Chapter II

Harry

The letter arrived by owl that morning. Severus and Remus already ran every test they knew on it, but it appeared clean. It was addressed to Harry from Voldemort. Sirius said that they definitely tracked the owl back to the camp, but there was no evidence of it so far.

It looked like a normal letter, innocuously staring at Harry from the table.

"You should just burn it," Draco's voice rang in the silence.

"It may contain valuable information," Hermione piped in.

"If that is not his surrender, it's nothing that can help us," Pansy sneered.

They were all in what was dubbed the "young tent", in the middle of the camp, so they had the best protection possible.

Harry reached for the letter. His friends' eyes were watching his every move. He opened the seal and took out the letter. It was written on a fancy expensive scroll with black ink in beautiful loopy letter. To Harry that already seen Tom Riddle's handwriting the sender would be unmistakable at first glance even without the name on the envelope.

"He used the Slytherin sigil, so tacky," Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Isn't he technically the heir though?" Hermione whispered to her.

"I mean, so is Harry" Pansy said.

Right, since he also opened the Chamber and is a Parseltongue, he and Riddle are both in the run for the title, if anyone cared for it.

Harry's eyes scanned the letter, he registered chatter from his friends, but his mind was focused on what he was reading.

"Dear Harry,

No one will follow this owl to you. I have written to you because I want us to settle this conflict with as little magic blood spilled as possible.

You have something that I want, Potter heir, and I am willing to trade you for it. The students of Hogwarts for your life, I think it is an easy exchange.

All I have ever wanted is to make this world safer for wizards, for us to take our rightful place and not hide in the shadows anymore. I know you have been poisoned by your family, but I like to think you would have joined me if circumstance were different. You and I are the same after all.

Came alone in the Forbidden Forest at midnight on the second of May. If you do not came, it will mean the loss of all the year 7th in any House.

Tom Riddle-Gaunt."

Harry's hand started shacking. Ron, Ginny, Luna, Blaise… all of his friends were still at school thinking they would be safe there.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked and lightly touched his knee.

"I am…" Harry gulped. "Just taunts as usual." He said and pocketed the letter.

"Are you sure? You look pale," Hermione asked worried.

"I should know better than let him get to me," Harry said tight.

Harry waited a few hours till he was sure everyone was asleep and donned the Cloak on his shoulders. He sneaked out of his tent being careful not to move the flap too much. Charlie was supposed to be on guard tonight and Harry was confident he could get passed him. It would have been impossible to sneak past any of the werewolves.

He saw Charlie by the fire chatting with Dora, unmistakable by her bright pink hair. Good, when they got going it was like the rest of the world disappeared. Harry walked quietly to not rustle any leaves. He hoped to get out of the non-apparition zone and take his chance. He didn't have an apparition license, but Remus gave him lessons, albeit nothing practical yet.

Harry was almost out of the camp, when he heard noise behind him. He did half of a turn when he was hit by the spell:

"Petrificus totalus!" Hermione casted.

Harry felt himself froze under the cloak, great, he couldn't even get out of the camp.

"Thank you, Hermione," Draco said primly. "And where do you think you're going?"

If Harry could move any muscles, he would have probably chuckled at Draco fighting with empty air. At this point though, he couldn't even turn towards the voices.

"You were right," Pansy told someone, probably to Draco by the smug puff of air he did.

"I honestly didn't believe he was this stupid," Hermione sighed defeated.

Someone moved closer to Harry and grabbed at the cloak, by the second try they managed it and revealed the frozen Harry.

"If I landed a surprise attack on you, imagine what the Death Eaters could have done," Hermione chastised him staring at him with her big eyes.

"But you didn't plan to fight them, did you?" Draco's voice was cold and sharp like a blade.

"What do you mean?" Pansy asked panic in her voice.

"You were going to surrender to them, right?"

Harry didn't reply. He couldn't even if wanted to, but it was not important because Draco had the letter in his hand.

"Do you think we would let a letter from Voldemort get to you before reading it first?"

"You read his letter!?" Hermione turned to Draco scandalized.

"He obviously can't manage it on his own, look at where that got us!" Draco snapped.

"Is everything alright here?" Charlie asked hesitant.

"Bloody brilliant," Draco snapped.

"Watch your tone, Draco!" Dora admonished.

"Harry tried to sneak away and surrender himself to Voldemort," Pansy clarified.

"You are so stupid!" Draco's eyes rounded on him now. He advanced on Harry while everyone else looked on shocked.

Draco's eyes were blazing "I tried to do everything to keep you alive, everyone in this camp did and you would have walked out on us!" Draco was really close now and it was all Harry's treacherous mind could focus on.

Pansy slipped the Black family wand from her friend's hands before he got to Harry. If he survived this night, Harry should remember to thank her later. Weaponless, Draco resorted to smacking his fists against Harry's frozen chest calling him stupid like it was a mantra.

Draco's eyes were shinny in the campfire light and he was so close it was intoxicating. He was still punching Harry's chest when the spell worn off. Harry put his arms around him and Draco reluctantly let himself being pulled in.

"You are so stupid," He whispered into Harry's chest.

"I know," Harry whispered back. "I am sorry."

The next council meeting was not something Harry ever wanted to repeat. All eyes were on him, everyone was glaring and muttering under their breath about how stupid what he tried to pull was.

"I understand you want to help your fellow students, that is noble of you, but nothing guarantees that Voldemort will hold his promise," Severus was the first one to speak.

"We need to be smart about this, not heroic" Draco added. He was still holding Harry's hand. He kept holding onto Harry ever since last night, he didn't mind… If he knew that was what it would take, 16 year old Harry would have tried it sooner.

"Are we even sure the kids are in danger?" Remus asked. "He may be bluffing"
"I've sent Ginny a letter," Fred spoke up. "Before they left for school, we agreed on a code word to use if they are ever in danger."

"And she used it this morning," George added.

"Is there a safe way to talk to anyone in the school?" Lily asked.

"Maybe the teacher's lounge fireplace" Severus added chewing over his words. "But we can't get everyone out through there"

"Could we get a hold of Minerva like that?" Sirius asked.

"Probably, but we can't be sure no oneelse is listening," the former teacher added.

"What about the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked in a shy voice. "They are tunnels all over the school that are only accessible to a Parseltongue"

"And Voldemort is also one," Pansy counter argued.

"It could buy us time… Does it lead anywhere outside?" Remus asked.

"The Forbidden forest."

"Anyone could apparate from there," Lily said.

"Not all students have the license and we need a lot of adults to side along them…" Remus pointed out.

"What is a safe way to move around that many people?" Hermione asked.

"Distract them while the kids make their way out" Sirius answered after a heavy pause.

"Give them a fight?" Remus asked his husband.

"Or something they want," Harry added, everyone glared at him.

There was a lot more planning after that discussion, but they were speaking in circles around the issue trying to figure it out.

"They will look out for me, it's the best option we have," He insisted once more.

Draco, who by this point was dozing on his shoulder, swatted at him.

"He will know something is up if I will not be there," Harry continued.

"I don't like that you make sense," Draco protested.

In the end, everyone got their part to play in rescuing the students. Since it was a covert operation, they couldn't use the werewolves' help, but Dora did reach out to some of her Auror contacts and they got Moody and Kinglsey to help them.

Harry couldn't sleep the night before, they went over the plan multiple times and they had contingency plans in place, but he was still worried something may go wrong and his allies would get hurt. When they all met up in the evening, everyone looked just as anxious.

Harry teleported with Draco first, the embassy. Draco mastered apparition pretty easily, the bastard, even with his faulty wand. Harry and Draco teleported to the Forbidden Forest, pretty far from the meeting place Voldemort mentioned.

"Promise me you will be careful," Draco insisted once more.

"I will," Harry said, but still hadn't released Draco's arm. He enjoyed the closeness too much.

"I… should go," Draco said taking a step back.

"Yes… Good luck" Harry stammered.

Draco turned into his ferret form and with one last furlong look took off toward the castle.

Harry walked towards the castle. He was greeted by Death Eaters near the rendezvous point Voldemort set up in his letter.

"You actually showed up," Bellatrix Lestrange sang in her high pitch voice.

"Foolish honor,' Peter Pettigrew spat.

Bella pressed the tip of her wand to her right arm, summoning Voldemort most likely.

"And to think now I won't get to lay a hand on the Longbottom brat," She sighed.

"No one is stopping you after we get what we want," Peter replied.

"Harry, I was sure you will arrive" Voldemort's voice stopped the chatter between his followers.

Harry took out his wand staring right ahead, eyes on the danger.

"Do not insult either of us, what can you do against all of us?" Voldemort scuffed. "I know you brought only a friend, he will be joining us shortly"

Harry's heart was hammering in his chest worried if they hurt Draco.

"The heir is fine. Weren't you a Slytherin? You supposed to have more control on your emotions than this," Voldmort's tone was full of disdain.

"I came like you said, let everyone go now."

"But I did mention you should come alone."

Harry glared, he clutched the wand in his hand aching for a fight.

"Wormtail, take his wand away," Voldemort commanded.

Peter obeyed and ripped out the wand from Harry's hand.

New figures made their way into the clearing, Lucius Malfoy holding Draco's arm in a vice grip. Both of their face were unreadable.

"The Malfoy heir, how nice of you to join us," Voldemort made a wide gesture with his hands.

Draco's eyes landed on Harry. A sparkle of worry and then the mask was back on.

"He was caught in the Room of Requirement trying to mend a Vanishing Cabinet," Lucius reported.

"Clever, but unsuccessful."

"What do you want?" Harry asked Voldemort point blank. He was tired of beating around the bush.

"I already have what I want," Voldemort grinned, an ugly display that reminded Harry of the gaping mouth of a python before it swallows its prey whole.

"Let the students go," Harry insisted.

"Kill the mudbloods, release the rest" He ordered Bellatrix.

"No! That is not what we agreed to!" Harry roared.

"They are not "students" of Hogwarts, they are a deformity on our race," Voldemort moved forwards to Harry. "I only want what is best for our race and mixing our blood with muggles weakens us…For someone with so much power, it is a shame you can't see it. But you will have time to learn."

"Time?" Harry asked mouth suddenly dry.

"Oh I am not going to kill you, Harry, you are one of my Horcruxes. That is why I needed you to revive me, you are what is keeping me alive.'

Draco and Harry exchange a panicked glance. Draco took the Black family wand from the holdster on his arm and toss it at Harry, they knew they could use him to sneak in an extra wand. Harry took a fighting stance. He didn't even get to cast a single spell till Bellatrix's wand was at Draco's throat.

"If we can't kill you, it doesn't mean we can't still hurt you," She hissed.

"You promised Draco will not be harmed," Lucius fussed.

"He will not be if little Savior here behaves."

"Don't you dare," Draco mouthed at Harry.

Harry rose his hands in surrender. Draco took this opportunity to transform into his animagus form and slip by everyone.

Once Harry was sure he was okay, he used the smoke screen spell Severus taught him and then slipped away under the Invisibility cloak.

The smoke should have been a big enough sign for the others. Hopefully they managed to evacuate the students.

Harry rushed to the rendezvous point. He didn't hear anyone closing in on his heels, but he couldn't take any chances, so as much as he wanted to get there fast he made a few detours to confuse any possible chaser.

When he finally got to the meeting point, the students had already been transported away. Only his friends and a few teachers were left. Draco thankfully was already there.

"That was too bloody close," Draco hissed.

"It went almost exactly as planned," Harry rolled his eyes.

"Except for the part where he said you are his lifeline."

"He said what!?" Lily approached them.

"We didn't agree if we tell them yet," Harry hissed.

"Of course we are telling them!" Draco raised his voice.

"Boys, not here!" Remus said sniffing the air. "We should move out or risk company."

"We could take them now," Sirius said gripping the wand in his hand.

"Or leave it for when we have all the backup," Remus argued.

"We are not done talking," Lily pointed a threatening finger at Harry.

They paired up and apparated away from school and into the camp. Harry didn't even had time to get his bearings when his mum descended on him.

"What was that about Voldemort saying you keep him alive?"

"Literally, Harry is a Horcrux," Draco, the traitor, added.

Lily's face went ashen.

"The damn old fool, always right," She cursed.

"You knew!?" Harry asked scandalized.

"Dumbledore mentioned it as a possibility, I never entertained the notion."

"It would have been nice to have a heads-up, before I find out from bloody Voldemort."

"It should have been impossible, you were not even in the same space as he was when he died"

"But?"

"We used blood magic, mine and James's… Not much is known, but since blood is involved…"

"When did Dumbledore told you?"

"The same night your father died…"

"You knew the whole time!?" Harry didn't try to control his voice anymore.

"He also wanted to leave you with Petunia in case of my death, the man didn't always had the best ideas."

"So what now?" Hermione asked.

"Can we even defeat him?" Harry asked voice faint.

"Of course we can!" Sirius argued. "He was born a mortal man, he will die as one!"

"What if we can't?" Harry asked.

"We will cross that bridge when we get to it," Lily said brisk