Insanity is but a Word

Harry Potter, other characters and locations from the Harry Potter series belong to J.K Rowling not me. Other recognizable characters also do not belong to me, and I do not claim ownership of them. I'm just playing around in a world created by others.

"Speech"

Thoughts

/Parseltongue/

It was time. Darkness had fallen a little over two hours ago. Everything was as prepared as it could get, and Harry had a rough plan prepared. He refused to be stuck under that idiot Dumbledore again. The ancient bastard was right under Voldemort and Bellatrix on Harry's hit list. Unfortunately, the only one who could really keep him from Dumbledore was Voldemort. Harry was currently aiming for the happy medium: a Ministry holding cell.

He'd have to somehow get the aurors to show up. A few combat spells should manage that. After that, he'd probably have to fight a few of them, just to make sure Dumbledore couldn't use his position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot to free Harry. Those training sessions are definitely going to come in handy. Normally, he'd be worried about Fudge trying to send him to Azkaban, but after the Ministry was forced to admit Voldemort's return, he was fairly certain he could avoid that.

Ugh... Planning is definitely not for me. Screw it. I'm just going for it. Time to get ready.

If he was going into a fight, Harry would know all of his mobility and flexibility, so he began stretching in every direction he could. The new scabs painfully ripped open and began bleeding again, but it was better for that to happen now rather than later. By the time he was finished stretching, the blood was dripping off his torso. Might as well make use of this. The blood was used as war paint to sketch spikes and swirls on the left side of Harry's face and neck. The scent of copper fought to smother him as he inhaled deeply. His only reaction was a particularly vicious smile.

Once the bleeding stopped, Harry threw on a new pair of black cargo pants and a tight black t-shirt. Idiot wizards. Fighting in robes? Honestly? They'll get themselves killed with all that extra material getting in their way. The chains and the shark tooth necklace were hidden in a few of the pockets on his pants. Lastly, Harry used some of the hair gel to keep his hair up and away from his eyes. His hair was always messy, but at least now it looked almost intentional. That and the spikes mirrored some of the shapes painted in blood.

Hedwig flew back in the window. With the magnitude of what he was about to do weighing on his mind, Harry had penned a quick letter to each of his five closest friends as soon as he could. They simply said:

Always remember that I will always be the Harry that you know, the person and friend that you've known for years. Don't believe everything you hear, and watch for my next letter.

Your friend and brother,

HJP

He left Hedwig's cage open. She would need to be able to leave after whatever happened was done.

With that taken care of, Harry grabbed his wand and headed downstairs. He was purposefully going barefoot in honor of Luna. A quick alohomora was all it took to break into the cupboard under the stairs. He stashed his new clothes in his school trunk, and moved outside before the Ministry owl could arrive. On his way out, Harry could a glimpse of himself in the hall mirror. Spiked hair that seemed to defy gravity, war paint that was unmistakably blood and black clothes that would blend with the night... He looked like a demon.

No time to stand around. A spell's been cast. If no one from the Order is on their way yet, they will be soon. I wonder if they'll beat the aurors here. As Harry stepped outside, the night enveloped him. It was a dark night, with only a sliver of moon in the sky, but the lights up and down the street were illuminating everything in sight. The lights were destroyed with a well-placed and tightly controlled reducto each. Aurors are now definitely on their way, but this is much better. It was late enough that all the house lights were off in such a normal place as Privet Drive, so the darkness was now as thick as it would get. Harry moved to lean against a nearby telephone pole and wait.

It didn't take long. It couldn't have been two minutes later that a team of four aurors apparated in on his left side. Harry didn't even flinch. "Come out and surrender your wand," one of the aurors called. "Make this easy on yourself." Harry continued remaining as still as a statue.

"Lumos," another auror hissed.

"Shit! Reducto! Reducto! Reducto!" Because of the angle Harry had been standing at, the aurors had only been able to see the painted side of his face and had reacted violently. Harry silently whipped up his left arm and mentally called his soul shield and the Sword of Gryffindor to his left hand and arm. The shield deflected all three reductor curses with no problem, as he turned to face the aurors, but he now had a blood-spattered shield wrapped in chains to add to his image.

"Damn it, Savage! Don't aim for his head, keep it non-lethal," another auror yelled at the first.

Savage was about to reply, but was interrupted by three pops signaling incoming apparition. Harry could just see Dumbledore, Emmeline Vance and Bill Weasley off to his left, which put them in the aurors line of sight. Savage saw the new arrivals and started issuing orders, "Proudfoot, get us backup! Dawlish, watch our backs!"

The Headmaster didn't draw his wand and discretely motioned for Bill and Emmeline to do the same. "Harry, what's going on, my boy?"

Senile old man. "I'm not your boy. And Savage there just shot three reductor curses at my head with absolutely no provocation. I'm trying to decide whether or not to fight back."

Savage just growled back, "You've been throwing a few reductor curses around the street yourself. We're here to bring you back to your own little holding cell. Make this easy and surrender, kid."

"No. No, I don't think I will. And you might as well not even bother Headmaster, nothing you say is going to change what I'm going to do," Harry finished just as Dumbledore opened his mouth to advise Harry to give himself up. Before he could ignore Harry and give his advice anyway, three more pops sounded. Proudfoot had returned with two more aurors.

"This pair was ready, and a dozen more are gearing up now. They'll be here within a few minutes," he reported.

Savage just nodded, and looked at the members of the Order of the Phoenix wondering whose side they were on. "Give yourself, Harry, or we will be forced to assist the aurors," Dumbledore said, answering Savage's question.

Harry just remained in a crouch with his wand in his right hand and the Sword of Gryffindor in his left. His buckler was strapped to his left arm, but wouldn't impede his motion as he could banish and summon the buckler at will. "Well it seems we are stuck in a standoff," Harry said with a small chuckle. "Who's it going to be? I know at least three of you are just waiting to hex me. Which one of you will try first?"

Harry's nerves were strained to breaking, and his senses were in overdrive trying to detect everything around him. He was acutely aware of each person's breathing pattern, how far they were from him and where the tenseness was in their bodies. Any slight shift, any minute change would tell him where an attack would come from. Under all this, his instincts were screaming for him to start throwing spells and to get himself out of danger. Below his normal instincts, there was something else coming from the void that he had never noticed before. Something that was calling for blood. He was confident he could drop three or four of the aurors, plus Bill and Emmeline. Dumbledore, Savage and Dawlish were his main concerns. It was into this tense and dangerous standoff that Hedwig flew.

Hedwig. She was Harry's familiar. His closest confidant. She had been with him since day one in the wizarding world, and she had always been there for him. Her support was one of the only things that kept him alive through the Dursleys' abuse. He confided all his thoughts and feelings in her, even the things that not even Ron and Hermione knew. They had spent days outside together, with Harry watching her soar and occasionally even flying with her. She was his oldest friend.

The white shape was immediately spotted, and Savage snapped off a confringo that sped right for her. NO! No, no, no, nononononononono. "Accio Hedwig," Harry desperately called. If his spell reached her in time, it could pull her out of the way of Savage's curse. Relief flooded Harry as Hedwig jerked and started to move faster. At the last second, the blasting curse hit Hedwig's outstretched wing, and in a flash of light and heat, Harry's beloved familiar was reduced to a shower of blood and bits of flesh.

Several things immediately happened. The first was that Harry's buckler contorted and with a shriek from the twisted metal, it shattered. Dumbledore immediately recognized that the buckler must have been a soul shield and the implications. Harry no longer had a shield around his soul, and the only thing that could do that was extreme emotional trauma, which could leave him vulnerable to emotional and psychological damage. This was not good. In fact, this was very very bad.

The second thing that happened was that Harry retreated into his mind to try to deal with what had just happened, and he was immediately stopped. "There's no point in running Harry. You know what we have to do," said a voice.

It was the voice that came from the void. The voice that Harry had come to call his instincts. Harry called out in his own mind "Who are you?"

"I'm the one who handles all the situations that you can't. I'm the one who suffers the pain from the Dursleys. I'm the one that killed Quirrell and the basilisk. I'm the one that saved you and Sirius from the Dementors. I'm the one who dueled Bella. We're in your mind, Harry! Who do you think I am?"

"Our mind... You're me," Harry replied.

"No. I'm not you. You and I are pieces of Harry Potter, the boy the world sees. Make no mistake though, we are different."

"And you're offering to handle this?"

"Yes."

"If I'm Harry, what shall I call you?"

"Call me Fenrir."

"Okay Fenrir... Do it. Take care of them. Especially that bastard, Savage."

"You've got it kid, but remember I'm also the one that threw a crucio at Bella."

"Insanity has its perks, and I'm beyond caring. I think I qualify as insane. I'm currently talking to myself. Do whatever you feel is necessary, but try to avoid the Unforgivables."

"Sit back and enjoy the ride," Fenrir said as he took control.

The tension flowed out of Harry's muscles, but the Sword of Gryffindor and his wand never wavered. His breathing slowed and was perfectly steady. He looked over at Savage, but his face was entirely blank. The only thing that gave away his intentions was that his eyes glowed with unholy fire. "Headmaster, what is the punishment for killing another wizard's familiar?"

"There is no immediate punishment, Harry, but you do have the right to challenge him to a duel with rules and stakes of your choosing," Dumbledore answered incredibly reluctantly.

"Come off it, Dumbledore! The boy isn't that stupid," Savage laughed.

"Auror Savage, I challenge you to a Wizard's Duel t-"

"I accept," Savage shouted interrupting Harry.

"Not even going to hear my terms first? That doesn't seem very smart."

"I don't care, kid. It doesn't matter what the terms are."

"Okay," Harry said while lowering his head. "Wands only. All spells are allowed. This is a duel to the death." The light from the lumos spell left most of Harry's face in shadow, but illuminated his vicious smile. Auror Savage blanched before regaining his false bravado.

"That doesn't change anything."

"I can't let you do thi-" Dumbledore began, before he was cut off by Harry.

"You can't stop me Headmaster. Although you might want to put up a few wards so we aren't seen. Auror Proudfoot will you start the duel?"

Dumbledore began putting up a few obscuring wards, and by the time he turned back, Harry and Auror Savage had lined up. Harry had banished the Sword of Gryffindor and stood with his wand pointed at his feet.

"Are both duelers ready?" After receiving affirmative responses, Auror Proudfoot fired off a loud bang from his wand. Savage immediately began casting a bone breaking hex, but he was never able to finish the spell. Harry moved so quickly that the onlookers could barely follow as he whipped his wand upward and cast a deprimo. The spell connected with Savage's bicep and blasted his arm off. Savage was reduced to screaming and grasping at his stump of an arm.

"Pick up your wand, Savage," Harry said with a vicious smirk. "I'm not done with you yet." Savage just ignored him in favor of crying over his arm. "Fine. Your choice. Inflammare." Harry deliberately compressed the spell so that it would burn hotter in a confined space. In this case, it started at the bottom of the auror's robes and quickly spread to his legs. From there, it travelled to the rest of his body.

The smell of burning flesh, so familiar from Harry's dreams, filled the air. It was an alluring aroma of roasting beef, the charcoal-like smell of the skin, a hint of musk and the metallic overtones of the auror's boiling blood. It was irresistible. Savage rolled on the ground trying to put out the fire, but it was no use. He frothed the mouth, rolled around, screamed and pleaded, but he might as well not have bothered. Harry just watched with a gleeful smile on his face.

Inside his own head, Harry was wondering if this were necessary. Was Fenrir overdoing it? Despite these thoughts, Fenrir was a part of him, the part that had kept him alive on multiple occasions. Harry had always followed his instincts, and he saw no reason to fight against him now.

Savage's spine-chilling wails were tapering off at this point. The body would still burn for a while longer, but the life was seeping out of his eyes. The fire was so beautiful! It rippled in gorgeous hues of red and orange, while it blackened all it touched. The fire spoke to Harry as it burned, and he longed to move closer and bask in its warmth, but he couldn't do that. Not yet. We cannot leave until our debts our paid. And Voldemort is at the top of that list.

The flames had moved up the body by this point and had consumed the man's eyes, but he didn't protest. He laid there and took it like a true man. Harry's grin was more feral at this point, and his eyes shone unnaturally. As the fire shone from the body's empty sockets, a stray thought surfaced in Harry's consciousness. Fenrir immediately repeated it out loud in a sing-song voice for the crowd to hear, "The lights are on, but nobody's hooome." He then broke down and giggled like this was the funniest thing in the world. The laughter built and built, but that was the aurors weren't going to sit and listen to that.

Proudfoot sent a stunner at Harry, which was quickly followed by an incarcerous and a disarming spell from Dumbledore. The smile froze on Harry's face as he summoned the Sword of Gryffindor and cleaved the spells out of the air. "You've got to love goblin craftsmanship," he said mockingly. The auror that was holding the lumos spell was taken down by a stunner from point-blank range, which extinguished the light.

The flickering and uncertain light picked out portions of Harry's face, but left most of it in shadow. His war paint was making an impression, as was his smile. Dumbledore looked close to panicking, while Bill and Emmeline seemed to want to run away. The aurors weren't in much better shape, but they also wanted revenge. All the combatants stood frozen for a single moment in time before the flurry resumed.

Harry ducked a stunner and ran to his left, while deflecting a full body bind with the flat of his blade. The deflected spell just missed Proudfoot. Time to use some of those experimental techniques. Harry threw a silent wandless stunner at Bill. In all honesty, the stunner probably would have knocked him down at best. There was no chance it would stun him. His wandless spells just didn't have that much power, but Bill easily dodged to the left, which was what Harry had been hoping for. The second stunner, which had been fired with Harry's wand, caught Bill directly in the chest. They were using non-lethal spells, so he would return the favor.

It was now Dawlish, Emmeline and Proudfoot vs. Harry. Dumbledore seemed to be keeping out of the way for the moment, but that would probably change soon. Using the shifting firelight, harry hid in the shadows of a row bush and waited for a clean shot. Slowly and carefully, he circled around the bushes until he was behind Dawlish and had Emmeline in his line of sight. He snapped off a quick incarcerous at Emmeline and sent a wandless body bind at Dawlish. Both immobile targets were stunned before they could regain mobility, but his maneuver had left him exposed.

Dumbledore and Proudfoot both sent high-powered stunners at him, which were quickly followed by body-binds and reductor curses at Harry's feet. In a show of skill that Harry was certain he didn't have, he deflected the first four spells and sent three quick stunners at Proudfoot. One was wandless, and one each was channeled through the sword and his wand. As he was blown off his feet by the reductor, Harry saw Dumbledore approaching.

Harry tried scrambled to his feet, but before he could get up he was disarmed by an expelliarmus. He let both the wand and sword go, and he stood up to watch the show. His wand arced overhead as was normal, but the sword flew point-first straight at Dumbledore's head. The second before it hit, Harry threw his hand out to his side, and the sword appeared in his grasp. "Come now, Headmaster. You should know better than to disarm a bladed weapon. Especially one that used to belong to Godric himself."

"Harry, what are you doing? Why would you kill an auror? Why put him through so much pain? Resisting the aurors carries grave punishments," Dumbledore said.

"Pain? PAIN! You dare talk to me about pain, old man? You placed me in an abusive household and left me there for ten years, without anyone competent watching me! You saw what I looked like in first year! I was obviously malnourished. It's still pretty obvious! And even after seeing that, even after my warnings, you sent me back here every damn summer. Every summer I come back to be beaten and starved! The only reason I made it through was by talking to Hedwig, who was my oldest friend. An owl was my oldest and closest friend! Do you not see something wrong with that? And then that auror has the balls to kill her? My oldest friend who has kept me alive on several occasions? You think HE suffered? I killed him quick in a fit of rage! You think he experienced pain? That was nothing. I've felt far worse... And I'll show you worse too. CRUCIO!"

The shock in the Headmaster's eyes was priceless as the spell streaked across the open space and shattered his hastily erected shield. He began convulsing on the ground and screaming, while Harry watched on with that same sadistic grin in place.

NO! I told you to stay away from the Unforgivables, Fenrir. Harry fought for control in his own mind.

The effects of the crucio began to lessen as Harry fought, and Dumbledore began to breathe more steadily as he bit back his screams.

He deserves it, Harry. You helped me cast the crucio at Bellatrix for killing Sirius. His death is just as much Dumbledore's fault as it is Bella's! Sirius wouldn't have been anywhere near there if Dumbledore hadn't hidden the prophecy from us. If he had trained us in Occlumency instead of allowing Snape to torture us, we could have blocked out the visions. You still feel the beating and burns from yesterday. I know you do. I've been fighting through the pain from them this entire time. Consider this payback. I'm much stronger with your help, Harry. We didn't just split control of the body. We also split control of the magic. Without your support, that magic isn't helping me, and I'll be that much weaker. I need you, and he deserves this. Help me, for Sirius.

Ggggrrrr.... Fine. For Sirius, but if we work together, then from now on, try to help me out, not force me to follow you.

Deal.

"Crucio," they both hissed at the same time. Both Harry and Fenrir poured all their magic into the spell. The force didn't just knock Dumbledore to the ground. He landed on the grass where the excess magic tore up the ground and formed a whirlwind of force. His anguished screams filled the night as he suffered under a crucio that the Dark Lord himself would be hard-pressed to match.

Harry distinctly heard a crack as he watched the Headmaster writhe. Must be one of his bones. A feral grin appeared on his face, but then he heard half a dozen more cracks. Shit! Apparition! And a second later, the world went black.