Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR. Not trying to steal them. Just playing a little. No profit made.
~~~
My Only Ally
Chapter Three: No Way Out
Harry was on his way back to the boys' bathroom. He had just passed a classroom door, when a wave of students suddenly flocked to the hallway.
"Wow…" was the only thing he managed when student after student walked through him, not even blinking. Then he saw Hermione, who was walking out from a Potions lesson with Ron. "Ron!" he yelled before remembering that he couldn't be heard.
"…not like Harry to disappear like this," Hermione was saying to Ron. They passed Harry, walking closely together with their heads bowed in conversation. "I mean, he didn't even leave a note or anything!"
Ron nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Not like Harry at all." Shaking his head he walked on. "Now what about Hagrid? I bet he'd know what to do."
Hermione nodded a few times. "Yeah. Yeah! Well, at least we can try that," she said determinedly. "Let's go."
Harry watched as they disappeared behind a corner, wondering if he'd ever be able to talk to them again. Then, more determined than before, he turned towards the boys' bathroom where he had woken up.
He could only hope Draco still was there.
~~~
When Draco woke up he was cold, and his head was aching. Carefully, he stood up, not wanting to fall, and looked around. The mirror was in pieces. He hissed when he felt his forehead throbbing painfully. He took a few steps and looked at his reflection in another mirror, taking in the cut lip and the slightly bruised cheek. "Fuck!"
He spun around and the look on his mildly damaged face was frightful. His hands were tight fists and his knuckles white. This was not the way it was supposed to go. The world was spinning before his eyes and his head was throbbing.
A new thought struck him and he looked quickly around, which made his head hurt even more. For a moment he thought he was going to pass out. Leaning helplessly on a wall, he tried to remain upright.
Where was Harry?
~~~
Harry peaked inside the bathroom and saw Draco leaning on a wall, his back to Harry. He decided to go in, after all Draco surely wouldn't be able to see him, either.
"Damn you, Potter!" Draco spat out loud.
Harry froze. //But he can't see me, he isn't even looking this way!// He didn't move. Somehow he couldn't. //Maybe, just maybe, he's talking to himself…?// Yes, that had to be it. Harry continued his way towards Draco quietly. Standing behind him, he stretched out his arm and tried to poke Drado on the back.
He didn't know whether to be relieved of disappointed when his fingers met Draco's shoulder and touched briefly the fabric of his robe.
Malfoy span around. He seemed slightly unsteady on his feet, bringing a hand to his temple. He squinted at Harry, sneering. Needing to be sure, Harry took a small step forward, fingers curling strongly around Draco's shoulder.
Draco jerked away from Harry's touch, a disgusted look in his eyes, glaring. Not caring, Harry let go of Draco's shoulder and grabbed his elbow instead, pushing the bathroom doors open and dragging him out to the corridor for a test, paying no attention to Draco's heated protests.
A group of Slytherins was approaching the two of them and Draco yelled to them. "Potter's gone crazy! Do something!"
There was no effect. They were only a few feet away and suddenly it was all clear to Draco. His spell had backfired. In some weird and unexplained way it had to have backfired. He was so angry at himself he didn't even notice when the Slytherins walked through him.
"Well?!" Harry said, grabbing Draco's shoulders and shaking him roughly. "Is this what you were trying to accomplish?"
Malfoy's head couldn't take the shaking. Feeling nauseous, he pressed his hands firmly against Harry's shoulders, forcing him to let go. Stumbling back, he leaned on the wall.
"...what happened?" he asked after a moment, having calmed down.
Harry looked angry. "I don't know. You were the one who cast the spell, remember?" he said mockingly. "But no one can see me, except for you. No one can see *us*. What were you trying to do? And more importantly, can you undo this?"
Meekly, Draco looked down. Mouth curling into an angry sneer, he shook his head slowly, refusing to meet Harry's eyes.
"Can you undo this?" Harry said slowly, just not to lose his temper.
Draco lifted his head up fast and stared Harry. "I can't, okay? I didn't cast the spell on you in the first place just to *undo* it at some point, did I?" he yelled.
Harry didn't say anything but his heart was pounding fast. //What now? Think! Or else you'll never... NO!// "Fine then. You can't undo this," Harry said, having calmed down a bit. "Who can?"
Draco looked away. "Who can, Malfoy? Who?!"
"Do I look like I know?" Malfoy almost screamed. "The teachers, maybe? And what does it matter, Potter? They can't see us! They don't know what's happened to us! We *can't talk to them*!"
Harry gritted his teeth. "There has to be a way to get in contact with them. There *has* to be a way."
Draco took a deep breath, and for a moment they just stood there, not moving, trying to come up with any useful idea. More people walked through them. Harry didn't even bother to flinch, but Draco found the whole thing extremely unnerving. He tried to avoid it as much as possible.
Harry took a few deep breaths, calming himself. //Nothing... I can't think of anything! This is not good, not good… shit! We're going to stay this way for the rest of our lives… What lives? This isn't living…// Harry looked at Draco, who still wasn't okay with the random people walking through him. He stopped Malfoy's frantic dodging movements by grabbing his shoulder. "Have you thought of anything?"
Malfoy was felt extremely frustrated and Harry touching him wasn't helping. "No! And don't touch me!" he spat viciously, wrenching his arm from Harry's grip.
At that very same moment, a girl bumped into him.
~~~
My Only Ally
Chapter Three: No Way Out
Harry was on his way back to the boys' bathroom. He had just passed a classroom door, when a wave of students suddenly flocked to the hallway.
"Wow…" was the only thing he managed when student after student walked through him, not even blinking. Then he saw Hermione, who was walking out from a Potions lesson with Ron. "Ron!" he yelled before remembering that he couldn't be heard.
"…not like Harry to disappear like this," Hermione was saying to Ron. They passed Harry, walking closely together with their heads bowed in conversation. "I mean, he didn't even leave a note or anything!"
Ron nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Not like Harry at all." Shaking his head he walked on. "Now what about Hagrid? I bet he'd know what to do."
Hermione nodded a few times. "Yeah. Yeah! Well, at least we can try that," she said determinedly. "Let's go."
Harry watched as they disappeared behind a corner, wondering if he'd ever be able to talk to them again. Then, more determined than before, he turned towards the boys' bathroom where he had woken up.
He could only hope Draco still was there.
~~~
When Draco woke up he was cold, and his head was aching. Carefully, he stood up, not wanting to fall, and looked around. The mirror was in pieces. He hissed when he felt his forehead throbbing painfully. He took a few steps and looked at his reflection in another mirror, taking in the cut lip and the slightly bruised cheek. "Fuck!"
He spun around and the look on his mildly damaged face was frightful. His hands were tight fists and his knuckles white. This was not the way it was supposed to go. The world was spinning before his eyes and his head was throbbing.
A new thought struck him and he looked quickly around, which made his head hurt even more. For a moment he thought he was going to pass out. Leaning helplessly on a wall, he tried to remain upright.
Where was Harry?
~~~
Harry peaked inside the bathroom and saw Draco leaning on a wall, his back to Harry. He decided to go in, after all Draco surely wouldn't be able to see him, either.
"Damn you, Potter!" Draco spat out loud.
Harry froze. //But he can't see me, he isn't even looking this way!// He didn't move. Somehow he couldn't. //Maybe, just maybe, he's talking to himself…?// Yes, that had to be it. Harry continued his way towards Draco quietly. Standing behind him, he stretched out his arm and tried to poke Drado on the back.
He didn't know whether to be relieved of disappointed when his fingers met Draco's shoulder and touched briefly the fabric of his robe.
Malfoy span around. He seemed slightly unsteady on his feet, bringing a hand to his temple. He squinted at Harry, sneering. Needing to be sure, Harry took a small step forward, fingers curling strongly around Draco's shoulder.
Draco jerked away from Harry's touch, a disgusted look in his eyes, glaring. Not caring, Harry let go of Draco's shoulder and grabbed his elbow instead, pushing the bathroom doors open and dragging him out to the corridor for a test, paying no attention to Draco's heated protests.
A group of Slytherins was approaching the two of them and Draco yelled to them. "Potter's gone crazy! Do something!"
There was no effect. They were only a few feet away and suddenly it was all clear to Draco. His spell had backfired. In some weird and unexplained way it had to have backfired. He was so angry at himself he didn't even notice when the Slytherins walked through him.
"Well?!" Harry said, grabbing Draco's shoulders and shaking him roughly. "Is this what you were trying to accomplish?"
Malfoy's head couldn't take the shaking. Feeling nauseous, he pressed his hands firmly against Harry's shoulders, forcing him to let go. Stumbling back, he leaned on the wall.
"...what happened?" he asked after a moment, having calmed down.
Harry looked angry. "I don't know. You were the one who cast the spell, remember?" he said mockingly. "But no one can see me, except for you. No one can see *us*. What were you trying to do? And more importantly, can you undo this?"
Meekly, Draco looked down. Mouth curling into an angry sneer, he shook his head slowly, refusing to meet Harry's eyes.
"Can you undo this?" Harry said slowly, just not to lose his temper.
Draco lifted his head up fast and stared Harry. "I can't, okay? I didn't cast the spell on you in the first place just to *undo* it at some point, did I?" he yelled.
Harry didn't say anything but his heart was pounding fast. //What now? Think! Or else you'll never... NO!// "Fine then. You can't undo this," Harry said, having calmed down a bit. "Who can?"
Draco looked away. "Who can, Malfoy? Who?!"
"Do I look like I know?" Malfoy almost screamed. "The teachers, maybe? And what does it matter, Potter? They can't see us! They don't know what's happened to us! We *can't talk to them*!"
Harry gritted his teeth. "There has to be a way to get in contact with them. There *has* to be a way."
Draco took a deep breath, and for a moment they just stood there, not moving, trying to come up with any useful idea. More people walked through them. Harry didn't even bother to flinch, but Draco found the whole thing extremely unnerving. He tried to avoid it as much as possible.
Harry took a few deep breaths, calming himself. //Nothing... I can't think of anything! This is not good, not good… shit! We're going to stay this way for the rest of our lives… What lives? This isn't living…// Harry looked at Draco, who still wasn't okay with the random people walking through him. He stopped Malfoy's frantic dodging movements by grabbing his shoulder. "Have you thought of anything?"
Malfoy was felt extremely frustrated and Harry touching him wasn't helping. "No! And don't touch me!" he spat viciously, wrenching his arm from Harry's grip.
At that very same moment, a girl bumped into him.
