Harry Potter Another World
- Thread starter frappn
- Start date
I really enjoyed the first two chapters. I'll be interested to read chapter and the attack on the family.
Also, given that it was his sister that was attacked, does that mean that based on the prophesy, she was born on the same date as her brother, or was her brother then not born in July?
In any case, keep it up.
Also, given that it was his sister that was attacked, does that mean that based on the prophesy, she was born on the same date as her brother, or was her brother then not born in July?
In any case, keep it up.
Chapter 1 has been edited.
I've included a buffer between Harry's thought about Iris and the two lines. I hadn't quite meant for there to be the implication that Harry had killed his sister.
I've included the relevant information on Paveritaserum, so as to make it more clear how it worked.
<s>I've changed a particular term. It had been a placeholder until I could think up of something better.</s> This particular plot point has been dropped. Its inclusion was unnecessary and out of place.
Minor cosmetic changes here and there.
Progress on the second chapter is proceeding quite nicely, though due to the nature of the chapter, there haven't been a good stopping point for me to post it. <s>It might be that the entire chapter would have to be finished before I'll put it up.</s>
AN: <s>Unexpected present. I found a good spot.</s> Finished.
~~~
Chapter 2 - Wake-up call
~~~
Harry was not a believer in coincidence.
The timing was just too perfect. This, Harry knew, was not just a random attack.
Dark-robed figures descended in front of the barrier between Platform 9 and ? and King's Cross, cursing as their quarry was nowhere to be found.
Gripping his wand in one hand and Iris's arm with the other, Harry led them into the chaos of the crowd, a Disillusionment Charm over them both.
People screamed around them, terrified and confused. Bolts of light flew across the air, bodies dropped to the ground. In the distance, Harry could see more dark-robed figures firing spells after spells haphazardly into the panic-stricken crowd.
Pulling Iris close, Harry deftly navigated through the crowd, away from the path of stray spells and the errant mob. While they were hidden for now, it was only a matter of time before they would be found. Hiding within the crowd would work only for so long, what they needed was to get to somewhere out of the open.
An open door provided the way and Harry quickly pulled Iris onto the Hogwarts Express, sealing the door behind them with a wave of his hand. Still holding Iris close, Harry headed towards the front of the train, wanting to put as much distance between them and their trackers as possible.
By the compartments and through the aisle, Harry ran. Reaching the end of the carriage, Harry blasted the door open with a quick motion of his wand.
The Death Eater was taken by surprise and Harry didn't let the opportunity slip away. He slashed his arm harshly and the Death Eater was cut from shoulder to waist, dying with a look of shock still on his face.
Blood splattered onto Harry, he ignored it. Stepping over the corpse of the Death Eater and the body of an unfortunate Auror, Harry continued on his way, racing through the carriage.
The open windows provided Harry with a quick summary of the situation. Groups of Aurors were attempting to repel the Death Eaters but they, taken flat-footed, were faring poorly. With no reinforcement forthcoming, and at the rate things were going, the prospect looked grim.
But it was not hopeless. Though they were struggling, the Aurors were still able, if barely, to hold the majority of the Death Eaters back. It was a mutual race against the clock.
The Death Eaters needed to find and capture Iris, so they could not afford to have a long and drawn out battle. Each second passed was one closer to when the anti-apparition wards would be taken down, at which time they would need to escape or risk being captured by the organized reinforcement.
But, each second passed also meant that Harry and Iris were one second closer to being discovered. Harry had no illusions that they would be able to hide forever.
It was just a matter of time, a quirk of fate, for whose hourglass would run out first.
And Harry had a feeling that it would be his.
Harry could feel Iris shaking as she ran behind him. He glanced at her, her eyes were wide with fright while confusion ran across her face. Her breaths were coming out fast, he saw, too fast. She was at risk of hyperventilating.
Harry pulled them into the next compartment.
"I need you to breathe, " Harry tried to reassure Iris, laying what he thought was a calming hand on her shoulder, "take deep breaths and try to calm down."
She flinched away from his hand. Blood dripped from Harry and onto the floor.
Oh right, Harry had forgotten about that.
Reaching into his pocket, Harry fished out the ring.
"At the beginning of last month, Professor Dumbledore gave me this. . .gift." Harry began, holding the ring before Iris's eyes, "This ring has a charm on it that would alert Professor Dumbledore if I am not wearing it. As you can see, I am not."
Harry took her hand, putting the ring on her palms, and closed it tight.
"Which means, Professor Dumbledore is coming. We just have to hold on until then." Harry curved his mouth into a small smile and squeezed her hand. "But, we have to keep on moving, do you understand?" Harry asked.
Iris shook, but nodded. Her breathing had slowed somewhat, but it was still fast. It would have to do.
Pulling Iris onto her feet, Harry took her hand. Checking to make sure that the carriage was still clear, Harry once again made for the front of the train.
The next several carriages were empty. Harry felt a premonition welling in the pit of his stomach.
Though the battle outside was still raging wildly, it was eeriely quiet inside the train. Other than the one Death Eater they had encountered some time ago, they had been otherwise unimpeded. There were no Aurors guarding the train, no students in any of the compartments. There was nobody.
Harry frowned.
As they reached the middle of the carriage, a wave of magic washed over them, plunging the area into darkness. Harry had only an instant to call up a golden shield before he felt several spells impacting the barrier. The shield shone brilliantly as it absorbed the spells, piercing through the black like a fire in the dark.
Pulling Iris down, Harry flicked his wand in a whip-like fashion, catching a Death Eater by surprise as fire cracked into his body and exploded, the concussive force blowing him back. Harry pulled back his wand and the Death Eater behind Harry suddenly found a giant fiery eagle diving straight at him. The Death Eater let out a cry and a spell, the bird vanished into wisps of black smoke. He had no time to react, however, as the black smoke suddenly thickened and engulfed him.
There were sickening crunches and screams as the Death Eater was crushed, blood dripping, pooling from the blackened mist onto the floor. From the front, the barrage of spells increased in its intensity, crashing into Harry's shield over and over. The shield grew brighter and brighter with every spell that smashed into it, glowing to be blinding in its intensity, yet still it shone more and more and--then the light disappeared.
With a whispered word, Harry released the shield.
The barrage of spells that had crashed into the shield was reflected upon the Death Eaters, flooding through them like an unstoppable wave. For a few seconds, the carriage was filled with the sound of the rushing of air, the cracking, hissing, buzzing, and booming of spells impacting bodies and walls, accompanied by cries of shock and pain and anguish. Then, silence reigned.
Sweeping his hand, Harry cleared away the darkness. The carriage looked as if a twister had torn through it, laying it open and bare.
A slow clap sounded through the aftermath's calm.
It came from the lone figure still standing amongst the field of broken bodies.
"How impressive! Seems like little Harry has a set of fangs," she said, in a voice half mocking and half impressed, "does he fancy himself a snake after all?"
Bellatrix Lestrange stood before him, looking healthy and fit, in her prime.
"No lion can kill so wonderfully, so ruthlessly, " she almost purred, "what say you Harry, are you not a viper? Do you not feel trapped, living in that den of lions?"
She took a step towards him.
"Join me Harry," she whispered, "join the Dark Lord! Your talents are wasted on those fools who won't acknowledge you!" Taking another step, she continued, "Hand over the girl, you have no love lost for her, and take your rightful place as the Dark Lord's servant!"
Harry stared at her blankly. Time seemed to slowed.
Harry answered her invitation with a laugh. He couldn't believe what he'd heard.
"What's so funny Potter?" Bellatrix growled, clearly incensed at his seeming audacity.
Harry was hit by another fit of laughter. Bellatrix looked annoyed, but she made no moves to attack, merely stood waiting for the strange madness that had so obviously affected Harry to pass. The laughter slowly faded away, dying to faint chuckles.
"You, you poor deluded fool." Harry finally said, "You're mad. Bonkers. Completely mental." Sweeping his arms around him, Harry continued, "You've seen what I have done, what I am capable of, and yet you still treat me like an unknowing child? Think I tempted by your honey-ed words? Lured, am I, to your pit of snakes?" Harry shook his head, "There's no hope for you, the most merciful thing that I can do is to put you down like the sick animal you are."
Bellatrix Lestrange narrowed her eyes. "So be it, " she hissed, "Let me teach you the manners that your mudblood whore of a mother clearly did not."
"Not today." Harry replied simply.
Her eyes widened. She jumped back, a prey's instinct.
Too late, a jagged spike, formed from twisted sheets of metal ripped from the train's floor, jutted out like lightning, catching and lacerating her leg, tearing through her flesh as easily as if it was paper.
With hate in her eyes, she snarled out a curse that sped towards Harry like a bullet.
With a casual flick of his wand, Harry deflected the curse. It struck the carriage's wall, quickly eating through the metal.
A Severing Charm detached her hand, and her wand clanked to the floor. She stared at him, comprehension starting to dawn over her face. A second severed her head from the rest of her body.
Harry turned to Iris, who looked shell-shocked, staring straight ahead intently, as if she was looking at something out of a horror story. Harry tightened his grip on his wand. Iris wasn't staring at him.
The body of Bellatrix Lestrange was lifted by ominous magic, the separated parts coming together and held loosely by an unseen force. She dangled like a puppet on strings. Her head twisted around to face him, red eyes staring into his.
"You have cost me a lieutenant," she, he, it spoke, "my servants have underestimated you. I shall not."
Bellatrix's fallen wand flew into her outstretched hand. Harry quickly turned and covered Iris with his arms, casting a dome over them both.
The carriage exploded. The walls blew out, the force of the explosion bringing Harry to his knees. Harry pushed to maintain the dome as magic whirled around him, the shield starting to crack as it was strained beyond its limit. But, as soon as it had begun, it ended.
Of the carriage, only the floor remained, the rest of the platform exposed to them. All around them, the battle was still being fought, spells were still being flung, but the momentum had turned on the Death Eaters as the once panicking crowd had calmed and assembled, giving the Aurors unexpected support. Now, it was the Death Eaters who were being pushed back, outnumbered.
Bellatrix's body moved to Voldemort's will, pointing her wand at the unsuspecting combatants.
"Give me the girl and they may yet live." he ordered.
Harry's mind raced.
"Kill them all, what do I care," Harry spoke, taking small but determined steps toward Bellatrix's body, a sneer on his face. "I had wondered how was it that a mere infant was able to defeat the greatest Dark Lord of all time, escaping with naught but a scar. I had thought something special about the girl, but now I see."
Voldemort's nose flared. "And just what is it you see." he asked, voice dangerously low. His attention was fixed on Harry.
"You were weak!" Harry accused, pointing a finger at Voldemort. "You are weak! Look at you, what are you now? A mere parasite, feasting on the rotten flesh of deluded fools." With a sad shake of his head, Harry continued, "Where did you go wrong?"
"How dare you!" Voldemort contorted Bellatrix's face in rage. "I am Lord Voldemort! I am the Terror of Death!" he declared, "The world cowers before me, they fear to speak of even my name! None can match my power, not those cowards, not that fool Dumbledore, and certainly not you."
" 'And certainly not you.' " Harry mocked, imitating Voldemort, "Come now Tom, do you still not realize who I am?" A finger twitched unseen. Green eyes darkened, the orbs colored crimson like freshly spilled blood. "Is a simple change of face enough to render me so unrecognizable?"
Confusion flashed across Voldemort's face, then shock, then anger. . .then fear. "Insolence!" Voldemort hissed, "A mere shade daring to subvert his better!"
"I see no better before me," Harry said, "and it is you who is the shadow of your former self." Harry paused, a wicked smile spreading across his face, "Though I must thank you for creating this opportunity for me to improve on the mistakes of the past. I shall defeat you and the world shall know what a true Dark Lord is capable of."
"Indeed they shall." Voldemort replied, lips thin. Descending to the ground, he held Bellatrix's wand ready at his side. Harry mirrored his stance.
They stood, face to face, still as stone statues, waiting for an unseen sign. The battle raged around them but neither took notice, focused intently on the other. A wind blew, their robes billowed. The tension was palpable.
Casting three bolts of magic in rapid fashion, Harry moved first, jumping into action. The fiery bolts careened into an invisible wall, disappearing in a burst of light.
"An infantile waste of power is what you are capable of?" Voldemort sneered.
"Not a waste, a demonstration." Harry replied, sending another bolt at Voldemort.
Voldemort waved Bellatrix's wand lazily, the invisible shield shimmered into existence once more.
"It is futile, you cannot hope to-"
Voldemort's eyes widened as the bolt came into contact with the shield. For a split second, the air itself was distorted as the bolt and shield clashed, before the bolt scattered the shield, lancing through it as if it wasn't even there. Undiminished, the bolt raced towards Bellatrix's body, missing it barely as Voldemort jerked aside. The bolt continued, crashing into the ground, exploding in a shower of concrete.
"Do you see now, do you see?" Harry cried, "Do you behold my magic? My power?" Like a hammer, Harry swung his wand again and again, blasting bolts after bolts after Voldemort, each spell imbued with overpowering strength. "It is undeniable! It is unstoppable!" Harry grinned maniacally.
"Silence fool." Voldemort whispered, raising his wand. The stream of bolts, flying towards Voldemort, were all suddenly pushed aside. Voldemort jabbed his wand, a black shadow flew out from the tip, which ghosted and slithered towards Harry.
Harry dispelled the black serpent with a blast of light, and narrowed his eyes when it instantly reformed, flinging itself at him. At the last second, Harry's wand shone brightly, the intense light piercing through and disintegrating the shadowed beast with a hiss.
A black curse followed the destruction of the serpent. Harry called up a bright and silvery shield, halting the curse in its track. But, the curse did not dissipate, separating and flowing in trickles instead, through the shield and to the other side, continuing to fly towards Harry. Another hastily formed shield repeated the result. The curse was eating through the shield, using the magic to fuel its separation, multiplying as it burrowed its way through each barrier it encountered.
Harry gritted his teeth and raised yet another shield. The curse again struck, starting to eat its way through. Harry quickly inverted the shield and the curse broke through, but this time, they were heading towards Voldemort. With a flick of his wand, Voldemort simply dropped the curse, its physical forms dripping to the floor where, like lightning, it zipped towards Harry.
In frustration, Harry sent a wave of fire across the floor, whose flames seemed to burn the ink-like black, pushing the encroaching curse back and away. The curse coiled around the flames, which licked and danced with crackles and pops, before it finally managed to overwhelm the fire, extinguishing it completely.
"This is magic." Bellatrix's voice carved through the air as Harry was forced to fend off waves after waves of the roiling darkness, each attempt only to be undone few moments later. "This is strength." Voldemort continued, flashing multiple lights from Bellatrix's wand. "This is power!" he cried in triumph, never relenting in his combined assault.
Harry desperately deflected the incoming spells while attempting to hold the curse at bay, but it was a hopeless endeavor. There were simply too many, he could not continue forever. With a growl, Harry sent another wave of fire across the floor, pushing back the curse and earning a brief respite from the constant attacks.
"No, this is power!" Harry screamed, twisting his wand viciously.
Fire birthed. It burned. It roared. It screamed.
Fire surrounded the curse. The curse struggled feebly, it rose to escape, but fire grew, covered, smothered, and consumed the curse completely.
Harry let out a cry of victory as fire blazed into a towering inferno.
A spell cleaved the fire in two as it sped through, shattering the weak shield Harry conjured and blasting him to his back. It hit with the force of a sledgehammer, knocking the breath out of Harry's lungs. His body throbbed in pain. In the distant, Harry thought he heard a cry.
Invisible rope bound Harry's body, constricting painfully tight. Harry was lifted, brought before Voldemort, his wand forgotten where he fell.
"For all that talk. . ." Voldemort began, Bellatrix's voice a soft velvet, "for all that posturing, for all those boasts, this has been anti-climatic. I am somewhat. . .disappointed."
Harry glared fiercely at Voldemort, redoubling his struggles.
"What, no words to say?" Voldemort asked, feigning surprise. "So talkative yet before, but now speech fails you?" He pressed his wand to Harry's chest, the ropes became like a vice, forcing a scream from Harry's lips. "Ah, much better." Voldemort smiled.
The smile disappeared as he brought Harry's face to his. The vice constricted, Harry screamed.
"Did you really think that you could defeat me?" Voldemort hissed. "The Great Dark Lord? You, a shadow from the past?"
"Tricks and cheats!" Harry gasped. "I am still more powerful than you!"
"Indeed, your vessel does display an unusual potency of magic. However, power is not strength alone." Voldemort freely admitted, before twisting the vice, sending waves of agony across Harry's body. "You lack knowledge!" The vice tightened, Harry screamed. "You lack thought!"
Voldemort gripped Harry's face, fixing their eyes together.
"You are like a child, wildly throwing your magic in a pitiful tantrum. That vessel is too large for you. You shall be cast into one more suitable, where your rebellious mind will be brought to halt. As for your vessel. . ." Voldemort's eyes seemed to glow. "It shall be most useful for me."
Voldemort's eyes pierced into Harry's, as if delving into his very soul. Foul, old magic coalesced, its presence heavy and dark, pressing and stifling the air. The magic built, visible, whipping, crackling light, and then. . .
Nothing.
Crimson orbs met emerald green.
"Idiot." Harry grinned.
Voldemort's eyes widened, he tried escape, but Harry, breaking through his bonds, quickly grasped Voldemort.
"So the Dark Lord attempts to flee? How rude, stay awhile and listen." Harry said with a smile. "I promise it won't be long."
"Treachery!" Voldemort snarled. Horror spread across Bellatrix's face as Voldemort realized the truth. He could not move, Bellatrix's limbs were no longer under his control. His magic was no longer under his control.
"How is this possible?!" Voldemort questioned in anger and fear.
"Why magic of course," Harry replied. "you are not the only one versed in the art of the dead." Voice deepening with every words, Harry continued, "Death follows me Voldemort, and Death is your end. You do not belong here, cursed and forsaken soul."
Harry closed his eyes. He opened his mouth, ancient incantations flowed from his tongue, an unknown language indescribable and yet somehow comprehensible.
" (Wrathful spirit of the dark and deep)
(Restless spirit who cannot sleep)
(Lingering spirit existing on this land)
(Hear Death's call, heed Death's command) "
The words whispered wove a web of magic, wrapping themselves around Bellatrix's body, which seemed to bulge as indiscernible phantoms turned and toiled against her form. They shot off, seeming to escape, only to be pulled back and trapped by ribbons of light.
"This can't be!" they sounded, "I am Lord Volde-. . ."
Their words were muffled into silent nothing. Harry ignored them and continued the chant.
" (Disappear where you gather)
(Scatter where you appear)
(Be shattered and removed from here!)"
Sound ceased. Bellatrix's body was completely covered, unmoving and still. Harry opened his eyes, which shone a dark light. He opened his mouth, the final words of spell on his lips.
"Afare Reme-"
The ward covering platform 9 and ? shattered, collapsing like glass. Harry jumped away from Voldemort, the spell aimed at Iris rebounding from Harry's shield with a gong.
Bellatrix's body collapsed onto the floor like a puppet cut from its strings. Her body slowly crumbled away into ashes, from her extremities to her core, leaving only two brightly lit eyes glaring at Harry, full of hate, until they too disappeared.
The first set of cracks signaled the retreat of the Death Eaters. The second heralded the arrival of the reinforcing Aurors.
Harry stood atop the ruined train, amidst a scene of carnage. Still bodies laid everywhere, the moans and cries of the survivors filled the platform air. What was supposed to be a joyous day had turned into a nightmare, the bustling platform full of excited children and parents alike reduced to a gory battlefield.
Thinking about the ill-timed interruption, Harry chortled, but he had been expecting something like it to happen. Shaking his head in self-derision, he turned to Iris, taking a step forward, reaching for her, wanting to ask if she was alright.
She stumbled back, fear and confusion evident.
Harry stopped.
What was he expecting?
Was he expecting to keep up the disguise? To pretend to have a family?
Was he expecting to attend Hogwarts? To relieve again the years of his youth?
To walk the halls, to mingle with children, to laugh and play like a child should?
He was only trying to fool himself. That time had long passed. He was no longer a child.
They were not his family, and those unknowing children were not his friends. They were different, and so was he. It had been pointless of him to try to pretend otherwise.
This was not his world, and it was time he found his way back.
The air around Iris popped with muffled cracks. Her family was here.
Lily gathered her daughter in her arms, while James, Sirius, and Lupin stood between them and Harry, wands out and ready, fierce and determined, like gallant knights facing down a terrible monster. Harry supposed he was the monster.
He shook his head. There were things he needed to do.
With a last lingering look and a small regretful smile, Harry took a step back. . .and was suddenly gone, leaving nothing but the rustling of the wind.
///
I've included a buffer between Harry's thought about Iris and the two lines. I hadn't quite meant for there to be the implication that Harry had killed his sister.
I've included the relevant information on Paveritaserum, so as to make it more clear how it worked.
<s>I've changed a particular term. It had been a placeholder until I could think up of something better.</s> This particular plot point has been dropped. Its inclusion was unnecessary and out of place.
Minor cosmetic changes here and there.
Progress on the second chapter is proceeding quite nicely, though due to the nature of the chapter, there haven't been a good stopping point for me to post it. <s>It might be that the entire chapter would have to be finished before I'll put it up.</s>
AN: <s>Unexpected present. I found a good spot.</s> Finished.
~~~
Chapter 2 - Wake-up call
~~~
Harry was not a believer in coincidence.
The timing was just too perfect. This, Harry knew, was not just a random attack.
Dark-robed figures descended in front of the barrier between Platform 9 and ? and King's Cross, cursing as their quarry was nowhere to be found.
Gripping his wand in one hand and Iris's arm with the other, Harry led them into the chaos of the crowd, a Disillusionment Charm over them both.
People screamed around them, terrified and confused. Bolts of light flew across the air, bodies dropped to the ground. In the distance, Harry could see more dark-robed figures firing spells after spells haphazardly into the panic-stricken crowd.
Pulling Iris close, Harry deftly navigated through the crowd, away from the path of stray spells and the errant mob. While they were hidden for now, it was only a matter of time before they would be found. Hiding within the crowd would work only for so long, what they needed was to get to somewhere out of the open.
An open door provided the way and Harry quickly pulled Iris onto the Hogwarts Express, sealing the door behind them with a wave of his hand. Still holding Iris close, Harry headed towards the front of the train, wanting to put as much distance between them and their trackers as possible.
By the compartments and through the aisle, Harry ran. Reaching the end of the carriage, Harry blasted the door open with a quick motion of his wand.
The Death Eater was taken by surprise and Harry didn't let the opportunity slip away. He slashed his arm harshly and the Death Eater was cut from shoulder to waist, dying with a look of shock still on his face.
Blood splattered onto Harry, he ignored it. Stepping over the corpse of the Death Eater and the body of an unfortunate Auror, Harry continued on his way, racing through the carriage.
The open windows provided Harry with a quick summary of the situation. Groups of Aurors were attempting to repel the Death Eaters but they, taken flat-footed, were faring poorly. With no reinforcement forthcoming, and at the rate things were going, the prospect looked grim.
But it was not hopeless. Though they were struggling, the Aurors were still able, if barely, to hold the majority of the Death Eaters back. It was a mutual race against the clock.
The Death Eaters needed to find and capture Iris, so they could not afford to have a long and drawn out battle. Each second passed was one closer to when the anti-apparition wards would be taken down, at which time they would need to escape or risk being captured by the organized reinforcement.
But, each second passed also meant that Harry and Iris were one second closer to being discovered. Harry had no illusions that they would be able to hide forever.
It was just a matter of time, a quirk of fate, for whose hourglass would run out first.
And Harry had a feeling that it would be his.
Harry could feel Iris shaking as she ran behind him. He glanced at her, her eyes were wide with fright while confusion ran across her face. Her breaths were coming out fast, he saw, too fast. She was at risk of hyperventilating.
Harry pulled them into the next compartment.
"I need you to breathe, " Harry tried to reassure Iris, laying what he thought was a calming hand on her shoulder, "take deep breaths and try to calm down."
She flinched away from his hand. Blood dripped from Harry and onto the floor.
Oh right, Harry had forgotten about that.
Reaching into his pocket, Harry fished out the ring.
"At the beginning of last month, Professor Dumbledore gave me this. . .gift." Harry began, holding the ring before Iris's eyes, "This ring has a charm on it that would alert Professor Dumbledore if I am not wearing it. As you can see, I am not."
Harry took her hand, putting the ring on her palms, and closed it tight.
"Which means, Professor Dumbledore is coming. We just have to hold on until then." Harry curved his mouth into a small smile and squeezed her hand. "But, we have to keep on moving, do you understand?" Harry asked.
Iris shook, but nodded. Her breathing had slowed somewhat, but it was still fast. It would have to do.
Pulling Iris onto her feet, Harry took her hand. Checking to make sure that the carriage was still clear, Harry once again made for the front of the train.
The next several carriages were empty. Harry felt a premonition welling in the pit of his stomach.
Though the battle outside was still raging wildly, it was eeriely quiet inside the train. Other than the one Death Eater they had encountered some time ago, they had been otherwise unimpeded. There were no Aurors guarding the train, no students in any of the compartments. There was nobody.
Harry frowned.
As they reached the middle of the carriage, a wave of magic washed over them, plunging the area into darkness. Harry had only an instant to call up a golden shield before he felt several spells impacting the barrier. The shield shone brilliantly as it absorbed the spells, piercing through the black like a fire in the dark.
Pulling Iris down, Harry flicked his wand in a whip-like fashion, catching a Death Eater by surprise as fire cracked into his body and exploded, the concussive force blowing him back. Harry pulled back his wand and the Death Eater behind Harry suddenly found a giant fiery eagle diving straight at him. The Death Eater let out a cry and a spell, the bird vanished into wisps of black smoke. He had no time to react, however, as the black smoke suddenly thickened and engulfed him.
There were sickening crunches and screams as the Death Eater was crushed, blood dripping, pooling from the blackened mist onto the floor. From the front, the barrage of spells increased in its intensity, crashing into Harry's shield over and over. The shield grew brighter and brighter with every spell that smashed into it, glowing to be blinding in its intensity, yet still it shone more and more and--then the light disappeared.
With a whispered word, Harry released the shield.
The barrage of spells that had crashed into the shield was reflected upon the Death Eaters, flooding through them like an unstoppable wave. For a few seconds, the carriage was filled with the sound of the rushing of air, the cracking, hissing, buzzing, and booming of spells impacting bodies and walls, accompanied by cries of shock and pain and anguish. Then, silence reigned.
Sweeping his hand, Harry cleared away the darkness. The carriage looked as if a twister had torn through it, laying it open and bare.
A slow clap sounded through the aftermath's calm.
It came from the lone figure still standing amongst the field of broken bodies.
"How impressive! Seems like little Harry has a set of fangs," she said, in a voice half mocking and half impressed, "does he fancy himself a snake after all?"
Bellatrix Lestrange stood before him, looking healthy and fit, in her prime.
"No lion can kill so wonderfully, so ruthlessly, " she almost purred, "what say you Harry, are you not a viper? Do you not feel trapped, living in that den of lions?"
She took a step towards him.
"Join me Harry," she whispered, "join the Dark Lord! Your talents are wasted on those fools who won't acknowledge you!" Taking another step, she continued, "Hand over the girl, you have no love lost for her, and take your rightful place as the Dark Lord's servant!"
Harry stared at her blankly. Time seemed to slowed.
Harry answered her invitation with a laugh. He couldn't believe what he'd heard.
"What's so funny Potter?" Bellatrix growled, clearly incensed at his seeming audacity.
Harry was hit by another fit of laughter. Bellatrix looked annoyed, but she made no moves to attack, merely stood waiting for the strange madness that had so obviously affected Harry to pass. The laughter slowly faded away, dying to faint chuckles.
"You, you poor deluded fool." Harry finally said, "You're mad. Bonkers. Completely mental." Sweeping his arms around him, Harry continued, "You've seen what I have done, what I am capable of, and yet you still treat me like an unknowing child? Think I tempted by your honey-ed words? Lured, am I, to your pit of snakes?" Harry shook his head, "There's no hope for you, the most merciful thing that I can do is to put you down like the sick animal you are."
Bellatrix Lestrange narrowed her eyes. "So be it, " she hissed, "Let me teach you the manners that your mudblood whore of a mother clearly did not."
"Not today." Harry replied simply.
Her eyes widened. She jumped back, a prey's instinct.
Too late, a jagged spike, formed from twisted sheets of metal ripped from the train's floor, jutted out like lightning, catching and lacerating her leg, tearing through her flesh as easily as if it was paper.
With hate in her eyes, she snarled out a curse that sped towards Harry like a bullet.
With a casual flick of his wand, Harry deflected the curse. It struck the carriage's wall, quickly eating through the metal.
A Severing Charm detached her hand, and her wand clanked to the floor. She stared at him, comprehension starting to dawn over her face. A second severed her head from the rest of her body.
Harry turned to Iris, who looked shell-shocked, staring straight ahead intently, as if she was looking at something out of a horror story. Harry tightened his grip on his wand. Iris wasn't staring at him.
The body of Bellatrix Lestrange was lifted by ominous magic, the separated parts coming together and held loosely by an unseen force. She dangled like a puppet on strings. Her head twisted around to face him, red eyes staring into his.
"You have cost me a lieutenant," she, he, it spoke, "my servants have underestimated you. I shall not."
Bellatrix's fallen wand flew into her outstretched hand. Harry quickly turned and covered Iris with his arms, casting a dome over them both.
The carriage exploded. The walls blew out, the force of the explosion bringing Harry to his knees. Harry pushed to maintain the dome as magic whirled around him, the shield starting to crack as it was strained beyond its limit. But, as soon as it had begun, it ended.
Of the carriage, only the floor remained, the rest of the platform exposed to them. All around them, the battle was still being fought, spells were still being flung, but the momentum had turned on the Death Eaters as the once panicking crowd had calmed and assembled, giving the Aurors unexpected support. Now, it was the Death Eaters who were being pushed back, outnumbered.
Bellatrix's body moved to Voldemort's will, pointing her wand at the unsuspecting combatants.
"Give me the girl and they may yet live." he ordered.
Harry's mind raced.
"Kill them all, what do I care," Harry spoke, taking small but determined steps toward Bellatrix's body, a sneer on his face. "I had wondered how was it that a mere infant was able to defeat the greatest Dark Lord of all time, escaping with naught but a scar. I had thought something special about the girl, but now I see."
Voldemort's nose flared. "And just what is it you see." he asked, voice dangerously low. His attention was fixed on Harry.
"You were weak!" Harry accused, pointing a finger at Voldemort. "You are weak! Look at you, what are you now? A mere parasite, feasting on the rotten flesh of deluded fools." With a sad shake of his head, Harry continued, "Where did you go wrong?"
"How dare you!" Voldemort contorted Bellatrix's face in rage. "I am Lord Voldemort! I am the Terror of Death!" he declared, "The world cowers before me, they fear to speak of even my name! None can match my power, not those cowards, not that fool Dumbledore, and certainly not you."
" 'And certainly not you.' " Harry mocked, imitating Voldemort, "Come now Tom, do you still not realize who I am?" A finger twitched unseen. Green eyes darkened, the orbs colored crimson like freshly spilled blood. "Is a simple change of face enough to render me so unrecognizable?"
Confusion flashed across Voldemort's face, then shock, then anger. . .then fear. "Insolence!" Voldemort hissed, "A mere shade daring to subvert his better!"
"I see no better before me," Harry said, "and it is you who is the shadow of your former self." Harry paused, a wicked smile spreading across his face, "Though I must thank you for creating this opportunity for me to improve on the mistakes of the past. I shall defeat you and the world shall know what a true Dark Lord is capable of."
"Indeed they shall." Voldemort replied, lips thin. Descending to the ground, he held Bellatrix's wand ready at his side. Harry mirrored his stance.
They stood, face to face, still as stone statues, waiting for an unseen sign. The battle raged around them but neither took notice, focused intently on the other. A wind blew, their robes billowed. The tension was palpable.
Casting three bolts of magic in rapid fashion, Harry moved first, jumping into action. The fiery bolts careened into an invisible wall, disappearing in a burst of light.
"An infantile waste of power is what you are capable of?" Voldemort sneered.
"Not a waste, a demonstration." Harry replied, sending another bolt at Voldemort.
Voldemort waved Bellatrix's wand lazily, the invisible shield shimmered into existence once more.
"It is futile, you cannot hope to-"
Voldemort's eyes widened as the bolt came into contact with the shield. For a split second, the air itself was distorted as the bolt and shield clashed, before the bolt scattered the shield, lancing through it as if it wasn't even there. Undiminished, the bolt raced towards Bellatrix's body, missing it barely as Voldemort jerked aside. The bolt continued, crashing into the ground, exploding in a shower of concrete.
"Do you see now, do you see?" Harry cried, "Do you behold my magic? My power?" Like a hammer, Harry swung his wand again and again, blasting bolts after bolts after Voldemort, each spell imbued with overpowering strength. "It is undeniable! It is unstoppable!" Harry grinned maniacally.
"Silence fool." Voldemort whispered, raising his wand. The stream of bolts, flying towards Voldemort, were all suddenly pushed aside. Voldemort jabbed his wand, a black shadow flew out from the tip, which ghosted and slithered towards Harry.
Harry dispelled the black serpent with a blast of light, and narrowed his eyes when it instantly reformed, flinging itself at him. At the last second, Harry's wand shone brightly, the intense light piercing through and disintegrating the shadowed beast with a hiss.
A black curse followed the destruction of the serpent. Harry called up a bright and silvery shield, halting the curse in its track. But, the curse did not dissipate, separating and flowing in trickles instead, through the shield and to the other side, continuing to fly towards Harry. Another hastily formed shield repeated the result. The curse was eating through the shield, using the magic to fuel its separation, multiplying as it burrowed its way through each barrier it encountered.
Harry gritted his teeth and raised yet another shield. The curse again struck, starting to eat its way through. Harry quickly inverted the shield and the curse broke through, but this time, they were heading towards Voldemort. With a flick of his wand, Voldemort simply dropped the curse, its physical forms dripping to the floor where, like lightning, it zipped towards Harry.
In frustration, Harry sent a wave of fire across the floor, whose flames seemed to burn the ink-like black, pushing the encroaching curse back and away. The curse coiled around the flames, which licked and danced with crackles and pops, before it finally managed to overwhelm the fire, extinguishing it completely.
"This is magic." Bellatrix's voice carved through the air as Harry was forced to fend off waves after waves of the roiling darkness, each attempt only to be undone few moments later. "This is strength." Voldemort continued, flashing multiple lights from Bellatrix's wand. "This is power!" he cried in triumph, never relenting in his combined assault.
Harry desperately deflected the incoming spells while attempting to hold the curse at bay, but it was a hopeless endeavor. There were simply too many, he could not continue forever. With a growl, Harry sent another wave of fire across the floor, pushing back the curse and earning a brief respite from the constant attacks.
"No, this is power!" Harry screamed, twisting his wand viciously.
Fire birthed. It burned. It roared. It screamed.
Fire surrounded the curse. The curse struggled feebly, it rose to escape, but fire grew, covered, smothered, and consumed the curse completely.
Harry let out a cry of victory as fire blazed into a towering inferno.
A spell cleaved the fire in two as it sped through, shattering the weak shield Harry conjured and blasting him to his back. It hit with the force of a sledgehammer, knocking the breath out of Harry's lungs. His body throbbed in pain. In the distant, Harry thought he heard a cry.
Invisible rope bound Harry's body, constricting painfully tight. Harry was lifted, brought before Voldemort, his wand forgotten where he fell.
"For all that talk. . ." Voldemort began, Bellatrix's voice a soft velvet, "for all that posturing, for all those boasts, this has been anti-climatic. I am somewhat. . .disappointed."
Harry glared fiercely at Voldemort, redoubling his struggles.
"What, no words to say?" Voldemort asked, feigning surprise. "So talkative yet before, but now speech fails you?" He pressed his wand to Harry's chest, the ropes became like a vice, forcing a scream from Harry's lips. "Ah, much better." Voldemort smiled.
The smile disappeared as he brought Harry's face to his. The vice constricted, Harry screamed.
"Did you really think that you could defeat me?" Voldemort hissed. "The Great Dark Lord? You, a shadow from the past?"
"Tricks and cheats!" Harry gasped. "I am still more powerful than you!"
"Indeed, your vessel does display an unusual potency of magic. However, power is not strength alone." Voldemort freely admitted, before twisting the vice, sending waves of agony across Harry's body. "You lack knowledge!" The vice tightened, Harry screamed. "You lack thought!"
Voldemort gripped Harry's face, fixing their eyes together.
"You are like a child, wildly throwing your magic in a pitiful tantrum. That vessel is too large for you. You shall be cast into one more suitable, where your rebellious mind will be brought to halt. As for your vessel. . ." Voldemort's eyes seemed to glow. "It shall be most useful for me."
Voldemort's eyes pierced into Harry's, as if delving into his very soul. Foul, old magic coalesced, its presence heavy and dark, pressing and stifling the air. The magic built, visible, whipping, crackling light, and then. . .
Nothing.
Crimson orbs met emerald green.
"Idiot." Harry grinned.
Voldemort's eyes widened, he tried escape, but Harry, breaking through his bonds, quickly grasped Voldemort.
"So the Dark Lord attempts to flee? How rude, stay awhile and listen." Harry said with a smile. "I promise it won't be long."
"Treachery!" Voldemort snarled. Horror spread across Bellatrix's face as Voldemort realized the truth. He could not move, Bellatrix's limbs were no longer under his control. His magic was no longer under his control.
"How is this possible?!" Voldemort questioned in anger and fear.
"Why magic of course," Harry replied. "you are not the only one versed in the art of the dead." Voice deepening with every words, Harry continued, "Death follows me Voldemort, and Death is your end. You do not belong here, cursed and forsaken soul."
Harry closed his eyes. He opened his mouth, ancient incantations flowed from his tongue, an unknown language indescribable and yet somehow comprehensible.
" (Wrathful spirit of the dark and deep)
(Restless spirit who cannot sleep)
(Lingering spirit existing on this land)
(Hear Death's call, heed Death's command) "
The words whispered wove a web of magic, wrapping themselves around Bellatrix's body, which seemed to bulge as indiscernible phantoms turned and toiled against her form. They shot off, seeming to escape, only to be pulled back and trapped by ribbons of light.
"This can't be!" they sounded, "I am Lord Volde-. . ."
Their words were muffled into silent nothing. Harry ignored them and continued the chant.
" (Disappear where you gather)
(Scatter where you appear)
(Be shattered and removed from here!)"
Sound ceased. Bellatrix's body was completely covered, unmoving and still. Harry opened his eyes, which shone a dark light. He opened his mouth, the final words of spell on his lips.
"Afare Reme-"
The ward covering platform 9 and ? shattered, collapsing like glass. Harry jumped away from Voldemort, the spell aimed at Iris rebounding from Harry's shield with a gong.
Bellatrix's body collapsed onto the floor like a puppet cut from its strings. Her body slowly crumbled away into ashes, from her extremities to her core, leaving only two brightly lit eyes glaring at Harry, full of hate, until they too disappeared.
The first set of cracks signaled the retreat of the Death Eaters. The second heralded the arrival of the reinforcing Aurors.
Harry stood atop the ruined train, amidst a scene of carnage. Still bodies laid everywhere, the moans and cries of the survivors filled the platform air. What was supposed to be a joyous day had turned into a nightmare, the bustling platform full of excited children and parents alike reduced to a gory battlefield.
Thinking about the ill-timed interruption, Harry chortled, but he had been expecting something like it to happen. Shaking his head in self-derision, he turned to Iris, taking a step forward, reaching for her, wanting to ask if she was alright.
She stumbled back, fear and confusion evident.
Harry stopped.
What was he expecting?
Was he expecting to keep up the disguise? To pretend to have a family?
Was he expecting to attend Hogwarts? To relieve again the years of his youth?
To walk the halls, to mingle with children, to laugh and play like a child should?
He was only trying to fool himself. That time had long passed. He was no longer a child.
They were not his family, and those unknowing children were not his friends. They were different, and so was he. It had been pointless of him to try to pretend otherwise.
This was not his world, and it was time he found his way back.
The air around Iris popped with muffled cracks. Her family was here.
Lily gathered her daughter in her arms, while James, Sirius, and Lupin stood between them and Harry, wands out and ready, fierce and determined, like gallant knights facing down a terrible monster. Harry supposed he was the monster.
He shook his head. There were things he needed to do.
With a last lingering look and a small regretful smile, Harry took a step back. . .and was suddenly gone, leaving nothing but the rustling of the wind.
///
Dark Lords, don't you just hate it when your minions die too quickly because of some pesky "heroes"?
Well, worry no more! With this handy dandy possession spell, it lets you take over their corpses! Just listen to one of our happy customers!
"Potter kept on killing my Servants before they did anything useful. But with this spell, it allows me to just face him myself, without having to leave my throne!"
- Lord Voldemort, Satisfied Customer.
So don't delay Dark Lords, order this spell now and we'll throw in an attachable Silver Hand, for free!
Well, worry no more! With this handy dandy possession spell, it lets you take over their corpses! Just listen to one of our happy customers!
"Potter kept on killing my Servants before they did anything useful. But with this spell, it allows me to just face him myself, without having to leave my throne!"
- Lord Voldemort, Satisfied Customer.
So don't delay Dark Lords, order this spell now and we'll throw in an attachable Silver Hand, for free!
AN: A very short update. The next will be longer, both in content length and when it will be posted I'm afraid. The next several chapters are crucial in the setting of plot and tone, so I will need to be very careful.
Your comments are greatly appreciated. Several have given me inspiration.
~~~
Redacted
~~~
Your comments are greatly appreciated. Several have given me inspiration.
~~~
Redacted
~~~
AN: End of Chapter 2. The original post containing the start of chapter 2 will be updated, <s>and the content above will be deleted after an appropriate period of time.</s> Redacted.
Don't fret, most of the time taken was for writing chapter 3. The rest of chapter 2 is an early present.
Interesting note. A lot of the formatting was lost in the transcription.
Don't fret, most of the time taken was for writing chapter 3. The rest of chapter 2 is an early present.
Interesting note. A lot of the formatting was lost in the transcription.
Heroes, are you tired of your Dark Lords always escaping to fight another day?
Are you tired of hunting down their Horcrux(es) or just hunting them down?
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But wait, there's more! With this wand, you will also get the Cloak of invisibility ! This Cloak is specially designed for its invisibility to never wear off and as an added bonus, it's resistant to spells that would damage other lower quality invisibility cloaks!
Now I know what you're thinking Heroes, you're thinking "How can this deal get any better?" Well, it just did! With the Resurrection Stone, you'll be able to see any of your loved ones that passed away! Yes, any loved ones that passed away!
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So you get : A Wand of Elder, A Cloak of Invisibility, A Resurrection Stone and we'll throw in the Title of "Master of Death"!
These products are only available to Heroes. To purchase, you must say your Heroes Membership code. To acquire the Heroes Membership, you must have your family murdered by a Dark Lord at the age of 1 and have him or his followers try and kill you every single year you attend Magical school.
Offer only valid in the Magical world.
Caution: Becoming the Master of Death may have side effects of:
People trying to kill you
People trying to steal from you
Unable to die naturally
Transportation into another dimension
Please Consult your Wise Old Wizard before taking the title of "Master of Death"
Don't delay, Order Today and You'll only need One Fight to take your Dark Lord down!
Are you tired of hunting down their Horcrux(es) or just hunting them down?
Well, with our great new product, you won't have to!
Introducing the Three Hallows! The Three Hallows are a mystical set of powerful magical artifacts that will ensure that your first fight will be the last fight ever!
First off, you get an unbeatable wand! Yes Heroes, you heard right, an unbeatable wand! With this powerful wand of Elder, you will never lose a magical fight!
But wait, there's more! With this wand, you will also get the Cloak of invisibility ! This Cloak is specially designed for its invisibility to never wear off and as an added bonus, it's resistant to spells that would damage other lower quality invisibility cloaks!
Now I know what you're thinking Heroes, you're thinking "How can this deal get any better?" Well, it just did! With the Resurrection Stone, you'll be able to see any of your loved ones that passed away! Yes, any loved ones that passed away!
Order now, and we'll throw in the Title of "Master of Death" for free! You heard right, For Free!
So you get : A Wand of Elder, A Cloak of Invisibility, A Resurrection Stone and we'll throw in the Title of "Master of Death"!
These products are only available to Heroes. To purchase, you must say your Heroes Membership code. To acquire the Heroes Membership, you must have your family murdered by a Dark Lord at the age of 1 and have him or his followers try and kill you every single year you attend Magical school.
Offer only valid in the Magical world.
Caution: Becoming the Master of Death may have side effects of:
People trying to kill you
People trying to steal from you
Unable to die naturally
Transportation into another dimension
Please Consult your Wise Old Wizard before taking the title of "Master of Death"
Don't delay, Order Today and You'll only need One Fight to take your Dark Lord down!