It's My Life
Narcissa sat there, surprised and confused at Harry's response about why he wanted to know more of the dark mark that plagued her arm, Lucius's and Severus's too, obviously. Harry probably didn't care for the other death eaters, but the Malfoy's and Severus were close to Harry and he wanted to help it seemed. But this notion left Narcissa unsure of how much to reveal. Surely Harry wouldn't actually be successful in an attempt? What if the dark lord discovered that Harry could remove it? What if it got Lucius and Severus caught by the man? There were so many uncertainties.
"Harry, I know you want to help…But it's risky. Lucius and I can occlude like Severus, but if the dark lord learned of such…" Narcissa began. "These are tied to him, he'd know something was amiss."
"I'm not worried about him," Harry informed. "He doesn't scare me and I'm the one who will destroy him, Mrs. Malfoy. In the meantime, I'm looking to slowly let him know that I'm coming for him."
"Harry…" Draco said with surprise.
"I promised you, Dray, when we first called the truce to become friends, that I would find a way to save your parents from Voldemort. And Severus. He's more than your godfather and unofficial uncle, babe. He's my father now. I won't lose another parent or anyone else I care about to that psycho, world domination obsessed old fool." Harry reminded. "You have to know your opponent to beat them. I need to know what he's capable of, and that dark mark is the first step in letting him know that I'm gonna be the person in his way."
Narcissa sighed gently. "The mark is a means of branding, and communication between his followers and the dark lord." She stated. "He can use it to summon us, or we can send messages to him. We're also all connected through it. Like now, he's torturing someone and we can all feel it."
"How does he place it?" Harry questioned.
"He uses a spell in some other language, putting the tip of his wand to the person's arm. Before the dark lord's revival last year, the mark faded to almost nothing. When he returned, it darkened fully. It's how we all knew he wasn't gone after he killed your parents in 1981. It's rumored that the mark can only be removed by him as he created it, so it's tied to him. When he dies, it should be gone." Narcissa explained.
"Do you mind if I look at it? On your arm?" Harry wondered. Narcissa set her book down and rolled up her sleeve to reveal the mark wiggling around. "May I?" He asked as Narcissa nodded and Harry lightly held her arm and ran his finger along the tattoo. Harry's mind was working overtime to connect this to what he'd been reading about with magical tattoos. "You said he spoke in another language when he placed it, with his wand?"
"Yes, nobody seems to know what it was though," Narcissa replied. When a new bit of torture was happening, Harry saw Narcissa hiss and the mark began to move again.
'So it moves when something is happening…' Harry thought. He could feel things through the mark, it burned the bearers like his scar did. Harry's mind went back to Christmas when Severus told him about the prophecy, a boy born at the end of July would be the one destined to defeat the dark lord.
Harry was marked as Voldemort's equal, so by rights, with the connection; Harry should have the power to alter the mark. 'Another language, it has to be Parseltongue. What else would the idiot use? It's not a common gift and we're technically family. He'd use something that no one else knew. The dark mark can be conjured with Morsmordre, so...'
Realization dawned on Harry as Narcissa and Draco saw the look on the boy's face. "Harry, you alright?" Draco inquired.
Harry adjusted slightly and then shocked both Narcissa and Draco when he started to hiss out words in another language. The mark reacted as it seemed the two were talking, but finally, Harry put his hand over the mark and magic flowed around Harry, while Narcissa could feel it coursing into her arm. Harry spoke out the simple sentence in Parseltongue for the mark to be banished from Narcissa's arm.
Harry moved his hand down in a swipe as Narcissa's breath got caught in her throat to find that her arm was bare, her eyes widened in disbelief that Harry had actually done it. Harry stood up as Narcissa inspected her arm all around, even the other arm. It was completely gone. The pain she'd felt the past few hours was gone.
"Harry…" Narcissa started.
"Knew I could…Do it…" Harry managed a half-laugh with a smirk before he lost consciousness. Draco reacted right away to catch his boyfriend, then get him over to the couch to rest.
"What the bloody hell?" Draco looked at his mother. "D-Did he really just remove it?"
"H-He did," Narcissa nodded, still beside herself. "It must have taken a lot out of him to cause passing out…" She glanced at the boy who just un-branded her, cut the connection to the dark lord.
. . .
Time ticked away as Draco had taken up sitting on the couch with Harry, but had the boy's head on Draco's lap while Harry was still knocked out. It was now 9:00 pm as Lucius and Severus appeared in the main room together, looking like it had been an awful night.
"Are you both alright?" Narcissa inquired.
"I'm sure you felt it," Lucius muttered.
"I did for a while, then it stopped…" Narcissa stood up.
Severus looked over to Harry, who seemed asleep. "Guess he was tired if he's sleeping before 10:00,"
"He's not sleeping. He's passed out and has been since 7…" Draco remarked.
"What?" Severus asked. "Why did he pass out?!"
"I gather it was from using a lot of magic to do this…" Narcissa showed them her left arm, bare, and free of the dark mark.
Lucius and Severus stared with shock, looking at her, then each other and over to Harry. "Harry removed it?" Lucius asked.
"He did." Draco nodded. "Impressive display," He added.
"H-How?" Severus wondered.
"I'd been feeling the pain of the dark lord's anger and Harry got curious to how the mark was placed and whatnot. I saw no harm in telling him and then he asked to see it, so I let him. Harry touched it and then started speaking some language. He poured magic into it, then the mark was gone." Narcissa explained.
"What language?" Lucius pushed.
"Whatever the dark lord used to put the mark on us. He was hissing," Narcissa informed.
"Oh, Merlin…I completely forgot." Severus realized.
"What?" Draco inquired.
"Harry's a Parselmouth!" Severus stated.
"What's that?" Draco asked.
"He talks to snakes. He did it in second year, it threw everyone off. Even I was surprised, and I don't get shocked easily." Severus said calmly. "I can't believe he removed the mark…"
"This means he can remove father's and yours!" Draco exclaimed.
Just as Draco said this, Harry shifted a bit and opened his eyes to look around and see Severus and Lucius had returned from the meeting. Instantly, Harry saw that Severus looked hurt and weakened; he sat up fast.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, managing to get to his feet.
"The dark lord was not pleased with anyone's lack of information," Lucius muttered. "Everyone got it tonight, except Narcissa as she wasn't present."
"I felt it for a short time," Narcissa commented.
"That's not what I asked," Harry stared at his adoptive father. "Are you okay?"
"Harry, I'm fine. It's nothing I haven't gotten before. It's not the first, and it won't be the last." Severus stated. "It's part of the risk of being a spy."
"It doesn't have to be! I-I can remove the mark, I did it to Narcissa." Harry said quickly.
"Settle, my son," Severus placed his hands on Harry's shoulders to have him sit back down. "I, unfortunately, have to keep mine for a while longer."
"No, you don't! Let me see," Harry tried.
"Harry, it's not as easy as just removing things and being done with it. The dark lord relies on Lucius and I above the rest, Bellatrix too. We have to be there to get the information. Lucius is the dark lord's second and I am his spy, even though I am only there to spy for the Order. I need to know when the meetings are, and I get informed via the mark. I can't lose mine yet, not until it is certain we know his plans." Severus explained. "Tom, as you call him, needs to think we're still on his side."
"I can still lose mine, you could let us know when. Though normally, the dark lord just comes to the manor and we're already there. Tonight was some other place." Lucius stated.
"Yes, that is true. But Harry, right now, I have to keep my mark." Severus informed his boy. "I'm sorry, but it's for the best and offers the most protection for you. I have to know what he's up to and I do that by being there to get information directly." Harry looked down, clear worry for the man. "I promise I will be alright." Harry nodded to the man softly. "Now, a question for you…How'd you do it, Harry? How did you remove the mark?"
"It's been attempted by so many, those who wanted to leave the group. Of course, those people have ended up dead upon refusing to return or found out as traitors. Severus got special privileges as he made the dark believe he only joined Dumbledore to get information for Tom's return." Lucius remarked. "Burning, cutting, tattoo artists, potions…Nothing works to remove this. How did you, Harry?"
"I started thinking on how the dark lord would create something so strong to only be likely removed by him. It's obviously tied to him to allow for communication and also everyone feeling the same thing. I figured it might be impossible without proper facts, so I asked Narcissa how he put the mark there. As soon as she told me a strange language, I understood that Tom used something that isn't common to speak. Parseltongue. It's not a common gift and Dumbledore told me once in second year that the night the dark lord gave me this," He motioned to his scar.
"That he accidentally transferred his own powers to me. And while he might have, it's also been proven that Tom and I are related through the Peverell brothers. Me from Ignotus and Tom through Cadmus. If I recall the information we got from the bank or what I've researched." He shrugged. "Either way, knowing all that…I figured that if Tom and I are connected through familial ties and he gave me some of his own powers, it stood to reason I could undo what he did." Harry added after a moment.
"I don't know how this is going to sound, but I swear it's the truth…I told it to leave in Parseltongue." Harry looked around to see the other four people in the room staring at him in disbelief.
"What?" The three adults asked.
"I-I told it to leave. The snake on Narcissa's mark. I told it to leave. I mean, we argued, but I got it to agree." Harry shrugged.
"What do you mean it argued?" Severus pushed calmly, but fascinated by the information.
"It's somewhat sentient," Harry explained. "They're loyal to the dark lord, that's why they can't just be removed through normal means. They have to be compelled to defy him."
"Is Narcissa going to be alright?" Lucius asked worriedly. "If the Dark Lord knows…"
"I don't think he does," Harry replied. "The magic is complex but not so much that he'd know which follower got the mark removed. He'd probably be in considerable pain though given that I kind of used brute force than an actual counter curse."
"Explain," Snape asked while glancing at Narcissa's unmarked arm and then back towards Harry.
"Well, at first I tried to pour some magic into the mark, you know, to test the waters. The snake started coiling and it hissed at me to leave it alone. I hissed back and told it to leave but it just laughed at me so I poured a lot of my magic into the mark and then ordered it to leave again. This time it coiled in terror before disappearing. As I was pouring my magic in I could feel the strands of magic from the tattoo connecting to Moldy Voldy so I used magic to snap those like a rubber band." Harry explained.
"Moldy Voldy?" Draco asked before clutching his stomach and doubling over in a loud fit of laughs. "I can't believe…You…You called the…D-Dark Lord…Moldy Voldy. Oh Merlin…I just…I can't. Only you, Potter! Only you!" Even Snape and Lucius were trying to hide their enjoyment while Harry just sighed.
"Well, no one wants me saying his name, so I'm coming up with alternatives. Tom is my go-to. Besides, he looks like a moldy piece of bread, Hence, Moldy Voldy. I don't care who he is now, you can't change who you really are. Everyone has roots, they make you who you are." Harry remarked.
"Would you be able to do it again with Lucius?" Severus asked.
"I think so," Harry responded. "The snake wasn't all that intelligent. And besides, I'm pretty sure Voldy's going to have a massive migraine because of this,"
"Ah, Schadenfreude," Snape smirked.
"Hey, I got to get my kicks somewhere," Harry responded as Lucius rolled up his sleeve and stepped forward. "And I do enjoy making him miserable."
"Ever the Slytherin," Draco rolled his eyes. Harry grabbed Lucius's wrist and started hissing. The elder Malfoy flinched as the hissing brought back bad memories. Usually the Dark Lord used it when he told Nagini to eat people.
"I'm going to ask nicely once, leave this person's arm," Harry hissed. The snake on the tattoo shrank back before a tattooed forked tongue slipped out.
"Noooo. I like thissss one," The snake answered. "Hisss hair care routine is amusssing,"
Harry raised a brow at that answer before looking at Lucius who was already looking like a nervous wreck. "The snake won't go because he finds your hair care amusing," Harry repeated.
"While I never!" Lucius looked affronted. "It takes work to look this fabulous!"
"You know what, I'm gonna mind my tongue for once and not make the comment I have in mind for what you just said…" Harry stated.
"So you can't remove it?" Narcissa asked as she watched the scene from her chair.
"Well, I could, but I think this one is a bit more sentient. I wonder if it differs per person," Harry spoke more to himself. "If I remove this one it might end up hurting Lucius in the process as well. Narcissa's was barely talkative."
"So nothing can be done?" Draco asked with a frown.
"Harry, I won't hold it against you for hurting me. Just get the thing off…Please?" Lucius informed.
"I would rather not make you suffer needlessly. I said might, I didn't say it was guaranteed it would work." Harry told him. "Now, ssh…Let me think." The room went quiet as Harry's eyes were focused on the mark intently. "I might be able to…" Harry trailed off, running over ideas in his head.
"To what?" Lucius asked.
"Hold still," Harry didn't answer and just gripped the arm tighter before he let his magic wash over the mark. "Will you be happy if I let you ssstay? If ssso, I will bind you to thisss onesss magic,"
The tattooed snake nodded and Harry went to work. The process took a lot longer as he was binding strands of Lucius's magic to the places he snapped Voldemort's magic off. It was complex to decipher the weaved webs of magic, but Harry remained quiet and focused the entire time. To the others, Harry was just staring intently while using his fingers on the mark, looking to be drawing imaginary lines. By the end of it Harry was sweating bullets but the snake seemed pleased and once the transfer was complete the tattoo even changed shape to show a snake coiled up contently, but the skull was gone.
"I think that…Should do it," Harry said as he staggered backwards after releasing the elder Malfoy's arm. "Woah," Harry nearly lost his balance. Snape caught him as Harry yawned. "I can't remove the snake, but all of Tom's magical connections to it are severed." Harry told the man. "I tied it to your own magic, Lucius." He added.
"The snake can merely represent that I was a Slytherin." Lord Malfoy stated, accepting that Harry did what he could and the important part was that he was no longer connected to the dark lord. "Thank you, Harry…I'm forever indebted to you for this. I truly believed I'd only ever be free when he was killed." Lucius said calmly as he admired his arm.
"Technically, for what you and Narcissa did…I owed you my life." Harry revealed calmly, barely keeping his eyes open. Everyone looked at Harry now, not understanding why he'd say that. "I might be dead if you hadn't found me that night in Surrey…" He reminded. It was Lucius and Narcissa who had found him, took him out of the house and worked with Severus to get Harry where he was now. "You…Saved me first…" He yawned, closing his eyes.
"Harry, you alright?" Severus questioned.
"Exhausted…But okay. I think I'm going to rest a bit more," The teen muttered before falling asleep again, his head against Severus's shoulder.
"Take him upstairs to sleep, Severus," Narcissa smiled. "We'll be heading home."
"I will. I bid you a good night," Severus adjusted to carry Harry in his arms with one arm around his back, and the other under his knees. For fifteen, Harry was still surprisingly lightweight to carry.
The Malfoy's departed Potter Manor together after Draco gave Harry a kiss on the cheek and said goodnight to the sleeping boy. Severus carried Harry up to his room and laid him on his bed carefully. Severus pulled Harry's shoes off and left them by door where the others were, next he took off Harry's glasses and set them on the nightstand before covering the young boy up and stepping back.
It was still surreal to Severus that this boy he'd given hell to over the years had come to see Severus as a father, and more for Severus that he'd come to see Harry as a son. The most unbelievable part was that Severus adopted Harry, who took on part of Severus's appearance. This child before him was his. His son. Severus found a small smile as he ran his hand over Harry's black hair.
"Goodnight, son…I love you." Severus bent down and placed the gentlest kiss on Harry's forehead where the scar was.
Harry curled up more and smiled. "Love you…Too, Dad…" The boy murmured.
Severus backed away and exited the room, closing the door behind him before he began his descent down the stairs. Severus planned to get something to eat and then he'd likely get some sleep as well. There was a week left in the holiday, then it was back to Hogwarts where Harry and Severus were going to pull off the greatest prank on Albus with letting him think he was getting Harry back into his guardianship. The old fool was going to get what was coming to him and then Voldemort was next. Harry was going to personally see to it.