Gambit

Ch. 1 What have I become?

I do not own Harry Potter or Gambit

J. K. Rowling, Marvel Comics, Jim Lee, Mike Collins,

and Chris Claremont do.

Positive reviews do.

Authors note: I thank you all for your support and enjoyment of this particular story. I hope that this next chapter is up to your standards as the Prologue was. Also, the chapters title is inspired by the song 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash. I do hope you Enjoy!

Ch. 1 What have I become?

Diagon Alley

Mid Day

The Magical Alley was filled with many a people. Large crowds of families, men, women, and children, shopping quickly before the next term started. All quickly searching for the final necessary supplies and accessories for their children as some of the young ones were about to begin their first year at Hogwarts, while the returning children were finishing their last minute shopping.

You may be asking yourself, why is the adult population in such a hurry? It can't just be for the last minute shopping.

No, the reason is because, since early January of the same year, there was a massive breakout of prisoners from with the Wizarding Prison of Azkaban. Many of the Dark Lords followers had escaped incarceration, among them being some of the worst of the worst of the Dark Lords staunchest and most skilled supporters and minions. Such people as Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rudolphus, and his brother Rabastan, and more.

Many a family were scared and frightful of this fact, some having remembered the last time the deranged Witch had shown her face and tortured their kin, as if the mere sound of their screams were a pleasurable experience to the mad Witches ears. There were others of course, Travers, Antonin Dolohov, Augustus Rookwood, Mulciber, and three others.

The Ministry of Magic was on high alert, despite the Minister being forced to remove his head from his ass and admit that there was much to be worried for with the Dark Lords forces out and about. Many an Auror were patrolling Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and other locations with the British Wizarding Realm, watching and observing for the slight hint of the escaped prisoners and or trouble.

Despite this depressing and horrific realization, the new year brought about a rumor. The Ministry and Hogwarts was possibly hosting two other schools for some important event not heard of for over a century. What this was, none outside of the Minister of Magic, The Headmaster of Hogwarts, the Head of International Sports and Games, and the School Board knew as it was all quite classified at the highest levels for the moment.

It was at this time, back in Diagon Alley, when many a child was lustfully gazing upon the years newest and most fastest Quidditch broom to date, when the merchandising window exploded outward, fusing broken glass upon the faces of the children that had stood where the store window once occupied.

Wisps of black smoke-like vapors flew all about the Alley. The populace, panicking and gathering their children as best as they could, trying to flee. The Aurors were having a hard time, getting to where the Wisps of black vapor originated, having to push and shove their way through the terrorized and frantic crowd.

As the vapor began to evaporate until it faded in the air, some of the Aurors were stopped in their tracks as they gazed fearfully upon the visage of Bellatrix Lestrange herself and others whom were standing behind her.

Her black dress was of fashionable taste while her hair was as black as the name of her father, with her hair being long and curly, with a hint of grey from her prolonged stay within the walls of the Wizarding Prison and having to accommodate the Dementors that fed on the emotions of herself and the other Prisoners. Her eyes were as black as her maiden name, with a touch of madness to them. Her face bore a grin that threatened to tear her face in two as she held her somewhat odd wand, towards her face, the tip just mere centimeters from her left cheek.

Her other hand playing with the curls of her hair. "Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, Bella's back in town. Ah-hahahahaha!" she shrieked as she then turned her wand onto the scattering populace and Aurors who tried to get a bead on her and her fellow Death Eaters, in defense of Diagon Alley.

Meanwhile

Just minutes before, within Zonko's Joke Shop, a young, unaware individual with a tan trench-coat, was gazing upon a deck of cards within his hands. He'd opened the first box as the store had many he'd preferred when he visited and ordered them.

Counting the cards in his hand and ensuring he had a full set within the deck, he spoke, "I'll take these." Placing the cards back within the box, he gathered up another five decks within his hands, turned, and headed up to the cashier.

Said cashier was a thin, beautiful witch with long blond hair in a pony tail, wearing a skin toned dress. She was leaning over the counter, gazing lustfully upon the young man now standing before with the six decks of cards in hand. She replied with sexual tone, "You must like playing cards."

He smiled as he set the decks to the side and leaned over the counter himself. His green eyes shining like cut Jade as he returned her comment in a similar tone, "I like Solitaire ok, unless I got someone...to play with." he hinted at more as he hit her with just a touch of his Magical Aura that caused the young womans knees to nearly buckle as his power was intoxicating. Just as both individuals were leaning toward one another, their lips nearly touching, an explosion outside of the store caught both of their attentions, causing them to jerk away from one another and gaze towards the shops doors and windows.

"W-What's going on out there?" the cashier stuttered in a now fearful voice.

Placing several gold coins down onto the counter and then pocketing the new decks, the trench-coat wearing teen began walking towards the door. As he neared it, he called out over his shoulder in the same soft tone, "Don't go away. I'll be right back."

As he was a foot from the door, he noticed a wooden, flying object heading towards the store he currently occupied. "Huh?" he gasped as his eyes widened. He quickly turned back around, noticing the woman was right behind him. Grabbing her by the arms, he rushed them towards the back of the store.

The store windows was blasted inwards as the object collided with the glass paneling. It destroyed a significant amount of the Joke Stores merchandising stand that was the main advertising area of the store. Thankfully, the woman and young man were the only two within the store at the time, and they had managed to seclude themselves far enough way from the object that flew through the stores windows and entrance.

The said young man covered the woman with his body, ensuring that she remained untouched from the flying wood and glass debris. A few seconds later, the lad stood while he aided the woman to her feet.

"What the hell is going on? What was that?" the woman hollered. The reason for her loud voice was due to the many screams outside her business, making it hard to be heard as the screams were bone chillingly frightful.

"Don't worry Chere, I'm sure your insurance can handle it." the unnaturally calm male teen answered. Before the woman could retort, the said male teen quickly stood and was already heading to the now destroyed entryway.

Remy LeBeau, formerly known as Harry Potter looked upon his surroundings, noticing the chaos all around him. Buildings were destroyed with fire and smoke everywhere. Aurors in red robes were flinging spells from their wands while hiding behind the side of buildings and or makeshift barriers. Bodies littering the ground, some of which were children. Then of course, there were children still alive lying and or sitting upon the ground, with their faces caked in dust, glass, and debris, all the while, crying out for their parents.

The other party battling the Aurors and a few brave fighters of either sex, were dressed all in black with masks that looked like metal skulls, though the skull masks were oddly shaped. One of the offending attackers among the dark group he now knew to be Death Eaters, followers of the supposedly dead and recently returned to life Dark Lord, without a mask, was a beautiful woman, in a deranged sort of fashion, with unnaturally pale skin and a crazed, lust filled gaze that could be construed as sadistic as she used many a borderline dark curses, curses that flew from her wand. One said curse clipped a wall in which a girl with multi-colored changing hair, took cover behind the said wall. This caused the girl to fly backwards and onto her side rather painfully as a bludgeoning Hex destroyed the wall she used for cover, clipping her on the arm.

As the girl, Nymphadora Tonks, a recent graduate of the Auror Corp., wand tightly held in her hand, struggled to rise back onto her feet, watched helplessly as the deranged woman sauntered her way towards her.

With nary a sound, and a wave of her crooked wand, the mad woman relieved the girl of her own wand. "Well, if it isn't my wittle, baby niece, Nymphy." she spoke in a mocking tone.

"Y-You're no...Aunt of mine." the young, female Auror growled out through clenched teeth, desperately wondering where Dumbledore and the Order were at the moment. Her wand was resting on the ground many feet behind her as she managed to raise herself to a near sitting position.

"Tut tut, niece. That's not nice. You've got a vile tongue. What's say we do something about that?" she laughed sadistically. As she raised her wand, an unknown spell already glowing on its tip, several things happened in rapid succession.

Several red glowing objects with near red energy trailing behind them, flew over the girl known as Nymphadora Tonks, whom watched them make contact with her mentally damaged relative, causing said Aunt to not only be flung back onto her own backside, but suffer a loss of air as well. The woman rolled on the Alley pavement before stopping before her fellow Death Eaters who looked on in shock.

There was a pause in the fighting as the smoke within Diagon Alley was still pretty thick, and yet a crunch of broken glass, stone, and wood was heard. A booted foot came into view through what one could make out in the smoke. As the person the boots belonged to continued forward, Nymphadora, still on the ground, sitting dumbfounded on her backside upon the Alley street, looked up and beheld a man, or what was actually a young teen that she was sure was familiar to her, walk up to and stopping beside her.

One hand held a long metal staff that had one end resting on his opposing shoulder while the familiar unknown looked from the rising, deranged woman, to the girl down beside him. With a gentle smile, he held out a semi gloved hand. The hand that was held out towards her possessed no covering for the thumb, index, and pinky fingers, and yet the middle and fourth finger were completely covered in black leather.

"That's no place for a woman like yourself, to be, let alone in that state. Here, let me help you up." the young man said. His unnatural black and green eyes making her blush as it made him all the more handsome.

Tonks was flustered at the casual way in which the unknown, yet familiar person spoke. He had a slight suave attitude matching with a caring tone of voice as he looked down on her with compassion. Taking his hand, she was aided back to her feet.

"Um...thanks." she spoke as he still held her hand.

"My pleasure, petite." he replied with a husky tone that fit him perfectly as Tonks felt herself getting hot, just being in close proximity to him. He then brought her hand up to his lips as he then brushed them over her knuckles, causing the young Auror to nearly swoon. 'Oh, he's good.' she thought to herself.

Both of their attention was so focused on one another, that they almost missed the Death Eaters that aided the mad woman back to her own feet. Those that did aid her, she shook away from her person as they had held her by the arms when she roughly shook herself from them.

"Oh look, a boy twying to pway the hewo. So sweet, I wanna barf." the sycophant said outlandishly. Those she stood with laughed at her words.

Looking once more from the woman with the Death Eaters, to the girl he aided, Remy asked with a raised eye, "She for real, luv?"

"Augh, if you only knew." Tonks replied with a roll of her eyes. She noticed as he was now facing her, his hand that held her own, slowly dropped her hand and reached into the pocket on the same side of the outside of the coat.

"She family?"

"My Aunt." she spat, "My mothers sister, mentally impaired, that one."

"No love lost, then?"

"Nope, she's too far gone."

"Ah, them the brakes."

"You could say that."

"YOU DARE SHOW YOUR BACK TO ME?!" the woman known as Bella shrieked.

"May I?" the guy asked, a bit perturbed at being interrupted.

"By all means." the girl said. "I'm Tonks by the way."

"Just Tonks?"

Tonks just squirmed a bit, lowered her head, muttering to no one in particular about parents and them giving their children bizarre names.

"Well then, call me Remy." he replied as he lowered his head towards the side of the girls cheek and kissed it.

This had the fortunate effect of causing Tonks to freeze and turn red even further.

As Tonks stood there dumbfounded, touching the cheek that the guy kissed, the one known as Remy pointed the jewel end of his staff, counting each and every one of the people that attacked Diagon alley so callously until he reached the maximum number of '8'. Pulling the staff back and once more laying the staff against his shoulders, he spoke again, "You must Bellatrix Lestrange, the mad cow, which would make two of the other seven behind you, your beau and his brother, right?"

Both men removed their masks. Remy took a real good, long look at their faces, both men were brown eyed, with long brown hair with touches of grey, 'No doubt from the time spent in that hell hole the Wizarding World calls a Prison.' he assumed to himself. Both of the men had tired, yet crazy expression on their faces as the woman known as Bella.

"And who are you?" one of the Lestranges growled out through clenched teeth.

With a 'sigh', with a bare twitch of his index finger, the staff shrunk until it was only 12 inches long, causing most who watched to wonder how he was capable of such a thing as the staff was then placed into the inside right pocket of the coat. With his left hand, he then pulled out a closed, yet unsealed, deck of cards that he then opened and emptied into his right hand. Putting the now empty card box back into his coat pocket, he began to shuffle the cards in his hands.

Sneering a bit, Bellatrix Lestrange scoffed, "And what do you intend to do with those?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Remy shot back without looking her in the eye.

"I am so going to enjoy killing you."

Remy just stood there unfazed by the threat as he began spinning and maneuvering the cards around in each hand in ways none had ever seen, spinning them in each hand and tossing them to and from both hands, shuffling them in large stacks until they rejoined the deck in of itself. Looking her in the eye, he pulled one card from the deck and raised it to eye level, "You're a Daisy if you do." he exclaimed with a smirk that said he knew something she didn't.

Her allies stopped laughing as they watched and observed as the hand that held the card glowed a violet color of what they assumed was magical energy for a moment, and then the glowing violet energy entering the card, causing it to emit a strange sound, unlike any sound any had ever heard. The card was literally humming with power.

"Say when!"

None dared move as the air was thick with anticipation when Bella quickly made to move her hand higher, the wand glowing even brighter with a dark, ugly, red color, when the man, quicker than the eyes could observe, flicked the card as it sailed from his hand and hit the head of his target, in this case, the head of Bellatrix Lestrange, causing her head to explode with a loud 'BOOOF'.

His throwing hand was still outward as Bellatrix's body began to fail, the stump of where the head of the dark witch once occupied, was steaming, blood spurting everywhere, the body beginning to lean backwards, only to fall. As her bodies arms fell at the same time as he body with her wand rolling from the lifeless fingers. Her companions, covered in her heads blood, brain, bone, and gore, stood stumped at first when one of the Lestranges suddenly screamed out, "BELLA!". He and the others then began to raise their wands when the Aurors shook off their shock and began to act themselves.

As spells of varying colors began to fly back and forth, Remy swung his arm wide as multiple cards flew from his fingers in both hands. He spun as a dark spell passed him, grazing his coat on the inside and blowing a hole straight on through the backside. "Hey now, that was my favorite coat." he said to the one who fired the curse that damaged his said coat. "Now I'm mad." he then began to throw out even more cards at even greater speeds with the grace of what looked like a trained dancer, some of which connected, hitting their targets, causing the ones hit to lose body parts as the appendages were blown off. For others, their bodies were flung backwards due to the cards kinetic energy as the power of the cards exploded upon their chests.

The one calling for vengeance against the one who killed the Lady of House Lestrange, attacked with speed belying his bodies capabilities as he quickened his spell repertoire unlike his other compatriots.

Remy would have been impressed if he hadn't thought the man wasn't dangerous enough, but with the skills he acquired over the years had honed his own skills in body, mind, and spirit. Freeing one of his hands, he pulled out his wand, casting a shield that protected him as he casually advanced on the man slowly, the rage overcoming the Dark Wizards mind and making him sloppy with his skills. Remy summoned counter curses, hexes, and spell chains himself while also using debris to block the even darker curses. He noticed his opponent didn't notice as Auror reinforcements arrived while someone within his group cursed as everyone felt whatever barrier had been raised to prevent apparition and port-keys, suddenly crashed down like broken glass.

Mulitple 'cracks' was heard as the said reinforcements arrived, as well as the Vigilante group of Albus Dumbledores and his still loyal followers, now fighting beside the tired and worn Aurors. The old man himself had arrived via Phoenix flame with his loyal familiar on his left shoulder.

'Showoff!' Remy thought as he batted away another dark curse that was sure to split him in two had he not deflected it. Rudolphus Lestrange was relentless as he kept up the attack, violently shrugging off his brother whom was then hit by a stunning spell by a now pissed off James Potter.

The deflected spell tagged the mad Wizard who didn't notice his side bleeding, as he just kept flinging his curses, not even noticing his spells was even getting weaker per every release. Needing to end the battle quickly, Remy threw a exploding hex at the feet of the Death Eater, knocking him off his feet.

He observed as the man sluggishly began rising to his feet, nearly falling back down. Looking down upon the fallen criminal, Remy stated, "Stay down, friend."

"Never." the worn fool spat as his allies were either dead, captured, and or gone with the newly arrived help. "I'm going to kill you, if it's the last thing I do."

"Like your wife, you're no daisy. No daisy at all." Remy replied as he put his wand away via a sheath upon his right arm.

Struggling to a standing position, Rudolphus Lestrange then noticed the bigger crowd of individuals in greater numbers than he. "You think you've won. The Dark Lord will come for me." he weakly chuckled. "He'll allow me the chance to avenge my wife. I will take my vengeance upon you. I will find, take, and kill all those you hold most dear. Only then, when you've lost everything, will I finish you off."

"It's over Lestrange." a new voice spoke out loud as a woman with a monocle stepped forward from the crowd, "No one else will die today."

"We'll just see about that, Bones." Lestrange spat as he raised his wand. Just as he began the first syllable to the known killing curse, Remy was already reacting as he grabbed the mans outside wrist, having been a mere foot before the deranged wizard.

Twisting the wrist of his held prey, Remy tightened his grip, causing the man to cry out in pain, his face showing exactly how much pain he was in. Lestrange dropped to a knee, followed by the other as the young card player smacked the Wizards wand from his hand, the said wand flying off to the side outside of Lestranges reach. Lestrange tried and failed to free his arm as he used the other hand to aid him, only for his captor to tighten his hold, causing his hand to fall at his side and twitch with the pain he was now feeling.

"No daisy at all." was all Remy said again as he suddenly smashed his knee in the mans face, teeth and blood flying as the man fell backwards, unconscious. "Pour soul, you're just too highstrung."

Remy snapped a card into his right hand that then was filled with the near red energy that flowed from the young mans hand, into the card. He stood there, looking at the fallen wizard, contemplating what to do and if he could get away with a mercy killing when a hand grasped his right shoulder, "I'm afraid the...the strain is too much than he could bare."

"You don't have to do this. You can let us take him?" came the voice of the young, pink haired Auror.

"He'll just get out again. They always do." he said with his head down, the shadow of his hair hiding the indecision upon his face.

"Doesn't mean you have to go down that same road. You're no murderer."

"You don't know me." he replied, his head snapping to look her in the face.

"Then let me know you, the real you." she said as her right hand trailed down to embrace the hand, still holding the card that by now was crackling with an abundance of kinetic energy, yet to be released. "Please. You just saved my life. Don't let me see my personal savior turn into a monster like them." she concluded by nodding towards the defeated terrorists.

Looking from her beautiful face as her hair changed to a soft blue tone, to looking over her shoulder at those gathered behind him, up to and including a woman with a monocle in her right eye who tightly grasped her wand while standing at the ready in case she was forced to act. He turned back and saw that there were several Aurors, Dumbledore, and his minions before him.

Dispelling the energy in the card, he tossed it away as it exploded harmlessly with a small 'Poof'. "He ain't worth it."

He turned and began to walk towards the head of the Aurors who stood before him. With the female Auror at his side, still grasping his hand with his fingers gripping hers in mutual affection, he paused before Amelia Bones herself who looked at both of the young individuals as if sizing them up before nodding in approval and moving to the side, giving them a wide birth. The other Aurors seeing this, also moved to the side.

"Harry, wait..." Dumbledore made to move towards the young duo before a hand grasped his own shoulder. Turning with a questioning expression, he saw James Potter gripping his robes with his own head down.

"James...?"

"Just,...let him be. For once, just let him be." he said quietly.

Dumbledores group also moved aside until both the girl and young man disappeared, the fire and smoke of the Alley obscuring their visages.

Amelia Bones began issuing out orders for her people to begin searching among the ruins of the Alley for survivors. If there were any dead, to get the tally and report back to her. Several Healers popped in as the new wards were brought down. As they began to see to their duties, the head of the DMLE turned to Dumbledore and his vigilante order "Dumbledore, Potter." Amelia called out.

"Amelia." James replied.

"How do you know that young man?"

"Because he's my son, Amy." James said with a tired sigh. "He's Harry."

"You lost all right to call me that nickname when you pulled that sick stunt, James Potter. You and Lily both. Faking your deaths, leaving that boy to this sick fuck," she said pointing at the old man with her wand, "The abuse he suffered that was revealed to our world. You're damn lucky that that young man didn't turn into an Obscurial. Didn't Newt Scamanders findings teach you anything?"

Wincing, Dumbledore spoke up, "It wouldn't have come to that, Amelia. The situation was fully..."

"If the terms 'under control' leave your lips, I swear I will slap a set of magic suppression bracelets on you faster than you can say 'Stupefy'. Through extensive studies by Scamander himself, it was learned that 'As a result of a Witches or Wizards magic being suppressed by psychological and or physical abuse, said witch or wizard will succumb to a Dark Parasitical Magical Force, thus transforming them into an Obscurus'." She was breathing deeply at this point, the anger clear to all to see, "Now, do I have to give you the name of the last recorded Obscurial, or will you finally admit, that you fucked up?" she screamed the word for all to hear.

"She's right." came the voice of Lily Potter as she stepped into sight. "We had a son, and we let him down. No, we did more than that, we nearly destroyed him."

"Now Lily..."

"Shut it, Dumbledore. I'm done with this. With the Order. As of this moment, I resign." she spat as she tossed a golden phoenix pendant down to the ground. "My children need me. I will work hard at redeeming myself in the eyes of my son. It will be a long road, no doubt. But if anything these many years have taught me, it is patience, and that with patience, anything is possible, including forgiveness."

As she made to turn away, James looked into the eyes of his former mentor, and also tossed down a golden pendant upon the ground. "That makes two of us." As he made to follow a now wandering Lily Potter, he called out, "Rachel, come along."

A girl with red hair and brown eyes, wearing glasses much like her father, but had the beauty of a girl her age that could light the darkest sky, held out a pendant before the face of Albus Dumbledore, and with a smirk, dropped it before him, like her parents, letting it hit the ground with a slight 'tink'.

A worn looking Remus Lupin walked passed a now shell shocked old man and dropped his own pendant, followed by Sirius Black, who turned back to Amelia with a regretful frown.

The woman raised her head and merely glared at the man who had the good graces to nod and turn back around, and walk away with his friends.

"You can't do this." screamed the voice of Molly Weasley as she stood before her husband. "You can't give in."

She made to continue her diatribe when a firm hand from her husband made her pause. She turned to him to admonish him when the look on his face made her pause.

"Arthur, they..."

"Let it go Molly." he said softly. "I think we should follow their lead, and resign. We're not doing any good as it is."

"But Arthur..." she pleaded.

"No Molly. We we're meant to be better than this. I've had a lot of time to think after having carefully read those papers printed about both the Potters and Dumbledore. And even now, Dumbledore can't see the bigger picture for what it is, even if it is right before him. Maybe he once was a good man, but that good man faded a long time ago, the very night he plotted with the Potters regarding turning their son into a weapon." here, he glared angrily at the man before turning back to his wife with a tired expression, "Let's go home dear."

Holding out his hand that already held his pendant, Molly understanding what he wanted, at first thought against it, but then thought of her own children as she pulled from her wrist her own pendant and dropped it into her husbands hand. Arthur Weasley walked over to the aged Headmaster and looked him in the eyes, "All life is sacred, even the young. You've lost sight of that. I and my family will no longer side with you. Our alliance is over." with those words, he dropped the pendants before the old mans feet.

Others made to follow, up to and including Kingsley Shacklebolt and surprisingly enough, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. The remaining moments were a blur as quite a pile of pendants were laid bare before Albus Dumbledore in a moderate stack. Tracks of tears fell past his whiskered face that disappeared into his mustache and beard.

As the Alley began to retain its former state before the attack, Amelia walked over to the old man, stopping before him and gazed down upon the pile of pendants. She raised her head as she spoke, "You should have quit while you had the chance. Now, you are the leader of nothing. And you have no one else to blame, but yourself."

At those words, she walked away as did everyone else, non stopping to speak to him or even notice him. All the while, he thought to himself, 'What have I done?'

Going to cut it here. The next chapter will dive into Remys psyche into how he had taken a life, with Tonks taking him before her parents as a possible way of getting past the psychological damage that killing does. As we all know, killing leaves mental scars that one just can't wish away. With time and aid from either our friends, our family, and maybe even a Professional Councilor, we can learn to forgive ourselves and get past the trauma that killing creates. Sometime, the taking of a life can be necessary, but we must also remember, that there is taking a life in defense of oneself and others, and then there is murder. That is a line that if one is strong enough, should never cross.

Harrys taking the life of the Death Eaters, namely Bellatrix, will leave him questioning himself, and that is why I want this story to be and feel as real as possible.

As always, leave your comments positive. Until next time.