Chapter 11. Rift
Harry was meditating in the Chamber of Secrets. It was the middle of the night after he was chosen as the fourth champion. That event, however, had nothing to do with his current bad mood. No, the reason for it was far-far away from Earth, probably sitting in his office in the Senate Tower on Coruscant.
This Darth Sidious, as he called himself, was constantly searching all of Sith space and unknown regions for something. Perhaps for Harry. After all, that man's presence slithered all over the Dark Council chambers on Korriban where Harry confronted him daily. Frankly, the emperor was getting tired of fending off the fools futile attempts.
Still, Harry realized, he should commend this Sith. He was resourceful if he managed to see so far from Coruscant… And that constituted another dilemma – the how's of the process. In order to see through the force one needs focal points – places, strong in either sides of the force, light or dark. Considering the fact that Darth Sidious was a Sith, that ruled out the Jedi Temple and most of spots, powerful in the force in the core worlds. The question was only logical: what did this Sith use as a focal point? It had to be in general vicinity of Corusant. This was why Harry was sweeping the entire capital planet of the Republic and nearest systems, searching for possible dark side nexuses, trying not to alert the Jedi to his presence in the process.
Despite the process being unpleasant, unrewarding and generally annoying, it had its upsides. One of them eve had a name – Anakin Skywalker. This young man was remarkably powerful in the force. Maybe even on par with Harry himself when he was a mere teenager all those millennia ago. Skywalker was far from perfect padawan, Harry could sense ambition, anger, attachment and insecurity.
Oh, the last part was certainly a treasure. Harry/Valkorion knew thousands of ways how to make one do your being using their insecurities. After all, this is exactly how he manipulated Arcann into killing his brother and embracing the dark side… This was how he manipulated Sith after the Republic massacred everyone on Korriban. And all he needed was a small dent, and everything Jedi taught Skywalker during the past years would be turned against them. For that matter…
Young Draco Malfoy was sleeping soundly in the Slytherin dormitories. This young man had many insecurities as well, molding him into a pawn would be so easy. Perhaps he should start working right now.
xxx
Draco was happy and content. All his family was present at the awarding ceremony after he won the Triwizard cup and humiliated Potter. All muggleborns would be considered inferior to purebloods forever and now his father would be finally proud of him. Just as Draco was about to accept the cup from the minister, time stopped. Deep chuckles echoed in the great hall. Draco looked around, but all the student population and all the professors and officials were firmly in place, not a muscle on their unmoving faces twitching.
"So these are your desires, Draco?" he heard from behind. Turning abruptly Draco pointed his wand at the owner of the voice. More chuckles were heard. "Do you think you can defeat me with that?"
Draco blinked. And then blinked again. In front of him was standing none other than smiling Harry Potter. Something wasn't right though, and it wasn't that creepy white armor. Yes, Potter's irises – they were orange and they were glowing! However, this wasn't all. Potter has never had so much malicious intent in his eyes ever before… It was like looking in the eyes of a hungry dragon. Potter casually waved a hand and Draco's wand evaporated.
"That won't help you." Harry said calmly, staring down at Draco.
"What are you doing here, Potter?!" Draco snarled as his dream shattered around them. The two were now standing in the middle of ruins. It took Draco half a minute to realize what ruins were around him. Indeed, a roof here, a wall there, a table here – and you would get the great hall of Hogwarts. "W-what have you done?"
"Nothing." Harry replied, clasping his hands behind his back and walking to the throne. "I entered your dream and disrupted it."
"H-how?" Draco stuttered. "You can't do that!"
"Oh, I can." Harry chuckled. "There is very little I can't do. Observe."
The following hour Draco spent watching some parts of Harry's life, namely his struggle against his father, ascension to the rank of Sith Emperor, devastation of Nathema and Ziost.
"This is not true." Draco said in the end. "This can't be true, it can't!"
"It is always amusing when one denies my very existence." Harry replied, eyeing headmaster's throne. "But for a second, let us presume that it was all real – and really it was – then can you imagine the depth of my power?" Harry smirked when Draco paled dramatically. "You can't. I could squash this entire planet and consume all life on it in an hour, you included. But you don't have to fight against me."
"What?" Draco stuttered.
"I will share my power with you. If you will only kneel." Harry replied, standing in front of the throne.
"Never, Potter!" Draco snarled. "Release me!"
"No." Harry said simply. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life in your father's shadow, not being noticed by him, perceived by everybody as his extension that cannot function independently?" Now Draco's expression was thoughtful. Good. "Deep inside you know that everybody around you is holding you back. Always relying on you, always seeping away your time, resources and power for their own needs. What do you get in return?"
"A power base." Draco replied challengingly. Harry smiled.
"You know they are all useless to you." he stated. "These gorillas, who flank you every waking moment," images of Crabbe and Goyle appeared, "not even capable of thinking for themselves." Harry paused. "An ambitious witch," Pansy Parkinson was added to the picture, "who wants nothing more than to satisfy her own carnal desires and become a proper housewife for a lord."
"Other fools," the rest of Slytherin house appeared, "who use your little schemes and reputation, who crave for favors from you… Wasting your time and potential on pointless power plays…"
"Your mother." Harry drawled. "A person who wants you to become a good little heir to their good little Malfoy family and lead a proper little life. Your father, a man who barely speaks with you, but uses you all the same. A man who wants you to become a good little death eater when his master returns and kneel in front of a deluded fool. A man who has no reservation about manipulating his own son into that kneeling position. Is this the life you want?" Harry looked Draco in the eye and then turned his gaze to the headmaster's throne. "Or will you stand up and grab the power I am willing to give you? Will you take the throne?"
"How- how- how do you even know all this?" Draco asked in trembling voice, tears in his eyes.
"I already told you." Harry replied, his orange eyes boring into Draco's grey ones. "There is very little I can't do." He stared at the Malfoy heir unmoving, not even twitching. Finally Draco's eyes hardened.
"Why me?" he asked. "Why not the mudblood and the weasel?"
"They are not like us." Harry said, not batting an eyelash at the jab against his first two apprentices. "We are both powerful, not merely strong. We pull others to us like magnets. We are the linchpins, holding them together. The pillars of order, without us the world would descend into chaos. I need you, Draco. You have the chance to shine, to help me build an empire that would span eternity. All you need to take this throne," Harry pointed to Dumbledore's chair "is just kneel before me, accept my teachings."
Draco's distressed eyes met unmoving gaze of Harry's unblinking eyes. The two stood long like this. Draco was mulling over everything Harry said. The being in front of him proposed so much for so little. So much power, so much, dare he say it, freedom… Finally his mind was made up. Draco slowly stood on one knee in front of Harry, who smiled.
"You knelt as Draco Malfoy – a weak, unsure child." Harry said, his eyes no longer orange but blazing red. "Rise as Darth Scourge, a powerful Sith, unchained, not challenged by anyone."
"Yes… my emperor." Draco replied, standing up. Harry's smile widened just a fraction.
"Go to the second floor bathroom tomorrow evening." Harry said. "Find the sinks and press your wand against a tab with a snake on it. The password is "Korriban". Say it and the entrance will reveal itself." his eyes turned orange again, but the glow didn't diminish. "Take this lightsaber… And don't keep me waiting." with these final words Harry disappeared in purple smoke.
xxx
Draco woke up with a gasp. He bolted upright and brought a sweaty and to his face. It was a dream.. Yes, just a bad dream. Just a dream. However, something was pressing at his side. It was something metal and cylindrical. Draco froze. With shaking hands he brought the object before his eyes and closed them. A shaky breath escaped his mouth. What has he done? But he already agreed. He wanted power, he received it… There was no turning back now. Draco laid the lightsaber in his trunk and went back to bed. He wanted to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come. Malicious orange eyes with triumphant gleam in them were the only thing on his mind.
xxx
"Malfoy fell for it, hook, line and sinker." Harry said lowly to Ron and Hermione, so that only the two of them could hear him.
"Why do you even need him?" Hermione asked.
"I had several plans on how to better conquer Earth." Harry confessed. The trio stood up, having finished their breakfast, and headed to their first class – potions. Darth Vowrawn was a wonderful actor and berated Harry in the exact same manner Snape used to. None even suspected something, not even Dumbledore or Harry's apprentices.
"Oh?" Hermione lifted an eyebrow.
"No spoilers." Harry smirked. "But I reconsidered the one I originally chose… Establishing a corporation will not solve anything. I will still be a usurper in the eyes of the general population."
"But how does Malfoy solve this problem?" Ron asked.
"You will see." Harry replied with a predatory smile.
xxx
"You have doubts." Harry said, his orange eyes boring into Draco's grey ones. The two teens were in the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry wanted to start Draco's training.
Doubts weren't unexpected, however. Harry knew Draco might not have the stomach to live up to his decision made in a state of euphoria, The boy will require some proof of Harry's power and a little more manipulation.
"You need to see my power first-hand." Harry said, his gaze never wavering. "You will have the opportunity during the first task. But for now…" He brushed his mind against Draco's for just a second. For just a moment Draco saw a glimpse of the true Sith Emperor.
He was not a weak person – Draco was strong, by wizards' standards at least. He still wanted to curl into a ball and weep, crawl as far away as he could and hide as deep as he could. Yet Draco knew that there was no salvation from the eternal hunger, the void that wanted to devour all. The being in front of him was a nexus of pure darkness, contained yes, but just barely, like a thunderstorm in a glass jar.
"Go." Harry commanded.
As awareness of his surroundings returned to him, Draco was surprised to hear whimpers, his own. He was further surprised when he felt moisture on his cheeks. A tender touch later he knew the moisture was his tears. Apathetically he stood up and left the chamber on wavering legs, all the while feeling Harry's gaze drilling into his back. When the door to the chamber closed, Draco let out a breath of relief and walked away on more steady legs, yet his jaw was still trembling slightly.
Back in the Chamber of Secrets Harry chuckled. The sound reverberated from the walls, creating an echo. Yes, the boy was terrified. When he witnesses a fraction of Harry's power on November 24, he will succumb to darkness. And then he will be Harry's to mold.
First of all, many thanks to my new beta Thundramon for proofreading this chapter. If any of you are wondering, the new chapter of Icy Heart is also ready but I don't have the time to post it right now.
Replies to your reviews:
TheOnlyKing: Redeeming Valkorion... This sounds like the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Emperor Vanquest: I actually dropped some clues about the timeline, but just to clear things up: the stroy starts a couple of years after the Hidden Menace.