I'm so sorry about the delay. I was struggling with this chapter and the fanfiction net was having problems. Including that, my computer kept turning off as soon as I logged onto the internet. A nightmare.

Well, anyway, thank you to charlie-potter Gia The Demonic Duo Duckie() RiverWhiteDragon leah RAVENCLAWPUNKg Solo MalfoySlave Katie Oakhand Horsebeard lildove

I am so grateful for your prase, but I have a feeling that I will receive abuse for this chapter.

Everything that happens here is part of the story and has to happen. Its not done yet. Don't worry.

Also, I'm disappointed that no one has figured out Vin yet! Clues were littered!

Well, any way, here we go:

I do not own this franchise. I would be living it up and flaunting it if I did!

DARKNESS OR LIGHT. WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?

Chapter 23 - The Past and the Present

The floor of the room was cold. There were no windows and the only light came from a lamp attached to the ceiling by a pendant, although it was such a sickly light, it hardly lit the room up at all. The room itself was bare, white walls and a stone floor apart from a rug in a corner, the furthest away from the door. It was on this rug that Harry sat on, his arms wrapped around his knees, trying to keep warm. He had been cursing his stupidity for the past few hours and every five minutes he thought up another name for himself.

How in hell could he forget to pick up his wand? He had been in such a panicked state that he hadn't even thought about it. Now he was locked in a cold room with no way out. He didn't even know where he was. When he had Apparated with the four Death eaters, they had landed outside the room he was in now. He had been shoved in and the door was locked behind him. He had no idea where Draco was or why exactly he had been locked up for so long. The room reminded Harry slightly of his cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys. Cramped and dim.

Harry began to rock himself, exhaustion hitting him. He had spent most of his time pacing at first, but had given it up due to lack of space to do this comfortably. He was freezing and decided that trying to sleep for a little while might be a good idea.

~~~

"Let me out of here you bastards!" Draco yelled, pounding his fists on the door of his room. "What are you trying to do exactly? Father?"

It wasn't working. No matter how loud he yelled or how much he banged on the door, no one was answering, but that didn't stop him.

"Father? Answer me. Where's Harry? Father?"

As he stopped for breath, he heard a rattling on the other side of the door and then it was flung open and his father stepped into the room. The door was closed behind him and once again, a rattling was heard.

"Hello Draco," Lucius leaned against the door and smiled. "How are you finding your accommodations?"

"Wonderful," Draco snarled in reply. "All it needs is a high open roof and it would be almost homely! Where's Harry?"

"Safe."

"That's not an answer. Your safe usually means beaten until unable to move."

"Okay," Lucius folded his arms. "He's locked up like you are, but not for much longer. The Dark Lord has special plans for him."

"Special plans, yeah right. He's planning to kill him. What's so special about that?"

The question wasn't answered, but Lucius just stared at him, a frown creeping over his face.

"Draco. You must give up this foolish obsession you have with Potter. Firstly, you are a Malfoy and are not supposed to love anyone. Secondly, you are too young to even know what love is. Thirdly, it will be your undoing."

Draco folded his arms in imitation. "Well, firstly, not any more.. Secondly, Love is love and I do love him. Thirdly, I don't care. I already told you that I was not giving him up, numerous times in fact. I no longer care what you think."

Silence reigned again, then Draco spoke again. "Out of curiosity, what did you mean when you said that Granger had served her purpose?"

"She had been drugged," Lucius replied. "Since before Halloween. Her father gave her a mind control potion, in a form of Muggle medication. She had been diagnosed with high blood pressure problems. Stress. Each time she took it, her behaviour became more erratic and she began to lose grip on herself. She was the one who was supposed to deliver Potter to us, but after her attack on you, her protectiveness for Harry kicked in and she came back to herself. The potion she was given wasn't working as it should, but she couldn't stop taking it and she couldn't say anything. I bet her conscience has been eating away at her ever since she returned home."

So that was why Granger's attitude had changed drastically. Study obsessed and a bookworm she may be, but her behaviour had been totally erratic. Lucius took his silence as questions answered and tapped on the door. More rattling ensued and the door opened.

"Wait. One last question." Draco persisted. Lucius put one hand on the open doorframe and turned to his son.

"Yes?"

"Who is Vin?"

"Vin?" Lucius looked honestly confused. "I don't know anyone by that name. Why?"

"Never mind." Draco was confused. The dream he had experienced when connected to Harry by the necklaces was too real. He was sure Vin was real. "It's nothing. Forget it."

Lucius stared at him for a few more moments, then exited the room, the door banging closed behind him. Draco sank down to the floor, leaning his head on the wall, tired and frustrated.

~~~~

"I believe it is now time," the cold voice of Voldemort broke into Harry's consciousness and he snapped upright, wide awake, staring at the hooded figures surrounding him.

"Wha.." he managed to get out before he was gripped from behind in a strong hold which held his arms behind him. Another hand was curled around his neck, holding his it up and then something was clamped around it, digging into his skim painfully. In his line of sight stood Voldemort, looking the same as he had that night in the graveyard during fourth year. Hooded robe, grey and sallow face and red eyes. Harry shuddered.

"Potter," Voldemort acknowledged. "You've been well I trust?"

"Like you care," Harry spat in reply. "Why have you locked me in here? I thought you wanted me dead."

"Oh, I do. I just plan on doing something first." Voldemort nodded in his direction and Harry felt the grip around him tighten and he automatically struggled.

"Come now Potter, It's not like you can escape us, so you may as well stop struggling." The voice of Lucius Malfoy came from behind him. He watched as Voldemort moved closer to him, holding a vial in one of his hands.

"Drink this."

"No."

"Lucius..?"

Harry felt his chin grasped in one hand and he winced in pain.

"Now now Potter." Voldemort drew closer. This substance will not kill you. I intend to do that personally." Harry felt his mouth be pried open by the fingers holding his chin and the vial of liquid was tipped into his mouth. "Keep hold of him Lucius and make sure that he keeps that collar on. It's for your own safety. Bring him out when I call you."

"Yes my lord."

Voldemort stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Harry felt hot. His chest was burning, his eyes were itching and the collar was chafing his neck horribly.

"You know," Lucius said, almost conversationally. "I can see what my son sees in you. You are a very pretty young man." He pressed his face into Harry's neck and to Harry's horror, began to nibble.

"What... What are you doing?" Harry struggled against the grip holding him but with no avail. Lucius just held him tighter. "Let me go." He screamed.

The light bulb above them smashed and the light went out. Harry stilled in shock and he heard Lucius chuckle.

"He was right. Good thing you are wearing that collar, huh Potter?"

Before Harry could ask what the hell he meant, the door beside him opened and a hooded man stuck his head in the dark room.

"Okay. Lord Voldemort said to bring him out now."

Harry was pushed forward, still held tightly in Lucius' grip, out of the door, down a corridor and into a large room, full of Death Eaters. Harry stared around fearfully until he was pushed forward an over to where Voldemort was sitting. As he reached him, a buzzing began in his ears. It started small, just like a fly was circling him but it got louder and louder until he winced in the need to cover his ears with his hands. He whimpered.

"What's wrong Potter?" Lucius' voice seemed to come from a long way off. Harry's vision was going black and the buzzing got even louder. Suddenly he heard words instead of buzzing noise and he could finally move. He pitched forward and fell on his knees, covering his ears with his hands.

It was black. His surroundings were totally dark and that was all that he could see, apart from himself.

"Harry Potter, Golden Boy of the Wizarding world!" he heard and achingly familiar voice taunt. "You're pathetic. Really."

"Draco?"

"God. Why did I even talk to you? I must have been mad!"

"Ron?"

"I was just using you Harry, didn't you realise that? I was trying to hurt you!"

"Hermione?"

What was going on? As he listened, more voices spoke out of the darkness. All familiar to him and speaking of him as if he were useless and unwanted. Evil.

"Oh no, keep him away from me!"

Death

"Murderer!"

Destruction

"You killed Cedric."

Blood

"No. No." Harry pressed his hands tighter over his ears and closed his eyes. "Stop. Please stop."

~~

"What is going on?" Lucius stared down and the shaking boy who was kneeling on the floor. He had let him go when Voldemort had told him to and now everyone in the room was staring at the shivering form in front of him.

"Nothing much. He's just having a waking nightmare." Voldemort leaned back in his chair and watched Potter in what was almost a hungry way. "I am breaking him, slowly and surely. In his mind, everyone is turning their back on him and he will be alone. That is how I want Harry Potter to die. Broken in front of me and alone." He leaned back in his chair and flicked his attention onto Lucius for a moment. "Bring your son out here. I want him to witness this as well."

"Yes my Lord," Lucius bowed, then nodded to the two Death Eaters standing by the door. They nodded in return, then left the room. Lucius then went back to watching the boy on the floor.

~~

Suddenly, the darkness receded and Harry saw himself in a room. He recognised it at once as Dumbledore's office and spotted the Headmaster sitting in his high backed chair, his hands clasped together in front of him. He was staring at two people sitting in chairs across from him, both in school uniforms. One had long red hair that was pulled back into a pony tail, the other had messy black hair and was wearing glasses. They were holding each others hands and smiling.

"Mum, Dad?" Harry whispered in shock.

"So we came to see if we could get your blessing." His mother, Lily stated, obviously finishing off a statement.

Dumbledore didn't answer her question, merely stood up and began pacing.

"Professor?" James said questioningly. "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure about this?" Dumbledore finally replied. "If Voldemort ever found out, you would be in serious trouble, especially if you decided to have a child."

"We're sure." James nodded. "I understand the danger but this is what we want. I do not want to spend my entire life hiding away in misery, just because some psychotic madman wants me killed. I will not stand for it."

Lily nodded her head enthusiastically in agreement. Dumbledore turned his attention to her. "Lily. If he finds you and discovers that you have a child, you will no longer be in trouble, but you child will be. Please think this through."

"I have." Lily's enthusiasm died and she stared defiantly at the Headmaster. "If I do have a child, I will use the Fidilus charm and will use Sirius as secret keeper. We have already asked him. We will keep it on until the child is older."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then spoke again in a resigned voice. "If I can't change your mind then okay, but at least allow me to serve as the secret keeper."

"No. I trust Sirius with my life Sir," James replied. "Thank you for your kind offer though."

The scene changed. He was standing in a large sitting room, painted white and blue. He spotted his mother sitting on one of the large blue chairs, humming to herself and rocking a small child in her arms Harry's heart leaped. It was him. As he watched, the child form of himself looked up and stared directly at him. Vivid green eyes held just turning green eyes for a moment, then the just turning green eyes filled with tears and they soundlessly dripped down onto Lily's lap.

"Harry?" she cooed gently, rocking her son while hugging him tighter. "What's wrong love?"

Harry banked a few times in confusion, then turned to the other occupants in the room. His father sat on the other chair in the room and on the sofa sat a younger Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Harry narrowed his eyes in hatred as he stared at the man.

"I think it would be for the best James," Sirius was saying. "He wont expect it."

"I know Siri, but...." James foundered. "I didn't want to drag Peter into this as well. I was trying to leave him and Remus out of it."

"It's okay James," Peter's voice, which wasn't quite as whiney as the last time Harry had heard it. "You are one of my best friends and I would gladly do this for you."

"Bastard," Harry hissed. Not being able to contain himself, he leaped forward, hands outstretched towards Pettigrews throat. He phased right through the figure on the chair and landed on the floor by their feet.

"Okay," he heard his father say.

"No!" he cried out, sitting upright . He turned to where his father was supposed to be sitting but found an empty seat. He noticed that it was darker and the sitting room was empty. Harry stared at the light coming from the kitchen and spotted his mother hurrying into the room, followed by a very anxious looking James.

"James? What is it?" Lily sounded really scared. "What's going on?"

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"

Harry heard sounds from the hall, like a scratching on a door. James pushed Lily towards the stairs and ran into the hall. Harry followed, knowing what was going to happen, but having to see it. Lily ran up the staircase, but stopped on the landing when the front door burst open. Harry heard a high pitched cackle of laughter and Voldemort appeared in the doorway.

"Ah Potter." Voldemort stepped into the house. "I finally found you."

"Get out!" James snarled, wand in hand and stepping forward."

"Oh I will, when you give me your son!"

"Never you bastard. Get out of my house."

Voldemort smiled, a horrifying site and pointed his own wand at James. "If you had co-operated with me, I may have considered letting you live. Avada Kedavra."

James crumpled to the floor. Lily screamed down the stairs.

"JAMES! NO, JAMES"

Voldemort turned his head and stared up at Lily, who stepped back and ran into one of the bedrooms, slamming the door. Voldemort stepped over the body of Harry's father and began to walk up the stairs. Harry gave one last look at his dad, then followed Voldemort up the stairs. He felt totally numb. He already knew what that Voldemort had killed his parents, but to actually see it happen. So see it and not be able to do a thing about it was probably even worse than when it actually happened.

The door which Lily had disappeared behind was wrenched off its hinges with a muttered spell and Voldemort and Harry stepped into the room. Lily was standing in front of a cot, her arms outstretched and a defiant look on her face. In one of her outstretched hands she held her wand.

"Please no," she whispered.

"Lily," Voldemort acknowledged. "Move away from the boy."

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl ... stand aside now ..."

Harry watched the exchange with bemusement. In his eyes, it looked like Voldemort didn't want to kill Lily. He was asking her to move away.

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"

"Lily, move, now."

"Not Harry! Please ... have mercy ... have mercy"

Throughout Lily's tirade and pleading, the defiant look never left her face. Voldemort began to laugh and raised his wand. "Me, mercy? Never. Avada Kedavra."

The body of Lily Potter fell to the floor, dead. Harry stared at her. Lily's eyes were still open and a green tinge was visible in her eyes. Even in death, her face still held defiance.

"Now my boy, time to remove you." Voldemort pointed his wand at the boy sitting in the cot. It might have benefited me to keep you, but I'm afraid circumstances have persuaded me otherwise." The little Harry stared up at the man above him, unafraid and he smiled. Voldemort scowled back. "Avada Kedavra."

Green light erupted from Voldemort's wand and headed towards the small boy and penetrated his forehead, but instead of the boy crumpling down dead, a silvery beam crept up the glow of the green, straight into Voldemorts wand.

"What the ..."

The light exploded, green and silver mingling together. Harry heard a scream full of pain and then the light diminished. Voldemort was gone and Harry was sitting on his cot, a lightning bolt cut on his forehead.

Once again, the scene in front of him faded and he now found himself in a green and silver common room where he spotted a younger version of Pansy Parkinson sitting on a chair with a piece of homework in front of her. then another figure entered the form that was so achingly familiar that Harry had to restrain himself from trying to run to him.

"Draco," he breathed out.

The differences between this Draco and the one he knew now were visibly different. Whereas his Draco had a loving smile, eyes that softened when they looked at him and long silvery blonde hair, the one in front of him had hard eyes, a sardonic smirk and short gelled hair.

"Hey Parkinson. Did you watch the Quidditch match?"

"No," Pansy dipped her quill into her ink, but didn't look up, "I've been doing my homework. Why? What happened?"

"Potter fell of his broom!"

"What?" Pansy looked up from her homework at last and stared at Draco. "How?"

"I don't know. One minute he was racing across the pitch, then he just let go of his broom and fell. The Dementors had entered the stadium at that point. Maybe he saw then and fainted in fright!"

"Maybe" Pansy went back to her homework. "Have you realised that you talk about Potter a lot. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were obsessed with him."

"Obsessed?" Draco spat. "I hate him, despise him! He's an ugly little goody goody, proud of his fame and revels in others misfortunes. Yeah I'm obsessed. With how much I want to defeat him. To see him broken in front of me, and one day it will happen."

"Draco," Harry had tears in his eyes.

The scenery changed a few more times. He relived the fights with Ron during the Triwizard tournament, his verbal spars with Draco. Everything that hurt him.

"Please let me go!" he whispered, falling to his knees again. "Please. I don't want to be here any more."

~~~

"Aha, Draco."

Draco felt his body go cold, hearing that high, cold voice saying his name. He stared over at the Dark Lord, sitting on a chair on the other side of the room, his father standing next to him. They were the only two recognisable figures in the room, the others wearing Death Eater masks, including the two holding him captive. While sweeping his eyes across the room, he spotted a small figure on his knees in front of Voldemort.

"Harry?" he whispered in fear. Harry was covering his ears with his hands and was rocking slightly. "Harry," he called out loudly, struggling with the two holding him.

"I'm afraid he can't hear you," Voldemort said, his eyes gleaming. He raised his hand and beckoned. The two Death Eaters holding him, pulled him forward until he was standing next to the Dark Lord, still held tightly. From where he was standing, he could see tears flowing down Harry's cheeks. "I'm afraid young Mister Potter is revisiting old demons and meeting new ones."

"Why are you doing this?" Draco turned his head to stare at Voldemort. "I thought you wanted to kill him!" Voldemort never took his eyes from Harry as Draco said this, only gripped the armrests on his chair tighter.

"I want to see him broken. I want to remove that defiance from his face." Voldemort hissed. "By the time his visions have finished, he will be asking me to kill him."

Draco turned his head again and stared at the boy kneeling on the floor. His eyes were dull and his glasses had slipped onto the floor by his leg. Tears were slipping from his eyes and he was shaking. Draco felt a tear of his own slipping down his cheek as he stared at him, a feeling of total helplessness washing over him. There was nothing he could do..

~~

Harry was anguished. Everything he had seen had thrown his mind upside down and he had reached the end of his rope. It wouldn't have been as bad if he hadn't continuously heard a voice whispering. Whispering the same thing over and over, bringing images to his mind of Cedric, eyes wide, laying on the floor in front of him, dead. The voice had grown louder until it had become a chant. Something that he found himself repeating without thinking about it

"Death, destruction, blood. So much blood.

Betrayal, hurt and anger. All will lead to the creation of him.

The one who is stronger than he who must not be named.

He is coming and no one can stop him.

Vin!"

He had no idea what it meant. Why was he dreaming about Vin? Who was Vin? Nothing made sense. Everyone hated him, feared him. He was a murderer. His parents had died because they had to protect him. Cedric had died because he had told him to take the cup with him. The only logical thing would be to die too, wouldn't it?

~~

Ron was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, flicking through the music on his new player when Hermione sprinted past him with tears streaming down her face. Ironically, he had flicked to a song by a group named Godley and Creme, singing cry and he grinned slightly in amusement. He removed the earphones and turned to Ginny who was playing solitaire on the table next to him.

"What's up with her do you think?" he asked, leaning back on his chair and stretching.

"I don't know." Ginny looked over at the stairs that Hermione had just disappeared up. "Do you want me to se if I can find out?"

"Please," Ron answered. "Even though we are not on speaking terms, I still want to know what happened. Hermione doesn't cry very often, especially like that."

Ginny nodded in agreement, then made her way towards the stairs.

Ron closed his eyes and sighed. He was tired. Pansy had worn him out the night before. After she had sent Harry and Draco upstairs and had helped him comfort Ginny, she had got them all some Butterbeer to drink. She had pulled a tiny bottle from her purse and placed a very small drop in every glass they had drunk. Whatever it had been, it was very alcoholic and Ron had very tipsy an hour later. By three am, Pansy was asleep in his lap, clinging to him tightly while the three of them were sitting in the hall. It was only then that they had been nudged by George, who stated that it was time they all went to bed. George picked up Ginny while Ron had picked up Pansy who had curled up in his arms. He had carried her to the Slytherin common rooms, got the password from her sleepy mumblings and put her to bed. Ron would have then left and gone to bed himself but Pansy held him in a death grip against her, preventing her from moving. He ended up sleeping next to her, only being awakened early by Blaise running into the room, waving a letter that was addressed to Draco.

"Ron," Ginny's voice called down the stairs, sounding a little panicky, "I need your help. Hermione wont tell me what's wrong and she wont stop crying either. She keeps clasping her throat and whimpering."

Ron grumbled under his breath and stood up. At the same time, the portrait entrance opened and Pansy walked into the common room.

"Hey Ron," she smiled. She walked over to him and hugged him around the waist. "How are you this morning? Not hung over I hope."

"No," Ron smiles, "I'm...."

He was cut off by a scream. A scared scream coming from his sister upstairs in the Girls dorm.

Ginny!" Ron disentangled himself from Pansy and ran up the stairs, Pansy close behind him. When they entered the fifth year girls dorm, they both gasped. Ginny was leaning over a half conscious Hermione, blood all over her arms. She was pressing bed sheets tightly over Hermione's wrists, where blood was still oozing from.

"Pansy. Madam Pomfrey. Now." Ron whispered. He heard the scuffle behind him as Pansy ran out of the dormitories. He himself ran to the girls bathroom, grabbed a towel and ran back over to Ginny's side.

"Ron?"

"Use this." Ron realised he sounded emotionless but couldn't help it. He was in shock. Why? How? What did Hermione do this for?

~~~~

"It is done," Voldemort rose out of his chair and slowly walked over to Harry, still kneeling on the floor. "I have broken him." He reached out a hand and pulled up Harry's chin so he was looking him in the eyes. From his position, Draco could see Harry's eyes. There was no emotion in them at all apart from tiredness and he looked defeated.

"Harry," he called out, then watched in shock as Harry winced.

"He still can't see or hear you Draco, so you might as well give it up," Voldemort didn't look up from his study of Harry's face. "What ever anyone here says, he will only hear curses and insults. Anger and accusations. Only what I want him to hear."

Voldemort stood up and took a step back with a wild look of glee on his face. At that moment, Draco knew exactly what he was going to do.

"NO!" he screamed out, thrashing himself around, desperately trying to release himself from his captors hold. "PLEASE NO. HARRY!"

Voldemort pointed his wand and spoke the dreaded words. To Draco, it seemed time had slowed down and everything had muted. He watched Voldemorts lips move, saw a burst of green light erupt from his want, then watched as Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, saviour of the Wizarding world and the one Draco loved, fell backwards as the spell hit him in the chest. Harry crumpled to the floor, on his back, his eyes open,. the light was already fading from them.

Draco stared, sound flitting back to him. He didn't listen to any of the delighted cheering or Voldemort's cackling. All he could do was stare. Stare at the lifeless form in front of him. After a few unmoving moments, Draco did something he had never done before.

He fainted...

Please don't kill me! As I said at the beginning, this has to happen to further the plot.

As usual, please read and review, tell me what you think

Love

Rie

xx