Disclaimer: Plot belongs to me. Everything else belongs to Project Dark Overlord, Kurinoone or JK Rowling.
Dedication: Dedicated to Kurinoone for being so awesome as to let me actually write from her universe. Thankyou!
A/N: Well, I'm back! With another Darkness Within spin off (everyone cheers!) This one's a lovely twenty one pages, a little shorter than my previous stories but not by much ;) I really hope you enjoy it!
XXX
"Through here Mr Potter."
Harry glanced at the grim-faced Ministry official and followed him into a cold, dank room. Everything was polished steel, and he could see his pale and sickly reflection in the various surfaces. There seemed to be a constant grey hue that permeated the space. His gaze, worried and tense, was drawn to an uncomfortable looking table made from the same silvery metal as the room. On it laid a sheet-covered form.
"Are you ready?"
Harry nodded as they took opposite places on either side of the table and Harry's companion drew back the sheet from the body.
He froze.
Damien's face looked calm and serene, but his skin was waxy and pallid. His lips were blue. He looked to Harry as if he were merely sleeping but as his eyes flickered frantically down he spotted the deep and jagged slit in his brother's throat. There was no blood but Harry could imagine it flowing from the wound as Damien tried desperately to stem it, gasping and gagging as he fought for air. Harry's breathing became erratic.
"Is this Mr Damien Jack Potter?" The Ministry official asked calmly.
"Yes," Harry choked back, still staring into his sibling's dead face.
He stumbled away from the table when Damien's eyes suddenly snapped open and his head flopped towards him. The brown orbs were glassy and unseeing as they locked gazes with Harry's. Blood pooled in his mouth and then scarlet and thick, streamed onto the table as he spoke.
"You failed me, brother."
Harry woke with a start.
XXX
Breakfast was a silent affair for Harry and his mother. He'd stumbled downstairs, seeking refreshment after the terrible dream he'd just awoken from. Finding a cracker he sat himself down at the kitchen table and nibbled at it as though in a stupor. Luckily, it was a relatively decent hour and his mum soon joined him. She insisted on making him breakfast, claiming he looked 'pale and sickly' causing Harry to roll his eyes slightly, before smiling and allowing his mother to do what she wanted. In all reality he was feeling a little under the weather; he couldn't stop dwelling on Damien's lifeless corpse.
The soft clink of a plate being set down in front of him jerked Harry from his daydreaming and he began picking at the food there, silent and brooding. Lily was concerned.
"Harry, is everything alright?"
He looked up and smiled, "Yeah, just tired. Is Damy up yet?"
His mother didn't look convinced but let it slide, "No, he's still sleeping as usual. I haven't known Damien to ever get up before ten on holidays. He takes after James in that department I'm afraid. You and I on the other hand are early risers."
His mum looked rather happy that she and Harry shared a common physiological trait. Harry gave a small grin but his heart wasn't in it.
Her smile faded a little, "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine mum," he murmured and then started to try and finish his breakfast as soon as possible, a sudden idea popping into his head. He knew what he needed to do now. Damien had to learn. He had to learn how to defend himself and Harry was going to teach him. He'd been dwelling on instructing his brother for a while now, and his nightmare of Damien's ghostly face, glassy eyed and bloodied mouth cemented the idea in his brain. He would take him under his wing in an act of brotherhood and make damn sure he didn't end up in a cold, forsaken Ministry morgue.
He stabbed an egg viciously. Screw that, Damy wasn't even going to be hurt. Ever. No one was ever going to carve a gorge into his brother's neck. If anyone even got close to doing anything like that there would be hell to pay – and there were a lot of people in hell. Harry smirked wickedly and violently carved up his bacon. Voldemort would drive a hard bargain.
XXX
"No..."
"Damy it's eleven in the morning! Get your lazy arse out of bed."
Damien moaned, pulling his blankets over his head and curling into a cocoon, his voice muffled, "Piss off Harry."
Harry sighed impatiently and waved his hand in one fluid motion. His brother's bedclothes were immediately stripped away before they disappeared with a puff of smoke. Damien yowled in anger before burrowing his head into his pillow and curling into the foetal position in a desperate attempt to stem the sudden cold air.
"Family don't do this to each other!" his grumbled.
"Oh and eating my cereal, using my shaver and hogging all the hot water in the shower is the epitome of brotherly love? C'mon, I'm going to train and you're coming with me."
Harry was not impressed with Damien's pointed ignoring of his commands and so waved his hand again, levitating his brother a foot off the bed before floating him out of the room and down the corridor, towards the bathroom. It took a moment for the younger boy to realise what was occurring and just how helpless he was.
"What the -" Damien mumbled, before his eyes widened and he hastily dropped his pillow, "DAD!... DAD! Harry's attacking me!"
Laughter could be heard from downstairs and Harry grinned, emerald eyes glinting, "Sorry Damy, I have expressed consent from the elders of this household to apprehend you should you resist any orders."
His brother's glare was poisonous before Harry dropped him unceremoniously onto the bathroom tiles and shut the door with a grin. He magically locked it before calling through the keyhole, "Get dressed. I've shrunk some of my training clothes for you. There's a pair of my old combat boots next to them. Don't worry about the embroidered snakes on the heels; they may try, but they can't actually hurt you. I'll see you in fifteen minutes down at the field."
"I can't believe mum and dad are letting you do this!" yelled Damien, "Can't I at least have a shower?"
"No," said Harry loudly, "You're about to get drenched in sweat. There would be no point, and plus you would use up all the hot water!"
"Well said Harry!" James's voice called faintly from downstairs, "Damien, listen to your brother."
An angry snarl, followed by a kick to the bathroom door echoed through the house, "EVIL, EVIL FAMILY!"
Harry chuckled, "You know we love you Damien."
"Shut up," the voice growled, "you're going to be sorry when I get my hands on my wand..."
"I'm shivering in my boots," Harry smirked, going back down the stairs, "Just don't cut yourself on the daggers I've-"
"Shit!" Damien suddenly yelled, "I'm bleeding! Harry, why are there knives strapped to everything?"
He sighed, "Because that's what we're training with today. Run the cut under cold water. There are bandages in the cupboard. Please be responsible for once!"
Damien muttered a few choice expletives before the rustling of clothes could be heard as he stripped down.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," called Harry as he went downstairs to join his dad in the kitchen; waiting for his brother to figure out the various buckles and straps that his robes consisted of.
Twenty minutes later Damien finally decided to join Harry in his training grounds, his duelling robes hanging haphazardly off his smaller frame as buckles and weapon sheathes dangled hopelessly from the material. Damien wore a scowling expression as he stomped towards his brother, who immediately started laughing in earnest when he saw his companion's predicament. Harry's own robes were immaculate, pitch black and creaseless and lent him an air of prestige and power; the occasion glint of a blade visible when he moved.
"Harry, I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like this dominatrix style," Damien growled as he hitched up a shoulder strap, "And it weighs a ton!"
"You're not even wearing it properly," Harry chuckled as he moved over to pull the collar of the robe over Damien's shoulders properly. Harry sighed, deciding he'd have to help out; the sounds of leather being pulled taught, metal blades sliding into holsters and buckles being snapped shut rent the air for the next minute as he methodically finished dressing his brother. He concluded by kneeling down at Damien's feet and jerkily tightening the laces on his boots, hissing in Parseltongue at the green snakes on the heels when they spat at him.
"Ow!" Damien complained moodily, "do the shoes have to be this tight? I swear it's cutting off my circulation."
"Trust me," Harry said, standing up again, "you don't want loose boots during engagement."
"Engagement?" sniffed Damien, flexing his hands in fingerless gloves, "What are we training for? The war's over."
Harry fixed him with an icy glare, "you never know when you'll need to defend yourself."
"Alright, alright!" Damien answered huffily, "What are we starting with?"
Green eyes glinting, Harry smiled, "basic defensive posture."
"No offence, but that sounds super boring," Damien yawned and crossed his arms over his chest, oblivious to his brother's mounting annoyance, "I thought you'd teach me something exciting at least. I know how to stand – it's not that hard."
"Alright then," said Harry through gritted teeth, "since you know everything, why don't you demonstrate to me the best defensive posture to use during a magical duel?"
His brother seemed a little stumped at this and Harry smirked.
"Well, er..." the younger boy continued, shifting a little on his feet, "wouldn't it just be like when you're standing? I mean, you've got to be fast and stuff so I would think it would be just how I am now..."
"Disrupto," Harry said curtly as he flicked his hand at his brother, who stumbled back as if shoved from where the yellow spell connected with his shoulder. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Hey!" whined Damien, regaining his balance, "what was that for?"
"You stumbled," stated Harry, smirking cockily, "obviously your stance isn't very effective. If I were a genuinely dangerous opponent you would have been on the ground in one second flat!"
Damien huffed indignantly and then a reluctant grin tugged at his lips, "Okay, okay! I failed miserably...but seriously, what else is there than just standing? Nothing else will make much difference."
Harry sighed, but smiled at his brother's admission, "It can make all the difference in the world, Damy. Falling over is not something you want to do whilst in combat. Being on the ground is a major disadvantage as it restricts your movement and your perception; doing so would place you at a great risk. I don't think wizards are taught enough about the physical side of duelling, is seems the only thing people really care about is the magical aspect, which is a load of bull because there would be no magical aspect without the physical. Stupid curriculum, I swear..."
The younger boy grinned at his elder brother's ravings, "well then how do I stay on my feet?"
Harry looked at him, "well, personally I find the best way is to have one foot behind the other about a shoulder width apart. This gives you increased balanced but also enough agility to dodge spells."
"Like this?" Damien asked, following the instructions.
"Yeah that's perfect," grinned Harry, pleased.
His brother smiled widely, "Now what?"
"Flick out your wand from the holster," said Harry and then laughed as Damien flicked his hand awkwardly, his wand failing to appear, "no, it's more of a snap, use your wrist more – that's it!"
"That was a little tricky..."
"It'll be like that for the first few times," reassured Harry, "then it becomes second nature. Okay, now I want you to stand in that position and block the Disrupto I'm going to throw at you. Don't ever relax your stance and always keep your wand erect."
Damien snickered, "Does Ginny like your wand erect?"
Harry rolled his eyes, "Disrupto!"
The younger boy managed to conjure a shield just in time and the hex dissipated into the glowing bubble. Harry was pleased but soon threw another one, which did breach another hastily erected barrier and slammed into its target. Damien stumbled again but not as severely as last time, before quickly recovering and volleying a weak stunner back at Harry, who dodged it easily and shot his own, which broke through another of Damien's shields and smashed into his brother's chest, immediately incapacitating him.
Waving his wand and chuckling, Harry lifted the spell, "That was passable, but not the best."
"Whatever Harry," scowled Damien, taking his brother's offered hand to help stand up and huffing when Harry ran a diagnostic charm, "no one ever wins a duel against you so I think a 'passable' is quite good, and you didn't hurt me so stop repeating that charm."
"What?" exclaimed Harry, looking up from where he was running his wand over Damien's kneecap, "I've got to make sure. We can't have you injured or anything going out into the open..."
Damien huffed impatiently, "seriously Harry, I'm fine!"
Harry stood up, "Get into position again and hold out your wand, yes that's it, like you're doing a stunner; move your feet closer, you're not trying to ride a horse. Now, the reason you didn't last long in that duel was because you found it difficult to block multiple curses in quick succession of each other."
His brother huffed.
"The only way you can improve this," Harry continued, oblivious to Damien's slight indignation, "is to practice."
Damien moaned, "But that's so boring!"
"Stupify!" Harry hissed, watching as the boy in front of him collapsed before reviving him with a swift 'Enervate', "keep your wits Damy," he warned, "don't let your ego distract you from defending yourself."
"Oh like you can talk!" implored Damien, just managing to block a second jet of red light, "you piss off everyone you duel!"
Harry smiled cockily, "Why indeed I do, but only people I know will lose concentration if I spite them."
Damien only barely managed to deflect another red stunner before he was hit by a following one and was out cold on the ground. Harry sighed and revived him.
"Gah..." murmured Damien, pulling himself back up, "this is so annoying."
The two brother's continued training for the rest of the morning, or until Harry was happy that Damien was competent enough to dodge and block a succession of rapidly fired spells to random parts of his body without falling over or dropping his wand. Harry had told him to let his instinctual magic guide him, and when Damien failed to realise this goal Harry had taken to drastic measures.
"You're going to do what to me?" the younger of the two exclaimed in disbelief.
"Blindfold you," stated Harry as though it was the most logical thing in the universe, "by not seeing the spells coming at you you'll have to reach out with your own instinctual magic and feel them instead."
Despite various protests from Damien, the technique was effective and Harry was smiling broadly by the end of it, laughing as his brother groaned loudly when he told him he was impressed but there was still a way to go.
"Don't expect to become an expert over night," placated Harry when he yet again broke through Damien's defences, "agility and accuracy are difficult things to master; now, put that blindfold back on and we'll go for another ten minutes."
Damien was completely and utterly exhausted when Harry finally called a stop to their activities.
"Honestly," he panted, wiping sweat off his brow and leaning on his knees, "I have no idea how you manage to do this every day."
"Endurance and dedication," answered Harry with a grin, as though he'd just been on a relaxing stroll, "you'll build yours up quick enough."
"What are we doing now?" Damien asked, taking a water bottle from Harry gratefully, "not more dodging I hope."
Harry chuckled, "No, I think you're finished for the day, go have a shower."
"Oh thank Merlin," breathed his brother, pouring the rest of the water bottle over his face and neck, "I thought it'd never end!"
XXX
Life in the Potter household changed a little over the next few weeks. Once Damien was accustomed to waking up early and then flogging his body magically and physically for the rest of the morning he found he rather enjoyed it. Progress had been made and although he rarely showed it, Harry was rather proud of how far Damien had come.
"What's on today?" Damien asked enthusiastically, "Can we try the swords?"
"Calm down," yawned Harry, "You're like a little hyperactive Nigel. Let me wake up first."
Damien scoffed, "You're just getting old."
"I am not getting old!" exclaimed Harry, "I'm in my prime!"
They had recently been having this argument as Damien seemed hell-bent on proving he was just as alert in the mornings as Harry. He was always, however, the first to ask if they could finish.
Over the time they'd been training Harry had instructed Damien in correct duelling techniques for intense combat, muggle dagger and sword skills, muggle fighting techniques and, of course, wandless magic. Damien had picked up the latter very quickly and could now hold a relatively long duel with Harry without the use of his wand, a feat no other person other than Voldemort and probably Dumbledore could manage. Due to his smaller and younger frame Harry found Damien not as effective against him using the physical fighting skills and so endeavoured to make sure he closed that gap in his defences. He didn't fancy his brother being mauled by Daywalkers any time soon.
Another skill Harry was also instructing Damien on was Parseltongue, which was by far the boy's least favourite subject. He'd protested learning it the minute Harry brought it up, but Harry had held fast, stating that it would be very advantageous if they could communicate with each other in a language no one else knew.
"It would be incredibly useful in a hostage situation," sighed Harry, as Damien yet again refused to learn, "you could plan a whole escape rout without worrying if anyone knew what you were doing."
"But you're a natural Parseltongue!" whined his brother, "it's so much harder for us mere mortals!"
"Oh for goodness sake!" snapped Harry, "It's just like learning French or Italian!"
Suffice to say, that shut Damien up and soon he was speaking a crude, disjointed form of the language which made the embroidered snakes on his boots hiss and spit with laughter. Harry however, was very happy with his progress and endeavoured to keep him as immersed in the dialect as possible, even going as far as to only address him in Parseltongue for a whole day. Their mother and father were left quite bemused as they hissed at each other over the table during dinner.
"Pass the salt please," Harry's snake-like voice asked.
"Go you are," hissed Damien, passing his brother the shaker, "Was that right?"
"No," sighed Harry, smiling a little, "It's Here you are, not 'go you are'."
"I have absolutely no idea what you're saying," stated James, laughing and turning to Lily, "you'd better not be insulting us."
"No, we're not Dad," grinned Harry.
James sighed, "Still Parseltongue."
Damien laughed and Harry said sheepishly in English, "No, we're not. Pass the gravy?"
XXX
It was Christmas when everything, ironically, went to hell.
It was present opening time and the Potters, Remus and Sirius were all sitting on the floor around a large Christmas tree.
"Oh cool!" exclaimed Damien, his eyes bright with excitement as he tore off the wrapping paper from Harry's gift, a set of his own custom made combat robes, "I was wondering why you wanted my measurements last week! This is so awesome!"
Harry grinned as his brother immediately swung them over the muggle clothes he was wearing and went through the process of snapping all the buckles and straps shut. He couldn't help but feel a little proud looking at Damien while he examined every stitch and pocket in the fabric.
"Look dad!" the young boy laughed, "now I can beat you in a duel!"
"I'm pretty sure you could've done that four weeks ago at the rate you and Harry are going," James chuckled.
"Yeah you've really improved," said Sirius, impressed.
Damien blushed, but continued on rather cockily, "I know."
"Now Damy," scolded Lily playfully, "Don't become too confident, your brother here has enough for both of you."
Harry gaped in mock outrage and looked at Remus who was sitting next to Lily, "Get her!"
"My pleasure," he smirked and then proceeded to tickle Lily mercilessly.
"James! James!" she laughed, slapping frantically at her friend's nimble hands, "Help me!"
Her husband and Sirius were leaning on each other giggling outrageously, and Harry and Damien weren't in any better shape.
"James!"
"Sorry Lils," he choked, "but this is way to entertaining to stop!"
"Fine then!" she shouted, jerking away from another attack to her ribs, "Don't expect to carry out our normal Christmas tradition later on tonight!"
Harry snickered as his dad's smile vanished in a second.
"But –but," he spluttered comically, oblivious to everyone else's silent mirth, "we always... you know... on Christmas! It's a Potter family custom!"
"Really?" asked Harry excitedly, "so Ginny can come over tonight then and do you know? I wouldn't want to break with tradition."
Sirius lost all self control and keeled over onto the floor in laughter as James and Lily's faces morphed into shock at what they'd revealed.
"You walked into that one, mate," chuckled Remus as James's lips twitch a little, "it would be good to remember that you have two hormonal teenage boys that'll pick up on everything, no matter how hard you try to talk in code."
"Hey!" said Damien, "I'm not that horny!"
Harry sighed dramatically, "I'm eighteen. There's no point in me trying to deny it. The only thing on my mind is sex and food."
Both Sirius and Remus's faces were bright red as they laughed uproariously while James and Lily tried, unsuccessfully, to stem their own chuckles. Harry simply lent back on his hands with his legs stretched out in front of him, completely and utterly unembarrassed.
He felt a surge of affection for his family which was immediately followed by a sudden influx of unexplainable anxiousness. His smile faded completely, unnoticed by everyone else. Something wasn't right. Reaching out with his magic he tested the wards surrounding the house. He could feel them flicker slightly, as though they were a failing like a muggle light globe. Immediately he muttered the incantation he and his dad had developed to raise the emergency wards before sliding out his wand. The flickering has ceased for the moment. Harry knew, however, that the emergency wards would only hold for a limited amount of time.
"Guys," he barked, "Settle down for a moment."
They continued on laughing and joking merrily, not hearing the serious tone in Harry's voice.
"Guys! Seriously!" he raised his voice this time, and everyone heard. Their faces fell when they saw the worried expression Harry wore as he looked around at the ceiling and walls, simultaneously standing up.
"What is it?" asked James, suddenly alert, wand in hand.
Harry looked at him, "The main wards were failing, so I put up the emergency ones. I think we'd better get out. We're in the least strategic room for fighting."
"Shit," said James as everyone else stood, the Christmas cheer from before completely dissipated, "and I can't disapirate!"
"The Floo's disconnected," said Sirius who'd raced to the fireplace, "we're stuck."
"Harry," said Lily suddenly, "you can appirate through wards-"
He cut her off, "I'm not leaving you!"
"No," said Damien, "go inform the Aurors there's a possible attack here-"
"-then stay with the Weasley's while we sort this out," his dad commanded.
"I'm not going anywhere!" Harry was furious, "Expecto Patronum!"
Nagini burst from the tip of his wand and Harry spoke rapidly in Parseltongue to her, before the great snake writhed into a ball of light and shot off towards the Ministry of Magic.
"I can't believe we didn't think of that sooner," He growled, "and don't try and make me go just because I can," he said quickly at the look on Remus's face, "I'm the best dueller here."
He held out his hand and summoned his combat robes and every weapon he could think of before throwing them on haphazardly.
"We've got around five minutes before the emergency wards fail," said James his hazel eyes flickering from wall to wall, "Harry and Damien, stick with your mum. Sirius, Remus and I will fight whoever's doing this."
"No!" shouted both boys in outrage.
"I'm fighting with you," snarled Lily, "Harry can look after Damien."
James was about to protest when there was an almighty shudder and Harry blanched as he felt the temporary wards flicker dangerously.
"Dad," he said seriously, "I'll stick with Damien until I can get him out of here but then I'm coming back."
"Hey-!"
"Shut it Damy!" Harry snapped as they raced from the sitting room and into the most easily defensible place, the dining room.
James surrendered reluctantly and not a second later Harry felt the wards shiver and then crumble as the sound of numerous appirations rent the air and the fight broke out in earnest against an enemy none of them knew. They soon found out.
Harry began firing a barrage of curses at the encroaching mass of hooded and masked Death Eaters, managing to incapacitate a fair few. His heart was racing with adrenalin while he protected Damien who'd been smart enough to conjure a strong shield around them both. He was grimly aware that this attack was most likely a revenge mission for his destruction of Voldemort, as they all seemed intent on breaking past his parents, Remus and Sirius to get to him.
"You're doing great Damy!" he yelled over the din as he took down another faceless opponent. His brother merely grunted in return, struggling to keep the bubble alive.
Blasting another Death Eater away Harry felt a shock of panic when he couldn't see the rest of the family anymore. He could hear them fighting but somehow they'd been absorbed into the mass surging forward towards him and Damien. He could faintly hear his dad screaming their names.
"Here, catch!" a Death Eater yelled whilst lobbing a ball towards them.
"No!" Harry bellowed, spinning to his side and snatching his brother's wrist as he went automatically to catch it out of the air, but it was too late and Damien caught it in his palm only realising a split second later the mistake he'd made. Immediately Harry felt himself be jerked somewhere below the navel and disappear from the battle scene. He managed to look back just in time to see his dad's anguished face as he bolted towards them, helpless to prevent the Portkey from whisking his children away.
XXX
"NO!" James screamed as he bowled through the mêlée, "NO!"
He got there just in time to meet Harry's grim gaze before both his sons disappeared. He could feel Remus and Sirius's forms close behind him as the rest of the attacking Death Eaters popped away, their mission complete. James could feel tears prick in his eyes as his breaths came in short painful gasps, while his gaze flitted desperately around the suddenly silent room. A quivering hand found his shoulder.
"James..." Remus's voice wavered.
James whirled around, his eyes bright and wild as the first tears fell. He didn't seem to notice them as he shouted, "They're gone! Again! Both of them!"
Lily, paper white and shaking, her arms slashed and her face bruised sank down the wall she was leaning against and clutched at her hair. Her eyes remained surprisingly dry as she watched her husband vent. Her thoughts were with her children and how they could get them back. Even in preliminary planning it sounded impossible. The group that had attacked them had never been heard of or attacked anyone before, which meant they had no leads whatsoever on where Harry and Damien may be.
James looked slightly deranged as he raged, "I thought this shit was over! Voldemort is dead and I still can't protect my own kids!"
He was breathing like an angry bull and kicked a chair then overturned the table with an almighty bellow, paying no attention to his friends as they flinched. Lily remained as passive as before, her mind working desperately to find a way to bring her children back.
Then, just like before, numerous popping sounds were heard and a whole battalion of Aurors materialised around them, their wands raised and ready. Kingsley Shacklebolt took one look at his bedraggled and wounded friends and immediately lowered his hand. The rest of the Aurors followed suit, although they quickly raised them again when James, his eyes still slightly mad, strode right up into his ex-boss's face and screamed, "Where the fuck have you been?"
XXX
Harry moaned as he lifted his aching head and cracked open his eyes. His throat was dry and he swallowed painfully, expelling a hoarse cough whilst taking in his surroundings. He was sitting on the floor of a small, dank dungeon with his wrists shackled above his head and December ice burning into his back from the wall. His legs and feet were straight out in front of him, unencumbered but useless. There were no windows but a hard iron gate was shut tight in the wall to his right. Opposite him was Damien. He was in the same predicament as Harry, only unconscious.
Harry concentrated on his magic and attempted to melt his restraints but immediately stopped when a familiar pain shot down his arm and into his heart.
"Shit," he murmured as the Bartra Bracelet restrained his abilities.
"Damien!" he hissed, "Damien!"
His brother didn't move and Harry cursed again. Damien looked dead, only the slight rise and fall of his chest declared otherwise. Harry shivered as a memory surfaced...You failed me, brother...He shook himself from his stupor and thought hard, there must have been an inbuilt stunning spell with the Portkey because he didn't remember being put in the cell. This was bad. It meant he didn't know where they were. The only thing he could do now was wait for Damien to wake up and begin forming a plan. He needed information and the best way he could get that would be from one of their captors.
He didn't have to wait long.
"Well, well, well," muttered a masked Death Eater five minutes later as he opened the iron gate and walked over to Harry, "the child prodigy awakens! Feeling a little helpless there, Prince."
"Oh please," said Harry, rolling his eyes, "I haven't got time for all your shitty speeches. What do you want me for?"
The man ripped off his mask and the twisted face of Greyback snarled back at him.
"Do not cheek me, boy!" he roared, backhanding Harry across the face, "You might have killed our Lord, but you won't get away with it! For the past year we've been lying low and planning. No one suspected a thing! This time you're the one who's going to be afraid."
Harry could see in his peripheral vision Damien begin to stir. He had to prevent Greyback from noticing as he was pretty certain the bastard would use Damien in order to hurt himself. Harry was their target, not his brother. Focusing completely on the man in front of him Harry's mind whirred.
"I'm sick of you escaping, Potter," the man hissed, pulling out his wand, "So I'm going to do what the Dark Lord should have done the moment he saw you. You're going to die."
Well, this is a different approach, Harry thought, a plan finally forming in his mind, if not to free Damien then to save himself.
"Any last words?"
Harry smirked, "No. Just this."
Sweeping his legs forcefully under his captor Harry managed to bring a surprised Greyback to the ground, his head smacking into the stone floor with a dull thud that sounded incredibly painful. Swiftly, Harry brought his right foot over the man's throat and held it in place before bringing his left foot over and digging the balls of it into Greyback's cheek. Harry had him pinned down but that didn't stop the deranged and dazed Death Eater from raising his wand again.
"Avada -"
Harry simultaneously jerked his right leg back and kicked his left one forward, resulting in a sickening crack as Greyback's neck broke. He extracted his legs and tried to reach the wand that had been dropped. He noticed with a jolt of recognition that it was his own. Greyback probably thought it poetic to kill someone with their own wand.
"Harry?" asked a groggy voice.
He looked up quickly, "Damien, you're awake."
"Yeah," his brother said tiredly, "Where are we and who's that?"
"Fenrir Greyback," answered Harry, "werewolf Death Eater who tried to kill me just then. He's the one who infected Remus."
Damien's face hardened, "he's better off dead then."
"Are you alright?" Harry asked, still trying to roll the wand towards him, "No sudden twinges or swollen limbs?"
"No," his brother answered, "but I can barely feel my hands, all the blood's drained from them."
"Same here," Harry mumbled in strain as he stretched his leg as far as possible and still couldn't touch his wand.
"Why don't you just use wandless magic?" Damien asked simply.
"Bartra Bracelet," Harry said in defeat, "You've got one on too."
"But you haven't got one on."
Harry looked at Damien curiously and pushed with his magic again, and amazingly, the shackles melted off his hands like ice in a desert. His mind clicked, Greyback must have been the one to put them on and when he died the magic went with him. Harry grinned and wandlessly summoned his wand before standing up and rushing over to Damien and releasing him. They both searched Greyback's robes and found the Death Eater's wand in it's holster which Damien took a little reluctantly.
"Ergh," he whispered, "It feels so wrong."
"It's better than nothing Damy," said Harry while he examined the empty corridor outside the iron gates. He turned to his brother sharply when they heard footsteps echoing towards them.
"Here, quickly," he said, "swap wands and don't say a word. Let me do all the talking."
Bewildered, Damien obeying and took Harry's wand after gladly giving away Greyback's. Striding over to the dead Death Eater Harry waved his wand and in a split second he and the corpse were wearing each other's clothes. The footsteps were still a fair way away so Harry decided he had enough time to cast the spell he wanted to.
"Sorry," he said when he took his wand back from Damien.
He twisted and twirled his wand in a complicated pattern over Greyback's chest, "Morteus Animatus."
Shoving his wand back in Damien's hand he pulled the Death Eater mask and hood over his face, and then tugged his brother into the hallway, walking towards the echoing footsteps. Damien hurried along beside him as they drew closer to the other wizard.
"What did you do to Greyback?" Damien muttered.
"Animated his corpse," said Harry distractedly as he tried to make out the other Death Eater down the long corridor.
"You made an Inferi?" hissed the younger boy, partly disgusted and partly impressed.
"Hey," Harry sneered back, "it's the only thing that would work. Now shut up."
Damien obeyed and when they finally intersected the other wizard Harry was the first to speak, his accent hoarse and growling, a dead ringer for Fenrir Greyback.
"I'm taking this little runt," He grunted, making Damien scowl, "so he and Potter can't work together. Go and have some fun with the little shit. It's the only cell occupied."
The other Death Eater smirked, said thanks, and headed off down the corridor. The minute he was out of earshot they both broke into a run.
"Where do you think everyone is?" asked Damien when they came across no one else.
Harry's green eyes were hard and blazing, "Probably in a meeting. Whenever a meeting is held they only send a few people down to guard the prisoners. At least, that's what used to happen. I'm not sure about this new breed. The only thing they seem hell bent on is exacting revenge on me. They're probably discussing how they should do it right now."
"What about when that Death Eater finds you missing?"
"That's what the Inferi is for," answered Harry as they turned down a promising looking hallway. They seemed to be in some sort of manor, which Harry found slightly familiar. Where had he seen this place before?
It suddenly clicked.
"I know where we are," said Harry, drastically changing course and bolting down a flight of stairs.
"Where?"
"Bella's manor," he answered, slightly strained.
"Bella? As in Bellatrix Lestrange?"
Harry twitched a little, "Yes. The Death Eater's must've overtaken it when she was killed."
"So you know your way around then?" his brother asked, becoming more annoying by the second.
"I think so," Harry gritted out, "It's been a while since I've been here, but I know the dungeons are on the top floor and not the bottom. Bella and Rodolphus had a warped sense of design."
The two continued to navigate their way through the labyrinth of passageways and doors, Harry working completely off all the old memories he had of the place. Finally they seemed to reach a large atrium. Snakes were painted onto the floor and the dark wood of the main doors gave a regal quality to the room.
"Is this the way out?" Damien asked, slightly puffed.
"I think so. If I'm correct there should be a river flowing adjacent to the manor outside." said Harry, walking cautiously up to the doors, "There may be alarms placed on the doors to warn people if someone gets out."
"What're we going to do?" asked Damien.
"There's only one thing we can do," said Harry, and he pushed open the heavy wooden doors enough so both of them could slip through.
The minute they passed the threshold however, an ear-splitting siren exploded behind them and a series of pops could be heard as the Death Eaters appirated into the atrium behind them.
"Run!" shouted Harry and they bolted down the front steps; feeling rather than seeing the hoard of killers giving chase thirty metres behind.
Harry reached out with his magic and felt the wards that encased the grounds. It seemed they'd managed to put anti-appiration domes which only recognised and let through people with the Dark Mark. Harry could've easily broken them but he had to get Damien out first.
Curses whizzed past them and on a few occasions Harry was forced to shield Damien from them with himself. He knew they were at least a mile or two from the edge of the wards so his brother needed to retain his endurance.
"Damy!" yelled Harry, as he flung a killing curse over his shoulder, "I've got an idea! Follow me."
They headed toward the river, which was now frozen solid from an unusually cold Christmas. Around them was rolling hills of frosty valleys, no tree was in sight.
"When we get to the river," Harry yelled, "don't stop. Just jump and transfigure your boots into skates. It'll be quicker than running."
His brother looked a little pale at this but agreed nonetheless as he shot a very strong stunner behind him. The bank was nearing very quickly.
"Okay," said Harry, intense concentration in his expression, "One...two...THREE!"
They both leapt into the air and pointed their wands at their boots. Harry's immediately morphed into a slick pair of black ice-skates but Damien's refused to transfigure so Harry quickly pointed his wand at them and they were changed just in time for their blades to hit the frozen river.
"Thanks!" Damien yelled.
"Anytime!"
The wind whipped violently against their faces, cold and harsh. Using the momentum from their running they were able to pick up a lot of speed on the ice, however the Death Eaters had copied them and were now making up ground. One appirated not six feet from where Harry was headed but before he could do anything about it Damien had stuck his arm straight out to the side and slammed it into the man's throat, who toppled backwards gasping for air.
"What was that?" exclaimed Harry, impressed.
Damien grinned slightly as he volleyed a stinging hex over his shoulder, "Clotheslining! It's a trick muggles do to people riding bicycles in the opposite direction."
Harry laughed while he shot an Avada behind him, "brilliant!"
His mirth was cut short however, when a jet of green light flew past Damien's head, barely missing its target. Harry gritted his teeth and ordered his brother to skate faster whilst flinging a series of killing curses behind him in anger. He heard at least two Death Eaters fall.
A succession of pops sounded in front of them as three Death Eaters materialised before them both. Skating ahead of his brother Harry gained speed, dodging the barrage of spells the men were sending his way. Thrusting a hand towards their feet he burned away the thick ice beneath them. Two fell into the freezing current below and were swept away, but one managed to leap to the side and throw a stunner at Harry who blocked it easily. Before the Death Eater could react Harry had jumped over the hole he'd made whilst simultaneously twisting in the air and slashing a skate blade across his challenger's throat. Blood splattered everywhere, marring the white snow and ice around them and when Harry landed back on the river his right blade left behind a track of scarlet.
"What was that?" gaped Damien as he ducked a stunner, his expression echoing his brother's earlier one.
"Improvisation," Harry said grimly. He'd never enjoyed killing, no matter what the circumstance.
"I think it's time we taught them a lesson," growled Damien.
Harry glanced at him curiously, "what do you have in mind?"
His brother gave a rather disturbing smile, it took a few seconds for Harry to realise why the smile was disturbing. It was because he wore that exact expression himself many times when he'd had a particularly nasty idea.
Before Harry could do anything about it Damien spun around and pointed both his wand and hand towards the ice shouting, "Incendio!"
Great flames burst from him and licked at the ice, melting it rapidly. Harry soon joined him and in not two seconds Death Eaters were tumbling into the newly revived river. They both turned back around as the remaining Death Eaters appirated over the absence of ice. Both brothers however, were not prepared for one of them to appear not three feet from where Damien was standing and slash a knife across his throat.
Harry watched as though in slow motion as his brother toppled, crimson blood spraying over the ice as though it was paint on a canvass. He let out an enraged scream and immediately killed the Death Eater who did it as his eyes turned the blackest they'd ever been. The other three Death Eaters were soon to follow the first.
He stooped down and bundled Damien into his arms, ignoring the blood rapidly soaking his robes and the horrible gagging sound he was making. He could feel the end of the wards...the dream was coming back to haunt him...
"Are you ready?"
He was nearly there; he could feel the magic weakening...
"Is this Mr Damien Jack Potter?"
One last burst of speed...
"Yes."
Harry leapt past the wards and twisted in the air, popping away to St Mungo's.
"You failed me, brother."
XXX
James and Lily clung to each other as the Aurors around them talked through possible places their son's could be hidden. Many different locations had been brought up, mostly old Death Eater gathering points; however teams of Aurors had already been sent to them and nothing came of it. James was becoming increasingly frantic. He didn't know what he would do if both his children were murdered. They'd already been gone for eight hours, if the Death Eaters had wanted revenge on Harry they would've probably already...and Damien, what about him? What would they put him through?
James swiped at his face angrily and jumped when an Auror burst into the conference room, his smiling face a stark contrast to what he'd been feeling.
"They escaped," He told them excitedly, "they're in St Mungo's."
James and Lily were the first to their feet and the first out the door, popping away to the hospital they'd visited on too many occasions.
They appeared in the emergency ward and the medical secretary took one look at James and recognised him immediately.
"Down the hall and last on the right," she said quickly, "your youngest is in the most critical state."
"Thank you," said Lily gratefully as they raced down the corridor and burst into the room.
Harry sat hunched in a chair, his eyes as black as his hair, gazing at his brother who lay in the stark white hospital bed. Damien's face was pasty white and a jagged red scar spanned the width of his throat. Harry didn't look much better with his bruised cheek and river of crusted blood down the side of his face.
James felt lost for breath.
Harry's voice was hoarse and weak, "hey mum, hey dad."
Lily swooped over to hug him, holding his face in her hands she gently turned his head to look at her. His eyes remained a deep charcoal but his mother still stared into them as though they were their normal bright green. She kissed his forehead.
"Thank Merlin you're alive," she whispered against his skin, feeling his arms wrap around her as she hugged him. He was shaking.
James was brushing back Damien's mop of black hair from his sweaty face. The lack of movement and life was disconcerting when his son was normally so full of joy and laughter. James shuddered, he looked like a corpse.
Lily tended to her younger child as James moved over to Harry, conjuring up a chair and sitting next to him. He placed a comforting arm around his shoulders in a silent hug.
"Have you been looked at?" James murmured, knowing Harry would try and avoid any medical examination.
Harry shook his head slowly, "I'm not hurt. Just a few scratches, Damy's the one you should worry about."
James squeezed his shoulder, "we worry about both of you the same. Its been hell on earth the last eight hours."
"We've been gone eight hours?" asked Harry mildly surprised, "we must have been unconscious for a while then."
"Unconscious?" inquired James heatedly, "what did the bastards do to you?"
Harry stared at his brother, moving his hand to pull the blankets further up his body, "I'll tell you what happened with Damien when he wakes up."
"Alright," said James, knowing he was defeated, "but only if you get checked out. I don't like the idea of you not having an examination."
Harry sighed, "I'll do it once my magic settles down. It seems to intercept their diagnostic spells and warps the results, plus the Healers aren't very...comfortable around me when I've got black eyes. They seem to think I'm about to go on a killing rampage for some reason," he finished bitterly.
James felt a stab of sympathy for his son who never seemed to escape the prejudices people had against his past.
"Don't worry," he said firmly, "we'll get Poppy to look at you," and then he added, "I don't want any of those Healers coming anywhere near your health."
Harry gave a slight smile, "thanks dad."
"Not a problem," James answered with his own little smile, "just performing my fatherly duties."
XXX
Harry hugged Sirius tightly in thanks for the set of daggers he's been given. It was the Potter family belated Christmas and everyone was opening their presents. Harry had received (along with Sirius's gift) a packet of Invisible Chews from Ron, a book on alchemy from Hermione, a pair of leather duelling gloves and a very enjoyable kiss from Ginny, a tiny phial of Felix Felicus from Remus, a new set of potion knives from Damien and a dragon hide cloak from his parents.
They were again sitting around the Christmas tree, laughing and joking from the good food and wine they'd just enjoyed. Damien was still a little on the tired side but the scar on his neck had healed nicely and now the only evidence of it was a thin white line.
"No, no, no..." giggled Lily as she fended off a slightly drunk James from kissing her, "not here!"
"Oh Merlin," sighed Sirius, also rather tipsy, "they're getting touchy feely! Everyone get out your blindfolds and vomit basins."
"But its tradition," James said huskily, sloppily kissing the side of her neck.
"James!" she scolded, but met his lips anyway in a long kiss.
"Oh ew..." frowned Damien, disgusted. Remus laughed at him and smiled fondly as his two best friends broke away blushing.
"What's the bet there's a new Potter nine months from now?" said Harry.
"Oh shush," smiled Lily, throwing a piece of wrapping paper at her son.
He grinned, "What? It's a perfectly logical assumption."
"I wouldn't mind making a new Potter right now..." slurred James, attaching himself to his wife's face again.
Remus chuckled, standing up and stretching while helping Sirius stand as well, "Okay, okay, we'd better clear out. James is too far gone now."
Everyone but the two Potter parents cleared out of the room as Sirius and Remus popped away after hugging Harry and Damien tightly, and warning them to cast silencing charms over the living room if they preferred to keep their sanity in tact.
Damien shuddered when the two left, "I don't even want to think about it!"
Harry was raking his hand through his hair, "Do I look alright?" he asked unexpectedly.
"Yeah, I suppose," his brother answered slowly, "why? Where're you going?"
Harry grinned wickedly, "To the Burrow."
"Why?" Damien asked, bewildered.
"To carry on a family tradition," he said, winking before disappearing with a pop, Damien's revolted expression and protests along the lines of 'you can't leave me with them just so you can get laid!' warming his heart. It was good to know his brother still had attitude enough to argue with him, even after all he'd been through.
XXX
A/N: Well, that's the end. Please, please, please review (yes, I'm begging)...I'll even throw in a free training session with Harry just for you (yes, I'm bribing). Just imagine watching that guy work out...phwoah! You know you want to...:P