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Chapter XXIX: "It's Yours"

(Sirius P.O.V)

Sirius' breath felt heavy, his knuckle white as he clenched his wand. Harry, he whispered in his mind, please be alright. The young boy's laughter filled his memories as Sirius clenched his jaw, James, Lily, I'm sorry that I'm not with him right now. Forgive me.

A charmed, mimicked sirens sound blasted through the castle walls, pulling him from his thoughts as the haunting cries of House Ghosts and frightened students filled the air. "All Hufflepuff Students," The Fat Friar called out, drifting down the school's halls. "Return to the common room at once. The castle has been breached. Return to the common rooms in an orderly fashion."

"Hmm," Sirius muttered, "So it begins." A pop echoed out at his side as he turned to find an elderly house-elf at his side. Krea-, he started but swatted the thought, Kreacher was dead, this was just another one of the castle's elves."

"T-The Death Eaters," The elderly elf stuttered, his tiny eyeballs wide with fear, "they're here, Lord Black."

Laughter echoed down the corridors of the second floor, solidifying the elf's assertion. "Go tell Remus Lupin to meet me on the fourth floor; we're going to try and pick some of them off there. After that, go find somewhere safe to hide. Okay?"

"Yes, Lord Black," The elf bowed deeply, "Right away."

Sirius closed his eyes a deep breath filling his lungs, James, Emmeline, I will make it back to you. Sirius turned, leaning against a slightly pushed out stone, a passageway emerging from beyond the wall, a single staircase in view. Sirius hurried up the stairs, smiling as he saw the greying hair of Remus. "I had a feeling you'd come the same way I did, Moony."

"Well, it wouldn't be much use knowing all the passages and never once using them, would there, Padfoot?" Remus replied. The two sat silently, shoulder to shoulder as they listened through the wall. Sirius' bones resonated with anger as he heard a familiar laugh.

"Bellatrix," He growled, "This time, I won't make the same mistake. You'll pay for-"

"Sirius," Remus whispered, "We need to keep our cool." Remus' ears twitched at his side as he inhaled a deep breath, "I hear four different walking cadences and seven different scents. Bellatrix, on her own, is a handful, we need to split them up. Divide and conquer is our best bet."

He unclenched his fists as he nodded, "Fine, but what's the plan?"

"Do you remember what Harry did to escape the graveyard?" Remus muttered softly, "We do that and bring two of them out to the pitch. Once the elves bring us there, they can clear out until we want to be popped back in. It's risky, though; we only have one shot at this."

Sirius smirked, "And when exactly have the risks ever stopped us before." Remus smiled as the two called out to the castle to send them elves, and the castle granted them the request. Hastily, Sirius explained the plan to the elves, the creatures accepting but trembling with fear. "It's alright, we won't let you two die, but we need your help."

"Blinky and Noddy will fight," The elves said, fighting their fearful shivers, "Hogwarts is Blinky and Noddy's home too!"

Sirius smiled at the elves, kneeling beside Remus, allowing for them to climb onto their backs. "Ready, Moony?" Sirius whispered as the approaching footsteps rattled just beyond the wall.

"For Prongs," Remus whispered.

"For Prongs," Sirius said, before with a swipe of their hands, the stone wall shattered. The masked Death Eaters jumped back in shock, but Sirius didn't plan on giving them any recovery time. His hand gripped the black-cloaked of the masked man tightly, sparing just a second as he glanced to see that Remus had done the same. "Noddy, now!"

"Yes, Lord Black!" The elf cried before with a pop, they vanished.

Sirius crashed into the grassy pitch like an asteroid, his body groaning from the impact as he stumbled to his feet. Grass-stains marked his slim, black trousers, and friction burns laced his forearm's skin beneath his ripped oxford shirt. But he paid the pain now mind, spitting the stray blades of grass from his mouth as he gripped his wand, his eyes focused on his opponent. "You alright, Padfoot?" Remus called out over the pop of the two vanishing House-Elves.

"Better than ever," Sirius barked, "Now let's do this. Reducto!"

A jet of blew magic sprung from his wand, earning a desperate grunt from his selected prey, as he jumped from his wallowing on the pitch just in time to avoid being added to the crater. The man's mask slipped from his face, and Sirius' eyes hardened. Blood dripped from the man's nose, red coating his thin face. Dirt fell from long an unkempt black-hair, and his yellowed eyes matched the color of his stained teeth as he snarled, "Black."

"Well, this is certainly a strange place for a family reunion," Sirius quipped as the two wizards circled, "Though I suppose I've always wanted an opportunity to ask you a question. How does it feel to be married to a woman who desperately wants to fuck somebody else, Rodolphus?"

"Quiet you, filthy blood traitor!" Rodolphus roared, "Avada Kedavra!" Sirius slid back on the grass, watching as the green light turned the grass brown. That certainly struck a nerve, Sirius thought to himself, catching a glimpse of Remus' duel against the other man of the Lestrange clan. Looks like we'll get to wipe both of you out, Sirius said as he readied his wand once more. Good, it's about time I eliminated one of the most shameful branches of the Black Family Tree.

"Expulso!" Sirius cried, Rodolphus groaning as he jumped back once more.

"Avada-,"

Not a chance, Sirius hissed, "Expelliarmus." The flashing green light in the distance faded as Rodolphus' wand flew into Sirius' grasp. "Taltura!" A crescent wave of black light erupted from Sirius' wand. Rodolphus ducked, the top of his hair vanishing as the black slash cut through it like a knife.

He panted heavily, but Sirius smiled, pointing to the sight behind him, the shadows on the grounds of the pitch shifting. He watched as Rodolphus turned, his eyes growing with horror as Sirius' black wave cut the foundation of the Slytherin House bleachers. The wood creaked as Rodolphus ran, desperate to escape the collapse. No, you're not getting to survive, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Rodolphus's body hit the ground with a thud; his eyes paralyzed with fear as the shadow of the collapsing stands grew more massive over him. Sit there an accept your faith, just as you forced so many others just as you forced Alice and Frank.

The crashing rubble crushed the Lestrange brother instantly; the tumbling wood silenced his screams. "Brother!" Rabastan shouted, but Sirius paid him no mind as Remus regained the Death Eater's attention. His hands felt numb as they rested at his side, his eyes scanning the destruction. Rot in hell, he though to himself, you sick bastard.

"Bombarda Maxima!" Remus called out in the distance; his spell met by an ear-shattering scream as Sirius turned just in time to watch the other Lestrange explode. Blood and guts coated the quidditch pitch as he faced his best friend. "Two down," The werewolf whispered.

"Five more to go," Sirius said with a nod. "Let's move."

Elf-based apparition had always made Sirius feel more nauseous than usual, but he supposed that hardly mattered, not now. The halls of the corridor were dark, the lights extinguished, and the wee-hour sky dim and starless. Sirius' breaths felt loud, yet shallow, as, through the darkness, he heard the softest of footsteps. Suddenly, Remus gripped his shoulder, throwing both their bodies to the ground as wisps of green light flew over there heads.

"Shit," Sirius hissed, his wand rolled out of his hand from the sudden drop. "This darkness," He whispered, "It isn't regular."

Remus nodded, "Whoever cast this, is exceptionally good with the smokescreen spell, and to make it this thick- it's dangerous." Sirius nodded in agreement as he stood with his back to Remus, "I lost my wand, any chance you could summon it for-,"

"Jump to the right!" Remus roared, following his own instructions as they just barely managed to dodge another green whisp. "Their far from here and just shooting blindly down the corridor. I can barely hear them even with my advanced hearing; we need to go right-"

Sirius turned to his silenced friend, his eyes wide with concern before, through smoke-filled lungs, two flashes of red light cracked in the distance. "Allies?" Sirius whispered, "Who?"

"By the sound of it, two girls, but-," Remus' voice once again fell quiet as a blast of wind jet through the fifth-floor hall. He turned to Remus, watching as the man lowered his guard. For a moment, Sirius found his mind foggier than the room. Then, Remus whispered, "Ms. Bones, Ms. Chang?"

The fog had cleared from the hall, but Sirius found nothing clear as he glanced at a group of students. Two girls stood at the front, their faces coated with soot and blood, but oddly they were smiling. "We had a feeling you'd be back at the castle for this, Professor," The raven-haired witch called out with a grin, "I'm sure you'll find a fair share of improvement in my Defense Against the Dark Arts grade now."

Sirius' eyes widened as he looked at the two, now unmasked Death Eaters, stunned and bound in the corner of the hall as the group of students grinned. "What are you doing out here?" Remus asked, "All the students should-,"

"Be inside, we know," the one Remus had referred to as Ms. Bones said. Wait, Amelia's Niece? Sirius though in confusion as the redhead continued, "But if we stood and cowered with fear because of a few Death Eaters, all the training Harry gave us would have been in vain."

"Harry? Training? Wait a minute," Sirius muttered recalling Harry's letters, "That means you're-,"

"The S.P.I.R.E," The students called out in unison as Sirius picked up his wand, "Hogwarts is our home, and if Harry isn't around to protect it," The raven-haired witch called out taking control, "Then it's up to us." Her eyes tightened as she grinned, turning her back of both him and Remus, "I think a few more got to the next floor. One of them was Bellatrix, and we're not stupid enough to believe we can handle her on our own. But what we can do is hold any new arrivals here. You were one of the best Professors we've ever had, Professor Lupin, even if you are a werewolf. We know you can handle it, so just leave the small stuff to us."

A smile crept upon Remus' face as he nodded, "Well said Ms. Chang if were still capable, I'd give twenty points to Ravenclaw." A small hum filled the castle's walls as Remus chuckled, "Well look at that, looks like I still can. You're certain you can hold any new arrivals here?"

"Yeah," Amelia's niece grunted, "Leave it to us."

"Let's go," Remus whispered, turning his back on the kids.

"Are you sure they can handle them?" Sirius replied, chasing after Remus to the next staircase.

"Of course I do, they were my students, after all."

Sirius ran up the stairs, paying his stealth no mind as he raced up yet another floor of the Hogwarts Castle. His heart pounded in his chest, but he paid the discomfort no mind. Time was of the essence, the sooner the Death Eaters were stopped, the better.

A scream filled his ears, however, pulling him from his thoughts. He racked his mind for a moment, trying to put a name to the voice, but Remus wasted no time. Faster than Sirius could blink, the werewolf bolted, leaving him in the dust. His breath grew heavy as he chased after his friend. Sixth floor, he thought to himself, who do we have on the sixth floor?

His blood, however, grew dangerously cold as he walked to where his friend stood. Magic radiated off the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher as the cries grew louder. "You dare defy me! You worthless whore! I gave you everything! Everything! And you think that you could get away with shaming me! Having an affair! Sleeping with a beast no less! You dare shame the Malfoy name!"

Sirius' fist curled as he watched the silver-handed witch make the blonde squirm on the ground in agony. Why is she here? She should be down with Emmeline, unless-"

"Draco," She panted through the curse, "Is Draco alive?"

Why? Sirius whispered, Why did you break from the plan? Why did you try to save him once again? Narcissa, he can't be-

Sirius' mind went blank, however, as a beastly snarl left Remus' lips. Faster than Sirius had ever seen the man move, Remus pounced to a position behind the Head of the Malfoy household. The height difference between the two wizards, in theory, wasn't much, but as Remus stood behind the man torturing his love, he looked like a god casting judgment upon a sinful mortal.

Crack! Remus' fist collided with the older Malfoy with the speed of flashing thunder. Sirius had learned years ago that werewolves had been blessed with strength above that of a standard wizard even in their untransformed state. For as long as he'd known Remus, he'd felt the man's peaceful nature had been the one to disprove the myth. He quickly realized how wrong he was.

Lucius' body hit the brick wall with a devastating impact. The stones of the Hogwarts walls seemed to nestle him in place as the brickwork wrapped around him. The once-proud servant of the Dark Lord heaved for breath, but Remus spared him no sympathy. Vicious growls ruptured the air as Remus hung of Lucius like the shadow of death. "How dare you harm my Narcissa." Remus' fist curled as he glared, his eyes filled with hatred, "You won't live to regret that."

Remus' fist fell as if it carried the weight of a boulder behind it, Lucius just barely moving his head far enough to the left to avoid becoming a bloody painting on the castle's walls. Lucius panted like a frightened animal as he fought against his imprinted grave. Sirius looked away, as Remus clutched the man's head between his hand, dragging him across the wall, stones falling to the ground.

"Narcissa! Help me!" Lucius screamed, but the once Malfoy Matriarch didn't move.

"She doesn't belong to you anymore," Remus growled, holding the wizard's head against the wall with a single hand as he curled his left fist. Blood shot from Lucius' mouth as Remus' fist made contact with his gut. Sirius averted his face as he stepped away, not wanting to get the man's blood on his clothes.

Sirius flinched at the sound of fist after fist colliding with Lucius' limp frame. The groans of pain were loud at first, the first ten making him sound out with vigor. Around the twelfth punch, he'd begun to sound like a whimpering child, and by the fifteenth, the man fell silent.

Sirius turned as Remus let out his final frustrated sigh, the beaten body of Lucius Malfoy sliding to the ground like a sack of scraps. Sirius sneered at what remained. The man's eyes were swollen shut, his lips and nose busted, bleeding and covered in black and blue. If the man was breathing, Sirius couldn't hear it.

Remus pulled back, his body trembling as he gazed upon swollen knuckles before with a tired breath, he stumbled towards the fallen Black Sister. "Narcissa," Remus whispered, reaching out his hand to the shivering woman, "Are you okay?"

She nodded as Sirius watched Remus pull her up, allowing the woman to rest on his chest. "Yes, I'm okay... now."

Sirius smiled as he watched Remus place his head against his cousin's. "Narcissa, about what we were talking about before. I-"

Thunder cracked overhead, or perhaps, it wasn't thunder at all. The castle shook as through the darkened skies, Sirius watched the Dark Mark appear. "I killed him!" A voice that could only belong to Bellatrix yelled out from the rooftops. "Dumbledore is dead!"

Hmm, Sirius muttered to himself as he took his battle stance, It looks like you finally got what you wanted, Old Man. A world without Dumbledore, he thought with a heavy sigh, I wonder what will happen next.

Only minutes passed, but it had felt like hours before the footsteps he'd been expecting finally arrived. Sirius' watched as the woman that had once been his captive stumbled down the stairs with giddy laughter. Her laughter ceased as she eyed the chaos, "Sirius," She whispered, "What do you want?"

He raised his wand, "I'm here to handle you the way I should have in the beginning. You're dead, Bella, it's over."

Sirius watched as the woman scanned, finding the body that Remus had discarded, "Lucius?" She muttered, "Is he-" Sirius nodded as Bellatrix's eyes widened, "What of the others."

"Dead," Sirius whispered, "Just like you're about to be."

"I don't know about that," Bellatrix said with a smirk, "I just so happen to have something that might change your mind." She chuckled as she smirked, the once invisible body of Draco suddenly appearing at her side. Bellatrix placed her wand at Draco's throat; the boy looked battered and bloodied as if he was just barely clinging to life. Harry, Sirius muttered in his mind, Did you do this?

"Lower your wand, or I slit the boy's throat," Bellatrix said, her grin filled with venom.

"Is that supposed to stop me?" Sirius said, his face plastered stern. "I don't care about him."

"Perhaps you don't," Bellatrix whispered, her eyes shifting to Narcissa he quaked with fear, "But she does." Bellatrix licked her lips, "Tell me, Sirius, are you so heartless that you'd force a mother to watch her son die in front of her? If you are, then maybe I was right, we're not all that different after all."

"Sirius," Narcissa cried, "Please. Spare her, please. I beg you. Please."

He stayed silent watching as Bellatrix dug her wand deeper into Draco's throat. "Notty," he called out, the elf appearing at his side. "Here's the deal Bellatrix, Notty takes you to the edge of the Hogwarts ground, you walk out, and you get lost. In exchange, you tell me where my Godson is."

"Why, Sirius, that's such a generous deal," Bellatrix said, "I was actually ordered to inform you of Potter's whereabouts anyway. But I'm not saying a word until you give the elf the orders."

Sirius nodded, "Fine. Notty, when I say so, you take this witch to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds and leave."

"Yes, Lord Black," The elf nodded.

Sirius' eyes shifted to the Dark Witch, who smiled, "Excellent." He watched as Bellatrix pulled a note from her black gown. "The note has everything you need to know, come, and take it in your hand." Sirius nodded, wrapping his hand around the note, "Now, I'll let go when you give the elf the order."

"Now," Sirius whispered, as he watched the Dark Witch vanish with a pop, the note in his hand. He swallowed his anger as he watched a black apparition cloud erupt just beyond the Hogwarts grounds. He sighed as he opened the note. His eyes trembled as he read: Azkaban

(Neville P.O.V)

Neville heaved, his breath heavy as he danced around the fallen bodies of escaped prisoners. His eyes scanned a mile a minute, desperate to find any indication of an attack coming; it was his job, he, for the first time in his life, was a leader. He gripped his wand tightly, taking the fastest glance at the group behind him. It was larger than he'd expected. He'd had both the twins and Hermione, but he'd been given Blaise, and Claire to command as well.

He was thankful, though; more eyes meant less chance of a sneak attack. But his blood ran cold when considering the other side, both Harry and Michael's group lost members. I hope they're okay. It was the last clear thought that Neville had before as usual, the universe came to mock him.

He'd lost count of how many floors they'd fallen, how many stray prisoners they'd defeated. For a moment, Neville had simply forgotten how to breathe as a wave of magic unlike any other he'd felt before swept through prison's halls. No, Neville thought, his legs trembling beneath him, he can't be here, not now."Neville," Hermione whispered behind him, the placement of her hand on his shoulder not even registering in his mind. "Are you okay? You're so cold, and you're sweating really-"

"He's here," Neville whispered, "V-Voldemort is here."

"What?!" The twins shouted, "How can you be so sure? I mean-"

"This foul magic that I'm sensing," Neville said, "There's only one creature that it could belong to." He released a shaky breath as he nodded, "I'm going to go up ahead and see what the situation is, you all need to find a safe place to hide until you can escape. We-"

"We're going with you," Hermione snapped, "Or at least, I am. If V-Voldemort really is here, I'm not going to let you go and face him alone!"

"Hermione it's too-"

"It's too nothing!" Hermione barked, "I- I care about you, Neville, I won't let you go by yourself!"

"Neither will we," Fred and George said their eyes firm, "That bastard, he took our little sister from us. We'll never forgive him."

"We're with you," Claire and Blaise replied, "The best shot we have of surviving this thing is staying together. If we break from the plan, even with this crazy new variable, our chances of survival decrease significantly." Claire smiled, "Michael trusts you, Neville. That's enough for me."

Neville growled but relented. They'd all been willing to come this far; it was foolish for him to believe they'd turn away now. His body radiated from the dark magic, his stomach curled with fear. Every step had made Neville feel like he wanted to vomit as he took each step closer to the foul magic. His group, Neville could see the fear they tried to hide behind their eyes, but he'd never wished to be somebody else so badly. Neville had never wanted to be someone incapable of sensing magic more.

Despite knowing it to be false, Neville felt the halls of Azkaban stretched infinitely. Desperately, he'd wanted to order his group to retreat, hell; he wanted to retreat himself. But that wasn't an option; he wasn't the frightened first year anymore. Forward was the only option.

Finally, light broke through the dark corridors, though it wasn't gleaming with a warm color. Screams of agony echoed through the walls, and Neville felt his eyes grow, he knew those screams, they belonged to Harry. He broke from the pack, racing towards the prison's center room as fast as he legs to carry him. How he'd wished he'd have waited.

The room was filled with nothing but destruction. The glass beyond the steel-barred windows had shattered. Stones collapsed from the walls allowing passage from the cold winter air. Cracks fissured through the ground, and the epicenter of it all, Neville saw Harry, kneeling and cloaked in a black mist. Astoria and Daphne laid glued to the cobbled floor, unable to move as tears filled the Greengrass girls' eyes. For a moment, Neville felt his head fill with fog, then he saw her.

"No," Neville whispered, finally catching the limp figure of Tonks discarded upon the ground, "We were too late."

"Harry!" Daphne cried, "Please! Listen to me! Listen to my voice! You have to calm down! Please, Harry! I know you're hurting! But we can't-,"

Harry turned, and from his corner, the redness within the Boy-Who-Lived's eyes had become painfully clear. Not again, Neville thought, his hands trembling from the pressure. The purple glow erupted from around Harry's neck, the crow pendant of Morgana floating in mid-air as it tried to combat the darkness from encompassing Harry.

Neville's heart fell still as he watched helplessly, unable to do anything as Harry ripped the pendant from his neck, shattering it in his hand. Slowly, Harry rose from the ground, turning towards the Death Eater before him. His twisted grin grew cold and lifeless before with an icy tone; he whispered, "I don't care anymore."

"Y-You freak!" Crouch roared, "Avada Kedavra!" Harry lifted his hand, and Neville swallowed as he watched the green bolt stop in place. Harry's snap echoed through the empty room, and Neville's jaw nearly hit the floor as the green light vanished. "W-What? How did you?"

"You Death Eaters, you always make killing look so easy," The voice had come from Harry's mouth, but Neville had never heard such coldness in the boy's voice before. "You just cast a spell, and because of that, you think you should be feared." Harry's lips curled, "You don't know the first thing about fear. But don't worry, I'll show you what it means to truly be afraid."

Magic pulsed from Harry, his footstep making the hall tremble as Barty lifted his wand, "S-Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!" Spell after spell flew from Barty's wand, but Harry or whatever had possessed him didn't care for the Death Eaters pleas. Harry deflected each of the man's spell with nothing more than a swipe of his hand before suddenly; Harry reached out his own.

Crouch's screams had suddenly fallen silent as fear radiated through every bone in his body. "Oh no," Harry muttered, "Don't grow silent on my behalf. I want to hear you scream." Neville's body shook as Barty shot up into the air. "Don't get all quite on me now, Crouch. Come on; you love this stuff, don't you! Go ahead! Scream for me!"

Harry's open palm hand begun to constrict, and Neville's throat went dry as the sound of Barty's cracking bones rippled through the room. Just as Harry had commanded, Barty began to scream. "Good! That's what I wanted to hear! Scream! Scream and cry! Just like you forced so many others! Just like you forced her!"

The sound of approaching footsteps surged behind him as the remainder of his group appeared. "What's happening?" Claire called out but grew silent as she saw the carnage.

"No," Fred whispered.

"We're too late," George finished.

"Where is everybody else?" Blaise whispered, "Where is Tracey? Wait a minute is that-"

Neville nodded, "Yeah, that's Harry."

"That magic you said you were sensing," Claire whispered, "It was Harry's, wasn't it?" Neville nodded silently as Claire stepped forward, "What do we do?"

"I don't think there's anything we can do," Neville whispered beneath the sound of Barty's screams and cracking bones. "I don't think there's anything we can do anymore. If there is," Neville's eyes floated to Daphne, "She's the only one that can maybe reach him."

"Harry," Neville heard Daphne cry, "Please, please come back to me. Please."

Neville closed his eyes, doubtful Daphne's words even registered over the tormented screams of the mangled Death Eater. A thud forced his eyes open as the desperate gasping of Barty was all that could be heard. "Mercy," Barty panted, "His body unable to even turn to face the man he was begging. Dumbledore wouldn't-"

"I've broken your body," Harry whispered, silencing Barty's desperation, "Now, I'll slowly break your mind. I'll rip your brain apart piece by piece, just as I did your body, and only once you've plateaued, only when your brain is no longer capable of registering the amount of pain you're in, then, you can die. That is my mercy."

(Harry P.O.V)

His skin burned as he sunk beneath the black fog. His mind was clouded, his body tingled, the warmth turning to cold numbness. You're weak; A voice rattled in his mind, You let your own sister die. You're a failure, Harry Potter.

"Stop," Harry whispered, "Please stop."

Worry not, Harry Potter; the voice hissed, I can make you strong. I can give you the power you need to take your revenge. To kill the man that hurt her, the man that took her from you.

"Kill him," Harry muttered, "Make him pay."

Give in to me, don't resist, The voice hissed, give me control of your body, and I'll make your enemies pay.

"Yes," Harry whispered, "Make them pay."

Light illuminated his eyes, the numbness persisting as he hovered over the lake. "I know this place," Harry muttered numbly, his body coming to a hard stop as a hand wrapped around his wrist.

"Potter," The woman hissed. She looked so familiar, did he know her? He shook his head; he couldn't have forgotten, and yet, Harry didn't feel like he knew anything anymore. "Potter as your mistress, I command you to step away! If you open that box, he'll be free; he'll destroy your body. All of your training- it'll be for nothing. If you give in, he wins."

Harry's eyes drooped slightly as he broke his hand free, the woman fading away like dust in the wind. "I don't care anymore."

"Potter, you must stop this. You must-," But the woman's voice vanished. Only his voice remained, only his promises lingered.

Good, Harry, the voice whispered, Good, come closer, release me, give me control. I will break him for you.

"Yes," Harry whispered, his voice dull and broken, "Break him for me." He watched as a chest flew from the river, landing before him on the grassy ground of an isolated island. The trunk rattled, desperate to break free, the voice in his head growing louder and louder.

I can stop the pain, Harry. Just release me, and it will all stop.

"Make it stop," Harry whispered, his hand reaching closer to the chest, a key suddenly manifesting itself in his hand, "Please, make the pain stop." The trunk's wooden texture grazed his fingertips as he smiled, "Finally, the pain will be-,"

"Harry, stop." Another voice called out, though this one differed from the other two. The voice was warm and pleasant, like a soft summer breeze. It sounded familiar and comforting, as if he was wrapped in a cozy blanket. "Harry, my love, it's time to stop."

Her hands were soft on his shoulder, smooth and silk as she rubbed his shoulders. "Harry, it's okay now."

You! The voice hissed venomously, Lily!

"Ah, it's you," The woman said, her voice filled with disappointment, "I have to say, I'm not exactly thrilled to be hearing your voice again, Voldemort." Her soft-grip tightened gently against his shoulder as she growled, "Though what makes me even more pissed is the way you're talking to my son."

"Y-your son?" Harry whispered. Her hands guided Harry's shoulder as she turned him towards her. The woman's hair flowed with a like red-rivers; her face was pure porcelain and smooth and embedded above her nose was two glowing emerald eyes. "Mom," Harry muttered, "Is that you?"

She smiled, "So you recognized me. Glad to see Sirius hasn't just been showing you pictures of your dad. Though I must admit, you look so much like him, except for your eyes, you have-"

"Your eyes," Tears streamed crept down Harry's cheeks as he reached for his mother's hand, "What are you doing here? Am I dead?"

"No, my love, you're not dead," She said, her grin widening as she took his hand, pulling him to his feet. "As for why I'm here, well I did die to protect you from him," Her eyes shot daggers into the wooden-trunk, "Every aspect of him."

Potter, don't listen to her, Voldemort hissed, she's an illusion, a fake. Be rid of her, do as I command, do-

"Hmm, he's far more chatty than I remember," Lily said, as she smiled at him, "How about a change of venue? We have a lot to talk about."

Snap. Harry blinked, as the area around him shifted. No longer was he floating in the center of a darkened lake; now, he found himself atop lush, green rolling hills. He turned, seeing his mother sitting on a swing that hung from the twisted branches of a tree that greatly resembled the whomping willow. His mother laughed, "You have the same confused look as your father. Sorry for not asking you where to go, but I suppose that anywhere is better than there. Your mindscape is a mess by the way, would it kill you to try and organize your thoughts?"

Harry stayed quiet as his mother laughed, "I was only kidding, no need to get so serious. I think you're perfect the way you are." She waved her hand, another swing appearing at her side as she patted the wooden plank. "Come on now, take a seat." Harry nodded, unsure of what else to do. The wood creaked under his weight, but his mother smiled, gazing at him with radiant eyes. "I always loved this place. Even though there are some bad memories associated with it, this place was still where Sev told me I was a witch for the first time."

"Sev?"

"Severus," Lily said. "Though, with you spending so much time with Sirius, I have no doubt you call him by your father's name for him. He wasn't always such a bad guy, though; we used to be good friends. Honestly, I still don't think he's that bad; he just made some wrong choices. Then again, which of us is perfect?"

Harry stayed quiet as his mother turned, "Why are you so quiet? It's your first time meeting me, isn't it? I figured you'd be more excited."

"S-sorry," Harry whispered, "I'm just, I'm kind of confused." Harry's fist clutched on the rope of the swing as he hissed, "You're supposed to be dead. And yet, here you are, but then you tell me I'm not dead, and I'm just so confused."

"Magic is a confusing thing," His mother said, "And yet even more confusing is the power of love. What I'm doing is a combination of both, I'm using the magic imprinted upon you by my sacrifice to talk to you now. Honestly, I never really imagined it would come to point where my appearance would be necessary, and in doing this, I'm using up all my magic that lingered to protect you up. On the bright side, though, I finally get to see the young man you've become, so it's not all bad."

"Why?" Harry whispered, "Why didn't you just let us all die together?" Harry's teeth scraped against each other as tears ran down his cheeks, "Do you know the hell I've been through because I had to live." His mother's eyes softened as Harry pressed on, "At first it wasn't so bad. Sure, I didn't have you or dad around, but I had Sirius, Remus, Andromeda, Ted, Tonks, and I was happy. I learned about magic and got really good at it, but then I went to Hogwarts, and everything changed."

"People always expected so much out of me!" Harry cried, "The professors, the other students, Dumbledore! I just wanted people to accept me for me, but all everybody saw was the Boy-Who-Lived. Then I met Michael, and Neville, and Daphne, and I was finally happy again! But then I got entered into the stupid tournament, and Voldemort came back. He killed Kreacher and Cedric, and I couldn't do anything but watch."

"It hurt, but somehow it was the way people looked at me that made it so much worse!" Harry shouted, "They looked at me like I was a god. Like I was somehow supposed to save them from Voldemort, and it felt like the entire world forgot I was just fourteen! But I knew Dumbledore would be of no help, so I had to train even harder than before."

"I ended up trusting a crazy man like Moody, and he took me to see Morgana, and she put me through hell, but I was okay with it because I got stronger." Harry's heart felt coated in flames as he continued, "Then the Death Eaters started going on the move trying to recovery a prophecy because I'm somehow the chosen one, the only one able to kill Voldemort. So I worked even harder than that and got even stronger, but that didn't stop the Death Eaters from killing Tonks and-"

"Damn it!" Harry shouted as he released the ropes, running his hands through his hair, "I don't even know what to say anymore. I'm so angry, and I-,"

"Harry," His mother whispered, breaking his tirade, "How old are you now?"

He wiped his eyes as he stuttered, "Fifteen."

"Fifteen, huh?" His mother whispered, "I can't believe it's already been so long." She smiled as she rose from her swing, taking Harry's hand and pulling him into her. Her hands wrapped around his back as Harry's head sunk into his mother's shoulder, "I wish I could have been there for you Harry. I know that your father and I would have loved to meet your friends, see you excel in school, hell I'm sure he would have gotten a kick out of teasing you about your relationship with Daphne." His mother smiled at the name, "Good choice, by the way, high-quality girl that one is."

Her face softened, "As for the first question. Your father and I, we knew of the prophecy, and while we hoped so badly that child wasn't you, somehow, when Voldemort appeared at our little house, I knew it would be you." Harry felt his mother's arms tighten around you, "I wish I could tell you it was planned, I wish I could tell you that I threw myself in front of you knowing you'd live. But in truth, I didn't, I was so certain the Dark Lord was going to kill you that day, and no matter how many times he asked me to move aside, I knew that I didn't want to live without you."

"In doing so, I seem to have imparted upon you a miserable destiny," Harry watched as his mother's eyes sank, "I'm sorry about that. But I suppose it's worth so little if I apologize now. It won't change anything anyway. You're the child of prophecy, Harry, no comforting words can change that." Harry's fist tightened at his mother's words. "What I do know though, is that I believe in you completely. You will defeat Voldemort, and you will live a long and happy life, that I am certain of."

"How do you know," Harry said, "Why do you have so much faith in me? I'm not a great student like you, I'm not smart like Remus, I'm not a strong wizard like dad, I-,"

"You are all those things and so much more, Harry," His mother said, as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Then again, perhaps I'm biased. But that's not really my fault. After all, a parent's duty is to have undying faith in their kid." Harry felt the hands of his mother flicker on her back as her eyes filled with sadness, "It looks like my protective magic is wearing off. Once it's gone, I'm afraid we won't be able to see each other for quite some time."

"No," Harry said as she clutched his mother tightly, "Don't go. Please, don't go."

"I'd stay if I could," His mother said, "But as that isn't possible, instead I'll give you one last gift." She pulled away from him, her fingers tilting his chin up as she smiled, "I'm going to give you some motherly advice. Don't let the power inside you control you, make it bend to your will. It's your power, take it."

"It's not my power," Harry said, "It's his."

"It lives in your body doesn't it?" His mother said with a soft smile, "Take it, Harry, it's yours."

"I don't know how to," Harry said, his head bowed to the floor. "Even with Morgana's help, I-"

"Dumbledore, he was wrong about many things," Lily said, "But the fact that you're even standing here is proof of one thing he got right. There is no magic that is stronger than love." She snapped, and Harry stumbled, the swingset replaced with the wooden trunk once more. "I haven't got much longer, once I leave, the protective magic that once ran through your blood will vanish. You'll have to be more careful, okay? But for now, let's get this power under control."

Harry's hand shivered as he reached for the trembling wooden trunk, "I'm scared."

"I know, my love," His mother whispered, "But I promise you, this time will be different." His breath slowed as his mother placed his hand on his back, "You're ready, Harry. Do it now."

He swung the trunk open with a roar as the crippled body of Voldemort rose from his chest once more. He motioned to summon his chains, but the head of his mother's shadow shook. "Take it, Harry! Demand it's power!" Harry nodded, swallowing hard before he wrapped his hand around the ill-formed body's head. Harry panted, his heart racing as his fingers sunk into the dark lord's skull, a white glow filling the skies of his mindscape.

Power coursed through his veins, but this time, he wasn't the one screaming. The Dark Lord's twisted figure roared with anguish as Harry demanded more of the monster's power. Stop! it hissed, Release me! Harry had no intention of doing either. Voldemort's magical shard began to shrink, its feet turning to dust falling to the ground as Harry screamed from the new magic that flooded his body. Soon, the crumpling reached the figure's torso, then its upper chest, until finally, the head of the man that taunted him vanished from his mind.

He clenched his fists, releasing them slowly as he watched his body glow. Though he felt cold as the hand behind him faded away. He turned, watching as his mom began to undergo the same process as the Dark Lord's magical shard. "Mother," He whispered.

"It's time for me to go now, Harry." His mom said, her hands no longer visible. "You're ready Harry, I know it."

"Thank you, mom," Harry whispered, "But I need to know, were you real, or was this all in my head?"

"Of course this happened in your head," His mom said, her head floating in the air as she smiled, "But why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

Her face flickered in the mist as she called out, "I love you Harry, your father and I always have and we always will."

"Yeah," Harry said, forcing a smile to his face, "I love you both too." He closed his eyes as his mother faded away, a bright light filling his mind as the warmth of his mindscape vanished. The black, cracked stones of the Azkaban floor rested above him, and his body pulsed with the new magic within him. His eyes fell towards the dead Death Eater at his side as he rose to his feet, the sound of footsteps stumbling beside him.

He wiped his eyes once more as he turned, finding Daphne shivering behind him. "Harry, is that- are you-"

"Yeah, Princess," Harry said with a gentle grin, "I'm back." His eyes softened as he looked at the pain in her face. He brushed the tear from her eye, "I'm sorry, for everything. But I'm better now." His eyes flickered back towards the hall as a new presence emerged in the distance. Faster than Daphne could ever hope to follow, Harry flicked his wrist pushing her back before igniting a wall of black flames between them.

"Harry!" Daphne screamed as he turned his back to her.

"He's coming," Harry said, his voice calm and collected, "Voldemort." He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as the sound of footsteps rang through the hall, "I need all of you to get out of here. Find Michael, Tracey, and Ron and get out of here. This isn't a duel any of you are ready for just yet."

"Stop it!" Daphne shouted, "Stop pushing me away! I want to fight with you, Harry! You promised, I-,"

"I love you, Daphne," Harry said, his words making the Slytherin fall silent, "I'm sorry for taking so long to say that. I'm sorry that I pushed you away over the course of this past month, I'm sorry for so many things I've done to you over the years. But I just want you to know how thankful I am for you." Harry sighed, looking up at the crumbling roof. "When he and I fight," Harry continued, "This whole place is going to collapse. If there's anybody left in here, they're going to die. I'm trusting you to save everyone's lives. That's the job I'm leaving in your hands. I'm asking you, please leave Voldemort to me, this is how it has to be."

He could sense the resistance in Daphne as he smiled, "I just told you I love you, Princess. I promise you, no matter what happens, I am not going to die."