6 Regret? Is that a kind of Powerup?

Harry continued to interrogate the Dursleys but found they were almost as in the dark as he was. All they knew was off-handed comments from Lily whenever she returned home from that magic school, or the letter sent by Dumbledore.

It was a bit disappointing to be frank, but Harry didn't let it get him too down. The finale was still to be had, after all.

"Last question..." he states, not feeling an ounce of forgiveness for the family. Sure, they might've been forced to take care of him, but that didn't excuse treating him like a slave all these years. Nor the beatings, nor their fear of him... Actually, scratch that. They were right to fear him, they just hadn't gone about it properly.

He smiles to himself at the thought before locking eyes with Petunia, "I know you never loved me, but did you feel bad for what you did? Even for a moment? Did you ever question what you've done to me?"

"Ha!" Vernon scornfully bays, "After all this!? We're only wrong in not putting you down sooner!"

Harry wheels on the man with a scathing glare, "Did our chat make you forget that I just cut off your son's ear!?"

"You haven't the balls to do anything to us. The freaks will know. The police will know. You're in enough shit as it is, boy!" he sneers.

"I see..." Harry utters, glancing behind him at Petunia, "Is that your answer, Auntie?"

"W-what do you want me to say!? We never wanted you! I never wanted you! I wish you had died with Lily and her freak husband and left my family alone! H-how am I supposed to regret the past after THIS!?"

He smiles, "Good. I wouldn't want to regret what happens next." he states and swiftly gags them, before walking to the side of the room and retrieving some badly made candles. These had been of his own creation due to his third ritual, apparently magically inert materials like soy wax or whatever it was is less than advised, for sacrificial rituals at least.

After his fourth ritual he'd melted them down and added his blood like he had for the paint of the circle. Of course his next ritual had been a failure too, but it was progress at the time.

This ritual however was more slapped together than he'd have liked. Especially with the stakes he was fronting. Unfortunately, he'd been on a time limit. He doubted he could keep the trio tied up like this for however long it'd take to properly devise a new one.

Regardless, he couldn't find it within himself to care. Slowly, he placed the candles around the circle, lighting them with a lighter as he spoke to them. "I hope you all know, had you shown me the barest care, a fraction of even a hint of kindness, things might've been different.

You treated me like a slave for years, forced me to dumb myself down so Duddikins didn't look like the stupid wretch he was in class." he jabs a candle in Dudley's direction before looking to Vernon, "You beat me like a dog at the drop of a hat. Starved me for days, maybe weeks, forced me to shit in the garden... You killed my best-, only friend." he scowls hard as he turns to Petunia.

"And you, you liked to make out your hands were clean in all this, like you were some fucking saint! All while you made me sleep in a cupboard! Told lies to people that I was a thug, a criminal! You even forced me to do all the chores around the house, as if the starvation and beating weren't enough!... You're a housewife with no job, and you made me do all the work you had, you useless cow!..." he takes a moment to catch a breath from his rant.

He places the last candle and lights it before stepping into the centre of the ritual circle, "And you know what? I would've accepted it! Accepted all of it, if you'd told me once... Just once... That you loved me." he turns away from Petunia and wipes his moist eyes. "A single lie, that's all it took... And you couldn't even do that."

Staring at them, he could feel his sadness washing away, allowing anger and rage to bubble up from within. He hated them, more than anything in this shit world. Whatever reasons they had, justifications, they weren't good enough.

He closes his and turns his head to the sky while holding his arms out. "Are you three ready? Excited? I know I am." he lets out a low, nervous chuckle as he begins loudly, "Gods! Spirits! Devils! Great Beings! I beseech each and every one of you who is willing to listen and heed my call!" he shouts and immediately the lights of the house begin flickering, the Dursley's eyes widening as they panic in their seats for the apparent devilry.

"I, Harry Potter call to you, and present an offer most generous! Not just for this soul I possess, but that of my entire family! Blood unto blood, blood from blood, blood of my blood... What greater or sweeter sacrifice than total familicide!?" he exclaims, inwardly feeling like a car salesman. Despite his worry that his chant was too much, the fires of the candles turning an eerie green meant it was working well enough.

"I do not offer this lightly! Nor do I offer this for free! I seek a deal, a bargain! These souls for power! The power to snatch my freedom from those who wish to take it! And to stay free, beyond the bonds of those who wish to bind me!" he exclaims, and while the candles dull momentarily, they soon flare up again with greater light.

The windows of the house freeze over and crack, a few even quietly crumbling to particles and allowing a cold breeze to flow through the property. The dark around the room grew darker, and he felt as if he was being watched from every angle... It was terrifying, and exhilarating.

Feeling his confidence grow at the seeming effectiveness at the ritual, he continues. He scans his eyes over the Dursleys who were collectively wishing they were anywhere else, unfortunately for them, he'd run out of mercy. He doubted the beings he'd drawn the attention of would let them go now either. "Now comes the fun part." he grins, "Let's start with, oldest to youngest... No..." he hums, "I want you, Uncle, to watch me butcher them." he steps to Dudley who shakes and shudders in his seat, eyes pleading for mercy.

"It's ironic isn't it Dudley? All those times you went Harry hunting, you never did learn how to skin, or butcher. I suppose it falls on me to teach you." he raises the knife and brings it to the boy's scalp, ready to carve the flesh from the boy's head.

"Aren't I a good cousin?"

"MMMMMMMMMMFFFPPPHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

-----------------------

Vernon and Petunia watch on in abject horror as the freak, no, demon, takes Dudley apart piece by piece. First scalping him before moving on to other non-essential areas. Cutting fingers, toes, and even the boy's nose.

Covered in blood but still alive, Harry leaves Dudley and steps to Petunia, who sobs in her char, giving muffled pleas from her bondage.

"Don't worry about that diet auntie, when I'm done you'll feel the weight practically fall off of you." he raises the knife.

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With Petunia now missing most digits, breasts, and most of her face, Harry shoots Vernon an eager grin. He was completely covered in their blood, but the metallic stench only invigorated him, the strange energy he'd interpreted to be his magic feeling fit to burst. The flames from the candles had grown even larger, now akin to green pillars that somehow didn't burn straight through the ceiling.

"Your turn, Uncle. Did you think I'd forgotten you? No. I wanted to save the best for last!... What's that? You're sorry? Oh, well! That just makes it all better then!" he laughs as he turns to the two barely alive Dursleys, "Did you hear that!? He's sorry! SORRY! Isn't that just hilarious!?" he gives a forced laugh as he walk to Vernon, and swiftly plunges the knife into the man's stomach. He doesn't do this just once, or twice, but as many times as he body could manage, not even caring to draw this one out.

"DOES IT HURT!? DOES. IT. HURT!?" he shouts at the top of his lungs as he continues the assault, not even taking a moment to notice the entrails and other viscera leaking from the many wounds, "YOU-. MADE-. ME-. DO-. THIS!! I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU! JUST DIE! FUCKING DIE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" he roars, finally plunging the knife into the man's heart.

Vernon was too weak at that point to even give a squeak... Or maybe he was already dead?

Harry sucks in a breath and wipes away the tears from his face, or blood splatter? Both? He looks down admiring his uncle's deceased form and sniffles slightly, squashing the rising urge to sob within himself, though whether he was going to cry from sorrow, happiness, or sheer relief, he wasn't sure.. "I-I'm not afraid of you anymore." he growls, before walking over and slicing the throat of Petunia and Dudley, ending them.

Feeling the heat from candles growing, he steps back to the centre and cuts deeply into his palm, allowing the blood to spill across the pentagram. ~THE BARGAIN IS COMPLETE! THE PRICE IS DUE! COME, GREAT BEINGS OF POWER! BESTOW UPON ME POWER! FREEDOM!~ he shouts at the top of his lungs, unaware he'd ended up slipping into snake speak.

With his final words spoken and a final blast of fire, the candles return back to their normal size, momentarily making Harry believe everything had been for nought... Only, behind the candles shadows steadily grew.

Snakes made from shadow sprung from the ground and slithered around the room, five of them swimming through the air like piranhas circling prey. One suddenly dives into the body of Vernon, bursting through his chest and out the other side with something, a dim white orb in its mouth.

The same happens to Petunia and Dudley, two snakes stealing what Harry could only interpret as their souls before dissipating back into darkness... Leaving two approaching Harry himself.

He was scared, he admitted to himself. But quickly accepted his fate and held his arms out. One snake took this as an invitation and dove at him... Through his chest and out his back, clutching a brighter soul than what'd been taken from the Dursleys.

It must've been his... Though, he didn't feel like he'd had his soul taken?

The next snake approached, darting time at his face, specifically, his scar. This wasn't as smooth as the other times however. Instead of going straight through it felt almost like resistance. An unearthly scream suddenly erupted as black tar squirted disgustingly from his scar, and the sensation of someone pulling his brain through it started, almost causing him to drop to his knees from the sheer agony of it.

~LET GO! CEASE! BEGONE FOUL CREATURE! I AM LORD V-~ an unfamiliar voice shouted before the pain finally stopped, the shadow snake exited his scar with a black shard in its mouth. Tendrils were still connecting it to his scar like unwilling glue, but soon whatever it is broke, and the tendrils snapped back into his scar as the snake flew off with the strange-looking soul.

Just what was going on here!?

Once the snakes had all vanished, the ritual circle at his feet suddenly lit up, bright enough that it was like staring at the sun. He tried to lift his leg but found himself stuck to the ground... Then, the burning started.

Scorching hot PAIN ran up his legs and infused into the rest of his body without relenting. Without any mercy whatsoever!

Harry couldn't stifle his screams any longer as he dropped to his knees and blacked out...