Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one created by J.K. Rowling, as usual.

Chapter 3

What happens when you go back

Voldemort decided, some years after he had come back to life, that he would need a very dark, cold, and fearful place to become his realm, his palace of evil, where his throne would dwell. Well when you think of dark, cold, fearful places, what is one of the first things to pop into your mind? Azkaban. Well that's exactly what Voldemort first thought, and that's exactly what Voldemort did.

On a dark, misty night Voldemort and his faithful death eaters quietly prowled the grounds outside of Azkaban Prison. They stood and waited outside the front gates while the Dementors, who now obeyed Voldemort, quickly overthrew all those who were running the prison inside. Then suddenly, the great gates came crashing down and Voldemort walked triumphantly into his new headquarters. He freed all those inside and forced them to become his followers, which they gratefully became. And as he took his seat on his throne, he sent them all to unleash his destruction upon the world. With his power now in Azkaban, he became one step closer to having the world all his. But Voldemort still had a few steps to go.

On this warm summer night, Voldemort sat wide awake on his dark throne, pondering on what to do. A few days ago he had finally decided that he was going to steal the Book of Hope from the ministry. Now all he had to figure out was how. To him, he had the perfect and best idea, but he of course had to make sure everything was thought through. He also knew that he had to do it himself, he couldn't let any of his dimwitted Death Eaters mess it up for him. What he had decided on was this: the Imperius Curse. It seemed the best way. All he would have to do is get inside of the ministry up to where the book was kept, put the curse on one of the guards there so they could undo all the wards around the book, make them grab it for him, and he would walk out with the book in his hands. There was one tiny problem; once the booked closed it would send off automatic signals that couldn't be turned off, telling everyone that the book was being stolen. But he was Voldemort, he could do anything, and he could surely get himself through this.

000

Harry sat in his dull, quite unfurnished room. He stared at the gray ceiling, thinking of all those he had cared about. He had been away from them all for so long, he wasn't sure if they even cared about him anymore. He thought about Sirius and Dumbledore the most, practically everyday actually. They had taught him so much, they were like his other fathers, and now he had none. The only person he had now was Draco, which didn't give him much comfort.

Recently, Draco had been going to local cities, trying to find out what's going on in the world. Then he would bring the news back and report it to Harry, if there was any. Harry always insisted on going, since he got incredibly tired of being in the same place all the time, but Draco always forced him to stay. Also, to Harry's great annoyance, Draco had come back from one of his trips saying he had a new girlfriend. At first Harry thought that he was lying and could have strangled him right there for doing so, but then Draco showed a picture of her and, to Harry's surprise, she was very pretty. He said her name was Kirah, and she was born in Egypt. Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing so he ran up to his room, which he now thinks just made Draco happy.

At the moment Draco was away again, and Harry home alone. He had been gone for about a week now, and should be coming back soon. And until then, Harry would sit in his room and practice his spells. What he didn't know, was at that very moment his nemesis, Voldemort, was braking into the Ministry of Magic and steeling their most precious book right from under their noses. The Ministry was tumbling into chaos as he sat and stared at his gray ceiling, and he knew nothing of what was happening. Neither the loud sirens going off everywhere nor the Dark Mark that now hung in the sky, because he was barricaded deep below the ground in his room, staring at his gray ceiling.

Two days later, Draco arrived back at the naval station. He came storming into Harry's room, panting. Harry jumped about a foot off his bed and rolled onto the floor before he got up and grabbed his glasses, clenching his chest because his heart was beating so fast.

"What's the matter?" asked Harry, trying to put his glasses on right.

"Ministry…Book…Gone…Voldemort…Took", panted Draco as he slouched down onto the floor, trying to draw in more air before his lungs collapsed. But what he said was enough for Harry to understand what had happened.

"What?" asked Harry, shocked. "But…when?"

"Two…days ago", Draco said, his panting slowing down.

"Two days…but how come you didn't come back then?" asked Harry inquisitively.

"I was far away, and there was panic and chaos everywhere, that's why! The guards wouldn't let anyone in or out of the city", replied Draco as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well how come you didn't just Apparate back?" asked Harry, slightly sarcastically.

"You know we can't Apparate wherever we want anymore! Who knows who could be waiting wherever you pop up? Besides, they put a block up so no one could Apparate in or out either."

"So how did you get out?"

"Kirah helped me find a place safe where I could climb over the wall without being noticed", Draco replied, matter-of-factly.

"Oh", said Harry dryly. "So what do we do?"

"I think you already know the answer to that", Draco said as he slowly looked up at Harry. It was true; Harry already knew what he had to do. Only, for some reason, he was afraid to do it. He knew that he had to go back to the ministry and help them; he just didn't know how they would react to him suddenly coming back after all these years. But either way, he knew he had to do it.

"Alright, pack your things. We're going back."

000

Two days later, they were both waiting in a rundown airport, because, according to Draco, they couldn't Apparate to their destination unless they knew what was awaiting them, which they didn't. So they had to travel like muggles. The airplane they were taking was small and only fit about ten people along with their luggage. Even so, there were only about seven people on the plane. And just in case anyone on the plane would be able to recognize them, they had disguised themselves as nomads, wearing headdresses covering their heads and faces. They had taken all precautions, and were now heading back to Britain.

Once they got there, they walked out into the airport and saw tons of people waiting fearful and anxiously for their flights to come as they watched the televisions up above reporting terrible things from all over the world. At the moment the reporter was talking about how the Ministry of Magic has been boarded up and blocked from anyone entering as those inside tried frantically to clear things up.

"Oh well that just makes things easier for us", Harry muffled through his thick clothes.

"Yeah, well it won't do us any good standing here so shut up and keep walking", Draco muffled back. They walked past the many people watching the reporter and headed outside. Once outside they hailed a cab and were taken to the closest train station. Then, once again, they had to wait at the train station for their transportation to come.

"I can't believe we're going through all of this. We could have been there hours ago, this is taking way too long", Harry complained.

"It's for our safety, for the last time!" said Draco rather annoyed.

"I know!" said Harry. "I just wish there was another way."

"Well there isn't, so stop complaining", Draco barked at him.

"Fine", said Harry and they sat there in silence for a few more minutes until their train came. Once upon the train they sat across form each other but never spoke to one another until they ended up outside of the Ministry itself.

"Whoa", they both said in unison as they stared up at the Ministry, which didn't look like the ministry at all. All its walls looked like they were about to fall apart, and some pieces already had. All doors and windows were boarded up with wood and metal, and, to Harry's perspective, the whole place looked like it was about to fall over sideways.

"How should we get in?" Draco asked, still staring up at the unrecognizable building.

"Well", said Harry, as he looked back down at the chained up door. "We could always try knocking." He slowly approached the door, raised his fist, and knocked on the hard, wooden door three times. Then he hurriedly stepped back and stared at the door, but nothing happened. He walked over and knocked on it again, but still nothing happened. Getting annoyed, Harry reached over and yanked the door knob, and just as he touched the cold, metal knob his whole body convulsed in pain as waves of electrical shocks flowed from his hand to his body. Finally, the shocks stopped and Harry collapsed onto the floor, holding his hand and arm in pain. As Harry looked up he saw Draco laughing rather amused.

"What in bloody hell is so funny to you!" Harry asked, as he tried to stand up without his knees giving out underneath him.

"How stupid can you be?" Draco asked, still laughing. "You should have known better then that."

"Well I don't see you trying to do anything to help us Mr. Einstein!" Harry shouted as he shook the pain out of his hand and arm. But Draco was still snickering. Harry took a few steps back and looked up at the building to see if there was any other possible way to get in. As he looked up at the very top, he saw their chance; one, very small window that wasn't boarded up, and, as far as he could tell, didn't have any wards on it. "There", said Harry to Draco, pointing up at the window.

"And just how do you propose we get up there?" ask Draco.

"Levitation", replied Harry simply. Draco snorted.

"You expect us to levitate to the top? That's takes more then a lot of skill to do that, Harry."

"Well it's just good we have more then a lot of skill then, huh?" Draco rolled his eyes. "What we're going to do is were going to levitate each other up to the top, do you think you can do that?" Draco stared at him disbelievingly.

"Uh, yeah sure", Draco replied not encouragingly.

"Are you sure you can lift me?" Harry asked again, slightly unsure.

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure", Draco replied just as he had before.

"Ok, on three then", Harry said as they both took their wands out, Draco's hand shaking slightly. "One…Two…THREE!" They said the incantation silently in their heads, as they had learned to do with all spells, and they both began to rise slowly. Draco was a little higher then Harry, as Harry was rising a bit slower than him. Harry looked at Draco in concern, since Draco was the one lifting him and he didn't really feel like falling at the moment. "Are you doing okay, Draco?"

"Shut up!" said Draco, who never broke his stare at the passing boarded up windows. "I'm trying to concentrate!" He began to break a sweat and Harry dipped up and down slightly in mid-air.

"Ok, don't stop concentrating", Harry said reassuringly, but not reassuring himself. They rose higher and higher until Harry knew it would be very painful by now if he fell since it was a long way down.

"Well I'm trying to concentrate but you keep talking to me!" Draco said, his wand hand shaking a bit more now.

"Ok, sorry", said Harry, still keeping his eye on Draco as he concentrated lifting him and on what he would do if he fell.

"SHUT UP!" Draco yelled at him, turning his head as he did so. Harry stared at him in horror as he turned his head, knowing precisely what would come just seconds after. Harry stopped dead in mid-air and then suddenly dropped. He grabbed onto Draco's ankle as he feel, and, because Harry had lost all thought about making Draco levitate, Draco began to fall with Harry still clutching his ankle. They plunged closer and closer to the ground below, Draco yelling with his hands over his head and Harry trying quickly to think of what to do. Just as they were getting close to hitting the ground, they stopped and hovered just above it. Then suddenly, they began to rise once again, Harry holding tightly to Draco's ankle. Draco took his hands away from his face and looked around frantically then looked down at Harry, who was concentrating very hard now and had small veins popping out of his forehead.

"What just happened? How come we stopped?" Draco asked with a shaky voice.

"I'm lifting you again", said Harry looking up at Draco and trying to give him a slight grin. "It's just a bit harder since there's more weight now with me holding onto you."

"Oh", said Draco as he looked back up at the window they were heading for. They slowly neared the top, and finally reached it without any more complications. Draco grabbed onto the ledge under the window and suddenly felt the weight of Harry holding onto him that he hadn't felt before.

"Why do you feel so heavy all of a sudden?" Draco asked through gritted teeth as he struggled to hang on.

"I stopped lifting you", replied Harry as he carefully began to climb up Draco. "Just hold on."

"Easy for you to say. You're not trying to hold you and someone else up at the same time", Draco said as Harry grabbed the ledge and accidentally stepped on Draco's head. "Ouch! Watch it!"

"Sorry", said Harry, not sounding like he meant it. He limberly swung himself up onto the ledge and helped Draco up. They looked down at where they were and cringed.

"That's a long way to fall", said Harry, pocking Draco and laughing as Draco clung to the building.

"Don't do that!" yelled Draco. "Let's just concentrate on getting inside. How do we know if there's wards on this window or not?"

"I don't know. Stick you hand inside", said Harry.

"What!" exclaimed Draco. "You think I'm going to stick my hand in some window that's probably warded and fall all the way back down to the grown?" Harry just nodded his head. Draco looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You're crazy."

"Oh come on, I grabbed the door knob. Now it's your turn."

"Yeah but you were on the ground when you did that. And it was stupid anyways!"

"Aw, is Draco afraid of heights?" Harry said mockingly.

"No!" Draco replied quickly. He glared at Harry for a minute then sighed. "Fine. I'll stick my hand in there, but I blame you if I fall!" Draco turned to face the window and slowly extended his arm. Inch by inch he got closer to the window, wincing the whole time as if he could already feel pain.

"Come on!" said Harry impatiently.

"Ok! I'm going!" said Draco. He was just about to put his hand through the window when Harry pushed him forward and Draco went flying through and landed on the other side. Harry stared in for the outside.

"Well? How do you feel?" Harry asked. Draco stood up and turned around, trying to look at his body from all angles. He looked at his hands and arms and felt every inch of his head, as if he expected some of it to be missing.

"I feel…..fine", Draco replied rather shocked. Harry stuck his arm through the window to make absolute sure there wasn't anything strange about it and then climbed in. He looked around the room; seeing strange objects like cracked cauldrons and broken broomsticks.

"Where do you think we are?" asked Harry rather confused.

"Look's like a junk room to me", Draco said, picking up an old skull and observing it.

"Hey, look at this", Harry said, picking up a rusted time turner. "Ha-ha, this could be useful", he said as he put the little time turner in his pocket.

"Ok, stop messing around. Let's go", Draco said, yanking Harry away from a silver mirror he was looking at. He walked over to the door and turned the handle, but it didn't turn. "Oh what now?" Draco asked, getting irritated. He shook the door handle and kicked the door, but it didn't budge. "We're locked in." Suddenly there was a loud bang and the door blew open. Draco uncovered his hands from his face and looked at the door as smoke and dust cleared. Then he turned to look at Harry behind him, who was smiling and holding up his wand. Draco shook his head and walked out of the whole in the wall where the door used to be. "I sure hope they don't mind us busting in like this."

"Yeah, I heard it's illegal to break into the Ministry of Magic. Big Consequences", Harry said as he walked through after.

"Don't remind me", Draco said. They walked down a dark corridor, passing many closed door along the way. As they walked further along, they began to hear angry voices growing louder and louder. The voices were reaching a peak when they ended up outside of the room they were coming from. They leaned softly against the door and listened, just in case they didn't know who was inside.

"That sounds like Ron and Hermione!" Harry whispered excitedly, his faces lighting up at the sounds of his old friends' voices. Just as he spoke, he heard Hermione quieting Ron, then suddenly the door flew open and Draco and Harry fell over onto the floor. Harry looked up at his old friends with a guilty smile on his face, but Ron and Hermione gave him an angry glare, shifting their eyes between him and Draco.

"Uh…Hi guys", Harry said stupidly.

"Harry, where have you been all these years!" Hermione burst out. She looked at him as if she couldn't believe he was sitting there. Harry understood perfectly well why they were staring at him like that.

"Look guys, I'm sorry, but I had to", Harry began, but Ron interrupted him.

"You had to! You had to what? Leave your friends without a trace, not letting us know where you are or if you're ok? That's a pretty cruel thing to do Harry", Ron said, crossing his arms.

"I had no choice!" Harry retorted.

"Yes you did Harry", Hermione said as she walked towards him. "And now look at you! You're even joining leagues with Draco; I thought you said you would never do that! Not after what he did!"

"It wasn't really his fault, Hermione", Harry said, trying to back Draco up before he turned on him too. "Snape was the one who did it."

"I don't care Harry, he helped and you know it! I can't believe he's even in my office!"

"Hey, whoa, wait! I thought it was me who was supposed to be disgusted with you, not the other way around", Draco butted in, but Harry elbowed him in the side and he shut up.

"I needed his help, Hermione", Harry said softly. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand perfectly, Harry", Hermione said quietly. "You betrayed us. All of human kind. We needed you more than ever and you left us." Harry finally stood up and looked Hermione in the face.

"Well I don't look at it as betrayal. I look at it as a very th—"

"Half-baked", Hermione butt it.

"Half-baked personality ch—hey! ", Harry said. He shook his head and looked at her. "It is not half-baked! It's a very thought through personality change!"

"Harry, why did you come here in the first place?" Ron asked as he stepped besides Hermione.

"He came here to help you guys", Draco said as he stood up finally and dusted off his pants. "Can't you respect him that much?"

"Respect!" Hermione spat out. "Who are you to talk about respect? You never respected us or Harry!"

"I do now", said Draco, suppressing his anger at the couple.

"Since when?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

"Since Voldemort killed my family and I ended up just like Harry; heart-broken and without a family." Hermione stared at him, not having anything to say back.

"Well I…I still don't trust you", Hermione said. Draco shrugged his shoulders and looked at Harry, who was looking pitifully at Hermione and Ron.

"Wont you left me help you?" Harry asked quietly.

"What do you plan to do?" Ron asked him.

"Go to Azkaban and get back your precious book", Harry replied. "Oh, and kill Voldemort", he finished as if it wasn't a big thing. Ron looked at him, Harry noticing a small glint pride in Ron's eyes for him that he used to always see. Hermione, however, still looked angry at him.

"Why not send Draco, if he wants justice so much as to help you. That way we could finally gain his trust", Hermione said, trying to make things tricky.

"Hermione, don't take your anger out on him, he doesn't deserve it", Harry tried convincing her.

"Oh yes he does", Hermione said flatly.

"Stop it!" Draco said at last. He turned to face Hermione, who now looked slightly frightened thinking he was going to hurt her or something. "I'll make a deal with you. You let Harry go get the book, and I'll stay here, as you prisoner you could say, until he returns." Harry whirled around and stared at him in disbelief.

"What are you doing!" He whispered to him, not believing what Draco had just said.

"And what if Harry doesn't return?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Then I stay here with you, doing whatever you ask me. You can torment me if you must. Whatever you want", Draco said, holding his head up high. Harry still stared at him, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. "And if Harry does return, you release me and forgive me off all the things you just accused me off. Then leave my life alone." Hermione looked at him, taking in every inch of his frame, as she thought vigorously about this new plan.

"Deal", she said, extending her hand to shake Draco's. Harry watched everything, not believing his own two eyes. Not wanting to see what had just happened, and not wanting to believe it just happened. But it did.

"Draco! What the hell are you doing? Have you gone mad!" Harry asked, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him as if that would change his mind. Draco pushed Harry off him and looked him in the face.

"I know you would do the same for me", Draco said calmly.

"No I wouldn't!" Harry said, waving his hands around like a mad man. Draco shook his head and walked off as Ron grabbed his arm to lead him out the door.

"Make sure you come back Harry, and make it fast", Draco said, and then he was gone. Harry turned around and looked at Hermione.

"Hermione, what's the matter with you? I've never seen you so cruel."

"I have a right to be cruel to him, Harry, and you know it", Hermione said as they both sat down on big cushioned chairs in her office.

"I know", said Harry. "But he's redeemed himself I swear."

"How can I trust your word Harry? You left us stranded, and now you've turned on us."

"I haven't turned on you. I had to change who I was before I fought Voldemort again, don't you understand?" said Harry, getting angry again. Hermione studied him for a moment.

"You have changed", she said, more to herself than to Harry. "Deep down, you're still the same, but you have changed." Suddenly she saw him fumbling with something in his pocket. She gave him and nasty look and held out her hand. "Give it to me Harry", she said like a mother scolding her child. Harry stared blankly at her, then took his hand out of his pocket and put the time turner into her open palm.

"What's happened to you? Why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked with great pity for him. Just as she said it, Ron walked back in and looked at the two of them sitting there. Hermione got up and began to walk out. "I'm going to go to bed dear", she said to Ron, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She turned around and looked at Harry as she was about to walk through the door. "Good night, Harry."

Ok, well I hope everyone enjoyed it. Draco does seem a bit different in this one, but hey I would to if you burst in there to help and you get no thanks. Hee Hee 

Anyways, all of you who aren't reviewing….please review! It's much appreciated…no matter what it is! Jordan that means you too!

Oh, and I'm terrible at spelling and grammar, so if you see any horrifying mistakes, criticize me as much as you want, and correcting me would be nice too so I can go fix anything! Much Thanks!

Anna B. The Greek: Thanks again for the review. I know it seems strange for Harry to be changing so much now…but he is still truly himself deep down, and as you can see that shines through a lot. HaHa and I still hope you like Draco, he kind of goes through a personality change there. Anyways, thanks again.