Disclaimer: No, nope, and noey. I own zilch of anything J.K's. Everything else that is not J.K's in any way shape or form? I own. –Smiles-
Chapter Summary: The Darkness lets up...but for how long?
A/N: Aww, I love you guys! So many of you reviewed for that last chapter! Thanks! –Smiles- I know I had you all wait longer than I had initially planned to make you wait, (for which I apologize profusely) but school had me loaded with five major grade projects that I had hardly anytime to get complete. –Sighs- It was horrible. But here I am now, finally updating! –Grins- Hope you all enjoy and review to tell me what you thought. I love reading what you all have to say! Happy reading!
(P.S. - I had really wanted to answer all your reviews for the past chapter, but I truly didn't have any extra time on my hands. I'll make sure to answer those to this chapter, though. -Smiles Softly-)
Chapter 26: MindTalk
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Groaning slightly as he rolled over onto his stomach, head gradually clearing from the absolute darkness that had so abruptly consumed it, Harry's eyes fluttered open, his cheek resting against the stone coldness that was the floor. Even though his body felt like lead, and his head felt cloudy to the point that he was barely able to think coherently, the young Potter did not fail to notice - albeit confusedly - his surroundings from where he lay. He was in some kind of cell, in a chamber that was dark. Not the absolute fear-gripping darkness that his mind had been trapped in, but a normal darkness that took Harry's eyes a few good seconds to become accustomed to. A small sliver of light escaped from beneath the chamber door, a good ten feet away, but that was it.
The long chamber he occupied was made of gray stone all around, no windows, and there seemed to be more cells in the chamber other than his. If these were occupied with people as well, Harry knew not, for that end of the chamber was thrown away into complete obscurity.
Groaning again, feeling as though he had been flung into this place, Harry pushed himself up on wobbly arms, tried to stand up, failed -for his legs proved to be more wobbly than his arms had been - and resigned himself to a better-than-not sitting position...all the while willing his head to clear so that he could think properly again. Shaking his head once, his mind feeling less pushed on from all sides, Harry took a better look at the environment he was currently in.
His eyes widened slightly. Why was he here? Was the first question to enter his head. Where was Moony? Where was Padfoot? Were the second. What had happened…
The first and second questions Harry could find no answer to, but the third he was determined to figure out, and in so doing, figure out the other two.
He vaguely remembered what had happened, it played slowly for him in his mind. Slowly, because his mind was not completely free of the darkness that had so tightly held it, and trying to bring the jumbled memories into proper context was a hard and slow progression.
What he was able to extract and remember of the evening's - was it still the same night… was it even night at all? Who could tell? - events, fell into place after a full five minutes of working them out. He believed he had been…and Moony…had they been at a store?
Yeah… Harry thought gradually. A bookstore…and Hermy-own, no…Hermione, that was her name, Hermione, she was there…and…she showed me…and…
Harry's green eyes scanned his cell, knowing he would find nothing, but half expecting to find the bag with his new book inside, with him anyway. The young boy's eyes saddened for a moment, - He had lost it! After his new odd friend had picked it out for him, and everything! - before he forced himself to return to the matter at hand.
Then…then…then what happened? Harry inquired of himself forcefully, annoyed that he was unable to recollect a thing. He tried to remember for a few more seconds, got nothing, and sighed despairingly. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, let it out, and opened them, his mind losing the rest of it's dark haze in the process.
We…we, erm…did we…yeah, we did! We started to go home after we bought the books! And Padfoot…Padfoot didn't go with us, he doesn't like the bookstore too much…it was just me and Moony, and…I asked…and…he said… Harry smiled softly at the memory that he now had full access to. But in so doing, in remembering, he remembered what else had happened…what he had felt was going to happen, what he had tried to warn Moony of. What…what…
The six year old stood up abruptly, - oblivious to the fact that he actually could now, that his legs were no longer wobbly, and that his body no longer felt like it had been turned to lead - and took a tentative step forward, true fear gripping his insides for the first time since he had awoken - the fullness of where he was, and his situation, had finally hit him with a rude awakening-like force. He had sensed it on that sidewalk, he had sensed the people, the wizards, for they had certainly not been muggles, he had known that much - How he knew? He knew not… - , a lot of them, too many of them for just Moony, anyway, and the feeling he got from them had been far from the amiable lighthearted one that he always got from the likes of Dumbledore and Hagrid…
Harry's eyes started to prickle with forming tears. He had been hit with something, a spell, he believed, and had awoken here, but what of Moony? What had happened to him? Where was he? Was he safe? With these questions burning in Harry's young mind, he began to cry.
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"My Death Eaters, the time is nigh," hissed Voldemort from the middle of the circle his followers had formed around him, gazing around at them. "Five years…five years have I waited for this. Too long for my patience, as some of you have experienced all too well…" His cold gaze briefly shifted in the direction of his Inner Circle before continuing. "…It has been five years since that night in Godric's Hollow, five years since I lost my previous power and body…thanks to none other than Harry Potter, and have had to survive by possessing animals and humans alike…" The Dark Lord, occupying the body of another, paced menacingly around his circle, stopping occasionally in front of choice Death Eaters. "But I have him now…the boy thought to be my downfall will be my resurrection…the young boy, who properly molded, could prove to be a greater advantage than ever imagined, to what we strive for."
Voldemort paused here, in both talking, and pacing, as though daring someone to speak up, to say something against his pronouncement. None did…they knew better, and that gave him a cruel satisfaction. He turned to his right, to face the person with whom he had inadvertently stopped in front of.
"Serpent…" Voldemort's lips curled into a cold smile that would have sent a shiver down anyone's spine, his ruby red eyes falling upon his right hand Death Eater. Right hand though he may be, he was also the one who always ended up giving the Dark Lord the most trouble in some way or another. It was thanks to Serpent's retched Gryffindor-ish personality. Though, what one was born with could not be helped. Voldemort, more than anyone, could understand that, and Serpent was a key asset to his cause…but that did not prevent him from being on the receiving end of well-deserved Crucio's from time-to-time when he decided to cross the line.
Serpent was not this young man's true name, though, for those people who had yet to deduce so. No, 'Serpent' was the pseudonym he had been given when he had joined Voldemort's circle of Death Eaters. For what normal Death Eater, outside the Inner Circle - who had been informed of who he was, and why he, being who he is, was granted entry unto their ranks - , would want to work alongside a Potter. "…any problems with the Werewolf?"
"None, My Lord, as had been expected after pinpointing their location given off by the brief magical signature from the boy. My smithed Darkness Spell worked just as effectively on him as it did on Potter, if not more so," came Xantos's swift, yet impassive, reply from beneath his white Death Eater's mask. Voldemort nodded curtly before moving on to the next person in the circle.
"Wormtail, you have the cauldron and ingredients gathered and ready, do you not?" inquired Voldemort quietly, dangerously.
"Y-y-yes! My Lord, y-yes, r-ready and w-waiting," squeaked Pettigrew fearfully. Voldemort nodded in response, knowing he was not to receive any other answer if Pettigrew wanted to get through the rest of the night unscathed, before returning to the center of the circle. He glanced slowly around at them once more, deliberately look at all of them in the eyes with his fierce ruby red ones.
"The time is nigh…Nott, Avery…bring Potter," said Voldemort softly, eyes gleaming maliciously. "…Serpent, Lucius, bring the werewolf…"
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-15 Minutes Before-
Six year old Draco Malfoy tentatively opened his bedroom door and stuck his head out into the hallway, looking both ways to make sure the coast was clear. It was. Heaving a sigh of relief, regaining his bearings, he opened the door the rest of the way and stepped out. His father always told him that he was to stay in his room when he had meetings in their house, and Draco generally did. All the things he was able to pick up from them were not pleasant and he preferred to tune out the thoughts he received. Did his father know about Draco's little ability to pick up on their thoughts during these meetings? No. Draco knew better than to tell him, he would be in a lot of trouble then, he was positive. It had taken the young Malfoy heir some time to accept the fact that his father was not the greatest person in the world, contrary to Draco's former popular belief. His father did things that hurt other people, and so did his father's friends. It was only recently that Draco realized he actually had this ability, and today he picked up on something new…not the thoughts of those in his father's 'meeting' but the thoughts of someone younger. Around his age, Draco believed. No one his age had been allowed to enter his house before, and this awoke the blonde's normally subdued curiosity and desire to investigate.
Creeping as quietly and as softly as could be down the hallway, he passed numerous unoccupied rooms that made up the five-floored house - or mansion if you wanted to get technical about it, but Draco was not at the age to be so - , before reaching the staircase that led down to the next floors. He padded down these steps cautiously, passing the other three floors as he continued on his way down, knowing that the person he was looking for was in the basement. The thoughts he picked up from the boy, he was sure it was a boy because the voice of the thoughts were not a girl's voice, were becoming stronger with every step he took. He could pick up other people's thoughts better when he was nearer to them, he had figured out shortly after realizing his ability, and now he believed the boy was crying. He was close enough, he suspected, to be able to project his thoughts back…which he decided he would try and do.
…Hey…are you okay? Draco asked, not used to asking such questions.
The thoughts the silver-grey eyed boy had previously been hearing, mostly centered on someone named Moony, stopped abruptly…out of pure shock…
W-w-what…?
I said, "Are you okay?" Draco thought back, a little slower this time.
H-how are you d-doing that?
Doing 'what'?
T-That! How can you talk to me…in my head…?
Oh, that…I don't know, I've been able to do it for a while now…
…Am I talking to you in 'your' head?
Erm, kinda. You're not really 'talking' to me…I'm just hearing what you're thinking…
…Oh. Am I…hearing what 'you're' thinking?
Huh-uh, Draco thought back, shaking his head 'no' as if the other person could actually see him...which was not so. No, you're hearing what I'm thinking 'to' you, what I'm thinking to 'me' you can't hear.
…How?
Dunno, It doesn't really matter, though. But…why were you crying?
…I…I don't…know where I am, and it's dark…and I don't know where Moony is…
…That's a weird name… Draco interrupted dryly, without thinking, before Harry could finish.
The raven-haired boy, who was now one floor down from where the blonde-haired boy was, had a sudden, and fierce, feeling of Dejá Vu.
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-Flashback-
"Padfoot? What kind of name is that?"
"A good one!"
"You probably got a weird name too, huh?"
"Padfoot is not a weird name!
"Yeah it is!"
"Stop saying that," replied Harry, angrily.
"Well, at least I have a real wizard's name, Draco Malfoy," the blonde boy said sneeringly.
"Sounds like a circus clown's name," Harry retorted, grinning at his own comeback.
-End Flashback-
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You're that boy from Diagon Alley!
What are you on about? Draco thought back, confused.
You! You're that boy who made fun of Padfoot's name!
It took Draco a few seconds to recollect ever doing what the other boy was accusing him of.
You're that boy who didn't think brooms were for flying? inquired Draco uncertainly.
…Yeah, but I don't think that way anymore, I have my own broom, now, and Padfoot taught me how to fly it.
Oh… - /at least he doesn't think like a muggle anymore…Draco thought to himself/ - is Padfoot 'really' his name because…
No, it's Sirius.
See, that's a normal name, why don't you call him that?
Dunno…I've always called him Padfoot. It's his nickname. He likes it.
…Oh. Hey…you're the boy who said my name sounded like a clown's name!
Oh yeah! …Sorry about that, I just…
You were mad because of what I said about 'Padfoot.'
…Uh-huh…
It's okay…I guess. Say, what was your name again?
…Harry…Harry Potter.
Draco stopped dead in his tracks. He had heard about Harry Potter before, and his father had confirmed the stories about him. Harry Potter was famous. Harry Potter was The-Boy-Who-Lived, the boy who, as a baby, had defeated You-Know-Who…and he was in his, 'Draco's', house…
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A/N: Yay, another chapter down, and a good bit revealed. I hope you all enjoyed the read! In case you haven't guessed, Draco is the Earth & Water Elemental ("Yay!" if you guessed right. -Grins-), though he doesn't know it yet. He is coming into his powers later than Harry came into his (Mostly because he grew up in a life that wasn't perfect, but that sure as hell was not Harry's life. If you get my meaning…) , and he has yet to realize fully that the elements of Earth & Water are under his control...he doesn't use them often, thanks to worrying about what his parents might think. So far he only really uses his power of 'Telepathy', which is a sub-power of Water. 'Empathy', Harry's ability, on the other hand, is a sub-power of Fire, and Harry's 'Sensing' ability is a sub-power of Air. Draco's sub-power of Earth has yet to be revealed, as can be seen.
Anywho, hope that cleared up confusion for those of you who had any with this chapter. –Smiles- And for those of you, if there are any, who are worried that the Hogwarts years won't have the Harry-Draco rivalry…no worries! Harry and Draco are not only opposites in personality (as shows the books) but they are also opposites in Elements, which means they can have their moments of peace and/or times of friendship/alliances between them (in this story, anyway), but they'll always have that bit of hot-headedness towards each other. –Sighs-
Anyway, that's about it for now, and I'll try and make sure to update faster than I did this time around. You've got to pester me, people! Till the next time we meet…
-Chloe
A.K.A – Japanime1
P.S. Lol, I loved finding out all your favorite characters. Some of them made me smile widely. Sooo, for this chapter, I'm going to have a new curiosity-fulfilling question. Ready?
"Out of all the Books, which is your number one favorite?"
For me, it's book three. For two reasons, mostly. 1) Sirius is introduced! –Squeals- 2) Remus is introduced, and gets to be the DADA teacher! -Squeals again- Haha, just thought you'd like to know 'my' personal answer to the question I was posing to you. –Smiles-