Darkness is my ally

The Acheron Requiem

"…for your insolence and failure to follow through on your promise to me, I choose the death you will bring: Albus Dumbledore!"

Hadrian's eyes widened before he smiled coldly and laughed, "You're giving me what I want in exchange for the throne?"

"I am," Acheron replied, "But when you kill him, it will be as a true demon lord and not as this human you are now: I let you come back to Hogwarts under the assumption that you would finally make that last great step and prove yourself worthy of my power, but now, I am leaving you with no choice. You will kill Albus Dumbledore by the Winter Solstice or, Hadrian James Potter, I will claim your soul and then, for added insurance for what you've done, I will kill your precious Brotherhood!"

Hadrian's eyes turned black as he watched Acheron fade away into nothingness, the power of the darkness coursing through him with the threat of his allies being targeted because of him.

Caught in this state as he was, the Slytherin King barely heard Sirius' voice:

"What are you going to do now?"

Chapter 20: The Acheron Requiem

Four Days from the Winter Solstice

Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that was about to change the world;

With the wind, thunder rumbled and clashed with the elemental force of lightning that resulted in a bright laser-like explosion of light and sound fill the skies, rain battering the walls of Hogwarts while the darkness was clear to anyone who could see, hear and feel its presence, much like the dark-robed figure that, in the dead of night, moved towards a certain golden phoenix statue.

Hadrian Potter, the Black Kaiser and Slytherin King, moved with determination and a feeling of finality inside him as he made his way towards the statue, his almost-silent footsteps echoing through the corridor with a deafening boom that resonated through him. His hands, calm and relaxed by his sides, seemed to glow with the fury of the dark magic that he felt inside him, his mind focused solely on the objective of this night.

This one last thing before…well before the end.

The death of Albus Dumbledore.

'All tasks at hand have been completed,' Hadrian thought to himself, not even bothering to adjust his path or his attitude as he mused, 'I have nothing left to regret or plan: everything I've done is done in the name of the future. Both mine…and those I call my friends.'

Stopping before the statue, the Slytherin King closed his eyes for a moment, a smile breaking through his cold demeanour as he thought of the humour and fun that he'd had since first setting foot onto the Hogwarts Express three years back. It seemed silly that all his plans and dominations would lead to this one moment, but then again, it seemed to bring it all full circle at the same time.

By losing his parents to Voldemort, Hadrian had started down this path alone and now, at the end, just days from the Winter Solstice deadline issued to him by that monster, Acheron, Hadrian was determined to finish it alone.

He had no desire to go back: his plans had been made, the insurance policies taken care of and the future of his legacy through the Brotherhood and through this school decided.

Now, the end was here…and unlike others of his age and lesser power than he held, Hadrian knew that he was ready;

He said so.

"I'm ready to die…"

With those words, the trigger words told to him over many months ago when he'd come into his power, the darkness enveloped Hadrian fully, taking the human Slytherin King and, ever so slowly, transforming him into the true Acheron Heir.