CHAPTER 46: THE EDGE OF DARKNESS
The covered bridge lay silent and deserted, its far doors invitingly ajar. As Daphne leaned against one of the weathered walls, she spun on her heels with unexpected speed, her wand pointing directly at him.
"Alright, Obsidian. Since I know the others can't perform a memory charm, I'm going to ask you: why did you wipe my memories?" she demanded, her voice low and fierce.
"Did I?" Harry replied, his arms crossed defensively. He skillfully loosened his wand from its holster without revealing his intention, his heartbeat quickening.
"Don't play dumb with me. All Greengrasses are fed a potion at birth that reveals any mental or physical tampering. Imagine my surprise when I wake up on Christmas Day to find my mind wiped clean!" Daphne's frustration simmered just below the surface, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle darkly at her indignation.
"Oh, really? How tragic for you," he said, his tone teasing, but a flicker of concern crossed his mind. Suddenly, Daphne's expression shifted, and she seemed to reconsider her boldness.
"Harry, this isn't a joke!" she pressed, lowering her wand slightly but still keeping her gaze intense. "I'm serious. What happened?"
Harry took a deep breath, the weight of the moment settling over him like a heavy cloak. "I didn't mean to—"
"Didn't mean to? You don't just 'forget' someone's memories, Obsidian!" Daphne interrupted, her voice rising. "What could possibly justify that?"
"Maybe I was trying to protect you," he said, his voice quieting as he met her gaze. "There are things I didn't want you to know, things that could put you in danger."
Daphne narrowed her eyes, her expression unreadable. "You think you can just decide what's best for me? That I'm some fragile flower that needs saving?"
"No, but—"
"No buts! You can't play the hero all the time," she shot back, her frustration palpable. "I want the truth, Harry. You owe me that much."
Harry hesitated, his mind racing as he considered his next words. "Maybe I thought it would be easier this way. I didn't want you to get hurt. I never wanted to hurt you."
Daphne's expression softened for a moment, caught between anger and understanding. "Then don't treat me like a child. I can handle the truth."
He nodded slowly, realizing she was right. "Alright, but you have to promise me that whatever I say, you'll stay by my side, no matter what."
"Only if you promise to stop hiding things from me," she replied, her voice steadier now. "We're in this together, remember?"
"Together," he echoed, feeling a flicker of hope in the storm of uncertainty. With that, the tension began to ebb, and the shadows around them whispered secrets that only they could hear.
"Ah, but you don't know what memory was erased, do you?" Harry asked, circling slowly as he leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear. The intimacy of the moment made Daphne tense, her pulse quickening with a mix of anticipation and unease.
"We have a potion for that, you know. It works after an hour of being taken," she replied, a hint of defiance in her voice.
"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"And that was nearly…" She paused, glancing at the enchanted watch on her wrist, a playful smirk spreading across her lips. "Fifty-nine minutes ago. Tick tock, Obsidian, tick tock." She laughed lightly, the sound echoing in the stillness of the bridge.
But before Harry could respond, a sudden flash of red whizzed past them. "Duck!" Daphne squeaked, instinctively throwing herself to the side as a red blasting curse tore through the air, obliterating half of the covered bridge and leaving a gaping hole in its wake.
"What the hell, Obsidian!" she screamed, spinning around to face him, her wand drawn and ready. "You nearly got us killed!"
"If I'm going down, then I'm going down fighting," he replied coolly, twirling his wand in a practiced motion. His green eyes darkened, an unsettling glimmer of something dangerous flickering within them.
"What do you—" Daphne began, but her words were cut off by a strangled gasp as a wave of pain surged through her skull. She staggered back, her breath hitching as she gasped and opened her eyes wide.
In front of her stood Harry, but he looked utterly transformed. His eyes burned with an eerie intensity, as if death itself had ignited a fire within them. His skin was wrinkled and peeling like old parchment, each crack revealing a depth of darkness that sent shivers down her spine.
"Hissayas…" he whispered, his voice a ghostly flutter that sent chills through the air. The sound seemed almost foreign as his tongue flicked out like a serpent's, and in a swift motion, he twisted his neck to watch as his snake, Morsus, struck out with lethal precision, sinking its fangs deep into Suzie's arm. The girl's gasp echoed sharply, followed by the screams of onlookers who had witnessed the chaos unfold.
"Obsidian! No!" Theo shouted, lunging forward to tackle Harry to the ground. But before he could reach him, a strange hiss filled the air—one that suspiciously resembled a warning. "Hrishaa's!" Morsus spun, coiling and hovering in a defensive posture, ready to strike anyone who dared come closer.
"Obsidian, this isn't you!" Theo pleaded, trying to reason with him.
Harry blinked a few times, the world around him hazy and distorted as he struggled to regain control. He felt the panic radiating from Theo, who was still trying to comprehend the unfolding disaster.
"Stay back, Theo!" Harry shouted, the words coming out more like a command than a plea. "You don't know what you're dealing with!"
"Obsidian, snap out of it!" Theo urged, his voice edged with desperation. "This isn't the real you! Fight it!"
But Harry stood frozen, caught in the web of his own dark transformation. The shadows danced around him, tempting him with promises of power and control. The weight of his choices pressed down on him, and he found himself teetering on the edge between darkness and light.
"Daphne…" he whispered, his voice trembling as he looked at her, a flicker of the old Harry surfacing. "Help me."
She hesitated, torn between fear and concern. "What do you want me to do, Obsidian?" she asked, her heart racing.
"Distract them. Just for a moment," he said, desperation lacing his words. "I need to remember who I am."
With a nod of determination, Daphne gripped her wand tighter. "Alright, but you have to promise me you won't lose yourself to this!"
As she prepared to act, the air crackled with tension, and the fate of their encounter hung precariously in the balance. Theo trembled slightly, his hands clenched into fists, while everyone held their breath, watching as Pansy and Daphne struggled to subdue Suzie, desperately trying to end her agonizing cries of suffering and pain.
"Stop this, Obsidian!" Theo ordered, his tone dark and demanding, reminiscent of an adult confronting a wayward child. He watched with narrowed eyes, the weight of the moment pressing heavily upon him.
Harry's lips curled into a sickly grin, a twisted expression filled with malice that sent shivers down everyone's spines. His eyes, once bright and warm, now glinted with a sadistic hunger. He turned to Morsus, who seemed to hiss something in return, a low sound that echoed with an ominous promise.
"I had every right, and she deserved it," Harry said softly, his voice barely a whisper, yet it carried an unsettling conviction. Just then, his thoughts were shattered as Theo lunged forward, his fist colliding with Harry's jaw. The force of the blow made Harry hiss in surprise, twisting backward to regain his footing.
"Idiot!" Blaise shouted, pulling out his wand, ready to intervene. But before he could utter a single incantation, Harry reacted instinctively, pointing his wand at the ceiling.
"Obliviate!" he spat, the word tearing from his lips like a bolt of lightning.
Daphne gasped as the spell hit her. She collapsed forward, her hand bracing against the cold stone floor, and began to gag, bile rising in her throat as she heaved. Her vision blurred, but she dared to look up at Harry, who stood unmoving, the darkness swirling around him like a storm.
"Obsidian…" she whispered, fear creeping into her voice as she fought to catch her breath. The taste of bile was bitter in her mouth, and she wiped her lips with her sleeve, trying to steady herself. "You're a Parseltongue."
"Yes," he admitted, his voice steady but cold, his eyes locked onto hers with an unsettling intensity.
She coughed again, the remnants of her nausea still lingering, and her gaze sharpened as realization hit her like a slap. "And you killed her," she accused, her voice trembling with disbelief and horror.
Harry's expression shifted slightly, but the malice remained. "She was a threat," he replied, his tone devoid of any remorse. "A threat to us all."
"Obsidian, this isn't you!" Theo pleaded, stepping forward, desperate to reach the boy he knew was still inside the shell of darkness. "Fight it! Remember who you are!"
But the darkness in Harry's eyes flared with an unholy light, and he turned his gaze to Theo, a low growl rumbling deep within him. "You don't understand, Theo. You never did. This is power, and it's mine for the taking."
"Power? Is that what you call this?" Theo spat, his voice thick with anger. "You're losing yourself to it!"
Daphne, still struggling to regain her composure, pushed herself to her feet, her eyes darting between the two boys. "Harry, please! You can't let this consume you! We need you!"
"Need me?" he echoed, the word dripping with contempt. "You don't need me. You need a puppet to dance to your strings."
With a flick of his wand, he summoned Morsus back to his side, the serpent coiling around his arm with a menacing hiss. "And I refuse to be anyone's puppet."
The tension in the air thickened, and the group stood frozen, each moment stretching into eternity as they faced the boy who had become a shadow of his former self.
"Yes," Harry replied softly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Daphne's eyes flickered up to his, searching for any sign of the boy she once knew. He blinked slowly, a haunting stillness settling over him. With trembling hands, she pulled out her wand once more, desperation coursing through her veins.
"You're a murderer," she whispered, her voice barely audible, laden with fear and disbelief. As she tried to take a step back, she gasped, feeling her foot scrape against the rubble left in the wake of the destroyed bridge.
Harry took one deliberate step forward, and once again, Daphne felt the weight of his gaze upon her. Her heart raced as she looked down, the ground below seemingly endless. A few owls circled ominously beneath them, and she was acutely aware of the long fall, at least half a mile down to the sharp, craggy peaks and the icy cold water that awaited her. This wasn't looking too good.
"I won't let you kill others," she declared, her voice steadier than she felt. With a trembling arm, she raised her wand, but Harry made no move to stop her; he merely watched, an unsettling calm in his demeanor. Then he stepped forward again, closing the distance between them, and pressed his wand to her chest, the tip cold against her skin.
"Then we have a problem," he said, his voice smooth yet chilling. "I can't have you blowing my cover. Another memory wipe and you will be brain dead." He mused over his words, the darkness in his eyes deepening.
"I never wanted to do this, Daphne Greengrass," he added, the words rolling off his tongue without an ounce of regret. Even if there was a flicker of it buried deep within, he wouldn't show it.
"Do what, Obsidian? Do what?" she practically screamed, her fear echoing off the stone walls of the bridge. The sound seemed to bring a twisted smile to his lips, and that grin sent a jolt of terror through her.
"Expelliarmus," he stated calmly, but his wand was aimed not at her weapon, but at her belly.
Daphne spun, instinctively scrambling for a hold on the rubble as her legs were swept out from under her. The force of his spell knocked her off balance, and she felt herself sliding towards the yawning chasm below. She reached desperately for anything she could grasp, her heart racing as jagged edges of stone ripped into her stomach.
"Obsidian!" she screamed, panic surging through her. "Help me!" She clawed at the air, but her wand was just out of reach, slipping further away as she lost her grip.
Harry's expression flickered, a momentary hint of conflict crossing his features, but the darkness surged back, and he remained still, watching her with a predatory intensity.
"Daphne!" Theo shouted, rushing forward, but he was held back by Blaise, who grabbed his arm. "You can't—"
"Let me go!" Theo barked, his eyes darting between Daphne and Harry. "We can't leave her!"
"Think, Theo!" Blaise hissed, pulling him back. "We need to find a way to get her out without provoking him further!"
As Daphne hung there, every second felt like a lifetime. Her grip was slipping, and the weight of her situation crashed down on her. "Harry, please!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "You don't have to do this!"
The darkness in his eyes flickered once more, and for a brief moment, the boy she knew seemed to surface beneath the shadows. "Daphne, I—" he began, but the moment passed, and the cruel smile returned.
"Your time is up, Greengrass," he said softly, and the air around them felt charged with the weight of fate.
Harry watched in silence, his heart pounding, as small beads of blood fell from her hands, each drop a testament to the jagged cuts inflicted by the unforgiving rocks.
"Obsidian!" Daphne cried out, her voice tinged with desperation. Finally, he looked down, but his expression was devoid of any warmth, even as tears streamed down her face, carving paths down her cheeks.
"There is nothing left to say," he stated monotonously, the coldness in his voice slicing through her like a blade. He turned as if he intended to walk away, leaving her to her fate.
"You're just going to leave me!" she screamed, her voice echoing in the emptiness, filled with anguish. She scrambled once more, her heart racing as one of her dragon-hide boots slipped off, tumbling toward the abyss below.
"I had no choice," he replied, glancing back at her with those piercing green eyes, a mix of pain and resolve swirling within them.
"I thought we had something!" she screamed, her voice cracking as sobs wracked her body. Her eyes were red, and she looked down, fearing the distance between them was growing insurmountable.
She saw him pause, and hope flickered within her. "I trust you! I know you, Harry! I know all there is to know, and I understand! Please don't do this! Please don't, Harry! I—I love you!" she screamed, her voice rising with desperation, her outstretched hand trembling as she fought to maintain her grip.
He turned fully now, his gaze locking onto her reaching hand as she slipped dangerously close to the edge. "You don't know anything about me," he responded icily, the words chilling her to the bone.
Daphne squeaked as she slipped a bit further, her heart racing with fear. "You were abandoned!" she cried, desperation spilling from her lips. "I know the look you have in your eyes—you were abandoned by your parents for someone better! You feel it, don't you? That deep-seated ache that says you want them back, even though you shouldn't!"
Harry's expression shifted slightly, but the darkness still loomed behind his eyes. "You think you understand me? You don't know the half of it," he shot back, his voice laced with frustration.
"No, but I want to!" she pleaded, trying to reach him through the barrier he had built. "I can help you! We can face this together, just like we always have. You don't have to do this alone!"
For a moment, Harry hesitated, caught between the swirling shadows and the light she represented. "You don't know what you're asking for," he murmured, his voice softer now, but still filled with conflict.
Daphne's heart raced. "I'm asking you to remember who you are! The boy I know isn't a killer—he's brave, and kind! Don't let the darkness take you, Obsidian!"
He shook his head, torn by her words, and the distance between them felt insurmountable once more. "It's too late for that," he replied, though the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes told her he wasn't entirely convinced.
"Please!" Daphne cried, her grip slipping further, and in that moment, everything hung in the balance. "You can still choose to fight this! I believe in you!"
She kicked uselessly at the air, desperation fueling her movements as she slid further, now only her shoulders visible above the gaping chasm.
"I know you keep your emotions bottled away inside! That's not right, Obsidian! You need to let them out sometimes; you need to show just how human you can be!" she shouted, straining with her right arm to reach out her left, desperate for any connection, any sign of hope.
"Please, Obsidian! I know that you can love!" Her voice cracked, but the tears had stopped, her throat dry and raw. She searched his face for a glimmer of the boy she once knew, but he remained impassive, a mask of cold indifference.
Slowly, he reached down, taking her hand with his own, and hope swelled within her chest like a rising tide. "You're wrong," he stated coldly, his voice void of warmth.
But for once, Daphne heard the raw hurt underlying his words as something flickered beneath his mask. She caught a glimpse of the scared, emotionally scarred child underneath, the boy she had fought so hard to reach.
"Emotions make you weak," he replied, and with those words, Daphne felt the fragile hope she had clung to slip away like sand through her fingers.
Before she could react, Harry pushed her, and her scream echoed through the air, a sound of pure anguish. She watched in horror as he cracked her wand and threw the shattered pieces down after her, the remnants of her magic cascading into the abyss below.
"No! Obsidian, please!" she cried out, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. The ground beneath her crumbled, and as she closed her eyes, sobs wracked her body, useless and futile. She thrashed in the air, feeling the pull of death approaching with relentless certainty.
No matter how powerful Obsidian seemed, there was one thing desperately lacking: he was missing a heart.
Daphne squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the cold wind whip around her, her mind racing as she accepted her fate. She could only hope that somewhere within him, the boy she loved was still alive, waiting for a chance to break free from the darkness that consumed him.
In that final moment, she whispered his name, a soft plea into the void. "Obsidian…
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