Nemesis

Chapter 3

"Hey Harry!" said Ron as he walked in, "I've brought you some news."

Harry looked up enquiringly.

"Malfoy wasn't there at breakfast today...word's going around that his parents died. Good riddance, I say!"

"Ron! How can you say that!" cried Hermione, shocked to the core.

"It's true," said Harry quietly, "Voldemort killed the Malfoys."

"How'd you know?" asked Ron.

"I saw it," said Harry simply.

"Didn't you - aren't you supposed to - you didn't! Oh, Harry, you must close your mind every night!" exclaimed Hermione.

"I fell asleep suddenly yesterday, Hermione."

Hermione didn't say anything.

"What'd you see?" asked Ron.

Harry told them everything, including the part where he had comforted Malfoy.

"You did WHAT?" was Ron's reaction.

"You did the right thing, Harry," said Hermione, patting his hand, "I'm proud of you."

"Hermione, this is Malfoy we're talking about!" cried Ron.

"Ron, losing one's parents is not worth anything. I know it better than anyone else. And no one deserves that. Not even Malfoy," said Harry quietly.

Ron looked chastised. Hermione's eyes shone with tears.

"You're a great person, Harry," he said softly.

Harry blushed and said, "Nah, just an unlucky one."

"That's what makes you even greater."

"Shut it, Hermione. He's so red that we can fry eggs on his face!" said Ron, rescuing his best friend.

"That makes him the greatest!" continued Hermione.

Ron snorted. Harry looked everywhere except at Hermione. She was laughing softly.

"You can look up, now, I won't compliment you any more," she said. Harry looked up at her, feeling rather awkward.

"So, what's up?" he asked, trying to sound normal.

"Nothing much," said Hermione. She paused, and then asked sternly, "Have you done your homework?"

Harry shook his head guiltily.

"Harry - you must study! We have our N.E.W.T.s this year! And you're Head Boy! You must get good grades. It's necessary for your career, too!"

"Hermione! The guy's sick!" exclaimed a very shocked Ron. Harry did his best to give her a puppy eyed look.

"Dumbledore-," he began, but Hermione cut him off.

"Oh, all right," she said, giving Ron a reproachful glance, "you can do it later, I guess."

It was the boys' turn to be shocked.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?" asked Ron suspiciously. Harry gave her a look as well. Hermione laughed. Soon, they were all laughing, all three of them. Just then Draco walked in.

"Potter, I-," he began, then stopped short on seeing the laughing faces of Ron and Hermione next to Harry's equally happy one. His lip curled into a sneer, though his red-rimmed eyes betrayed a hurt look.

"So, you've been having a joke at my expense? I would never have guessed that St. Potter had a sadistic streak...I thought you were genuinely sorry last night - my, my - it looks as though I was sadly deceived," he said, his voice dripping ice.

Ron, red with anger, jumped from his seat, Hermione trying to restrain him in vain, and yelled, "You git! Sod off!"

"How very eloquent, Weasley," came the sarcastic reply.

Harry held up a hand.

"We were not making fun of you, Draco," he said quietly, "we were laughing because Hermione said that I leave my homework until later."

"Oh, so the great hero is a smooth liar, too! Maybe you should have been in Slytherin, Potter! At least make up a plausible statement. Mudblood saying not to do your homework, indeed!" exclaimed Draco, pink spots appearing on his pale cheeks.

"You dirty, evil ferret!" Ron yelled and struggled from Hermione's grasp to rush and punch Malfoy.

"I didn't lie, Draco. It's true. Please don't use the term 'Mudblood' again; it's offensive. And well, I was almost Sorted into Slytherin. I begged the Hat not to put me there, and it put me in Gryffindor reluctantly," said Harry in a gentle voice.

A shocked silence followed. Ron stared at Harry as if he had grown an extra head. Draco's expression was rather similar. Hermione nodded and murmured something to herself.

"Come and sit with us, Draco," said Harry, "we may not exactly be friends, but I seem to remember that you once offered me your hand. I do the same to you now."

Draco Malfoy stared at his arch-rival for a whole minute in absolute shock. He looked at the outstretched hand and then at Harry's sincere face. He also vaguely noticed Ron looking livid and Hermione looking proud of Harry and annoyed with Ron at the same time. A look of great satisfaction appeared on his face and he advanced towards Harry.

"I accept, Potter," said the blonde and shook Harry's hand. As he did so, a pain worse than the Cruciatus shot through Harry. He could hear faint sounds of Ron and Hermione shouting as they were stunned. Harry made a great effort and opened his eyes.

"Hello, Voldemort," he hissed.

Draco's visage contorted to Voldemort's hideous countenance. He laughed.

"Always the hero, Harry? Tried to save Draco? He joined me before term started..."

"Why did you kill the Malfoys?"

"But I didn't, my dear Harry," Voldemort chuckled, "how can I kill my most loyal servants? They're all alive and well."

"But I saw..."

"You trust your eyes too much, my boy, too much for your own good. I thought your Godfather's death might improve that, but I needn't have feared. You're as weak as ever."

The thought of Sirius made Harry feel a pang of sudden guilt and remorse. It was with great difficulty that he controlled the expression on his face.

"Now what?" he asked Voldemort quietly, succeeding in his efforts to keep his voice calm.

"I offer you my hand - join me."

"Never!"

"Tut, tut, Harry. That's not the way to talk to your elders. Weren't you the one offering me your hand a few minutes earlier?"

"I thought you were Draco."

"Pathetic excuse."

"It's not an excuse."

"It is."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

Lord Voldemort suddenly burst out laughing.

"Look what you've done, now. You have the distinct honour of being the first person to bicker with the Dark Lord."

"You think I care?"

"Now, Harry, don't be rude."

"You don't deserve politeness."

"Harry, that's no way to talk to your Great-Uncle, is it?"

"What?"

Voldemort looked like a cat that has just finished a bowl of fresh cream. He positively purred.

"My, my, Harry. Didn't you know?"

Harry was torn between curiosity and revulsion of having to learn something from Lord Voldemort. Curiosity won. He shook his head very slowly.

"Oh dear," said Voldemort, his thin lips curving into a cruel smile, making him look even more predatory, "it seems I shall have to educate you about your family."

Harry said nothing. He was dying to know what his enemy would say. No one had ever told him anything about his family except bits about his mother and father.

"What do you know about Snape?"

"He's our Potions teacher."

"You know more, Harry."

"He's a Death Eater."

Voldemort looked startled.

"So, you do know that? I wonder how you knew...is he a spy, after all?"

Harry remained silent.

"Severus Snape..." said Voldemort dreamily, "he was always my favourite nephew..."

"Your what?" Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Be quiet, Harry. Learn to listen. Crucio!"

Voldemort chuckled as Harry writhed in pain.

"Now, Harry," laughed Voldemort as he lifted the curse when Harry had become to agonised to scream, "I shall tell you your true heritage."

Harry looked up at his nemesis painfully, his eyes full of hatred.

"Don't look at me like that, my dear, we're family."

"NO!"

"Oh yes. My mother, you see, was not a single child. She had a brother and a sister, too...my aunt and uncle...but she was disinherited when she ran off to marry a Muggle..."

Harry stared at the Dark Lord.

"My cousin, my uncle Randolph's daughter, Deidre Evans, married Septemius Snape and they had a son - Severus, my nephew. My uncle's son, Jules, a squib, was sent to the Muggle world when his lack of magic was discovered. He fathered Lily Evans - your mother, my neice. My aunt Nefartina was married to Octavius Malfoy, Lucius' grandfather. That makes Lucius my nephew, too."

"What about Aunt Petunia?" asked Harry before he could stop himself, then decided he might as well extract information and continued, "Isn't Aunt Petunia your niece, too? She's a Muggle!"

Voldemort gave a long-suffering sigh and muttered, "You are slow, aren't you?"

Harry gave him a quizzical look.

"Your Aunt Petunia was your Muggle grandmother's child by her first marriage. Her father was a Muggle."

"Oh, I see."

"So now, my grandchild...the only one in the family, I should say...what do you say? You could join me..."

"Do you really expect me to believe all this fantastic stuff you've told me?"

"Really, Harry. You do try my patience too much."

Harry screamed in agony as he was hit by yet another Cruciatus curse. But Voldemort removed this one soon enough.

"Why should I believe you?" asked Harry defiantly.

"Because it is the truth, my child. Have you never wondered why I was reluctant to kill your mother when I had not spared anyone before? I believe you have heard the last scene of her life when you are near Dementors. Have you never wondered why I offered her mercy?"

That sent Harry's mind reeling. Come to think of it, why had it not struck him? Voldemort had actually offered his mother her life in return for his...but she had refused.

"To show you more evidence, I suggest you take a look at this," said Voldemort. He waved his wand and the name 'Severus Snape' appeared in the air. He waved his wand again and the letters arranged themselves to read 'Perseus Evans'.

"Aunt Deidre wanted to name him that...Septemius refused...so they settled for the anagram...ask Severus if you don't believe me..."

"Did my mother know?"

"Of course. It seems idiotic to me that no one told you about this before. All of them know."

Harry shut his eyes tightly, trying his best not to cry. He would not let the monster in front of him take advantage of his emotional weakness.

"Harry, Harry," said Voldemort, patting his shoulder and causing his scar to burn as if on fire, "I do think I have made my point. Now, will you join me?"

"No," said Harry calmly.

Voldemort looked surprised.

"But why?"

"Do you think I don't know what you are trying to do? You may have told me the truth...I'm inclined to believe it. But that does not mean that I'll join you. You're here to kill me. Even if I do join you, you'll kill me. You know the prophecy."

Voldemort sneered.

"Hmm. You're not as stupid as you seem to be. Well, you're right. I'm here to kill you. How should I start? Maybe I need to finish off these friends of yours to teach you a lesson? Then I can kill you easily. These two are your strength, aren't they? I'm disappointed at your choice where blood is concerned - a Mudblood and a Blood-traitor, but I appreciate the Mudblood's brains...now, she could have been a useful ally to me...a pity. To business," Lord Voldemort pointed his wand straight at the Stunned figure of Hermione and shouted, "Avada..."

"YOU WON'T!" shouted Harry and flew out of his bed, catching Voldemort's thin, pale neck tightly in his fingers. He pressed and pressed until Voldemort became limp, dead. Harry flopped down on the bed.

Madam Pomfrey chose that moment to walk in. One look at the dead body of Voldemort and she ran off screaming for Dumbledore. Soon enough, the entire staff of Hogwarts was assembled in the room. The first thing they did was to Enervate Ron and Hermione.

Harry, too exhausted to sit up, lay back in his bed and slowly related what had happened in a dry, raspy voice. When he finished, everyone stared at him in shock. Then suddenly, Hermione threw herself on him and sobbed. Ron looked like a fish with his mouth open. He finally found his tongue and said, "Well done, mate" in an awed voice.

"Very well done, Harry. Congratulations. You have saved us all," said Dumbledore. Then he put his hands together and clapped. Everyone else started clapping, too.

Harry stared at them for a while, his face devoid of any emotion. He couldn't understand it at all. Had he just killed Voldemort with his bare hands? The greatest and the most evil wizard of all times had died by mere asphyxiation? A Muggle method of killing, at that. The very thing Voldemort hated with all his might. Had the Dark Lord ever imagined that he could be killed like that? He had shielded himself against the most powerful of curses...he had even defied the Killing Curse...but he couldn't do anything when Harry's fingers had grabbed his neck...how ironic...

Harry laughed at the irony of it all. Never, not even in his wildest dreams, had he imagined that killing Voldemort would be so easy...it seemed as though he had wasted all these years training for duels and all...a wild, manic laughter echoed in his ears. He wondered who was laughing like that...it was cold, frightening...dangerous...like Voldemort...

"Harry? HARRY! Stop laughing!" came Hermione's voice. Harry looked uncomprehendingly at her and then realised with a start that the horrible laughter was issuing from his lips...

He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't. His friends and the faculty all glanced at him concernedly.

"He's hysterical!" cried Hermione. She suddenly slapped him hard. Harry stopped laughing and stared at her in shock.

"You hit me?" he asked her incredulously, then got smothered by her hug.

"She had to, mate. You were getting hysterical," said Ron.

"Thanks, Hermione," said Harry gratefully, "I was just thinking...about him..." he indicated Voldemort's corpse.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked solicitously. The teachers slipped away quietly, leaving the three friends together. Lord Voldemort's body disappeared as well.

"Yeah."

"It's over, Harry. Thanks to you," said Ron.

They were entangled in a three way hug for quite some time after that.

"I can't believe I trusted Malfoy..." said Harry, when they finally broke apart.

"I think you did the right thing, Harry. You are a good person, and Voldemort tried to take advantage of that...he couldn't, though. Mind telling us what happened?" asked Hermione.

Harry threw her a grateful look.

"Well, he threatened to kill you two if I didn't join him...I lost my temper and strangled him..."

"You strangled him?" Ron asked in a small voice.

"Yeah."

"You mean, you just...pressed your fingers against his neck?"

"Yes, Ron."

Ron stared at him with a look of awe and admiration.

"Wow, Harry," was all he could manage to say.

"Figures," said Hermione.

"What?" Harry asked her.

"He had made himself immune to magical methods of killing...a Muggle method did him in...it's rather ironic, really..."

"Yeah. He thought Muggles were unimportant and useless...and he was too arrogant to think that he was in any danger of being killed their way...that proved to be his downfall in the end..."

Hermione suddenly shivered.

"It's over. Don't let's talk of that anymore," she said. The boys nodded.

A sudden knock on the door startled them.

"Come in," said Harry, being the first to recover. Professor Snape walked in, looking rather awkward.

"Potter, I - I thought that there's something you ought to know now that the Dark Lord is gone. I am your Uncle. Your mother's cousin. And I would be glad to provide you with a house if you wish to."

Ron looked very green. His colour slowly changed to red indicating that he was very angry. But for once, he kept his mouth tightly shut. Hermione gaped at Snape with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Harry nodded and murmured, "I know. Voldemort told me."

The other three occupants stared at him in shock and shouted unanimously, "WHAT?"

Harry sighed heavily and proceeded to relate what had taken place between him and his nemesis. He hung his head when he finished.

"Oh Harry!" cried Hermione and threw her arms around him. He found the gesture very warm and comfortable. Hermione hadn't rejected him. His heart swelled with happiness.

"Tough luck, mate. Can't imagine you being related to all that scum!" said Ron, indignant. It took Harry a moment to realise that Ron was angry on his behalf.

"It's not fair," Ron cried, continuing his tirade, "why can't a nice guy like Harry have a single decent relative? It's not fair at all!"

Harry shot him a grateful look. He was happy beyond words to find that his friends were not disgusted with him because of his ancestry. They were still his friends! He felt a sudden warmth for Ron and Hermione.

"Well, you're practically a Weasley...you don't need to go to Snape...you're always welcome at our house!"

"Thank you, Ron," said Harry quietly, "but I think I would like to give Uncle Severus a chance..."

Snape looked at Harry with a peculiar expression on his face - something they had never seen before.

"Thank you...Harry," said the greasy-haired Professor. He turned to Ron.

"Mr. Weasley, under normal circumstances, I would deduct points from Gryffindor for your disrespect towards a teacher, but since this is an exceptional situation and we are all very relieved that Harry got rid of the Dark Lord, I shall let you go. But," he paused and sneered, "one word about this leaks out and you shall have detention for the rest of your Hogwarts days and wish that you hadn't been born."

Ron looked properly chastised.

"Uh...thank you, sir. I'll do that," he said, shakily.

"Harry?" Snape turned to his nephew.

"Yes, sir?"

"Things might change a bit in our Potions classes. But I shall expect nothing less than perfect potions from you. If you ever neglect your studies..."

The menacing look Snape gave Harry would have made him shiver had he been an ordinary boy. But he was not. He was the-Boy-Who-Defeated-Voldemort, and consequently, not so easily frightened. Harry smiled at his teacher.

"I understand, sir."

"Good," said Snape, "Later, then." He left the room with a swish of his black robes.

"Thanks guys...I can't tell you how much your support means to me..." began Harry, but Hermione placed a finger on his lips.

"It's ok," she said.

"We're friends," said Ron, "almost family. In fact, there are some ways in which we three are more of a family than the entire clan of Weasleys."

Harry smiled at his friends.

"Now, we ought to get back to studies...we have to be prepared for our N.E.W.T.s..." said Hermione, "and we can study without any disturbances now..."

"Oh no," said Ron hoarsely.

Harry rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. Ron's mouth hung open in shock and Hermione let out a sudden ejaculation.

"Harry! Where's your scar?"

~Fin~