Rating:
R
House:
Schnoogle
Characters:
Harry Potter Lord Voldemort
Genres:
Action Romance
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Quidditch Through the Ages Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Stats:
Published: 12/26/2003
Updated: 08/25/2004
Words: 314,830
Chapters: 31
Hits: 230,812

Harry Potter and the Sword of the Hero

joe6991

Story Summary:
A thousand-year-old oath stands to be fulfilled. The war between Good and Evil has been raging on for a millennium. It has a chance to end, but has the hero of the side of good lost the will to live…``Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys care for the summer, but he finds the loss of Sirius hard to bear. He blames himself for his death. Voldemort doesn’t let him rest though, and soon Harry is flung back into his world. The war escalates, and more people die or join Voldemort. The fear of the Dark Lord reaches beyond the wizarding world and into the Muggle one. Both worlds will collide, as Harry will have to make the ultimate choice between what is right and what is easy. For in this war, some things are more important than life or death…

Chapter 11

Chapter Summary:
One thing leads to another. All the paths we walk have an end... and some are littered witht the bodies of the innocent, of the guilty, and of the heroes. But it will have an end, maybe not a happy one, but an ending just the same.
Posted:
02/24/2004
Hits:
5,926
Author's Note:
Right, this one took a little longer to get out than usual and it is also not the one I said it would be. I wrote this chapter just last night because it is vital to the plot and the one I said would be up next won't be till around chapter 13. Thanks for reading and please review,


HARRY POTTER AND THE SWORD OF THE HERO

Chapter 11 - And All That's In Between

If it is my Fate to suffer; must I suffer alone?

If it is my Destiny to fight; must I fight alone?

And if it is my privilege to sit in the company

of such good friends, how can I make sure

they survive the coming darkness?

-- Harry Potter (Unfinished Thoughts)

Harry wandered aimlessly through the well trodden halls of Hogwarts. He was heading back towards the common room, where he could think. The common room will be deserted he thought. No interruptions....

Harry arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady and she let him in without question. His eyes briefly swept the room and, as he had hoped, it was empty. Sighing heavily, Harry threw himself down into his favourite armchair by the fire. Without realising he was doing so, he began absently rubbing his scar as his thoughts grew more and more confused.

What am I going to do? he thought. Everyday things get more and more difficult.... Padma, I can't stay with her.

And why not? he asked himself.

Too dangerous, for her. She didn't deserve what happened to her and the only way she can be safe is if I end it.

She doesn't want it to end?

...I don't either, but it's for the best. I shouldn't have got close to her in the first place, I should have known all along what it might cause... and now here we are.

Why do I have to do this...? So she doesn't die. This was the simplest answer; he couldn't be responsible for another death. "But does it have to hurt so much?" he asked himself out loud.

It is supposed to hurt... these things always do.

As Harry sat in the chair quietly thinking, he began to practice his neglected animagus skills. It had been a month or so now since McGonagall had had to acquire a Griffin and his other skills had fallen into disuse. He lengthened his limbs and hair, altered his height slightly. After five minutes or so his rusty skills shone like new. He hadn't forgotten them, just hadn't used them and they were still there awaiting him.

He had asked Professor McGonagall the other week if she was having any luck with a griffin and she had speculated that it would take another few weeks, maybe a month to get one. She had said that griffins were extremely rare around the world and there wasn't one anywhere in captivity. It was really a matter of chance if one was found, but she was optimistic it would be.

Harry stood up and shook himself. It had been a long couple of days and his limbs ached from it all. He stood there for a moment, gazing at the fireplace, and promised himself he'd end it with Padma as soon as possible. No point drawing it out. Deciding to have a shower, as he hadn't had one in roughly two days, Harry ambled slowly up the stairs and into the sixth year dorm.

He removed clean clothes and robes from his trunk and picked up his wand that he had accidentally left on his bed that morning. After crossing the landing he entered the bathroom and undressed. The warm spray of the shower felt to Harry, as if all his aches and pains were being washed away. So it was with new strength that he emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, looking and feeling a whole lot better.

It was still a good three hours until dinner and he didn't want to talk to Padma while her parents were there, so Harry was at a loss for something to do. I could always go to class? he thought, but then dismissed the idea just as quickly. He settled on an easier task than talking to Padma and that was a three foot Potions essay due tomorrow.

The essay took up the rest of the afternoon, but it was with more than a little satisfaction that Harry set it aside at quarter to six, thinking about Ron and how he had yet to do it. Glancing at his watch he saw the time and decided to walk slowly down to the Great Hall, by the time he got there everyone should be out of class and on their way to dinner.

Harry stowed his essay away in his bag and began the walk down to the hall. As he walked Harry began to realise just how hungry he really was. He hadn't noticed with Padma being in the hospital but he supposed his last real meal was two days ago. He was starving.

*****

Voldemort threw the Daily Prophet aside with a small smile and then turned to face Wormtail. "This is news indeed, Peter. I believe it may be time to show the world that I truly exist."

"Yes, Master."

"Be ready. I will call all Death Eater's here on the 7th. Our war is about to begin."

*****

"That's great, Harry," said Hermione happily from across the table. "And she's going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine. Left with a bit of a scar, though."

"Oh, dear. As long as she's all right, though."

Harry nodded. "Her parents weren't too pleased. Mr. Patil blamed the whole thing on me...."

"That's awful," said Ginny who was sitting next to Hermione.

Harry raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Is it? There was a lot of truth in what he was saying." No one said anything as an awkward silence followed Harry's words.

The conversation turned to lighter topics and Harry found himself gazing around the Great Hall. Ron was to his left, complaining about the Potions essay he had to do but at the same time complimenting the apple pie. Ethan sat to his right and, as was his way, wasn't saying much of anything to anyone. He occasionally spoke to Lavender, but for the most his eyes appeared glazed over and Harry could tell he was lost deep in thought.

Harry looked up to the enchanted ceiling and saw the thunderous storm clouds over head. Forks of lightning ripped across the sky like the brief flash of a camera. Also a small amount of snow was falling slowly. The snow made Harry think of Christmas and how he'd have to buy Christmas presents on the next Hogsmeade weekend, which was supposedly Saturday the 14th.

Deciding he'd think about it later, Harry returned to his plate. Refilling it with some Cumberland sausages and steak. But as he ate he had a thought as to where he might spend Christmas this year. Last year it had been at Grimmauld Place... with Sirius. Harry could still see him singing 'God rest ye, merry Hippogriffs' at the top of his voice. He smiled sadly at the memory and wiped his eyes angrily, now was neither the time nor the place he told himself sternly. Still, he might be spending it at the Burrow, which would be good he thought.

"I tell you, three feet!" sighed Ron. "We better get back soon if we want to sleep tonight, Harry."

Harry smiled. "Is the apple pie good?"

"Oh yeah, it's excellent," Ron said, passing over the pie dish.

Later that night, Harry was sitting at a table in the back of the room with Ethan. Ron was sitting by the fire, as was Hermione who had taken pity on her boyfriend and was now helping him finish off his Potions essay. Harry watched the two of them and smiled. Ever since they finally came to terms with each others feelings, they hadn't argued between themselves once. Which Harry thought was incredible considering how much bickering they used to do. His gaze flickered across the room and came to rest on Ginny who was sitting with her fifth year friends. She caught his eye and smiled, Harry smiled back but frowned soon after; and to Ginny he appeared to be in deep thought. Though Harry knew he frowned for a different reason.

"Do you want to learn that charm, Harry?" asked Ethan.

Harry looked up. "Hmm? Charm?" He was lost.

"The one to enlarge your pockets magically, you know, keeps certain things hidden."

"Oh yeah, sure. What's the incantation?"

"Casios Engorgio est. It works on any pocket; the only thing is you have to cast the charm on every pocket on every piece of clothing you own. It may take some time."

Harry nodded and pointed his hand, not his wand, at his pocket. "What are you doing?" asked Ethan.

"I was about to enlarge my pocket," said Harry.

"Without a wand?"

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped. He hadn't even realised he wasn't using his wand; it was just instinct to use his hand. Harry took his wand out of his robes and now pointed that at his jeans pocket. "Casios Engorgio est." A faint purple light issued out of his wand and covered his pocket. It glowed for a moment before disappearing entirely. "Did it work?"

"Looked like it," said Ethan. "Try and put your wand in there, that shouldn't normally fit all the way in."

The spell had worked, his wand slipped into his pocket easily and Harry had to dig deep to find it again. This could be useful he thought.

"Have you been to talk to Padma yet?" asked Ethan.

Harry looked up and hesitated before answering. "No. No, not yet. I thought I'd wait till she gets out of the hospital tomorrow."

Ethan nodded and said no more. It wasn't his problem. Harry sighed a moment later and left the table, he walked over to Ron and Hermione, who were in the armchairs.

"Getting through that, Ron?" he asked his best friend who was a good two thirds through his essay.

"Only just..." he grumbled.

Harry smiled slightly and fell into one of the chairs. He yawned and leaned back in the chair. "What've you been up to?" asked Hermione.

"Hmm? Oh! Just talking to Ethan."

"Why don't you bring him over here?"

"All right."

Harry turned to around to face the table he'd just been siting at. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped before he did. Ethan wasn't there. Harry briefly scanned the common room. Nope. He'd left.

"He's gone?" said Harry.

"He'll be back," mumbled Ron. "Hermione, how many newt legs do you put in the Passius potion?"

"Seven, but they have to be skinned."

Ron wrote that down quickly and then sighed heavily with relief. "Finished," he said triumphantly. Meanwhile, Harry picked up a copy of the Prophet that someone had left in the chair next to him. He quickly glanced at the date and saw it as todays. The main headline was something about the Ministry, but the side column was what caught Harry's attention and he didn't know why it did.

MINISTER TO VISIT DIAGON ALLEY

The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge will be addressing the public at a special conference in Diagon Alley on this Saturday December 7th. He plans to address the growing concerns of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and is seeming inactivity over the past few months. (continued page 2)

Harry continued to stare at the article for a moment, it confused him. For some reason he felt happy to read this, but why? He couldn't care less what Fudge was doing, so why did this article hold his attention. He sighed and rubbed his scar with the back of his hand, it was itching slightly.

Harry and Ron went up to bed an hour later. Harry briefly glanced at Ethan's bed, it was empty. He wondered for a moment where he was, but his thoughts were interrupted when Ron spoke.

"What do you think I should get, Hermione, for Christmas, Harry?" he asked.

"Christmas," replied Harry, changing into his pyjamas and pulling the sheets on his bed down. "What do you think she'd want?"

"Dunno? That's why I asked you!"

Harry laughed as he climbed into bed. "How about a book?"

"Nah, it has to be something good now that I'm seeing her. Something special."

"Get her a special book. Something thick, lots of pages..." Harry blew out the light and closed his eyes, it felt good to relax.

"Enough with the damn books, Harry. How's about a nice set of quills?"

"Special quills?" laughed Harry.

"Oh, sod off."

The next morning Harry woke up apprehensively. Today he'd have to talk with Padma. Magical Creatures is when he'd have to do it. She'll be back at lessons now. Harry rolled lazily over in bed and sighed. He had the drapes drawn so he couldn't tell if anyone else was up yet, but he could hear life down in the common room.

An hour later Harry entered the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione, who were already up when he got out of bed. His eyes flickered over to the Ravenclaw table but he couldn't see Padma there. Gloomily he walked down to his usual seat at the table and sat down heavily.

For the next forty five minutes Harry talked scarcely and picked at his food half heartedly. Mostly he was thinking. He liked Padma, he liked her a lot but he couldn't stay with her. Not while Voldemort lived. He'd rather not be with her and see her alive than be with her and risk her death. It had to be done.

The walk down to Hagrid's hut seemed to take an hour; Harry's stomach squirmed nervously when he saw Padma walking happily with her Ravenclaw friends. She smiled and waved when she saw him and Harry sighed, but waved as well. The found Hagrid to waiting by the pen with the chimera in it. The beast was sleeping.

"Righ' now. Good morning ter yer all. Not doing much terday, jus make a sketch of the chimera and write a small bit abou' it."

The was some scurrying as people picked quills and parchment out of their bags and went to find a place to sit. Harry followed Ron and Hermione over to a tree near the pen and watched Padma sit with her friends about twenty metres away on a small mound of ground.

He watched her for a moment before turning to Ron and Hermione. "I'll- I'll be back in a minute." Without saying anything else Harry turned away and walked determinately towards Padma, deciding it was time to do it.

"Padma," he said when he reached her. "Can I... can I talk to you please."

She nodded but didn't say anything. Harry thought she might have guessed what he was doing. The two of them walked away from the class and sat down on a large flat rock near Hagrid's hut. Neither of them spoke for a moment and Harry stared sadly at the stormy sky while kicking the snow around with his feet. It wasn't that deep yet, but the biggest falls were yet to come.

"Harry...?"

"It has to end, Padma," he said quickly and turned away. "I'm sorry...."

Harry waited for a response. He didn't know what to except. Maybe she would shout, cry in anger or sadness. He hadn't expected her to do absolutely nothing. Harry continued. "I didn't want it to end like this... I'm sorry this has to happen, Padma but I- it's for... it's for the best." Harry sighed and held his head in the hands. After a moment he turned and looked at Padma. She had tears in her eyes and was obviously on the verge of crying.

"Harry, I...." A single tear fell down her face. "I know...." That made him jump, he hadn't expected her to agree with him. "I know it has to end. I don't want it to... but I suppose it has to."

Harry nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry this all happened, Padma."

"Don't be. I haven't... haven't known you very long, Harry. But in the time I have known you I've seen things that tell me you're hiding something. Something important. Like the reason why you could do that magic with the lights in the hospital. Or the reason that You-Know-Who tried to kill you.... and me. I think it would be better for everyone if you can solve whatever it is on your own, without having to worry about me...."

Harry nodded silently. Was I that transparent? he thought. Damn prophecy....

"We still friends?" he asked softly.

Padma smiled. "Of course we are," she said grasping his hand and leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, Harry."

Harry sighed as he let go of her hand. He sat in thought for a moment and watched Padma walk slowly back over to her friends. As he stood, Harry removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his hand. To be normal he thought, not for the last time.

The day didn't get better after Magical Creatures. Ron and Hermione, who realised Harry had ended it with Padma, could tell he didn't want to talk about it and gave him a wide berth. Which just annoyed Harry. The day turned from bad to worse after lunch, as the realisation hit home that he would now be spending the afternoon in the Potions dungeon with Snape.

After he and Ron handed in their essays, they set about to work on their potion. As was Snape's way, he had set a most difficult one to be handed in at the end of the lesson. Harry needed to pass this assessment to stay in the class, and he needed to stay in the class to be able to enter Auror training. So it took Harry is all to ignore Snape's snide comments and insults. Though he did find himself wishing again and again that this day would end.

"Three spoons, Harry," said Ron quickly as Harry was about to pour a fourth spoon of powdered Slikt to the mix.

"Sorry..." mumbled Harry absently. He had been thinking about his life in general, and wasn't paying much attention to the potion, when he really should be. It didn't take him long to fall back into his thoughts, though. Why... why me? Who am I to deserve this life? Everyday it gets worse....

"HARRY!" shouted Ron. "Medium flame, medium."

Harry was once again pulled out of his thoughts and fixed the flame quickly, but not quick enough before Snape saw it.

"Honestly, Potter," spat Snape, moving over to their desk, causing everyone in the dungeon to turn around, Malfoy and the Slytherins especially. They all looked gleeful. The Gryffindors turned as well, but they looked on sadly as Snape once again belittled Harry. "Honestly, Potter is it beyond your reach to create a simple consciousness potion?"

"Simple?" asked Harry raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Potter, simple. Do you want me to spell it out for you?"

Harry gritted his teeth as he felt the anger and immense hate well up in him at the sight of the man in front of him. He glared at Snape for a moment and then jumped a little as he felt a little electric shock in his left hand. He looked down briefly to see faint crackles of lightning emanating and swirling across the back of his hand and fingers. Harry swore inwardly, he was getting to angry, his magic was responding. He took a deep breath and looked back at Snape.

When he spoke, he did so calmly, without any trace of emotion. "Not today, Snape. I'm not in the mood for your bitterness...."

A stunned silence followed these words. Hermione gasped and Ron turned a slighter whiter shade of white. Harry saw Malfoy and the Slytherins waiting with baited breath, wondering how Snape was going to take this. Harry stared straight at Snape, he didn't regret what he'd said, in fact it had made him feel good to finally say something to wipe the sneer off the greasy git's face.

The sneer was replaced a second later and Harry waited for Snape to lose it. But he didn't. After about half a minute or so of staring straight at Harry, he smirked as if something had just been confirmed, before turning away.

"Get back to your potions, He spat, striding away, his robes swirling out behind him. "And thirty points for your cheek, Potter."

Harry blinked and looked away. As everyone in the room stared in disbelief. Malfoy looked on in shock and Ron let out a long held breath. Eventually everyone turned back to their work, whispering between themselves quietly. But as Harry added his dragon's blood to the mix, he couldn't help but think that that had been worth thirty points.

The rest of that week past without incident. Harry did his best to keep up the façade that he wore daily, but the strain was getting to him. He kept everything hidden, hidden from his friends, hidden from everyone and it was getting to him. The last few months had been the worst in his entire life, and it showed no sign of ending anytime soon. Nothing in the war showed any sign of ending. And it was about to get a whole lot worse....

Harry woke up early Saturday morning; he woke up feeling excited, eager, and tense. All these feelings had nothing to do with his current mood, which was a miserable one, so Harry thought they may have been Voldemort's Which made him wonder why Voldemort would be eager and excited? It passed as soon as it came though and Harry jumped out of bed and hopped into the shower.

After breakfast, he, Ron and Hermione went and sat back in the common room. It was snowing heavily today and when it stopped it would be several feet thick. So the common room it was for today.

When Harry entered he saw Ethan sitting at a table in the back of the room with Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Parvati and Neville. Parvati and Harry had come to a silent agreement not to mention their argument in the hospital wing. She was still his friend, and he was still hers. Harry, Ron and Hermione pulled some chairs over and joined the group.

Harry talked with the group for a few minutes but his attention was soon drawn to a copy of the Prophet on the table, it was the same one he read a few days ago. And, as with last time, his gaze lingered on the brief article about Fudge visiting Diagon Alley on Saturday, today. As he read it, Harry felt the same feelings he had when he woke up. Eagerness, excitement, and he didn't know why.

*****

"Present your arm, Wormtail," ordered Voldemort.

Pettigrew did as he was told. He bit his lip against the coming pain and tensed his arm muscles. Voldemort lazily removed his wand from within his dark robes and placed the tip on the Dark Mark burnt into Wormtail's skin. The pain came instantly and he let out a small cry. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

And every single Death Eater in the United Kingdom, burnt along with him.

*****

Harry threw the Prophet aside, and let the article slip his mind. Fudge would probably be there now he thought. Talking rubbish about-

Harry jumped as someone let out a cry down the other end of the table. He looked up and saw Ethan shaking his arm, biting his lip. Something obviously hurt. "What's the matter?" asked Harry.

Rafe looked up quickly. "Nothing... just... just banged my elbow against the table. Hurts a bit." It was a lie thought Rafe, but everyone seemed to except it. His Dark Mark was burning; he was calling his Death Eater's. He put his arm at his side and tried to keep a straight face as it burned.

*****

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," said Fudge, his voice magically amplified over the crowd, "I especially welcome the members of the press, who will finally be learning the truth over the current state of events."

The Minister of Magic looked out over the crowds. There were about three hundred people packed into the square where a special stage had been erected for the event. Fudge continued. "As most of you know, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned to this country and is once again gathering power." A hush fell over the crowd. "I can tell you today, in total honesty, that were he to attack our Auror division is more than capable of stopping anything he has. You are safe. This time we are better prepared, we are....

As Fudge spoke, and as the crowd soaked up every word and took it in as truth, mainly out of desperation because it was what they wanted to hear, nobody noticed the growing number of black cloaked figures, deep in the back of the crowd. No one noticed a thing....

*****

Harry talked absently to his friends. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach, a nervous feeling, an apprehensive feeling. And his scar was starting to prickle; he could feel a headache coming on. He barely heard the conversation around him and blinked to try and clear his head, his vision had gone all blurry... but not quite so. He saw the common room in front of him, but he also saw the pale outline of a building on the edge of his vision. Like he was looking through two sets of eyes at the same time. He swayed in his chair and nearly fell off as his vision continued to blur.

"Harry, Harry, HARRY!"

He snapped his head up and tried to focus on the person speaking, the only problem was he couldn't tell who it was. "Who... I feel...."

"Are you okay?"

"Ron...? Is that-" And then it happened. His vision went entirely and his scar ripped into his skull. Harry screamed and jerked backwards, falling off his chair and onto the floor in the process. The last thing he saw was the rush of people's feet and then blackness.

Harry instantly knew where he was. Diagon Alley, he'd recognise it anywhere, even now... even now. He raised his hand, his white bony hand, and fired the killing curse into the back of the closest innocent wizard. The human part of him, his consciousness, his mind cried out in anger and pain. But the demon, the monster he was fused with, Lord Voldemort laughed manically as the man fell to the floor dead.

He watched as it took the crowd a moment to process what it had just heard and seen. And when it did, the chaos began. Fudge's words of a moment ago were forgotten as the very thing that haunted their world, revealed itself fully for the first time in sixteen years. They ran, the basic instinct of survival kicking in as the suffering started.

Voldemort/Harry cut his way through the crowd, moving briskly towards the stage. The two hundred or so Death Eater's that came with him took care of the rest of the crowd, and those foolish enough to fight back. Some of the smarter ones Apparated away, and Harry cried in relief as he saw Alicia Spinnet do so. The last thing he saw before it all grew dark was the explosion of one of the shops, as the Dark Mark rose high in dark green flames.

*****

Harry opened his eyes and screamed. He looked around wildly and found himself back in the common room. Everyone was staring at him fearfully, only a few knew what had happened to him, and they were already leaping into action.

"HARRY!" shouted Ron. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"I can hear you..." he croaked, wiping some blood out of his eye. The scar must have opened again.

"Hermione's gone for help, she'll-"

"NO, NO TIME," interrupted Harry. "Have to... have to get me to Dumbledore... help lift me...."

"Just stay still, Harry."

"NO!" Harry could feel his vision going again. He was slipping back into the demon. "Help me now."

Harry tried to stand on his own and could barely manage it. Ron rushed forward and grabbed his arm as he swayed. "All right. Dumbledore it is.... SOMEONE HELP?"

Harry was vaguely aware of Ethan grasping his other arm and then half walking, and been half carried towards the portrait hole door. They have to know now he thought their being slaughtered....

His vision grew darker and darker as the halls of Hogwarts reeled by. After two minutes of stumbling along he couldn't walk anymore, and Ron and Ethan were trying to keep him on his feet, while still moving towards Dumbledore's office with as much speed as humanly possible. It was about halfway there, that Harry fell back into his nightmare.

*****

The streets were littered with the bodies of the dead. Blood ran across the once proud, clean streets. Pureblood, half-blood, Muggle born...? It didn't matter... Harry thought it all looked the same now. The crowds were still fighting to get out, as the Death eater's slaughtered one after another mercilessly. Several of the buildings were on fire, and the smell of death and ash was heavy on the air.

Harry/Voldemort moved strongly through the crowd. Towards the stage were a dozen or so brave Aurors were doing their best to protect Fudge from the attack, the Minister was looking around in sheer horror as his promises were broken in the most violent and gruesome way. His eyes flew over the bodies of the innocent and the bodies of the Death Eater's and he felt all hope leave him. One of the Aurors to his right was enveloped in green light, and was dead before he hit the ground.

Finally Fudge's eyes fell on the Dark Lord and he felt the worst fear in his life, as he looked into the eyes of Death and saw them looking straight back at him.

*****

Harry fell back into his own body. The first thing he noticed was that he couldn't open his right eye; it was crusted over with blood, wedged shut. With his good eye he saw that they were approaching the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. He was vaguely aware of the pain in his forehead as he tried to keep himself within himself. Dumbledore needed to know. It can't have been more than seven or eight minutes since the massacre began, and the headmaster couldn't know.

He realised that they had been standing outside the gargoyle for longer than was necessary, he heard Ron shouting out the names of his favourite sweets and Harry was confused for a moment, before in some small corner of his mind he realised they didn't know the password.

He summed up as much strength as he could and wearily said the right words. "Skiving Snackbox," he croaked, before passing out for a moment. When he opened his eyes again he saw the ancient face of the headmaster looking down on him. It took him a moment to remember... anything, and when he did he began to feel his vision slipping again, Voldemort was drawing him back.

With his last ounce of strength Harry grabbed the headmaster's robes and whispered three words. "Diagon Alley.... attacked...." His head fell limply to the left and he saw Ron for a second before he was back inside the monster.

*****

Harry saw Cornelius Fudge on his knees in front of him, his face quivering, his eyes wide with fear. The wood on the stage around him was stained red with the spilt blood of his now dead protectors. He heard that evil laugh come from within Voldemort, felt the emotions of the Dark Lord. And then he spoke.

Voldemort surveyed the miserable excuse of a man in front of him with disgust, but he would be dead soon, so no matter. "This world is mine, Fudge," he hissed. "With your death this country will have no one to look to. It will be chaos, and it will be mine for the taking."

Harry watched with sorrow as Fudge started to cry. Whatever he previously may have felt about Fudge, that was forgotten now.... no one deserved this. "Have you nothing to say, Minister?" sneered Voldemort/Harry.

Fudge looked up into the face of the Dark Lord, Harry watched helplessly as he spoke, knowing his death was mere moments away. "You... you won't win...."

Voldemort laughed again. "No....? Who is there to stand against me? Who is there to challenge the power of Lord Voldemort?"

Even now, faced with that very evil Fudge cringed at the name, but he still spoke. Harry felt a deep admiration for Cornelius Fudge after what he said next. "Dumbledore will fight you....."

Harry felt Voldemort's emotion of anger and smiled bitterly, Fudge had touched a nerve. "Dumbledore," he spat, "Dumbledore is an old fool hiding behind the protection of his school. My power far outweighs his. He will die and I will reign! No one can stop me once he is gone. No one would dare stand alone against me!"

Fudge blinked and then, he spoke one final time. He said one word and that was all. "Potter." He said it sincerely, without any doubt in his voice.

Harry cried out from within his mind as his emotion of bravery mingled with that of Voldemort's anger. Fudge had named him, he had named him. He had placed a dying man's final hope for his world with him, and, although Harry could feel himself slipping away again, he wished Cornelius Fudge the best, no matter where he ended up. The last thing he felt was an explosion of anger from within the Dark Lord. And the last thing he saw was the green light that ended the Minister of Magic's life.

*****


Author notes: Poor Fudge :-( Ooohhhh well. Now that you've read, please review. Just a few words is good. Hope to have the next chapter up in a few days to a week not sure really?

Thanks again for reading and please review,

joe6991