Harry blinked up at the sky, hearing muffled voices somewhere in the distance and sat up, facing the hedge.
Something had broken in him during the torture, Voldemort's little loyalty test. His body felt flooded with power, feeling it touch the ancient magic in the Hogwarts grounds as his fingers dug into the earth.
Harry blinked, not really hearing or seeing the people now trying to talk to him, far more caught up in trying to control the chaos surrounding him. His attention turned to the diagnostic scan it was doing. He stared as words began to appear in the air. It was just doing it by itself.
Broken leg, healable.
Injured arm, healable.
Minor cuts and bruises, healable.
Pain receptors, burned out.
Core limiter, broken. Shatteringimminent.
Emotional and psychological damage...extreme...
Horcrux embedded in skull, removable.
Horcrux…?He blinked at the word.
Things flashed through his mind. Darkest dark, Herpo the Foul, chasing immortality by breaking pieces off one's soul.
Soul piece carries the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle, his magic told him over the roaring chaos.
Oh, of course,he thought, slowly raising a hand to his course he had a bit of Voldemort's soul in his head. A few things suddenly made perfect.FUCKING. Sense.
Sense, the chaos repeated, learning words as he thought.
Seeeeense.
FUCKING SENSE.
Harry shuddered, feeling the rage echo in the magic around him as he let go of poor Cedric.
He was extinguished,the chaos told him firmly.
An empty shell.
He was kind.
'Harry, you must tell me what happened to you.'Dumbledore pleaded as they got him to stand up. They had to hold him as his legs wouldn't carry him and buckled under him.'Harry?Harry? Can you hear me?' Dumbledore asked, making Harry look at him. 'Harry, what happened? You must tell me!'
The chaos revolted at the touch, sensing the Headmaster's feelings.
Guilt. Guilt so intense it was a wonder the man wasn't sick.
It was his fault.
It was Dumbledore's doing.
ALL OF IT.
Harry's lips twisted into a snarl which quickly faded as he focused on the chaos. It mirrored him, snarling with unreal teeth. His fury bled into it.
'Harry? Severus, he's not responding!' Dumbledore's voice faded in and out, the chaos drowning his words like water.
'He's back…' Harry heard himself say tonelessly.
'What? Fudge asked somewhere. 'What did he say?'
'Harry, what happened?' Dumbledore looked desperate.
'Voldemort is back. Voldemort is back...' Harry said, wondering just what Dumbledore had done while he started tracing his scar with a sharp nail. The Horcrux was removable, the magic said. 'Voldemort is back…'
He saw himself falling backwards and the teachers barely catching him, holding his arms to keep him upright. They might as well be handling an unconscious person.
'I can take him to the hospital wing.' Mad-Eye said, pushing past people.
'No! He does not leave my sight! He stays here!' Dumbledore ordered.
'Cedric Diggory is dead, Headmaster.' Mad-Eye added quickly, nodding to poor Cedric.
Poor Cedric,the chaos whispered.
Poor Cedric.
'What?' Dumbledore froze, attention on Cedric.
'He killed Diggory.' Mad-Eye continued firmly. 'Potter killed Diggory.'
He hated the silence that fell among the adults. Deep, terrible and cold. He knew what it meant. He had heard it before. Again and again, throughout his years at Hogwarts.
They thought he was guilty of something horrible.
Again.
AGAIN.AGAIN!
And theystaredat him. Like always. Growing horror, therealization.
It wasn'tfair!
The chaos echoed him and agreed.
'Diggory's parents are coming, Headmaster…' Mad-Eye said, pulling him out of people's hands. They let go so quickly. 'I'll get him out of their sight…they shouldn't have to look at their son's killer.'
They let him be dragged away by Moody like he was trash. Nobody moved to do anything. He heard them repeat Mad-Eye's words as he was pulled over the grass, some of them looking at him as he was dragged away.
They thought he had killed Cedric.
The chaos snarled and he could barely keep it from ripping people apart.
You.
Mad-Eye ignored the words coming from the still dazed boy currently sitting in his chair. He was starting to come back to his senses. Too many Crucio curses, maybe?
You.
'Figured it out, did you?' He grinned, going through some potions for one that could clear the boy's mind so he could tell him everything.
YOU.
YOU!
YOU DO NOT BELONG!
He blinked and stilled, turning his head slightly and turned completely around when he heard the chair fall and hit the floor.
'Potter-' He called, but shut his mouth as a pair of glowing, green eyes met him. The boy was standing up straight, face twisting with fury and disgust.
PARASITE!
VERMIN!
The boy hadn't spoken out loud, but his voice hit him like a physical blow, making him stagger.
'Tom.'The boy hissed, fingers digging into his forehead where his scar was, blood pouring down his face. 'Get. Out.'
LEECH!
ABOMINATION!
The air crackled with magic, glass shattered, wood combusted and stone cracked as long, see-through ethereal arms manifested around the boy.
'P-Potter!' He screamed, the arms curl in on the boy, hands reaching for his scar.
'Get. Out.'
Reality seemed to scream and he along with it as Potter and the hands tore something bright red from his head.
Out!
Leech!
Tick!
Monstrosity!
How dare you cling to me! Mar me! TAINT ME WITH YOUR PATHETIC DARK!
The room erupted in light as power tore through it. He screamed, feeling the floor shatter under his feet, barely managing to pull his wand.
'SHIELDS!' Luna Lovegood screamed from the stands. 'SHIELDS! PUT UP SHIELDS!'
The world seemed to freeze when the almost static bright green light was noticed streaming out of the window of Moody's office. Absolute silence fell over the students and confusion grew.
'What's happening?' Draco wondered, the green light reminding him slightly of the Killing Curse. 'What's happening?'
'SHIELDS!' Dumbledore roared moments before the light flickered violently and the tower exploded, sending parts of it flying it every direction possible.
One burning piece sailed over the shields and took out part of the hedge which quickly caught on fire.
Magic roared as the explosion continued, rocking Hogwarts to its core.
The stone of the buildings near the tower cracked, metal melted and the glass in the windows shattered as an inferno of green fire wrecked the tower.