Kings and Pawns

Chapter One: If You Do Not Ask


Rated M just in case.

Harry Potter does not belong to me.

This Story is dedicated to Jewl4Life


'When everything is at stake nothing really matters and a single decision can change the world' Cullen Dumbledore.

His body would not move, he was sprawled out on the snow with the dementors spiralling down to him from over head. The small cliff face he had backed against offered him little safety. He could here screaming and he knew he could not stay conscious for much longer. The dementors were getting so close, gliding just over a meter from him. With the last of his strength he lifted his hand with the wand he had taken from Nott.

"Expecto Patronum" he cried out.

A wisp of white flew from the wand and the dementors backed further away but soon the white wisp had faded. Harry knew he was going to die, and he could think of nothing else to save him self as the screams of the women grew louder and louder mingling with the screams of a little boy. Harry did not know when he closed his eyes, but he felt rather than saw the dementor above him. He heard its rasping breath even through the screams and felt its breath on his face.

Just as a dementor leaned close to Harry's mouth, its own mouth wide open to suck out Harry's soul, a great white panther, dragon and boar bounded at the dementors which swooped away and back up into the night. Harry did not see this, but he felt some strength return to him, the screams faded away and he opened his eyes.

But he could barely find it in him self to care as Malfoy Senior, Nott and several other Death Eaters trudged down the small incline towards him. Even as they bound his hands, took Nott's wand from him and dragged him to his feet and back the way he had fled. He stumbled several times, but was barely aware. He could make out the out line of the dark castle becoming clearer and clearer in the moonlight and began to feel dread well up in his stomach. But it was not until he felt a sharp stab in his scar that his mind returned to him properly and he realised just how much danger he would be in. There was no doubt in his mind about to whom he was being taken.

He tugged lightly at the hands holding him to test their grip only to receive a hard punch to his stomach. He felt his body double up even as the hands that held him griped still tighter bruising his arms.

"Don't push it Potter" he heard Nott hiss in his ear.

Harry knew he had really pissed him of when he had taken his wand and knew Lucius would be even angrier with him. Harry had after all almost succeeded in an escape. Voldemort had put Lucius in charge of him, and to fail Voldemort was to face the possibility of death.

The great doors of the castle were soon in front of them and Harry's scar had began to burn continuously, every now and then he would clench his eyes shut as a particularly nasty stab of pain would attack his scar. Voldemort was not pleased, or maybe he was very pleased, Harry had been finding it harder and harder to tell the difference.

They made there way up the steps, and Harry began to feel terror fleer up inside of him. He took deep breaths to try and calm him self. He knew he would be punished for this. Through the doors and up still more steps they went, and it was with an inner shudder that Harry realised that they were going to the main hall, where the Dark Lord held most of the meetings with his death eaters.

The small procession soon came to the open doors of the main hall. Harry could see Voldemort sitting on a chair above the crowd of death eaters. A sharp stab of pain shook through Harry's body causing him to stumble. He clenched his teeth together willing himself not to cry out or show any weakness. But weak was exactly how he felt. Weak and pathetic and evil.

The crowd parted when they saw the possession but largely ignored them as Harry was dragged closer and closer to Voldemort.

Suddenly Harry just couldn't cope any more, the constant fear, guilt and anxiety, coupled with his lack of sleep, isolation, forced learning and 'punishments' had taken there toll. Harry felt himself lose control as the fear became too much. Before he knew what he was doing he was fighting back as much as his bound hands would allow. Gone were his thoughts of bravery. He just didn't care any more.

"NOOOOO" he screamed, fighting against the arms that wrestled with him, pining him to them and still dragging him forward through the laughing crowd, which was enjoying the greatest show of weakness the boy had made since his capture.

Finally he was thrown down before Voldemort who still hadn't looked at the boy. Harry quickly crawled to his feet desperate to get away. But he was only grabbed and thrown down before Voldemort again. Another sharp stab of pain in his scar sent Harry to the ground gasping. His hands grasping his forehead until the pain finally dulled enough for him to slowly push him self onto his knees, wiping the blood away from his forehead and eyes, which were filled with months of unshed tears.

Heaving he slowly raised his eyes to find Voldemort's red eyes focused with interest on his death eaters. He wouldn't even look at Harry. After so long under Voldemort's direct supervision at first it had been almost a shock when Voldemort had tossed him of to Lucius. But it soon became clear that Voldemort had what he wanted out of Harry. He had only wanted him to kill, particuly some one small and innocent. Since then he hadn't bothered with Harry. Harry still did not know why it had unsettled him so much. Hurt him so much. It was as if he had felt betrayed by the act. He had wrestled with him-self over that thought until he had decided it didn't matter. That the only thing that mattered now was that he, Harry Potter was a murderer.

"What is the meaning of this interruption Lucius?" Voldemort asked quietly.

Lucius bowed, and then rose "the Potter boy attempted an escape, but we managed to recapture him before he left the grounds"

"I see" Voldemort said still looking intently at his death eaters, tapping his wand absentmindedly on his chair "and what happened to your face Nott?"

"The boy cursed me My Lord"

Voldemort raised his eyebrows "with whose wand?"

"He took me by surprise My Lord! I…"

"I do not care to here your excuses Nott, it is of no consequence anyway. The boy was recaptured." He glanced at the shacking boy on his knees before him and felt satisfaction stir inside him.

"However" he said at the relived look on his servants face, "that does not mean that your mistake should go unpunished" and slowly Voldemort rose, instantly Nott was on his knees shacking in much the same way Harry was.

"I-I… am sorry My Lord… please have mercy"

Voldemort smirked then raised his wand "Crucio"

Nott fell to the ground twitching and screaming until just as suddenly as it began Voldemort lifted the curse "let that be a reminder for you not to disappoint me again" and with that he turned and took his seat again as if torturing someone was the same as having a conversation or any other normal interaction.

Still shaking Nott rose slowly back to his feet and backed away thanking his lord for his mercy.

"What of the boy my lord" Lucius asked finally.

The dark lord seemed to only consider for a moment before turning to the side of the hall where a short hooded figure stood watching the proceedings in rapt attention.

"What do you think Draco?"

Harry lifted his head in surprise and gazed across to the hooded figure that was approaching him slowly.

Just as Draco Malfoy reached Harry and Voldemort, he reached up his hands to pull back his hood but Voldemort reached out and griped Draco's hand to stop him. Slowly Voldemort stood up next to Draco, yet Draco did not bow as was expected. He stood still, tall and proud. As if he were not simply a servant or pawn but instead an equal.

Harry looked up with a pain in his chest. His eyes locked with the hooded figure as Voldemort flung back the hood himself to reveal the boy beneath. Voldemort smiled his twisted smile and then turned towards the crowd of death eaters and then back at Draco where the heir and the monsters eyes meet (and Harry was pleased to see Draco lower his just a moment later). Voldemort lifted up his hand to gently touch the boys cheek "may I present my chosen heir" he said quietly, but in the silent hall his voice carried, echoing slightly so that every one herd it.

An unexplained rage surfaced in Harry at those calm words "LIAR!" he yelled, from where he knelt before the Dark Lord and his heir.

Harry suddenly felt very frightened and foolish as every ones eyes were now fixed on him, even Lord Voldemort's, while Draco was sporting an insufferable smirk as he looked down at Harry's exhausted figure.

Harry felt his head bow, he knew a few months ago he would have jumped to his feet; he would yelled back at his boy-hood enemy. He would have lashed out at Voldemort, or at least tried running for it (even with his hands bound).

But not any more.

He wasn't Harry Potter 'the boy who lived' he was Harry Potter murderer.

He gasped as pain shot through him again, he was kneeling one moment and on the floor the next. It took him a moment to realise he had blacked out for a second.

His hands clutched again at his forehead, the pain was slowly lessening, even so his eyes were clenched closed and his body was curled up. His breathing was deep and ragged; he could here it in his head over the laughter of those around him.

Voldemort knelt down next to him; it was the most attention Voldemort had paid him in nearly a month. Harry had quickly learnt that Voldemorts attention was never a positive thing. And yet an emotion stirred inside him at the renewed attention. A sort of longing. Harry pushed himself back onto his knees slowly. But looked away from Voldemort as shame mingled in with the rest of his confused pain. Voldemort was not Lily or James Potter; he was not Sirius or Dumbledore. He was a nasty, prejudiced, cruel murderer. He was everything Harry was afraid of becoming, was afraid he was becoming.

"Are you jealous Harry?"

For a moment Harry was surprised Voldemort had used his name. Then the next he realised what he had asked him.

"No" he said and was shocked at how young and weak he sounded. Still refusing to look at Voldemort he pushed himself back away from the man whose presence was too much for him to cope with. His scar still burning he made it back only a few inches when Voldemorts hands griped his arms and dragged him closer.

"Liar" he hissed as Harry cried out in pain.

"You can not lie to me, I know what it is that you desire child" Voldemort said calmly a moment later as he released Harry who slumped forward, his bound hands only just preventing him from nose diving the ground.

"Do you wish to be my heir Harry?" he asked and a new wave of laughter filled the room.

Harry didn't answer, his head bowed away from Voldemort, his body shacking. He simply clenched his body still tighter together.

Suddenly Voldemorts hand had snaked out and grasped Harry's chin forcing his head up and around so that it was centimetres from Voldemorts.

"Look at me" he commanded.

Harry knew the punishment for not doing what the Dark Lord asked. For he had been commanded to do the same thing numerous times before. He had resisted at first, but quickly learnt it was easier for him to simply obey, the out come was the same either way. So still trembling, his scar burning (although it seemed Voldemort was trying to limit his pain at that moment at least) Harry raised his eyes to meet the terrifying red eyes.

A tear leaked out of his eye as the red eyes bore into his own "you want to be my heir don't you" he said almost gently.

Harry didn't answer, but his breathing became heavy and fast, like he was no longer in control. He was breathing faster and faster but could not seem to get enough air. "No" he whispered trying to get away from the man. "Nononononono" tears were now streaming from his face as he fought to break the hold Voldemort had on him.

"You want to be like a son to me don't you Harry Potter"

Using all of his strength he pushed his bound hands forward breaking Voldemorts hold of him but also sending himself falling backwards onto the stone floor. His head making a horrible crack as it hit. His breathing still quick, his head feeling fuzzy and pained he kicked out with his legs to propel him self further and further away. "NO" he screamed when two arms reached out and grabbed him and began dragging him back to where the Dark Lord was still kneeling. "NO" he cried out over and over "please" tears were falling fast now.

They held him still as Voldemort stared at Harry intently.

"Why?" Harry sobbed finally.

"Why what Harry?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Why?" he sobbed again and another wave of laughter filled the hall only to halt almost straight away as Voldemort lifted his hand for silence.

"Come now child, I can not answer your question if you do not ask it?" his tone sounded gentle again, and to an ignorant listener might have seemed caring. But Harry knew better, he knew that tone well.

"Why am I still alive?" he asked quietly, "why not just kill me?" he knew he sounded pathetic, he knew that those in the room would be smiling in triumph. But what did it matter any more? They had already won; he was already a murderer, with nowhere else to go. Dumbledore's fallen Hero, his broken weapon. Even as he had tried to escape he had known this. But anywhere (even Azkaban in his mind) had seemed better than here.

"Do you want to die Harry?" Voldemort asked then.

With his head still bowed Harry nodded. And it was the truth. There was nothing left for him any more. Only pain and guilt.

Harry felt himself sway, his breathing still quick. "You need to calm down," Voldemort said. But Harry could not. Suddenly Harry felt a great pressure in his brain, and with terror realised it was Voldemort, he tried to pull away from it but found he could not. Then he found himself calming, and realised with shock it was the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort was forcing him to calm down. He found his breathing slow and his mind began to lose its fuzziness.

For a whole minute they stayed silent. The death eaters still watching silently. Voldemort's eyes however were solely on the boy before him. With a movement of Voldemorts hand Harry felt the death eater holding him release him.

"Join Me," Voldemort said finally "I can give you everything you ever wanted."

Harry's face morphed into a snarl for a moment before dropping back into despair "you took everything from me" he said still sounding like a broken child "you stole everything I ever wanted" he choked back a sob and raised his bound hands only to let them drop again.

"I can give it all back to you Harry. I can give you the family you have always craved but never had"

Harry started to sob, loud and pained with tears still streaming down his face "I can give you back your worth, the power and respect you deserve. The dignity that was denied to you by Dumbledore, the Ministry and those Muggles. You can have it all Harry" Voldemort reached across to the sobbing boy and brought him into his arms.

Harry found himself clutching onto his enemy, enveloped in his robes, with no pain in his scar. Just an intense feeling of comfort, all else around him faded.

"You can have your revenge Harry" Voldemort whispered in his ear.

'His revenge?' Harry wondered briefly.

"Against those who have hurt you"

'Revenge?' he felt confused but his sobbing had stopped. Like his pain had been banished from his mind.

"You could destroy them all"

'Revenge…' he was so comfortable and safe.

"Together we can make them pay"

'But I don't want to hurt any one else'

"They don't deserve your mercy"

'I'm in the arms of my enemy' his eyes widened suddenly, his heartbeat quickened.

"Join me"

"NO!" Harry suddenly yelled springing back away from his enemy.

Harry called on all the energy left his body and stood up on his shaking legs "I will never join you" he said calmly as Voldemort stood also his eyes hard and cold as he watched the boy "I hate you" Harry said before he stumbled forward onto the ground clutching his head. His scar was erupting in pain, and this time he knew for sure, Voldemort was very angry.

"LLLIIIIEEERRRR" he screamed from where he lay.

"Crucio" Voldemort hissed.

Whatever pain Harry had been feeling from his scar was nothing compared to the pain he felt as he was placed under that curse. His body wrenched and twisted and he screamed but hardly noticed. But then it was over and he was left shaking and heaving on the ground.

Voldemort turned his back on the boy and sat back on his chair before fixing his eyes on Draco.

"What do you think Draco?" he asked as if nothing had happened.

Draco Malfoy walked over to were Harry lay a smug look on his face "brought back down to size Potter" he said "I'm in charge here, there's no Dumbledore. It's as it should have always been," he said.

"You're a fool" Harry bit out "just a pawn"

Malfoy's smirk turned to a scowl before he turned to look at Voldemort "I think he's right… why is he even alive?"

Voldemort smiled "you have my permission to Kill him if you want to" he said offhandedly.

Harry had always thought that if any one were to kill him it would be the Dark Lord himself, it seemed so wrong, and pointless to survive so long only to be killed by a skinny little schoolboy.

But as Harry looked up at the other boy he realised that was not how he was going to die, for Draco had turned slightly pale. "And make it so easy for him" he said suddenly "no I think we should keep him alive until he's begging me to kill him"

"Very well" Voldemort said evidently board and dismissed them.

Harry was grabbed again and led away back to his room leaving the watching death eaters behind. He was shoved inside and the bonds from his hands removed. The door was then locked behind him and he was left again on his own. Harry stared around. His room was something that had always troubled him. It was not a cell, but a beautiful room, with a large bed and several bookshelves filled with a selection of books. He had his own desk, a table and two chairs where he ate his meals, his own bathroom. A wardrobe filled with clothes finer than anything he had worn before.

He stood there where he had been shoved for several minutes then dropped to the floor and cried. He hadn't escaped. He had broken down over and over again in a hall full of death eaters and he had allowed him self to be manipulated by the Dark Lord again. He had promised him self it would never happen again. But there he had been in the arms of his enemy like he was being comforted by his own father. He felt disgusted by himself.

And again, the power Voldemort had over his feelings, his very thoughts had been painfully obvious. With out the strength to fight him any more Harry was very susceptible to the Dark Lords influence. It was only so long he realised until he did something unthinkable under Voldemorts influence and then there would be truly no turning back.

He had not been lying when he said he wanted to die. Death had to be better than becoming another puppet to Voldemort. He would never have considered it a possibility. But every day he spent here he learnt more about what a person would do if they had to. What a person could become with enough incentive and manipulation. Slowly Harry drifted of to sleep on the floor of his room until a clocked figure came in, lifted the freezing boy up, placed him on his bed and covered him with blankets before leaving just as quietly as he had come.

Harry awoke the next morning to Malfoy senior dragging him from his bed and tossing him into the bathroom. Harry hurried to have a shower and change, but paused briefly to look at himself in the mirror, he didn't even look like himself any more. How had things tuned out so bad? Everything had seemed so perfect that day; he almost smiled at the memory. Christmas at the Weasley's… He had been so happy then – until everything went wrong and left him in this nightmare. He had fought so hard, but everything had turned to ashes around him, and now he was nothing but a wreck. He had once been 'Harry Potter','the boy who lived' But that was nearly five months ago now…

Harry circled their make shift Quidditch pitch in anticipation… he, Ron, Ginny and Fred were playing against Gorge, Percy, Bill and Charlie in what had turned out to be a surprisingly close game. The elder boys had expected to dominate immediately but instead both teams were neck in neck, Harry himself thought that Percy held them back a bit. He kept on yelling instructions to his brothers though he was the only member of their team who had never actually played Quidditch for a school team…


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