Chapter 8 Learn Control, Reap Revenge.
A.N Here we go chapter 8, all brand new and shiny. Read and enjoy, and the review (please)
Harry strode forward, or he tried to, it was more of a limp really. He bent down next to the immobile form of Lucius Malfoy.
"Now, I am very pissed off, I have a voice in my head and a hole in my leg." He reached forward and grabbed the collar of Lucius's clothes and pulled him up, so they were now face to face.
"Where is she?" Harry hissed in his face. Lucius managed a feeble laugh.
"My master has already won.' He said, with a maniacal glint in his eyes. "He has her, and you've just proved that for her, you'll do anything. The Dark Lord owns you now." Harry glared furiously at the man in front of him. In his head Saarin gave the equivalent of a subtle cough.
I could do Legilimency, for you. Saarin thought. Harry suddenly grinned, of course, if Saarin could fend off Dumbledore, with Occlumency, then he probably knew Legilimency as well.
Do it. And don't bother to be gentle. Harry relaxed, he felt Saarin slid forward in his mind. He felt his magic dip slightly. Suddenly with a rushing sound he felt himself somewhere else. The room was brightly lit, the walls gleaming white marble, a cool breeze blew in from open sliding doors that ran the length of a wall, there was the smell of salt, and the sound of the sea. In the center of the room, nearer one of the back walls, was a gleaming white marble throne that seemed to manage to out shine everything around it. Green velvet covered the cushions that lay on the green and silver rug that lay under the throne. One the walls were hangings of green and silver, snakes embossed onto their surface. This was the throne room of Slytherin Hall. Despite his views Salazar had good taste, something his successor tried to emulate. In the throne sat Voldemort, his chin resting on one hand lazily, before him, just beyond the rug, kneeling on the cold hard marble was a hooded man. The message was clear, Voldemort's in charge, you are expendable.
"My Lord, our attack on Diagon Alley, has met difficulties." The man on the floor, stated, keeping his gaze on the edge of the carpet.
"Do tell." Voldemort drawled, drawing his wand from within his robes.
"It appears that Harry Potter and an auror, managed to subdue our forces. Potter was easily healed, but the auror was hit by the Nightshade curse, she is in a coma at St. Mungo's."
"I could have gotten that information from reading the Daily Prophet. I need something more… substantial, Lucius or else…" Voldemort let the threat hang, he was holding his wand so that it was a line across his face. Held with the forefinger of each hand.
"Y-yes my Lord, of course. I see a way to salvage the effort."
"Let me guess. You want to kidnap the girl and use her as leverage on Potter, who appears to have a dark side, after what he did to his relatives, filthy muggles they may be. You hope that we may be able to use him, through her because he obviously cares for her after what he did to Martin, who hit her with the curse." Voldemort said in a smug tone.
"Yes, my Lord." Lucius mumbled from the floor, trying very hard to appear very small.
"Very good, I like it. Inform our lady at St. Mungo's, with any luck, she will be able to keep Potter there as well, then we can have the lovers together, for a brief session of torture, to make sure Potter is co-operative."
"It will be done, my Lord." Lucius said glancing up. The Dark Lord gave a lazy wave of his hand. Lucius stood and bowed deeply, before turning and walking from the room.
"Oh, and Lucius." Voldemort said as Lucius was about to step through the door. Lucius turned, fearing to hear crucio.
"Keep them at your Manor, I would hate to spoil the beauty of my new home with the unfaithful, when Potter is turned, bring him to me."
Lucius bowed deeply once more and left. Voldemort turned to face the sea out of the window once again. He had considered torturing Malfoy for failing, but had decided against it because, after all, some good had come of the whole situation, and such an opportunity should be rewarded… this time.
Harry flitted through other memories of Lucius. He saw him talking to a very large woman, in a nurse's uniform.
Her! Harry exclaimed in his head.
Yes, seems we were wrong, it was Voldemort not Dumbledore who wanted us to be kept in hospital. And then he was gone looking through other memories.
The Dark Lord stood over Tonks, she lay in a bed in a dark room that was damp and smelt of dust.
"…Easy enough to waken her, if you know black magic…" Voldemort was saying. But Harry wasn't paying attention, he was focus on Tonks and Tonks alone. Voldemort reached out and touched her head. There was a pulse of some kind of black light, as if darkness swelled around the touch. Harry's blood boiled when he saw him touch her! He felt something stir within himself, something that wanted to attack, attack and kill, kill and kill again. He suppressed it, not now! He thought. He needed to watch. Tonks gasped and her eyes opened, but she didn't move. She must be under a body bind. The Dark Lord turned and spoke.
"Christina, make her feel welcome." The tone made it clear what the true meaning was. The large death eater nodded, her grin making it clear that this was something to be relished. At that Harry almost lost control, a familiar darkness was rushing forwards, wanting to kill them all, painfully.
No! Harry screamed in his head, and he felt the darkness move away, like a kicked dog. And then with a rushing sensation he was pulled back.
Harry let go of Lucius, the man slumped backwards his head hitting the floor with a crack. Harry leaned towards the man, and hissed into his face.
"I'll leave you and your family, to the Dark Lord." He watch with satisfaction as terror dawned on Lucius's face. Harry stood and limped towards a corridor. He followed Saarin's directions, down these stairs, left, third door. Get ready, this is the big woman's area of the basement. Harry drew his wand. The gauntlet was almost empty, he may have been a bit excessive on the power in the stunners. He tensed for a fight as he carefully advanced down dark corridors that smelt of dust. He was afraid, his breath seemed so loud, his footsteps echoed, as he strained his hearing. Harry felt the darkness beneath the surface, called forth by the fear, it offered to take it all away, just like it had on that first day, give in, let me shelter you it seemed to whisper in his mind.
Let it take control. Saarin said.
What?! You saw what it did! I can't control it. Saarin felt Harry tremble, he was going into shock, soon he would collapse, and then the darkness would take control completely.
Listen to me Harry. If you let it rise up, you should have a greater influence on it, but if you collapse, if your mind grows weaker, it will seize control. Harry paused. He didn't like it, but still, it was going to win out today anyway, and he may as well have some say in the matter.
Okay. He sunk into its depths. The darkness obliterated all thought. It existed only to get what it wanted, and right now it wanted revenge, no… revenge was secondary, Tonks comes first. Revenge is an option. Harry nodded, his eyes settling into black, but around the center, in a few isolated streaks, there was green, so little that one could barely see it, but it was there. A shred of humanity that had survived inside the darkness. Harry strode forward, his body flushed with a small amount of power, not enough to completely numb the pain in his leg, but enough to allow him to walk. A purple hue warped around him, as he called forth a controlled amount of power. This Harry had no fear. Saarin stayed quiet, Harry knew where to go. He walked into a room that reeked of stale sweat and blood. In the center was a bed. Harry balked at the sight. Tonks lay face down on the mattress. She was naked from the waist up, her back criss crossed with red lined, coiled on the bed next to her was a whip. Not one of those fancy movie style ones. This was a simple thin leather strap. It was a shape Harry knew well, when he was ten the Dursleys had decided to step up his discipline, fortunately by that age Harry had learnt how to avoid doing things wrong. But still, he was a young wizard, and accidental magic happened. At the memories a couple of lines on his back flared. Once he had started attending Hogwarts they had stopped, but still, one year was far too long. Revenge was no longer an option, it was a requirement. Tonks whimpered at the sound of approaching footsteps. Harry seethed. She must be magically bond, he thought. He knelt beside Tonks, his face close to hers.
"Tonks." He said softly, the green in his eyes growing stronger. The whimpering stopped, and her hair which had been a drab and dull brown, devoid of life, burst into a series of vivid colors.
"Harry." She said, managing to turn her head to the side. "You came for me?" She said looking at him with bright eyes that shifted through various shades. Harry nodded silently, his own eyes completely green again.
"Well isn't that touching." A voice drawled from the doorway. Tonks quickly turned her head away from the voice, making a half gasping noise. Like a curtain falling, as soon as Tonks turned away, Harry's eyes darken. He stood and turned to face a monstrous woman.
"The boy hero, comes to rescue his darling sweetheart, defeating a family of death eaters to do so." She said in a sickle sweet voice. "Only to be stopped by me." As she said this she clapped her meaty hands together, in a school girlish manner. "Do you know how much I was tortured for letting you escape from the hospital? I promise you only the Dark Lord can hold the torture curse for half an hour. But I'll try to help you understand how much that hurts." Harry glanced back at Tonks's back, placing himself directly between Tonks and this thing. The remaining green in his eyes was very small indeed.
"Oh, that," the woman said with glee, "I do prefer the muggle methods, the crutius curse is all well and good for causing pain, but I like to leave marks. You know I created the binding spell that holds her? It is very unique, it binds the body in place, but leaves the arms below the elbows, legs below the knees, and the head free to move. Do you know why I went through all that trouble? It's because I like to watch them squirm." If the woman's plan had been to intimidate Harry with this little speech, it didn't work. It had just buried the last of Harry's humanity under a mountain of rage, she had just destroyed her only change of having a body big enough to bury, never mind surviving. They thought the only thing that was left of Peter, after Sirius 'blew him up', was his finger. Harry wasn't going to be that sloppy. Harry promised himself. His aura flashed, sending power pulsing into the gauntlet. He bit his lip, tasting the blood, he didn't smile, nor speak, he gave the woman no warning. He lean forward, running towards the woman, who stood maybe ten meters away. She began to reach for her wand, pulling it out and starting to say a spell as Harry approached, but he was running hyped on anger and adrenaline, he reached her before the spell was cast. He grabbed her fist holding her wand with his left hand.
"Reducto" He said, voice deathly soft. There was a flash, and a loud crack. The woman screamed and fell to her knees. A cloud of red mist hung in the air, the woman pulled her arm close to her chest. It ended just below the elbow in a jagged stump that was pumping out lots of blood.
"That, Christina, is why you don't brag before you win." Harry hissed at the woman. He reached down and picked a slightly smoking stick, her wand. Her eyes followed it with a hunger, for another wizard to take your wand without permission, is the second worse insult in the wizarding world. Harry looked into her eyes.
"And this is why you don't try to fight when you are outmatched." He twisted his wrists and the wand snapped. The greatest insult in the wizarding world.
"NO!" The woman screamed, louder than when she had her arm blown apart.
"You only need one spell to kill, but I think I prefer the muggle way." Harry spat in her face.
"Harry…" Tonks spoke from her bed, tears streaking down her face. Green returned to Harry's eyes as he looked at Tonks. He quickly turned back to Christina.
"She has just saved you." He whispered. "But after Voldemort gets through with you for failing a second time, I doubt you'll want to thank her." And he turned away, then paused, and turned to face her again.
"Flagerate." He said waving his wand, searing the woman's bleeding arm, to stop her from dieing from blood loss.
"I would hate for you to die before he gets here." Harry said. And turned away for the last time. The black lifted from his eyes. He limped over to Tonks's bed.
Saarin, dispel it, please. Harry thought, he had grown pale, he was drained, without the awakening keeping him unnaturally powerful, he was feeling more drained than he should have been. Saarin slid forward, taking control, Harry heard his voice utter an unfamiliar spell. Tonks groaned with relief as the binding spell lifted. Harry returned to control.
Saarin, how do I get out of here? He asked.
You could try to apparate again.
No, I'm too tired, and I wasn't in control when I did it last time.
Well, this is Malfoy Manor, they must have a floo point somewhere.
Okay, where?
I don't know, I wasn't looking for that in Lucius's memories, but it would probably be near the entrance hall. Harry nodded. Harry looked down at Tonks, who still lay face down, passed out from relief? Or was it shock at what Harry had done and almost done? Now that he was human, Harry felt regret and shame at how close he had come to killing in cold blood, in Diagon Alley it had been different, here he had almost killed a defenseless woman.
But she deserved it. He thought.
Worry about it later, we need to get out of here before Voldemort, or the Ministry show up.
Harry bent down, first rolling her over, winching for her as he did so, and feeling terrible for doing so. He slid one arm under her knees and one around her back, above the cuts. He lifted her, barely, she had always been on the smaller side, but imprisonment and coma, no matter how brief, had wasted her away, but still he was drained, and injured. He managed to walk back to the main floor. But he was barely awake.
Just a little further. Saarin encouraged. Harry couldn't nod, he just took another step. One followed the other and he wandered back the way he had entered. He found a side room off the room that held a stunned Draco, a grand fireplace, with two deep pots of floo powder one on each side. Harry grabbed a handful, more than necessary, but he couldn't care less. He threw it towards the fireplace some of it missed, but most landed in the flames turning them green. Harry stepped in.
"Grimmauld Place." He said loudly and clearly, he didn't come this far to screw up now. And he spun into darkness.
Remus hung his head in despair. Grimmauld Place was crowded. Kingsley had arranged for Harry party to be moved forward a couple of days, hoping to cheer Harry up after he return from finding Tonks missing, and now the brats refused to leave until they saw Harry. Remus supposed that he should admire the loyalty that Harry friends had in him, but inviting nearly every Gryffindor in Harry's year, and several Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws seemed a bit much. But still he would not have been too bothered if it hadn't been for the Order of the Phoenix showing up for an emergency meeting. Dumbledore was still nursing a nasty burn that had proven to be resistant to healing, but over time it would fade. Between the party decorations still going up and the hushed grumbling of the Order, Remus was quite lost. Eventually he had given up on trying to evict either party and had decided to just wait for Harry. Kinsley had got a chewing out for letting Harry go, and Fred and George had got a chewing out for spiking the punch with some concoction or other. And so Remus sat in no-man's land, the library, the Order had commandeered the kitchen and the kids had taken the sitting room and several of the unused rooms down that end. Remus considered getting a drink, but decided against it, it was dangerous for werewolves to drink, the wolf was always there, beneath the surface, howling for release. The human side was stronger… most of the time, but when the body turned at the full moon, the wolf grew strong and the human was cast aside until dawn. He stared at the fire place, thinking of what James, or Sirius would say if they knew what was going on. He didn't know this so far beyond anything that they had ever thought of. And so Remus sat there, musing over lost friends and a situation that had become near hopeless.
Harry held onto Tonks for dear life as they spiraled through the floo network.
Not much further. The thought echoed through his head. Had he said that? Or was it Saarin, he was too tired to care, all that mattered was holding on to Tonks.
Remus's head snapped up as a whooshing noise erupted from the fireplace, as green flames erupted from the floor. Harry stumbled out, his robes tattered, the green flesh of the suit showing, the left side of his chest was drenched with blood. He limped forward as Remus left his chair. Harry collapsed as Remus reached him. Remus caught Tonks, without thinking about it, he placed her on the floor. He ran from the room. He burst through the kitchen door, almost knocking Molly over, a wild look in his eye, and man not quite panicked, but close.
"Kingsley!" he said, the auror looked up from the table. Remus made a frantic jerking motion with his head. The auror followed him out of the room. Remus expressed what had happened.
"What do we do?" Remus asked, "St. Mungo's is unsafe, we have the kids here, and we don't know what the Order will do." He was pacing hands running nervously through his hair.
"Relax." Kingsley said taking a deep breath. "We'll have to tell the Order." Remus's head snapped up looking at Kingsley.
"The Order can heal him, also they don't want to hurt him, they need him too much, of course once he's better we may have to move him." Kingsley continued. Remus nodded, Kingsley was right on both counts, he needed to relax and tell the order.
"You tend to them, they're in the library, I'll explain to the Order." Remus said, Kinsley was better trained in healing because of the auror training requirements. Kingsley nodded and moved off. Remus took a breath. Calm down, he ordered himself.
Harry swirled in oblivion. He was safe, he had seen Remus. Remus was safe. He had made it, that was all that mattered, and now he needed to rest.
Remus stared down at Harry as he lay there, on his bed in Grimmauld Place. In the room across the hall Tonks slept as well. One of the Order members had fetched Madam Pomfrey from her home, she now occupied a third room on this floor so that she was near her wards. Dumbledore seemed to have forgotten that Harry had almost knocked him out, and seemed to be very concerned for Harry. Remus knew that there was more going through the old man's mind than that, but he had never been able to predict Dumbledore.
The party had been removed from the house by the order members, but Ron and Hermione had been allowed to stay. It was growing dark out side, Harry's excursion only lasted a couple of hours, and he had been asleep since then. Pomfrey had just that he was completely drained, mental, physically and magically. And apart from the wound on his leg was unharmed. Remus had removed the warlock's friend and put it back into the safe. He sighed again.
"Not doing very well am I, Sirius?" He asked the ceiling. There was no reply, there never was. It sucked being the last Marauder standing.
Tonks trembled in her sleep, in her mind dreamt. She was in that room again. Unable to move, she could her coming, footsteps echoing as she entered the dark room. It happened everyday, it could happen at the same time, but Tonks had no way of knowing as she lay on mattress, quietly sobbing.
"Dumbledore." The woman said, and Tonks screamed as the lash fell on her back.
"The Light." She said, the lash fell again.
"The Order of the Phoenix." She hissed, the lash fell again. Tonks couldn't move, she was helpless.
"The Dark Lord." The woman said, her voice growing reverent. The lash didn't come down.
"Who do you choose?" The woman whispered in her ear. Tonks kept quiet, she wanted to say 'Harry, Harry you dumb bitch, I choose the one you don't even mention!' but she would never tell this woman that. The woman made a 'hmph' sound, like a mother would with a stubborn child.
"Dumbledore." She said again, the process starting again. Tonks knew what was happening, they were training her, like a dog. The Dark Lord didn't hurt, the others did, so who does she follow? She was eventually lost in the pain, her voice grew harsh, as the screams rubbed her throat raw. A the nightmare continued, never letting her leave that awful place, until Madam Pomfrey came and woke her, before giving her a peaceful sleep potion.
Across the hall Harry also dreamed. He stood in that cellar again, Christina gloating over how she so enjoyed torturing Tonks. He lost control, this time Tonks was dead, there was no one to hold him back. He watched himself slaughter the woman who only had one arm, he delighted in the smell of her blood as he blew her apart. 'Nothing left for a funeral' he thought with a savage joy, but the darkness wouldn't release him. No, it enjoyed it too much. The killing made it stronger, it wouldn't stop. He went up stair. When he left the Malfoy Manor he left a trial of blood and the mangled corpses of the Malfoys behind him. But it was not enough, he needed more. Harry watched as he just killed, killed and killed again, he couldn't stop himself, every murder made the darkness grow. When the darkness grew so great Harry thought he would suffocate beneath it he woke up.
Harry woke up screaming, Remus reached out to hold his cub, but Harry threw him aside, falling to the floor and managing to crawl a few feet before throwing up, before collapsing again. Madam Pomfrey arrived and force fed him a peaceful sleep potion before Remus levitated him back onto the bed.
The next morning a very tired looking Madam Pomfrey and Remus slunk into the kitchen, Kingsley gave them both a strong cup of coffee. The two nodded appreciatively.
"How are they doing?" He asked.
"Didn't you hear them?" Madam Pomfrey said, "Every couple of hours they woke up screaming like banshees, no matter how much potion I gave them." Remus nodded his agreement and Kingsley winched.
"Sorry, asked out of habit really." He said apologetically. Pomfrey waved her hand, dismissing any offense taken or given.
"What happened to them?" Remus asked shaking his head.
"Do really want to know?" Kingsley replied.
"Probably not, I've never seen him like that. Not even after what happened to Sirius." Remus said softly. All three spent some time staring quietly at the table top.
"Morning." Hermione said somberly as she entered the kitchen. The three adults looked up and managed weak smiles. Ron walked in a moment later. Remus offered breakfast and everyone nodded. As he got up, a horrible scream issued from upstairs. Everyone in the kitchen winched.
"I'll go" Pomfrey said swiftly getting to her feet. Remus turned back to the stove, resigned to the fact that there was nothing he could do that Pomfrey couldn't. Both Harry and Tonks refused any one coming near them, when they were awake (which meant they would be screaming too.). If this held up much longer they would have to resort to more drastic methods. Mind wiping the event from their memories was an option, but only a very last one. Hopefully they will come around soon. It was then that an owl swooped in the paper. The headline was flashing crazily.
Malfoys assaulted!
Yesterday the home of well known Lucius Malfoy was assaulted by person, or persons, unknown. The assailants are most likely in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It is a well known fact that during the previous war the Malfoys were put under an unforgivable…
The article went on at length over many theories as to what provoked such an attack. The only thing of real interest was that the ministry had a record of an unlicensed apparation into the premises but not off. Near the end of the article something caught Remus's eye. It was a list of the injuries and damages done. It was the last one that caught his eye.
Also on the property was a lady by the name Christina May, her right arm was severed below the elbow, and the missing limb is presumed destroyed. Also her wand was found, snapped, beside her…
It went on about her current condition for a while. What Remus noticed was the subtle lack of real detail, apparently either Dumbledore, the Ministry, or some other pureblood death eater were exercising influence on what went to print, or maybe all three… Dumbledore would want to protect Harry, The ministry would want the threat of attack to be made less obvious for others and the death eaters would have lots to hide. When Remus put down the paper, he looked slightly green, he silently handed the paper to Kingsley, who gave it to Madam Pomfrey when she returned. Ron and Hermione glanced over it briefly and then the meal continues in a very subdued silence. When another scream started Remus left to tend to it.
All that was left for the others to do was wait for Dumbledore and hope for good news.
A.N Just nagging you to review, it really helps, when I start a new chapter and my screen is blank, offering no clue as to what to do, it helps to think of the reviews.
(Now don't you feel guilty enough to review yet? I took me hours to make that line up honest.)
