A/N: Revamped Wahahahahahahahahahahaha! Im back and in charge {Swiftly gets kicked off his high horse}
Ouch! Ouch! Sooooorry, guy cant even have a small ego boost anymore. Well everyone, both new and old, I welcome you to "Magic and Daggers" two-point-oh.
{Jurassic Park music plays as doors open} Wait! Wrong Door guys, Wrong door!
{Raptors poke out of the door} Oh shit, Oh shit, Oh shit!? Uh, see you all later, enjoy the first redone chapter.
{Runs for his life as Raptors give a screech and starts the hunt for the poor quirky human}
Chapter 1: Nothing to Lose
Deep Inside Gringotts, 2005
Dark and alone, a cloaked individual was pacing back and forth within the confines of the room. Fifteen minutes pass before the sound of a screeching door could be heard. The lone occupant of the room turned towards the noise and behind the giant metal door, a young man with a torch appeared. Within a second of seeing the young man, the cloaked individual lifted their arm with a knife at the ready.
The man with the torch froze halfway in. The stream of light had spread out in the room, showing nothing but rocks and rags. The only noticeable thing about the room was the door in the far back that had a red gleam to it due to the lights glow hitting the rubies embedded in the wood. The man holding the torchlight had blonde hair that was slicked back, and his pale skin shone with the contrast of the black clothes he wore.
"Potter, it's just me. Has the hero himself finally snapped, pulling a knife at every stranger he sees?" The snort coming from the cloaked individual reverberated around the room.
"You know it doesn't work like that, Malfoy", the man replied, his voice was dry and raspy.
"Oh come off it Potter, you seriously can't tell it's me? I don't have time for your games."
Malfoy took one step towards the man in the room and in an instant the small blade held by the cloaked person disappeared only to reappear embedded in the wall right next to the now-stunned blonde's face.
"That was a warning, Malfoy, one more step and I WILL end you."
Malfoy wasn't stupid, deciding now wasn't the time to have his fun. "All right, all right, ask away, 'Oh Demented One'" Okay, so he couldn't fully stop his fun.
"Through our time together we had always hated each other, what changed our opinion of each other and allowed us to see eye to eye?" Malfoy had to grit his teeth in annoyance, he always tried to forget that day. It was probably the best security question to ask between them. Something really bad had to of happen for him to ask such a painful question.
"When I needed help, you came" That was all that was going to be said about THAT day.
The mystery man took his hood off to show a mane of black hair that seemed out of control and eyes a deep shade of emerald. His only show of an apology for the question was a small bow of the head. Draco nodded his head in return, showing he accepted the silent apology, and finally moved from his spot in the doorway. Using all of his weight, he pushed the door shut with loud squeaks till the end. He walked over to Harry and sat down on the floor. A minute passed, then two before Malfoy broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Since you stay down here the least you can do is oil that damn door, it's a nuisance to open and close".
Harry walked away to a corner of the room where a giant pile of rags laid. Moving them aside revealed a crate, opening it he lifted out two loaves of bread. Turning around, he tossed one to Draco. "The door alerts me when someone tries coming in. It's big so they have to put effort into it and the screeching can't be silenced by magic because the resistance the door has to magic."
Draco finished his loaf promptly and looked around the room again before directing on Harry who was now leaning against a wall. "I never got to ask, but where are Granger and Weasley? I've hardly ever seen them away from you besides on missions."
The instant he asked that question Draco noticed Harry go rigid. His eyes shaded and radiated a poisonous green. The magical vibes he was giving off were so dominant that one would testify they were seeing a mirage of clear waves encircle him. When Harry spoke his voice was laced with hatred. "How about we start with why you were late? You were supposed to be here almost two hours ago!"
Draco had to hold back the urge to retreat, as when Potter got this mad it was best not to agitate an already angry beast. "The Minister called me up to his office and asked, more like interrogated, me how much longer it will take to track you. Honestly, I think I'm about to compromise my position so I should stay away from you for a while or walk away from the ministry for good." Potter breathed, his muscles relaxing. A sign that he accepted the excuse.
Harry closed his eyes as he contemplated the years on the run and the deceits that ran with it. After the war, he and Ginny did a double wedding with Hermione and Ron, then went to Hogwarts for their 7th year; mostly to stop Hermione's persistent nagging. "We have to finish our education!", she'd say. Jobs were given to each of us right when we graduated; Ginny became a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, Hermione's love for knowledge and books drove her to teach at Hogwarts, and Ron followed him into the Auror department. A year or two later it looked like everything was going great; oh how wrong he was.
The hardcore purebloods along with Fudge, the re-elected minister of magic, framed him with the conspiracy to take over the magical world and came up with some sham proof which, to most, would be seen as nothing more than a hoax. In that lies the problem, the wizards and witches in Britain were nothing more than mindless sheep; so when Harry was branded a world-class villain worse than Voldemort, most of Britain wanted him dead. Thank Merlin for common sense though, while Britain accepted him a monster, the remainder of the world considered otherwise. When things got difficult Harry fled from country to country to evade arrest; Russia, India, France, even America. But as he was running everything was getting out of hand.
Britain, being a single power against every other country, did some dark things to try and take his life. Werewolves, vampires, giants, and other labeled dark creatures were drawn in to strengthen their power. Wizards turned to dark rituals from blood to soul sacrificing. To put it bluntly, things were very, very, dark in Britain. So being the good Samaritan Harry was, he went back to attempt and set things right.
Nothing went right. Just like the war with Voldemort, people were dying, but at a much swifter pace. Four years pass by, and Britain had slain most of the world's inhabitants. The people on Harry's side had diminished to nothing, making a rising impossible. The focus then was just to survive but now it would appear that was going to be reaped from him as well, Harry lamented, feeling the hopelessness take over.
Draco watched the entire time Harry was reflecting on the past, gazing at the wall but without genuine focus. His curiosity grew until Draco couldn't hold it anymore. "What happened?".
Harry turned to look into his eyes and Draco knew right their that the situation must be disastrous. He had never seen Harry appear so ragged, gray, and completely spent. His eyes were dim and clouded, his body slackened on the ground, an emptiness that showed that Harry had any hope.
In a tone devoid of any emotion he spoke, "Ron, he was the mole we were attempting to locate". Draco couldn't comprehend it, he had many opinions of the red-headed weasel, but this exceeded it all. He shook his head. 'Potter had to be cursed with all the bad luck he has'.
Harry rigidly got up and proceeded towards the crate getting himself another loaf all the while still speaking. "He killed Hermione when he told her everything in a belief she would join him in turning me in, that explains why her research trip appeared to have taken longer than it ought."
Draco couldn't endure listening to Harry talk anymore. His voice was emotionless, no vigor or interest. When Harry Potter resigns, it was time to hang up the cloak. "How long do we have 'till they come?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm genuinely shocked you had come by yourself. I guess they didn't arrest you to add salt to the wound that they knew you were our spy," he told Draco. The stillness was all that occupied the vault for what felt like hours. Suddenly, laughter could be overheard resounding in the small vault. Harry glanced and saw Draco on his back, laughing, his face gradually staining itself with tears. Ordinarily, he would taunt Draco with how he was acting but he couldn't blame him. The circumstances were so grave one just couldn't help but chuckle at it all . . . . .
. . . . . and chuckle Harry did.
If all was lost, then he figured there was no danger to be concerned with in trying. Harry got up with an enthusiasm that was previously foreign and went to the end of the vault to the ruby encrusted door, and as he felt it with his right hand, the door opened. Looking at Draco he gave a grin that could only be described as defiant, "So you going to stay on that cold floor crying like a pubescent witch, or attempt an impossible miracle?"
Draco was dumbfounded. He didn't know what had happened but in an instant, he went from mimicking a walking corpse to strutting with his Potter arrogance. Harry Potter was back in the game. Getting up and dusting himself off, he thought that if there was anyone acting like a witch it was the hero with mood swings. "What 'impossible miracle' would this be?"
Harry went through the open door, down a cobblestone corridor, with Draco trailing behind, "Time travel".
Draco was quickly growing sick of these shocks. His heart could only take so much. "That's not possible".
The single reply was a name, expressed with such friendliness and pride "Hermione".
"Of course she figured it out, only the know-it-all Granger could pull something like this off."
While talking, Draco was looking around the thin hall they were going down. He had never been in here before, Harry solely brought Hermione and Ron in with him. Now witnessing it there would appear nothing was all that exceptional about it, that was until they advanced into the chamber. The walls were constructed with gemstones. Each side had their own color; red, blue, yellow, and green. Upon seeing the white marble floor was the Hogwarts symbol, embedded in with gold shimmering brilliantly like water.
He saw ledgers and documents scattered over the entire place, but what grabbed his attention the greatest was the rocks in a circular design within the center of the room. The stones possessed symbols engraved on them, which Draco could only guess would be runes. Done looking around, he believed it was time to get to business.
"What is it you need me to do, Potter?"