Changing Sides

Disclaimer: I do not own this.

This is my own little fiction so things that are supposed to happen in future books might not necessarily happen in this story. I'm thinking the idea of Horcruxes, probably won't exist in this story.

Chapter 8 : Harry's Task

Arthur Weasley walked into his home.

"Dad!" Ron cried jumping up from the kitchen table. "How did it go?"

"He was not there. I looked in all of the rooms and cast the human detecting charm upstairs," Mr. Weasley explained.

"He is there! I know he is!" Ron protested. "You have to go back!"

Hermione came running into the room as well.

"Mr. Weasley! Did you find him?" Hermione asked.

"No, he was not there," Mr. Weasley repeated.

"But, what if they had put him in a cellar or something?" Ron asked.

"Lucius said that he didn't have a cellar," Mr. Weasley answered. "Now, excuse me, son, I just came home to tell you that I did not find him and I have to go back to the Ministry now." He turned back around and walked out the door and disapparated.

"That's a load of rubbish!" Hermione said to Ron. "I guarantee that they have a cellar!"

Suddenly there was a loud pop! from behind them and they both turned around with their wands out. There, standing in the middle of the Weasley's kitchen was Dobby the house elf.

"Dobby?" Hermione asked looking at the house elf quizzically.

"Hello Miss," Dobby said bowing low.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked. "Don't bow Dobby. You are a free elf."

"I bow out of respect for Hermione Granger, friend of Harry Potter who freed Dobby," Dobby explained. "And I am here to deliver a letter."

"A letter?" Ron asked jumping up.

"From, Harry Potter, sir," Dobby replied withdrawing a letter from underneath his excuse of clothes called a pillowcase. He held out the letter to them.

Hermione took it and opened it. On the inside was a letter addressed to the bookstore in Diagon Alley signed by Narcissa Malfoy thanking them for sending the books. Hermione tapped the letter with her wand and Harry's handwriting appeared:

Dear Hermione and Ron,

Clever, what you did with that message, which I did get. Sorry to hear that Malfoy shot at you with arrows. I would be careful, he has quite good aim with an arrow. The reason I haven't responded is because Malfoy hit me with some spells during a duel and knocked me out for eight days! But, I am going to try and contact you with Dobby and Hermione, I got the books and all of the contents of the box. One last thing before I go, everyone is looking for me. They say I need to be in my room today and stay there but I don't know why. Today's the fifteenth of July, by the way. See you soon.

Love, Harry

PS: Muggleborn blocking out wards do not exist. Lucius was telling someone and I overheard him.

"He gave this letter to you, Dobby?" Ron asked.

"Yes, sir. I can apparate in Malfoy Manor. House elves have this ability," Dobby explained. "If you wish to answer Harry Potter, write a letter and I shall give it to him. Secretly of course."

"YES DOBBY!" Hermione cried. She immediately conjured parchment and an endless ink quill.

"I wonder how you can conjure stuff out of midair," Ron commented.

"I'll teach you later. We need to write a letter to Harry," Hermione said. She started writing:

Dear Harry,

I can't believe the things that Malfoy is doing to you. Isn't that the second time he's dueled you and nearly killed you? Just be careful. I do hope that all this magic isn't going to your head. I know that you're a good person and you would never do Voldemort's bidding unless it was for the sake of one of our lives. Please just be careful and you probably were kept in your room because Mr. Weasley went to the Manor to look for you, but we know you were there and we don't know how that Human Detecting Charm could not have found you. Dobby sent us this letter and we just want to say hold on. Hold on until the end of the summer and if we don't get in touch, have a happy birthday, Harry. We miss you.

Love, Hermione and Ron

"That's good, right?" Hermione asked.

"Perfect," Ron said looking at Hermione.

She turned a slight shade of pink and transformed the letter into a different letter advertising a new broom in Diagon Alley and slid it into an envelope she conjured and handed it to Dobby. "Here you go, Dobby," she said.

"Thank you Miss. I shall bring this to him when he is alone," Dobby replied. He bowed low and disapparated.

It had been a long time since Mr. Weasley's visit and Harry attempted to show no signs of recollection that he had even been there. Lucius Malfoy certainly kept a close eye on Harry, watching him whenever he saw him. Harry continued to teach himself magic and his birthday had come and gone like nothing ever happened.

Malfoy happened to know that it was Harry's birthday, and like Muggles who do birthday punches for the age that the person turned, Malfoy shot fourteen different spells at Harry that day randomly at times when he caught him off guard.

It was the sixth of August and Harry was anxious for the summer to be over and get back to school into the comfort of his friends. He had received the letter from Hermione and often, he and her frequently exchanged letters through Dobby who had become a tremendous help and a friendly face for Harry to see when he was surrounded by all Death Eaters.

Today was a boring day for Harry. He had just finished the last book in his bookcase and knew more magic than a fifth year probably did. He read all of the books in Malfoy's room too which had a great deal more books than he did. Harry spent most of his time reading so what was he to do when he had no books to read? Well, he could return the last book of Malfoy's that he finished.

He picked up his wand and tucked it into his belt. (He never went anywhere without it.) He scooped the book up off the floor and went to return it to Malfoy. He knocked on his door but there was no answer.

"Malfoy?" he asked opening the door. Malfoy was not in his bedroom. Harry went in anyway and went to Malfoy's stuffed bookshelf. He looked at it wondering where to put the book. He tried to pull one of the books out but they were packed so tightly on the shelf that he could not get it out. He placed his left hand on the side of the bookshelf and his right hand around the spine of one of the books. As he pulled, his left hand slid down over a snake shaped carving in the side of the shelf.

The shelf slid aside revealing a long tunnel. "Woah," Harry breathed. He pulled out his wand and he stepped into the passageway which was not a passageway at all, instead it was a long slide. Harry slid down it yelling, "Oh Merlin, Oh Merlin!" the whole time until he flew off of the slide and landed in a small room. At the end was a closed door.

Harry looked behind him at the tunnel wondering if he could get back up it but decided to proceeded towards the door anyway. As he got closer, he could make out voices coming from behind it.

A sharp sensation shot through his scar. Voldemort was angry and close by. Harry would bet a sack of galleons that Voldemort was behind that door. Harry listened to the voices he could hear:

"Draco, I need to know if the task is going well."

"It is going quite well, my Lord." Harry recognized that to be Malfoy speaking. His voice was wavering which Harry could tell meant that he was scared and he was lying. If he knew he was lying, Voldemort surely knew.

"LIES!" Voldemort bellowed startling Harry. "Draco! Why does he not trust you?"

"I don't know, my Lord. He just doesn't. I haven't exactly been his friend at school," Malfoy answered.

"Draco, you and him need to become friends and trust each other. Without that, you will not be given a further task," Voldemort ordered.

"Y-Yes, my L-Lord. My true allegiances lie with you, a-always my Lord," Malfoy said stuttering a little bit.

"Thank you Draco. That's good to hear. You learn from your mistakes. Crucio!" Voldemort said calmly.

Harry could hear Malfoy screaming. He remembered the unbearable pain he had felt that night in the graveyard. Finally, Malfoy stopped screaming.

"Lucius," Voldemort said.

Harry did not hear Malfoy's voice again. Instead a different voice spoke.

"My Lord."

"Lucius, I'm sorry that I haven't been here in quite a while. I want to know how we are doing in the Ministry," Voldemort said.

"My Lord, we failed to Imperius Arthur Weasley," Lucius said. He knew what was coming. Harry knew what was coming. Voldemort knew what was coming.

"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled. "Crucio!"

Lucius Malfoy's screaming stopped and he spoke.

"My Lord, I-I wanted to t-tell you s-sooner, but you were not here," he said.

"Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, for Lord Voldemort always knows. It has almost been a month and we should have people inside of the Ministry now!" Voldemort said.

"Perhaps, my Lord, send Potter?" Lucius asked.

Harry did a double take. What? Use him? For what?

"Go on," Voldemort answered.

"The Minister has always wanted to talk to Potter and have him on the Ministry's side. Barty Crouch Senior and him got along quite well last year during the tournament until he was killed. Send Potter in, he could do a little looking around and see if the sword is there," Lucius explained.

"No. Harry has a job at Hogwarts, he will need to be informed of that. Draco, fetch Harry," Voldemort demanded.

"Yes my Lord," Malfoy replied.

Harry spun back around facing the tunnel which he came from. He went back across the room away from the door and tried to climb up the slide but it was too steep. He racked his brain for something he had read. He felt like Hermione right now, he probably knew more than Hermione right now.

Harry did not want to make any noise so using the knowledge of what he had read, he thought in his head, "Ascendio!" He pointed his wand upward and he flew up through the slide tunnel rather aggressively hitting his head on numerous points.

Harry was thrown out of the tunnel onto the floor in Malfoy's room. He quickly pushed the bookshelf shut and readjusted the snake carving on the side of the bookcase and tried to put the book back on the shelf.

The door to the bedroom opened and Harry did not hear it until Malfoy gave a little cough of presence acknowledgment.

Harry spun around. Wow, that was fast, he thought. "I had just borrowed this book and I was returning it," Harry answered as innocently as he could.

"My father sent me to find you," Malfoy said.

Harry knew he was lying not because of his Occlumency skills but because Harry just overheard Voldemort sending him.

"He said we didn't have to duel anymore. Or not for a long time," Harry said trying to shove the book on the bookshelf.

"No, he said it wasn't that. Just that he wants to see you in the Meeting Room," Malfoy answered.

Harry gave up and put the book on the armchair next to the bookshelf. "Okay. Will you take me there?" he asked.

"Yeah, follow me," Malfoy said and turned from the room.

Harry followed him, not knowing at all how to get to the Meeting Room besides through the bookcase in Malfoy's room.

It was not complicated to get to this room, Harry could have memorized it but he wasn't really paying attention. He was thinking about if he was going to get Crucio'd or not. He hoped it would be quick and painless.

"Through this door," Malfoy said stopping in front of a door. Harry nearly ran into him.

"Sorry," he said.

"It's fine. I'm afraid that I'm not allowed to go in. I'll wait out here for you, okay?" Malfoy explained.

"Okay," Harry answered. He turned the doorknob and went into the Meeting Room.

The room was large and kind of dark. There was a long table in the center of the room with chairs all around it. The chair farthest from Harry was faced away from him. But Harry felt Voldemort's presence and knew who the occupant of that chair was before the chair even swivelled around revealing Voldemort, himself.

"Harry, take a seat," Voldemort said. The chair closest to Harry turned to face him.

Harry looked from Voldemort to the chair and then back to Voldemort again. Voldemort was still sittting there. Harry reluctantly sat in the chair which swivelled back to face the table so fiercely that Harry almost flew out of it. Harry wanted to, as the muggles do, the awkward turtle.

"I have asked you here," Voldemort began. "To discuss..."

"Malfoy told me that Lucius Malfoy wanted to talk to me," Harry interrupted.

"Yes, well, I sent him on a mission and I figured you and I could talk," Voldemort answered. "You are here so we can discuss your task."

"My task?" Harry asked.

"You did not think you were merely living at the Malfoy's for my sheer kicks?" Voldemort asked. "I would think not. You are here to become a better wizard. Think of this like summer school."

Harry did not say anything so Voldemort continued speaking. "You have become an exceptional wizard while staying here. You know much more than an ordinary fifth year would know and better yet, you taught it mostly to yourself. That is an extraordinary feat. I see so much of myself in you, we are more alike than you know."

"I would think differently, Tom," Harry said. He did not like the idea of being compared to Voldemort, especially in a similar way. He also did not like the look in Voldemort's eyes when he said that.

"Think what you wish," Voldemort said. "Getting to the point, when you return to school, Harry. I need you to retrieve something for me. I do believe that you probably remember this object. The sword of Godric Gryffindor."

Harry scrunched up his face and ran a hand through his hair thinking. "Why?" he asked.

Voldemort gave a small laugh. "Naturally Harry, I can't tell you exactly what for. But, I know that it would be in your best interests and in your friends best interests if you retrieved this sword for me," he explained.

Harry thought about these words. His best interests and his friends best interests. He could possibly hurt Hermione or Ron. No, Harry would not let that happen.

"You will find that there will be new teachers at Hogwarts this year, who drink from their own goblets," Voldemort said.

"Polyjuice potion?" Harry asked.

Voldemort nodded. "They will be my Death Eaters in disguise to make sure that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing and if not, then you should fear for your friends' well-being."

Harry ran his finger along his wand. He wasn't going to pull it out right now and try and attack Voldemort, that would just be suicidal, but it gave him comfort.

"So Harry, what do you say?" Voldemort asked.

"I... I..." Harry stammered.

"You just have to retrieve the sword, make sure that no one knows that you took it, not tell anyone, not tell anyone where you have been all summer and bring it to me and your friends will be unharmed," Voldemort explained.

Harry took note how Voldemort did not say that he would be unharmed. It was possible that once he got the sword, if he got it, Voldemort could just kill him right there. What did he even want the sword for? It was just a sword, Godric Gryffindor's sword but still a sword. Hermione and Ron's safety depended on it, he should do it. No, he could get killed! He shouldn't do it. Harry was having an internal argument with himself that was getting no where. He finally decided on what he should do.

"I'll do it," Harry answered reluctantly.

"Excellent," Voldemort replied. He looked most cheerful which kind of crept Harry out. "A wise choice, Harry. You may go."

The chair swivelled away from the table and Harry got up slowly wondering if Voldemort would hit him in the back with a curse but no curse hit him and he left the room.

Malfoy was outside.

"How did it go?" Malfoy asked.

"Can I trust you?" Harry asked.

Malfoy looked at him. "Of course," he replied.

Harry knew he couldn't. He had just overheard him talking to Voldemort about his mission being to gain his trust and Harry wasn't going to give it over so easily, or at all for that matter. Harry decided he would give Malfoy a run for his money and make it seem like he trusted him.

"And you can trust me," Harry said pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind. Malfoy was trying to get into Harry's mind figuring out if he should trust him. Harry let Malfoy see some thoughts of him that would not mislead him.

Malfoy nodded. "Alright, I trust you," he said.

Hope you liked this chapter. Harry got his task. What does the sword have to do with anything? Hmm, guess you'll have to read and find out.

I just wanted to put a thank you out to Maya901 who reviewed and pointed out a bad mistake a made in one of the previous chapters but I fixed it. Thanks. Keep reading and reviewing!

–Elizabeth