Harry instantly felt the sudden shift as the darkness settled into his mind. For so long, he had felt so angry. Now, he felt as if nothing could hurt him. He felt a strange feeling course through his veins as if he had just recharged. However, he also felt something evil in himself.

"Hello, Harry," the familiar voice hissed in the deep recesses of his mind.

"Voldemort!" he yelled. "Where are you? Show yourself, you coward."

"Coward, am I? You have spent too much time with Severus, Harry. He is the only coward that we both know." Loud laughter echoed around the darkness. "Has he told you his deep dark secret yet? How he pleaded with me to save your mother's life? He begged me on his knees, Harry. He couldn't care less what happened to you or your father, but for your mother he'd give everything."

"I don't care, Voldemort," Harry yelled back.

"You don't care how his thoughts were impure about her. You don't care, Harry? Oh my, Harry. What would your dear sweet Mudblood mother think of you?"

"She'd be proud of me."

"For consorting with the man who killed her and your father? You truly believe that, Harry?"

"Go to hell, Voldemort!"

"Only if you come with, Harry." More loud sinister laughter followed. "We could be great together, Harry. You know this. We could teach them all a lesson."

"Shut up," Harry snarled.

"Make me, Harry. Make me shut up. After all, Severus isn't here to protect you anymore. You know, in hindsight I should have known about him. He did love your Mudblood mother!"

"SHUT UP!" Harry screamed.

"Make me, Harry. Prove to everyone how powerful the Great Harry Potter is, or show everyone how weak you truly are. Come on, Harry. Prove that you really are the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Severus Snape is ten times the wizard you are, Voldemort," Harry snarled. Fierce shrieks then echoed throughout the darkness before Harry felt a tremendous amount of pain spread throughout his entire body. Every nerve was sparking with energy from the Cruciatus Curse that Voldemort somehow casted through Harry's scar. The pain lasted for what seemed to be an eternity.

"You will break before I am done with you, Harry. You will beg and plead for me to finish you, but I will not. I must admit that I wish I could see the look on that traitor's face as you whither in sheer agony, but I will settle on your screams."

"The only one who will be begging and pleading, Voldemort, will be you."

"Silly boy, do you truly believe you can vanquish me, the true Dark Lord?"

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but felt a presence quickly yank him violently out of his own mind. It took him a few seconds before he realized where he was. He started to gasp for air as everything hit him like a freight train. He glanced around to see who had pulled him out. It was then he noticed Snape kneeling on the floor grabbing his left forearm. The pain was visible on the older wizard's face.

"Sir, I have to—"

"You'll…you'll do no such thing, Potter," Snape said through grit teeth. "You aren't prepared."

"I have to do something, Snape!" Harry shouted back. "I can't let him win…not again." When Snape suddenly grabbed Harry's face and forced him to look into his eyes, Harry gasped. He had never seen the man act so animalistic before.

"And I can't allow you to throw away Lily's sacrifice! She gave her life for you, Potter!"

"Please…" Harry begged. "Please, Snape. I have to do this!"

"No! No you don't! You don't have to do anything, Potter! This isn't your war!"

"The moment he killed my mum and dad, Snape, he made it my war!" Harry snarled back. He then angrily shoved Snape back. "I have to do something, Snape. I have to stop him! I'm not going to let anyone else die because of me." Darkness quickly settled into his mind as Voldemort regained control.

"Together," Snape's voice said cutting through the darkness, "not alone."

The moment Harry saw Voldemort appear in his mind, he stepped forward. He drew in a deep breath. He knew he wasn't prepared. Snape was right, but Harry knew one thing. He'd win in the end.

"It ends tonight, Riddle!"