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 8: Lost in Thought.

Silver was the color of the thing that kept him sane. The knife in his hand was silver too, but it was a small consolation compared to the silver thing in his heart. Draco was his salvation, the silver lining on the darkened sky, he was his cure and yet his disease in a way.

Sanity comes and goes--waxing and waning and turning the one whom it has cursed into a monster for a while. This was Harry's life--full of moons and silver and glimpses of sanity and salvation as it came to him. Yes, Harry had been abused and beaten, and yes, he had been raped; but sometimes it all seemed okay, like he was normal--well, normal for the wizarding martyr, anyway; this was how he felt at Hogwarts, or how he used to feel. Vernon had truthfully ruined the one place where he felt safe.

It was foolish, he realized now, to think that he could ever escape the memories in his head. Harry had thought if he pretended they did not exist they would dissipate and leave him be, but he was wrong--they only festered and worsened, causing his unstable mind to slip further away and his mask to rake place of his being. His demeanor went from kind to frigid in a second, mirrors and glamours slamming into place.

Harry was sixteen years old, but his mind had been defiled and aged so far beyond his time that it was debatable whether he had seen more than Nicolas Flamel had. Life for Harry had never been easy or simple, as the press would have it seem. A certain bug-eyed reporter had made it seem like the worst thing to ever happen to Harry was to loose his parents. She was wrong--the moment when he lost his parents was not the worst moment. It was one of hundreds, but it was the beginning of it all.

As Harry reached for the door, his mind remained blank. His mutilated hands heaved open the door to the room of requirements, the light from it blinded him for a moment as it contrasted so heavily to the dark corridors of the rest of Hogwarts. As the light quickly faded Harry's vision became slightly clearer, Harry stepped into his bedroom at the Dursley's.

The dank room smelt familiar and calmed him--he knew that this was not real, so Vernon could not possibly ruin this for him. Harry sat next to his bed and crawled under to the loose floorboard where he knew he would find his cousin's pills. Harry had stolen Dudley's anti-depressants, at the beginning of summer, and hid them here so he would not be punished. He did not see why the bully needed this Prozac anyway.

Harry unscrewed the cap of the little orange bottle and quickly swallowed a few of the small pills. He went to stand when a flash of light caught his eye. Harry crawled back under the bed and pulled out the razor that had caught his eye. He studied the small instrument, turning it; letting the light catch, the edge of the blood rusted silver.

"Stainless silver my ass." Harry scoffed at the mud-like stains. Bringing the tarnished edge down on his arm, Harry relished the feeling of the stinging cold cutting through his taught nerves and skin. He did not cut too deeply --remembering what had happened last time.

Harry's ears picked up the sound of a door shutting far off in the distance and the thump and creak of some one heavy heading upstairs. Had he heard it? Surely, he was not going mad. Suddenly the door opened and Harry's cousin Dudley saw that Harry was there.

Dudley stammered, and then a smile broke out on his piggy face. Harry stood shakily, his mind racing--no, this could not be happening--he was at Hogwarts--he was in the room of requirements. 'It gives you what ever you are thinking about,' his mind supplied.

Harry was not thinking when he walked past, he was remembering. It hit him--it gives you what you think about, and it takes you there as well. Harry would have bet all his galleons that that's what the door did to him. However, Harry wasn't in a position to bet, his cousin had called his uncle from the doorway.

"Dad, Dad Potters back, I found him in his room!" Dudley yelled down the stairs.

'RUN YOU FOOL!' his mind screamed, but his body would not move, could not move--standing in front of him were the two who had caused him more misery than anyone could imagine. Harry was frozen to the spot, terrified; his uncle's speech did little to quell this fear.

"You ungrateful son of a bitch, thinking we would want rubbish like you back in our home. What did the madhouse finally chuck you out boy, did they finally see how useless and powerless you are!?" Harry stood dumbly on his quaking legs, his mouth so dry he couldn't speak, could not save himself from what was about to happen.

Before Harry could utter a word he was struck hard across his face; a definite crack resounded in his skull as his jaw was broken from the force of the blow. Harry stumbled backwards his knees connecting with the edge of the bed making him fall back his cousin took the opportunity by straddling him, his weight crushing the thin boy below him. Harry groaned under the weight, as did his bed. Before Harry had time to fight back, his uncle had tied his arms above his head.

Harry was immobile and his mind was frozen. As much of his clothes were removed as possible, his shirt and robe were pulled up above his stomach. Harry didn't remember when he had started crying but his face was soaked with tears as he was thrown in and out of memories and his present torture.

By the time Harry heard it, the sound of a belt buckle, he had been turned from a pale boy into the bloodied blackened wraith he once was. Harry's skin was shining from perspiration and blood; he was unrecognizable. The belt buckle made a swift whistling sound and the metal bit into his chest and neck the black leather leaving long red welts. A burning was coming from the marks as hit uncle hit him again and again, his son with his hand in his pants awaiting what was bound to come sooner or later.

Then it stopped and the silence was more terrifying than the whistling the clatter of metal and the thud of fists on soft flesh, the silence of Harry's screams were caused by his fear of the unknown...

Draco's POV

Step after step, leaping down stairs at a dangerous pace, Draco made his way through the castle following the river of blood, splattered wastefully on the old stones. Ahead of him, he caught glimpses of the one he was trying desperately to find. Draco's legs stung with the effort, trying to keep up with the wraith that seemingly disappears into walls.

Draco saw the blood splatter three times over in this small corridor, rarely used and dusty. Draco was loosing hope as the blood disappeared into the wall opposite a strange tapestry; the force of his memories jogging made the blond physically jump. Room of Requirements, feeling foolish but hopeful Draco ran back and forth three times; a door, old, dark, and heavy appeared.

The handle appeared rusted with age, but as pale hand clasped the reddened material, they came back in shock, soaked in blood that seemed to spark and glitter in the dim flicker cast by the torches set upon the walls. Ignoring the twinge of guilt in his stomach Draco reached for the handle again ignoring the slippery warms beneath his palm.

The light from the door once again was forced upon the dark corridors; sparks flew before Draco's eyes as he ignored the light and rushed forward thinking of Harry.

AN: Okay I understand hat no one likes cliffhangers but this was nessessary, plus I also realize this is a very short chapter, and for that I apologize, now for shout outs, I had a lot of reviews so this may take a moment.

SHOUT-OUTS!!! tarrandivinity You reviewed twice and I thank you so much for doing so. I am estatic that you like my portrayal of Poppy, and I am flattered that you are impressed by my humble fic, and see I wrote another chapter very quickly. Actually I had most of it written except the last page because I wasn't sure it would work with my master plan to put it in this chapter.

texasjeanette I am thrilled you like harry and everything, tortured powerful harry is my fave too (kind of a 'no duh' thing isn't it?) I posted again took a while since both my pc and my laptop had crashed, I had another chapter written for my other story and it got deleted cries brokenly looking at the rubbish that was once a prize chapter oh well the answers to your questions will appear eventually, I have a master plan but most of it is me winging it and b.s-ing my way through.

ManicReversed yay I love him too hugs doll made to look like a bleeding harry okay now you have a small glypse into my mind, not much that's the light stuff. Anyways I am glad you read, and approve of this .

POtASSiUM xx sorry about the 'I mean' stuff I do that a lot in real life and I finally stopped doing that the phrase 'I mean' stops showing up that often after the second chapter (I was half asleep writing that anyways can you blame me for my repetiveness?) hope you liked the rest of it

jes9 YAY Jes my most faithful reviewer, I have come to love your reviews and I am so happy you like the last chapter I am flattered you like how I wrote all the characters, snape is a bitch to write maybe its that drama queen attitude he gets? I am a slyth as well and I am glad you see the loyalty aspect they have, most of my friends would be in the other houses mostly hufflepuff and Gryffindor, though my best of friends are slytherin and ravenclaw people who can have an intelligent conversation and who know when to leave me be.

Elebereth glad you don't think my chapter sucks, I didn't like it, I don't even like this one but that's okay. Sorry about the cliffys but they build suspense so well don't ya think?

Kalinta glad you like my harry, and I agree with your view on the books, I like harry best in the fifth and third book he is the most sullen and tormented those are also the darkest books in my opinion I mean the 4th ones ok but it all takes place in a vacuum kind of.

anna may glad I can still shock strangers, my life still has meaning. I scared a stranger the other day I glared then broke out in a smile it was great I couldn't hold back the evil laugh at the look on their face.

sak glad you look forward to more, and I am glad you like the progression, tension, and drama.

blackcatgrl hey magi, glad you reviewed again, and you are write it is good to re-read even if I let you read everything before it gets on the computer, you have an advantage by going to school with me.

Ash Knight yay you reviewed again, im glad you like it and everything and I am sorry about chapters being too short but I have like 5 projects due and exams so you'll have to forgive. Love what you wrote about flames and burning out, its too true.

Okay that's all for now I am soo happy for the last chapter I received 10 reviews plus another for chapter 6, I am soooo happy I don't think I can hold back a grin grins widely strangers look confused. okay well that's al folks hope you enjoyed.

Jenni (MyGildedCage)