AN: This is a canon Divergence story, It starts out at almost the very end of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'. So everything up until the start of this story is completely canon.
AN: I used a few paragraphs at the very beginning of the story from 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', I have cited it at the bottom of this chapter. This is the only time In this story I will do this. I personally Hate when I read a fic and it is has been heavily copied from the books, but I wanted to make it clear when the story diverges from canon.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Harry Potter' I am simply borrowing the characters and the world created by J.K Rowling and shaking things up a bit. I am unfortunately not making any money from this story.
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Boys Bathroom, Sixth Floor, Hogwarts School, 5/13/1997, 16:45
1.{ "Don't" Crooned Moaning Myrtle's Voice From one of the cubicles. "Don't...Tell me what's wrong... I can help you...
"No one can help me" said Malfoy his whole body shaking." "I can't do it...I can't...It won't work...and unless i do it soon...he says he'll kill me..."
And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying- actually crying- tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder.
Malfoy wheeled around drawing his wand. Instinctively, harry pulled out his own. Malfoy's hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry threw himself sideways, and thought } ''SectumSempra' as he jabbed his wand at Malfoy.
Malloy had already cast another spell when he saw Harry dodge his first, with a cry of 'Avada Kedavra" a green spell rocketed towards the raven haired boy, Malfoy didn't notice Potters rebuttal had already been cast at him, the spells passed each other within a millimeter in the air and both struck true; Malfoy's body was ripped into by very deep gashes and blood splattered all over the bathroom floor, Harry didn't get out of the way in Time, he had been to shocked at what the spell he cast had done when it impacted Malfoy to roll out of the way.
Malfoy's killing curse struck him right in the face and everything went black.
Myrtle started shrieking "Murder, Murder!" at the top of her lungs and not long after Professor Snape burst through the door and gasped in shock.
Potter was clearly dead but his godson was still barely alive though he was bleeding out, and if he wasn't mistaken Draco had been struck by a spell Severus had created as a boy, but how Potter could have known of it baffled him, and from the way Potter's eyes were blankly staring at the bathroom ceiling he would never know.
He hastily dropped down beside Draco and gently began running his wand over the long, deep gashes across the boys chest. He had to make three passes over each gash for them to seal completely, Potter clearly put a lot of power into the spell.
Conjuring two stretchers he levitated Potter's body and Draco down through the castle and into the hospital wing, then sent a 'messenger patronus' to Albus he would be very upset his golden boy was dead Snape thought sardonically.
Snape set both boys on a bed and went to find the the matron for some: 'blood replinisher potion', 'essence of Rue' and some 'dittany extract' for his godson, there was nothing he could do for Potter.
Snape was just returning with Madam Pomfrey, when the hospital ward doors burst open and a panicked Albus Dumbledore burst in closely followed by a very tense Minerva McGonagall.
"What happened here Severus" Minerva demanded.
"I don't exactly know Minerva, I was coming out of my office when I heard shrieking coming from the upper floors and followed the sound three floors up to the boys bathroom near Gryffindor Tower. When I entered I found Potter dead and Malfoy had been struck by a nasty cutting curse and was seconds away from bleeding to death himself." Severus told her clearly agitated
Albus who had wandered over to Potter's bedside and was now running scans over the boys body, he looked up at Severus after a few minutes and said "He tests positive for exposure to the killing curse, but he's not completely dead. It's very odd"
Minerva meanwhile had went over to Draco's bedside and scooped up his wand that had been laying on the bedside table where Snape had left it and cast "prior incantato" and she watched as a shadow of a red eyed bald man, who conspicuously was missing his nose appeared briefly composed of smoke before thinning and fading into the air.
"What the devil is that!" Minerva gasped out clearly shaken.
Albus looked pleased, "It seems Mr. Potter has been rid of his connection with Tom now, I don't think there is anything that can be done for young Harry. We will just have to wait for him to awaken on his own." Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling with newfound hope.
"You believe he will wake? He was just hit with a killing Curse nobody survives that." Snape asked incredulously.
"I believe young Harry is famous for that very feat Severus, you shouldn't be that surprised." Dumbledore asked with a tone of amusement.
"He will be in a sort of coma for at least a week if my readings are correct, he has gone into a magical coma of sorts, his magic is slowly healing his body." Poppy Pomfrey spoke up for the first time.
"And what of Draco?" Snape asked her dismissing her last statement as though it was unimportant.
"He will be here for the next few days, that spell he was struck with got into the bones in his chest and are resisting healing. I will have to excise segments of his sternum and upper ribcage and regrow them with 'Skellagrow' otherwise he will get a fatal infection." She told the potions master, while she did a switching spell on both boys to change them into pajamas.
"Very well Poppy please let us know if either of their conditions change." Dumbledore said politely while leading the other two professors out of the ward.
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Place: Unknown, Time: Unknown
Harry felt very strange like he didn't even have a body, as if he existed in nothingness, everything was completely black. he wished there was light so he could see where he was and suddenly the blackness he was surrounded by was replaced by a bright white light so bright it was almost painfully bright. He wished it wasn't so intense and it seemed to dim by his thoughts alone, he could open his eyes and he realized he did have his body after all, only he was completely nude, he also realized he was now standing on a pale white cloudy floor it seemed to have just materialized under his feet. He looked around and could only see etheral fog in every direction but the longer he looked the more he could see there were benches set to his right and the room seemed to just keep going on in the the distance, directly in front of him laying on the floor was a nasty blacked looking baby sized thing, it didn't have a nose and it's eyes were blood red it was currently moaning pitifully and Harry didn't want to be anywhere near it. It looked like Voldemort and Snape love child or something, it was utterly disgusting. Harry quickly back away afraid 5he thing might touch him.
"It can't hurt you baby." said a soft voice behind him and he turned to look over his shoulder and froze. There was a woman behind him. She was fairly short maybe a couple of inches over five foot, she looked to be in her early twenties and had dark Auburn hair and emerald green eyes, his eyes.
"Mom?" Harry asked his voice full of shock.
"Yes it's me, but before I answer anymore of your questions, how about you put on some robes? she asked with a smirk.
Harry's eyes widened and he quickly turned around and wished for a pair of pants and a shirt. He noticed the requested garments and quickly put them on.
When he was dressed he turned back to his mother and asked the question that had been on his mind since he saw her. "Am I dead?"
"No you are in the 'in between' right now, you can go back or you can pass on." She told him simply.
"But why aren't I dead? I took an AK to the face, and you weren't there to save me this time?" He asked perplexed.
She sighed sadly "On the night I died and Tom aimed his wand at you, he had already prepared another vessel and gone through the ritual to prepare his soul to split. Killing me the way he did sheared of a portion of soul from what little was left. When my protection rebounded the curse the piece of his soul was ejected from his body and entered yours through the cut on your forehead. You have been carrying that piece around with you since that Halloween night.
The 'Killing Curse' rips the soul from the body and today it ripped his soul from your body. But as the muggles say 'third times the charm", if you get hit again it will kill you." She finished explaining and looked at him waiting for his next question.
"Why would I really want to go back? The world is going down the toilet down there." Harry asked her confused.
"Because that accursed prophecy is still in play, you still have work to do." She answered sadly.
"Let Dumbledore take care of it, if I don't go back the prophecy is irrelevant. By the way where are Dad and Sirius?" Harry asked curiously.
Dumbledore will he here in a months time, he carries a fatal withering curse from the ring horcrux. As for your father and Sirius they are at peace I am not allowed to speak of what happens after. Only one was allowed to greet you here." She told him gently.
"I don't really want to go back" Harry sighed knowing full well he would anyway.
"I know, I have been watching over you, and I am so proud of all you have done." she said tears spilling down her cheeks as she pulled Harry into a tight hug.
Harry soaked in her warmth trying to burn it into his memory so he could remember what his mothers touch felt like having never experienced it that he could remember. She didn't squeeze the breath out of him like Molly Weasley it was a warm hug and he could practically feel her love for him as if radiated from her being, this moment would create powerful 'patronus charms' for years to come. she pulled back and gave him a kiss on the cheek then smiled.
"You have grown into a handsome man just like your father, we will see each other again but not for many decades too come. I will also be having words with your Aunt Petunia when she arrives here shortly, the way she raised you was deplorable. Oh yes and one more thing when you go back, tell Severus that I am deeply disappointed in how he has treated my son." Lily told him.
"Wait I don't want to go yet, can't I stay for a little longer?" Harry begged.
"I'm sorry baby, I was only allowed enough time to explain everything, I can't stay in the 'In between' very long and neither can you, good bye Harry I love you very much. Lily said as she started fading into the mist .
Harry tried to reply but he to was fading away and everything was going black, he could feel softness underneath him and voices in the background. He knew he was back but he didn't want to open his eyes and confirm it, before he could confirm anything he was pulled into deeo unconsciousness once again.
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Hospital Wing, Hogwarts School, Scotland, 5/15/1997, 16:00
Susan Bones was sad, she had been since the January of last year when the murderer of her uncle Edgar and his family escaped Azkaban, then last summer her Aunt Amelia had been killed in her flat next to the Ministry that she stayed in when she was on call. Then a few months ago her best friend Hannah Abbotts mother was found dead in their home. She had been so happy last June when she had heard that Dolohov had been caught again he was the only Death Eater that was confirmed to be involved in the murder of most of her family. Then in July a Ministry Auror had came to their home and told her father that his sister had been murdered the previous night her world collapsed under her feet.
So Susan had just kept to herself most of the summer and when she returned to school she had started her new elective class working in the hospital wing part time to get some hands on training into her chosen career path.
Which was why she was here now checking Draco Malfoy's Vitals, the little Death Eater because thats exactly what he was! She could clearly see the mark branded on his left forearm he had requires three ribs and part of his sternum vanished, he was given a heavy dose of 'skelligrow' and Susan had been charged with monitoring him, to make sure he didn't have bad reaction to the potion.
'As if I could be that lucky.' She thought viciously.
Davis had got here first and had gotten to watch over Harry Potter, she didn't have a crush on Potter or anything but at least he was a pleasant person to be around, Malfoy was just a complete arsehole. She could only hope the ferret didn't awaken while she was watching over him.
"Any changes Tracy?" Susan asked to cut through the silence.
"His vitals are coming up but his metabolism is out of wack, I need to get Madam Pomfrey to look at this." Tracey said a note of concern in her voice.
Susan was curious so she went over to Harry's bedside and run the scans his blood pressure, pulse and respiration was fine, but his body was consuming calories at an alarming rate and his bone density wasn't right either.
Susan was brought out of her thoughts when Madam Pomfrey came over and started running her own scans and darted to the potions cabinets and brought back a handful of nutrient potions, waving her wand she vanished three of the contents of the vials into Harry's stomach, she then run her scans again and nodded. "Davis keep an eye on his levels every thirty minutes, if they start going down again get me immediately." Pomfrey ordered before going to make notes of this new development.
Nodding Tracey turned looked at Susan "Potter can't even do a coma normally" Tracy said exasperatedly.
"I'll swap patients with you." Susan told her hopefully.
"And risk that whiny little bastard waking up, not bloody likely." Tracey stated flatly.
Susan's hopes crashed, still she had a duty to do so she grudgingly returned to her post and watched over Malfoy's vitals, hoping he would sleep through her time in the hospital.
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Hospital Wing, Hogwarts School, Scotland, 5/18/1997, 17:26
"Well finally his metabolism is down to a normal level." Poppy Pomfrey stated. She was running her hourly scans.
"Does he not look taller to you?" Susan asked the matron.
"Hmm I hadn't checked that since he arrived" the matron said absentmindly. She waved her wand over Harry and gasped out loud. She then darted into her office and came back out with her clipboard "Yes, when he arrived here on the thirteenth he was five foot six and a hundred and fifteen pounds. The scan I just ran, indicated he is now five foot ten inches tall and a hundred and fourth five pounds. That is a humongous growth." Poppy exclaimed.
"Why though?" Susan asked.
"Well the scans I ran on his scar indicated he had been carrying some type of magic leech, his magic could be repairing the damage the thing has done to his body." Madam Pomfrey said thoughtfully.
"That might explain why his scar has almost disappeared." Susan said thoughtfully.
"Yes with that magic presence gone it's just a regular scar." Pomfrey agreed.
"Well keep an eye on him dear, I will go have the elves bring us dinner." The matron said before heading back to her office.
Since it was a Sunday Susan had been in the Hospital Wing all morning. Her and Tracey alternated working all day on the weekends, and it gave her a great amount of joy to know yesterday Malfoy had woken up on Davis' watch. He had been released this morning before Susan had come in so she hadn't had to deal with him at all.
Potter had also finally stopped needing nutrient potions every four hours and seemed to be resting comfortably. Madam Pomfrey still had him on a vitamin potion to help get his bone density to the correct levels but she had said she would not have to give him anymore after today.
So all in all Susan's Sunday was going swimmingly, no Malfoy and potter was at a healthy level and did not need constant monitoring.
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Headmasters Office, Hogwarts School, Scotland, 5/19/1997, 21:00
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office with his spy for the 'Order of the Pheonix' Severus Snape, he had been having a strange few days since the incident in the boys bathroom.
The wards at Privet Drive had collapsed, when Dumbledore had returned to his office that evening he found all his instruments monitoring the wards had stopped functioning.
He had made a trip to the Dursley home the next day, and found the wards had completely failed.
Albus had tried to explain to Harry's relatives the danger they were in now, but Dursley's were less than receptive.
Then there was the all the plans Albus had made to send Harry on a wild goose chase looking for Horcruxes. Albus knew pretty much where they all were, he had planned on keeping Harry out of most of the war. Then when Harry figured out where they all were he had planned for Severus to inform the boy of the one in his head, and encourage the boy to walk to his death to rid himself of the soul fragment lodged in his scar.
So with that plan scrapped, he had tracked down Mundungus and gotten Slytherin's locket back from him before he could sell in for rotgut whiskey or something else to stuff in his pipe. Albus had also retrieved the diadem from the 'Room of hidden things', both objects had been destroyed and were in his desk drawer with the remains of the ring and the diary.
So all that was left was the most difficult one of all, Hufflepuffs cup. Albus knew it was entrusted to Bellatrix LeStrange, but he was unsure where she had put it, he would almost bet it was in her vault at Gringotts, but he couldn't be sure.
"You wished to speak to me Headmaster?" Snape asked impatiently cutting through Dumbledore's thoughts.
"Yes Severus, Harry no longer has a piece of Voldemort's soul in his scar. I will be changing a great many plans to compensate for this development." Dumbledore stated candidly.
"What plans do you need to change that involve me?" Severus asked getting straight to the point.
"Such as Mrs. Malfoy, I want you to bring her to number twelve Grimmauld Place. Young Draco is going to be removed from this conflict whether he likes it or not." Albus said firmly.
"Why now though, you've been acting oblivious to him for months, and he nearly killed two students." Snape asked.
"Because I have discovered young Mr. Malfoy's masterplan to kill me. It is a danger to every student in this castle." Albus said simply.
"What did you find?" Snape asked curiously.
"When I went to retrieve an item from the room of hidden things I found where he had been attempting to repair a vanishing cabinet, he intends to create a passage into the school and bring Death Eaters into this castle." Albus answered sadly.
"And the fact he tried to kill Potter doesn't factor in there at all?" Severus asked sarcastically.
"I admit it does, the fact he could summon enough intent to cast a successful killing curse at Harry troubles me greatly." Albus admitted.
"But it wasn't successful, Potter still lives." Snape disagreed.
"Only because Tom's soul fragment took the brunt of the spell, had he not been carrying a piece of foreign soul young Harry would have died." Dumbledore explained.
"And what of Potter he very nearly killed Draco?" Snape demanded.
"Well they will both receive punishment of course, you will oversee Draco's punishment, and you will be punishing him. I know of your usual methods for Slytherin's detention and that most certainly will not do." The Headmaster stated very seriously.
Snape scowled, he would usually just give his students a dressing down when they received detention and berate them for being caught, then send them one their way.
"And what will Potter's punishment be?" Snape asked.
"He will serve his detention in the hospital wing, if he can cause such injuries I would like him to appreciate how much work goes in to heal them." Dumbledore said with the slightest hint of a smirk.
"That really does sound fitting" Snape grudgingly admitted knowing at the end of term with O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's closing in that the hospital wing was a mad house.
"Yes quite, there is one more thing I must ask of you severus." Dumbledore stated.
"Isn't there always." Snape said coolly.
"I need you to poison Nagini, do you still have that vial of basilisk venom, you bought back in eighty-nine?" Albus questioned.
"Yes but I've been saving that!" Snape said affronted.
"I will find a way to procure you some more, I need you to kill his serpent and not get caught. The snake also carries a piece of Tom's soul, and until it is destroyed he will not die" Dumbledore stated very seriously.
"Very well, I will do what I can. Is there anything else? I would really like to get my fourth years essays graded." Snape answered resigned to another difficult task.
"Yes that will be all Severus goodnight" Dumbledore said cheerfully.
Snape simply nodded and left through the door, Albus sighed looking at his burnt and blackened hand, he didn't have much longer before he would start his next great adventure. He felt bad that he had had planned on leaving a young Harry with a mess but since the plan had changed so drastically he would be sending Harry to stay with Alastor for the summer at his property in the highlands. Harry was in for a rough summer but he needed preparation for what actual fighting was like. He now regretted trying to preserve his childhood, he knew that was a lost cause when Harry came into the great hall for his sorting and looked far to small.
Still the Headmaster had tried to delude himself and was hesitant to have the boy trained, he wasn't sure if once Voldemort returned if the soul fragment in the boys head would be able to exert control over the boys mind, and he didn't want him to be too powerful if it could do that. He had seen the fragment influence him several times last year but after the attempted possession in the Atrium last June he was convinced Harry would not succumb to complete control by the fragment in his head.
Still all that aside he had a short time to live and much to do to clean up a lot of the mess he had left behind, he would be making a trip very soon to Gringotts and he would check the LeStrange vault under his authority as Chief Warlock. Horcruxes were a banned item and the goblins detested them, if there was one in the vault he wouldn't have trouble retrieving it, if there wasn't he would have his work cut out for him.
With his plans made he decided to draft a letter to Alastor and request a meeting, then he was going to get some some shut eye, he was over a hundred years old after all, he seemed to be always tired these days.
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Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England, 5/20/1997, 23:05
Narcissa was very worried for her son. She had received a letter from her friend Severus Snape, he said he would like to meet with her tomorrow morning at the Three Broomsticks at nine am. He had also mentioned that Draco had been severely injured in a confrontation at Hogwarts, he didn't give her any details but she was under the impression that Draco was in a lot of trouble. She knew Draco's task was nearing its deadline and that there was a very good chance her son could die.
She was so terrified when she had learned that Draco would be taking the mark. Lucius had done this to her family, he had joined the Death Eaters when he finished school and by the time Narcissa had graduated he was to deep in, and she was bound to him by a marriage contract her father had signed for her when she was twelve. Draco was born at the height of the war and she was terrified something would happen to their family, she really didn't care about blood purity she only cared for her families safety.
She was so happy when news of the Dark Lords death reached her the first of November nineteen eighty-one, and she had new hope that her family would be free from the control of that monster.
Unfortunately that freedom wasn't to be, on the morning of June twenty-fifth the year before last, she received the very worst news he could possibly get, the Dark Lord had returned.
Her family home became his base of operations and the Dark Lord had thrown her and her husband out of their own bedroom taking the master bedroom for himself, she had to walk on eggshells in her on home!
Then last January her unstable oldest sister had been freed from Azkaban and her life had gotten even more stressful still, as she was prone to violent mood swings, and bouts of uncontrollable rage. The Dark Lord had ordered Narcissa to personally care for her when her sister arrived, she loved her sister but Narcissa couldn't deny Bellatrix was batshit crazy.
Then the hits kept coming the Dark Lord had found out that Lucius had given the diary entrusted to him to the Weasley girl and the diary had been destroyed by none other than Harry Potter. She had to spend two weeks getting Lucius back on his feet after the Dark Lord had punished him for his incompetence. Lucius had even more misfortune and failed spectacularly at retrieving an item from the ministry, he was was captured and sent to Azkaban, which led to where the Malfoy's were now.
Draco had been given an impossible task, he had ordered to kill Albus Dumbledore, as punishment for Lucius' failure.
Narcissa had reached out to Draco's godfather and he agreed to take an unbreakable vow to help her son carry out his task. Draco was furious at her for this, he seemed to think the move showed her lack of confidence in his ability. Draco had been swelled full of pride when he took the mark last summer, he was full of confidence that he could easily accomplish his task.
When he came home for Yule however he looked greatly diminished, he was thin and pale almost sickly and it broke her heart to see that desperate defeated look in his eyes. He had been summoned to the Dark Lord and was harshly punished for not having completed his task quickly enough.
That's when Narcissa decided, if she ever got the chance, she would take Draco and run.
She would definitely meet with Severus and if the news was as bad as she feared, she would pull her son from Hogwarts and flee.
She did love her husband, but her son was her top priority and she would not let him get killed for Lucius's mistakes. Even if it meant Lucius would be killed for her own treachery.
With those thoughts in mind she packed a trunk with all her clothes and the small amount of gold she had stashed away for emergencies and shrunk the trunk to the size of a matchbox she put it into her robe pocket and walked out of her room.
She quickly cast a 'disillusionment charm' and crept quietly through the house to the secret passage behind the portrait of Brutus Malfoy, which was an old escape tunnel that only one with the last name Malfoy could enter.
Once she made it to the exit she would aparate to the Leaky Cauldron, she would rent a room tonight and meet Severus in the morning. It was far easier to sneak out of the manor at night, it would have been nearly impossible during the day time.
Her heart pounded with fear as she crept through the very long tunnel, adrenaline was pumping through her veins, if she were somehow caught her life would be forfeit.
She finally reached the end of the passage which was well outside the boundaries of the manor wards, she carefully check outside and saw the coast was clear, she quickly disaparated with barely a sound.
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Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley, London, 5/21/1997, 09:05
Severus had been watching the door for Narcissa for a while and was starting to get impatient, he knew she would meet with him if she was able. She loved her son very much and would do anything to ensure his safety.
Severus was getting worried she might have been caught leaving the manor, he had sent the letter last night in hopes she would sneak out early to avoid being seen. He was really starting to worry now, Narcissa was never late for anything.
He glanced at the bar again and caught a figure coming down the stairs wearing hooded robes and making a beeline for his table, he discreetly palmed his wand just in case.
The figure took a seat at the table and cast some privacy charms before lowering their hood.
"Good morning Severus." Narcissa Malfoy said anxiously.
"Narcissa, I don't have long so I will get straight to the point.
Draco is going to fail his mission, Albus had originally planned to feign ignorance to Draco's activities. However, on the thirteenth he was involved in a violent confrontation with Harry Potter. During the fight Draco cast an unforgivable curse on Potter. Draco was severely injured in the fight as well, he was hit by the 'sectumsempra' curse, and spent a few days in the imfirmary.
The Headmaster also discovered that Draco plans on creating a passageway for Death Eaters to enter the school. Albus will not allow that plan to suceed, he has already destroyed the vanishing cabinet your son was repairing.
I am going to move you to a safe house today, and at the end of term Draco will also be sent there too." Snape finished his explanations and looked at Narcissa expectantly.
"How could Potter possibly know that curse?" Narcissa asked incredulously.
"I have no Idea, he unfortunately performed it correctly and severely injured Draco. He hasn't woken yet so I haven't been able to ask him." Snape said neutrally.
"What curse did Draco hit him with?" Narcissa asked angrily, ready to go and wring Potter's neck for almost killing her son.
"The 'Killing Curse', Potter survived it again." Snape admitted.
"Impossible!" Narcissa exclaimed.
"Yes it should be, but we are getting off track here. I am going to take you to a safe house in just a few minutes. The Dark Lord will be furious, and will probably send people looking for you, so you must remain there at all times." Severus said imploringly.
"What about Lucius? Narcissa asked tentatively.
"He maybe punished severely when he is freed from Azkaban for your actions, but the Dark Lord will not kill him. The Malfoy vaults mean much to the Dark Lord." Snape explained reassuringly.
"I had planned on withdrawing Draco today and fleeing to France." Narcissa admitted.
"He will be able to find your son through his mark, the safe house I am sending you too has very powerful wards even the Dark Lord cannot cross them, and he will not be able to locate Draco through his mark." Snape explained patiently.
"Very well take me to the safe house I am so tired of living in fear, my home is more like a prison these days." She said tiredly.
Nodding he stood and offered Narcissa his hand before leading her out of the pub. When they steeped into muggle London Snape led her to a side alley, With her hand in his he spun on the spot and aparated them away to her new home for the until the dark lord was defeated.
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Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England, 5/21/1997, 21:25
"Wormtail, Nagini needs to be fed." Voldemort demanded of his stupid simpering servant.
"At once my Lord." Peter exclaimed before hurrying to carry out his masters wish.
"Bellatrix where is your sister? I know I told her she was expected to attend these meetings in her husbands stead." Voldemort asked of his favorite follower.
"I sent for her my lord but she was nowhere to be found." Bellatrix answered tentatively.
"Find her immediately, she must be punished for her insubordination." Voldemort ordered.
"Right away my lord." She answered and Bellatrix left the throne room to carry out his command.
"Severus, how goes Draco's progress with his task" The dark lord questioned.
"Very poorly my lord, From what I have seen he has made little progress on the task you have set him." Snape Answered honestly.
"Well if he doesn't succeed, I still wish for you to complete the task." Voldemort stated.
"Of course my lord" Snape confirmed.
"Any word of Potter's condition?' Tom asked his servant curiously.
Voldemort had been intrigued to learn Harry Potter had survived the killing curse a second time, and he was relieved to feel their connection was severed.
After last June in the ministry Voldemort feared the connection to the Potter brat, though he would tell no one of this, obviously. The pain he felt when he entered the boys mind was the most excruciating thing he had ever felt in his life, and he was quite glad to not have to worry about Potter learning to enter his mind at will.
"The school healer says he should wake any day now." Snape answered simply.
"Very well, keep me informed." Voldemort instructed.
Snape nodded and Voldemort decided to move on to other matters.
"Well Yaxley, have you had any luck getting Pias Thickenese under our control?" Voldemort questioned his highest ranking ministry spy.
"I have yet to have a chance to meet alone with him, but I have been assigned to his personal detail during the summer." Yaxley answered nervously.
"Very well, see that you have him under our control soon, I wish to take the ministry before the end of summer." The Dark Lord instructed.
"I will not fail you my lord." Yaxley answered.
Nodding he turned to the next item on his agenda for the evening.
"Alecto, Amycus, Corban, Fenrir, Thorfinn and Gibbon be prepared. If young Draco does complete his task you will be going back to school." Voldemort said with a hint of amusement.
The servants mentioned brightened up eager to be a part of this mission, but before anyone could voice their thanks, the door to the room burst open.
"My lord she is not in the house, I have the elves searching but she cannot be found inside the manor." Bellatrix said frantically as she approached his throne and knelt at his feet.
"Well I do believe we have a deserter on our hands, Dolohov take a few men and search for her discreetly. She must be found at all cost." Voldemort commanded angrily.
Not long after that the meeting broke up and it was just Voldemort and Snape in the room.
"Severus are you confident you will be able to kill Dumbledore?" Voldemort asked Snape.
"Yes he trust me completely, I could poison him easily enough." Snape answered.
"No poison, I want you to personally kill him." Voldemort stated firmly.
"That will still not present much of a problem either my lord." Snape answered confidently.
"Very well be prepared to act, you are dismissed." The Dark lord stated simply.
Snape bowed and then left the throne room quickly, the dark lord did not like chit chat when he said you were dismissed that meant shut up and leave.
Once in the corridor Snape looked around for his scape goat, he knew in order to feed Nagini Wormtail would have to track down her meal personally, usually from a local farm.
Severus spotted his target coming in the main door levitating a live piglet to feed to Nagini. Snape checked to make sure nobody else was around, and seeing the coast wad clear quickly cast "Imperio" at the mans back.
Wormtail froze in his steps and Snape walked up behind him and placed the vial of basilisk venom in the man's robe pocket, before giving him the silent command.
'Make the piglet swallow the vial In your pocket, then feed it to Nagini' Snape comanded.
He then cast "obliviate" and removed any memory Peter may have of being imperiused while leaving the spells commands intact.
With his job complete he made his way to Hogwarts, and hoped everything went to plan. The vials cork would disappear within an hour and release the poison it contained into the serpents stomach, with any Luck Nagini would be dead by dawn.
/A/D/W/F/
Gringotts Bank, Diagon Alley, London, 5/22/1997, 11:42
Albus smiled to himself as he saw a goblin bring in the cup of Helga Hufflepuff, he was here in his official capacity as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, he had presented the official search warrant to the Lestrange account manager and the goblins had done the searching for him.
"You were correct Chief Warlock, there indeed was an item in the Lestrange vault that violated Gringotts storage policy. It has Been cleansed of its taint, we will let you return it to your school, as it is historically connected to Hogwarts." Ram Fist said.
Albus now deeply regretted not bringing the other founders items to the goblins to cleanse instead of destroying them with the sword of Gryffindor, but he honestly had no idea the could be cleansed without destroying the vessel of the horcruxes. Shaking his head he put that aside, what's done is done.
"I think you for your attention in this matter Ram Fist. Good day to you." Dumbledore stated as he rose and made his way out of Gringotts.
Today he had accomplished much and he was relieved it was completed before Voldemort discovered Nagini was dead. Humming to himself he exited the bank and turned on the spot aparating back to Hogwarts.
/A/D/W/F/
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England, 5/22/1997, 12:00
"Wormtail where is Nagini?" Voldemort demanded.
"She hasn't left her quarters all morning my lord." Wormtail simpered.
"Well check on her you fool!" Voldemort snapped.
Wormtail scampered from the room and Voldemort sat her there waiting very impatiently for his useless servant to return, it took about ten minutes before a terrified Peter Pettigrew entered the throne room positively shaking from head to toe and white as a sheet.
"Well where is she Wormtail?." Voldemort demanded.
"She's dead my lord" Peter whimpered.
Voldemort lifted his wand and commanded Wormtail "Look into my eyes Wormtail."
Wormtails eyes showed how terrified he was as they met Voldemort's "Legillimens" Voldemort cast and dove into the mans consciousness: he saw Wormtail enter the room to see his familiar stretched across the room, there was a gaping hole in her stomach as though something burned its way out and the dark lord noticed the glass vial laying on the floor beside the snake. He dug deeper in the rats mind an saw Wormtail forcing the piglet to swallow the vial before entering the room and offering the piglet to Nagini. : pulling out of peters mind he saw the look of pure horror on the mans face before Voldemort lost all reasonable thought.
"CRUCIO" Voldemort roared the torture curse, and watched his treacherous servant as he thrashed and screamed on the floor, his high pitched screams reverberated of the walls as every pain receptor in his body was triggered.
Wormtail spent the rest of his short life screaming in agony on the floor of Voldemort's throne room. Just before before Peter Pettigrew's poor little mind snapped, Voldemort cast the 'Avada Kedavra' curse and the poor moronic rat happily welcomed death in the hopes of escaping the agony of the 'cruciatus curse'.
/A/D/W/F/
Hospital Wing, Hogwarts School, Scotland, 5/25/1997, 03:00
Harry Potter's eyes shot open, 'that dream had felt so real' he thought panting heavily as he realized he wasn't in his bed in Gryffindor tower but in the hospital wing maybe it was real. he remembered talking to his mother but the details of their conversation were slipping from his mind. The only thing he could clearly remember was the hug he shared with her, he smiled and shook his head at one of the happiest memories he every felt.
The last thing he remembered before going to that massive white room was the bright green light and knowing he was about to die, and part of him welcomed it. He didn't die though which meant he still had many things to do, he would end Voldemort and finally free himself of the burden that had been placed on him since before his birth.
This he swore as he lay in his dark hospital bed and tried to plan his next actions going forward, somewhere in his planning he dosed off again.
1. Excerpt from Chapter twenty-four 'SectumSempra', page five hundred and twenty-two of the Scholastic Inc. American paper back version of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' by: J.K Rowling