Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter . . . I'm not done harassing J.K. Rowling yet (Mwahahaha)
Harry sat on his—no, Voldemort's—bed. Nothing here was his, and he wasn't planning on staying long enough for it to become his. Voldemort was so sure he'd covered all of the bases, but there had to be a loop-hole. God, what he wouldn't do to have Hermione with him. Well, Hermione's brain anyway. He wouldn't want Hermione in this hell.
Harry tried to ignore what Voldemort had said about Dumbledore. He really did. But any time he wasn't keeping up a constant babble in his head, he'd here those words. "He would have wanted you to kill yourself, of course." No, Dumbledore wouldn't do that. He cared about 't he? If he did, it didn't stop him from trying to Obliviate you, said a small voice in his head.
"Something on your mind, Potter?" a voice drawled, pulling Harry from his thoughts. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest was one person Harry thought he wanted to see about as much as Voldemort. Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy? What the hell are you doing here?" Harry asked incredulously.
Malfoy sneered. "Well, considering you're in my house, I suppose I could ask you the same question."
"I'm in your house?" Harry couldn't believe it. Why must everything happen to him? He had to put up with Voldemort's mind games and now Malfoy's attitude.
"That is what I just said, isn't it, Potty? The Dark Lord suggests you go to bed, as your mindless internal babbling is distracting him. He said if you don't shut up he'll personally force a sleeping draught down your throat." Malfoy smirked like he would enjoy watching that.
"He also told me to tell you that your mudblood friend's brain would do you no good in escaping. He's smarter than a fifteen year old who barely qualifies as a witch in the first place, with her filthy blood."
"Hermione might be muggle-born, but she's a damn good witch. And even if she wasn't, she'd have a reason. You're pureblooded Malfoy, so what's your excuse for being a complete idiot and making an ass of yourself, then?" Harry growled back.
Malfoy's eyes narrowed and his face when a pale pink. "You should think before you talk, Potter. This isn't Hogwarts. There's no muggle-loving Headmaster to protect you here. The Dark Lord may not want you dead anymore, but that doesn't mean someone can put you in your damn place."
"And who's going to do that, Malfoy? You? Your dear aunt told me that you have to enjoy causing pain, you have to want it. You know what I think, Malfoy? I think you're a slimy little git who's been living off of his daddy's ability to cause fear. But you know what, Malfoy? Your father doesn't scare me, and you sure as hell don't either. I don't think you could hate someone enough to torture them, Draco. Because you've always gotten everything you want. You're spoiled rotten. So go ahead Draco, try to "Crucio" me, I can't fight back. But I don't think you hate me enough to pull it off." Harry murmured as he got of the bed and walked toward Malfoy.
Harry didn't know what he was doing. He usually would have just told the smarmy git to get the hell out of the room, but something in Harry had wanted to intimidate Malfoy. To scare the living hell out of him.
Draco raised his wand, his hand shaking sharply. "Crucio!"
Nothing happened. Nothing at all. Draco lowered his wand, blushing brighter than harry had thought possible for the pale boy opposite of him. Harry's contempt was plain on his face. He got a cruel sense of satisfaction from the look of sudden fear in Malfoy's eyes. He could get back at Malfoy for annoying him more than Harry would have thought possible in the past five years. If he could just get his hand on Draco's wand . . .
Wait, what the hell was he thinking? Sure he hated Malfoy, but he didn't want to hurt him. Well, maybe a good punch in the mouth, but not . . . torture him. He wouldn't wish that on anyone. But you tried to torture Bellatrix Lestrange, the cold voice in the back of his head whispered. She killed Sirius! He retorted. But that wasn't an excuse. He had used an Unforgivable on another human being (by the loosest of definitions). His thoughts were cut off once again as his scar began to burn. Not right now, please. He thought as Voldemort walked into the room.
He stared coolly at the scene of Draco backed up against a wall with Harry stand about a foot away, glaring daggers at Draco. Both boys looked his way as he entered the room. The Malfoy boy instantly dropped to his knees with a whispered "My Lord," and Harry glanced at him disgust before meeting Voldemort's red gaze full on.
Voldemort smirked. "Crucio!"
Harry's knees buckled and he cried out as the Cruciatus Curse hit him. He rolled on the floor screaming as white hot knives stabbed every inch of him, from the inside and out. But his head was the worst. Just like in the graveyard over a year before, it seemed that his head was splitting along the scar. Just as his vision was starting to darken the curse was lifted. He was left lying on the floor gasping as Voldemort turned him over with his foot and levitated him onto the bed.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Voldemort muttered, pointing his wand over his shoulder at Harry as he turned to Draco. He gestured for him to rise from his kneeling position, where he'd watched the whole episode play out. He got wearily up, his gaze lingering on Harry for a moment before finding and settling on his feet.
"That, Draco, was the correct way to cast the Cruciatus Curse. Harry is right to say that you could not cast it. In the future, I expect you to, if you still plan on joining my Death Eaters?" Voldemort murmured quietly. Draco nodded with a "Yes, my Lord."
"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed. He held the spell on Draco for a short time before removing it. "My Death Eaters do not go against my orders, Draco. Do not threaten Potter again; he has proved to me that you are not yet ready to join my ranks. But I am a merciful man; I will not punish you further. Leave us, I wish to speak with our young guest." Malfoy nodded, bowed and was out of the room faster than he flew on his Nimbus 2001.
"How are you settling in, Harry?" Voldemort asked mockingly as he turned to the frozen teenager on the bed.
I'd be a lot better if the lunatic that wanted me dead a week ago hadn't kidnapped me and kept me prisoner in the house of someone I can't stand. Harry thought cynically. He couldn't move his mouth under the body-binding curse. He knew he was asking to be tortured, but at this point he couldn't care. He got his wish. Voldemort held the curse on him for only seconds but it felt like hours to Harry, who was still under the body-bind spell and couldn't move.
"I can hear you." Voldemort purred, taking a step closer to the bed. He removed Petrificus Totalus and Harry sat up. He desperately wanted to dart across the room, away from Voldemort, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing Harry was nervous.
"What do you want?" Harry growled between clenched teeth. Voldemort was looking at him hungrily making him feel like a cornered animal. The look was power-hungry and slightly curious, his head cocked slightly to the side like a child's.
"I want many things, Harry. Dumbledore dead. The Ministry in shambles. Mudbloods persecuted. Purebloods given the respect they deserve. But at this moment, all I want is your allegiance."
Harry snorted. "That again? What are you going to promise me this time, Voldemort? Sirius and Cedric and my mum and dad?"
"No boy. You are not quite as young and impressionable as you once were. You know the dead cannot be truly brought back to life. But I can give you power, you don't have to fight against me Harry. You can join me, and have a chance to live. You won't have to be Dumbledore's pet—"
"I'd rather be Dumbledore's pet than yours, thanks but no thanks." Harry growled, interrupting Voldemort. The Dark Lord once again tortured him, then put him under a silencing charm.
"Do not disrespect me, boy." Voldemort said calmly and continued. "I hate to be so cliché, Harry, but I'm afraid that if you do not join me willingly, your friends will die."
"Dumbledore will protect them." Harry said confidently.
Voldemort raised his eyebrow (well, he actually didn't have eyebrows, but if he did they would have been raised). "We will see, Harry, we will see."
Voldemort fired a silent curse at Harry on the way out of the room, causing harry to fall immediately into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Hi, guys! Thank you so much for all of you who reviewed or added The Seventh Horcrux as a favorite story. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw all of the attention the story got in under a day. Which is why I wrote chapter 3, I hope you liked it. I don't know when I'll update next, as I've got school, but I'll try to update soon Probably won't be too long as I have no life and confuse my friends with my superior intellect. Shh! Don't tell them I said that!