Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: Thanks for my beta Irihi Safaia and all reviewers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friend or Foe
Chapter 23: Painful Truth
The Slytherin common room was in dead silence. More than half of the house was present. They had all gathered there after dinner, for what, no one could tell, or no one would dare to say out loud.
Draco seated himself on a couch near the center of the room, along with the group of students that unofficially lead the house. Goyle was sitting next to him, staring ahead blankly, but not in his usual stupidity. Draco had never seen Goyle like that before and he honestly didn't know what to do with him. The most he could do for Goyle, whose father had been killed by an Auror earlier that day, was to leave him to mourn alone.
Draco turned away from Goyle to the rest of the room. They were all sitting there in silence with occasional whisperings here and there. The atmosphere was solemn, but oddly comforting. And that was what this was all about, wasn't it? Even if everyone out there failed to understand them, at least they still had one another. They offered each other comfort, because no one else would.
Draco sighed and leaned back on the couch. The moment Dumbledore announced Nott's death was something none of them would ever forget.
Though none of them had shown it outwardly, Nott's death had hit them hard. Unlike Goyle's father, Nott was one of them, someone who had walked the same path that most of them would one day follow.
They all knew why Nott had been in Diagon Alley. They all knew what had happened to him. No one from outside the house would have noticed, but the death of Theodore Nott had shocked them all to the core.
Suddenly, the fantasy of one day joining the Dark Lord had become so much more realistic. It was just like what Draco had experienced when he first witnessed his father torture one of the Dark Lord's prisoners.
The shock should have brought some of them away from the Dark Lord, but that was not the case. Everyone in the school had been stunned when Dumbledore made the announcement, but soon…
"But why was he there in the first place?"
"He's a bloody Death Eater. I tell you." The Great Hall had been so quiet that everyone could hear the comment clearly.
Before anyone could find out who had said that, whisperings broke out from all over the Great Hall.
"He's one of those who killed my…"
"He should have expected it…"
"Serve him right…"
Dumbledore shot out sparks from his wand to silence the students. He stood up with a solemn expression on his face.
The Slytherins sat in complete silence. The damage was done. In those short ten minutes, whatever had once connected them to the rest of the students was gone.
Draco shook his head. He himself didn't think much on Nott's death. It was disturbing, true, but not unexpected. Of course, there were Death Eaters who deserved to die much more than Nott, but war was never about fairness. Still, many Slytherins, especially the younger ones, had little idea of how cruel the war could be. Draco would not be surprised if what had happened tonight would push many of the younger Slytherins into the Dark Lord's rank.
What was between Slytherin and the other houses was beyond simple rivalry now. Hogwarts was falling apart from within, and Draco felt a sense of dread when he thought of what was going to happen to his house. They didn't even have a head of house anymore.
No one in the room knew about that, and those who had been at the Death Eater meeting knew enough to keep things to themselves. The rest of the house would know soon enough.
Wordlessly, Draco stood up and left for his dorm. What he had seen and done today weighted heavily upon him. He was exhausted and he wanted nothing more than to rest. But his day not over yet, he still had a report to make, and a meeting to attend. Hopefully then, he would be able to find out more about what had happened to Harry.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pain. It was the only thing Severus felt when he awoke. There was an iron taste in his mouth. Dried blood.
He lay panting on the cold stone floor for a long while. The pain seemed to have become a little more bearable as his body slowly adjusted to it. Carefully, he pushed himself up and settled near the corner of the cell he was being kept in.
His mind was still foggy from the tortures, but he willed himself to think. He knew very well that no one had ever escaped from the Dark Lord's dungeons, but he was not about to give in to the thought of dying.
A wave of familiar coldness caused Severus to shiver. He shut his eyes and leaned back against the cold wall. Of course the Dark Lord would keep his Dementors down here. Together with the Dementors, it was a complete picture of Azkaban, only that Azkaban wouldn't allow any visitor.
Severus was no fool. He knew the only reason he was still alive was because the Dark Lord wanted something from him. This could be used to his advantage, or at least buy him some time, but Severus knew very well it was never a good idea to test the Dark Lord's patience. If he wanted to live through this, he would have to trend very carefully, and if the situation called for it…
He stared out through the barred door grimly. He had been told of a number of crucial bits of information on the Order of the Phoenix and on the war they were currently having. Most of them had been necessary for his spying mission. The rest had been Dumbledore's way to secure his loyalty. Or rather, to remind him why he had to keep that arrogent brat alive.
He shivered again. The dementors drifted closer and memories were slowly drawn out through his mental barrier. Sverus gritted his teeth. He couldn't lose control of his own thoughts now, but Occlumency had no effects on dementors, as he had found out first hand himself long ago.
The cold presence of the dementors came closer and closer, surrounding Severus in a sea of blackness and drowning him with his own dark memories…
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Severus, Severus, such a disappointment."
The coldness slowly dispersed as a cold voice brought Severus back to reality. Still caught up in his own memories, he turned his gaze numbly to the figure standing outside the barred door.
"Look at yourself, Severus," said the Dark Lord. "I accepted you back when you begged for my forgiveness one year ago, and yet you still cling to a man who would not hesitate to send you to death and an Order that would never trust you."
Severus remained silent, cursing himself inwardly for his carelessness of losing himself to the dememtors. He concentrated on calming himself and repairing the damage the dementors had caused on his Occlumency shield.
The Dark Lord watched on in amusement. "Remarkable skills at shielding your thoughts as always, Severus," he said. "But the old fool's reluctance in using Dark Magic, even the boundary ones like Occlumency, has cost you your life. Dumbledore never bothered to teach his little puppets to protect their minds." Voldemort rumbled on. "You'd be interested in what I extracted from Arthur Wesaley's mind, Severus."
Severus closed his eyes to hide his annoyance. So that was why he had been found out. Only a few in the Order knew that he was a spy, and Weasley was one of them. He clenched his fists. All because of neglecting such a simple precaution.
"Now, Severus, perhaps you would like to answer some of me questions," said Voldemort, raising his wand at the same time.
Severus steeled himself. So it began.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nicolas Flamel paced the length of his living room. He was worried. Harry had gone to him earlier this morning, using his house as a convenient detour to head for the Death Eater meeting. It was well into evening now and still Harry was no where to be seen. Whatever Tom might have cooked up for the boy should have been over by now. Of course, Harry could have apparated back to Hogwarts directly, but Nicolas couldn't help feeling worried, especially since he had heard of something about a raid in Diagon Alley.
He stopped in his track and turned around as the fire in his fireplace flickered and changed color. He frowned. Harry wouldn't come here by floo, neither would Tom, for that matter…
He glanced at the fireplace and sighed inwardly. Of course it was Albus. And frankly, Nicolas didn't really want to see his old friend right now.
"Albus! It's been a long time, old friend." Nicolas greeted his visitor as he walked over to the fireplace.
"Indeed, Nicolas," said Albus. "May I come over?"
Albus' serious look confirmed Nicolas' suspicion that this visit had something to do with the war, most likely with Harry.
"Of course." Nicolas stepped aside to let his friend come through, knowing this meeting was inevitable.
He briefly humored the idea of Tom choosing to pay him a visit at this particular time and shook his head. No, that would not end well.
"Your house hasn't changed much, Nicolas." Albus commented once they had seated. "It's near been a year, hasn't it?"
Nicolas nodded. "But you are not here to ask about me, I suppose, my friend?"
Albus smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Indeed," he said quietly. He pulled out something from his pocket and placed it on the table before them. "Do you recognize this, Nicolas?"
Nicolas did, of course. It was one of the two portkey stones he had given out. He picked up the stone and examined it closely. It was Harry's.
He paled as he held the stone. Where did Albus get it? Had something happened to Harry? It was at a time like this that Nicolas would feel the helplessness caused by his partial isolation from the world.
"I found it on the ground after the battle in Diagon Alley." Albus was watching him intensely, though it was hardly what was worrying Nicolas.
"Where's Harry?" he asked, deciding there was no point pretending he didn't know anything about Harry. He knew there was no way his friend would fail to figure out his involvement.
Albus' eyes narrowed with a visible anger and impatience. Nicolas knew it was not the answer Albus wanted, but his friend would have to wait until he had heard of Harry's current situation.
Albus held his gaze for a while before answering tightly, "Harry is with Voldemort."
"With Voldemort?" Nicolas frowned. That could mean anything.
He was too old to be intimidated by the stern look Albus was giving him and they both knew it.
Finally Albus sighed. "I found Harry in Diagon Alley, but Voldemort took him away before I had the chance to. I believe he's at Voldemort's hideout at the moment."
Nicolas listened on thoughtfully. That was… unexpected. So Albus had found out about Harry at last. Nicolas didn't believe for a second that Albus would cause any harm to that child, but it seemed Tom had other ideas.
At least he now knew that Harry was safe… or as safe as he could hope for. Things were going to change quickly now, for the better or for the worse.
"I never knew you had any past association with Harry," said Albus. Nicolas nodded, expecting that. "Harry is Alex, isn't he?"
Nicolas looked up in surprise. So Albus had managed to figure that out too?
"Yes, he is."
Albus' gaze was accusing. "Time travel, Nicolas?"
Nicolas actually flinched this time. He had never thought his crazy invention would have brought about such great consequences. He knew Harry had suffered much because of him. But at the same time, as he recalled the happy face of young Tom Riddle and the changes he had witnessed in Voldemort this past few months, Nicolas couldn't help thinking, as selfish as it sounded, he wouldn't have it any other way.
For the next few minutes, Nicolas gave Albus a brief account of his invention, how it had been stolen and ended up being found by Harry.
"So you enrolled Harry into Hogwarts under the name Alex," said Albus slowly. "Did he really have no memories of the future events?"
Nicolas nodded. "He wouldn't have done what he had otherwise."
Albus frowned. "But why Tom Riddle?"
"Perhaps it's because of Harry's connection with Voldemort, or perhaps their personalities attracted each other." Nicolas gave his friend a sharp look. "Harry had no memory of Voldemort at all. What's between them is true friendship."
Albus rubbed his temple. "I don't doubt that," he said, sounding tired.
They sat in silence for some time. Nicolas waited patiently as his friend contemplated on what he had learned, or confirmed, since Nicolas honestly couldn't tell how much Albus hadn't already known. Finally Albus spoke up, "You knew Harry would be there today, didn't you, Nicolas?"
Nicolas let out a sigh. So the questioning had finally started.
"Yes, I knew Harry would be there," he answered carefully. He paused for a while before giving Albus the answer he had been waiting. "I knew Harry is a Death Eater."
"When did it happen?" asked Albus. Nicolas could tell his friend was trying hard to calm himself.
"Last year during Christmas," he answered. He had a feeling that this conversation was going to end in disaster.
Albus closed his eyes for a while. "And you never felt it necessary to tell me? You knew I would do anything to protect Harry."
Nicolas sighed. That was exactly the point. When he had first met Harry in the present time, he had been surprised at how little the boy knew of his own situation. Albus had a tendency to hide certain crucial details from Harry, and Harry was too smart not to notice. In the end, Albus' protectiveness only served to distant Harry further from him. It was no wonder Harry was reluctant to approach Albus for advice.
Nicolas himself had been uncertain about telling Albus the truth. He knew that while Albus might not share his opinion regarding Tom, he would understand Harry's motive. But at the same time Nicolas didn't want to break Harry's trust. He knew Harry needed his support much more than any protection. And he admitted that bringing Albus in at the wrong moment would only create more complications. He was certain that Albus would never have let Harry gone through with his plan had he known beforehand.
"It's not my place to tell, Albus," he said, knowing his friend would not be satisfied with this answer. "Harry's capable enough to look after himself and make his own decisions." He paused. "I'm sorry you have to find out this way."
"I attacked him, Nicolas." Albus leaned forward, the coldness of his eyes alarmed Nicolas. "I injured the one person I've been trying to keep safe for the past fifteen years, only to find that he's been joined with Voldemort for months! I don't know why you chose you keep this from me, but I expect some explanation now."
Nicolas tensed as he felt Albus' magic directed at him. It seemed he had really angered his old friend this time.
He sighed, trying to think of a way to best explain the situation. "Harry was very close to Tom Riddle during his time in the past," he began slowly. "I'm not sure if you are aware of it, Albus, but Harry cares deeply for his friends. And he is willing to sacrifice a lot for them."
Albus nodded. His anger seemed to have subsided a little.
"Harry was devastated when he regained his memories of Voldemort," Nicolas went on. "He was confused at what he should do, but he knew he must make a choice." Nicolas noticed Albus' pained look and sighed. "If it will make you feel better, Albus," he said softly, "in a way, Harry never joined Voldemort." He paused. "He plans to redeem him."
Albus' eyes widened. Nicolas could see his shock slowly melted into realization. He watched on in concern, unsure of how Albus would react.
"Is Voldemort aware of this?" asked Albus.
Nicolas nodded. He himself had pointed that out to Tom more than once.
Albus remained silence for a long time. When he finally eyed Nicolas again, only a trace of anger was left, together with no little amount of pain.
"From what I can see in the battle just now, Voldemort genuinely cares for Harry. But would that be enough?" said Albus quietly. "Redemption requires a person to realize his mistakes and willingly turn back. I can't see both from Tom."
Nicolas averted his friend's gaze. Albus' frank judgment had pained him much more than he had expected. He was filled with a sudden urge to defend Tom, but he knew it was useless, since he couldn't deny what Albus had said was indeed true.
"How long have you known of this, Nicolas?" asked Albus.
Nicolas could remember that night clearly. "Harry went to me the night he took the Dark Mark. He was filled with guilt of what he had done. He told me his whole plan then."
A flash of pain crossed Albus' eyes. "I see," he said softly. "Is there a way you can contact Harry, Nicolas?"
Nicolas shook his head. "No." Seeing the defeated look of his friend, he added quietly, "I'm sorry, Albus."
Albus sighed. "You believe Harry will succeed, don't you?" he asked. "Is that why you never stop him?"
Nicolas thought about that. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I believe Voldemort is not beyond redemption, and if anyone can turn him back, it would be Harry."
"I hope you are right, my friend. I hope you are right," said Albus softly. "There is nothing I can do for Harry now. He's chosen… a very difficult road indeed."
Nicolas had to agree. As much as he wanted to believe in Tom, he couldn't help feeling unsettled when he thought of how everything would turn out in the end.
"Who else knows of this, Nicolas?"
"I'm not sure who Harry has told," said Nicolas. "But as far as I know, young Percy Weasley is the first one who found out everything."
"Indeed?" said Albus, not looking as surprised as he sounded. "Interesting."
Albus said nothing at Nicolas' questioning look, instead he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall next to the fireplace. "This has taken longer then I assumed. I must head for the Order meeting now," he said, standing up and giving Nicolas a stern look. "I trust you will tell me if you have any news about Harry, Nicolas?"
Nicolas gave his friend an innocent smile. "Of course, Albus, of course."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Draco looked around the quiet muggle street he had just apparated to. He made sure the disillusionment charm on himself was still in place before walking down the street in caution. The street was empty, not surprising, since it was already well into the night.
It didn't take him long before he reached the end of the street, where a door that was strangely out of place was located.
Grimmauld Place. He had only been here once before, when Dumbledore introduced him to the Order of the Phoenix. He snorted at the memory. They were all suspicious of him and those ignorant 'light siders' had no idea what he and Severus had gone through to bring them their information. It was only natural, of course, and they would be fools not to. But Draco couldn't help feeling bitter, especially after all that had happened at Hogwarts today.
Steeling himself, Draco pushed open the door of number twelve and entered the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters.
Several of what Draco assumed to be members of the Order were in the house. They glanced at him warily, but none commented on his presence; they all knew the place was well-guarded with Dumbledore as its secret-keeper.
Draco ignored them and headed straight to the room where he knew Dumbledore was holding a meeting. It amused him that Dumbledore had something akin to the Dark Lord's 'Inner Circle' in his Order. It consisted of those Dumbledore trusted most, in other words, those who would end up knowing a little more about their current situation than the others.
"Hey, you can't get in there, kid," someone Draco didn't recognize called out. "There's a meeting-"
The person was cut off when the door to the room swung open, inviting Draco in. Draco smirked and entered without a word.
As expected, the whole room turned quiet as he walked in. All occupants of the room turned to face him; most looked startled at his presence.
Understandable, seeing as he was indeed not supposed to be here. It should have been Severus' job.
"Please take a seat, Draco," Dumbledore's voice rang through the quiet room.
Draco took the nearest empty seat to the door. On his left was Molly Weasley, on his right was a grim-looking wizard he couldn't identify.
The room was a simple conference room with little more than a wooden table set in the middle of it. Unlike the other rooms in this house, every portrait in this room had been removed. He glanced at the occupants of the room before focusing on the man sitting at the head of the table.
Looking at the pale face of Dumbledore, Draco wondered if he had already figured out what had happened to Severus. Most probably.
"You are here to report on Voldemort's meeting, I assume, Draco?"
Draco nodded. He calmed himself as much as he could before recalling a memory he would rather forget.
"The Dark Lord found out about Severus," he began slowly, his voice betraying none of his emotions. "He had him tortured, in turn, by his inner circle."
Several sharp breathes followed his statement.
"Where is Severus now?" asked Dumbledore softly, looking older than Draco had ever seen him before.
Draco felt a hint of sympathy for the old man before he crushed it forcefully. "I don't know," he said. "He's still alive. The Dark Lord wants to question him, so he told us... not to break him."
Draco was shock to find himself trembling. He desperately tried to calm himself, kicking himself for showing such vulnerability in front of-
He froze when he felt someone's arms wrapped around him in a gentle embrace. He heard a soothing voice. "Merlin, you are too young to witness such thing."
Instinct kicked in and Draco pushed the person away, his hand reflexively reaching to his wand. He looked up with wide eyes to see Molly Weasley. She looked startled for a short moment before her expression softened.
Draco looked away, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. The woman's action had caught him completely off guard.
Everyone in the room was focused on him, but Draco ignored them. He shifted his gaze back to Dumbledore. "The Dark Lord was satisfied with today's raid, but he didn't seem pleased for some reason."
"Do you think it's because of Severus?" asked Dumbledore.
Draco considered what he had seen today. "No," he answered. "He knew about Severus long before today."
"We need to rescue him, Albus," Lupin spoke up. The werewolf looked worn and tired.
Dumbledore nodded and turned to the only person who could do the job. "Could you try to locate and contact Severus, Draco? Severus is most likely being held in Voldemort's base."
"Albus!" To Draco's utmost surprise, it was McGonagall who had protested, on his account no less.
Dumbledore held up his hand to silent McGonagall before continuing, "Only do so when you are absolutely sure of your own safely, of course. I trust you to make the right judgment."
Draco doubted the last statement, but he accepted the job nonetheless. He had planned to do so anyway, that was the least he could do for his godfather. He quickly shoved that thought away before it brought up the memory of Severus' torture session.
The Weasleys looked uneasy. Of course, Arthur Weasley had been in the same situation, still was, in fact, if the Weasleys' claim of him still being alive was true. It had been Severus' job at that time, to try and locate where Arthur Weasley was being held.
The rest of the meeting consisted mostly of planning and Draco listened with mild interest. It would not be an easy task to turn the tide and he hoped it would not be too late if it did happen.
"Before the end of this meeting, I have a grave announcement."
This caught Draco's attention. He knew exactly what that was about. Dumbledore had said nothing beyond the obvious fact that Harry was missing to the whole school. Draco hoped the old man would see fit to reveal more now.
Dumbledore let his gaze fell on several of the room's occupants. Draco met the passing gaze calmly, trying not to give Dumbledore the impression that he knew more than he had let on.
"Harry Potter was captured by the Dark Lord."
Draco could tell it was a lie at once. He knew the Dark Lord did not need to capture Harry.
There was a short moment of stunned silence, before Dumbledore was bombarded with questions.
"What?"
"But he was at school, how's that possible?"
"Why didn't you tell us earlier, we could have-"
"Silence!" Dumbledore shouted, with the same tone he used to silence students at Hogwarts' Great Hall, Draco noted.
"Harry's scar connected him to Voldemort. It would seem that Voldemort has used this connection to lure Harry to Diagon Alley."
"Harry was in Diagon Alley?" asked Lupin. His face was pale and his concern was written over his face.
Dumbledore nodded. "I was unfortunately blocked by dementors when Voldemort disapparated with Harry."
Draco looked around the room. A few were frowning, others looked worried, especially those who knew Harry personally.
"But what does You-Know-Who want from Potter?" someone spoke up.
Moody snorted. "Nonsense. He's been trying to kill the boy ever since-"
Dumbledore once again stopped the argument. "I believe Harry's not in any danger at the moment."
"What do you mean, Albus?" said McGonagall.
"From my brief encounter with Voldemort, I don't think he is trying to hurt Harry. His true intention is unclear, but I believe Harry is safe for now."
Draco frowned inwardly, turning over what little information Dumbledore had provided in his head. Dumbledore had seen Harry in Diagon Alley, that much was certain. And that would also mean that Dumbledore had found out Harry was a Death Eater. So, the old man wanted to keep it silent then?
"But why? What does he want?"
"I'm not certain at the moment, but first, we need to ensure Harry's safety."
Ensure Harry's safety, not rescue. Dumbledore didn't seem anxious to bring Harry back, instead he looked… sad.
Dumbledore once again turned to Draco, his gaze intense. "Do you have information on that, Draco?"
Did you see Harry at the meeting? Draco could hear the underlying question. "No," he answered.
Dumbledore's gaze didn't leave him for a while, and Draco felt himself tensed. "Then, Draco, would you also try to gather information about Harry?"
Draco agreed, but obviously someone didn't trust him with the job.
"Are you sure you are up to the job, Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall looked skeptical.
"I am, professor," said Draco firmly, looking straight at his transfiguration professor, daring her to doubt him, even though she had no idea what had transpired between Harry and him this year.
"Albus, I would like to-"
"No, Remus." Dumbledore turned to the werewolf. "I understand you are worried about Harry, but I can't allow you to put yourself into danger. We need to know more about Harry's current situation first, any rush action would not only endanger your life, but Harry's as well. Please understand, Remus."
Draco eyed Lupin. The man was devastated. Black's death seemed to have hit him hard, and now he was hit with the news of Harry being 'captured'. Draco almost pitied Lupin. He was certain the man would break once he knew the truth about Harry.
"If there's nothing else, then I'd call this meeting to an end," said Dumbledore. "Get some rest, my friends, it's been a stressful day for us all."
Draco turned to leave, pondering on what he had just learned and thinking on his next move. He was near the door when he heard Dumbledore's voice.
"And Draco?" Draco stopped in his track and turned his head around. "If you have anything you want to tell me, you are always welcome to find me in my office."
Draco nodded briefly before following the group out of the room. Yes, Dumbledore definitely knew, or at least suspected, that he had hidden something from him.
Draco's glance shifted to the last person in the group that was moving out. Percy Weasley. The redhead seemed to be staying behind for some private talk with Dumbledore.
Draco had almost forgotten that the redhead also knew about Harry. Everything, it would seem. He had known the moment Harry told him that one of the Weasleys had learned of the whole truth that it would only mean trouble. He had no doubt the Gryffindor would burst out everything he knew at this perfect opportunity, he was surprised he hadn't already done so in front of every Order members.
But it wouldn't matter now. Dumbledore had known about Harry being a Death Eater, it wouldn't change that face if the old man was also told the other details. With luck, Dumbledore might even be able understand his precious golden boy's absurdly Gryffindor and suicidal intention regarding the Dark Lord.
What frustrated Draco was that he had no idea what had happened. Harry had not been in the Death Eater meeting just now, and he had not gone back to Hogwarts either. If what Dumbledore had said was true, then Harry must be staying with the Dark Lord, which was not a very comforting thought, considering what had just happened to Severus under the Dark Lord's order. But then, now that Dumbledore knew of his secret, staying anywhere near Hogwarts or the Order of the Phoenix might not be a good idea either.
Draco sighed. Wherever the stubborn idiot was, he would need all the luck to come out unscratched… if that was even possible.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ignoring the questioning looks from his brothers, Percy lingered behind. He waited until everyone else had left the room before turning around to face Dumbledore.
"Why didn't you tell them, sir?" he asked in a low voice.
Dumbledore regarded him for a while before gesturing to the now empty room. "Take a seat, Percy."
Percy did so, waiting patiently as Dumbledore closed the door and took the seat opposite from him. The setting reminded Percy strongly of the times when he spoke with the headmaster in his school days as the head boy and he found himself tensing unconsciously.
But he was not a student anymore, he told himself, working in the Ministry had given him many experiences. He ran over the technique he had learned in the Ministry about meetings like this and felt his nervousness slowly fade away.
"Harry's not captured," he said quietly.
Dumbledore nodded. "You saw everything at Diagon Alley, I presume?"
"Yes," said Percy. "Why didn't you tell them the truth, sir?"
It was not easy to just forget all he'd been told about the old wizard during his time in the Ministry, but after working closely with the Order for several months, Percy had started to rebuild his trust and respect towards Dumbledore.
Dumbledore sighed. "The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, Percy, and should therefore be treated with great caution." He looked up at Percy. "You may not understand yet, but sometimes we have to choose between telling the truth and protecting those we care for. Today, I chose the latter."
"For Harry?"
Dumbledore shut his eyes briefly as if in pain. "I'm afraid the ability to protect Harry is out of my hand," he said. "No, it was for the protection of those who would be hurt greatly by the news."
Percy remained silent. Lying to protect others from the truth… that was certainly not new to him. It had been done many times before; and Percy couldn't say he didn't see the point behind it. It was usually used in some trivial matters or things that would otherwise cause public chaos. But-
"They will find out the truth eventually," said Percy.
Dumbledore agreed. "That they would, but now is not the time."
Percy hesitated before asking, "What would happen once Harry's found?"
Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. "As I've said before, my ability to protect Harry has become very restricted, no matter what Harry's intention has been."
Percy looked up sharply. Intention?
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I've heard of what Harry's intended to do. I've had an interesting conversation with my old friend Nicolas Flamel just before I attended this meeting." At Percy's surprised look, he leaned forward. "What I'm curious to know, Percy, is why did you keep your… findings a secret?"
Percy stared at the old wizard. He had decided to supply Dumbledore with everything he knew about Harry, but he had not expected this. It seemed one really must not underestimated Albus Dumbledore.
He had considered the answer to Dumbledore's question before, knowing Dumbledore would surely ask. He had had doubts about what to answer, but what he had seen in Diagon Alley had backed him up. He decided to settle with the truth.
"I want to give Harry's plan a chance, sir," he said. It was hard for him to admit he had covered for a very serious crime, but Dumbledore's previous confession about keeping secrets somehow made it easier. "The wizarding world will never have peace as long as You-Know-Who is there. The situation has gone way out of hand and the injuries or deaths are accumulating in a way that has never been seen before. You-Know-Who must be stopped, and… if there's any way that can defeat him, or simply just hinder him, I think it's worth a try."
Dumbledore's eyes had regained some of their usual twinkles and he was looking at Percy in a way that made him rather uneasy. "I must say I'm surprised you see it this way, Percy." Dumbledore seemed more curious than angry.
Percy felt himself flushing. He tried to gather his thoughts. "I never thought it was possible, sir, but… I can't deny what I've seen. I saw You-Know-Who today, in Diagon Alley, he's… ruthless and cruel. He… he took pleasure at torture and murder." He suppressed a shiver at the memory of today's raid. "But he's…. different when Harry's there. He spared Tonks when Harry begged for her life. And he's saved Harry personally, twice."
Dumbledore looked surprised when Percy mentioned Tonks. "Twice?" he asked quietly.
Percy nodded. "Harry was injured in another raid, the one during Christmas. That was when I found out about him," he said. It was not hard to recall that eventful day. "I saw You-Know-Who rescue Harry, and heal him himself. He was almost-" He trailed off, unsure of what exactly he had felt from the Dark Lord.
Dumbledore looked thoughtful; the twinkles in his eyes were still there. "Is that why you volunteered to follow him today?"
"Yes," Percy admitted. "I wanted to see for myself."
"And what did you see?"
"He really cares for Harry," whispered Percy. A part of him criticized himself for making such an absurd statement, another part of him refused to deny the evidence that was right before his eyes. "I still don't believe that this alone is enough to stop You-Know-Who, but it's clear that he is affected by Harry, greatly."
Dumbledore was silent for a while. "Voldemort."
Percy tensed at the name. He stared at Dumbledore questioningly.
"Call him Voldemort, Percy. Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Dumbledore gave him a gentle smile. "And I don't think you fear him all that much."
Percy had never thought about that. It seemed natural to just call him 'You-Know-Who', just as it was to fear him. Now, though, the Dark Lord had become more than a nameless monster he had learned to hate and fear.
"Voldemort," he whispered, shivering slightly out of habit as the sound came from his mouth. He looked into the twinkling eyes of Dumbledore. "He… has another name, right?" Percy tried to remember what Flamel had called the Dark Lord. "Tom." The name seemed all wrong. It was even stranger than saying 'Voldemort'.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, but didn't ask where he'd learned this. "Tom Riddle, Voldemort's real name. Tom hates that name, but," he looked at Percy thoughtfully, "yes, I believe you can call him by that name, Percy."
Percy frowned. The train of thoughts was disturbing. "Still, he's responsible for many severe crimes. He needs to be stopped and pay for all he's done," he clarified, both to Dumbledore and himself. "Harry, too," he added quietly.
Dumbledore sighed wearily at that.
"Professor," Percy hesitated, but he knew Dumbledore should hear about it. "Harry… he has-"
Dumbledore held up his hand, the pain was visible in the pair of blue eyes. "I know very well what Tom requires his followers to do to prove themselves," he whispered.
Percy watched Dumbledore warily. He could easily see that Dumbledore was protective of Harry.
"When he's caught, will you-" Percy sat straighter in his seat and looked at Dumbledore firmly. "I hate to see Harry being sent to Azkaban, sir, but he's responsible for his own actions."
Dumbledore nodded grimly. "As we all are," he said softly.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
It had been three days since the attack in Diagon Alley; three days since Harry had been brought to the Dark Lord's place. So far, he had not been summoned or given any mission. Voldemort seemed to want nothing to do with him, except to keep him safe. Harry didn't know what to think of it. He found himself waiting, at the same time dreading, for his Dark Mark to burn.
Harry wandered aimlessly along the corridor of Voldemort's manor with Nagini in tow. He was cloaked in Death Eater costume with the mask concealing his face from the other Death Eaters. Judging from how the members of Voldemort's inner circle had reacted towards him, Harry had decided showing his face in the manor was not a good idea and, for once, he had no intention of causing any more trouble than he was already in, at least for now.
According to Nagini, this manor had been the family house of a line that had been wiped out by Voldemort during his first campaign. Harry failed to find out anything specific about its location, only that it was located in some remote area near the border of the country.
The manor was enormous but at the same time well-furnished and clean, which Harry assumed was the work of house-elves, though he had seen none in the manor so far. Harry had yet to explore the building, but Nagini had given him a rather animated description of it. The manor roughly consisted of a main hall in which Voldemort sometimes met with his most trusted followers, Voldemort's private quarters, the living quarters of the Death Eaters, various facilities like potions labs, and a large dungeon.
For the past three days, Harry had kept mostly to his room and a few corridors near it. He simply didn't feel like exploring. What had happened in Diagon Alley still weighted heavily on him. With all the changes that had occurred, Harry wanted nothing more than to just lock himself up in his room. But that would not help the situation and he knew it, so he had not protested when Nagini dragged him out of his room.
Harry spent much time with Nagini now, his former pet had been keeping him company ever since he had awaken three days ago. Harry appreciated that more than anything. He would have been driven insane by the suffocating atmosphere around the place if not for her constant company.
Nagini had told him it was not often that Voldemort allowed his Death Eaters to take up residence in his manor, only the trusted or useful ones would be given entrance to the place. Nearly all Death Eaters that were living in the manor were wanted by the Ministry. They seldom bothered each other and Harry intended to keep it that way. Voldemort had, purposefully or not, given Harry a room away from the area generally occupied by his other Death Eaters, and for that Harry was grateful.
Harry walked down the stairs to an area he had not ventured into before. A Death Eater passing by stopped at the sight of him. The Death Eater stared at him curiously, then turned his gaze to the huge serpent beside Harry's leg. The Death Eater's eyes widened in recognition.
Detecting trouble, Harry turned his face away and strode down the corridor, ignoring the fearful gaze following his back. He held his head high in an imitation of Draco, daring the Death Eater to question him. He knew this particular one must be relatively new, since, to Harry's dismay, every Death Eater in the inner circle, save Snape, recognized him even when he had his mask on.
/Here is the manor's library. Master has his own in his private quarters,/ Nigini piped up helpfully as they neared a set of double doors.
Library. Harry found himself smiling. Now at least he could find something to occupy his time. If Hermione knew how he'd lightened up at the notion of spending time in a library…
Harry shook his head before that thought carried itself too far. He pushed open the door and entered the library, holding it a little longer for Nagini to slip through. He looked around curiously. The library itself was not as large as Hogwart's. Bookshelves lined the walls; each of them filled with books arranged by their subjects.
Harry relaxed a little when he found no one else was there but him and Nagini. He wandered around the place, amazed at the vast variety of books it contained. Some of the books would have clearly belonged to the restricted section had they been at Hogwarts, and some of them would never have made it into the castle at all.
Harry turned away from the Dark Arts section, deciding that he would much rather spend his time with some lighter subjects, literally.
A tall and large shelf next to the wall caught Harry's attention. There were no books on it, but stacks of papers. On closer inspection, Harry saw that they were all old Prophets. The collection was sorted by date, up until yesterday's issue. The only window to the outside world, thought Harry wryly, seeing as most occupants in this manor were either wanted or presumably dead.
Harry took out yesterday's copy from the pile, then paused. What if his name was all over the paper? He sighed. He could just imagine Rita Skeeter's delight at the shocking news of the-boy-who-lived turning over to the enemy.
Taking in a deep breath, he looked down at the paper in his hands. Frowning, he flipped through the whole paper and the ones from the past two days. His name was in the paper, but there was no mention of him being a Death Eater at all, instead there were news about him missing, presumably kidnapped by the Dark Lord.
So Dumbledore had hid it, or was it the Ministry? But why?
He flipped through the Prophet again. There was very little news about Voldemort. A large portion of the paper was filled with messages from the Minister and department heads ranting on what measures they have taken and how everyone had nothing to fear as long as they followed the Ministry's instructions. Successful Death Eater captures were made news headlines with large captions and unnecessary descriptions on the Aurors' part, making the news more like a show boasting the Ministry's efficiency. Harry shook his head. It seemed some things would never change.
He flipped through the paper half-heartedly when a large photo of Wormtail caught his attention. His eyes widened as he read on. Pettigrew was captured?
His initial reaction was joy, happy that Sirius' name was finally cleared and that the rat got what he deserved. Then his stomach gave a strange churn. A cold feeling crushed down on his initial happiness, reminding him of his own situation.
Numbly, he returned to the paper. Beside the photo of the unconscious Wormtail under wand point was Sirius, the same photo Harry had seen in his third year as an escaped convict. Harry wondered why they hadn't taken a new one since Sirius was now officially free. Or was he? Knowing the Ministry, Harry felt he couldn't be sure.
His eyes followed the passage beneath Sirius' photo and froze. The Prophet fell soundlessly to the ground as his world was turned upside down.
------------------------------------------------------------
The pain ended suddenly. Severus pushed himself up from the ground, struggling to keep his body from trembling, a sign of prolonged exposure of the cruciatus curse. The Dark Lord was standing outside his cell with his wand still raised, as if he had not intended to end the curse so early. Voldmort narrowed his eyes, responding to something Severus could not see.
The Dark Lord slowly lowered his wand and focused on Severus again, no trace of the previous disturbance remained.
"Dumbledore did not trust me enough to tell me that," said Severus through his teeth.
Severus tried to remain focused. It was getting harder for him to think clearly. How long had it been? Three days?
For days, Voldemort had been attempting to extract everything useful from him. Being a strong Occlumens and immune to Veritaserum, the Dark Lord had taken to torturing him for answers. Severus gritted his teeth, he could tell the monster was treating it as a twisted game and was enjoying it. So far, Severus had managed to reveal only two pieces of true information, both of which would not do the Order much harm.
But something was not right. Severus had noticed how unusually patient his former master had been, as if the Dark Lord was trying to wear him down. Voldemort was after something, something he didn't expect to get by mere interrogation, but by force.
He had been shocked when he realized what that was. The prophecy.
Voldemort had mentioned obtaining the prophecy soon after he had been resurrected, but he had abandoned the plan in favor of building his own army a few months later. Severus couldn't see what had made the Dark Lord so interested in the prophecy again.
"I knew you, Severus," Voldemort hissed. "You would not have saved the boy's life twice had you not been convinced of his… usefulness." He pointed his wand at Severus again. "I'll ask you again, what is the prophecy about?"
"I was not given the information," said Severus firmly, with some of his usual coldness.
"Crucio!"
Another round of torture, another round of pain. Severus was left panting on the cold ground after several minutes.
Without warning, a strong force pushed into his mind. Severus' Occlumency held, barely.
"Impressive, Severus." Voldemort regarded him in dark amusement. "But even the strongest shield will be crushed under pressure… especially for someone with a history like yours."
Severus knew the Dark Lord was talking about the dementors. The weakening of his Occlumency was obvious, and Severus dreaded what would happen when Voldemort finally manage to break his last defense.
Dumbledore believed Potter to be the one to defeat the Dark Lord. Severus couldn't see how that spoiled brat could do that. He had never been convinced of the boy's usefulness, as the Dark Lord had suggested. No, he was protecting the boy for a much simpler reason.
Lily.
It was all for Lily. For her, Severus would protect that boy. For her, he would die before giving Voldemort the prophecy.
As if knowing what Severus was thinking, Voldemort narrowed his crimson eyes. "You will give me the prophecy whether you want to or not." A sadistic glint crossed his eyes. "I will break you, Severus Snape."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I know many of you are waiting for a Harry-Voldemort interaction. I've actually tried to do one in the previous chapter, but it just didn't work out, there's no way Voldemort would voluntarily visit Harry. There should be one in the next chapter though... In any case, you would definitely see how everything is affacting Voldemort next time.