A/N: Thank you all for the lovely by posting this chapter earlier then expected I can focus solely on my other w.i.p. for everyone to enjoy.
Hopefully is the key term however...
Besides that I dearly hope you all enjoyed this new installment! I think this chapter will really start to show the darker aspects of Harry's mental psyche; and probably lead to a lot more people freaking out over him. Sadly nothing is ever normal in the life of Harry Potter and he's going to find out just how wrong things can go in one day. Just have to love Murphey's law.
Also I would like to dedicate this chapter to darknightstalker. They gave me a wonderful idea for this chapter that I hope may help the story flow along to an interesting direction. To that end I dearly hope they enjoy how their suggestion was used.
To that end; onwards to the story.
Warnings: Dark themes in this chapter; mentions of torture; death.
Also; when characters use § it's to signify parseltongue.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Luckily, the two of them made it to class with time to spare. Not wanting to be late to his godfather's class, and as a show of goodwill to Harry; Draco had shown the younger teen some of the secret passageways the slytherins use to reach the dungeons and other parts of the school. The secret tunnel they entered was lit up with a few charmed candles and had a strange earthy smell to it. Harry was in awe of the passageways; and found them to have a lot of potential when it came to spying. A small smile filled his face at the thought, now he knew why Snape was always able to catch Ron and him when they misbehaved. Draco grinned when he caught sight of Harry's smile and went on to explain that the walls were all filled with interconnecting tunnels for the students to use in case they were ever found themselves late to class; or to hide in from times of old when the castle could have been attacked. The blonde had then smirked and remarked that if a student tried to use the tunnels without the permission of a slytherin; they would be cursed and lose their way in the dark tunnels without light for a day or two. Given the nasty grin the blonde was sporting, Harry easily assumed such a thing had happened more then once.
Thankfully when they finally reached the classroom a seat each had been saved for the two. Blaise had looked at them with a glint of amusement in his eyes before turning back to the front and adopting a rather bored expression; the seat next to him unoccupied and obviously saved for Draco. Hermione had an odd expression on her face as she eyed him before softly patting the empty seat next to her for Harry to take. The students hushed slightly when the duo entered the room before frowning in confusion as they stared at the two unabashed.
After all, it wasn't often that the slytherin prince and the gryffindor golden boy came to class together, in fact, it had never happened before.
Rather it was more usual to see an odd hex thrown their way as they would taunt each other between classes; their infamous rivalry well known amongst the students. Yet as the slytherins and gryffindors watched the two smile and whisper softly as if close friends; they all started to wonder just when the dynamic had changed.
After a quick goodbye, Harry parted ways with Draco and sat next to Hermione, giving her a soft smile as she looked at him inquisitively.
"You were with Draco…" She started slowly, as if trying to study his reaction to her words before continuing.
He smiled and nodded his head as he pulled out his potions set. "I was."
She hummed thoughtfully, twirling her quill as she tried to look nonchalant, yet a simple glance at her guarded eyes told him she was anything but. "That's new."
Harry simply shrugged at her. "We decided to work out our differences 'mione." His eyes dulled for a moment, making her worry at the sudden change. "We shouldn't waste our time with petty arguments." He looked down at his workbook and idly traced one of his countless doodles, smiling sadly at the small animated snitch that flew around his finger. "You never know how much time we have left after all." He murmured softly.
Hermione frowned and moved to question him before the door opened rather abruptly; letting in a scowling Snape.
His robes billowed around him as he gave them all a harsh glare. His eyes paused momentarily at Harry and seemed to look at him with a hint of concern before turning to the blackboard and writing down the potion they had to brew.
"Get to work." He snapped at them before moving around to inspect them as they started on the days practical.
Hermione groaned as she read the directions from the blackboard. "Of course he would assign the hardest ones before break." She muttered before looking over at Harry. "Will you need any help with it?"
Harry looked at the board; it was a variation of the befuddlement draught. Living nightmare; while it was fatal if used long enough the one they were to brew today would only have a mild affect on the user; giving them a small case of chills and maybe making their heart rate rise as they were filled with paranoia should their potion be too strong. Harry couldn't help but grimace. The potion had been a favorite of Toms to use against captured Order members when it came to torturing them. After all what better way to break someone down then to make them live through their worst nightmares constantly? The potion would be administered daily until the Order member finally broke down and either killed themselves by biting off their tongue or just gave over the information Tom desired.
Unfortunately in his opinion; Harry was never on the receiving end of such a potion.
After all; the hell Tom delivered him to was much worse then any potion could hope to give him. On some days as he listened to the other prisoners screamed he couldn't help but feel jealous that their torture was only mental.
It seemed so kind to him.
"Harry?"
He shook out of his thoughts and smiled at the bushy haired brunette. "No it's fine I can make it."
Hermione frowned; obviously not convinced. "But Harry" She started. "Your potions aren't that great." She cringed slightly at her choice of words. "It's not like you can't improve of course, but with all the time you and Ron usually spend flying or playing chess…"
She stopped and bit her bottom lip, obviously worried she overstepped his boundaries and upset him.
He sighed inwardly as he readied his potion ingredients; and yet another difference made itself known to him. He'd had to learn about potions in order to survive before. After all, for the stronger healing draughts, just a small variant or mistake could turn it into a poison; and with the war, there was no room for failure or to simply laze about peacefully. He shook his head at the girl before checking the water in his cauldron to make sure it was bubbling. "It's fine Hermione."
She sighed and turned to her own cauldron, discreetly glancing his way every now and then should she need to interfere.
Harry smiled at her antics and adjusted the fire before adding in the chopped newts eyes and stirring once counterclockwise.
He bit back a laugh as he watched Snape walk around the room with a pinched expression, it seems some of the students had already messed up the potion, and he was anything but amused at their lack of concentration for such a particular brew.
Harry smiled nostalgically, Merlin had he missed this. The room was dark and gloomy and had a dank and moldy smell to it; but with everyone silent as they concentrated on their potions; and only a few odd whispers here and there, it was nice and peaceful. A sense of calm and peace filled him and this time he let out a soft sigh as he continued to work. Feeling oddly at home for the first time since he'd awoken.
Taking out some dried bat wings he began to grind them, making sure they were finely powdered before adding them to the potion.
Hermione almost panicked as she looked at his work worriedly; tensing slightly as she obviously waited for it to explode. "Harry!" She whispered sharply. "It says crushed not powdered!"
Harry merely shook his head and stirred the potion before adding in whole white lilac petals.
Hermione looked like she was going to faint as she watched him. He couldn't help but chuckle at her reactions. "Relax Hermione." He murmured softly before glancing over at her potion as it turned a dark magenta. "You need to add the beetle wings now."
Squeaking she turned and quickly added the ingredients, sighing in relief when it turned a soft grey; signally the potion was almost complete.
She shook her head as she watched him bottle his potion. It was a dark grey colour, a bit more potent then they were supposed to create but would earn him points nonetheless. "It's odd Harry…" She frowned as she looked at him, as if trying to solve a puzzle yet failing. "You never used to be so good with potions." She scrunched up her nose in memory. "In fact, I know you used to fail purposely just because of some silly animosity you have with the professor." She shook her head and looked at him curiously. "So how did you know what to do, and so perfectly as well?"
He smiled sadly at her.
The hospital wing was filled with gravely injured children. Some of them were crying for their parents and Harry almost gagged when he noticed all the blood and burn marks on their young bodies. Some of the injured were only first years; they barely even knew magic and already were being harmed by it so cruelly.
Hermione rushed towards him and pulled him away from the wing; a determined look on her face as she looked straight ahead, not once paying attention to the heartbreaking cries and whimpers behind her.
At his questioning look she just smiled; a sad and broken smile filled with desperation.
"This can't continue Harry…" She looked away as a teacher brought up another bloodied child. "There's too many injured and not enough potions to treat them."
He nodded solemnly, his heart breaking as he spotted yet another injured child crying from pain their young bodies should never feel. "What… what can we do though?"
She smiled that painful smile again before leading him to the dungeons where a pale and gaunt Snape waited; his face showing just how tortured he was by the recent events.
"We learn…"
He gripped her hand tightly as she led him to a bubbling cauldron.
"We learn what we must in order to survive."
"I…" He frowned and looked down at his dark grey potion. "We had to learn… if we…"
Hermione frowned and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Harry… what do you-"
"SEAMUS NO!"
Neville screamed loudly in panic as a terrified Seamus realized his mistake. His potion started to bubble eerily; the once grey potion turning a gruesome black.
Severus cursed and made his way over to them, not yet noticing just how dangerous the potion had become.
Harry reacted quickly; his instincts kicking in before he even realized he'd moved. Running over to the potion he knocked Seamus out of harm's way and quickly cast a shield over the class; unfortunately in his panic to protect them he forgot to include himself behind the shield.
Before he could even realize his mistake the potion finally exploded, the black cauldron cracking in two as the now dark potion clung to his skin, the burning liquid coating him in black slime. He felt himself drop to the floor as the room started to blur away; he could faintly see Hermione pounding on the shield with Ron. As the room started to darken he faintly saw Snape take out his wand and wave it around. All too soon they disappeared from sight; all too soon his nightmares began once more.
Tom laughed as he stood before him; his wand held almost lazily in his hand.
"You're such a good little boy Harry…" He smirked at him while pulling at the youth's dark ebony locks painfully. "What curse will you let me try on you next?"
The vision changed and Harry could faintly hear himself screaming; though if it was in reality or in his dreams he didn't know.
"What would you give me for them Harry?" Tom asked softly as he petted Harry's bloodstained hair. His torture had been worse then usual today. The ruby eyes man had failed in one of his planned raids and decided to play with Harry to take away his anger. The teen couldn't move, his back once again broken, leaving him paralyzed as he stared up at dark rubies. Tom smiled sweetly at him before turning his chin harshly until he was forced to look at the muggle children the death eaters had captured during the raid. Their small innocent faces were tear stained as they huddled close together, quietly sobbing as they looked at the gathered death eaters with fear.
"What would you let me take?"
Harry coughed up blood as he looked up at Tom pleadingly. He knew it was futile but he had to try; Merlin he couldn't bare to see it happen again, not again. "Don't…" His voice was hoarse from his screaming earlier as he begged; hating himself for being so weak.
For not being able to protect anyone.
"Don't hurt them."
Tom sneered darkly at Harry and quickly threw an all too familiar green spell at one of the children; making them all scream as the little boy fell; dead eyes looking up in confusion. The children started to cry loudly as they looked at the child.
Too young to understand death.
Too innocent to understand what will happen now.
Raising his hand he slapped Harry harshly, the loud sound silencing the children as they looked at Tom in shock, not being used to such a display of violence.
Harry looked up at the man with blank eyes as a small trail of blood leaked from the side of his mouth; the skin having been cut from the small show of abuse.
Tom stood slowly, a dark look distorting his beautiful features as he roughly kicked at Harry's already broken ribs.
§Never order me!§ He hissed angrily; his red eyes glowing with anger and power.
Taking a deep breath he smiled softly and bent down; his long fingers playing once more with Harry's hair. His grip tightened on the ebony locks and ignoring the soft whimper betraying Harry's pain at the action he slowly lifted up the broken body from the floor by the boy's shoulder length hair. He turned Harry so that once more he was facing the children; smiling cruelly as he eyed the tears falling silently down the young teens cheeks; showing just how much pain his body was in from the harsh movements.
Harry couldn't even scream from the pain, it was too much effort for his lungs. He looked at the children with despair; wishing he could magic them away; that he could save them from their fate.
But his reserves were low; and the punishment for such bravery too cruel.
Tom turned and smiled at his death eaters before making sure Harry was watching the small children. He kissed the boy's bloodied cheek and grinned.
"Kill them."
He could feel his mental shields crack under the strain as more and more nightmares filled his vision. No longer was he fourteen and with friends. No longer was the air clean and fresh.
His friends were all dead.
His family dead.
Hogwarts had fallen.
All he could smell was his own blood and filth as Tom attacked him emotionally and psychically on a daily basis. His hope at being saved dropping a little more each day. His soul shattered just a little more each time he caught sight of that beautiful smiling visage.
He was back in his cell being used as a test subject for new dark spells Tom had been reading up on.
No.
He'd never left in the first place.
He started to laugh and cry as the pain overwhelmed him; not being able to tell if it was psychical or mental.
He could no longer care enough to tell the difference.
It all hurt the same.
Tom was approaching him again. Wand held in his hand as he walked with a nonchalant grace. He tutted softly as he neared Harry's bloodied and broken body.
The small teen didn't even lift up his face to look at the man; too tired to move.
It wasn't worth the pain.
"Poor Harry." He cooed softly. "So broken."
He bent down and whispered softly in his ear as Harry struggled to keep breathing; his earlier injuries still unhealed. His breath became ragged as he felt his body being lifted. He stared up at ruby red eyes with fear.
"Don't worry my little doll; I'll make you all better again."
§NO!§ Harry screamed loudly as he tried to move away from the caring arms; knowing it was all just a ruse to break him even more.
It was just a trick.
It was always just a trick.
§Stop! Stop it!§ He screamed and struggled weakly as something was forced down his throat; most likely to fix his broken bones.
Tom always did enjoy seeming caring when he healed him.
He felt himself go limp in those hateful arms and continued to sob brokenly.
"Please…" He begged, as he felt too familiar fingers rub his hair in a seemingly soothing manner.
He couldn't take it anymore.
He would give the man whatever he wanted.
Just make the pain stop.
"Please just kill me."
The arms holding him stilled for a moment; and he felt his heart beat in excitement.
Would Tom finally grant his wish?
"Harry."
The voice; a deep baritone; normally so rough and yet at the moment sounded so soft. The speaker sounded as if he were in pain.
That couldn't be right.
He opened his eyes slowly and looked around in confusion.
His cell was gone; he was back in the potions classroom.
The shield he had thrown up earlier had long since disappeared.
All of the students were pale; their faces drawn with worry; even some of the slytherins were looking at him with concern. Draco seemed unsure of what to do and Blaise was no better.
Hermione was silently sobbing next to Ron; the red head holding her in a comforting manner as he looked at his friend with a pain filled expression.
Seamus was the worst. The Irish boy had tears running down his face as he looked at Harry with so much guilt; that it threatened to swallow him whole.
"I'm so sorry Harry; I'm so sorry!" The young teen stammered out as his body trembled with barely suppressed sobs. "It's all my fault; I'm so sorry."
Harry frowned as he looked at the teen.
"I..." He started; why was his voice so hoarse? "I don't understand."
The hand in his hair resumed its ministrations and he looked up in surprise to see sorrow filled onyx looking upon him.
"It's over Harry… the nightmares are over."
Harry felt tears run down his face as he shook his head.
Faintly he could still hear that all too familiar dark chuckle.
"No…" He smiled sadly at the potions master, his body trembling from phantom pain as his eyes overfilled with tears.
"It's never over."
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this new installment and will continue on to see what will befall Harry next. Also please leave a review if you enjoyed this new chapter; they make me smile so much when I see someone enjoying this tale.
I also wish to mention I have now made a fanpage for this story and O.S.A.B.. I plan to use the pages to provide notes on the chapters; trivia on certain characters; along with back stories and history that may or may not be mentioned in the actual story and much more. Should any real interest be shown for the pages; I'll start running them and showing all the interesting tidbits that exist in these worlds. If not; I'll just stick to the random notes I leave about the tales on my profile page.
If you wish to check out the page and join it; I've already added links in my profile for anyone to do so should they wish it. The pages are pretty bare at the moment since I don't wish to use too much effort on something that may not be well received.
Anywho; I hope you enjoyed this new installment and will stick by for more!
Thank you.
Till next time.
