A/N: Do you know why books have chapters? It's because way back when, authors would publish their stories in the newspaper and every day they'd post the next chapter. (Day? Or was it week? Anyway...). They'd always put an exciting cliffhanger at the end of every chapter to keep people coming back...

Yeah.

Please keep that in mind at the end of this chapter.

''''''''''''''''''

Chapter 13: Checkmate

Harry squinted but saw nothing. Still, he had the distinct impression that something was there.

"It's a Net," Ron said suddenly from behind him.

"A Net?" Harry asked, looking at Ron sharply. "A second ago you couldn't even tell there was anything there."

"I dunno," Ron said blankly. "I can kind of sense something there now that I'm concentrating, but for some reason I'm completely certain that it's a Net."

"That's a really powerful spell," Harry said, looking suspiciously at where he sensed the barrier to be. "Not many people know how to do it."

"I've done this a hundred more times than you have," Ron said, annoyed. "Trust me when I say, the Death Eaters are capable of it. Do you know how to take it down?"

"Kind of," Harry said, nodding.

"With the repelling charm?"

"Since when did you get so demanding?" Harry asked, annoyed himself.

Ron shook his head. "Okay, I won't help."

"This isn't a class," Harry said. "You're not supposed to be trying to teach me to do it. You're supposed to be helping me save the person who can save Remus."

"Sorry," Ron muttered. "I was just really annoyed for some reason. You use the repelling charm, by the way. Combined with a--"

"Disapparition," Harry said, nodding. "I know." Raising his wand, he muttered the appropriate words and the space in front of them shimmered silver for a moment before disappearing.

"Let's go," Ron walking unheedingly past the area the barrier was.

"Hold on a minute!" Harry said quickly, grabbing Ron's arm. "What if there are others?"

"Do you see any more?" Ron asked, glancing around. "Between the Kelpie and the Net, Malfoy probably thought you'd never see the light of another day."

"There's probably Death Eaters every where!" Harry hissed, taking heed to his own words and lowering his voice.

"All the Death Eaters are clamoring for power," Ron pointed out, albeit quieter. "Do you really think he's going to trust Death Eaters to guard the place he sleeps?"

Harry was forced to conceded the point. "I suppose I've been out of it a little too long."

Ron shrugged. "Oh well. We should probably be quiet anyway, just in case."

They continued in silence.

''''''''''''''''

Harry watched the forest through Ron's eyes, faintly amused. He could feel his own annoyance and irritation at the Potter boy seeping through into Ron. He vaguely wished he could control Ron completely, so he could control the boy's mouth and not upset Potter worse than he had to. It would also be nice not having to explain everything to Ron so he would explain it to Harry.

Ron, of course, had no idea what was going on. He probably assumed he was pulling it out of his memory.

Harry watched as they walked through the forest. He honestly didn't believe there were any other barriers to watch out for. Malfoy was far too overconfident when it came to his own abilities (and why shouldn't he be? In his opinion, he'd beaten the only real rival he had...or so he thought) and was to distrustful to ask his minions for help. Still, it never hurt to help and in this instance, it was much better to be wary. But his confidence was sneaking into Ron and the idiot wasn't paying attention and if he wasn't paying attention, Harry couldn't more obstacles through his eyes.

They made it to the mansion without incident. Harry was relieved to find himself so close to...himself (however that worked out) but he knew that inside the manor, things would only get worse. After all, anything that could knock him out was a force to be reckoned with.

They snuck through the halls, making far more noise than they should have but at least sticking to the shadows. Harry watched his counterpart through Ron's eyes with a sort of miffed disbelief. Had he ever been that--there was no other word for it--bad at sneaking? He had to be stepping on the wrong part of every step with the heal of his foot! The idiot! Of course, he knew he'd probably be twitching if he could see Ron walk. Between them, there was enough noise to wake a dying bat.

Ron seemed to be getting anxious too and in his anxiety to be quiet, he was making more noise than ever.

You're toes, you idiot! You're going to wake the dead if you keep walking on your heels!

Who said that?

Harry had been thinking rather loudly and angrily, but he hadn't honestly expected Ron to hear. It seemed, however, that the kid was finally aware there was someone else in his head.

Harry Potter.

Which one?

Which one do you think? Harry thought sarcastically. The one walking on his heels in front of you, or the sarcastic one that's missing?

Oh.

You're still walking on your heels.

Ron quickly corrected the matter.

How did you get into my head?

Fate, Harry said truthfully, smirking a little inside.

No, really. It's a little disconcerting.

Fine, don't believe me if you don't want to. Does the kid have any idea where he's going, or is he just hoping to bump into something?

I dunno.

Harry could have hit him. The why don't you ask him?

"Harry!" Ron whispered. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Oddly," Harry whispered back, "Yes."

"How do you know?"

"There's something...tugging at me," Harry whispered with a shrug. "Like there's some invisible string tied to me and my destination and the person at the other end keeps pulling it."

Is that normal? Ron asked Harry.

Is anything about that kid normal?

You're him! Ron thought, defending his friend. You tell me!

No.

Solves that mystery.

They walked in silence for a moment before something seemed to occur to Ron.

Hey, what is it exactly that has enough power to take you out?

Harry cringed slightly inside. A missing link, he said evasively. Something I hadn't counted on.

Then how are we supposed to get by it.

Let's just say, it doesn't hate you quite as much.

That's reassuring, but what is it exactly?

Someone's soul, torn out, and placed into a small metal ball.

What?

The Draco Malfoy from my dimension thought it would be funny to stick around after I killed him by putting a piece of his soul into a talisman, in essence, existing, even though he's dead. He's still conscious and alive in that talisman, possessing every ability he had before he died.

Sounds pretty nasty. How are we supposed to beat two Malfoys?

You're not. You're supposed to wake me up so I can do it.

Sounds like a plan.

The conversation was brought to an abrupt halt, however, when the Harry in front suddenly stopped. They had reached a corridor with four doors and the Potter boy didn't seem to know which one to take.

Suddenly and without warning, the corridor was filled with an ear-piercing yell. His rescuers jerked back, suddenly horrified and wary at the same time. "WAKE UP!"

That's my cue, Harry thought sarcastically. Good luck.

With that, he left Ron's mind and found himself back in the little room of his mind. He closed his eyes and thought of the place his body was, without ever leaving the room, just to check up on it. If he left the room he wouldn't be able to get back.

Instantly, his body was wracked with terrible pain that came so suddenly and unexpectedly that he gasped and jerked his eyes open, welcoming the sight of the plain room around him. He winced slightly, glad there was no one around to see it. Looks like Malfoy was getting creative in his reviving methods. He had better get down there before Malfoy got tired and just killed him.

Closing his eyes again and hardening himself for the pain, he mentally stretched out to his body. The pain came back, every inch of his skin on fire while every vital organ appeared pierced with a hundred needles, but he managed to block most of it out and opened his eyes--or rather one eye--to reality.

His left eye appeared swollen shut and as his body drew in its first breath through wracked lungs, pain seared inside him and he coughed blood.

"I see sleeping beauty finally found the needle," said a drawling voice above him.

"I see you don't know your fairy tails," Harry said, more than a little appalled to find only half his face working. It seemed Malfoy was right handed. His face remained frozen, however. "What'd you do, Malfoy? Hit me with a dozen Cruciatus when I wasn't even in my body? Smart."

Malfoy's eyes most likely narrowed at this point, but it was hard to tell through the combined efforts of streaming blood, no glasses, and lack of depth perception. Harry found himself immensely happy he could just lift his head. He hadn't been through this sort of torture since the night Voldemort attacked. Of course, he hadn't been caught off guard since that night either.

Malfoy had no witty response to Harry's last comment, so he swiftly bypassed it. "I suppose you're wondering why I woke you?"

"And I suppose you're wondering why I made the decision to wake up."

"It had passed my mind," Malfoy said, smirking. "After all, things would have been immensely easier on you had you simply stayed asleep."

"You really don't get it, do you?" Harry asked, managing to shake his head derisively and absurdly pleased with himself for the small victory. "I'm on a completely different playing field as you. It's like taking candy from a baby, I swear."

"I'm not the one tied up on the floor!" Malfoy snapped. "I think perhaps I'm the one holding all the cards!"

"Tell me," Harry said, managing to pull some strength back into his voice. He stopped his eyes darting to the door. Where were Ron and Harry? "Did a little voice in the back of your head tell you not to come down here?"

Malfoy's eyes flickered and Harry managed a smirk on the good side of his face. "It's gotten a little louder than a little voice, hasn't it, Malfoy? It seemed great at first, didn't it? A little talisman that responded to your every need. But now it wants things, doesn't it? It needs a body, doesn't it? What's a soul with no body? Does it want yours?"

"No," Malfoy said, a wide smirk slowly crossing his features. "It wants yours."

Harry's good eye widened for a fraction of a second. Of course. He had said everything. He had known everything and it still hadn't clicked! This Malfoy before him wasn't in the same league as him. The other Malfoy's trapped soul wanted something with a little more power. Something with more ability. That was what it was all about, idiot Malfoy's stupid second chance. His travel between dimensions. The sudden transport to the hospital. How Malfoy had managed to use the talisman to defeat him before he even knew how it worked. He had reawoken when he heard Malfoy shouting at him. The souls had to be exchanged, not implanted. Otherwise, he would be able to fight Malfoy for control of his body and inevitably win.

But there was one thing that Malfoy had not counted on.

Fate.

Fate had pulled him into Hermione's mind, reawakened him. Fate had told him not to tell Hermione how to help Remus. He told Harry to send for help. He told Harry how to communicate with his rescuers, doubtlessly in an attempt to keep him from his body, to save him from this fate.

And that gave him hope.

For once, someone was watching out for him.

All these thoughts occurred in that tiny split second as his eyes widened, the next, his body was consumed in flame. All he could think about was getting out of that room before Malfoy had a chance to steal his soul.

Light above, he had never been so desperate.

The fire that burned around him was of his own making, cold to him and hotter than the sun to all around him. The ceiling above caught fire and burned. He writhed in his bindings, trying get out, his hands bound by chains rather than ropes. The fire was heating the chains to dangerous levels and while the fire was cold, the chains were not. He spared a glance for Malfoy and his heart skipped a beat. The fire was doing nothing to prevent him from casting his spell.

Harry's mind raced. If he remembered the spell correctly, any minute now...

He pulled at his burning chains with every ounce of strength he had. They were burning his wrists like fire itself. A desperate thought zipped through his mind. I don't have a wand and to control wandless magic generally requires my hands. Followed by a more depressing thought of, I'm screwed.

He stopped the flames as the chains became too hot for him to handle. The next second he summoned ice, which, unfortunately, was no so kind as fire and froze him as well as the chains. But the sudden temperature change had weakened the metal and with a furious tug, he pulled them apart. The ice vanished and without a thought, sent a fireball straight at Malfoy's unexposed head.

It bounced back.

Harry said a few words he wasn't proud of.

A shield had appeared around him, trapping him physically and spiritually inside what seemed to be an invisible glass bubble. He had been fast, but not fast enough.

For the very first time in his entire life, Harry felt helpless. Completely and utterly helpless. There was nothing he could do. The spell was going, he was trapped, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Except...

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! GET IN HERE!"

Malfoy's eyes widened slightly and his words missed a beat. Harry's eyes latched onto the door with the sort of hunger that a starving man looks at food. It did not open.

Harry's heart pulled itself into his mouth and he felt his stomach knot up. So that was it. Some sentry he hadn't counted on had gotten hold of Ron and Harry and now there was no one, nothing that could save him.

Checkmate.

A/N: READ THE FIRST AUTHOR'S NOTE!