*enters, Snape holding a goblet of steaming potion for her* drat. I'm sick AGAIN. It's an awful thing, the flu. Anyway, here I am updating, even though I could have called in sick. You know you love me. hehe.
So, lessee what happens now, eh?
Chapter 14 *hit play*
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Sirius and Draco looked at each other, a little at a loss for what to do. Sirius licked his lips.
"Uh. Guess you're welcome to my house. It's almost completely clean of thingies."
"Thingies?" Draco tilted his head.
"Yeah- 'sept a boggart that just won't get the point. So be ready to cast Riddikulus whenever you see something scary, k?" Sirius said and led Draco to where he would stay.
"So this is the headquarters of the Order, huh?"
"For lack of anything else. Must say I am surprised anything good could come out of Lucius," Sirius said in his usual tact. Draco bit his lips and looked sideways.
"Well, technically, I'm also part of your bloodline, am I not?"
"My bloodline is not any better."
"If you extend that to my mother, I might start looking more like my father soon," Draco bristled. Sirius turned and looked at him, then laughed in that barkish way he had.
"No, don't worry. I know Narcissa is probably the reason you exist as you are, anyway. So, this is your room- enjoy."
Draco looked at the room- a typical old manor bedroom, with a large ornate bed and an armchair, large window and carpet on the floor. He nodded.
"Thanks… say um… what do I call you? Mr. Black?"
"Sirius will be enough," Sirius said and turned to go. Draco swallowed and looked around him again.
"Sirius?"
The ex-convict turned around.
"D'you think Potter will come through again? That everything will be okay in the end?"
"All I know is that worrying about it isn't going to help any," Sirius said after a small thoughtful pause, and walked down the corridor to Buckbeak's room.
***
Dumbledore's eyes darkened at what Harry had said. The boy arched backwards again in a painful moan, his hand stretched out to touch anything- anyone. Remus rushed forward to hold his hand, but Dumbledore held him back.
"Help me," Harry whispered, and Albus let Remus hold his hand at that. He held Harry so that his head would be supported.
"What do you see?" Albus asked, and Remus looked at him incredulously.
"House… room full of… of my minions… I will hunt them down and kill them all… AAAARGH!" Harry arched backwards, and his tone changed again.
"Do not presume to touch me, you filth," he said in the sinister, metallic way that was not his, and from his hand came a bright flash and Remus flew to the opposite wall of Dumbledore's office. Harry cackled again.
"Fight it, Harry. You are stronger than him," Albus said, and Harry's eyes turned to look at Dumbledore. A light crimson resonance glowed in the deep darkness on Harry's dilated pupils.
"No mere boy is going to be my match, Dumbledore- how long did you think that I would let him peek without a price?" Harry leered and laughed again, all the while trying desperately to get away from Dumbledore's hold on the base of his head- but Albus held on and didn't let go.
"This is a mistake, Tom."
"On your part, old man! Get out of me! Eeeek!" Harry's voice shifted again to his usual, pained, scared one and his wholebody shuddered. A single crimson droplet of blood tricked down from his scar, and Harry panted.
"I can't keep him out, help me! He won't let me be, help me!" Harry whispered quickly, his eyes immobile again and staring straight ahead at nothingness. With his other hand, Albus caught Harry's flailing hand. He looked at Remus that was picking himself up.
"Call Sombre- as fast as you can- we won't get many chances at this," Albus ordered, and Remus ran out of the office. Albus turned to Harry.
"Harry- I need you to be strong now. Pick one memory that is dear to you and is not shared with Tom. Hold onto it fast, and I will help you throw him out."
"Don't let him take over me again… it is painful… just… do something," Harry breathed.
"Harry. It is very important that you… help me first," he said, cringing at having to ask so much of Harry.
"Don't fight him- instead, let him speak. When it is too much for you, I will know, and I will protect you. Can you do this for me Harry? I will only do this if you say yes," he said gently, and Harry breathed, sweaty all over, then nodded quickly.
"Hold on to one memory that is yours, and yours only!" Albus ordered. Harry arched backwards again with a deep gasp, and when he relaxed, his face had lost his inherent goodness and taken on the sinister look of a serial killer.
"Had your chat with the brat, old man?" he cackled again.
"Tom- I tell you again. This situation is only going to harm you. You will gain nothing from it," Albus advised gently, fully aware that Voldemort would do exactly the opposite.
***
Remus ran to the dungeons like a lunatic, weaving his way in and around students that stared at him in question.
"Sombre! Sombre where are you!?"
"Professor, I think Sombre went with Draco somewhere," a Slytherin girl informed him. Remus bit his lip and went in the potions classroom. In Snape's office, he looked around.
"Damn it, of all the times to be late returning!"
At that point, the fireplace fire flared up and the cat walked in the room, tail high up in the air. Remus grabbed the unsuspecting Burmese and ran again, unconcerned by the hisses and protests from the feline animagus.
***
Albus held Harry at the base of his head, but the hand disentangled from his own. Harry no longer groped for anything- he was using his eyes again, and they bore deep in Albus'.
"Let go- I have claimed the boy," he ordered.
"Tom, I simply can't do that. And it's just not right to invade other peoples' bodies," Albus said in an amiable tone, although his eyes were hard and unyielding, like a warrior's. Harry cackled again, and he pointed his hand at the wizard.
"The boy has an interesting gift," he said with a poisonous smile.
"The boy has many gifts, Tom," Albus agreed, but planted his feet on the floor.
"Most of which he took from me! He stole, and he should be punished!"
"He was punished enough, Tom, don't you think?"
The door opened and Remus rushed in with the cat. Sombre hopped down and came close to Harry.
"Tell that filth to leave the room before I blast him to pieces," Harry ordered.
"Now, Tom, there is no need to be vulgar," Albus persisted in that tone that he knew would wind up the Dark Lord to dangerous levels. Indeed, Harry's expression shifted, and the boy arched backwards again, and screamed horribly. It was Harry's cry, and Harry's voice that managed to be heard before Voldemort took over again.
"He will end it!"
Sombre bristled, ears flat, but he didn't shift- he knew he shouldn't. Harry went slack again on the armchair, Dumbledore's hand still holding him securely. His eyes shifted here and there, then he made a horrible expression. Albus shut his eyes and seemed to assert his will, or cast some spell, because Harry went into spasms in a desperate attempt to be freed from the touch of the eldest wizard in the room. Remus pushed the boy back in the chair as Dumbledore was struggling with him.
"You will not turn this against me! I will take him with me if you will not give him up!" he slurred, his lilt alien, pulling the s', almost hissing. "Noooo!" he screamed again, and then the crimson residue became a flame in his dilated pupils, and he started hissing. Sombre came closer, hearing the Parseltongue, which was making Remus shiver, as Albus still held his eyes shut and continued to do whatever it was he was doing.
Then, it was all over in a bright flash of light that sent everyone sprawling back, and Harry was left, all alone, limp over the armchair, his eyes half open and unmoving, his breathing shallow. Remus was the one to get up first.
"Harry?" he called in fear.
"Its… me," Harry said weakly, before coughing. Snape shifted to his humanform immediately to help the werewolf, and Albus called Fawkes to him. A rivulet of blood trickled down the side of Harry's mouth.
"Potter- stay with us for a second," Snape ordered, quickly going through the motions of keeping someone in consciousness, taking in signs so that he could choose the proper potion.
"…think… I can't… he's… killed me," Harry said weakly before going completely slack and immobile.
***
Pansy was anxious, as they returned achingly back to Hogwarts in time for dinner.
"Just how are we going to follow Malfoy to wherever it is he's gone to hide? The Dark Lord will kill us for sure if we fail, and it'll be your fault!" she whined. Blaise was in too foul a mood for interacting with Pansy.
"It's your fault he escaped in the first place, Parkinson. So don't yap my head dizzy with your fears. I'll take care of it- you go make sure Crabbe and Goyle don't talk about the meeting. Keep their mouths full," she said dryly and walked away from Pansy before she had a chance to object. Pansy grit her teeth. It annoyed her how Blaise had all of a sudden become the leader when only last year she had been close to invisible. She hexed the first first-year hufflepuff that came her way to vent, and still she wasn't satisfied.
***
Ron and Hermione sneaked into the infirmary after dinner. They crept up to Harry's bed and looked at their friend that was sleeping under the effect of potions. At least they hoped that the chilling stillness that Harry had, and the soft, faint breathing was because of some potion.
"Do you reckon he'll be fine?" Ron whispered, biting his lip as he took in the pale skin, the shut, hollow eyes, the nimble hands that now lay still, the fingers limp and useless.
"Harry always recovers… he will be fine. He has to be," Hermione said, although she felt uneasy. It was many times that Harry had landed in the infirmary, not few of which were because of his visions- but this one seemed to have been different. Professor Lupin had not taken Harry to the infirmary- he had taken him to the Headmaster's office, and there they stayed for almost a full hour. Then, as if on cue, Professor McGonagall had caught them lurking near the gargoyle and insisted that they go away- they and every other student that happened to be at the premises. As if they didn't want anyone to see what would emerge. They had left, but they had returned almost immediately under one of the invisibility cloaks that Harry had provided the Study Group with.
Neither Ron nor Hermione had ever seen Harry's form so limp, or his scar bleeding, or Professor Dumbledore so worried and in a rush.
"What do you suppose happened?"
"He had a vision, I guess," Hermione sighed, stroking the back of Harry's hand that was resting on the coverlet. It was cold and clammy. She shivered.
"He only needs a potion or two to recover from a vision. I'm scared, Hermione."
"So am I," Hermione said softly. A pop was heard.
"He will live," came a low voice from the shadows at the corner, and Harry's friends jumped, startled. Snape emerged from them, leaning forward on the chair. He looked tired himself. The two Gryffindors stared at him, unsure of what to say. Snape clicked his tongue and said impatiently.
"Go to your dormitories. Madame Pomfrey will be back soon, and she knows quite well the sound of the shifting of animagi. Mr. Potter will probably join you tomorrow."
For lack of a better reaction, Ron and Hermione walked out of the infirmary, covering themselves with the invisibility cloak. Snape turned to look at the ailing teenager that was laid out in front of him.
"You'd better not make a liar out of me, Potter," he murmured softly, and shifted back into Sombre, to continue his vigil, just like Harry had done so many times when the positions had been reversed.
***
It was at least two hours before breakfast that Albus called Professor Lupin and Professor Snape to meet up with him. Sirius was already there, looking haggard. He had just learnt the news about Harry.
"How is he?" he asked Snape as soon as he entered. Contrary to usual reactions, Snape didn't reply with a scathing remark. Instead he evenly said:
"He woke up for a few moments today. I think by noon we will be up and about, but he is very weak."
Contrary to usual reactions, Sirius didn't flare up- he only nodded and looked down at his hands. Albus stood, to call everyone's attention.
"I dare say Fawkes will relinquish as many tears as are needed- Harry will be strong soon enough."
"Another vision like that, and he might die!" Remus voiced everyone's worry.
"Well, the reason I called you here is so that we act before another vision happens. However, to have a safeguard, I would like it that young Harry learns how to shut his mind off to influence. I dare say you can teach him as well as you did Miss Zabini, Severus."
Snape only nodded once.
"Now, the reason I called you, is because I have news from the Ministry."
Everyone scowled.
"Minister Bagman told me what went on, and he is willing to help with the situation in return for his… physical and mental safety."
"I dare say he would," Sirius scoffed.
"Mr. Bagman had his debt to the goblins paid off by Mr. McNair who was in essence, the one that made sure Lucius Malfoy did not get the Demetor's Kiss. He turned the Minister into a puppet by threatening him with the goblins. Lucius was allowed, actually, to escape from Azkaban, and in the same way, he received orders about what to do regarding Hogwarts, and us."
"Slimeball!" Sirius commented again.
"We can do without the commentary, Black," Snape snapped, irritated.
"It's complementary," Sirius snapped back.
"In any case, he is willing to report to his… correspondants, whatever we want. Tom is certain to act quickly now that the Inquisitors are gone. Miss Zabini has told him that the Headquarters can be found. I think therefore, that it would be prudent to have the Minister corroborate whatever Miss Zabini says," Dumbledore said, and the others nodded.
"Severus, we will need your skill again. I am certain that now the Fidelius Charm can be broken on the potion of the letter that killed minister Fudge," Albus turned to Snape.
"Yes, Headmaster. However, we must be careful or the Secret Keeper might feel it- and Bellatrix Lestrange is not to be fooled with."
"I'll second that," Sirius said with a little disgusted look.
"I doubt she will if she's occupied with something else though," Remus said thoughfully.
"Like what?" Sirius asked.
"Like trying to fight and inactivate another Potion that is governed by will. I will make it, and make sure she gets it," Snape said, his eyes flashing with the prospect of returning Bella's favour.
***
Harry woke up, sounds becoming sharper exponentially, until he was fully conscious again. He fingered around, and felt the coverlets. The infirmary. How long have I been here? He sat up a little on one elbow, but dizziness overtook him and he fell back.
"No no no, don't you get up just yet- drink this first," he heard the hurried shuffling of Poppy's feet and felt her caring touch tilt his head forward and have him drink what tasted like mint with CO2. The energy of the frothy potion spread in his body almost as soon as he'd swallowed it.
"How are you feeling, Harry?" he heard Madam Pomfrey ask.
"I'm better," Harry said. "May I leave?"
"No, you may not. You are far too weak. But you may have visitors- I expect they will drop in on you in five minutes- the first period ends then, you see," Madame Pomfrey said and tucked Harry in again. Harry breathed, enjoying the fact that his mind was free, and that he could relax in the safety of the darkness of sightlessness, that protected him from images of peril and despair and horror. He felt the light paws of a cat hop onto his bed and he smiled.
"Hello, Professor," he whispered so that Poppy wouldn't hear. He felt the silky fur of Sombre's tail against his fingers, and how the cat rubbed its whole body length once, to show appreciation that the young Gryffindor had woken. Harry thought he could hear a faint purr, but he doubted the Professor would purr audibly again, now that Harry knew who Sombre really was. He smiled thinly again, his hand on Sombre's back as if that gave him security.
"I'm back," he said with relief, and hoped that he would never fight Voldemort over his own mind ever again.
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Ah, wishful thinking… never hurts, does it? *s* There. One chapter with no cliffhanger. Unless you were expecting to hear what Snape heard in Harry's Parseltongue. *snickers, Snape forces the Pepper Up down her throat*
As for my reviewers:
Thranx: well… a possessed Harry is a change. *smirks* And yes, I guess you can't avoid Snape and Harry chemistry. *chuckles*
Shinigami061: well, at least you have a better idea of what happened, right? Hope you liked this chapter. Had a lot of Order Planning in it.
water drifter: See? I'm not that bad. No cliffie now. Okay? *L*
Kendaa: I am glad you appreciate, and glad you like. Hope this chapter was of the same standard.
Chibi Gyouza: You flatter me! As for Harry being controlled… well he's not a very controllable kid, is he? Of course, Voldemort is not gonna give up his hobby, that I can affirm. As for the rest, can't give away the answers yet!
JaimynsFire: You SURE you wanna kidnap Snape? *L* He might not want to leave.
Skysong1: It's what Snape knows how to do best, to be depressed! *l*
star*dust: here, a cliff-less chapter.
Chantelli: a trap? A trap is in the eye of the beholder. *snickers*
Love Childe: here! How did you think of the 'what happened next'? *s*
Rilaisseth: what's D,R,L,EOTMN?
mickeymoose: Nah, don't be. *Snape glares* okay, a little scared is normal. *L*
Lady Lightning: Good question!
Marauder3Moony: Here you go! All updated.
Maximum Poofy-Pissed Off Queen: Um… it's kinda hard to update that fast with a cold and midterms…
Kemenran: She just wanted some of the spotlight is all, hehe. We will see.
Kateri1: hope the creepiness receeded?