Stormseeker: Unwanted Destiny

Chapter 10: Breaking Shadows

---

I really don't trust the portkey Tom gave me, but I keep it around in my bag of holding regardless. I don't go back to Knockturn Alley that summer, however. And the only one I tell about that encounter with the Dark Lord is Cassie.

Cassie peers over the business card I show her. "Blair & Associates? This sounds like a legal firm."

"Probably not the real location of his headquarters," I say. "Probably just a secure off-site or something. I don't think I'll be testing it out, though."

"Why did you fight him again?" Cassie asks. "You know you couldn't have beaten him."

"I know," I say. "But... I wanted to watch him fight again."

Cassie gives me an odd look. "Oh, you're cataloguing his weaknesses and fighting style? Good idea. See what spells he likes to use and use that knowledge against him."

"Sure, let's go with that," I say. "So, what's in Secrets of the Darkest Art that can't be readily found anywhere else?"

"I'm not sure," Cassie says.

In August, I discover that Mundungus is apparently using my house to store smuggled goods. I look over the crates of illicit materials tucked away in a side room, and smirk at him.

"Oh, um..." Mundungus says. "Hello, Harry. How did you like the you-know-what?"

"I think I'll pass on them," I say, pulling the remaining potions out and offering them back to him. "I don't know what it says about me that I hallucinate homoerotic Dark Lords."

Mundungus blinks at me. "Well, that's certainly... different."

"Carry on," I say lightly. "Do be sure not to get caught. The other Order members might disapprove of what you're doing. But this is my house, and I don't care."

"Thank you, Harry," Mundungus says. "I owe you one."

For my electives this year, I've decided to go with Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Politics. I'm really looking forward to the upper years in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, and Politics should be an interesting study even at this level.

"You're not taking Magical Creatures?" Sirius asks, sounding a little disappointed.

"No," I say.

"But... Politics? With Malfoy?" Sirius says, frowning.

"It'll be a very useful experience," I say. "Why?"

"Well... oh, never mind," Sirius says.

When I arrive at school on September first, I discover that Sirius is now the new Magical Creatures professor, with Professor Kettleburn having retired. And Dumbledore didn't ask me, again. I'll assume that he thought it was a choice I would in no way object to. But it's the principle of it. At least it beats Hagrid. He meant well and all, but damned Blast-Ended Skrewts.

Well, that's alright. If he's refusing to pay the price for that concession, then I don't have to abide by it. I'm not even going to take it up with him again. I'll just feel free to do whatever I want to anyway. Although, it's been kind of beneficial to me to be an ideal student and never get into trouble. It makes people far less likely to suspect me if I actually do something wrong.

I have Wizarding Politics with Cassie and Draco, and almost all of my other classmates there are Slytherins. There's one Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and not a single Gryffindor in sight.

"Gryffindors don't appreciate politics?" I comment upon seeing this.

"Did you really expect otherwise?" Draco says.

"Well, more the fools, then," I say.

Professor Malfoy protrays the world of politics as a cutthroat battlefield where every word can be an attack. A battlefield on which the greatest victory lies in convincing your enemy of your point of view and supporting your objectives willingly. I knew there had to be a reason why Malfoy has effectively gotten away with murder in the past.

---

Another Halloween. What could possibly happen this year? I'm nervous, perhaps unreasonably so, but I can hardly eat because of it. Maybe one of these years I'll be able to relax enough to actually enjoy the Halloween Feast.

I find myself looking at the staff table, glancing at Snape and Malfoy and trying to read their faces for any indication that they know something might happen tonight. But their faces are unreadable. If they know anything, they don't show it.

"The nargles are out in force tonight," Luna says offhandedly.

I'm in my dorm room later about to go to bed, when a silvery phoenix Patronus appears before me. "Come to my office immediately," says Dumbledore's voice.

"Harry?" Draco says. "What was that?"

"Dumbledore wants to see me," I say.

I give him a wave and hurry out of the room, thankful that I hadn't yet changed into my dragon pajamas. My heart is pounding. What terrible thing might have happened to make Dumbledore call me in this late on a Halloween?

I come into Dumbledore's office. Mad-Eye Moody is present, and his magical glass eye swivels around to look at me when I enter. "There he is," Moody says.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"There's been a breakout at Azkaban," Dumbledore says.

"What happened?" I wonder.

"Voldemort's doing," Moody says. "Has to be."

"The Aurors got there too late," Dumbledore says. "Seven of them are dead, three more met the Dementor's Kiss."

"The Dark Lord can control Dementors somehow?" I wonder.

"The Dementors do seem to have joined forces with him," Dumbledore says.

"No surprise there," Moody says. "I've been telling them for years that they can't trust the Dementors."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agrees.

"Do you want me to go back and try to stop this?" I say.

"If it can save lives and prevent disaster..." Dumbledore says.

"I can certainly try," I say. "If nothing else, with more of a forewarning, we can prepare for the attack better. What were the enemy forces like?"

"Over a dozen Death Eaters, and who knows how many Dementors," Moody says. "There were werewolves there, too, around half a dozen of those. Not good that there's a full moon tonight."

"Wonderful," I mutter. "Any other information I should take back?"

"The attack took place about an hour ago." Dumbledore says. "Are you certain about doing this, Harry?"

"There's no cost to me," I say. "Only to you." Well, there is the fact that I can only do it so many times in one day before I can't go on. And I've got some essence potions that might be able to extend that a little if need be.

"Very well, Harry," Dumbledore says. "I'll leave it up to you."

I nod. "I've got to try. Farewell, Dumbledore, Moody."

I will my Time Magic to make me younger and take me out of existence before anyone can doom me by wishing me luck.

---

I wake in the Ravenclaw dormitory on Halloween morning. The attack won't be until tonight, so there's plenty of time to make the necessary preparations. I get dressed and head down to Dumbledore's office.

"Good morning, my boy," Dumbledore says. "What can I do for you today?"

"The Dark Lord is going to attack Azkaban tonight, at around nine o'clock," I say. "He's going to break out his supporters who have been imprisoned there. He'll have the Dementors on his side, as well as at least a dozen Death Eaters and a pack of werewolves."

Dumbledore frowns deeply. "I see. I'll make the necessary preparations to defend the place as well as possible under the circumstances."

I nod. "I'd like to be there."

"I cannot deny you a position at the front lines if that's where you want to be," Dumbledore says. "Will Miss Black come as well?"

"I'll ask her," I say.

"Come to my office after the feast, and we'll gather our forces," Dumbledore says.

I nod, and head out. After breakfast, I drag Cassie off to an empty classroom.

"What is it, Harry?" Cassie says, grinning a little. "Are you trying to get me alone for snogging or something?"

I smirk. "No, although if I wanted to snog any girl, it would probably be you. But no. I've got to tell you, there's going to be an attack on Azkaban tonight. Dumbledore's gathering forces to defend the place. I was going to ask if you wanted to be there and help fight."

"Ah," Cassie says, expression seeming to be a mix of flattered and disappointed. "Of course. You'll want everyone you can get to fight. But are we going up against Dementors, or are they still on our side?"

"They've gone over to the Dark Lord," I say.

"I can't cast the Patronus Charm, though," Cassie says.

"I'm sure you won't be the only one who can't, although it would be useful," I say.

"I'm surprised that you can cast it," Cassie says. "You seem much more inclined toward dark magic to me."

"It took me years to get it," I say. "But in the end, what was holding me back wasn't pronunciation or wand movements or anything, those were easy. The hard part was getting the right mindset."

"You need a happy memory, right?" Cassie says. "Funny, up until recently, I don't know that I would have ever called myself 'happy'."

"You're happy now?" I say.

Cassie grins broadly. "I wouldn't have called myself unhappy before, either. I don't think I really knew what I was missing, you know? Like I've gone my entire life seeing only in black and white, and then suddenly, all the colors of the world were opened up to me."

I smile at her. "You want to know what my happy memory is? There was a stormy night, and Dementors were after Sirius. He was a fugitive, you see. And I was running with him and Remus into the Forbidden Forest, trying to get away. And then Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape of all people, came to save us. As we were heading back to the castle, the sun was rising, and I saw a rainbow over the lake. When I saw that, I realized... All troubles are fleeting. All things will pass, in time. Life will go on. Expecto Patronum."

I wave my wand, and a translucent duck made of silvery moonlight appears before me. I let it linger for a few moments before canceling the spell.

"That's lovely," Cassie says. "I never thought I would be here, fighting the Dark Lord like this. I never imagined that I would get another chance to live life again, and do all the things I regretted never doing too late to do anything about. Show me the wand movements again."

I demonstrate it for her a couple times, and she imitates it without saying the words a few times herself before trying it verbally.

"Expecto Patronum," Cassie says. A flicker of shimmering light emerges from her wand for a second. She frowns a little.

"That's a lot better than my first try," I say. "Or even the first try that I actually got any reaction from it at all. Keep at it."

"Expecto Patronum," Cassie says. A wisp of bright silvery vapor erupts from the wand for a few moments.

"I think you can do it," I say. "Focus. Focus hard on the thoughts and emotions. It's just like how doing dark magic often requires you to focus upon a negative emotion, it's just a different focus for this."

Cassie nods. "Expecto Patronum." A light almost like a shield appears.

"Well, you can cast a noncorporeal Patronus at least," I say. "That would certainly help against the Dementors. I never actually cast a corporeal one myself until I was faced with needing to fight off a horde of Dementors."

"I think this must be about the one spell you can do and I can't," Cassie says with a smirk.

"Heh," I say. "Don't tell yourself that you can't. Confidence, remember? Believe in yourself. I believe in you."

Cassie smiles at me. "Well, one way or another, I'm not getting left behind tonight. I'll fight."

---

Azkaban. What a lovely piece of the Abyss. If the Death Eaters don't free all the prisoners tonight, I've half a mind to do it myself. I shiver a little, between the cold of the rocky island and the nearby presence of Dementors, even behind a number of Patroni. Patronuses. Whatever.

The Order of the Phoenix is here, at least the members who can fight worth beans. There are also a number of Aurors, everyone who could be brought in on short notice without readily alerting the Death Eaters to our foreknowledge.

And then there's me and Cassie. I'm in an adult form of about forty years old, and Cassie is under Polyjuice as Mundungus Fletcher, who opted not to come himself. The Order members know who we are, but the rest of the Aurors don't. It's just as well that not many of those present would recognize my duck Patronus.

Then, right on schedule, the Dark Lord arrives with his Death Eaters and werewolves. They're shocked to see us there. But this time, they don't hold back. They're masked, and think themselves anonymous. And they have the Dementors on their side.

The scene quickly turns into a bloody battlefield as chaos erupts around us. Curses fly, and I watch people on both sides go down. I have no idea who is dead and who might just be unconscious, but I know I see some green Killing Curses flashing in the air.

In the midst of battle, a stray curse strikes me. I can't see who did it. I collapse, blood pouring from my throat. I'm dead in moments.

---

I wake in my room in Ravenclaw Tower. I go down to tell Dumbledore what's going to happen this evening. I speak with Cassie and repeat our Patronus lesson. I think I'm really starting to develop a tolerance for repetition. Then, after lunch, I sleep until the feast.

After eating, it's back to Azkaban. This time, when the battle begins, I don't stick with the others. I go off with Cassie a ways away from the others. Too many people, too many spells flying around. I can't keep track of them all to dodge them. I blast a werewolf with a Lightning Curse and set about to guarding our flank.

Dementors are swarming around as close to the herd of spirit animals as they dare. Being around Dementors for so long wears at my mind. I have so many horrible memories for them to dredge up. The corpses of people I care about, the screams of my cousins as they're tortured to death...

"Lexen!" Cassie says in alarm. At least she had the presence of mind to remember my non-fake pseudonym. My Patronus is weakening and flickering.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold it," I say. The duck is fading rapidly.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Cassie shrieks.

There's a burst of light, and another silvery bird emerges from her wand. A sleek raven made of pure moonlight. It dives in and attacks the Dementors who are crowding around me, driving them away.

"I won't let them have you," Cassie says.

"Thank you..." I whisper, smiling at her. "Expecto Patronum." My duck returns, as strong as ever.

We try to make our way back toward the others. It's impossible to tell what the casualties on either side might be like. I think there's more fighting going on inside the prison itself, so we head in.

Pushing the Dementors away as we go, we find ourselves outside of the cell of someone who looks like she could be a relative of Cassie and Sirius. "Bellatrix," Cassie says, looking in at her.

Bellatrix stands, strengthened by the presence of the duck and raven, although still looking very weak. "What is this? Light in the darkness? Has the Dark Lord come to free me, that I may return to his side once again?"

"Yeah," I say. "He has." Well, it's true. It just has nothing to do with why we happen to be here.

"But who are you?" Bellatrix asks. "I've never heard of a Death Eater who could cast a Patronus. Are you new recruits?"

"We don't work for him at all, Bella," Cassie says. "And I don't know what you ever saw in him, either."

"What I saw in him?" Bellatrix says. "He was a genius! He was beautiful! Powerful! His magic was delicious, and the way he moved in a fight, his deadly grace... You can't appreciate him like I did!"

I understand. I understand that all too well. "How long have you been in here?"

"I don't know," Bellatrix says. "How long has it been? Since 1981..."

"It's 1993 now," I say.

"Twelve years?" Bellatrix says, laughing bitterly. "Twelve long years... Well, are you going to get me out of here, or did you just come to stand there and mock me for my plight?"

"What did you do to deserve this?" I ask.

"Deserve?" Bellatrix says. "I deserved nothing. They put me in here after I attacked the Longbottoms. Alice and Frank were their names. Yes. I tortured them, along with my husband and his brother. The Cruciatus Curse. Tortured them until they knew no more, because they wouldn't tell us where the Dark Lord had gone, wouldn't tell us what happened to him..."

I clench my fist in rage. So, she was the one responsible for that. "Nobody deserves to be left to the Dementors, no matter what they've done. I will show you mercy."

"Lexen?" Cassie says, raising an eyebrow at me.

I raise my wand to Bellatrix and gather all of my anger and hate. "In the name of Neville Longbottom... Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green light strikes Bellatrix square in the chest, and she collapses.

Cassie stares, wide-eyed. "I didn't realize you could cast that spell."

"I can do the Imperius, too," I say. "I never bothered to learn the Cruciatus. I could never come up with a justification for ever actually using it under any circumstances."

We continue on down the corridor, away from Bellatrix's cell. The sounds of fighting somewhere nearby echo through the prison. Then, as we round a corner, we come face to face with the Dark Lord himself.

Tom's eyes flash with recognition at seeing me. "More members of the Order of the Flaming Chicken come to stop me?"

"Indeed," I say. "Protego." A shield shimmers into existence around me.

"Tell me, Lexen," Tom says. "Does Dumbledore realize you're a dark wizard?"

I snort softly. "Nice to see you again, too, Marvolo."

"You should join me," Tom says. "Why are you fighting for them? Why are you fighting to support an ineffectual and incompetent Ministry, run by fools who see only their own positions?"

"It's not the Ministry I'm fighting for," I say.

"Then what?" Tom says. "Dumbledore? The lord of lies and master of manipulation?"

"No," I say. "My reasons are my own. I will not discuss them here."

"Then let us fight, if that's what you intend," Tom says. "But I will not go easy on you this time."

I grin broadly, and bow to him. "If I am to fall in battle, I would be honored if it were to be by your wand."

Cassie and I fight against Tom Riddle, side by side, two on one. Even with both of us against him, we're still maybe, possibly an even match for him. He's powerful, and a lot more skilled in actual battle than either of us. Cassie is an experienced dark witch, but she spent more of her time on academic pursuits rather than martial. I don't overestimate our chances at winning this.

After several volleys of spells, a curse blasts Cassie back, sending the broken body of Mundungus Fletcher flying back along the corridor. I don't look. She's either dead or she's not, but I need to focus on what I'm doing. I can't wallow in guilt about leading her to her death.

Then, another curse strikes me, leaving me laying on the ground bleeding out my lifeblood.

"You should have joined me, Lexen," Tom says.

"Not this time, Lord Voldemort," I murmur. "Perhaps another time." I smile at him and chuckle. It hurts to laugh. I cough up blood. "Farewell." The world fades, and darkness takes me.

---

I wake in the Ravenclaw boys' dorm on Halloween afternoon. I head down to the feast, sure to eat plenty of chocolate while there to dispel any lingering effects of Dementor exposure.

After the feast in Dumbledore's office, I say, "I've already been through this fight twice. Cassie and I wound up inadvertently cornered by the Dark Lord himself the second time. I'm sorry I got you killed, Cassie."

Cassie shakes her head. "Don't worry about me. I chose to go along. And if I were to die today, I won't regret it. You gave me a life I could never have had. I might well have been dead by now if it weren't for you. So don't ever apologize for that."

"Alright..." I say, smiling faintly at her.

We head to Azkaban again, and the battle ensues. I get away from the main part of the battle to avoid getting killed in the crossfire. I manage to keep my Patronus going a little longer, but as we head inside and are surrounded by Dementors, it starts failing again.

"Expecto Patronum!" Cassie cries, and her raven Patronus comes out again. "They won't have you. I won't let them take you."

I smile at her warmly, and recast my duck Patronus. We continue on through the prison, following the sounds of battle to attempt to reunite with some of our compatriots. If we run into the Dark Lord again, we would rather it not be alone. And I told Dumbledore exactly where he was going to be and when. This time, we might just be able to catch him.

"There you are, Lexen, Mundungus," Dumbledore says as we join up with him. "Have you seen Tom?"

I shake my head. "He should be here any moment, though."

Sure enough, Tom Riddle comes down the corridor toward us. He isn't alone, however. Bellatrix Lestrange is at his side. She hardly looks like she can hold a wand, however, never mind fight. But then there's the Dementors pressing in at us from all sides, barely held at bay by the light of our three avian Patroni.

"So, you came yourself, did you, Dumbledore," Tom says. His eyes flick toward me as well, clearly recognizing my adult form.

"Surrender, Tom," Dumbledore says. "It does not need to end this way."

"You always were a fool, weren't you," Tom says. "No, I don't think so. And I'm not giving you the pleasure of this battle today, either."

Tom waves his wand, and a dark, choking smoke obscures my vision, stinging at my eyes. I keep a Shield Charm up, but nothing strikes it. There's some spells flying, but they're from Cassie and Dumbledore. When the smoke clears and I can see again, Tom and Bellatrix are gone.

"Damn it," Cassie says. "They got away."

"We've got to try and catch them!" I say.

"Let us head for the entrance to the prison," Dumbledore says. "We can at least attempt to keep the casualties to a minimum."

Once outside again, we manage to get an assessment of the battle. The Dementors are keeping our side busy while the Death Eaters make their escape. There are casualties on both sides, however. I don't know how many of the bodies are dead and how many are merely stunned, but some of them look like something one might see in a butcher's shop. There's no way they could have survived that.

The duck, raven, and phoenix Patroni join the others in beating off the Dementors. Eventually, the shadowy menaces retreat, but not before their allies have made their escape.

In the wake of battle, we try to sort things out, figure out who is alive and dead. Three Aurors are dead, and one Kissed. One werewolf is dead, the one I killed myself. All of the members of the Order of the Phoenix survived, but on the downside, so did all of the Death Eaters.

Once back in the safety of the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore says, "That could have gone better."

"It could have gone worse, too," I say. "It wasn't a victory. But at least it wasn't as bad of a defeat as the first time. That time, there were seven deaths, and three Kissed. At least we prevented some of the casualties. Do you think I should try again?"

Dumbledore thinks for a moment, and shakes his head. "I don't know anything we could have done better. Luck was not on our side tonight. Dark magic is strong tonight, and its favor to them showed quite clearly."

I give a nod. "Then, we should probably head to bed, I suppose. I don't know how I'm going to sleep after that, though."

"Let's go to the kitchens and stuff ourselves with chocolate," Cassie says. "Hot chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream..." At least the Polyjuice has worn off by this point. It's really weird seeing her looking like Mundungus Fletcher.

I chuckle softly. "After that? I think we could stand that."

"Enjoy," Dumbledore says. "Do try to sleep sometime. You can get excused from tomorrow's classes if you need to, though. As for me, I must try to deal with the aftermath of the battle. Don't forget to age yourself down again."

"Right," I say, shifting myself into the form of a thirteen year old boy again.

Cassie takes my hand and drags me off. "Come on. Let's go bug the house-elves for treats. I could bathe in chocolate after being around so many Dementors."

"Now there's a mental image," I say, smirking. "But wouldn't it be more useful to eat it?"