A/N: Sorry for lateness. I guess I'd better correct myself - I'll never go over a fortnight in updating. I just re-read what I've written so far in this story and was quite frankly horrified. I hope this chapter is better.
Chapter 5 - Enter Dumbledore
(sorry for any mistakes, it's taken ages to write this and it is now very late at night).
"Harry? Harry! Merlin, Harry wake up you lazy g-"
"What?!" Harry jumped and sat up, looking around wildly.
"Finally!" Draco threw his arms in the air, before turning back to Harry with a look of concern, "you alright mate?"
"I'm fine," in truth he wasn't, he felt cold and shivery, "but who screamed?"
"Screamed?" Nott frowned, and Harry noticed identical expressions on Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy's faces. So they were all here too.
"Err, yeah I think so - what happened?" Harry looked around, and couldn't help but let a gasp slip out. They were in, they were in some sort of -
"We're in a cage," he breathed.
"We're the sons-" ("and daughters," Pansy put in indignantly) "of Death Eaters - and in your case the Dark Lord himself, what do you expect? And besides, I wouldn't call this a cage - no more like prison cell."
"We're in Azkaban?" Harry yelped.
"Course not gargoyle - do you see any dementors?" Draco drawled, "no, this is a holding cell in the ministry of magic itself. And guess who's first on our visitors list?"
"Who?"
"Dumbledore."
"You're not serious," Harry said, looking at the others for reassurance. Pansy looked close to tears, Nott was fidgeting like mad and Crabbe and Goyle... well there wasn't much difference with Crabbe and Goyle - but that was to be expected.
"Yup - but don't worry! The Draco Malfoy the Great has a plan!"
"Oh Merlin save us," Harry replied, "what is it this time master genius? We all claim that we're muggles or something?"
"Hey!" Draco mock glared at him, "no, but I have this!"
He pulled out a red pen.
"Wow," Harry barked sarcastically, "a pen I feel so much better now. I thought you hated muggles anyway?"
"Never known you to be so sarcastic," Draco gave him a strange look, "but this is
no ordinary pen. It's not muggle either. My father gave me this - I keep it on me at all times - a quill would run out of ink too easily, or the ink could smash in my pocket. Good for giving people a scare or a diversion if they catch me at something, this pen is."
"So?"
"It's a wound pen! It makes it look like you've got a cut or something."
"We're going to pretend to bleed to death?" Harry asked sceptically.
"No," Draco swelled himself up arrogantly, "we are going to all draw lightning scars on our foreheads and all claim to be Harry Potter. That should keep them busy for a while."
"Why would we do that?"
"They want you, Harry. You are their main priority. They need you for bargaining with I expect, or to try and get you to their side - I dunno. Our instruction are to keep you safe."
Harry snorted with laughter.
"I think they'll be able to tell the difference between a real scar and a pen mark."
"A wound pen," corrected Draco, "and so we'll draw over your original scar too!"
"No offence, but none of you look a thing like me."
"Good, we wouldn't want to," Draco replied haughtily, "well if you have a better idea..."
"Ok, ok, there's no harm in trying it I guess."
With a self satisfied smirk Draco nodded and handed the pen to Nott. Theodore was extremely good at art, and so proceeded to draw scars on everyone's face. Including Pansy's (though Draco due one of Nott's own forehead).
"Wait a minute," Harry said as he watched Crabbe's confused expression as Theodore applied the wound pen, "we're in the Ministry right? What happened to Barty?"
Nott's hand shook, and Crabbe's face got splattered with what looked like blood (but was really pen). Pansy gave a small whimper and Draco looked away.
"What?"
"Dementor's Kiss, Harry," Draco said quietly, "that's what we saw them doing and I heard them Ministry Morons laughing about it on the way here. We're lucky we're not being guarded by Dementors. They've got wizards outside the doors to this room though. I saw them as we came in."
"But what's the Dementor's Kiss?" Harry asked innocently.
Draco sighed and when he spoke it was if he was dragging the words from a very deep hole.
"It's their last resort, worse than death. Very few people are ordered the Dementor's Kiss."
"But what happens?"
"They, they, suck out your soul," Draco echoed the words Barty himself had used to explain to him, "leave you like an empty, lifeless shell of life. As if you'd never been there in the first place. It's not death; it's worse."
Harry thought he might be sick. He could even feel a prickling sensation in his eyes which he hadn't felt every since he'd been rescued by Lord Voldemort. Barty hadn't deserved that. No one did. How could they?
"Come one Harry," Theodore said quietly, "you next."
Shakily Harry let Nott approach him with the pen, he rose the nib to his face.
"ARGH!" Harry let out a scream as the ink touched his scar. Blinding agony! His scar hurt so much, like a white hot poker being pressed to his skin.
"Harry!" three voices rang out, and Crabbe and Goyle grunted their concerns.
"What the?"
The pain went as soon as it came. He stared up at them, hand still pressed to his scar.
"I guess your scar's different to normal ones," Draco said softly, "it must react with the pen or something. We might still get away with what we've got anyway."
They sat in silence for a while. Harry's thoughts on Barty and those awful dementors. He found himself cursing Dumbledore with every word he knew. If only he could do proper magic! If only they had wands! Bellatrix had complained about it so much in their class.
Magic-
"Draco," he whispered, "do you think, d'you think we might have any chance defending ourselves against them with wandless ,magic?"
"Not a chance, mate," Draco shook his head, "they're fully trained wizards. Though I won't say no to at least doing it to put up a fight. Show them who we stand for."
Finally, the doors opened. Harry and Draco both leapt to their feet as a group of people made their way to there cell. Two heavily built guards blocked their view of the visitors. But Harry heard a voice say;
"You kept them in here? Dawlish - they're children!"
"The spawn of Death Eaters."
"Even so."
"Which one of you is Harry Potter?" the guards asked, squinting at their foreheads.
Harry and Draco exchanged a swift grin, and as one all (though Pansy had to nudge Crabbe and Goyle several times) of them lifted their fringes away (or in Draco and Goyle's case looked up from the floor) to reveal lightning bolt scars.
"I am," they said in unison.
"Let me through to see them," the first voice said. The guard's parted and Albus Dumbledore slowly walked to the cell bars. He looked extremely solemn. Looking at the elderly man's thick, blue velvet cloak Harry remembered how cold and shivery he was.
"They should not have been kept in this cell, Dawlish," Dumbledore informed the wizard, "they are not their parents and have done nothing wrong." He turned back to the children and gave them a kindly smile. "I commend your resourcefulness ," he looked a Draco," I guess that's a wound pen in your pocket? Yes." He chuckled at the expression on Draco's face, "your Father was rather fond of them when he attended Hogwarts. I don't know why you want to hide from me, Harry," he turned serious again, "and I'm afraid it didn't work," his blue eyes were now boring into Harry's emerald ones, "you are a splitting image of James - though with Lily's eyes. There is no doubt on which one of is Harry."
"James?" Harry said in confusion, deciding it would be no use to pretend he was someone else - the way Dumbledore was looking at him told him that much.
"James Potter."
"He's not my father," Harry hissed, looking at Draco for support. His friend nodded furiously in agreement. Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment.
"Do you know who I am," he asked gently.
"Yes," Harry spat, clenching his fists. Behind him Draco sneered and Crabbe and Goyle tried to look menacing. Theodore regarded him wearily. Pansy looked away.
"Ah, you've heard of me," Dumbledore nodded, "I expect little of it was good."
Harry merely scowled at him.
Dumbledore sighed quietly and nodded to the guards. The door clanged open. The children all stepped back in surprise.
"Come," the guard grunted at Harry. The black haired boy shook his head.
"I'm not going anywhere alone with you," he snarled. He shifted and locked gazes with Draco. They nodded in silent agreement.
"Look, come 'ere you," the guard reached out to Harry roughly.
"No!" Dumbledore warned the guard, stepping forward quickly to try and stop him.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry and Draco shouted simultaneously. As the shouting guard sailed to the floor they rushed forward, closely followed by the others. Yelling like mad they tried to push their way through the wizards.
It was mayhem! The wizards were all hollering spells at the running children, with Dumbledore yelling at them to stop. Draco and Harry dodged expertly.
Harry was barely a few paces away from the door when he felt Dumbledore's surprisingly strong arms wrap around him.
"Get off me!" Harry shouted, squirming and wriggling in the man's grasp. Sweat fell down his forehead and he tried to push himself free, "LET GO OF ME!"
It seemed that everyone else in the room stopped, even Draco, as the wizard - seemingly oblivious to Harry's yelling and struggling, guided the small boy out of the room. One arm was wrapped around him, almost in a hug - but at the same time it stopped any attempts of escape.
"GET OFF ME! LET GO YOU, YOU, YOU-" Harry had yelled himself hoarse by the time he was shown in to an almost bare room. Dumbledore still didn't let go of him as he turned to lock the door, but Harry was exhausted. In fact he didn't feel well at all. He was trembling slightly and felt.... so cold. The screaming still echoed in his head.
When Dumbledore was finally satisfied the door was secure, he let go of Harry. Dumbledore stood surveying him thoughtfully.
Harry looked over the door, eying it carefully. He wasn't stupid though; he knew Dumbledore's locks would be entirely impossible for him to break at that moment. So instead Harry stared at the door longingly. His arms hung limply at his sides. His breathing had gone all strange, ranging from deep, rasping breaths to short pants.
"Harry," Dumbledore said finally. Slowly - as if approaching a frightened animal -
he moved to Harry and bent down so that they were level. Dumbledore placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. They were too close for Harry's liking - the abuse from the Dursleys had made him wary of any physical contact. Wearily, Harry bought his eyes to meet Dumbledore.
"Don't touch me!" Harry whispered fiercely, shaking off the Headmaster. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, but lowered his arms.
"I know you are angry at me, Harry," the wizard said steadily, "and rightly so."
Harry snorted at this.
"What did Voldemort tell you?"
"He told me a lot of things."
"Of course," Dumbledore nodded, "maybe you could start with telling me about
the Dursleys."
"I don't know you," Harry told the man fiercely, his fists were clenched now, but he was shaking too. But now he wasn't sure if it was the cold, or fear of this old man. Harry was ashamed, but he recognised the way his heart was beating furiously. The Dursleys. This was the man that thought people like the Dursleys were good. "I only know of you. And I don't like what I've heard and I don't want to say anything to you."
"Have some chocolate," Dumbledore reached into his robes took out a large bar piece of Honeyduke's Best Chocolate. Undoing the shiny lime green polkerdotted wrapper he broke off a bit and offered it to Harry."
His generosity was returned with a sneer.
"I'm not that stupid." Harry told him.
"It will make you feel better, Harry," Dumbledore said earnestly, "you reacted
stronger than most to those Dementors. And I'm very sorry you had to go through that, Dawlish had no right, but he was most worried about the dangers of a Mr Crouch who was with you."
"Crouch?" Harry frowned. His stomach rumbled, that chocolate seemed a little more appealing. He reached a hand out to it.
"Barty Crouch, yes."
Harry quickly withdrew his hand, shaking with fury.
"You let that Dementor - the dementors, he, he," Harry could barely articulate a coherent sentence he was angry, "HE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG! HE LOOKED AFTER ME! WHICH IS MORE THAN YOU EVER DID!"
"Harry-"
"NO ONE DESERVES SOMETHING LIKE THAT - LEAST OF ALL BARTY!
He was trying to protect me from scum like you."
"Harry, I assure you Mr Dawlish may be facing serious trouble for what he did," Dumbledore interrupted.
"BUT YOU AGREE WITH HIM! YOU ALL THINK BARTY, AND, AND VOLDEMORT ARE BAD JUST BE THEY DISAGREE WITH YOU! JUST BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND-"
(a/n imagine if I just left it there? Because I'm being booted off the computer now and I'll have to leave myself at a cliffie, when I was enjoying it an everything.)
"Understand what, Harry?" Dumbledore asked calmly, but Harry saw something glimmer in his eyes.
Harry shook his head, he had shouted himself into silence. He remained, shaking and biting back tears. Oh God! If he was sent back to the Dursleys. What was it Barty said? About telling people about things? But Barty was gone. Everything was so confused and jumbled in Harry's mind.
"GET BACK HERE BOY!"
Harry choked on his own breath. If the Dursleys...
"Harry?" Dumbledore asked tentively, seeming worried for Harry now.
THUMP! He could still remember the dizziness, for one second he'd just been lost. Then the pain settled in.
"Where'd you get that nasty bruise, Harry?" That weird cat obsessed lady Mrs Figg had asked.
"IF YOU TELL ANYONE BOY!" Uncle Vernon would kill him if he told anyone what happened.
"Harry! Harry!" Dumbledore clicked his fingers infront of Harry's face. The boy's eyes had become glassy and unfocused, "Harry? Are you alright?"
Harry jerked himself away from his memories, but Uncle Vernon lingered before him. Instinctively, he raised his hands in defence.
"Harry?"
He lowered his hands slowly, Dumbledore was staring at him scrutinising. Harry blushed and looked away. Stupid Muggle Loving Fool. Where was Voldemort when you needed him? (A/N full credit to:)
"What are you so afraid of, Harry?" Dumbledore asked softly after several tense moments of silence.
"What?"
"Why are you so afraid?" Dumbledore repeated, "what has Voldemort old you?"
"Are- are," Harry couldn't help it, he just had to ask, "are you going to send me back to the Dursleys?"
"What happened at the Dursleys Harry?"
He said nothing. Now he could feel the tears burning. He would not cry. When he cried it hurt worse. Dudley would punch him even harder - or go and tell Uncle Vernon who was worse.
"Harry?" Dumbledore made as if to put his arm around Harry, but at the look on his face thought better of it.
The memories were closing in on him now. If only Barty-
Harry finally looked up again at Dumbledore. The image of Vernon so alive in his mind.
"They beat me," he whispered.
And with that he threw himself at the door, pounding his fists against it so much that it rattled, but wouldn't open.
The tears flooded.
Damn Dumbledore. That was what Barty had always said.
Harry, as he was so used to doing from when he was at the Dursleys, felt himself sink to the floor.
"Harry, eat this."
Harry couldn't see, the tears were falling so hard. He didn't even try to stop Dumbledore helping him put chunks of chocolate into his mouth. He only just realised that he wasn't so cold anymore.
"I have no intention of sending you back the Dursleys," Dumbledore told Harry, "indeed if I had known you would never had gone there. I am so sorry. There were illusion spells on the house to give us the wrong idea. We only found out when we went to the shack you were staying at shortly after Voldemort.... collected you. Mrs Petunia Dursley kept a diary - telling us everything. But even if I wanted to, which I don't, I couldn't send you to the Dursleys. Harry - Voldemort killed them."
"Liar."
"Harry, we're not even sure Voldemort is your Dad. Although you do look a little like Tom Riddle - you resemble James so much."
"Maybe it's another of your beloved illusions."
"Harry-"
"I want to go home."
Damn Dumbledore indeed.
* * *
"Imperius Curse?" Sirius Black snarled from his seat, slamming the copy of the Daily Prophet down, so that he couldn't see the aristocratic face of Lucius Malfoy staring up at him, "second time running? I didn't even believe that the first time, let alone now."
"My thoughts exactly!" Arthur hissed, "and they swallowed it again - must have been blackmail. Trust Malfoy!"
"He wants to get at Harry, that's the only possible explanation," Sirius decided.
"And his son," Remus added dryly, "he's already applied for custody over both of them!"
"What?!" Sirius yelped, "I haven't even seen my Godson yet - and that, that, gargoyle has the nerve."
"You'll be able to see Harry as soon as Dumbledore has spoken to him, and if the rumours are true he may not be in fit state to talk to you," Remus said wearily.
Sirius and Remus were trying carefully to piece back together the remnants of the friendship they once had. They weren't doing too badly considering Sirius had just spent ten years wrongly imprisoned in Azkaban and the last month in the Malfoy Manor Dungeons.
"I want custody of Harry," Sirius clenched his fists, "I don't care what everyone says about his parentage. I've seen no evidence that he's not James' son. Merlin - I even babysat the kid a few times before that Murderer... I was named his Godfather."
"Ranting and raving about it like a adolescent teenager won't get you very far Black," Snape said coolly, "Malfoy's got himself a good case against you. And from what Barty said Harry's more likely to go with him than you."
"If only we had known about the Dursleys," Remus groaned.
"I don't believe Dumbledore!" Sirius growled, "how could he not have known."
"It wasn't his fault Padfoot," Remus muttered, "Voldemort - or his Death Eaters at the very least - had put up illusion charms."
"But all the same," Sirius punch the air, "what time do they get here?"
"Three o' clock, not long now."
The three were sitting cooped up in a small office of the Department of Childcare in the Ministry of Magic, waiting for Dumbledore, Malfoy and two Ministry Officials to arrive. They were there basically to argue over who should have custody of Harry Potter - and Draco Malfoy as Sirius had decided to protest against how capable Lucius was to bring up his own son aswell. Just to be a pain. Of course it could have something to do with being tortured by Malfoy several times while in the considerable custody of Lord Voldemort too...
"Are you sure you're up to facing him," Remus asked Sirius quietly, reading the expression on his friend's face, "it's so soon after your escape-"
"I'll be fine, Moony," Sirius replied through gritted teeth.
Right on cue the door swung open. The sneering face of Lucius Malfoy greeted them as he strode in.
"You're here too, Severus?" he commented once he had scoffed and looked down his nose at Sirius and Remus for a suitable amount of time. Actually it was no surprise to him that Snape was there. Lord Voldemort had given him a lot of false evidence to get his name cleared so that he would hopefully get custody of Harry, but had also ordered Snape to try and get guardianship too - just in case.
A/N No cliffy this time! Happy? Anyway, I've already decided but just out of curiosity who do you want to get custard of Harry and why? Also I predict we will arrive at Hogwarts within the next couple of chapters. I may take a little longer with these because I can't decide on Harry's house. Perhaps you could all bring up some arguments for this too?
One more thing about reviews, you are all brilliant and I hold all of your opinions in very high regard. So I was just wondering if you could tell me what you like and don't like about this fic, criticism is very much welcome. I've just read over the last few chapters I've written to discover that all the characters are extremely OOC, I'm really sorry about this and am trying to correct it.
I also have a few general responses, rather than repeating the same thing over and over again I'll answer some common questions, complains and comments like this too:
1. How can you do this Barty?
When I first bought in Barty I knew from the start that he was going to have to go at one point and it seemed only fitting to use Rowling's way. I'm sorry, I liked him to. I made up a history for him, straying far away from canon which I rather enjoyed. I've especially liked making him a Chudley Cannons fan, it'll make it more interesting when Harry meets Ron.
2. Make Voldemort save Harry from the dementors!
I haven't done this because something like it will becoming up in either this fanfic or the sequels.
3. Hold on! Did I just misread that or did you just say you're going to write sequels?
I've been disappointed with what I've done with this fanfic so far. However I've hopefully pulled myself back together and will be able to do more with it. If the reviews and interest keeps up I do have several ideas for two sequels. If you like I'll give you a rough idea of their summaries next chapter.
4. Is Voldemort lying or not when he says he's Harry's Dad.
You won't find that out until..... ages and ages, maybe you'll even have to wait for a sequel (and the end of Scream With Me is very far away at the moment too) sorry. I'll be giving out lots of clues and evidence for both versions along the way.
5. So what house is Harry going to be in
Sort or repeating what I just said; I haven't decided yet. I won't be doing it just on votes either, however if you can come up with a good argument for whatever house you want him to be in it may help make up my mind.
You know I always though Hufflepuff suited him most
(joke people, he won't be in Hufflepuff I can guarantee that. Voldemort would slaughter him).
6. Is this going to be Dark!Harry or Evil!Harry or Slytherin!Harry
As for Slytherin Harry see number 5. As for the rest, I'm not saying anything about what he will be eventually. However to get Dark!Harry there will have to be some Light!Harry.
For these next two not all of you have bought them up, but I'm sure they've ran through your mind.
7. Slash? Or romance?
No. Though there will be a lot of brotherly friendship.
8. Voldemort being a little sensitive, or kind?
He's not been your fully fledged evil Lord just yet because;
1. He wants Harry's trust.
2. He's in a really, really good mood. Think about it - he's just achieved immortality and everlasting richness, got back his Death Eaters and son all in one week!
Sorry, I'm tired. I promise to talk to all you wonderful reviewers - you are all too good to me - next chapter. It's just that if I responded now you'd have to wait even longer. I really just want to get this chapter up. It took so long to write. I have answered lots of questions hopefully though. I'm really sorry.
Having said that, reviews of any sort are very much welcome. (yes I'm sad, I know. Ignore me. It's too late at night).
Ok, I'm sorry for making you all think this was an update (those of you who have found this on Author Alert etc). I just have to change the A.N thing. Sorry
NEXT CHAPTER(S) ARE COMING!
I'm really sorry, you are most likely really annoyed with me and I don't blame you. I won't annoy you with tons of excuses (though I have many), however I did develop a serious case of writer's block.
Now I'm finally working out exactly what is going to happen. It may take a while for the next chapter(s) to appear, but when they do it will be in quick succession. Part of the delay is deciding exactly where this is going - who will look after Harry and Draco over the holidays... where Harry will be sorted... I've also finally realised who Harry's father is...
Hermione and Ron will make an appearance pretty soon. We'll also see some of Wormtail behind the scenes.
I'm terrible sorry for the delay - don't eat me.
Also, rest assured although I did consider it I am NOT giving this story up!
SWF
Swordweilder - Firebreath
P.S What do you think of Harry in Hufflepuff?
(joke)
