Chapter 19.

Chapter 19

The Nightmare Man

Summary: In the depths of the Ministry, there is a cell for the world's most dangerous man… and he wants out.

Pairing/s: None.

Warnings: Time travel, OOC-characters, Light!bashing, Twisted!Harry, Evil!Harry, violence, mention of gore. Yeah, stuff like that.

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter nor do I make any money writing this.

-o-

Warnings for this chapter: Description of gore and violence, be prepared for that!

Edited 2021

-o-

Chapter Nineteen

When Voldemort visited the Nightmare Lord again he was at least sitting up, surrounded by papers and…

"Is that a heart in a jar?" he wondered, pointing at said jar that was nestled close to Harrison's hip.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"A few of my Inferi presented it to me," Harrison replied as he poured over a map. "A get-well present, I think it was rather sweet of them. Elise wasn't as amused."

"Let me guess; she was the one who had to change your sheets?"

"I insisted it was fine, but oh no, suddenly she's developed some sort of common sense and wants fresh sheets," he said and rolled his eyes. "She's perfectly well aware of how often I've slept in a bloodied bed."

"Did you kill someone in it before it?" Voldemort wondered.

"Merlin, no. I just didn't bother taking a bath before bed. Messy days… you know, I might be having some troubles getting into Hogwarts now."

"You do?" Voldemort came closer. "I thought you could control the wards."

"The old ones, yes. But rescuing Harry in that dramatic manner will most likely tell Dumbledore a few things, including the fact I can pass through the wards. He's probably put new ones up to try and stop me from coming in again."

"We can break through it," the Dark Lord said.

"Yes. He could also have tried to make the old wards reject me."

"But you made them!"

"Yes again, so he probably won't be as successful as he would want to be. It'll be fine, though. If the wards won't obey me, I'll make the castle hear me and then obey me if she knows what's good for her students."

"The castle is a building, not a sentient being."

"She's not strictly alive," Harrison admitted. "She is… aware. I noticed it when the four founders first started building her. Already then she was more than just rocks and rooms and corridors. She was something that made me feel safe. Why do you think everyone feels safe in her? Because she wants them to be safe."

"Oh… I never considered it that way."

"She's not always successful, mind. People do get hurt inside of her. Hogwarts is aware but not always fast. Sometimes I got the feeling that she sleeps a lot. There was this lulling sensation, an unexplained tiredness… ever felt that?"

"Once or twice now that you mention it."

"Anyway, no trouble," Harrison said. "As I'm not allowed out of the bed I'm checking the maps over the school and the grounds. I'll be doing some tests. Yes, how are we doing on the invasion of the Ministry?"

"The plan is almost ready. I have some back-up plans too. Right now the Ministry is unstable so it shouldn't be so hard to take over to be honest."

"Oh, yes, I would imagine it to be a bit messy there. How did they take the Minister's abrupt departure?"

"You mean his violent death?"

"Yes, what's wrong with calling it abrupt departure?"

"Unusually modest of you to just call it just that."

"Voldemort, how did they take it?"

"They're calling for your blood," Voldemort answered. "It was quite entertaining to listen in on actually."

"Too bad I missed it. I always love hearing people's opinions on me."

"They hate you."

"Yes. I love that. Hate makes one sloppy and stupid; I know that better than anyone."

"Meaning you've been stupid?"

"Ask Elise and she'll cheerfully tell you I'm an idiot," Harrison said. "Just look at me, being taken down by Cornelius Fudge, practically a baby in my eyes! He managed to rip my lungs out, what does that say about me?"

"You're letting your guard down far too much. Either way, it's best to take advantage of the chaos. Lucius says it won't be calming down for a while. He has to tread carefully though."

"You said he'd be fine."

"Dumbledore is creating trouble," Voldemort replied with a shrug.

"Oh, probably because I took his triumph card away."

"Speaking of which, how is that brat doing?"

"Harry? He's fine. We're trying to keep up with his studies but Severus is the only one who's ever been an official teacher so… slow going there. But other than that he's fine. He hasn't talked about his parents, or his friends though."

"He abandoned them."

"Yes, but still… oh well, what do I know about that sort of thing? I never had any parents to abandon and I killed my friends rather than leaving them behind."

"You must have been such a joy to be around when you were young," Voldemort said.

"Shush you. Are you certain Lucius will be alright?"

"Worried about him?"

"… He has a pretty face. I like pretty faces."

Voldemort sighed and shook his head. Harrison tilted his head and continued:

"What? I'm not allowed to look at pretty things?"

"I hardly think he'll take it as a compliment."

"No? He should."

"Are you that vain?"

"Like you aren't," Harrison replied.

"I don't form my servants into pretty things."

"Well, I do," the Nightmare Lord said. "Does it mean I have better taste or that I'm just really vain?"

Voldemort just looked at him and Harrison continued:

"It's the latter isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Keep on planning, and testing. I want it done and over with already."

"Eager to control magical Britain?" Harrison said with a grin.

"I will change it for the better. What, are you going to take over?"

Harrison looked up from his papers. Voldemort was still standing next to the bed; his wand was within easy reach. The Nightmare Lord was sitting in bed, probably not up to a hundred percent health yet. The Dark Lord should have the advantage in this situation but he felt horribly unprepared. He felt like he was the one sitting in bed, not having full lungs to work with. Plus there was something with Harrison's eyes… something frightening…

Then Harrison smiled and the fear washed away.

"Nah," he said. "Too much trouble. I hate politics."

"Politics rules the world, whether you like it or not."

"Then I agree with the one I think sound right, and let them care about it," Harrison continued. "Meaning you. Good luck."

"You know, you aren't very caring of the world."

"You just have to know my name to realize that. I gained it by being a horrible, horrible person and I'm surprised Elise and Lucian has forgiven me for all I've done."

"You didn't compel them to automatically forgive you?"

"No, that's boring. Anyway, I was horrible towards them before someone made me realize how much of a twat I was. Hmm, maybe if I go from the Forbidden Forest…?"

"That forest has many creatures in it."

"Yes, yes, and I have Dementors. Dementors are scary and they eat anything that has a soul."

"True," Voldemort conceded and started moving the papers around too. "One question."

"What?"

"What will happen if you try to get out of bed right now?"

"Elise will tie me down. With chains fuelled by magic I believe. Scary girl that."

Said scary girl came a half-hour later and a frown was on her face when she saw them. Harrison threw up his hands and said:

"I am on the bed, I am resting as you bloody well call it and don't you say a word about my lungs. I got one working just fine!"

"One is not enough," she said and took some papers away. "You have time."

"I'm bored!"

"I'll have someone read for you then."

"I don't want to have a book read for me," the Nightmare Lord said, "I am not a child."

"No, you're just an idiot master who cares nothing for his own well-being."

"True, but that doesn't mean I can't read a paper. Several papers… well, and do some planning but honestly woman! I haven't gotten up from the bed!"

"Where did the papers come from?"

"I had Severus get them for me."

"Are you bleeding?"

"No!"

Voldemort watched the two almost shout at each other. More of the old image he once held of the Nightmare Lord crumbled. Harrison was much, much different than the Dark Lord ever imagined. Perhaps his view of the man as a cold-hearted creature had been true once but not now.

The man before him was perhaps old but still wise and powerful. Yet he was much like a child, he was naïve or foolish, took too many risks and cared little for his own body. Voldemort had never seen such a conflicting personality before. Harrison was childish, he was cruel, he was sad and lonely, he was full of laughter and love, then gleeful about killing someone… it made Voldemort dizzy to try and understand him.

"Do either of you need anything?" Elise finally said. "Food or drinks? Master needs to eat."

"Master picks his own time to eat," Harrison said.

"Not when you're recovering."

"Fine, get me whatever you think I need with the exception of asparagus."

"I only gave it to you once."

"Yes, and remember who I spitefully threw up on," Harrison said. "And no cold, over-boiled vegetables."

"No sane person would serve cold, over-boiled vegetables, master."

"I didn't know you were sane, Elise."

"Everyone is saner than you, master. Voldemort, would you like something?"

Voldemort requested tea before turning his attention to Harrison.

"That was quite specific," he said. "Why those two in particular?"

"I hate them the most. That was practically all I got to eat as a child so it's not the taste. It's the association to where I got them from that makes me hate them."

Something Voldemort could relate to given his own childhood. He wondered if Harrison knew that. It wouldn't surprise him if the Nightmare Lord did. It seemed like the sort of information he just creepily knows about but if that's the case here and now, at least he's tactful enough not to mention it.

-o-

Albus Dumbledore had never experienced much setback throughout his long life. Most people didn't stand a chance against him in the end. Voldemort had proven to be a challenge and then the Nightmare Lord appeared to muck it all up when the snare had begun to tighten around the Dark Lord.

Harry Potter was a vital instrument for Albus' goal. He didn't think that Harry could win a duel against Voldemort. The boy was just that; a boy. Voldemort was almost seventy years old and immensely powerful. Not as powerful as Albus of course, but he was difficult to kill. Especially with all those Horcruxes.

Of course he'd seen it in Harry Potter, seen the wretched soul of Voldemort. The boy couldn't be allowed to live. It pained Albus to send James' and Lily's son to his own death but Lily was young enough to have more children. After a grief period of course, once Voldemort was dead.

That had been the plan. Train Harry to fail and get killed by Voldemort. It would have worked too, but the Nightmare Lord destroyed it all. He stole Harry. Harry wouldn't go of his own free will; he had been manipulated naturally. The Nightmare Lord must be good at that; perhaps even better than Albus.

Sure, he didn't have the mild manner, but he completely converted Severus and now Harry. He stole them from the Light only to lead them into shadow and darkness.

It definitely didn't help that the Nightmare Lord had killed Cornelius Fudge as well. Once they could move, and didn't find Harry anywhere nearby, the Order had set out and found the scene. The massacre. Aurors strewn around the snow, patterns of blood in the whiteness, along with a few Order members. The Nightmare Lord had drenched the earth with their blood.

So Albus had troubles now. He was but one man. Could he truly defeat two dark lords? For defeat them both they must. His Order members' thoughts were also scattered. Lily had completely abandoned the thought of defeating Voldemort. All she wanted to do was kill or capture the Nightmare Lord in order to free her son and Severus. She still believed Severus could once more become a good man. Her faith, her hope… that was good. If only she could be a bit more concerned about Voldemort too.

He needn't worry about James. James Potter would try and kill anything Albus pointed at, especially now after Harry's kidnapping.

What if the Nightmare Lord took Harry due to him being a Horcrux? He worked together with Voldemort, maybe he wanted to impress the man? But no… surely not. The Nightmare Lord was older than Voldemort, why would he feel the need to impress?

"Albus…"

Minerva stood in the doorway. He waved her into his office and stood up.

"How are Lily and James?"

"They're angry," she said. "I don't think I've ever seen them this angry."

"Their son was kidnapped. Our saviour was taken away."

"Albus, about that… did you tell them to think like that?"

"Like what?" Dumbledore wondered.

"Like he was the saviour," Minerva continued. "Lily and James have always seen him as their child first, saviour second. What changed?"

"The war is all around us. This is not the time to think of such things, Minerva."

"So you told them to treat their son like a tool?"

"What?"

"Lily confessed to me she felt as if Harry went voluntarily with the Nightmare Lord. That Harry felt abandoned by those he was supposed to trust."

"Nonsense, Harry knew he was loved," Dumbledore objected, spreading his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Lily must be mistaken."

Minerva didn't look as convinced as he wanted her to be so he continued:

"Harry was important to us, he knew that. But we all loved him. How could we not, such a sweet, strong child he was. He has been taken against his will by the Nightmare Lord."

"Sure didn't look that way," Minerva said.

"The Nightmare Lord must have learned many foul tricks during his prime. He forced Harry."

Albus didn't tell her this, but he sincerely hoped that Harry had been forced away. He sincerely hoped Voldemort would kill the boy anyway.

-o-

Harrison with a new set of lungs and now fixed heart was… energetic to say the least. Voldemort had come by to finalize the last plans to the double attacks against the Ministry and Hogwarts and found the Nightmare Lord running around the manor.

"Is he alright?" he asked the closest person he found, which happened to be one of the Weasley twins.

"Yeah, he's been doing that all morning. I don't even know what made him so excited."

"All morning? It's afternoon."

"I know," the twin said. "He's been doing that from early morning."

"Ah, Voldemort, you're here, what a lovely surprise."

"What's wrong with you?" the Dark Lord said.

"I finally get to be happy about killing Cornelius," Harrison said.

"You barely knew him."

"Oh, I knew him better than he thought."

"Have I told you that you're full of surprises?" Voldemort wondered.

"You might have mentioned it."

"Will you ever tell me some of your secrets?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I've been trying to let go of the past. It never leads anywhere good really, and I've been fixing some things so I can move on more easily."

"As usual, you're mysterious."

Harrison laughed. "Hardly. I'm annoying, aren't I? When will the attacks happen?"

"Lucius said we need to do it soon."

"Is he in trouble?"

"Why are you so concerned?"

"I told you before," the Nightmare Lord said, "he's pretty. Don't you dare risk his pretty face."

"Oh dear Merlin, he'd die of shame if he ever heard that."

"Why?"

Voldemort stared at him.

"Lucius Malfoy belongs to one of the oldest families in magical England, having both power and money to spare; I doubt he'd like to be called pretty."

"What does money and looks have to do with each other?" Harrison asked. "Lucian is very pretty and he wasn't rich. He was actually rather poor. And Elise isn't bad looking. Actually, none of my servants are bad-looking."

"Yes, because you like pretty things."

"Listen, I was greedy and wanted specific things. Things I liked to look at so I took people whose faces looked appealing. I changed them a little, like Lucian but essentially I decided my servants based on their faces."

"You are vain."

"Yes, I am," Harrison agreed. "Attacking within the week?"

"Have you recovered enough for that?"

"New lungs, fixed heart. I'm good as new. The Inferi are impatient. I've worked their appetite up so they're yearning for some human flesh."

"Good to know."

"They won't attack your people, but don't antagonize them."

"What does that entail?"

"Don't wave your arms too close to their faces?" Harrison ventured with. "They might think it's a snack."

"I see," Voldemort said. "I'll tell the Death Eaters to not do that then. We need to have a final meeting before the attack. Will you take all of your servants with you?"

"No, I'll leave some of them behind with the children. Fred and George as well, I think. It would be fun to tease the rest of their family with them but… maybe another day. Unless we accidentally kill all of them."

"There are seven of them left I think," Voldemort replied. "Two are still in school."

"Joy. They might get to live then."

"Are you sure Hogwarts will lock up to protect the students?"

"I'd say it's rather standard procedure," Harrison said and looked at Voldemort. "It's her duty so if given a warning, she'll do it. That also means she'll lock people out until someone can open her up."

"I'm guessing that someone is you?"

"That would be correct. Dumbledore might try considering he's the headmaster, but I overrule him. I'm older and wiser, and more handsome."

"I hardly think that has anything to do with locking down a school."

"Whatever."

Harrison ran off after that and Voldemort stared after him.

"He's always been doing that," came Lucian's voice from behind.

"Isn't it annoying?"

"Very."

"Have you told him that?"

"Many times."

Voldemort turned to Lucian. "And?"

"He does it even more," Lucian replied. "He being childish is an understatement."

"I heard that!"

Voldemort only shook his head and followed behind the Nightmare Lord.

-o-

James felt like his entire body was boiling over. He was angry. He was filled with hatred, and disgust, and sorrow, and a great deal of fear. What lies was the Nightmare Lord telling his son? Was his son still alive? Was Severus still alive?

Severus couldn't be allowed to speak to Lily at all, let her know what James had accidentally done. She was enough unstable already, lashing out at everyone including him and even Minerva McGonagall. No one lashed out at the Transfiguration professor if they held their life dear. Normally anyway. Minerva hadn't reprimanded Lily for her actions.

Probably because she could see that Lily was an emotional wreck. She was angry and sad at the same time. She screamed at the sky and then begged the earth for the return of her son, the return of Molly's sons, and the return of her friend.

James couldn't allow Severus to live. He hadn't meant to hit Severus! He knew he had done a mistake, not helping Severus afterwards, but it wasn't like James was evil! He hadn't meant to kill Severus that night, it just happened. Was it really his fault had Severus bled out? Someone else could have attacked the man a second time… oh, if only Severus had died in Hogsmeade!

Not that Lily should believe Severus if they spoke now, right? She thought he was being manipulated by the Nightmare Lord. They had all seen that, how Severus' body was moved around like a puppet by the Nightmare Lord. Still, James worried. He also worried what his son would be when they found him. Would he be a puppet just like Severus? Or would he be dead, like Petunia had been?

His son, dead… no, James couldn't let himself think that. He wanted to believe the nightmare could end. That the Nightmare Lord could be killed.

They were going to try and kill him, and if that didn't work Lily had said they could cut him up into pieces. He couldn't do much if he was in pieces, right? James had agreed. He even looked forward to that, because after all the man had done, he deserved the pain and torture. He deserved to have his body ripped apart. Albus wouldn't disagree. Right? After all the trouble the Nightmare Lord had caused for the headmaster and his Order, Albus wouldn't mind.

The Nightmare Lord would learn it would have been better for him in that cell, wasting away in the dark.

-o-

Work at the Ministry began early nowadays. The Minister's post was still empty but they were starting to round up candidates for an election. Albus Dumbledore supported the Ministry's decision to move on after honouring Cornelius Fudge's service, and also personally nominated James Potter as the new Minister who would bring peace to their community.

Today however, James Potter was with the Order of the Phoenix at Hogwarts. The election was not far off, but the candidates had not yet started holding speeches or frequently visit the Ministry. So people got to work, most keeping the Ministry running while a group had been set aside to work on the election. But it would most likely go to James due to Dumbledore's support.

Fudge's popularity had shot up after his hunt for the Nightmare Lord, and many mourned his loss. His violent death had upset many, and they desired revenge. They burned posters of the Nightmare Lord's face and wanted to see the man be put down.

One such person was Dolores Umbridge. She secretly agreed with many things the dark did but Fudge's death was the end of it. She knew if Potter came to power, her many wishes would never happen. If Fudge hadn't been killed, her laws could have been recognized and made. The Nightmare Lord destroyed all of her plans!

One of the fireplaces near her flared green. She turned just in time to see a woman. It didn't quite register at first, but then she saw the pale, clammy skin, cloudy eyes and striped hair. After that more details popped in. A necklace with eyeballs. The woman was almost naked, feet leaving behind muddy prints of melted snow and earth. A spear in her hand. Then an open mouth filled with sharp teeth.

Umbridge's neck flared with pain. The woman, thing, had moved with such speed she didn't see it coming until its teeth were in her throat. The skin tore and warm blood poured out. Dolores screamed even as her legs gave out.

Out of the other fire places more of those things came forth.

Inferi, she thought, they're Inferi but why are they… why are they…

The Inferius woman continued to gnaw at her flesh, digging deeper until Dolores heard a crack. She realized it must be the breaking of her spine. The woman pulled back, red around her mouth, flesh between her teeth. Dolores stared up at that horrible face and saw the lips turn up into a smile.

Someone… save me.

The woman lunged at her, mouth wide open. Dolores' world went dark and silent.

-o-

The Inferi leader rose up, blood all down her front and around her mouth and cheeks. People were screaming now as they ran away from the hordes of Inferi and Death Eaters. Her cloudy eyes saw familiar people, her maker's people, and she followed them.

She didn't know their names. It was difficult, names. Her maker assured her once she didn't need to know them. She was better with faces. As long as she knew their faces she was fine. And she would never forget her maker.

He helped her with her new necklace, with eyeballs that didn't turn dry and strange.

Ywgraine and Louis looked behind them and saw the Inferi leader touching the necklace with bloody fingers and a smile on her lips.

"She's that happy about eyeballs that master preserved for her?" Ywgraine said.

"You were happy you got an axe from master," Louis said.

Ywgraine hugged said axe to her chest and said:

"It's mine, you can't have it."

"Let's just get to work."

They didn't need to order the Inferi much, as they already had their orders from Harrison. The Inferi ran for people. Ywgraine and Louis blocked off exits, hurled spells at people and sometimes bodily threw them back at the Inferi that happily began to tear them apart.

The Death Eaters were led by Lucius who walked up to Ywgraine and Louis. He glanced over at the Inferi leader as she moved past them, but his eyes widened when the leader broke into a run and more Inferi followed her lead.

"I didn't know they could run," Lucius said.

"Oh, they're fast," Ywgraine said. "Master thought they'd be rather boring if they couldn't make a charge like that."

"Freaked me out the first time," Louis admitted. "I mean, some of them he made weren't as fast. These are ones he's worked on for years."

"Fascinating," Lucius said. "Lord Voldemort worked on Inferi, but he didn't quite get the hang of it like your master has."

"If he keeps working at it now with master's help, he will learn," Ywgraine said. "Is the attack on Hogwarts happening?"

"We're a little ahead of time," Lucius told her, "but it should start in a few minutes. Your master is probably preparing Hogwarts to shut down."

"We should move on to prevent people coming to their aid. And to install you as the new Minister."

"That was an unexpected decision," the blond admitted but he looked a bit too smug to be truly upset about it.

"Looks like you truly hate it," Ywgraine said.

"Is that sarcasm inherited from your master when he made you your servant?"

"He might have done that."

Lucius only shook his head and moved on.

The hordes of Inferi didn't stop. Spells of fire made them rear back but the damage didn't reach them. The Nightmare Lord had outdone himself. Repeated spells would eventually wear down the protective shield he had put on every Inferi but by that time the fight would probably already be over.

-o-

The gates to Hogwarts were closed and locked with magic belonging to Albus Dumbledore. Tampering with the gates would alert him immediately.

Luckily, the gates had never featured in Harrison's plans to get them in.

He moved to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, having strolled through the wards like nothing. The new wards did prevent the Death Eaters, so he had opened up a path for them so they could enter without being discovered.

They needed to get the fighters, the Order, out of the castle before he ordered her to shut down. It was a detail that probably wasn't known, as it only worked with the founders; they could, at any time, call for an emergency shutdown in case of an attack. He was the unknown fifth founder, but he had the same right to call for an emergency.

Voldemort came up next to him, wand out and eyes almost glowing. Lucian and Elise were right behind Harrison, Severus and Christian further back. The Death Eaters were getting ready to move as well.

Harrison needed to get those who would fight out first though, and lifted his cloak. One by one, the Dementors came out. The air around them grew cold and the space was filled up with rusty breaths and the faint swishing of their black robes.

"Go, my children," he said.

The Dementors howled as one and rushed towards Hogwarts, a black mass filling the ground. The Death Eaters remained tense and ready while Voldemort was grinning, watching the entrance doors.

Which soon opened, Albus Dumbledore leading first. More followed and Harrison raised his hands, magic thrumming all around them.

"Almost," he whispered. "They're almost out… oh, some children did join. Well, hardly our problem."

"Do they think they can win against grown witches and wizards?" Voldemort asked.

"Children can be dangerous," Harrison replied.

"Didn't say they weren't. But you must admit they are a bit foolish."

"Perhaps," Harrison allowed.

He hoped this wouldn't upset Hogwarts too much. The children did exit the castle out of their own, free will. At least it looked that way. And now they were all firing Patronus spells.

The Dementors circled around, pressing on as Harrison had commanded them to do earlier. He kept his focus on the entrance doors, and people coming out. Once the last person was out, he closed his hand into a fist. The command was silent, but still heard by Hogwarts.

Before their eyes, the entrance doors slammed shut. Hollow clanking told everyone nearby that the doors were locking up, but it didn't stop there. Stone blocks began to move at the walls, hiding the windows. The ancient castle groaned as it began to settle in its new position.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Harrison said. "It was Helga's idea, originally, so the students couldn't be harmed by anyone trying to raid the castle. Stupid, really, trying to raid a school. What did they want, books? Free food at the expense of furious house-elves?"

"I gather it has been used," Voldemort said.

"Twice, but I don't think those times were ever noted down," Harrison replied. "Shall we go? My children aren't very happy at the moment."

"You can tell them to retreat," Voldemort said and raised his wand.

A skull with a snake coming out of its mouth appeared on the sky, and the Death Eaters charged with Voldemort at the front. Harrison laughed in delight and followed.

Once people saw him amongst the attackers, Dumbledore yelled something. They aimed their Patronus spells at him while the Dementors moved away. Harrison really did regret letting Lily Potter remember that weakness of his. So horrendously stupid of him, really.

At this point, there wasn't much left for him to try and shield himself with from that spell, but as they came closer and the light started hurting, Harrison did remember a shield Helga had taught him. His usually came out much stronger than her version, but it wasn't that surprising since he had had more magic to spare than her.

So he threw it up, light shimmering all around him. His shield had more jagged edges than Helga's, but Rowena's version had also been a bit sharper and wild.

Harrison fully expected the Patronus spells to merely pass through the shield and hit him, so he braced himself for that pain. Only the spells didn't hit. Actually, they didn't even come close.

Because as soon as they hit the shield, they evaporated. Harrison did feel them each hit the shield, but not a single Patronus spell made it through. He looked around.

"What just happened?" he said. "Did that shield just work, randomly, or what?"

"Master!" Elise and Lucian came to a stop behind him. "What just happened? Why did the shield work?"

"I just asked myself that question," Harrison said. "I don't know, no shield has ever worked before!"

Truly, no kind of shield had ever worked before. No matter what he had done, the Patronus spell had ripped into him, causing him agony. So why did it work now?

People weren't deterred; they attacked again and Harrison threw up the same shield. The spells hit the shield, and disappeared. The shield sizzled, his magic working, and Harrison laughed.

He stopped soon though, but only because he was distracted by remembering how he once had learned the Patronus spell. Happiness had been the key back then, to properly cast the spell.

Harrison hadn't known happiness for a long time. It was locked away, and then he kind of… was unable to recognize it. For a long time, he had had no protection against other people's happiness and wasn't that just pathetic? Such a trivial thing as people's shared meals with loved ones was enough to have him writhe in pain.

However, now… was he feeling it? True happiness that his thirteen-year old self had felt? He had been happy at times during his long life, but always with a catch. Always with that niggling feeling of hating that happiness. Feeling as if he couldn't be the Nightmare Lord if he was happy.

Which was just silly. He looked at the shield. It wasn't a Patronus, but it shielded him just like a Patronus had.

"Well, that's new," he said to no one in particular before turning to Lucian and Elise. "I think I can block Patronuses now!"

"What?!" they both exclaimed.

Another bath of Patronus spell rushed at him, but Harrison laughed. He thought of going home, having a home and a family albeit an odd one, and the shield blocked the spells. This was very interesting, Harrison thought as he began to run. Was it truly him thinking up his own Patronus to block their Patronus that made it work? Was it his happiness? It couldn't be his power, he had been powerful for a long time yet always failed to protect himself against the spell.

Should he truly worry about it though? Thinking about happiness seemed to work, so he should just keep that up.

As the people realized their Patronus spells didn't work like they should do, or had done in the past, they abandoned it and began attacking him with various spells, from simple cutting curses to an odd Cruciatus spell here and there.

It didn't exactly help, the shield blocked pretty much all of them but Harrison wasn't one to discourage people from fighting. He liked fighting. The more chaotic the better. He was reckless, he knew, but there was just something so exciting with the near-misses, bright spells sizzling past his face, and the screaming. That lovely screaming of people on the other side losing.

People began to follow him, attack him, a mock attempt of a duel. Harrison moved his magic through the air, grinning as he felt it respond to him almost before he knew what he wanted to do. Who knew it would take months, almost a whole year, for all of his magic to finally respond to his will?

A blade was conjured out of thin air. He laughed as he ducked away, spun around to find Lily Potter with her wand aimed at him. Her eyes were red from crying, a snarl on her face. She was controlling the blade.

"Haven't you tried that with me already?" Harrison asked.

"Yes, but not through your heart!"

The blade went through him, and Harrison stumbled back. Yells of triumphs could be heard amongst the fighting, the few close enough to see what Lily had done. The two sides separated for a moment as Harrison fell down. His servants remain in place, wands out but not attacking. That had Voldemort give the signal to hold of on attacking, watching the Order as well as glancing over at Elise.

"Is he gone?" Molly said, joining Lily's side. "Is he dead?!"

"Maybe," Lily whispered. "Severus… Sev, where's my son? Where's Harry?"

"My boys, where are my boys? Fred and George, where are they?!"

"They are safe and sound, waiting for us to come home," Severus replied. "You haven't killed him."

"I put a sword through the Nightmare Lord's heart, Severus. His heart!"

"As far as I understand it," Severus began, "we servants depend on his magic. It keeps us… awake, sort of. Had he truly died…"

"Then we would've fallen down the moment he did," Elise finished. "Probably."

"Shut up!" Lily screamed at her before focusing on Severus again. "Severus, please, you're… you're free, you must be! You're free, and Harry is free, and the twins as well. Please tell me where they are, I want my son back!"

"So he can kill Voldemort for you?" Severus asked. "As I stated before, they are safe. There's no need for them to come here."

"They're not safe with that monster!" Molly shouted, pointing at Harrison's fallen body. "But with him dead, they can come back home."

"I told her they were home, did I not?" Severus asked Elise. "Or was I not specific enough? Do I need to spell it out? Not even the most unruly of students missed my point this badly."

She shrugged and Lucian sighed.

"Master, please stop playing dead," he said. "It was funny for a moment, but their voices are really grating and annoying."

"Well, they fell for it didn't they?"

With that, Harrison popped back up, sword still through his chest. A trickle of blood made its way out of his mouth, but no blood escaped the wound in his chest.

"Nice try," Harrison told Lily. "But it's not really working."

"I…" Lily stared at him. "It's in your heart."

"Even if it had been, it wouldn't have worked but you did give me time to minimise the damage."

"For once," Elise muttered behind him.

"Shush, Elise, unnecessary information." Harrison turned back to Lily. "Anyway, I shifted my heart to the other side of my chest for the moment, but you even missed my lung! How's the aim today? A bit shaky, I assume, the lung's a big organ."

"New organ," Lucian added.

"Yes, I'm sure they know considering my old ones were left on a battlefield."

"How…" Lily backed a few steps, shaking her hand. "No. No!"

Harrison frowned at her, took a hold of the sword and pulled it out. There was a slick sound as it slid free from his chest. The small wound left behind didn't have time to start oozing blood before it began to close, and Harrison threw the blade away to poke at the small hole in his robes.

"Master, are you bleeding internally?" Elise asked.

"No," Harrison replied.

"Are you lying?"

"Surprisingly, no. How could she aim that bad that I'm not even bleeding internally?"

Lily screamed as she began to rain spells on him. Harrison threw up Helga's shield and forced the spells away before he moved his entire arm to the side. Magic surged and Lily went flying off to the side.

"That should teach her a lesson," he said. "For five minutes at least."

"Master, are you sure you're not bleeding?" Elise called out as she threw out some shields to ward off the spells coming their way.

"What are you, my mother?" he snapped at her.

"A mother wouldn't let their child fight, master."

"Well, tell her that!" Harrison said and pointed at Lily who was getting help from Remus and Sirius to get up.

"Master, look out!"

The killing curse struck him right in the chest and Harrison flew backwards, rolling to a painful stop and he lay panting on the ground for a few moments before looking up.

Albus Dumbledore, standing tall and regal with his wand still raised, stared as Harrison got up on his feet again. Voldemort joined Harrison's side and their part on the battlefield remained calm.

"Harrison?" Voldemort said.

"I'm fine," Harrison said to him. "I can't die, no need to be worried."

"Everything dies," Dumbledore said. "One way or another, you will too."

"I don't know about that," Harrison said.

"Everything dies!" Dumbledore repeated.

"And I said I don't know about that, because not everyone throws away their right to die."

Those who had gathered around Dumbledore seemed unsure what to make of that, and Harrison also felt his servants stare at him. Voldemort had his wand half-raised, ready for attack but his attention seemed to be on Harrison as well.

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked.

"People have asked me so many times over the years," Harrison said. "Why I don't die, no matter what they do. There are of course those who assumed I was the work of a group, people impersonating me once a generation to make it seem like I was immortal. But it's simple, really."

"Simple, he says," Lucian muttered to Elise, and she shushed him.

"I don't drink potions to remain alive," Harrison continued, ignoring the two. "I don't use spells, I haven't sacrificed animals or humans to somehow prolong my life. I just made a choice."

"You just decided not to die?" Lily said, having fought her way back to Dumbledore's side as soon she got back on her feet. "As if we'll believe that!"

"I didn't decide not to die, you stupid little girl," Harrison said to her. "There was a war, when I was young and foolish. I was seventeen, it was kill or be killed. At the time I chose to become a killer to ensure my own survival, thinking it would be worth it. For a long time I regretted that choice."

"Master…" came Lucian's voice, soft and uncertain but it wasn't a lie.

Harrison had regretted making that choice, whilst also wanting to live. His head was a complicated mess that he had subjected his servants to, in particular Elise and Lucian, for so many years.

"I killed the only man who was able to kill me," Harrison told Dumbledore. "I denied my right to die. That means, I get to live even if I don't want to. So do what you want to me."

He spread out his arms.

"You can't get rid of me. Only Death can make that decision now, and it seems that after over 1800 years I'm still on his shit-list."

Harrison's magic began to spill out. He didn't use spells most of the time. In some aspects, using spells slowed him down. Using magic the way he did shouldn't be easy. Wasn't easy for most people. He didn't know why it had become easy for him, because back when he was young, when he was someone else, he wasn't the strongest. Far from it.

But he did love using magic this way, because if he used it a lot during a fight it would deliver that bone-crushing fatigue he loved; it would allow him to sleep deep, without dreams of what-nots, what could have been, and old demons still plaguing his stupid mind.

"You're lying!" Lily screamed, wand aimed at him.

"To be honest, you're not the first person to say that," Harrison said. "But it's a bit boring having to repeat myself for centuries. Must people always be so pig-headed and deny what's in front of them? I won't die, girl. Not today, not tomorrow… I won't die until Death allows it."

"Liar!"

"Like so many others before you, it's a lost cause trying to convince you. Let's fight instead, it's bit more fun."

"I want my son back!"

"Well, you won't get him back," Harrison told her, grinning. "He's mine now, and he's safer than he's ever been before in his entire life."

Dumbledore stopped Lily's attack.

"Death comes to us all," he spoke calmly, like a grandfather persona Harrison had seen before. He wasn't fooled by it. There was a cold glint in those sparkling eyes.

"Yes, death does," Harrison stated. "He came, and I turned my back on him. So he's punishing me, rightly, for doing so. No matter what you do, I won't die."

With that, he charged and Voldemort was right behind him.

-o-

Somehow Dumbledore's side had gotten reinforcements and Harrison was kind of losing track of people. Spells lit up the sky and the air around him. People were screaming and running. Magic was sparking; he could feel it tingling through his whole body.

He soon enough felt a tug on his arm, but broke free before the binding spell could take root. Another attached to his legs but he tore away, sending what appeared to be a young Auror to the afterlife with a precise hit to the man's body with his magic. Another took his place.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were trying to body-bind Harrison. He wondered why for a moment, when a cutting spell hurled past him, just where he had been before. He turned around but didn't see who sent it.

They were trying to keep him in one position long enough to cleave him in half. That would certainly stop him for a fair bit. It wouldn't kill him, but Elise might try to kill him for getting that injured.

They didn't give up, sending binding spells while someone else sent cutting spells. He danced around to avoid them, had to break an arm briefly to get away from one binding spell, but finally a few got lucky.

He was immobile and someone screamed:

"Now!"

The cutting spell would split him neatly in two. He had to get away. Yes, he would survive it but he didn't fancy that kind of injury when the end of the battle against Dumbledore was so near.

But before the spell reached him, before the slightest hint of panic began to set in, someone else stepped in front of him. Someone who didn't need to be there. Someone who had no orders to use their body to protect Harrison. His eyes widened.

Lucian's torso split from his lower body without effort. The man didn't even scream, nor had he tried to defend himself. No, he had gone in front of Harrison with the full intent of only shielding him. Using himself as a shield between Harrison and the spell. Which he shouldn't have done, because Harrison remembered he had told his servants to never act like a human shield between him and any spell. Why the hell had Lucian disobeyed?

Lucian's upper body landed over at Harrison, still trapped with his left leg and right arm. Blood dribbled out of Lucian's mouth. He moved, found Harrison's ankle and wrapped his hand around it.

"I didn't know…" Lucian began, "that you could make that face, master."

"What?" Harrison asked, feeling just the tiniest bit hysterical.

Lucian was losing a lot of blood. He wouldn't die, but that much blood… it wasn't very good.

"The lengths we will go to, to see to your needs… to protect you… they aren't due to your orders long ago, master. It's because we want to do it for you."

"I'm the closest thing you have to an immortal being, you fool! You don't need to protect me!"

"Doesn't mean…" Lucian got out, "that I'll stop."

Harrison felt as if his heart was being torn into two. Like Cornelius had ripped out his lungs again, and stomped on his kidneys and liver while he was at it. His entire body felt raw, like he had been skinned and left out in the sun to rot. He didn't quite understand why until Lucian coughed up more blood.

Of course he had tortured some of his servants before making them his servants, but he had also erased that torture. He had changed parts of their mind, and Harrison always thought their devotion came from brainwashing, and that they saw it as their duty.

It wasn't just duty. Lucian's words were not from a man thinking he just did his duty. He truly wanted Harrison safe.

Harrison was an idiot for not realizing it earlier. Their worry for his safety had always been confusing for him. he hadn't understood their genuine desire for his happiness.

Now Lucian was bleeding, cut in half, because he didn't want Harrison to experience that pain. It was stupid. Being cut in half wasn't going to kill Harrison. He had felt that sort of pain before. But no, Lucian wanted to spare him from experiencing pain.

When the anger came, at least it was familiar in its burn throughout his body. But he was angry for a different reason. They had hurt one of his servants. They had split Lucian in half. Never mind the spell had been meant for Harrison; now it had hurt Lucian. That was just unacceptable.

"He stopped!" he heard Sirius shout. "Come on, Tonks, throw that cutting spell again, this time you'll split him instead of the stupid blond!"

Stupid blond? Did that man just call his Lucian stupid? Harrison tore free from the bindings with a howl and found Sirius; found Tonks. Which one? The one who insulted Lucian, or the one who had split him apart?

Start with the girl, let her know what he thought of silly plans like that. Harrison used a burst of magic to jump through the air and landed in front of Tonks, grabbing her by the throat before she could flee him.

He lifted her up and she dropped her wand to claw at his hand. Harrison tightened his grip and she kicked out, just barely missing him, which made him grin a bit.

"Such spirit," he said and held up his free hand. "Let's see if you'll keep that up."

His fingers snapped as Harrison forced them to turn into claws. Tonks' eyes widened and when he plunged his clawed hand into her chest, she shrieked, scratching his hand bloody. He didn't stop, tearing her chest open and letting the blood spray all over him, fire-hot against his skin. Once he found the heart, pumping frantically, he closed his claws around it and ripped it out.

"Dora!"

Harrison cast back Sirius with a wave of magic, and listened to other people scream Tonks' name. But she was trembling, eyes going hazy as her hands slackened. A trickle of blood made its way out of her mouth. He looked into her eyes, trying to remember the Tonks that had smiled and laughed with him, turning her hair different colours just to cheer him up. He tried to remember that sweet woman and see if he regretted killing her.

But like so many other things, he didn't. She was just an annoyance, and now she was a corpse. Harrison considered dropping her, but thought of a better plan. So he fed magic into her body, and then set her back down onto the ground again. She didn't fall as he released her. She staggered a little bit, head bent down. Harrison snapped his fingers and her wand flew to his hand. He put it in hers and wrapped her fingers around it.

She moved, stiff and strange, and her eyes had already started to milk over as she raised her head. Not alive, and not dead. Something in between.

"Kill your friends, Nymphadora," Harrison told her, magic fuelling his command.

Once her purpose was fulfilled she would return to be a corpse. He may not feel remorse for killing her now, but there was no need to be insulting. Well, not much anyway. That, and he didn't really want her as one of his Inferius.

Perhaps there was a tiny part of him that respecting a few memories from his youth. The Tonks he knew as a teen had liked him. They had both been a bit clumsy, a bit like outsiders… she had never seen him as a weapon back when he was Harry Potter, before he turned into a nightmare.

Tonks' body moved, lightning fast, magic burning from her wand, and Harrison turned back to Lucian. Elise was already there, having retrieved his lower body. She looked up as Harrison kneeled down beside them.

"I've sealed off all blood vessels, stopping the bleeding," she said, ever efficient but she held Lucian's hands tightly. "He's lost a lot of blood but he'll make it."

"Of course he will," Harrison replied. "I did say I made servants who would live as long as I did. But I can't put him together now with all this fighting. You'll have to take him back home. Stay with him until I return."

There was not really a good time for arguing, even if Elise's pinched look told him she wanted to.

"Understood, maser," she said instead. "Severus, Christian!"

The two men had created a small protective barrier around them, helped by Dementors and now came closer.

"Stay with master," Elise said. "He might act a bit irrational so make sure no one gets the upper hand of him."

"I'm still here," Harrison said. "I can hear just fine, and I am not a child."

"You could've fooled me, master, and you looked ready to throw a temper tantrum over what they did to Lucian."

"She cut him in half, she deserved to die!"

"Yes, the culprit is dead and…" Elise squinted. "She's quite good for a corpse."

"Yes, yes, whatever, don't change the subject," Harrison told her. "I don't need to be watched like a toddler, I won't be doing anything rash!"

"You say that, and more often than not you come back with something bleeding. Or missing. Like an arm, or lungs."

"Why must you bring that up again? I already said I was sorry."

Lucian huffed out a weak laugh at their bickering, which distracted Harrison. He stroked Lucian's cheek and said:

"Do your best to stay awake until I come back home, alright?"

"Of course, master, I will… my very best…"

"I'll stay with him," Elise promised.

Harrison looked up at the sky. The wards were glowing, standing strong still since he didn't pull them down, only modified them to let Voldemort and the Death Eaters through. He called out:

"Open the wards around me!"

Hogwarts' reaction was slower than last time he ordered it, but then again, he wasn't inside of the castle right now. Still, fairly quickly a sphere appeared around them, turning bigger and bigger as the wards were pushed away from them. Elise nodded to Harrison, took a hold of Lucian's body parts and Apparated with a sharp crack. The sphere disappeared, the wards snapping back in place and Harrison rose up with a mixture of blood covering his body.

Severus and Christian turned to look at him. The barrier they had put up showed signs of damage.

"Release it," Harrison ordered. "We won't need it anymore."

The barrier vanished and Harrison released a wave of magic. People flew backwards, some of them not rising again.

"Severus, I know James Potter and his friends aren't your favourite people, but Sirius encouraged and possibly aided Tonks in splitting Lucian in half. So I want to kill him. You can have James. Now, off you trot. We have people to kill, and a school to save."

"I'm not sure that Hogwarts would agree."

"Oh, she likes me," Harrison said. "Plus Rowena and Helga had means to cleanse the earth, I just need to find the instructions for that and then have Elise do it."

"Why not you?" Christian said.

"It works better when she does some things."

"Is it because you have too much blood on your hands?" Christian wondered.

Harrison snorted. "Elise killed all of her relatives to supposedly protect me, and kills any survivors now because of fun," he replied. "I think I've been a bad influence on her."

"So why does it work better with Elise?" Severus wondered.

"I mean, they liked me, but they liked my servants perhaps a bit more," Harrison said. "They weren't as annoying as me."

"I still can't believe you were friends with the four founders," Severus said, deflecting a spell.

"Can't believe they were friends with a deranged, immortal man? Yes, quite the shocker. Move out."

Severus looked at him, and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't need two babysitters," Harrison told him. "I'll tell Elise I ordered you to kill James or something. Christian can throw up shields, he's good at them."

Christian nodded and Severus relented. He moved to find James, and Harrison turned around to find Sirius.

-o-

Dumbledore moved across the ground, the battlefield, throwing spells left and right. Voldemort wasn't far behind, not giving him a chance to rest. James and Remus were there too along with Lily. Sirius had taken upon himself to stop Nymphadora's corpse, saying he felt it was his task to bring his cousin peace.

The Nightmare Lord was nowhere to be seen at the moment but Dumbledore was pretty sure he hadn't left the battlefield. Best to take care of Voldemort first before putting a plan in motion to stop the ancient lord. Nymphadora had done a valiant try to cut him in half, but they needed to cut the Nightmare Lord into several pieces, and hide each piece in its own prison.

It was a plan Dumbledore had great confidence in, but Voldemort wasn't making it easy to set that plan up. He didn't let up, and attacked whenever Dumbledore thought he had some breathing room. So in the end, Dumbledore had to face him. James, Lily and Remus came to a stop beside him.

Voldemort didn't attack though, instead stepping back a bit as a shadow approached. It wasn't the Nightmare Lord. Instead Severus came to a halt a few metres away from them, tilting his head.

"You're running around an awful lot," he stated. "Were you playing tag or something?"

"Shut it, you traitor!" James snapped at him.

"Hmm, perhaps in your world," the potions master said. "But you're the one who made it possible, you know."

"What?" Lily said.

"Don't listen to him, Lils," James said, wand aimed at Severus. "He's trying to confuse us."

"Confuse you? Me? Why would I do such a thing? You're the one who likes to confuse people, James, by not saying what happened that night."

"What night?" Lily said.

"The raid on Hogsmeade, I came back late. You knew I should've died, James."

"How was James supposed to know that?" Lily asked, looking between Severus and James.

"He…" James began. "I…"

What had James done? Dumbledore didn't like where this was going.

"I do admit you didn't mean for your spell to hit me," Severus said. "That part was an accident. But the rest wasn't. You started to help, but everyone knows you don't like me very much. So you stopped helping. The only thing that saved me was master sensing I was still clinging to life."

Lily backed away, staring at first her husband, then Severus, her wand shaking. Voldemort seemed to know this already, and Dumbledore swore under his breath. What had James been thinking? He should've helped Severus; didn't he know the man would die anyway once Voldemort had been killed?

"No," Lily whispered at last.

"Master said you were jealous," Severus continued at James. "You don't remember him looking through your skull, do you? But I heard it. You were jealous of me, because your son and wife liked me. They didn't want me dead. What a silly notion."

"Trouble in paradise?" Voldemort asked and Severus snorted. "Severus, do remind to never get married. Seems terribly complicated."

"Duly noted, my lord. I have been given permission to avenge myself."

"Meaning?"

"James Potter didn't mean to have me killed, but he decided to let me die." Severus pointed his wand at James. "Master said I could kill him for that. Well, he didn't care much what I did, I could choose it if I wanted to and I'm petty enough to want it."

"I know that part very well," Voldemort said. "Anyway, good luck."

"Same to you, my lord."

Dumbledore just barely managed to block the spell. He was forced away from the Potters and Remus, dodging another attack from Voldemort and trying to get the upper hand quickly. Voldemort wasn't giving in though. He kept coming, didn't let up and Dumbledore growled. It was time to end this!

-o-

Harrison had found Sirius, and now led him around on a merry chase, not too concerned that Sirius would get the upper hand with him. He was too angry for it. Sure, it gave him a boost of power but also made him sloppy; his spells missed half of the time and the time he did aim it properly he gave Harrison and Christian enough time to erect shields.

Sirius ran closer now, having conjured a sword and he was screaming. Harrison looked at that snarling face, the blind rage in those eyes and remembered another Sirius. One who had died loving Harry. Died protecting him.

That Sirius would probably cheer this Sirius on. There was no love left for Harrison, not by those who once died for him. They would never forgive Harrison for what he had done.

He didn't need their forgiveness. He didn't need Sirius' forgiveness. To be honest, he barely knew the man. Harrison had just clung onto Sirius because he was the only person who gave a hint of Harry gaining a family outside of the Dursleys.

Harrison had a family and to be honest, they were a lot better than a half-crazed godfather. This Sirius didn't seem much better than the one who had spent twelve years in Azkaban. Actually, he might even prefer the half-crazed Sirius than this who still had all of his sanity left.

Well, maybe not all of it. A sane person wouldn't attack the Nightmare Lord so recklessly.

"Why won't you just die?!" Sirius finally screamed.

"Besides the fact I can't die?" Harrison wondered as he dodged a spell.

He cast out a wave of magic, tearing it out through his arm and it crushed one of Sirius' legs. Sirius fell to the ground with a howl, and once he finally quieted down Harrison continued:

"I can't die, but I especially refuse to die when someone else wants me to."

"I'll cut off your head!"

"No, I don't like being beheaded, it's so troublesome… no, I'll take your head instead."

With that, he slashed out with his hand and watched as Sirius' eyes widened in fear. He didn't have time to avoid Harrison's magic, and his head separated from the body, which then fell down. Harrison leaped forward and caught the head by the hair before it could fall to the ground. He stopped, and Christian came to a stop next to him, throwing up a shield around them.

"Master?" Christian said.

"Well, that was easy," Harrison said.

He didn't feel an ounce of sadness. But then again, feeling sad for this man was rather pointless. He didn't even feel sad for the Sirius who had risked his life for Harrison back when Harrison was young and stupid.

"It's about time to end this fight, isn't it?" he continued. "This fight isn't as fun as fights used to be. Or am I getting old? Are old people supposed to fight?"

"Albus Dumbledore does, master."

"Don't compare me to that old-looking fellow."

"Well, he isn't as old as you, master…"

"I don't care about the fact I'm older, just don't compare his wrinkles to my non-wrinkles," Harrison replied. "I don't like wrinkles. Alright, so old people can and do fight. I'm distracted. Why am I distracted?"

As he said it, he realized why. Lucian's face flashed before his eyes.

"Ah, my servant being cut in two is rather distracting," Harrison said. "I want to put him back into once piece. To do that, I need to not be fighting. Shall we find Voldemort then?"

"As you wish, master."

"So agreeable. You should teach Elise that."

"She only agrees when you make sound decisions, master."

"Oh, so that's why she rarely agrees with me," Harrison said before he set out to find Voldemort, Sirius' head in hand and Christian just behind him.

-o-

James was the first one to see the Nightmare Lord approaching, and then spotting what he held in his hand. He screamed and Severus turned. Harrison came to a stop near Severus, and looked at the frozen Potter couple and Remus. He frowned as he saw them staring, and then noticed they were staring at the head. Harrison held it up.

"You want it?" he asked. "I don't generally collect heads anyway so catch!"

He threw the head at them, Sirius' face frozen in his death moment, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Lily shrieked, grabbing her head. James couldn't stop staring. Remus snarled and charged at them.

"You want to kill him too?" Harrison asked, pointing at Remus.

"Not at all, master, go ahead."

"Alright."

Harrison grabbed Remus as he came close enough, and forced him down to the ground. He stomped on Remus' hand until he dropped the wand, and then sat down on his stomach. Severus couldn't help but look. Harrison did pump magic into his hands, but he didn't kill Remus by using a spell.

Instead he took a hold of Remus' head and began to twist it. Remus fought against him, growling and hands scratching at Harrison's robe. His legs kicked out. Harrison grinned and continued to twist it, Remus' spine creaking and parts of it snapping.

Severus listened to the gurgling sounds coming out of Remus' mouth. His eyes were wide and blood-shot, and Harrison just kept going until something snapped beyond saving.

Remus seized up beneath him, shook for several moments and then grew limp, his hands falling back. Harrison twisted the head to the other side sharply, completely severing the spine with an unnatural strength. He then rose up and kicked the body over.

Lily fell to her knees, still screaming and now bending down over her knees as if she tried to hide. James did as Remus and charged at them.

Severus moved, cut off James' attack and forced him back. Harrison absently picked up Remus' wand and slipped it into his robes as he watched Severus duel against James.

"They're both good," he commented to Christian. "James is actually rather composed considering his two best friends are dead."

"Is that a good thing?" Christian asked.

"Well, it shows self-discipline I suppose," Harrison said. "I don't get to taunt him for getting sloppy."

"I think killing his best friends is taunting enough."

"Is it? I killed my friends and that wasn't to taunt anyone."

"Sometimes, master, I wonder about your sanity."

"That's not new, Elise and Lucian's been wondering for centuries… Severus? Severus! I'll go and meet up with Voldemort, do whatever you want with James and Lily."

He moved on, trusting Severus to have heard him. Christian followed closely behind him.

-o-

Dumbledore was tiring Voldemort out, saving his magic for larger attacks while Voldemort didn't seem to conserve his magic. He was wasting it even. Dumbledore felt he was more cautious, he could still win…

A wind caught him off guard, and then the Nightmare Lord appeared, hands bloody and a smile on his face.

"Everything alright?" Harrison said. "I killed Sirius. And Remus. It was a bit fun, although they weren't very challenging."

"What?" Voldemort said. "They're counted amongst the best duellers in this age!"

"Really? I didn't notice. They weren't even duelling me, they were just charging at me."

The Nightmare Lord tossed a wand up in the air, and Dumbledore saw it was Remus'. He then caught it and pointed it at Dumbledore, saying:

"I took their wands. Can I take his too, when he's dead?"

"I suppose it won't hurt," Voldemort said.

"You evil monsters," Dumbledore said, furious with all of his plans falling apart before his eyes.

"Yes, we are," Voldemort said. "Wouldn't you say so, Harrison?"

The Nightmare Lord had a name? There had been no name besides his title, Dumbledore had checked all the information several times.

"Master wants to go home." The guard, Christian, popped up behind Harrison whilst looking at Voldemort.

"Tired of fighting?" Voldemort asked.

"He tried to blame it on age first."

"I did not," Harrison said.

"But you did, master."

Dumbledore threw a cutting curse at Harrison. He cast it aside without even looking.

"Alright, so maybe I tried with a bad argument, but I would rather go home and fix Lucian than being attacked by children who doesn't provide much of a challenge."

Dumbledore threw caution to the wind and began to attack. The Nightmare Lord batted them away as if they were nothing while he conversed with Voldemort. When he didn't catch them in time, Christian did. Voldemort was casting his own shields, but he was recovering. He was resting, which hadn't been what Dumbledore had planned for.

"If only you hadn't existed!" Dumbledore screamed at Harrison at last, losing his temper. "This world would be brighter and better without you in it! I would've succeeded in my plans if it hadn't been for you!"

"Hmm, sounds like he's losing it," Harrison said.

"Took him long enough," Voldemort replied.

"Shall we finish it then?"

Voldemort nodded and Harrison vanished. He reappeared above Dumbledore, magic tearing out of him like a wind. Dumbledore threw up a shield above him, but Voldemort didn't politely wait around.

So he didn't have time to evade Voldemort's spell, a cutting curse, and Harrison landed as a cat nearby. He grinned and then leaped, twisting Dumbledore's arm. He felt the bones snap, the flesh and muscles tear, and screamed. But it wasn't his wand arm, he could still—

The Nightmare Lord cracked back his thumb so Dumbledore's grip on the wand slackened, and Harrison plucked it right off from him before dancing out of his way with a laugh. Voldemort sent another cutting curse that this time tore through his leg. He couldn't hold himself up, nor keep the scream in as he fell to his knees.

Voldemort aimed his wand at him. Dumbledore knew what was coming. He had no wand, the injuries took his focus away, and the Nightmare Lord was right there. It was the end. He had failed. All of his plans had gone down the drain the moment the Nightmare Lord appeared on the playing field because the man cared nothing for rules that had been set up over the years.

He cared not for the pieces Voldemort and Dumbledore had placed. He just slaughtered anything that stood in his way.

"Wait," Harrison said.

"What?" Voldemort said. "He's going to die. We both want it."

"Yes, I know, but I want to tell him something."

"Now?" Voldemort questioned the Nightmare Lord.

"It's kind of funny, and also beneficial as you need to hear it as well, before you get too confused about me."

Voldemort looked between him and Dumbledore. Dumbledore didn't have the Elder Wand anymore, Harrison was twirling it around like a toy, but he could still slip away. He could still try. The Nightmare Lord was finally doing him a favour!

"If he escapes, I won't be very pleased," Voldemort said.

"Hogwarts, lock Albus Dumbledore down. As the fifth founder, I command you."

Albus felt it; magic pressed down on his shoulders. The castle groaned, dust settling. Dumbledore gasped as he felt the pressure growing. He couldn't stand up. He couldn't move.

Harrison kneeled down in front of him and tilted his head up with the tip of the Elder Wand. Albus wanted to spit in his face, that smiling face. Harrison leaned closer and Voldemort stepped up, a shield around them. Whatever Harrison was about to say, only Voldemort and Dumbledore would hear it.

"Your actions in another life led to my creation," the Nightmare Lord said.

"What?" Albus said.

"Now, I'm not going to say the choice was entirely out of my hands. I very much chose to become this. But your actions opened the path I later chose to go down on." Harrison smiled even wider. "Back when my name was Harry James Potter."

"That… that's impossible…" Albus stammered.

"I have a tendency to make the impossible happen," Harrison replied. "I was your pawn. But in the end, I finally check-mated you. Twice, even, now."

Albus struggled against the magic, but Hogwarts no longer listened to him.

"You can't be… Harry Potter is… he's good…"

"I was a naïve fool," Harrison said. "But then again, we all make mistakes in our youth don't we? Well, that's all I wanted to say. I got to kill you the first time, so I believe Voldemort's earned to kill you this time."

Harrison rose up and nodded to Voldemort. Albus couldn't stop the screaming. He wasn't even aware what he was screaming about. His thoughts were muddled, yet raced through his mind. The Nightmare Lord was Harry Potter? Another Harry Potter? That's impossible! There was no way… he couldn't be… he simply could not be!

"Bye, then," Harrison said, waving at him. "Come, Christian. I don't feel like watching the end of this war."

Voldemort snorted. "You believe this is the end?"

"You can at least let me pretend for a few days," Harrison said to him. "But let's be honest, with the Ministry and Hogwarts under our control, what can the remaining ones do? Become rebels? I'll just tell my children they're free food."

The Dark Lord rolled his eyes, and then cast the killing curse. Albus refused to believe. He refused to end, he refused to-!

-o-

The last thing Albus Dumbledore did was to scream in denial.

-o-

Lucian woke slowly, and without the pain he'd felt as Elise took him back to the manor. He recognized the ceiling; not as his own, but that of his master's. He turned his head towards the door.

Several of his master's children had gathered and now leaned closer when they seemed to notice he was awake. The Dementors had not frightened him for a long time and now he could almost describe them as sweet, due to the way they seemed to almost climb atop of one another in order to get closer to him.

Eventually they settled, and he noticed someone in bed with him. Lucian turned his head to the left, and Harrison was asleep. It was a deep sleep, but not too deep. Enough of a deep sleep where his master wouldn't suffer from nightmares, or dreams at all for that matter.

Lucian slowly sat up and to his great relief all parts of him was attached and there was no scarring.

"It's night, Lucian."

Elise rose from the chair she had been sitting in, lighting the lamp next to Lucian before sitting down at his side.

"What happened after we came back here?" Lucian asked.

"Voldemort killed Dumbledore with master's help. The fighting is over."

"For now?"

"For now, as it always is. People on the opposite side of us will never be gone, but for now, they also know master exists."

"But he's no longer a nightmare," Lucian said.

"Oh, he will be, even to us," Elise said.

Lucian looked at her in alarm.

"You know what he did after he healed you, using too much magic to remove even the scar of putting you back together? He tried to continue working. Master hates working. I had to bully him into even lying down in bed."

"Oh, you meant that kind of nightmare to us."

"He listens more to you when it comes to resting, so he'll be your nightmare I suspect."

"Will you two shut up?"

"Master, why aren't you still asleep?" Elise demanded to know. "You were asleep just a minute ago."

"You're too loud," Harrison complained, opening one eye to squint up at them. "Why are you sitting up, Lucian? Lay back down."

"I feel fine, master."

"Children…" Harrison began.

They all leaned forward, eager to help. Lucian shimmied down and Harrison's lips quirked into a smile.

"You're such good children," he told the Dementors. "Always happy to help me threaten people."

Both Lucian and Elise rolled their eyes. Harrison didn't say anything more, and when they looked, he was asleep again.

"He looks even younger than usual," Elise said. "What would his reaction be if I give him a glamour with a few wrinkles?"

"Murder," Lucian replied. "I'd advise against it."

"True. He is at this point quite vain." Elise sighed. "Go back to sleep, Lucian. This war's over for now, but we'll still have long days ahead. Apparently Voldemort won't let master disappear into the shadows quite as easily as master thought."

Lucian grinned.

"I like Voldemort," he said. "Let's keep him forever."

Elise thought about it.

"You think we can convince master to keep him around forever?" she asked.

"Worth a try."

And so a war ended.

To be continued…