Death of Death Eaters

Chapter 52. Death of Death Eaters

Iris offered him a sympathetic look as he tiredly slouched into the chair. She willed the room's light to become brighter and livelier instead of the gloomy shade that it had picked on from his mood.

They were back in the Room of Requirement, having just teleported here from the Malfoy Manor. And since Lucius was the last on the list, they could finally rest, Harry's quest now at last completed.

"It won't happen again." He declared tiredly after taking off the red mask and storing it in his Inventory. His green eyes soft and meek. His gaze hesitant and wavering as he waited for his sister to affirm his statement. As he internally screamed for her to believe in him.

There was no need to specify what wouldn't happen again. The incident at Malfoy Manor left a lasting impression on them. After all, it wasn't every day that he molested a panicked woman.

Expectedly, Iris just nodded at his assurance, removing her own black mask, lazily walking up to him, her footsteps silent against the fluffy carpet, and dropping it into his lap. "I know. I won't let it happen again. Even if I've to smash your ugly mug into oblivion and drag you away."

Harry let out a forced chuckle at her humorous tone, stowing her mask into Inventory too. But she didn't join in the laugh and loomed over him like the sword of Damocles, her arms crossed at her chest as she stared at him.

He wouldn't lie. He was scared to know what was going on inside her head. What was she thinking? Was she angry at him? Was she ashamed of him? Was she disgusted by his lack of control?

Her answer came in an unexpected manner. Although it wasn't that unexpected in hindsight. He would have known her response if he had been thinking straight, but as he sat there full of fright and guilt—his heart booming in his ears—he was far from his normal state. He was too anxious to read his twin's thoughts.

Harry gasped as she heavily plopped down onto his lap and placed her hands on his shoulders, her fingers feeling like claws as they dug into him while her butt was soft and snuggly. "We'll never skip our nightly sex again. If your head—both upper and lower—had been clear then you wouldn't have pounced at the chance of banging some cheap Proserpina Greengrass knockoff."

His lips twitched at the colourful description. Well, she was somewhat true. The last time he had sex with her was yesterday early morning. And in just a couple of hours, it would be an entire day of him going without sex. So, she was right in a sense. If they hadn't skipped their nightly ritual then he might have been in more control of his lust. His trait wouldn't have acted so strongly if had taken care of his libido. A mere half-naked blonde milf was not something he would go crazy over. And Narcissa Malfoy, while beautiful, stood no chance against someone like Proserpina Greengrass or Lily Potter, or Alice Longbottom.

Only if he hadn't been in a hurry to finish the quest, he wouldn't have fallen so low to take advantage of a distressed woman. He was quite ashamed of it and felt like an evil creep for the deed he had done. For the first time since the [Lustful] trait had been activated, he was shown the danger of ignoring it. Of underestimating it.

This single trait held an overwhelming power over him. It could make him a filthy rapist if he wasn't careful. It possessed the might to ruin his personality and psyche. To completely destroy him from the inside out. To make him something unredeemable and hollow.

He guessed the Creator hadn't put the clause of 'have sex every day' just for fun. It was in truth just one more hurdle in the way of him becoming Order. It would only take one mistake to destroy him. And this trait was his biggest liability.

But it wasn't just the trait that had tried to fuck him over. His arrogance too hadn't been behind in using the opportunity to topple him. His sense of entitlement had skyrocketed since yesterday when he gained the [Words of Power] Perk. From the moment he had realised the meaning of true power, his head had grown bigger and bigger. He had almost begun seeing everyone else as inconsequential cretins, their lives having no profound meaning other than to squirm in the dirt. And if he used one of these cretins for his pleasure then so what?

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

He at long last grasped the core of this phrase. It wasn't just a statement made by a jealous powerless man. It was one of the truths of the world. No human could be trusted to hold absolute power. Because sooner or later, they would fall to the allure of it and their morality would plunge until only the self-satisfaction of practising that power over others remained. He now understood why the Creator was the way he was.

He had been allowed to be the most powerful being for billions of years.

It was a miracle that he was still reasonable enough. Or so he thought from the few interactions he had with the man. Harry doubted he would have turned out any different if he was in his place.

Now to avoid becoming Evil Harry 2.0, he had to do something that his predecessor failed to do so.

He had to keep Iris alive for all eternity. She had to remain by his side forever, stopping him from doing anything immoral, keeping him in check, and reminding him of his humanity. This was the most important goal that he would need to achieve before he steps up into his role. Because he was aware that he would lose track of himself without her. He knew he would just end up becoming a clone of Creator if he lost her.

She was vital to his dream of becoming God and yet retaining his humanity. She would be the difference between him and Chaos. He wouldn't be exaggerating if he said that the objective to keep his twin beside him forever was his most important quest.

The soft touch of Iris' hands brought him back from his deep ruminations.

"Don't overthink it. Everything is fine. We just have to remember not to miss the double dose of your drug. One in the morning and one in the night, to remain on the safer side." She smiled wryly, cupping his face, unsubtly trying to distract him. And she was right, wasn't she? Sex has become a drug without which he would become some mindless beast.

Now that he saw the consequences of it, he didn't think the trait was just a funny prank anymore. He would have to be careful in the future. He had put in too much effort to lose now.

"Thank you." He said, his arms coiling and capturing her waist in a tight hold. His face burying into her soft pillowy chest. She just hummed and embraced his head firmly against her bosom, perching her chin atop him.

"Did you just sniff my hair?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Yep, and it smells disgustingly of sweat."

"Surprise." He uttered blandly. She smiled widely and just to prove that she was kidding earlier, she pressed her nose in his silky hair.

They remained that way for a short while. Harry happily drowned in the warmth and the gentleness of his sister while she caressed his locks idly, unbothered as he sluggishly rubbed his face on her breasts. Though she did smirk when something poked her from beneath.

"Seems like it's time for that dose we were talking about." She giggled, pressing down on his crotch and squirming on it, making him groan against her boobs.

Reluctantly pulling away his face from the comfort of her bosom, he gave her a shameless nod. "Yep. Gimme my fix."

Grinning and planting a passionate kiss on his lips, she slipped away and got on her feet in front of him. "Fine. But let's move this into the shower. We can get dirty and clean back to back."

At her command, a section of the room got walled up.

Turning away from him, she unzipped her black hoodie and dropped it carelessly on the carpeted floor, hiding a happy smile, aware that her brother was watching her with painstaking attention, entranced with her that he was. She pulled her crimson hair and let it tumble down to her waist, covering her exposed back.

Harry's mouth watered as his twin systematically peeled off her clothes. First to be abandoned was her hoodie, briefly baring her slim back before it got hidden underneath the mass of her beautiful red hair. Then it was the turn of her bra, allowing him tantalising glimpses of her sideboobs. Which was then followed by her stepping out of her trousers, offering him the view of her pale bewitching legs. Her sexy purple underwear was the last to go as she slid it down slowly, bending forward and granting him precious seconds to sneak a glance at her nether lips.

With one more smirk thrown over her shoulder, she sauntered towards the bathroom. And in a moment, Harry vanished his clothes and hurried after her.

QUEST:

— Judge and Executioner

Punish/Pardon everyone with the Death Eater mark at your discretion.

Success!

REWARD: gained!

– Perk [?]

…

Perk Gained!

[Crime Scribe]

— Allows the user to view anyone's criminal history.

~xXxXx~

In the Great Hall, during breakfast, students were—as usual—talking and filling the Hogwarts with a steady inane noise. And of course, Harry and his group were on it too, contributing to the din that occupied the entire hall.

Though it lessened a smidge as a flurry of owls flew in like a swarm of bees with copies of Daily Prophet clutched in their claws. Some students and staff looked on curiously as the birds dropped the parcels on the tables before flapping away. They picked up the Prophet uninterestedly, expecting boring news like every day.

Suddenly, loud gasps of shock and horror punched through the usual clamour, attracting everyone else's attention towards the ones with the newspapers. Intrigued by the dramatic reactions, Harry's group leaned towards Hermione, the only one among them who was subscribed to Daily Prophet. The brunette swiftly unrolled the paper and spread it before her, Neville dutifully pulling the dishes away to make space.

Written in bold letters on the first page was the sensational headline, '58 PEOPLE MURDERED LAST NIGHT, RED GRIM FINALLY STRIKES THE WIZARDING BRITAIN'

The article went into further detail about how all these dead people shared one thing in common. The Dark Mark. It also revealed that even those imprisoned in Azkaban weren't spared. Then it expanded upon Red Grim's origins, stating his previous attacks in the muggle world and his usual modus operandi.

At the bottom of the page was a small interview with Lucius Malfoy who was the only surviving former Death Eater.

Harry unsuccessfully tried to hide his amused smirk as he read how Malfoy recounted the harrowing tale of coming face to face with the 'Executioner', his smirk growing as he read how Lucius revealed the sins of his fellow members, declaring that the Red Grim spared him only because he was changed into a better person, unlike the others who were dead.

While Malfoy was indeed changed, that didn't mean he wasn't the same cunning man of before. Seeing that he would be soon ousted as a Death Eater and lose all his hard-earned credibility if he didn't do anything, he seemed to have chosen to go this way to salvage his reputation. Of accepting his faults but glorifying his redemption. After all, he was the only one left alive from his former group. There must be some great goodness in him that even the merciless serial killer was forced to forgive him.

Ignoring the antics of that smart man, Harry was surprised that the article was written in such a neutral tone. He had expected them to show him in a negative light, to brand him as some upcoming Dark Lord. But it seemed the fear of repercussions had held their hands and tongues. If Red Grim could break through the security of Azkaban then what was to say he wouldn't be able to pay them a visit to display his annoyance? Self-preservation was indeed a great thing.

At the Staff table, Dumbledore abruptly stood up and flounced out of the Great Hall. Students and staff alike shared confused looks, not knowing what to do at least until Professor McGonagall rose and calmed everyone. "Classes are cancelled for today and students are allowed to use the floo in the Hospital Wing to contact their parents."

In seconds, half of the Slytherin table left the Great Hall along with a few from the other three houses.

"Well, that was interesting." Harry said blankly, focussing on the back of Draco Malfoy who sprinted away, presumably towards the Hospital Wing.

"Good riddance is what I say. Finally, the Death Eaters are put to rest. I'd honestly kiss Red Grim for doing our country this favour." Daphne commented, smirking at him as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"Then I'd have to kill him for kissing my girlfriend." He responded blandly.

"True. Let's not risk your life then." She bantered.

"As if. I can easily kick his arse."

"Whatever makes you sleep better, love." The blonde quipped, her eyes shining with mirth.

"You'll definitely make my sleep better." He responded smugly, knowing he won in one-upping her as she blushed and looked away.

"We just got the news that some sixty people were killed. And here you are flirting with each other." Astoria mused out loud between them, elbowing both of them in their sides.

"Eh, people die every day. That shouldn't stop me from trying to sleep with your sister."

Daphne's face just coloured some more while Astoria wore a disgusted expression. "Don't talk about that now. It makes me sick. And I don't want to waste these good eggs."

Harry merely laughed and slung his arm around her neck, pressing a quick kiss on her head.

"I'm shocked that you both are so accepting of the death of 58 people." said Tracey from beside Daphne, disapproval clear in her voice.

He rolled his eyes, unsurprised. "They were Death Eaters, Tracey. Worse than animals. You shouldn't feel sorry for them. I know you dislike the Grims' extreme methods and that's fine, but don't for a second think that those who died didn't deserve what they got."

"I know. But what about the kids and wives? You just saw how many students ran away, praying that their parents were safe. What will happen to them? Who'll take care of them? Aren't they being punished for no reason?" She argued back vehemently.

"Sometimes it's better to grow up without parents. You should know that." Harry sighed, shaking his head at her naivety. Just because the Death Eaters had a family too didn't mean their crimes should be ignored.

"Harry!" Iris rebuked sharply from his side.

Tracey's face had reddened at his statement and her eyes were shining with unshed tears. Abandoning her food, she stood up and walked away without another glance at him.

Under the glares of his friends and sister, he simply groaned before running after her. He hadn't meant it to come out as disparaging. He wasn't teasing her that her mum was an abusive bitch. But his words could be easily construed in that way. And it seemed that was how Tracey decided to take it.

~xXxXx~

Dumbledore barged through the Potions classroom and ran into the personal room that was attached to it.

It was obviously a dark room due to where it was situated, in the dungeons without a single window.

Silently casting a Lumos Charm he moved towards the bed where the man was lying.

Dumbledore would have thought that he was sleeping if not for the lifeless open eyes. Heaving a helpless sigh, he leaned over and gently closed his eyelids.

Severus Snape was dead. And even though he knew who was the culprit, he couldn't do anything but complain uselessly.

Still, he needed to have another chat with Harry Potter.

~xXxXx~

He found her in the corridor outside the Great Hall. Bolting towards her, he grabbed her arm before she could make a turn for the Grand Staircase.

"Tracey! Listen to me." He said almost beggingly, spinning her around so they were face to face, wincing as he saw her tear-stained face.

"What?" She mumbled in a quivering voice. Before he could offer his explanation, other students passed by them, making him clam up. Knowing that this corridor would be busy for a while, he dragged her to the nearest broom closet and locked them in.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, scandalised as they were pressed together chest-to-face in the narrow space. Her hurt was quickly replaced by embarrassment as a shiver of anticipation shot down her spine. Thank God it was dark and he couldn't see her growing blush.

"I wanted to apologise in private. Listen, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't trying to be mean. I just—"

"Oh." Tracey uttered in realisation before he could finish his sentence.

"Yes, oh. Like, why did you even think I'd poke fun at you for having a stupid selfish mother? Hell, I don't think I've ever been mean to you." He grumbled, putting his arms on her waist and pulling her closer, not knowing how he was affecting her. Not that he would have stopped if he knew.

"Give me an hour, I'm sure I can find hundreds of instances where you've been mean to me." She chuckled, her body loosening up as the bubbling anger left her.

"Fine, let's stay in this very comfortable broom closet for an hour." He replied sarcastically, perching his chin over her head, grateful now that he could smell the lemony scent of her brown hair instead of the stench of the dirty brooms.

She giggled softly, wrapping her hands around him. "You should be ecstatic that you're with a girl in a broom closet."

"What girl? I don't see any girl with me."

"You did not just say that!" She gasped, pinching his side.

"Ow, sorry, just kidding. I know you're a girl. I can practically feel your boobs squished against me."

"Oh ho ho, does that excite you, Harry? Having my giant tits mashed against you, having my nipples poking you?" She snickered, standing on her toes and actively rubbing her chest against his, revelling in the way he stiffened.

"They're very far from being giant." He stifled a laugh. "And stop trying to arouse me or I'll kick your arse out of the broom closet."

"Naughty naughty, Harry. First tits and now arse. Your mind really is in the gutter." She smirked but ceased trying to provoke a reaction in him.

"Says the girl who was a moment ago grinding her breasts on me." Harry said dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Touche." She grinned. "Now let's go before you really get excited."

She laughed when he muttered 'too late' as he opened the door. Thankfully, no one was there when they came out of the closet. As they moved to return to the Great Hall, Harry took her arm and interlaced his fingers with hers. Then he smiled at her and tugged her forward.

Her face was on fire and her heart in her throat as she marvelled at the feel of his hand. At the warmth that was exuded by his skin.

Why did holding his hand felt more intimate and taboo than rubbing her boobs against him?

Maybe because for a moment she could delude herself into believing he was her boyfriend rather than Daphne's.

The way he was holding her hand was totally how she dreamed couples held each other's hands.

She quickly shoved away that stray thought, knowing how bad it was to pine over him when he was already taken.

Not for the first time that year she cursed herself for having feelings for him.

She berated herself for not realising them sooner. Because if she had known her feelings then she might have acted on them sooner than Daphne. There had been a decent chance that Harry would have agreed to go out with her too. She knew she was cute enough, and they obviously got along well since they were best friends. How she wished she had a time machine so she could snag him for herself before Daphne.

Dropping that ludicrous line of thought, she slumped down at the Gryffindor table and tried to convince her friends that she was alright.

~xXxXx~

In the afternoon, as Team A returned to Fleur's room from practice, they were met by Eos who was waiting for them in the room. She didn't even bat an eye at their teleportation before sliding off the Veela's bed and approaching them.

"Madam Blanc, what are you doing 'ere?"

"I need to talk to Harry. May I borrow him for a moment?" She requested politely.

"If 'Arry doesn't mind." Fleur shrugged, turning to look at him.

"I don't. I'll see you both tomorrow, ladies. Lead the way, Eos."

As she took him to her room and closed the door behind them, he was kind of expecting a fight. So, consider him surprised as she sank into the armchair beneath the big window, and when she looked at him, her beautiful face was wrought with unbridled panic. "I need your help."

He quirked his eyebrows, having not expected that. "With what?"

"You must've heard of the cleansing of the Death Eaters?" She prompted.

"Yes." He answered, hiding his smile, knowing where this was going.

"I think I might be in danger too. What if this Red Grim also knows my origin? Would he consider me Voldemort even when I'm not? The fucker was even in the castle and killed Snape right under Dumbledore's nose." She babbled anxiously.

"Calm down. First, no one other than me knows your origins. Second, you're extraordinarily strong, I hardly think some serial killer can harm you. Believe me when I say that I haven't seen anyone stronger than you, discounting Creator of course." He replied smoothly, deciding to sit on her comfy bed.

"I once considered myself unbeatable, the most powerful mage until I got my arse handed to me by a mere thirteen-year-old boy. I can't say I'm still confident about being unbeatable." Eos hissed furiously. "What if there's one more person stronger than me? I need your help to save me. I don't want to die. I just got my freedom. I don't want it to end so soon."

The fear in her voice was real. And Harry couldn't bring himself to play with her feelings anymore. "You don't have to worry. I am the Red Grim. And I don't plan to pass judgement on you."

She stilled in the chair and stared at him owlishly. "What?"

"I'm Red Grim." He repeated with a small smile.

A brilliant grin lit up her entire face as she jumped out of the chair and trembled in relief before him. Harry didn't think he had ever seen someone exhibit such glee at meeting a serial killer.

"I'm so happy that I can almost kiss you. Scratch that, I'm so overjoyed that I want to fuck you even when I know you can kill me while I'm lost in pleasure." She released an uproarious laugh, her bountiful chest shaking with her voice.

"No, thank you." He smirked seeing her crestfallen expression.

"Then go away. I'm getting fucked thoroughly, if not by you then by my boys." She giggled, not taking offence and shooing him away.

"Don't catch too many STDs." He chuckled before teleporting to the second Room.

~xXxXx~

It was evening when Harry made his way to the Headmaster's office for the second time that year. He stepped onto the staircase hidden in the alcove behind the gargoyle and waited for the stairs to move by themselves. Once they began moving, he pondered how his teammates had reacted to the news. He was surprised that they had been quite ambivalent about the big bad Red Grim. He had thought that they would have either a positive or a negative impression. But they were like 'meh, forget about that, and let's duel. Gossiping about some serial killer won't help us in winning the tournament.'

Truly, was he the only one not obsessed with the upcoming tournament?

Before he could answer himself, he reached his destination and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Striding in confidently, he took a seat before the peculiar claw-footed desk. "Professor."

"Harry." Dumbledore said wearily, slumping further into his chair and peering at him through the half-moon glasses.

Seeing that there was no pretence of 'Mr. Potter', they were getting right to the point.

"You don't look so good, Dumbledore?"

The old man's lips curved up minutely. "I'm not getting enough beauty sleep. You see, there's a demon that frequently visits my dream."

"That's unfortunate. Now, why did you call me?"

"You know why." He frowned, his mouth twisting in a grimace.

"I don't think I like coming here every time you disapprove of my actions."

Dumbledore pursed his lips. "Was it necessary?"

"Yes." To complete my quest.

"You could've at least spared Severus."

An unamused smile graced his lips. He took out his wand, rolling his eyes as the Headmaster flinched and jumped onto his feet.

"Calm your saggy tits. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead." Harry said coldly, bringing the wand to his head and pulling out a memory. "Here, drop this memory in that cool Pensieve stashed in the corner and go through it in your spare time. I'm not going to waste my time recounting what that man did and thought of doing. I can impartially say that that man was one of the most wretched people in existence. It's good for everyone that he's no more."

Placing the strand of the memory in a conjured glass tube, he rolled it towards the man standing across the desk. And without another word, he walked away.

Dumbledore picked the vial and halted before the Pensieve. Spilling the memory in, he dunked his head into it.

Half an hour later when he came back, his face was white and tears of failure ran down his cheeks. He seemed to have aged some more. And for the first time, he—the pacifist—had no problem with the way Harry had cruelly killed Severus Snape.

And he could only be selfishly relieved that none of the victims were Hogwarts students but just muggles.

Severus Snape had grown into a talented man, but his desire for red-haired and green-eyed girls never vanished. His obsessive want for pure innocent Lily made him into something so impure and deplorable that even the old kind Headmaster couldn't shed tears for his untimely death.

~xXxXx~

In the Greengrass Manor, Proserpina celebrated the demise of Death Eaters with vintage wine. She promised herself to reward Harry handsomely for this beautiful gift. Now, nothing was stopping her from dragging this backward country into a new glorious age.