I hoped to update slightly earlier but I got caught up last weekend, sorry. Well this was one of my favorite chapters because it was so fun to write and you kind of get down and dirty with some of the characters. Hope you all enjoy it!
Thanks to Roheryn's Knight for some awesome beta work!
Chapter Ten: Extraordinary
Four months later
Monday, 20 February 1997
Harry wiped his bloodied palms on his robes as he stood up with a sigh, stretching his arms until he felt the satisfactory pop in his bones.
A body fell lifelessly in front of him. Like all of the others, the body was marked by half-crescent gouges that decorated the skin. Eyes rolled up blankly and the body stiffened in post mortem.
He had been working as Voldemort's assassin for the past four months. He found that he was perfect the job. There were no wards that could keep him out of people's homes or safe houses and he could the job done quickly and quietly. Harry had no love for torture or killing, but he did as ordered, obeying his vows and his loyalties.
Evan hadn't been seen for four months either. Wandering around France, Harry knew that the man would be cursing the pompous wizards and witches that strutted through its eloquent streets. The extravagance of the French people would not sit well with Evan.
To Harry's surprise, however, he found that he never had to call for Evan's help ever since his departure. His magic had been suspiciously quiet and absent of Angels. Instead, it was focused on strengthening and expanding through lessons with Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers. The three trained him ruthlessly and without mercy, often ending with broken bones or missing fingers, but Harry never complained. He could feel his magic flexing and growing in leaps and bounds; a crafter's magic never stopped growing. However, he had yet to reveal his abysmal wandwork and there was no way in hell he was going to show his weakness.
Harry had gone on approximately twenty-nine missions for the Dark Lord. Twenty-nine solved missions, zero failed. The British Ministry had been following his trail of kills like a hound but they had yet to come even close to tracking him down. Harry's magic was untraceable and of its purest form, making it blend with the magic that was found pretty much anywhere. The residue magic that Aurors used to track killers was nonexistent.
Voldemort had exposed himself to the Wizarding World the next day after the Hogsmede massacre. He had appeared in the Ministry Atrium by the Fountain of Magical Brethren, destroying the wizard, witch, centaur, goblin, and house-elf with a single swipe of his wand. Death Eaters dressed in complete regalia surrounded him and they began to attack the Ministry until the Aurors had arrived.
By the time they disappeared, over thirty Ministry workers were dead and in the place of the fountain was a golden figure of Lord Voldemort, who stood arrogantly wand in one hand and scepter in the other. It was permanent and no curse-breaker could take down the statue. Instead, the enormous figure of Lord Voldemort smirked down on the Ministry, reminding each and every one of the officials of his presence and his power.
The Dark was flourishing. More and more followers were joining the cause, now undeterred with many influential Light wizards and witches dead by Harry's hand.
It wasn't a surprise when Harry was summoned to the Voldemort's room for a new mission. However, what did surprise him was the presence of the entire Malfoy family, all of who looked anxious and gaunt, and the Dark Lord, who was smirking with a self-satisfied grin.
"My Lord," Harry greeted cautiously. He had learned to recognize the moods and tempers of the Dark Lord and currently, he was in what Harry liked to call a power-magic-high.
"My little crafter," Voldemort said in a mocking tone. "Come here." He crooked his finger at the boy.
Harry obeyed, standing slightly behind the Dark Lord so that he was facing the Malfoys.
"Draco is the same age as you are, is he not?"
Harry stared at Draco's terrified figure. His blond hair fell limply against his pallid skin and his breath was coming out in quick, uneven breaths. "I believe so."
"Draco was given an extremely important task this year. I generously gifted it to him, believing that he could do something so simple."
"And the task was…?" Harry asked in trepidation.
"Why to kill Albus Dumbledore," Voldemort smirked.
Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but snort loudly. Kill Albus Dumbledore? The man was at his strongest in Hogwarts. No one, let alone a measly school boy, would be able to kill him in his own domain. The task was obviously set to fail Draco.
Harry remembered a month ago when Lucius had accidently revealed his identity as a Death Eater to the Ministry while trying to retrieve something from the Department of Ministries. He had lost all his influence within the Ministry and was forced to hide the Manor under a fidelius charm much to the Dark Lord's displeasure. With the loss of the Malfoy family's sway within the Ministry, Voldemort had lost a set of eyes as well as an inner man inside of the Ministry.
It would be an understatement to say that the Dark Lord was furious.
Now, Harry could see that Voldemort had punished Lucius through a number of cruciatus curses and burdening his son with an impossible task.
"I… assume that Draco has not done this."
Voldemort looked sickly amused. "Why don't you tell him, Draco?"
The blond swallowed heavily and met Harry's eyes. "I cursed the wrong person."
Harry felt the need to smack his forehead with his hand. That was such an amateur mistake.
"I didn't mean to," he whispered desperately, his body shaking as if undergoing the torture curse. "It was a cursed necklace. She was supposed to bring it to Dumbledore but it slipped and she ended up receiving the brunt of the curse."
"I gave Draco an ultimatum when I gifted him with this task," Voldemort said conversationally, completely ignoring the bowed Malfoys in favor of facing Harry. "He was to kill Albus Dumbledore or one of the Malfoys would die. You may not have known, Harry, but each one of them have failed me in great ways."
"Please, my Lord, I beg forgiveness," Lucius pleaded. Harry forced his head to turn away from the sight of the blond begging. He didn't seem like the person who would beg for anything, but here he was, on his knees pleading for something to grasp onto.
Voldemort ignored Lucius. "I will be moving the task from Draco's incapable shoulders to yours. I assume that yours will be strong enough to take it on?"
Harry ground his teeth. To kill Albus Dumbledore was an utterly impossible feat. He couldn't even wrap his mind around how he could even sneak into Hogwarts.
"I will try," Harry said carefully, making sure to dance around any firm assurances. "You know as well as I do, my Lord, that Dumbledore is no one to be trifled with. And he is safely hidden within the wards of Hogwarts. Evan warned me against approaching those wards—they are as ancient and powerful as the foundations of crafter magic. He fears that I will be lost in them if I get too close."
"Is Evan your Master?" Voldemort asked dangerously. He twirled his wand casually in the air. "Who do you truly serve, crafter?"
"You, my Lord," Harry revised hastily. "I will try my hardest to complete this task."
Voldemort nodded. "Then all that is left is the Malfoy's punishment." He fingered his wand in glee. "So many choices. Harry, why don't you choose?"
Harry froze. His eyes swept across the terrified forms of the Malfoys and he stiffened. "I…" he paused.
"Don't be shy, Harry," Voldemort cajoled in a hissing laugh. "They've all failed me in different ways. Serve your Master and take the life of one. That will serve an example to the others that I do not accept failure."
"Why kill them, though?" Harry asked suddenly. "Forgive me for saying so, my Lord, but the Malfoys still weld considerable power despite their association with the Dark now. They will be much more useful alive than dead. In fact… I think they may assist me in infiltrating Hogwarts and killing Dumbledore."
Narcissa looked ready to pass out and Lucius's gaze did not stray from Harry's.
Voldemort looked amused. "It still surprises me to know of your, dare I say, soft spot for Lucius. I do not give favors, Harry. Convince me."
Harry thought desperately. "I will swear a vow," he said finally. "That Albus Dumbledore will be dead by the end of this school year."
The Dark Lord's eyes sparked. The mission had been impossible from the beginning. Dumbledore was a consistent thorn to his side and Voldemort doubted that anyone but himself would be able to kill the old coot.
An experienced crafter, however, could.
"Then you will make me a vow," Voldemort hissed. "Albus Dumbledore will be dead by the end of the school year and your… pets will not be killed."
Harry bowed his head. "Thank you, my Lord."
"That does not mean they will not be punished for their failures," Voldemort said in a dark voice. His Yew wand slashed violently in the air. "Crucio!"
Draco fell onto the ground screaming and thrashing wildly. Narcissa cried out with him, her arms outstretched and knees buckling, her body only held up by Lucius's shaking hands.
Harry turned away from the sickening sight. It was nearly three minutes before the curse was lifted. Draco's screams had long turned hoarse and he curled into himself with broken sobs.
"My Lord. Please," Lucius pled, his eyes wild and skin almost white.
Voldemort tsked. "You're the next of my unfavorables, Lucius. I doubt you are in any position to ask me for anything." Smirking, he twisted his wand toward the other blond. "Crucio."
Lucius fell in a crumpled heap, thrashing in pain. He managed to muffle his screams before the pain was too much and he too let out a piercing screech of agony.
Narcissa was attempting to stifle her sobs. She turned her head away from the scene and placed a hand over her mouth to try and silence her cries.
This time, the torture lasted for a good five minutes before Lucius was released from the spell. Harry felt a similar breath of relief escape his lips.
Voldemort stared at the two shaking blonds before him with mocking eyes. "And how the mighty has fallen," he taunted.
Narcissa spoke up boldly. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears and her moth formed a hard, straight line. "Am I to be next, my Lord?"
Harry almost expected the Dark Lord to send a crucio at her just for her complete lack of respect.
"No, you will serve as our binder," Voldemort ordered. Moving in one sleek stride, he grabbed Harry's hand in a tight grip.
"Will you, Harry James Potter, agree to kill Albus Dumbledore by the end of the year in exchange for the lives of Draco, Lucius, and Narcissus Malfoy?"
"I will."
A chain of magic settled above their joined hands and sank under their skin. Vow made, Narcissa stepped back and Harry immediately let go of their joined hands.
Voldemort smirked. "I will release you from any other missions, then, so you may concentrate on this one. I expect that you will be going to Hogwarts tomorrow to inspect your hunting ground."
Harry nodded. "Draco will be returning to Hogwarts tomorrow. I will accompany him to as far as I can go." He glanced at the blond's shaking form. "He will need to be well enough to return."
"It amazes me how the prodigy of one Evan Rosier has such a soft spot for weak damsels in distress," the Dark Lord mused. "Fine. Take him. Do as you will."
Narcissa's hand landed on his arm and her nails dug sharply into his skin. "Save him," she whispered desperately. "You must save him. He is my only son."
Harry wrenched his arm away and shot her a glance. Clicking his fingers, he levitated Draco's body toward him and placed two fingers on his perspiration-coated neck, whispering a sleeping spell. He shot an apologetic look at Lucius before striding out of the room.
He needed to find wherever Severus Snape was living. He lacked the experience to heal a patient inflicted by long exposure to the cruciatus curse, especially one from Lord Voldemort
Harry decided that he might as well practice using his wand. If he was to track down and kill Albus Dumbledore, he would have to master wandmagic sometime in his life. "Point me Severus Snape," Harry whispered as he placed his wand on the flat of his palm. His Hawthorn wand twitched uselessly in his hand and coughed out a red spark.
Narrowing his eyes, Harry forced more magic through the useless stick of wood. "Point me, Severus Snape!"
This time, his wand spun around several times before slowing down to point in one direction. Following his wand, Harry found himself in front of a dark wooden door. Reaching up to the knocker, he hit the handle twice and stood back to wait. Behind him, Draco breathed shallowly.
There was a scuffle on the other side of the door and a low curse before the door was wrenched open. Snape stood with one hand still on the door, his eyes narrowed hatefully as they zeroed on Harry's form.
"What are you doing here," he spat poisonously.
Geez, what did I ever do to you? Harry thought. "I need you to heal him," he said simply, floating Draco into view.
Snape's eyes widened slightly and his mouth worked into a deep sneer. He opened the door further, just enough for Harry to squeeze through and to pull the blond with him.
"This was the Dark Lord's doing, I assume?" the Potions Master asked quietly.
Harry nodded sharply as he placed Draco gently on the couch in the middle of the room. The walls were covered with shelves that were loaded with different shapes and sizes of bottles filled with potions. Jars of unidentifiable ingredients were placed in a far corner and Harry found a newt's eye glaring at him.
Snape shoved past Harry's still form with a dark potion in his hand. Forcing Draco's jaw open, he poured the potion down his throat and muttered a spell that forced him to swallow the liquid. Draco's body immediately relaxed and a low whimper fluttered out of his mouth.
"Stupid boy," Snape muttered. He waved his wand up and down Draco's body, a pale white light streaming from the end of his wand.
"You knew his task?" Harry asked, surprised.
Snape sneered in obvious distaste but answered nevertheless. "Of course. Narcissa came to me to plead for my help and I did. Swore a vow for it and the stupid, stupid boy would not accept my help. Now, he cursed an innocent student because of his stubborn and incompetence."
"His task was transferred to me by the Dark Lord," Harry said softly. "Your vow will have no effect now. Draco will no longer have to carry the burden." It was blaringly obvious that the man, despite his sour appearance, held a sort of affection for the blond.
The man whirled around to face Harry. "To you?" he asked incredulously.
Harry frowned at the man's tone. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Snape snorted. "I don't care if you're a crafter or Merlin's incarnation. You are barely sixteen years old—a mere child. No one can kill Albus Dumbledore except the Dark Lord himself."
"Are you doubting the Dark Lord's judgment?" Harry asked softly, a dangerous undertone coating his words. "I am no child. I am well beyond my years and you know it."
"No, I do not doubt his judgment," Snape spat. "I doubt your abilities."
Giving a wordless snarl, Harry clapped his hands together and Snape was immediately immobilized. His wand was forced out of his hand and clattered uselessly to the ground while his legs and arms snapped to his body, frozen in place.
Harry stalked forward, clearly aware of the man's eyes following his every move. "I can do whatever I want with you right now," he said softly. "I don't need a wand to do it. Hell, I don't even need to speak. One small little twitch and your neck will be broken. I have been killing men and women for the Dark Lord for the past few months. Men and women who have been failed to be eliminated by Death Eaters like you. What difference is another?"
The man's eyes narrowed into furious slits. Before Harry could remember that the man was also a Master legilimus, the man dived into his mind.
Harry shouted wordlessly as he found himself plunged into memories. Memories of the Dursley's shutting him into the cupboard without care of his smashed fingers, of Dudley shoving him and Aunt Petunia reprehending him in a shrill voice, of Evan coming and saving him, of him running with werewolves during the full moon, of—
Something screamed in the distance, and there was a flash of a sickly green light and Harry's magic pulsed.
Harry was thrown across the room with a crash, his head crackling loudly on the wall behind him. His magic was alive, dancing on his finger tips and stretching out in tendrils toward Snape, who had been thrown into the opposite wall and was struggling to sit up. His magic unconsciously wrapped around his body and crawled up his body like snakes, cutting off his ability to breath and to cast magic. A dark sheen of magic covered his eyes as well and the webs of magic shimmered into view, tightening around the man's form.
Forcing himself on his feet, Harry stalked forward, every step echoing with the fury of his magic.
"You dare," he whispered. "You dare invade my mind—invade my privacy—just because of petty anger?" He twitched his fingers and tightened his magic's grasp on the man's throat. "I ought to kill you right now," he hissed, voice shaking with emotion. "I should kill you right fucking now and no one would give a shit."
Snape was slowly turning blue. His body twitched in panic but his magic held the man still.
Growling, Harry swiped his hand across the air and released his grasp on the man's windpipe. As Snape fell over, gasping heavily for air, he sneered with distaste.
"You are a bitter man, Severus Snape," Harry snarled lowly. "Do that again and I will not hesitate to kill you. You are only alive because of the Dark Lord and the Malfoys."
"G-get out," Snape rasped out, his dark eyes glimmering with fury. "Get out of my rooms right now."
Harry growled lowly under his breath. "With pleasure," he hissed. Whipping around, he twitched his fingers so that Draco's resting body floated to follow him. He stepped to the left just as a spell flew over his shoulder and exploded into the wall, sending burnt wood splinters to the floor.
Harry strode out of the door, Draco's levitated body going first. Turning his head, he shot a stinging hex at Snape and danced out the door, a dark grin forming as he heard the man's shout of pain and annoyance.
The door slammed behind him and Harry fought the urge to set it on fire.
Muttering under his breath about invasive, rude wizards, Harry stormed through the hall, his mind still ringing with the legilimus attack.
Harry entered his rooms and placed the blond carefully on the large couch that was situated in the middle of the room.
Unfortunately, the fall onto the pillow woke the blond up and he sat up gasping, his eyes widening and his pale lips opening to emit a small moan of pain.
"What—" he rasped out. He groaned again in pain.
Harry summoned a pain reliever from the bathroom and pressed the cold edge of the vial to Draco's lips so that the potion spilled into his mouth.
"Drink this. Slowly," Harry murmured, wondering why he was giving so much care to the boy. He could see a shadow of Lucius's face on the blond and he sighed.
Voldemort was right. He did have a soft spot for blonds.
Draco swallowed and licked his lips to catch the last few drops of potion on his chapped lips.
"Where's my father?" he asked in a shaking voice. He grimaced at the tremor and attempted to steel himself.
"He's still with the Dark Lord," Harry said softly, causing Draco to start.
"What?" Draco shouted. He attempted to sit up, only to sink down with a hand on his throbbing head and a groan of pain.
"Don't do that you idiot," Harry growled, pushing down on the blond's shoulder so that he would remain lying down down. "Your father will be fine. Now tell me about your mission."
Draco paled. "Why?"
"Just tell me," Harry snarled, his patience wearing thin.
The blond shrank back. "The Dark Lord gave me the mission after my father failed to retrieve something for him. I… I thought I could do it myself. Dumbledore is nothing but an old coot. I bought a cursed necklace from Borgin and Burkes and imperio'd this girl to take it to him. Something slipped and she touched it." Draco turned a sickly color of puce. "Merlin, I didn't want to kill her."
"Tell me about what happened when you gave the girl the necklace," Harry ordered.
Draco swallowed loudly. "Her name was Katie Bell…"
Flashback
Draco strolled across the snow-dusted grounds of Hogsmede, his body stiff and wand clutched tightly in his right hand. School had started months ago and the Dark Lord had given him the task.
Kill Albus Dumbledore.
It was an impossible task. Likely given as a punishment to Lucius, Draco nevertheless held up under the task without a hitch. He would not fail where his father did. The Dark Lord would see that he would become a worthy Death Eater and he would earn a position a prestigious as the one his father held.
The streets were filled with students from Hogwarts, each wearing heavy cloaks and scarves with respective house color. The shouts and laughs of joy grated on Draco's nerves and he turned away from the sickening sight.
Hogsmeade was slowly being put back together after Lord Voldemort's reveal. It had taken a good month to repair the broken buildings and the charred streets and another month for people to regain courage to roam the streets. Aurors were now posted in each corner, their crimson cloaks standing out obtusely from the black cloaks of shoppers.
Despite the guards, Draco was able to slip away to Knockturn Alley to visit Borgin and Burkes to purchase a certain item that would bring about Dumbledore's death.
"This is an opal necklace," Mr. Borgin had said in a shaking reverent tone. He carefully pulled out the velvet pillow on which the necklace rested on. It had a silver chain that was decorated light blue opals, each one shining ominously in the dim light. "She's a beauty for sure. Rumored to have killed nineteen muggles before it came into my shop." His eyes glinted with dark excitement.
Draco had looked at the necklace with well hidden interest. "What does it do?"
"Whoever touches this necklace would be put under a horrendous curse that would torture the wearer into death. It is a painful death for sure—perfect for enemies, Mr. Malfoy," Mr. Borgin said in a gleeful voice.
"How much?" Draco asked in a cold voice.
"Seventy-five galleons."
Draco blanched. "Don't fool me, Borgin," he said lowly, drawing himself up so that he imitated the intimidating figure of his father. He swept his ice blue eyes across the shopkeepers hunched over figure and sneered.
"Sixty for the young Malfoy Lord," Mr. Borgin offered. "I will go no lower."
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Forty."
"Sixty. Take it or leave it," Mr. Borgn said sternly. "I'm running a shop that sells illegal Dark artifacts in the middle of a Light Ministry of Magic, Mr. Malfoy, it is hard enough to find artifacts this precious."
"Sixty it is," Draco had confirmed. As he leaned over to pay the sufficient galleons, he reached over to grasp the man's left forearm. "The Light will not stand for long," he hissed lowly. Reaching back, he flung the sleeve back on his left arm to showcase the Dark Mark. "He is moving. And this time, he has something invaluable on his side. The Dark will win."
And then Draco had left, the necklace packaged heavily in brown paper. He gripped the package tightly and apparated back to Hogsmeade
He appeared in front of Three Broomsticks, not a hair out of place. There was no way that he could deliver the necklace to Dumbledore himself. He'd have to "convince" someone to do it for him. Opening the door into the pub, he sneered at the crowded room, particularly at a table which held a number of rowdy Gryffindors including the filthy red Weasel.
Walking by the tables with a sneer of disgust plastered on his face, he strode into a table in the back where his fellow Slytherins were drinking Butterbeers.
Theodore Nott looked up from his drink and gave a cordial nod to Draco. Blaise Zabini did the same before he returned back to what looked like a heated argument with Millicent Bulstrode.
"Draco!" Pansy Parkinon had said in a happy voice. "I thought you said you couldn't make it today!"
"I changed my mind," Draco said absentmindedly as he scanned the room. The necklace throbbed in his pocket and he recoiled at the feeling of the oily black magic that oozed from the opals.
"Well let's get you a drink then," she said, snapping her fingers rudely in the air so that Madam Rosmerta could come and take that order. "One butterbeer," she said in a snotty tone, her little pert nose turned upwards.
Madam Rosmerta's voice turned cold. "Anything else?"
Draco felt the impulse strike him. "Yes," he said quietly before raising his wand discreetly under the table. "Imperio."
Her body turned rigid and her eye clouded over. The table fell silent.
"Draco?" Pansy hissed. "Are you daft?"
"What in Merlin's name?" Blaise snarled, reaching over to claw at Draco's wand arm. "Do you want to be arrested by the Aurors? Get us all arrested?"
Draco ignored them. He cast a notice-me-not charm on their table and placed the brown package in the front of her apron. "Take this and put it in the loo. Imperio the first student to take it to Albus Dumbledore," he ordered quietly so that none of his schoolmates would hear him.
Madam Rosmerta nodded jerkily and started walking to the direction of the loo.
Theodore raised his wand and cast a privacy charm. "Are you crazy, Draco?" he hissed. "We get enough shit being Slytherins and children of known Death Eaters. What do you think will happen when word gets out that you've imperiused Madam Rosmerta?"
"Nothing, because no one will know." Draco sent a steely look at the four Slytherin around the table. Thank Merlin for small mercies that Crabbe and Goyle were stuck in Hogwarts serving detention with Filch. The two lumbering oafs couldn't keep a secret for anything.
"Yes, yes, we won't go running to Dumbledore," Blaise said impatiently, waving his hand to emphasize the point. "But you have to tell us what the hell you were thinking. It's in the middle of the day and security has never been higher in Hogsmeade. The Aurors will catch you, Draco."
"No they won't," he said smugly. "I've covered my tracks. Besides, no one even saw a thing. You lot can be my witnesses."
"Like the Ministry will believe us," Theodore snorted. "You're an idiot."
Pansy seemed more understanding. "Does this have to do with your… mission?"
The table fell silent again. All four knew that the Dark Lord gave Draco a mission in the beginning of their Sixth year. He hadn't told him what he had to do, but imperio-ing Madam Rosmerta seemed a good indication of what he had to do.
"Yes," Draco said shortly. Before he could say anything else, his eyes caught a girl—a Gryffindor—walking through the bar, her eyes glazed over, with another girl chasing after her.
He stood up abruptly. "I have to go," he said quickly.
"What?" Pansy asked incredulously. "Look, your Butterbeer didn't even arrive yet! And you still must tell us what you're doing. You can't leave your friends out of this."
Draco sneered at the word, friends. Friends. They were acquaintances, nothing more. Ignoring Pansy's shout of protest and Theodore's snort of disgust, he left without a glance back, his eyes fixed on the girl's retreating back.
He followed at a short distance, casting a charm so he could hear their conversation.
"What are you doing, Katie?" the other girl, Leanne, said. "You—we didn't even get to drink our Butterbeers!"
"I have to get back to the castle," the girl with the necklace said hotly, not even pausing in her stride.
Draco noticed that the girl was Katie Bell, a chaser to the Gryffindor Quidditch team and inwardly cheered.
"Why would you need to—wait, what's in your hand?" Leanne asked, moving forward so she could see the package better. "Where did you find that?"
Katie shrugged off her friend's insistent hand. "It's nothing. Let me go, Leanne, I have to get back to Hogwarts."
Leanne followed her friend's wild pace. "Why do you need to go back?"
"I have to find Albus Dumbledore," Katie stated.
Leanne paused shortly. "What?" she asked incredulously. Striding forward, she moved so that she was in front of Katie and put both of her hands on the shorter girl's shoulders. "Katie. There's something going wrong here. You're acting all weird and you still have the package you found in the loo. We need to find help."
"I'm fine." Katie said angrily. "Get out of my way, Leanne. I need to find Albus Dumbledore."
"Something's wrong with you," Leanne said in a shaking voice. Her skin turned pale. "Did someone curse you? Who did you see in the loo?"
"Nothing!" Katie screamed, using her left hand to push at Leanne's body. "Move or I'll make you move."
"Do you even hear yourself?" Leanne screamed. "Let go of the package, Katie. It must be what's making you act all odd. Merlin, you need help." She turned around to the staring bystanders. "Help us!"
Katie shrieked in anger and moved to shove away her friend. But as she moved, the paper covering the necklace shifted and part of the chain fell through so that it dangled freely in the air. Her gloved hand came in contact with the necklace and touched her skin through a hole in the cloth.
She immediately dropped package and rose into the air, her arms outstretched and her mouth open in a scream of anguish. She screamed and screamed, her eyes staring blankly out in front of her and her body trembling with obvious strain.
Leanne screamed with her.
Draco recoiled and slipped into a nearby alley as Aurors dashed to the scene, their wands outstretched and their voices snapping out sharp commands.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, he swore under his breath. He fucking cursed the wrong person. What was he? Five?
The Aurors scrambled around in a chaotic mess and Katie had long fallen silent, her throat working out silent screams. Leanne was hysterical, an Auror holding her as she doubled over in sobs.
Draco felt sick to his stomach. He didn't want to hurt her, damn it. He wasn't a killer. He could never be.
A hand slammed onto his shoulder and Draco was pressed back harshly against the cold stone wall behind him. He met the dark eyes of Snape and relaxed, allowing his head to hit the wall in relief.
"Merlin, I thought you were an Auror," he whispered.
"I'm worse," Snape said waspishly. "You are a fool, Draco. Did you think that a cursed necklace would bring down one of the most powerful wizards to grace this world?"
Draco scrunched up his face. "It would have worked," he argued vehemently before slumping down in defeat. "I didn't mean to have her touch it. I didn't want to hurt anyone."
"Thanks to your truly ingenious plans, you did," Snape snapped without mercy. "And you will face the consequences. I do not think that anyone will suspect you, but your father and the Dark Lord will hear of your failure. They will not be happy, Draco."
Draco shrank into himself. "Merlin, I've really screwed up, didn't I?" he muttered into his hands.
Snape leaned back with a contemplative look in his eyes. "You did," he murmured lowly.
Flashback ends
Draco dipped his head down when he finished the story, his body heaving in heavy breaths.
Harry leaned back and looked away so that the blond could have a moment in his weakness.
"So what happens now?" Draco asked quietly. "The girl died—the Healers at St. Mungos couldn't save her in time. The Dark Lord said he gave the task to you."
"Yes," Harry confirmed with a sharp nod. "You will bring me to Hogwarts tomorrow when you return to school so that I can look over where I will be hunting."
"It's impossible, you know right?" Draco said bitterly as he sat up. "You can't kill Dumbledore. I was too foolish to see it, but I think you're smart enough to see a trap in front of you."
"It's not a trap," Harry said a bit too sharply. "I know what I'm doing, Draco. I can kill him where you couldn't."
The trademark Malfoy sneer was in place. "I'm older than you. How can you kill him? We're the same wizard, Potter, don't let that scar inflate your head too much."
Harry was shocked into silence. Was the boy so daft that he had forgotten that he was a crafter? Why would he even bring up his scar? "What are you talking about?" he asked incredulously.
"You think you're so great, waltzing in and taking all the attention from the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, and Merlin, even my father. You think you're so special because you're the Boy-Who-Lived?"
"The Boy who what?" Harry wondered in flabbergast. "What rubbish is that?"
"Your name," Draco sneered.
There was no way that his name was this ridiculous title. He felt all the frustration and the anger from the night build up inside of him and burst through his well-constructed dam. "What in Merlin's name is wrong with all of you?" he screamed out, his hands coming up to grip at his hair in agitation. "I don't even know what to say—aargh! Are all of you driven by petty jealousy and anger?" He bit down on his fist to keep himself from saying more. His body heaved in anger and he stared at Draco with daggers in his eyes. "Rest here. Tomorrow you bring me to Hogwarts. Don't talk to me for the rest of the day. I don't even want to see you looking at me."
Harry stomped away from the frozen blond. Before he could slam the door to his private room, he turned and poked his head out. "You're welcome for saving your and your family's life, by the way," he called out scathingly before shutting the door with a loud bang.
Kicking post of his bed in frustration, Harry swore as he hopped around with one foot, cursing Death Eaters and the universe in general.
Snape and Malfoy be damned. Harry was tired of being pushed around like some five-year old boy with no grasp on is powers. He was a crafter for Merlin's sake.
Grumbling to himself, Harry slid into his bed and pulled the thick covers over his head with a tired sigh. Flicking the lights off with a twitch of his finger, Harry closed his eyes and forced his mind to rest.
I will find a way to kill Albus Dumbledore.
The next day, Harry found himself looking up at the grand castle in front of him with clear astonishment. He had seen images of Hogwarts in history books and he had done a fair share of imagining what the school looked like but nothing compared to the sheer magnificence the castle held in person. It loomed over the large span of land, its tall buildings and waving flags standing tall over the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake. There were children littering the courtyard and sitting under trees, laughing with friends or reading a textbook studiously.
It was the perfect picture of a normal teenage life.
Harry felt a sense of resentment and something akin to desire rising inside of him and squashed the emotions away with a disciplined thought. It wouldn't do to start thinking about normal. Evan hated that word. Loathed it.
You aren't normal, Evan had told him. You aren't the same as everyone else. You don't fit in. You aren't a typical boy, Harry. You don't want normal. You can't be normal. You don't need normal because you are extraordinary and when you're extraordinary, you need nothing but yourself. Don't be another mindless sheep of the herd. Be the wolf.
Steeling himself, Harry straightened, reaching out to grasp Draco's wrist when the blond attempted to walk away.
"Don't touch me," Draco snapped, wrenching his arm away.
Harry fought back a sneer. "You don't leave yet," he ordered. "Wait."
Ignoring the disgruntled look from the blond wizard, Harry clenched his hand into a fist and summoned his magic to his eyes. With his left hand, he delicately grasped a string of magic and twisted it one way so he could—
The webs of magic surrounding Hogwarts slammed into view and the pure amount of magic sent Harry stumbling back and tripping onto his backside. The castle was blurred with webs, each wrapped around one and another leaving no loose ends. They were of all covers, each with thick, unbreakable strings that vibrated and hummed with protective magic. There were enchantments and curses and spells and wards of every kind, each tying back to the castle itself and even into the forest.
It was impenetrable to anyone with malicious intent.
"Fuck," Harry swore quietly as Draco laughed unkindly at his fallen form.
He would have to find a way to either assassinate the Headmaster of Hogwarts outside of school or sneak into the castle. It would have been much easier to have a student to the job, but it was obvious that Draco was too incompetent. Most school children were. They were too normal.
But Harry wasn't normal. He was extraordinary.
Distantly, Harry could hear Draco's snobbish voice. "I've got to go back to school now. You enjoy your rightful place on the ground.
Harry paid little attention as the blond left, walking up to the castle and slipping through the wards with predictable ease. He narrowed his eyes as the webs draped over Draco's figure before releasing him once they recognized his status as a student.
There would have to be a lot of planning before he could even start thinking about how to kill Dumbledore.
Maybe even extraordinary wouldn't be enough.
So? What did you think? I wanted to do a scene of Draco attempting to kill Dumbledore with the necklace because J.K. Rowling never gave us Draco's POV on the event in the books or the movie. Imagining it in the au world of my story was a lot of fun to write. What did you think? Realistic enough?
Kamorie: Let's be honest here. Voldemort is never sane. Ever. But yes, Harry will face the consequences of his actions sometime in the future. Thanks for the review!
Albionia: Ha, I see what you did there. And well Harry will eventually find his way. Possibly. Keep reading and find out (; Thanks for the review!
aspygirlredo: Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to introduce a pairing in this story. The main focus is more of Harry's status as a crafter rather than is love life. Even if I did have a pairing, I just don't see my Harry with Tom/Voldemort. Sorry for the disappointment but I promise there will be some Tom and Voldemort action you will probably enjoy. Thanks for the review and input!
Loveandpower: Huh good point. Harry never got the urge to save Evan because Evan was never really in true danger from the crucio and he was so far away and exhausted. It hurts but it's not life threatening. If Harry was there in person watching Evan be tortured, I'm sure things would've been different. Also, you'll have to wait and see about the elder wand but so far from what I have planned, it does not play a major role. Thanks for the chapters and inquiries as usual!
autumngold: Harry wasn't at his maturity with the Dursleys. He could see and touch magic but he was no where near strong or connected enough to be reached byy the Angels. And sadly, the powers just get darker. But it will not be a dark Harry story; I like to try and keep his morals intact. Thanks for the review!
Ah thank you all so much for your input! It means a lot to get so many thoughts and comments on what I write and it honestly really helps me shape the story as I write.
Anyways, I foresee a pretty rough next chapter. Hogwarts is almost on the horizon!
Leave me a review and tell me your thoughts!
