ORIGINAL: The Amour
A Death To Defy
[Chapter Eighteen] A Death To Defy
“Ennervate.”
Harry’s vision began returning to his dazed eyes, bringing with it incredible pain. His scar felt as if it would split open any second and his wrists were completely nerveless from the overly taut ropes.
He had absolutely no idea where he was, let alone what had just happened. Someone or something had captured him and knocked him unconscious....
The more he tried to remember, the more his head pounded and so he just closed his eyes and buried his sore and red cheek into the cool stone floor.
Suddenly, he heard a shuffling noise beside him and his head instinctively jerked up.
For the first time, he realized that in the general direction that the sound was coming, the scenery seemed to be.... a bit wavy and fuzzy. He immediately recognized the effects as something that Mad-Eye Moody had cast on him during his fifth year...
And just as he was thinking this, he heard a voice say;
“Finite Disillumus” and like a backward waterfall, a person’s feet began to appear and then the legs, then the hip, and the chest, and finally...
Harry stifled a shocked and furious growl.
“Blaise! You-”
The now fully visible Blaise Zabini turned his body to look at the pathetically helpless Boy-Who-Lived, lying on the floor and smirked. He twirled his wand once and then concealed his arm within his long black robes.
“Hello Potter.” he said, a cruel mirth in his eyes. “You look wonderful.”
Harry fumed and narrowed his eyes. “What the hell do you want Zabini? What is this place? Why did you bring me here?”
Blaise raised his eyebrow in amusement and smirked again. “So many questions. Didn’t you ever hear the saying, Curiosity killed the cat ?”
“I’m serious Zabini. What the hell do you want?”
“Maybe we’ll have a nice chat about this later. That is, if you’re still in the condition to do so.” Blaise flicked his wand at Harry and a gag went around Harry’s mouth. Harry nearly choked.
“I’ll be back Harry. Just need to invite some important people to our little powwow.” Blaise grinned and strode out of the large cave-like room that they were in.
The temperature seemed to be dropping by the second and in no time, Harry’s teeth were chattering violently and his skin had become a pasty white.
What seemed like hours later, a figure stepped into the room silently.
Harry felt a pair of eyes on the back of his neck and rolled over to face the door.
Peter Pettigrew, or now more commonly known among the Death Eaters as Wormtail, was standing in the doorframe, his plump form taking up most of the width and his small and watery eyes darting characteristically to meet Harry’s gaze and then to his own feet.
Without a word, Peter proceeded through the doorway and over to a place only a few feet away from where Harry lay.
He waved his hand and a chair clattered onto the floor noisily.
So Peter was capable wandless magic now, Harry thought dismally. This was not a good sign at all.
Peter sank down into the chair and fixed his gaze onto Harry’s legs, trying not to look Harry in the eye. Neither spoke a word (not that Harry would have been able to even if he’d wanted to) and the minutes seemed to elapse at an aggravatingly slow speed.
Harry’s mouth and lips were beginning to get extremely dehydrated from the rough cloth but he didn’t dare utter a sound.
Now that Peter had shown himself, there was no doubt as to where Harry was at that very moment.
And someone else much less pleasant, who wanted to murder Harry, was in the vicinity too.
Draco..... Harry’s mind voiced softly. Draco.....
Would Harry ever see the blonde raving beauty again?
I love you, Draco....
Draco..... Draco......
The fork that was being brought to Draco’s mouth halted abruptly and he scrunched up his forehead in surprise.
What the fuck was that? He wondered as his eyes scanned the Great Hall around him. It had definitely been Harry’s voice...
His eyes flickered over to section of the Gryffindor Table that Harry was usually sitting at and was even more bewildered to see that Ron and Hermione were alone. Harry was not with them.
Nor was he seated anywhere along the long tables.
I love you, Draco......
There was Harry’s voice again, faint but clear enough to know that it wasn’t just his imagination.
Something in the pit of Draco’s stomach was flipping nervously, and he had a indistinct feeling as if something was amiss.... terribly amiss...
Harry had been fine after the wonderful rendezvous in the hidden room, and Ron and Hermione had informed him earlier that day that Harry had gone up to see the Headmaster after third class.
Harry would have told him if something was wrong.
So where the hell was he?
He turned back to his plate but pushed it away from himself and pressed his fingers to his temples gingerly.
And why had he heard Harry’s voice calling out to him?
It had almost sounded as if.....
He dropped his hands from his face and his eyes roamed over the two long rows of Slytherins chatting away and gorging on dinner.
The answer to all his question came smack right into his face when he noticed an empty space right across from him.
Blaise was gone too.
Draco’s mind began to race with panic. It wasn’t unusual for Blaise to miss occasional meals but for some reason, apart from the fact that Harry was coincidentally gone too, he had a very bad feeling about Blaise.
He shot up from his table and his goblet full of pumpkin juice tipped and splattered all over Pansy and Millicent, who promptly screeched and fell backwards from their seats.
Without giving them a second glance, he leapt away from his own bench and began sprinting down the long aisles toward the great wooden doors of the Great Hall.
He didn’t doubt anymore that Blaise had nothing to do with Harry’s disappearance. He’d been fearing it all along. Blaise had been keeping too quiet for the past month.
They could be anywhere in the school right now. Draco was frantic.
Draco didn’t have the stupid map that Harry owned and he didn’t know any quick spells that would locate them. If only he’d paid more attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts....
He didn’t dare shout Harry’s names as he dashed through the corridors, for either Peeves or a teacher would be bound to find him and give him smart trouble.
A sudden idea popped into Draco’s head.
If the voice he’d heard in his head a few minutes ago, had really been a telepathic connection between him and Harry, then wouldn’t Draco be able to communicate to the Gryffindor in some way?
It was a possibility and as of now, there was nothing else he could do.
He stopped running and ducked into the shadow of a large stone statue. He clamped his eyes shut and tried to imagine Harry’s face and Harry’s voice.
Harry..... He thought desperately. Harry...... Please answer.....
But to his total dismay, he got no reply whatsoever.
Fucking dammit! Come on! Harry!
He focused his thoughts completely on his lover and pursed his lips in concentration.
Still, no voices.
But as he was about to give up, inside his closed eyelids, everything was becoming mysteriously white and a still image of something still vague was beginning to appear among the whiteness.
He tried to see what it was and then he let out an involuntary gasp.
His eyes shot open and he stuck his hand down the neck of his robes.
When he pulled his hand back out, a thin silver crest came with it, resting in Draco’s palm and glittering.
The Malfoy Crest.
A necklace that his father had given him on his sixteenth birthday.
A necklace that upon command would turn into a portkey that would send him to Voldemort’s whereabouts.
It was a necklace similar to this one that he’d seen within his mind just now.
The only thing that differed was the markings upon the crest.
The Zabini Crest.
Everything came swirling to him at such a rush that he thought his brain might explode.
Blaise was going to hand Harry over to Voldemort.
What if I’m too late? a voice screamed inside his head as he ripped the chain from off his neck.
He grasped the cold metal in his left hand and he was pulled off his feet and into a whirling wind of colors.
With a loud thud, he was thrown unceremoniously onto the ground and he fell flat on his rear.
Wincing slightly, he picked himself up and looked around.
He recognized the place immediately. It was where all the Death Eater meetings were held. He’d accompanied his father a number of times before.
He was standing in a long, dark, and dank hallway, and the air was so cold that he could almost see his breath turning into icicles in midair.
The corridor itself, was entirely deserted but being aware all the same, he quietly snuck down through the pitch-black passageway, stopping every now and then to listen for sounds. Any kind of sounds.
He just hoped that he wasn’t too late.... If he was....
Draco shook his head fiercely and continued on.
He wouldn’t think about it like that.
Harry would be okay.
He pulled out his wand and tapped it onto the top of his head.
“Disillumus.”
At that moment, the faint outline of an open door came slowly into view down the passageway. And he jumped back when someone came out of the door. He recognised him immediately as Wormtail, Voldemort’s faithful servant.
Wormtail turned and disappeared into the darkness ahead without a backwards glance.
His heart hammered against his chest and he held his wand up, in ready position if anything else came bolting out the door.
Holding his breath, he swung around the door and into the room.
A cry nearly escaped his lips at the sight displayed in the middle of the chamber.
Harry was lying on the floor, gagged and bound and squirming around desperately to free himself of the ropes.
Without hesitation, he ran over to the other boy and reached out trembling hands to untie the knots in the gag.
He managed to yank the cloth off before Harry jumped at his touch and rolled over twice to get away from him.
“Zabini? Is that you?”
Draco smacked himself for not remembering to take the disillusionment charm off of him.
“No, Harry. It’s me.”
Harry’s eyes grew round and his sore mouth broke into a huge grin.
“H- how did you... Draco! Get back!”
Draco froze and looked at Harry incredulously.
“Harry! We’ve gotta get you out of here!”
But Harry rammed his head into Draco’s ribs and knocked him to the floor a meter away from Harry.
A pair of hurried and spry footsteps echoed impendingly and Draco crouched low onto the floor, hiding behind Harry’s body.
The footsteps paused and then Blaise entered the room with a gleeful smirk on his face. At the sight of Harry, his smirk faltered.
“How did you untie the cloth?” he whispered quietly, his eyes flickering to the discarded strip of cloth on the floor and then to Harry’s still securely tied hands.
Harry shifted uncomfortably and tried to force a sanguine smile onto his face.
“Ever heard of wandless magic?”
Blaise opened his mouth in surprise and then snapped it shut. He just looked at Harry icily.
“Shit.” Draco’s voice sounded from behind him.
Harry hacked a cough loudly to cover it up.
“What was that?” Blaise suddenly asked, eyes scanning the room uncertainly.
“What was what?”
“I thought I heard...”
“I know why you brought me here.” Harry suddenly interrupted, ignoring Blaise’s look. “You’re gonna hand me over to your saintly Dark Lord right? You wanna get rid of me, don’t you?”
Blaise remained silent but there was an amused gleam in his eye now.
“You’re just like the rest of them. What, is this your initiation task to become a foul Death Eater just like your father?”
At this, Blaise face was suddenly contorted with rage. In a blink of an eye, his wand was pointing at Harry’s head.
“You don’t know my father.” he said menacingly.
“Good thing, cuz the fact that I know he kisses Voldemort’eet eet is enough-”
“Spintus!”
Harry was thrown back with a brutal force and he landed with a painful thud a few feet away.
“Don’t talk about things you don’t know about, Potter.” Blaise said, regaining composure of himself. “Be grateful that you’ll be able to die the same way your own worthless father died.”
Unwelcome tears of intense ire threatened to take over Harry’s visi
“He died to save me because he loved me.” Harry finally managed in a shaking voice. “Something that none of your family will ever do.”
Blaise let out a laugh. “Love? Who ever needs love to live?”
“You’re pathetic. You think you’re doing all this to get Draco, but you’re just plain stupid if you think this will buy your way into his heart.”
“Well that’s your opinion and frankly, I don’t care a shit. There’s nothing you can do now anyways. He’ll be here soon.”
A loud scuffle came from behind him and suddenly, Harry saw Blaise’s eyes widen with shock.
Harry spun around where he was sitting and saw Draco standing with his wand raised and his eyes fixed on Blaise.
“If you think I’m going to let that fucking scum lay one finger on Harry, then you’re the one that being quite stupid.” Draco said, walking slowly toward the other Slytherin who was standing stock still. “What’s gotten into you Blaise? Why the sudden change of heart?”
Blaise swallowed and shifted his gaze.
“I-I don’t know what you’re-”
“Don’t give me that shit. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Have you decided to join him because of me and Harry? Is that it?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why?”
“Because I want to.”
“No, you don’t.”
“How would you fucking know? You know nothing about me, and you’ve never cared a shit about me! Quit acting like a clever smartass!” Blaise roared and he jerked his arm so that his wand was now pointing at Draco instead of Harry. “You don’t fucking care about anything other than yourself.”
“FUCKING-”
“Silence.”
A hiss like that of a snake cut through the air and Draco and Blaise both flinched. Blaise whirled around and lowered himself onto his knee.
“My Lord.”
A tall black-cloaked figure was standing in the doorway, the outline of his skeletal body illuminated by the dim light glowing from the hallway outside.
Harry’s heart froze like ice the instant the figure had spoken. He knew the heartless voice only too well. Cold sweat made his body shiver and he fought to control the pounding in his veins.
Draco remained standing. His expression was a mixture of fear, defiance, and pure hate. He lowered his wand, but only a few inches so that he was now directing it at the door.
The hooded face of Voldemort turned to look at Draco and Harry felt like lunging at Draco to protect him. Draco was not safe.
The eyes of Voldemort were shadowed but his thin and colorless lips curled into a cruel smile.
“Do I see the son of Lucius Malfoy, most anticipated future Death Eater, threatening me with a wand?”
Draco didn’t reply. He just stepped in front of Harry’s body.
“Pity, for I thought that you would be capable of becoming a fine Death Eater.” Voldemort said still smiling. “But if that isn’t the case.... then of course there only one thing to be done about it.”
Blaise sprang up and shook his head.
“My Lord, Draco is not in his right state. When we transported ourselves here, he hit his head and-”
“He did not hit his head.”
Blaise’s voice staggered and he bowed his head.
“There is no need to fend for someone who has betrayed their Lord.”
“Yes My Lord. Of course-”
“Now stand aside.”
Blaise didn’t move.
Voldemort flicked his wand and Blaise was mercilessly knocked off his feet. He crashed to the floor.
Voldemort stepped forward and looked at Draco and Harry.
“Which shall I kill first?”
Draco threw his arm out and stepped back.
“Of course. It’s a tradition to leave the best for last....” he let out a high-pitched cackle that felt to Harry like a thousand nails ripping at his
skin.
“Draco, NO!” Harry screamed. “Draco! Get the hell back here! DRACO!”
Voldemort slowly lifted his arm and his smile curled even more.
“Oh how sweet... What an honor to be the one to destroy such passion... Goodbye, son of Lucius.
“AVADA KEDAVRA!”
A blinding jet of green light flashed out of Voldemort’s wand.
[A/N] Yep, it’s a cliffy. A very mean one too. Am I not so generous? But don’t worry, I will update very soon so you won’t have long to wait. If you want to read more and if you liked it, please review! Like I have said before, reviews are very much like fuel. And don’t we all need some sort of feul to live on? Ehe. That was kinda corny but whatever.
Love,
silverXserpent