Y/N looked around the darkness surrounding him. It started with eyes opening- reds, yellows, and greens that somehow shone from the darkness. Then came the growls and snarls. The gnashing of teeth, the slobbering noises of mouths filled with jagged teeth, salivating at the prospect of their next meal.

Then there was the smell. The one thing about the undead and abominations is you never got used to the scent of putrid flesh.

Y/N had been in this nightmare before, nearly every night recently, regardless of his use of dreamless sleep potion. He knew what was coming- the fight of his life. He unsheathed his primary wand and Angel Blade.

"Well come on you undead fucks. Let's dance!"

He braced himself as he was approached by a dozen vampires, he stabbed and slashed, casting Diffindo and Bombarda with his wand on his right while swiping the angel blade at all who came close on his left.

Five, ten, fifteen vampires fell but the assault continues. For every vampire that fell two seemed to appear in its place. He quickly felt overwhelmed and waited and he fought. He would always wake before he got overran. It was therefore a shock when one fanghead managed to get behind him and bit down hard, tearing a chunk out of his neck, flesh being torn away as Y/N screamed, thrusting his blade through the vamps face, sheathing it as he grabbed his neck.

Y/N dropped to one knee, holding his neck as blood poured out, in desperation ejecting a huge explosion of lightning from his body.

Although he had worked with his grandfather on elemental magic, it was still difficult to control, and used much of his magical reserve, especially in a situation where he was injured.

The vampires around him were electrified instantly, his surroundings going quiet before distinctly different, yet familiar and terrifying growls were heard. Y/N pushed himself to his feet as a horrifying face emerged from the darkness:

Something was seriously wrong. Why hadn't Y/N woken up?

—~—

Hermione was stirred awake as she felt Y/N jumping in his sleep. She lifted her head to see most of the hall was still asleep and checked her watch. 6am. She yawned before jumping in shock.

"Ahhhhh" Y/N screamed in pain in his sleep, twitching violently.

"Baby... baby" Hermione gasped as she tried frantically to wake her lover with no success.

—~—

Y/N pulled himself to both feet and released his neck as two Wendigos snarled and charged him. He fired off incendio, incinerating one as the other dodged and slashed, ripping across Y/N's abdomen, causing him to groan in pain as he was sliced deeply.

—~—

"Ughhhr" Y/N yelled in pain again as Hermione teared up, shaking him wildly.

"Baby wake up! Please wake up"

Lavender woke now as did Harry and Ron hearing Hermione's desperate pleas.

"Hermione what's wrong?" Lavender asked rubbing her eyes.

"Y/N's crying in pain but he won't wake up" Hermione sobbed still shaking her boyfriend.

"Cmon...yo....uckers" Y/N could be heard mumbling in his sleep. "...nna hav.... kill me"

Hermione wailed louder and shook harder at Y/N's words, Lavender shooting up from her bed and running from the Great Hall.

—~—

Y/N's eyes shot around him. He was surrounded by demons, wraiths, wendigoes and a werewolf. They closed in snarling and growling, savouring the meal to come. Y/N's wand arm held his stomach trying to keep his entrails in as his neck bled deeply, his angel blade unsheathed and waited, ready to be utilised.

"Come on you fuckers" Y/N snarled, refusing to back down even for a moment.

"You're gonna have to kill me before I stop swinging" Y/N roared. He held his angel blade out ready to attack the first to approach before all those around him were incinerated in blue flames.

Y/N looked shocked as a black shadow approached him. It slowly gained form as it stopped just in front of him. Y/N was confused. It was him, his doppelgänger- until it opened it's eyes- they were pitch black.

"What the fuck- my boggart?" Y/N asked in shock, feeling weak as his life fluid drained from his neck and abdomen. Black eyed Y/N smirked arrogantly:

I am not your boggart, Y/N. I am you. I am your true form. I am your Archon.

Y/N's eyes widened. All the books he'd read, and the research he'd done, it all pointed to Archons being mythological and allegorical. A powerful individual turned into a demigod through stories evolving and being embellished over centuries.

"No that's not... the books all said they were allegorical..." Y/N muttered, looking at himself stunned. The black eyed Y/N smiled.

I am the source of your power, Y/N. I am the reason for your strength. I was born in your torture, I was fed through your mother's abuse and I was strengthened by your brother's cruelty.

"You... you're the one I heard in Azkaban aren't you? You're the one who was always there. In my nightmares, watching me suf- you son of a-"

Y/N was stopped dead in his tracks, magically held in place. The black eyed Y/N chuckled.

You are powerful Y/N. Thanks to me. But where we are now I am master. Right here...

The Archon grinned menacingly as it forcefully tapped Y/N's temple. Y/N glared back and replied:

"You're the one sending nightmares against me aren't you. Watching as I suffer. You sick son of a bitch"

The Archon chuckled again:

Yes Y/N... you have an extremely strong will. I've found it difficult to make you weak enough to be able to approach you. I had to weaken you Y/N, so I could break from your subconscious and speak to you. And now you're here, trapped, all thanks to the sleep spell you're under.

Y/N's lip curled as he asked, still frozen on the spot:

"Well what the fuck do you want?"

The Archon grinned sadistically.

It's a simple thing really Y/N. Just say yes.

"To what?" Y/N asked puzzled as his head began to feel woozy. Was Y/N feeling blood loss? Was it psychosomatic? Was it all in his head?

Say yes to me. Let me possess your body. Your mind. Your soul. I need your permission. Your acceptance. Through me you will dominate all life. Every king and leader in the world, wizard and muggle, will bow to you. You'll be a living God.

The Archon smiled as Y/N chuckled:

"You need my permission? A living god you say? Such an offer only a madman would refuse. So how about... Fuck No" Y/N sneered at the Archon who stopped smiling and glared at him.

It was instantly in his face with a hand around his throat. It lifted Y/N in the air effortlessly.

I'll give you one more chance.

Y/N gasped as he struggled to breathe before managing to spit on the Archon's face. He spluttered out:

"Go fuck yourself!"

The Archon roared in anger before shoving a hand into Y/N's stomach wound, gripping and then ripping out his intestines, eviscerating him.

Y/N felt an agony like nothing he had ever experienced. His scream was deep and piercing.

"No no no... arggghh!!!"

—~—

Lavender had managed to find Snape and they ran back to the Great Hall. They arrived to a scene of chaos. The whole hall had woken now, hearing Y/N's agonised screams and Hermione was hysterical. Y/N was still asleep, sweating profusely as he writhed and groaned in pain before muttering "no no no" and then releasing an ear piercing roar of agony Severus hadn't heard since his days as a Death Eater watching the Dark Lord torture his enemies.

Severus was over to Y/N in only a moment, pointing his wand at Y/N and saying forcefully:

"Wake"

Y/N shot up in an instant, gasping and inhaling loudly, his eyes bulging as much as the veins on his neck were. He struggled to breathe as Hermione wrapped her arms around him crying. He slowly managed to regain his breath as he struggled to say:

"Arch- Arch-!Archon. I'm an Archon"

He erupted in another coughing fit, rolling onto his side as Hermione sobbed and rubbed his back. Severus sprang into gear:

"Brown, Weasley find the Headmaster immediately. Potter help me get him up and to my office."

His tone softened dramatically as he leant down, gently placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder and saying to her quietly:

"Come with us as well, Ms Granger. We will make sure Y/N is ok."

Hermione looked up and nodded, wiping her eyes as she stood.

Snape and Harry grunted, pulling Y/N's massive frame to his feet and draping each of Y/N's arms over one of their shoulders. They began to walk slowly, supporting Y/N as Harry was dumbfounded, hearing the soft nature of Snape's voice as he said to Y/N quietly:

"One step at a time son. We're here. One step at a time."

As the three of them got to the Great Hall door's Snape snapped at Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater, the Head boy and girl:

"No one leaves the hall!"

They nodded as the small group disappeared down the ball, leaving a terrified and traumatised student body in their wake.