Chapter VI. The Dark Forest
It was a shortcut between classes that brought it out.
Harry was running late, having spent a bit too much time talking after Care of Magical Creatures. Transfiguration would start in 5 minutes, and he had 8 minutues ahead of him if he continued the regular route to class.
He decided to take a more direct route, through the edge of the Dark Forest. He was always torn about this place, it scared him, fascinated him, and tormented him. There was something different about it now, something strangely familiar...
He peered into the trees, what was it that...
"NO! Please, don't...."
"Then ACCEPT!"
Harry looked up at his father as the tears he had fought back were daring to slide down his cheek He couldn't do what he asked. He couldn't. But if he didn't...
The circle of Death Eaters closed ranks around the two. Harry had been brought here to complete his destiny, to be branded with the Dark Mark and join his father in service to Voldemort. They could not force the Mark upon him, he had to accept.and he had known for a long time he would refuse, and had prepared himself to die rather than become the cold, evil shell his father had become.
He had not been prepared for this.
During Sixth-Year, Harry had made an unlikely friend in Padma Patil, a Ravenclaw who caught him coming back down the Astromony tower stairs one night. She had seen the agony he was in, saw the shame, felt the cold, tear stained hands he allowed her to take as they dropped to the floor of the deserted hallway. Harry had needed the words to come out, to confess everything sixteen years of "Malfoys do NOT show emotions" had brought him to. And she had listened. Listened and understood. Padma had put her arms around him and held him as he talked, rocking him back and forth as gently as his own mother never had.
Harry had kept that friendship a secret, knowing the other Slytherins would make her life, not to mention his, a living hell if they knew. He had always been jealous of the bond between Potter, Weasley and Granger. Harry had never had a true friend. You certainly couldn't count the ones his father paid to play with him as a child, and Crabbe and Goyle...they were ordered to stay by his side. But this was different. Padma talked to him because she liked him. Not because of his wealth and name, or out of fear, but because she genuinely cared for him.
And now she was chained to a rotting tree at midnight in the Dark Forest.
They had known. Somehow, they had found out.
She was bloodied and bruised, but alive, hanging weakly by the one chain that bound each of her wrists and wrapped behind her head around the tree.
Harry stood in shock as Lucius slowly walked toward him.
"Yes, pity isn't it, Draco? We really didn't want to mar that perfect skin, but she put up such a fight."
Harry felt the anger rise in his cheeks, his fists clenched till nails dug into his palms. "Why her?" Harry spat.
"Because, dear boy, I needed assurance you would make..." he turned toward Padma, "the right decision."
"She means nothing to me."Harry swallowed, hoping he would sound convincing enough.
"Oh, really?" Lucius smiled. "Well, then, I suppose it would be lovely if we had a bit of fun before the ceremony. CRUCIO!"
Harry had no time to react as Lucius unsheathed his wand from his ever present cane and pointed it toward the tree.
Toward Padma.
She stiffened slightly as the bolt hit her, then the scream, the horrible scream came from her as she writhed in unspeakable pain. Harry watched in horror as her legs fell out from under her, the cuffs biting into her delicate wrists. Blood was beginning to run down her arms, the scream dying away to a small whimper as the spell subsided.
"NO! Please, don't...."
"Then ACCEPT! I do not want to kill her, Draco," Lucius whispered. "But make no mistake, I will if you refuse. You are a bloody MALFOY, and you will not bring shame on our family!"
Harry stood perfectly still as he felt the sleeve of his robe being pushed up past his elbow. He had to do this. He would not let them hurt her anymore.
"Dra...co..."
Harry looked toward the one person who had ever shown him kindness, the one person who had not judged him.
"Padma?"
"Don't."
"What?" He stammered.
"Don't do it. Please."
Harry shook his head. What was she doing?
"They will kill you."
"I know."
"I don't understand!" Harry yelled. "Why would you do this? I can save you!"
Padma smiled.
"Because I can save you."
Lucius grabbed Harry's arm. "Enough of this! Draco, come here NOW! Accept your fate."
Padma turned to Harry.
"Please...Promise me, you will..never be one of them." Her voice was small and strained, but the words cut through the still night air. "Draco..." she pleaded. "Promise me!"
Harry sank to his knees. He couldn't refuse her. But he couldn't bear the thought... The words hung in his raw throat, battling with his heart to come out. Finally he looked up to Padma's waiting face, and managed a small smile..for her. "I promise."
She smiled back at him.
Nothing they could do now would ever break him.
Lucius stepped back in sheer fury. "Then so be it! AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Two screams echoed through the forest, from one dying, and one who wished he were... "Harry, are you alright? Speak to me!"
Hermione was crouched over the slumped figure on the ground, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Harry was shaking, his voice broken by the racking sobs. "I...I...he hurts..oh, gods..."
"Who hurt you?" she whispered.
Slowly he got up from the ground and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "I have to see someone," he choked.
"Harry! Wait!"
No, he thought. I've waited long enough.
End of Chapter VI.
It was a shortcut between classes that brought it out.
Harry was running late, having spent a bit too much time talking after Care of Magical Creatures. Transfiguration would start in 5 minutes, and he had 8 minutues ahead of him if he continued the regular route to class.
He decided to take a more direct route, through the edge of the Dark Forest. He was always torn about this place, it scared him, fascinated him, and tormented him. There was something different about it now, something strangely familiar...
He peered into the trees, what was it that...
"NO! Please, don't...."
"Then ACCEPT!"
Harry looked up at his father as the tears he had fought back were daring to slide down his cheek He couldn't do what he asked. He couldn't. But if he didn't...
The circle of Death Eaters closed ranks around the two. Harry had been brought here to complete his destiny, to be branded with the Dark Mark and join his father in service to Voldemort. They could not force the Mark upon him, he had to accept.and he had known for a long time he would refuse, and had prepared himself to die rather than become the cold, evil shell his father had become.
He had not been prepared for this.
During Sixth-Year, Harry had made an unlikely friend in Padma Patil, a Ravenclaw who caught him coming back down the Astromony tower stairs one night. She had seen the agony he was in, saw the shame, felt the cold, tear stained hands he allowed her to take as they dropped to the floor of the deserted hallway. Harry had needed the words to come out, to confess everything sixteen years of "Malfoys do NOT show emotions" had brought him to. And she had listened. Listened and understood. Padma had put her arms around him and held him as he talked, rocking him back and forth as gently as his own mother never had.
Harry had kept that friendship a secret, knowing the other Slytherins would make her life, not to mention his, a living hell if they knew. He had always been jealous of the bond between Potter, Weasley and Granger. Harry had never had a true friend. You certainly couldn't count the ones his father paid to play with him as a child, and Crabbe and Goyle...they were ordered to stay by his side. But this was different. Padma talked to him because she liked him. Not because of his wealth and name, or out of fear, but because she genuinely cared for him.
And now she was chained to a rotting tree at midnight in the Dark Forest.
They had known. Somehow, they had found out.
She was bloodied and bruised, but alive, hanging weakly by the one chain that bound each of her wrists and wrapped behind her head around the tree.
Harry stood in shock as Lucius slowly walked toward him.
"Yes, pity isn't it, Draco? We really didn't want to mar that perfect skin, but she put up such a fight."
Harry felt the anger rise in his cheeks, his fists clenched till nails dug into his palms. "Why her?" Harry spat.
"Because, dear boy, I needed assurance you would make..." he turned toward Padma, "the right decision."
"She means nothing to me."Harry swallowed, hoping he would sound convincing enough.
"Oh, really?" Lucius smiled. "Well, then, I suppose it would be lovely if we had a bit of fun before the ceremony. CRUCIO!"
Harry had no time to react as Lucius unsheathed his wand from his ever present cane and pointed it toward the tree.
Toward Padma.
She stiffened slightly as the bolt hit her, then the scream, the horrible scream came from her as she writhed in unspeakable pain. Harry watched in horror as her legs fell out from under her, the cuffs biting into her delicate wrists. Blood was beginning to run down her arms, the scream dying away to a small whimper as the spell subsided.
"NO! Please, don't...."
"Then ACCEPT! I do not want to kill her, Draco," Lucius whispered. "But make no mistake, I will if you refuse. You are a bloody MALFOY, and you will not bring shame on our family!"
Harry stood perfectly still as he felt the sleeve of his robe being pushed up past his elbow. He had to do this. He would not let them hurt her anymore.
"Dra...co..."
Harry looked toward the one person who had ever shown him kindness, the one person who had not judged him.
"Padma?"
"Don't."
"What?" He stammered.
"Don't do it. Please."
Harry shook his head. What was she doing?
"They will kill you."
"I know."
"I don't understand!" Harry yelled. "Why would you do this? I can save you!"
Padma smiled.
"Because I can save you."
Lucius grabbed Harry's arm. "Enough of this! Draco, come here NOW! Accept your fate."
Padma turned to Harry.
"Please...Promise me, you will..never be one of them." Her voice was small and strained, but the words cut through the still night air. "Draco..." she pleaded. "Promise me!"
Harry sank to his knees. He couldn't refuse her. But he couldn't bear the thought... The words hung in his raw throat, battling with his heart to come out. Finally he looked up to Padma's waiting face, and managed a small smile..for her. "I promise."
She smiled back at him.
Nothing they could do now would ever break him.
Lucius stepped back in sheer fury. "Then so be it! AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Two screams echoed through the forest, from one dying, and one who wished he were... "Harry, are you alright? Speak to me!"
Hermione was crouched over the slumped figure on the ground, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Harry was shaking, his voice broken by the racking sobs. "I...I...he hurts..oh, gods..."
"Who hurt you?" she whispered.
Slowly he got up from the ground and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "I have to see someone," he choked.
"Harry! Wait!"
No, he thought. I've waited long enough.
End of Chapter VI.
