FicWad

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter 1 Remembrance

The doors to his "Throne Room" were blown off their hinges and thrown down the hall until they crashed into another hallway and crumbled into dust. With one last glance to her which surely meant "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE NOW!" She had no choice but to follow as her master continued on their way to the front gate with servants running this way and that in an attempt not to earn their masters ire.

The Front gate was a gigantic skull that came from an ancient creature and if anyone knew the name of such a creature they surly weren't saying. Its teeth were the bars to the gate. There was a lever on the inside that when pulled caused the jaw to open and close. The teeth were powerful, but she knew that if push came to shove the enemy could and would break it down after a few minutes.

But she realized soon that they weren't heading out front just yet. They soon arrived at the stairs that led to the ramparts above the gates. It was there that she saw a site so terrifying and yet brilliant that it caused a shiver to go up here spine.

Out standing in the valley that this Castle was located stood the troops. Thousands upon thousands of dark cloaked, masked soldiers stood out there now just seemingly waiting for the signal to attack. But this by far wasn't the most intimidating thing there.

What scared her most was not the numbers, which by no means were to be underestimated. No what scared her was that fact that in the very center of the field seemingly waiting for the response that her lord had yet to give; stood the cross which was currently bearing their one chance of entering the castle without a fight.

And standing directly in front of the cross he stood, Robed in a deep emerald green robe that seemed to shimmer in the fading light that the dusk was giving off. She couldn't believe it and must have voiced as much because she was startled when she heard the reply from her master. "Yes obviously he has decided to show his snaky little face to the rest of the world after all these months."

There they stood looking down upon the entire "Dark Army" the fear of every living wizard in Great Britain and probably many other places throughout the world. And there leading his army he stood the most feared dark lord to ever walk the earth, Lord Voldemort.

She knew that there was no way that they could hold them off with only the meager few troops they had here. They might have stood a chance if they would have been able to rally all of her lords' troops to defend but she knew that that would not be the case this day. Lord Voiishima must have also come to the same conclusion because with a flick of his wrist his wand appeared in his left hand and waved it in such a manner that a white flag came out of the tip that he raised and wove towards the dark lord.

They had lost, she new that just looking upon the field but she couldn't believe that he would just give up without a fight. It was so unlike him and just as she started to voice her opinion about him being a coward he spoke.

His voice was calm and yet had a dangerous edge to it as if saying "Someone is going to die today" when he said, "Just follow me and keep your mouth shut." And she complied.

As they made there way to the throne room they could already hear the sounds of the Death Eaters marching through the hall apparently the advanced guard to make sure that no harm was going to come to their lord.

When the said dark lord did finally arrive he was to find Lord Voiishima seated again once more on his throne with all of his servants and troops placed around it as if to guard him with their meaningless lives.

He bowed mockingly as he said "My lord, how gracious of you to see me on such short notice!" The only response that he received was the mild temperature from pleasantly warm to a bone chilling cold as Lord Voiishima's eyes blazed with barely controlled fury.

The dark lord had no fear however, because he knew that if push came to shove then not only his power but his sheer strength in numbers would give him the victory this day so he plowed on. "It would seem, that you ignored my warning that I gave you when I said it was better not to let your emotions get in the way. The warning in which I explicitly said not to get involved with anyone or anything as it would give you a weakness that I assured you, you would much rather not have."

Voldemort smirked as the glow coming from his eyes grew even brighter and with a smirk continued onward, "But of course I cannot complain to much now, for you see if it wasn't for that very weakness I would of course still be standing here, but would undoubtedly have suffered quite a few....casualties. Because as the prophesy says, you are my equal."

He smirked even wider when the people around the throne before their lord gained looks of fury and hatred on their face at his words and laughed softly to himself, as well as a few of his inner circle members, those who were currently stationed right behind him. The rest of his troops that weren't busy securing the castle were pilling into the room and surrounding the occupants. The cross with the little girl still pinned to it was carried into the room and was placed into the center of his inner circle members.

Lord Voiishima's furry was only intensified further when he saw that the bearers of the cross were the troops he had entrusted to guard her. "Why not?" he said to him self after a moment of thought, "It would only stand to reason that even my supposedly though "loyal" servants would betray me, I mean everyone else has!" Then again, prophesies always do seem to try and fuck up my life more that humanly possible. I just wish I would have know what it said before this all happened. And I still wish I would know what the missing piece says."

The power of Void has once more been taken
And now the land shall all be shaken
For the power of Void is nothing at all
Yet the power of Void still controls us all
And when the hero is betrayed and completely broken
Shall the Void take him and he shall once more be awoken

Thos who betrayed him shall all wish they hadn't
And beg for his eternal forgiveness even though they once had it
Oh how they shall weep for the pain they have cased
But still fight the war, a great but terrible lost cause

For without the one they so willingly betrayed
The light shall be lost and tossed into the fray
But all is not lost if the lord of Void shall once more take up his sword
And remember the promise he once so willingly swore

But his heart has been broken almost beyond repair
Thus we can only hope he doesn't fall into despair
Now if he is healed shall not all be lost
Alas all healing does come with a cost
For if he does win then the light shall have to fight against yet another
And now must fight to keep the world safe from both one and the other.....

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'The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches....Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives....The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.'

'Die at the hands of the other... Die at the hands of the other...Die at the hands of the other...'

These were the thoughts and words that had been running around in his head ever since had had accepted that Dumbledore was gone at his funeral a few hours ago.

'I guess' he said to himself after thinking about it 'That this really does mean I am the only one who will be able to stop his rein of terror now.'

'But then does the prophecy also mean that I am not able or can't be killed unless it is by Voldemort?' This didn't seem that bad to him at first glance but then some other ideas started popping into his head, like 'Does that mean that if he were to capture me and torture me, that he could let his Death Eaters torture me for eternity and I would still live?' That was not something that he wanted to think about.

'So does that mean that Voldemort is invincible as well? I mean if he just stays away from me then how am I suppose to be able to kill him?' But then when he though about it he realized 'How could I kill him anyway I mean this guy has 50 years more magical experience on me at least, I mean how am I suppose to do it?'

But the he remembered something he had once heard Dumbledore say in his fight against Voldemort "We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom" He would have to give that some thought, because he had no idea what he was talking about. 'I don't know, maybe Tom has some little kitten that I can kill that will cause him to cry from its loss and he will drown himself in his own tears of sorrow. If not then maybe the emotions caused by its death will cause him to have a massive heart attack or stroke and that will kill him and I will have won?' Although that didn't seem very logical to him, after all this is Voldemort we are talking about.

Harry was brought out of his musings by a part of soft and delicate lips connecting with his own. After he opened his eyes after a short but very intense snogging session he was pleasantly surprised to see Ginny straddling his lap with a mischievous smirk on her face clearly giving him the answer to his unasked question.

"Hi beautiful!" he said with a smirk of his own while pulling her down for another kiss, which he was happy to note she eagerly responded to. When he pulled away and looked into her eyes he could see happiness in them and something else he couldn't quite recognize, 'maybe love he thought?' But he wasn't quite sure as he had never had much experience with that while he was growing up. In fact apart from the love that he was sure his mother and father had giving him, he had no idea what love was.

After yet another intense snogg session that left both of them breathing heaving and their hair ruffled. Harry was pleasantly surprised to note, how much better it was when they weren't interrupted, generally by a grumbling Ron who had seemed to have made it his goal in life to make sure his sister remained a virgin forever.

Of course, what Harry found the most annoying thing about was that whenever he wasn't out prowling the school in look for Harry and Ginny; he was generally inside some broom closet or empty class room banging Hermione up.

Harry new that their relation ship had grown ever since the death of Dumbledore, and he was happy that they were able to at least find some comfort in each other so overall he was very happy for his friends to have each other.

-'They seemed to like dancing around each other and admit how they feel at last' thought Harry.

After being snapped out of his thoughts by yet another kiss from Ginny he asked, "So what have they decided, seeing as how I already know what your answer was?"

She grinned as she responded "I think that it would be best if they answered that question for themselves." She then smirked at him as she turned around in his lap and placed his arms instead of around her waist on top of her shoulders in a silent command for him to do his job as boy friend correctly.

Obviously agreeing with her he gave in to her unspoken command and began a very thorough massage of her shoulders and back. It was painful at first because of all the tension that seemed to have mounted there in the past week since Dumbledore's passing but after a few minutes she began to enjoy it as all the pain faded away into pleasure.

This was the scene that both Ron and Hermione walked into as they finally decided to join them after an additional fifteen minutes or so.

Harry and Ginny were just chatting softly together about everyday life and nothing in general when they saw they other two walk in, and both voiced at the same time, "So have you decided then?"

After the two had got over their initial shock of seeing both Harry and Ginny acting like a normal couple which was something they had no idea Harry was even capable of it seeing as how they thought his life must have been as he grew up but were happy none the less.

After sitting down they quietly waited for Harry to finish his work on Ginny's lower back and once he was done he picked her up and placed her next to him. But not without receiving a grumble about her disappointment.

He looked up at both of his friends and asked again, "So have you decided what you are going to do then?"

The both nodded their heads giving him the affirmative that they had discussed it and after a quick moment of thought to get their thoughts together Hermione spoke. "Harry" she began in what sounded like she was giving a lesson in history of magic leaving him to believe she had memorized what she was about to say.

"Both Ron and I have decided that you have lead us this far, and we have all made it through." Harry looked about ready to argue so she quickly continued. "And even though we have had our ups and down, and made some big mistakes here and there. Things always manage to work out in the end with you. I have decided that I would follow you to the end of the world and back, now and forever!"

Harry looked shocked at what Hermione had just said and taking this opening in the silence Ron the added his part. "Yea, you have never stopped looking after any of us although I have been a bigger prat then Malfoy sometimes. Even when one of us has had a fight or needed some time alone, you never abandoned us completely but gave us the solitude that we wanted. But now this time, it is our turn to look out for you, it is our turn to watch your back, and I swear Harry, I am going to be with you to the very end of this!

Harry felt his heart swell with happiness at the idea that he wouldn't have to abandon his friends and they would stick with him through this ordeal to the end. But at the same time, he couldn't stop the voice in the back of his head that was saying, 'Your going to get them killed, there going to die because they are trying to help you.'

After a moment to gather his thoughts, Harry said to them, "You guys do realize that this is one mission or journey that we probably won't be coming back from or at least if we do come back probably not in one piece."

His friends seemed to have nothing to say and Harry was about to thank them for the offer to go with him, because he had decided it would probably be better and safer to take this trial on his own when Ginny voiced her opinion.

"Harry Potter!" she said exasperated, "You are the world's biggest prat, have you ever considered looking back on the actions that you have take throughout school? Did you not ever realize that a boy your age should not have been able to do the things which you have done!"

"You have done things that grown wizards would not even be able to handle and instead coming back dead, you come back alive every time. I mean, how many twelve your old boys do you know that could take on a sixty foot Basalisk, kill it, and then save there soon to be girl friend?" she finished running out of breath.

"Or," Ron began picking it up from were Ginny had left off, "Dueled with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the age of fourteen, the most feared dark lord to ever walk the earth apart from maybe Morgana-Le-Fe on an injured leg and with a injured arm and get away? But not only did you get away yourself you even managed to bring back the body of one of your competitors in the tournament you were in."

Hermione then began, "You see Harry, you have lived through things that would kill fully trained wizards with tons more knowledge and experience than you and come out of it alive."

"So stop worrying Harry!" Ginny jumped in having caught her breath, "Because I for one know that as long as you are with us nothing is going to stand in our or stop us from completing this mission or any other task that we have to do."

Harry just sat there in stunned silence while he went over what they had just said in his head. He just couldn't believe that they would have that much confidence in his skills to win and to keep them going until the end. And after a minute or two still the only thing that he was able to voice was a quiet "thank you" to which they all beamed brightly at him.

They enjoyed the rest of the ride together in silence until they finally arrived at Kings Cross Station. And for the first in Harry's life, he was kind of happy to be going home. Even if he really didn't feel that the Dursley's were his family. No he was happy because in two to four weeks time 'depending on how long it takes to organize' he would be able to start on the mission that he and Dumbledore had began, to find Voldemort's Horcurx's and put and end to the said dark lord himself, although is friends didn't need to know that last bit.

The ride home from Kings Cross was the same as usual, dull and a complete waste of time! The Order had been there waiting both to escort Ron and Hermione to their homes as well as give his wonderful relative yet another warning about taking proper care of Harry.

The Dursley's had acted like their typical selves and didn't accomplish much besides making themselves appear to be a train with a very think middle compartment. (Vernon in front, Petunia in middle, Dudley behind) Vernon had acted like he had just swallowed an inflatable balloon as he tried to talk back to the Order and tell them that he wouldn't listen to them and threatened to sue for treating his family this way.

He didn't hold out long though because as soon as he saw this Moody clunked over and Vernon quickly retreated to his car, the rest of his family following, and swore "the boy" would be treated like the Queen herself.

Harry was thankful for the Orders help but couldn't help but notice that even though the funeral had just been a few hours ago the Order wasn't looking as though the greatest wizard in the world had just died. In fact even Ron's and Hermione's spirits appeared to be lifted a little as he wished them goodbye, as if they had receive a bit of knowledge that he had yet to hear.

So now he found himself in the back of his uncle's freshly polished car pulling up into the drive way of Number 4.

He finally arrived in his room after hauling his trunk which the Drusleys had been generous enough to let him keep it in his room when he heard a high pitch voice that he recognized all too well in the back of his head.

"So you have finally arrived home after yet another exiting year at Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry, and what have you learned new this year?" Said Voldemort's voice in his head who appeared to be in exceptionally high spirits if Harry's scar was anything to go by.

Harry was shocked at hearing Voldemort's voice in the back of his head but quickly responded, "Get the hell out of my head you bastard! And how did you get in here anyway?" much too the amusement of the dark lord.

"Come now Harry," he began after chuckling for a minute, "Is that any way to treat your superiors? As to the answer to your second question, it has recently come to my attention that we are able to communicate not only in dreams and emotions but are also able to communicate with each other with words!"

"So if I may be so bold as to ask then, why is it exactly that you are here my lord" Harry said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Voldemort just laughed, "Very good Harry you are learning to speak to your better with respect, I like that. Now just use that ungrateful tone of voice and that would have sounded almost....grand."

"No as to answer your question," Voldemort continued ignoring Harry's snort. "I have come to offer you one more time an offer at my side as my second in command!"

Harry was just about to retort by telling Voldemort that he could take that offer and shove it up his arse when he continued.

"But I don't want your answer right away, for you see in a very short while from you, your friends and everyone that you love or loves you is going to betray you! You will be left alone, hurt and abandoned by everyone that you love"

Harry was left speechless and before he could gather his shock and respond he heard Voldemort start again. "It is at that point in time that I wish to receive the answer from you. It is then that I will ask for the last time if you will join me or if you will be my enemy."

Harry felt the presence leaving when he heard him say one last thing, "I am leaving you a gift a sign of my gratitude for when you join me, it should arrive at any moment." And with that he was gone.

As if on cue the doorbell rang just a split second after Voldemort's presence had gone.

Quickly rushing down the stairs he made it too the door right as Aunt Petunia opened it to see a delivery man carrying a rather large box and balancing it in one arm and a leg while holding his clip board in one hand and asked, "Is there a Mister Harry Potter here?"

Before his aunt had a chance to respond Harry quickly jumped out from behind her "Yes, I'm Harry Potter, had a chance to respond in the negative.

His aunt just glared at him once and then made her way back towards the kitchen to finish dinner.
The Delivery man then continued "I have a delivery here for you lad it has already been paid for and all, all you have to do now is sign." He said holding out the clipboard and pointing to the line that was meant for him.

"Thanks for you time." He said handing Harry the box and then walking to his truck and driving off.

Harry just stared at the box the man had given him for a moment and was about to open it when he heard his uncle show "Close the damn door twit!" He decided it would probably better to open it in his room and headed up the stairs to it.

When he got to his room he carefully set the box down on his bed as to not disturb whatever was in it and opened the lid.

Inside he saw the most beautiful snake he had ever set eyes upon, both in the muggle and magic world. She was pitch black with scales that seemed to glisten in the light giving them an eerie shine. But that was not what made this snake seem remarkable although it did add to it.

It was her blood red eyes. Looking into them was like looking into the very depths of hell and seeing acts no mortal should ever see. It was entrancing and it was even hard for Harry to look away.

Harry didn't know how it was female he just new, it must have had to do with his parseltonuge ability because he couldn't see any other traits that would give away that this snake was feminine he just new.

As Harry was observing the "gift", the snake was also observing him, he appeared to be around 16 years of age the snake thought although she could clearly see that he was badly malnourished and needed to get some muscle on his thin frame.

He had badly cut hair that seemed to stick up in some mock attempt to catch a puff of wind or something. He also had an ugly looking scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt.

But just like him she determined that his eyes were also his most prominent and key feature. They seemed to almost glow as if there were some kind of neon light behind his eyelids that seemed to keep them charged every time he blinked so that they shined.

But this was not the only thing that made the eyes inspiring, now what made the eyes inspiring to her was what seemed to be held within the eyes. Eyes that held both youth and far too much wisdom, knowledge that should not be possessed by one so young.

It seemed as if this boy's life had been a hard one with little to no happiness in it. She could tell just by looking into his eyes that he had seen things most people would never even dream about nor ever see.
But the most interesting thing that she could discover in this young boys eyes was "longing". A longing to be loved like he never had been, a longing to be accepted by those around, a longing to have a normal life not filled with danger, pain, sorrow, and suffering for him.

And it was in these eyes that she had finally found her destiny. She knew that no matter what happened she would never betray her new master, she new that no matter how hard it was she would help him on his path to become as great as he could be. She would teach him all that she could and together they would discover his potential and the limits that he was capable of.

Harry was finally able to break away from her stare and he asked the first question that came to his mind, "Who are you?"

The snake looked up at her new master and responded with a hiss, "I amss Ermelinda my masster. And if masster would allow it I would wissh to bond with youss and become your familiarss."

Harry just nodded his head with his mouth open stupidly still trying to make sense at of the situation.

Quick as a flash the three foot serpent struck out at the underside of Harry's wrist that was currently resting upon the edge of the box and sunk her fangs into one of his veins.

Harry didn't even have time to react as Ermelinda moved so quickly and looked to see that she had placed her fangs into his right wrist. Even as he noticed this he could feel a foreign substances making its way back along the vein and spreading throughout the rest of his body.

Harry was amazed at how fast the poison was moving, it seemed to work even faster than basilisk venom and that was suppose to be the most poisonous venom in the world. He didn't ponder that long though as he felt his legs give way under his weight and fell to the floor, he new he was going to die now unless he received help but even in the wizarding world he knew it wouldn't arrive fast enough and had almost decided to just give in when he heard the snake hissing in his ear.

"Do not give up my masster for if you do youss sshall ssurley diess." Harry just looked at her through his peripheral vision not quite understanding why she had bit him if she wanted him to live but she continued hissing, "If you givess up nowss you will ssurely
Perissh masster! Fightss the venom and take control of it insstead of you obssorbss the poisson and you willss become the masster. FIGHT MASSTER, FIGHT!!!"

As Harry heard this it seemed as if a new sense of urgency was demanding that he live and fight. And so he fought, he fought within his own body for dominance over it. He fought for life over death! And through the pain and agony he won, he had fought off the new threat towards his being.
And just as the poison was absorbed into his blood to become one with him so was the knowledge of the snakes. All the knowledge that has existed since the beginning of time about snakes Harry felt being shoved into his brain.

Hundreds of years worth of knowledge in fact, every spell, every incantation, ritual, and anything that had to do with snakes was added to his memory.

This absorption process of knowledge was almost as painful as fighting with the venom had been for dominance in his own body! And after it was through Harry laid his head down on his cold floor and passed out, not to wake for some time.