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: Big thanks for all reviewers and my beta Irihi Safaia.
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Friend or Foe
Chapter 26: A Delicate Balance
Draco carefully kept his frustration at bay as he wandered outside the Dark Lord's manor. His father had been kept behind by the Dark Lord after the meeting, leaving him alone for some time.
Not nearly enough time though. His father would come searching for him as soon as he finished his meeting with the Dark Lord, so he had no choice but to remain in a place where he could be found, and that meant he couldn't go sneaking off into the dungeon.
Draco clenched his fists. It had been weeks since he had begun his search for Severus, but so far he had only managed to sneak into that dungeon three brief times. Whenever he had a chance to go to the Dark Lord's manor, there was almost always someone there to accompany him, be it his father or some other Death Eaters, and that made things very difficult.
He was almost certain that Severus was locked somewhere deep inside that dungeon, but with the rate he was going, it was simply impossible for him to locate a single person in that maze-like hell.
And hell it was. The mere thought of that place made him feel nauseous. A mere fifteen-minute visit and Draco had already been thoroughly sickened by what he had seen. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of his godfather being one of those prisoners, reduced to a state that was barely recognizable.
In a way, Draco had always been close to Severus. He had been, and still was, reluctant to show any weaknesses in front of his father, whom he had wanted nothing more than to impress. So instead of his own father, Draco had turned to Severus for help, even when he was still a child. At some point in the past, issues about allegiances had made Draco wary of his godfather, but it had all been resolved now. To Draco, it had been a great relief and encouragement to learn that Severus was actually a spy for the Order. In fact, he and Severus had been closer than ever in the past few months. Now that Severus needed his help, Draco refused to give up until every sign pointed to that dreadful truth. He no longer cared if Dumbledore was truly serious about rescuing Severus; all he knew was that his godfather's life now depended solely on him.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Draco found that he had wandered to the far side of the manor, and he was now dangerously close to that dreadful forest. Casting a warming charm on himself against the unnatural coldness that seemed to be emerging from the forest itself, Draco hastily made his way back to the manor.
He had only taken a few steps when he caught movement from the corner of his eyes. The temperature of the place seemed to have dropped even lower, telling him that whatever he had encountered, it was not normal Death Eaters.
He turned around cautiously and took in a sharp breath at the sight of four inferi advancing towards him from the nearby forest. He pulled out his wand at once, ready to banish the creatures if they came any closer.
But that was not necessary. All of a sudden, the inferi all stopped in their movement. As if being controlled by some unseen force, the inferi turned around as one and slowly drifted back into the forest.
Moments later, from the spot where the inferi had disappeared to, a hooded figure emerged from the forest. Draco tensed. He relaxed slightly once he recognized who that was, but didn't pocket his wand.
"So it was really you who controlled them." His gaze shifted from the person's Death Eater attire to his hooded face. "Potter."
Harry Potter, the person who had made Draco's life even more complicated than it already had been; the person who had then left him alone to deal with the mess.
Harry winced at the unforgiving tone. "Draco-"
Draco sneered. It was the first time since the raid in Diagon Alley that he saw Harry outside of Death Eater meetings. The feeling of betrayal was returning in full force, banishing his previous fright at seeing the inferi. He suppressed his urge to yell at Harry and forced himself to find a secure place first.
Harry waved his hand towards the direction where he had come from. "I know a spot in there that should be safe."
Draco couldn't believe that Harry was actually suggesting this. "For you, perhaps," he said. "I don't care if they are your friends now," sarcasm and bitterness slipped into his tone, "if you expect me to go anywhere near those inferi, you are clearly insane, Potter." He turned around and nodded towards a shadowed area near the side-wall of the manor. "Over there."
Once hidden under the shadow, Draco raised his wand and cast several security charms over the area, including one that Severus had taught him. Satisfied with his work, he turned back to Harry, who had pulled back his hood and was looking at him wearily.
There was so much Draco wanted to say. In the end, he settled with the one question that he had wanted to ask for a long time.
"Do you have any idea what you are doing?"
Harry sighed. "I've already told you-"
"Yes, you've told me your 'plan' before," said Draco sardonically. "A plan that is clearly not working."
Harry didn't even retort, and that angered Draco even more.
"Why the hell are you still helping him? You know very well that it is not going anywhere. You are merely strengthening his force!"
Harry winced. He averted his eyes but still stubbornly remained silent.
Draco had had enough. "Is that it, Potter?" he said in a deadly voice. "So you are just going to play loyal puppet to the Dark Lord?"
Harry clenched his fists. "I don't know, Draco. I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" He looked up at Draco with angry eyes. "Just leave me alone."
Draco gritted his teeth and returned Harry's intense gaze with equal animosity. "Leave you alone?" he hissed. "Potter, you happen to know one my biggest secrets, one that could kill me! I'm afraid I can't 'leave you alone' until you feel like betraying me."
Harry stiffened, his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. Finally he sighed and stared at Draco with an unreadable expression.
"I would never betray you, Draco," said Harry. "But you wouldn't believe me, would you?"
Draco nodded. "How can I trust you when you are doing whatever the Dark Lord asks of you?"
Never let your own feelings blind you from seeing the obvious truth, especially when your own life is concerned. It seemed that extra year in the past had really given Harry insight at a Slytherin's mindset.
"What do you want me to do then?" said Harry tiredly. "If you want, I can give you an Unbreakable Vow."
Draco was surprised that Harry would actually suggest that. He shook his head. "We would need someone else to be the bonder, that would not work."
Harry closed his eyes. "Then what do you want me to do?"
Draco hesitated. He honestly didn't know what exactly he wanted from Harry. There was no way to prove that he was being honest - none that Draco would truly believe, anyway.
He had, of course, considered several other options. A simple obliviate would probably work, or he could use some other more permanent and harmful means to ensure that Harry would not be able to tell anyone. But if they were used, then it would sever the… friendship, as tentative as it had become lately, that had formed between the two of them this year. That was probably why he had delayed trying to get a hold of Harry until this chance meeting. In a way, against his better judgment, he knew, and believed, that he had nothing to fear from Harry, at least for now.
"You know very well what you should do." Draco couldn't believe he was the one that would end up saying this. "Leave the Dark Lord, Potter."
A torn look crossed Harry's eyes. His shoulder slumped. "I can't Draco. I have nowhere else to go."
"Then leave," Draco countered. "Leave this war altogether. At least you won't be causing any deaths then."
The statement hit the point as Harry flinched.
"I need more time, Draco," said Harry quietly after a long pause. "I'll figure out something, I promise."
It was odd to see Harry looking so… defeated. "You are hopeless, Harry," Draco muttered.
Should the situation be required in the future, when it became apparent that Harry had fallen so far that his own judgment could no longer be trusted, Draco knew he would do whatever was needed to ensure his own safety. But for now, he would wait.
Draco snorted inwardly. This was not how he had anticipated this conversation to go at all and he mentally blamed Harry for that. Harry's dangerously optimistic view towards his so-called friends must have somehow rubbed off on him
It was like planting a deadly poison inside his own body, never knowing when it would finally kill him. Letting someone who was so close to the Dark Lord to carry his fatal secret was a great risk, one that Draco would never have imagined himself taking. He could only hope that the idiotic Gryffindor-Slytherin would be able to withstand the Dark Lord's influence, if not leave it altogether.
Draco was about to end the warding spells when an idea hit him. Harry was now living in the manor; it should be incredibly easy for him to explore the dungeon. If Draco could convince Harry to help him search for Severus…
But would Harry help? Draco had no way to know. But if he could trust Harry with his deadly secret, then there was really nothing to lose by letting Harry into his mission as well.
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Harry walked along the dark corridor. He could feel the presence of the dementors surrounding him, but none of them had come near him so far. He suspected it had something to do with his Dark Mark, which often tingled whenever he saw a dementor in sight.
Draco had been right when he called this dungeon a maze. It was not that large, but its structure was messy and complicated. It had been four days since Harry had started exploring said maze, but there was still no sign of Snape.
The conversation with Draco had weighed heavily on him. Ever since the incident with Bellatrix, Harry had been in a state of constant confusion. He didn't know what to do anymore. All things considered, Harry knew there was only one end for him, however he chose. But what of the others?
'Leave this war altogether. At least you won't be causing any deaths then.'
Draco's words kept coming back to him, pressing him hard to decide on his next move. For a long time, Harry had been trying to put off making that decision, even though he knew how irresponsible that was.
And now, as he continued his search for Snape, Harry felt as though he was digging an even deeper hole for himself. He might not have agreed with what Voldemort had done, but so far, he had not done anything secretly in the back to betray the Dark Lord. Harry had been careful in keeping himself from crossing that particular line, and he wanted to keep it that way, for now, at least.
Harry had refused what Draco had asked him to do at first, but Draco's genuine concern for his godfather had convinced him at last. Still, all he was going to do was to find out Snape's location and condition. The rest would be up to Draco.
Months ago, Harry would have despised this kind of indifference, but now… he could barely feel anything at all. It was this kind of comparison that would always send a chill down Harry's spine.
Steeling himself, Harry went on with his search. He passed through cell after cell, trying his hardest to ignore the pleading and cursing from the prisoners. He was beginning to wonder if Snape was really in there when he came by an iron door that resembled the one that led down to the dungeon from the forest. Knowing what he had to do, Harry placed his palm onto the door. His Dark Mark burned lightly and the door clicked open.
Staring down the steep stairs before him, Harry had a feeling that he might have finally found Snape.
It was an odd feeling. For a whole year, he had been trying to evade Snape's suspicion, but now he was actually trying to find him. Harry couldn't even begin to imagine what Snape's reaction would be when he saw him.
Taking in a deep breath, Harry pulled his hood lower over his face and ventured deeper into dungeon.
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Severus stayed unmoved at the back of his cell as the coldness surrounding him slowly dispersed. The dementors were leaving, and that could only mean one thing – the Dark Lord was about to continue his questioning.
He tiredly checked over his Occlumency shield, making sure that it was strong enough to withstand the Dark Lord's attack. How much longer could he last, he wondered? But there was no point questioning, he knew he would fight for as long as he could until whatever end awaited him.
All the dementors had left by now and Severus could hear faint footsteps echoing from the dark corridor leading to his cell. Abruptly, the footsteps stopped and a sharp gasp reached his ears.
He sat up straighter against the wall. Whoever his visitor was, it was not the Dark Lord. He glanced over to the direction where the sound had come from and narrowed his eyes. He could vaguely make out a shape hidden in the shadow.
A Death Eater, perhaps? Severus had long given up hope that any rescue was to come. He knew what kind of man Albus Dumbledore was. The only reason that Dumbledore might have to get him out was, ironically, the same reason that had been keeping him alive up to this very moment – the prophecy. Dumbledore had made a grave mistake when he told Severus that cursed prophecy in hope to convince him of that brat's importance, or probably as a way to secure Severus' loyalty. Either way Severus didn't care; he was doing this for one and only one person.
As the Death Eater, or whoever it was, finally stepped forward and stopped right before his cell, Severus wondered if the Dark Lord had finally decided to end his life without getting the prophecy. The dungeon was poorly lit, but his visitor stood close enough for Severus to take a good look at him.
There wasn't much to tell about his visitor's identity, with his hood covering most of his face. It was not any Death Eaters that Severus personally knew well, though he did seem familiar. For some reason, though, this sense of familiarity gave Severus a strange foreboding feeling.
"The Dark Lord sent you, didn't he?" asked Severus cautiously, testing his visitor's reaction.
To his surprise, his visitor shook his head. What kind of game was this? Severus narrowed his eyes, trying to connect the hooded figure before him with anyone he had seen within the Dark Lord's rank.
Interestingly enough, Severus could see that his intense gaze was making his visitor uneasy. Seconds of tensed moment later, his visitor let out a soft sigh and, hesitantly, reached up to push back his hood. It was the last person Severus had expected to see.
Severus' tired mind quickly tried to make sense of what he was seeing. For a brief second, he even wondered if he was still being trapped inside an illusion created by the dementors. That was, of course, not possible for someone as skilled in Occlumency as himself. Then why? What else could explain the sudden appearance of this one person?
"Potter?"
The person who looked like Potter nodded his head slightly.
It must be the Dark Lord's trick, Severus concluded, but what was the point of it? Did the Dark Lord believe he would reveal the prophecy to this impostor? But the Dark Lord surly knew him enough to know that he would never fall for something as obvious as this.
Even under the dim light, Severus could tell that 'Potter' looked very uncomfortable with his current situation. Those signs of nervousness, at least, reminded him of that brat. But why would someone sent by the Dark Lord look so uncertain in front of him? Was that an act? In his current state, Severus was too tired to play the Dark Lord's little game.
"What does the Dark Lord want?"
'Potter' blinked, as if he was not expecting that question. "What? He-" Then understanding seemed to have dawned on the boy. "You think I'm not-" He looked even more uneasy. "This is not a trap or anything to set you up. If you want, you… you could ask me something that only I know."
Severus narrowed his eyes. What was it now? He decided to play along.
"Tell me then, Potter," he stressed the name, "what potion did you brew in our last Remedial Potions class?"
The answer came immediately. "I didn't brew any potions," answered 'Potter' firmly. "We were having Occlumency lessons."
No one but Potter should know that, unless the brat had told someone else, which was more than likely.
"And what happened in that last lesson?" Severus didn't want to bring that up, but it was unlikely that the imposter would know about that incident.
The boy thought for a moment before replying carefully, "I accidentally entered your mind… and saw one of your memories. It was... about you, my father and Sirius. You brought me to Dumbledore afterwards and told him that I know Legilimency."
Hearing that incident again, as vaguely as it had been described, brought up the familiar loathing Severus felt towards the boy. It also vanquished most of his doubt concerning the identity of the person standing before him. But the question of why remained.
"If you are indeed Potter," he said finally, "then what are you doing here, deep inside the Dark Lord's dungeon?
He observed the boy closely, still unable to believe what his mind told him was true. Potter was dressed in plain black robe with his hood drawn back. He looked pale and tired, as if he had not slept for a while.
"I…" Potter sighed. "I better show you." He hesitated, then he lifted his head and met Severus' eyes. Something about that pair of green eyes seemed different from what Severus' remembered. Putting that thought away for now, Severus focused and let himself into the memory that Potter was projecting to him.
"The Dark Lord should be keeping him deep inside that place for questioning," said Draco.
"Questioning?" asked Potter.
Draco nodded. "No one knows what the Dark Lord wants from Severus, my guess is that it concerns the Order." He paused and stared at Potter intensely. "So? All I need to know is his location. I can't do that myself, not with my father watching me so closely."
Potter grimaced. "I can't, Draco."
Draco didn't seem surprise. He merely shook his head. "You are not the same Harry Potter that I knew this year anymore. Afraid to betray your dear Master, aren't you, Potter?"
The memory ended abruptly, giving Severus that impression that Potter had shown him more than he had intended to. There was no mistake that the person in front of him was indeed Potter now. As much as his magic was inhibited, Severus could at least tell that the memory just now had been personal and not meddled with.
"Draco wanted me to find out where you are. The Order should be sending their rescue soon," said Potter tightly.
"But as I recall, Potter, you refused," said Severus. He wasn't bothered by that in the slightest, having experienced the same situation more than enough time. No, it was the reason of that refusal that he was concerned about. The fact that his godson seemed to have known quite a lot about Potter aside, Draco had also mentioned something about Potter's… Master.
There was only one obvious explanation, the same one that could explain Potter's appearance at the Dark Lord's lair.
Potter was about to say something, but Severus was not interested in hearing what the brat had to say to defend himself.
"Show me your arm, Potter," he demanded.
Potter tensed. The fact that the boy had not responded in outright indignation at the implication spoke as much as the confirmation itself. Potter sighed as he slowly rolled up his left sleeve.
Severus closed his eyes briefly. There were some oddly shaped scars on the boy's arm, but that black tattoo still stood out glaringly. As he stared back at the Dark Mark, a cold sensation filled him – rage.
"Explain yourself!"
Potter rolled back his sleeve. His eyes were fixed on his covered arm when he replied, "I… I have my own reasons." He shook his head and glanced up at Severus. "Look, it's not about me. What's important is to get you-"
Moving faster than he had had since his capture, Severus pushed himself towards the bar and reached out to grab the boy's collar, pulling him close. "Stop playing around and answer my question, Potter," he hissed dangerously into the boy's ear.
Something had finally drawn on Severus upon this… revelation. The newest member of the Dark Lord's inner circle, the Death Eater that he had been unable to identify, the Slytherins' change in attitude towards Potter and Draco's evasion to any questions concerning the boy, they all made sense now.
It all pointed to one conclusion – Potter was loyal to the Dark Lord.
Severus tightened his grip on the boy. "I had thought your dead father was selfish to the extreme, but I see his son has exceeded even that. Harry Potter would probably see his parents' sacrifice as a convenient way to gain fame and power."
Potter violently shoved him off and stepped back from the bared door. "That's not true!" he shouted. "You don't underst-"
"No, it is you who don't understand, Potter." Severus stared straight into the boy's glare. "Your mother could have lived, but she chose to protect you. She chose death so that you could have a life." He glanced at Potter's covered left arm. "Do you know what that tattoo means, Potter? It means you have just sold your life to the one person that destroyed your family."
Potter took a step back. "Stop that!"
Staring into that pair of emerald eyes, Severus now understood why those eyes had disturbed him moments ago. Not only because they were Lily's eyes, but also because of what he saw in them.
"Using Dark Arts too, aren't we, Potter?" he said in a low voice. "And you are letting that power control you, which shouldn't be a surprise at all."
Potter flinched, causing Severus to wonder if something had already happened. Potter gritted his teeth, then, to Severus' surprise and dismay, the arrogant brat decided to run away from it all.
Severus clenched the bars tightly as Potter disappeared from his sight. Taking in a sharp breath to calm himself, he called out into the darkness, knowing that Potter could still hear him. "The Dark Lord never trusts, Potter. He would kill even his right-hand man should that person proves to be a threat to him." The sound of Potter's footsteps ceased. Severus went on, "He is after the prophecy. For now, my Occlumency could still hold, but it would not be forever. One way or another, he would get what he wants. I suggest you to rethink your decision before then."
There was a long moment of silence. Then Severus could hear the sound of door opening and closing, indicating that Potter had left. He sat back at the back of his cell and shut his eyes, resting his head in his hands.
I've failed you, Lily.
He had never even considered the possibility of this happening. How could it be? That self-righteous, arrogant boy, the son of James Potter, how could he have found his way into this dark and twisted world that no one from the 'light' families even knew existed?
The familiar cold presence was drifting back. Severus knew then, as the dementors started to close in on him, holding on was going to be much harder from now on.
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"Sir, how is the search for my father going?"
"I'm afraid we don't have much good news on that yet, my boy."
He clenched his fists. "Is there still any hope?"
The pair of unreadable blue eyes looked back at him sadly. "It has been nearly four months, Percy, all we can do now is wait."
Percy shook his head and forced himself to concentrate back on the pile of documents before him. No matter what he did, the conversation he had had with Dumbledore just two days ago kept playing back in his mind.
Sighing, he put down his quill and rubbed his temple. What Malfoy had said to him that day was still bothering him, even though he kept telling himself to forget the whole incident.
"The offer still stands, but I can't guarantee how long it would be. And remember that the longer we wait, the more danger your father would be in."
Percy closed his eyes. He knew very well what he should do, of course. Or in this case, what he shouldn't do. But whenever he thought of his father, whenever he saw his mother forcing that strained smile on her face, he would inevitably think back on Malfoy's 'offer', and he felt disgusted at himself for that.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Percy realized that it was already eleven at night. He had once again lost track of time with his work. Gathering a small pile of documents that he would bring home to work on tonight, Percy hastily packed his belongings and left his office.
Months ago, the Ministry would have been near empty at night. But that situation had changed completely ever since You-Know-Who had made his return known. The place had become almost like a different kind of battlefield with Ministry officers working for days and nights without rest. Percy himself had no problem working late into the night, but he dared not stayed too late now, mainly because he knew his mother would not sleep until she saw with her own eyes that he had come back home from work safely. Percy was a little annoyed with his mother's new protectiveness, but he was even more worried that she was stressing herself too much over his father's situation. As if the situation was not bad enough, Percy now felt himself responsible for knowingly giving up a possible opportunity to save his father.
Lost in his thoughts, Percy paid little attention to the people he was passing by as he walked towards one of the apparition points. Spinning on the spot, he arrived at the now familiar street within seconds.
His family had been living in Grimauld Place since Christmas. Not the most comfortable place in the world, and it was so heavily warded that no one could apparate or floo directly into it. It was quite inconvenient, but at least it was safe and it made working for the Order much easier. Still, Percy found himself longing to return to the Burrow - the only place, he now realized, that he truly called home.
Once his eyes had gotten used to the dark environment, Percy cautiously walked down the street. He had taken to apparating to a nearby street and taking the long route back to Headquarters. Not that anyone could enter the place because of the Fidelius Charm, but the Order would like to keep the exact location of their Headquarters secret for as long as possible.
Out of habit, he looked around to check that he was not being followed. Ever since his meeting with Lucius Malfoy, he had felt as though he was being constantly watched. Of course, he might only have been parano-
He stopped in his tracks abruptly as a cold feeling spread through him. Someone was watching him, and that feeling was stronger than ever this time. Even as he reached for his wand, he could feel whoever it was closing in on him. He turned to his left, preparing to attack as he did so.
His breath caught as he saw the distinct white mask on the face of the figure approaching him. He raised his wand, but the Death Eater before him merely stared back at him with a mocking smirk on his lips.
Too late. Percy froze as two more Death Eaters stepped out from the shadow behind him, both had their wands trained on him.
Before Percy could move, a jet of red light had hit him, disarming him instantly. He could only watch as the first Death Eater raised his own wand with a sadistic look on his face.
"Imperio."
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A/N: So, Percy is now in trouble, and Sev finally finds out the truth. Harry is still in doubt, but the next chapter will change that. Expect to see more Harry-Voldemort interaction soon.
By the way, I may need a new beta for this story, anyone interested?