It was a few days since they had realized Riddle was still around, but he had yet to make himself known besides the odd comment here and there. If he was trying to make Draco seem insane by yelling at nothing but air, he was doing a good job. Something he sourly reflected on as he worked on their Calming Droughts, thoughts boiling as much as his potion.
Beside him, Harry wasn't doing much better, eyes downcast and gaze focused on his potion as he remained silent. His silence was most likely due to the fact that a group of fifth year Ravenclaws had started hissing at them as they passed on their way to the dungeons. Damn school still thought they were the Heirs. Well, in a way, you are, Riddle 'said' to him, just so damned pleased with himself. "Shut up," Draco hissed.
"You... You can hear him, can't you? That's why you keep snapping." Harry spoke softly, just barely loud enough for even Draco to hear. Draco gave a sharp nod, unwilling to comment on it further. How could he? Don't worry, Harry, just arguing with the voice in my head. "Do... Do we need valerian sprigs in this?"
"I usually add some." There was a nod from Harry, the child waiting until the potion turned a dull shade of lavender before adding in the leaves of three sprigs of valerian, turning it three times counterclockwise until it turned a warm shade of pink.
Harry must have noticed Draco's look, since he flinched, "I messed up again, didn't I?"
Draco paused and shook his head with a smile. "No, no, not at all. You did it right. The stronger ones are more pink than purple."
"Quite right." Severus' appearance startled them both, the man having the briefest of smiles on his face. "Five points to Gryffindor for the connection in adding valerian as a calming element." Draco smiled even brighter at Harry.
"Oh, uh, thank you. Sir. Professor." Aw. The boy still flushed when given positive attention. Maybe it was just where he was used to Draco's positive comments now.
"See? Maybe you don't need as much help in Potions as you believe. Really, it's just everywhere else that you seem to need help. Especially up there." Great. Riddle took him over in the middle of saying something.
"Probably," Harry shrugged, looking sideways at Draco before going back to working on his potion. "Although nowhere near as much as you'll need once I figure out a way to make you suffer for what you've done to him this year." Harry was truly a Merlin-send.
"I believe you'll be hard pressed to find a way to do that. You seem to survive off of pure luck."
"And you seem to have very bad luck," Harry smiled cheerfully, the anger in his gaze sharp and clear. "Draco doesn't want to tell anyone, but Severus here is a master at potions and knows more about Dark Magic than most anyone. So if I were to call him over here... I mean, he's practically raised Draco. If you can't even fool me, you would never be able to fool him."
"Wouldn't I? You seem to not realise I have access to his memories, as well. That's why you never realized before, you know. I could look back on all his interactions with you. Not only that, all his interactions with him." Draco really wished he could swear right now as Harry stopped what he was doing, curiosity in his eyes as he studied him - them? "Well Potter, of course. Not you. His Potter. How very interesting, indeed."
There was a moment of silence before Harry moved to Draco's cauldron, keeping up with the potion and making it look like he was nodding along to instructions, "Why should it matter what happened with him? That Harry Potter isn't me. Will never be me. That'd be like telling me his interactions with other people I've never met."
"That's exactly it, though. You're not him." The stirring stuttered for a moment, Harry taking a breath as he made the potion stable before returning to his own.
"Draco's my friend. That's more than I'll ever be able to repay. Now get out of his body, Riddle. You really don't want to test me any further than you already have."
"On the contrary, I find it quite fun." Draco frowned quietly as Riddle cackled in his head. "I hate when he does that."
"You should probably be feeling more than just mild annoyance," Harry sighed, shoulders slumping as he rubbed at his eyes.
"Is it a bad thing if i say I'm used to it?" Damn, I'll have to find better ways to do it. "While you're at it, please learn the meaning of shut up."
"Why can't we tell anyone!" Harry lowered his voice as he got a few odd looks, face flushing for a moment. "This is serious. This is dangerous and should be more than just an annoyance- What if he takes you over again and does worse than just arguing with me?"
"Harry, I can't. If I try, he'll just stop me. I can't do anything." Draco shook his head, mentally cursing Riddle's name to hell.
"We haven't even tried yet. We need to figure out how he's still here, what happened to the diary- Did it even burn? What if it's just buried under ash in the fireplace!" It's not, he heard Riddle sing. Draco gave a singular shake of his head, glancing to Harry. "But what if it didn't burn. That diary has a bunch of Dark Magic, and Riddle can control you anytime he wants. He probably made you go get the diary and hide it when you were asleep!" And what makes you think I just haven't sunk in deep enough? You're my puppet. Draco gave a vicious scowl. "This is worse than Quirrell and Voldemort ever were," Harry sighed, shoulders slumping in near defeat. "Draco, what do we do..."
"I don't know, but Harry, it's got to be you." Draco looked to Harry, near pleading. Startled, Harry near knocked over their supplies as he jerked around.
"Wha- What's got to be me?"
"Telling anyone, finding anything out, stopping him. It's got to be you."
"But- But I always tell you everything! You're the reason we ever find out anything."
"Harry." Draco took a step closer and cupped Harry's cheeks. "Harry, love, you can do this. I know you can. You don't need me. You're smart, and cunning, and brave, and loyal. I know you. You can do this."
There was a moment where Harry stared with wide eyes, hands shaking before he grasped Draco's wrists and gave a sharp nod, "I'll keep our home safe. With whatever it takes. I promise." How about that, Tom?
For once, his head was nothing but silent.
::
"Right, then!" Everyone at the table was startled as Hermione let a few heavy books fall, plates and cups near falling over from the force. "Just because all of this Heir of Slytherin and Chamber of Secrets nonsense has taken over doesn't mean we get to ignore our school careers. Third year is almost here and that means we need to be putting thought into what classes we'll take next year!"
Draco glanced to her before slowly nodding. "Do you think Professor Snape will let me take Alchemy?" It would be great if he could get a head start on it this year.
"That's not open until you're a sixth year," Hermione tsked, pulling a few pieces of parchment over. "Our choices seem to be Muggle Studies, Arithmancy, Divination, Study of Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures."
"Perhaps not for most students, but Uncle Sev loves me." Draco narrowed his eyes slightly, tilting his head. "He could let me in." He wanted all of these classes. How could he get them...
"We can only pick two," Harry pointed out, looking at the list himself. "Does... Does it matter what classes we pick? I mean, is this supposed to be important, or...?"
"Normally, students pick subjects that will help them in a future they're interested in. For example, if you wanted to train dragons, you would go into Care of Magical Creatures." Draco shrugged, and smiled.
"Certainly what Charlie did." Surprisingly, it was the prefect Weasley that spoke to them, slowing down from where he had been heading over to sit in his usual spot. "Draco's quite right. Another example would be mine and Ron's father, who took Muggle Studies. He now works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. It's all about the future, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, you lot."
Draco shook his head. "Don't let him scare you. Take whatever you're interested in, and the rest will come, later." While Hermione and the prefect got wrapped up in a discussion about the classes, Draco looked down to his own list. Everything sounded so- So interesting.
"Right. One problem, don't exactly know what I'm interested in."
"Okay. Well, I've been told Arithmancy is a bit like muggle math, with added magic. Divination is predicting the future. Ancient Runes is a bit of a language. Care of Magical Creatures is simple enough, I think. Muggle studies is learning how muggles live without magic."
"Arithmancy is something I could definitely do without," Harry laughed, leaning over Draco's shoulder to look at his own list. "Muggle Studies I already know, I'm pretty sure. Care of Magical Creatures sounds interesting, Ancient Runes sounds a bit...eh. Divination- Do we really learn to predict the future?"
"Absolutely. Some have more of a talent for it than others, but most everyone can do it at least a little bit. Have you ever had moments of deja vu?" That earned a rather blank stare and oh, dear. There was still a lot for Harry to learn, wasn't there? "Have you ever been sitting there and paused because you could have sworn you've seen this all before?"
"Oh! A few times, yeah. That's Divination stuff?"
"A bit, yes. It means you've got more of a knack for it."
"I think Hermione is going to try and take them all," Ron muttered, nodding his head to where Hermione and the prefect were chatting up a storm. "Can you even take them all? That's five extra classes."
"Well, why not? Most of it is rather simple, have you seen what we're doing in Charms? Don't even get me started on Potions." Both Harry and Ron stared at him, Harry finally giving a snort of laughter and Ron groaning loudly.
"Tell me you're not actually considering taking on all those classes- You two will drive your selves mad!"
"Well, why Not? It's certainly do-able." Draco tilted his head at the schedule. "We do have a coupe extra curriculars..."
"I need new friends," Ron decided, standing up with his own paper. "I'm going to go complain to Pansy. She's right scary, but she's probably not trying to take every class Hogwarts has." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Be careful of her, Weasley," he said quietly. Ron gave an absent wave of acknowledgement before he was crossing the hall, Harry shaking his head as he picked up a quill.
"Right," the boy nodded, sounding determined. It was rather cute. "Care of Magical Creatures, definitely. And... I dunno, Divination, I guess? Sounds simple enough, at least."
Draco smiled and nodded. "Sounds good. I'm certainly taking those two."
"Then if nothing else I'll have you with me," Harry smiled sweetly, marking down the classes. "You're not really going to try taking all the classes, are you?"
"Of course I am. I'm going to because I'm the only one that could possibly handle it, and all the other students are ignorant toddlers." Draco groaned internally. Not that he would have been able to groan outwardly, seeing as Riddle had taken him over again. Honestly, was he just doing this to torture them, now? Yes, of course. Feh. Petty.
There was a moment where Harry looked confused as he looked back to Draco, expression closing off between one second and the next, "Quite the villain you are, Riddle. Tormenting twelve-year-olds. Terrifying."
"Simply biding my time. And I do have such wonderful ideas." The only response Harry gave was a quiet hum, the boy finishing writing down a few things before smiling at Riddle with all the warmth of ice.
"Hey, Riddle. Look up at the High Table, would you?"
"And why should I do that, Potter?"
"Because I think you'll see something that might interest you, Riddle." Harry smirked, eyes flashing and oh, in another lifetime Harry Potter could have grown to be more feared than Voldemort ever could. "Albus Dumbledore has this way of making you think he knows what you're thinking before you can even open your mouth. Considering all the rumors... I'm willing to bet he'd be able to sense something."
"Is that so?" Riddle looked over to Dumbledore, a regular curious expression on his face as he tilted his head to the side before looking back to Harry. "It doesn't seem the Aurors are carrying me away."
"So you think," Harry shrugged, starting on making their usual cups of tea. "To you this is a game, yeah? Something to do while you wait for whatever plan you have to start? To me, you're using my best friend and forcing him to do things against his will. I want you to think very carefully about what someone is willing to do when you push them far enough."
"I know exactly what people are willing to do. And yes, I find all this to be a rather fun game. Such a shame no one else is privy, hm?" Draco's head was jerked back, Harry's hand cupping his chin and keeping him firmly in place, smiling as if nothing was out of place to anyone looking.
"If it is the last thing I do, Riddle, I will make you pay for this."
"What a shame. You don't know anything." He gave a high, cold laugh that had Draco's blood running cold as he regained control. "Oh no..." The only reason he didn't fall off his seat was because Harry still had a hold on him, frowning as he looked him over.
"I don't think I like the sound of that 'oh, no', Draco."
"I know who Riddle is."
::
He had been so stupid. So stupid. Of course that's why Tom Riddle was so clever, so crafty, so good at twisting people to follow him. That's why the diary had been in Malfoy Manor. That's why there was such darkness to it that even Draco had felt it. It was because Tom Riddle had become someone else after leaving Hogwarts. He had become everything that he wanted, had made a name that even in Draco's time people still feared.
Tom Marvolo Riddle was Lord Voldemort. Ah, I was so hoping you would find out, Riddle mused. "Shut up," Draco snarled, hands clenched tightly into fists. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening- He had sworn. He had promised himself he would never again be used by that man and yet here he was... "How dare you- How dare you!" Draco paced in his dorm room, shaking his head. "I cannot believe myself!"
Upset at how easily you fell into line? Come now, Draco, you and your family were born for the Dark. You've admitted as much to yourself. This shouldn't come as any sort of surprise to you.
Draco gave a harsh shake of his head. "No. I will not allow you to twist and manipulate me. You do not have that right." Not anymore. Not ever. Tom Riddle - Voldemort - would never have that right again.
You're forgetting, Draco, I control you. I always have and it seems as if I always will. Now that you've told me everything about what's to come, your precious little Chosen One will be defeated.
"You've forgotten, I'm changing everything. None of that is going to happen!"
Oh, yes, your 'changing' of things. Hasn't that just made more problems for you?
"I don't care! I don't care if it causes more problems! I'm stopping you!"
I think it's time you went to sleep for a while, Draco...
"No no no no-!"
The last thing he heard was Harry knocking the door, "Draco? It's time for the Quidditch match."
::
When Draco opened his eyes, he was standing in the library. The...library? What was he doing here? What did Riddle do, this time? Spinning around on his heel, Draco looked around with wide eyes, ready for anything. Only... He wasn't. He wasn't ready because how could he ever be ready for the sight of Hermione and Blaise with panic on their faces, completely frozen and still as statues. He wasn't ready to scramble back and land on his arse, a scream tearing itself out of his throat as he stared up at them.
Wasn't ready for Peeves and one of the ghosts to hear the scream and find him, for teachers to appear after what felt like hours but couldn't be more than a few minutes, hands trying to pull him up and away from the two. He had been ready to fight, to run for his life as he was so good at doing, but this... How would he have ever been ready for something like this? Not- He could have handled if it were Dean, Seamus, Neville, even Crabbe and Goyle. But he couldn't have been ready to see two of his closest friends petrified, Hermione gripping a mirror in her hand tightly and Blaise looking over her shoulder.
It took a combination of Severus and Hooch to pull him away once he started fighting to try and stay close- There had to be something he could do, right? A way to fix this, to make it right- There had to be something! A warm hand in his finally ceased his struggling, his gaze shooting to where Harry was staring at him. "Draco..." Draco's muscles relaxed almost instantly as he looked to Harry in horror. He- Riddle had- "'S okay, Draco." As soon as he was let go, Harry was wrapping around him, a hand cupping the back of his neck and another wrapping around the wrist of his left arm. The arm where- "'S gonna be okay, Draco. Just focus on me, okay? I'm right here for you." Draco gave a slow nod, hugging Harry back tightly. He shook slightly, hiding his face in Harry's shoulder. "Just me and you right now, okay? Nothin' to worry about. 'M here for you. 'M right here." Draco drew a hand back to put it over top his left arm.
"Remind me to tell you about this. Later. After all of this." He felt Harry nod against him before he was pulling him along, keeping Draco close as they walked.
"Come on. We're gonna go to the hospital wing, okay?" Draco gave a little nod of his own, shuffling along. "What's the last thing you remember? Can you tell me?"
"I was in the dorm. Talking to him. He told me it was time to go to sleep... I think you came in? Something about Quidditch? That's it."
"Okay, that was only about twenty or so minutes ago. I came to get you for the Quidditch match today, remember? It's cancelled right now, didn't even get out onto the field. You said you had to go grab something from the dorm, although..." Harry gave a weak grin. "I guess that wasn't you."
"No... It wasn't." Draco stayed close to Harry as they walked. Harry kept an arm around him, leading him through the halls after Severus, who was shooting them odd looks.
When the man opened his mouth, it was Harry shooting an answer out before he could speak, "No. Just… Please, no." Draco glanced to Harry and gave a small nod, clinging to him tightly.
He wasn't sure how long it was until he was aware that he was sitting down on a bed, Harry next to him and absently rubbing circles against the back of his hand. Ron and Pansy were on the ends of the beds Blaise and Hermione had been placed in, both silent and staring at their friends. "It was me," Draco finally said. "I did it." Yes, you did, didn't you?
"Draco," Pansy finally looked up, no hint of a smile in sight. "Draco, darling, you can't really believe something like this was your fault. You're not the one behind the attacks-"
"I am. When you wake up, ask them. Why do you think I was there? Why do you think Flint was attacked shortly after the slug incident."
"I don't believe it." Ron straightened his shoulders. Idiot Weasley who was loyal to a fault. "I don't believe you would ever hurt anyone, especially these two."
"No," Draco said, looking to Harry.
"It..." Harry looked at Draco, searching his eyes for a moment before gritting his teeth and looking back to Ron and Hermione. "It started with a diary." Draco couldn't tell them, not with Tom able to control what he said. Harry, though... Nothing stopped Harry from saying everything, even parts Draco hadn't been sure he was aware of. Every event that had happened since the attacks started, Harry recalled them with perfect clarity. I told you we'd stop you, Draco thought a bit triumphantly. Now they're on the lookout for you, as well.
Two more second years is hardly a cause for celebration. And now that I can finally trick your little Chosen One, what's to stop me from killing next?
A moment of weakness does not a fully fledged scheme make.
No, but it's the last moment I needed for everything to work. Make your peace, Draco Malfoy. You'll be known as the one who killed The Boy Who Lived.
