Labyrinth of Illusion

Ron was the first awake. He put a hand to his head, rubbing it gently. His temples were throbbing. It took him a moment, but he remembered what had happened to him. He couldn't see straight yet. His vision was fuzzy.

"That-- That--" He let out a string of curse words, directed towards his best friend.

His visions then cleared up, and he was able to focus on the bodies around him. It was... All of Harry's friends. He had brought them all here.

He zeroed in on Sirius. In particular, he zeroed in on the pool of blood beneath his body. "SIRIUS!" He felt his breath catch in his throat. He needed to do something! Was Sirius even still alive?

He placed his head on his chest. Sirius was still breathing and his heart was beating, even if it was faint.

Ron shut his eyes tightly. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to do?

He needed to find the wound. He needed to find it, and stop the bleeding.

He didn't have his wand. He wouldn't be able to magic Sirius to his feet to examine him. He needed to do this under his own strength.

The bleeding was on the ground, not on Sirius' chest. He must have been stabbing in the back. As carefully as he could, Ron turned Sirius over. He examined the wound. Something-- Or someone-- had stabbed him.

Please, don't let Harry have done this.

Ron grabbed the hem of his robes, ripping off a long strip. He was thankful the castle was cold enough this morning to make him put on his robes. He lifted Sirius' shirt, wrapping the fabric around the wound. He pulled it as tightly as he could, to stop the blood flow.

A moan escaped Sirius' lips. Ron jumped. "Sirius?"

"Harry-- Stabbed me." The shock in his weak voice was evident. "Ron?"

"I'm right here, Sirius. How does that feel?"

"It feels like I was stabbed in the back." He turned himself over, groaning. "If we get out of this, remind me never to give Harry any more weapons."

Remus groaned before Ron could respond to Sirius. Ron moved to him. "Professor Lupin-- Remus-- are you all right?"

He raked a hand through his greying hair. "Gwendolyn. She attacked us in Dumbledore's office. She killed Sakura. And..." He looked around. "Dumbledore... He... He's..."

Ron's eyes widened. "He's what?"

"I didn't get a close look, butÉ" Remus sat up, putting his head in his hands. "I think he's dead."

"Where did Harry take us?" Ron asked. "Where are we?"

Remus and Sirius looked around. "I don't know," Sirius replied. "But it doesn't look friendly."

Remus took in a deep breath. "We're in the Labyrinth."

"How did Gwendolyn do this?" Ron asked.

Remus shook his head. "I think she's--"

**

"You're the Mistress of Illusion," Harry said, looking up at Akkei in awe.

She hopped down from the wall, smiling at him. She brought a clawed hand to his face. "Is that any way to greet your queen?"

Harry bowed his head, sliding down to his knees. "Is this better, Mistress Akkei?"

"Lady Voldemort, if you don't mind," She smiled. "You've come on a very special day, my boy. But you'll find out more about that later."

Harry looked up. "Where is Gwendolyn?" He looked around. "She was right behind me. We were going to-- She wanted me here."

"Oh." Akkei brushed a lock of hair off of her forehead. "That."

"She is here, isn't she?" Harry found himself breathing heavily. "I came because she asked me."

Akkei knelt down, letting out a small chuckle. "You sweet, naive thing. I guess it is time, isn't it?"

"Time for what?" Harry felt his stomach coil.

"Yasha," Akkei called. "Come."

Another fire erupted beside them. Clad in a similar leather outfit, another Kitsune stepped forward. "Yes Akkei?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "Miss Tsukino? What is going on?"

"Oh Harry." Miss Tsukino brought her hand to her mouth, giggling. "You can call me Yasha. I think we know each other," She was engulfed by fire, her figure morphing. Where a beautiful Japanese woman had been, was now a plain, woman with wild brown hair and slightly crooked glasses. "Well enough."

"Gwendolyn!" Harry reached out to her. Before he could reach her, her image was replaced again with the Kitsune Miss Tsukino. "What did you do with Gwendolyn? Where is she?"

"Gwendolyn is dead, Harry," Miss Tsukino said gently. "She has been for sixteen years now." She played with the eagle amulet around her neck. "At least I think so. It's hard to tell within the Labyrinth when someone dies. The corpses are eaten before you get a chance to check."

"NO!" Harry jumped to his feet. "I was with her! I hugged her! I felt her with me!"

"I had you all fooled, didn't I? Even that sap Dumbledore. Kitsune illusion is very powerful. This whole Labyrinth is a testament to that. My mother's vision made tactile. When I was Gwendolyn, I could do everything she could do. Sakura could stand in the same room as her and no one would know the difference. I could walk, talk and act exactly like her. All because you wanted to believe I was her. Every last inch of me was Gwendolyn." She chuckled. "Snape can attest to that. Or he could, if he could still talk."

"Why Gwendolyn? Why did you do this?" He demanded.

The demon grinned. "Well, there were so many Potter to choose from. Your family always had a pesky problem with disappearing. Gwendolyn was just too perfect. Sakura had been her roommate in school. It gave me intimate knowledge of her. Yes, there was that problem with her hated your father, but the fact she was involved with Snape just made it too good an opportunity to pass up." She sighed. "Too bad Snape's love for her was just the fleeting teenaged emotion. I had to use Kitsune allure to keep him enthralled. My allure has come in handy. How do you think I became Professor in the first place? Even the great Albus Dumbledore wasn't immune."

Harry backed up, taking in deep, gasping breaths. "I knew you were working for Voldemort."

"Well, it's always who you first suspect." She giggled again. "Well, not *you*. Then, you are deeply, deeply stupid."

Harry backed himself up against the stone wall of the Labyrinth. "Whatever you want me to do... I won't do it."

Yasha threw her head back, letting out a maniacal laugh. "You *still* don't get it, do you? You don't have a choice, Potter. For the last seven months I've been inside you. I've turned your mind to clay and remade you in his image. I gutted your girlfriend and you didn't even blink. I burnt your best friend to a crisp and you only wavered for a moment. With one word, you belong to him. You will stand by his side and love every. single. minute."

Harry gripped his hands. "You were hypnotizing me."

"Another little trick I've got." She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, bouncing up and down. She would have looked almost girlish, if it weren't for the fluffy white tail that wagged. "No matter what I did to you, no matter what I told your mind, you came back for more. You were a glutton for punishment. I've never met a boy so willing to be molded."

"YASHA!" Hooded and looming, the black figure stepped forward. "Leave him alone."

Harry stared at the figure as it glided closer. "Voldemort."

Bringing his long, spindly fingers to his hood, Voldemort revealed his snake-like face. "Ah, young Harry. I see you've met my girls."

"I suppose you're going to kill me," Harry said lightly, no fear in his voice.

"Surprisingly, no." Voldemort wrapped his thin arm around Akkei. "What do you think of her, Harry? Beautiful, isn't she?"

"I've seen better."

Voldemort chuckled. "I seriously doubt it. She's a dark Goddess. No sense of good and evil. It's just about power." He leaned in, biting Akkei on the neck. "Which, I dare say, Kitsune have in spades."

"If you're not going to kill me," Harry asked, "Why am I here?"

Voldemort let go of Akkei, moving closer to Harry. "Akkei and I have been together a very long time. Sadly, we can have no children of our own." He snorted derisively at Miss Tsukino. "Well, except Yasha there. But she is weak."

Miss Tsukino whimpered, hunching down. "You don't have to be cruel, Father."

"Do not call me that," Voldemort groaned, "You are Akkei's child, not mine. I am Lord Voldemort to you." He turned his attention back to Harry. "Pathetic, isn't she? She couldn't even bring up her strength enough to manifest in your dimension. She had to take over a human body. And she allowed herself to be bound to it."

"Sakura's mother was an Auror!" Miss Tsukino-- Yasha-- screamed, stamping her foot. "She tried to exorcise me! It's no fair! Binding spell after binding spell-- And then Dumbledore got in on it!"

"Oh, do shut up!" Voldemort yelled. His red eyes then focused on Harry. "Akkei desires a powerful child. So that's why you are here." Voldemort's lipless mouth split into a grin. "You are my wedding present to her."

Harry swallowed hard. "WeddingÉ"

"Yes, I know," Voldemort sighed. "I don't really seem like the marrying type, do I?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. He brought his hand to his forehead. His scar had returned. "I just never thought there would be a woman desperate enough to have you."

"Charming," Voldemort's grin turned into a snarl. "Of course, that charming wit will be lost. Yasha's sway is still over you. Your will may be strong, but not that strong."

"Father--" Yasha stepped forward. "My Lord-- I did what you asked. Now give me what I asked."

"Of course," Voldemort nodded. "Our deal."

He walked towards Yasha. "See Harry, despite my alleged relation to Yasha, she refused to work for me without a price. As a bound Kitsune, Sakura Tsukino had dominance over that body. I used my powers to bring Yasha to the front."

Yasha smiled. "Now that I've brought you here, I get total freedom. I will get to kill this shell I've been trapped in."

"If-- If you were in control," Harry asked, "Why did you save Ron and Hermione?"

"I didn't," Yasha sighed, "Sakura's got quite a strong will. She fought against me. She was able to get control for that one moment, enough to stop my Oni."

"That's why you talk to yourself in Japanese..." Harry nodded. "You fight with Sakura."

Yasha smiled, nodding. She looked to Voldemort. "So, will you give me what I want?"

"Not until you finish cleaning up your mess." Voldemort hissed. "You brought Harry's friends with you."

"You said you wanted him to kill them."

Voldemort raised his hand, slapping Yasha. "I wanted him to go to his dimension to kill them. Here they may interfere! Get rid of them! Then you will get your freedom."

Yasha bowed.

Voldemort held his hand up. "Oh, and get your ball back. You're going to give it to Wormtail once you're free."

"Of course, my Lord." Yasha disappeared in a burst of flames.

Voldemort turned back to Harry. "So... I believe we have a wedding to attend."

"Sorry, I think I'm going to have to decline the invitation." He went running down the long alley.

Akkei stopped Voldemort as he prepared to go after the young boy. "Wait. I have a few surprises waiting for him."

**

Ron shrugged off his robe, putting it over Hermione's shoulder. She had her hand against her head. She had large bruises marring her face.

"We need to go somewhere safe," Sirius said, groaning as he stood up. "There are all sorts of dark creatures in here, and we're all wandless."

"Somewhere safe? Somewhere SAFE?" Hagrid repeated. "Do yeh really think such a place exist here?"

"The half-breed is the smartest one here?" A fire erupted, which giggled. "Now that is shocking."

Yasha stepped out of the flame, grinning. "Well, look at this motley band... The mudblood, the werewolf, the half-breed, the prisoner and..." She tapped her finger against her chin. "Well, I'm not quite sure what you are, Ron. You're... Nothing."

Ron jumped forward. Hagrid held him back.

"Sakura," Remus moved towards her. "You're dead."

"You should know me better than that, Remus. I can create many illusions. Including slitting my own throat."

"You were Gwendolyn, But why, Sakura..."

Yasha grinned. "I'm sorry, Remus. Sakura isn't in right now. Leave a message and I'll give it to her before I kill her."

"Yasha." Remus shut his eyes, sighing. "How did you get free?"

"Lord Voldemort has been good to me." She held up her hand, lightning sparking from her fingers. "So... Who's first?"

"Sakura, we're your friends!" Remus implored.

Yasha nodded. "You're right. You are my friends." She shot lightning bolts at his feet. "So I'll give you a head start."

**

Harry's lungs burned and his legs ached as he ran. His heart thundered in his chest and blood pumped in his ears. How long had he been running down? An hour? Two?

He looked back. Voldemort wasn't behind him. Neither was Akkei. But he didn't want to stop, not yet--

THUNK! Harry ran into a thick, stone wall. Funny, he hadn't noticed that. Did the alley make a sharp turn?

Harry looked to his side. He touched his hand to the wall. He turned to the other side. It was as blocked.

It was a dead end. He had been running for kilometers, and all it led him to was a dead end.

Harry felt a pain on his chest. Maybe he had been running for too long. Maybe he burst a lung.

No, it was his skin. Harry look down his shirt. He pulled on the chain, pulling out the key Gwendolyn-- Yasha, he amended-- Had given him. It was hot, the silver glowing. The green jewels on it had turned blood red.

The key gave a shudder in his palm. Harry examined the wall in front of him. There were etchings in the stone. He ran his fingers over the writing, searching.

He crouched down in front of the hole in the wall. It was surrounded by silver, which was glowing in the same manner as the key. Harry licked his lips slowly, shutting his eyes. He slid the key in--

--And fell. The ground had given out from below him. He tried to brace himself for impact.

He howled in pain as he hit the hard ground. He groaned. "I think I'm starting to hate this." He looked around. Hanging on the wall was a dead body. The corpse's arms were stretched out, in a mock crucifixion. "What the hell is this?"

The corpse raised his head. Harry found himself staring at the battered and beaten face of Severus Snape. "It's where we're going to die."