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That Which Does Not Kill Us
Chapter 8
By Anne B. Walsh
Harry closed his eyes and let himself bask in his godfather's embrace.
Yesterday, I was in a world where he was dead. The day before that, he was a traitor. And the day before that... He made a face, mentally, at the particular relationship he'd walked in on the physical side of. I suppose there are things that could have scarred me deeper, but it's hard to think of one off the top of my head.
Sudden, blinding pain through his scar made him gasp. Meghan squeaked beside him, then was gone, leaving him alone in Padfoot's arms. His godfather pulled him back to arm's length, looking at him closely. "Harry? What is it? Talk to me."
"Voldemort..." Harry managed, pressing his fingers against his scar. "He's close... angry..."
"What about your bond with Remus?" Letha demanded. "That should be protecting you. Why isn't it?"
"Because it can't!" Hermione said suddenly. "Harry, the pendants, do you have all of them? Every set?"
"Don't know." Harry tried to think, then gave it up as a bad job and dug into his pocket for the last two sets of gold medallions he'd had hidden within his own. "Just these left..."
Hermione took them from his hand. "Moony's and Danger's," she said with certainty after only a moment's inspection. "The other half of the bond isn't there, so it can't work. You've got to fight him, Harry—try and keep him out—"
The pain cut off abruptly. Harry sagged against Padfoot's arm. "Too late," he said, catching his breath.
"I don't like the way that sounds," said Ron darkly.
"You shouldn't." Harry looked towards the door. "He's here. In this building. He knows where we are, and he's coming. He wants—I don't know what he wants, but it won't be good. We have to get out, keep moving—"
Suiting action to word, he found his feet and started towards the door, Padfoot helping keep him upright, the rest of the Pride pulling out their wands and closing in behind, Letha bringing up the rear watchfully.
This is bad. This is very bad. Harry glanced over his shoulder at his friends and family. We're none of us in top form, some of us might even still distrust others—the only thing we can hope for is that he's weak too, and that so many of us against only one of him will do some good—
With a sound like a whipcrack, sullen red energy appeared around Harry, shoving Padfoot away from him and into a wall, knocking Ron backwards into Draco. Harry nearly fell but got his balance back at the last second, as the shield around him expanded into a half-sphere taking up most of the corridor. The Pride and Letha slipped out of the room past it, wands out, eyes wide.
"I don't like this," Draco muttered.
A low chuckle accompanied a soft pop. "There was no thought of pleasing you when it was christened," mocked the figure who had just appeared inside the shield with Harry.
Harry dropped to all fours and had just time to wonder why before his instinctive reaction completed itself. Hackles raised, teeth bared, Wolf snarled defiance at a skeletally thin Lord Voldemort.
"Tsk tsk," Voldemort said lazily. "Such a bad dog. I must teach you some manners, if you are to be my companion through eternity."
Companion? You? Never. Wolf growled again and began to stalk around the inside of the colorless shield.
"Ah, but I insist. You see, my Death Eaters discovered the most curious thing when they rescued me from the scene of our near-fatal battle." Voldemort tapped his wand against his fingertips as he spoke. "When you improved, I improved. When your health declined, so did mine. It would seem that, quite without my knowledge, I have made you into a guarantor of my own life. Which means that you must live."
Wolf put his ears back. My teeth can be sharp for my flesh as easily as yours—if you are not lying, of course.
"But I cannot let you continue to fight against me. Nor your friends—" Voldemort flicked his wand sharply, and a second shield sprang up beyond the first. Vaguely, Wolf heard the cries of alarm. "However, they are secondary. I must make you both obedient to me and invulnerable to harm before I can deal with them. Save your breath," he called out to the Pride, and Wolf's nose caught the scent of burned air. "These shields are pure magic. No object and no spell can pass in or out of them unless I allow it."
Then you will allow it. Wolf circled behind Voldemort. I will make you.
He sprang. Voldemort turned barely in time and flung him away into the shield with a spell.
The fight was on.
Pure magic, Danger repeated, peering around the corner once more to get a better look at the two shields. Pure magic—what is that making me think of?
This? Remus spread a concept in her mind.
Yes! Danger almost laughed aloud, catching herself just in time. Yes, of course—but that doesn't help us, tonight isn't... She trailed off, tasting his thoughts. Oh no. You can't mean this.
It's the only way we'll get help to Harry in time. And if they truly are linked, that would make Harry a Horcrux—which word you'll notice he avoided using...
Which means he doesn't know that we know, Danger finished. Or that we went after them, or destroyed most of them—all of them, we thought—
Except for Harry. Remus nodded, his face set. Because we had no idea he was a Horcrux, until this moment.
But that means... Danger faltered. No. No, Remus, no, you can't! That can't be the only way!
Remus started to speak, then stopped, frowning. His thoughts raced. Danger caught only fragments. ...wouldn't work otherwise... might be able to... worth a try...
He blinked twice and came back into full contact with her. I need you to do what we already discussed, and do it quickly. If you can bargain for a few moments awake before your price begins, so much the better, but we have to move fast or we'll lose our chance...
Danger nodded and closed her eyes, framing her request carefully. It would be the most important one of her life.
"That's enough now, Harry," Voldemort said, an undertone of laughter in his words. "Playtime is over."
Wolf howled, the sound twisting in his throat into a shout of pain as he retransformed into Harry. His head was on fire, splitting down the middle along the line of his scar—the bilious, burning green magic he recalled from the graveyard was inside his mind again, and this time it was moving to take him over—he fought, trying to force it back, but he was too weak from his months of imprisonment, Voldemort was winning, in only another moment he'd have total control of Harry's mind—
No! Harry tightened his hands into fists and shoved back at the acid green, imagining his own red strength pushing it away and crushing it. Voldemort pulled back, startled, and Harry pressed his advantage. Get OUT of my HEAD, get out right NOW—
"Can you make me?" Voldemort taunted, and the acid of his power began to eat away at Harry’s stone walls. "All alone, can you make me?"
Harry shut his eyes and took a deep breath, then another, concentrating on his heartbeat. He could feel Voldemort’s confusion at the fringes of his mind, but forced himself to stay focused on what he was doing until—just another second—
There.
He opened his eyes and smiled sweetly at Voldemort. "Who said I was alone?" he asked.
A flick of a mental switch, and Voldemort staggered back a pace as the magic of the Pack and Pride, lacking only two touches, filled Harry’s mind. "Fools," he hissed. "I can destroy you all, do not think I will not... this changes nothing except the length of your dying..."
"Big talk," Padfoot said from outside the shield, his arms around Letha and Meghan. "Let’s see you pull it off."
"If you insist." Voldemort’s wand came up. Harry readied himself to dodge—it’d be extra hard with the green still eddying around his mind, watching him think—
A snarl sounded outside the shield, and paws slapped floor—a shock to the green magic, and then another—
Harry staggered back a pace and went to one knee as Voldemort's presence in his mind vanished. The Dark Lord himself was staring in shock at the creature which had breached his shields as though they weren't there.
It’s a wolf—no, it isn’t either—
Harry yanked the pendants from his pocket, pulled the two sets apart, and threw the one with the preponderance of red jewels frantically forward. The werewolf jerked his head up, caught the chain in his teeth, and flipped it backwards over his head, where it melted into his fur and disappeared.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and reached forward to touch the tuft-furred tail. Where've you been, then?
Long story, said Moony laconically.
Danger with you? No, never mind me, I’m being stupid, she must be. You’re tame, and besides, tonight’s not full moon. She change you to get through the shields?
Why yes, she did. Moony gave the rippling growl that was his wolf form’s chuckle. Now don’t fight me. This is going to hurt.
What?
Without warning, Moony whipped around and pounced, knocking Harry over backwards. Blue eyes scrutinized his face closely, and one gray-furred paw slid upwards to Harry’s forehead. Everybody out, ordered the voice of the alpha. The Pack-magic vanished.
Harry swallowed once, then flattened his hands against the floor. Ready, he sent.
"What are you doing?" Voldemort demanded from across the shield. "Stop—NO!"
Moony bared his claws and raked them across Harry's scar.
Harry screamed, unable to help himself—he thought what came before had hurt, but this was indescribable. It felt as if a piece of his soul were being ripped out—
Across the shield, Voldemort screamed as well.
Wait, soul—not my soul, his soul—
Moony set his teeth into something invisible just above Harry's face and jerked his head around as if tearing out an enemy's throat.
Harry was positive his head had exploded. Nothing else could account for the pain. Someone kill me now? Please?
Not a chance, Harry-kins, Moony's voice said in his head. A cool nose made its way along Harry's jawline, and some of the pain vanished in its wake. I'm sorry I had to hurt you, but it was the only way I could see to stop him. And it worked. You're not linked to him anymore, at all.
Not linked—I was basically a Horcrux, wasn't I? A 'guarantor of his life?' Harry pried an eyelid open and found the light not unbearable. That must have been why I couldn't beat him back at Hogwarts.
Most likely. Moony stepped off Harry's chest, maintaining contact with a paw against Harry's hand but allowing him to see Voldemort crumpled in a heap at the other end of the shields. And I don't know about you, but since we got all the other Horcruxes before the battle, this looks like a prime opportunity to me...
Harry grinned ferally, pushing himself upright and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. You took the words right out of my head. Shall we do it together?
Oh, I wouldn't want to steal your moment. You are 'The Chosen One', after all. Whenever you're ready, o mighty savior of the world...
Harry thumped Moony between the ears with a blood-streaked fist, then looked back at Voldemort, who was starting to stir. "You can dish it out, but you can't take it very well, can you?" he said, shaking his head. "Pitiful. The greatest Dark wizard in a hundred years, beaten by a werewolf and a teenager." Twin flicks of his hands created balls of fire in his palms. "Of course, certain things do help..."
Voldemort had just time to realize what was about to happen to him before the fire expanded to fill every available space within the inner shield.
Luq hissed between his teeth.
"Do you really think insults are wise right now?" said the red-haired woman, turning to regard him. "You are in my space, you know. My world. My power."
"You have no power over such as me," Luq informed her grandly. "I can leave whenever I choose." He jumped down from his perch. "As I so choose now."
"Leave, then," the woman said, turning back to her computer. "Have a nice time."
Luq grumbled another curse, then headed for the door. I shall have to find another iteration of the world she watches less closely. Learn from my mistakes here—leave none of them both aware of their past and able to act on it in any capacity—
He opened the door and stepped through.
The corridor on the other side looked distinctly familiar.
Twelve people, or rather eleven people and a werewolf, turned to look at him.
What—how—
Four spells converged on him before he could think more than that.
You'll be subject to their world's rules until you put everything back the way it was, the woman's voice informed him before the spells impacted. Except Voldemort, of course. He stays dead. And leave their memories alone. They deserve those. Everything else gets fixed.
I hate you, Luq thought with all the force he could muster.
A mental grin. I'm used to that. Once everything's back to normal, you can leave. Don't come back. A chuckle. Or I won't make it temporary, next time.
Luq was just starting to frame his scathing reply when the spells struck him.
Unconsciousness, for the first time in his existence, was a blessing.
Anne Walsh smiled to herself. "Maybe I won't bother making it temporary this time," she said, beginning to type once more. "After all, Rowling's Lucius turned out to care about his son, at least a little, so mine obviously isn't the same person..."
This was going to be fun.
Author Notes:
And that's it for another little AU! All finished! Please let me know what you thought! And the name Luq, in case anyone was wondering, came from a combination of "Lucius" and "Q", the omnipotent and annoying fella from Star Trek. As I have Q-like powers in the worlds I write, I found myself wondering, what if someone else showed up with the power to mess things around?