A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Shadow Lighthawk. It is due to reviewers like you that make fan fiction as rewarding to write as it is to read! Thank you!
Defeating the Past
A week after Harry sent his letter off with the twins, Percy's reply arrived. In it, he explained how Mr. Crouch was still not coming in to work, but that he will uphold his obligations during the tournament. It didn't tell Harry much; it only made him more anxious to discover what the man was up to that he was devoting all his attention to Hogwarts. As the weeks went by, however, Harry found nothing more about his enemies' plans and motives. It was as if they were all sitting quiet, biding their time, revealing nothing. Not even Dumbledore had summoned him again.
xXxXxXx
Thursday, April 6th arrived. It was time to use their Animagus Revealing potion. Hermione was so excited she was practically bursting. Ron and the twins pouted about not being invited to make the potion with them, but Harry explained that they couldn't start the potion until they thoroughly understood the Transfiguration aspect of the spell and passed Severus' test. The twins had taken and failed it twice, Ron once, but none of them were stupid enough to try and make it on their own. They understood that they only got one chance at this and weren't about to mess it up.
"Good luck, Mione!" Ron called.
"I'm sure you'll be something great, Harry," Neville reassured his brother.
"Don't fret…" - "I'm sure you'll be something terrifying," the twins said while patting him on the back.
"Let's do this." Harry strode up to his potion and picked up his mug. Hermione copied him nervously.
Severus watched all this by the door that he had left cracked open. The plan was for Harry to take his potion, reveal his main form, and then escape into the warded room next door, so that he didn't reveal the dove or the werewolf to the other Gryffindors. Hopefully Hermione's form would distract everyone enough to let him get away cleanly.
Everyone became silent as the two teens began to shift. Hermione got smaller and smaller until a gray field mouse stood in her place. Her beady black eyes darted around the room as her long whiskers twitched by her pink nose. The boys' eyes grew wide and the twins burst out laughing. Only Neville and Severus didn't seem shocked by her form.
"Never saw that one," Ron muttered faintly, trying to match the small delicate mouse with the bossy girl he knew.
"Do you think Harry's going to eat her?" George asked, Fred was laughing too hard to say anything.
Harry stood before them as a lynx. His tawny fur was spotted and black tuffs stood up from his large ears. Big golden eyes stared down at the mouse and a paw five times as big as Hermione gently brushed against her side. The mouse squeaked and chattered at everyone in the room, grooming her whiskers in agitation. Harry huffed and, without any warning whatsoever, leapt for the door.
"Harry!" the redheads cried. But by the time they got into the hallway, the lynx was nowhere in sight.
"Careful, fools!" Severus barked. "The potion will wear off soon. He's fine. Ms. Granger won't be if you stomp on her!"
The teens froze and looked around frantically, just in time to see Hermione change back into herself. She looked at them and they looked back, then she burst into tears. The boys hurried to her side, soothing her and trying to make her feel better about her form. Thus distracted they never saw Severus slip from the room.
"How are you?" he asked. Harry was sitting on the floor. His hair was disheveled and his glasses were askew. He looked pale and tired, but that was from stress and not because of the potion.
"Fine," Harry sighed. "I guess it could have been worse. At least a lynx is a mammal and I know some of its anatomy from when Gabriel researched the puma. I'm still going to have to study it nonstop to get it down by the third task."
Severus helped the teen to his feet. "I'm sure you can do it."
xXxXxXx
Over the next two weeks, Hermione came to terms with her form. She discovered that symbolically a mouse represents practicality, forward thinking, and someone who scrutinizes the world. All of which suited her just fine. She even came to think her form was cute, once she got over how small and weak she appeared.
Harry discovered the lynx represented a secret keeper; someone who had a strange tendency to discover secrets and who had no urges to reveal those secrets. The lynx moves easily through the dark unknown and, like all felines, represents a personality who can become a deadly threat when cornered. It also represented someone who stalks a problem and gets its measure before confrontation. A lynx person is reserved and silent, finding attention and large crowds distasteful.
They both studied voraciously and Hermione found herself shocked that she couldn't keep up with her friend. She had never known Harry to be studious, but the teen was suddenly organized, efficient, and completely focused. Harry merely shrugged off her compliments and tried to explain his progress away by the fact that he had been studying the anatomy of animals for months.
xXxXxXx
Things weren't going so well with his other extracurricular project. Draco and he finally finished the poison and it was perfect, but they were suddenly struck by the reality of the situation. They were planning the cold-blooded murder of the headmaster, someone who held the admiration of most of their world - whether the man deserved it or not.
"Are you still certain you want to do this?" Draco asked softly.
They were both standing at the table beside the basilisk corpse in the Chamber of Secrets. Draco had his sleeves rolled up and sweat was beading on his head from standing over a boiling cauldron for the last hour. Harry didn't look much better. He was pale and his hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks. His eyes were wide and grim as he stared at the cup of very deadly poison they had completed.
"You can back out now if you want. I can cast an Obliviate," he answered, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.
"No," Draco huffed, hooking a stray lock of hair back behind his ear. His silver eyes narrowed at his friend. "I said I'd help you. I'm just making sure you are alright with this. We're planning on murdering Albus Dumbledore."
"I know who he is," Harry snapped, as all his control shattered. He had been holding himself tightly in check ever since the merge. Except for the single outburst with Severus, he never let the inner chaos rise to the surface. "You have no idea…" Harry choked and had to turn his back. He took a deep breath and forced himself to talk coherently around his fury. "You have no idea how much he hurt me."
"Tell me, Shadow," Draco entreated. He had seen how tightly coiled his friend was and knew that Harry needed to let this out. Or he would snap. So he stood there and refused to flinch as Harry spun around, eyes flashing dangerously.
"You want to know?" Harry stalked forward until he was only a few inches from the blonde. His voice sunk to a low growl, very reminiscent of Gabriel in a fury. "He put a fucking brand on my mind." His pale, shaking hand slashed out and outlined a band around Draco's forehead. "It was so cold it burned itself into my soul, and he used it to chain me to his will. And when I resisted…" he couldn't finish; his eyes were wild and he was panting.
Draco didn't know what to do. He couldn't make this better. He literally couldn't imagine what it was like; he couldn't imagine the pain of it. So he met his friend's eyes and held them, silently saying he was there. It was all he had to offer.
Harry spun back around and paced toward the table. His braced his hands there as he leaned over, hanging his head. "The migraines were so bad I could hardly sit up and function, but the helplessness was worse…" he explained hoarsely. "I can't describe what it's like not to be safe in your own head. Especially for me… since my mind is my last defense against all the…"
Harry straightened, sighing deeply. "Dumbledore knew what he was doing to me. He engineered the whole thing over the summer. Do you know what he said to justify himself? He said, 'It's all for the best.' Severus offered to help me, heal me, and Dumbledore refused him. Saying my condition could be useful."
Pushing away from the table, he faced Draco again. He flung his hand up to point above them, almost screaming now. "That man left me with the Dursleys! He knew they hated magic. He knew they wouldn't treat me well; it doesn't matter that he didn't know how far the bastards would go! He did it so that he could 'save' me and make me loyal to his cause! And he will SEND ME BACK!
"God, I can't…" Gasping past the sobs choking him, Harry stepped back, covering his tear-streaked face. "I can't let him break me. I won't let him use me anymore. He's almost killed me already with the damn escapades in my first two years here, not to mention this year. But… But I know that…If it were to come to a fight, I would lose. He's stronger magically and politically. This is the only way I can defend myself. Anything less…"
"I know." Draco came forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "I do know. If we just immobilized him or knocked him out, he would crush you as soon as he regained consciousness. There's no way we could hold him forever."
"Exactly." They stood silently, awkwardly, while Harry got it together. When he was calm, he asked softly, "Why are you doing this?"
Draco sighed, slowly unrolling his sleeves to give him time to think of his answer. "I grew up hating Dumbledore. It was drilled into my skull by the time I was five-years-old. I've been reconsidering what I was raised to believe lately. I know my father is… not the man I thought he was. That's what made me write you. Some things I was taught, I still believe in. Others I don't."
He sighed again and met his friend's gaze. "To be honest, I don't hate Dumbledore enough to kill him on my own, but he hurt you. And he will continue to hurt you. And if he will do that, if he has done that, then he is capable of doing other things that will potentially threaten me and the Wizarding World in the future. I agree that he must be stopped. And you're right. No one is strong enough to make him impotent. This is the only way. His death is the only thing that will stop him now, and I've been taught long ago to accept that killing is sometimes the only possible solution."
"So you're willing to kill someone over the mere fact that they hurt me?" Harry raised an eyebrow with a self-mocking smirk on his lips.
"Tortured you is more like it," Draco sniffed. But then his face became serious. He took in the fourteen-year-old before him. The old green eyes, the pain they hid, the strength they possessed. Harry was his first real friend. If it weren't for Harry, he would still be curled up in childish denial, still stuck inside his father's mad world. He had grown stronger because of Harry, and he knew it. He wasn't a kid any longer because of Harry, and that connected them more strongly than his friend realized. "Yes. I guess I would kill for you."
Harry just stood there, staring. He didn't know what to make of that. The blonde watched him, waiting for a reaction. He opened his mouth, not sure what was going to come out and said, "I trust you, too, Draco." The blonde smiled and Harry felt an insane urge to laugh. "Besides… The poison won't kill him unless we activate it. And we won't have to activate it if he doesn't attack me again. He has one more chance."
Draco nodded, "But you don't think he'll take that chance."
"Neither do you," Harry smiled dryly.
"No. I don't."
Harry nodded and capped the poison. He met Draco's eyes and he felt a fierce warmth in his chest that the blonde was standing so strongly at his side. He never foresaw such loyalty and friendship when they stared writing last summer. He would bet all the gallons in the world that Draco hadn't either. But he was glad, fiercely glad, he had chosen to write back.
Draco looked away, a faint blush on his cheeks. He had never seen such an intense look on Harry's face. "How are we going to get Dumbledore to drink it?"
"In small doses, of course," Harry answered, allowing his eyes to shutter. "We'll need the help of a house-elf. Think you can use Dobby again? He's mind has already been tampered with, so Obliviating him later should be easy."
"And I'm a Malfoy," the blonde smirked.
"Yes," Harry laughed. "I did take that into consideration. Basically, I thought we would have him bring us Dumbledore's goblet, and I'll make it familiar to me. Then whenever Dumbledore eats in the Great Hall, I will banish a few ounces of poison into it."
"You don't think he'll notice the magic?" Draco frowned.
"No." A wicked smile bloomed on Harry's face. "Because you will be causing a mild distraction. Not enough to make Dumbledore leave his seat or meal, but enough magical disturbance that the poison goes unnoticed."
Draco grinned back, "I think I can manage."
xXxXxXx
Harry walked into the bathroom, a yawn stretching his face. Sweat was drying on the back of his neck and he wanted to wash it off before it became unbearably itchy. It was late and he was just getting back from the Chamber of Secrets, so at first he didn't realize what he had walked in on. He was halfway to the sinks when he froze.
Neville was sitting in the corner, almost under the last sink in the line. The teen was staring at his exposed forearm and moving a silver razor blade across the skin in steady, efficient strokes. Thin lines of blood trickled down either side and left drops of crimson on the white tile floor and on Neville's pajama pants.
The chubby teen wasn't aware Harry was there. He was completely focused on what he was doing. Like opening a clenched fist, Harry let his empathy loose. He expected turmoil, but all he could sense was contentment, satisfaction, and relief. Neville must have been doing this for awhile if he was so deep in the seductive trance.
"Nev?" Harry moved a few feet closer and crouched down.
His brother jerked, the razor gorging a jagged line among the strait rows before clattering to the blood speckled floor. His brown eyes were wide with shock and Harry had to brace himself as Neville's tranquility shattered. Mortification, guilt, deep frustration, and anger came rushing from the depths of his brother. Harry forced even breaths past his lips, fighting the urge to hyperventilate.
"H-H-Harry… W-w-what are y-y-you….?" Neville couldn't finish. He pulled his sleeve down and banished the knife. Two shaky passes of his wand and all the blood disappeared.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
Shame spiked with the frustration. "Nothing," Neville answered in a whisper. He moved to stand, but Harry grabbed his arm, curling his fingers purposefully around the cuts.
"Please, Nev. I'm not judging you. I just want to know what's wrong." He stared into his brother's eyes. "Why are you doing this again? Is it Madigan? Is she not helping you anymore?"
"No." Neville hung his head, shame and helplessness rising off of him like smoke. "I… It's just… It's the only thing that makes me feel… calm."
"What upset you?" Harry whispered, healing magic seeping from his hand still clamped around his brother's arm.
Neville blushed as embarrassment coated his skin. Anger came after, coloring the teen's skin further. "I haven't cut in a long time. Almost two months. I… I've had some really bad urges… but I managed to distract myself… or meditate. Madigan and Remus helped a lot… But… I just… When Dean said… And I felt so angry, but I couldn't say anything… I'm such a coward…"
"What did Dean say?" Harry asked, his voice dropping with icy threat. If that moron had said anything to hurt his brother…
Neville flinched and hung his head, "Nothing." Shame with new nervousness was back.
"You can tell me." Harry consciously softened his voice. "Trust me, brother. Don't push me away now."
The teen lifted his head, looking at Harry through his messy brown bangs. His round cheeks were practically on fire and his lower lip trembled. Harry had seen is brother suffering and happy, but he'd never seen that expression before or felt such fragile vulnerability. "You'll think I'm r-r-ridiculous."
"What?" Harry was shocked. He fell forward on his knees and grabbed his brother by his shoulders, looking fiercely into the teen's eyes. "Never, Neville. I'll never think that about something that makes you this upset."
"It's… Ginny."
Harry fell back, eyes wide. He began to feel a bit lost. "Ginny?… What… What about her?"
Neville's emotions tangled up so tightly that Harry had no way to distinguish them. "I really… I really like her…" he muttered, refusing to meet Harry's eyes.
"I don't…" Harry shook his head helplessly. "I don't understand what's wrong."
"Don't you see?" Neville lifted his head, his eyes pleading for him to understand. "Ginny's so wonderful and I like her a lot, but… But she'll never like me. She shouldn't. Not after… you know. And I'm so clumsy and stupid. Dean's so much better than me. He's good on a broom and funny. Everyone likes him. I don't stand a chance. I can't… I can't even tell her how… how b-b-beautif-f-full she is. I'm such a disgrace. She had to as me to the ball! What kind of man lets the girl ask them out?"
Neville buried his face into his hands and Harry could only stare. He had no idea what to do about this, but had to do something. Neville was really upset. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Half of him understood his brother's fears. What happened with Lockhart still made him feel dirty and soiled too. But the idea of starting a relationship was way more horrifying than any of that. He kinda envied Neville. This was a sure sign that he really was moving past what had happened to them, while Harry was still maimed.
"Look, Neville, there's nothing wrong with Ginny asking you to the ball. She must like you. She knows you're shy, so that must not bother her. And you know you're not stupid or clumsy. You know that! Don't forget everything we've learned this summer and how you felt then. Not to mention you're the youngest Animagus in history. There is nothing wrong with you and you're not lacking. You're just nervous and scared. And that's normal, I think."
Neville shook his head. Harry sighed as he felt the hope and disbelief were still in equal measures. He really wasn't good at this. He moved to sit next to his brother and leaned his head back against the wall. He really didn't want to talk about Lockhart, but it looked like he had no choice. Not if he wanted to make Neville feel better. And he really didn't want him to cut anymore. It was dangerous.
"I'm proud of you Nev. I really am. You're not letting Lockhart keep you from liking Ginny. You aren't dirty. It wasn't your fault, and you know it. He was the sick one. We were just…"
"The victims?" Neville asked quietly.
Harry flinched, "… twelve." He finished instead. "We were children for fuck's sake. Look, don't let what happened stop you from being happy. If you like Ginny, you should act on it. I'll be pissed at you if you let a bastard like Lockhart keep you away from Ginny."
"But… I don't… I can't…"
"What would you tell me?" Harry suddenly demanded, turning to face his brother. "If I had this problem? Would you think I shouldn't because Lockhart made me dirty?"
Neville's eyes went wide. "No!"
"The same for you. You aren't alone. You aren't different from me. We are stronger than him. Don't you remember telling him that he can't touch us, that he can't win? He's the monster! Not us! I won't let you do this to yourself over him!" Harry took a deep breath and forced himself to stop yelling. It was hard. In a way, he was talking to himself as well. "He's not worth it, Neville. We have to choose to either let him infect us or not. Don't choose him. Go to Ginny. Tell her how you feel before Dean does."
Neville blushed. His emotions were slashing out, painting the walls with hope and terror.
Harry leaned his shoulder supportively into his friend. "Do you want me to be there with you? I don't mind."
"I can't!" he gasped.
"You have to. You have to, Neville. Please? For me?" Harry looked to his brother, allowed him to see the pain and disgust that he still felt as well. "If you can't do this, then what hope is there for me? I can't even imagine wanting to be with someone else. But you can. You have to do this."
Neville shuddered, his hand moving over to his arm and scratching at the scabs. His eyes were wide and Harry could feel the pressure building. He reached over and captured the scratching hand.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't make you feel like everything depends on you," Harry shook his head impatiently. "I… I suck at this, I guess. Look. I know how strong you are. I know how brave you can be. I know you can do this, Neville.'
"What if she says no? What if she thinks we're just friends?" Neville demanded. "Worse, what if she says yes and then finds out about me? She'll… she'll be horrified. She'll hate me!"
"Not true!" Harry snapped. He ran his hands roughly through his hair. "She might be horrified, but not with you. She'll be horrified a teacher could do that. She won't hate you. If she does hate you, it won't be for that. It will be because you aren't compatible or something. And if she does say no when you tell her you like her, then… Then you'll be embarrassed, but it won't kill you. You can still be friends or you can avoid her. It wouldn't be the end of the world, would it?"
"Yes, it would!" Neville yelled, wild-eyed.
"No! The end of the world would be not saying anything at all. Then you'll always doubt yourself. Do you want to do that? Is that how you want to be?"
"No, but I can't be any better. I'm a failure," Neville moaned.
"Stop it!" Harry slapped his arm. "You're not a failure. Do you trust me or not?"
"What?"
"Do you trust me or not?" he repeated, glaring.
"I… Yes. Of course," Neville frowned.
"Well, I'm telling you that you're a good friend. You're a good brother. You are talented and have a powerful, unique magic. We've faced things that none of our peers have ever dreamed of facing, and we've survived. Remus loves you. I love you. Severus respects you. We aren't stupid or delusional, Neville. There is good things in you and Ginny will see that, too."
"How do you know?" he asked tearfully.
"I'm an Empath, remember?" Harry drawled.
"Really? You… You felt her, and she likes me?"
"What do you think?" Harry crossed his arms and lifted his eyebrow.
Neville laughed softly. "You look like Severus when you do that."
Harry smiled back. "So?"
"I… I'll tell her… before b-b-breakf-f-fast," he said shakily and went white as a sheet with fear.
"You can do it, Nev. I'll be close by."
"Alright," he sighed. "Thank you. For everything."
"Call me Shadow. I'm starting to get fond of the nickname," Harry smiled wryly.
"Shadow," Neville corrected. "Isn't that the name Draco and you came up with?"
"Yeah," Harry leaned his head back tiredly. "I just got back from meeting him."
"Basilisk almost done?"
"Nope. It's huge!" Harry groaned, making Neville laugh.
His smile melted, however, as Neville turned to look at his brother. "I… I was wondering… What made Draco change his mind about the Dark Lord and his father?"
Harry looked at him curiously, "Why? You don't believe he's sincere?"
"No, it's not that." Neville shook his head. "I can tell he's your friend, but… What exactly changed his mind? You don't have to tell me. It's alright," he hurriedly added.
"No… I don't mind. I trust you to keep it secret. The thing is, he never told me exactly what happened. The first time he wrote me he said I made him curious with my cryptic remarks, and that a Gryffindor who was secretly dating a Slytherin had told him some interesting stories about how Ron and Hermione were treating me. But even at that early date, he wasn't pleased with his father because in the same letter he offered to tell me information about Lucius in exchange for explaining where I stood in Gryffindor and with Dumbledore."
"It must have been something really bad," Neville murmured. "I've been wondering for a while. I just couldn't imagine going against my parents and they aren't really… around to tell me what to do. It must have been a hundred times worse for Draco to turn on his family."
"His mother supports Draco abandoning the Dark Lord. He said she told him that Voldemort enslaves his followers and turns them into something they aren't, which was happening to Lucius again," Harry said thoughtfully. Now that Neville pointed it out, he was curious too. Before he didn't care, as long as Draco was being honest, but now that they were friends he wondered what the blonde had gone through over the summer. "I asked him why he was turning on his father. Draco just said Lucius had changed. Draco called him driven and pointlessly cruel, if I remember correctly. Said Lucius had started to change since second year and last summer it got worse."
"That doesn't sound good," Neville frowned. He shifted uncomfortably. "My butt's numb."
Harry laughed. "Mine, too. Come on." He stood and helped Neville to his feet. "And really… How can you think Dean is better than you? He's an obnoxious and immature prat."
"He's nice," Neville smiled. "And… Shadow? Thanks, again."
"No problem," Harry smiled and they both went to bed.
xXxXxXx
The next morning, Neville and Harry sat waiting in the common room. Harry had to firmly shoo their friends out the door. Neither he nor Neville wanted them around, especially Ron and the twins. Who knew how they would react to Neville asking their sister out? Half the House had already left for breakfast when Ginny came down.
Her long red hair was braided and her brown eyes were bright and happy as she talked to another third year girl. Her black school robes were open and revealed thin, coltish legs in black slacks and small breasts under a white button-down shirt. Her collar was open revealing a braided necklace of red and gold. Her long nails were painted a pale pink and the gloss on her lips reflected light.
Neville was white as a sheet and his fear was as thick as a waterfall as Harry opened his empathy. Swaying, Harry pushed his back firmly against the back of the chair he was sitting in. He stared at Ginny, forcing his senses to cut through his brother's emotions. He sensed her soft amusement, affection, and a faint blush of attraction as she spotted Neville. Neville was about burst apart as Ginny made her way over, waving her friend on without her.
"Morning, guys!"
"Good morning," Harry answered tightly, shutting down his empathy. He looked at his trembling brother and elbowed him in the side. "I was just waiting with Neville. I'll see you at breakfast then?"
"Y-y-yeah… s-s-s-sure," Neville stuttered in a whisper.
Harry walked off, but went right back in under the invisibility cloak he had put in his pocket this morning. Neville was standing now, his face a strange mixture of pale white and red as Ginny spoke to him with a bright voice about some dragon show her brother told her about.
"So…" Ginny finally fell silent, then she smiled. "I guess, we should go to breakfast…"
"I… I just… I wanted…" Neville was sweating and Harry bit his lips, praying his brother was able to do this.
"Yes?" Ginny looked into his eyes hopefully, but Neville dropped her gaze almost immediately.
"I…" Neville reached into his pocket and pulled out a perfectly preserved red rose. He was just as red as the flower, but Ginny had stopped breathing and a gorgeous smile broke out on her face. "I just wanted…"
"It's beautiful," Ginny said gently, brushing her fingers against his as she took it. Harry rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as well. He was so damn proud of Neville.
"Will… will you… Will you be…?" Neville was choking; he looked about ready to faint.
"I would love to be your girlfriend, Neville Longbottom," Ginny spoke up, stepping forward and kissing his cheek.
Neville squeaked and went even redder, but her acceptance made him relax. He smiled and took her hand. "Did you know the rose symbolizes love, but the red color is what makes it a romantic love? It also has several properties that make it good for healing. This species in particular…"
Harry didn't hear the rest as the two walked out of the common room together and went to breakfast. He laughed softly, pulling the cloak off and going back to the dorm room to put it back in his trunk. Soon he was laughing loud and long. His brother had done it! He even let Ginny kiss his cheek. Harry thought it was amazing that his brother wanted her to kiss his cheek. Shaking his head, he made his way down to the Great Hal, still smiling with amazement.
xXxXxXx
"So what are you going to do?" Harry asked Neville later that day as they stepped out of Transfiguration. They had a free period before dinner and he was thinking he'd go up to the library to study.
"Ginny and I are going to for a walk in the south courtyard," Neville answered with a warm blush.
"Have fun," Harry smiled, though he really wanted to roll his eyes.
"Thanks." Neville grinned and hurried down the hall.
Harry had watched the new couple during meals and whenever they saw each other in the halls. It was strange and cute. Ginny was a rambunctious, surprisingly mature, happy girl. She brought out a playful side of his brother that rarely was used. And Neville tamed Ginny's energy a bit. She was more serene. Harry wondered how long they would last together.
"What are you thinking about?" Hermione smiled as he approached her table.
"Neville and Ginny," Harry admitted, sitting down.
Hermione usually tied her hair back in a messy ponytail while she studied, but lately she had been braiding it. Mostly because of her other company. Viktor sat at her other side, a book in front of him, but obviously not being used as he spoke with and watched the bushy-haired witch.
"I must go," Viktor sudden said. He closed the book and bowed to Hermione before striding from the library. Hermione was frowning after him.
"I take it he didn't mention having to leave at this time?" Harry asked carefully.
"No. He didn't," Hermione huffed.
Harry looked thoughtfully toward the door. "I think… I think he might be avoiding me." He hadn't really thought about it, but Viktor and he hadn't hung out once since the second task. Maybe the Bulgarian was mad at him for not coming around? Or he could be mad that Harry and Cedric were in first place and he in second.
"Why would he do that?" Hermione asked worriedly. "I thought you were friends."
"We are," Harry reassured her, offering a half smile. "It's probably nothing. I'll talk to him later, promise."
"I'm suppose to meet him after dinner by the lake. Why don't you go instead?" she offered, eyes hopeful. "I don't want you two to fight. It was horrible when you and Ron were fighting."
"No. You go ahead and meet him. I'll talk to him later." Harry summoned the books he needed to learn the lynx form and began arranging them around him. "It will be alright, Hermione."
She nodded, but didn't turn back to her own study. "I think Neville and Ginny make a real cute couple. Ginny is so happy." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she said, "She won't shut up about how sweet and loving Neville is."
"Really?" Harry drawled. "I might have to tell him so."
"Don't you dare!" Hermione swatted his arm with a grin. "She'd be so embarrassed."
"I doubt anything can embarrass her," Harry sniffed. "But seriously… Do you really think they make a good couple. Neville's so shy and she's so outgoing."
"Well, opposites attract," Hermione said wisely.
"You need some common ground in a relationship, though," Harry argued. "You and Viktor share a thirst for knowledge, for example."
"Neville and Ginny are both kind and compassionate people. Family and friends means a lot to both of them. As for Neville being shy, maybe he won't be so timid anymore. And Ginny is toning down her attitude as she realizes she doesn't have to be loud to get attention. They'll be fine, Harry."
"If you say so." Harry shrugged. "Quiz me?"
"Sure." Hermione took his book. "You can quiz me next."
xXxXxXx
Harry waited until midnight to sneak down to the abandoned classroom that Draco had taught him to dance in. The blonde was already waiting there. He smiled as Harry took off his invisibility cloak and they both warded the room for silence and put up charms that would make wizards and witches want to avoid the room.
"Ready?" Harry asked.
"Whenever you are," Draco answered, his wand and gaze steady.
Harry nodded and called for Dobby. The little elf popped into the room and looked around in confusion. Seeing the two students, he wrung his hands and his bulbous eyes filled with uncertainty. Harry stepped forward with Draco in a smoothly synchronized movement. The elf squeaked, but kept his gaze on Harry, who was trying to make his expression as soft as he could.
"Hello, Dobby," he said gently. "I need your help."
"Help, sir?" the elf squeaked. "What can Dobby be doing for you?"
"You know Winky has been behaving suspiciously. She has kept a bond to her previous master and is not serving Hogwarts' best interests."
"No, oh I'm sure Winky not be hurting Hogwarts!" Dobby cried, wringing his hands more violently.
"You know that isn't true," Draco drawled, tapping his wand in his open palm.
"And you brought her here," Harry nodded. "I know you didn't mean too. Bad wizards made you do it, but I'd still like to give you a chance to make sure Winky doesn't do anything bad and get in trouble."
"How, sir?" Dobby asked tearfully.
"I need Dumbledore's goblet. Can you bring it here? I want to make sure Winky hasn't changed it to hurt the headmaster."
"She wouldn't! No! Winky a good elf!" Dobby wailed, pulling on his ears.
"Dobby, I just want to make sure," Harry soothed. "If Winky does hurt the headmaster, it wouldn't be her fault. It's her previous master's fault for doing this to her. He should never have released her without breaking the bond between them first."
"Bad Crouch! Crouch is being a very, very bad wizard!" Dobby yelled and then preceded to punish himself.
"Dobby, we don't have time for this. Either help us or go back to your kitchen and pretend you don't know Winky is under the control of a very bad wizard," Draco said coldly, his silver eyes glinting in the dim light.
"We are trying to find a way to break Crouch's hold on Winky, Dobby. But until we can, we need to make sure she doesn't do anything bad. That way when she is Hogwarts, nobody will have to know what she almost did when she was still under Crouch's control. We are trying to keep her from getting in trouble."
"Oh, Harry Potter is a great wizard," Draco sobbed. "You being so kind to house-elves, sir! And Master Draco is being not like his father at all! Harry Potter is a good friend to make Master Draco a good wizard too!"
"Thank you, Dobby. I'm just glad I could help," Harry smiled, trying not to laugh when Draco rolled his eyes behind Dobby's back. "Will you fetch the goblet, Dobby? I need to check it and then I'll give it right back to you."
"Yes, sir! Right away!" Dobby shouted and popped away.
"Looks like you didn't need me at all," Draco crossed his arms and pouted.
Harry laughed. "Don't feel bad, my Serpentine Prince. He still calls you Master Draco. I'm sure your presences has influenced him to our favor."
Draco lifted an eyebrow. "You are in a good mood."
Harry met his gaze, even as a blush stained his cheeks. "I won't feel bad that I'm pleased I'll be able to protect myself from Dumbledore."
"You still feel it's a bit twisted to be pleased about all this, though," Draco said shrewdly.
Harry looked away, "Maybe a bit. But I know it's necessary."
Draco couldn't say anything else; Dobby returning with a loud crack. Harry took the goblet and memorized it, touched it. He cast a few diagnostic spells, learning what it was made of. When he felt he would be able to banish the poison into it successfully, he handed it back to the solemn and grateful elf that Draco had been distracting while Harry worked.
"Nothing was wrong with it. I am very proud of Winky. She must be trying to resist the evil Crouch."
"Oh, yes! Yes, Winky is a good elf!" Dobby said eagerly, hugging the goblet to his chest.
"Watch over her, Dobby. Don't let her do something that she would be upset with herself later for doing," Harry encouraged.
"Yes, Harry Potter! I be helping Winky be a good elf!" Dobby nodded so much, Harry was a bit afraid his head would roll off.
"Thank you, Dobby. You are doing a great service to Hogwarts," Draco murmured.
"Thank you, Master Draco!" the elf cried and burst into tears before popping away.
"Tomorrow then," Draco said with a sigh, running a hand through his loose hair.
"Tomorrow," Harry agreed. He stared at the blonde thoughtfully until Draco lifted an eyebrow in question. "I was just wondering… Do you think you are ready to tell me what happened last summer? You letter didn't come until almost three weeks after school let out. What made you write me?"
"You don't trust me?" he asked stiffly.
"That's not it," Harry shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "And you know it. I was just wondering what happened to you. We are friends now."
"And will you tell me more specifically how your mind fractured? You never did."
"I told you about Dumbledore," Harry glared.
"That doesn't tell me how you got this condition in the first place," Draco drawled with a smug smile. But it didn't reach his eyes. Neither of them thought any of this was funny.
Harry stared at him. His whole body was rigid and tense. It was true he hadn't explained. Sure, he had hinted by saying one of the reasons he had to protect himself from Dumbledore was because the old man would send him back to the Dursleys, but that's not the same as telling Draco about Rose or Boy. It's not at all the same as telling him about Demon. Did Harry want to? Could he handle telling the blonde so much? If he couldn't, then he had no right to ask about Draco's home life.
"You're right," he bowed his head stiffly. "Maybe I should tell you."
Draco's mouth dropped open in shock. He had been certain that pushing his friend would result in Harry dropping the subject for both of them. But Harry hadn't. He was actually going to tell him what happened to him, expecting Draco to be able to do the same. His heart began to beat faster in his chest. He spent all his time not thinking about home, about what he could expect when school ended. He was ashamed and afraid. He was mortified he felt the fear. Could he confess? If he didn't, would Harry pull away from him again.
"A-a-alright," he stuttered and took a deep breath, blushing at his weakness. "Now?"
"No better time," Harry drawled and gestured to the desks.
They took seats three desks away from each other, needing the space. Harry even dimmed the already weak light, so they sat in near complete darkness. Draco felt himself relax a bit at that. It was a lot easier talking when he could pretend he was alone in the room. He cleared his throat, but Harry didn't respond, further enhancing the illusion.
"My father… He taught me what it was to be a Pureblood. He taught me how to maneuver and how to plot. He'd take me to meetings, and he teach me magic. At night, he would tell me stories of the Great Dark Lord and his tragic fall to the unyielding and hypocritical Light side. When I mastered a new dark spell, he'd be so proud of me. He'd smile and hug me, lift me up and carry me to my mother where he'd boast about my skill. He taught me to fly my broom."
Draco closed his eyes, fighting the tears. "He was a stern father, but a good one. He loved me and I knew it. But… He began to get distant when I started at Hogwarts. I got home expecting him to say he missed me; instead he… He was very angry that a Mudblood was doing better than me in my classes. He told me that they were scum and didn't even know magic existed until that year. How dare I dishonor the Malfoy name? It was disgraceful.
"After that, my father wouldn't even look at me except to sneer in disgust. I was… I was so ashamed. I… I could hardly eat or sleep for a week. I hated Granger with all my heart. My mother did her best to make me feel better, but I only cared about my father. So when he ordered me to come down to the dungeons a month before school and begin to learn some of the deeper Dark Arts, I was willing to do about anything for him."
Draco fell silent. He could see those dungeons as if he were standing there now. The things he had watched still gave him nightmares. He was grateful that Harry didn't ask him to continue, instead waiting patiently. But putting it off wasn't going to make this any easier. So he took a deep breath and continued.
"I had never been brought down there before. I knew about the dungeons under our Manor, of course, but…" he shook his head and clenched his fists on his thighs. "He had captured ten Muggles. Each one lasted three days…" Draco bit his lip so hard he could taste blood and that made him want to gag. He shakily cast a healing charm and wrapped his arms around his chest. "He made me watch him kill them all. He made memorize the Dark curses, expecting me to memorize them even if I couldn't cast them yet. The only thing that kept me from falling apart was telling myself they were Muggles. They weren't really people. They were like monkeys. Animals."
He punched the desk, wanting to yell, but hissed instead. "I blamed Granger. It was her fault. If she wasn't so bloody smart, my father wouldn't have been so mad at me. He wouldn't have demanded I prove myself like that. I came back to school with so much anger and hatred, with so many nightmares. And then the Chamber opened. And it started attacking students. I… I can't tell you what that felt like. These were people I knew. People like me. I was so glad when it was all over.
"But my father… He was so very angry. He revealed that it had been him who slipped Weasley the diary. He wanted the Chamber open and for all the students who weren't worthy to be killed. I was a wreck and lost a lot of weight. He screamed at me for being weak. He swore he'd make me strong…"
Draco covered his face with shaking hands. "I lived under Imperio that summer. He made me eat three meals a day, sleep nine to ten hours at night. The rest of the time… I lived in the library, studying every text book I had. When I was through with those, I studied the Dark Arts and the history of the First War. On the last day of summer, he took it off and told me in this cool voice that was how a Pureblood was suppose to act. That was when I really began to fear him," Draco whispered hoarsely.
"Living under the Imperio Curse had been… horrible. Like I were dead. I had been completely content never going flying or eating sweets or hugging my mother. None of that even occurred to me. I felt…" Draco's voice was broken. Like gravel and glass, "…soulless." For a long time, he just breathed. When he could speak again, he was calmer.
"Then I got back to school. I didn't know what to do except pretend none of it had happened, but it was… It was like I were always slightly out of place. I couldn't… I felt invisible. But then… then you began acting strange sometimes, and it was like… It was like you would step through the film separating me from everyone else and you'd see me. You'd say things and I'd actually feel like you were talking to me. And the things you said… It made me start thinking about my father, and more than that it made me think of my mother.
"When I got home, I talked to her. She cried for me. She told me how much she loved me and how wrong my father was for hurting me so. She explained that he was acting this way because his soul had been taken by the Dark Lord. That the Dark Lord makes slaves of his people because he is incapable of trust, and this is what it does to them."
Draco went limp in his chair, head resting on the seat back as he stared blankly up into darkness. "I realized that my father wouldn't do what he had done to me. My father was the man who raised me and was proud of me. This new man. That wasn't my father. This new man was a Death Eater, not a father. And I hated him. I hated him and realized I had never hated before; not Granger, not you, not Muggles. This was real hate, and I hated Death Eaters. So I wrote you.
"I'm lucky really. If it weren't for my father being so busy with work and being gone so much, I probably wouldn't have had the space to realize what I did. He would have forced me into his footsteps, but my mother was there and he wasn't. And so were you. You're letters really changed a lot for me. Hearing about how you were able to defeat the Dark Lord so many times really gave me courage." He snorted. "Two Slytherins with courage. What would the world make of us?"
"The world would do best to get out of our way," Harry's voice came out of the darkness.
Draco laughed. "Damn straight."
"My turn, I guess." Harry sighed. "It all started the day Voldemort came for my parents on Halloween night. When Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at me, it collided with the protective spell activated by my mother's death and my own protective shield. It rebounded, but a sliver of the curse seeped through and struck me in the head, cutting me and burrowing into my soul, trying to separate it from my body. But it was too weak to do that. It was evil, so I pushed it away, tearing a bit of my own soul so that it could wrap around it and keep it buried. Over time, it gained a consciousness of a sort. It slept, deep inside my mind. Later I would name this alter Demon.
"Dumbledore put me in a basket, wrote a note, and left me at the Dursley doorstep. My mother's sister, her husband, and son were to by my new family. It was alright at first, but when they discovered I had magic, they were not pleased." Harry smiled wryly. "That was when I broke away from my mind again. I left a small portion to take the abuse, while the majority of my mind was protected with ignorance and slept. The new alter took the name Boy. Thankfully, Boy could unconsciously access our magic and healed himself. I don't know exactly what was done to Boy, but there was always a lot of blood left behind when I woke up. Let's just say Vernon beat him.
Harry hesitated, but it felt ridiculous to tell Draco so much and leave out Rose. "The second alter was born when my aunt, Petunia, began demanding I do chores. She made me cook and clean, but she would also call me worthless and tell me how horrible my parents were and that I didn't deserve to be taken care of. She told me I was a burden and a thousand other horrible things. I was only five years old and it really hurt me. I panic and left behind an empathetic, deaf alter. This alter named herself Rose. She thought she was a girl because Petunia was her role model."
Harry went on to tell him about Silas and Gabriel. He retold the stories of the Sorcerer's Stone, the Chamber of Secrets, and third year; this time he told the truth. The only thing he left out was Kit and Lockhart. Draco sat and listened, never interrupting as Harry told him about the summer and merging with Rose. He had already explained what had happened this year with Dumbledore, but he went into more detail about merging with Gabriel. When he finished, he was exhausted.
"Now I now why you are so certain of Professor Snape," Draco said softly. "So only Boy and Demon are yet to merge?"
"That's right," Harry said tiredly.
"Demon sounds terrifying," the blonde said softly. "And Boy… They both seem too much to merge with."
"I know. I don't have any plans on merging with either of them any time soon," he smiled grimly.
"I'm sorry all that happened to you." Draco cast a Lumos and met the tired green eyes across from him. "It really pisses me off, and I swear to you that I will help with any revenge you plan to take on the Dursleys."
"Thanks." Harry laughed. He cast Tempus and sighed. "It's almost five in the morning. We should go."
Draco nodded. He stood and they made their way to the door. But before Harry could take down the wards he had put up, Draco grabbed his arm. He turned and stared at Draco who's face was hard and determined. "We will destroy Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Shadow. You were right. The world should definitely get out of our way," the Slytherin said with certainty.
Harry smiled, "I agree completely. We're in this together now."
The blonde smiled back, hearing exactly what he needed.
Chapter End
A/N: I need help thinking of what kind of distractions Draco can orchestrate so that Harry banishing poison into Dumbledore's goblet will go unnoticed. Review with any ideas!
