Title: Throw It All Away
Author: Sacharissa Donerail
Rating: M
Content: adult language, m/m, implied abuse/incest, death, torture
Pairing: DM/HP, implied LM/SS, implied LM/DM
Disclaimer: None of these characters, places, etc. belong to me. I claim no ownership to the characters. No profit is being made off this story.
Summary: AU // Harry, a member of an ancient society charged with protecting humans from vampires. To avenge the murder of his parents and to punish the one responsible, Harry must join forces with the only son of his enemy. Will he lose himself in the process?
Author's Notes: This story was started almost six years ago. I have extensive files on the creation of every character, as well as explanations of the various vampire "clans" found in my story, available upon request. I drew inspiration from every possible source of vampire fiction, most specifically "Vampire: The Masquerade" and "Blade," but NOT "Twilight". "Twilight" didn't even exist when I started this story. Please remember that. :D
Chapter 12
"Take another second
Turn your back on me
And make believe that you're always happy
It's safe to say you're never alive
A big part of you has died
And by the way, I hope you're satisfied"
"Awake" by Godsmack
Harry had only been inside the Arcanamala's trial chamber once before, but as he stared, he found the room to be more terrifying than he remembered it. The room was round, with curved wooden benches and a raised podium for the judge. In the middle of the room was another raised platform, and standing on it was Lucius Malfoy. His arms and legs were both shackled with heavy, silver chains, and he was not the man that Harry had met two months before. Lucius was clothed in only a simple pair of grey slacks and a matching grey tunic. His hair had been cut short, his cheek bones standing out due to considerable weight loss. Harry could see the fury burning in his eyes, but the silver in the chains kept him rooted to the spot, and Harry knew that no one had anything to fear from him. He was a broken man, far from the haughty aristocrat he had once been, and Harry took a grim satisfaction in the sight of such a powerful vampire completely at the mercy of humans.
The trial room was crowded. There were faces Harry did not recognize, but most of them were people he had known his entire life, his parents' colleagues who had been waiting, just as Harry had, for justice. Scanning the crowd, Ginny Weasley caught Harry's eye, and she favored him with a smile and a nod, and Ron did the same from his spot beside her. Harry had spent a lot of time with the Weasleys after the battle that night in the Arcanamala, the three of them working diligently on some kind of defense for Draco.
The Arcanamala had seized Lucius Malfoy after the rest of his conspirators had been defeated that night, but casualties were high. The Arcanamala had suffered most of the damage, but all the vampires who had joined Lucius that night had been thrown in jail along with him.
Including Draco.
Harry closed his eyes, his mind going back a month to the last time he had seen Draco. The Arcanamala had seized him and taken him to jail, but under Albus' instructions, he was treated more like someone in protective custody rather than the way the rest of the vampires that had been caught were being treated. Two weeks had passed since Harry had been allowed to visit Draco, who looked completely terrified in his cell. The paint on the walls of the cell had been laced with silver, and Draco sat in the middle of the cell, as far away from each of the walls as he could get. He was dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing the night of the siege of the Arcanamala, and Harry's heart nearly burst out of his chest at the sight of him.
Draco's eyes lit up when he saw Harry, but the look quickly melted away as Draco shook his head. "You shouldn't be here. You need to go."
Harry's knees hit the concrete floor, and he pressed himself up against the bars of the cell, pushing his arm through as far as he could. He reached out to Draco, who hesitantly grasped his hand, and, after a moment, laced their fingers together. "Are you all right?"
Draco shrugged. "It's not too bad. I've definitely experienced worse. Have you heard anything? What about my father?"
Harry nodded slightly. "The trial is scheduled for next week. They're going to call you as a witness, and depending on your testimony, you might get a lesser charge when your trial comes up."
Draco nodded. "I can't ask for more than that."
Harry shook his head bitterly, as though he had a bad taste in his mouth. "It's not fair. You shouldn't have to face charges at all. After all you've been through…"
Draco squeezed Harry's hand tightly. "All I've been through doesn't excuse the laws I've broken. I should pay for the wrong I've done. I deserve it."
"I still don't…" Harry let his voice trail off.
"Don't worry about me, love," Draco whispered. "I'll be all right."
"You don't know!" Harry shouted suddenly, his voice echoing off the walls of the cell. "They're trying to make an example of everyone. They could sentence you to death!"
Draco shrugged a shoulder. "Then I'll die." He put up his hand to stop Harry from speaking. "I did what I did knowing the consequences. I'm not worried."
Tears sparkled in Harry's green eyes. "I don't know how you can be so calm. I can't…what if…I can't be without you."
Draco smiled, lifting Harry's hand to kiss his knuckles. "You won't be. Even if they give me the worst, the time we've had together…it has meant the world to me. It will stay with me forever."
Harry dropped his head. "We're doing what we can to help you. I don't know if it will be enough."
"It is, love. It is."
Those were the last words Draco had spoken to him before the guards came and had to forcibly remove Harry. Since then, he had been locked inside the Weasley house as they toiled to find any information they could that might help Draco. Albus seemed to think it would be enough to save him from the ultimate punishment, but beyond that, Harry wasn't sure.
A hush fell over the crowd as the members of the Council began to file in, and Harry looked up in surprise to see Severus Snape sit down beside him. The vampire favored Harry with a nod of the head, but nothing more, and Harry tensed slightly in Snape's presence. He turned his eyes away to watch the Council fill their seats, and Lucius Malfoy stared defiantly at each of them in turn, though in his present state, that was not as intimidating a stare as it once had been. Around the circle of the room were wooden torches, and as was the custom, Harry watched at they were lit by a small figure in a heavy black robe. The room was slowly bathed in a soft yellow light that reflected off the polished stone, and as the last torch was lit, the Arcanamala's judge, an ancient man that Harry had only seen once, stood on the podium, his very appearance there calling for silence.
The room was immediately silent, and the Judge moved some papers around on the podium before looking up. "We convene this day to pass judgment on the vampire Lucius Malfoy, for crimes numerous and heinous in nature. As lined out in the Pax Morte, the vampire is allowed to speak on his own behalf to show evidence in his defense." The Judge raised his eyes to Lucius, the disgust and contempt showing in his eyes. "Lucius Malfoy, what say you to the charges against you?"
Lucius Malfoy stared hatefully at the judge, his shoulders set back proudly. He yawned.
A murmur of disapproval shot through the crowd. Harry could feel Snape stiffen beside him, but he said nothing. The Judge shook his head, looking down at his papers once more. "Lucius Malfoy, do you wish to provide any evidence to prove your innocence of the charges against you?"
Lucius cracked his neck and then examined his nails, looking just as bored as if he were watching paint dry a wall.
Harry stared at him in dumbfounded disbelief. The vampire had absolutely no desire to see himself acquitted of the charges, and though Harry knew there was no chance in hell he would be, he still couldn't believe that Lucius wasn't putting up some kind of fight. A description of Lucius' clan drifted through Harry's head, but Harry couldn't imagine any sense of pride or honor holding up in the face of certain death.
The Judge waited a few moments then continued. "Lucius Malfoy, do you wish to make any statement before his council?"
When it was obvious that Lucius was going to say nothing, the Judge proceeded. "Let it be entered into the record that the accused was given all rights and privileges afforded to him by our laws and regulations. It is with that in mind that we pass judgment on the accused. The evidence is overwhelming, through the testimonies of several witnesses and victims. We have spent many hours convened in chambers, and we hereby find the accused, Lucius Malfoy, guilty of all charges."
An audible mixture of relief and satisfaction passed through the room. Harry felt Snape finally relax beside him, though Harry himself felt nothing. Not relief, not happiness…he only felt the terrible ache that he had always felt. Were it not for the man standing in front of him, he would have his parents. Had Lucius Malfoy never existed, Harry would never had spent his entire life alone, wondering what a normal life was like. He found no pleasure or satisfaction in the pronouncement of guilt. Lucius Malfoy was not sorry for what he had done. The man had no remorse, no grief. He did not care what was going to happen to him, and so, the victory was empty.
The judge waited for the murmurs to die down once again and cleared his throat. "We will now move into the process of testimonials, either for or against the accused, and these testimonials shall be instrumental in deciding the sentence for the criminal." He squinted at the paper. "Severus Snape…you may proceed."
Harry turned to see Snape stand from his seat beside him and gracefully descend the two steps down to the main floor. He moved silently up to the spot just in front of the judge. He made no move to make eye contact with Lucius, though for the first time since the assembly had begun, Lucius struggled against his chains. The hatred raging in his eyes was directed squarely at Snape, but Snape either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Members of the Council, I have spent the better part of the last twenty years with this man," Snape began, his voice ringing out through the room. "There has hardly been a day that I have been not been in his company. I have witnessed the deeds that he has been found guilty of, and though I was powerless to stop them, I will always feel guilty, myself, for what he has done." Snape paused a moment, and even from a distance, Harry could see that the vampire's hand was shaking.
"Beyond the crimes he has committed against the Council, beyond the blatant
disregard for the laws that exist to keep our two races living in harmony…Lucius Malfoy has committed crimes against his own child, against his wife, crimes that can never be forgiven. There is no punishment that exists that will bring Narcissa Malfoy back. There is no sentence you can pass down that will give Draco back what his father has stolen from him." Snape's hand shot out, and one finger pointed directly Harry, who frozen on the spot. "Nothing will bring back that boy's parents. And so I ask you, when considering your sentence, to consider the fact that though he has already caused so much pain and destruction…a world without Lucius Malfoy will most definitely be a better one. Whether you take that to mean he should be locked away forever or should you decide to put him to death, I leave that decision to you."
Snape finished with a bow, and he paused for only a moment to look at Lucius as he passed. Lucius snarled and reached out to him with his manacled hands, his voice low and deadly. "You will pay for this, Severus. The lowest circle of hell is for traitors."
A cool look of indifference passed across Snape's features. "Then I shall see you there."
Harry watched as Snape came back to sit beside him, and the two men shared only a look before the judge raised his voice again to silence the crowd's whispering. "Now, bring forth Draco Malfoy to give his testimony."
Harry's heart jumped into his throat, and it took all his strength not to jump up to look for Draco. He could hear the footsteps, but it wasn't until Draco appeared on the other side of the room that Harry could figure out where he was. He was flanked by two guards, but he was not chained or shackled. He was dressed similarly to Lucius, just a plain grey tunic and slacks, but he did not have the hollow look of defeat on his face. He looked radiant to Harry, almost as happy as Harry had ever seen him, but as he was brought in front of the judge, that look faded into one of somber reverence and obedience. Harry leaned forward in his seat, his eyes taking in every detail of the scene before him, silently wishing for Draco to turn around and look at him, just for a second.
The judge looked down at Draco then nodded once. "Speak, Draco Malfoy. Your official testimony has already been given and entered into record. This shall be your personal wishes and requests to the Council on the matter of your father's punishment."
Draco nodded once, then turned to look at his father. Lucius stared back at him blankly, but Draco's eyes flashed wildly, as though he might pounce on his father at any minute. Lucius finally broke his stoic stare, his lip curling in disgust. "You are no son of mine. Hopefully, you will be my cellmate, and then we'll have eternity together. You thought it was bad before? You have no idea the things I am going to do to you. You will beg for--"
But that was the last word that Lucius Malfoy spoke. Even as the words were leaving his mouth, Draco was moving, moving faster than anyone except the vampires could see. There was a 'whoosh,' and Harry saw something yellow and bright move across the room. Harry let out a cry of surprise, but he didn't even know what had happened until the yellow and bright thing turned into flames, and the flames grew, and Lucius caught fire. One torch was missing from the row of them on the wall, and that torch had come to rest at Lucius' feet. Besides sunlight, fire was the easiest way to kill a vampire. Lucius' screams echoed, mingling with the horrified screams of those in attendance, and even as Draco was being subdued by the guards, Harry saw that his eyes never left that of the burning form of his father. The fire burned out almost as quickly as it had started, leaving only a pile of black ash beneath the chains that had bound the vampire that had been standing there only ten seconds before. Harry turned to look at Snape, but Snape gave him only a blank stare back. Harry wasn't sure what was going on behind those eyes, but he was certain it wasn't sorrow.
The guards wrangled Draco in front of the judge, but he didn't fight them. He looked as calm as always, and Harry's heart was racing. Draco had killed a vampire, a vampire that had been standing trial and found guilty, but he had killed a vampire nonetheless. The Council could not overlook what had just happened. Any leniency he might have been shown had probably just gone up in flames along with Lucius Malfoy.
The judge looked completely flustered and almost speechless. He struggled to speak above the roar of noise, but finally, there was some semblance of order. "Draco Malfoy…you have been shown mercy by this Council for your crimes, and the way you repay is to…is to…do this?"
Draco lifted his head and met the judge's eyes. "I am not sorry for what I have done. I couldn't let this Council make the mistake of letting him live. He had to be destroyed. I couldn't take the chance that you would show mercy on him as well."
"That might very well be," the Judge raged, "but that was not your decision to make. You are hereby sentence to one year locked in the Arcanamala prison. During that year, you will not feed. You will not see anything but the inside of your cell. You will have no visitors, and you will receive no early release. I hope you are happy with what you have done. I hope it was worth it." The bang of a gavel sounded like a gunshot to Harry, and he lurched forward in his seat as the Council began filing out.
"NO!"
Draco spun at the sound of Harry's voice, and somehow, despite the sentence had been given, he managed to smile. Harry stood up and cleared the bench in one smooth motion, shrugging of Snape's hand that had suddenly risen to hold him back. He ran across the chamber, ignoring the stares and shouts of the people who had noticed him, and he shoved a guard out of his way with all his might, grabbing desperately onto Draco.
"No! They can't!" he sobbed, tears flooding over his cheeks. "Draco…"
Draco shook his head. "Don't, love. It's all right. It's only a year. I'll be out before you know it."
Harry shook his head vehemently. "They can't…I can't live without you…"
"I told you," Draco said, his smile widening. "You won't have to."
The guard that Harry shoved had regained his footing, and Harry felt himself being pulled away, though he tried to fight it. Then Snape was suddenly at his side, a hand on his shoulder, and he immediately stopped struggling. The guard released him, and Harry looked up into Snape's dark eyes. "There is no need for this, Harry. Trust me."
Harry stared at him through blurry eyes. "I…a year…no feeding…it's too much. If he lives through it, he will be so weak. He'll be destroyed. It's too much, Snape!"
Snape shook his head. "It isn't. He will be fine. Trust me."
The emphasis Snape put on the last 'trust me' made Harry pause, and he looked at Draco. A strange sort of smile crossed the blond's face, and he turned his head to look at Snape. "Take care of him."
Snape nodded. "I will," he answered simply, then he reached out and shook Draco's hand. The guards came forward and grabbed Draco by the shoulders, and as he was lead away, he put a hand over his mouth and blew Harry a kiss.
And if Harry hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed the small glitter of light that twinkled from Snape's hand as he reached for Draco's.
He wouldn't have seen the marble sized diamond that Snape put into Draco's hand.
He wouldn't have seen Draco push that diamond past his lips as he raised his hand to blow Harry one last kiss.
He wouldn't have seen Draco swallow hard and then throw him a wink as he disappeared out of the chamber.
But Harry did see these things, and even as Snape was leading him out the other exit, something that had been buried deep inside Harry's mind rose to the surface, and with it, relief passed over him.
"The ritual of Invulnerable Weakness takes one year to complete. It is performed by allowing a diamond to sit in the rays of the sun for one full day. The vampire then swallows the diamond, and he must feed not feed on blood for one year. He will enter a coma-like state, and at the end of one year, he will emerge from his sleep in the same state in which he entered it."
It was the last sentence on the page of the text book that Harry had read so many years before that stuck in his mind. It was that sentence that made Harry almost laugh and cry with joy, a joy that welled up inside him and threatened to make him explode.
"For one year after the completion of the ritual, the vampire shall be invulnerable to sunlight."
