The Riddle Answered

Disclaimer: SEE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS FOR PLOT AND TAGS AND DISCLAIMER

Pairings: Harry/Daphne; Draco/Ginny

Normal Speech

(Thought)

{Parseltongue}

Mental Bonds

As Dumbledore was dragged away, Harry Riddle used what magic he could gather – his little glamour act had cost him – before he transported himself away, using the shadows to take him home, the biggest revelation of the day still ringing in his ears.

Harry Potter was the White Paladin:

That meant that he, Harry James Salazar Raputin Riddle was both Black King and White Paladin.

(The only question is,) thought Harry, aware of someone calling his name, (How?)

Chapter 20: Epilogue: The Price to be Paid

Riddle Manor

Lucius Malfoy, arm bound in a magical sling, his face the victim of several punishing scars, stood guard outside his nephew's door, the feeling of anger-driven magic coming from within, the silence punctuated only by a near-hellacious scream that tore through the walls of the room within. Indeed in the four days since the tragedy at the Department of Mysteries, life within Riddle Manor had been apocalyptic and Lucius could only thank the fact that he was his Prince's Uncle was what had kept him alive.

Other Death Eaters had not been so lucky; even Sirius, Severus – who had been the one to help Harry recover from his Self-Cruciatus – and James were still heavily scarred and damaged from their ordeals with their Black Lord. Harry had shown no mercy and now, four days later, his body was finally starting to take its proverbial pound of flesh, drawing on the slowly dying Soul Bond to restore the magical costs made by its caster.

Looking to the door with a sense of dread, Lucius actually began to wonder if and when Harry would find the means to repair the damage caused by his devious doppelganger and, when he did, what price would need to be paid for this favour.

HJSRR

Harry's Room:

Harry staggered with pain and fatigue as another wave of draining magic coursed through him, his mind and body being ripped apart by the unifying powers of the Soul Bond he had shared with Daphne, but, as he looked to the many tomes and texts before him, the Black King knew he would not – no, he could not give up the search.

There had to be something…anything that he could do to save Daphne and bring her back from the beyond; he didn't much care for the price, nor did he care about what kind of magic, Black or Dark, he would have to access in order to see his will done.

The worst part of it, he reasoned, was the fact that it had been his wand, his magic, his so-called Magical Redirection Gift that had been the item to take her life and, even though Harry felt a modicum of sorrow for Draco at the loss of Ginny, it was clear to all on the dark side just who had suffered the greatest here.

Another wave of magical pain siphoned his energy, returning Harry to the present state, his eyes on a page in one of the darker texts from the Family Library, a text that also held a surprising revelation for the young Riddle Heir:

Horcruxes

Considered by most of the wizarding world to be the source of the darkest magic in history, a Horcrux is, in all intents and purposes, a means to escape the chilling touch of death. Creation of a Horcrux is long and pain-staking as it involves a complex ritual featuring blood and murder while, at the same time, a spiritually tuned item, such as the legendary dagger of Salazar Slytherin, which would be able to hold a person's soul.

A Horcrux in itself is a piece of dark magic that takes the form of an item: it is an object in which a person has concealed a part of their soul. Someone who fashions a Horcrux splits their soul and hides it in an object; then they are protected should they be attacked and their body destroyed. This way, when death comes to claim the caster, all they need to do is draw upon the power of the Horcrux and they cannot die.

Several dark wizards in their time have claimed to have crafted a successful Horcrux, but, to our extensive knowledge, only one wizard has ever been successful and crafted not one but seven: the Dark Lord Voldemort.

Horcruxes, while dark and extremely powerful, can also be destroyed by methods such as…

Harry shut the book, his eyes glowing madly: his Father had crafted a Horcrux, which meant that he could tell Harry how to do it, or even give his own life force, like he had done before in the graveyard, and share his essence with Daphne.

(No,) thought the Black King, (That's a lie; Father could do that but it wouldn't be the same and, if he did, then it would almost make my Green Queen my sister…ugh.)

He gave a cry of outrage before another wave of pain ran through him, the force of it stronger than the last time, Harry being forced to prop himself against the desk as he tried to contain the magic that, for all intents and purposes, wanted to even the score and claim him.

In the eyes of Death, Harry had lost the one thing he truly loved and now it believed that, by taking his life, Death was doing him a favour and reuniting Harry with Daphne.

It was a shame then that Harry was so adamant about survival…

HJSRR

Riddle Manor:

"Lucius?"

Malfoy snapped his eyes open and bowed his head at the sight of the Dark Royals, both of them looking to the door of their son's room, Bellatrix Riddle almost scared as she held Tom's hand tightly. Looking to her brother-in-law, she asked, "Any change?"

"None my Lady," Lucius answered, now looking to the door of his nephew's room himself, "He does not eat, sleep or think anything but rescuing her; I also fear the drain through their bond is getting stronger; if he does not find a way to return her soon, I fear we may lose Master Harry to the darkness."

Grasping her husband's arm, Bella sobbed into Tom's robes as she whispered, "We should have been there for him Tom; we should have protected him better."

"We did all we could," Tom answered, his red eyes dim as he sensed his son's growing pains, the magic involved with said pain getting stronger with each time. "He did not want us to be there; Harry felt that he would lose us and now we may lose him."

Bellatrix whimpered as she listened to the Dark Lord; he was speaking not like Voldemort, but like the Tom Riddle she had fallen in love with; the Tom she had gained an heir with; the Tom who loved his family and considered his little snake the single most important thing in all existence. Keeping her voice calm, Bella asked, "Has he lifted his ward yet?"

"No," Lucius answered, "Both Draco and Dudley have tried to get past it, to be with their leader, and both ended up looking a little worse for wear; Bella, please, tell me; how is Harry both Black King and White Paladin?"

"That's exactly what I want to know," a cold voice hissed, making all three adults look to the door; Harry James Salazar Rasputin Riddle was standing there, his usually lean frame now thin and wiry, his hair even messier than his mother's and his cold eyes no longer the kind, loving blue that made Tom smile when he saw them; instead, Harry now bore a pair of cold golden-coloured eyes that seemed devoid of all life, an aura of dark, powerful magic being drawn upon from within the Black King, keeping him standing.

Looking to his wife, Tom heaved a sigh before he asked, "Harry, are you all right?"

"How am I both Black and White?" asked Harry, "You told me that the White Paladin was the one meant to kill me, so how do you explain this?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," Tom explained, keeping his distance from his son, the bond he shared with him giving the Dark Lord a warning. "Have you tried asking Martinez about this?"

"I have more important things on my mind," Harry replied, turning to return to his room.

"Harry?" asked Bella, "Please son; talk to us: we miss her too; you don't have to be alone."

"Yes," replied Harry, closing the door with magic as he finished in their minds, "I do."

HJSRR

Harry's Room:

Closing the door on his parents was one of the hardest things Harry knew he had done, but, as he sat down on his bed, his legs crossed and his eyes closed, he reached into the essence of his darkness and, with determination in his voice, asked, {Martinez?}

{Yes Harry?} asked the cold voice, the spirit of the Black Founder linking himself with Harry.

{You're my last hope,} Harry replied, his own voice cold and dead. {I'll do anything; now please, tell me the truth; can my queen and Ginny be saved?}

{Yes.}

{Will you tell me how?}

{Are you prepared to pay anything for this?}

The question caught Harry off guard, but, with a sense of purpose and ever-growing resentment for what he had done; Harry answered the question, {What is your price?}

Martinez laughed in Harry's mind as he hissed, {Venture into your complex and I will explain everything, but remember this Harry; that which is sworn by my power cannot be reversed.}

Opening his eyes, Harry walked over to the complex-trunk he had received the previous Christmas; opening the lock, Harry cast several privacy and warding charms so that what he was about to do would not be disturbed and so that there was no-one out there who would change his mind.

Descending the ladder, Harry found the door to his training room wide open; stepping inside, the young prince found the spirit of Dante Martinez waiting for him, the eyes of the Dark Founder glowing with Black Magic as he indicated the room, "Step inside Harry; it's safe."

Closing the door behind him, Harry stepped forwards and asked, "So, what is the price?"

"To venture into the world beyond this one," explained Martinez, "Is to forfeit your very livelihood and embrace a greater purpose and a darker evil; this, Harry Riddle, is the price that you will pay. Beyond the veil there lies a power so great and so evil that it mutates its master into the Ultimate Darkness; this, Harry, is what you will pay: your humanity and your mortality in return for the safe resurrection of one Daphne Greengrass and Ginerva Weasley, what do you say?"

(My humanity?) Harry thought, his golden-coloured eyes full of shock as he looked at Martinez, (Is this what made him so evil? Could I risk it?)

The answer, as horrible and as monstrous as it sounded, was crystal clear…it was also the only one. "Yes I will pay the price."

"Then prepare yourself Harry Riddle," Dante Martinez laughed, "Because you are about to enter a realm where no-one is who they seem and magic itself is as ever-changing as the seasons: you are about to enter the realm…of the Etherworld, the source of Magic itself."

HJSRR

Unknown Location:

Harry Potter, the White Paladin, opened his eyes and smiled coldly, his magic and his common sense restored, despite the disappearance and spiritual death of his mentor. Riddle thought he had won, but, with the death of his queen, the White Paladin had actually begun the war between the two and, no matter what he did, Harry James Salazar Rasputin Riddle had no idea of the bigger secret concerning the White Paladin.

"But he will," laughed a familiar cold voice, making Potter bow his head. "In the Etherworld, my curse will end once and for all and, as it should be, Light will defeat the Dark, won't it my young sire?"

"Yes," answered Harry Potter, "Lord Martinez!"

AND THAT IS – AND I MEAN IT THIS TIME – THE END OF THE RIDDLE ANSWERED; COMING SOON: TRA 2: ETHER WORLD WAR

WHY DID POTTER CALL HIS LEADER MARTINEZ AND WHAT WILL HARRY HAVE TO DO TO SAVE DAPHNE AND GINNY?

FIND OUT SOON: COMING AUTUMN 2011

Also, please check out my challenges in my Forums; link found on my profile page;