A Mask

It was dark as he walked along a blank stretch of hallway. He walked and walked, and it never ended. This long hall still refused to end as time passed and as he stopped in his weariness, a malevolent red shade of hallway stretched on to his right. He turned and walked down this hallway. This time there was a door at the end. As he walked nearer he became anxious and scared, his breathing becoming irregular and escaping in large puffs. He knew this door, this padlocked door. When he finally stood before it, he put his hand on the knob, all the while hyperventilating. He turned the knob, hearing the click and opened the door slightly.

Agonized shrieks filled his ears. So loud and terrorizing that he struggled to cover his ears.

"Please stop!" it screeched, "I won't do it again!"

And as he heard the voice, he realized that it was his own. He started to scream, joining in with his other yells. And as he screamed, he fell; fell into a dark hole of nothing. And that is where he was safest. That was where he would stay.

Harry woke up with a gasp, covered in cold sweat. His heart thundered in his chest and he tried to regain his breath. He looked around only to realize that he was still in the hospital wing. Alone and in solitude, in the white and welcoming hospital wing. The birds sang outside and light poured in through the windows. His face suddenly held no emotion, his normal, or his new mask. A mask that hid perfectly his secrets.

He shakily brought himself up into a sitting position. He heard walking from the hallway. They were talking too. Four voices were coming closer. He waited, one of these voices was Dumbledore's. The door creaked open. In came, Professor Dumbledore who smiled merrily at him with a twinkle in his eyes. Harry held his mask in place, no one could know besides Dumbledore, and the three people behind that door posed a threat to him, for they could find out and throw his carefully constructed mask out of order. Dumbledore understood.

"Harry my boy, how are you this morning?" Harry stared at him, not answering, not trusting his voice in fear that he would scream it out loud. Dumbledore smiled sadly, "I have found caretakers for you this summer, since you cannot stay at the castle. They have agreed that you could stay with them. And even though you might have different thoughts, you may soon come to realize that they are not who you think."

A million questions reeled about his head, but he would not speak, he refused. He shut his mind up immediately.

The door creaked open and his worst nightmare walked in casually. The Malfoys. Lucius, Draco, and Narcissa. They walked up to his bed. Narcissa had a warm smile on her face, Lucius had a speculating look, and Draco looked as if he were fighting a mental break down. Harry stared at them without emotion, though his head was filled with a raging battle of either screaming or crying.

"So, Harry, these will be your caretakers for the rest of your summer," said Dumbledore. Harry looked towards him with the same blank look. Dumbledore knew his true thoughts, but ignored them, "Why don't you say hello to them Harry?"

Everyone stared expectantly at him. He looked towards the Malfoys and nodded, and then he turned and looked out the windows. He listened as Dumbledore gushed how that was the best reaction yet, and told Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy to come to his office. He asked Draco to stay. Once they were gone, he heard a scoff behind him, so he turned towards Malfoy.

Draco's face held a sneer as he looked at Harry, "I can't believe we have baby-sit you! You're just ruining our summer!" Draco walked closer, right to the edge of the bed. "And what the hell is wrong with you?! Why do you need a place to stay anyway?!"

Answer: blank look, sewed lips, tired eyes…turn away (in Harry's head)

Draco raised his perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Have you gone mute?"

Harry held his stare, his mask of indifference. If he were to open his lips, he didn't know what would come out.

"Hello?! Anyone there?! Sweet Merlin Potter, I think you've gone daft! Can't you speak? Say something at least."

Harry turned away and stared at his hands while biting his gnarled lips, a new war raging in his head. This one was between Speaking and Keeping Quiet.

Speaking: Hey, Malfoy's right! We have not gone daft or mute, and we can say something. Come on just speak to him. Maybe he'll listen….

Keeping Quiet: Oh, shut your mouth! Don't fill his head with reassurances! *throws speaking to the side*. Ok, so Harry, we all know what will happen if you talk now. Your mask will fall and out will come the waterworks. Then, they'll not want you to live with them because you're impure or something of the sort!

Keeping Quiet won by a million. Harry heard Draco's blabber continue, "Fine then! Don't speak to me! I don't care! I'd rather talk to a pole than you any day!" Draco sat on the edge of the bed and let out an aggravated sigh. Harry looked out the window again and ignored Draco. Harry thought about what was to happen with this new twist of story. Was this for the best or for the worst? Too bad he wasn't Trelawney.

Ok guys! So I started this because it's the holidays. (And because I just finished reading Speak) I like this story so far, and I hope you do too! Happy Holidays people! The next chapter will be up soon!

~blaisecorrupt