In The Maze of Mirrors
By: Jenni M.
Disclaimer: Okay I own nothing; I am a 15 year old. I am a minor; there is no plagiarism here at all. I am using your characters, which you cannot copy right by the way; you can only copyright your writings not the characters in them, so therefore I am completely within the law. In addition, I am making no money off this, I am doing this purely because I was bored and now people like what I write.
To people that like what I write I thank you and my shout outs are at the end of this chapter, which has taken me a couple of days to type because I have school work to do.
Warnings follow as thus: child abuse, rape, cutting, suicidal thoughts, this chapter is a tad graphic.
For other warnings check the first 5 entries as I am too lazy to retype them for daft people every time I write a new chapter, and why should I put warnings in every chapter seeing as you already read them in the first 4 chapters and the prologue, so flame me at will I don't care anymore.
Chapter 7: Remembering.
Hermione rushed out of the great hall, her hand stung from the force she had used behind the slap that had graced Ron's face. She secretly hoped that smack, in addition to the punch which Neville had bestowed on him seconds after, had broken the ass holes jaw, or at least knocked out a tooth or two.
Hermione had gone to the astronomy tower after the incident; she had wanted to be alone. Neville, after assuring she was alright and giving her a quick comforting hug had scurried off, she grinned at the blush which had crept over his features.
Hermione had sat in one of the wood chairs at the far wall of the tower, looking out through one of the vast glassless windows. She had arrived at the conclusion that this window had the best view of the lake, as well as the delicately frosted grounds. She watched, her mind swimming, as the giant squid glided aimlessly across the surface of the waters, the moon illuminated its translucent skin making the seen ethereal.
She watched the soothing scene, seemingly lost in thought; thoughts of Ron, and of the friendship which the trio had once had. Now that her mind was clearer she realized how he had broken up her and Harry's friendship, how he rejected Harry and her at the slightest transgression.
She should have seen it sooner, he was the rat, he was the Pettigrew to there group; he had betrayed Harry in fourth year thinking him a cheat even when he himself was willing to deceive to be entered into the contest. He had betrayed Hermione over a broom and a cat in third year. How petty and childish it had seemed then, she recognized now that it had been leading up to now and the future.
Her thoughts, rather than cleared as she had hoped, were more organized at least. Hermione stood gracefully and brushed any lingering dust from her person. She stepped through the tables and chairs littering the expansive tower, she walked down the stairs and down and up many more before reaching the seventh floor on which the commons for Gryffindor were held.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Harry woke from his disturbed slumber, a haze still covering his mind, he remembered the events of the day before,
'Every thing is going to hell in a nice sparkling pink hand basket.' His befuddled mind supplied. Though he was glad Hermione finally found the courage to get rid of Ron; hopefully for good, this time. Everything which could have gone wrong had gone wrong. First on his list today however was to get out of bed and wish everyone a fond farewell and some, such as Ron, a not-so-fond farewell, he still had the rest of the Weasley's on his side.
'I think its time to ask the twin's prodigy for some help, with her sibling.' Harry dressed quickly avoiding looking in the mirror until it was necessary. He cast the necessary concealment and glamour charms on him face and visible body. He moved to the door after grabbing his smaller satchel, he planned to write in peace today though he knew peace was a relative term at Hogwarts.
On his way to the tower he passed only Colin Creevey who had noticed him sneaking by the broom closet he had converted into a darkroom. Colin snatched up his camera and photographed Harry before the boy-wonder could even protest. Afterwards he had cursed himself for being caught unawares; he continued on his course and was soon confronted with the fat lady who guards Gryffindor.
"Why hello dear, what are you doing here at such an early hour? I have not seen you in a while, how have you been child? I heard from Violet you have your own rooms now. Now tell me the password and stop stuttering darling." Harry had been trying to tell the women that he no longer knew the password.
'Differo.'
The portrait moved aside after a kind smile to the bumbling boy behind Harry.
"Hi Har, I finally remembered the password isn't it great?" the boy was bouncing on the balls of his feet after they had reached the common room.
"That's really great Neville, how did you manage it?" Harry was genuinely glad for his forgetful friend.
"This time 'Mione let me make the password; she said if I made it I might not forget it so easily." Harry smiled at Neville and walked over to the beaten burgundy velvet sofa where he saw red hair and the edge of a book just over the back. Harry knew instantly it was Ginny, as her brother never read anything except for comics.
Harry walked up behind her to take a look at what she was reading, A History of Pureblood Relations. The title sounded like something Malfoy would be reading, everything comes back to him doesn't it.
"Hey Gin, what are you doing with the book?" She turned her freckled face towards the boy and grinned impertinently.
"Reading it you silly git." she said exasperatedly, flinging her hands up and hugging her friend. She had missed her almost brother more than she had even missed her real one, who had never really done anything but torment her. Ginny knew there was nothing romantic between them, she had established that with the failed attempt at dating they had made at one point the previous year.
Harry during the hug had stiffened, his body had gone rigid; his eyes becoming glassy; he buckled on the floor scurrying backwards until his back hit a corner. Harry had his arms over his head and was mumbling with tears running down his suddenly wraith-like face. His arms, which moments ago had been immaculate were covered in scars and bleeding scabs. A collective gasp rang from the three inhabitants of the room, who were suddenly glad that everyone else still slept.
Hermione was the first to act; she walked softly towards Harry realizing what was going on. She started to talk to Harry softly in a non-threatening manner; she reached her hand out to put on his shoulder like she would when her grandfather had flashbacks from the war.
The reaction was heart wrenching once her hand touched his skin, the martyr tried to push himself further into his corner and drew into an even smaller ball. His mutter grew louder until he was yelling. Ginny quickly cast a silencing charm around the room not wanting to wake the rest of the dorm. His incoherent yelling became clearer, and what they heard broke their hearts.
"NO! DON'T.... DON'T TOUCH ME, NOT AGAIN. IT HURTS... OUT... STOP... DUDLEY, VERNON STOP PLEASE..." Harry started clawing at his flesh, more blood was leaking from his wounds streaming down his arms and face, and he made a frightening visage. Neville looked positively green.
"Nev, run and get Snape!" Hermione and Ginny yelled to the nauseous boy.
"But... why Snape?" he croaked back.
"Because he is the Potions Master, and he deals with Slytherins he has to know what to do." Hermione yelled over her back as Neville tried to protest. "Neville just GO!" The bumbling boy stumbled through the portrait and down the stairs running into both Malfoy and Snape; he kept stuttering trying to tell them what was going on.
"For God's sake Longbottom just spit it out!" Neville calmed immediately and spoke.
"Professor, Hermione sent me, its Harry he, well I don't know but there is something wrong!" Neville expelled in one breath. Neville noticed they both seemed to have paled, more so than usual anyways. The Slytherins took off at a run, their robes fluttering behind them all the way to Gryffindor tower. Neville said the password and watched as the two ran to Harry, whilst telling Hermione to get out of the way.
The Potions Master pulled a lilac potion from his robe pocket, grateful that he had remembered it on the way out of his chambers. He had Draco hold Harry from behind while he poured the chocolate flavored liquid down the traumatized boy's throat. Harry calmed after another minute or so of struggling against the pale arms that surrounded him.
Harry sagged in Draco's arms and turned around to cry in the blonde's chest; Draco held him closer and kissed his brow stroking the savior's hair. Harry and he were both masked in crimson holding onto each other. Everyone was entranced by the sight before them, Severus snapped out of his stupor he bandaged Harry's arms and handed him a healing potion for his lesser wounds.
"Harry, you should go to the hospital wing again." Draco whispered to him, Harry just shook his head.
"I want to stay with you." The Gryffindor mumbled into the gray sweater. The others in the room were moved by the display of affection, they had not seen the two in front of the show any real emotion in a long time, and maybe they never really had.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Everyone had gotten up and out of the common room before anyone else had woken, they had cleaned the carpets and their clothes of Harry's blood, while everyone was cleaning themselves Harry cleaned himself and recast his glamour charms; the others turned back to Harry to clean him up and he was already standing his mask in place and his facade clear of any evidence of what had just happened. It was unnerving as he did not even have is wand out.
"Umm… Harry?" Neville asked timidly from beside Hermione. "What was that all about? You just freaked out on us." Neville muttered the last part and though everyone else had heard it clearly, all Harry could do was focus on was that Neville thought he was a freak.
"Harry… you okay mate?" Ginny asked when she saw her friends mask slip slightly. The raw emotion in his eyes frightened her, but it wasn't fear for herself it was fear and worry for the sanity of the raven haired boy in front of her. Draco saw the approaching conflict as well as the fear and hurt behind Harry's eyes.
"Harry, Neville here is just wondering why you reacted so to the hug Ginny. Calm down Harry. Please?" Draco added the last hoping it would stop the small outburst of raw energy that was emanating from the boy in front of him. Harry had his eyes close and was trying to stop his emotions, a war inside trying to make its way out fighting with himself, and emotions had caused more anger, building in a crescendo, louder and louder inside his head more and more power without as his inner walls began to crumble again as his mind began to claw its way out.
At the word 'please' Harry's jaded eyes snapped opened standing in bas relief against the blue tinge his skin had taken on. The fire had burst to life and yet the air was frigid, their breath forming miniscule clouds in front of them, Harry seemed to be turning an icy blue but he still seemed to be giving off waves upon waves of heat.
"Please don't make me say that you would be disgusted just leave me alone, I already knew I was a freak, just please LEAVE ME ALONE!" Everyone jumped back from the tendrils of energy surrounding their friend, they all knew he was powerful but this was more magic displayed than even Dumbledore could possess, this was why everyone wanted Harry, either dead, or on their side.
While pondering the enormity of the situation, Harry's friends had not realized that he had run out through the portrait. Snape however while standing in the background had noticed and pushed Draco into action both in a flat out run against time trying to save the wraith who was sprinting though the corridors at a blinding speed, tears coursing down his face and invisible blood running down his arms and legs only to reappear as it splattered the dust blanketed corridors.
'This is becoming redundant." Harry thought darkly as he continued on his path, not really knowing where he was going, but knowing he had to get away from others. He had to stop being such a freak; he wondered why anyone put up with him at all.
With blood pounding in his ears, a sickening counter rhythm to the clapping of his shoes on the ancient stone, Harry ran he ran until he caught sight of the wall opposite the room of requirements. Stalking quickly back and forth three times in front of it not really focusing on anything, Harry heaved open the ancient heavy door which had appeared.
A/N: If this chapter sucked I am sorry, I have been having a creative block in visual as well as linguistic art. I apologize for the cliff hanger I don't know why but I can't seem to write anything that doesn't end up a cliffy.
Okay please review and here are my shout-outs I thank all those who reviewed.
Pip3- Glad you couldn't wait for more, and by the way I went to your website it is very good.
Jes9- You are such a loyal reviewer, I love that and I love how nice you are and that you have taken the time to review both stories I have written. Personally I think my story sucks but I do that in all my art classes and things as well. But I am glad you love it, I also understand what you mean about those stories where there isn't a reason behind the change its just really flipping random. Hope you like this chapter I may have another up soon but that all depends on how much homework I have.
Dwadwadwa()- Glad you like my writing and I'm also really happy you reviewed my other story I am trying to finish a second chapter but I'm kind of stuck on it.