Disclaimer:

I do not own Harry Potter, and he needs to stop asking me to do so.

I have no money, and am wondering when the bank will notice this.

Therefore, any attempt by your lawyers to acquire my nonexistent money will result in their deaths from overexertion.

I am sorry to say that I probably will not mourn them, either.

Chapter 9 – Day 4

Dear Hermione,

I know that everyone is (words scribbled out) more than a little upset about my disappearance. I want to tell you that I am fine. Believe it or not, they're feeding me regularly and I get to sleep in the nicest bed I've ever been in. I didn't think that there were beds more comfortable than the ones at Hogwarts.

At any rate, the reason I'm fine – and that you'll hear about me running from Remus – is that Lucius miscast a spell. He was supposed to be stealing a little of my power for himself and the rest for Voldemort. (They were using some "precursor" spell to make the spell transfer to two people instead of one…. Don't ask me, Tom designed it and the explanation was way beyond me.)

So, he cast the first spell, and then turned to the wrong page in the spell book. He went to something like 245 instead of page 254. So, instead of stealing my magic, he bound us all with Marriage Bonds. I've learned way too much about them to include everything in this note, but Ron should know enough to fill you in as it's a "pureblood thing."

The short version, to explain why I ran from Remus, is that I cannot be separated from these two for more than a few hours without extreme agony and an insistent craving to find them. I somehow doubt that Remus would have listened to me instead of grabbing me and dragging me to Hogwarts like some small baggage who didn't know anything.

So, I ran. Can you blame me?

The owl will stay with you if you want to reply. Lucius says that it's spelled so that tracking charms won't work and it would be amusing to see the results if you tried. (I didn't ask what would happen, but I wouldn't do it!)

I will (hopefully) see you again,

Harry Potter-Malfoy-Riddle

Hermione Granger smiled at the sun. It was warm, and for a minute she allowed herself to forget everything. She didn't feel guilty for it, as she knew that she'd burn out if she didn't relaz every now and then. She stretched, and sat up from where she'd been lying on the grass. She could see the Weasley boys playing Quidditch in the field next to the house, and the motherly Mrs. Weasley was busily wiping the windows clean.

She had become quite used to owl post over the years, so the mere presence of the owl that landed next to her didn't faze her a bit. He looked every bit the noble beast, and there was a Malfoy crest on a small band on its left leg. Shaken by the crest, she took the parchment from the owl and read it once, then once again. Her face pale, she went to go ask Ron some very pointed questions.

Molly Weasley had just begun making lunch when Hermione and Ron walked into the room. "We need to talk to the Order."

Molly took one look at the two and wiped her hands on a towel. "Why would you need to do that, dears?" Her serene face spoke of a near overdose of calming potion.

Hermione sighed, knowing she was about to shatter her peace. No matter how many drugs Mrs. Weasley had downed, she didn't think they'd stop this from getting through. "I've just had a letter from Harry, Mrs. Weasley and it seems that he's been Marriage Bonded to both Lord Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy."

The potions wanted Mrs. Weasley calm. Mrs. Weasley's emotions, however, wanted her temper and worry gauge to hover at roughly the same level as the moon. The combination resulted in the only possible place between the two. She fainted.

Voldemort awakened to the feeling that something was horribly wrong. He glanced about and noticed the missing Harry. He also saw that Lucius had woken with the same feeling. "Where is young Potter, Lucius?"

Malfoy glanced at him. "I'm not certain, My Lord." He stood and started dressing. "With your permission, I will search for him."

Voldemort nodded. "You may use any means to discover his location, Lucius. You have full authorization to interrogate any Death Eaters you come across."

Lucius nodded and left as Voldemort began dressing.

Lucius hadn't gone more than three paces down the hallway when he ran into Bellatrix. He stopped and – knowing this was probably a bad idea – asked her if she knew where Potter was. He was disappointed to find that she didn't have a clue.

Harry woke to see a very familiar ceiling. He blinked his eyes and wondered if maybe he had dreamed the whole thing. Then, he felt the peculiar tugging at his psyche and sighed. No, he hadn't dreamed it and apparently Voldemort was upset about his going missing. He turned his head to the side and blinked at McGonagall. "How long have I been here?"

She frowned, clearly hoping his first words would be different. "You've been in the Hospital Wing a little over three hours, Mister Potter." She eyed him as if he might leap from the bed and attack her. "Now, would you mind telling me why you ran from Remus and why you suddenly decided to return?"

Harry twitched, feeling a small slice of pain go through his midsection. "I ran from Remus because I knew he wouldn't listen to me, and I didn't choose to come here. Someone ambushed me and this is where I woke up."

McGongall's frown deepened. "Mister Potter, why would you want to stay there? Or are you as silly a child as Severus always insisted?"

Harry sighed. "See? I knew you wouldn't want to listen to me. You want to pass judgment first and then have me justify myself. Well, I won't do it." He glared at her. "If you want to know anything about me from now on, you will have to ask me civilly and not act as if I am still a first year. Are we clear?"

Minerva had just opened her mouth to speak when Arthur Weasley came bursting in with Hermione and Ron. "Minerva, we've got to speak with you. It seems Potter has been Marriage Bonded…." His voice trailed off and he smiled. "Harry, we didn't expect to find you here. Did you find some way to defeat the bond?"

Harry shook his head. "No, someone jumped me and dumped me here." He looked at Mr. Weasley. "I've got to leave, I need to go back."

Minerva snapped. "Absolutely not, Mister Potter. You are not leaving our sight, again. And you most certainly are not returning to You-Know-Who." Her mind was still reeling from the words 'Marriage Bond,' but she knew on an instinctive level that letting him go back was not the answer.

Harry shot her a pitying look that turned into a wince when the pain flowed through him again. "How do you expect to lead the resistance against someone when you can't even say his name? Besides, the Bond is changing him. He's… different when he's around me."

Hermione's eyebrows crinkled together. "But, Harry, do you know how many muggle women say that about their husbands? Even when the man in question is a murderer?"

Harry smiled. "Yes, but they don't have magic to back it up. Voldemort hasn't made a single attack since I've disappeared. That business with all the Dark Marks going up wasn't him. He was almost angrier about it than I was."

Snape sat in the small study off of his laboratory having a brandy. He was sprawled across an ancient leather armchair, staring at the fire in his fireplace. His raven colored robes were draped around him – as always – dramatically. It never hurt to stay in practice, even without an audience.

He still wasn't sure how the Dark Lord had gotten Potter, or even why Harry had seemed content to be here. Still, he congratulated himself on solving the small problem of Potter's capture.

So, did I throw you for a loop there? Was that entirely too predictable? Tell me!