YourSide, Their Side and the Truth
Part IV - A Fresh Perspective On New Angles (4.45)
Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, this is a fan fiction, by a fan for the fans. No money has exchanged hands during its production.
Dumbledore blinked while thinking the requests through; running through the carefully explained arguments. His gaze flickered over towards Draco. The blond sat there looking pensive, an almost tragic aura around him. The professor stared at the blond passively for a few seconds.
He sighed finally.
"You've changed a lot in your days at Hogwarts. I would like to think we have had a lot of input into that change, and I'd also like to think it's a change for the better. I also think that yes you have changed in the right direction for your requests to be suitable and to be at least considered. And I have considered them both, and the answer is yes. For both of them."
Draco let out the breath he had been tentatively holding and got to his feet; his eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Thank you sir," he said softly. "You may have just saved my life."
Professor Dumbledore nodded, pain flashing in his eyes. "Yes. Which is why I waited for you to ask before I did what is going to happen."
Draco's eyes widened, but Dumbledore interrupted before he could say anything.
"I know what your father was, I know what he did and I know what is friends would have done had you continued as you are. And this bravery can mean only one thing."
Draco's eyes widened again.
"Oh crap. Gryffindor?"
Professor Dumbledore looked amused.
"Mind you I think we should get a second opinion from a better more neutral judge," Dumbledore reflected, moving to his shelf and taking down the Sorting Hat. Draco watched fearfully, hoping everything would turn out all right.
Harry grinned and hugged Sirius, attempting not to yawn and failing miserably.
"I guess we're both in a predicament and a half," Harry commented softly. "But I suppose I am tired. I'd better go."
Sirius nodded, looking quite bashful. "Sorry," he mumbled, having the grace to look ashamed. "As your teacher and godfather I really shouldn't have kept you up well past your bedtime." Harry winced at the word 'bedtime' and Sirius grinned rakishly. "Well as duty requires as your godfather I am required to make sure you don't sleep, you don't study, you don't take care of yourself, you mix your drinks and get in trouble every day."
Harry laughed, passing one hand absent-mindedly through his shock of midnight-coloured hair that almost blended in with the night sky that was visible through the window. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
Sirius sighed. "You were supposed to say of course Professor, whatever you say Professor!"
"Why?" Harry blinked at Sirius tiredly.
"Because then I'd know you go and do the exact opposite!" Sirius laughed and shook his head in mirth. "'Night Harry," he said good-naturedly, ruffling his godson's hair before letting the boy return to his dormitory.
Harry grinned as he left his godfather's study, feeling happier than he had done for months. Making his way up to the Gryffindor dormitories he blinked as he saw a couple of figures making their way up to where he was. To his surprise it was Draco Malfoy and Professor McGonagall, laden down with a couple of bags.
"Potter, what are you doing out of bed?" Professor McGonagall asked with a frown. Harry wondered if the strict head of the Gryffindor house ever smiled outside of winning any kind of Gryffindor cup as she stared at him.
"I've just been to see Professor Black," Harry responded dutifully, glancing at Draco briefly before returning his gaze to the strict transfiguration teacher.
Professor McGonagall's gaze softened. "I see. As you are up, you might as well assist me."
Harry barely had to time to nod as a bag was thrown at him. Winded, he followed his house leader and Draco along the corridor to the Gryffindor dormitory.
Professor McGonagall approached the Fat Lady's portrait and the Fat Lady blinked owlishly before asking sleepily: "Password please."
"Filibuster fireworks," Professor McGonagall said sharply. The portrait swung open uncovering the hole. Harry gaped in disbelief that Professor McGonagall would use the Gryffindor password in front of any Slytherin.
"Move along there, Potter," the Professor commanded sharply. "Don't you want to help your new house member move in?"
Harry frowned, bemused, and then gasped as lancing pain shot through his scar.
"Ow!"
The startled exclamation came from both of the boys, and the bag in Harry's arms clattered to the ground as he held his forehead gingerly. Draco was holding his arm and scowling as he looked through the hole leading into the common room.
"Professor McGonagall," Harry hissed, trying to get her attention. "There's someone there. Someone who isn't supposed to be."
Professor McGonagall started to protest, looking at Harry like he was crazy.
"He's right," Draco declared, looking unsettled. "Death eater," he added uncertainly. Professor McGonagall's eyes widened and she flicked her hand with her wand in and the whole room lit up as they clambered in through the hole swiftly. She flicked her wand again.
"We'd better alert Dumbledore," she said quickly, convinced by whatever that last wand flick had done, before turning and going back the way they'd come.
"What I don't get," Ron said sleepily as he rubbed his eyes frantically (Ron was not one of those people who liked being woken up early), "is how come Draco was in our common room when you discovered this intruder?"
"And how did both you and Draco know there was someone there?" Hermione added, folding her arms. Harry shrugged wildly, unconsciously stepping backwards at Hermione's glare. Ron was right. Hermione was scary sometimes. Brilliant, of course, that went without saying. Brilliant but scary.
The entire school has been relocated to the great hall again, reminding most of the students to the memories of two years ago, when they had stayed in the hall because Sirius Black was supposedly on the loose and dangerous. It seemed almost ironic to Harry now that Sirius Black was one of the people protecting them all now.
"My scar hurt, it twitched, not like the burning when Volde-- You-Know-Who is nearby," Harry explained softly.
"But how did Draco know?" Ron pressed.
"Lights out and keep silent!" Professor McGonagall barked, her voice strained. Harry started to settle down when a cold hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Not you," Professor Trelawney said, leading the black-haired boy to the other Professor's before he could say anything.
Harry followed the petite Professor to another adjoining room to where Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Flitwick and Draco Malfoy were already sat; looking eminently uncomfortable.
"Ah, Harry," Professor Flitwick said nervously. "Do join us." Looking confused and bewildered, Harry sat down.
"Harry, as you know, a lot has been set in motion since you faced Voldemort last year," Professor Dumbledore said slowly. "Death eaters were brought back into full power. They are very powerful minions of Voldemort, as you well know."
Harry nodded, ashen-faced.
"And it takes a lot to kill a death eater, not just a simple train crash," Dumbledore continued.
Harry's gaze shot up abruptly and he looked at Draco sharply. The blond was looking shaken and distraught.
"Lucius Malfoy," Harry said finally, understanding. Draco nodded passively.
"Yes, we think that his death was faked to try and break in to Hogwarts, Harry," Dumbledore explained. Harry blinked.
"How did you find this out?" Harry asked, his voice hushed.
Draco looked at Professor Dumbledore and he coughed nervously. "Perhaps I can explain," the blond said nervously. "Have you ever been in the Slytherin dormitories?"
Harry coughed suddenly.
"Not including when you took Polyjuice potion with Ron and pretended to be Crabbe and Goyle two years ago," Professor Black added from the doorway. Harry blushed faintly and Draco's eyes widened slightly.
"I knew it!" Professor Snape sniffed into the silence.
"Severus, now is not the time," Dumbledore admonished sharply. "Then excluding that event that we shall discuss later, have you ever been in the Slytherin dormitory?"
"No I haven't," Harry said curiously. "Why?"
"The other day you came into the Slytherin dormitory and tried to comfort me. I knew it couldn't be you, because…" Draco trailed off. "I knew it wasn't you. So I began to think about it. The last time I met my father, he was with a couple of men who I'd never seen before. I guess I knew then that what my father had been telling me all my life wasn't right. They were… evil. They exuded something I've never really felt before. He took me off to somewhere, I don't know where, it was dark and cool and windy… Open somehow… It was a village I think. I knew they were taking me to… to Him." There was no need to say the word out loud. They all knew the evil wizard that he was referring to. "They…" Draco continued fearfully. "They did this before they got to where they planned to take me." The youngest Malfoy rolled up his sleeve to reveal a burning black mark on his arm; the top of a skull was there but the rest was twisted and charred. Harry clapped a hand to his forehead as pain lanced through his scar. Draco covered it up immediately.
"Exactly," Draco whispered. "They were trying to make me into one of them."
Harry looked at him in horror.
"Thankfully young Draco managed to escape and tell his father exactly what he thought of his evil doings," Dumbledore explained.
"That'll be when you told your father that you –" Harry started and then shut up. Draco glared at the wizarding legend; blushing furiously.
"Yes," he said quietly.
The Professor's exchanged a glance and fortunately Sirius caught on before Dumbledore opened his mouth.
"It's nothing that really changes anything, Professor, only Lucius disapproved of his son's uh… amorous intentions towards his sworn enemy."
"Sirius!" Harry protested mechanically.
Draco rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Thanks," he muttered.
"Interesting," Professor Flitwick commented; raising an eyebrow.
"That's what I said," Sirius said; grinning. Harry narrowed his eyes and glared at his godfather.
"Anyway," Dumbledore interjected. "We can talk about the boys' relationship later. The main point though is Lucius Malfoy and possibly some of his fellow death eaters are in this school. And finding some way to get Voldemort in too."
Harry swallowed. "This had to come didn't it?"
Four solemn heads nodded.
"I'm sorry Harry," Sirius said simply. Harry nodded.
"What?" Draco blurted out finally. "What's going on?"
"What was always going to happen after what happened almost sixteen years ago," Harry said flatly. "What had to happen, what everything's been leading up to. Voldemort's coming. I'm the only one who really has any chance of ending the cycle and destroying him."
The words hung heavily in the air.
"Why you?" Draco asked, his voice thick with tears as he stared at Harry.
"Because I was the one it all started with," Harry explained as the teacher's looked on in sympathy. "No matter who else is involved, they've always been…" Harry paused. The name Cedric Diggory hung unspoken in the silence. "Whoever else is involved, it always comes back to the same thing."
"So what's going to happen Albus?" Sirius asked from the doorway.
"I need you and Remus to go to the giants; convince them everything's different now, I trust he's still in the country," Dumbledore said; nodding at Sirius's affirmative grunt. "Everybody else is going to be needed to help to evacuate the school. Durmstrang have assured me they have enough room for the Gryffindors, I've found other schools for the other houses. At least the houses will stay together . Severus –"
Professor Dumbledore got no further.
"Why here?" Harry asked suddenly. "Why at Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore studied the young boy carefully for a few seconds. "Because it always has been as well, I'm afraid. We can break many rules in Wizardry, so can Voldemort, but that's an unspoken rule that can be broken but does no good. Wizardry goes in cycles until it is broken, and it can only be broken within the cycle. Voldemort tried to destroy Harry and lost his power and so needs to face Harry in a duel to regain his power completely and be the only strong force in the world. It needs to happen at Hogwarts because it is literally the centre of all Wizardry power… It rests on the ancient site where Wizardry was supposed to have been born. And so it needs to happen here."
Everyone fell silent.
"So are you scared?" Draco asked Harry into the silence.
"No," Harry said solemnly. Five pairs of eyebrows lifted. "I'm petrified. But I know we can beat him."
"How do you know that?" Professor Trelawney's silvery voice was tight, strained. "If I was you I wouldn't be so sure of myself…"
Her words hung in the silence.
"I'm sure… because we have to win. We can't let him win," Harry said firmly.
"That's the spirit," Professor Flitwick said; clenching his fist and tapping it on the table enthusiastically. Harry was rather reminded of the mirror from when he'd stayed in London before his third year at Hogwarts.
"And on those cheerful notes, I suggest we let the boys get their sleep before we start evacuation in the morning," Dumbledore said. "Oh, and Draco, I know what you're going to ask you're not staying here with Harry. You'll be going to Durmstrangs with the rest of your house."
"But sir –"
"No," Dumbledore said finally. "He has a big enough task in front of him without him having to worry about your welfare as well."
Draco looked like he was going to protest then slumped back in his seat.
"So the Slytherins are going to Durmstrangs with the Gryffindors?" Harry asked curiously.
"No," Dumbledore said dismissively. "Now you two, off to bed."
"But –" Harry protested.
"Draco's in Gryffindor now," Professor Snape explained. "And a fine loss it is. But that's where he is now. Now you two off to bed now."
Stunned, Draco and Harry were escorted back to the grand hall by Professor Black and Professor Trelawney.
"The Gryffindor sleeping area's over here," Sirius said, leading the two boy's over to the corner. Against the earlier orders, the lights were still on and people were still chatting. People watched curiously as Draco joined the Gryffindor area. More mutterings spread about the hall; joining the paranoid rumours already going around. None of them compared to the truth though. As Draco lay down next to Harry in a Gryffindor sleeping bag, he looked at the raven-haired boy strangely for a moment.
"Are you all right?" Draco whispered, looking with concern at Harry's face. Harry was a lot paler than usually and that was saying something.
"No, no I'm not," Harry said shakily.
"What's going on?" Hermione whispered eventually from Harry's other side.
"You'll find out in the morning," Harry said finally, snuggling down in his sleeping bag. He felt Draco nervously take his hand and squeeze it. "Draco?"
He could make out the blond's head, quite closed to his own, and he tried to ignore the tingling sensation in his fingertips. "Have you sent me any letters recently?"
Draco frowned, puzzled. "No, why?"
Harry sighed. "No matter."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak again, prompted by Ron on the other side (he'd poked the bushy-haired genius in the side with his wand) but was prevented from speaking by Professor McGonagall; her voice ringing sharply through the hall.
"What the hell are you all doing still up?"
Soon after that the hall was quiet and darkened. Too much like it's going to be tomorrow, the Transfiguration teacher reflected. Too much like it's going to be like tomorrow.
They were woken at about seven o' clock in the morning, and the news was delivered rather sharply. All the houses were being evacuated. Breakfast was to be given to them on the train. The Hogwarts Express was going to drop them off as several places where they would be picked up by the other schools' collection service. They weren't told exactly why they were leaving which only added fuel to the rumours zipping round the school. Every house was fully assembled and almost ready to go past the lake, when Hermione realized something.
"Ron," she hissed, clutching her trunk on one hand and Crookshanks in her other. "Where's Harry?"
Ron blinked sleepily. "He's right…" He turned around and blinked at the space occupied by his sister. Ginny blinked innocently up at him. "I thought he was right here," he said, hollowly.
"He's not coming," a male voice said monotonously from behind them.
"What?" Hermione asked instinctively, swivelling on the spot to see Draco looking at them dejectedly.
"And don't even try to ask to stay with him, they won't let you," he added.
Ron gaped silently and Hermione looked like she was going to cry.
"No," she whispered, in denial to herself and in denial to the truth.
Draco nodded slowly, his eyes downcast and his demeanour weary and defeated.
"Then why are you here with us? This is the Gryffindor house?" Ron asked distractedly, trying to process all the information running through his head.
"I…" Draco pulled a face. "I'm not some kind of idiot, you know." He indicated the patch on his robe, and Ron and Hermione stared at it in disbelief. "I am a Gryffindor."
Ron raised his eyebrows. "I… see."
"Look Weasley, I don't care what you think. The truth is Harry's staying behind to save all our sorry asses, you know that? He has to break the cycle otherwise the wizardry world would be doomed to follow in the same cycle. He's doing this for us."
Hermione gaped. Her fingers flew to her mouth as she dropped the stunned Crookshanks on top of her trunk. "He's not going to do it alone? I knew he cn sometimes be a "
Ron stared at them bewilderedly.
"He's not going to do what alone?" Ron demanded, eyes narrowed as he stepped menacingly up to Draco. Draco stared back unflinchingly.
"He's going to face who-know-you…" Hermione said hollowly.
Ron's face went pale. "No…" he whispered. "He can't…"
"Can't do what?"
"Harry!" Hermione whispered in shock. "So you're not staying behind then?"
Harry sighed and lowered his head; staring at he ground. "I have to, Hermione." The bushy-haired witch promptly threw her arms around his neck and began to bawl. Harry just stood there looking a little shocked. Hermione pulled back almost immediately, blushing.
"You can do it, Harry, we believe in you," Ron said, holding out his hand. Harry took it firmly and shook it with trembling hands.
"Thanks," he whispered. Turning around he saw Draco standing there nervously; shuffling awkwardly. Tears came to Harry's eyes and he furiously blinked them away as he realized that this was possibly the last time he'd see Draco ever again. It disturbed him how much this thought shocked and saddened him. He remembered how he's hated the misguided bully with all his might for the previous few years… and how he'd seen the boy changed over the last month or so…
"You can do it," Draco finally whispered, mimicking Hermione and engulfing the taller boy in a hug. "You have to," he added on as a whisper. Harry didn't know what to say; just clung on to the shorter boy for a few silent seconds.
"I… I love you, you know," Draco whispered quietly.
Harry closed his eyes, letting out a distraught sigh. "I think… I love you too," he admitted just as quietly. He let his eyes stay closed as he leant his cheek against Draco's hand and they stayed like that for a painful moment before Harry pulled away; his eyes filled with sadness behind the thick lenses of his glasses.
"Take care."
Harry nodded miserably and turned back to where Professor Trelawney and Professor McGonagall were stood, and, not looking back, he followed the two Professor's back up to the school. Draco watched him go, closing his eyes briefly to ignore the pain and the running thought that he would never ever see Harry again.
That thought hurt. Too much.
"What the hell is going on?" Seamus demanded, staring at the scene in confusion.
"What do you think is happening?" Draco asked the Irish wizard vehemently, spinning on his heel. "Harry's going off to face you-know- you on his own to save us and we can't so anything! All we can do is let them take us away!"
"Oh," Seamus said mildly. "Not that. I was just wondering what the hell you were doing in our house?"
Draco rolled his eyes and muttered something which only Ron heard. Said Weasley flushed red to the base of his roots. Hermione decided not to ask what Draco had said.
"Are they gone now?"
Harry's voice sounded hollow in the empty hallway.
Professor McGonagall nodded. "Yes. Professor Black has also departed on his envoy to the giants. He said to say 'remember to mix your drinks'. I have no idea what that means but I am pretty much assured you will not be drinking anything alcoholic for the next few days."
Harry grinned ruefully. "He doesn't mean that, Professor, it's his way of telling me to take care."
"Ah," Professor Trelawney said; smiling sadly at Harry. "The whole – let's do the opposite of your elders and betters – strategy."
"Something like that." Harry inclined his head
"Harry," Professor McGonagall stopped to look at him softly. Harry's face was masked in shadows and his expression unreadable. She barely recognised the confident teenager standing there. Harry unknowingly emitted a sense of danger, shadows, of indefinable power. She shivered, and continued. "There's a reason it has to be you, and not someone stronger, although Hecate knows you're more than strong enough. That's the whole point. You can't just defeat you-know-who."
Harry blinked. "I think I get it," he said dubiously.
"I hope so, " Professor McGonagall said gently.
Then a sudden, horrifying thought struck him.
"It's happened before, this kind of cycle, hasn't it?"
Professor McGonagall nodded. "Far too many times. All on smaller scales than this one. Less power was involved the previous times."
"The Bloody Baron and Peeves," Harry whispered, inspiration striking him. "The Bloody Baron defeated Peeves, didn't he? He was the… the dark side if it can be labelled that and Peeves was the light side."
"Yes," Professor Trelawney said nodding. "I was here when that happened. A fifth year like you, Harry. Fortunately Peeves managed to injure the Bloody Baron enough so that he died, but... Unfortunately the Bloody Baron managed to drive Peeves insane before he died. Shame really."
"But that's not the only time it happened, is it?" Harry asked as they began resuming walking along the hallways to Professor Dumbledore's office.
"I can see why you're the one this time," Professor McGonagall said sadly. "Very perceptive, aren't you?"
Harry blinked and blushed at the compliment. "The last time the light side destroyed the dark side didn't they?" Harry guessed.
Professor McGonagall nodded.
"Yes," she said briefly.
"Professor Dumbledore and Grindelwald," Harry added.
Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Very clever, Mr. Potter. Yes. Yes it was. Do you know what you have to do now then?"
Harry nodded. "I don't necessarily have to defeat him. Of course that would be impossible… He's much stronger than me and not afraid to play dirty or use emotional tactics against me… I have to…" Harry looked up and the dangerous glance that was trained in the distance made both Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney shiver again. "I have to make him surrender."