Author's Note: I do not own the Potterverse. Of course I don't! I'm no billionaire! JKR owns it. This fanfic begins by diverging from Deathly Hallows Chapter 9; A Place to Hide. So far in canon Voldemort has taken over the Ministry whilst Harry was at a wedding! Now the fanfic begins.
Chapter One
Harry rushed up the stairs to the bathroom as quickly as he could. The pain in his scar intensified. Harry flung open the bathroom floor and slammed and bolted it shut before him. The pain in his scar reached such a pitch that he retched and fell forwards upon the cold expanse of black marble floor. In an explosion of light and sound, his senses abandoned their defences and he experienced what he had hoped to never experience again: a full immersion into Voldemort's consciousness. Again he felt the bestial rage that was utterly unlike anything that he himself could fathom. Voldemort's malice was directed towards Rowle who lay prostrate on the floor at his feet. Voldemort himself lounged in an armchair relishing his minion's discomfort. "Another little dose of pain Rowle?" he asked writhing in excitement. He lifted his bone white hand that clasped the yew wand. "Or should Lord Voldemort feed you to Nagini?" He gloated. "He is not at all sure he ought to spare you this time Rowle. You allowed Harry Potter to escape, yet again! Now Lord Voldemort will have to follow Bella's idea and order the aurors to make hostages of all those Potter has ever known and issue a public threat to execute them unless Potter gives himself up. " Voldemort pointed the yew wand at Rowle, his other hand on his genitalia which were beginning to harden. "Wait..." he said, struck by a sudden thought. "Draco!" A ferret faced boy with silver-blond hair who stood nearby flinched. "Lord Voldemort commands you to give Rowle a further taste of our displeasure Draco," said Voldemort avidly, "go on," he added, "he wants to see you use your wand on that useless Rowle, Draco." Draco shuddered. "Hesitate will you Draco?" hissed Voldemort, "well then, have a taste of our displeasure yourself," he lifted the yew wand.
"No, I'll obey you," croaked Draco. Draco lifted his wand gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes. In that instant Harry came back to himself. He could not allow Voldemort to start taking hostages. He had to resolve the matter and start by stopping Voldemort from compelling Draco to use his wand on Rowle. Not that Rowle mattered much, but Harry could not allow Draco's wand to be misused. He sat up on the hard marble floor. "Kreacher," he called. There was a pop and an aged house elf, hair sprouting in revolting tufts out of its earholes appeared. "We've got to rescue Draco Malfoy from Voldemort Kreacher," said Harry. "Take us to Malfoy manor to the drawing room. You've got to create a diversion."
"Kreacher will do it to help Master Draco," croaked the house elf.
"Then let's get out of here before dreary old Ron and Hermione bother me," said Harry. They disappeared with a crack and reappeared outside the door of the Malfoy's drawing room. They were in a large oak panelled hallway. The door lay ajar so that a chink of light from the fire in the room escaped into the dark hall. "Go on, get him in the rear with your wand," came the awful voice from within the room.
"C-Crucio," croaked Malfoy. There came a terrific yell from Rowle. Harry and Kreacher shuddered.
"I'm a man of action," said Harry. "Kreacher, you go in and create a distraction whilst I wait around here. Be ready for my call." Kreacher scurried into the drawing room. Voldemort gave a hiss of outrage.
"What is that filthy vermin doing here?" Roared Voldemort. "I'll vaporise it!" There was a crack as Kreacher disapparated into another room leading Voldemort away. Harry ran into the fire lit drawing room yelling "Expelliarmus!" Malfoy's hawthorn wand flew from his nerveless fingers and Harry grabbed it. Malfoy gave a start. Rowle, lying on the oak floorboards gave a groan and then fell silent.
"I'm here to rescue you Malfoy" said Harry grabbing Draco by the arm. "Don't deny you want to get away from that old psychopath – Kreacher!" he called. As it happened Voldemort had just succeeded in catching and killing Kreacher, but only at that very moment. Kreacher's wavering shade was still in the Manor and in answer to Harry's call, appeared in the room, indistinct and pearly white. Harry held his wand aloft and the spirit of Kreacher seeped into it. "Get us out of here!" said Harry.
"Not sso fast," roared Voldemort reappearing in the drawing room with a flash.
"You scum," said Harry contemptuously. "Malfoy has never been yours. He is mine to take away from here." Harry seized Draco's arm. Draco drew close to him. "Take us to the department of mysteries Kreacher," said Harry. There was a crack and Harry and Draco reappeared in the eerily lit entrance hall to the department of Mysteries. It was as Harry remembered it. The tiles were of a material as black as obsidian. It seemed to absorb rather than reflect the ghostly light of the blue torches. Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. "We're here," said Harry, "we've got to journey into the mind now to resolve our problem – of Voldemort that is, we've got no problem."
"I did not agree to this Potter," said Malfoy regaining his voice and something of his old manner.
"Malfoy!" said Harry, "are you content for Voldemort to terrorise you and your mum and dad? We can get rid of him and I can give the three of you special privileges and immunity from the law. You especially" he added gazing at Malfoy intently. The ethereal blue light played across Malfoy's pale face. Harry gazed and then leaned forward breathing heavily..
Draco gritted his teeth. "Alright Potter, since you've already been here, where do we go?" he asked.
"Into the lumber room of the mind," said Harry. He rushed forward dragging Draco by the wand arm and pulled the handle of one of the bare black doors. The door swung inwards with a squeal. There was a flickering bluish purple light in the room. Harry and Draco crossed the threshold and stepped towards the sphere of light that spun round and round in the centre of the circular room. Harry reached out to touch it, but at the moment there was a terrible hiss and Voldemort leapt out of the shadows holding the yew wand aloft. "I own the Ministry now Potter," he roared. "There was no way you could have found a refuge here you foolish brat. I am going to destroy you now and take Draco back."