A pillar of flames burst to life, whirling in heatless blue. It only lasted a few moments before fading away, revealing…
A rather nondescript young man, dressed in what appeared to be a black muggle suit, though not a style with which Dumbledore was familiar. Then again, he admitted, if only to himself, that his knowledge of the muggle fashion world had grown as he had rarely left the magical world since the way things had ended up with Gellert. Mentally shaking away those thoughts, he instead focused on the new arrival, taking note of the green eyes that seemed to almost glow from beneath the brim of a top hat.
“Excuse me, young man. I am Headmaster Dumbledore. It would appear that you were involved in some...” He trailed off as the young man in question held up a hand, then seemed to take a deep breath.
“Mmm.. raw magic. How exciting.”
***
Hari Pot’r felt his grin widen as the sheer density of magic in the air settled around him. It was as if a nexus event was ongoing yet the magicals would never leave something of this portent unguarded. Not to mention that if he had been summoned into an event like this, there were normally numerous magical restrictions being placed upon him. Restrictions that this time were conspicuously absent.
Allowing his focus to shift to the nearby magical, he tried to rein in his smile, knowing that most humans couldn’t open their mouths that wide. Not that he usually tried to hide as a human, but even a few extra seconds could make a huge difference. He was already starting to draw in some of the ambient magic and felt his powers swell.
“I do beg your pardon for interrupting. It isn’t often I find myself summoned in such a manner.” Doffing his cap, he bowed deeply with a sweep of his arm. Straightening, he smartly replaced his cap, tapping the top to get it to settle just above his eyes, eyes that glowed in the shadow of the brim. That was one effect he wasn’t able nor willing to reduce. “I am known as Hari Pot’r. A pleasure to meet you, Headmaster Dumbledore.”
The old human seemed to twitch at the mention of his name. Intriguing.
“My dear boy, did you say you were Harry Potter?”
Hari shook his head. “Afraid not, dear Headmaster. Though my name does seem similar, it would appear that there are subtle differences. I take it you know of someone by that name?”
The human shook his head, looking down at his beard with what appeared to be a sad frown. “I had hoped.. Alas… the child of some dear friends has been missing these many years and I had hoped that you might be him. However, you do appear correct. You appear far too old to my lost student.”
Hari nodded. “I have definitely never been your student. I surmise that this is your school then? And it appears that you teach magic here, would that be correct?” He felt his smile widen again at the nod from the Headmaster. “Most excellent. It has been far too long since I’d had a proper feast. And you’ve even provided this delightful goblet for me.”
Reaching past the Headmaster, Hari lifted the Goblet of Fire from its place on display and lifted it to his lips, the enchanted flames sucked into his mouth. He just barely suppressed a moan at the amount of power available just on the surface level of the cup. Something else about the cup caught his attention. There was a magical connection between it and himself, as well as numerous other magicals. Reaching through that connection, he gave it a tug and watched the Headmaster and several other people at the head table stagger slightly. With a grin that nearly split his face apart he pulled hard, draining the magic from everyone connected to the cup, not to mention all the other magic that had been stored in the cup over the centuries.
The Headmaster collapsed with a gasp, soon followed by the heads of Durmstrand and Beauxbaton, as well as the various officials. Hari reveled in the sense of power that suffused him, more than he’d been able to gather in one moment in his entire life. His eyes blazed with light, so much that they actually threw shadows around him.
“What have you done?”
Hari turned to regard the wizard who held a wand pointed at him. The man had slick hair and smelled of a variety of magical plants, as well as a flame inhibitor? Must be the resident potions master. There were other wizards with their wands out, but they looked less sure of themselves. Except for the little halfbreed. That one practically vibrated with the need to be in action.
“What have I done?” Hari turned that smile on the potion’s master. “Why, the same thing I’m going to do to each and every one of you…” He trailed off as he slowly crouched into a sprinter’s stance. “Drained him of magic!”
Dashing across the short distance between him and the wizard, he twisted slightly to dodge a spell, then grabbed the wizard by the face. A quick tug dragged the magic from the wizard, who would have collapsed had the grip on his face not kept him upright. Hari then used the body to block several spells that would have no doubt done nasty things to him.
Tossing the body aside, he dashed between the other wizards, latching onto the largest one there first before sliding around his body to grab onto the fat female. All the while dodging spellfire. It was a delicious symphony of magic and suffering. Soon he was able to drain the magic straight from the spells as they neared him, the nearly intoxicating power of the stolen magic growing beyond anything he had partaken of before.
Demands were sent his way to stop. Oh and the screaming. So much screaming from the students scrambling to escape. Couldn’t have that, now could we? With a leap he left the head table, with only the diminutive wizard and one other still active, the halfbreed having been smart enough to put distance between them. Then he was among the scrambling students. Having gained enough power he was able to drain them without touching them and they collapsed in lots.
By the time he reached the grand doors to the Great Hall only a few students and teachers were left standing. Including the diminutive one who had tried so hard to stop Hari’s rampage. The amount of magic thrumming through the energy vampire was more than he’d ever dreamed possible. His world had nothing like these wizards, nor places of magic as concentrated as the building he was in.
Countless memories rushed in, granting names to the faces arrayed against him. “Flitwick and McGonagall. Fitting that it should be you two as the last to stand against me. You always were the staunchest defenders of your houses, though you weren’t very effective if you ask me. So many members of your own houses causing harm and misery to each other. And neither of you doing anything to stop it.”
Watching the hands tighten on their wands, Hari grinned, tongue lolling out to lick his lips. “Do you think your spells will work any better now than before? Well then, let’s get this done.” He crouched down to prepare to dart forward again, only for the table next to him to reach out and try and grab him.
Smashing out with a fist, he crushed the attacking furniture, then had to reach out and drain the magic from a series of spells from Flitwick. More creatures dragged themselves from the tables and even the stone floor. Hari’s grin widened as he slipped between blows and spells, all while siphoning off the magic. He could have ended things. Dashed across the room faster than the two wizards could respond. However, he had never had this much fun before. Never had this much energy before. Not to mention all the memories he was still processing.
Flipping over a pair of stone tigers, Hari snatched a wand off the ground. Letting the new magical energy flow through him and into the wand, he blasted the various animals to pieces, then smashed those pieces towards the two wizards, all while reaching out to feed on the magic flowing through the air.
The door where the earlier champions had left opened to admit the gawking forms of two of the champions. Victor on the other hand tumbled through the door, his wand spitting spells that could only be classified as dark. Hari drank in the new magic, spinning it into a fire whip that finally ended the witch’s assault on him with a slash through her neck. Flitwick he left for last, letting the halfbreed educate Hari on how more spells worked in conjunction with each other. The combinations and chains were truly inspiring and more importantly, none of them were in the memories stolen from all those other witches and wizards. Hari only wished that he could have gotten the memories of the first wizard he had drained. Unfortunately, that first drain hadn’t been comprehensive or powerful enough to bring with it memories. From the memories of the others, Headmaster Dumbledore had been the most powerful of the wizards at Hogwarts, if not the entire wizarding world.
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After a time spent draining spells and learning magic, Hari finally felt he had gleaned all that he could. With a wave of his stolen wand, he buried Flitwick in the stone the room. Slowly walking over, he finished draining the remaining people in the room, then squatted next to former dueling champion.
“I want to thank you, Professor, for a stimulating lesson. Know that what you have taught me will allow me to go on and conquer your world. After that, I will master the magic that brought me here and go on to consume my world as well. Then on and on, until all of existence is mine to do with as I please.”
Hari reached out and gave the professor a pat on the head. “As a thank you, I shall leave you alive. I imagine it will not take you long to free yourself. Follow if you wish, but know that should you confront me again, I will take your life.” Standing up, he offered a face splitting smile.
“After all, someone must witness my ascension. When I leave this world and its few survivors, you shall be the one to tell the others who I was. More importantly, tell them I shall return. Prepare for me, as best you can. Once I have consumed enough worlds, I shall return to see what you have made of yourselves.”
Turning away, he waved over his shoulder. “Do take care, Professor.”
***
Hari goes on to accomplish what no other Dark Lord had ever managed before, conquering the British wizarding world. He wages a brief war among the muggles before realizing that their long ranged weaponry makes them particularly dangerous to him, especially when they decided it was worth it to start bombing anywhere he had been sighted.
Returning to the hidden world of wizards, he purposely exposes what was left of the English Wizards (and some of the other European nations that took exception to their representatives, IE the Bulgarians and French) and uses the chaos to spark a war between the muggles and magicals. A war the magicals swiftly lose after being bombed out of existence.
Meanwhile, Hari learns of other enclaves and hidden wizarding worlds and goes on to terrorize the international community of wizards until finally finding a way home, leaving far fewer magicals, all in hiding from an angry muggle society.
***
Author’s Notes:
And so we have what happens when they summon a version of Harry Potter that is unlike anything they have experienced before and has nothing but bad intentions for everyone.
Let’s see what happens when they call in yet another version of Harry.
***
A pillar of flames burst to life, whirling in heatless blue. It only lasted a few moments before fading away, revealing…
A hunched over figure with a nest of messy dark hair, dressed in ratty clothes that had seen better days. Eyes of emerald green looked around furtively from beneath tangled bangs. Sunken cheeks and cracked lips bore witness to long suffering. Not to mention the way those clothes hung loosely, as if the person beneath was merely skin and bones. Hands little better than claws reached up to scratch at their chest.
Headmaster Dumbledore bit back a gasp. “Oh Harry, what have they done to you?”
***
The ever present hunger gnawed at his soul and not even the remnants of magic that whispered through him could keep the monster within at bay any longer. How long had it been since he’d last seen another person? Another true soul who hadn’t given into the hunger or been feasted upon to the point that they couldn’t even reanimate.
There were no more animals in his world. No more people. Nothing but the shambling figures that hadn’t quite succumbed to the demands of infinite hunger and despair.
Gazing around at the world he found himself in, Harry latched upon the brightest source of light. Stumbling over, he wrapped his arms around the tall figure. “Harry hungry..” Then bit down.
Blood sprayed into the air, splashing over them both, even as he tried to feed as much as he could. The flesh was filling, the blood sweeter than anything he had experienced, before or after his transformation. And the Magic. Oh the sweet magic flooding his body, restoring the vitality that had been sucked away over the decades since his last meal.
Suddenly he was sent flying as a spell caught him in the head, flipping him down the hall to crash into a table amidst screams and scrambling bodies. None of that mattered though, as he could feel the vitality flowing through him, mending his wounds, repairing desiccated flesh, restoring his movements.
Pulling himself from the wreckage, he looked across the room at the collection of people arrayed against him. One knelt next to the one he had bitten, trying to staunch the bleeding. It wasn’t going to work though. Wounds like those resisted magic and other forms of healing. It was part of the curse that bound itself to his soul. One that would spread soon. He could already see it latching onto the man’s soul.
Turning to a nearby body, he tried to take a step only to get blasted again, this time slamming against the wall. Only the unholy vitality of his condition kept him from crumbling to the floor and he staggered in place for a moment. Something twitched in his senses and he lurched to the side, allowing the spell to impact the wall and giving him the brief moment to leap at a nearby body, sinking his teeth into their arm.
The room filled with screams and spells, many impacting him, flinging him and his meal across the room again. He refused to let go, greedily chomping down on the flesh until he managed to tear off the limb as they rolled across the floor and through yet another table. This time he was able to latch onto another body before he passed through, snagging a bite of their leg the immediately tore free.
Crouching in the wreckage, he grabbed a piece of the table and hurled it into the path of a spell heading his way. The overwhelming need to feed no longer clouded his mind and he was finally able to think for the first time in far longer than he cared to contemplate. Glancing over at his first victim, he noticed the man’s eyes finally turn the same shade of green as his own before he lurched up and bit down on the wrist of the woman waving a stick above him.
The woman’s screams drew attention away from Harry and he used that moment to grab another victim, this time intending to finish sating his hunger for both flesh and magic. Their screams went ignored in the general mayhem, at least until his first victims started shambling around as well. That level of chaos could no longer be ignored and more spells crossed the room, this time from every direction, though there were just as many people streaming from the room, some with bites of their own. No matter. They would join him soon enough. The hunger would spread until all were like him. Maybe this time it wouldn’t take hundreds of years to find a way to another world.
With a smile on his face, he waded into the melee and the growing ranks of the damned.
***
Author’s Notes:
Just a short look at Zombie Harry, though not the traditional mindless zombie style. This one is more akin to something like I am Legend or the zombies from Pride Prejudice and Zombies, where the zombies can still think, they just have a craving for flesh, and in a turned wizard’s case, magic as well. They prefer to go after magicals, and would ignore muggles in favor of the magicals.
Anyway, just a couple of short Bad Endings to get me back into writing. My job sucked the vitality from me and leaves me with no energy when I get home. Hopefully this will lead me to being more active in writing. I’ve got plenty of other ideas for different versions of HP so hopefully it won’t take me months to get the next version out there.
As always, thank you to everyone who reads and reviews these little glimpses in possibilities.