Chapter Sixteen
Quirrell couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he swept through Hogwarts back to his quarters. It had taken Quirrell over a month of careful stalking before he managed to figure out what Hagrid did in his free time and plan accordingly how to get the oaf drunk to figure out what traps Dumbledore had tasked with guarding the stone.
Getting Hagrid drunk had taken longer than Quirrell had expected; the giant's metabolism was something to be admired, and even Voldemort had been impressed by the amount of mead that Quirrell had been forced to buy before Hagrid's tongue began to wag. Then, the secrets the gamekeeper kept for Dumbledore started to emerge.
Once Hagrid began to run his mouth, it seemed that the gamekeeper could not stop himself. Quirrell had been more than happy to listen to everything that Hagrid had to say about all that Dumbledore had guarding the stone, as well as a few other secrets that Hagrid was privy to; secrets that Voldemort was very interested in and that Dumbledore would surely not want getting out.
"I just need to pack a few things so we can make our escape once we have recovered the stone, master!" Quirrell said quickly as he ran into his room and frantically began to pack a bag,
"You must grab the boy as well!" Voldemort hissed from under Quirrell's turban.
"The boy?" Quirrell asked in surprise, pausing in his packing at his Master's order, "Why?"
"Do not presume to question me, servant!" Voldemort hissed angrily, making Quirrell fall to his knees as agony raced throughout his body, "You will do as I say! Is that understood!"
"Yes, Master, I understand! Please!" Quirrell pleaded as his body shook from the pain that Voldemort was putting him through; a moment later, the pain ended, and Quirrell lay twitching and crying on the floor of his room.
"The boy is the one who destroyed me last time," Voldemort hissed, "The world believes that he is more powerful than I am! That illusion must be disabused as soon as possible! So, the moment I have the stone in my possession, I intend to kill that brat as brutally as possible and forever end the lie that the son of a mudblood whore is more powerful than Lord Voldemort!"
Slowly, Quirrell rose shakily to his feet and began to pack one more as his mind raced; it was almost curfew, so the Potter brat would either be in his dorm or studying with his friends in the library.
Getting the boy wasn't the problem; it was ensuring that the boy's damnable sister didn't discover what Quirrell was up to, which was a problem in and of itself, as Raven Potter always seemed to know when her little brother was in danger.
With a final groan, Quirrell finished packing and slowly lowered himself into a nearby chair, his body still twitching intermittently; he needed to move quickly if he was to grab Potter and get to the stone before anyone noticed that something was amiss.
"Why are you wasting time, fool!" Voldemort hissed, "We have no time to waste!"
"Yes, master," Quirrell replied quickly as he rose from the chair and grabbed his bag; time was of the essence if he was to grab Potter, recover the stone for his Master, and flee the castle without anyone noticing what was happening.
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Harry groaned audibly again as he looked over his Potions homework for the third time; Snape had demanded that they turn in a 3 foot essay on how poisonous plants could be used for medicinal purposes when combined with other ingredients, but as Harry measured his, he realized that he was still a foot short.
"This is impossible!" Harry complained as he threw down his quill in disgust, making Hermione tut at him in disappointment, "I swear that greasy prick gives us this much homework just to ensure we fail!"
"I'm sure that's not the case," Hermione replied, "Though I must agree that the amount that Professor Snape has requested does seem to be a bit excessive."
"Excessive!" Harry cried in exasperation, "More like impossible! I'm still a foot short, and I've run out of examples that could be used!"
"Here, let me take a look and see if I can help," Hermione offered as she slid Harry's essay toward her.
Harry and Hermione had been working together in the library for over an hour now; Ron had chosen not to join as he was now enjoying his new obsession: muggle movies.
"It had been over a month since Harry had shown "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to Gryffindor house, and seeing how amazing the movie had been, the Gryffindors had demanded more, which Harry was happy to acquiesce to.
Now, every Friday was deemed 'movie night,' and it was something that the whole of Gryffindor looked forward to with anticipation; so far, Harry had shown his housemates a variety of different films, not wanting to stick to just one genre. Sometimes the Titans would join the fun, bringing popcorn or snacks to share.
Beastboy had even gotten permission from Professor McGonagall to bring Tonks to Gryffindor tower to enjoy the movies, something that had Harry and a few others smiling knowingly as Tonks tried and sit as close to Beastboy as she could.
Harry had shown them Braveheart, Childs Play (which caused more than one Gryffindor to suddenly be glad they had left their dolls at home), Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Die Hard, and Gladiator, and tonight Harry was planning on showing them Star Wars, which he hoped they would enjoy.
To the horror of Hogwarts in general, Harry had also introduced the Weasleys to cartoons, particularly the Looney Toons, which the Twins and Ron had instantly fallen in love with. This resulted in the Weasleys coming up with a myriad of new pranks, and Hogwarts had been turned into a warzone as a result as the Weasley twins tested out things they had watched Bugs Bunny do.
Hermione had suggested that Harry ask Dumbledore if the 'movie night' could be opened to all of Hogwarts and take place in the Great Hall during dinner. But so far, Harry had been unable to ask as he tried to keep up with the astronomical amount of homework and Quidditch practice that Harry had found himself in recently. Ravenclaw had thoroughly beaten Hufflepuff 160-50 during their match in November, only for themselves to be beaten by Slytherin 210-80 during the next match. If Slytherin managed to defeat Hufflepuff in the next game, and Gryffindor managed to defeat Ravenclaw (which was the expected outcome), then it would be Gryffindor vs Slytherin in the final match of the season. Having lost the last three years consecutively, Oliver Wood was in no mood for a repeat outcome and so had drilled the Gryffindor team mercilessly to ensure they would be the winners this year.
"What do you say we call it for tonight?" Harry said solemnly, "I don't know about you, but my brain feels fried."
"I suppose we can stop for tonight," Hermione replied, "We've been here for quite some time, after all."
Harry nodded quickly and began to put away his things when Professor Quirrell suddenly stepped out from the shadows looking even more nervous than usual,
"Ah, P-Potter! T-t-there you are! I've been looking e-e-everywhere for you."
"Is something the matter, professor?" Harry asked nervously.
"Yes, your s-s-sister has suffered an accident," Quirrell replied quickly, "Professor Dumbledore sent me to take you to the Hospital Wing immediately!"
Harry instantly paled at the words and began to frantically pack his things as Quirrell spoke again,
"I'm sure Ms. Granger can look after your things for you, but you need to come with me now!"
"I've got it, Harry," Hermione replied quickly, "Go check on your sister, and I'll meet you back in Gryffindor common room later."
With a nod of gratitude, Harry dropped his bag on the table and followed Quirrell out of the library; several moments later, once Harry had managed to calm himself down, he realized that something was wrong.
The Hospital Wing was in the opposite direction, for starters, and as Harry turned to ask Quirrell why they were going the wrong way, the Defense Professor suddenly spun on the spot and pointed his wand at a shocked Harry.
"Stupefy!" Quirrell snarled before Harry could do anything; instantly, Harry crumpled to the ground.
Quickly looking around to ensure he was alone, Quirrell bent down and picked Harry up from where he lay before roughly throwing the boy over his shoulder.
"Excellent work," Voldemort hissed, "Now, get me my stone!"
"Yes, master," Quirrell responded meekly as he turned and quickly made his way to the third-floor corridor; his bag was already there waiting for him, and now that he had Potter, he'd be able to flee Hogwarts the moment the stone was in possession and his Master would reward him for the loyalty he had shown throughout the year.
As he approached the door, Quirrell cast a spell that shrunk his bag before putting it into the pocket of his robes; shifting Harry on his shoulder, Quirrell took a deep breath and entered the forbidden chamber.
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Something was wrong; Raven didn't know what it was, but all of her senses were screaming at her that something was very wrong at Hogwarts. Trying to figure out what she was feeling, Raven had decided to meditate and was currently floating several inches off her bed as she tried to use her powers to locate the cause of what she was feeling.
"Azarath Metrion Zynthos…" Raven recited calmly as she spread her awareness as far as she could, trying to locate the origin of the terrible wrongness that she was feeling, "Azarath Metrion Zynthos."
Suddenly, an image of Harry appeared in Raven's mind, but the image was wrong and instantly filled Raven with fear; Harry looked nothing like his usual self. Instead, he looked like her and in the worst way possible.
Harry's hair was waving as though it was being blown by a strong wind, and a cruel expression was on his face, which had no place on her sweet little brother's usually joyous face.
But the worst was yet to come, for Harry no longer sported his usual violent green eyes; in their place was a dual pair of bright red demon eyes, like the kind that Raven wore whenever her 'other side' took over.
"No!" Raven thought as her eyes shot open in horror, "Not Harry!"
Quick as a flash, Raven lowered herself to the ground and teleported herself to Gryffindor tower; as she appeared in the common room, the first thing she saw was the Weasley family laughing as they watched Looney Toon cartoon on Harry's computer. A moment later, Hermione entered through the portrait hole with an expression of surprise on her face.
"Hermione! Where is Harry?" Raven demanded as she approached the girl,
"He went with Professor Quirrell," Hermione replied quickly, "He told Harry that you had been injured and that Headmaster Dumbledore sent him to take Harry to the Hospital Wing!"
"How long ago?!" Raven demanded,
"About ten minutes ago!" Hermione replied quickly, "If you're not in the Hospital Wing, what's going on?"
By now, the Weasley's had finished their cartoon and had come over to see what was happening,
"Hermione? What's wrong?" Ron asked quickly, seeing the scared expression on Hermione's face.
"Something's wrong!" Hermione replied quickly, "Professor Quirrell lied about Raven being hurt and took Harry!"
"Took him where?" Fred asked,
"And why?" George added, both of the twins sporting matching worried expressions.
"It doesn't matter," Raven said quickly, "All that matter is making sure that Harry is safe!"
"What do you need us to do?" The twins asked as one,
"I need you all to stay here," Raven replied, making those assembled gasp in outrage,
"Stay here?!" Ron retorted, "Harry is my best mate! You can't expect me to just stay here when he's in danger!"
"That goes double for us!" The twins replied in unison, "Harry's our friend too!"
"I know that!" Raven shouted angrily, making the noise drop instantly, "But I can't watch all of you simultaneously while trying to find Harry! I need you all to stay here where it's safe while the Titans and I go and find Harry. Can you do that, or do I need to immobilize you to ensure you do?"
Raven's expression showed that she was not joking and those assembled collectively gulped as one before nodding their heads that they understood.
"Good, now I will go and find Harry, and I promise that I will bring him back safe," Raven said in a much calmer voice, "But I need you all to promise me that you will stay here where it's safe until I return, understood?"
Mumbled words of agreement met Raven's words, and she nodded her head quickly before turning on her heel and dashing out of the portrait hole toward the third floor; as Raven sped through the castle as fast as she could, she mentally sent out a signal to the other Titans,
"Titans! Quirrell has taken Harry! I'm headed to the third-floor corridor. Meet me there!"
A few moments later, Raven stopped outside the door and saw, to her annoyance, that it appeared that Quirrell had beaten her here; the door was slightly ajar, and Raven could hear what sounded like snoring coming from the other side.
"Raven!" Robin's voice cried, making her turn to see the rest of her team racing up the stair toward her.
"He's already inside," Raven barked, indicating the open door, "We have to hurry!"
"We're no good to Harry if we act without thinking," Robin replied, "Don't forget that there's a three-headed monster on the other side of that door!"
"It sounds as though the beast is asleep," Starfire replied as she leaned close to the door and listened intently.
"So, what's the plan?" Beastboy asked,
"Find Quirrell and rescue Harry, in that order," Raven replied quickly, making Beastboy grin slightly,
"I like it. Simple and easy to remember."
"Enough messing around!" Robin growled as he pulled out his bow staff, "Let's move!"
Quickly, Raven pulled her hood up as Robin ripped open the door and the Titans rushed inside, only to stop in surprise as they saw the three-headed dog they had expected to face fast asleep.
"Well, that's really anticlimactic," Beastboy said softly as he edged forward slowly,
"It appears Quirrell has stunned it," Starfire replied as she gently poked one of the dogs in the face, "Otherwise, I imagine this beast would be trying to eviscerate us."
"Be on your guard," Robin replied as he approached the hole in the floor, "Beastboy and I already scouted the traps ahead, but you never know what Quirrell might have done to slow down any pursuers."
Without another word, Robin jumped into the hole and disappeared, followed immediately by the rest of the Titans.
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As Harry regained consciousness, the first thing he realized was that his hands were bound behind his back; the next thing he realized was that someone was speaking close by him in a very aggravated voice.
"I see it, master!" The voice called, "But how do I get it? Am I supposed the break the mirror?"
Groaning internally, Harry slowly rolled himself over until he was facing whoever was speaking; quickly taking in his surroundings, Harry saw that he was in a large chamber with torches flaring around him, providing the only light to be seen.
Standing in the center of the chamber, in front of a familiar-looking mirror, was Professor Quirrell, who was shouting at the mirror in increasing anger; as quietly as possible, Harry began to try and get his hands loose, but to no avail.
"Master, help me! How do I get the stone out of the mirror!" Quirrell called desperately, causing Harry to look around in confusion; there was no one else here but him and Harry, so who was Quirrell talking to?
Suddenly, Quirrell turned to Harry, and a cruel smile came across the Professor's face,
"Oh good, you're awake."
"What happened to your stutter?" Harry asked nervously as he struggled into a seating position, "And why did you kidnap me? What the hell, dude?!"
"And here I thought you to be intelligent," Quirrell sneered, "It seems as though I was mistaken."
"Just answer the damn question, you jerk!" Harry spat back, causing Quirrell to laugh cruelly for a moment.
"You're here, Harry Potter, to serve a glorious purpose," Quirrell said silkily,
"And what purpose is that?"
"To show the world that you are nothing compared to the power of Lord Voldemort!"
"Voldemort is dead!" Harry nearly shouted back, "He's been dead for over a decade!"
"One should never make assumptions," Quirrell sneered back, "Did you really think that a child could defeat the most powerful Dark Lord that this world has ever known?"
"Untie me, and I'll show you just how powerful I really am!" Harry retorted angrily, making Quirrell chuckle,
"I think not," Quirrell sneered, "First, I will recover the stone from this damned mirror, then I will return my master to his full power, and he shall reward me for the loyalty I have shown him!"
"He's alive?!" Harry asked in horror as the blood ran from his face, "But…."
"Oh yes!" Quirrell declared happily, "Lord Voldemort is very much alive! And after I have retrieved his stone for him, he will be returned to his full strength, and you, Harry Potter, shall be the first of his victims as he restarts his conquest of this world!"
"You're insane…." Harry said in horror as the words hit him, "Voldemort is dead! Raven said that our mom killed him a decade ago!"
"She lies!" Quirrell snarled back, "Lord Voldemort is too great a wizard to be killed by some mudblood bitch!"
"Then where is he?!" Harry shouted back, "If he's so great, then why is he making you do his dirty work?!"
Quirrell roared angrily before rushing toward Harry and backhanding him, sending the boy to the floor hard.
"How dare you disrespect Lord Voldemort! You are not even worthy to say his name, you filthy half-breed!"
Quirrell delivered a powerful kick to Harry's stomach, leaving the boy gasping for air before turning on his heel and swiftly regaining his place in front of the mirror,
"Now, what does this mirror do?" Quirrell said softly, "I see myself giving my master the stone, but how do I get it out!"
As Harry lay on his side, gasping for air, he suddenly felt the familiar sensation of Raven's presence in his mind,
"Harry! Are you okay?" Raven's voice asked as Harry struggled to breathe,
"Raven? Please hurry! It's Professor Quirrell! He keeps talking about getting some stone out of that mirror we came across at Christmas!" Harry thought back.
"We're on our way, little brother!" Raven's voice replied, "Don't worry!"
"Raven, Quirrell is working for Voldemort!" Harry thought back, "He's trying to get the stone so he can bring Voldemort back!"
Harry could feel the panic coming from Raven at that, and there was silence across the mental bond for several seconds before Raven replied,
"We're on our way, Harry! Don't worry!"
A moment later, the mental bond disconnected, and Harry was left alone; after a few moments, Harry gradually began to regain control of his breathing and struggled not to show how afraid he was. He was a Titan! He'd faced worse than this on multiple occasions and always come out on top, and Raven had said that she and the others were on their way, so there really was no reason to worry. Yet, Harry couldn't help but shiver as he felt fear rush through him at the thought of Voldemort, the monster that had stolen Harry's parents from him and Raven and would, without a doubt, kill Harry as soon as he could. If this stone, whatever it was, was the only thing keeping that from happening, then Harry had to ensure that Quirrell never laid his hands on it!
"Hey! Asshole!" Harry called out, making Quirrell turn to him with a glare, "Looks like you're having a bit of trouble getting your precious stone! Guess your Dark daddy should have found himself a better lap dog, huh?"
Quirrell released an inhuman cry of rage that echoed around the chamber for a minute before pointing his wand at Harry and screaming a single word,
"Crucio!"
The red spell struck Harry, and pain like nothing he had ever before consumed him. Every single one of his nerves felt as though it had been set on fire; he felt as though he was being dragged over hot coals. He felt as though he were dying yet was acutely aware of it in excruciating detail; unable to stop himself, Harry screamed in agony.
He tried to stop himself so that he wouldn't give Quirrell the satisfaction of hearing his pain; slamming his jaw shut, Harry felt him bite down on his own tongue, and blood quickly filled his mouth. Realizing that he couldn't keep his jaw clamped shut anymore, or else he'd risk biting the tip of his tongue off, Harry unclenched his jaw, which made him start screaming again almost instantly as he writhed on the floor in agony. Harry could hear Quirrell laughing at him through the haze of pain, which only seemed to worsen it.
Suddenly, Quirrell's laughter was cut off, along with the spell, as Quirrell was suddenly blasted off of his feet by a violent green light; once the blinding pain ended, Harry was left trembling on the floor from the effects of the spell.
Slowly, Harry lifted his head off the floor and spat out the blood pooled in his mouth from his tongue.
"Harry!" Raven's voice cried as Harry felt his head fall to the floor again; a moment later, he felt himself enveloped in his sister's arms as she gently lifted him up, "Harry, I need you to open your eyes! Please! Please open your eyes!"
"R-Raven?" Harry mumbled, "I knew you'd come…."
"Always, little brother," Raven said softly as tears ran down her cheeks; as gently as she could, Raven wiped away the blood from Harry's mouth, "I'll always come for you, Harry."
Slowly, Harry managed to take in what was happening around him; Robin, Starfire, and Beastboy were dodging spells that were being shot at them by an enraged and bleeding Quirrell.
"Come on, you can do better than that!" Beastboy laughed before turning into a sparrow and flying out of reach as another green light sailed past him.
"Stay still, you filthy green freak!" Quirrell snarled as he began firing green spells recklessly, "Avada Kedavra! AVADA KEDAVRA!"
A moment later, Quirrell screamed in pain as one of Robin's birdarangs impaled itself in the Professor's hand, causing him to drop his wand with a clatter.
"You're beaten!" As he raised his bow staff defensively, Robin shouted, "Give up!"
"Master, they're too strong!" Quirrell called out, making the Titans look around warily, in case they missed someone hiding in the room with them, "Help me!"
"Fool! Can you not do anything right!" A voice hissed angrily, making the Titans whirl around to see where it was coming from; Raven, however, paled at the voice and gripped Harry tighter as she stared at Quirrell in sudden fear.
"That voice…," Raven said in a scared voice, "It can't be…. he died!"
"Let me speak to them," the voice hissed, "Face-to-face!"
"Master, you are not strong enough!" Quirrell argued back as he clutched his bleeding hand to his chest.
"I have enough strength for this, fool!" The voice hissed, "And more than you, it would seem!"
Slowly, Quirrell reached up to his turban and began to unwind it; the Titans watched warily as the purple cloth began to fall away until, at last, Quirrell stood in front of the anxious watchers, completely bareheaded.
With a final sneer of contempt, Quirrell turned around, and the Titans blanched in horror; on the back of Quirrell's head was another face that glared out hatefully with blood-red eyes that had snake-like slits in lieu of pupils.
"Voldemort…." Raven whispered in horror as Harry gripped her cloak in a death grip, "It's not possible…."
"Hello, Raven Potter," Voldemort said silkily, "So good to see you again."
Raven could not help but shiver as memories bombarded her of the night she had lost everything to this monster; Raven couldn't help herself and began to shake as she remembered the little girl she'd been that night when Voldemort had taken her parents from her.
"Do you see what I've become because of your little brother!" Voldemort snarled, "A mere parasite that can only have a form as long as I share it with another!"
"You're possessing Quirrell?" Robin asked in disgust, "How the mighty have fallen!"
"Silence!" Voldemort snarled, "Once I have the Philosopher's Stone, I will be returned to my full power, and all will once again kneel before Lord Voldemort!"
"Yeah, not going to happen, dude!" Beastboy snarked before turning into a rhino and charging at Voldemort, who barely managed to jump out of the way in time. Beastboy quickly transformed back into himself as Voldemort jumped back to his feet and looked around with a sneer; he was surrounded on three sides by Starfire, Beastboy, and Robin, with Raven holding Harry in front of the chamber's only exit.
"Surrender now, wraith!" Starfire cried angrily, "You cannot escape!"
"You cannot stop me!" Voldemort retorted as he extended his hand; instantly, Quirrell's wand flew from the ground into Voldemort's waiting hand, "I am Lord Voldemort!"
"Big deal, dude!" Beastboy sneered, "You act like that's supposed to be something to be proud of! I mean, seriously, what kind of idiot names himself 'flees from death'? Sound like something a child would come up with!"
Voldemort snarled in pure rage as he fired a green spell at Beastboy, who backflipped out of the way with a laugh that only seemed to infuriate Voldemort more. Taking advantage of Voldemort's anger, Robin rushed forward to hit him with his bow staff, only to have his staff thrown from his grip and clatter on the other side of the room.
"Harry, I have to go help the others, okay?" Raven said softly, "I need you to stay here, okay? I'll be right back!"
"No!" Harry cried, clutching at Raven's robes, "No, don't fight him! He'll kill you! Like mom and dad, I'll be all alone again!"
"Harry, that's not going to happen," Raven said gently, "I promise I'll be right back, okay? But you have to let me go. The other Titans need my help."
Slowly, Harry unclenched his grip and released his death hold on Raven's robe as she gently detached herself from him, so focused on hitting the other Titans that Voldemort didn't see Raven rise to her feet.
"Azarath Metrion Zynthos!" Raven cried, her voice echoing with all her hatred and anger towards Voldemort for what he had taken from her and Harry. Instantly, a wave of black energy shot out of Raven and slammed into Voldemort, sending him crashing right into the mirror, which promptly shattered as Quirrell's body flew through it.
Slowly, Quirrell rose back to his feet before staring in horror at the pile of broken glass that used to be the mirror of erised.
"NOOOO!" Quirrell screamed in anger and misery, "Master, I'm sorry! It's not my fault! Please have mercy!"
"You idiot!" Voldemort hissed back angrily, "I have suffered your incompetence for long enough! No more!"
As the Titans watched in horror, pitch-black smoke began to pour from Quirrell's body as he shrieked in apparent agony; a moment later, a cloud of black smoke hung over Quirrell's unmoving body, a cloud with glowing blood-red eyes.
"Oh god…" Beastboy said in shocked horror, making the cloud turn to him, "What the hell is that thing?"
"It's what Voldemort is now," Raven stated, "A demon of cloud and vapor that can only have form as long as he shares it with another. Just like he deserves!"
Voldemort's shade snarled in rage at that, and sparks seemed to jump from the cloud that made up his form,
"So many bodies to choose from!" Voldemort hissed, "But I think I'll take yours, Raven Potter! Imagine the irony of being forced to watch as I use your body to kill your precious brother!"
With an inhuman cry of rage, Voldemort surged forward towards Raven as she raised her hands and attempted to use her powers to defend herself; before Voldemort got to her, however, Raven's eyes widened in horror as Harry jumped in front of her.
"NOOOOO!" Harry screamed as the wraith sailed into his body and flung him to the ground a moment later.
"No! Harry!" Raven screamed in horror as she ran to her brother's side and flipped him over onto his back, "Harry! Harry, speak to me!"
Suddenly, Harry began to convulse, and Raven struggled to hold him down as he violently twitched and shook.
"Robin! Starfire! Help! I can't hold him!" Raven screamed, panic beginning to consume her; a moment later, the other Titans were kneeling next to Raven, each attempting to hold Harry down as he shook and convulsed violently in their grips.
"What's happening to him?" Beastboy demanded as he struggled to hold Harry down.
"Voldemort's trying to possess him!" Raven cried,
"How do we stop it!" Starfire demanded, "There must be a way!"
"Hold him down!" Raven ordered as she rose to her feet and spread her hands over Harry; instantly, the Titans complied and put their full weight down on Harry's arms and legs.
"Azarath Metrion Zynthos!" Raven shouted, her voice echoing across the silent chamber; a long black tentacle flew out of Raven's right hand and into Harry's head before snapping taut like a rope.
For a few seconds, nothing happened, then Raven began to reel the tentacle back inch by inch until, at last, Voldemort's shade was dragged screaming from Harry's head; instantly, Harry stopped convulsing and seemed to pass out.
"Release me!" Voldemort's shade screamed as it thrashed in Raven's tentacle, "You cannot hold Lord Voldemort!"
"You took my mother!" Raven snarled, "You took my father! You will not have my brother as well! Today is the day you die once and for all!"
Pouring as much energy as she could into her tentacle, Raven began squeezing Voldemort's shade as it screamed and thrashed violently; the more Raven squeezed, the smaller Voldemort's shade seemed to become, until it was no bigger than the size of a fist.
Just as Raven was about to put the last little bit of energy needed to finally end Voldemort once and for all, an unearthly scream erupted from behind her, and a wave of energy threw her off of her feet, causing Voldemort's shade to finally break free as Raven's tentacle disappeared.
Quickly jumping to her feet to see what had hit her, Raven felt her blood freeze in her veins; the other three Titans were out cold and floating several inches off of the ground in the center of them was the Harry from her vision.
His hair seemed to billow around his head as though blown by some invisible force, and his face was set in a cruel smirk that seemed to have no place on Harry's face; but the worst thing of all was the dual pair of blood-red eyes that glared back at her.
"His death belongs to me!" Harry hissed in a voice that sounded like a group of people were speaking as one, "No one else shall have him!"
"Harry…" Raven whispered in horror as tears ran down her face, "Stop, please!"
"Step aside, Raven!" Harry hissed angrily as six tentacles spread out from his back, "I will not ask again."
"Harry, you don't need to do this!" Raven said gently, extending her hands placatingly, "Mom and dad wouldn't have wanted you to do this."
"And whose fault is it that they're not here!" Harry snapped in his demon voice as one of his tentacles snapped out and grabbed Voldemort's shade before it could escape, "Who tore our family apart and caused me to be sent to hell for years! Every pain and torture we have ever gone through can be laid at Voldemort's feet!"
As though to emphasize his point, one of Harry's tentacles gave Voldemort's shade a violent squeeze, causing it to shriek in pain.
"Voldemort deserves to suffer!"
"I know that, Harry," Raven said gently, "But if you do this, you'll become just like him! Is that really what you want! Look at your reflection and tell me this is what mom and dad would have wanted for you!"
Slowly, Harry looked down at one of the broken shards from the mirror of erised, and his eyes widened in horror as he took in his reflection. The shock of seeing himself like he'd seen Raven all those years ago seemed to do the trick as the tentacles snapped back into Harry as though they were bungee cords.
Harry crumpled to the ground a moment later, and Voldemort's shade screamed in rage as it flew out of the chamber and out of sight; Voldemort's screams echoed long after the shade had vanished.
Instantly, Raven surged forward and pulled Harry into her embrace before gently rocking her brother back and forth as tears ran freely down her face.
"Raven…" Harry said in a broken voice as the red eyes disappeared and his green ones reappeared again, "I'm so sorry…."
"Shut up, Harry," Raven said gently, "There's nothing to be sorry for!"
As Harry lost consciousness in her arms, Raven glanced over at a broken piece of glass that sat nearby, which had a blood-red stone sitting on it.
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Author's Note:
I apologize for how long it's been taking me to get new chapters out, but as I stated in my other fics, life is not being very kind to me lately. Between 12-hour shifts, going back to school, and just trying to keep my head above water, I don't have as much time to write as I used to. So, no matter how long it takes, never believe that any of my fics have been abandoned; I will ensure they all end up finished.