Chapter Thirty Five: Kill Me
April was coming to an end as was the time given for Harry's preparation for the Final Duel. Every professor knew the exact date of the attack and became more and more nervous with each day; Except for the DADA teacher and Potion's professor, who seemed to live in another world, the world for only the two of them.
Snape was recovering very quickly and in a week after his 'awakening', he could freely walk around Hogwarts. Draco thought the potions were doing their work; Ginny agreed, but still knew that professor Halflife was the only medicine he needed.
Everything started to turn to normal: Snape returned to teaching, students were preparing for exams and Draco and Ginny were making various potions for Merlin knows what. Nobody waited for anything bad to happen, except for tests, but nothing could darken the spring mood of the children.
Harry's training was going well, but one day the sky around him clouded, making him come out of his careless school life and think about his true responsibilities. "You've done a lot of work, Potter," Draco said, finishing one of his classes. "I think you are ready for a real challenge now."
"You mean another trip into the Forest?"
"No, the Forbidden Forest is just a playground for you now. I decided to demonstrate your achievements, or, in other words, to arrange an exam."
"Exam?"
"Yes, an exam. If you pass it, then we have good chances to survive and have an unclouded future. Do you think you are ready for it?"
"What will the exam consist of?"
"Come and you'll find out."
"Then I am ready," Harry said with a determined look.
"I hoped so," Draco said with a smirk, but with pride in his eyes.
Three days later, a group of people gathered in the Dueling Room. Three armchairs were set near the entrance and they were occupied by the Headmaster Dumbledore, professors Snape and Halflife.
"Good evening, Lady and Gentlemen," Draco began ceremoniously. "Today I would like to present to you Mister Harry Potter, who will show you his skills in dueling, using Dragon Fang, the wandless combat of the Order of the Dragon. Professor Halflife, I would like to ask you to determine the end of the examination by counting the strikes to death. Will you do me this favor?"
Halflife reluctantly nodded. She disliked any business connected with death, but how else could they finish it? "Thank you very much. My number will be two, as for mister Potter, let it be five; we don't want the Boy-Who-Lived to turn into the opposite," Draco finished with a sneer. Then he went to Harry. "Your task for today is simple – kill me."
"What!" Harry asked with shock from the seriousness of Draco's expression, rather than the words themselves.
"You heard me."
"But I can't just kill you! You are my teacher, my, well, my friend of sorts. It just isn't right," Harry stammered.
"Your friend?" Draco asked with one lifted eyebrow.
"Of sorts. Still, I can't simple go and kill you."
"I knew we would do it the hard way," Draco said, taking out of his robes a vial with an absolutely black liquid.
"What is it?" Harry asked with uncovered interest.
"So you still want to be an Auror?"
"Yes, course."
"When you become a first class Auror, you'll know what it is. Now, no other words are needed. Take out your wand and prepare to fight."
Draco opened the vial and started to drink its contents. Harry desperately wanted to know what was it, especially if it was connected with such an honorable Auror status. He checked out Draco's aura and was stunned by what he saw: there was a middle sized black spot with sparks around it, which seemed to be restraining it, but then the black liquid appeared, coming through the aura like through hundreds of veins. The sparks were pushed away by the growing black spot, when it connected with the black veins, the aura turned into pitch black with absolutely nothing else in it.
Harry looked at Draco with his ordinary eyes and didn't recognize the guy who stood in front of him. Draco's eyes had become cold as Artic Ice; his skin was deathly pale and on his lips was a malicious sneer that would even make Voldemort proud. "So, Potty, wanna throw some curses, hah?" Draco spat.
"Why not? I've been waiting for too long for this miracle to happen."
They took the dueling positions, but not a spell was cast. Their eyes were locked in a staring contest. Harry felt nothing could penetrate through that glance, but "everybody has a weak point."
Harry decided not to wait any longer and sent a pretty nasty curse, which was blocked skillfully by his opponent. "This is all you can do? If yes, then I don't know why I bothered to come here," Draco commented, still looking into Harry's eyes.
'I must somehow distract him,' thought Harry and sent a hex onto Draco's legs making him look down, which was the breach Harry had been waiting for. He cast four hexes in a row and one managed to hit his opponent. Who, by the way, decided to begin his own attack – a hail of Dark Magic curses came down on Harry. He could only protect himself because there was absolutely no time for attack.
But curses were his last trouble as visions started to appear in his head. The moment before his mother died, Harry heard her screams for mercy and it made him shudder. Ginny's lifeless form on the stone floor of the Chamber of Secrets, he felt like the life was sucked from him; it made him dizzy, but he collected himself.
Then Harry became chillingly cold, but it didn't bother him one bit because he recalled professor Lupin, who had practically become a friend of his, and the chocolate he had tasted, and warmth spread through his body, protecting him. Another vision came; Cedric's death with shame and helplessness; then Cho appeared, her first rejection of him, then the misfortunate date at the café in Hogsmeade. Harry shrugged the memories of Cho; she meant nothing to him now. But that wasn't the final blow: An almost motionless picture of Sirius falling behind the Veil, lasted for an eternity to Harry, and then the ruins of the Dursley's house came.
Harry felt his knees begun to tremble. All the emotional experience during his six school years had come in just six minutes. He felt the heaviness of them as if they were material, trying to push him to the ground. But Harry didn't plan to just stand there; he faced the blackness of the enemy's aura. His head was in turmoil, but he concentrated and reversed the mind attack. Flashes of a crying blond woman on her knees, begging for something appeared, but soon vanished also.
Even after all this torment, Harry wasn't angry or hateful towards his opponent. He intently started to research the coal black aura. It gave a feeling of emptiness, nothingness, hopelessness, defeat. Harry needed light, something good and alive. He started with simple sunlight, concentrating it to his palms and throwing it at Draco. The sunlight balls were met with stormy clouds and bolts towards Harry, but still some harm was done.
Harry started to remember all the good things in his life. The first one, of course, were Ron and Hermione, their love for each other, the victories of the Quiddich matches, news about the opportunity of Sirius being alive and every moment at the Weasleys and the twins' pranks.
During all this time he was severely attacked, but he didn't bother to acknowledge it. He collected all his will for life and the goodness in it and threw it into the black aura. Harry heard a contained scream and the aura shrank in half, but still it was there. It was really tough to win this duel and Harry thought he must use all his powers, all his concentration just to finish Draco off. He blocked several fire attacks, but then sent a blow of Griffindoric power; the power of bravery, joy and mischief and the power of Harry himself.
That put an end to the examination even before Halflife's yell. Harry blinked a few times to be more orientated. Firstly, of course, Draco came into focus. He was swinging back and forth and then collapsed onto the floor. It all happened so fast that nobody could reach to smooth his fall. Harry was the first at his side. He looked at Draco and thought he had met Death itself: his eyes were completely white, his lips dry and the skin on his face was almost transparent, but it was clear he was breathing. "You passed," Draco breathed out and fainted.
Only now Harry understood that he was shivering, barely standing himself. His head began to spin or maybe it was the room going in circles, he didn't know. After a few seconds of a merry-go-round he blacked out.
Both of them were taken to the Hospital Wing. After a few very effective potions, their life systems were stabilized, so they didn't need to do anything, but rest. Still, professor Snape was far from eager to leave and give Madam Pomphry's patients a well-deserved rest. "What were you thinking?" Snape whispered to Draco with rage which he had tried to restrain, but failed under the circumstances. "Darkness from within? It's illegal, not to say deathly dangerous!"
"Don't worry, father. Nothing bad happened, I am still alive. And if it is illegal, why do you keep it?" Draco finished with a smirk.
"It's none of your business. Maybe I like the color." Draco rolled his eyes. "Should I notify anybody about your condition?" Snape asked in a you-know-who-I-am-talking-about tone.
Draco showed him the chain around his neck. "She'll come," Draco whispered and with a small smile he closed his eyes to get some sleep.
Snape turned on his heels and stormed out of the Wing with a smile of his own. 'Hm, the bond is deepening.'
Six Year Girls' Dormitories
"What is it with you, Ginny?" asked Della, trying to concentrate on her Runes homework, but failing because of Ginny's walking back and forth at high speed.
"Nothing," Ginny answered automatically, but continued walking.
"Yeh, yeh. And just because of nothing you're making circles around the dormitory as if Death was on your tail."
Della wasn't far from the truth, but Ginny wouldn't say anything even to her. During the whole evening, Draco's pendant was giving her signals of great danger. The dragon's figure became alive and moved, flapped its tiny wings or scratched her chest with its claws at the most extreme moments, as Ginny supposed.
She couldn't do any homework, chat with Della or even go to the laboratory to check on him because she knew he wasn't there. The only option left was to stay at her dorm and wait for any news: good or bad.
Suddenly she felt a slight pull, then a stronger one. She looked down at the pendant and saw the figure start flying in the direction of the door. "Oh, Della, I need to take a book for DADA in the Library," she threw and rushed out of the room.
"Whatever," Della said with a knowing smile.
Ginny released the pendant from the insides of her robes and it was now flying free, guiding Ginny thorough the halls of Hogwarts to her mysterious destination, where Draco also was. Near the big oak doors, the dragon returned to its motionless form. Ginny instantly recognized the place. "The Hospital Wing! Oh, Merlin!"
She flew through the doors and frantically looked around, noticing the first two beds with closed curtains. Ginny reached the first one and was lucky to find Draco at the first attempt. Here he was, peacefully asleep, safe and sound. Ginny breathed out a deep breath as if she had been holding it the whole evening. But when the worry was gone, rage replaced it. "Draco Markonius de Malfoy! What the Hell were you thinking! I have been worried sick about you!"
"You forgot 'sir'," Draco responded sleepily. "And don't make such a racket. Potter is in the other bed."
"Harry?" Ginny now whispered, remembering that she was in the Hospital Wing with a very strict guard for quiet and absence of the visitors, especially after curfew. "What was it now? Another fight?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Remind me about my last fight with Potter. I really don't remember it."
"So you're implying you've matured?"
"Well, it was a fight, but of a different kind."
"A fight is always a fight. So what was the reason?"
"It was an exam in Dueling."
"Oh," Ginny breathed out, ashamed of thinking that they had had another infamous argument about nothing which ended in the Hospital Wing. "So how did it go?"
"You can see yourself, I am a wreck," Draco said with a heavy sigh.
"But I don't see any injuries," Ginny stated, after looking him over.
"One doesn't receive physical wounds in this kind of fighting."
"So your pretty face won't be damaged?" Ginny said in a flirting tone.
"My face will always be perfect," he answered with a mock pathos. "So you were worried about me?"
"Of course."
"Why are you standing? Sit down, I can't see you clearly." Of course, he saw her quite clearly, but she wasn't as close to him as he wished her to.
Ginny sat down on the bed besides his left arm. "By the way, your pendant doesn't work properly," Ginny said, taking out the figure to show him. "It didn't show me your location as soon as you were in trouble."
"I blocked it."
"You what?"
"I blocked it so you wouldn't appear in the middle of the exam. It had to be done and the sight wasn't a pleasant one."
"Why couldn't you tell me beforehand? I thought you were dying and I couldn't be with you," she said, pouting cutely.
"I just couldn't tell you, it was top secret. Just me and Potter there."
"But you could just tell me so I wouldn't kill myself with worry. I thought about the worst already. Promise you won't do it again, Draco," Ginny begged.
"I can't give you this promise and you know it," Draco said warmly, covering her hand with hers.
"But you can just say it so I could be calm about your safety, even if will be a fake one," Ginny squeezed his hand lightly.
"Ok, I'll give you the promise, but it is harder and harder to keep it every day."
"Don't worry about that, just do what you have to do, and let me do the worrying part," Ginny said, smiling cheekily. But both of them knew that they were faking it. They knew there was danger on every corner, but they tried to stay calm for each others sake.
"I was practically dead, you know. Potter threw his Gryffindor power at me and it instantly knocked me out," Draco said with a chuckle.
"You see? Gryffindor rules!"
"I could do the same, but I just don't have enough of the Slytherin power in me right now."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what the Honor of the House means, don't you?" Ginny nodded. "Well, the power of the House comes from the Common room; the points you gain for your House, chatting with your housemates, such small things. I have neither now."
"So you want to return to the times when you were the Slytherin Prince?"
"I still am the Prince of Slytherin, being the only slytherin here. It doesn't really matter to me. In two weeks nothing will matter. Only death or life."
"Life or death," Ginny corrected.
"In that order, if you wish. By the way, can you please put my pillows in some order?" Ginny tilted down to his head and he irresponsibly saw her chest. "What has happened to your chest?" he blurted out.
Ginny blushed and modestly covered her blouse with her hand. "There is nothing there."
"Your chest is covered with blood, I am sure there must be a good reason for it," Draco said with concern and stubbornness to receive the answer.
"It was the pendant. It has such tiny claws and it scratched me trying to grab my attention or something like it," she said eyes downcast.
"You could've taken it off."
"But it could've led me to you at any moment. I couldn't risk missing the chance."
"Are you alright now?"
"Yeah. When will you be out?"
"So eager to see me again?" Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok. Not more than two days. But it will happen even sooner if you bring a few potions from the lab."
"The sooner the better, right?" Ginny asked with a smile.
"Right. Now go to bed or you won't wake up to come tomorrow."
"I am coming tomorrow?" Ginny asked with sparks of laughter in her eyes.
"You've forgotten already? You are coming during the lunch break for the list of potions. So then I can be out of here by evening since you wish to see me as soon as possible."
"I am just dying to see you," Ginny said, clenching her hands to her chest for the emphasis.
"But don't die before lunch, ok?"
"Certainly I will, right in front of your horrible face," Ginny said with a large grin.
"I thought we established that my face was always perfect."
"Maybe we did, in your dreams. Good night, Draco. Sweet dreams about your ruined face."
When she left he muttered, "It will probably be yours and far from ruined."
Draco was already ready to go to the Dream Land, when a shadow covered his body. "What was that all about?" asked Harry, who, of course, was awakened by their animated conversation.
"Can you specify what you are talking about?" Draco asked lazily.
"I am asking why Ginny would come here in the middle of the night saying she has been worried about you."
"You want her to be worried about you?"
"That's not the point. You were talking as if you knew each other for ages, you even flirted!"
"Hm, your ears have become suddenly very sensible."
"If you are trying to say that I am jealous, then your ears must be stuffed. I just want to know what kind of relationship you two have."
"We have a very close relationship, satisfied?" Draco grumbled.
"You mean you are dating?" Harry asked stunned.
"We are closer than that," Draco said the last word with slight disgust.
"You are married already?" Harry asked playfully.
"No, we are partners."
That was an unexpected answer for Harry. "Partners? In what?"
"In Potions," Draco stated, surprised that partnership was such an impossible relationship in Harry's opinion.
"You mean to say, you make potions together?" Harry asked, now utterly confused.
"Sort of. Can you let me sleep now?"
"You are partners? Nothing more?" He was sure he couldn't make a mistake.
"We are friends," Draco said, turning his back to Harry.
"Just friends?"
"Yes, Potter, just friends," Draco replied firmly, but Harry heard a hint of disappointment in his answer.
"What was it?"
"Potter, you are asking the same question for the second time already."
"I mean, what potion did you drink?"
"Darkness from within, if you are so interested."
"I heard Snape say that. Can't you give me a proper answer just once?" Harry asked with irritation.
Draco turned to face him and Harry saw his still unusually pale face. "Potter, I am exhausted. You did a very good job today. Anything else, even a small fireball and I would've been dead. I need no less than a week to become myself again. And you are bothering me with some stupid questions."
"I am very interested in everything connected with Aurors. I am far from healthy myself, but I will annoy you till you tell me," said Harry in a tone, which clearly showed his intentions.
"Damn gryffindors, stubborn like hufflepuffs," Draco said under his breath. "This potion is very powerful and dangerous. As you saw, it resurfaces everything bad in a person. It wears off, of course, but one must know how to control it, and to remember everything one does under the effect of it. That's why only very skilled Aurors use it in their work, which is even more dangerous to their lives."
"What work?" Harry asked, feeling shivers going down his spine.
"They are spies, Potter."
Without another word, Draco closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Harry stood for a while struck by such revelations then returned to his bed. From Draco and Ginny's conversation, he understood he had two weeks. Only two weeks till the end. Till the end of Voldemort or the wizarding world.
VERY IMPORTANT! Now a question to my readers and reviewers: What did Harry see during the picnic, which made him question Draco about being just friends with Ginny? The question is quite transparent, or so I think, and you won't have any trouble in answering it.