T/W: Mild gore, manipulation, character death
Chapter Sixteen: The Man With Two Faces
Ron saw James's wand shake in his hands as he pointed it at Riddle. But he didn't dare to fire a spell with Harry in the way. "This has nothing to do with any of them," James was trying to keep calm, but Ron heard his voice crack. "Just—just let him go and I'll—"
"YOU?" Riddle shouted, and Ron saw the mask Riddle worked so carefully to maintain slip. He was furious, his smile barred like a vicious animal. "Do you honestly think any of this has to do with you?"
Riddle spat the last word. He took another step forward, Harry clawed at the arm around his throat, trying to breathe. His feet were barely touching the floor. Ron felt a curse nick his ear, soaring towards Riddle, Regulus was pointing his wand directly at Riddle. Riddle deflected it with a flick, sending the spell back into the dais at Regulus. Lupin raised his wand in defense, stepping in front of Ron. Riddle's eyes locked in on James and Lily, before he spoke again.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Lily Evans." Riddle said, quiet again, Ron saw him looking between the six of them and thought absurdly of a chessboard. "I did not think you'd survive our last meeting. Oh … forgive me, I've been a rude host." Riddle grit his teeth, dragging Harry with him as he began to climb down the steps.
"Have you two met yet?" Riddle asked, mockingly. "Harry, this is the only mudblood that's ever proven herself useful to this world. Did she tell you what Dumbledore said to her, James? Did she let you be part of that decision before she gambled with both of your lives?"
"Don't—" Lily shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
Harry refused to look at her, focusing instead on a spot on the floor in front of him in dread, James looked between the two of them in confusion. Behind the dais Ron heard Regulus groan in frustration at the scene unfolding before him. It suddenly occurred to Ron that Regulus may never have intended to leave the ministry alive.
"Neither can live while the other survives … neither can live, that was the first part that struck me … I don't really think you could count what I am as alive anymore." Riddle continued, speaking apparently to himself. "Prophecies do not mince pretty words, so that meant that if both of us remain alive …" He smiled mechanically, Ron felt sick to his stomach. "Well … then I cannot die."
"What are you talking about?" James shifted uncomfortably. Ron remembered Neville's name, crossed out and forgotten on the orb.
"The mudblood came to me, James, begging not to mark her son for murder. She played perfectly into my decision. So, I mislabeled the old thing with a second child born on the 31st of July, one whose parents had also thrice defied me. Paradox is a wonderful thing, capable of overwriting fate itself, I ensured the child of the prophecy could not kill me, and incentivized myself to not do the same … I was furious when Bartemius murdered the Longbottom boy. Severus, of course, had no idea what my actual plan was. I should have known better than allow him to live since he knew the full context of the prophecy. I should never have let him teach Harry."
"But the horcruxes—" James gaped.
"Haven't I already told you?" Riddle sneered. "For the past fifteen years, the other six pieces have been little more than a backup plan. I'd planned to reabsorb several of the pieces once I got the diadem back. It is … cold … to miss one's soul. I ran an experiment six years prior to discovering the prophecy to prove I could instill a piece of my soul in another living being."
"I was reckless," Riddle continued. "I'd underestimated the curse's effects on Nagini. I completely overwhelmed her mind. But I knew what to do the second time—what I needed to do to create the seventh and final horcrux—although I'm sure Regulus had long worked out the details before he sent the rest of you on your hunt for the remaining pieces of my soul." He pointed his wand into the side of Harry's head. "Although, I welcome you to try and finish the job."
James immediately lowered his wand, looking desperately for Regulus on the other side of the dais. Ron remembered what Riddle said back in the office, killing curses didn't leave scars, he didn't want to admit it then. If it was true here, that meant it was true back home too …
"Reg, you knew about this?" Lupin asked in disgust, breaking the silence.
"Parseltongue is a hereditary trait." Regulus said darkly.
"Astonishing how quickly your plans divulge, isn't it?" Riddle flicked his wand, there was a flash of red light, and Harry went limp. Riddle let him drop to the ground, he continued down the stone steps alone. "Harry intended to use the remaining pieces as blackmail, unnecessary really, I'll deal with him later ... But Regulus never intended on any of you making it out of here alive, you made an error earlier. You have wounded me five times instead of four, but I won't indulge you any longer—"
James fired a killing curse directly at his heart, and again, and again, hitting him three times in the chest. Riddle collapsed backwards on the stone steps, very still for a moment before he began laughing, a piercing mirthless sound that echoed around the amphitheater and told every fiber in Ron's being to run as far away as possible. But he stayed rooted to the spot. Riddle opened his eyes, a deep scarlet red.
"LILY!" James yelled at the top of his lungs. "Take Harry and go! I'll hold him off."
Lily dashed up another set of steps, helping James with the duel, all of her energy focused on making it to her son. James whipped around to face Lupin and Ron, "RUN."
Lupin seized Ron's arm, running back behind the dais with Sirius. "Voldemort!" Regulus yelled, he stepped out; his arm raised in a dueler's stance. Ron heard a horrific crack behind him as Riddle stood back up, he flicked his wand and a massive ring of blue fire encircled the first step to the dais, blocking their escape route.
"Kill her," Riddle spoke again, his voice misshapen like seven people trying to talk over each other at the same time. Ron had no idea who he was talking to, the doors around them remained closed.
Ron heard a scream and a flurry of spells. He peaked out from around the dais to see Lily and Harry locked in a duel. Lily summoned a barrier around herself, thin wisps of glowing white thread like spider's silk. Harry staggered after her, a faraway look in his eyes. Ron recognized it immediately; he'd seen the same look on Ginny's face three years earlier and in Nagini, even if he didn't know what it meant at the time. He'd been possessed. Further down on the dais, Riddle, James, and Regulus were fighting. Ron couldn't tell if Regulus and James were working together.
"Shit," Sirius breathed. "Moony, you need to get Ron out now. I'll buy you some time." He quickly kissed Lupin. "I love you—"
"No!" Ron grabbed him. "You can't, he's bewitched—"
"I'm not going to hurt Harry," Sirius jerked his arm out of Ron's grasp, he stepped forward towards the duel. "Lily's got him. Go, now Remus!"
Lupin took Ron's arm, trying to pull him further away from the fray. A wave of water rose out of the air from the tip of Lupin's wand, he flung the spell at the wall of fire in front of them. The water sizzled as it hit the barrier, the flames grew taller. From the other entrances around, Ron saw doors open, there were at least ten Death Eaters at every door. From the one closest, Ron saw Crouch and Bellatrix enter. Crouch smirked, a small trickle of blood issuing from his mouth from the glass Regulus broke in the other room. Lupin jumped in front of Ron, summoning protection spells as the two dark wizards circled them like wolves.
"Busy day ahead for you, Bella," Crouch said casually, sending a purple hex hurdling at Lupin. Lupin deflected it with a massive boulder from the dais.
"Oh yes, I agree." The witch laughed, the flames bent around the two of them as they crossed into center of the amphitheater. "Let's see: thirty counts of murder, assault on senior level officials, attempted kidnapping, destruction of ministry property ... My, my, Barty I think the dementors will be happy to see our friends here, happy enough to give them a little kiss …"
A shiver ran up Ron's spine, it wasn't enough to just kill them. The Death Eaters were going to use this to destroy the Order once and for all. He felt a burning in his pocket from the sickle Harry gave him earlier. If there was any chance they were going to get out alive, the portkey was it.
"I need to get to the others." Ron whispered. He was behind Lupin, so the other two couldn't see his mouth move. "I can get us out."
Lupin nodded, he threw something on the ground and Ron felt a wall of darkness envelope around them. Spells flew wildly over his head, Ron ducked under the wall of darkness, followed closely by Lupin. Further down, James and Regulus were close to the opening of the veil. Riddle was screaming curses at the two of them, barring his teeth in a vicious smile. Sirius was desperately holding a barrier spell to prevent the rest of the Death Eaters from getting through on the other side. Further up the steps, Ron saw Lily sobbing, trying to snap Harry out of it. A killing curse missed her by mere millimeters.
"Sweetheart, c-can you hear me?" Lily leapt down several rows of the steps, the stone she'd just been standing on moments before exploded. The side of her face was bleeding freely.
"Oh Lily," It used Harry's voice, but it was wrong. It was as if two people spoke, their words twisted around. "What have you done?"
Ron knew exactly where he'd heard it before, it was the same odd rasp Nagini spoke with. He fired a stunning spell at Harry, and Lily jumped through the fire, reluctant to cast her own curse. The curse hit, and Harry turned slowly to face Ron. Ron felt his blood run cold, of course it didn't work, he was already unconscious …
"I am going to send pieces of you back through the mirror." It was smiling, pointing Harry's wand at Ron's heart. "I will break into your reality and a thousand more, an infinite spiral unfolding unto itself, I am beyond Death."
Ron instinctively stepped back. He didn't know any spells that could break something like this. Behind him, he could hear James and Regulus losing ground. Regulus was practically hugging the outside of the veil, his breath visible in front of him like he'd just seen a dementor. But Regulus looked nothing short of victorious, he raised his wand, pointing it instead at Harry.
"Avada—"
A massive piece of the stone dais erupted, like a stone dagger piercing Regulus in the chest. Riddle smirked, watching Sirius's barrier begin to crumble. Blood soaked the front of Regulus's white robes. Riddle twisted his wand again, wrenching the stone piece out of Regulus's heart. Regulus staggered back, his face quickly draining of blood. For a moment, Ron saw something flicker behind his eyes, as Regulus struggled to form words.
"T-the m-mirror—" he managed to say, toppling backwards into the veil. Ron expected him to crash into the floor behind the wispy mist. But it was as if Regulus evaporated, falling backwards into a crushing nothingness. He was worse than dead.
Ron heard Sirius's scream pierce the amphitheater, as if he'd been stabbed too. He raced forward to help James with his duel, all the while Ron saw the circle of flames around them grow higher. Ron didn't have time to think, he grabbed a fistful of Lupin and Lily's robes, charging forward at James and Sirius as the sickle in his pocket burned red. Harry was too far away, he couldn't reach him in time ... Ron felt a jerk behind his navel as he grabbed the two of them as well. He saw a jet of light headed straight for them. The portkey seized and Ron felt his feet lift the ground, forcing the other four to come with him.
"NO!" James tried to jerk away.
Ron heard Riddle yell in fury. Darkness pressed around him, it was like being squeezed out of a tube of toothpaste. He gripped tighter around the others, and felt wood splinter beneath him as he crashed into a coffee table. The room swayed around Ron, like he was on board a ship. He could hear voices around him, arguing, three familiar shapes bore down over him before everything went black.