A New Path

CHAPTER 13 - From Hogsmeade to Hogwarts

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.

"Why isn't he scared?" Snatcher one asked snatcher two.

"I don't know but it's creeping me out a little."

"Will you two be quiet?" A third snatcher barked. "It doesn't matter. We take them to a death eater, who summons the dark lord, and then we get our reward. Who cares why 'e's not messing his pants."

Harry glanced at Hermione the best he could while being manhandled.

"Which death eater we trying this time?" Snatcher two asked.

"Malfoy."

Harry laughed. After a moment of surprise, Hermione joined him. The snatchers looked at each other worried.

.

"I'll take them from here." Lucius told the snatchers in a lofty fashion.

"Nah right. We'll stay with them. Not having you Malfoys taking all the credit."

Lucius grimaced. "They will be placed in the dungeon." He stated. "Would you, gentlemen follow me." He said the word gentlemen with great hesitation.

Harry and Hermione were taken to their cell. What Malfoy did with the snatchers, Harry had no idea, but he was certain they wouldn't be getting the reward they thought they were due, even if Harry had still been on the opposite side to Voldemort.

.

Harry sat in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor, knees to his chest. Hermione was watching him. So were Luna and a familiar-looking goblin.

"Are you going to start or do I have to question it out of you?" Hermione asked the silence.

Harry looked up at her. He opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated.

"Any time you like." The girl continued.

Harry breathed in and then let it out. "Okay... where to start..."

"How about at the beginning?"

Harry and Hermione turned to look at Luna who had edged closer and was listening politely.

"Um, alright." Harry said, carefully. "I guess that would be two years back when Voldie came to Privet Drive then."

"He what?" Hermione practically choked.

"Yep." Luna nodded.

Hermione glanced at the blonde girl, Luna smiling sweetly all the while.

Harry glanced at the goblin, he knew he knew him from somewhere but couldn't quite place the name to face. "Yeah, he did." He said, turning back to the two witches. "I think he threw a stone at my window too." He added with a bemused smirk.

Luna laughed, so did the goblin, but Hermione just looked at Harry gobsmacked. "He threw a stone at your window?" She repeated. Harry nodded. "Volde- you-know-who?"

"Yeah."

"You're not joking?"

Harry laughed. "Not a joke. Ask him if you like."

"I might." Hermione paused. "Maybe not."

Harry went on to recap his first few weeks with the dark lord and the events of the following two years. He left out some of the details, like the exact names of those he had talked over and a few of his less proud moments, but he covered as much as he could in detail.

"So, Mr Riddle has been popping into Hogwarts to see you?" Luna asked, the choice of name making the other three inhabitants of the cell tense slightly, but Luna didn't seem to notice. "That's nice."

"I've been curious," the goblin, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke, "this wizard. He murdered your parents, is the cause of your atrocious upbringing, and yet you choose to live with him, become his son even, move from the light to the dark. Why is that?"

Harry tried not to stare. "H... Hagten?

"-skloc. Hagtenskloc. But I'm flattered that you remember."

"I'll answer yours if you answered me this, why in the world are you down here? Surely Voldie didn't lock you up? If he did, I'm gonna have a word or two to say to him about it."

The goblin grinned. "I remind you that you are here yourself, hm." The goblin raised an eyebrow challengingly.

Harry batted the suggestion away. "That's different. Death eaters being idiots."

"Harry, that was you."

"Ouch, Hermione."

"Again, that came out wrong. We're here because you said his name without thinking."

"True, but we're at Malfoy Manor and the Malfoys know who I am. Even without the glamour."

"What glamour?"

"Oh? Did I forget that bit? I have a glamour. It makes me look a bit more like him. I think you'll like it. Anyway, they should know better." Harry turned his attention back to Hagtenskloc. "So, how about you?"

"Quite similar actually. I arrived here on genuine business."

"The faulty ritual?"

"Quite, and for some reason the family residing here saw fit to incarcerate me." Harry nodded understandingly. "And now you?"

"Huh?"

"My question?"

"Oh, yes. Um, well, I haven't. Become dark. Yes he murdered my parents but he wasn't the reason why I grew up the way I did. That was all the doing of other people. I had better places I could live, I just wasn't allowed to. You know, Dumbledore never checked up on me once. Apparently he was meant to. He had a squib watching me, he must have known, but he did nothing, stopped others from doing things to help. So yeah, not Voldie, Dumbledore." Harry took a breath to calm himself. "And I believe Voldie when he says that he's sorry about my parents. He says he was unstable and that under his normal mind he would never have sought me out. I believe him because I've seen both sides of him. The outright nutter and the mostly sane but sometimes a little wobbly guy."

"And he saved you." Hermione added softly.

"That's why I went with him at first." Harry agreed. "But after a little while I saw an opportunity. He's not a bad guy really. Just bad choices from bad options. Dumbledore didn't like him." Harry turned directly to Hermione. "You saw the memories. Dumbledore was biased from the start."

"He was." Hermione agreed, nodding. Her eyes took in the faces of the other two in the cell.

"You asked me why I've gone from light to dark. I haven't. I admit, I'm not light, not anymore, not after I've seen from the other side. But I'm not dark either. I never will be. The opportunity I saw was to push Voldie away from the dark, or at least the darkest parts of the dark. He won't ever be light either but I think maybe I can make him at least somewhere near grey. And that's what this world needs. Someone in charge who can be neutral."

"And you think that someone should be him?"

"I don't know, maybe. I doubt anyone could ever manage it with Dumbledore. I think he's a lost cause, too light icon orientated and power hungry to boot, though he won't admit it. Voldie, though... maybe.

"So, yeah. That's why I stayed. But it's not the only reason I'm staying now. I love him. I really do. I didn't at first, and I would never have expected to either, but I realised recently that I do. He's become the father I never had. Yes, you don't need to say it, I know he's the reason I lost my real father, but I never had a father figure before and that's not his fault."

"That was really sweet Harry."

"Merlin! Not again! He's listening."

"Why do you always listen at the most embarrassing moments?"

"I- you too."

Harry smiled in a way that resembled Luna.

"He said it back?" Hermione asked.

"Kinda." Harry answered dreamily.

Luna curled up onto Harry's side.

"On an unrelated note, when are you going to ask that girl out? We both know how much you like her."

"I am so glad no one else can hear you right now." Harry answered, cheeks red. He glanced down at the blonde against his side. "Soon."

.

The door opened to reveal Bella and another death eater. The second death eater looked familiar to Harry despite them having never met and Harry realised he must be Rabastan, Rodol's brother.

"Those two." Bella order, pointing at Harry and Hermione.

Rabastan strode in and pulled the two to their feet.

Harry gave Luna and Hagtenskloc a quick 'it's ok' wink before he and Hermione were pulled out the door.

Bella grabbed Hermione's head and started to pull her along by her hair. Harry was about to speak but, before he did, Rabastan pushed him to follow.

They entered a nearby room, decked like a lounge. Lucius Malfoy and another death eater were already waiting. Bella pulled Hermione by the hair to the middle of the room, a glowering Harry being shoved along behind. Bella raised her wand to Hermione, a wicked grin on her face, while Rabastan held Harry to one side. Four more people entered the room quietly.

"Bella?"

She ignored Harry.

"Bella?"

That time, for that voice, she stopped.

Bella spun around, instantly letting go of Hermione's hair and lowering her wand in order to grovel at Voldemort's feet. "Master." She breathed happily and Hermione grimaced.

"Miss Granger, good to see you again."

Multiple mouths dropped open in shock.

Voldemort smirked and Harry laughed.

Hermione bowed. "Mister-Vold-your-my-" She kept it to a bow.

"I'm you what?" Voldemort asked innocently.

Harry fell over double in laughter at Hermione's reaction. A second voice joined him and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Sirius?" She asked, looking around for the owner of the voice.

The Black lord stepped forward from his hidden place, breathing heavily to catch his breath. Beside him, Harry was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes while forcing himself back into calmness.

"I thought you were dead?" She said, awestruck.

"Hermione, you're standing beside the dark lord and you're focusing on me?"

"We've already met." She and Voldemort answered in unison.

"Multiple times." Voldemort added.

Hermione looked at him, then turned to Harry.

"Remember the snake I got you to babysit?"

Hermione's hands flew to her mouth while Voldemort glared at Harry. Rodolphus, Sirius and his brother were clearly trying to force their laughter back down but the Malfoys and Bella looked as shocked as Hermione.

"You got that mudblood to 'babysit' the dark lord?" Bella asked.

Harry giggled. "Well he was pretending to be my pet snake." Harry answered, a mask of innocence. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Don't call Hermione a mudblood." The still innocent voice had a dark undertone to it that made most of the people in the room shiver, except Voldemort who smiled with fatherly affection and pride.

Harry turned to Voldemort. "Hagtenskloc's here to see you." He said.

"I had noticed." The dark lord responded dryly.

"Think you should get someone to let him out before the goblins decide to call you the enemy." Harry continued. Voldemort smirked, Harry wasn't really telling him of the goblin's whereabouts.

"My lord?" Lucius bowed. "It has come to my attention that my wards have placed a guest of yours in the dungeon. Please forgive me, I will have it rectified immediately."

Voldemort inclined his head slowly and minutely. Lucius began to leave the room.

"Don't forget to let Luna out too." Harry called after him.

Lucius stopped, his eyes danced to Voldemort before settling back on Harry. He bowed and continued leaving.

"That was a lot less Slytherin than the first request, Prince." Rodolphus commented.

Harry shrugged.

"May I ask what the Lovegood girl's importance is?"

"He fancies her." Harry spun and glared at Hermione. The girl smirked.

"That would be somewhat obvious."

Harry rolled his eyes.

.

"It would appear mister Weasley has come to rescue you and your mu-ggleborn." Lucius told Harry airily. Harry nodded. "Would you like me to have him put in the dungeon or are you planning to play along again?"

"I'll deal with him." Harry answered in an I'm-done-with-you,-you-can-go-now manner.

Lucius inclined his head and left.

Harry left the study and walked to Voldemort's personal library. Due to, resentment among the death eaters over her being there, Voldemort had given Hermione permission to wander, and practically live, in his library. The death eaters weren't allowed in, even Harry got chucked out from time to time. "Hermione?" Harry called.

"Yes, Harry?" Her head poked out from behind a shelf.

"Ron's here for us, you wanna go with or stay here?"

Hermione frowned. "You're leaving?"

"Only if you are. I should deal with this whole hunt for horcruxes thing but I don't think Ron could manage it on his own so, well, only if you're going."

Hermione pinned him with a stare. "You need to get over that argument. You admitted that you brought it on yourself so let Ron off a little."

Harry had the decency to look a little guilty.

"And as for the horcrux hunt. It would be a good idea to level everything out. We don't, well you don't, I don't know yet, want you-know-know to be killed for convoluted reasons."

"Big word." Harry commented.

"Oh, you're hopeless." Hermione said, throwing her hands in the air, but there was a smile on her face that matched Harry's.

"We're going, aren't we?" He said.

"We're going." She confirmed. "Did you-know-who ever tell you what the plan he's got on the go was?" She asked as she walked to meet Harry at the door.

Harry shook his head. "No. But give me ten minutes, a tube of toothpaste and one of those crazy peacocks from the front and I'll have it for you."

Hermione watched Harry leave, in a mix of confusion, amusement and a small amount of creeping concern for the dark lord. She brushed the concern off and chuckled. "You brought on yourself." She said to the empty library, choosing a book to read while she waited for Harry to return.

.

"Did you find out?"

"He wouldn't tell me." Harry answered grumpily.

"I will tell you when you need to know." Voldemort told him, entering the room behind Harry.

"And I don't need to know now?"

"Not all the details."

"Still ironing them out?" Hermione asked, she had gotten a lot more relaxed around the older wizard over the short while spent at the manor.

"Something like that, yes. Harry, I will share with you all my plans, you know that, but this particular plan requires a type of discretion that I don't think you'll be able to manage while juggling your various personas. Plus there is a high chance you may come across Dumbledore on your journeys. I doubt he has strayed too far from Hogwarts and a place of influence."

Harry nodded sourly.

"However, before you go. Take Nagini with you."

Harry frowned. "Nagini? Wouldn't that be the worst idea ever?"

/He means my youngling, Imi.\ The great snake slithered in. Hermione froze, rooted to the spot, but other than that she was calm.

/You too?\

/Master calls you it, am I wrong? Is that not your name?\

/No, but carry on. I can't stop Voldie so why should I stop you.\ Harry sighed, theatrically and Voldemort laughed. /What do you mean your youngling? You haven't had kids without me noticing have you?\

/Nagini has taken in a young snake discovered in the grounds. Nagini the second.\

/Right... I'm going to called Nagini's mini-me 'Gini. Anyone got any problems with that?\

Nagini and Voldemort laughed. /No.\ /None.\

/Good. It'll get confusing otherwise.\

"Can I know what that was about?" Hermione asked carefully.

"'Gini's coming with us." Harry answered.

"Who's 'Gini?" Hermione said.

"Good question." Harry looked pointedly at Voldemort and his familiar.

/Down here new master.\

Harry looked down. At his feet, climbing his shoe, was a small, thin snake. She couldn't be more than two feet long. Harry picked her up.

/Aren't you gorgeous.\

Voldemort smirked and the two snakes hissed happily.

"She's beautiful." Hermione commented, although she kept her distance.

"I suggest you both go down to the cells." Voldemort said, breaking the moment. "I will have Lucius lower the wards enough so that the Weasley can 'rescue' you from them."

"Okay." 'Gini slithered up Harry's sleeve and Harry shivered at the strange sensation.

The two teens left the room, heading for their original cell. On their way, they met Luna. She walked with them. When they reached the cells, Luna joined them inside.

"Luna?" Harry asked, confused.

"If the two of you are being rescued it makes sense that I am too. I'll go back to my father and tell him I'm safe. I'm sure he's been very worried."

Harry couldn't fault her thinking.

They waited for Ron. A lot of time passed and no one came.

"Do you still have that pack of cards in that pouch Hagrid gave you?" Hermione asked after yet another hour had passed and still no rescue.

"Yeah, you that bored?"

"And then some."

Harry fished in his mokeskin pouch for the cards. He couldn't find them. Confused, Harry called for the entire contents to empty onto the floor. The cards weren't there. "Sorry, Hermione. Guess I left them somewhere."

"Oh! What was that?" Hermione pointed at the mirror on the floor. It was the two way mirror Sirius had given him over Christmas in fifth year.

A familiar face flashed over its surface again and Harry had to blink.

"That looked like Dumbledore." Luna commented with no inflection.

"It kinda did. But the other mirror was with Sirius?"

"Maybe it got left at the house?" Hermione suggested.

Harry shook his head to try and dislodge the thoughts, putting everything back into the pouch.

There was a pop.

The three teens looked up.

The door opened.

"Hurry up." Ron said urgently, Dobby standing just a little behind him. "They might be back any minute."

Harry, Luna and Hermione rushed over to Ron and the house elf. There was a pop and they were in a dark, dusty room.

"How did you find us?" Hermione asked.

"Same way as we found Harry before." Ron answered. "With the put-outer. But there was a problem. I couldn't find you. I couldn't get in first of all."

Harry grimaced. Ron didn't know that the Malfoy's knew about Dobby getting them in and out last time.

"It's a good thing you got that mirror out." Ron continued. "Aberforth, that's Dumbledore's brother, bought the other one off Mundungus a while back. Bit tatty and only half of a pair but it paid off. He hung it up somewhere, right, or something like that. He saw you in it and knew where you were. Got Dobby to go get you. Dobby came to me first, mind. He'd been trying to help me but we couldn't work out what was going on. Aberforth's been a great help there. I mean, we got in didn't we?"

Hermione smiled.

"Thanks Ron." Harry said.

"Where's Aberforth now?" Hermione asked. "And where are we?"

"Hog's Head." Ron answered. "Aberforth runs it."

"Dumbledore's brother runs the Hog's Head?"

"I know, right? He's down stairs."

Ron led the trio down the stairs to the bar. Aberforth was behind the counter cleaning glasses. Harry noticed that, unlike the last time he had been there, the glasses seemed to actually be getting cleaner.

"Hey, Aberforth. They're here."

The younger Dumbledore looked up and smiled. "Good to see you all safe." He said.

"Thanks to you." Hermione said.

"Yeah, thanks."

"It's what my brother would have wanted me to do." Aberforth answered with a slight shrug.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "I thought you didn't get on?" She asked.

"We didn't but that doesn't stop us working towards the same cause."

"What cause is that?"

"I would think it is probably the same cause as you. Tell me, what do you plan to do next now that you are free again?"

Hermione looked at Harry and Harry looked back at her.

"It's alright." Ron said. "He knows about the horcruxes."

Harry and Hermione's breaths hitched.

"I guess then we're looking for the next one." Harry said as steadily as he could manage.

"I can tell you that my brother believed there to be one somewhere within Hogwarts itself, if that's of any use? Though he never seemed to know where it was hidden."

The teens considered the information for a moment.

"How do we get into Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

Aberforth chuckled and nodded his head towards the portrait of his sister hung over the bar. "Watch."

Harry knew what was going to happen before it did. Ariana walked away into the distance of the portrait. When she returned, she wasn't alone. Neville was beside her.

Ron and Hermione were stunned. While Neville quickly explained about the special ability of the Room of Requirements, Harry tuned out and watched Luna. She didn't seem surprised either.

"I guess this is goodbye for now." Hermione said, turning to both Aberforth and Luna.

Ron frowned. "Aren't you coming with us?" He asked the blonde witch.

"I'm going to find my father." Luna answered simply.

"Good luck." Harry offered. Luna smiled.

Luna didn't wait for the other teenagers to leave. She said her goodbyes and then walked out of the bar.

"An interesting girl." Aberforth commented.

"You get used to her." Ron told him.

They walked towards the open portrait.

Harry froze.

He turned around slowly. "You go on," he called over his shoulder, "I'm just going to have a chat with Dumbledore."

"His name's Aberforth, Harry."

"Yeah," Harry agreed stonily, "Aberforth."

Ron and Hermione left with Neville.

Harry waited for a little while before he spoke, waiting to see if Aberforth would start the conversation. He didn't.

"You killed your own brother?!" Harry asked once he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Aberforth shook his head sadly. "My brother was an old man, Harry. He died of natural causes."

"But you still used him."

"I took advantage of a sad passing, that was all. The opportunity was there and I took it." The older wizard caught Harry's eye. "I know you know the same. Others may not be able to see the possible good in my decision but I know it."

Harry recognised the meaning. "You know about me. And V- you-know-who."

"I do. Believe me Harry, no good can come from what you believe to be your true path. He is too far gone. I am afraid Tom merely wishes to use you to further his own plans. As I have said before, he has hoodwinked many an intelligent wizard. There is no shame in it as long as you can admit it to yourself."

Harry stared at the old man in front of him. Albus disguised as Aberforth.

"You can't see it and I don't think you ever will." Harry told him. "There's no point trying to persuade you, is there?"

"I cannot see how you could be capable of it. Tom has never been capable of love, Harry. I do not see him changing now. Let us not forget the prophecy, my boy. You are destined to defeat one another."

"Prophecies don't matter. And even if they did, that one's done. It never said we had to kill each other."

"Yes. It did. I am so sorry, Harry, but that is the price you must pay. I wish there was another way-"

"There is. You just can't see it because you're too set in your thoughts. I've already defeated the dark lord. Twice I suppose. Even more if you count those times throughout school. I defeated him when I was a baby. That was defeat. That's all it said I had to do. But I don't think that was the one it meant. No, that would be what's happening now. You said it yourself a hundred times. The dark lord doesn't love. Can't love. Doesn't understand it. Well, he does, so I guess Voldie's not the dark lord anymore.

"You need to give him a chance, not just push him down all the time like you did since he was little."

Harry stopped and Dumbledore stood considering him in silence.

"Harry. Get out of there now. Don't forget, he may be an old fool but he is still an accomplished wizard being backed into a corner. Do not stay one second longer."

Harry gulped. "Do you like my snake, professor?" He asked as said snake uncoiled loosely down Harry's arm to rest over the back of his hand. She stood and stared at Dumbledore. "I called her Nagini. Oh, no, wait, that's Voldemort. I call her 'Gini."

Nagini the second launched herself at Dumbledore and Harry made a beeline to the portrait. It wouldn't open, Ariana was nowhere to be seen. Harry fled out the door, mind racing for a solution.

"The castle."

"Um, okay?"

Harry raced the distance to the Hogwarts gates. The figure that met him caught him by surprise.

"McGonagall?"

The older witch smiled, lowering the wards just enough to let Harry enter before closing them again straight after.