Darkness Is My Ally

Disclaimer: SEE FIRST CHAPTERS

Plot: Dumbledore's worst nightmare seems to have come to pass: finding Harry at Wool's Orphanage and then seeing him in Slytherin, the headmaster is faced with the prospect of another Tom Riddle, but the real truth about Harry is darker than he could ever imagine.

Author's Note: Now, before I get onto this story, I can take a guess at what you're thinking: DZ2, where did THIS come from?

The answer to that is that, lately, I've been working on Supernatural-themed stories and so, with a bit of imagination, I decided to complete what I call the dark trinity of Supernatural characters: Vampire, Werewolf and now…well, you'll see when I write it. Beyond that, I only hope my readers enjoy the story and enjoy how I add to my dark repertoire.

As always, I'm not going to rant this time, but if you don't like it then DON'T READ IT!

Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to my friend Winged Seer Wolf, who has always encouraged my dark side to show itself; my recommended reads are Demon Contract by 9foxgrl, Hadrian Potter, Darkness Rising by AvatarVecna and The Rise of A Dark Lord by Little Miss Xanda; three amazing Dark Harry stories.

Hadrian/Pansy

Eventual Neville/Hermione

Other Pairings TBC

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'Shadow Speech'

/Parseltongue/

Review Answers:

No responses here; just a big thanks to everyone who has favoured, alerted and reviewed my work: you've kept me going for so long; now enjoy our spine-chilling, bone-jarring conclusion: until next time…

"…for your insolence and failure to follow through on your promise to me, I choose the death you will bring: Albus Dumbledore!"

Hadrian's eyes widened before he smiled coldly and laughed, "You're giving me what I want in exchange for the throne?"

"I am," Acheron replied, "But when you kill him, it will be as a true demon lord and not as this human you are now: I let you come back to Hogwarts under the assumption that you would finally make that last great step and prove yourself worthy of my power, but now, I am leaving you with no choice. You will kill Albus Dumbledore by the Winter Solstice or, Hadrian James Potter, I will claim your soul and then, for added insurance for what you've done, I will kill your precious Brotherhood!"

Hadrian's eyes turned black as he watched Acheron fade away into nothingness, the power of the darkness coursing through him with the threat of his allies being targeted because of him.

Caught in this state as he was, the Slytherin King barely heard Sirius' voice:

"What are you going to do now?"

Chapter 20: The Acheron Requiem

Four Days from the Winter Solstice

Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that was about to change the world;

With the wind, thunder rumbled and clashed with the elemental force of lightning that resulted in a bright laser-like explosion of light and sound fill the skies, rain battering the walls of Hogwarts while the darkness was clear to anyone who could see, hear and feel its presence, much like the dark-robed figure that, in the dead of night, moved towards a certain golden phoenix statue.

Hadrian Potter, the Black Kaiser and Slytherin King, moved with determination and a feeling of finality inside him as he made his way towards the statue, his almost-silent footsteps echoing through the corridor with a deafening boom that resonated through him. His hands, calm and relaxed by his sides, seemed to glow with the fury of the dark magic that he felt inside him, his mind focused solely on the objective of this night.

This one last thing before…well before the end.

The death of Albus Dumbledore.

'All tasks at hand have been completed,' Hadrian thought to himself, not even bothering to adjust his path or his attitude as he mused, 'I have nothing left to regret or plan: everything I've done is done in the name of the future. Both mine…and those I call my friends.'

Stopping before the statue, the Slytherin King closed his eyes for a moment, a smile breaking through his cold demeanour as he thought of the humour and fun that he'd had since first setting foot onto the Hogwarts Express three years back. It seemed silly that all his plans and dominations would lead to this one moment, but then again, it seemed to bring it all full circle at the same time.

By losing his parents to Voldemort, Hadrian had started down this path alone and now, at the end, just days from the Winter Solstice deadline issued to him by that monster, Acheron, Hadrian was determined to finish it alone.

He had no desire to go back: his plans had been made, the insurance policies taken care of and the future of his legacy through the Brotherhood and through this school decided.

Now, the end was here…and unlike others of his age and lesser power than he held, Hadrian knew that he was ready;

He said so.

"I'm ready to die…"

With those words, the trigger words told to him over many months ago when he'd come into his power, the darkness enveloped Hadrian fully, taking the human Slytherin King and, ever so slowly, transforming him into the true Acheron Heir.

The real Black Kaiser…

Darkness Is My Ally

Pansy, Draco and Blaise knew as soon as they felt the respected surges of Dark Magic that bound them to Hadrian flare up that his time had come: within the Slytherin Dormitory, the Dark Trinity sat alone, each of them recalling their own private meetings with Hadrian back when he'd shared with them the results of his meeting with Sirius Black.

Each of them knew that there would be no changing his mind when he told them what the end result would be, though only Draco and Pansy knew that Hadrian had a way out. They, along with one other member of the Brotherhood, knew that Hadrian, despite his cold demeanour, was actually doing this for them and to save them from a fate worse than death.

Even as the Dark Magic that bound them to Hadrian's service started to lift – his final gift to them that he'd promised would be awarded on the day he embraced his fate – Pansy felt her heart grow colder than cold as she remembered her last meeting with her lord;

Flashback Start: One Month Earlier

"Hadrian, you wanted to see me?"

The Slytherin King looked up at Pansy as she entered his dormitory, her eyes taking in the fact that they were alone: no Draco, no Blaise, not even Neville or Hermione.

Just them.

"Yes Pansy," Hadrian replied, his voice devoid of coldness and hostility: in fact, dare she think it, but the Slytherin Queen couldn't help but think that her boyfriend sounded more like a normal thirteen-year-old as he told her, "Come in: I need to speak to you."

"Regarding the Final Stage, you mean?" asked Pansy, using the term that Hadrian had shared with the Brotherhood for the inevitable act he would perform, "It's okay: I understand that this may be the last time we see you, but…"

"No," Hadrian retorted, now looking up at her and, for only the second time since she'd first met him, Pansy had to gasp as she saw a tear rolling down Hadrian's cheek. Before she could ask what was wrong with him, Hadrian rose from the bed and, crossing the room, he closed the door before he turned to face her, his voice once more ice-like as he told her, "This is something different from there: I have a request of you: the last one that you will need to obey from the Slytherin King."

"You know I'll do anything you say, Hadrian," Pansy argued, earning a smile from Hadrian before she asked, "What is it?"

"It's the Brotherhood," Hadrian explained, his voice calm again as he addressed her, "After…the Final Stage, as you all know already, I'll free you from the binds that tie you to my fate as Acheron's Son: however, as you yourself said, I won't be coming back here. For this reason, I've decided to appoint you, Draco, Hermione and Neville as joined-co-leaders of the Brotherhood and, as my consort, I wanted you to know first-hand because I want you to do anything and everything you can to ensure people never forget how I've changed Slytherin."

"You can count on me, Hadrian," Pansy smiled, before she gasped as the Slytherin King took her hand in his and, lifting it to his lips, he brushed his lips against her knuckles, a soft smile crossing his face.

"I know I can," Hadrian replied, his voice as soft as a serpent's hiss before he told her, "Ever since our first encounter and your one and only mistake, I've known that: it's why I chose you to stand at my side and take the mantle of Slytherin Queen to this King. You never abandoned me or left me alone and, for that, I thank you: now, once the Final Stage is over and done with, I want you to do me one more thing."

"A-Anything…" Pansy stammered, then aware of the fear that she was feeling as she saw Hadrian's darker side disappear only to be replaced by a boy who knew what he wanted.

"Be magnificent," Hadrian told her, "And be happy, Pansy: the Final Stage will be our end, but it won't be yours: so please, for me, be happy."

Then, before Pansy could answer his request, Hadrian leaned in close, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss of raw passion, promise and eternal gratitude that had Pansy going weak at the knees.

By the time her consciousness and her sense of being caught up with her, Hadrian was already gone, but Pansy could still feel his lips pressed against hers, his scent and taste lingering on her for a long time afterwards.

Flashback End

'I never realised it until now,' Pansy thought to herself, watching as Draco checked a watch on his wrist while Blaise made an effort to straighten the bed that Hadrian had slept in all those nights in Slytherin, 'But he was saying more than I thought: he was saying…goodbye.'

Much like that first kiss that he'd given her, Pansy felt her tears roll down her cheeks at the thought of her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend's sacrifice:

For their own Greater Good and for the sake of their future.

A future that he himself had sacrificed to achieve the ultimate revenge…

Darkness Is My Ally

Across the school's building and within Gryffindor Tower, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan and Hermione Lestrange also felt the stirrings of their bonds to Hadrian being released, this being doubly-true for Neville as he looked to a forlorn, almost-grieving Hermione as she felt her honorary brother's presence leave her magic behind.

More to the point, though, Neville felt the stirrings of his mentor and ally's magic leaving him from the effects of what Hadrian had said to him on the last time that they'd talked;

Flashback Start: One Week Earlier

All tasks at hand were now close to completion: Hadrian had visited Diggory and had him promise to continue looking out for Ginny as well as Luna and everyone else in the Brotherhood. Unlike the rest of them, Hadrian didn't bind Diggory to his service; he didn't see the point with the Final Stage coming up.

However, on the Friday before his plan was put into effect, Hadrian asked Neville to meet him up on the Astronomy Tower, the Dark Apprentice finding that they were alone up there, the Black Kaiser and Slytherin King leaning casually against the wall, looking out over the autumnal sunset, the radiant shades of red and gold almost silhouetted against his dark form.

Bowing his head as he always did in his presence, Neville asked, "You summoned me, Master?"

"Stop calling me that," Hadrian replied coldly, his eyes looking at Neville with a mix of warning and actual friendship as he told him, "As of right now, Neville, I am no longer your Master and you shall not address me as such anymore. I asked you here to first relinquish you as my apprentice and disciple."

"How come?" asked Neville, "Because of the Final Stage?"

"Yes," Hadrian answered, "Afterwards, it will fall to you and the Inner Circle to keep the Brotherhood as strong as we have been: I've already told Pansy and Draco that they will take the head of the Brotherhood and now all that remains is to deal with the last of my insurgents from the Light, namely you and Lucien. I'm speaking to him afterwards, but before I do, there's one last order I want you to obey."

"What?"

"Hermione," answered Hadrian, "I want your word, Neville Franklin Longbottom that you will look after her and keep her safe, strong and in the know that she will never lose what we had as siblings. Can you do that for me?"

A feeling of dread filled Neville's heart as he nodded his head, his voice almost breaking as he asked, "How…how can you be…be so calm about this? You know what the Final Stage will do to you and yet you're still going ahead with it."

"There'll be nothing left for me once I embrace His lineage once and for all," Hadrian explained curtly, his voice like ice as he walked towards Neville, clearly with the intention to leave him there as he added, "My life was never really my own: so I will do what I have been born to do and embrace my dark nature. Afterwards…well, I leave that to the decisions made by the wheels I've set in motion."

"You sound like Luna," chuckled Neville, earning a snigger from Hadrian before he added, "Hadrian, please: let us help you through this. Maybe we can still save you."

Hadrian just patted his shoulder warmly before he took off down the stairs, his voice echoing up to Neville with a hint of warmth and eternal gratitude:

"You already did…"

Flashback End

'What did he mean by that?' wondered Neville, moving from his seat to put his arm around Hermione, her soft gaze looking up at him before she hugged him warmly, her eyes closed tight while tears stained Neville's robe.

"I know," he whispered, petting her hair gently while he checked the time, waiting for the inevitable, "I hate it too…but we had our orders…"

Darkness Is My Ally

While one side of the Brotherhood were in anticipation of the steps to come and another were in a state of grief and sadness for what they were to lose, up in Ravenclaw Tower, Luna Lovegood and Lucien Drake just sat with apathetic expressions on their faces, both of them staring into the flames while they too felt the receding of Hadrian's magical bonds to them.

"Oh Hadrian," Luna whispered, earning a glance from the former Dark Lord as she spoke with a haunting tone, "The price you're going to pay for being lead into this destiny is a dear one…but it is a necessary one for the future that you envision."

"A future we can face together, Miss Luna," Lucien remarked, taking the girl's hand and, unlike others, feeling and seeing no signs of tears or remorse from Luna.

Instead, she just looked to him with a soft smile before she asked, "Are you going to do it? What he asked you to do?"

"One day," Lucien answered, his voice edged by truth as he told her, "For now…we wait."

"Yes…" Luna agreed, closing her eyes before she lay her head in Lucien's lap, the reborn soul of the former Dark Lord now returning her smile as he stroked her hair gently.

All the while remembering his last conversation with his reason for being alive;

Flashback: Three Days Ago

"So you're still going ahead with it?"

Hadrian looked up from his seat at the edge of the Black Lake, his eyes rather apathetic as he looked upon Lucien, the eyes of the former Dark Lord filled with curiosity as he added, "You can try to hide it from them, but I know what you're going to do. I suppose, perhaps because I used to be Riddle, but I've always known what you would do if you were driven to it."

"You know this won't be easy for me," Hadrian argued, clenching his fist as he explained, "As he said, Drake, I've never actually killed anyone myself and now I'm expected to kill the man responsible for sending your other self after my parents in the first place. Once that's done, things will change: but there's one thing that won't."

"What's that?"

"Riddle," answered Hadrian, now rising from the ground before he turned and pressed his hand against the trunk of the tree, leaning in close to Lucien as he explained, "He will find a way to come back sooner or later and, this time, my power won't be there to give the source of his return a life of their own."

"That's why you should let me do this," Lucien argued, earning a raised eyebrow from Hadrian, "I owe you my life, Hadrian: to repay that debt, I'll do anything you say. Just tell me: give orders and use me like you have before. Should I perhaps use some Dark spell to end this? Or go after him myself? Play as a double for your act? Tell me, I'll do anything you want."

"In that case," Hadrian answered, "You can do me one thing, Lucien: when Riddle comes back, you will hunt him down and destroy him yourself. His Horcruxes are now completely obliterated and he'll be weak and defenceless: so find him, take him down and ensure that our friends have a future. Do that and your debt to me will be repaid in full."

"But…" Lucien began, before he watched as Hadrian turned away, staring up into the wintry sky overhead before he asked, "I still don't get it, Hadrian: why are you so willing to go ahead like this?"

"Because," Hadrian answered, his voice hauntingly-normal-sounding as he explained, "The only ones who should kill…are those prepared to be killed."

Flashback End

'I know what you're going to do, Hadrian,' Lucien thought, clenching his own fists as he felt the rage and sorrow of his decisions rise up in him, 'And for that…I promise you…I will grant your wish: if I meet him again, Tom Riddle will die…and this time, it's for the last time!'

Darkness Is My Ally

"I'm ready to die…"

As soon as the words left Hadrian's lips, he doubled over with a cold pain that rose up in his heart, the feel of the darkness around him only intensifying as he felt his body shift and contort, his magic exploding from within him as his core became overpowered by the true power of the Mark of Acheron.

On his back, said Mark spread like a virus through his veins and arteries, turning his clothes into the ferociously-spiked armour that he'd worn several times over, the armour now emphasised by a pair of serrated-edged steel wings, the tips of the wings like daggers as they spread out from behind his back.

As the armour covered his arms, Hadrian let out a cry as his hands and fingers were transformed into two sets of talon-tipped claws, the razor-edge of the talons humming with dark magic while the feel of the darkness fuelled them like new blood in Hadrian's veins. Within the darkness of the helmet worn by Hadrian, the demonic visage transformed until it resembled a metallic cowl, the facial space matching Acheron's as it was replaced by hollow, empty, hungry darkness.

His transformation complete, the new Hadrian moved towards the statue and, with a single wave of his hand, he managed to melt the statue into little more than a pool of molten gold, the hiss of acidic disintegration filling the hall as Hadrian spread his wings and rose into the air, flying up through the passage until he reached the doorway to Dumbledore's office.

Without waiting for any sign of an invitation, the Black Kaiser lifted his right hand and, from the centre of his talon-tipped palm, a black flame flew from his skin and incinerated the door, earning a loud shriek from a beautiful-looking red phoenix while, behind an ornate desk, Albus Dumbledore looked up, his eyes edged by pain and sorrow as he spoke to the dark-winged figure before him, "Good evening, Hadrian: I take it that we have no real need for introductions do we, Prince Acheron?"

"You won't talk your way out this time, old fool," snarled Hadrian, his voice so cold and dark that it would put a certain other armoured Dark Lord to shame. "The time has come for answers, Dumbledore: you think your precious little prophecy will stop me, but you're mistaken: this time, the choice is mine. I know what I must do."

"Yes," agreed Dumbledore, setting down his quill before he sighed, "Shame really: I would rather have preferred to die on the field of battle."

With shock in his expression, Hadrian's cowl-tipped helmet folded back, revealing a gaunt, pale face with black veins that attached the armour to his face, his eyes as black as night while his jaws had fangs in them – think Venom/Eddie in Spiderman 3 – as he asked, "You mean you knew what I was going to do?"

"I knew this moment would come sooner or later," Dumbledore answered, linking his fingers before he added, "But I had no idea that it would come with such malice behind it: your knowledge always did scare me, Harry. But not as much as the fear of losing someone else to the consuming darkness we all have inside us."

"And yet you didn't seem to mind sacrificing my family for your precious Greater Good?" asked Hadrian, snarling like the demon he had become as he insisted, "You are the one who caused everything to happen as it did, Dumbledore. If your stupid drunken witch hadn't made that bloody lie, my family would still be alive, but no, Albus fucking Dumbledore will do anything he has to and say it's for the Greater Good!"

"I confess," Dumbledore agreed, lifting his hands in surrender, "It was not one of my brighter moments, but everything I have tried to do since then, I did because I wanted to believe in you, Harry."

"Well you've lost it," Hadrian remarked, his helmet shifting back into place as he growled, "And now, Albus Dumbledore, I am going to kill you for what you took from me!"

With that, he let his right hand dart outwards, a volley of black lightning firing from the armour where, at the same time, Dumbledore flew over his desk, his wand in his hand. As the destruction rained down around them, Dumbledore shook his head before he told the Black Kaiser, "I never got the chance to tell you this, dear boy, but I hope it shows you that you don't have to do this."

"What do you mean?" asked Hadrian, using the darkness to change the shards of Dumbledore's desk into solid diamond, the power of the Black Kaiser now launching those shards at the old man, who deflected them with a pretty powerful shield, turning the diamond into sand that fell to the ground like snowfall.

"It is not your actions that define you, Harry," Dumbledore told him, "It is your choices and you deserve the right to choose…"

"I do choose," Hadrian hissed, going with a new assault as he summoned several black orbs from the nothingness around them, launching them at Dumbledore, who once again managed to dodge the assaults, Hadrian continued, "I choose my own path and my own destiny: and if that destiny means becoming Lord of the Shadows, then so be it!"

Where the orbs had hit at the objects around Dumbledore's office, the old man saw that they encased their targets in a thick, sludge-like substance, freezing them in place and unable to move or escape their fate.

Seeing the dark power in Hadrian's hands, Dumbledore sighed before he turned to face the Black Kaiser, "Only a true Dark Lord would deal in absolutes like this, Harry: but if you're forcing my hand, then I will do what I must."

"You will try," Hadrian snarled, watching as Dumbledore flicked the wand in his hand and, from a basin in the corner of his office – Dumbledore's Pensieve – the old man summoned a torrent of water that he launched at the Black Kaiser, Hadrian using the darkness to counter the assault by freezing the water.

At the same time, the Black Kaiser released his dark power in its fullest form, using the same power that he had done on Rosier Senior to snare Dumbledore's old heart and nerves in his grip. As soon as the power hit him, Dumbledore gasped with pain and fire, feeling his bones and nerves burn up to the point where he could bear it no longer.

"How does it feel, you manipulative old bastard of a mortal?" asked Hadrian, his fingers splayed with the power of the tormenting curse being inflicted on Dumbledore's body, "To know that you've come so close to death and that nobody's going to save you? Maybe now you understand the pain of others whom you try to destroy for your bullshit Greater Good!"

"Harry…" Dumbledore gasped, letting out a groan of pain as he was forced into a stiffened, almost stretched sensation, his body feeling like the ancient execution art of dismemberment-by-horses was being performed on him.

"My name," hissed the Black Kaiser, "Is Hadrian Acheron and you, Dumbledore, are the final step I need to become the monster that your actions gave life to: enjoy the rewards you've clearly sought."

Then, with a crushing gesture from his hands, Hadrian used the darkness to rip Dumbledore's wand from his grip, several fierce, painful-looking lacerations appearing on the man's skin as Hadrian snarled, "You deserve this: remember that."

"Ha…drian…for…give…me…" Dumbledore gasped, before the lacerations grew to new sizes and, rather than answer, Hadrian splayed his fingers once more, tearing Dumbledore's body apart and leaving nothing more than a blood-spattered mess and sinews of skin all over the room.

"I don't forgive," Hadrian scowled, lowering his hand while he also lowered himself down and, from within a pool of blood and gore, he pulled Dumbledore's wand out by its hilt, "And I never forget my enemies…"

As he wrapped his talon-tipped hand around the wand in his hand, Hadrian's helmet once more parted, revealing the face of the Black Kaiser before the wand began to glow, its brightness forcing the rest of the demon in Hadrian to be released, revealing the young boy underneath, his dark eyes taking in the results of his work.

"Now," he whispered, holding the wand in his hand, "For the final stage."

Then, just as the sound of rushing footsteps reached his ears, Hadrian Flamed out of the office, leaving a sorrowful Fawkes the Phoenix to welcome the staff of Hogwarts to the destruction that they saw before them.

Darkness Is My Ally

Two Days till the Winter Solstice

Boy-Who-Lived Really A Dark Lord! Dumbledore Slain by Saviour

By Rita Skeeter

Yes, dear readers, it grieves me as it will many of you to report this sad, horrifying turn of events: Harry James Potter, 13 ½ years old, student of Hogwarts and slayer of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has taken the life of Albus Dumbledore. Though nobody can fully understand the magic used by Dark Lord Potter in his murderous assault and destructive fury against the Headmaster, it is undeniable that he is behind the attack as Aurors and Unspeakables found magical signatures belonging to Dark Lord Potter all over the office of the late Headmaster.

A tragic turn of events to say the least, but while Hogwarts mourns and the magical world lies in fear, our beloved Minister, Cornelius Fudge, had this to say:

'Harry Potter has shown his true colours and, therefore, I feel no disgrace in offering whatever is required of the one who brings this murderer to justice, dead or alive. Any price is payable for the murderer of our beloved Chief Warlock and the Lord of Light.'

It seems that the Boy-Who-Lived is now the new You-Know-Who, but the question remains: who will find him?

For more information on Harry Potter, see Page 3

For an in-depth interview with the staff of Hogwarts, see Page 2

For reactions from friends and family, see Pages 4-7

Hadrian felt a smile creep onto his face as he witnessed the result of his work: sure, it was a rough-and-tumble sort of result, but now, officially-speaking, all tasks at hand were truly completed.

All that remained was one final movement.

Emerging from the shadows where he'd hidden himself away until the time was right, Hadrian passed through a steel gate and along a narrow, rocky path towards a site where two headstones lay undisturbed and unseen by those who didn't know where to find them.

Stopping before the headstones, Hadrian drew the wand that he'd taken from Dumbledore and, waving it once, he conjured two bouquets of flowers that he set down on the grave-sites before taking a step back and, with no remorse or regret, he let the wand drop to the floor. As it settled by his side, Hadrian stepped forwards and, kneeling down, he bowed his head, his voice low as he spoke to the graves before him.

The graves of Lily and James Potter.

"I don't know if you can hear me," Hadrian remarked, his voice cold, but gentle as he spoke, "But I want you to know that this was my only path and that, when we meet again, if we meet again, you understand that everything I've done was to free myself from lies and manipulations."

A feeling of cold passed over the graveyard before Hadrian smiled softly, lifting his head as though holding in some sort of pride about his actions, his voice edged by determination as he explained, "I don't regret killing Dumbledore: that was one thing I had wanted since the beginning, with or without Acheron's help. He took you from me: him and his prophecy, so in the end, the Greater Good was served and justice was dealt: I'm sorry that my hand did the deed, of course, but I won't mourn such a monster."

The cold seemed to pass over Hadrian now before the Black Kaiser smiled and, rising from in front of the graves, he sighed before he added, "Looks like I'm out of time, then: it's okay…I don't have any regrets and I know that, somewhere, very deep in your souls, I know you understand why this had to be done."

The graves stood silent.

Hadrian just smiled before he whispered softly, "I'm ready now…"

Just as the words left his mouth, Hadrian's smile was replaced by a look of absolute pain as he felt warm wetness trail down his chest; looking down, Hadrian saw his own red blood running down his chest, staining the ground and his hands.

With a smile, the Black Kaiser turned and, seeing his attacker, he whispered softly, "Thank you…"

Then, with eyes closed as though accepting his fate, Hadrian Acheron Potter fell to the ground, leaving his attacker to emerge from the shadows, the wand of Albus Dumbledore smoking from where he'd struck out at Hadrian.

"Just like you planned it," Sirius Black muttered, his eyes edged by tears as he added, "Now you can be at peace…Harry."

Flashback Start: Halloween Night

"What are you going to do now?"

Hadrian shook his head with a mix of dismay and fear as he paced back and forth in the Shrieking Shack, his expression a mix of fear and doubt as he answered, "I…I don't know: he's given me no way out of this. I...I don't want to let him win, Sirius, but…there's nothing I can do. If I don't kill Dumbledore, then he'll take my friends away from me."

"Friends?" asked Sirius, "Not tools? Pawns? Weapons?"

"No," Hadrian answered, "Friends…and maybe it's the old me talking here, but I feel a need to save them from him, but the only way to do that is to…kill Dumbledore myself."

"No-one else can do it?"

"No," Hadrian answered, "Acheron would know and given he's after my life, then…"

He suddenly trailed off, his eyes widening before, to Sirius' horror, a laugh escaped Hadrian that was a mix of human and demon, the darkness seemingly gathering around the Black Kaiser before he chuckled, "Could I do it? It's one way out…and I'd be free…but…who…why…how?"

"Care to share?" asked Sirius, earning a look from Hadrian that turned into an expression of realisation.

"Of course," he whispered, turning to face Sirius with that same wolfish smile, "There's no-one else…it makes sense…"

"What does?" asked Sirius.

"You," Hadrian answered, almost trembling with a mix of adrenaline and wonder as he explained, "You're the only one who can do it, Sirius: once they learn I've killed him, the hatred of the entire world will be focused on me: the school will probably close until they can find a new Headmaster or Headmistress, but in the meantime, they'll want something that only a few can get: revenge!"

"Revenge?" asked Sirius, earning a nod from Hadrian.

"Sirius Black," Hadrian suddenly commanded, his voice edged by desire as he told him, "You have to do it."

"What?"

"You have to promise me: as the Black Kaiser, I command it of you."

"What?" asked Sirius, feeling the pull of his family's dark legacy draw him to obey Hadrian's wish, whatever it is.

"You have to kill me," Hadrian explained, earning a wide-eyed look from Sirius, but as he tried to deny that he would, the Black Family magic rose in him and forced him to listen as Hadrian explained, "Once I kill Dumbledore, you will give me two days to let the rest of the world know what I've done, during which time the Minister will offer a reward for the capture of Dumbledore's killer, dead or alive. Then, you'll come to Mum and Dad's grave and, when you hear me say the words I'm ready now, you'll do it: you have no choice."

"But…but why?" asked Sirius.

"This way," Hadrian explained, "The Brotherhood will be safe and Acheron can't come for me: if I'm dead, my soul will pass beyond the Veil and leave him without an Heir to call the Son of Darkness. Plus, people believe you to have betrayed my family beforehand; now you will do it for the sake of honouring my parents' legacy and avenging an old friend. I'll set it up so that Pettigrew is captured and, because their hatred will be directed at me, you'll be able to claim that reward as a full pardon for what you allegedly did."

"Hadrian…"

The Slytherin King shook his head before he moved towards Sirius and, putting a hand on his godfather's shoulder, he spoke gently as he told him, "All my life, I've been the result of someone else pulling the strings: let me make this choice myself…besides, you know what they say!"

Sirius shook his head, earning another sigh from Hadrian before he looked right into Sirius' eyes as he told him:

"The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!"

Flashback End

"And you were," Sirius whispered, looking down at the blood-soaked body of his godson, the pool of crimson running into the ground that stood before his parents' graves, "So brave…and so stupid at the same time, but at least now you can be at peace, Harry."

Committing the image to memory, Sirius took the liberty of using the wand that had once been Hadrian's to dig a grave next to his parents, before he buried the body and carved a new headstone in place of the two that had been shattered by Hadrian's body falling to the ground.

HERE LIES LILY, JAMES AND HARRY POTTER

A FAMILY OF WARRIORS AND FRIENDS REUNITED

LIVING PROOF THAT EVEN THE SMALLEST LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS

Then, with his work done, Sirius turned on the spot and vanished, off to claim his reward for what he'd done for the sake of justice;

For the sake of the Light;

But most of all, most-importantly of all, for the sake of his godson's soul, his mind echoing Harry's final thought to him as a reminder of what people were truly capable of…in the end:

'The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed…'

The end of the story is here: I know you'll all hate me for what I did, but I decided to use a favourite anime of mine as inspiration for what Hadrian would do and the rest just wrote itself: I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for what they did and hope that you all continue to enjoy and show support for my work and my scary imagination!

For now, this is DZ2 saying that this is THE END of Darkness Is My Ally

Oh, and anyone wondering, the 'anime' I used inspiration from: Code Geass; all rights to the original creators;