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Chapter 4.

Order.

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At Number 12, Grimmauld Place, the members of the Order of the Phoenix were having a meeting to discuss the disappearance of Harry Potter, Voldemort and the new appearance - the Immortal.

"Severus, do you have any news from Lord Voldemort's camp?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Snape said sourly. "Unlike us, the Dark Lord ordered us to do more than search for your arrogant, moronic Potter. Honestly, if the brat is stupid enough to run away when he was well aware of the fact that he would be unprotected on his own, then we're better off without him. I see no reason to throw away our limited resources on the petulant brat."

"Now, now," Dumbledore admonished the Potion master in his grandfatherly tone, "Harry Potter will have an important role in our fight against the Dark. It is imperative that we find him as quickly as possible."

Mad Eye Moody stared at Dumbledore suspiciously. "Dumbledore, perhaps if you trained the boy a bit and removed him from those Dursleys, we wouldn't be in this situation. Frankly, I'm not surprised that the boy decided to go off on his own."

Dumbledore shook his head in disapproval. "My old friend, I assure you that I did what was best for young Harry. He must be a little upset for the death of his godfather. Finding him and ensuring his safety is our highest priority."

"I doubt that," Moody replied. "I think that by the time we find him, we won't have any more need of the boy. That Immortal ... man will probably finish the Death Eaters and their master." The retired auror glared at Snape with his good eye. "Isn't that so, Snape? I hear that half of Voldemort's inner circle is dead."

Before the Death Eater could say anything, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Yes, this Immortal character is quite a problem."

"Why in Merlin's name would he be a problem? He's just killing Death Eaters. Good for him, I say."

"Dumbledore shook his head in disapproval. "I believe it would be wise to be careful about this vigilante."

Moody stared at Dumbledore in shock. "Vigilante."

Dumbledore nodded somberly. "Yes. He must be stopped. We can not allow him to indiscriminately murder people."

"I disagree." At Moody's words, almost half the Order members nodded in agreement. "If the man wants to deal with those monsters, we should let him. It's not like the ministry would do anything to fight You-know-who."

"Alastor, after he finishes with the Death Eaters, what will stop him from taking Lord Voldemort's place as the next Dark Lord?" Most of the Order members nodded in agreement. "His brutal murders prove that he is too dangerous of an individual. I am afraid that he is almost as great a danger as the Death Eaters. Severus, what did you find about him?"

"Not much, Just that he is extremely powerful. No matter the spells he is attacked with, he always shrugs them off as if they were nothing."

"Even the Killing Curse?" Remus Lupin asked.

"Even that. He was even hit by fiend-fire. And it isn't only his defenses that are formidable. His spells are devastating, though they are a little strange."

"Is it possible that this man is Harry?" Lupin asked.

"Lupin, don't be stupid," Snape sneered. "There is no way the brat has this kind of power. Besides, the Immortal doesn't use a wand."

"Then what does he use?" Dumbledore asked.

"I am not sure. Instead of a wand, he has a strange golden metallic glove as a magical focus."

"That is intriguing," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "What about Voldemort? How did he react?"

"I think he is... afraid. The Dark Lord is very worried about him."

"Then..." Dumbledore stopped as the doors to the room exploded inward.

A cloaked figure strolled inside and the Order members gasped when it lowered its hood. "Well, well," a distorted voice came from the black-suited newcomer. "Fancy meeting you here."

Dumbledore had his wand in his hand, but it was pointed at the floor. "Why ... and how are you here?"

"The real question is, why are YOU here?" the Immortal replied. "And as to how I am here, there are two possibilities, I somehow broke through the Fidelius charm, or I know the secret."

Dumbledore paled at the answer. "Ha-Harry?"

Instead of answering, part of the mask that covered the face of the suited figure became transparent. Dumbledore's eyes widened at the glaring figure of Harry Potter.

The Order members had various expressions of disbelief on their faces.

"Dumbledore." Harry stared at the man he once respected and loved like a grandfather, before looking at the widened eyes of Severus Snape. "Snape. I came for you."

Dumbledore pointed his wand at Harry. "Harry my boy, I can't let you harm Severus."

"Oh?" Harry sneered. "And how are you going to stop me? Fiend-fire? The killing curse? Been there, done that."

"My boy, I must say I am disappointed," Dumbledore said in a sad voice. "Power must be wielded with care. I can not allow you to walk upon the Dark path Tom took."

"Spare me of your platitudes. I don't want to hear about your nonsense. I am here for Snape."

"Harry, Professor Snape is on our side."

"He is a Death Eater."

"I know you and Severus are not on the best of terms, but you can not punish him just because of a childish grudge."

"He is a Death Eater," Harry repeated.

"He is a spy, Harry."

"Is he really? For who, I wonder."

"I assure you that I have the outmost trust in him. He is loyal to the Light."

"That is a lie. Do you know I had a little meeting with the Lestrange brothers? The night Voldemort killed my parents, Snape asked a boon from Voldemort. He asked for my mother. Tell me, Dumbledore. Who was the Death Eater that told Voldemort the first part of the prophecy. It was Snape, wasn't it? And in exchange for it, he asked for my mother. Because of him, Voldemort targeted my parents. Isn't that so, Dumbledore?"

"Harry," Dumbledore sighed. "That part of his life is behind him. After he learned that Lily's child was the subject of the prophecy, he repented and became a spy for the Light."

"I see." Harry looked in disgust at the potion master. "Tell me, Snape. What do you think my mother would have done to you had she survived; if her husband and child died because of you."

Snape glared at Harry with hatred.

"Did you really think she would have thanked you? A disgusting man like you? I have seen your crimes, Death Eater scum. I have seen the people you tortured and killed. I saw the revels. I saw the women you raped. Red heads, like my mother," Harry's distorted voice hissed.

"Harry, Severus is a go..."

"Shut up, Dumbledore. Snape is scum. He is not your spy. I doubt he's Voldemort's spy. I think he's playing both sides."

"I assure you that Severus is faithful to the Light."

"And you are the Light, aren't you? If that is true, why did he rape my mind? Why did he destroy my natural mind protections?"

Dumbledore shook his head in disappointment. "Harry, Severus has protected you for years. I know that you are not that good at Occlumency, but there is no need to take your frustrations on Severus."

"Dumbledore, I mastered Occlumency by myself. Actually, I am quite talented in the mind arts."

"That is preposterous, Potter. I have strived a whole year to teach you..."

Harry's eyes glowed for a second. "One more word from you," Harry said softly, losing its strange distortion, "and I will show you more pain than you ever felt at the hands of your master." Harry turned back to Dumbledore. "I am not stupid, Dumbledore. Telling someone to "clear your mind" is in no way a method of teaching Occlumency. He never taught me anything. He never gave me anything to read on the mind arts. The only thing he tried to do was to rip open my mind."

"Harry..."

"And don't even try to excuse his actions." I am a master in the mind arts. There's no way you could convince me that Snape even wanted to teach me anything. I am well aware that he raped my mind, and you let him do it." Harry cocked his head in curiosity. "I wonder if you knew what he was doing. After all, anyone competent in the mind arts knows that it is highly discouraged for someone to teach Occlumency if there are any negative feelings between teacher and student."

"Harry, I assure you that if there were any problems with your Occlumency lessons, I was unaware of them."

"You're lying. If the results were constant headaches, then there was obviously something wrong. I doubt you didn't know. That means you wanted to have my mind protections destroyed."

"Harry," Dumbledore said in disapproval. "I think you are a bit too paranoid."

Harry's eyes glowed again. "I am not stupid, Dumbledore," Harry's distorted voice stated. "How long did you think I would remain under your thumb. Did you think I wouldn't realize what you were trying to do?"

"What was he trying, Potter?" Mad Eye asked.

"You placed me in an abusive environment. You isolated me every year. Even after Cedric and Sirius died, you banished me to suffer as a slave to the Dursleys. Do you really think I don't know what this was? It's clear that this was a way to brainwash me into becoming your tool."

"Brainwash you?"

"Yes. I know enough to realize what you were trying to do. Isolation. Abuse. And then, you come to save me. As the source to the little happiness I had, I would fixate on you as my savior. Classic brainwashing tactics."

"Harry, I assure you..."

"Did you truly think I would never wise up? Did you really think I would sacrifice myself?"

"What?" Dumbledore asked in shock.

"I know about the scar. That my scar was a Horcrux."

"How?"

"Let's just say that I came into possession of a few rare books. I destroyed it."

"You were able to destroy it?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.

"Yes I did. I have no intention to sacrifice myself for your pathetic Wizarding World. After all you did to me, I am tempted to just let Voldemort destroy you."

Dumbledore was horrified. "You wouldn't? What about your friends?"

"It's because of them that I decided to destroy Voldemort. That and revenge. And I will do it my way. Don't interfere. If you do, I'll help protect the few true friends I have, and then I will abandon the Wizarding World to Voldemort. There will be none of your redemption. There won't be any "I was under the Imperius" get-out-of-Azkaban tickets."

"My boy, this isn't like you."

"Now it is. I found the power he knows not. What I did and do, pale in comparison to the things I saw. A few hundred more deaths are just a drop in the ocean. I will do this my way. I will destroy the cancer. Are you going to stand in my way?"

"And if I do?" Dumbledore asked.

"I told you. I will protect the few friends I have before leaving. Maybe I'll come back in a few years. Then again, maybe not. Perhaps a few years under Voldemort's yoke will make you more amenable to my way. Do not think I won't do it, old man. I'm sick and tired of your world. If not for the few people I care, I'd just leave you to rot."

"Harry..."

"Remember the prophecy, Dumbledore. If you annoy me too much, I might just let you deal with your own problems. What is more important? The lives of a few hundred murderers, or the lives of thousands of innocents?"

"Very well," Dumbledore sighed.

"Good," Harry smirked. Harry pointed his hand at Snape, summoned and petrified him.

"Harry! We need Severus!"

Harry caught Snape by the chin. "You know, I wanted to torture you before killing you. But I just don't think you're worth it. You're just a petty, little man." Harry's hand moved forward and right and with a snap, Snape's neck was broken.

Harry's eyes met Dumbledore's. "I don't need him."

With that, Harry disappeared with a small pop.

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