In the Midst of the Night

In the Midst of the Night

Chapter 14 - Shattered Mirror

"Luke! Luke! Lucas Alexander DeMay, I know you're in there so open up this blasted door so you can kiss your beloved sister goodbye!"

Luke shook his head with an exasperated grin before standing, holding his back like an old man at the pains he had from slouching over his desk. It was frustrating how his second to last curriculum was taking as much time as three of them took. When he opened the door a rather large and still heavy suitcase was dropped unceremoniously upon his foot. "Ouch!" exclaimed the man, pulling it from the offending object and staring at Skye indignantly.

She just giggled like a schoolgirl and moved the bag away, but the damage was done. "So sorry, dearest," she apologized, not looking sorry in the least. He shook his head and she hugged him tightly. "Luke, I want you to take good care of yourself. I won't be there to watch your every move so you be good. Find someone to make sure you're eating well and so on, all right?" Her voice had dropped to a soft lilt, a tone that he always loved to listen to. She was born a singer, but had foregone music when their parents had been killed during the Dark Lord's reign.

He hugged her back just as tightly, burying his face in her hair. "Don't worry; I'm not completely incompetent you know."

Skye laughed but he could have sworn that she sniffed as well. "Yes you are and you know it." She paused. "You'll be safe at Hogwarts with Albus Dumbledore. I've written to him -," but he pulled abruptly away to stare at her in surprise.

"You did what?"

She managed to look guilty, somber and defiant all at once. Hastily wiping away her tears, she told him, "He knew about the crowd you used to run with back then, Luke, I knew that. I just told him to watch after you - it was only because I was worried. After the others began getting their letters -"

"How do you know about them?"

Skye took on a haughty expression. "I still have contacts with certain people - especially with a Lori Rosier?"

Lucas' eyes widened and he grasped her shoulders tightly. "Skye! What are you thinking? Don't you know who her husband is?" She nodded and he shook his head. "No, you don't!"

She frowned at him. "Yes, I do."

He almost growled with frustration. "He's gotten closer with Lucius, did you know that? Bloody hell, I don't know what's gotten over you! I'm supposed to be the silly one in this family - you, however, you are supposed to be the smarter and cool-headed one! Where in Merlin's name is your head?"

She pried his fingers from her arms and he ran them agitatedly through his hair instead. "Don't be silly - you know just as well as I that Lori hates her husband. She'd tell the entire wizarding world, hell, perhaps even the muggle one, about Evan's loyalties if she knew she wouldn't be assassinated." She looked at him for a moment before saying, "And you do know that they pronounced Evan Rosier dead as of this morning?"

"What?" he exclaimed.

Clearly not.

Skye nodded, her expression grave. "They didn't know how he died at first, he seemed perfectly healthy except...he just wasn't alive. They suspect the Killing Curse. Someone at St. Mungo's owled me saying that his soul was gone, but Dementors don't kill so we don't know for sure what happened." She shook her head. "This wasn't the way I wanted to leave, so give me another hug and a kiss and don't think about all this nonsense."

Nonsense?

He complied and held her in a hug extra long. "I'll miss you, you know. Even though I'm always teasing you and worrying you."

She smiled and patted his head. "I know. And anyway, it's my job to worry about you - it's my job as your sister to take care of you."

Luke nodded before pausing. "Wait, I'm the elder brother - isn't it supposed to be me that looks after you?"

Shrugging again, she said, "Perhaps, but you're the one that needs it."

"Hey!" he protested and aimed a swat at her but she ducked away, laughing.

"Goodbye, Luke," she said softly, picking up her bags.

He muttered a charm to lighten them and she grinned. "Goodbye, sis," he replied as she walked away.

She got to the steps and she turned around. "And, Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"Stop working on those confounded curriculums. Wait two weeks or so and they'll be easier to write. Trust me - you've still got a month or two until the next term starts anyway," she ordered, then turned and left, closing the door softly on her way out.

~*~

Remus sat up and his eyes wandered over to the large black dog blinking groggily at him. Then, its mouth hung open in what the werewolf skeptically believed was a smile. He rubbed his eyes and patted its head before looking around curiously.

He was propped up on a bed - a hospital bed and, by his surroundings he assumed that he was in St. Mungo's. Just then, someone stepped out of the bathroom to his left with a merry smile. She was rather short, but she had an air of a bubbly person. Her eyes were large and light brown like her straight hair and she looked to be about seventeen. He blinked at her owlishly and noticed that she wore the uniform of a Healer's aide.

"Oh! Wonderful," she exclaimed, clapping her hands together, her smile broadening. "You're up!" She held out her hand and he warily took it. "I'm Sylvia Morton - I'm just a volunteer here, so I'll go call the Healer. Do you want anything while I'm fetching him?"

Remus began to shake his head, and then he became aware of his parched throat. "Er - maybe a glass of water?" he wondered in a voice hoarse from disuse. He noticed that he was able to speak and relished the thought. The dog beside him nudged his cheek, making it slobbery and he managed a shaky grin as he patted its head again.

Sylvia smiled. "Right away, Mr. Lupin! You have a wonderful dog, never left your side for a moment!" She hugged Padfoot who, if it was possible for dogs, made a disgruntled expression and whined quietly. The girl just laughed. "I'll go get him some more biscuits. I got them from the market this morning and he just loves the things. Don't you, you big dog you? I wish I had such a beautiful and adorable doggie like you!" she said as if talking to a very young baby.

The werewolf laughed and at the moment, the Healer walked in. "Ah, hello, Mr. Lupin. Wonderful to have you back with us."

"Oh! Hi, Healer Pearson," said Sylvia. "I was just going to fetch you." He nodded at her and she skipped away saying to Remus, "I'll be right back with your water."

The Senior Healer (S. Hr.) said, "My name is Hr. Geoffrey Pearson. We'll just do a quick check up and then I'll leave you for a few hours." Remus nodded and, as Hr. Pearson said, 'passed with flying colors'. "At the rate your recovery is going, you may just be able to leave within this week!" said the man with a smile, as if that were nothing at all.

Nevertheless, Remus smiled back and said, "Thank you."

Ever the polite wizard, Moony is, Sirius thought to himself. When the doctor left, Sylvia came in and gave him his glass of water and ran her mouth off for only a moment before she was called away.

Remus sat back against his pillows with a tired sigh and looked over at the dog staring up at him with that confounded dog-like smile. The werewolf petted his head again and Sirius noted with relief that the man didn't jump when he transformed.

"Hey, Moony," said Sirius with a small grin as he went to the door. He locked it, and then pulled a chair by the bed to sit on backwards. Remus blinked at him owlishly. "Er - you do remember me? Sirius? Black? Padfoot? The animagus?"

"Sirius Black - Padfoot, the Animagus," Remus repeated with an unreadable expression. "You know, that would make a wonderful advertisement for the circus."

The Azkaban escapee looked at his friend with something akin to surprise before his infamous Marauder grin broke through the surface. He leaned over and gave Remus a huge bear hug. "Oh, Merlin - I'd thought you were going to go mad! Thank goodness you remember!"

He was dismayed when Remus began pushing him feebly away. "Mad? Why would I go mad? And what's this I'm supposed to remember?" wondered the werewolf, looking at him oddly. When Sirius looked horrified, Remus laughed. "Sorry, Padfoot, I really couldn't resist - it was just too easy..."

Sirius' mouth hung agape. "You - you - ooh! - Remus Lupin, that - that was a low blow!" exclaimed the man sputtering in his indignation.

Remus just laughed and shook his head.

~*~

Harry's heart skipped a beat as he looked around in panic. There was no escape - and here he was living out his nightmares. He was surrounded by the scary people in the dark robes and they were all pointing their wooden sticks at him and the people around him.

Evening was folding the earth in her dark grasp outside, but he couldn't help but feel that the night had already fallen upon them. Draco's papa was talking with Professor Snape, and even as the man in the billowy black robes spoke so defiantly, he could feel the clammy coldness of Severus' hand in his own.

Then he saw something take shape outside through the window. The figure smiled and he caught sight of eyes so deep a purple that they were almost black - they may have been for all the child knew, but it was the creature outside that made his heart flutter.

It was Baruch! And the green elf was smiling.

A flame of hope exploded in Harry's chest and he squeezed the potion's master's hand in his excitement.

Please, oh please don't let everything be ruined, he wished fiercely at what ever forces that were. Please!

And then he heard the malicious voices of the dark creatures that the scary man called Derrick forced across the room. He felt the tingle at the nape of his neck that he felt during his dreams as the young man smiled and used his dark magic. As the wave of spirits soared and scattered about the room, the young boy cowered before the nasty smiles upon their faces.

Then Harry shivered as he recognized the cruelty underlying every expression upon what he believed were their faces - it was a smile identical to Derrick Bane's.

One specter loomed closer to him and he backed away, accidentally tripping over a stool and losing grip of Severus' hand. Vaguely, he registered similar cries of fright, but didn't pay them any attention as another shadow advanced upon him as well. He cried out in alarm and the specters darkly whispered words that Harry couldn't hear, but could feel instead. The tiny child began to shake and shiver and soon he was surrounded by unbearable coldness that ate at his flesh that was so wintry that it seemed to burn. Tears of pain welled in his eyes and he couldn't feel, see, or hear anything but his screams and the torture he was being forced to endure.

And then the shadows and specters began forcing their way inside him - ripping tearing everything that got in their way to his soul.

Heavens, he was dying - just like he died every night in his dreams...

~*~

Lucas was surprised indeed when Albus Dumbledore himself popped into his room. He blinked at the elder man in disbelief and rubbed his eyes. It wasn't unusual for him to see things on the rare occasion when he was alone but today...

"Gracious - I've only had one cup of ale!" he exclaimed aloud.

The headmaster smiled, but there was a look of urgency in his astonishingly bright blue eyes. "Any amount can do the trick," replied the wizard. "Luke, I do hope you don't mind this interruption, but I was hoping that you'd accompany me on a little excursion."

The newly hired Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) teacher stood up quickly. "Er - o-of course not, headmaster," he replied.

Albus nodded. "There seems to be a complication at Snape Manor and I'm in need of a few trusted witches and wizards to escort me," the ancient man told him as he strode back to the fireplace. At Luke's still skeptical expression, he smiled kindly. "It isn't the ale, dear boy," he said, and then portkeyed back to Hogwarts only after tossing a bag of lemon drops towards the gaping young man.

Luke instinctively caught it an absently slapped himself inwardly at such stupidity. But it is the headmaster - he would never harm a soul! Except dark wizards - yes, perhaps dark wizards...but not me, because I'm not a dark wizard - not anymore. He immediately pushed his train of thought off a bridge so that it exploded into an array of colorful scorching hot flames.

When he landed, he did so without falling over and mentally congratulated himself. He glanced around the room and saw others standing there in the entrance way of Hogwarts looking just as bewildered as he. Several of their faces were familiar for many professors had not yet retired since his years at this school. Whereas some of the witches and wizards Luke recognized as professors, others, though he didn't know them personally, could be easily identified as Aurors.

Albus subdued the quiet murmurings of the small group before him. "We need to pay a trip to Snape Manor," began the headmaster, his tranquil voice easily heard in the sudden silence he had created. "It seems as though there is a mild disturbance on the grounds." He turned and led the way off the grounds and was the first to Apparate away.

"Only Dumbledore can make a raid sound like a trip to the park," muttered one Auror nearby and Luke felt something clutch coldly at his stomach before he apparated to Snape Manor with the rest.

~*~

Lucius watched with cold eyes as all those before the Death Eaters and the Necromancer beside him were engulfed by shadows. Derrick grinned with sadistic pleasure, but his angelic expression could have merely suggested that the weather outside was beautiful. It was a short while before he held his hand up and the screams began to fade. "This needn't go on," said Lucius coldly, eying every victim of the underworld creatures, "if the traitor will confess."

At the corner of his eye, he saw his son snap out of his horrified stupor and take a step forwards. He held out his cane to stop any further movement from the boy and was confronted with wide grey eyes so alike his own. The glacier of ice that he had tried to instill in the small boy was slowly melting away and he believed it to be a weakness. His own eyes flashed dangerously and Draco, surprised, if anything, at being the subject of such a look, quickly stepped back.

Severus forced himself up from his knees and grasped the desk beside him. "Enough, Lucius - that is enough," he snapped. His eyes were narrowed and he was shaking at the horrible feeling of his soul, a private entity that should never ever be touched so violently, being violated. He hated feeling weak and, at this Necromancer's hands, that was exactly what he was - weak and helpless.

"Quiet, Severus, this is no concern of yours," hissed Lucius in a rare display of anger. "You will say no more until spoken to - this is a matter of business and it will be dealt with my way!"

To say the least, Severus was astounded. No concern of his? But then who was the...He caught a movement in his peripheral vision and saw Thaddeus, pale and shivering Thaddeus, slowly stand with a grim expression upon his face. Merlin, it was Thaddeus Lucius had been after all this time.

"I didn't think you'd follow me here, Lucius," said Thaddeus in a tone that he hoped was even and clear. The slight waver gave away his fear, but he disregarded it - anyone would be fearful in his shoes. His wife was crying silently, holding Adenon the floor behind the couch and he couldn't bear to see them in pain any longer. She was pulling at the hem of his robe as he balanced himself by holding onto the couch's backing, but he pointedly ignored her.

"Ah, so you knew we were there the entire time?" questioned the blonde man. "Humor me, Thaddeus my friend - at what point were you alerted of our presence?"

The other man was biting down on his lip so hard that he tasted the metallic tang of blood on his tongue. "Since we left the house," he whispered shakily. He kept his gaze directed forward at his former companion so as to avoid the horror struck expressions of Maura an Aden.

"Sorry, old chap, I didn't quite catch that," said Derrick with an amused laugh as he cocked his head to the side and held his hand dramatically to his ear. Lucius glanced warningly at him and the young Necromancer just laughed merrily again.

Thaddeus cleared his throat and repeated, "Since we left the house," in a louder voice. He knew that it was obvious to all in the room that he was positively quaking in his shoes for all his emotions were spread out on the table in his voice.

A little ways to his right, Severus felt Harry clutch onto his robes from behind. He looked down and saw the boy peering fearfully at the Death Eaters spread out in a semi-circle before the other occupants in the room with wide, tear-filled green eyes. The professor noticed the child kept shooting glances surreptitiously towards the window and, after a moment, looked there himself.

Outside, Baruch was hovering in mid air, a wisp of green smoke with barely any form, but there nonetheless. At catching sight of Severus, the green creature smiled broadly and waved a hand making words appear.

Help on way.

Then he disappeared without further warning.

Severus felt a bit of the weight upon his shoulders lift after that and focused all of his attention back onto the present situation. He spotted his wand lying nearby from when he let go of it when Derrick's shadows and specters attacked. Cautiously lowering himself, he picked it up and noted that Harry was looking at him with wide, curious, and frightful eyes. The boy had his wand, didn't he? Yes, Severus remembered telling him at one point to always keep it close - there was no telling what certain people would do to harm the Boy-Who-Lived.

"So," Lucius was saying, "you knew we were there the entire time yet you didn't greet us? Thaddeus, I'm hurt!" When he next spoke there was a hard edge to his voice. "All the while you led us around in circles - very smart of you, staying in populated areas. But you had to stop at some point."

The latter was staring stonily back at him as his wife sobbed quietly upon the floor nearby clutching their son tightly against her. His past was coming back to haunt him, just as he knew it would and it was time to face the music. He had made many mistakes in his youth, and during those times, the wrong associations could lead one in the wrong direction from the one they should have been taking. This road he had been lead on would have inevitably lead Thaddeus to a dead end, no matter what he did and thus he had turned around and stalked back - even past more hardships. He always regretted giving his allegiance to Lord Voldemort and now he was paying for the decisions that he made those years ago.

Bad decisions always cost something - and now it was proving very expensive.

Thaddeus knew today may be his last and it was a fact that he would just have to face. He was standing before a Necromancer with his life wrapped around his little finger and a wizard whose cruelty was never below the surface. Given their knowledge on his loyalties now, his death was surely inevitable.

And if this is it, Thaddeus Nott thought, clutching his concealed wand tighter in his hand, I won't let Adenwatch me go down without a fight.

...

"So you led us here," Lucius continued, waving his wand in a precarious manner. He frowned, looking for all the world as if he would like nothing better in the world than to hear Thaddeus Nott explain his presence at Snape Manor.

"Because -," Thaddeus could feel Severus' eyes on him and felt a swell of guilt arise in his chest, "because I honestly didn't think you'd chase after me here," he finished in a whisper. He had, although unknowingly, led a mob of Death Eaters to a man he had once considered a dear friend and to the boy the wizarding world was trying so hard to keep safe - and now he felt the heat of guilt rise onto his cheeks. It was funny how it wasn't fear that made him shudder with a sudden cold despite the heat, but his shame that made him do so. Poor Thaddeus was always ruining lives - whether he meant to or not. Perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to save little Aden from St. Mary's if he was going to lead a life with only a mother, his father having been murdered because of his past loyalties.

"Safe? Here?" repeated the blonde man, amusement loud and clear in his voice. "Whatever for?" But Thaddeus would condemn no one else but himself for it was solely he that Lucius and his band of miscreants were after. After the long moment of thick silence, Lucius' eyes narrowed. "So be it," he said softly, and a malicious glint burst into flames in his icy grey eyes.

Thaddeus barely heard the word 'Crucio' leave his old companion's lips before the familiar feeling of unbearable pain raced throughout his body - his muscles straining, contracting, and burning. He never noticed the screams of Adenas the boy pleaded for Lucius to stop hurting his father. He never noticed Maura add to the horrible screams that resounded painfully around the room as another Death Eater turned her wand upon the child.

And he never noticed the doors slam open and the Aurors pour into the room.

~*~

Luke told himself that one measly cup of ale shouldn't make a person so disoriented as he was, but he found himself quite some distance away from the Apparation site that Albus had created. He stood before a tall water fountain, one foot in, really, and he quickly pulled his now wet foot out. Looking absently at the sopping mess, he glanced towards the place where he should have been and apparated there.

When he was finally with the group, Albus clapped his hands together in what seemed like a final gesture and they all began to fan out. He blinked in consternation and felt a blush rise onto his cheeks as Albus turned and walked towards him with a slight smile. "Ah, good of you to make it, Luke!" said the man. "I do hope you'll come along with me?"

The DADA teacher blinked as the ancient wizard strode towards the entrance and let himself in, then jogged to catch up. He was quite astounded at the place Severus Snape called home. It was the largest house he had ever seen in his life, but he could vaguely remember visiting the place one time in the past.

He had stopped in the middle of the entrance to look around in awe at the architecture of the manor, when loud agonized screams resounded from a room nearby.

His heart skipped a beat as Albus turned abruptly. Luke felt as if his heart had frozen over and his entire body went still as if he had been petrified at the expression upon the ancient wizard's face. The bright blue eyes with the ever present twinkle of life had disappeared and were replaced with a cold almost ice-like temperament. The lines that made the headmaster look aged and friendly like one's own beloved great-grandfather now made the man seem almost sinister and dark. With a small swish of his wand, Albus had the doors leading towards living room to the left.

Lucas followed and felt the prickling sensation at the back of his neck that told him that a few from the band of Aurors were just behind him.

Why in heaven's name was I chosen to be here? I'm more of a burden than anything else...thought the man with dread rolling unpleasantly in his stomach.

As the sound of the door banging open, the screaming still did not cease and he found himself mechanically drawing his wand and setting himself into a defensive dueling stance.

Hmm...perhaps 'training' was fruitful after all...

Another scream was added to the first and Luke was horrified to see that a child fell to the ground in a writhing heap at the end of one witch's wand. He muttered a soft, "Rictusempra!" and sent it forcefully at the assailant and didn't feel a bit of compassion as the Death Eater suffered from severe tickling. Perhaps that hadn't been the most resourceful spell to use, but she had been surprised and had not been able to use a shielding charm or counter curse, and the spell had therefore been effective. One of the Aurors paused to pat his back with an amused yet somehow nasty grin and Luke swallowed uneasily.

The Death Eaters were in for a horrible afternoon.

He didn't dare glance at Albus for fear of seeing another terrible expression of such frigidity as he had seen just a short moment before. Instead, he rushed over to the fallen figure of the child who had been held under the torture curse for only a few seconds, but had nevertheless been subject to it. The boy was young, maybe seven or eight by the look of him, and he was a tough child. He was dazed and shaken, but he seemed to forget what had just occurred and ran towards his father.

Thaddeus Nott.

This was a man that Lucas remembered from his unforgettable past, despite how much he tried to throw away that part of his memory. At present, Thaddeus was twitching upon the ground, but his cries of pain had ceased - whether from the end of the pain, or from sore vocal cords, Luke didn't know. He looked around for something that might help and was surprised when a vial was thrust in his face.

"An antidote for the after effects of the Cruciatus Curse," said Severus curtly, his eyes wandering from Lucas to Thaddeus and then back again. Luke didn't question him - the man had been one of Lord Voldemort's top Death Eaters for a reason after all. Severus Snape was one of the most highly acclaimed potions masters in the entire world.

Luke poured the contents of the vile into Thaddeus mouth and touched his throat so that the man responded by swallowing. The man's son looked at him with wide eyes that looked so awfully doleful that Lucas felt something squeeze painfully at his heart. "Please, sir," said the boy softly, his voice cracking with anxiety, "will he be all right?"

The DADA teacher turned to look up at Severus who frowned. "Of course he will be all right, that potion is flawless," said the potions master and Luke couldn't help but chuckle a bit amid the shouts and exclamations of those dueling around them. Ever the sarcastic one, Severus Snape.

A crackling hot buzz of light zipped past his ear and scorched a few hairs nearby. Luke brought his hand up to the steaming area and whirled around to see sheer pandemonium breaking loose in Severus' living room. It was suddenly hard to discern who was who - a Death Eater or an Auror. In the midst of the battle, Lucas thought that he saw a flash of silver that may have been Albus' beard reflecting in the light, but he couldn't be sure. It was beginning to darken outside as the sun set and turned the sky a bloody red. The cries of pain and anguish echoed around the room and seemed to echo within Luke's mind as he looked around helplessly next to Thaddeus and his son and wife.

Suddenly, all at once, the noise came to a sudden pause.

~*~

Harry saw Aden's new dad fall to the ground, screaming in utter agony and felt his insides freeze. Draco's dad was looking indifferently at his victim with his wooden wand pointed at the flailing figure of Thaddeus Nott. Harry didn't know what to do and was close to hysterics, when suddenly, the door slammed open and the familiar figure of Mr. Double Door swept into the room with a large horde of what Harry believed to be wizards and witches - all with their own wooden sticks drawn.

Just then, a scream caught his attention and in horror, Harry saw Aden collapse onto the floor, writhing and thrashing about on the ground just like Thaddeus. Then he heard someone yell towards the front of the room and Aden stopped twitching so awfully and Harry saw a man he remembered meeting at Hogwarts. The child couldn't remember his name, but that was irrelevant at the moment for Harry now felt indebted to him for saving his best friend's life.

Shouts of men and women saying strange words that Harry had never heard in his life resounded around the room heatedly and he sought to move behind the black cloak of Severus Snape. He looked around and panicked when he couldn't find him. There were so many people with dark cloaks on that he couldn't seem to pick out which one was the professor.

Harry ran around blindly, ducking under raised wooden sticks and flashes of light as tears began to fall down his face. He was helpless in situations such as these, and now he felt as if he was stuck in another nightmare. The only thing missing was the scary man who laughed as he tortured his innocent victims and even his own supporters. He was glad for the very fact that the scary man was not, at the moment, present. It seemed like forever until Harry spotted a familiar face and he ran towards him.

"Draco!" called Harry desperately and he saw his friend turn around and look at him with relief flooding his grey eyes. They embraced in the middle of the room and Harry quickly wiped away his tears. It seemed like so long ago since their first meeting when the young Malfoy had proclaimed that 'men don't cry.' "I can't - I can't find Severus," Harry told Draco distraughtly, looking for all the world as if pleading with Draco would make the man suddenly appear.

The platinum blonde haired boy looked around at the disarray of the room and felt a sense of remorse at the destruction of such a fine room as this one had once been. He saw no familiar faces in the whirl of figures running, dodging, and firing and found himself feeling the distress that was portrayed so clearly upon Harry's face. "He's all right - the P'fessor's always all right," he assured his friend with a tone of confidence that he sorely lacked. Harry looked at him and sniffed, still trying to wipe away stray tears as he nodded.

That was when Draco screamed in pain and fell to the ground in a convulsing heap. Harry stared transfixed at the sight of his friend in excruciating pain and looked around for something to stop it - and he could find nothing. He dropped to his knees beside the boy and shook him. "Draco! Draco!" he cried, another onset of tears making his vision blur. His stomach churned in panic and a feeling of helplessness washed over him. It was so much like his dreams except it was all happening now, around him. His own friend was being subject to the torture he had seen the scary man place upon innumerable others. "Please!"

"Damn it! That's a child!" yelled a woman angrily nearby. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry didn't hear his own scream of utter fright as a flash of green light shot towards an anonymous man. The wizard fell to the floor, lifeless as his mask slipped from his face. The boy turned his stare in horror towards the witch who had killed him. She didn't notice for her face constricted with self-shame yet grim determination all at once.

He looked away quickly and turned back to Draco to see the boy hugging himself, his face narrowed with pain. Never had Draco been subjected to such treatment in his life, and never had he ever felt such unadulterated pain before - and he never wanted to again.

"Draco, Draco are you all right?" yelled Harry above the din of the battle taking place. Draco looked dazedly at his friend and saw the boy's emerald eyes welled with tears of worry and fear and his own inner pain.

The other boy sniffed and tried to control his own crying as he nodded, still shaking with the feeling of such a horrible feeling. His mind seemed like a jumbled mess all of a sudden and he couldn't seem to control the onslaught of harsh emotions from welling and bubbling within him. It seemed like the world was going to end tonight, perhaps in only a few minutes. The chaos around him was a bloody sight and he shivered at the sight of bodies lying lifeless upon the ground, or writhing in what he believed to be the same pain he had felt himself only moments before.

At that moment, someone grasped his arm tightly and hauled him up from where he sat upon the ground. Harry himself looked up and saw Draco's father looking down at him with cold, narrowed eyes.

Draco didn't have time to shout before his father whipped out his wand and muttered, "Crucio," and Harry's eyes widened as he was besieged with sheer pain. Draco watched as his friend screamed and thrashed upon the ground and he saw what a terrifying spectacle it was.

"No!" yelled Draco, rushing forward, but he was caught roughly by his shoulder as Lucius pulled him back. His heart was pounding painfully - why was his father doing this? Harry was his friend! He was his friend - Father would never hurt anyone and anything that Draco cared about! Ever! He didn't care now that tears were falling unabashedly down his cheeks to mingle amongst those of the past and he didn't care that he shook with harsh sobs. He fought vainly against his father's strength, trying to get to his friend when suddenly a deafening scream erupted from Harry's lips.

It was so shrill that Draco stopped his struggle against his father in shock, but that wasn't the reason the rest of the room suddenly fell into a thick silence.

Harry was suddenly glowing a dark green that rivaled the color of his eyes as his writhed against the invisible forces that sent waves of pain over him. He ascended into the air, still wearing his voice away. He was trapped, trapped within the nightmares he suffered through most nights of his life. All he could see behind his tightly shut lids were the terrible green light and the scary man, laughing and pointing his wand - although this time, the man Severus had called Lord Voldemort was staring right at him. He couldn't get away now just as he could never get away before; he was living his nightmares and his fear escalated to its peak.

A figure suddenly began to materialize beside him, laughing mirthlessly as his sinister blood red eyes stared fixedly at Harry. His skin was an impossible shade of pasty white and the blue of his veins was perceptible on his hands. Upon his face he wore a smile that seemed to hold far more cruelty than even Derrick Bane's and in his hand was a wand aimed directly at the child's heart. Harry's eyes snapped open as he fought to curl into a ball against the pain. His eyes caught sight of the shape beside him and he screamed again, hurling himself away, but he was caught in the middle of a brightening orb of light that he could no longer control.

Lucius had long ago lowered his wand, staring transfixed at the figure standing beside the boy. He had enough self-control to not drop his wand as others did, but couldn't help the shudders of fear and astonishment to run through him.

Whispers and murmurs of fright circulated around the room.

"Lord Voldemort!"

"The Dark Lord returned, Merlin..."

"Bloody hell!"

The fear and helplessness that Harry Potter felt swiftly engulfed him completely until he felt that he had no choice but to give in. With a last scream, the pain increased and his back arched as he gave one last fight against it...and then he was left with nothing. He heaved a sigh and his scream faded away to nothingness. The silence left in its wake seemed more deafening than the horrible scream.

And then a wave of sheer and raw power washed over the room. The feeling was overwhelming and all in the room stood frozen, no longer staring at he whom they called Lord Voldemort, but at the boy who had defeated him. His powers whispered and weaved around him in the blinding globe of light that surrounded him. It manifested before their eyes and they had a glimpse of what raw magic looked like in reality.

Then the room imploded with unadulterated magic and power.

~*~

Luke didn't know he was backing away from the horrible sight until he knocked into Thaddeus' wife, who held her son tightly to her. All thoughts were suspended in his mind at the sight, and he vaguely figured that everyone else' were as well.

He suddenly felt a wave of raw power - untainted and complete. His breathing caught in his throat at the overwhelming feeling and he stared, entranced, at the boy whose scream was earsplitting. The boy was Harry Potter, remembered Lucas absently.

And then the boy gave one last scream before the room seemed to explode from within.

The darkness that was left in its place seemed even more dreadful the light created from only magic. A cold wind nipped around the room and only the dim light of the moon slipped into the room from the window. Luke thought that he saw a tiny figure run the place where the young Potter boy must have fallen.

Then, suddenly, the temperature seemed to drop heavily. It was abruptly freezing cold and a bitter wind nipped at their bare skin. He believed that he heard angels laughing in the distance, but later decided that that was impossible. Angels could never be in such a close proximity as the evil creatures that dashed around the room. Nasty smiles loomed before him as ethereal creatures so much like ghosts hovered towards him. With a cry he stumbled backwards as the first one charged at him, and then another. He didn't hear the screams of others as they plummeted into similar predicaments. Another wave of cold washed over him and he felt as if he was burning from the inside out - as if something was eating its way into the very depths of his soul.

And indeed, something was.

~*~

Draco knelt beside the fallen figure of his friend and shook him, his grey eye wide and bright with unshed tears. "Harry?" he whispered, almost inaudibly as his voice wavered. "Harry?" Why wasn't Harry waking up? What had happened? Did Harry make that bright light appear? And the scary man as well? Where had the suffocating feeling come from? He looked around the dark in terror. Hadn't the room exploded?

Unexpectedly, he was gripped by a sudden cold feeling - it was as if he was suddenly dropped in a cold bucket filled with ice water and slush. He looked around, terrified. There were shapes soaring around the room - darker than the darkness itself except for their eyes. Their eyes were a blood red, almost identical to the eyes of the scary man image that Harry had created. Draco heard screams of fear and agony erupt into the room all at once and doubled backwards when three of the dark shapes hurtled towards his friend.

"No!" he cried, but his voice was drowned out by the shrieks and shouts of others in the room. The dark creatures shot him one last nasty smile before they plunged into the child's body. Unconsciously, Harry's body quivered and shook, his back arching as the dark things preyed upon him. Draco rushed back over to Harry, shaking him, trying to make him wake up so that the shadows and specters might go away. "Harry! You have to get up! Wake up!" yelled the boy, but the Harry's eyes remained closed.

Draco sobbed in anguish as he looked around the room. Only a few people were being subjected to the torture of the underworld creatures, and none of them could seem to make them go away either. They, however, were writhing upon the ground, scratching at themselves as if somehow the terrible creatures preying at their souls would leave as a result. Harry was in the same predicament, but the bad thing about it was that he didn't know it.

As Draco hid his face in Harry's shoulder, he thought in grief, Maybe that's better...

At that moment, he was once again gripped at his shoulder and dragged to his feet. He turned his gaze at the figure whose hand was clenched so painfully upon his already bruised shoulder. His father wasn't looking at him, but at the other scary man whose smile was so perfect that Draco felt sick. Around him swirled even more of the terrible dark shapes. Derrick Bane was his name, Draco remembered, and suddenly, he hated the man. He hated the perfectly dark color of his hair, the beautiful sapphire blue eyes, the flawless features of his face, the unblemished skin - he hated everything about Derrick Bane. He just hated him - plain and simple. He hated him as much as the young man was perfect. Draco Malfoy hated Derrick Bane.

And he said so. He screamed it, really, and jumped at the Necromancer in a ferocious leap so strong because it was driven on merely by sheer anger. His father's grip slipped in a rare display of surprise and Draco was free for a few moments to scratch the faultless face, bite at the perfect nose, punch at the model arms, and kick at the idyllic legs. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" he cried breathlessly as he did everything in his power to hurt the man.

As Lucius dragged his son roughly away, Derrick regarded the boy with the same smile he had worn only moments before...although now it was laced with venom. His face was red with the hits he suffered and there were lines beaded with drops of blood from scratches. On his body were undoubtedly a few bruises. "Is that your son?" wondered Derrick, staring at Draco but speaking to Lucius. He seemed to ignore the screams of terror and pain that echoed around the room. Lucius nodded curtly. "Charming," murmured the young Necromancer, his smile still intact.

Draco suddenly stiffened in shock and horror as the scratches suddenly closed within themselves and the bruises disappeared. Derrick stretched, his smile now mocking. The young man glowed faintly with the color his shadows were, darker than a moonless night, before he sighed. He smirked at Draco; his smirk a rival to Lucius Malfoy's and Severus Snape's own.

Just then, Lucius gripped Derrick's arm. "Stop this," he said softly.

"Stop what?" wondered Derrick innocently, his smile bright as he regarded the man before him.

"Pull your creatures away before everyone is killed. Our magical signatures are already laid down. The Ministry will no doubt have an investigation - we cannot be caught," Lucius told him forcefully. Derrick sighed, and looked up at the ceiling, pretending to think. Lucius drew his wand and muttered so that the tip began to glow red, a similar glow glimmering around the wristband on the other man's arm. "Now, Mr. Bane."

The Necromancer regarded the blonde headed man before him coldly, and Draco noted with hatred that his smile never wavered. "Of course, Lucius my dear," he replied coldly, and waved his wand. The shadows and specters whispered malevolently as they drew back, leaving everyone gasping and twisting in the after effects of having their souls so horribly violated. They soared into Derrick, but he didn't seem to notice - he only seemed stronger because of it. "I was just playing," said Derrick with a casual shrug.

Lucius' eyes were hard as ice cubes and as cold as them as well. "Leave one for Mr. Thaddeus Nott - but do not destroy him...yet," he commanded. Derrick smiled with pleasure and whispered to a shadow nearby. It flew towards Thaddeus and then disappeared inside him. Lucius nodded and waved his wand into the air, shooting green and silver sparks. A selected few in the room followed him out the door and they apparated away.

Draco was left with only one glance around at the destruction before he was handed a stone. He looked up at his father with eyes bright with tears and his fingers curled around the object. Soon, he was pulled away into oblivion, his tears frozen in place.

~*~

Severus slowly sat up and leaned against the couch wall. His breathing was ragged and labored and his entire body was aching awfully. He looked around the room and noted how it was completely destroyed. Bodies littered the ground and severed limbs left crimson pools of blood upon the floors and carpets. He closed his eyes, burying his face into his hands.

Such destruction...

"Severus," said a man, tapping his shoulder. He looked up and saw Albus Dumbledore looking down at him. There was no twinkle in his eyes, just as the potions master knew there wouldn't be. "We must regroup and send those who are in need of medical care to St. Mungo's. Have you any floo powder?"

The potions professor nodded and slowly stood with the help of his mentor. He walked over to the fireplace and took a medium sized vase into his hands. Those who were in good condition helped others; the lifeless bodies were left for the inevitable investigation. Severus handed the floo powder to one Auror and saw Thaddeus Nott being carried away, still convulsing and twitching. Nearby, Maura Nott held Aden Nott in a tight embrace as they followed.

The potions master rubbed his eyes in fatigue and tried to regain his composure. That was when he spotted the fallen figure of a small boy in the middle of the room. He dashed over and noted the stream of blood falling from the side of the child's mouth. "Merlin," he whispered and picked Harry up.

"His powers have manifested," said someone to his right. Severus whirled around and saw Albus looking down at Harry solemnly. The ancient wizard tucked a stray tendril of ink black hair behind the boy's ear. "It was too much...too early." The headmaster sighed, the lines upon his face more prominent than before making him look even older than he was. "He will need the proper care for quite a while, but I believe he will make a full recovery and be better off because of it."

Severus nodded curtly, not hearing a word said, and headed to the fireplace. He then flooed to St. Mungo's with a broken Harry Potter lying limply in his arms.

~*~

Derrick apparated away from the Death Eaters and to Jonas' apartment. He felt the laughter that had bubbled inside him explode and he let it escape his lips. His smile was victorious as he looked at himself in the mirror. He could feel the power of life that his shadows and specters had stolen from the victims at Snape Manor welling within him and it felt great.

"This is what we're made for, brother," said Derrick into the empty room, knowing that Jonas could hear. The other Necromancer was just near the surface, but not strong enough to take over, despite how much he was struggling. "Do you see why it is that we are supposed to use our shadows?" He laughed. "We are stronger because of it and our Mistress Death rejoices!"

Jonas could do nothing as he watched as if from a distance through his own eyes as his brother pulled out the piece of canvas that had earlier hung on his apartment door.

"I told you once, Jonas, that we would always be together," whispered Derrick with a smile, looking at the painting. "You drew us facing one another, opposites, light and dark...but we're more alike than you know." He laughed again and froze the work of art, making it hard as stone. "We will be together forever." He hurled the stiff painting against the wall and relished the sound as it crashed, breaking into millions of pieces. "We're one now...and nothing will ever separate us again," said Derrick softly, a smile dancing upon his face as he looked at himself in the mirror once again.

And Jonas, in one last act of defiance, broke free from the dark grasp that held him so tightly within his own soul and screamed, releasing all the dark energy he had pent up inside himself.

The last thing he would ever see was the shattered mirror and a set of sapphire blue eyes swirling with a tinge of obsidian staring triumphantly back at him.