Title: Chained
Author: Darwick
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year more powerful than he left. Dumbledore is seeing frightening similarities between Harry and Tom Riddle. Fearful for Harry's soul, Dumbledore does the unthinkable.
Warnings: HP/SS, Non-Con, Snarry, Slash, Violence and some Swearing. (Not as dire as it sounds. Just be warned I've chosen the M rating for a reason.)
Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fiction. All rights are reserved to JKRowling.
--
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
The devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
He promised I would find a little solace
And some piece of mind
A Perfect Circle- Weak and Powerless
Chapter 7
"Italics" Speaking in Parseltongue
--
It was a Saturday and a Hogsmead weekend. Snape had of course banned Harry from all privileges after the Draco incident, which meant no Hogsmead weekends and no Quidditch. Even McGonagall couldn't deny that Harry had over stepped his bounds after his last stunt.
They had talked about the consequences if the plan failed, so Harry had been expecting loss of house points, detentions and bans. Still, Harry reasoned it had been worth it. So he wasn't as put out with his punishments as Snape or Dumbledore would have liked. In fact Harry was in a down right good mood, because he could see hope on the horizon. He had almost done it! Therefore it could be done.
Harry was sitting by himself in the Great Hall trying to make it up to Professor McGonagall by doing his Transfiguration homework. Hermione had gone into to Hogsmead to pick up supplies and check out the book store for anything helpful and Ron had gone to restock their candy supply.
Not many of the students were indoors, those who could leave the grounds had and the younger students were outside enjoying what was probably one of the last nice days before the cold autumn weather set in.
The hall wasn't completely deserted. A few late risers were having breakfast and Snape had weaseled out of chaperoning duty to watch Harry instead. Harry glared at the man for good measure.
The thing Harry hated most about his latest punishment was this watch duty. Wherever Harry went there was someone near by watching him, usually Filch. That filthy man followed Harry around everywhere, like some perverted dog. Already his dorm mates had taken notice of his second shadow. They had accepted Harry's story that he'd gotten into trouble again and Snape now had the custodian tagging him. But when Filch followed Harry into the lavatory then the jokes started.
Harry looked up from his work, raised voices were coming from outside. The entrance doors opened and Harry realised they weren't voices, they were screams.
Harry was up and running out of the castle in seconds. Students were running up from Hogsmead, shouting and crying.
He grabbed a passing Ravenclaw girl by the shoulders. "What's happened?" He demanded, though he already knew what was happening.
"Death Eaters in the village and…You, You Know Who was there. I saw him!" She started sobbing and Harry released her and started running toward the village.
"Harry Stop!" Hands grabbed at him and spun him around.
"Let go! He's here! I have to help…" Harry said trying to free himself from Snape's grasp.
"No! You have to stay here!" Snape shook Harry by the shoulders. "Do you understand? He's come for you!"
"Give me my magic back!" Harry shouted over the screams and sobs and frantic voices. "I can fight!"
Snape shook Harry violently. "No! You have to stay here!"
"I can fight!" Suddenly Harry remembered his friends and his eyes went wide. He started to struggle. "Ron and Hermione are in the village! I have to go! They are all I have."
"I'll go." Snape said pulling Harry aside. "Promise me you won't leave the wards, give me your word!"
The noise was getting louder, the fighting was moving towards the castle. Harry looked desperately towards Hogsmead, he could see smoke rising. Finally he nodded. As soon as Snape left, he would go.
"You have t say it!"
"I… I promise." Harry said and a tendril of magic tightened inside of him.
"I'll find them." Snape promised. He let Harry go and sprinted passed the gates and out of sight. Harry stood dazed for a moment, as bleeding students streamed passed him. Then he started walking to the edge of the wards, and stopped before the large iron gates of Hogwarts and waited.
It seemed like forever as he waited. He searched the crowd for the two faces he most desperately wanted to see. He tried to cross over several times, but he was held to his word now. He knew he wouldn't be able to cross the wards until the fight was over, or until it was too late.
Then he saw them. A blaze of orange hair atop the crowd was moving towards him. Harry started yelling and jumping to get a better look at his friend. He started to panic when he saw there was blood on Ron's face. And where was Hermione? The crowd shifted for a second and he saw her under Ron's arm, holding him up. Harry sagged in relief. They were alive.
When they saw Harry they ran straight for him as more students flowed in behind them.
Harry pulled Ron and Hermione to the side, but not before he saw what was behind them. Death Eaters were coming. Harry stared in shocked horror as the army of black robes and white masks marched up the lane. Harry had never seen anything so…frightening.
Hermione grabbed onto his shoulders. "They were looking for you Harry, when they realised you weren't in the village they started rounding up the students…." She panted. "The strange thing is they weren't hexing anyone from Hogwarts. But the explosions hurt everyone."
"Snape found us, and got us away." Ron added. Then he lowered his voice. "Voldemort's down there Harry. I think… I think Malfoy gave him your message. I think he's come to save you."
"What do I do?" Harry asked in bewilderment, looking from Ron to Hermione.
Hermione looked back at the coming army. "Maybe we should get away from here; we are out in the open."
"Excellent idea Ms Granger. All of you get back into the castle where it's safe." McGonagall shouted as the teachers ran down the hill to form a line before the gates, joining the others who had been in the village.
The senior students and prefects had made sure the younger ones were inside the castle. Still many of the students from fifth year and up had stayed to help. Sprout was shouting desperately for everyone to get back to the castle but Dumbledore didn't order them back and her voice quickly faded under the sound of a hundred Death Eaters boots.
Harry looked over at the group of Slytherins searching for Draco Malfoy. But the blond was too preoccupied with the coming Death Eaters. Harry didn't doubt that Malfoy would pass on the message, but this was…unexpected. Harry thought he'd maybe get an owl or a note, surely the Dark Lord hadn't come with an army for him.
"Harry." Seamus asked. "What should we do?"
Harry looked up and realised most of the students were DA and they were looking to him for guidance. "Nothing." He said. "Be on guard."
He didn't have to say another word. The students spread out a ways back from behind the teachers, ready to run or fight. Harry felt a moments worth of pride before Voldemort stepped out of the crowd with his hand around Snape's neck.
Immediately the small army stopped. The silence rang out like a thunder clap.
Snape looked almost like a death eater with his black teaching robes and pale face. Except that there was a cut under his eye, which eerily looked like he was crying blood. A pang of guilt washed over Harry. What had he done?
"Tom." Dumbledore said sternly. "Release my Potions Master."
Voldemort smiled. "You mean my Potions Master. I think not, he has disappointed me deeply. Taken what does not belong to him. He needs to be punished."
Harry met Voldemort's red eyes in shock. Voldemort looked just as he did in Harry's dreams, with a full head of thick dark hair, broad shoulders and slim waist, he even had a nose. The only things that remained of his previous state were the slit pupils and the pale iridescent skin.
A smile spread across Harry's lips. This was the first time, he was actually glad to see old snake face.
Harry didn't realise he had been moving until hands pulled him back. Ron was looking at him very seriously, not accusing or frightened. Harry nodded slowly and Ron let him go.
Harry tried to get closer, but was pushed back by the teacher's barricade.
"He can't cross the wards." Snape ground out. "He gave his word."
Voldemort clenched his jaw and squeezed his fist around Snape's throat in anger. "Well done Severus, you at least had some foresight I see, before you ran straight into my hands as a traitor."
"Come here Harry." Dumbledore said softly.
Harry sighed and stepped over to the Headmaster. "Well Tom, here he is. As you can see he is perfectly fine and healthy, and unable to pass through the gates."
"Is that why I am here, because he's FINE?" Voldemort scathed. "You've turned him into a eunuch you blathering old fool! Don't you see what you've done?"
"I've saved him," Dumbledore said calmly, "from you."
Voldemort smiled like a snake with a secret. "Perhaps…for now." He shook the Potions Master by the throat. Snape fell to his knees gasping. "But his life will be the cost, for you meddling. You really think Potter is going to accept this bond? Do you think he can?"
Harry looked up at the Headmaster, but the man didn't look at him. Harry was disappointed that the man he had looked up to for so long couldn't even look him in the eye.
"You already know the answer. You've known it for a while now haven't you? Potter was supposed to submit to the bond, after all, you have fulfilled all of the requisites. Severus should have had complete control over him by now, body, mind and soul, but he doesn't, does he?"
"Are you here to trade Severus for Harry, Tom?" Dumbledore put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Because…"
Voldemort laughed. "Yet again, you misunderstand me."
"Then what do you want Thomas?" Dumbledore said thick with anger.
"I came to speak with Harry, Albus."
Harry stepped forward and shook off Dumbledore's hand. Voldemort smiled at the gesture.
"I'm here." Harry hissed. He felt the entire student body behind him shiver and step back, even the Death Eaters became edgy. Voldemort's smile widened.
"I received your message. I see what they have done to you. Not even I would have thought to bind your power."
"You would bind me in other ways."
Voldemort shook his head. "No, Harry, I offered you freedom. Yes, that would mean certain sacrifices on both our parts, not killing each other for example, but you would be beside me of your own will."
"Bound by my word." Harry said.
Voldemort bowed his head minutely. "Is that unacceptable?"
"No," Harry whispered.
Harry had expected many things, but this he had not foreseen. Harry never thought that Voldemort would be someone to save him, but here he was, like some knight. Instead of feeling angry or scared, he felt oddly relieved and a little hopeful.
"I almost had him. I was so close to switching the bond. I don't know what to do. I want…I want out. I want freedom. I want to be left alone."
"And you will. You know what you have to do Harry, and when you do I will be waiting for you. They don't realise what they've done but they will. I promise."
"They don't want to know! Dumbledore thinks I'm you. He thinks I'm the next Dark Lord or something. He thinks he's saving me."
"You are stronger than them; you are stronger than even you know. I know you will win, because there is no other path for you Harry. It is in your blood to fight. People like us don't give up, we dig our heels in. We fight harder. People like us don't loose."
"What about the prophesy? Wouldn't one of us loose?"
Voldemort shrugged, he even made that look elegant. "Our battle is an epic one. Neither of us would loose because we gave up, or because the other was stronger. It will be our own flaws and imperfections, or a simple slip up. No one else can defeat you. Not even Dumbledore has that power."
"He shouldn't have bound me. He was wrong to..."
"Shall we show them how wrong they are? Shall I make them understand?"
Harry looked up with bright green eyes. That, he realised, was exactly what he wanted, he wanted Dumbledore and Snape and the rest of them to understand that what they did was wrong. He wanted them to admit it. He wanted this bond to go away.
Voldemort looked down at Snape as if he forgotten the man was there. Gently he released his grip and petted his dark hair smooth. "I can see why the old fool chose you Severus. You're strong willed, loyal and authoritative. You are all the things needed to be a dominate bond partner. But why in Merlin's name would you think you could control Harry Potter any more than you can control me? My equal! Did you think that the prophesy meant magic only? Did you truly think a weak mind can control that kind of power?"
Snape looked up at the Dark Lord, but Voldemort was staring at the Headmaster now. The anger and laughter twisted his human face into something terrible.
"Harry Potter is my equal in every way." Voldemort smirked contemptuously. "And you've turned him against you."
He leaned closer and in a mock whisper said. "It was a grand move. Not even I could have conceived of such…brilliance. You've managed to hand deliver Harry to me in one single move! But no! You couldn't stop there; you had to use your closest, most trusted servant as well. How does it feel Dumbledore, you have single-handedly lost your only saviour, and your spy!"
Dumbledore shook his head in denial. "Harry would never…"
"Never what?" Voldemort asked plainly. "Never hurt anyone? Never kill? Of coarse he wouldn't. He was good, despite what they did to him, but you had to meddle just like you always do. You had to make sure he was going to stay that way."
"This isn't my fault!" Dumbledore said. "If you hadn't tried to lure him into the dark, if you could only stop this ridiculous campaign and see reason."
"I don't deny what I have done. In fact I go to a lot of effort for everyone to know exactly what I have done. But it says a lot about you when Harry Potter, icon of the Light comes to me for help! You did the one single thing that would push him away. You did exactly what those filthy muggles did. You chained him!"
"I saved him, from becoming you!"
"No Dumbledore, you killed him."
--
Harry walked away between Ron and Hermione. Voldemort and the Death Eaters had apparated away, leaving an alive and whole Snape, a bewildered Dumbledore and a stunned audience.
"Harry how could you?" Dumbledore asked in confusion.
Harry turned, but it was Ron who answered. "No Headmaster! How could you?"
--
Author's Note:
I think it is funny, that the Voldemort's chapter is the only chapter in this whole story that didn't require any warnings;D
So... Draco passed on Harry's message and he got a whopping reply. Granted, Harry expected Voldie to be a bit more subtle. But sometimes you just have to admire Voldemort, the crazy madman. He gets to do whatever he pleases. It's one of the things I admire about him. Voldemort would have taken Harry if he could have, but he did the next best thing…he took Harry's side.
Now, Voldemort has spilled the beans and explained the main idea for this whole story. Harry and Voldemort are equals. Which we all knew, right? But it means more than just being able to defeat one another. They are equals in every sense, mind, magic, power, pasts, abilities, wands, blood. They are opposites sides of the same soul.
I always figure there is a strange sort of respect between them, because they are equals and because they share so much of each other. They are metaphorical brothers… the family you hate, but would do anything to protect. Which explains why Voldemort would kill Harry and come to Harry's rescue. Though at the moment they share a common enemy, which helps.
What will Dumbledore do now? The truth is out, his reputation on the line, and he now realises he's pushed Harry into the arms of the enemy. The best of intentions, eh?
And I know many of you hate Dumbledore right now, but he is more than just a manipulator, the next, and last chapter will expose Dumbledore's motives, and Snapes. Both of them will be forced to remedy what they've done, or face the consequences….
REVIEW!! Please! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter