Being Set Free
Disclaimer: Everything belongs, of course, to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Just a little something I'm trying out, I don't really know how this fic. is going to turn out yet. It just popped into my head, and I decided to give it a shot. Enjoy!
Chapter One
Harry sighed as he shouldered his cloak, and made his way to the Forbidden Forest. Tomorrow he would be leaving for Privet Drive, and he wondered if his uncle would be as cruel as he was last summer. He would have to read up on extensive glamour charms over the summer.
This, however, was not the reason Harry had decided on taking a midnight stroll through the Forbidden Forest, no. He was desperately trying to forget of his Godfather's recent death; desperately trying to forget the hole of guilt and despair growing inside of him. Harry pulled his cloak closer to him as he entered the Forbidden Forest. He couldn't manage a good night's sleep anymore, being woken up by nightmares or just not being able to fall asleep from the thoughts rushing around in his head. Harry stumbled on a branch squinting at the ground trying to see through the fog that now covered the forest in a thick layer. As he righted himself he heard voices in the distance. Trying to hear better Harry crept up, and knelt behind a bush so that he would not be discovered.
"Draco," he heard a tone to familiar for comfort say, "you will accept the dark mark. I will not accept anything thing else from you, but pure devotion and loyalty to the Dark Lord.
"Father please, I will do anything, please do not make me join the ranks please….," Malfoy whispered frantically. Harry laughed internally, someone was putting him on Malfoy refusing to be a death eater…. uh huh, sure, when garden gnomes fly. He was brought back to reality when Lucius viciously backhanded Malfoy across the face.
"You will not disobey me, you worthless piece of filth," Lucius all but screamed.
"I will not join," stated Malfoy letting his father know nothing could change his decision.
"Fine then I disown you. Crucio." Harry watched horrified at the turn of events. The curse was lifted after about five minutes, and Malfoy stopped convulsing in agony. Harry winced knowing exactly how Malfoy felt, but not yet knowing exactly what to do about the situation. Would he, Harry Potter end up saving Draco Malfoy? The git Harry thought. Lucius bent down spat in Malfoy's face and promptly apparated. Harry rushed over, and Malfoy glanced up horrified.
"How long were you there Potter?" Malfoy barely managed to speak through chattering teeth.
"Long enough Malfoy," Harry said.
"You better not say…."
"Don't worry, I wont," Harry spoke truthfully. Malfoy sneered and then passed out from the after affects of the cruciatus curse. Harry sighed once more, it would have been so much simpler to get back up to the castle if Malfoy had remained conscious. He decided to conjure up a somewhat lopsided stretcher to haul Malfoy on.
This was definitely not what Harry had been wanting to do on his last night at Hogwarts. He had just wanted to get away from the world for a while, but Malfoy just had to go and need his help. He shivered as he made his way passed Hagrid's hut, the fog was getting thicker and it was abnormally cold for this time of the year.
Questions started to pulse through the young Gryffindor's mind. Was Draco actually for the light side, who would take care of him now that his father had disowned him, had Draco been abused … like, like him. He instantly regretted his thoughts, and looked down at the pale boy feeling an enormous amount of pity. No pity what so ever for himself, Harry had deserved the fate he got. He had killed two people and needed someway to repent. He knew it was not exactly the healthiest way of thinking, but he believed it all the same. Malfoy, on the other hand, was just a bully, a cruel unforgivable type of bully, but just a bully now that Harry thought about it.
Harry slowly opened the doors that led back into the castle, and started to make his way to Madam Pomfrey's office. He stopped, taking Draco to madam Pomfrey's would drudge up questions that this boy would not like to talk about to the nurse. Draco needed someone he could trust….someone who also kept a cruciatus potion near hand. Harry groaned he would have to take Draco down to Snape's rooms in the dungeons.
He halted in front of Salazar Slytherin's portrait, and started to doubt his plan. He predicted it would take Snape five minutes before he got angry, and threw him out of his personal room. Harry reached out a tentative hand, and knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in," the potions master said gruffly. Harry slowly entered through the portrait hole, while Snape glared at him. Snape's glare quickly turned into concern as Harry conjured Draco's stretcher the door. "What did you do to him Potter?" Snape roared.
"Nothing, I didn't have anything to do with this!"
"Really, than what happened? You just decided to go on a walk, and found Draco lying injured on the ground?" Harry almost laughed out loud for that was pretty much what had happened.
"As a matter of fact yes," he stated.
"I will not be lied to Potter," Snape growled.
"I'm not lying."
"Fine then Mr. Potter we will do this the hard way, Legilimens." Harry gasped as Snape saw everything that had transpired that night, the next memory of Sirius' death, Cedric. Harry erupted and for the first time in his life threw Snape out of his mind. Harry was breathing to fast, his lungs were on fire.
"Potter, get a grip on yourself. Once again you are idiotically wearing your heart on your sleeve. You know what happens when you get overemotional about some one," Snape said cruelly referring to his Godfather.
Harry cried, "How … how could you, you, you bastard! I save your slimy prat of a godson's neck, and this is how you repay me? By violating my mind by breaking into it with out my permission! I was going to apologize to you tomorrow about what I saw in your penseive. I had felt guilty, but you're no better than my dad." Snape stared horrified at Harry's sudden out burst.
"I would most appreciate it Potter if you got out of my sight, and let me tend to my Godson," Snape said without falter. Harry quickly wiped at a tear not wanting to show weakness in front of a man who apparently hated him as much as Voldemort. "But first, you must promise me not to tell anyone of what you saw in the forest tonight." Harry gaped at Snape. Who was Snape to be making request after he had trust treated him so poorly. Harry's resistance fell, however, and all at once he felt how emotionally drained he was.
"Yes sir," he replied quietly, and quickly made his way through the portrait hole, and up to the Gryffindor common rooms. Harry cast a silencing spell around his bed, and allowed himself to do what he hadn't done since it had happened. Harry cried. He sobbed for himself, for his Godfather, Cedric, and anyone else who would die trying to save the worthless boy who lived.