Paid In Blood - Revised

Chapter 17

"Dark Lord?" Daphne whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yes, after years of people trying to paint me as one, I finally embraced the mantle of Dark Lord," he replied, still holding her gently in his arms.

"Why?" she asked softly, her eyes moistening again.

"Revenge, anger, hate..." he murmured. "What would you have done in my place?"

"K-Kill him," she replied as she choked back a sob.

"I won't attempt to defend myself or justify my actions, Daph," Harry said resignedly. "I became a Dark Lord, and I did it knowingly and with purpose. I snapped, and all I cared about was my revenge, damn the consequences. Of course, being a Dark Lord is really nothing more than having a fancy title that gives you power over the masses."

To Harry's relief, his declaration didn't seem to immediately repulse Daphne.

"I know," she replied calmly. "I know it's just a title, and you already told me you were at war. I'm not naïve, Harry. I know that they already considered you a Dark Lord, but I'll admit that hearing you say that you actually became one is..."

"I had a choice," Harry explained, his eyes closed as he felt the blood pulse in his ears to the rhythm of his nervously beating heart. He was sure that he was standing on the precipice of a defining moment in his relationship with Daphne. If she still accepted him after learning of his deeds as a Dark Lord, then his dream would still be alive and well. If not...well, he'd prefer not to think about that.

He took a deep breath and continued.

"I could have chosen the right path and continued to slowly undermine the Longbottoms and rally support for our cause. I could have stuck to our principles and still held the moral high ground in our victory. In my anger, I chose the easier path, the more satisfying path, but I don't regret it. All my fears and regrets died the moment my...our daughter was struck down, and I simply didn't care anymore."

"What happened next?" Daphne asked softly.

"That same night, in front of my friends, followers, and the body of our daughter, I executed the captured Paladins in cold blood, mostly to send a message to their masters," Harry revealed. "It was at that moment, when I saw the horror and the fear on everyone's faces, that I knew what I had to do. I fully embraced the darkness, and by doing it, I ended the war in a matter of a few weeks."

"What did you do to them?"

"Like I said, I killed the Paladins."

"You alone?" she asked, and Harry nodded solemnly. "How?"

Harry pulled another strand of memory from his temple and placed it in the Pensieve.

"It's not something I can properly describe," he replied, then offered Daphne his hand. For the first time that night, Daphne ignored the hand and went into the Pensieve by herself. Sighing, Harry followed after her.

Several people were milling around the grounds of Nott Manor, which was heavily damaged and still smouldering in places. Tracey, Theo, Blaise, and Millie were all gathered around Harry, not a single dry eye between them. Their children weren't present, having been successfully evacuated earlier. Professor Flitwick was there, standing off to the side and solemnly conversing with Hannah Callen and her husband. Astoria was on her knees and openly weeping next to a small bundle wrapped in a black cloak. Jason Hallys was kneeling beside Astoria with his head bowed in sorrow, his arm wrapped around her in support.

Daphne felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart. Her eyes started welling up again as she caught sight of the little black bundle that was her daughter's body. She came closer to memory Harry, who was kneeling opposite Astoria and mumbling over Daphy's mortal remains.