A/N: Big thanks to everyone for the reviews, I enjoyed reading your thoughts/comments. Some have asked to be warned about the pairing, should it go one way or another. From here, it certainly looks like this will become 'Lunar Harmony' (thank you Man of the Constant Sorrow, I quite like that term) but if that truly comes to pass, I do not know. That's an aspect of the 'write as you go' technique I enjoy; you never know where the story might take you.
If this is something you cannot stand, then perhaps you may wish to depart and know you have my sincerest thanks for staying so long.
Forewarning: some nasties in this chapter and rightly so; after all, this is
Chapter 7: How It All Began
Albus Dumbledore walked slowly through the white haze that was Draco's mind, memories flitting past his eyes at a rapid pace. All minds were, surprisingly, very similar when it came to moving through memories. Societies, whole cultures even, devoted incredible amounts of time and energy just to isolate and ridicule those who were labeled as 'different.' Yet the truth was, there were more similarities than differences between any two individuals.
The elder wizard wasn't surprised when he started his journey, watching as the life of Draco rewound. As Luna had said, there were obvious markings of an Obliviation done in haste. Properly executed, the memories replaced would seamlessly stitch into those that were true memories. If the Legilimens was talented enough, the discrepancies would be minimal but if he or she were exceptionally good, one one would be able to distinguish truth from lies.
In Draco's case, there was something different at work. The memories were well placed, a mark of an expert but something else had caused the desynchronization that all Legilimens strive to prevent. Albus frowned as he watched another moment in Draco's life, this one from a year or so ago, flicker and twitch before rushing past like all the others. Luna had described a sense of 'wrongness' while traversing Draco's mind and Albus could clearly see what she was referring to.
Most of the memories were rooted in deep and supported by the experience and emotion that Draco felt during their occurrence. Yet some memories seemed to be 'floating' in between the others. Not completely synced with his being but not forged by Legilimency either. It was very strange and when Albus tried to view one of these memories, it was like watching a motion picture through a distorted lense. You could get a sense of what was going on, but the perspective was all wrong.
The recently altered memory, the one that was done in haste and exposed Draco's suffering, showed the same symptoms. Bits and pieces could be discerned from it, such as a particular smell to the air and a darkness that permeated all feeling, but beyond that it was oddly distorted. If Hermione and Luna's words were true, that Draco had fundamentally changed two years ago, then Albus believed he should find something to reflect that. Be that from a true experience or one forced upon him by another's magic, Albus did not know. Instead of sorting through them all one by one to identify those which were altered, as a typical Legilimens would do, Albus knew he'd have to find the Apex Memory. It was this moment in time that ultimately set Draco onto the path that led him to today.
In other words, the beginning; Albus had to find where all this began.
Several more hundred memories flew by and then Albus slowed them and stopped. The frown he wore deepened when he noticed this memory was at the tail end of the Third Task. It appeared to be shortly before the Dark Mark made its appearance above the castle and if this were the case, Albus' work just got a lot harder.
'I neither saw nor felt anything that indicated an outside influence; this is likely a Master's doing. I'll need to examine the memories closer in order to find a discrepancy.'
The white haze dispersed and a memory took form all around him.
Day of the 3rd Task, 30 minutes after Harry Potter's Disappearance
The students were all starting to get antsy as no one had yet to offer an explanation for the delay in the Task's ending. Draco was sitting in the stands, next to Crabbe and Goyle and by their expressions, all three boys were incredibly bored.
"What the hell is taking Potter so long? Is he so stupid that he can't get out of the maze?"
Albus smiled sadly, seeing the hatred Draco had for Harry back then. Goyle was about to offer some sort of remark when a BANG rang out over the stands and the four of them all turned to look up. The Dark Mark had finally appeared and people started to scream. The two body guards looked fearful, but Draco was grinning with glee.
"Finally! Some good news!"
More screams erupted from all around as the body of Cedric Diggory flickered onto the screens that showed the events of the Tournament. Albus cringed at the sight, recalling his own reaction to the mutilations. Tom had spared the boy no quarter and to add insult to injury, broke him further before sending the remains back. The three boys looked properly horror stricken and some part of Albus felt relieved, although the situation was still terrible. At the very least, in their reactions the young Death Eaters were still human.
The memory picked up speed now, moving faster than normal time and Albus followed Draco as all the students went back into the castle and then were eventually dismissed. For the next several minutes, he watched hours and days pass by quickly as Draco returned home and the chaos of Tom's ascension came and went.
Albus was relatively surprised to see how the Malfoy family fared during the transition. Draco had been kept in the Manor almost constantly and was sheltered from the death and destruction going on in the world. This too gave Albus pause; again, another example at how the Death Eaters or in this case, perhaps the Malfoys, were still human. Narcissa and Lucius did what they could to keep their son out of the direct line of fire. While this by no means excused their horrendous actions, it added more fuel to the fire which occasional burned in Albus' mind.
'How could human beings be so cruel and yet so loving?'
He watched as Draco was given tutors, watched as he was drilled through lessons during the summer after the Tournament. The mundane life at the Manor passed without incident and before Albus realized it, Draco was on the train going back to Hogwarts. At this point, Albus stopped time's progression and thought for a moment.
'There are no disturbances that I could see or that my magic detected. Perhaps I'll need to' and his musings stopped. He watched in surprise as a being slowly materialized in front of him. The closest word to describe this creature was a ghostly image, that of a young man or so it seemed, as there was nothing more than an outline to go on. No features or magical signature to speak of, but here it was, standing just feet in front of Albus in a frozen memory.
"Who are you?" he asked but the ghost did not make any sound or movement. Albus felt as if he was being sized up, like the ghost was trying to determine the purpose of his existence. All of a sudden, it started advancing but Albus could detect no ill will from it. His magic did not buzz in warning, instead it sat calm in his veins, even as the ghost walked right through him. On instinct, the old wizard turned and followed. He watched in fascination as time began moving backwards without his command, back to a point during the summer. The more the ghost walked the more memories were rewound until finally they stood in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor.
Albus puzzled at the image; he had already seen this memory and watched as Draco silently came down the stairs to retrieve a box of unknown contents. Given the location, Albus surmised it contained the items of those who were once detained here. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Pure-bloods to occasionally sell such things in Knockturn for a little extra goblin coin.
The memory replayed, just as it had before but this time as Draco started climbing the stairs with his cargo, the ghost raised its hand and the memory rewound to the point where Draco first came down. Several more times the memory played to a point before repeating and as the ghostly image faded after a dozen or so replays, Albus realized what was happening.
Something was wrong within this room. He began to pay attention to every detail as the memory continuously looped. Twenty times, thirty, forty, sixty, one-hundred replays and he could still not find what the ghost was trying to show him.
"What am I trying to see?" he asked himself, frustration starting to creep into his voice. He watched again and again as Draco performed the exact same actions with no obvious alterations. The room reset itself to the exact same way as it was before and the replaying was starting to get on Albus' nerves. He stopped himself, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
'Relax. Frustration will be of no use to you here. Look underneath the underneath; clearly you are dealing with a talent unlike any other.'
Having calmed himself, he opened his eyes and again set to the task of finding the fault. Another thirty or so replays went by and he was once again feeling frustrated by failure when something caught the corner of his eye. He moved towards the last empty cell in the row, watching carefully for anything out of place.
The memory replayed.
"There!" he shouted, seeing something shift on the wall in the back of the cell. He drew close and watched it like a hawk and each time the memory reset, there was an incredibly small shimmer; the effect creating an outline to a door. "Truly a mastery of skill," he awed. "I wonder if this was Tom's work? I can think of no one else who could possibly.." and he trailed off as his magic suddenly hummed. The ghost had reappeared and was now standing behind him. The old wizard darted out of the way as the specter slowly moved towards the flickering door.
Albus looked around and noticed that the memory was looping quickly, taking only seconds to playback before starting again. The flickering outline became more pronounced as a result and when the ghost touched it, the outline flashed a brilliant light and the memory started to collapse. Albus' eyes darted everywhere, watching as stones fell from the ceiling and objects lifted up off the floor and floated randomly in space. Never before had he seen such a thing, all the while the image of Draco continued to move about as he had before, oblivious to the decaying world.
A great pressure started to build and he realized that this was it. 'This is the moment where everything was changed! Merlin, who did this and why?'
The door flashed once more before the world around him turned to white and Albus was temporarily blinded. Eyes shut tight, he didn't open them again until he heard the footsteps of Draco descending the staircase like so many times before. Except this time, the memory was different.
"I don't understand why Mother wanted me to fetch these things," he grumbled. "They've been down here for ages, why take a sudden interest in selling them at Knockturn? It's not like we need the money."
Draco walked over to pick up the box except this time before touching it, he stopped and stared in shock. Albus blinked for a moment as the gaze was directed at him, but he quickly turned and understood why Draco was so stunned. There was a passageway where the outline used to be.
"What is this?" he asked the air. "Father never mentioned a passageway in the dungeons."
Albus' eyes widened when he felt an invisible spell shoot through him and hit the unsuspecting Draco.
'Compulsion!'
Draco shook his head and squinted, then started walking forward and into the tunnel. Albus followed, glancing behind every so often to see if maybe the mysterious ghost was with him but he was never there. The air grew foul and Albus wasn't sure how much time had actually passed before he started to see the glowing runes at the end of the hallway. This sense of darkness, the feel of the air, it matched what he felt within the damaged memory that Draco recently experienced.
Albus knew he was getting close and waited patiently as Draco made his way towards the lighted room. He could see the young man start to slow and become skittish as he neared the entrance. Draco glanced to the right inside the chamber and saw nothing of interest, at least that Albus could tell but upon looking to the left, the memory suddenly went black. The old wizard blinked, confused at first but then he understood. Taking a few steps forward, he stood roughly behind where the image of Draco had been. For the entire memory to go black like this meant Draco had been stunned and his conscious mind knew no more of what happened.
The boy's magic however...
"Draco," spoke Albus to the darkness. "I know you cannot hear me, but your magic can. Please, I mean you no harm. I told you that it was you who must let me see and now is that time. Show me what has happened to you and I will do whatever it is I can to see it made right."
He stood quietly, hoping that his words would reach Draco's core and that they would be accepted. Albus smiled sadly then, when the blackness started to lift and be replaced by what had happened after Draco was stunned. While the mind may not know, a wizard's magic never forgot.
Once the room came back into focus, Albus paused for a moment at the entrance. He braced himself, knowing that whatever was beyond the corner was a version of the memory Draco had recently seen. It might be two years old, but evil things rarely change.
He took a step forward and turned, gaze unyielding. Draco's magic stepped in and the memory started anew.
"Will our son live, my Lord?"
"It is my sincerest wish, Narcissa," he replied. "You and Lucius are doing me a great service."
Said man stepped out from behind Voldemort and levitated his son, "It is our pleasure, my liege. Shall we begin?" Lucius moved Draco's prone form to a table closer to the back wall and it was here, as Narcissa and Voldemort moved to surround the table that the memory slowed.
And Albus knew exactly why; no detail was to be missed, no truth unfound.
On the far wall, hung Harry Potter, infused into the brick as magic leapt from his body and into the many runes which surrounded him. Iron chains crusted in blood were sunk into his limbs, steam hissing from the blood that boiled off the chains. Even with Albus' moment of preparation, nothing could have strengthened him for this.
Runic torture.
In some perverse manner, Harry's form moved in real time while the rest of the memory was slowed. His body, shirtless and pants torn to shreds, twitched and spasmed as the magic was forcibly taken from him. Deep cuts on his chest showed that the taunting was more than just magical and judging from the wounds, it had not been an easy time. The gash where his scar used to be was particularly disturbing.
"It's such a shame the boy simply can't be killed."
"Pity and yet not, Lucius. The prophecy restores him just as it would me."
Albus' eyes widened as the Malfoys chuckled.
"It was dumb luck that killed, Peter. Who knew that the Killing Curse would ricochet off these walls and hit him in the back?"
'A fitting end,' thought Albus darkly.
"Regardless," continued Voldemort although he was obviously amused. "The test proved useful. Potter cannot be killed so long as the aggressor is not myself hence why I tasked you with binding him, Lucius. Likewise, neither can I be harmed so to assure my immortality, what better way than to make the boy a trophy?"
"Allow me, my husband" said Narcissa as she withdrew her wand. "I know Draco best, it should be me to do this so as to keep the damage minimal."
Lucius lowered his wand away from Draco's head, "Very true my dear," and he stepped back. "Make the necessary revisions, I will implant the rest."
Narcissa began a long and complicated string of spells, old and Dark enough that even Albus did not recognize them but he knew they were a terrible thing. The memory started to swim and blur, a testament to how terrible the burden was to Draco's core.
"You won't win."
The voice was soft but incredibly firm. Albus looked aghast at Harry whose eyes glowed green in rage at the wizards and witch before him.
Lucius sneered while Voldemort snarled and withdrew his wand. With a gentle tap tap on the wall, the runes sprang to life and Harry screamed. The chains danced, pulling in and out of his body and magic rippled across the room, a great surge being torn from deep within Harry's core.
As soon as it ended, Harry fell limp but remained conscious.
"Do you think this will work, my Lord?"
Voldemort stared angrily at his captive, "I am forced to admit. His will is strong." The Dark Lord glided over to the young man and Harry, Merlin bless his soul, glared defiantly back. The tip of Voldemort's wand was brought to bear underneath the chin and he spoke so only Harry could hear, "But that secret, Harry Potter, will die with all the rest."
"My son is ready, Lord Voldemort," panted Narcissa, her work finished.
Voldemort smiled, "Goodbye, foolish boy. The next time we meet, you will be in an old man's body. When time finally claims you, when time finally releases you from your power; I will forever remain."
Albus let the tears flow freely as he watched Voldemort rip the consciousness out of the body and wrangled into a ball which was deftly chucked to Narcissa. She took her wand and happily split it, handing each piece to Lucius who slowly slipped them one by one into Draco. The act was too terrible and the memory promptly ended, Albus being thrust back into a blackened world. Memories began rapidly flipping by and he knew where he was being taken.
With the entrance close, he flattened against the wall. Draco carefully peered around the corner but when he did, all sense of secrecy left him. A gasp was torn from his lungs and he stumbled into the room.
"What! How? Merlin!" All thought of honor and revenge left him. "Mother, Father!" Draco screamed, logic and reason turning to an all consuming horror.
The memory froze just as Lucius was emerging from the darkness. Albus stared blankly at the two year difference and Draco had been right to scream. Harry was exactly where they had left him, skin tight on bones and clothes practically rotting off him. At some point, it looked like he had been tortured again as his right eye was missing, an empty socket where a forest green orb should reside.
Albus turned, blinking the tears away, "I have seen enough."
XX
Age was a funny thing.
While most measured it in years, the fact was, experience was the true mark of such a terrible curse. Hermione and Luna could see that as Albus reemerged from Draco's mind, the wizard had gained far too many years. They watched, much to their growing horror, as the color drained from Albus' face and the blank look form on Draco's.
Hermione couldn't stand it, "Albus, please. Show us."
The old wizard debated, the burden of their request clearly visible in his eyes. He looked at them, truly stared in a way that unnerved them both before coming to an abrupt decision.
"Prepare yourselves."
Each took a deep breath and together they looked right into the eyes of the wizard.
Luna broke first, collapsing immediately and Hermione wasn't far behind. Albus looked on sadly, unable to do anything except conjure two more stretchers and gently levitate the girls on them. Even in their shocked comas, he could see the tears running down their faces.
"Magic truly is, both a blessing and a curse."
Draco too unmoving, coming to grips with his true history. Albus sighed, feeling old and decided to sit down and meditate. How he wished he could call his familiar, but Gelert had found a way to keep the Phoenix from ever reaching him and they could all use the song of the legendary bird now. It was a small miracle he could even do magic from inside his cell, but he'd take what he could get.
Finding his lotus, time moved slowly and it would be the soft pulling voice of Luna that would disrupt him from his haven.
"Albus, has Draco said anything?" Her voice was dead and it pained him to hear but there were no words he could offer.
"He hasn't."
Luna touched Draco's shoulder gently and moaned sadly when the young man made no motion from her presence. Albus watched as she stepped back and went over to Hermione, who was awake as well and staring at the ceiling.
"I thought... I thought once I found him again, we could fix everything. We could make everything right again." Luna sat down and pulled Hermione into a hug as the two girls cried softly to one another.
"Who am I?"
His sudden voice broke the girls from their mourning and the old wizard stood, "You are Draco. Draco Malfoy."
He shook his head, "No. Draco Malfoy is dead. He died two years ago." The man turned and looked to the girls, "Who am I? I'm not Harry, but only his container and since Draco is dead, who then, am I?"
Albus took a shaky breath, "I cannot say, young man. You are who you choose to be."
"But how? How can I choose to be something when I am no longer anything? I'm a vessel, a combination of two people neither of which are whole. What... What am I to do?"
The girls sniffed, still holding tightly to one another and Albus could see the light in their eyes was fading. He took a step forward, standing as close to the magically cursed bars as he dared and closed his eyes, digging deep for words that might shelter their flames.
"That is up to you," he began. "Many in this world deserve death and yet more deserve life but we are not at liberty to grant them either. I have no words to offer comfort or knowledge to guard against terrible truths but... Now you know. The truth, terrible though it may be, lies before your feet. All that we can do now is decide what to do with it."
Draco stood angrily, "How is that of any use!?" he shouted. "I was destroyed! Picked apart by the woman who I called mother and molded by the man I once knew as father! All I am, all I ever was these past two years is nothing more then an experiment, a lie! All at the whims of a madman!" Draco screamed in rage and magic burst from his body, surrounding it in a sudden gailing force. As quickly as it came, it died and he slumped, stumbling back with his eyes to the floor.
As the dust settled, all that could be heard was the rustling of wind through the stone window and the quiet sobbing of two girls. Albus feared the worst, his words too inadequate for such a terrible time.
"Help me," Draco spoke with such sudden conviction that it demanded the attention of all present. Hermione would be the first to gasp as she caught sight of his eyes; the right ocean blue and the left forest green. Albus stared in shock, watching the transformation take place and in the old wizard's mind, just to the left of Draco, a ghost appeared.
The room darkened and where the girls stood huddled, their forms faded, replaced by the image of Harry's body fused into the wall. At first, Albus was struck with sorrow but a small movement of the ghost made his gaze flicker between Draco, the Ghost and Harry. The ghost had gestured at Harry and his body flickered as a powerful glamour charm fell and Albus's eyes widened. Something had hidden the truth of the body, even in the memories, and now Albus could finally see.
Blood still pumped through veins, a heart thundered against a tight rib cage while breath drew in and out by labored amounts. The actions were steady, proof of life, but Harry's magic...
It roared as the runes continued to pull at it, unholy powers that they be but it was different from two years ago. What had been hidden before shined clearly in front of the old wizard's eyes: bright, blue like veins crisscrossed on Harry's malnourished form, magic bleeding from him as the runes never faltered in their assault.
But his magic was pulling back; the runes were fading!
Reality returned to the old wizard's sight and Draco spoke with a voice not his own, "Help me get back into my body and then Draco will be able to decide who he is."
