Chapter Twenty-Five: Death

Philip smiled smugly. "I knew you would say yes. You would do anything to save the ones you love, even join the "dark side." '

Harry stayed silent, glaring coldly and defiantly at him, while reaching for the item he had retrieved from Grimmauld Place a week before.

The black thing started spinning faster, spreading out enclosing them in a box cut off from everyone else.

Harry gripped the item in his pocket. He blinked, and looked at Philip who now had the music box in his hand.

How did he do that?

"A music box? Why would Harry Potter have a music box?" He said while examining the box. "Why is it so important to you?"

He opened it and Harry cringed inwardly.

After several seconds Harry started to feel drowsy and yawned. Philip closed the box with a snap making Harry's head jerk. Harry quickly rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He could tell Philip was blinking the sleep from his eyes though he was trying to hide it.

"Tell me, where did you get this?" Harry remained silent. "Fine," he snapped," don't talk. I have to say you're smarter than I thought. This would have been excellent to use in battle. Make sure all of your people have ear plugs, open this, make all the Death Eaters drowsy and then kill them. Smart, if proving that you can't fight, but smart still. I congratulate you. Since you're refusing to talk, I'll put the mark on you now."

Harry made sure none of his panic showed on the outside.

He turned his back to Harry, knowing he wouldn't dare harm him, and touched his index finger to his forehead and started to say an incantation in a language Harry didn't know. The black thing started spinning faster and faster until it was just a black swirl.

Harry turned his face up against the wind, watching it entranced as part of it broke off and slowly floated to the ground. As it hit the ground it started taking form. He could see legs forming, then torso, shoulders, arms, and a head. Clothes and features came after that.

A teenage guy now stood in front of Harry. He was about six feet, and Harry could tell he had at least a six pack abs. He was looking at Harry from beneath his blonde shaggy hair. He had tantalizing blue eyes that many girls had, and many more would, had become lost in never to be rescued. Harry knew that almost all girls would thing him a total hottie.

He walked over to Harry and placed his index finger on the center of his forehead. Harry screamed as searing pain shot through his body. It felt as if he was being poked with needles all over his body. He screamed louder as the pain intensified, tears running down his cheeks. It felt as if all his bones were grating against each other. He could have sworn someone was cutting his head open with a very dull knife.

Just as abruptly as it had started it stopped. He fell to the ground, sobbing, and exhausted. His head was still throbbing horribly, but it wads bearable. He felt something warm roll down his cheek. He felt his forehead and pulled his hand away. It took Harry's brain a minute to realize it was blood. His blood.

The guy was sitting in front of Harry, wiping the blood off his forehead. Harry winced as he dabbed something on that stung. He then held up a mirror that had appeared out of no where. Harry sucked in a breath.

His forehead was raw read with a huge snake with it mouth open in the center of his forehead. There were snakes coming out of its mouth, snakes coming out of those mouths and so on. Harry followed them and saw it traveled off his forehead, down onto his check, and then down over and around his neck, disappearing under his shirt collar. He couldn't see an end to it. Suddenly it disappeared then reappeared. Harry blinked, confused.

"Unlike my brother, I see the importance of hiding the mark I put on my followers. I do not see it as un-loyal, simply not getting caught. If you want it to disappear think the word disappear. To appear think appear."

"Appear and disappear? Is that the best you can come up with?" Harry said coldly.

Philip glared at him. "I did not come up with it. And from now on you will call me Master, understand?"

Harry nodded. Philip looked at him expectantly. "Yes, Master, I understand," he said reluctantly, cursing himself.

He smiled. "Good."

He turned to Kayla, still suspended in mid air. "I'll have to erase her memory." Harry took a sharp breath. "No, I won't do that. I have a better idea, a much better idea," he said maliciously.

Harry's heart dropped to somewhere around his knees.

Ethan sipped at his Butterbeer thinking about how lucky they had been to find a wizard willing to take them to Hogsmead, and that they had decided to leave early.

"Are you almost done?" Amy asked.

He nodded. They got up and left the pub having already paid for their drinks.

They walked nonchalantly to the Shrieking Shack and entered.

"Are you sure this is right?" Amy asked looking disdainfully at the dust and fearfully at the broken furniture.

"Yes, Amy, I'm sure. Don't worry so much." She huffed at him. "Here it is, the entrance," he said quietly.

They both slipped into the tunnel and began their way to Hogwarts.

"Albus, what's happening? What's that black thing?" Sirius quietly asked the old wizard.

"I have heard legend of something like this, but…"

"But what?" Sirius said anxious.

"If it is that things are direr than I thought."

"What is it?"

"If the legend is correct, and it is what I think it is, than the person who can bring it forth will be the person to destroy all hope along with the wizarding world. You have heard stories about when we were almost wiped out completely back in 1200s, haven't you?" Sirius nodded.

"It was said that it was the darkest time we've know. Even worse than Voldemort at his worst. They said that if it happened it again that it was most likely we wouldn't survive. What does that have to do with this?"

"That person was said to have had a shadow with, the black abyss as some called it, that he could animals and creatures of all kinds out of, things that the human mind can not comprehend. Creatures of darkness and evil. It can grab people from miles away and bring them to him, like it did Harry. That's partly why it was deadly. He could think of a person, they could be in a different country, and they would come to him. He did what he pleased with them and then killed them. He can make it take the shape of any form he wants, a human being with a working intelligent brain, or a simple kitten to lure a child to him. The shapes he makes with it can make people think the only thing to do is to join him. He shows them promises of great riches and happiness and they are drawn in, tough it the exact opposite of riches and happiness."

"Could he get through to Harry? Could he make him think that?" Sirius asked panic in voice.

"Possibly."

"We have to go get him out of there now," Sirius said suddenly angry,

"We can't even see him, so how do you suppose we get him? Normally, I would say yes, but the only things I know about this black thing is assumption. We can't, Sirius. We have to trust him."

"If he shows Harry a promise of happiness, I don't know if he can say no. He's had so much sadness in his life that a promise of that might convince him to join. And he has Kayla in there. If he threatens to kill her, or harm her in any way, he'll agree. As much as he hates the dark, he would agree to join if the thought it would protect us. You know he would! WE can't jut stand here doing NOTHING!"

"I understand you're concern, and I feel the same, but we can't Sirius. It's too dangerous. We-"

"It's starting to fade," Sirius said eyes trained in front of him.

Everyone else realized this also and looked. The black thing slowly disappeared. After five minutes it was completely gone.

Philip Riddle stood there, the wind whipping at his robes.

"I can't see Harry," Sirius mumbled.

Philip and Tom Riddle's eyes were trained on each other, neither breaking the staring contest. Both raised their wands at the same time.

Philip spoke quietly, but it carried over the silent grounds.

"So, brother ready to duel?"

They both shouted at the same time.

"Incendio!"

                                             

"Expectomugformi!"

The spells collided in mid air going back to their caster.

"Fire, brother? Is that all you got? Why are we using these pitiful wands anyway? We don't need them, do you? Well, I don't it anyway," he said smugly, grinning. Voldemort scowled and threw his wand away as the black thing started spinning again.

A beautiful woman with long silvery blonde hair came out this time and came up to Voldemort. Philip watched on in enjoyment as he saw the woman work her charm. He could slowly see his brother's mind changing about his opinion of him. He gave her five minutes before asking, "So, brother, would you like to join me?"

"Yes," Voldemort replied in a dreamy voice, in a trance like state.

The woman placed her index finger on the center of Voldemort's forehead. Everyone watched, wanting to turn away, but unable to, as Voldemort was marked as one of Philip, now Master, followers.

Ethan and Amy went through the tunnel as quickly as they could.

"Finally the end," Amy panted.

The quickly came out and froze eyes taking in the scene around them.

Amy swallowed before speaking. "You were right about Voldemort being up to something."

They watched enthralled as some man they didn't know made his way toward Voldemort, revealing what he had been hiding behind his back.

Ethan had to grip Amy to stay upright.

Harry Potter was lying on the ground, lifeless.

"Now, Tom," Philip said walking toward him, "you will call me Master from now on, understand?"

"Yes, Master."

Everyone followed Philip's movements, except Sirius. His eyes were trained on what he had been hiding behind his back.

His godson's apparently lifeless body.

No, no, no, no, no, no. This can not be happening. Harry isn't dead! He isn't dead! He can't be dead!

He tried to run to him, but someone was holding him back. He struggled for what felt like ages, but only minutes in reality, before being released.

Sirius knew he hadn't run faster in his life. He dropped down beside Harry's lifeless body, hand immediately going to his neck searching for a pulse, while his eyes were trained on his chest hoping for the rise and fall to show that he was breathing. He wasn't breathing. His search for a pulse became frantic. After a minute he stopped, dread bubbling inside him. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"He's gone, Sirius," Dumbledore said. Sirius didn't miss the catch in his voice.

Sirius slipped his arms under him pulling him to his chest. "No, he can't be gone. Harry, wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" he screaming shaking him and sobbing. He felt someone try to take Harry from him.

"NO! YOU'RE NOT TAKING HIM FROM ME! HE'S STILL ALIVE, I KNOW IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" he roared. "He's still alive, he has to be alive, he has to be," he mumbled, sobbing, in his godson's hair, and started to rock. "He has to be…"

Kayla came running over to where Sirius was. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Harry's body and Sirius crying.

No. This can't be real. It can't be.

She quickly ran over to Dumbledore. "Is he really…"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," he said gravely.

Dumbledore looked on in pity, his heart breaking for the broken man in front of him, and the life taken to early.

THE END…