The Death Knight
Chapter 21. The Death Knight
The night on which the basilisk incident happened, Harry did not sleep. Truth be told, he could not sleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, Iris' broken and crumpled figure flashed on the back of his eyelids.
He pulled her close, so close that her back was flushed against his chest. At his abrupt suffocating hold, she merely mumbled something in her sleep, enjoying a peaceful slumber, not aware of her brother's torment.
Knowing that he wasn't going to have any sleep, he unclasped his hands from around her and sat up, abandoning his effort to rest. It was fortunate that the lack of sleep wouldn't affect him.
He glanced down at Iris whose cute sleeping face brought a warm smile on his lips. He caressed her cheek and then combed her beautiful red hair with his fingers. He didn't know how she could just shrug off tonight's misfortunes. She had almost died. Again. And yet, here she was, sleeping soundly as if she didn't have a care in the world.
"Why am I always the reason for your hurt? I should have returned when we saw the ginormous snakeskin, but confidence and greed dragged us in the chamber. How long will I keep risking you to make us stronger?" He whispered, not being able to stop the tears which rolled down his cheeks.
Apparently, he wasn't quiet enough since Iris' eyes blinked open at his words. She gave him a confused look with her bleary eyes. "Why are you crying again, you crybaby?"
He snorted, swiftly wiping his tears, feeling a bit embarrassed and lied down beside her, on his side. She too rolled over her side so they were facing each other.
He gazed at her gently, placing his hand on the side of her face. "I feel bad for bringing you to that monster. It almost feels like I am destined to keep hurting you. However unintentional."
Iris scooted closer, leaving barely any space between them. Her face was so close that he could feel her warm breath on his chin.
She flicked him on the forehead.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"For spouting nonsense. Are you forgetting that we utterly destroyed two raging dragons a week ago? That had been so quick and effortless.
"When we have these swords in our hands, it becomes so easy to kill anything, no matter how big or strong they are or how smart or quick they are. I feel like I am a mortal god or something who doesn't have any equal in this world, except you of course. So, why would we be scared of a puny giant snake?
"While we were a bit apprehensive and nervous down in the 'womb of Hogwarts', we still were pretty sure that the fight would end in our favour. Just like always. We are ridiculously strong, brother. When we grip the hilt of our swords, we become unkillable heros.
"It is not your fault that I got tired in that stupidly long fight and misjudged the basilisk's next attack. It was my mistake that my stamina gave up, and yet I was too proud to ask you to stop and escape.
"Don't beat yourself over it. You needed my help to win that quest, didn't you? Could you have killed that monster on your own with your low level of 96?"
"No. We wouldn't have won without you." He chuckled, the coil of guilt around his heart loosening, if only a little bit.
Her lips curled in a satisfied smile and she gave him a brief peck on his lips. "Now, stop boring me with your sob story and let me sleep. Unlike you, I do need my beauty sleep."
"Fine. You can go back to your dreamland." Harry sighed, the heavy sensation in his chest altogether disappearing.
She nodded and tucked her head under his chin, smooshing her face on his neck and quickly falling back asleep.
But Harry didn't close his eyes. He had one thing to do. One question to ask.
'Creator, are you listening?' He asked in his mind.
Nothing happened for a few seconds until a familiar voice ringed inside his head.
'I am listening, junior. Be quick, I have other matters to focus on.'
'Be honest. How free am I? How in control am I of my own actions? Or am I just a robot with instructions? Are you controlling me? You must have known what would have happened to Iris to give me that perk. Is the future written in stone? Am I just following a path already paved by fate? AM I JUST A PUPPET?' He enquired, frank and direct to the point, not able to suppress his rage at the end, mentally screaming in anguish.
'Calm down, kid, and mind your tone. You aren't powerful enough to talk to me like that. At least not yet. So know your fucking place. Now to answer your questions in order. You are absolutely free and are responsible for all your actions. And no, I am not controlling you.
'Yes, I knew that Iris might have been heavily injured on this quest, so you got that perk. No, the future isn't etched in stone. It changes every second with your every small action. There are trillions of possible ways in which the future would unfold and it changes every damn second. But some supreme beings, like me, are able to process every possible way and prepare for it. So, do I know the future? Yes, I do, but only for the next second.
'Although, I have my guesses of how your story will go or what the future will become. And I never tend to be wrong with my predictions. But at the end of the day, they are only guesses. I can be surprised if something strange happens. Also, no, you are not following any path ordained by fate. Fate is my lapdog and my bitch whom I was shagging just before you interrupted my fun. Fuck you for that, you cockblock! Now, stop being an annoying brat and stop blaming me for your actions.
'I am trying to mould you as my equal. Like Yin and Yang or Good and Evil and all those bullcrap. Are you a puppet? Don't be a daft moron, of course you are not, that would defeat the whole purpose of giving you these powers. You have the most freedom and safety in the entire multiverse. Cease your bitching and whining. Now fuck off so I can go back to pleasuring myself.'
A sharp pain pierced his forehead and a grimace formed on his face. He got the warning and stopped trying to connect with the Creator. The headache faded quickly after that.
"What happened?" asked Iris, having felt the tensing of his body.
"Nothing important. Go back to sleep." answered Harry, gathering her in his arms and holding her in relief.
Iris didn't believe him for a second, but instead of arguing, she decided to drop the subject and bury her face back in the crook of his neck.
'He will talk when he wants to.' That was her last drowsy thought before sleep took her in its silent embrace.
~xXxXx~
The next morning, after teleporting Iris to her dorm room, Harry came back to the Room of Requirement. He needed to have an important talk with his friend. He brought up his character Sheet.
Character Sheet
Name: Harry Potter
Race: Human
Class: Fighter
Lvl: 121(0%)
HP: 6050(10 per second)
MP: 12,100 (100 per second)
Traits:
[Remorseless]
[Lustful]
Perks:
[Gamer's Mind] (Passive)
[Gamer's Body] (Passive)
[Observe] (Active)
[Peak Body] (Passive)
[Skill Create] (Active)
[Teleportation] (Active)
[Inventory] (Active)
[Increased HP regeneration] (Passive)
[Killer] (Active)
[Increased MP regeneration] (Passive)
[Unlimited Money] (Active)
[Shapeshifter] (Active)
[Death's Favoured] (Passive)
[Reviver] (Active)
[Dreamer] (Passive)
[Sleepless] (Passive)
[Mana Manipulation] (Active)
[Healing Pocket] (Active)
Skills:
[Brawler]
[Weapon Master]
[Rager]
[Guard]
[Predict]
In the end, the basilisk quest did more good than harm. It made his levels jump from 96 to directly 121. It wasn't everyday that quests with such great rewards appeared. Maybe that was also a reason why he and Iris had gone off in the Chamber of Secrets without a second thought.
Iris' power too should have increased exponentially. She must be level 160 right now. It was crazy how quickly he had made his sister a powerhouse. At the moment, she was the same level as Dumbledore. At least in terms of raw strength. Skillswise, Dumbledore was flying in the sky while they were still trying to climb out of the ravine.
He had learnt that levels could sometimes be deceptive. While most of the time, it showed the true worth of a person, one still shouldn't bet everything by just seeing the levels.
Just because you have a greater pool of mana and health didn't mean you have all the magical knowledge of the Wizarding World. There was a thing called experience which the old headmaster had in abundance. And they obviously lacked that.
Shaking his head from these distracting thoughts, he focussed within himself.
'You know what I want, Isis. Is it possible?'
It is. But there are some drawbacks.
After last night's quest, it had become evidently clear that this character system, where each Class was separate, was very irritating and could become his end.
If only he could have changed into [Mage] or [Necromancer] before the fight, he would have killed the giant basilisk as if it was a tiny garden snake. But due to all the limitations the system placed on him, he couldn't access his maxed Classes when he most needed them. It was unfair. What was the use of the maxed Classes if he couldn't use them in his need?
So, to overcome this, he thought what if he could combine different Classes? Wouldn't it be great if he had the option to mix his new Class with a previous one?
Let's see if the drawbacks were greater than the benefits.
'What are the drawbacks?'
The biggest drawback is the limit on the number of skills a single Class could have, which is only 20.
So, if you combine two different Classes to become one then you are losing the extra skills you would have been able to keep.
For example, if you currently combine all your Classes, which are [Mage] [Necromancer] [Enchanter] and [Fighter] then you will have to delete many skills to keep the limit under 20.
The other drawback is that your levels won't stack. The highest level of your Class will be given to your new created Class. Since your current highest level is 300, that would be your new level instead of just adding all your levels and making it 821.
'I am fine with it. Will the level cap increase or not?'
Again, it will be like your levels. The highest level cap of the included Classes will be considered and put on your stat.
So, combining [Mage] and [Necromancer] won't do much good. You won't be able to level up in that since the max level 300 is already achieved. You will also be given a limit of only 20 skills per Class. This is not how the system is designed or the game is meant to be played, but I can tweak it if you want.
'Hmm. I really don't see many cons. 20 skills are enough of an arsenal. Combine the [Necromancer] and [Fighter] Classes. I don't want to be weak anymore. And this combination will make me tremendously more powerful.'
Fine. Let's hope the Creator won't freak out that we are messing with the system.
'Fuck the Creator!'
Haha. Yes, Fuck the Creator!
System Alert! Combining [Necromancer] and [Fighter] !
SUCCESS!
New Class created!
[Death Knight] !
…
Character Sheet
Name: Harry Potter
Race: Human
Class: Death Knight
Lvl: 300(0%)
HP: 15,000 (10 per second)
MP: 30,000 (100 per second)
Traits:
[Remorseless]
[Lustful]
Perks:
[Gamer's Mind] (Passive)
[Gamer's Body] (Passive)
[Observe] (Active)
[Peak Body] (Passive)
[Skill Create] (Active)
[Teleportation] (Active)
[Inventory] (Active)
[Increased HP regeneration] (Passive)
[Killer] (Active)
[Increased MP regeneration] (Passive)
[Unlimited Money] (Active)
[Shapeshifter] (Active)
[Death's Favoured] (Passive)
[Reviver] (Active)
[Dreamer] (Passive)
[Sleepless] (Passive)
[Mana Manipulation] (Active)
[Healing Pocket] (Active)
Skills:
[Brawler]
[Weapon Master]
[Rager]
[Guard]
[Predict]
[Skeleton Horde]
[Undead Archer]
[Repair]
[Create Undead]
[Ray of Darkness]
[Army of the Dead]
[Enslave]
[Master of Dead]
[Shadowbind]
[Soul Searcher]
Harry couldn't stifle the grunt of pleasure which left his mouth at the sensation of his rapidly increasing mana pool. His body too was strengthened to mirror his level. A smile spread on his lips. The feel of this excessive power filled him with warmth and bliss.
He had missed it. This overpowering strength which made him feel like a God where no one was strong enough to challenge him. He could only imagine how strong he would be at level 1000.
He quirked up his eyebrow when his Black Sword appeared in his hand on its own. He gasped in astonishment as various crude runes started forming along the middle of the blade. His surprise only grew when he used [Observe] on it.
[Black Sword]
– The twin of White Sword, this Black Sword has bathed in the evil darkness and is enhanced by runes. It increases the user's overall strength by 12x, but when used against holy creatures, it becomes an annihilator and gives the user the bonus strength multilplier of 2x, increasing the user's overall power by 14x.
Harry could just stare at his prized sword in bizarre shock before a low chuckle reverberated in the Room of Requirement. This chuckle eventually evolved into a full on loud cackle. He clutched his stomach, laughing in relief and joy.
'My sword has evolved. The 10x/12x multiplier was already stupidly broken, but 12x/14x? I now have the Sword of Gods and none shall stand before me. Let Halloween come. Voldemort would rue the day he decided to challenge me.'
~xXxXx~
A seventh year boy received a letter on the morning of 20th October. He read it quickly, crumbling and burning it afterwards. A slow wicked smile grew on his face.
It was time for Revenge.
And fun.
~xXxXx~
The day started as usual for Daphne.
She woke up early, too early. Then she sneakily went down to the abandoned classroom which she had claimed as hers. She took off her robe and stood just in her white slip. She walked up to the big window and stared at the night sky. She smiled at the waning crescent moon and bathed in its flickering white light. She breathed in the cool morning air and shivered. It was very cold.
She decided to do her worship quickly and forgo her daily exercise. She danced with a brimming warmth in her chest. She swayed elegantly, smiling, singing praises to the moon, to the Queen. Calling her name with love and devotion. Twirling and skipping until her legs shook from exhaustion.
When she was done, her body heat had increased, making her sweat profusely, protecting her wet skin against the chilly temperature. She sat down on the floor and cooled down. She sighed and stayed there for another hour, just staring at nothing, thinking and contemplating in solitude.
But soon, she put on the robe and went back to the Slytherin house. It was still early in the morning, barely 5. Knowing that sleep wouldn't come, she started to prepare for the day. She took a long relaxing shower. Rising early had its perks. Like getting too much free time. Which she could shamelessly spend in shower without worrying about being late.
She wore her clothes and did her hair in a beautiful intricate braid. She then spent half an hour hunched over her desk, rechecking her homework. And by then the sky had whitened more than enough. It would soon be the time for breakfast.
She took her required books and arranged them in her bag. Slinging the strap over her shoulder, she again went out of the room. This time without trying to be subtle or secretive.
She stood in front of Tracey's door. She stared in either direction before knocking on the door three times rapidly and then four times slowly. It was their signal. It helped them to easily recognise if the visitor was a friend or a stranger. That's what their relationship was with their other housemates. To them, everyone else was a stranger. And most often than not, strangers were dangerous.
Tracey did not make her wait long and the door opened inwards. Daphne reciprocated Tracey's wide smile with her own small one.
"Good morning, Daphne."
"Good morning, Tracey."
Since they both were ready, they departed for the Great Hall.
Tracey talked about many things and Daphne just listened and gave her short inputs here and there. Most of the time it was just 'yes' and 'no'.
They took their place at the end of the Slytherin table and continued their conversation until their Gryffindor friends arrived. They waved at them and the two girls in green walked to the other table and sat with them. Daphne spared a gentle smile as an energetic Astoria gave her a hug and cheek kiss before going back to latching onto Harry's arm.
Daphne did not roll her eyes at that. It was cute and a little disturbing how doggedly Astoria pursued Harry. It was sweet that instead of getting annoyed like others would, Harry showed patience and compassion to her younger sister.
She would always be grateful for that. Though envy also burnt like poison in her heart. She wished she was like Astoria, having the freedom to wear her heart on her sleeve. But no, she wasn't that courageous or stupid. She again thanked the Queen Mother that Astoria hadn't gotten sorted into Slytherin. She wouldn't have survived in it with this demeanour.
She hid a shy smile as Harry too stole in a hug as a greeting and then grinned at her mischievously, squeezing her. She didn't mind. To see his carefree grin, she would offer him a thousand hugs. Witnessing Harry's successful attempt, Tracey too decided not to be behind, clinging to her in a tight embrace and embarrassing her in front of the Gryffindors who were snickering at them. She was glad the students in red were so open and acceptable to her and Tracey. The same couldn't be said about her own housemates.
The rest of the day went as usual, with many classes and free time spent with friends. Honestly, she was living the best school life she could imagine. She was thankful for that.
She had good friends who supported her and were her rays of sunshine. She had Harry whom she secretly considered a special someone. She had Iris, who was her sister in all but blood. Then she had Tracey, her oldest best friend. Neville was the shy brother she never had and Hermione was sweetheart too when she wasn't being annoying. And well, there was Astoria for whom no words could do justice to the bond she had with her. She was content for the moment. Or was she?
She was happy and safe. What else would she want?
Power.
That was what she wanted the most. The lack of it always soured her rosy life. If only she had that then she would have been a content girl. It was the shadow which darkened her heart and spoiled her present.
The night came sooner than she wished to and the two Slytherins parted from the Gryffindors. They went back to their dormitory, Tracey still chattering and Daphne still listening.
Just as they entered the common room, an older prefect stepped in their path. He gave them a polite smile and handed her a parchment.
"Professor Snape expects you at your earliest." He said to Daphne. She took it and read it before nodding at him. The older boy stepped away and went away to mind his own business.
"Tracey, go to your room. I will see you shortly."
"Are you sure it's not a trap? It's a bit late for the Professor to call." Tracey questioned apprehensively.
"It might be, but I don't think so. That prefect who gave me this parchment had always been neutral. He doesn't participate in inconsequential squabbles. He has better things to do." Saying that, she turned around and went out again.
Professor Snape's office was in his classroom. It was near their dormitory, but just a bit deeper into the dungeon.
She narrowed her eyes when she didn't find a single student in the hallway. Normally, few Slytherin students were out and about in this passage, going to and fro from the entrance. And it wasn't that late, maybe only 10 pm. Her suspicions rising, she took out her wand and held it at her side.
She instinctively ducked and then rolled away. Spellfire raining down where she had stood earlier.
Six students appeared with silver masks stuck to their faces. Three from the far corridor and three from behind her, trapping her from both sides, cutting her escape routes.
She sighed before letting out an unamused chuckle. "A trap. I see. What is the purpose of this confrontation if I may ask?"
The six students steadily surrounded her from both sides. They weren't wearing anything conspicuous (other than their masks) which could help her in identifying them. She didn't even know if they were only older Slytherins or a mixed group of different houses.
A lone boy stepped forward and pointed his wand at her. His voice too was unidentifiable, coming out hoarse and unnatural. "Nothing personal, Miss Greengrass. Just business. We are hired to ruin you. Both in body and in mind. Our client has specifically asked us to spoil your womanhood, but not to kill you so you can live the rest of your life in shame and despair. Rejoice, you won't die tonight. Although, you would wish you had."
His companions laughed at that. Daphne frowned, not finding anything funny in that.
"Are you scared, Miss Greengrass?" The leader asked, rolling his wand between his fingers.
"Not in the least. Professor Snape's office is just at the end of the corridor. He will come when he hears all this commotion." Daphne replied with a blank face, not that she needed the Professor's help to hold off this stupid boys.
"You should be frightened, girl. There is no hope. Professor Snape isn't in the dungeon tonight. We have chosen our spot cleverly. Why don't you strip already and save us some effort?" The boy warned and waved his other hand. Immediately, not waiting for her answer, the whole group fired stunning spells on and around her.
Daphne was skillful. And way more powerful than an average second year. But escaping six spells at once was hard, even for her.
Yet, she did.
She jumped to the side, missing two of them and hastily conjured a shield, "Protego!"
Three stunning spells were nullified by her shield. The loud gong ringing loudly in the narrow corridor. Still, the massive force of the three spells sent her skidding back, right in the path of the last stunning spell.
Her eyes widened in horror as the spell hit her right on the shoulder, and she imagined all the dreadful things these fiends could do to her if she lost consciousness. And yet, it did nothing. She wasn't the only one who was surprised by it. Her assailants too looked at her with confused looks.
Though the imperceptible vibration of the silver necklace gave her the answer to this mysterious question.
The necklace saved her. Harry saved her. She decided to give him the warmest and longest hug when she gets out of this trouble. She might even kiss him.
Shaking her head of those temptingly distracting thoughts, she opted to use her last resort.
As Daphne prepared to use her strongest ability, taking a second to breathe in, a devastating red spell was shot towards her.
"Crucio!"
She froze in the process of using her charmspeak. She hadn't even thought that they would use this spell on her.
Fortunately, the necklace did its magic again and absorbed the unforgivable, leaving no trace of it behind.
"What the fuck just happened?" The one who had fired the Cruciatus Curse yelled. Before anyone could answer. A new sound took their attention.
"Meow."
Both the sides snapped their heads towards the newcomer.
A black Burmese cat prowled towards them from the far side. Its bright slitted emerald eyes gleaming menacingly.
Daphne was dumbfounded. This was the perfect opportunity to use her charmspeak, but here she was, staring at the beautiful black cat whose eyes so reminded her of Harry.
"What the bloody hell!" Gasped another boy when the space where the cat earlier was became a mass of whirls and blurs and shadows.
A second later, there stood a figure clad in all white, who had a plain red mask hiding its face. Who couldn't have been anything other than a kid, at least that's what they assumed seeing its height and build. Only its emerald green eyes were visible which glowed eerily from within the gaping holes of the mask.
"Go." Its voice was directed at her. And she did, not having the power to deny its command.
She ran away, glancing back one last time.
The Red Grim was here.
The Red Grim was here in the Wizarding Britain.
~xXxXx~
Harry took out his Black Sword and moved. A moment later, he stood on the other side of the corridor. He swished his blade, cleaning off the dripping blood and stored it back in the Inventory. He turned around to see the five cleanly decapitated heads falling simultaneously on the floor with dull thuds.
The only remaining boy, the leader, stared at the helplessly spasming bodies of his colleagues in horror. He hadn't ever seen so much blood before. There was red on the walls, there was red on the floor, there was red everywhere.
He was standing on the dry stony ground, but the floor was rapidly getting overtaken by the expanding pool of blood. It was a matter of seconds before his slain friends' blood surrounded him.
"Now tell me everything." The killer ordered, the very shadows clinging to his pure white clothes. He stifled the need to jump away from the writhing shadows and spilled the beans, hoping to survive the devil's wrath.
~xXxXx~
Daphne hurriedly led the group of the professors and Headmaster towards the place from where she had fled.
When they reached their destination, they all became green in face.
"Don't look, Miss Greengrass." The Headmaster warned kindly, but she couldn't help but stare at the work of her saviour.
The whole floor was covered in sticky red liquid. And there were headless bodies sprawled all over the corridor randomly. These bodies lay twisted, their end had been quick, but not painless.
They found the heads stuck on the walls in a row. Shock and horror was etched on their faces. The Six heads were pinned to the wall by long silver nails. Which crudely pierced their skulls and then went through the wall. The blood seeping from their necks formed a childish rhyme below. It was written in big bold letters.
'Evil was here,
so was the Red Grim.
Evil disappeared,
so did the Red Grim.'
"Severus, take care of the bodies and inform the parents. Miss Greengrass, come to my office and hopefully we can together unravel this mystery." Dumbledore said with a stricken look, not unaware of the infamous Grims. Those two had been a subject of many heated discussions in the ICW.
Daphne followed him away, dazed and confused. She hadn't needed the Red Grim's help, but she was still grateful to him.
When the headmaster asked for her memory, she reluctantly gave it. She answered all his questions and was relieved when he chalked up the absorption of the Stunning and Cruciatus spells to the mysterious power of the Grim. She didn't correct him. She didn't reveal that it wasn't the Grim, but Harry's necklace that saved her. The further Harry's name remained away from this butchering case the better.
She had her suspicions about the identity of the Red Grim. And if she was correct, Harry would be in trouble if any pair of curious eyes fell on him.
~xXxXx~
"You know, Miss Gloud, I consider myself very rational and reasonable." Harry whispered, his [Killer] perk active as he sat before her on the plush chair. He was still wearing his Red Grim costume.
Iris too had her Black Grim persona on as she stood behind his chair with her arms crossed.
And sitting on the couch was Regina Gloud, the recent graduate of Hogwarts. She was only in her underwear since the two serial killers hadn't given her any time to dress properly before they plucked her from the bedroom and threw her on the couch.
She was scared like she was never before. The boy sitting in front of her was the lord of shadows. And since only a dim light was on, there were lots of shadows. She didn't know if she was imagining it or there really were shadow monsters writhing around him. His green eyes burnt like fiendfyre and his voice was so cool and inhumane that she would have peed if she could.
She didn't know what she did to deserve this.
"Who are you?" She asked in a shaky tone.
The boy simply threw back his hood and removed his mask. The girl behind him did the same.
The available light was enough for her to identify them.
"Harry Potter and Iris Potter?" She muttered in incomprehension, not able to associate those two little naive kids with the monsters sitting in front of her.
"Yes. But that's inconsequential. Tell me, did you contact your cronies to destroy Daphne Greengrass? Did you asked them to rape her? Did you ask them to injure her permanently?" The death before her asked in a calm and composed manner.
It would have been less scary if he had screamed.
When she didn't reply, he continued.
"Did you think that moving to America will absolve you from the suspicion when the news of the attack comes out? You really took a school yard fight on a whole another level, didn't you?" Harry sighed, staring at her sympathetically.
She tried to defend herself. She tried to speak up and say how that one event robbed her off all her hard-earned reputation, how it made her a fool in the pure-blood circle. But nothing came out of her mouth.
"You could have had a long prosperous life. You are very beautiful and smart. Many would have fallen for you and would have offered you all the comforts of life. But alas, you are to die tonight. I can't trust you to not attack again. And as I always say, a dead enemy is the best enemy." He muttered and pulled out a pistol from his pocket. "Iris, go stand behind her and kill her if she tries anything."
Iris gave him a dubious look, but did as told, moving behind the older girl and pointing her wand at her.
"You have two choices and both lead to death. The first one is where I rape you bloody and hang your naked spoiled dead body in the middle of Diagon Alley." Harry hissed, finally showing a hint of his rage. The temperature cooled down abruptly as if a Dementor itself had appeared before her.
Even Iris was surprised by his announcement. But just to prove his words, Harry used his [Shapeshifter] perk to grow older. Instead of a 12 years old child, there now sat a thirty years old man in the chair.
"Or, you can kill youself, comparatively painlessly. Because believe me, I will break you in a week if you choose the former option. I will rape you, I will torture you, I will mutilate you and only when you ask for death, I will offer it to you as a mercy. Choose, quick and painless suicide or a slow humiliating death." Harry smiled cruelly and slid the gun across the table, towards her.
Iris had never seen this side of her brother before. It was the first time that she was seeing him totally pissed off. It was frightening, even for her. And she knew that he wouldn't ever hurt her. She could only imagine what this unfortunate girl was going through.
Regina picked up the gun, crying and sobbing, choosing the lesser evil. She pointed the barrel under her chin.
"I am sorry. Don't do this, please." She mumbled, trying to gain his sympathy.
"I don't think you are. Go on. Pull the trigger." Harry curtly waved away her heartfelt plea. At that moment, he wasn't feeling too merciful.
BANG!
Regina Gloud slumped down on the table, blood pouring down from her head along with some brain matter.
Iris glanced away and walked back to Harry, the real Harry who was back to his real age. She did not look at the dead body, feeling sick in her stomach.
"You would have raped her?" She asked the most pressing question which swirled in her mind in a constant loop.
Harry smiled softly at her, pulling her in his arms and pecking her on the head.
"Of course not. That was just a threat. Words to terrify her. Words to make her choose my desired option. I am not a monster after all."