Jacinth groaned, Cipher showed no care as he fished a parchment out of her pocket and flung it at him. "The Wystans are involved with the biggest mines and jewellers on the island. Get those for me, and we're square. Got it?"

Jacinth glared a moment, muttering about being "just in the branch family" before looking at the list. "Black calcite, silver ore, what do you need all this for?"

"Enough with the questions! Just follow those instructions or else I get creative in finding a way for pay back. Got it?"

Melissa left the memory with a cold gnaw of guilt. Jacinth did avoid her for a while in February. But that didn't last long. So why… She looked around the spheres. Finding him in one of the orbs near her feet.

"What's your problem, Bennett! I got what you wanted, isn't that enough!"

"You're being a problem. Quaver's getting suspicious. I need you to behave."

"I don't give a damn what you want! And who the bloody hell is Quaver?"

"Imperio!"

She flung out of the memory with a start. That was- how?! She doesn't know how to cast an unforgivable!

Yes I do.

The thought creeped in like an assassin. The theory behind the imperius curse seeped in from some unknown space. But why? Why is it familiar? She had a similar sense during the first memory with Jacinth. Something about black calcite and silver- no- silver candles. They went together with tansy and yew for-

"Why does he need black calcite?"

One of the orbs gleamed brighter, beckoning Melissa to reach forward. She touched the orb and let it take her in.

She's in her dorm room. Melissa turned, finding Cipher sitting at a desk with a quill in hand. She peered over their shoulder. A pit fell in her stomach as she recognized the book in front of them.

Well if it isn't Tommy-boy! We meet at last!

The ink vanished. A sentence blossomed on the page.

This isn't Harry. Who are you?

A friend. The name's Bill Cipher.

Well met, Bill. But I would kindly ask that you return me to Harry Potter.

No can do, Ouroboros. Lightning Bolt figured out that you're a horcrux and tried to get rid of you.

The ink wavered, as if Tom Riddle was thinking or disturbed.

I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding. I'm not a horcrux.

And I'm a little teapot. Look, you're about as subtle as your moniker. Yes- I know about your little anagram. "I am Lord Voldemort." It's cute. "Pathetic." He muttered out loud.

You're more clever than I expected. Tom wrote back. I take it that you're the child of one of my followers?

Nope. The truthfulness surprised Melissa. I'm not a follower. I'm a dealmaker.

Interesting. And what deal do you wish to make?

Simple. I let you live, and all you have to do is give me the books and exact instructions on how to make a living horcrux.

"No!" Melissa flung out of the memory as if it burned her. She looked at the bubbles and orbs surrounding her, the truth forming her prison. "No. No, no, no, no!" She turned back to the open gap, but the jailor was long gone. Out there somewhere in the open world. "CIPHER!"

"CRUCIO!"

Harry pinched his eyes closed as the girl's scream pierced the air. It mingled with the shrill laughter of the- the thing inside Melly's body. He couldn't take the sound. "STOP IT!"

The screaming lingered for painful seconds longer. When it stopped, Harry found the monster looking down at him. "Stop, eh? What? Are you volunteering to take their place?" Harry froze at the question with a clenched jaw. "Fun as that'd be, messing with you isn't worth it." The figure shrugged. "If I try to kill you, your prophecy will get in the way and backfire on me somehow."

Prophecy? The word made Harry pause. What's it talking about?

"I suppose I could just torture you. But… Hmm… I'd have to be careful about it. That's boring, though. Eh, this is more fun, anyways. CRUCIO!" The beam hit the Slytherin boy this time, bringing on a new round of screams. As the seconds passed, the cry strangled, the boy choking on air. Hearing this, the spell stopped. The figure looked over the boy with appraising eyes. "Don't have much of a pain tolerance, do you?"

The boy whimpered in answer.

"Tsk. That Rowle bitch is the same." It walked over to the other half-naked bodies on the floor. "Let's see… Avery held up a good while before screaming. MacNair, too. Hmm… Should I go for a man or a woman?" It turned back to where the previous two were laying and clapped her hands together. "Guess we're doing this the old fashion way!"

It flicked Melly's wand towards Rowle and Runcorn. "Eenie, meenie, mione, you! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A green light flashed before his eyes. A shiver from Harry's nightmares that travelled through his core. Then the light hit Runcorn, and his body went still. Dead.

"Mmm, man it is, then!" The creature decided. It wrenched up Runcorn's body by the collar, and forced the head into a deep kiss.

Harry could only stare at the scene before him with disgust. The quickness of death, the carelessness in how it let Runcorn's body drop back into the stone, how- what was this thing that could do something so terrible and SMILE about it?!

With muttered spells, it forced MacNair to stand inside one point of the ritual's star, within a circle of black stones. It then had Avery stand in the centre of the star with her arms bound to a wooden pole.

The fear and horror was too much to bear. "Whatever you're doing, please, stop this! Melly wouldn't want this!"

The figure gave a snort. "You think I give a shit what she wants? The bitch let Scarface try to off me months ago. Why should I care what she thinks?"

Scarface? Aside from it being a film, the nickname had two people come to mind. Remus and Mrs. Torrero-Ramirez. Snatching onto those options, an unsettling realization came upon him. "You're why her occlumency went wrong! But, wait, how did you survive?!"

It sneered at him. "By outsmarting you brats, obviously. Also because Quaver's a moron stupid enough to keep up all the rules that apply to me." It shrugged. "I had my eye on the upper floors, so it didn't take much to see what Scarface was planning after she offed the others. So I left a decoy, and the rest is history."

"But what about-"

"Enough kid, I don't need to monologue every second of my life. Especially not to you." It walked over to him, Melly's wand at the ready. "So how about you take a little nap and I'll see you when this is over."

SCHWING! CRACK!

Just as the creature readied a spell, a sudden burst of light came from out of nowhere! Both jumped in surprise as the light swung in front of the occlumency creature. Harry's vision cleared, only to find his view blocked by red hair.

"George?"

"Fred." The boy answered. "I'll get the rope off you, just a second."

Movement caught his eye, and he realized that George was the one in front of the creature. He was holding a- a lightsaber? Holding it threateningly forward. Meanwhile, the monster was looking downward to Melly's wand. It was broken. Only one half was in her hand, and it was more char than wood.

"Well, fuck me." The thing muttered.

"I don't know what you are." George muttered. "But I'm giving you one chance to get the bloody hell out of Bennett and out of our school before I break you in two!"

The creature replied in a deadpan voice. "Oh. Please. No. Threatened by a Weasley. Whatever shall I do?"

George flung the lightsabre up with a deep VOOM! "I'm warning you!"

"Yeah, Yeah, I heard you. I just… Maybe if you were your mother I'd actually take you seriously. But this?" It's body side-stepped and launched towards George. George swung at Melly, singeing her hair as he tried to keep her at bay. It dodged underneath one swipe, body twisting, then did a sweeping kick under George's feet.

Beside Harry, Fred shouted "GOT IT" as the binds loosened. Harry struggled out of the binds, with Fred helping to pull him away from the stalagmite.

"AHHH!"

The scream caused both boys to look at the fight. Finding George on the ground, they gasped as they saw George clinging to his right arm, bloodied and empty past the elbow. In front of him stood the monster, snickering as it held the lightsaber in her hand.

"George!" Fred rushed her, wand blazing with a cutting spell. The creature stepped to the side, the edge of the cutting curse hit her cheek. Then it went forward, swinging the lightsaber at Fred. He dodged the blade. Turning fast, he aimed his wand at it, shouting "NOX SABER!"

The lightsaber went out.

"AN OFF SWITCH?" It cried in anger. The thing had no time to process it as Fred fired a spell at it. It dodged, falling to the floor with a grunt. "Screw it, expelliarmus!"

Fred's wand flew out of his hand. His face went white. "But- you don't have a wand?"

"No shit, Sherlock." It grumbled.

Beside Fred came a moan of pain. "George!" Horror for his brother overcame fear of the monster as he looked his brother over. "Georgie, mate, fuck! I'll get you out of here!" He looked back at the monster with hatred in his eyes. "You bitch! You'll pay for this!"

The monster snickered. "You say that like you're getting out of here alive. As if I'd let either of you go after you went and botched my plans."

"The hell are you talking about?!"

-As they spoke, Harry backed away out of sight. Finding a few rocks, he wiped a bloody palm on them. Quietly as he could, he levitated the rocks towards the water. Hoping, praying, that none would splash as they landed. As the act went on, the angry exchange continued.-

"That little stunt you pulled with the forgetfulness potion almost cost me everything!" It snapped. "I had to shut everything down to keep this bitch from losing her mind! Then, cherry on top, by the time damage control was over we missed the train to London! I had everything planned out! The murders, the sacrifice, where to hide all the body parts- do you have any idea how hard it is to chop up and hide an entire family while making it seem like yours just hasn't been found yet? Jigsaw eat your heart out, I had the whole thing figured out! But no. You idiots just had to go and ruin all that. So, when you think about it, everyone dying today is actually your fault!"

It fired off two spells. Judging by the grunts, it sounded like the twins were now bound. "Now where is he… There you are! Levicorpus!"

Harry's body jerked, feet-first, into the air. He yelped in surprise as a rock fell from his hand. More so as he slammed into a stalactite and was once again bound. This time hanging upside down in the air.

"New rule!" The creature shouted. "Next person who talks gets their tongue cut out, got it? ...Good! Self-righteous meddling brats!"

It walked over to the ritual circle, placing her feet inside a ring of black stones on the opposite star-point from MacNair. With open arms it started to sing in Ancient Greek. The phrase was too quiet for Harry to make out; but, when it finished, the leaves and branches at Avery's feet burst into flame. The sight startled Harry. Yet… the creature didn't show any reaction. No laughter, not even a smile as the flames licked at Avery's bare legs. It was entirely stone faced as it chanted again in Greek. As it sang, it cut Melly's hand, letting blood fall onto the flames. Continuing its chant, the blood-stained knife was used again, this time on a round object in her hand. Whatever it was, the figure ate the lower half, and offered the rest to the fire. The flames crackled red. Smoke rising, the figure released a breath of air. It seemed to mingle with the smoke. Then it sang again, and the breath seemed to swirl, tightening with the smoke- then entered Avery's body!

Harry watched in horror as Avery's body writhed against the act. Entirely unable to scream, her throat completely breathless. Yet every inch of her seemed to scream in agony.

It sang for a fourth time. With it, Avery's body went taut. Eyes wide open in terror as something pulled. The smoke poured out of her mouth. What was once ash-grey smoke had changed. A wine-red swirl expelled out of her-

-With another chant it entered Melly.

Her body writhed as Avery's had been. Pain, yet determination, etched in her face as it took hold. With more words the smoke released from her body. Grey and wine and sunset gold swirled between them. There was less gold than red, Harry noted. Still, the fact that any of it was there, not understanding what it is, terrified him in ways he barely understood. When the smoke emptied out of her body, Melly doubled over, panting hard. Then a twitch. Suddenly it clasped her head, groaning as if it were fighting something.

Hold on! Is Melly trying to fight it off? Harry hoped silently that was the case.

Then it righted itself up and all hope was lost.

With an arm raised it chanted again. The smoke burst bright as if gone aflame. A shrill, inhuman cry shrieked from the smoke. It burned! It burned and burned and red faded to ash. When the burning ended, only gold and grey remained.

A hiss chilled him with the sight. "Harry!"

Wait! That's not the ritual! "Caireen?" He hissed quietly. She called back to him. She must be close, as no one else seemed to hear her. "There are hatchlings here. Something is controlling Melly. We have to stop the ritual without killing her."

Before him came a chant of Ancient Greek pushing the golden smoke inside of MacNair.

Behind him came a hiss of concern from his friend. "I understand. You must warn the hatchlings. I cannot harm them. Do it now!"

"EVERYONE COVER YOUR EYES OR YOU'LL DIE!"

"What-?"

"DO IT NOW!"

Harry didn't see who spoke. His eyes closed instantly as he shouted the warning. Wind rushed past him as Caireen struck forward. A shriek came from the monster. "Shut your eyes! Fuck!" Then came a slap of flesh and crashes from the ritual circle. Caireen shouted frustrations and threats at the unknown enemy. The monster yelled back in parseltongue with equally colourful threats. It fired spells out, but Harry couldn't tell if they made any contact with Caireen.

"HARRY!" She cried. "I have her trapped, but I cannot stay like this for long without killing her. You are safe from my eyes for now. Can you free yourself?"

"I can help him." Fred called out. "Is it safe to open our eyes now?"

"Yes, hatchling."

"Hatchling?" There came a pause. "BLOODY HELL WHAT IS THAT THING?"

"It's a monster!" George added.

"She's a friend!" Harry shot back. "Can you get me down?"

"I still have my wand." George answered. Then he looked down, pale face falling to whiteness at the sight. He looked up helplessly at his brother. "Fred, can you...?"

Fred moved on the verge of tears. "Of course, Georgie." He took the wand from George's holster and used it to release Harry. Fred managed to haphazardly catch him on the way down, both falling to the ground, but relatively unharmed.

"We've got to get out of here." George commented.

"What about the others?"

They looked out to the prone bodies around the cave. "I think they're a lost cause, mate."

"Harry, if I stay this way too long I'll crush her."

He gulped. Gesturing to the twins, they hobbled closer to Caireen. They found her tail coiled tightly, Melly's body struggling in the centre, with only the crown of her head peeking through.

His face grim-set, Fred pointed the wand at her head. "Stupefy." He then did the same thing to the barely-conscious MacNair and Avery. "I need to take George to the hospital wing."

"Of course."

George's eyes looked distant. Giving an uncomfortable swallow, he offered a strained smile that clashed with his too-pale face. "Yeah, I'm… really going to need a hand once I'm there."

"...Um..."

"Need a hand?" Fred asked slowly, somewhat incredulous. "Not that I don't mind a good joke, Gred, but that one's pretty weak."

"Aye." George nodded. "About as strong as my arm wrestling ability is now."

A small snort of laughter huffed out of Fred. He then went over, enveloping George in a hug, which George tried to return as tightly. They stayed there for some time. Feeling awkward, Harry went closer to Caireen, speaking to her softly as he tried to explain the situation. Sadly, Caireen did not understand the full weight of everything they just experienced. To be honest, neither did Harry. He just felt so… like there is so much adrenaline and confusion and panic that all he wants to do now is just shut down completely.

"Harry, are you going to be alright?"

"What? Y-yeah, I'll be fine."

"Alright." Fred nodded. "We'll send someone down. Oh, um, you should probably hide." He motioned to Caireen.

"Yes. That is best." Caireen replied. "Once you leave I will be free to return to my nest."

"Good."

With that, the twins departed, hobbling their way down the tunnel. Soon after Caireen left in the opposite direction. Untwisting her coils, Melly was left beside him on the cavern floor. Harry soon followed suit, his body collapsing into a seated position.

Now still, he could observe the room around him. Warped red lines of blood streaked across the stone floor. Candles and dark stones lay chipped and broken and dusted with ash. Further on were the bodies. Most breathing quietly. One not breathing at all. Harry pressed his palms into his eyes, uncaring of the pain and blood smears brought about by the action. He just… he needs a moment. Needs time for his thoughts to settle and for the gravity of this disaster to fall into place.

"Well," a voice beside him sighed, "I suppose this could be worse."

Author's Note

How to Make a Horcrux! For those interested in the ritual idea. (Also, I got permission from Artemisgirl to take the idea of One to kill, Another to sacrifice the soul.)

1. Murder - to tear the soul

2. Kiss the corpse like a dementor's kiss to inhale a piece of their soul.

3. Imbue the caster's (eventual) container with dark, protective spells.

4. On a waning moonlit night (half-moon preferable), prepare a ritual circle lined with runes to keep components locked in. (Fun fact! It was a waning half-moon when the Potters died.)

5. Draw a Star of David in blood, place silver candles on each point.

6. At two opposing ends of the star, make a circle in the triangle with a ring of black calcite.

7. Place the container in one circle, the caster will stand in the other when ready.

8. In the center of the star are tansy and yew branches, and the sacrificial soul. At the first part of the chant the branches will go aflame by magic. The caster will then offer their blood to the bundle.

9. Using the same knife that bled them, they cut an apple widthwise. Saying the second part of the spell, the upper half is offered to the flame, and the caster eats the lower half.

10. They must think of the act that damaged their soul as they recite the third part. No emotion can be felt at this time, for the opposite of remorse is indifference (remorse undoes a horcrux). Keeping this in mind, they release their breath into the smoke, a hint of their soul, and guide it into the sacrifice's body to claim the soul.

11. They recite the fourth part of the spell to rip out the sacrifice's soul.

12. They recite the fifth part of the spell to have half of their own soul to be ripped and absorbed with the other essences

13. They recite the sixth part of the spell to sacrifice the intact soul to Magic.

14. They recite the seventh part of the spell to bring the smokey essence into the container.

15. They recite the eighth part of the spell to entrap that essence into the container forever.

-Waning Moon: Spells to remove problems, eliminate trouble, neutralize adversaries and cause harm is most effective at this time. Protection spells for yourself, loved ones, home and material possessions are also best cast now.

-Black Calcite: It is a record keeper stone for regression and regaining memories so that the past may be released. It returns the soul back to the body after trauma or stress alleviates depression, and it's a useful companion during the dark night of a soul. (Generic calcite attributes includes increases capacity for astral projection)

-Silver Candle: Represents Clairvoyance, Astral Energies and Channeling. Also the faculty of long term memory and remembering past lives.

-Apple: Immortality. Considered the food of the dead. Symbolizes the soul and is burned at Samhain in honor of those who will be reborn in the spring. When doing a house blessing, cut an apple in half - eat half and put the other half outside of the home as an offering. Cut widthwise for a 5-pointed star.

-Tansy: immortality and longevity. Add an infusion of tansy to keep the law away.

-Yew: Raising the dead and immortality. Can burn yew during spells to raise the dead. Their spirits will be trapped within the smoke until you release them. (not recommended)