Chapter 9

"Let go! I can walk myself, you freak." Harry had already dragged him up one flight one stairs before he was able to get to his feet.

"No." He was enjoying to sounds he made every time he hit another step. He hated this boy, deeply. He didn't know why, but he just liked to see him in pain.

"Please, Harry!" Ron pleaded. He received a slap across his face. It nearly sent him back down the stairs.

"Do not address me in that manner!!" Harry glared at him, then grabbed his arm again.

"Harry, you're under a spell!"

"I'm probably under several spells." He continued to pull Ron behind him.

"You weren't meant to be here." /it's too good for you!/ But Ron would keep those thoughts quiet, if he ever had the chance of getting Potter to let him go.

"I like it here." They had arrived at Voldemort's rooms. Harry pulled his key out and unlocked the door.

"Please, don't do this!" Ron said as Harry pulled him towards the bed.

"Why not." Harry pulled the manacles out from the post and clasped them around his wrists, leaving him by the side of the bed.

"You don't know what you're doing!" his eyes widened. Harry couldn't leave him like this!

"Have fun."

Harry left him tied there and locked the door behind him.



(later)

"Have any fun today?" Nagini asked as she drew Harry towards the bed.

"Not really. Just dealing with Weasly again." Harry rolled his eyes and collapsed backwards on to the bed.

They had been together for as long as he could remember. Many around the manor called her 'the Red Lady', appropriately. She had long red hair and was currently wearing a beautiful crimson gown. She also had deep blue eyes, just like her father's.

"You should really try and remember to follow orders, you know." She smiled seductively at him.

"It was your fault in the first place." He glared at her.

"Well, if we are ever to marry, it would do you well to be on time to a meeting." she said sweetly. To which Harry just rolled his eyes.

"You know just as well as I that he would not hurt me." Though she knew that he worried sometimes, you could never been sure with Voldemort.

Voldemort had given his permission when she had asked for his hand in marriage. Harry was his most loyal deatheater, and his daughter wouldn't have settled for anything less than the best.

Nagini crawled on to of him and began to move her fingers under his shirt. She leaned to kiss his chest, then his lips and Harry drew her forward. The kiss became more intimate, and she worked on the clasps on his pants.

"No!" Harry shoved her off him without thinking about what he was doing. "Not right now." He pulled his legs up his to his body and put his head on his knees. Harry's heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it would come out. He slowly began to rock back and forth, not knowing what was wrong with him. His breath quickened, but not with excitement.

"Ouch! That hurt Harry. And why the hell not!" She was about used to this happening, but still annoying. She would just have to keep trying; Harry would submit to her eventually, her spell would see to that.

"I don't know..." Harry stopped rocking and leaned back on the pillows.

"We used to get intimate all the time, before. Or don't you remember!" She leaned against the side of the bed, staring up at him.

"Yes, I remember! I don't know what's wrong with me." He heard a knock on the door, it was Durmail. "I'm being summoned."

"Yeah, whatever..." She crossed her arms across her and pouted.

Harry leaned down to kiss her. "We'll try again later." He was happy when Nagini smiled back at him. He then drew away walked from the room. /It's too bad that I'm not interested in you, Nagi. I'm sorry, love./ As he walked he thought of the boy that haunted his dreams.


Petunia sat at the table poring a cup of tea when she heard the door slam. Voices. They were back.

"...Harry has been missing for over a month now..."

"And all of a sudden he returns." A girl's voice.

Petunia dropped the teapot when she heard the news on her nephew, and raced into the room.

"He's back!" She frantically looks behind them to see her nephew... but he isn't there.

"We saw him in town yesterday. Along with a bunch of deatheaters."

"We tried to go after him..." Hermione looked as if she was about to cry. "But when he saw us, it was as if he didn't know us. He just kept walking."

Draco just stared ahead expressionless.

"Then him and another deatheater walked up to this man and Harry killed him!"

Petunia gasped at the news and her heart sunk. How could he have done such a thing! What was becoming of her dear Harry? She did know her nephew well... but he wasn't a murderer!

"We don't know what's wrong with him, or how we're supposed to find out."

/how could he do this to me! He's alive, and apparently well, but he didn't come back. He doesn't want to come back to me!/ Draco got up and ran up the stairs to be alone. Harry's disappearance might have been the hardest on him. They had searched the whole town and even tried to contact Dumbledore. The headmaster never answered their reply, and they didn't find hide nor hair of the boy, until now. Even some of his things were gone.

"Will he be ok?" Petunia's eye followed Draco as he made his way up. Draco had been different lately, more quiet. He rarely even came out the room anymore, except to look for Harry. He looked nearly like a ghost he had grown so pale.

"I don't know. But, we need to find Harry." Blaise answered.

"Draco is so worried about him that he doesn't eat. Most of the meals you send up to him get tossed out the window." /happy ants/ "And I'm getting tired of forcing him to eat. I won't keep using imperious on him. I didn't learn it to use on my friends!" She shouted, trying to be heard over music coming from up the stairway. She could barely even her herself talk.

sometimes, I need to remember just to breath
sometimes, I need you to STAY AWAY FROM ME!

"We have to find Harry soon if we want either of them to survive. He doesn't really know what to do without him, and we aren't enough." Yelled over the music this time.

sometimes I, in disbelief, I didn't know
somehow, I need you to go

"Yes."

don't stay
forget our memories
forget our possibilities
what you were changing me into
just give me myself back and

Petunia left them in the living room, and wasn't seen until dinner. The song played a couple times more.

don't stay
forget our memories
forget our possibilities
take all your faithlessness with you
just give me myself back and

Up stairs Vernon she found Vernon trying to stuff his pillow in his ears, trying to block out the song. She yanked it away and swung it at the back of head.

don't stay

sometimes I, feel that I've trusted you too well
sometimes I, just feel like screaming at myself
sometimes I, in disbelief I didn't know
somehow I, need to be alone

don't stay
forget our memories
forget our possibilities
what you were changing me into
just give me myself back and

don't stay
forget our memories
forget our possibilities
take all your faithlessness with you
just give me myself back and

don't stay

I don't need you, anymore
I don't want to be ignored
I don't need one, more day
of you wasting me away

I don't need you, anymore
I don't want to be ignored
I don't need one, more day
of you wasting me away

with no apology
don't stay

don't stay
forget our memories
forget our possibilities
what you were changing me into
just give me myself back and

don't stay
forget our memories
forget our possibilities
take all the faithlessness with you
just give me myself back control

-

-

-

-

/don't stay/

-

-Linkin Park


"Tell me. Why am I here, again..." Draco muttered into the window.

Petunia and Hermione had dragged him out of the house to go pick up Dudley for winter vacation. Blaise had decided to stay behind and make sure that Vermin hadn't destroyed their things while they were out. Besides, they couldn't all have fitted in the car once they picked up Dudley from the Smeltings train station.

"Because, you need to get out of the house." Hermione said from the front passenger seat.

"No, I don't." Draco sneered at her before going back to staring blankly out the window.

"Yes, you do. You've rarely been out your room since..." She left the last part unspoken. There wasn't a need to.

"Since Harry disappeared, I haven't had a reason to go out anywhere!" Draco snapped. He sounded almost as hateful as he used to.

"Draco, you're wasting away. I don't know how else to say this, but you need to do something. We can't make you eat, but we can at least get you out of the house. You need to get your mind off of Harry!"

They rest of the ride silent while they pulled up to the train station.

"Oh, there he is." Petunia pointed to the squat boy, who was waddling as fast as he could to the car.

"How the hell did that come out of you!" Draco braced his hands on the inside of the car door.

"Draco! That isn't polite!" Hermione hissed.

"Forget politeness; I really want to know." He stared at Petunia, at the boy, and back again. Dudley had managed to make it a couple more feet. "Really, could he move any slower? He could roll over here faster."

"Draco!" She couldn't reach back to slap him. "And, he wasn't always that big." She admonished.

"Oh, sorry." He flushed and sank back in the seat behind her.

They waited several more minutes before Dudley stretched his podgy hands out to flag down the car. He had given up hope of running there. It was too much work. Petunia was kind enough to drive up for him.


"Durmail!" Voldemort called to a deatheater.

"Yes, Master." The trembling old man bowed.

"I've have been wondering of late..."

"Yes..."

"Do you think that we can continue to fool the boy?" the Dark Lord asked of him. "I have been thinking of telling him the truth. It might do him well to know."

"Which boy... sir."

"Potter. I have no reason to care about the other."

"I do not know. He has been nothing but loyal to you. With the exception of his... episodes. Though they are a minor thing. Why tell him? He is doing fine," he questioned.

"His 'episodes'? I thought that you were giving him something for that. He shouldn't have to suffer like that. You know the consequences if he does," he threatened.

"Of course! They won't continue, of this I am sure!" Durmail further cowered away from Voldemort.

"Yes, I'm sure." Voldemort sneered at the decrepit man before him.

"Get Potter. I have a job for him." A sly grin crossed his face.

"Yes....s-sir." The old man started to hobble out of the chamber.

"And Durmail..." he said in a sing-song way.

The man shoulders hunched briefly before he turned.

"Killing you will be the least of your worries... if you disappoint me." He deadpanned this time.

"Yes..."

"Now leave!" Durmail scrambled out as fast as he could.

Voldemort sniggered as he watched the man and than he collapsed back on his thrown, laughing. It certainly paid of being the "Dark Lord". After a few minutes he was interrupted by a soft voice.

"You called." Harry said.

"Yes. How are things going with my daughter?" He hoped everyday that there was some change in the situation. But no, there never was, and he couldn't think of a reason of protest that would be valid to Nagini. With the exception of the truth. Now that he knew of Harry's original preference, he was curious if it still held to him. He hadn't taken this into consideration when he rewrote his memories.

"Fine... as usual." Harry looked down as he said this. He didn't want to tell him what had happened, what kept happening, although he probably knew already. Voldemort had been lenient towards him for as long as he could remember, but he knew that his soon-to-be father-in-law would hurt him, kill him, if he knew he hurt his daughter. Though she never showed it, he knew that he hurt her every time that he pushed her away. He didn't want to, he just couldn't help it.

"You don't have to lie to me Harry. I have gained some new insight." Voldemort reached out with pale, thin fingers. He raised the boy's chin to look him. "And I know that things aren't always well. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit relieved."

"I'm sorry," he said and closed his eyes. Harry knew what was going to come. He'd seen it done to others, for less.

"Open your eyes." Harry complied. "I'm not going to kill you, though I can't speak for Nagini. She is so like her mother." He saw the question on the boys face and answered him before he had the chance to ask. "No need to worry about that, Harry. On the contrary, I have a job for you." Voldemort let go the boy and sat back on his thrown.

Harry smiled a little. Voldemort wasn't going to kill him, and instead he gave him something to do. He only gave missions to his most trusted, unless he needed his numbers. Harry was about to go stir-crazy in this castle.

"I'm glad that you're happy." Voldemort smirked. So easy to please. Just a little praise and his whole demeanour could change. "I'm sending you and Nagini." He watched Harry's smile dim a bit. "You two are my best. That's why I'm sending you. Normally, I might give you two some time apart. But this is special..." This is for you Harry, only you'll never know it. And my daughter will just have to get over him. I'm not going to make him go through some of the things that I did, even if some cannot be helped. "And I want to talk to you when you come back."

"What is it about?" /have I done something else?/ Harry wondered.

"Don't worry about that now. As for your mission, there's a man that I need for the two of you to take care of. His name Vernon Dursley." /I will let you get all your revenge, even if you never know that it was for you./


Harry and Nagini arrived on Privet drive later that night. They then changed into snakes to sneak into the house. Harry a black one and Nagini a red one. Voldemort had ordered them kill a man named Vernon Dursley, but he didn't tell them who he was. Though Harry didn't ask, it wasn't his place. He had just said that this was important.

They slithered up the side of the house, up to one of the bedroom windows. They slid in under the window, it had been left open, and dropped to the floor below. There was a loud squawk but they ignored it and continued, to find the door. Nagini hoped that they had gotten into the right house this time. The last house Harry had gotten the number wrong. They had entered the house and had been spotted by a teenage boy, who had run screaming the second he had seen them.

Nagini would have sighed if she could. She liked Harry but he would have to start paying attention to things better. Like her, for instance. She glared at his retreating tail. The owl hooted again, notifying their presence.

They slithered past the owl cage when a voice stopped them.

"Harry?"

Harry looked up and saw a blond boy staring at him. Same boy as on the street. How did he know his name? Unimportant. They had a job to do, and no reason to wonder about this boy. Him and Nagini started to slide faster out of the room when a hand grabbed him. /Nagini go ahead of me! I'll catch up./ Without looking back she slithered away.

/He had better get out of there and help me!/ she thought as she found the stairs.

Harry wiggled harder trying to get out of the boys grip.

Draco had to tighten his hold on the snake. He didn't grip it to tight, in case it was Harry. "Harry! Please let it be you!" Draco pleaded with the snake. A month had been too long without him.

Harry watched as the boy pleaded with him almost towards tears. He almost took pity on him. No, he had to complete his mission of he was sure that He would not spare him for sure. This mission was too important. Harry wiggled harder and Draco yelled for Blaise and Hermione to come upstairs while he still had a grip on the squirming snake in his hand. A couple of times he had to grab the head to keep from being bit.

"Hermione, Blaise! Quick! I've got him!" He yelled out of the room.

"We're coming!" Hermione and Blaise ran up the stairs when the heard Draco's scream.

"Is it Harry?" Blaise held his chest as he panted. He had nearly had a heart attack when he heard Draco call them.

Dravo stared some more at the struggling cobra in his fists. "It has to be. There's another snake as well in the house. I saw it go out the door. I couldn't get it and hold Harry at the same time."

"I'll go get it." Hermione ran out of the room to find the other snake, changing along the way.

"Blaise, can you close the window?"

"Uh, yeah." He ran over to close it.

"Harry. I know it's you." He could recognize that snake anywhere.

/I can't change back!/ Harry thought to himself, as he tried as hard as he could to get free. /Though it might be my only chance./

"Are you sure it isn't another?"

"Yes! It has to be him..." Draco nearly let go and broke down when Blaise took the snake from his hands. Draco scooted back and leaned against the bed. He then wrapped his arms around his body and rocked against the side of the bed. Harry was so close but there wasn't anything that he could do about it. Why wouldn't he turn back? Why did he just show up now?

Blaise didn't know what he was supposed to do. He could continue to hold the snake in his grasp, that was supposedly one of his best friends, or he could comfort Draco.

Luckily Hermione came back in with a limp red snake in her muzzle. It jerked now an again as Hermione's energy coursed through it. Blaise took it with his other hand while she turned back.

Hermione then went to check on Draco.

/That's it! I have to break my cover, there might be others. Changing back might shock him into letting go!/ Harry thought, already making the change.

Blaise watched the snake change back to the boy had called his friend. But he dropped him once Harry was too large to hold onto. Harry then pulled his wand from the black robes he was wearing, pointing it at him.

"I am not your Harry. I can assure you, I'm someone else, entirely." He said when he could speak.

Damn! I forgot my wand! Blaise thought, after searching his pockets.

"Petrificus totalus!" Harry yelled at him, then quickly repeated to spell before the others in the room could come stop him. He then revived Nagini and she turned back.

"It's about time you helped me!" She screeched. Fire flared in her eyes.

"What! I thought you had it under control." Harry smirked at her, and sat back down on the floor.

"Smart bastard."

"You know it."

Nagini just glared at him before speaking again. "I almost completed the mission before that bitch," She glared at the Hermione, "pun intended, grabbed me!" She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare. "Oh, and there's something seriously wrong with THAT female, by the way. Her magic is unstable. I'm still recovering from when she grabbed me!"

"Fine. I'll go do it." He put out a hand for Nagini to help him up. She ignored the offered hand and sat on the bed, with a huff.

Harry rolled his eyes and pushed himself up. He gave the unconscious bodies one last look before he walked out the door. /Do they know me somehow?/ he thought to himself.


Chapter 8
Chapter 10