Changing Sides

Disclaimer: Nope.

There was a mistake in the previous chapter. It was something that I added last minute but apparently did not get put in the story, only the document. I'll just put the last bit of the last chapter here so you can recap and read what was left out. Sorry and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 9: Reunited

PREVIOUSLY:

"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. Or at least Harry didn't feel the spell hit him. It was the Fidelius Charm which, now cast upon Harry, would prevent Harry from telling anyone of what happened in that room with Voldemort.

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.

Harry was in his bedroom packing. Not that he had many clothes but he had some and he had a few possessions. It was the last day of summer and Harry was going be apparated out of the Manor. There were ups and downs to this. For one, Harry couldn't wait to leave and see his friends and get away from the Malfoy's and two, who would he side-along apparate with?

Harry just shrunk his invisibility cloak and put it in his pocket, and shut his trunk when there was a knock at the door.

Harry didn't answer but Malfoy didn't need an answer. He just came straight in. "Ready?" he asked Harry.

"More than you know," Harry answered.

"You're going to side-along apparate with me," Malfoy said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I said that you–."

"I know what you said but I didn't think it would be you," Harry stated.

"Oh, well it is," Malfoy answered. He pointed his wand at Harry's trunk and shrunk it. "Put it in your pocket."

Harry picked it up and put it in his pocket that did not already contain his invisibility cloak.

Harry turned around and looked one last time at this bedroom which he occupied the entire summer. It was larger than his bedroom at the Dursley's. It was larger than his bedroom at the Burrow but it was no where near as home feeling.

"Come on," Malfoy said as he pulled the door slowly shut forcing Harry out. "You never told me what happened in the room with the Dark Lord."

Harry looked at Malfoy but kept walking. He was thinking how he never did tell Malfoy anything about the room and how would Malfoy know that Voldemort had been inside and not Lucius Malfoy. "I guess I just never got around to it."

"Can you tell me?" Malfoy asked. "We are friends, aren't we?"

Harry did not look at Malfoy but just at the floor in front of him. They definitely not best friends like he was with Hermione and Ron. Were they even friends at all? Allies. Allies was a good word for their relationship.

"No, I don't think I should tell anyone," Harry said.

"Believe me Potter, honestly, I already know of your task. I've overheard a few conversations in my time," Malfoy said.

"Oh through your bookcase?" Harry asked smirking.

They were through the front doors now. The sun was out and Harry was practically blinded by this. He hadn't been outside practically all summer. One day, Malfoy did take him outside and he just sat on the grass while Malfoy flew around on his broom chasing a snitch. Harry so desperately wanted to fly too but he didn't get a chance to. Harry was quite pale as well.

"My bookcase? How do you know about that?" Malfoy asked curiously.

"I fell through it," Harry answered. "I went right back up though mostly because I was a little scared falling down a slide into a dark tunnel and I couldn't see anything."

"Oh. Well, my father doesn't know about that so let's keep it that way," Malfoy said.

"Alright."

They were silent as they walked across the huge property to the edge of the trees where Hermione and Ron had been and written Snuffles was here in the flaming letters. There were also some arrows still stuck in a tree along with some fabric where it must have punctured Hermione's shirt.

"Well Potter. This is it. Take a last look. You spent your whole summer at my house. Who would have thought that Harry Potter would spend a whole summer let alone a day at my house," Malfoy said.

"Yeah, it was like summer camp that I wasn't allowed to leave," Harry remarked.

"Give me your hand," Malfoy ordered.

Harry was still looking at Malfoy's house and he barely registered Malfoy grabbing his arm and disapparating.

The Manor disappeared in a blur and Harry felt a tugging sensation and was whipped away from the Manor. He landed surprisingly on his feet next to Malfoy who let go of his arm.

"Where are we?" Harry asked. Looking around him, he saw only trees.

"Don't you know?" Malfoy replied and pointed at something behind Harry.

Harry turned around. He could've cried right there at the sight of the Burrow through the trees. He was so happy to see it and the two people in the garden... kissing?!

"Potter," Malfoy said upon seeing the same sight as Harry. Harry turned around. "Here." Malfoy extended his hand and dropped what he was holding into Harry's palm. It was a necklace. "It's a lucky talisman. I figured you would need it more than me."

Harry looked at Malfoy and then to the talisman. It was a green snake. Of course, Malfoy and snakes for Slytherin. "Thank you Draco," Harry said.

"Don't mention it. No, and I mean, don't mention it. People might think I'm in love with Harry Potter or something," Malfoy said. "Well, I've done my part. I got you here. See you Harry."

"See you Draco," Harry answered.

"Potter?" Malfoy asked. "Don't call me Draco. It sounds weird."

"And don't call me Harry. That's just weird too," Harry said. He put the talisman around his neck and tucked it under his shirt. "See you."

Malfoy turned on the spot and disapparated.

Harry stared at the spot where Malfoy had disapparated. Was he free? For this one day of summer left, was he truly able to see his best friends? Harry immediately pulled out his wand thinking someone might jump out from somewhere and try and stun him or something. But no one did. Even for the five minutes that Harry circled about himself, no one appeared. Keeping his wand out, Harry exited the forest and came into full view of the Burrow.

Someone was out in the garden. The two figures were no longer kissing but working. They were picking vegetables or something. As Harry got closer, he saw one of them was a girl with brown hair. She was facing away from him looking out to the hills as if waiting for something. Then the other figure, a boy with red hair stood next to her holding her hand and he too looked out over the countryside. The girl leaned her head on his shoulder but they did not let go of each others' hands.

Ron and Hermione? Kissing? Holding hands? Going out? Wow, Harry missed a lot and he missed his friends too.

He climbed up the path that led to the Burrow and was standing a few feet behind them.

"I thought he said he would be back by the end of the summer," Hermione said.

"He'll be back. I know he will," Ron said trying to comfort Hermione. "I would bet all of the money in Gringotts that he is on his way right now."

"Good guess," Harry said.

Ron and Hermione turned around.

They faced their best friend who they missed so much and he was standing there right in the garden with them. Hermione ran to him and hugged him so tightly he thought his head might pop off. Tears were streaming down Hermione's face.

"Harry, I thought you were never coming back. I came out here everyday at sunset and watched for you, hoping you would come home," Hermione said. She was still hugging him.

After what seemed like a century, she let go of him and Ron shook Harry's hand.

"Aw, bloody hell Harry!" Ron said and pulled Harry into a hug too. Not as tight as Hermione's though.

"Harry, you need to tell us everything," Hermione ordered.

"Hermione, let the man breathe. Everyone will want to see that you're alright Harry, we should go inside," Ron suggested.

"How about you tell me everything that was going on with you two. How about what we saw before in the garden?" Harry asked raising his eyebrows.

"You saw that?" Hermione asked her face turning red.

"We?" Ron asked.

"Me and Malfoy. I had to side-along apparate with him here. We apparated into the woods over there," Harry answered.

"Bloody hell, Malfoy saw that?" Ron asked. "Damn."

"Well, let's get inside," Hermione said.

The second that Harry entered the Weasley's kitchen, he was bombarded with hugs and claps on the back and handshakes.

"Oh my goodness! Harry dear! I'm so glad you're home!" Mrs. Weasley cried. "We were just about to eat. Come, sit down."

Harry sat down where he normally sat where there was a place setting. He thought he might be taking someone else's seat but there was the perfect number of place settings. Harry couldn't help but ask. "Did you know I was coming?"

"No, we set your place every morning, afternoon, and night, just in case you came home," Mrs. Weasley answered.

Harry loved how everyone referred to this as Harry's home. He did feel at home here. More than he ever felt at the Malfoy's.

After dinner, Harry, Ron and Hermione went upstairs into Ron's room which Harry shared with him.

"It's been lonely," Ron said as he opened his bedroom door. "But of course, I've had Hedwig."

"Hedwig!" Harry shouted seeing his snowy white owl. He opened her cage and she jumped onto his arm and sat there happily.

"So tell us everything, Harry," Hermione said.

"I dueled everyday in the beginning and learned some wandless magic. I read so many books and learned a lot of new spells and charms. Then sometime in the middle, I was able to get a letter out to you guys. Malfoy let me send it. We were almost on a first name basis and then I overheard him talking with Voldemort on how he is supposed to get me to trust him so now we're just last names again or the nicknames. He taught me Occlumency and you don't know how happy I was to see that message you guys left. That gave me hope to keep fighting and not give up," Harry explained.

"Wandless magic?"

"Occlumency?"

"Malfoy's an arse."

The last comment had come from Ron. Harry laughed at that.

"Wow, I haven't laughed in the longest time. Thanks for that. I never met Malfoy's mother while I was there. I got hurt one time when me and Malfoy dueled. I ended up with some sort of minor concussion, some broken things, not that bad. And once when I was in my room, two Death Eaters came in looking for me for whatever reason and I took them both out. One, Dolohov was his name tackled me and I was pinned to the floor and the other one, Yaxley, I think went to tell Lucius that they had found me and I used wandless magic and summoned a chair, levitated it and dropped it on him and I kinda knocked him out," Harry said.

"Harry, that's awesome!" Ron commented.

"You could've gotten hurt, Harry," Hermione said.

"Don't you think I could have gotten hurt just being there? In Malfoy Manor? With Voldemort there living like down the hall from me?" Harry asked.

"Did Malfoy tell you how he shot at us?" Hermione asked changing the topic.

"That was the scariest thing of my life. Well, we flew to the Manor on your broom, sorry, we didn't think you would mind. Hermione has to write three essays for Ginny when school starts so she didn't tell anyone where we were going because she was eavesdropping. I swear, that girl gets more like Fred and George everyday. Anyway, Hermione was looking through the omnioculars and didn't see anything and when I took them and looked through them, Malfoy was staring straight at me. It was the creepiest think I had ever seen in my life. Anyway, moments after that, he shot an arrow with a note that said expect the unexpected on it. Then, he shot two more and pinned Hermione's shirt to the tree and then another one right near my head. Hermione left the message and we had to leave," Ron explained.

"Yeah, that's kind of what Malfoy told me but I told him I knew nothing of it and then he thought he was losing his mind," Harry said.

Hermione and Ron laughed.

"But, the main reason I was there was because Voldemort gave me uhhh—," Harry was saying.

"A what?" Hermione asked.

"He gave me uhhh— sss—. What the? Why can't I talk?" Harry nearly shouted.

"Did someone curse you Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No, no one cursed me but I thought Voldemort might as— as--," Harry said. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Did Voldemort give you something to do?" Ron asked.

"Yes!" Harry yelled thinking that he wouldn't be able to say that.

"What was it?" Ron asked.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but the words got tied up in his throat and he ended up making random noises that he tried to turn to words. "What is this?" he finally said.

"Dunno, it's strange though," Ron commented.

Harry was getting frustrated. "We'll talk about this later. Tell me about you. What did you two do?"

"Well, Ron and I had been spending a lot of time together, mostly talking about you and waiting for you to come back or waiting for one of your letters. It was most clever how you slipped them past the Malfoy's. So, anyway, Ron and I thought that maybe we could be more than friends and we're kind of going out," Hermione said hesitantly.

"That's great!" Harry said.

"You're not mad?" Ron asked.

"Why would I be mad?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. Why would you be mad? I guess I just thought that... I don't even know, but I'm glad you're not mad," Ron replied.

"Harry, I'm so glad you're back. I missed you so much," Hermione said and she hugged him again.

"Oh, Harry. Um... since, Cedric returned to Hogwarts with the cup but he was dead you know, they declared you the winner," Ron said. "I figured you should know."

"But Cedric came back. I sent him back. I tried to summon the cup to me and grab Cedric but Voldemort moved the cup away from me and it hit Cedric and he was sent back and they took me to the Manor. That was probably the scariest moment in my life. I saw my parents," Harry said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"My wand and Voldemort's wand, they made some connection or something. It was strange and it was like the ghosts of my parents and Cedric Diggory came out or the center of where our spells collided," Harry explained.

"Priori Incantatem," Hermione said. "It reveals the last spells cast by a particular wand and since You-Know-Who cast the Killing Curse and killed those people, they came out. It's a rare effect that happens when brother wands duel."

"Brother wands?" Harry asked. "When I got my wand, Ollivander said something about my wand being a curious choice because my wand had phoenix feather in it and another wand had a phoenix feather in it. Then he said, my wand's brother, gave me my scar. That didn't mean anything to me then because I barely even knew of magic then but I understand now. And that's what happened in the graveyard, which was where the cup, the portkey, transported us to."

"Back at the school, the declared you the winner and you were supposed to win a thousand galleons. Dumbledore gave it to us since we had your things and then Fred and George thought it was mine and took it and opened a joke shop in Diagon Alley with it. But, we can make then pay it back," Ron said.

"No, it's okay. They can keep it. A joke shop, really? We should go," Harry said.

"We can go during one of the Hogsmeade visits, since they plan on having a smaller store in Hogsmeade for all of the Hogwarts students. But school starts tomorrow," Hermione said.

There was a knock at the door and Mrs. Weasley came in.

"It's getting late and we have to be on time for the train tomorrow. You should get some sleep. If you don't have clothes Harry, I bought some for you in your trunk along with your new school books," she said. "Good night."

"Malfoy bought me school books," Harry said. "I almost forgot!" He pulled his trunk out of his pocket and returned it to normal size and then pulled his cloak out. "Thanks for the cloak, you guys."

"No problem, I was afraid that Malfoy would get a hold of it," Hermione said.

"No," Ron interjected. "He's too dumb."

"Actually, he's smarter than you think. He taught himself a lot of magic over the summer like how to apparate, Occlumency and Patronuses, but I already knew those. I used the cloak to freak out Lucius Malfoy when your dad showed up, Ron," Harry said.

"HA! So you were there. My dad said he cast..."

"Yeah, the Human Detection Charm," Harry interrupted. I was on the stairs so I wasn't technically upstairs but I had the cloak on and it didn't detect me. They had planned to Imperius your dad and use him to infiltrate the Ministry, so they should watch out for that but I levitated Mr. Malfoy's wand before he could cast the spell."

"Well, that spell should have detected you Harry. Even under invisibility cloaks, that spell detects humans," Hermione said. "Well, I'm going to bed, like your Mrs. Weasley said, Ronald. I suggest that you two do the same."

Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek and left the room.

"Stop looking at me like that," Ron said looking at Harry.

Harry started laughing. "Good night Ron."

"Good night Harry."

Draco Malfoy walked into the large meeting room in his house. He dropped to his knee in front of a man in a chair.

"Mr Lord," he said. "I did as you asked."

"Excellent," Voldemort said as he pet his snake, Nagini. "And did you give him the talisman?"

"Yes, my Lord," Malfoy answered.

"Good. You may go," Voldemort said.

"There is something else, my Lord. I do not know if it is of importance," Malfoy stated.

"Go on," Voldemort ordered.

"It's just that... Potter's friends, the blood-traitor and the Mudblood are going out. I do not know if it is of importance but you asked me for an update on anything related to Potter, my Lord," Malfoy said. He did not make eye contact.

"That information is suitable. Now, I must ask, does Harry Potter trust you?" Voldemort asked.

"I believe so, my Lord," Malfoy answered.

"You may go," Voldemort said smiling evilly.

Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts would start tomorrow and soon Voldemort would have what he needed.

How was that? Hope you liked it. Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming and tell me what you think of the story so far or ask questions, if you have them.

Current Word Count: 21150

–Elizabeth