A/N - Serious Trigger Warning for this chapter.

Chapter 24 - From the Brightest Love to the Darkest Hate

Of all the time that Harry and Daphne had spent together thus far, Harry had to admit on his way down to breakfast on Thursday morning that the night before had been his favourite. Of course, their initial early exit from Astronomy to go and have passionate sex had been incredible, but it was the rest of the night that followed that was truly special to him. They'd ended up staying awake until two a.m., having a long luxurious bath where they cuddled and talked about anything and everything. Afterwards, they lay on Harry's bed naked and just talked for hours, finally making passionate love once more before drifting off to sleep. That uninterrupted, uninhibited, intimate time made both of their hearts sing and it was with regret that they left his bedroom the next morning after drinking their Invigoration potions. It had been a lucky coincidence that Snape had decided to set that potion for their lesson the day before.

At breakfast, Hermione had commented that Harry was becoming more popular by the day as he received two letters, instead of yesterday's one. The first was from Narcissa Malfoy, stating that she would be happy to meet Harry and Sirius on Sunday at two in the afternoon and that she would be available in her office. The second made Harry give pause, by the emerald green ink and delicate calligraphy it was from Professor McGonagall, the same as with their Hogwarts letters, but it seemed strange for her to be writing to him given that he'd be seeing her in the afternoon for Transfiguration anyway.

Harry,

Please meet me half an hour before the feast outside the Fat Lady in Gryffindor Tower. From there we will head to my quarters for a quick discussion, I've found some information on the Potters regarding your parent's wills that should be held confidential and I'd rather not be overheard.

Thanks,

Minerva

Harry frowned. He wondered what the information could be. He had absolutely no idea. And since when had McGonagall allowed him to call her Minerva? He guessed it must be something to do with the information she'd discovered.

After handing Neville the note from Madame Pomfrey to give to Professor Trelawney so that he could skip Divination, Harry headed to the hospital wing. The matron was nowhere to be seen, presumably having headed to an apothecary to collect the remaining ingredients she needed for the Core Visualisation Potion, but she'd left her office unlocked and had left him a set of very long Dragonhide gloves that would go up to his shoulders and an iron crate for him to transport the fangs in.

All in all, it took him about two hours to safely remove twenty of the basilisk's fangs before he took them back to the office. When he'd returned to the wing, after draining the first fang Poppy had said that he had provided more than enough and that she would get started on the potion immediately. With his heart full of hope that they were taking the next step towards curing the Greengrass family curse, he walked with a little bounce in his step on the way to lunch.

In an equally good mood were Hermione and Daphne, who Harry bumped into outside the Great Hall. They were making good progress with their Arithmancy project, and while it would be a while before they were finished, they were elated because they'd finally managed to get past a significant roadblock that they'd been struggling with for the last week. With renewed excitement about their project, they'd decided to meet again in the library in the time before the feast to work on it some more.

This week's double Transfiguration class in the afternoon was quite a bit more difficult than their last, their task was to transfigure small pewter cauldrons into badgers. This took quite a bit more concentration and it took Harry quite a few tries to get right. Neville, who Harry had sat next to again had struggled, in the end though, after Harry had reiterated some of the theory that McGonagall had lectured to them in the theory portion of the class to his fellow Gryffindor, Neville managed a successful transfiguration. Still, his badger was a little shinier than it should've been. At the end of the class, Harry waited expectantly for McGonagall, thinking he might as well see if she wanted to walk up to Gryffindor Tower with him early - they had a few hours before the feast, but she asked Parvati to stay behind after class and so he decided to head to the Chamber for a bit to work on his elemental whip.

This spell was one that he found much more difficult than most of the other family magics that he'd attempted, apart from Unassisted Flight. He'd given up after the umpteenth time of trying and failing to cast the lightning whip as it disappeared the moment it touched anything connected to the earth. He'd scowled and given up when the portrait of Salazar Slytherin had smarmily said, "Honestly, boy, did they never teach you anything about how electricity works?"

Looking at his watch, he realised that if he set off to Gryffindor Tower now he'd only get there about ten minutes early, and so after tackling the long climb up the grand staircase and up to the Tower, he transfigured a nearby round table into a small chair and waited patiently.

Ten minutes passed and she hadn't arrived. No matter, she was probably just running a little late.

Twenty-five minutes. Weird. It wasn't like McGonagall to not be on time.

Thirty-five minutes. Still not there. He reached into his bag to pull out the Marauders Map and groaned. He'd left it in his room, not having needed to use it since the term had started.

Fred and George appeared, stepping out of the Fat Lady's portrait hole on their way down to the feast.

"Hiya, Harry, what are you doing out here?" asked Fred.

"Waiting for McGonagall, she's meant to be meeting me," Harry replied.

"That's weird, we saw her on her way up to Dumbledore's office an hour ago. She must've forgotten."

"McGonagall?" Harry said incredulously.

"Stranger things have happened," Fred said with a grin, "Come down to the feast with us, we're gonna be late."

Harry nodded and getting to his feet, he headed with the twins down to the Great Hall for dinner.

Sure enough, McGonagall was sitting and filling her plate at the teacher's Head table when Harry arrived at the already full hall. Deciding that he would just catch her after the feast he headed to the Gryffindor table to sit down.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at him in confusion, "What are you doing down here?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Tracey said to me and Daphne in the library that you'd prepared a special dinner for her on top of the Astronomy Tower and to meet her there."

Harry's heart sank into the pit of his stomach in the realisation that the letter hadn't been from McGonagall. How easy would it be to get a Hogwarts letter and some green ink and forge her handwriting? Someone wanted to get him out of the way. Panicking, he sprinted down the length of the hall and down to the Gryffindor table, attracting the attention of all in the hall. Sure enough, as he got to the Slytherin table, Daphne wasn't there, but Tracey was.

"Tracey," Harry said in a panic, "Why did you tell Daphne that I would meet her on top of the astronomy tower?"

Tracey's face went white, "I…I remember telling her, but…I don't remember why."

Harry's blood ran cold.


Daphne was full of smiles as she strode up the long staircase of the Astronomy Tower. After everything that had happened, she couldn't believe she'd gotten so lucky. Last night had been incredible and after she and Harry had talked for hours about anything and everything and after the most passionate and emotional love-making session of her life she'd finally cemented a decision she'd been working up to for the last few months. She wanted to marry him. She was full of excitement. Her boyfriend really was a romantic and she wondered if he had actually used his cooking skills that he'd learned at the hands of those good-for-nothing Dursleys and prepared the meal himself.

She arrived at the door that would lead her onto the last flight of stairs and up into the actual tower where they'd skipped out of class the night before. Her stomach full of Fwoopers, she ran her fingers through her hair, preening herself, trying to make herself look as presentable as possible in her Hogwarts robes. She wished Harry had given her a little more notice, she might've worn something special, but never mind. The night was sure to be special enough anyway.

Tentatively, she opened the large creaky door and stepped inside. All the lower torches had been turned off and she couldn't see much around her, save for the outlines of the array of old desks and boxes likely to contain telescopes or other astronomical equipment. She could see the flickering light of torchfire above her on the upper level and so with slightly tired legs, she made her way up the final staircase.

As she arrived at the top she frowned. Where was Harry? He was nowhere to be seen. She walked over to the edge of the tower and looked towards the black lake, nearly invisible in the night sky. Wait, why would he send a message to her through Tracey and not simply write to her on the Memorandus tablet? Her heart dropped into her stomach as she heard a creak behind her at the foot of the stairs.

She felt the hairs on her arms stand on end as she heard a hard cruel voice shout "Depulso!"

Daphne dived sideways and landed on her stomach with a painful thump, causing her to wince. Reiterating Harry's words only two days before she said to herself "Get up Daph, you're a sitting duck!" and as she heard footsteps scramble up the staircase from the lower level she managed to get into a crouching position, narrowly avoiding what looked like a wordless cutting curse from behind her by once again diving forward but managing a somewhat decent roll that left her turned halfway towards her attacker.

Brandishing her wand she cried "Protego" and intercepted two further cutting curses and a bludgeoning curse. The attacker relented as Daphne got to her feet.

"Slippery one, aren't you?" said the figure, who Daphne recognised as Septimus Rookwood, face filled with malice, his cruel grin truly eerie in the darkened ambience, "You belong in Slytherin, just like a snake, but I'm the one with the venom." Flicking his wand to the ground he incanted "Serpensortia", conjuring a glistening, angry, jet-black snake.

Instantly it lunged at her, fangs glinting in the orange light. She dodged to the side, quickly calling "Viperam Evanesca" to vanish it, but with the distraction she felt a bludgeoning curse smack into her left shoulder, shattering it completely. She screamed from the pain, but in her mind steeled herself, forcing herself to stay on her feet. She still had her wand arm and with another Protego she blocked two stunners and after summoning a stack of Astronomy texts from behind Rookwood to get him to strafe out of the way, she called "Flipendo" and the older student flew backwards, his back hitting off the corner of a pillar with a painful thud.

Rookwood shook his head from the moment's daze and went back on the offensive, casting two further stunners and a cutting curse, which Daphne narrowly avoided before he pointed his wand at one of the torches. Spinning his wand at his wrist he captured the fire and turned it green before he sent it streaking towards his opponent. Smiling cruelly he watched her try in vain to block it, the emerald flames setting her hair ablaze. She managed to get off an Aguamenti as she screamed and fell to the ground, but dropped her wand instantly as he hit her with a Petrificus Totalus.

He sighed happily as he strode the small gap towards her.

"Not so powerful now, without your little boyfriend to protect you, are you, blood-traitor? He's not coming. He's no doubt over in Gryffindor Tower, or the Great Hall. There's no way for him to get to you in time. It's a shame I won't get to see his face when he realises I've killed you, but first, I think you should understand what it means to go against the Dark Lord. Crucio!"


"Harry!" Dumbledore shouted, getting to his feet, "What is going on?"

Harry's mind was frantic with panic and despair. How could he get there in time? In his mind, he traced the route out of the Great Hall, across the castle and all the way up to the Astronomy tower. The only way he'd get there is if he had his broom.

He gritted his teeth and flicked his wand into his hand from his holster, casting a strong sticking charm on his glasses, sealing them to his face. Then, looking towards one of the Great Hall's windows he flicked it and shouted "Bombarda!"

The bright light bolt of magic shot from his wand at hit the glass, but it remained unmoving.

"Harry!" Dumbledore shouted again, "Stop that this instant!"

The Slytherin Pendant burned painfully as he ignored the headmaster, his mind swirling with fury and despair, he needed more power. He dropped to a crouch, closed his eyes and took one big deep breath, focusing his magic until it felt like his skin was almost vibrating. Snapping back to his feet, now in parseltongue he cast again "Bombarda!"

The glass was obliterated into pure sand, showering over the Gryffindor table. The Great Hall was silent. He took one last look at Dumbledore and said simply, "Daphne", before raising his wand. Everyone in the hall but Harry gasped as not a moment later, Harry flew through the empty window frame and out into the night.

His heart was pounding as he soared out into the darkness. Sheer determination drove him, his concentration never waving his he flew up faster and faster, the night air stinging his face. Turning around a parapet he looked up to the astronomy, seeing the telltale flashes of battle from the very top. He couldn't get there quick enough and tried to go faster. His stomach dropped further when for a moment he was certain he saw the green light of a killing curse, but further spells were cast. She was still alive, for now, but it drove him on. Then, he was nearly there when the flashing lights stopped for a moment. Fury took him, his pendant seared his neck with pain and his scar burned on his forehead.

He saw the red light and heard her attacker's cry of "Crucio" ten seconds before he reached the top and screamed "DAPHNE!"

Unfortunately, this was just enough notice that Rookwood needed to let him know that Harry was coming, but he didn't release the curse. He smiled cruelly and stepped behind Daphne's writhing form as Harry landed on top of the astronomy tower. She didn't look in good shape.

Hissing in parseltongue, he waved his wand, the parsel-whip aiming to freeze Rookwood in his tracks, but an almost brilliant black shield not only intercepted it but absorbed it.

The channelling of the Cruciatus broken, Daphne's form twitched on the floor.

"Didn't know my father worked at the Department of Mysteries, did you Potter?" Rookwood spat, "Ever heard of void magic? It's quite interesting. Powerful enough to stop your family magic. I'll be sure to let the Dark Lord know."

"Let her go and I might let you live," Harry growled, pacing backwards and forwards like an animal sizing up its prey.

"How generous of you, but without your family magic, you're nothing." Rookwood replied, pointing his wand at Daphne, he called "Avada Kedavra."

Harry managed to summon Daphne's form towards him just in time, but in his fury his overpowered magic caused Daphne to crash into him, nearly knocking him over. He lowered her to the ground as gently as possible but it gave Rookwood enough time to transfigure a nearby star chart into a large Grey wolf which pounced at Harry, its rabid teeth snapping towards him. He dodged and burned it to cinders with an Incendio and raised his wand to intercept a Depulso, but it wasn't aimed at him.

It was aimed at Daphne.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daphne soar over the edge of the Astronomy tower. He didn't give Rookwood another thought, and raising his wand he dived over the edge after her, taking a bludgeoning curse to the ankle.

Harry winced from the pain, but casting the Unassisted Flying Charm in mid-air, he focused on Daphne's rapidly descending form. How was he going to catch her? He needed one of his arms to cast the Flying Charm. He needed to get to the ground before her.

He was catching up, she was getting closer, but then ahead of her, he saw a stone gargoyle, jutting out from a parapet. He screamed as Daphne's head took a glancing hit and she started spinning. He streaked past her, landing on the grass with such a thud that made him scream out loud, but he looked up, raised his wand and shouted "Arresto Momentum".

The spell hit her just in time and he caught her in his arms, lowering her gently once again to the ground. She was unconscious, had several broken bones and was bleeding profusely from her head and shoulder. He tried to stand, but couldn't, wincing in pain from his clearly broken ankle. A quick diagnostic charm showed him it was an easy fix, and after healing it he cast a featherweight charm on his girlfriend, crouched and lifted her over his shoulder before setting off in flight again.

Rounding a corner he shot through an archway into the main courtyard, aiming to get to the Hospital Wing via the Entrance Hall. He groaned inwardly as he saw the door was shut, but just in the nick of time the doors opened and he saw Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick.

Dumbledore called towards him as he flew overhead, trying to stop him, but Harry shouted "Rookwood, from the Astronomy Tower!" and didn't look around. A minute later he rounded onto the long corridor to the Hospital Wing and saw that the door was wide open. He and Daphne shot through it and he landed softly onto his feet. Pomfrey was already there waiting for him, having been in the Great Hall at the feast and was stood waiting by an empty bed, an array of potions and other equipment ready on a trolley at her side.

Harry lowered her onto the bed and Madam Pomfrey started casting Diagnostic charms, while Harry filled her in.

"At least cruciatus exposure and a serious head injury, he threw her off the tower. She hit a gargoyle on the way down. I don't know what else."

Pomfrey nodded in concentration, her wand weaving a variety of tapestries in the air.

"Hairline fractures to the ulna, radius, clean break at the upper humerus. Yes, there's cruciatus exposure, her nerves are firing rapidly. Her skull?" Poppy said, casting more. She winced.

"What is it?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Three large cracks to her parietal bone, forming a triangle, its free floating and pushing in at an angle at the upper left temporal lobe."

"Can you fix it?" Harry asked, breathing heavily.

Professor McGonagall rushed in behind them, "Poppy, what can I do?" she asked.

"Grab a cloth and get pressure on that head wound, but don't push too hard" Poppy said, "Yes I can fix it, but it's delicate work. We need to stop the bleeding, Minerva, also grab a blood replenisher in her while Harry and I fix the lesser fractures.

Harry quickly handled the hairline fractures and Poppy, raising Daphne's limp arm back into position, healed the shoulder injury. McGonagall on the other hand was struggling with the potion. While she was keeping a good amount of pressure on the head wound, Daphne was coughing the potion straight back up.

Pomfrey cast a diagnostic again.

"The cruciatus was strong, it's affecting her upper respiratory tract and epiglottis, we can't get her to swallow," she said.

"I can freeze her lungs for a moment," Harry said, feeling himself shaking, "Family magic, stop them twitching."

"Without stopping her heart?" Poppy asked.

Harry hesitated, biting his lip, "I don't know."

"Scratch that then."

"Stasis field?" McGonagall suggested.

"No, there's not enough time to set one up that won't keep her lungs going."

"Clotting solution?" Poppy said to herself, "No, she'll stroke. Oh, Merlin."

Harry's head dropped into his hands, he was starting to feel numb and felt sick to his stomach. He was going to lose her. His mind was racing. What good was magical healing if it didn't work with a combination of muggle and magical injuries? Wait. Maybe that meant they needed a muggle and magical solution. He had an idea, his eyes snapped open.

"Poppy, how is the cruciatus potion metabolised, in the stomach or can it go into the bloodstream?" he asked.

"Duodenum," Poppy replied off-handedly, "Or I'd open a vein and cast a switch-transfusion."

"What about if we inject the potion like a muggle, straight into the duodenum, have you any needles? I can freeze her from below the diaphragm down."

Poppy's head snapped around at him, "Of course, they're in the - no, we're out."

"Good job you have me then," said Minerva, sharply. Poppy nodded.

"Harry, quick. Office, bottom left cabinet, muggle equipment, third tray down, put a quill and inkpot on it from my desk and bring the tray to the doorway past the ward," Poppy commanded.

Harry sprinted across the hospital wing into the office, grabbed a quill from Madam Pomfrey's desk and flung open the cupboard. He pulled out the correct tray quickly, jostling the array of equipment as he turned and headed back through the door.

"Accio fifty-millilitre syringe, Accio quill, Accio inkpot," Poppy called, the equipment flying across the hospital wing before she caught the items one by one.

Harry put the tray down and sprinted back across the Hospital wing to Daphne's bedside. Her breathing, while still very erratic was beginning to slow and her limp, unconscious form was getting paler by the second.

Madam Pomfrey turned towards McGonagall, snapping the quill in two, "I need the nib to be a very thin hollow needle. As long as your little finger, sharp enough on one end to get through her skin but still let the potion through, the other end needs to fit one of the syringes with a tight seal. I just need a funnel from the feather.

McGonagall deftly snatched the nib from Pomfrey's hands and pursed her lips in concentration as she raised her wand. A moment later the nib became the needle, but it didn't yet fit the syringe. After asking Poppy to hold the needle and syringe together, she then managed to fit it with a good seal. Poppy removed the plunger and Minerva transfigured the feather funnel, while Harry grabbed a fresh Cruciatus potion from the rack on the trolley. He passed it to Madam Pomfrey, who poured the potion carefully into the funnel before sealing the syringe with the plunger, pushing it slightly so a drop of potion formed on the end, ensuring there was no air left in the tube.

They once again turned back to Daphne's rapidly declining form. Waving her wand, the curtains around the bedside draw to a close before Poppy vanished Daphne's clothing entirely. She dipped the wrong end of her wand in ink from the summoned inkpot and cast a visualisation spell while she traced her hand along Daphne's abdomen. Upon finding her duodenum she pressed the ink on the skin directly above it, marking the injection site.

She looked up at Harry and nodded. Speaking in parseltongue, Harry waved his wand over Daphne's lower form, her lower torso and legs stilling their twitching instantly. Without hesitation, Pomfrey pushed the needle into the ink-marked spot on Daphne's stomach before slowly pressing down the plunger. They watched with bated breath for a few moments before sighing with relief as Daphne stopped twitching before Madam Pomfrey had even removed the needle. Deftly, Pomfrey then plucked a blood replenisher from the rack and poured it down Daphne's throat. Colour started returning to her face instantly and her breathing became completely regular.

Harry collapsed to his knees, tears streaming from his face with relief, but his mind still racing. She might have a ways to go yet, but she would live. He'd very nearly lost her, but she would live, he told himself. Rookwood had very nearly killed her, but he would-

Rookwood. In his sheer panic to save Daphne's life, he'd almost forgotten. He bared his teeth, gritting them with fury as he looked up from his knelt position to Daphne's thankfully breathing form. He'd almost gotten used to the constant burning around his neck but the House of Slytherin's emotion-based magic amplification built into the pendant seared with renewed vigor. He got to his feet.

"Professor," Harry said sharply, eyes glowing brightly, "Where's Rookwood?"

"Dumbledore and the others were after him, that's why I came down here. It depends on which direction he went. The headmaster would've sealed all of the doors, but if he was quick, there's a few ways he might have gotten out, like hopping the walls near the greenhouses. If that's the case he'll be nearly out by now. I know he can Apparate so once he gets out of the school's wards…"

"Which exit?" Harry growled.

"He'd have to take the long road down to the main gates, I'd imagine. Unless he'd dare go through the forest."

Harry ran into the office and took a fist-sized runestone from a top shelf, pocketing them before sprinting back into the room. Roughly he grabbed McGonagall by her upper arm and touching his pendant at his neck, he whisked them both down into the Chamber.

McGonagall blinked in surprise and then her face turned angry.

"Hold on just one second, you can't just whisk me off on a whim to some…" Then she blinked, "Is this the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Yes," Harry said calmly, barely able to contain his rage, "Outside the wards, now please side-along me just outside the gates."

"Harry I don't think-"

"NOW!" Harry commanded, the glow in his eyes burning brighter as the torches almost flickered out entirely.

McGonagall gasped and nodded, before saying "Take my arm."

A horrible sensation like being squashed through a very thin tube swept over Harry and Professor McGonagall before they arrived just outside the gates of Hogwarts with a pop. He looked around him madly and initially saw nothing in the darkness. Pointing his wand into the air he shot upwards to try and get a better look at his surroundings. A little way into the grounds he could see Rookwood running towards the gates, Professors Snape and Flitwick hot on his trail, firing spells after the young Death Eater's sprinting form.

Harry descended quickly and landed back on his feet with a thud.

"He's coming, Professor," Harry replied and pulled a rune stone from his pocket. I could only cast a stasis ward on this, but can you do an anti-apparition ward?

"Yes, give it here," McGonagall replied. Harry handed the stone over and a moment later the tell-tale feeling of changing air pressure told them there was now an anti-apparition ward in effect for a short distance outside the wards of the school.

"Thank you, Professor. Now get out of here." Harry commanded.

"No," McGonagall replied.

"You don't need to see this," Harry growled. His body was thrumming with energy,

"The welfare of our students is my responsibility. I'm not going anywhere." the Professor replied, locking eyes with him.

"Let's hide behind the gates."

Two minutes later the tell-tale intermittent glow of spellfire illuminated the grass around the gate, getting brighter and brighter before they heard a set of footsteps rapidly approaching. Harry stepped out and took a position in between the front gates and as he raised his wand Rookwood stopped, staring at him in fear. There was a burst of phoenix fire and the figure of Albus Dumbledore flashed into existence.

"It's over, Heir Rookwood," Dumbledore announced, "Drop your wand."

"Never," Rookwood spat, "You will expel me and snap my wand or Potter will kill me."

"No, he won't. Harry won't be killing anyone within my wards."

"You're right, Professor," Harry said, his eyes glowing with pure hatred in the darkness, "I won't be killing him, I'm going to make an example out of him."

"Harry, please lower your wand." Dumbledore said calmly, "I've called for the Aurors. They will be here at any moment."

"Fuck the Aurors. He nearly killed Daphne." Harry growled. "I warned you Rookwood. I warned you what would happen if you or any of your Death Eater friends tried to cross me. Now you're going to pay the price. You have no escape."

Dumbledore raised his wand at Harry, "My boy, you do not need to do this."

"Don't interfere, Dumbledore," Harry replied, raising his wand "As Lord of my Houses, I declare blood feud on the Ancient House of Rookwood, so mote it be."

There was a flash of magic and then silence.

"Now, Professors, this is between me and Septimus here. Legally you cannot interfere. Unless you wish to see the most supreme suffering you will ever witness, I suggest you leave."

"Your mother would not have wanted this, Harry," Dumbledore warned.

"My mother is DEAD!" Harry yelled, not daring to drop his wand from Rookwoods eye-line.

"And you killed my father." Rookwood snarled.

"I did." Harry replied with a cool smile, "And I absolutely loved it. He was just as pathetic as you and your master."

"I could call him right now."

"Do it, please. I'm sure he'd love to fight me, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick all at once. This war might be over quickly. Why don't you step outside the wards and fight me like a man." Harry said with a dark smile.

Harry took five paces backwards.

Rookwood eagerly ran forward.

"My boy, that's not the wisest -"

Rookwood twisted, trying to apparate and looked back at Harry in fear.

"You think I would let you escape?" Harry said with a cruel chuckle, glaring with malice, "After you nearly took the only person whose love I ever remembered from me? Diffindo."

Rookwood's golden shield burst into life but shattered instantly and he went immediately on the counterattack, screaming "Avada Kedavra", firing a bright green killing curse as Harry dodged to the side. At the sight of the killing curse, the other Professors apart from Dumbledore retreated instantly, McGonagall sprinting onto the school grounds behind the Headmaster.

Harry cast much faster than he ever had in his life, casting twenty or so spells, an array of parseltongue cutting curses, bone-breaking hexes and bludgeoners, which somehow Rookwood managed to absorb with his void-magic shield, but finally, a cutting curse to a foot took Rookwood to his knees and Harry summoned his wand from him with a simple Expelliarmus before freezing him and leaving him hanging in the air..

"Harry, It's over, you've won. Stun him so we can hand him to the Ministry."

"No. This is a blood feud. I WILL have my satisfaction," Harry snapped, "You see, Septimus that's at least three Unforgivables you've cast tonight I'm aware of. You deserve to be in prison, surrounded by dementors. No, you deserve the kiss. I'm going to give you much worse."

He paced backwards and forwards in front of Rookwood, thinking, his mind boiling over with fury, his scar blindingly hot on his forehead, worse than even the pendant at his neck, but in his raw determination, it was easily ignored.

"Are you a fan of Muggle cinema, Rookwood?" Harry asked casually, "I am. When I was younger, peering through the grate in the cupboard under the stairs where the muggles kept me, I saw a film, one that left a great impression on me, called The Princess Bride. You see there's this hero, Westley who almost has his love taken from him and there was a punishment he proposed. It's called "To the pain", which means this: The first things you lose will be your feet, below the ankle. Then your hands at the wrists. Next your nose, your tongue and your eyes. But you get to keep your ears so that every shriek of everyone who sees your appearance will be yours, every cry of a witch or wizard who gasps and says "What is that thing?". Like I said, I'm not going to kill you.

"Harry no!" Dumbledore shouted.

"Leave now. My mind is set. You need not see this."

"Daphne wouldn't want this."

"Daphne very likely has brain damage and her father would agree with me. LEAVE!" Harry shouted, turning and cutting off Rookwood's feet with cutting curses before cauterising the bleeding stumps instantly. In his frozen state, Rookwood couldn't even scream, but instead promptly passed out, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"Reenervate" Harry called, bringing Rookwood back into his waking nightmare.

"Na ah ah," Harry tutted, "You get to be awake for this."

"I…I can't watch this." Dumbledore said. He and the Professors turned to leave.

For the next five minutes, Harry completed 'To the Pain', making sure not only to cauterise every wound he inflicted as he maimed his opponent, but he made sure to strip Rookwood naked so that his Dark Mark was visible on his arm. Then, transfiguring a blade of grass into a knife he carved something in Rookwood's chest before stunning him and flying him to Hogsmeade where he affixed Rookwoods frame to a large statue in the middle of the square.

Through the night the scant denizens of Hogsmeade came across Harry's prey, saw the naked disfigured form still clearly breathing but otherwise unmoving. Carved into his chest the wavy circle of a snake surrounding a symbol of a lightning bolt sat below the words "Death Eaters, Be Warned."