It's My Life
The months ticked by from that day. It was now December 21st, just five days until Christmas. All students went home this morning, or those who chose to go home for the holidays, at least. Harry elected to be the teacher roaming the train to watch things, which Minerva thanked him for. Harry promised he would ensure everyone deboarded and got to their families before he went on home himself. Harry didn't let Draco or his friends from Slytherin go with their parents because it wasn't safe for the parents to be there, mostly Narcissa and Lucius.
Harry didn't know the status of the Parkinson's, Nott's, Goyle's, Crabbe's, and Zabini's wanting to leave Voldemort's service yet. If any did, Harry would remove their marks, or alter the magical connections to break the link to the dark lord. For now, it wasn't safe to have the Malfoy parents or even Severus at the station. With Harry's status as a teacher and adult; he could be in charge of their safe transport home to the manor.
"Harry, our parents aren't here…" Pansy said.
"I told them not to come." Harry stated. "It's not safe out in public like this. Dray's parents are wanted by Voldemort, and if any of yours came and saw the Malfoy's, and didn't say anything to the dark lord; I dread to think what he'd do. We don't know if this place is being-," Harry stopped and quickly pushed Draco behind him, drawing his wand and holding it outward as a blast struck the shield that no one had seen Harry even put up. "As I was saying." Harry remarked when a group of death eaters descended on the platform. "Oh, man…" Harry needed to get his friends out of here.
"We're outnumbered," Blaise said.
"I've got a plan." Harry grouped them up. "Link hands and do not let go," Harry subtly removed the combination charm off his lordship rings, returning them to all three fingers on his right hand. Harry slipped off his Potter one and held hands with Draco, who felt something in his hand. Bellatrix grabbed the back of Harry's collar and put a dagger to his neck. Harry threw his head back to make Bellatrix move and then Harry shifted out of the circle, leaving the ring in Draco's hands as the blonde realized what Harry was going to do as the death eaters closed in closer to him.
"Harry, no!" Draco yelled.
"Home!" Harry called. The ring activated and port-keyed the small group away. Harry looked around himself to see familiar faces of death eaters. Corban Yaxley, Antonin Dolohov, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. Bellatrix. Travers and Walden Macnair.
"You're all alone this time, Potter," Bellatrix giggled from behind him, holding her wand at his back, snatching his wand from him and Harry put his hands up. "Let's go, bind him. The dark lord will be quite pleased."
Harry didn't fight; he wanted to see how this would turn out. Harry ended up going with one of them via side-along apparition and as he expected, right to Malfoy Manor where he was sure to meet the dark lord.
. . .
Lucius, Narcissa, Remus, and Severus were all sitting in the main room chatting and waiting for the students to come with Harry. However, it was quite the shock when there was a flash in the middle of the room and the group of teenagers appeared and landed very ungracefully on the floor in a heap, all groaning and trying to detangle themselves to get up.
"Well, that's an entrance." Remus chuckled.
None of the teenagers spoke as they were all looking very sad and worried. Draco was about on the verge of crying. "Draco…What's wrong?" Narcissa inquired.
"We got ambushed at the train station by death eaters…" Pansy sniffled. "Harry saved us from being hit by a blast…"
"Where is Harry?" Severus stood up quickly. "Where is my son?"
"T-There was nothing we could do, Professor…Harry just made us link hands and hold on, then we were gone and ended up here." Blaise informed. "H-Harry stepped out of the circle last minute…"
"Draco, what's that you're clenching in your hand?" Lucius asked.
Draco opened his hand to reveal a ring. Severus's eyes widened because he knew what it was. "Harry's lordship ring…?" Narcissa gasped.
"Harry…G-Got grabbed by Bellatrix and s-she put a dagger to his neck. Harry made her move back with him and h-he left the group. I kn-knew what he was going to do, so I yelled Harry, no before he called out Home a-and activated the ring's portkey back here…" Draco whimpered. "H-He was there alone."
"There were so many death eaters…" Theodore frowned.
"They'll take him right to Voldemort…" Remus panicked.
"I'll go. I-I can fake having been on a mission for the Order…I'll sp-," Severus started.
"You will absolutely not fake being a spy, Severus Snape." Narcissa scolded. "You made the unbreakable vow to Harry that you would never spy again, that you would never go back to Voldemort."
"Narcissa, I would die to save my son!" Severus argued. "They're gonna take him right to Voldemort, who will kill him!"
"Severus, there is nothing you can do." Lucius said. "We abandoned the manor, the wards have broken and they'll have made it a fortress. You will never make the front gate without being killed from breaking that vow or someone killing you. Now…I know it's going to be hard, but sit down and just…Hold faith. Harry's not a stupid child." He reminded. "Harry is a fully trained wizard, with a mastery in defense. Harry can protect himself."
"That's why he sent the kids here…Harry can do a lot more if he doesn't have to be watching out for them." Narcissa stated. "Lucius is right, you need to have faith Harry will get away and return home. He's still got his Black ring, and that means he does have an out to Grimmauld, if he can get outside the manor gate…"
"If he's not back in one hour…I'm going there myself." Severus said before he sat down and buried his head in his hands.
. . .
Harry was escorted through the gates of the manor and up some stairs to the right before being brought into the dining room. Harry, thankfully, knew the layout of Malfoy Manor from the short time he stayed there, or visited after being under Severus's guardianship. The moment Harry arrived, he activated his occlumency shields. Inside the dining room, Harry's eyes locked onto Voldemort's figure sitting at the head seat.
"Harry, so lovely to see you again." Voldemort greeted. "Thank you for joining us."
"You know, if you wanted an audience with me…There are less drastic ways to get my attention. Say…Send a letter?" Harry informed as he jerked out of Rodolphus's grip and walked forward.
"I didn't think you would come." Voldemort replied.
"A chance to fight you? I wouldn't have turned that down, Tommy-boy," Harry taunted.
"Don't call me that." Voldemort glared as he brought out his wand and pointed it at Harry. "Crucio!" Now, Harry had been crucio'd by Voldemort before and it hurt like nothing he'd felt before when he was fourteen. But he was sixteen and after getting it from Umbridge last June, this wasn't all that bad. Harry did flinch and his knees buckled some, he ground his teeth. But Harry never hit the ground, nor did he scream out in pain. "Crucio!" Again, Harry just grimaced. "What is this!?"
"This is you failing, as usual." Harry told him. "Clearly, you don't want it bad enough."
"Oh, I want to hurt you…" Voldemort said.
"Do you? Because this feels more like I'm being poked a thousand times over. So…Either you don't want it bad enough, or you're weak." Voldemort growled at Harry's remark. "What's wrong, Tom? You had no problem doing it two years ago? What's up? Losing your touch in your old age? Must be it. You being weak, I notice you're three death eaters shorter than your normal…Did they decide to stop serving a loser?"
"Severus has never been loyal and I've always known that. I told you my lord…He cared too much for that muggle born girl." Bellatrix remarked.
"That muggleborn is my mother and they were best friends. Severus would have done anything to keep her safe." Harry remarked. "Watch it, Bellatrix…Don't insult my family considering your own wasn't loyal either."
"They'll meet their end as all traitors do." Voldemort commented. "I've suspected since the trial that Severus nor the Malfoy's were loyal. I got anonymous tips from the trial." He remarked. "Their marks were somehow not present when called out as death eaters and no one has the power to remove that mark but me as it's my creation." He added. Harry snorted back a laugh. "Something you find amusing? I don't see why you're so chipper when you're my prisoner."
"You make it sound like you're the victorious one in my capture when I willingly allowed it. What makes you think I couldn't have powered up to make Bellatrix let go? That I couldn't have port-keyed with the others? You're a bigger fool than I thought if you think for a second you won. You're never going to beat me, Tom. You're losing followers because you keep losing to me. I won't take credit for when I was a baby, but you lost to me when I was eleven, twelve, fourteen, and just some months ago at fifteen. Greatest wizard in the world? Give me a break. You're not that powerful, you just wish you were." Harry told him.
"Why did you allow me to capture you?" Voldemort asked.
"I've got my reasons." Harry grinned. "So what now?"
"I'm going to torture you for information you clearly have on Severus, Lucius, and Narcissa." Voldemort said.
"Good luck with that, but you'll never find them." Harry laughed a little. "You're not gonna break me for information, Tom, better just get that thought out of your head now."
"I'm going to enjoy killing you, boy," Voldemort raised his wand. "But in good time…For now, you're of use because you clearly have information I want on three missing followers. Wormtail! Take our prisoner to the cells."
"I'll never tell you and you won't get me to talk. The best thing you had for questioning me was the Cruciatus curse and it's clear that just like the Imperious curse, I can resist it. You have nothing over me. Not torture, not forcing, and no link. Plus, you can't pass my occlumency shield. You're as useless to control me as Dumbledore is. I saw to it that he got what he deserved, and I'll do the same to you, as you say, in good time."
"Big words from a child." Bellatrix huffed.
"Calm response from a psycho." Harry sassed. "You do whatever, Tom…But remember that I let you capture me, so I've already got my rescue in motion."
"Wormtail!" Voldemort ordered.
"Yes, master…" Peter Pettigrew bowed and took Harry's wand from Bellatrix, then went over, grabbing Harry's arm to take him to the dungeon of Malfoy Manor. Harry went willingly, allowing Pettigrew to take him into the cell.
"You don't have to do this, you know. I could protect you from him." Harry said.
"No one can stop him." Peter informed.
"I'm prophesied to, Peter. I can keep you safe, just as I'm doing for Severus, Lucius, and Narcissa. I have the power to remove the dark mark…" Harry tempted him as Wormtail froze. "Do it for your old friends. James, Sirius, Remus…The Marauders. You owe my parents for getting them killed. Help me out of here and I can help you." Pettigrew looked like he was considering it.
"I spared your life three years ago from Sirius and Remus killing you for getting my parents killed. You owe me your life for that…A life debt has the same magical binding as the unbreakable vow. You have to honor it when I call it in. And I'm calling it in now. I want you to look the other way and let me escape…"
Peter stared Harry down, but sighed and closed his eyes before he stepped aside and kept the gate open, then aimed his wand at Harry's bindings and took them off. It was at that moment that Amycus and Alecto Carrow showed up, having just seen Peter free Harry.
"Harry," Wormtail tossed Harry his wand, which he caught with ease.
"Stupefy!" Peter and Harry cast together as the pair went down.
"Thanks…" Harry told him.
"Don't mention it, ever…We're even." Peter said. "Go…"
Harry walked out of the cell and started up the stairs, but he stopped and looked back to Peter. "Come with me, Wormtail. I can keep you safe, and once Remus hears that you helped me; I'm sure he'll forgive you. You have a chance at redemption…You can be free." Harry offered his hand. Peter hesitated, but he put his hand in Harry's.
The teenager gave him a smile. "Just to show you that I'm not lying about my power…" Harry whispered in Parseltongue as the mark on Peter's arm shifted some and then Harry turned their arms so he could get it to transfer onto his own. Peter checked his arm, then the other one.
"Y-You removed it. Only the dark lord…" Peter stopped.
"Marked me as his equal and is not the only parseltongue alive, Peter…This is what I did for Lucius, Narcissa, and Severus. I saved them and now, let me save you. Come on. Turn into your rat form and stay in my pocket." Peter nodded to him.
"Bless you, Harry…Thank you," Peter whispered.
"You're welcome." Harry said. "I know what the others think of you, but this…You've let me go, and changed sides. I always knew you'd do the right thing in the end." Peter was about to change forms, when the Carrow brother regained consciousness and aimed for Harry's back. Peter scrambled up the stairs and shoved Harry behind him to block the spell, then fired one back to force the man against the wall and choked out until he went unconscious again.
Harry looked at Peter, the man just saved his life. "Come on, we're getting out of here." The silver hand Voldemort gifted Peter had turned on him, wrapping itself around Peter's neck. "Peter!" Harry tried to pull the hand away, but it wouldn't budge and Harry was watching the man die. He couldn't do anything to help.
"G-Go. Le-Leave me. Go, get out…Of here, Harry…" Peter choked. "D-Don't let my sacrifice go to waste…K-Kill the dark…L-Lord. Destroy his s-oul and you…Destroy him. They are…Hidden. S-Six of them." Harry's eyes widened. "Sn-Snake i-is one. Ne-Neck…lace t-too. D-Don't know-,"
"Ssh…It's okay." Harry tried to comfort him.
Peter's body crumbled to the ground as Harry tried to hold the man as he died. "I-I'm sorry…F-For every…thing." And before Harry could say anything, the man dropped dead on the stairs, but also in the teen's arms. Harry, in the moment, forgave Peter for everything.
It was a cruel way to die and Voldemort must have cursed the hand to kill Peter if he ever betrayed him and that's why it did after Peter not only let Harry escape the dungeon on life debt, but had changed allegiance. Harry laid the man down carefully before he bowed his head and then stood and darted up the stairs to get back to the main level. Harry heard voices through the doorway into the dining room and he grabbed his wand. It was going to be a fight to get out.
"I have it right here, my lord. It's safe, as you entrusted me to keep it so." Harry heard Bellatrix say to Voldemort. Harry peeked through the door and saw Bellatrix handing something to the dark lord. Harry felt something familiar about the energy it gave off.
"Good girl, Bellatrix." Voldemort gave it back. "Ensure it remains so."
"Of course, my lord." Bellatrix took the object back. Harry couldn't see what it was, but he knew it had to be important if Voldemort wanted it safe. "I need to know where the others are. Lucius had one too, but I can't find it here."
"We'll track down whatever you desire, my lord." Rabastan promised.
Harry was grateful for the information he just got, even if he didn't know everything. Peter helped too. Right now, he needed to get out. Harry got himself prepared with a deep breath before he barged through the door and took the death eaters by surprise.
"Potter!" Voldemort seethed.
"You probably shouldn't have sent the rat to lock me up, Tom. Clearly you were unaware he owed me a life debt that I called in just now for him to look the other way and let me escape. And guess what, that's exactly what he did." Harry flicked his wand to send Voldemort into the wall and followed it up with a chair to his face and stomach.
"Get him!" Voldemort commanded.
Harry braced himself as he started firing off spells, or protecting himself with shields and jumping behind things to avoid being hit by curses that would probably do some damage. Harry stunned who he could, using everything in his arsenal to narrow the number of people attacking him at once. It wasn't easy, Harry got hit a few times to cause cuts or burns; his clothes took quite the beating too, but it protected him from anything serious.
"The hell with this kid!?" Antonin Dolohov remarked.
"He fights with way more than he should know!" Travers scoffed.
Harry finally cleared the way to the door and got out, rushing to the gate. "Don't let him escape!" Voldemort ordered.
Harry smirked at Voldemort. "Until next time, Tommy," He saluted as he darted the rest of the way and put his hand on the gate to push out of it. Harry closed his hand around the Black ring. "Home…" Harry called out as he felt the sensation pulling him away, but not before he saw something shiny coming at him as he disappeared.
. . .
"The hour is up, I'm going after him and taking the Order with me. Get up, Remus…" Severus told the wolf as he got up.
As Remus stood to his feet with a firm nod to go on a rescue to save his nephew, a whooshing sound and flash of light as Harry landed in the room and staggered forward slightly, but caught his balance.
"Harry…!" Draco said quickly as he was closest and got to Harry's side.
"Son…" Severus whispered in fear and relief.
"Cub?" Remus took a step towards them.
"Harry, are you alright?" Narcissa asked gently.
Harry winced as he tried to stand up more, but flinched and looked down to find a dagger embedded in his stomach. Harry wrapped his hand around the handle and yanked it out before letting it drop to the floor with a clang as he breathed hard and his legs buckled. If not for Theodore and Draco on his sides, he'd have collapsed.
"Oh, god…He's hurt!" Pansy screeched with concern.
Lucius picked up the blade carefully and inspected it. "These are Bellatrix's…" Lucius identified the blade.
"Bellatrix always had poisoned daggers…" Narcissa remembered.
Severus moved to his son's side and got him over to the couch. Harry was breathing hard. "Ssh, son…I've got you." Severus soothed as he summoned his potions kit to him and got it opened up so he could work on Harry. "Rest. I'm here, you're home…You're safe. Rest now…You'll recover faster."
Severus grabbed a Bezoar first and got it into Harry to counter the poison from the dagger, and then Severus got Harry to drink down a pain relief potion and also a peaceful sleeping draught. Severus made sure to hold a rag over the bleeding wound, and now used his one free hand to stroke Harry's hair and forehead as the teenager drifted off to sleep. "I swear if I ever see the dark lord again, I'll hurt him for this…"
"We're all with you on that," Remus nodded. "Let's get Harry healed up, and then let him rest. Nothing more can be done tonight aside that. I'll help you."
Quietly, Remus and Severus worked together to heal Harry's injuries. The first was the stab wound, then all the little ones. Severus used burn paste on the burns and another salve to promote good healing of bruises. Severus couldn't believe the damage for just an hour that Harry was gone. Voldemort must have tried right away to kill him.
"That's all I can do, for now…" Severus sighed. "I couldn't entirely heal the stomach, but a day or two should take care of it. Poison is gone, and everything minor is set."
"Will he wake tonight?" Narcissa asked.
"No. He'll be out until morning." Severus told her. "I don't know what happened, but it's clear there was a fight…All I care about right now is that he's home and safe…"
Draco rubbed Harry's right hand gently, and then slid his Potter ring back in place as all three rings seemed to just go right back to being one. "How did he get here without his ring?" Draco asked.
"I don't know." Remus said. "If he used the Black ring, he should have gone to Grimmauld."
"He had to have used the Black ring…Harry can't apparate." Lucius stated.
"Unless he put a portkey here into his Black ring?" Narcissa suggested. "Harry's no stranger to that kind of magic, it wouldn't surprise me if he made an illegal portkey to his own house."
"Sadly, I can't disagree." Severus sighed.
"Uncle Sev…It'll be alright. Harry's strong…He'll recover." Draco tried to tell his godfather.
"I know my son is strong, Draco…And I believe entirely that he will be the one to defeat Voldemort, but only if he makes it to the battle." Severus stated. "Had Harry been hit with more than one dagger, or they struck any place vital; he'd be dead." He paused. "It doesn't matter, not right now." The man bowed his head, grateful his son was alive. For now, the only thing that mattered was Harry was going to recover and he was home safe.