Hello lovely Readers,
Here is the next installment of A Shadowed Life everyone.
I have gotten a kick out of the comments left on this chapter XD I love you all for giving me a good laugh I enjoy every comment you give me and as the story progresses more people are reading it. I'm still even getting comments from back at the beginning of the story and I love to see what they all say. X.x I'm also running out of ideas for chapter titles XD I normally know what I'm going to have the next chapter as by the time I place the title for the next chapter… but I'm struggling now that I'm getting to this chapter.
Okay the paragraph issues don't really show horribly on my end. Then again my screen is 18.5" Using an Alienware Laptop… x.x so the paragraph size doesn't seem all that bad to me. I really don't have another computer to see what the issue with size is. But judging from my end making them smaller would look weird to me on my screen. Plus when I think of a chapter I think of big blocky looking things XD Sorry if the size is an issue, but only two people have said something about it. One, from a person who is reading it from a cell phone, and the last one from I'm assuming a smaller computer than my own.
Daithi4377: I'm happy I'm getting a comment each chapter XD It's fun to read your comments.
Yana5: XD lol, I'm sure quite a few agree that he should perish.
DeanBeans13: I'm ecstatic that you like the story, and I'm sorry that you are having an issue with the paragraph lengths. I do reread what I type, and more times than not I never see anything wrong in them until it is posted. It's funny though…I post it and read over it after it's posted and that's when I see the mistakes x.x ugh I was reading back over it to remember what I'd already typed and I found that I had a lot of mistakes –face plants-
Anaelyssa: XD I'm sorry I really didn't notice I had done a major cliff hanger until just now lol.
Kit89: :3 Aww thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it and the whole cliff hanger thing XD I hadn't intended to, but I guess I have lol.
Marry Jane24: Pertaining to your comment from chapter 5 XD I'm sorry the chapter made you cry . as for the comment on chapter 7 ^.^ I had no idea there was anIrish dish called fagots. I guess I just learned something new XD
Slytherinduolover: Thank you for reading I'm glad you like it a lot :3
Enjoy!
Things in the story you might want to know.
"Talking/ spells"
'Thinking/ sound affects/ Memories'
-Parseltongue-
.:Spells:.
~Dragon Telepathy~
*Dragon Language*
Chapter Fourteen- Dark and Sickly
Harry curled up tight in the back of the cave he was starting to call his prison, his mind more dragon than anything at the moment. The man who came in every day was wearing on Harry's nerves. He didn't know why he bothered, but the whip the man used tore against the fur on his body like knife to butter. The scales he adorned were only to protect major parts of his person. Mostly his spine and head were covered in the thick scales as well as most of his tail. He didn't want to bend to their will, and the beatings always stopped before some strange man showed up.
The man seemed strange yet familiar and reminded him so much of Dumbledore. Oh yes, Harry knew that he was the reason why he was there. It was more of a gut feeling that told him he was the reason more than anything. He is always the reason for most of everything in his life and Harry wasn't going to allow the man to get away with it anymore… He was tired of people pushing him around and he was tired of being blamed for things he had no control over.
He growled deeply and some of the other dragons within the prison like cell shrank away from him. During his time under the care of the tamer Harry's dragon form had doubled in size. His form no longer the smaller one it had been upon arriving. The man there often saying his growth was phenomenal and that he'd never seen something like him before.
Most likely his genes were trying to figure out how old his dragon form should be, considering that he had used the time tuner too often to count. Even he was unsure how old he was anymore. He knew he used it twice a day, but since Voldemort made himself known it had grown in number how many times he relived a day. His genes were as confused and befuddled as Harry was himself.
His once feline like face had lengthened in size giving more of that dragon like quality to him. His fangs were like blades and his claws like razors. Some of the other dragons there were better armored, but were not lucky when it came to speed and strength. His dragon was far more superior. Even with his wounds his dragon skin alone was hard to brake. The thick hide under the fur only cracking under the lashings he'd gotten.
One of the other dragons had gotten a taste of what damage Harry could cause. He let his dragon take over his mind when he didn't want to deal with something, and that was more often since the dragon tamer came by often. The man called it punishment for arming one of his best dragons. The young and cocky Chinese Fireball Dragon had it coming to him. The dragon thought he could make Harry submit, like it was more worthy to be the leader in that horde in that cave.
At first Harry had let the dragon bully him, often getting bitten or scratched to the point that Harry feared for his life. He'd been smaller at the time, but now… He was bigger than that dragon. If it had been still around that is, since the man moved him when Harry tore him to shreds.
-Several days earlier-
Harry snarled and hissed, a rope tied to his muzzle to keep him from spitting out fire as they carried him into the wet and dark cave. His tail twisted against someone's arm painfully, since he could not see who his assailant was. It was male… he knew that was for sure. The pain filled hiss tipped him off, but the voice was gruff and deep. He didn't remember anyone whose voice was like that.
"How long will I be watching him? He is a beautiful dragon," The gruff voice spoke.
"I am not entirely sure Mr. Brown, I just do not want certain people knowing about his presence just yet," Harry didn't know the voice, but something in it sounded familiar.
Harry hissed as his body wound tightly, though the gruff man known as Mr. Brown kept a tight grip on him, "So where did you say you found this lovely creature?"
"Oh, the headmaster found him on the school grounds," The man said not explaining more about it.
"Ah, wonder how it got there then, oh well. This cave should hold him it has some really old and strong wards on it. Apparating and teleporting is impossible regardless of the spells used. Hmmm… now that I'm thinking about it I wonder what this is," He ran his fingers over the metal band around his neck, "It kinda looks like a collar. Possibly owned by someone then?"
"Hmm I never noticed it till now it blends in against the black fur and obsidian scales."
"Well if the collar is special in any way, the effects are null and void in here. The field is like a canceler of sort."
"That is good to hear… is there a way to remove it?"
"Doesn't look like it and whatever magic is on it is probably very strong," He hummed as he fingers the collar as Harry tried to struggle from his grasp.
"Why's that?"
"Well this collar has no button or clasp release. Only a spell could be holding it in place as it is," He sighed as he soon had to use both hands to restrain Harry's movements some more, causing him to his heavily.
"Hmmm… I want him in here at all times then. I will let you know when it is time to release him once more," Dumbledore said to him.
"As you wish… Should I train him while he's here? Would be a waist to let a good dragon go untamed."
"Do as you wish, just as long as he's alive and well."
Harry couldn't believe he'd just said that. This wasn't fair he couldn't do anything and every time he tried to be free he was drug back under a controlling hand of a person he did not like. Harry's struggles slackened and the man holding him looked down and shrugged, thinking the dragon had given up for now. He placed the dragon amongst the others he had and undid the blinder and muzzle wrap, before leaving the cave once more and locking him away.
*Look here we gotsss ourselvesss a hatchling*
Harry looked up at the odd hissing language the spouted forth from a large reddish dragon's maw. He was bigger than Harry and his teeth large in length compared to his own. Harry tensed up and curled in on himself with a violent hiss. Other dragons within the den like cave eyed him silently while others teased about his size and strange looks.
*What is it? It does not look like othersss of our kind* An older Hungarian Horn tail growled.
*I'm not sure… but he will learn who is boss here soon enough* The reddish dragon hissed
That dragon did just that and he attacked Harry with a vicious bite.
Harry still being a young dragon could do nothing to defend himself against the much larger dragon other than shock, him with a few volts of electricity. Even that wasn't strong enough yet to get him off. To a human it would have hurt a lot, but Harry had avoided using it on most people, and clearly had forgotten to use it on Mr. Brown when he had a hold of him.
In the end Harry was forced into submission albeit reluctantly, but even that one day Harry wouldn't give up. He fought each time he came at him and each time Harry had failed to amount to the dragon's onslaught.
*You will sssubmit*
*No!* Harry Hissed.
*Then you will feel my bite*
A harsh bite to his neck had Harry crying out in pain, and he whimpered. Suddenly the doors were thrown open and the fireball let go quickly before glancing over to look at the tamer who lashed his whip out. The older dragon leapt back away from the harsh sting of the whip specially made to tame a dragon. The man inspected his wounds and only tisked before dragging him off to the training are of the cave. For hours he endured even more pain as he refused to be an animal who obeys a master.
It was bad enough he endured such things from Voldemort and Dumbledore, but he was not going to be treated like he was by another. Dumbledore was manipulative and kept his secrets to himself. Voldemort openly planned and used people with him there were no secrets other than the man's past. Even so, Harry cared about the dark lord. Something deep within him told him the man was wronged by the light lord just as much as he was.
As the days drew on Harry found himself growing weary and tired. He was even tempted to submit many times, but still he refused. Even the slop the man fed the dragons weighed like bricks on his stomach. He never felt good anymore and the vicious attacks on him, plus the training were not helping. Then one day he'd had enough, and snapped… he snapped hard.
*Ssstill putting up a fight? Would have thought you would give in by now*
Harry's response was a low growl his mind was no longer thinking straight and he'd given in to his base instincts. His green slitted eyes watched the Fireballs movements with caution and hostility. When the dragon finally lunged at him however, he recoiled quickly only to lash out and bite down hard on the flesh of the dragon's throat causing it to cry out and struggle. Talons came up and tried to grip at Harry's serpentine form, only to have said dragon to wrap its body around it.
Harry's claws tore into the scale armored hide. Long jagged and bleeding gouges sprung for the as bones cracked under the tightening coils of his body. None of the other dragons moved or dared to help as Harry basically ripped the dragon to shreds. Whimpers were heard from the dragon beneath him, its struggles halting into total submission. Harry reluctantly let go and pulled away from the dragon.
He eyed the beast, looking at the bleeding sores and gouges that scoured his body. His wings were broken and at an angle that was not supposed to be in. The webbing of his wings were, torn and shredded, and his throat was bleeding wildly from the constant biting down that Harry had down to force submission. Judging by the way the dragon struggled to get up spoke loudly that he was either weak from blood lost or Harry and broken more than just his wings.
*I will never submit…Ever* Harry spat and turned to his corner of the cave and layed down.
When Brown showed up and saw the state of the Fireball and the fact that Harry was covered in its blood, told the man just what had happened. That night Harry underwent a lot of pain, but it did not stop him from lashing out at even Brown.
"Break easy or Break hard Dragon!" Brown growled.
Harry hissed ~No!~
Harry's words caused Brown to stop and stare wide eyed at him, before his eyes narrowed and he lashed out at him. By the end of the session Harry was tired and so sore that it hurt to stay up anymore. Brown had to get another dragon in to help get him out of the room, back to his nest. It was shortly after that session that they sessions stopped, the Fireball was removed from the cave, and Dumbledore arrived shortly afterwards. But by then Harry had been healed physically, but mentally Harry was still in the dragons mind set.
-Present Day-
Harry was still locked away in the back of his mind, silently pleading to be saved. That someone would find him and the only ones who came to his mind was the Malfoy family and Voldemort. Yes, Voldemort might be a right bloody bastard at times, but even so Harry just couldn't help but want to be near him and be useful in some way. Outwardly his dragon was getting sick, and the tamer had taken to starving him when he misbehaved.
The other dragons left him alone, and had gone as far as sneaking him scraps when they could. They obviously saw him as their superior and they did not like the tamers methods, but had no choice but to submit. Considering Harry fought against said methods had given the dragons hope, before it fizzled out at his now current state.
It was around midnight, while they all tried to sleep that a loud rumbling set off the whole area. The sound of dragons in the main cave system cried out and the sound of people shouting could be heard. It echoed off the cave walls and through them, and Harry lifted his head with a hiss of distaste. He rose shakily to his feet and growled loudly as the sounds of chaos outside the building grew in volume and in numbers. An explosion resounded several times and a terrifying roar bellowed out over the area.
The dragons within the cave Harry was in grew agitated and restless. A few answering the calls of their brethren, but they themselves could not be freed. People were drawing near and shouts of pain could be heard as some voices that cried out were soon silenced forever. Harry stay coiled ready to strike to defend himself. The dragon at the forefront of his mind while Harry himself stayed locked away within the deep recesses of his mind.
Harry curled tighter in on himself when the cave entrance exploded with a harsh wretch. Some of the younger untamed ones getting crushed under the rubble or pinned to where they could not struggle free. At the entrance, a figure clad in black, stood with many others fighting behind them against others not clad as they were. Dragons from within took to the skies without a second thought… all except Harry who stayed coiled and ready to strike. Harry's dragon knew he could fly, but in his weakened state getting away without causing self-harm was a no go.
He growled at the figure as they stood there, another approached and spoke loudly to the other as Harry stayed poised to strike. Harsh growls and hisses leaving his maw as he stayed where her was.
"Is that him? I thought they said he was smaller"
"Maybe he grew? He was here long enough, and he is the only dragon that stands out here. Look at his serpentine form… go get our lord, tell him we found a dragon matching the description."
"Understood, I'll also point the main force in this direction."
When the figured advanced on him Harry's growl grew in volume and the figure hesitated before stepping back. Harry lashed out at the air with snapping teeth, his head only coming within feet of the man who stumbled back to get out of reach of said teeth. The hood fell back revealing a mask covered face. Harry drew back once more and hissed in warning, as the man cursed under his breath. Unfortunately someone who was fighting the black clad people had entered the cave to fight the one before Harry.
When he got too close to Harry while fighting him, he lashed out. Teeth sinking into the man's arm before Harry pulled hard, yanking the man's wand arm right out of its socket. An ear piercing scream rang through the air and those that had been closest to the incident paused in their fighting to look around. The man clutched at were his arm had once been, the hole gushing blood as it poured forth from the gaping wound.
The black clad male's eyes were wide with horror and shock beneath the mask. Obviously, not having expected the dragon's reaction which, was to finish what it had started. Harry's form launched at the man once again, biting down on the man until his upper half was within his maw. Knife like teeth biting down deep and hard before all he left was the man's lower half within in coils. Narrowed and hostile eyes watched the man in black as he gorged on the flesh within his clutches.
The dragon having no problems in eating the man in his clutches. Half-starved any creature would do so. It was at that moment a few others approached and one looked about ready to approach him when the other grabbed them and shook his head. He pointed to the remains of the man who had dared get to close to his and the person gasped.
"Then how are we going to help him if he won't let anyone close," The voice was obviously female, but the scent smelled like madness.
"I don't know," The male huffed.
Another roar shuddered over the area and was much closer now. Harry's head lifted, the long pointed ears in his head pricking at the sound. Curious mostly as to what dragon made that sound, and did not have to wait long for it to appear. In size, Harry's form was smaller than this dragons'. Harry recoiled ready to strike if need be as crimson eyes landed on him a growl coming forth from his maw. Those who were in the dragon's way scattered to give it room to approach him.
Harry's muzzled pulled back in a bloody growl, ears flat against his skull and his eyes narrowed like that, of a wild animals when they felt cornered. A shudder raced through his body, making his whole form visibly shudder. Apart from the growing form, long tendril like whiskers had appeared upon his face. This seeming to match the appearance of the crimson black dragon before him, and it clicked in the dragon's mind somewhere that this dragon was kin in some way.
The bigger dragon let out a small growl, for which Harry's head lowered slightly. A vicious growl still lingered on his lips which, seemed to halt momentarily when a black clad figure stepped forth. The bigger dragon did not look down obviously knowing who it was and not stopping them. The others had scattered to fend off the enemy while the dragon and one clad in black dealt with Harry. Harry coiled even further in on his self.
His black fur stained in crimson blood as it brushed over the remains of the one he'd decimated. Bits of the persons flesh hung off his muzzle as he watched the black clad figure draw close. He snarled in warning as the being ignore his warning growls. They daintily stepped over entrails and body parts before reaching where he lay curled and ready to strike at any moment. A whisper hung over the chaos and even though all was loud he still heard it and his growl halted.
"Harry… Harry my child it's, okay," The sweet words hung like a life line in the air. Harry sniffed at the air sensing no hostility towards him from the one clad in black. "Please Harry… Please return to us." The sweet voice called out to him, arms raised in a way a mother would to welcome home a child long since been gone for too long from those sheltering arms.
Something niggled at the back of Harry's dragon mind, a slow sluggish stirring that had him calming slowly. He unwound slowly and hesitated when the larger dragon tensed. Slowly as to not draw anger upon him from the other dragon he inched towards the clad figure and snuffled lightly. Gently as not to startle him the being touched his muzzle hesitantly and tentatively. A rumble rocked forth in his chest close to that of a dragon like purr.
The all too familiar scent of the person flitted to his nose, and his whole form physically relaxed to the point his whole body slumped to the ground. The bigger dragon crept forward his head low to the ground to watch the two of them silently, before he hissed out softly to Harry.
-We must go Harry… we cannot linger here much longer-
Harry looked up at him with tired eyes, the dragon still very much so at the fore front of Harry's mind, but none the less seemed to understand the urgency in the tone. The black clad women watched in silent worry as Harry forced his weight onto his legs. He was weak, and anyone with working eyes could see he was in horrible shape. The larger dragon walked up beside him and helped to support his weight with his own more sturdy form.
It was a slow pace, but they got Harry out of the cave and into the night air, which only seemed to cause him to shudder. Emerald eyes canned over the burning buildings and dead bodies of those that had gotten in the way of the black clad ones, or one of the dragons that had vowed revenge against their captures. Harry leaned heavily against the dark dragon at his side, his shivering form not going unnoticed.
The dark dragon shifted slightly before his head raised high and his roar rang out over the night sky. Those clad in black knocked their attackers away before apparating away to where they'd come from. Even the female that had been nearby made a hasty retreat along-side her comrades. The dark dragon shifted slightly too where he was coaxing the younger one to drape himself along its back.
When he'd succeeded he hissed out the words softly and the collar around Harry's neck glowed softly before he and the dark dragon vanished from the area.
{A Shadowed Life}
Voldemort had made little effort with the wards surrounding the dragon caverns and cave systems. Their raid was a violent one, destroying anyone that stood in their way. All was chaos when the other dragons were set loose. This day would be one no one would ever forget and the wizarding world would be left befuddled as for the reasons why the dark lords forces would attack a dragon training grounds. Though, at the moment the dark lord cared not for the news that would spread like wild fire.
He felt the surge as his body changed and in its once human like place now stood a dragon that toward mightily over every dragon within the vicinity. None challenged him and instead gave him a wide birth as he prowled the grounds and taking out quite a few people in his search for the one thing they had come for. His slitted crimson eyes narrowed as foolish wizards challenged him only to be viciously knocked aside.
He didn't know how long they all searched, but he was starting to fear they would not find him and would have to retreat soon. That was until he heard the pleas and calls of his followers as they desperately tried to gain his attention. When he heard they had found him he wasted no time making it to the area they had located him at. What met his eyes was shocking. Harry's fur was matted and dingy looking and smeared with the blood of a victim that had gotten too close to his distressed state.
He could tell the dragons healing factor had given out on him a while ago, probably because it was focusing on keeping him alive in his half-starved state. He could see old wounds that hadn't closed correctly, leaving nasty looking scars. The worst one was the one around his neck, were it looked as though another dragon had grasped him roughly with its teeth, which wasn't unlikely. What angered him even more was the noticeable lash marking on him from a custom whip.
He felt rage in his whole being, wanting so much to find the man who had caused the damage and had done nothing to fix it. Though, when Harry growled at him he could tell the boy was not in control… the dragon was. Acting entirely on instinct the dragon was poised to strike, and Voldemort had to remind himself to not lash out first or cause the boy more harm then he'd already been through. He none the less tried to show the younger dragon who was boss, causing said dragon to lower its head slightly.
Narcissa stepped forth drawn by her motherly desire to hold the one she called her child as of late. That is exactly what Harry was to the Malfoy family, he was a child in need of a family that loved him and cared about him. Right now more than ever was a shining example, when recognition seemed to slice through the creatures instinctive fog addled mind. It reacted in kind to the soothing words, relating that the name spilled forth was his, own.
The soft purr relaxed Voldemort, but knew they could not linger any longer. Too much blood was spilt that day and retreat was necessary before reinforcements could over through what progress they had made already. He urged the younger dragon that it was time to leave, and he could tell the mind was the dragons still. When he let out the final bellowing roar he watched as his forces retreated, before he too followed with Harry on his back and the collar port key activated to take them outside of riddle manor.
His head looked back at the weak form of the young dragon at this point it was hard for the dragon to even lift his own head. Voldemort gently slid the dragon off of him before his vision turned to the death eaters gathered, many whispering as Narcissa and a few others came forth to inspect Harry's health. Narcissa's hands fluttered over several day old wounds, her eyes hard with anger but misted with sorrow.
She turned to the dark lord, "My Lord, we cannot treat him like this we do not have the necessary items to treat a dragon, and judging by his state of health his dragon healing is not kicking in. I assume it has gone elsewhere, possibly to support his life from fading."
The dark lord huffed before focusing on her and her alone, ~Give me a moment and I will find the necessary spell to force him back to his more human form. Judging by your son's information this form was forced on him through a potion… but it should have worn off days ago, Which can only mean his body accepts this form, and so does not know how to change back because the boy is not in control at the moment… the dragon is.~
Said dragon looked over at them pitifully when Narcissa spoke again, "As you wish my lord."
Voldemort turned to the death eaters, jerking his head showing that he wanted them to go away. Many apparated away while the few from Azkaban vanished into the manor to do whatever they usually did. Voldemort vanished behind the mansion, shifting his form as he approached the garden where the herbs were. Unlike Harry Voldemort had explored his dragon form, and was not forced into it.
He gathered what he needed and disappeared into the mansion. When he next appeared hours had gone by, and the dragon was asleep and weakly hanging on. Narcissa and the others that had been with her had cleaned him up the best they could. His furry was still grungy looking, and stained a red color, that would vanish if he could get a proper bath.
When Narcissa noticed their lord approaching, they all knelt down with heads bowed, "My Lord."
Voldemort ignored them and crouched down before the dragon's relaxed form. Dull green eyes slowly opened to look at him tiredly. He heard Narcissa coaxing the others back not sure what was going to happen. He placed a hand on his muzzle and the dragon made a groan sound before huffing slightly, causing warm air to roll over the dark lord.
-Harry you must awaken my little dragon- He placed his hand in the middle of the dragon's forehead.
Hissing in parseltongue as he forced his own mind into Harry's, the dragon jerked a bit, but held fast to where he was. Allowing the dark lord to delve into his mind, and when Voldemort found him he was surprised by what he found. In the far reaches of Harrys mind, Harry's form was bound in chains and hoisted high. His form was curled in on itself, and chains wrapped around him like steal bindings that implied this to be his prison.
His wings were outstretched away from his form, bound in the same chain like vices. The chains themselves pulled out and away into the darkness around them, and bars separated him from the other. Voldemort made short work of the frail bars before approaching Harry's suspended form. His hand reached up and stroked the side of the boy's face, but he did not stir.
-Harry my little dragon…you are safe now it is time to awaken- He whispered some words after those softly hissed words, as he stared up at Harry.
Voldemort continued the chanted words before it seemed like a bit of color returned to the boy's features. A soft breath passed his lips and he looked down up at the boy silently as he watched those vivid Avada Kedavra green eyes slowly open as though it took great effort to do so. The chains slowly melted away and released him from his internal prison he'd created for himself. Harry's whole being scream exhaustion even within his mindscape.
Voldemort brushed his bangs back from his eyes before speaking, -We'd thought we'd almost lost you sweet little dragon-
-You did- was all Harry said while he looked up at the dark lord.
-Ah, but you are here now-
-I guess so…- He sighed –Is it over?-
-Yes, now let us return so we can get you fixed up- Harry nodded, though it seemed to also take great effort to do so.
Voldemort retreated from Harry's mind and the dull dragon eyes he'd seen before lit up now with signs of intelligence that did not belong to the dragon. Harry shifted slightly and lifted his head groggily before looking to the dark lord for guidance. Voldemort hissed to Harry that he should concentrate his dragon core, and force it to take form of what he used to be.
It took several tries and to help it along the dark lord bid him to drink a potion he made to reverse the other potion he'd taken to gain the form he was in, just in case it was the potion he'd drank to gain the form that was keeping him that way. Though, even after that it took a long time before he gained his form again. Voldemort knew it was mostly because of Harry's exhaustion that probably caused the hindrance in changing forms.
Harry's form shuttered when he'd shifted back, but unlike the dark lord's had been Harry's whole being was naked. He shivered and Voldemort barked an order which one of the men there jumped to quickly and handed over a spare robe. Harry had kept his eyes shut, too tired to really think about opening them at the moment, and it did not help that he knew his eye color was not the right color they needed to be at the moment.
To help out Voldemort whispered a strong, parseltongue glamour under his breath to make Harry's eyes the steal grey color they usually were. Voldemort watched his eyes flutter when he scooped the other male up into his arms. They did not stay open however and he swiftly dismissed all b but Bellatrix and Narcissa. Bellatrix had been one of the few that had stayed with Narcissa to look after Harry in his dragon form.
"Mrs. Malfoy I want you to look over him once he is behind closed doors. You and Bellatrix will make sure he is properly taken care of and back in good health. I will monitor his progress when I can, but right now I have preparations to attend too," He said to them.
"Yes, My Lord… And if he should ask for you?"
Voldemort paused for only a moment before looking at Narcissa, "What makes you think he will."
"I'm not sure My Lord, it's a mother thing I guess…," She said softly.
Voldemort only hummed slightly in thought before continuing on his way. He stopped at a door, directly across from his own. Mostly because he didn't want anyone other than Harry to ever enter his domain. This way the boy was close to his own safe haven as Narcissa and Bellatrix watched over him. He looked down at his little dragon as he set him on the feather soft mattress. He didn't want to leave him alone so soon, but he had to get plans set and certain things in motion.
He knew that after that the whole magical world of Britain would know that Voldemort was back for certain now. If the incident on Azkaban wasn't enough, that night sure as hell would be. He would rock back however make them assume his attacks would be something akin to the ones from the past. Though, his attacks now would be nothing like those of the past. Harry had thought him that much just by watching him through Nagini that past events were not working.
Without another word the dark lord left the room leaving Narcissa and Bella to attend to Harry in his absence. Everything would be different this time around, and Voldemort was damn determined to take Dumbledore down for ever laying a finger on Harry. No one took away what was his, no one and the old man was going to suffer terribly for what pain he cause Harry. First however… he needed to find this Mr. Brown and deal with him first.
{A Shadowed Life}
Harry had fallen asleep before he'd ever made it into the mansion, and all he could remember was warmth and feeling safe. That safety continued even when the familiar warmth had faded, as though the one exuding that safety was still nearby, though his senses told him they were not. He was sore, so much so he knew that when he'd retreated into his mind he knew much damage had been done to his person. His eyes lazily blinked open when he felt something wet dab against his forehead.
Hovering over him Narcissa smiled sweetly at him, "Hello Orion, welcome back to the land of the living."
Harry didn't smile, for he felt like he couldn't smile, "If you can call this living."
With those words he watched as Narcissa's eyes widened and it is with those words that she knew great damage had been done. A damage that could never be reversed and what would come later would be the bi-product of what had caused it to happen. Harry's head slowly looked over to the other side of the bed were Bellatrix was hovering at, having come over when Narcissa had spoken to Harry.
"Itty Bitty Orion… we will make them pay for what they have done to you," She cooed at him.
It was the first time since Bella found out about him that she treated him as one of her own. The women had practically tested him constantly and attacked him when she got the chance on many occasions before his disappearance. Now, however, it seemed something had caused her to change and she was, wanting to help get back at their enemies for what they have done.
Harry said nothing to her, but he watched as his vision swam a bit. That wasn't a good sign, was he sick? Harry didn't know, since after becoming a dragon getting sick was rather hard for him to do. Though, judging by how weak he felt he somehow knew that the weakness was part of the cause that would lead him to becoming sick. He closed his eyes again feeling too tired to keep them open.
He heard whispering, but not much else could be made out. He curled up on his side as he felt every muscle in his body protest with his movement. At one point however he had fallen into a deep sleep again, only to wake a few hours later in a panic when his dreams turned to nightmares. Past nightmares and new ones converging into a none-sensical mass of confusion, pain, and chaos. Fire, teeth, claws, faces, voices, and ever present pain seared through his mind and his body throbbed in remembrance of it all.
When he woke Narcissa and Bellatrix were always there, and more times than not both women were holding him down from hurting himself in his sleep. At one point he remembered Lucius and Voldemort being there as well. His hazy memories barely keeping up with the days that passed since he'd arrived the way he was. What little he did remember didn't make sense, and sometimes he awoke violently angry in which, he was magically forced back to sleep to keep him from doing something stupid.
At one point he had the faint sense that he had bitten someone, and thick guilt filled his gut soon after it had happened. He remembered crying and apologizing for what he'd done, yet everything didn't make sense. Dreams and Reality seemed to blur and there was no fine line defining one from the other. He remembered frantic words spoke, he remembered sobs from someone other than himself, and he remembered frantic pleas of some kind, that he could not make heads, nor tails of.
He felt like his mind was filled with a thick fog, and it also felt white hot. Like someone had set his head ablaze. He heard the voice of someone he recognized, in a language only he knew. He felt the touch of someone's hand as they caressed the side of his face and brushed his bangs out of his face. He remembered the overwhelming safety that came and went with the person's presence in the immediate area.
How many days since he'd first started off coherent had been unknown to him, and he felt more coherent now then he had before. His mind still heavy and warm, yet he now felt more in control then he had. This time he hadn't awakened from his sleep because he'd had a nightmare and surprising enough his mind told him he didn't care anymore. It didn't feel like it was a lie either, and he knew it was true… he'd stopped caring.
His eyes slowly opening a bit more slid over to the side of his bed. He took note that he was once again on his back. He hated lying on his back, and he knew it wasn't by his choice that he was laying there the way he was. His eyes landed not on the person he'd thought would be there. He'd gotten used to seeing Narcissa and Bella so often that he hadn't been prepared to see Severus Snape sitting there.
The older male's eyes were closed and his features bespoke of exhaustion. Harry shifted and sat up in the bed with some difficulty. His whole being seemed stiff, the soreness having left him mostly during, the delirious state he'd been in beforehand. His mind wandered as he looked down at his hands, and he didn't hear when the older male shifted.
"Harry?" Snape asked.
Harry's eyes slowly looked over at the older male the look in them was distant and reclusive, "Yes professor?"
Snape sighed and watched him silently for a while, "You going to be okay?"
Harry looked away and down at his hands, "M'not sure… I still feel it in my mind. The dragon is more there now than he ever was. I remember what it did, what it felt… everything."
Harry slowly looked up at him and Snape stood there with what most would think as an impassive look, but Harry saw more. He saw the panic and dawning horror beneath stoic eyes. Harry's eyes no longer held the look they once had, the fire that once burned brightly was a dim shimmer now. Fixing this issue was probably never going to happen, and if it did it would take years to come for the boy to recover.
The door slid open and Narcissa followed by Lucius and Voldemort came into the room. All of them halted when they saw Harry was awake, but still looked very ill. Narcissa quickly made her way to the bed and sat on the edge before pulling him into her arms. She understood the look in his eyes, she'd seen a tamer version of it, but this was much worse. She rocked him gently as Voldemort asked Severus's assessment was on the boy's condition.
Harry gently pushed Narcissa away and looked over at them, "You make me sound like I've lost my mind Severus."
Said man stopped in his recount of the past few moments, "Is my assessment wrong? You are acting… strangely from your normal behavior."
"Of course I would, since I'm no longer going to be who I used to be," He said as he pushed the covers off of himself and stood up, realizing he was only wearing a pair of sweat pants. "I refuse to be who I used to be… if acting is an issue then don't worry about it I'll deal with that on my own." Harry's eyes were hard like emeralds whatever Harry had been going through mentally before the incident while he was a dragon had snapped.
Voldemort watched him silently, but otherwise said nothing. He could see the change in Harry, any light that had once been there was now extinguished. Dumbledore had been a fool in what he'd done, and now he'd broken the boy possibly beyond repair. Harry looked over at him and they stared at each other for a long while before the boy spoke.
"I can't be that me anymore… I just can't," He said softly.
"Then who are you if you are not you?" Voldemort asked.
Harry looked away and out the nearest window, "I don't know…" He paused in his thought before looking to the dark lord, "If I don't know who I am then who, am I? Am I Harry or am I Orion? If neither of them then am I Evan? I don't know who, is me."
Voldemort saw the boy was lost, and drowning in the darkness that was consuming him. He watched those distant and dark clouded eyes swirl with the chaos behind them. He wasn't sure what the boy was thinking about, but it was spinning a deep rooted darkness within him. Though, somehow the boy seemed to be holding together with all that chaos.
"I don't think I can answer that, but I will say this…" He paused and dismissed The Malfoys' and Severus real quick and when they were gone he continued, "A name does not describe a person. Things and emotions can be attached to a name, but it does not describe the person. You are Harry, Orion, and Evan, and they are a part of who you are as a person. What you do from here will define who you are now…"
Harry got confused during the words spoken by the dark lord. His eyes flicking over the older males form silently as he tried to decipher what was said. It took a while before understanding seemed to come over him and he sighed. He thought his words over before he spoke them taking care in understanding what the dark lord meant.
"So I am who I am by my actions, not by the titles and expectations others have put on me?" Voldemort smirked at him, "I am not the-boy-who-lived… I am just Harry, Orion… and Evan because they are me as well because they were created by my own actions."
"Just like my title was created by my own actions," Voldemort said to him as he approached him.
Voldemort paused as he looked at Harry before he reached up and stroked the side of his face. His thoughts wandered a bit as he thought of what to say next and surprisingly Harry stayed silent. In the past the boy always broke the silence with a witty retort or something that would cause the dark lord to be annoyed. Though, since coming into the Malfoys' care Harry seemed to slowly change and in doing too he got to see sides of Harry others rarely ever saw.
"Harry what you have done in your life… was it because you wanted to or because you were expected too?"
"…" Harry knew not how to answer that one. At first he thought it was because he wanted too, but now that he looks back on it he was always doing things to please others, "Because it was expected of me."
"There you have it. Now… since you came into the Malfoy's care have you done things you've done because you wanted to or because we expect it of you."
"Because I wanted too," He said without hesitation. He knew that that was true deep down and there was no denying that.
"That right there defines who you are."
"I… don't think I understand…"
"You decided who you were because you followed through with something you wanted to do. The events in your life are what led you to this point, but they were forced on you not decided by you."
Voldemort tugged Harry down to sit with him on the edge of the bed, "I think I understand that. Tom?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"I think… that I'm tired of who I used to be. From this point forward I will be who I choose to be by my own decisions, not by others," He said looking up at the older man.
"Good," He smirked.
"By the way Tom… what happened to you?"
Voldemort quirked a brow at him and gave a short chuckle, "I assume you are speaking of my new additions," Harry nodded, "These are manifestations cause by your blood through the ritual we performed during my resurrection."
Harry's eyes went wide, "My blood did this? How?"
"That is still a mystery to myself as well, though since my blood was mixed with that of yours it seems the dragon favored my own genes and not the black genes that were in your blood. However I must admit I have been like this for quite some time, and like you I kept my form hidden… but I also explored it when I was alone."
"W-wait so how long have you been like this?"
Voldemort hummed, "Since about a few days after the ritual took place, and during the time you were re-cooperating at the Malfoy's house mentally."
Harry choked a bit, "So the present at Christmas?"
"That baby dragon will learn alongside of you. I got it for that purpose, and if I happen to learn a few things myself then it is fine," He smirked.
"Somehow I think you planned it that way all along."
"It is possible…"
"So how is the Quetzalcoatl egg doing anyways?"
"It had grown in size, but like most dragons his growth will be slow."
"Speaking of which… I know a while has passed by, but… how come the small dragon I started out as became the dragon I was in the end?"
"The time turner," He stated simply.
Harry groaned, "I figured as much… My body was confused on the age it should properly be… I blame you for that by the way."
"Me?" He quirked a brow again for the second time in less than five minutes, "Without it Harry how were you going to do a lot of the things you chose to do?"
Harry groaned again and slapped his palm against his own face, "Okay… Okay it was my fault."
Voldemort chuckled before scooping the boy up and placing him in his lap and holding him tightly against himself. Harry squeaked, but otherwise did nothing to stop said male from doing so. He loved the safe feeling he felt in those arms. He relaxed and leaned back into the now noticeably warm body. He remembered back when Voldemort had been revived into the world when he'd held him that time and he remembered how much cooler he'd been to the touch. Now however he was warmer, much warmer.
"Tom?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Can you teach me the dark arts?"
"Haven't the Malfoys' taught you about it."
"Well yes, but I want to learn all that you know… and I know you know a great deal more then they do."
Voldemort chuckled, "It will be rough."
"I don't mind… "
"Hmm… okay starting on the day you get better we will begin training."
"Will I have to go back to Hogwarts?"
Voldemort did not want the boy to go back, but he had too, "…Yes."
Harry seemed to deflate a bit, "okay…"
"I do not want you too Harry. I would rather have you as far away from the deceitful man as possible, but Evan must return. But…" He sighed.
"I understand… But this time around I won't be as nice as I used to be to him. I merely put up with him last time. I don't think I can do it again," Harry said softly.
"I want you to be careful around him. I understand if you hold hostility towards him and want to shows signs of it as Evan… but be careful. He no doubt knows that the reason you have returned is because of me, and he will keep an annoyingly close eye on you for the rest of the year," He sighed.
"I understand, and I will do my best to keep as low key as possible… but if Weasly starts something I can't promise anything," and Voldemort chuckled at that.
They sat there for a while and Voldemort started too silently play with Harry's long strands of hair since they were not tied in a long braid like it usually was. The silky strands fell through his fingers like a waterfall over rocks. Harry relaxed even more as the dark lord messed with his strands of hair. However, eventually he stopped to rest his chin on the boys shoulder silently as he thought to himself and Harry waited for the man's thoughts to be voiced.
"When I found out what happened… I wanted nothing more than to storm that place to find you. To tear apart the person who had caused you even more pain," He said softly.
"You believe it was Dumbledore too?"
"I don't just believe it… it know so. He is the only one capable of creating such a scheme as he had."
"I don't like that man…I almost wished he'd been there at the attack… so I could have sunk my fangs into his flesh…by the way who was that person I killed?"
"I'm not sure… bigger question… why are you not freaking out over it?"
Harry shrugged, "Because I feel I don't give a damn who it was… I don't care that I'd killed the person. I felt threatened so there approach was within biting distance… it was there fault not mine."
Voldemort was surprised by this, since the boy had practically told him before that he'd thought of killing his muggle family and when he had by accident he'd been torn apart by it all. Yet here he was now and he justified it as a self-defense mechanism, and in all intents and purposes it was since he had not control on the situation. However, this time was worse and yet, he seemed to care not anymore.
"Interesting…"
"Hmm?"
"You once cared for the life of a muggle family that despised you and you practically fell to pieces over their death… yet this one you hold no remorse."
"I told you… I'm not that same me. Both incidents were accidents, and they are dead while I live on. Now that it is behind me I don't care anymore," And there it was, the mental damage.
Harry no longer saw death like he used to, and he clearly no longer held the same morals. It seemed his dragon mind was influencing him greatly now. Harry had changed mentally and seemed to be welcoming the change without a problem. Dumbledore was a fool, and he'd broken Harry to have forced his way of thinking to crumble, shatter, and be brought anew in a way of thinking suited for Harry and Harry alone.
Voldemort chuckled, "I like this new way of thinking, for it will help you in the things to come."
"I'm glad… I will no longer do as one expects me too… ever again," He sighed tiredly.
"Hmm… Sleep my little dragon," Voldemort whispered in his ear before he picked the boy up and carried him to his room.
"M'kay…" He said tiredly as he nuzzled into the man's chest.
Harry felt when he was placed in a bed, possibly even the dark lords, and he felt the man slid in next to him before pulling him close to his person. Harry cuddled close to said dark lord, and barely noticed when the man lifted his chin slightly. What he felt puzzled him something soft on his lips he lazily opened his eyes just as the sensation left his lips. It was while he had his eyes open that it hit him what it was.
Voldemort's face was only a few inches from his own and Harry blushed as he realized that dark lord had just stolen a kiss from him. Oh, he knew it wasn't his first kiss, but it was surprising none the less. Emerald stared into Crimson as it seemed Voldemort was waiting for some kind of reaction, but the one he'd probably been expecting never came. Instead a different reaction came about and the man felt lips against his own.
Voldemort smirked into the kiss and Harry felt the kiss get a bit deeper and he allowed it to do so. A tongue swiped against his bottom lip and startled him a bit causing him to gasp and part his lips. He mewled into the kiss and blushed, a deeper red color when he realized he'd done so. Their tongues brushed against one another as Voldemort deepened the kiss even more. After a few minutes he finally pulled away and Harry panted with an effort to gain some air.
Harry's whole body shivered as he realized just how much closer he'd pulled himself to the dark lord. His fingers were latched onto the man's shirt, and he was pretty sure that a few moments ago they'd at least had a gap between them. Now, however, there was no such space to be seen. Harry heard and felt the other man give a rumbling chuckle. Harry watched him silently as his hand came up and stroked the side of his face.
Harry leaned into the touch, and Voldemort only sighed softly, "Let us sleep now, there is still much ahead of us."
"Okay…" Harry ducked his head in thought about the kiss he'd just received.
What was going through Tom's mind that had made him decide to kiss him? Harry didn't know and probably never would. The man was always tight lipped when it came to anything about himself, however… Harry didn't mind at all that the kiss had taken place. In fact he felt a bit disappointed that it hadn't gone on longer. Mentally sighing he closed his eyes and stayed close to the dark lord, letting his mind cloud as he drifted off into the realm of sleep. Leaving a dark lord to think to himself, in the darkness of the room around them.
Next Chapter- Blackened Soul
Well everyone that is it for this chapter. Looking forward to your R&R's. See you all soon!