Nights of Hell

II The Night of Deception

Harry Potter (September, 1991)

Despite what he planned, Harry found himself lost in a world that had once been his own, and never truly would be.

As days past, he watched as living ghosts of those he had lost over the years, either in school or in war, and felt slight grief himself.

Many of those people he hadn't been close to of course, most he didn't even remember the middle name of... but the image of their bodies laid out in death on Hogwarts' lawn were still burned into his mind.

Even worse, he found himself getting over all of the deaths quicker than he should have, the impact was lessening.

Harry wasn't blind to what he was becoming, it began with the betrayal and plans, his desire to enact vengeance on those that tried to take everything from him.

He was becoming cold, unfeeling, insensitive to the lives of those around him. It wasn't a quick progress either, this icy transformation had been coming along for a long while now, but only now did he notice.

Harry thought he was alone in his turmoil, as his friends didn't seem that much affected either, but then he locked eyes with Neville one early morning. Harry knew...

While the hero he had once been began to die, he wasn't the only one.

They all had scars to bear, constant reminders of their mistakes. Harry began to learn then, Lucifer's ultimate lesson. With rebirth, comes death of the self.

Neville Longbottom

Neville focused on his constant task, one he wasn't given, but he had undertaken on his own.

The war had made him paranoid, and his years of study and improvement had honed his senses to warrant the state he found himself in.

What had him on edge, was how things were changing without them even trying, though some of them made sense.

On the day of their flying lesson, as he didn't have a Remembrall, Malfoy couldn't take it and cause the hysterics from the last timeline to repeat. That doesn't mean it didn't happen however.

Once again one of the brooms were jinxed, but this time Seamus Finnigan was the unfortunate one who found himself with a broken arm. Oddly, besides Finnigan's injury, nothing from that day was the same.

Malfoy (Or a Slytherin) didn't steal anything, no one got angry and decided to chase them, and nothing noteworthy happened afterwards.

The day was completely uneventful, and that really set him off.

Something was wrong, and Neville knew it.

As the days went by, things were boring really, as they were forced into the routine from so long ago.

He noticed how terrible their classes were, as they had been so distracted back then, either by excitement or in his case, fear of the grease-ball that taught potions.

Harry was distracted most of the time, and Neville could tell his friend wasn't over the past, no matter how much he said he was. Luna seemed fine he guessed, but she never really portrayed her true feelings unless Hermione was around...

That girl still messed with him, as she seemed broken and only followed Harry around like a lost dog, though somehow she kept up with her work.

He was still surprised by that.

There was one item of interest however, Malfoy still challenged Harry to a duel, but instead over grades...

Neville just decided that this timeline was weird, and was slightly hurt that Harry didn't choose him as his second.

Oh well, maybe next time...

Luna Lovegood

(September 17th, 1991, Midnight, the Hogwarts Trophy Room)

Why did Harry choose me again? Luna thought as she followed the boy to the near spotless room containing Hogwarts' pride over the years. Oh yeah, the ferret challenged him, and Harry was curious. Weird...

She skipped along merrily after the raven haired boy, as they entered together into the dimly lit display room, and looked forward at their adversaries.

Across from them, Draco Malfoy stood next to a crystal display case, one of the two living lumps of lard next to him. Instead of a sneer, a strange grin sat upon Malfoy's face, his pristine teeth sparkling in the moonlight.

Luna looked at him, and tried to see through him, but only found a solid wall separating her from his mind.

After that, she tried the future, but oddly found that from this one point in time, the future was absolutely uncertain. That scared him greatly, and actually made her question their actions.

Turning to her friend without haste, Luna saw Harry roll his eyes steadily and step forward towards the opposing blonde, a challenge in his tone,

"Well Malfoy, I'm here... what's so important, because you and I both know we're not here to fight." Harry stated in a matter of fact manner, as they all knew the duel excuse, wasimply that.

To their shared surprise, instead of blowing up or sneering, Malfoy simply chuckled.

"You're so very smart Mister Potter, it's truly a shame you've chosen your colors, Your... talents could have been so useful to our side, though I will admit, we wasted you for nothing." Malfoy said coyly, as he stepped towards them, the large boy known as Crabbe staying by the far edge of the room, immobile.

As Luna looked closer at the strange wall surrounding the other blonde, she felt something...

Unnatural coming from him. She shivered slightly, before reaching for Harry, only to have him collapse against her.

His body dead weight, they fell backwards, the world going dark around them.

"But, let's see if I can't convince you."

Harry Potter

It hurt... badly.

Harry didn't know where he was, when he was, or even what was happening around him..

Once second he had been in the Trophy Room with Luna, confronting Malfoy, and now he was... someplace.

The place he found himself in looked like Hogwarts castle, but if the entire castle was on drugs.

Portions of the castle were crushed and destroyed, debris and detached towers floating in the strange white space that surrounded everything.

Harry found himself on a cracked stone pathway that curved through the air, created a tunnel of sorts that spun around, leading towards the corrupted castle.

While he was hesitant to try, Harry began to walk on the path, and found that he stayed planted on the path even when Gravity would say otherwise.

He was utterly confused, not even counting the fact that he felt like his skin was being ripped off and his flesh fried.

Harry struggled onward, his shadow trailing behind him as he walked the path to the false Hogwarts castle, utter silence filling the voice he traveled through.

His own footsteps didn't even make a single sound, leading him to believe that he had gone deaf.

He was wrong of course, but he had absolutely no way of knowing.

Upon reaching the castle, he quickly pulled the door open with all his strength, and trudged into the entrance of the castle. His eyes ached then from the sudden brightness of the aged torches adorning the stone walls, and moved forward as if his body knew where to go.

Upon reaching yet another giant set of doors, he pushed again, his entire body struggling to find the strength to continue on.

It was only when he thought he was truly on death's door, did the actual ones open. Before he noticed it, he went flying forwards through the doors, and found himself sprawled inside the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

Not a soul occupied the room besides himself, which was odd, as he had never seen the hall empty in either life.

After attempting to climb to his feet, and falling once more, did Harry notice notice something. The pain was gone.

"Harry James Potter, born on July 31st, 1980, in Saints Mungo's hospital. Immediately afterwards, you were transported to your parent's cottage in the village of Godric's Hollow, West Country England. At a year old, your parents were both murdered by the man known as Tom Riddle, or Voldemort. You were sent to live with your relatives, and starved and abused commonly. Need I say more?" A clear, humble voice spoke out in the silence, coming from nowhere and everywhere.

At the disturbance, Harry found himself able to speak once more, and shifted himself into a sitting position. He shifted his aching eyes around the room, looking for the source of the odd voice, but found nothing.

Only after he gave up and lowered his eyes, did he feel something... a presence in front of him. When he opened his eyes once more, Draco Malfoy stood before him, but an odd shimmering effect surrounded him.

Before Harry could say a single thing, Malfoy spoke once more.

"Before you mistake me, I am not Draco Malfoy, I'm merely using his form for my purpose. I'm here to give you a chance Mister Potter, the only one you'll get." The imposter spoke, his gaze shifting over Harry's form, before smiling gently.

Harry took notice that the man's smile didn't match the hard look in his eyes.

"W-why would I even take whatever offer you'll give me? The one I've got is pretty nice." Harry muttered, his eyes scrutinizing the imposter, before a question came to mind.

"Who are you?"

"You may call me Michael, and I'm here to give you the only chance you will get at redemption. If you continue on the path you're walking, you, your friends, and everyone you care for will suffer for it." The man spoke, the fact that his words were so sharp didn't fall unnoticed.

"You're an angel aren't you? Aren't you guys supposed to be nice, and give out flowers and stuff?" Harry asked, recollection coming to him of a time when Lucifer had explained Elohim's men, and who to avoid.

Michael just smirked righteously, and lowered himself to Harry's eye level.

"Most of us are like that, but I'm an Archangel... and I don't have any more patience for people like you." Michael said, scorn and anger pooling into his voice as his grin fell, replaced by a heavy frown.

"What will it be Potter, eternal damnation, or redemption?"

"Well, there's only one choice, now isn't there?"

Lucifer

He was mad, no... that was an understatement.

He was furious.

No, he was livid.

After all that pearly bastard had done, he goes one step further, and tries to interfere in his game.

Lucifer expected this of course, but not as early on as they were.

No... Elohim was cheating.

This wouldn't be allowed, not if he had anything to say about it.

He knew he couldn't save Harry now, but he had... faith.

No, he had something else to do. At that, Lucifer began to walk from his throne room, and headed towards the highest point of his palace. An old tower that was completely invisible to anyone besides himself and one other.

The tower was special, as it was only one of the three ways out of Hell, but was only a one way trip.

The return trip would be much harder to achieve, but it was necessary.

Walking up the extremely long spiral staircase, Lucifer let his anger stew up within him.

By the time he reached the top of the elongated tower, he laid eyes on a pure white, wooden door.

No markings or designs adorned this door, it was simply a plain white door.

Lucifer sighed deeply, stepped forward, and placed his palm around silver knob of the perfect, flawless door.

Closing his eyes firmly, he pulled the door open, harsh light pouring into the tower.

Unnaturally, the light shifted around him, the room being consumed while he stood as a single dark figure in the white visage of the room.

"Better get ready brother, because I'm coming to visit..."