The Second Chance
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything of Harry Potter. This story is inspired by Kurinoone's awesome amazing story 'The Darkness Within', which was inspired by Project Dark Overlord's wonderful fic- 'A Shattered Prophesy'.
To turkeyy, Scarlet Heart5, Oirasse, Harry fanfic, Ash-Bookworm 113, Tommytooth, Phoenixx Rising, LadyGryffin17, Manu, G, Jessica, v1cky84, TSRowenwood, coolchickdiv, NyraLilyPotter, 12, Kurinoone, Pryanish Potter and 5 special guests: words fail to express my utmost gratitude for your constant encouragement... your reading and reviewing my works have helped me improve loads in my writing throughout the years, from when I first started this story... :D Thank you ever so much! I can't believe I'm almost reaching 500 reviews! Massive thank you to all of you!
For those who like listening to appropriate soundtracks while reading.. :) : I listened to the Piano Guys' Moonlight (electric cello) while writing the first part of the story, then Julia Sheer's You Will Never Be and If I Cry A Thousand Tears for the last few parts. It's really the tune that fits the scene, not the lyrics, actually...
Chapter 23: Let the moment last
For a moment, Harry was stunned; he couldn't believe what he'd just walked into. The entire scene before him was surreal; like a distant memory of a nightmare. The entire kitchen was coated with dust, as though no one had entered this abandoned room for years. But every pot and pan, the kitchen table, the oven, everything was just as he remembered. The soup bowl remained overturned on the stove; he could have just put it there to dry yesterday night. The kitchen stool was still in the corner, as though his younger self had just used it to reach the cupboards.
Something drew him forwards, an eerieness, nostalgia even, curiosity- and the pain flaring in his scar, brought him closer and closer, inching his steps forwards to look more, even though what he saw repulsed him, horrified him. Behind, Nagini hissed angrily, "This is your last warning, Prince!"
But Harry paid her words no heed; he whirled around, eyes growing a dark merciless black. "Where is this place?" he asked through clenched teeth, "Tell me truthfully!"
"This is a restricted section in Riddle Manor, the Dark Lord forbids anyone to enter," Nagini answered, her eyes boring into Harry's, "Even I myself have never ventured this far- you are disobeying the Dark Lord's orders!"
Harry's scar gave a painful throb, but he ignored it, blinking away the blurriness in his eyes, "But how can you not know this place, Nagini?" he hissed softly, "After all, I remember- this is the place you first met me."
"This is just a replica!" Nagini hissed, her voice furious, "This is not the real Godric's Hollow."
"Really? Then tell me, why does Voldemort keep an exact replica of the house I've hated all my life in Riddle Manor?! Do you have an answer?" Harry shouted back at her, his eyes a merciless black.
Nagini launched herself at Harry with something closer to a snarl than a hiss, but Harry swerved narrowly out of the way; Nagini's enchanted cage sent pots crashing into the wall. "What are you implying, then?" the snake asked Harry, her eyes glittering.
"This is not a replica," Harry said numbly, staring at Nagini to gauge a reaction, part of him willing her to contradict his statement. It felt as though a part of him, the part of him that trusted his father inexplicably, the part of him that studied his father's reaction closely whenever he presented his master plans, despite the fact he told himself he never cared- was dying away like a winter flame, shaken by the wall was distrust building all around them. Voldemort never trusted Harry not to dig deeper into the matter; Harry never trusted Voldemort's words enough with the story he'd been given about his past year's life. But what did all of this mean? If he was doubting whether this was the Godric's Hollow he'd been brought up in...
...he'd be doubting his entire life.
"You mean to say that this is the Godric's Hollow I took you away from?" Nagini hissed, no longer attacking, her huge yellow eyes boring straight into Harry's emerald ones. "Your trust in Master is shameful, Prince. I expected better..."
Harry did not reply. He trusted Voldemort; he trusted the wizard who had rescued him from the Potters, whom had raised him up to be who he was. He wanted to go back up through the trapdoor, slam the door shut and seal it close behind him with Parseltongue. Pretend none of it ever happened. But he, much like Voldemort, could never turn his back on a lie; he needed to dig deeper, into the truth, even though it hurt; scarred.
"I hate this too," Harry told Nagini, who was watching him intently, "Part of me wishes that I never opened this trapdoor, never found this place." His voice was soft, but he could hear the break in it; he was sure Nagini could, too.
"You should turn back," Nagini hissed in reply.
"I should," Harry said, his smile bitter. But I'm not going to. "Goodbye Nagini."
He turned to leave through the trapdoor, not bearing the sight of the fake Godric's Hollow before him, but Nagini lunged after him, coiling part of herself around his feet, preventing him from leaving.
"You're not leaving Riddle Manor," she said, something like a warning in her tone.
His scar was throbbing so hard; a mixture of blood, pain and tears clouded over him. He shook his head slightly, prying his foot away from her, not wanting to hurt the first friend he ever had when he was younger. "I will return," he promised. "Even if it's the last thing I do, I need to talk to him. But he's away now- so don't worry. I-I promise I'll come back when he does."
Nagini tensed, fighting every fibre of her being not to tell Harry, Voldemort was right there in Riddle Manor; he had not left. If anyone could stop Harry, her master could.
"What shall I tell him when he does?" she questioned instead.
"I know you must tell him the truth, that I forced my way in here. I'm sorry," Harry paused, before answering, "Tell him that I have gone away. But I promise to return."
"I cannot allow you to leave, Prince," Nagini hissed, her eyes hardening with steel. "You must not leave the grounds."
"Try and stop me," Harry challenged, and in the brief moment when Harry's wand lit up, Nagini saw that his eyes were a brilliant green; filled with pain and confusion, but not a dark merciless black.
She scrambled for words, but before she could do anything, Harry spoke for one last time, "Is father really not here?"
Nagini paused for a moment, before replying dutifully, "No. He is away."
Harry nodded once before letting out a burst of raw magic, which wound itself immediately around Nagini, restricting her movement. She hissed angrily, thrashing, her movements wild, but to no avail. When she finally looked up from her prison cage, Harry had already gone.
Hogwarts
"Can you explain it already?"
Damien was panting by the time he and Draco had fled from Dumbledore's office, right into an empty classroom, his Invisibility Cloak slipping; Draco's Disillusionment Charm fading. Upon approaching the first empty classroom they saw, Draco immediately shoved Damien in before himself, then slammed the door shut. Without pausing even for breath, Draco weaved up protection charms and locked the door quickly with a few complicated waves from his wand.
Draco turned to face the impatient youngest Potter, not bothering to keep the truth away any longer. "I was correct," Malfoy said at last, his tone betraying hints of triumph. "We have confirmed one thing- Harry broke through the wards and lost his magic on purpose."
Damien said nothing; though many emotions were chasing across his hardened features. Most of them screaming in denial that Harry wouldn't be so stupid. For a wizard as powerful as Harry, to lose one's magic would be as good as losing one's life.
"Here's what I guess happened on the night Harry was supposedly captured and killed months ago," Draco continued, speaking in a low voice as he began to pace the room. "He was tortured by The Dark Lord's Death- Eaters until it was time for them to leave and prepare for the Hogsmeade raid. The Dark Lord ordered all of them to leave then. After that, he healed Harry quietly and started to meddle with Harry's memories, blanking out few parts and leaving the parts where he hated the Potters intact.
"However, on that very same night, Harry turned seventeen, when Voldemort was at Hogsmeade, waving the fake corpse of Harry Potter around," Draco continued, Damien remaining in stunned silence, "Harry managed to fight off the memory charm for a moment, as such complex charms takes time to meld across the mind. At the same time, as you mentioned- your snowy owl turned up obligingly for Harry. Harry sends his last letters to you as well as Dumbledore. He also encloses the plans of his building the blood wards to the Headmaster, obviously counting on Dumbledore to reopen Hogwarts and keep the students safe."
"But Harry knew that Voldemort would attack Hogwarts..." Damien intervened, fear suddenly creeping into his voice as he contemplated what could have happened.
"That's what I thought," Draco nodded in confirmation. "Harry must have guessed that Voldemort had further plans for him, when he woke up healed and well once more. He feared what his father would have him do, and he must have been prevented from escaping the manor by some means, so he took measures to ensure that- he would not harm those he cared about when he once more, became The Dark Lord's mindless puppet."
Damien's mind was reeling from this information; he never realized that Draco had deliberately used the Dark Lord's name. "So what you're saying is that Harry guessed that Voldemort would attack Hogwarts? That's why he sent his Blood Wards plans to Professor Dumbledore. And he purposely left a modified version of his plans behind for himself..."
The youngest Potter trailed off, leaving Draco to complete his theory. "And it is my guess that in those modified plans, it is stated that no harm would befall on those strong enough to force their way through the blood wards by raw magic; whereas the truth is otherwise."
Damien sat back, his eyes unfocused. "Merlin..." he muttered. "If what we guess is true, then Harry is as good as... dead."
"Again," supplied Draco, grimly.
xXx
Damien had seemingly gained a new found freedom from their discovery about Hedwig being able to breach the Hogwarts blood wards by wearing the Layhoo Jisteen, as now he would be able to send letters as he pleased, without the fuss of being interogated by the professors, and his letter content privacy invaded. Besides everything hectic and surreal that had been going on around Hogwarts, a part of him was extremely worried and anxious for news from home; he had not heard from his parents ever since he boarded the Hogwarts Express. And knowing his father, who was still coping from losing Harry once more, he was actually just as concerned as his mother was; his father was still an active member of the Order, and goodness knows he tended to act recklessly.
The youngest Potter felt, inevitably, suffocated and frustrated being cooped up at Hogwarts, the ultimate safe haven, without even knowing what was going on in the world. Voldemort had stormed close to Hogwarts that day, intending to snatch Harry back, and the Dark Lord most probably would have attacked the wizarding school had Harry not returned to him swiftly.
Briefly, Damien wondered why the Dark Lord had not decided to attack Hogwarts yet. Was his army not yet ready? Or had he not found a way around the wards yet? Why did he choose to snatch Harry back on that particular day, just as Harry's identity to him was revealed? Were there any other attacks on other places in the wizarding world as well?
"This is not the wisest of decisions, Potter," Draco drawled, leaning against the entrance of the Owlery as Damien tied the parchment to Hedwig's offered leg and began to undo the Layhoo Jisteen around his neck.
"If you were me, you'd probably do the same," Damien shot back, ignoring the warning.
"No I wouldn't," Draco said flatly. "Mainly because I have no family that I care enough about to write to. And even so, I wouldn't risk so much."
Damien sent Hedwig off with a last pat before turning around to face Draco. "It was only a letter to my parents," he argued, "What's more, I specifically told them not to tell Professor Dumbledore about it. No harm done."
Draco shrugged. "Suit yourself."
They stared into the night in silence after that, Draco stepping forwards to lean out of the ornate windows, Damien watching Hedwig's white feathers disappear into the dark.
"We're supposed to be planning," Damien spoke up at last, after a long silence.
"You mean I'm supposed to be planning," Draco corrected. "Since when do you actually plan before you act?"
"Oh I don't know, just an hour ago, maybe?"
"Since I came along," Draco deadpanned with a smirk. Damien growled.
"You're horribly inflated."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "I would have you know, I'm considered thin for my age. Which is more than can be said for you."
"I mean, your ego is," Damien remedied. "Besides... that wasn't the main point."
"I just missed it. Must have picked up on your bad habits."
"Like sneaking out of the dorm past curfew?"
"Perhaps. Besides, it's only five minutes past curfew, hardly record breaking, is it?"
"No," Damien agreed, not even sure why he was holding such a pointless conversation with a Malfoy no less. "My record was actually an entire night spent in detention but that hardly counts..." he trailed off as he watched a speck of white grow steadily larger from the distance.
"That was fast," Draco remarked, watching as Hedwig soar into view, her white feathers spread out wide as she glided over towards where Damien was standing.
"It's not possible, Potter Manor is far away from here," Damien said, more to himself as Hedwig came nearer. He reached out a hand for her to perch on as she arrived, hooting repeatedly, as if trying to convey an urgent message.
"Hey! You never delivered the letter!" Damien said indignantly, immediately finding the parchment he'd tied to Hedwig's leg, addressed to his parents. Hedwig merely ruffled her feathers and held up another leg, though she did look a tad sulky.
What Damien saw made his heart freeze, his legs rooting him to the spot.
"What happened?" Draco asked.
Damien did not reply; he merely unattached the singed piece of parchment from Hedwig's leg and turned it over for Draco to see.
It contained the easily distinguishable messy scrawl of one Harry Potter.
To Damien Potter
Meet me at the edge of the wards near the Quidditch pitch as soon as possible. I promise you no harm. Come alone.
For a moment, there was complete and utter silence as Damien contemplated the letter, Draco's unhelpful piercing gaze resting heavily on him. Eventually, the youngest Potter lit his wand and ignited the piece of parchment with a simple charm. Draco watched as the singed parchment burnt slowly into ashes and scattered quickly under the night breeze.
"You're not going," Draco said, looking at Damien straight in the eye.
The youngest Potter barely refrained from an eye roll. "Yes, and I love poetry."
Draco stared.
"It was supposed to be rhetorical," Damien sighed.
"You cannot be serious," Draco sounded aghast. "Of all the silliest tricks in the world, I should have known you'd fall for the simplest one of all. Imagine, any Death- Eater who wants your head should have the easiest job in the world. All they need to do is send a note to Potter and tell him to come alone. Hell, they even get to determine the site you'll be kidnapped from!"
"This is no Death- Eater trick," Damien shot back irritably, "Surely you can see this is Harry's handwriting!"
"Harry is supposed to be incapacitated," Draco pointed out. "He was completely drained of magic after breaking out from the blood wards."
"Well, Harry was always exceptional," Damien said defensively, "Besides, only Harry can summon Hedwig."
"Which makes everything a whole lot better?" Draco questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Might I remind you that Harry is now completely brainwashed, and his capabilities, even if he is magically drained, far exceed a formidable Death- Eater?"
"I know-"
"Which makes everything worse," Draco finished flatly.
"No, just shut up about that," snapped the younger wizard, annoyance flaring up once again. "Harry wouldn't have sent this to me without reason. And if you're thinking that he still means to kidnap me-" Damien said warningly, "- Harry, brainwashed or not, would never stoop to such a low trick. So that is irrelevant."
As much as Draco wanted to argue, part of him knew that the last part was true. "Fine, see if I care," he bit out at last, for a brief moment worrying if that statement was true- then he turned away.
Damien watched as Draco disappeared out of the door of the Owlery, with a small pang of guilt, which was both surprising and extremely disturbing. This had nothing to do with Malfoy anyway! Harry was his brother, and he was determined to see that those memories returned their rightful owner. Harry would never be Voldemort's mindless puppet, ever again!
With that thought, Damien settled down in a corner to wait, counting down the next fifteen minutes until he could start planning on sneaking out into the castle grounds.
xXx
Since Damien already had his Invisibility Cloak with him, he had no need of returning to his dormitory to retrieve it. However, there was still the issue of the Marauder's Map, which Damien was determined to take to Harry's face later when he saw him. Sure, they had more important things to discuss, and Damien was extremely anxious if he could somehow persuade Harry to see the truth, but that didn't mean that the Map did not matter. It belonged to the Marauders, and Damien had been entrusted with it to keep the Map safe.
Damien had sent off Hedwig with a reply that he would be there if Harry was alone, too. A part of him didn't want to seem too agreeable, as though he were needy. And Damien definitely did not want to come face to face to Voldemort or his Death- Eaters, even if they promised him no harm. It would also make the process of revealing the truth to Harry even more difficult.
As the clock hand approached a quarter to twelve, Damien couldn't help but wonder what had inspired Harry to suddenly return to Hogwarts, and request to meet him no less. Sure, it could be a trap- doubtless Harry knew about the blood wards and he might have guessed that Damien was one of the Secret Keepers- but that couldn't be the point, because Harry had plenty of opportunities to harm him during their stay at Hogwarts, especially when the youngest Potter was grievously injured as he pursued his elder brother. But this was still Harry, and despite the fact that his ribs still felt a bit sore, a larger part of him refused to be convinced that Harry would somehow harm him, intentionally.
After loitering around the Owlery for a few more minutes, and not seeing any sign of Hedwig returning from Potter Manor, Damien pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and wrapped himself tightly in it before stepping out cautiously.
The corridor was dark and empty, and the carpet muffled any sounds his footsteps might have made. It was one of the few times that Damien had to depend solely on his senses to detect whether there was anyone heading his way, and not for the last time, Damien cursed Harry for taking the Marauder's Map. It might not be his fault that he was brainwashed, but it certainly was Kit Mason's fault Damien lost James' prized possession.
After hurrying down staircases and eerily silent corridors for a full five minutes, and narrowly escaping Mrs. Norris and Filch on the second floor corridor- Damien finally stepped out into the open air. The night breeze was cool and refreshing, and since Quidditch tryouts weren't due until the day after tomorrow- Ginny's previously scheduled tryouts were cancelled because Damien had to prepare for the Duelling Club- the youngest Potter had not had the chance to enjoy the evening breeze for a long time. There were only few moments when they were either hurrying to or from Herbology and Care for Magical Creatures.
Behind him, Damien heard the slow chime of the clock, and counting in his heart- he knew it was twelve o' clock, midnight. Quickly, he hastened towards the Quidditch pitch, trusting the wind and muddy ground to mask his hurried footsteps.
He reached the pitch in a record of three minutes, panting slightly. Squinting against the darkness, Damien looked hard between the trees, at the edge of the forest where Harry had promised he would be, but saw nothing.
Deciding that he needed to be the first to reveal himself, or they would likely just stand there, invisible, on either side of the barrier throughout the night- Damien decided to take the risk. With a fluid motion, he swept off the Invisibility Cloak and stowed it away in his thick jacket pocket.
Immediately, the cold wind began to buffer him in all directions, freezing him to the bone. It was after all, late autumn, and he did not think of bringing an extra wrapper when he and Draco broke into Professor Dumbledore's office.
However, there was not much time to think of anything else, for at that precise moment, something shifted in the shadows- and when Damien looked up, he found himself face- to- face with Kit Mason.
"You're still wearing the stupid glamour," was the first thing Damien thought of saying, with a scowl. Kit looked a tad surprised, before he nodded slightly.
"It's a precaution," he explained, "just in case someone invades your mind."
"Who?" Damien asked, noting how weary the other looked, despite the glamour, and secretly wishing he could see his brother's face instead of Kit's.
Kit, or Harry, snorted. "You still need to ask?"
Damien did not reply, but when Harry finally met his eyes again, the familiar goofy grin was on Damien's face once more, and it was a tad alarming and irritating for the latter to witness.
"What now?" Harry snapped. "I haven't got all night, so drop that expression."
"Nothing," Damien said truthfully. "Just that you're... not dead. So yeah, that's good. I suppose."
Harry stared. Then, upon deciding he did not have the time to decipher how the Gryffindor's mind worked, he began, "You must be wondering why I suddenly asked you to meet me here tonight. Frankly, I'm surprised that you agreed quickly-"
"To be truthful I wasn't wondering at all, but do continue," Damien couldn't help but interject, the bubbly happy feeling in his chest rising. He had been anticipated this moment, dreamt of it for so long- and though these were hardly the circumstances he imagined when he dreamt his brother had come back to life- it was as surreal as his dream. And Harry could stop glaring at him, because he really couldn't help that grin.
Harry was looking at him incredulously. "You have no reason whatsoever to trust me, yet you turned up here alone in the middle of midnight anyway, and you never even wondered why I asked you to meet me at all. That sounds extremely foolish, even for a Gryffindor."
"Like you?" Damien smiled cheekily, before he sobered. "Actually, Harry- I need to talk to you as well. There are many things I need to tell you- and they might be a bit hard to believe- but I'm willing to take whatever oath or Veritaserum it is to guarantee you that I speak the truh," he gabbled in a rush.
Harry seemed to have understood his sentence, for a slight frown appeared on his face. "I'm not here to do you a favor, Potter," he said at last, demeanor suddenly a shade colder, "but I might return it if you answer my questions truthfully."
"Return the favor?" Damien echoed, confused. "I don't need you to return any favor, Harry. All I ask is for you to listen to what I have to say after this. I'll answer your questions anyway... unless they involve the destruction of my friends or family or the Order... or something," he finished lamely, discovering belatedly the many loopholes in his promise.
"You might change your mind on that," Harry said in a low voice, dangerous, before abruptly switching back to what Damien called the 'serious no- nonsense mode'. "First, do I have your word that you will speak only of the truth? You may withhold information you do not wish to discuss, but you cannot lie."
Damien nodded immediately, sealing the subtle sparks Harry had directed with his wand, hence sealing the oath as well. Briefly Harry was dismayed; the Gryffindor was even more foolish than he had thought, to accept a stranger's oath so quickly without even considering the loopholes!- but he said nothing.
When the vow was complete, Harry took a deep breath and asked, "Was there a forest anywhere near Godric's Hollow?"
xXx
Damien was extremely surprised when he heard Harry's first question.
"Forest?" he echoed. "Um, no. At least, nowhere near where we stayed. The nearest one was around three miles away. I suppose there could have been a few decades ago... but the village has expanded until the edge of the forest was rather far away from the centre. Which is where we lived."
Harry nodded, as though understanding, though Damien noticed that those blue eyes were beginning to show signs of emerald once more.
"You say that I was never placed under the Imperius Curse, by Dumbledore," Harry continued, beginning to pace the front of the wards. "And you claim that Bellatrix did not die by the hands of the Order the day I was captured."
"Yes," Damien said, even as a sharp gust of cold wind got him, and his teeth began to chatter. "I swear, those were just... lies." He paused at Harry's murderous expression, but immediately his tone hardened with steel. "You know I'm telling the truth, Harry- I cannot lie under this oath. Why do you think I accepted this so readily?"
Harry did not reply, so Damien continued, "Bellatrix never died that day, in fact- she wasn't even there. It was my uncle Sirius pretending to be her all the while; the Order laid a false trap for you, and you alone were caught. Nobody even realized who you were until my dad took off your mask when he brought you back. Even so, he was so disbelieving he did a blood test."
"I bet he would be," Harry muttered darkly, his eyes still not on Damien.
Damien felt like swearing; this was harder than he had thought it would be. "Merlin Harry! Don't you see that you were never placed under the Imperius Curse for even one second! Even if you don't believe me, your capabilities should more than convince-"
"Quiet," Harry hissed, but Damien paid him no heed- not until Harry said in a loud whisper, "Shut up! Someone's coming!"
Damien immediately fell silent and fumbled to wrap himself in the Invisibility Cloak once more. But he refused to disappear out of sight yet.
"Swear to me that you won't disappear off yet," Damien said urgently, "I haven't finished-"
"Keep quiet," Harry growled, frowning in concentration. The wind was picking up, bringing in droplets of rain, but Harry could sense muffled footsteps, and most importantly- a magical aura heading his way. His father had trained him to pick up on any approach of a wizard, and he could sense that there was one drawing near to where they were standing. The magical signature given off was, however, not very clear- and one could never tell exactly how many wizards or witches were heading their way. It depended on the age and power said magical being held.
"Just promise me!" Damien snapped back, impatiently. "Be fair, alright! I agreed to your terms within seconds of hearing it!"
"Fine, I'll stay for the moment," Harry ground out, reminding Damien idly of the times he had to argue so much with his elder brother just for Harry to stay a little longer at Potter Manor, or even the Burrow. "Now disappear and stay quiet until I say it's safe."
Well, that definitely sounded familiar.
Damien half- scowled before the Cloak fell over him and he vanished from sight. Harry immediately disappeared as well, into the shadows, under his Disillusionment Charm.
Minutes ticked by slowly, and Harry began to feel increasingly anxious- judging by the magical signature given off, Harry guessed that it was a witch or wizard heading their way; but as he sensed the aura drawing nearer, almost eight metres away even- he could see nothing. The heavy wind and autumn rain did nothing to improve his vision, and he could barely see through a Disillusionment Charm in this state.
Then abruptly, there was a yelp from where Damien was standing a minute ago. With narrowed eyes, Harry watched something red flash out of the corner of his eye, before it disappeared altogether.
There was someone else standing there.
It wasn't easy spotting the eavesdropper, but it was considerably less impossible a task when Harry knew where to look. He thought he detected a faint shimmer as the distinct shape of a boy sprinted across the Quidditch pitch, and disappeared quickly into the rain.
At the same time, Harry could feel the magical signature pause, before leaving them further and further away, until he could no longer sense any outsider's presence. For safety reasons, Harry decided to wait a good three more minutes all the same. He stood there, crouching, until he heard shuffling of feet.
"Keep quiet, Potter," he said in an undertone. "Not yet."
But Damien either did not hear him or decided to ignore his warnings anyway. The next thing he knew, something was prodding his cheekbone and he automatically lashed out, grabbing onto the something which felt like a finger wrapped in something slippery.
The Cloak fell off, revealing Damien standing outside the barriers of Hogwarts.
"What in the name of Salazar do you think you're doing!" Harry hissed, banishing his own Disillusionment charm. "Get back inside!"
Damien merely shook his head, urgently, before he started to run into the woods.
xXx
The boy had gone completely nutters. Completely and utterly and extremely nutters.
First off, he wasn't wearing anything warm, and he could see that Damien's steps were becoming increasingly shaky. The forest brought them a little cover from the pelting rain, but that wasn't enough to keep the droplets at bay. Soon, Harry found himself drenched to the skin, still running after a surprisingly agile but idiotic Gryffindor. Which also happened to be is biological brother. Given his luck, he wasn't really surprised at this unfortunate turn of events.
It was difficult running through mud and twigs, and despite his reassuring Lucius otherwise, Harry was still far from being fully recovered- and he definitely was not up to running more than a hundred metres as of yet. He soon felt his energy draining away rapidly, much like when he lost his magic to the blood wards- which was a foreign feeling. He despised it. In that moment, he felt weak- and the worst thing was Potter beat him at running.
It was, at least, fortunate that Damien chose that moment to stop running, and Harry discarded his Disillusionment Charm completely to save energy for his return journey and glamour. His magic was already beginning to wane.
"What- was the meaning of that?" Harry demanded, hating the way he had to pause for breath after the first word.
If Damien noticed he didn't comment; the Gryffindor was in worse state than he was. In fact, Damien was chattering all over, his knees shaking slightly from the cold, but of course despite all that, his lips would still be pulled into that stupid grin of his.
"There was someone following me, I think," he said, no longer bothering to whisper- they were well into the forest. "so I thought it would be better to shake off their trail this way. Welcome to my favorite picnic spot."
"This place is out of bounds," Harry noted, taking in the glittering lake that lay ahead of them, obscured by a few dark and mangly trees before them.
"Which is why it is my favorite," Damien pointed out with a grin. "Me and Ron used to come here almost every weekend, before I could go to Hogsmeade with him- that is."
Harry raised an eyebrow at this but offered no opinion. After pausing for a while, he sank into the non- muddy patch of ground beside Damien, wondering how the night was spinning off into such a bizarre reality. Running away from Hogwarts with Potter into the woods for secret discussions. Perfect.
Damien attempted to cast a warming charm on his clothes, but instantly he began to yelp in panic; Harry guessed that he might have accidentally heated the water droplets clinging onto him instead. Hiding a smile, Harry did not look up as he cast a drying charm as well as the correct warming charm on Damien, causing the youngest Potter to pause and offer him a sheepish grin. "Thanks."
The night was cold, and drizzly, with no stars in sight. There was a faint blur of a crescent in the distance, but that was the most they could make of the moon. Lake water lapped quietly behind them, against the rocks, and in that area secluded by the waters and the trees, it felt as though the forest was just as magical as Hogwarts was; the glittering lake could have been illuminated by the faint light of the moon. The wizarding school was a magnificent castle in the distance, across the forest and the water, almost unreal- the school Harry never got to truly attend, be it last year or this.
They sat down, leaning against the rocks in silence, watching the rain fall.
Damien Potter was one of the Secret Keepers of Hogwarts, there was no denying it now. Somehow, Harry had wished differently; it was easier to win a game of strategies, than to succeed by betraying another's trust. But Damien had so obligingly and blindly trusted Harry, or Kit Mason- Harry wasn't sure which personality held more influence over the younger boy- but either way the results were the same. Damien had made the choice to trust Harry explicitly, and for that he might have to pay the price. Voldemort, after all, needed to place one of the Secret Keepers under the Imperius Curse, and Damien was, ultimately, the best candidate...
But that was for another day, when his father returned to the Manor, when he had his questions answered. Right now, maybe for once in his life, he could sit back, and wish the moment would last.
"I know you have plenty of questions," Damien began, suddenly. "And I'm actually quite glad to know that you have so many questions."
There was a pause in which Damien grimaced, and Harry's silence was the perfect confirmation of how bad a start that was.
"Anyway," Damien coughed, a tad awkwardly, "I think it'd be best if you heard me out. The entire story. It'll probably answer most of your questions, anyway."
But Harry shook his head, slowly. "I'm only hearing the full story from my father, nobody else."
Damien paused slightly at the 'father' reference, remembering painfully how, once upon a time, Harry would have referred to James as 'dad' unconsciously. Would they need to build that bridge all over again?
"I'm just asking you to listen," Damien tried, looking at Harry desperately, "You don't need to believe me fully- just take my words into consideration."
"You told me that my father lied to me," Harry replied evenly, returning the gaze. "How can the same not be spoken for yourself?"
"Dad would never lie to me about things like this," Damien said firmly, but Harry deadpanned, "Dumbledore."
The youngest Potter paused. "While it is true that I heard part of the story from Dumbledore," he began, and Harry raised an eyebrow unhelpfully- "I witnessed most of the things myself. I'd let you see the memories if only I knew how to."
But still Harry stubbornly refused to listen. "I will only listen to your part of the story after I've heard from my father," he said, though his tone was soft. "I don't expect you to understand this. But I only came here to find out three things. First, Bellatrix's death. Secondly, my supposedly being Imperiused by Dumbledore. Thirdly, about the real Godric's Hollow." All the stories he'd already heard from his father, first.
Briefly, Damien was surprised- hadn't Harry already known what he had to about the first two points, when he drugged Damien in the Room of Requirement? But Damien did not voice any of that; he merely lunged into his tale, afraid that Harry might turn him away if he argued. It was but a small thing, but this was the first time in long months he got the chance to speak to his brother. When he had put Harry's remaining belongings back into the boxes, and cleared away Harry's room; laid that white rose across the polished wood; there hadn't been a more bitter ache, of longing and craving for his eldest brother to step into his life once more, just as abruptly as he had stepped into it. He never once imagined that Harry would return, nor did he ever anticipate that it was another cruel reversal of fate, that Harry had once more lost his memories to Voldemort's manipulations, and succumbed to being his puppet once more.
So he began; talking about the old Godric's Hollow he'd lived in. At first he only mentioned the landscape, the facts that he thought Harry would be interested in- but he couldn't be blamed for adding a few of his childhood memories in, could he? It just seemed so cruel to be sharing with his brother the beautiful place he'd be brought up in, when all Harry could remember of it was nightmares.
He hesitantly added the part where he snuck out on James' Nimbus once, before he'd even entered Hogwarts- and when James stormed in, face red, and noticed him flying up high in the sky, his heart was iced with fear... but then his dad, as awesome as he was, started laughing, laughing so hard till Damien swore he cried. When Harry looked briefly surprised at this, and didn't tell Damien to shut up and stick to the point, he grew more confident. He told Harry how Lily and James had surprised him during his twelfth birthday, by telling him to close his eyes and prepare for Side- long Apparition, when suddenly he was shoved onto something, and in his struggles to remove James' blindfold, he kicked off into an amazing height on his first broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand.
Damien felt that it was only fair if he cleared Sirius' name as well, so he added in a few more stories while describing Godric Hollow's kitchen- when he and Uncle Sirius decided to bake Lily's favorite apple pie for her birthday. James was in charge of preparing the ice cream, and, as a result of Sirius' greediness and carelessness, Sirius upended half the salt shaker over the beautifully baked pie. There was a thick layer of salty crust over it, and Damien did not even realize it. Damien had only been seven years old at that time, so Lily felt inclined not to hurt Damien's feelings and pretended the pie was delicious. It was probably to her sinking heart and rising horror when Damien happily pushed the entire pie towards her and urged her to eat up. Damien swore that it was a mistake, and he never knew it was salty until he picked some 'sugar' off the table and licked it- but Sirius nearly died of laughing that night.
The mood sobered when Damien tried explaining Bellatrix's supposed death, and when Harry had been captured then sent to Hogwarts.
"Do you remember when I first snuck into your room to see you?" the youngest Potter asked, grinning faintly at the memory, "you grew quite annoyed with me and even threw me out of your room. But I promptly walked back in because you never said anything about coming back in again."
Harry hid a smile at that. "Sounds probable," was all he said, but Damien could tell that he was confused; he had no such memory of his past year.
Throughout Damien's many illustrated stories, Harry rarely offered any opinions; and confused, Damien just continued to talk and talk to wear himself out, inserting funny adjectives and making faces only to draw the ghost of a smile, or the glint of amusement in Harry's now emerald eyes. Damien, however, did not broach the topic of Voldemort's truthfulness or Harry's childhood more than Harry allowed, after Harry abruptly told him to forget it, and after he made Harry promise that Harry would get to the bottom of the mystery. Harry, much to Damien's surprise, had agreed.
It was through part of his animated story- telling did Damien realize that Harry hadn't actually came to find out about those three questions of his, only, or he wouldn't be sitting here quietly beside Damien, watching the ebb of the lake tide, catching the faint drizzle droplets idly as he listened. Sometimes, when he finished a tale and silence fell, there was a quiet fear, sadness- or perhaps even pain that flashed across Harry's eyes so fast Damien could barely catch, that scared the youngest Potter- so he merely made the simplest decision to never stop talking.
He wasn't sure what Harry had come for, and Damien suspected that Harry knew more than he was letting on; he had discovered more of Voldemort's loopholes and secrets that did not add up to Damien's story. But a part of Damien feared, and knew, that if he pressed for answers, Harry could just walk away easily and never return, so he did not dare to. Perhaps Harry had felt alone and needed company? Or more probably, he needed a distraction, so he came to listen to Damien's chatters... like he would have done a months ago.
Deep inside him, Damien felt a warm yet selfish glow that Harry had flew to find him first, and not anyone else, and he couldn't help but feel immensely glad that he had accepted Harry's proposal to meet at the edge of the barriers at once. For that moment, the rest of the world- Order of the Phoenix and Voldemort could stew for all he cared, he just wanted to be selfish this once and let that moment last.
It must have been the twentieth story Damien was through, and he had no idea how late it was into the night by now- not that he cared, but the worst thing was that a sneeze was slowly brewing. He had a bad feeling that Harry would reprimand him if he let it past, so he tried to ignore it but no amount of will could throw one off.
Finally, with a magnified three- fold 'ATCHOO!' Damien sneezed, and lo and behold, he was not disappointed. Harry's eyes immediately snapped back to him, and his elder brother stood up decisively.
"It's getting quite late," Harry said quietly, even as he seized Damien's arm and half- dragged his sulking younger brother back from where they came from. "You have to go back."
"But I haven't even finished my story yet!" said Damien indignantly, the little voice in his head whispering his fears, that if he let go, Harry would never return.
"Truth to be told I wasn't really listening, so that's irrelevant," Harry said firmly.
"Ouch," Damien shot back. "That's mean."
When Harry showed no sign of relenting, the youngest Potter eventually found himself half- dragged by his elder brother back to Hogwarts. "You really remind me of mum," Damien continued to whine stubbornly by Harry's ear, "A single cough or sneeze before a Diagon Alley visit and I don't get a double scoop ice cream."
"I don't have a double scoop ice cream to offer anyway," Harry said wryly, still getting a tight grip over the protesting Damien.
They reached the edge of the barriers a little too quickly, and Damien was left clinging desperately to half- made up excuses of not returning to the castle. By the time Harry shoved him towards the barriers, Damien was almost desperate enough to suggest Harry bring Damien with him wherever he went, forget him not wanting to seem horribly clingy.
"Go back in," Harry said, for some reason not looking at Damien.
The Gryffindor stubbornly stood his ground. "Why exactly did you come here tonight?"
Harry looked back at him to meet his gaze, smiling, but it was tinged with bitterness. "Perhaps I can answer you this one truthfully," he said, "I don't know."
Damien frowned, but he didn't walk towards Hogwarts, merely stopping by the edge of the barriers, allowing the drizzle to fall around him, feeling the droplets of water to slide down his face, soaking once more into his attire. "I will see you again, right?" he asked softly, his eyes for a moment not daring to meet Harry's, for fear of being turned away.
"Probably," Harry agreed, "but by then, you might not recognize me anymore."
"Don't worry, I'm always the first to spot you," Damien offered a smile.
Harry returned it, one side of his mouth curling upwards, before he gestured for Damien to return. "It's nearing four in the morning, you need your sleep."
"I would have stayed until dawn and I wouldn't be tired," Damien replied with a roll of his eyes. "You underestimate my energy levels."
"You can stop delaying the inevitable and turn back," Harry said, folding his arms in a suddenly rather older brother fashion.
"What are you doing here then?" Damien countered, raising an eyebrow challengingly.
"Making sure you walk back to the castle," Harry deadpanned.
"You won't be able to see me anyway," Damien pointed out, as he wrapped himself once more with the Invisibility Cloak. Then, as if to prove his point even though Harry wouldn't see him, he pretended to shuffle off, but then stood his spot and looked back at Harry, waiting to see his brother leave first.
Harry on his part, smiled, and barely above the whisper of the wind, Damien heard, "Thank you anyway, Damy."
And Damien had to blink back sudden tears, as he watched the figure of his elder brother turn round and walk away alone, into the forest. A minute later under the chilling rain, there was nothing else to keep Damien warm, but for the lasting charm around his clothes.
It kept him warm throughout the night.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I was so busy with my competition preparations! I'm going into the final round this saturday, I'm rather nervous -.- . The winner's team gets to walk away with RM3000! Which can almost buy you a MacBook Pro, if you don't know about the conversion.
Anyway this is a chapter dedicated mostly to Harry and Damien, I just got inspired and I really like writing about them both; they are my favorite characters after all! Cheers to Kurinoone for inventing Damien, he's awesome!
This story should almost be ending, I'm anticipating 30 chapters at most. I've never finished writing a story before, so I'm excited to write the ending as well! :)
Rating system as usual:
':D' for amazing
X for terrible
O for okay.