An Unwise Murder

by Belgaris

Murder only takes a moment to commit... and Harry knows that in that one moment he has lost everything... everything... And in that one moment the Boy-Who-Lived, died. Dark Romantic Drama. Pairing HP/LV SLASH Rated M . COMPLETE

2. Chapter 2

Warning: This Story contains SLASH, LV/HP if this offends please do not read.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling

'Parseltongue'

Warning: Swearing

An Unwise Murder

Chapter Two

..

Never had he felt anything like this. Mad-eye and Dumbledore's Crucio's did not come close. His last coherent thought as he felt blood trickle from the side of his mouth was that all in all, this had been a really bad fucking day. Then there was nothing but agony and screaming and agony...

.

Harry screamed in agony as the torturous hands started yet again. The whipping, the Crucio's. He had held it back for as long as he was able but it had become too much. Through the haze of pain he could see Dumbledore and Moody. Members of the Order. Ron. But it was Dumbledore he focused on. His one time annoying 'Grandfather'.

Draco... the haunting look of surprised shock as the green light engulfed him... he had looked at Harry, his eyes wide, his hand stretched out to him, and then... he had slipped away from him... and Harry had shrivelled in horror knowing that in that one moment he had lost everything... everything... Draco was dead, signing Hermione's death certificate... The scar on his forehead had roared into life enveloping him in screaming red darkness. It filled him up and rushed through his body in an intense wave of heat... Draco was dead... Hermione was dead...his 'Grandfather' was dead...

The red darkness was accepted and it settled within him and Draco was dead...

Signing the death certificates of the Order, Ron, Dumbledore, and Hermione, all in that one moment...

And killing The-Boy-Who-Lived.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Harry screamed, knocking the heavy hands away from him. A jar of ointment flew across the room. He jerked upright, looking around dazedly. He was in a bed, in a large shadowed room he didn't recognise.

"Potter! Calm down." Snape's voice spoke, sounding irritated. "It is merely a balm for your muscles to prevent them from going into spasm and seizing. Your arm is only recently healed... "

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Harry scrambled out of the bed registering screaming muscles and that all he had on was Draco's dark green, silk boxers. Draco was such a tart he thought and his breath caught in his throat, tears stung the backs of his eyes.

"GET OUT, GET OUT NOW!" He roared at Snape. The numb vacuum that had got him through the past ten days was disintegrating fast and he could feel so much emotion welling up in his chest that it was overwhelming. Tears started to roll down his cheeks. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Get out, get out, GET OUT!"

Suddenly Snape strode out of the room closing the door behind him.

"LESTRANGE, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Harry roared raising clenched fists and shaking them. "You fucking bitch... YOU BROKE ME! You bitch..." He turned and saw himself in a mirror above what looked like a vanity unit. His nose was fixed but swollen, the livid welt stood proud from his skin... He pulled his fist back and punched it into the glass with all his strength, shattering his image. "Fucking Bitch!" He swiped the bottles and glass ornaments off the surface of the unit with a violent sweep of his arm. "TEN FUCKING DAYS AND DUMBLEDORE COULDNT DO IT! THAT UGLY GLASS EYED FUCK, MOODY, COULDNT DO IT. YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!" He found a large vase and threw it against the wall watching it explode. He became aware that he hurt, his legs, his arms, and his head. But far worse, his heart hurt. He roared with rage again and picked up a heavy glass framed photo. As he was about to throw it at the window he noticed the face in it and froze... then he sat down heavily on the floor as his legs gave way. He leaned back against the wall and stroked his fingers over the grinning face, the perfect hair and the familiar wry expression in silver grey eyes. Slowly one of them winked at him.

"Drake." He choked. "Drake." He gave a strangled laugh. "Trust you to have a vanity unit in your room." He sniffed, wiping the tears from his face with his arm. "They're all going to die, I made sure of it. I've made all their worst nightmares come true. He's gonna be unstoppable. They're all going to die. I'll be seeing you soon bruv. I'll be seeing you both soon." He rested his head back against the wall hugging the frame to his chest and closed his eyes. "He's going to be invincible... I made sure of it, I'll see you soon..." Within moments he was fast asleep.

Voldemort took off the invisibility cloak he had donned as he had motioned for Severus to leave the room, and rose from the armchair in the corner of the large bedroom. Nagini tightened around him as he walked over to Harry and stared down at him deep in thought.

'You are going to keep him.' She hissed.

'Yesss, Nagini. I believe I ssshall.'

He bent down and put the Photo back on the bedside table and picked the Brat up. A frisson of awareness shot through him and he frowned down at the Brat. He was too light. His skin was almost as white as his. His bones were sharp and pointy. He laid him on Draco's bed taking a long moment to stare at the thin body that was corded with slim barely discernible muscles. It was also littered with scars since being healed by Severus earlier. It only made the Brat even more interesting Voldemort thought with another frown. He covered him up. He waved his wand fixing the mirror and clearing the mess Harry had made. Then he healed the boy's bloodied knuckles. He sat in the chair by the bed getting comfortable. He had sat there as the afternoon had passed into night. Only moving every hour when Severus arrived to sit and rub the balm, specifically brewed for the after-effects of the more violent Cruciatus, into Potter's muscles. The healing sleep the Brat had been under had worn off sooner than expected. It should have lasted twelve hours.

Voldemort picked up his book and resumed reading.

'He wissshesss to die.' Nagini hissed. 'He believesss you are going to grant him that wisssh, Massster.'

'Yesss, but one doesss not alwaysss get what one wishesss for in life, Nagini. Unlessss, of courssse, one isss Lord Voldemort.'

'I will ressst next to the ssstrange Brat. If he becomesss unssstable again I ssshall sssmother him.'

Voldemort laughed softly. Not looking up from his book. 'Jussst do not sssuffocate him, Pet.'

As she settled herself half across Harry, half on the bed, she laid her head on his chest. "I would not hurt him or allow othersss to. He isss usss.'

'What do mean, Pet.' Voldemort looked up.

'He hasss our esssence. I thought you knew.'

The book fell to the floor and Voldemort leaned forward driving into Harry's mind, searching... and then in an explosion of dark red light he saw it. It latched onto him as if it was home and for a moment he couldn't breathe. An indelible connection was made, and the Brat's mind became an open book to him. His whole life... As the images slamming into his mind became too much Voldemort pulled out and saw the lightning scar on Harry's forehead was glowing brightly with dark red light. Random images of torture and death were bouncing around his head and they were coming from a nightmare the Brat was having. Voldemort sat back breathing heavily.

He had been unforgivably blind! How could he not have known! The clues had all been there, plain to see, among them the Brother wands; being able to project images into the Brat's mind; feeling the Brat's pain; and this very day watching him touch his Horcruxes that were most certainly cursed! The Brat being able to speak Parselmouth! Fury roared through him with a force that made him dizzy. Dumbledore! Of course the bastard had known all along and... and hadn't killed the Brat... Why. Prophecy or not the probability of the Brat turning Dark and joining him had been tremendous... there would have been two Dark Lord's, for the boy was strong, there was no question about that... and Dumbledore had had all of his Horcruxes but he hadn't destroyed even one of them, Why. He could have made him mortal long ago... baited him into battle and maybe along with the Order have defeated him. Especially as he had the Elder Wand... But he hadn't. He closed his eyes, thoughts and images swirling through his brain.

The Prophecy, empowered, when usually they just sat on a shelf in the Ministry gathering dust, forgotten and ignored. No Prophecy had power unless it was acted upon... and he had jumped at the bait like a first year student! A result, as the Brat had surmised, of the intensity of feeling since he had split his soul. That one being unreasonable paranoia. He had known if the Prophecy was ignored by him it would be completely powerless! So why had Dumbledore been so keen to make sure he acted... 'I think he must have taken it after you had killed him...' 'It' being the Invisibility cloak and 'him' being the Brat's father!

After a moment of gathering his thoughts he leaned forward and pressed a long slim finger to the lightning scar. The dark frisson of recognition ran up his arm, making his skin tingle and his body tighten. It glowed red again and slowly he began to watch The Brat's life.

The Philosopher's stone deliberately brought to Hogwarts so he would follow it. The diary in the Camber of Secrets. There was no way Dumbledore wouldn't have know such a dark object was within Hogwarts walls. The Triwizard cup, the Brat's name being pulled from the Goblet of Fire, and, he searched the memory harder. Saw a look of surprised pleasure quickly hidden on Dumbledore's face. When he had finished he shook his head.

"Marked for death as soon as you were born, Brat, by Dumbledore. You were right, you never had any choice at all." He said softly.

An hour and a half later Harry stirred. Pain, why was he always in pain? His body felt so heavy, as if weighted down... he tried to move and couldn't. Even his eyelids hurt as he tried to open them. His throat felt like sandpaper and the skin on his face was tight with dried tears.

"Just when I thought things couldn't get worse." He muttered. He needed to piss. The probability of him getting out of bed let alone making it to a bathroom was zero. He gave a small whimper.

'What isss it ssstrange and odd Brat.' Nagini hissed, her head smacking into his face.

'It'sss you weighing me down! Get off me, I hurt enough without you sssquashing me.'

'I am sssecuring you to the bed. You thrasssh about in nightmaresss.'

'Fine, Thank you, but you can get off me now.'

'No. I will not.'

'What are you doing here. Doesss your Massster know where you are. What time isss it. What'sss been happening. Isss it the next day. Hasss Voldemort gone to Hogwartsss without me. Will you eat Sssnape if he comesss back. Where isss the bathroom!'

Harry chuckled painfully as the Snake spat at him and slid off his body. 'Never have I been ssso insssulted by sssuch an inane barrage of quessstionsss!' She hissed venomously.

"I need to piss, you were making it worse." Harry muttered. He heaved himself up and rolled, hanging his legs off the side of the bed until his feet hit the floor. Slowly his body followed. He took three steps in the direction of a door he hoped was a bathroom. Then his screaming muscle seized. He froze where he was, panting shallowly, staring at his toes.

'Nagini.' he hissed. 'I'm going to be sssick! And I can't move!'

Harry suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation throughout his body. He looked up and solid red eyes stared down at him. His bladder was empty and the urge to be sick had vanished. He was then levitated back onto the bed. He laid back in relief closing his eyes. He felt his face flushing and wished Nagini would swallow him whole. But the traitor was sleeping, or ignoring him, curled in a ball at the foot of the bed.

"I am going to fetch Severus. You will behave when he arrives and allow him to administer the balm needed to heal your muscles completely. Is that clear, Brat?" Voldemort snapped. His head had been full of the Brat since he'd opened the doorway to his soul. It had been bad enough when he was having nightmares but now his random thoughts and the pain the Brat was in was grating on his nerves. He was going to have to develop a shield to keep him out of his head... fast.

"Yes. Thank you for... Thanks... Very much. Thanks." Harry trailed off and opened one eye. Voldemort was staring at him. His other eye opened and he got caught up in the red eyes and opalescent skin. The combination was just fascinating. Like drops of blood on Hogwarts snow as the moon shone and turned it into a sea of shimmering Mother of Pearl. What was that skin was like to touch. Was it warm, cold, as smooth as it looked. Would his fingers simply glide over the surface as easily as silk. "Have you been here all the time?" Harry asked suddenly.

Voldemort seemed to jolt slightly. "Most of it, Yes, sitting in that chair on the other side of the bed. Reading a book about the Hallows." He cast a cleansing charm on the Brat's face and conjured him a large glass of water. The Boy's mouth hung open before he gulped it down. "I came in after you sent Severus out. He was Concerned. I found you sleeping on the floor." The Brat was worrying that he had seen his breakdown. He needn't know.

"I fell into the mirror." Harry blurted out with a flushed face "And stumbled around a bit. I think I broke some stuff."

"Yes so I saw. I cleaned the mess up, Brat. You also hurt your hand. I healed it."

"Thank you. And for the water. I was parched." He eyed Voldemort's hands contemplatively. They were slender and light and... beautiful. "Will you put the balm on me. I mean just my back, I can do my front." He half expected Voldemort to explode and Avada Kedavra him then and there. But he didn't. He just stared at him. "I mean you're here anyway and Snape... it's just that I know he hates me, his hands are so heavy and..." Harry shuddered. He couldn't stand the thought of the man touching him let alone rubbing his hands over him.

"All right. Turn over." Voldemort said, walking to the table and picking up the balm.

Harry rolled over and laid his head on his arms, hiding his happy shock. At the first touch of those fingers, that paused, were snatched back from him, then returned, so light as they rubbed and caressed, he closed his eyes. As with the Horcruxes, a frisson dark power sang out to him, making his skin tingle and his body tighten. He bit back a groan. Soon the heat from the balm was sinking into his sore muscles. He could literally feel each one relax as the cool hands slid over them. He nearly laughed as he imagined the picture they made. The great and terrible Lord Voldemort, the mere name of whom made thousands shrink back in terror, administering to his most famous enemy who was finding it hard not to purr.

He felt so... comfortable around Voldemort, and completely unafraid. He put it down to the fact that he had nothing to lose anymore. By this time tomorrow he would be dead by the very hands that were now running over his body. By the hands of a wizard he was fast finding hypnotic. It was poetic really. Whereas the thought of his death by the hands now stroking his sides had once saddened him, now the desire for it was paramount. Paramount to his plans, to his burning need to strip Dumbledore of everything, especially his 'Saviour of the Wizarding World'. If there was any justice, Voldemort would do it right under Dumbledore's nose, using the Elder Wand, and the last thing Harry would see in those cursed twinkling eyes would be utter failure and despair.

"When are we going to take Hogwarts," He asked drowsily. "It would be good around ten o'clock in the evening, everyone will have had dinner and settled down."

"We will go tonight if you are able. If this balm is administered as it should be it will heal any damage within twelve hours."

"How many treatments have I had?" Harry asked.

"Nine. Two more should be more than enough."

"What's the time now?"

"Five o'clock in the morning."

"Tonight then, nine o'clock tonight. It will give you an hour to fine tune it in the room of requirement. I didn't get a chance to tell you but we will just walk into it from here. It's that simple. A two way cabinet, one is there, I've got the other one here." He yawned. "God you've got good hands."

Voldemort seemed to be searching out every single muscle in his back and sides. Harry was so relaxed he thought he may sink through the mattress. Two more times of those hands making him feel like this... Harry could live with that. A stolen pleasure, and not such a guilty one, before he left the world.

"Why did it hurt so much. And why am I so tired after hours and hours of sleep..."

"I believe that Bella's Crucio was 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. Her skill is unsurpassed even by myself in that particular spell. You have been tortured for ten days, mostly at night. You have had hardly any sleep, no real food or water. This balm is also healing residual muscle injuries that Dumbledore and certain Members of the Order subjected you to."

"Their Crucio's are rubbish compared to Lestrange's. How do you know they tortured me at night?"

"I felt it when it became too much for your shields. You tried, but didn't always succeed in blocking it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realise. I mean, I wondered, as we have this... thing. But wasn't sure if it was two-way."

"It is of no consequence, Brat. They will pay for... interrupting my sleep."

Harry smiled as his eyes closed and he gave himself up to those light slim hands. Oh they would pay all right. The tone of Voldemort's voice was soft and even, mesmerising. And anyone hearing it should be terrified.

~HPLV~

As it was, Harry fell back into the deepest sleep he'd ever had and didn't wake up again until early evening.

"What the hell happened to you?" Harry said, as he opened his eyes to see a swollen faced Bellatrix Lestrange looking down at him. Her eyes looked as if she'd been in a boxing match and her cheeks were black and blue. What he could see of her throat and neck above the top of her dress was purple.

"Nagini beat me up." The witch muttered through swollen lips.

"Nagini..." Harry frowned. "When... Why?"

"As soon as I Crucioed you. Because I Crucioed you!"

From what he could see of her eyes she was staring at him with a mixture of loathing and something else he couldn't put his finger on. He pulled himself up and sat looking at her battered features. Her nose was broken and the way she was holding her arm, it looked as if that was broken too.

"But that was yesterday. Why do you still look like that?"

She swallowed painfully. "It is my Lord's punishment for jumping to unwarranted conclusions."

"He won't let Snape heal you?"

"No. It doesn't matter. I'm used to it." She mumbled.

Harry stared at her for a minute; Draco had been extremely fond of her, although he had admitted she was completely mad between rare moments of lucidity. But what did she mean she was used to not being healed? Draco had told him she was a firm favourite of Voldemort's along with his mother and father. He shook his head holding out his hand.

"Give me your wand, Mrs Lestrange."

"I do not take orders from you." She tried to hiss. "You are not touching my wand! Little boy." She grimaced and her bottom lip cracked, small beads of blood began appearing on the swollen flesh.

"She really did a job on you didn't she, your nose is broken. Your arm is broken too." Harry said. "Now, give me your wand."

"I will not! And I am not here to discuss my injuries!" She half spat. "I am here to say that I am... grateful, for your attempt to save Draco and... for Abraxas. The death of Draco hit me... us... badly. Abraxas helps somewhat. The death of your... Mudblood... as you delivered her child, could not have been easy..."

Harry just looked at her his eyes expressionless. "Where is Voldemort."

"Having a meeting with the Death Eaters that are going to take Hogwarts tonight." Bella turned her face away from him slowly as if the movement in her neck was excruciating. "I will not be going."

Harry's voice was hard and cold. "Give me your wand Bellatrix Lestrange! You owe it to me for Draco's son."

Bella turned back, her eyes spitting her hatred as she slowly pulled her wand from her sleeve and handed it to him. "Do your worst, Potter! There will come a day when I repay you in full."

"No there won't. I will be dead as soon as I've finished visiting Dumbledore tonight." Harry waved the wand chanting in a low voice. Blue light encased Bellatrix and hummed. For several minutes Harry continued, concentrating as his minds eye ran over her bones noting cracks and splinters, old wounds... and not made by magic. From the way the bones had mended, they hadn't been healed. He frowned and concentrated, moved onto her organs. Bruised kidneys, liver... When he had finished the blue light faded and he handed the wand back to Bella.

"You will be coming tonight and you will teach Dumbledore what a real Cruciatus is. Do we have an accord, Mrs Lestrange?"

Bella looked wild and dangerous and mad and deliriously happy. Completely healed, not a bruise in sight, she spun in a circle. "Ooooh Baby Potter, you will be in sooo much trouble. You healed me completely! We have an accord. But what if my Lord is angry and sends me to bed early without any supper?" She ran her wand through her fingers.

"I'm sure he will grant me one more favour. After all, I have given him the means to conquer the world and death." Harry got out of bed ignoring her snigger at his undoubtedly skinny body in Draco's poncy boxers.

"Is that the bathroom?" He pointed to a door. "I really want a bath. And I want you to show me where Voldemort's rooms are after it. So don't go away. And I need..." he looked around. He grabbed Hermione's bag that someone had put on the bedside table.

~HPLV~

Later, walking into the drawing room with Bellatrix Lestrange dancing happily by his side shocked its occupants to put it mildly. The fact that she was healed had them all staring.

"Bella, how..." Narcissa gasped.

"Me." Harry said authoritatively. He was buzzing with nervous energy and itching to get this day over. His mossy green eyes sparkled with a dark and dangerous light. His face was still white, but without the faint look of numb shock about it. Bella's Cruciatus and his mini breakdown had put paid to that. His lips were a pale pink and they were pulled in a tight determined line. "I want Mrs Lestrange there tonight, I'm trusting Voldemort will allow me this small favour."

"You did not heal her!" Snape accused suspiciously. "You are not capable. Her injuries were too extensive. Even I could not have healed her thus. Not that I was allowed to try." He added angrily.

Harry stared at him and sneered. "Obviously I am capable, Snape. Or do you suppose we just popped out to St. Mungo's. And obviously It means that I am a natural healer, as you would know if you hadn't walked around Hogwarts with your head up your own arse for seven years refusing to look at me and see me!"

Bella shrieked with laughter. "I hate Baby Potter," she said to Narcissa, "but he is growing..." She danced up to Severus. Darting about. "Don't be jealous, I will still come to you if I have a headache."

Snape tried to swat her away with his hands. "You are a headache. But I am glad that you are healed. Desist you little beast!"

Lucius turned towards him, a slight smile on his face. He was holding Abraxas. Bella stopped poking and pinching Snape and skipped over to them cooing.

Harry walked back to the door. "I need some fresh air. I slept too long. I would appreciate it if a house elf would inform me as soon as Voldemort returns." Before Narcissa could speak, he had thrown Hermione's bag on the table and was gone. Striding quickly he headed for the double doors in the entrance hall that presumably led outside.

He had barely made it to the lawn when a house elf popped in front of him.

"I am to tell yous that yous is a blind Brat and to get back to the drawing room where his Lordness was sitting waiting for yous! Yous is a bad bad boy, Harry Potter!"

"He told you to tell me I was a bad, bad, boy?" Harry asked with a raised brow.

"No! I am saying yous is!" And with that she disappeared.

What had he done to her? He sighed and dismissed it. Harry hovered for a moment, looking into the distance at the lake where a tall single monolith marked his beloved friends resting place, and then at the doors back into the Manor. Dusk was falling fast and the temperature was freezing. There was a light sprinkling of snow on the ground. It was the first of December now, and like his friends, he wouldn't be seeing Christmas. He looked around feeling lost and spotted a rose garden. He loped over to it. Roses in December, only the Malfoy's could manage that.

He picked a dozen of the biggest deepest reds he could find, silently apologising to Narcissa, and cursed not having a wand as the thorns bit into his fingers. He then jogged down to the lake and laid the roses at the foot of the natural granite rock that was taller than he was. It was the same silver grey of Draco's eyes. Harry stroked the cool stone for a moment running his fingers over the rough edges and curves, then turned and jogged back to the Manor. There was a letter in his pocket for Narcissa and Lucius, and Merlin willing, they would see that his last wish was granted. Before the night was out he would be laying beneath that Monolith too.

~HPLV~

Harry strode back into the sitting room and glancing around saw the man he was looking for sitting on a small, very plush, two seater divan that he hadn't noticed when he had entered the room the first time and been sidetracked. He smiled at Voldemort's rather annoyed face, making the red eyes narrow at him. The other four were seated together, but seemingly as far away from their master as possible. The baby had gone. He walked past them to Voldemort, grabbing Hermione's bag on his way. He threw himself down next him ignoring the other's sharp indrawn breaths. It made him realise that Voldemort was alone, always. He wondered, if that was the case, who he shared his brilliant mind with, who benefited from his knowledge and higher thoughts? His magic and... Harry hoped he wrote everything down in journals. It would be tragic for History and future generations if it was not recorded. He pulled himself up. Not that he cared. Magic and knowledge were over for him.

"Getting back to where we were before Nagini tried to hijack the bag. Yes, I do have something else for you." He pulled out the Marauders map. "You will have to..."

"Have you eaten, Brat." Voldemort's sharp voice interrupted.

"No. I haven't." Again Harry stared at him in a kind of curious wonder. Voldemort's, what could only be, concern, for his well being confused him. Especially as he was going to kill him in a few hours time. Several times yesterday and now again today he had shown him far more thought than anyone else in this house had.

"Narcissa", Voldemort hissed in a voice that was pure ice. "Again I have to remind you, all of you, to tend to the needs of the Brat! In the last elevendays he has had one meal and that was yesterday!" His red eyes left Harry's wide stare and focused on Narcissa, Lucius, Severus and Bella. They quickly stood up and knelt. "When I left here earlier I gave you but one instruction, and that was to feed him!" He drew his wand.

"I refused!" Harry lied, laying a hand on Voldemort's thigh. "They offered, Bella came to my room and offered but I wasn't Hungry. I'm not hungry." He said again, seeing the unreasonable rage in red eyes as they turned to him and narrowed. "Look," he said to divert him. "This Blank parchment is the Marauder's Map. My father and his friends made it. It reveals all of Hogwarts. Every classroom, every hallway, and every corner, it also shows every inch of the grounds, as well as all the secret passages. Except the dungeons where they kept me obviously. I don't suppose my father ever had the pleasure of being a guest in them. Anyway, the best of all... it shows the location of every person in the Castle and grounds as a dot. And it identifies who they are. So, when we get in there you will know where every member of the Order of the Phoenix is, where the Professor's are, and Dumbledore, if he isn't in his office. You can instruct your Death Eaters to the exact locations and..."

"That's how you did it, Potter! I might have known it was your father!" Snape hissed. "All those years..." He stopped and fell forward shaking violently. His fingers dug into the carpet, his body twisting and writhing.

"Show me, Brat." Voldemort said excitedly looking at the map in Harry's hand then back at him. "And if you scream, Severus, I will cut your vocal chords." He threw in casually, staring into Harry's eyes.

"Scream Severus!" Bella laughed evilly. Then she leaned over him stroking his head. "There, there, it will be over soon." She started to sing a little song in his ear.

"You have to tap the map with your wand saying; 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'." Harry said, taking his eyes off the red orbs and nodding at the wand that was pointed at Snape. Whatever was happening to the man was getting slowly worse as tears started to slide from the corners of his eyes. Bella was wiping them away and singing in a lisping voice to him about... Fairies? Harry shook his head. "When you've finished you have to say 'Mischief Managed'."

"Lord Voldemort will not utter such trivial rubbish, Brat. You will do it for me." He looked over at Snape. "You would do well, Severus, to remember that I do not like interruptions. You can all be seated again. The Brat's lie and my pleasure in his gift of the map has saved you from punishment. Now, if it isn't too much to ask, Narcissa," he said sarcastically, "will you arrange a meal for him before we take Hogwarts, which he has made deliciously easy, so we can administer retribution on the man who murdered your son!"

"Harry I'm so sorry," Narcissa said earnestly as she stood up, tears filling her yes. "I'm so sorry. We have been so overjoyed with Abraxas that we have barely left his side since you brought him here. And with you sleeping so long I forgot... I forgot."

Lucius stood and put an arm around his wife. He bowed to Voldemort. "I apologise my Lord. You are correct, we have neglected Harry abominably since he arrived and gave us reason to... go on. And... I am sorry that I... have neglected my duties these past eleven days. I will rectify that from this moment on, if you will allow me to."

"It is of no consequence, Lucius. I respect and understand your grief for your son. Tonight you shall avenge him."

Lucius' eyes darkened. "My Lord... you mean... you mean..."

"If the Brat has no objections, when we have concluded our business with Dumbledore I will give him to you to end him how you see fit."

Harry nodded frowning. He wouldn't be alive to object. "That's what she wanted... for Lord Malfoy to..." Harry stopped and swallowed. "I didn't know if you would want to do it yourself, given your history." He looked at Voldemort. "But Hermione, she wanted Lord Malfoy to do it... for Draco... and Mrs Lestrange and I have an accord." He looked at her. She was helping Snape to his feet. Her eyes met his and she nodded slowly. "I know she won't let me down."

Lucius came over to Voldemort and knelt on one knee. He lifted and kissed the back of his hand. "My Lord," he choked emotionally in a thickened voice. "My Lord... I doubted you... I doubted you."

Voldemort stared at the lowered head of his most favoured and loyal right-hand-man for a long moment. It was the first time since his transformation that Lucius had kissed his hand and held it tightly as he was doing now. He placed his other hand on the bowed head.

"If I could have delivered him to you the day the crime was committed I would have done so, Lucius."

Lucius took a long shuddering breath, then stood up and straightened his shoulders, apart from over bright eyes, the formerly missing arrogant stance was firmly back in place. "I will change and prepare, my Lord. You need not burden yourself further with the deployment of the Death Eaters when we take Hogwarts. I am returned to my duties. I will see to it." He gave a bow and left the room.

Narcissa floated over and looked from Harry to Voldemort. She seemed to be thinking deeply. Then she suddenly smiled so brightly Harry blinked. She bowed low to Voldemort. "Thank you, my Lord." She too lifted his hand and kissed it for the first time since his return. "Can I get you anything. Would you like a meal with Harry."

"No, thank you, Narcissa. Tea would be appreciated though."

"Harry, is there anything particular you would like to eat."

Harry frowned. What did one have for a 'last meal'? "No, anything will be great. Thanks Lady Malfoy."

"Harry, I think you should be calling me Narcissa. I will let you know when it is ready." She beamed at them again before leaving the room.

Harry frowned. He turned to Voldemort and it was only then as he looked down at the map in his hand that he realised his other hand was still laying on the Dark Lord's thigh. When he looked up again red eyes were staring at him, and a white slim hand was holding out his wand. Harry's jaw dropped.

"The map, Brat. Show me the map!"

Harry took the wand and had to be steadied by Voldemort as he rocked with the jolt of electric power that ran up his arm. Red sparks flew across the room and his hair lifted softly. He had missed his wand, the feel of it, the power that pulsed through him when he held it... but this... this was recognition, this was pure magic, this was ecstasy, this was Voldemort. Harry closed his eyes and opened them again, he swallowed, he looked at the man staring at him; his lips were curling slightly as he watched his reaction intently. And suddenly Harry mourned bitterly for all the millions of things he would never know about him; his youth, his ideals before they turned sour, his thoughts, his knowledge, his magic, his travels, his genius, his life. All of the secrets held within those solid red eyes that he didn't share with anyone.

Harry tapped the map barley able to form the words. It sprang into life and he handed it to Voldemort. Then he held his wand out to him. As the white hand took it the long fingers brushed over his and it may have been his imagination but he thought they lingered for a moment. Then Voldemort was exclaiming over the map, laughing with glee as he watched Dumbledore and the Order moving around. Harry only half listened. He was staring straight ahead eyes unfocused until a light hand on his shoulder and Narcissa telling him his food was ready gave him the excuse he needed to leave the room.

~HPLV~

Whatever strange half world Harry had slipped into when he had touched Voldemort's wand evaporated when the House Elf who had called him a 'bad bad boy' served him his dinner. He ate the steak and left the rest, too fired up to eat any more. When she came to collect the plate, that she had slammed down in front of him, she stood with her hands on hips.

"Is that all yous is eating, bad Harry Potter!"

"What is your problem with me, Elf." Harry said half amused, half annoyed. He finished his tea and put the cup down. Standing, he stretched, then began to walk to the door.

"Yous is making the baby Abraxas not allowed anywhere yous is, and yous is his named Godfather!"

Harry froze to the spot. Cold rage hit him like an express train. "What are you talking about." He hissed. "And how do you know I'm its Godfather!"

"When you ran off his Lordness ordered that the baby Abraxas not be in your presence because it hurts yous! Yous don't want to see him because yous is going to die! And I know yous is his Godfather because Master Draco named yous his Godfather in his letter! Yous is a bad coward boy, Harry Potter!"

"Keep your mouth shut, Elf, and stay out of my business!" Harry spat. He left the room and stalked towards the drawing room. In happy days he had been overjoyed when Hermione and Draco had asked him to be Godfather to their son. These were not happy days and life sucked and if he'd had his way he would have left it yesterday with Hermione! And how the fuck did Voldemort know he couldn't stand to see or be near the baby! AND WHY draw everyone's attention to the fact by banning it from wherever he was when after tonight he wouldn't even be here! It didn't matter, nothing mattered. They were going to Hogwarts in less than an hour. After that the kid could be taken where the hell anyone wanted to take it!

When he walked into the drawing room he was seething. It was filled with Death Eaters. As he made his way over to Voldemort they slowly parted making a path for him and he nearly made it to the man he was furious with, when someone stuck a foot out and tripped him up. There was the sound of mocking laughter as Harry went down. His lean body rolled back onto his shoulders and with a smooth push of undoubted strength it elegantly flipped back up onto its feet again to spin in a graceful arc. A leg lifted to shoot out and up at tremendous speed, kicking the Death Eater in the solar plexus with a solid booted foot that launched him to land on his back several feet away. The whole thing had happened so fast, so smoothly, that everyone just stared at him, the room silent.

"Anyone else want to have a go!" Harry snarled. No one moved an inch. His face was hard and cold, his skin stark white, his lips a tight line. His eyes were so dark they appeared black. The scar on his face was lived. "Anyone got anything they want to say to the-boy-who-lived!" No one answered. "You can see I am unarmed," he sneered. He was wearing a short sleeved black shirt and Jeans. "If you want to have a go do it now because I swear if you try any of this crap when we get to Hogwarts I'll fucking kill you."

He walked over to the bag laying next to Voldemort and snatched it up. He pulled out a miniature cabinet. He placed it on the floor and stood back. "You need to enlarge it." He said shortly. He turned away and walked over to Narcissa pulling the letter from his jeans pocket.

"Lady Malfoy, when I... when I go through the cabinet, please read this with your husband and consider my wishes."

She looked at the letter then at him. "I will Harry. Thank you, for making this possible..."

Harry gave her a tight smile. "Just make sure you keep safe." He searched the room for Bella. But he couldn't see her. He walked back to Voldemort who was now standing with Lucius studying the cabinet.

"Its twin is in the room of requirement at Hogwarts." He said to Lucius. "We kept this one at Grimmauld place. When we wanted a night out in London, or a day shopping, Drake's favourite pastime, this is how we did it. We last used it when we went Christmas shopping on Bond street. Draco loved the elite shops, Louis Vuitton, Burberry's, Ralph Lauren. He used to spend a fortune, we all did. I, of course, came into my inheritances when I turned seventeen. Hermione had her own money you know. Her grandmother left her 'minted'. A muggle word for very rich. She set up a trust fund for... the baby. It's all in the documents I have left in my room for you. She took care of everything. Mine are there too, though mine are not as official as hers are, they will still stand up to scrutiny.

"Hermione collected this cabinet from Grimmauld place just after it all happened. She knew I would come here... well, she sent me here and she knew you would want to..." Harry shook his head.

Lucius smiled sadly. "I do regret that I did not know her. All I can say is that my vengeance tonight will be hers also." He cleared his throat. "I apologise for the idiot who tripped you. I'm ashamed that he is one of my men. It was fascinating how you dealt with him. I've never seen anything like that before."

Harry shrugged. "I'm their enemy. That's all they know. Anyway, we go through this cabinet and come out in the room of requirement. It's that simple. I'll go through now. Give me a five minutes then follow me. You can organise your men from there. He looked around figuring there was about fifty of them all in. He glanced at Voldemort for the first time and saw that there was such a mixture of emotions in his eyes that he couldn't even begin to decipher them. "Have you seen Mrs Lestrange?"

"Yes Brat, she is over there crucioing the one that tripped you."

"Why."

"Because I told her to."

"How come he's not screaming?"

"She has silenced him."

"Oh." Harry stared at him for a minute, again wondering, finding him... such a Puzzle. Voldemort would be killing him shortly, why bother punishing someone for tripping him? His anger at him suddenly drained and he gave him a wry little smile and nodded. He took one last look around the room. "See you on the other side then." He opened the cabinet door and stepped through.

As soon as he had disappeared Voldemort turned to his Death Eaters. Silence fell immediately. "Bella," he said in a deadly venomous voice. "Bring him here." Bella levitated the half dead man to Voldemort's feet.

'Nagini!' He hissed.

The long green snake slid through the door moments later, hissing and tasting the air. The Death Eaters shrank back from her as she passed. 'Massster, you are upssset'.

Voldemort slashed his wand at the prone figure at his feet. The man's clothes and boots ripped from his body in a violent downward sweep. He twisted his wand viciously and teeth, fingernails, toenails, and a full scalp of hair ripped from skin and gums and disappeared.

'Ssshow them what happensss when anyone triesss to harm the Brat.'

Instantly Nagini flared up, more than twice her normal size. She struck at the man and struck again, her long fangs puncturing his throat with deadly force and venom. The terrified Death Eaters cowed in horror as his body jerked spasmodically, feet drumming the floor. Then with a speed that was terrifying she had her whole body wrapped around him and was crushing him. The audience looked down at the sound of crunching disintegrating bones. When his body was no more than pulp she unwound herself and opened her jaws wide starting at the head. The gigantic jaws widened further to accommodate the shoulders. She worked her way down the body until it had gone. Her own twelve foot sleek length, as thick as a man's thigh, returned, and she wound her way up Voldemort's body, curling around it lovingly until her head hung over his shoulder. The Silence was deafening.

"When I tell you that Harry Potter is to left alone that is what I mean!" He spat. "To go against my instruction is to question my orders and Lord Voldemort will not be questioned by anyone!"

He stalked amongst the terrified Death Eaters his face a rictus of rage. "Who laughed, who dared to laugh!" He hissed. "You were not mocking the Brat, you were mocking me! Finding it amusing that one of you had disobeyed me!"

The Death Eaters remained silent. "After this mission those who found the blatant disobedience of their Lord's order so amusing, will come forward! And if you do not - I will search through your minds to find you and when I do, you will not survive."

Bella danced around the Death Eaters cackling, stopping every now and again to jab two fingers at her eyes, then at the individual, and then slash them across her throat.

"My Lord," Lucius said. "You ought to see this." He held out the letter he had been reading with Narcissa.

Voldemort gave his Death Eaters one more glare and walked over to Lucius, taking the letter. He read it quickly and tore it up. "His wish is denied." He turned on his heel, walked to the cabinet and stepped through the door.

"What's going on?" Severus came over to the two, looking down at the torn scraps of parchment.

"Harry requested we bring his body back here and bury him with Draco and Hermione." Lucius said staring at his wife's happy face. "Our Lord has denied it."

Severus sighed. He felt conflicted. It was a simple enough request after all Potter had gone through and done for them. But he was now sworn again to his Lord, and he wouldn't be straying from that path. His protection of the boy-who-lived was over. "I suppose it will be Our Lord's decision as to what becomes of his body after he has killed him. It will be his final victory over him."

Narcissa laughed softly. "For an educated man, Severus, you can be awfully dense." She looked at her husband watching a smile of enlightenment begin to spread across his face. "His request is denied because there won't be a body. Our Lord has no intention of killing him. And if my instincts are correct. We will have Marvolo back by Yule!"

"Lord Malfoy." A Death Eater approached his General. "Please. Can you not reason with our Lord. We did not mock him."

Lucius' cane swept up and slashed across the man's face. "You have shamed me this night." He hissed. "All of you!" His icy grey eyes swept across his men. "You who are supposed to be my elite! Fear not my Lord's punishment for those of you who laughed and will willingly come forward. Fear more mine for behaving like undisciplined raw recruits and making me appear a fool grossly lacking in judgement by promoting you! Tonight we take Hogwarts, the Order, and the man who murdered my son! All made possible by Harry Potter! A brother to my son and one whom attempted to shield him from the killing curse at the cost of his own life! And like children you trip and laugh at him!" Enraged Lucius pulled his father's wand from his cane.

Narcissa put her hand on his wand arm. "My dear," she said gently. "It is time we went through."

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