Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: This chapter is basically filler, but it's filler with a purpose as many things are revealed here that will have an effect on later chapters as well as the ending. Hopefully you will bear with me for this chapter - enjoy!

Bodies fill the fields I see, hungry heroes end
No one to play soldier now, no one to pretend
running blind through killing fields, bred to kill them all
Victim of what said should be
a servant `til I fall

Soldier boy, made of clay
now an empty shell
twenty one, only son
but he served us well
Bred to kill, not to care
Do just as we say
finished here, Greeting Death
he's yours to take away

Back to the front!

-Disposable Heroes (Metallica)

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Chapter Three: The Avatar

Hermione couldn't hear Molly, Arthur and Remus as they argued back and forth. All she could hear was the rushing sound of water that filled her ears and she prayed to whatever Gods that were listening - that the waves would crash through the kitchen door of The Burrow and wash her away.

It had been two days since they had encountered the new Dark Lord at Grimmuald Place, two days since she could remember any sense of normalcy or contentment.

Forty-Eight hours and some odd minutes since she and Ron had discovered that their best friend, one Harry James Potter - Savior of the Wizarding World, was not dead. He was just no longer Harry; the jagged blade twisted inside her once more and she could feel the tears begin to well up in her eyes…again.

She hadn't cried this much since the night Harry died - or at least the night he disappeared from their lives…believed to be dead. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder and she knew that Ron was trying to offer some sort of comfort and she knew he meant well and all…but she also knew deep down within what was left of her shattered heart, that she would never know comfort again.

Her Harry…with the entrancing emerald eyes and infectious laughter was gone; replaced by a maniacal and evilly twisted Dark Lord. Who by all appearances was more powerful than any Dark Lord that came before him. The way the magic swirled around him was not only impossible by wizard standards but also defied the laws of physics which even the forces of magic had to obey.

"What's going on?" A timid voice came from the doorway to the sitting room behind Hermione.

Ginny…if there was one person who had been nearly as devastated by the loss of Harry as Hermione was - it was Ginny. Even though they had not repaired their fractured relationship after sixth year, she knew that the young woman had always kept alive some kind of hope that Harry would return to her after defeating Voldemort, but with his death that dream shattered and she entered a state of despair and depression that was only exceeded by Hermione's.

The two witches had bonded in a strange sort of way after his passing - telling each other everything of their times with Boy Who Lived - hoping in some way to keep his memory alive and with them. Hermione had even admitted to Ginny that at the moment just before Harry died, she realized that she was deeply in love with him.

After that the two girls had become close friends - but right now, at this moment, Hermione dreaded what the news of Harry's return would do to Ginny…feared that if there was anything left of the real Harry inside that husk of evil and darkness; that Ginny could very well be the one to pull him out of it.

Rather then dwell on how that would make her feel, Hermione turned to the window and watched as the storm raged outside; hard rain pelted at the glass and the wind nearly picked up the ancient trees up by their roots and blew them away.

A small hand was on her shoulder and then, "Hermione."

"Ginny - I can't, not yet…" Hermione choked out, forcing back even more tears.

Ginny gently turned Hermione to face her, "You and I need to talk about this, honey…you know that. The longer we push it away the more it will eat us up inside."

Hermione nodded miserably, "You don't think I know that - but you didn't see his face, Ginny. You didn't see how he looked, how he loathed us and hated us with such…Hatred doesn't even seem to be a strong enough word to describe it."

The other adults had stopped their arguing and were now watching the scene between the two witches with close interest, Ron as well was sitting at the table his hands clenching and unclenching - wanting to do something…anything expect just sit there.

Ginny stepped closer to her friend, "He could never hate you, Hermione. No matter what you saw - I know that for a fact. You know that. Hatred isn't something that Harry is capable of."

Hermione shook her head, "No. Part of me wants to believe that - that there is some part of our Harry left inside that thing…but the other part, the part that witnessed everything that happened knows that Harry is gone…and it's that side of me that I don't want to explore right now…for right now I just want to go on believing that Harry is safe and with his parents and Sirius and Dumbledore…safe, because he died protecting us. Because he gave up everything so that we could have a life of peace…"

Hermione took a breath and opened her mouth to continue when Ron cut her off -

"Oh sod it Hermione!"

Hermione and Ginny turned shocked expressions towards him, but he did not falter.

"There was part of Harry there the other night - I saw, you saw it…bloody hell, even Snape saw it!"

Ron stood up from the table and slammed his fists down hard, "So stop with this shit! You and Ginny might be the only ones who have a chance of finding him - the part of him that is buried inside…because think about it Hermione, if he was truly evil, truly a Dark Lord - then he would have killed us…would have gutted Snape when he had the chance. But he didn't, did he?"

Hermione shook her head slowly, "No…he didn't…but why?"

Ron grinned, "There. That is what you should be doing…figuring out why."

Hermione looked to Ginny who nodded, "He's right…that's what you do. You figure stuff like this out."

Hermione faced the window again, her mind churning, "He said that it was our fault - my fault."

She faced them again with a gleam in her eyes, "But how is that possible? No…whatever happened to him - happened after his battle with Voldemort."

Ron nodded in agreement, "Right - he said that he spent a long time in that nothingness being tortured with images of you Hermione."

Remus made a strange coughing sound behind his hand.

Ginny frowned, "With images of Hermione? Why was she used against him, and by whom?"

Hermione sat down heavily in a chair, "I'm not sure - but for whatever reason, it seemed to have been the catalyst to cause this change in Harry."

Silence ensued around the kitchen for what seemed like forever as everyone tried to understand what was being said.

"Did you see his eyes?" Ron spoke suddenly. "They were - empty for most of the time. But then, for a moment or two…at least twice there was something there."

Hermione sighed irritably, "Yes Ron - I saw his eyes. They were glowing! I saw his evil grin! I saw his bloody sca…"

Hermione suddenly trailed off, her mind reeling. Immediately she thought back to two days ago - pictured in her mind the scene when Harry pulled back the hood of his cloak and revealed himself completely to her and Ron and Snape. She remembered his green eyes glowing with the power of the dark magic and the evil malicious grin but…but there was no scar.

"There was no scar…" She whispered and the others leaned in close to hear what she was saying, "His scar was gone…it was gone."

Ron looked confused, "What? How? It was there the night he fought You-Know-Who. Why would it be gone now?"

Hermione looked thoughtful, "I think because…" She suddenly looked sharply at Ron, "You were right! Harry is inside there somewhere!"

Ron gave her a strange look, "I was right?"

Hermione ignored him and continued on, "We all know that Harry's scar was his link to Voldemort. We also know that no matter how much Harry tried, he could never cover it up; even Dumbledore said that is was the result of powerful dark magic and could not be removed or covered."

The young witch stood up and began pacing in front of the window, "But what you all may not know is that Harry - never wanted to get rid of the scar, not really. He once told me that it was part of him and even though it was as famous as he was it did not define him, but he defined it."

Ron nodded absently, "I seem to remember him saying something like that to me once…"

Hermione stopped her pacing and dragged her hands through her long hair, "So why now? Why after all these years…after coming back from death, why remove it? Or cover it up?"

"If you are going where I think you are Hermione," Remus said as a knowing smile took shape on his rugged face, "Then it is safe to assume that under no circumstances would our Harry remove or cover the scar. Something or someone else would have had to do that and they would have had to do it for a reason."

A confused Ron fidgeted in his chair, "But what does this have to do with the scar!?"

Hermione flashed him an indignant look, "Think about it Ron…the scar was something that Harry would never get rid of willingly - ever. Yet here and now it is gone and Harry is acting not exactly like himself."

Ron rolled his eyes, "That part I understand Hermione - what I don't understand is why it would be gone? We can assume that someone has control of Harry and that's the reason it's no longer there on his head - but why? What is so special about the scar that it would need to be removed?"

Hermione wanted to respond, she really did…but unfortunately she had nothing. No reason to give Ron that would be logically feasible, or even theoretically feasible.

She finally just settled for, "I don't know Ron."

Her best friend raised an eyebrow at her, "Well - I wasn't expecting that…"

An image of an unusual pensive flashed before Hermione's eyes, "But I think I know who might!"

Ron sat up straighter in his chair, "Who?!"

Hermione ignored him as she jumped up from her chair and dashed to the fireplace; grabbing some powder from the mantle she tossed into the flickering flames and shouted -

"Minerva McGonagall!"

The others gathered around Hermione as she crouched down; after a few moments of silence the Hogwarts Headmistress' head appeared in the fire.

"What is it Miss Granger?" she asked. Her hair was for once - down and it made her look a good decade younger than she actually was.

"Professor - we need to speak with Professor Dumbledore again - it's about Harry."

The Headmistress frowned at her, "About Harry…Miss Granger I am not entirely sure that is something the pensive can answer."

Hermione shook her head dismissively, "I think you might be mistaken Professor - I am almost positive that the pensive will know the answers to every question I have."

McGonagall fixed her with a stern look, "Mistaken…how can you be so sure Miss Granger?"

Hermione chewed at her bottom lips a moment before answering, "Because I think Professor Dumbledore didn't tell us everything he knew about the new Dark Lord."

A sympathetic look flashed across the Headmistress' face, "My dear - I know that the news of our dear Harry returning as the new Dark Lord is most - "

Hermione cut her off with an impatient wave of her hand, "Please Professor - I am sure that I am right about this. We need to speak with him."

The Headmistress appeared a little annoyed that she had been interrupted and she opened her mouth to reply when her attention was suddenly drawn away from the fire by something or someone behind her.

After a few seconds of listening to whatever was happening on her side of the fire, McGonagall returned her attention back to Hermione and with a brisk nod she agreed to the request. "Very well, Miss Granger - it would appear that Albus' portrait agrees with you."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you Professor - a few of us will be arriving there shortly."

McGonagall nodded, "I will lower the wards to allow you to travel here by floo - I shall see you soon Miss Granger."

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Nearly thirty minutes later; Hermione, Ron, Remus, Ginny and Arthur Weasley arrived in the Headmistress office.

Hermione's eyes wandered around the large space until she noticed the Headmistress staring out the front window watching the storm rage outside.

"I have never seen a storm quite like this one…" She said quietly, "The wind never lets up - not for a second, while the rain hasn't paused since it started more than two days ago…odd."

Hermione shuddered at the hidden implications of the Headmistress' words and tried not to think what it could all mean for them. Of course, Minerva McGonagall was never one to mince her words.

She turned to face her guests with a troubled expression, "I can only assume that this weather has something to do with Mr. Potter and his recent return to the land of the living."

"That's assuming that Harry was ever dead at all, Professor." Hermione said. "We don't know for sure what happened to him that night last year; Ron and I saw him vanish along with Voldemort but who's to say that he actually died?"

"You would be correct in your assumption, Hermione." The sudden voice startled all but the current Headmistress of Hogwarts.

The enchanted pensive of the greatest wizard of the modern age sat once again on the Headmistress' desk and Hermione is surprised that she didn't notice it the as soon as they had come through the fireplace.

"Professor…" Hermione said nervously - speaking with the pensive version of her one time mentor was still as unnerving as it had been the first time around.

The old wizard chuckled, "Please now…I would think that we have gotten past that stage Hermione; call me Albus - I am no longer your Headmaster, so such formalities are no longer required."

Hermione blushed, "Right - sorry. Sir…err I mean Albus, I was hoping that we could speak to you so that we might get some insight into what is going on with Harry."

Dumbledore frowned, "I had been expecting this Hermione…but why do you think that I have any new answers for you?

"Because…" Hermione paused a moment, trying to form the proper words without insulting the ancient wizard, "Because I think that you were not entirely truthful when you told us that you didn't know who the new Dark Lord was."

"Ahh, I see." The ghostly representation of the wizened wizard paced for a moment over the desk top, his form hovering just inches above it. "You would be only partly correct Hermione - I didn't know for certain that Harry would return to us as the new Dark Lord, but and I stress this - I did have my assumptions."

Hermione took a few steps closer to the pensive, "Do you know that Harry no longer has his scar?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise, "No longer…are you certain Hermione?"

The young witch nodded, "Absolutely. Ron and I both saw that he had no scar on his forehead."

Dumbledore fiddled with his long beard and frowned, "Most disturbing indeed…of course normally such an act would be impossible, because that scar was placed upon Harry's forehead by the most powerful of dark magiks. It could not be undone, and only something of equal or greater power would have even attempted to remove it."

"Couldn't it just be covered up then? I mean it would be easier then say removing it completely right?" Ron asked as he sat heavily in one of the plush chairs in front of the desk.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, "True Mr. Weasley - however, it would serve no purpose to cover it up…it would not have the same effect."

Remus cleared his throat, "Albus - what purpose would it server to remove the scar?"

Hermione nodded in agreement, "Yes - why even remove it? What's so special about the scar? You said yourself that it couldn't be removed."

Dumbledore sighed deeply, "The scar was so many things for Harry - the night Voldemort attacked him and his parents…Riddle was looking to create another Horcruxes from Harry's death. His idea was that the death of such an innocent soul, one that had been destined to destroy him, would create the most powerful of magic relics…the last Horcruxes…and in part - Riddle was correct."

Hermione sat down next to Ron with a heavy sigh, "In part…last Horcruxes, but Sir, Harry destroyed the last one before we challenged Voldemort at Godric's Hollow."

Dumbledore look at her sadly, "I see that he never told you…I suppose he had his reasons, but still you should have known all the same."

"Known what?" Hermione whimpered miserably as memories of the moments before that last battle flashed through her mind.

The old wizard's shoulders slumped considerably; as if a great burden had been lifted from him. "That Harry…was the last Horcruxes."

Hermione covered hands covered her face, "No…"

Ron face had gone ghostly white as his mouth opened and closed a few times, "He - he never told us! Why didn't he tell us!?"

Ginny, who had mostly gone unnoticed until that moment, let out a terrible sob has her father placed an arm over her shoulders in comfort and Remus slumped back against the nearest wall his eyes misting over.

"Damn foolish boy…" Remus muttered, "He didn't have to face this alone."

"Unfortunately, Remus…" Dumbledore began somberly, "He did…in the end it was always going to be Harry and Riddle - there was no other way."

"To hell with that - Albus!" Hermione screeched as she jumped to her feet. "Ron and I were there with him every step of the way…we could have found some other way for Harry to defeat him - he didn't have to do it like that, he didn't have to leave…us!"

McGonagall had taken a few steps towards the young witch but a raised hand from her predecessor halted her course, "There was no other way Hermione - Harry was the Chosen One, he was born with gifts that at the time you could not and would not understand."

Hermione fumed, "I don't believe that! There must have been some other way."

Dumbledore began to pace once again, appearing agitated. "You don't think I tried to find some other way? That every night after all of Hogwarts had drifted into slumber that I stayed awake…unable to rest for a moment; praying and hoping against hope that I might find some other alternative, to make it possible for it not to end the way it did?"

The old Headmaster stopped his pacing and faced Hermione directly, "I loved that boy like he was my own…I worried that I would not be there to help him, to guide him through this terrible burden. I just - I never had enough time…I see that now, I couldn't dare deviate from the plan, I did what had to be done, but I am not proud of it, if I could take it all back…I would."

Hermione stared at the old wizard not sure how to take his words, "But you weren't there…at the end you weren't there."

Dumbledore nodded sadly, "I know…but you must know that I never wanted this for Harry…I wanted him to enjoy his childhood, to grow up and fall in love and someday have the family that was denied to him."

Hermione suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for the man who had sacrificed everything just so that Harry might have a chance of achieving victory, "It wasn't your fault Albus…"

Dumbledore laughed bitterly, "Oh but you see it partly is - I knew what could happen once Harry defeated Riddle…but I said nothing, I didn't even warm him of the possibility."

"Warn him of what Professor?" Ron asked from the chair next to Hermione.

Dumbledore looked at the younger wizard as if he had forgotten there were others present in the office, and Hermione quietly agreed; she had completely forgotten that Ron and the others were there.

"Warn him that if he killed Riddle, if he defeated him…that he could very well take his place." Dumbledore said through gritted teeth, "That in the place between life and death - between Heaven and Hell lays an evil so dark and so immoral that it could corrupt even Harry's pure soul and turn him into that which he fought so hard to destroy."

Remus was suddenly beside Hermione; his hands perched tightly on the desktop, "What evil Albus?"

"The Avatar."

Hermione frowned, "That…Avatar?" Her mind turned, trying to recall anything from the thousands of books she had read over the years about dark magic and Dark Lords.

As if sensing her train of thought Dumbledore waved his hand, "You would not have heard of it Hermione."

"What is it?" Remus asked roughly, his hands had begun to put a terrible strain on the edge of the desk with his supernatural werewolf strength.

Dumbledore sighed tiredly, "Simply put Remus - the Avatar of Evil. Known to those who have dared study it further as Belial; a demon that is rumored to have come to this reality at the same time as Merlin."

"And this Avatar…took Harry and turned him into the new Dark Lord?" Hermione asked as her brain still tried to grasp the idea of such an incredible concept, "Why would it do that? Why not just resurrect Voldemort? Why turn Harry evil or remove his scar?"

"Because for one; Belial cannot raise the dead. Harry destroyed Riddle completely, he is dead and gone." Dumbledore said, "And second…the scar, because without the scar Harry is easier to control…the scar served not only as a link to Riddle, but as a focusing point for Harry's power. Without that point of focus, Harry's mind was easy to overcome…"

Hermione gave the former Headmaster a confused look, "What? How can his scar, which was given to him by Voldemort, be used as anything other than what it was?"

"Harry was and is so much more than you know Hermione." Dumbledore whispered quietly. "So much more…"

Hermione pulled at her hair in frustration, "But why? What kind of world is this that Harry's saved? Why would he do everything, give up everything - including his life just to be turned into this by some faceless monster? What does that say about Fate and Destiny? About sacrifice? It's like he was just some disposable hero - that once his mission was completed he no longer mattered! But what about those he left behind…those that loved him?"

"Harry was the greatest wizard I ever knew…and he was my friend - my brother even!" Ron said loudly. "To imagine what this thing had to do to him in order for Harry to turn against us…"

Dumbledore frowned, "That is Belial's calling…he craves the suffering of souls…he wants and needs revenge for his imprisonment…for it was Merlin that banished him from this world and into the nothing between life and death."

Ron raised his arms in agitation, "What does that have to do with Harry?"

He didn't notice that Hermione's face had paled considerably nor did he hear her mumble quietly, "No…please no."

Dumbledore sighed in resignation, "If the one responsible for your imprisonment is no longer alive to take revenge upon, the next best course of action would be to enact that revenge upon the last of his descendants."

To Be Continued….

Next chapter Harry finally comes home and we see the return of a snobby, bleach-headed blonde…