Indelible

New chapter: wow, only one to go now. It should be good, I think. And I hope I don’t disappoint anyone too much with my ending! I answered some frequently asked questions at the bottom of the chapter.

Slash in the first part, as promised. This is one long-ass chapter.

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Words: 6,500
Chapter 18
Battle For Hogwarts
May 13th 1996.

It was one of those mornings where the sun persistently seems to manage to sneak through every curtain and blind in the room, where the sun beams are determined to shine upon ones eyes despite the fact that one obviously just wants to sleep a little longer. Voldemort groaned, and rolled onto his side. Or he tried to. Instead, Harry gave a moan and tightened his hold on Voldemort’s neck. The Dark Lord rubbed at his eyes as they fluttered open, squinting as the sun was directly shining at them, and looked down at Harry’s head.

The teenager had somehow managed to roll on top of him during the night and was now clinging to his own body like a vice. Harry’s knees were pressed against Voldemort’s hips, his arms around Voldemort’s neck, and his face pressed to Voldemort’s collarbone.

Harry’s mouth must have been open because Voldemort could feel his parted lips pressing against his collarbone, and when Harry licked his lips in his sleep Voldemort felt his cock jump to attention. With a frustrated sigh, he rolled Harry off of him, without waking the boy, and slipped from the bed. As much as he enjoyed waking with Harry on top of him, and as much as his erection proved he enjoyed it, he wanted to be considerate to Harry’s feelings. He hadn’t outright asked Harry whether the boy was ready to be more intimate with him. Rather he just assumed that Harry would want to be completely over Tom because having sex with Voldemort, despite the fact that he had openly admitted to being in love with Voldemort as well as Tom.

Voldemort paused at the side of the bed. He smiled, an unusual sight for this particular man, and lent down to press a kiss to the back of Harry’s head. Harry merely nuzzled his face against Tom’s pillow before letting out a soft sigh and appearing to relax back into sleep.

Voldemort made his way to the bathroom. Malfoy Manor had many bathrooms and most of them had deep set baths big enough for twelve people, like the ones at Hogwarts, but Voldemort had always preferred the ones that had a toilet, a sink and a shower. Maybe it was because he was Muggle raised? Or perhaps he thought he might drown if he ever fell asleep in the bath? Regardless, he hurriedly removed his trousers and socks before turning the nozzle on the showerhead to set the pressure. Then he pressed the start button and stepped under the spray.

He was just rinsing the shampoo out of his hair when the bathroom door opened and someone else stepped inside. He turned, his lips ready to curse the intruder before he realized it was only Harry.

“Harry?” Voldemort asked softly, his hands smoothing his hair back from his forehead so water was no longer dripping into his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Harry smiled, his head tilted to one side as he eyes Voldemort’s naked body. “It’s nothing I haven’t done before.” He whispered before pulling his t-shirt over his head. The Dark Lord’s eyes widened slightly as Harry pushed down his pajama trousers and stepped out of them, towards the shower. “May I join you?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Voldemort said reluctantly. He wanted nothing more than to agreed, and see Harry naked and wet. Harry was already naked, of course, but there was such a difference between ‘naked’ and ‘naked and wet’! Voldemort couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over Harry’s body. He did try not to, he did try and respect Harry as a person (which is what he thought a Gryffindor would appreciate) but instead he found himself eyeing the boy lustfully. He licked his lips at one point and Harry noticed, and smirked.

“Why not?” Harry asked. He continued to move towards the shower. He stepped in, and Voldemort tried to step out, but Harry took him by the arm and pressed himself against Voldemort’s chest. The man let out a tortured groan, his fingers clenching before he gave up any idea of resistance and grabbed Harry by the shoulders. He pulled the younger man into a desperate kiss, their tongues dueling as their lips clashed and teeth bit and nibbled. “I think this was one of my better ideas, my Lord.” Harry raised an eyebrow as he spoke, looking far more like a Slytherin than the Gryffindor he should have been.

“You aren’t ready for this, I should never have-”

Harry’s lips cut him off. Just as Voldemort thought he might die from the taste of Harry, the boy pulled back. His hand cupped Voldemort’s cheek. “Who said I’m not ready? I love you. I want to be with you.”

There was only one thing Voldemort could think of to say in reply: “in the shower?”

Harry tugged the elder man back, so they were flush against each other. “Anywhere you’ll have me.” His eyes were bright and so very green, and Voldemort could see he was nothing but sincere. They shone with honesty and lust, but not a hint of anxiety.

“Everywhere,” Voldemort breathed in awe before his lips claimed Harry’s once more. Harry’s hands tangled in Voldemort’s wet hair, pulling his head down harder against his own face. Voldemort was still gripping Harry’s shoulders, but he allowed his hands to slide down so that one was pressed to the small of Harry’s back and the other was lightly cupping his arse. Harry moaned into the kiss and arched backwards so Voldemort’s hand was pressed against his arse just that much harder. Voldemort’s hand squeezed out of reflex and Harry gave another moan, his own hand sliding down and slipping between their bodies to palm Voldemort’s erection.

The elder man pulled back, eyes wide. “Harry,” he said gently, forgetting that he wasn’t speaking to someone inexperienced (like Harry certainly would have been if not for Tom).

“It’s not like I haven’t done this before.” He said it quietly, his eyes were still closed from the kiss and his head tilted back as he waited for Voldemort’s lips to touch his again. His entire body had tensed up slightly nonetheless.

Voldemort gave a small flinch at the reminder before he gritted his teeth. He took a deep breath and said something he hoped would relax the teenager. “In the shower?”

Harry’s eyes snapped open before he gave a soft chuckled. He bit his bottom lip, looking bashful before shaking his head. “In the bath once, but never in the shower.”

Voldemort made a small humming noise. His eyes, red and usually expressionless, seemed to dance in amusement as he lent down to whisper against Harry’s ear, “always a first time for everything.” He bit on the boy’s collarbone then and Harry gave a slight cry, his fingers clutching at Voldemort’s hair again. Harry’s hips rocked forward, brushing his erection against Voldemort’s thigh (for he was quite a bit shorter than the other man, so neither of them were directly in line with the other). “I love you Harry,” Voldemort said as he pulled back. His lips moved across Harry’s neck then, and up to his chin and his cheeks. He feathered kisses across the boy’s face, and eyes, and nose and then onto his lips as his hand moved down to knead Harry’s arse.

He figured his fingers were wet enough. He allowed one to slip between the cheeks of Harry’s arse and gently trace the hidden opening. Harry mewled lightly as the digit pushed past, and entered him. A second finger followed soon after and Harry moaned throatily at the slight burning pain it caused. Voldemort raised an eyebrow at that. He had expected Harry to wince at the least; instead he seemed to enjoy it. Voldemort scissored his fingers, stretching Harry before allowed a third finger to join the others.

When he was prepared, Voldemort grabbed the underside of both of Harry’s thighs. “Jump up, love,” he ordered softly. Harry did as he was told, and Voldemort caught him and helped him hook his legs around Voldemort’s waist. He turned then, Harry in his arms, so he was pressing Harry’s back to the shower wall. Harry hissed at the coldness of the tiles, compared to the warm water he had been standing under previously.

He took Harry’s hips, and Harry gripped his shoulders, and Voldemort lifted the boy up, before positioning his penis at Harry’s pucker and allowing the teenager to slide back down onto him. Voldemort bit his lip, his head lolling forward onto the hollow between Harry’s neck and shoulder, as he groaned. Harry was so hot and tight and it was all he could do not to come then and there. Harry’s fingers were tugging at his hair all of a sudden, whispered words spilling from Harry’s lips in a desperate mantra but Voldemort couldn’t hear him.

He pressed a kiss to Harry’s lips, silencing him. “Tell me what you want.”

“Fuck me, fuck me, please, please, please,” the boy pleaded desperately, his eyes squeezed closed as his fingers moved through Voldemort’s hair and then down to his shoulders. “Please, please, please.”

Voldemort did as he was asked. The fingers of one of his hands dug into Harry’s hips, the other hand he pressed against the wall for leverage as he arched forward, pressing as far into Harry as possible. Then he pulled almost all of the way out and thrust back in again, hard. Harry whimpered at the loss then screamed as Voldemort slammed into him. They moved together like that, soft and then hard, with Harry clinging to Voldemort for dear life.

Harry’s head was thrown back against the tiles, rolling from side to side as his orgasm dawned ever closer. Voldemort sucked against the skin of Harry’s collarbone, his teeth clamping down, marking the boy as he came hard. His entire body shook with his release and the hand that held Harry squeezed hard enough to bruise. Harry came soon after, his own hand on his cock, stroking in time to Voldemort’s thrusts. His back arched and he threw his head back so hard it hit the wall with a ‘thump’ but he didn’t care because he was seeing stars anyway.

When their breath had slowed and their heart rates calmed, they pulled apart. Harry stood upon shaky legs, his eyes still closed and his lips parted but smiling. Voldemort was inexplicably drawn to the site, his own lips curling upwards in a soft smile as he watched his lover bask in their afterglow.

“That was amazing,” Harry spoke at last, and Voldemort couldn’t have agreed more.

When they could finally bear to lose the moment, they left the shower, dried and dressed and headed back to Voldemort’s bedroom. From there they headed to the dining room for breakfast. They entered the room hand in hand, and Fenrir’s lips immediately twitched into a sly grin, because as a werewolf he could smell ‘sex’ all over them even after the shower. Remus could smell it as well, but he was a little more discreet. Lucius and Sirius both noticed the grin on Fenrir’s face, as well as the completely relaxed posture of Voldemort as he sat down, which just screamed post-coital bliss.

“What the hell-” He started, about to rant and rave about Voldemort defiling his godson, but Remus’ wand was obviously quicker than Sirius’ tongue because he was suddenly under a silencing spell before he could finish his sentence.

Lucius honestly had better things to worry about than Harry’s virtue. His eye twitched as a loud crash echoed through the manor. It seemed to have come from outside, but whatever had broken was big enough to echo through the walls. Narcissa was sat beside her husband, and her lips turned down at the noise.

“My Lord,” Lucius started and Voldemort turned to face him. “Please?” He whispered looking out of the nearest window.

Two giants were shoving each other back and forth and the delicate and expensive fountain that had once been outside of that particular window was now rubble, crushed under the feet of the giants. Three more giants stood around them, throwing pieces of the rubble at the two fighting. It was only the wards directly around the manor that stopped the stones flying in through the windows.

Voldemort scowled. “I’ll order them to make their way to Hogwarts and to wait in the Forbidden Forest.”

“Thank you,” Lucius and Narcissa breathed together, their entire beings relaxing at the words.

A house elf appeared shortly after, and Harry immediately stood to take the mail. The elf looked at Harry, and like he had done for the past two days, shook his head softly and handed the parchment to Lucius.

“What’s wrong?” The blond man asked. There was a letter from Draco; it was addressed to his parents, but it included a smaller letter for Harry, which Lucius gave him.

“I’m waiting for a letter from Hermione. I suppose it can wait another day before I look elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere for what?” Remus said as he took off the silencing spell from his mate. Sirius looked interested as he waited for Harry to answer.

“It won’t matter, not until she writes back.” He returned to his breakfast, and it was only Voldemort and Lucius who knew exactly what Harry had in mind. It all involved two Vanishing Cabinets, a special room in Hogwarts and a certain Hogwarts student that still hadn’t replied to his owl.

XXX

May 14th 1996.

“Harry, (or is it still Dorian?)

“I admit I was rather surprised when Malfoy gave me your letter. I rather thought it was cursed at first. Not that I think you would curse me! But you know Malfoy and I never have gotten along. Well, lately it has been better, since we have you in common and we’re researching how to de-possess people in Defense class. A waste of time if you ask me. It’s all rot, and Umbridge is absolutely useless. I say they bring back Remus; at least he knew what he was talking about!

“Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I have thought over your proposal and have come to a decision. Now, I want you to know that I have thought long and hard and I must admit that I even asked Malfoy a few questions and then talked it over with Cedric, (we’ve become quite close, you see). By the way, he offered to assist you as long as none of the students are injured. Harry! That was exactly why I delayed in answering you. If you can promise me that the Death Eaters are only going to do what they must, and not purposely go out of their way to kill or injure students then I’d be happy to help you.

“You were my first and only friend, and I have always stood behind you. I’m so sorry there was nothing I could do for you when you were sent to Azkaban, but I am glad that you had Tom with you. I admit I feel insanely guilty for his – death? I had known you were there before I told Mr. Malfoy and Voldemort. I am sorry, but I couldn’t get you out of the room. When you were unconscious, I unbound you and tried to levitate you out, but I couldn’t get you from the room. I was worried that the Headmaster might have known that I tried something, or I would have gone to them sooner. I am so sorry!

“I know he killed Ginny, and I know Ron died because of Voldemort as well, but Harry, I was always so much closer to you than to them. Does that make me a bad person? That I could overlook their deaths if it means I get my best friend back? Nonetheless. I want to help you. I need to help you, or I don’t think I could live with myself if someone else helps you and people get injured because no one thought to ask you to limit the others.

“Please don’t injure the students, Harry. Also, I understand that if I were to refuse help I would automatically be Obliviated? Well, there’s no need for that, is there. Now, you said that the other Cabinet had already been fixed and was in place? Which house elf am I to ask as to the location of the other Cabinet? Do let me know soon; I would like to get this over with as soon as possible.

“Many regards, and much love, Hermione Granger.”

Harry rolled the parchment back up and looked at Voldemort. “Well she replied.” He said with a soft smile. Voldemort thought over Hermione’s words, having listened to Harry read it out loud.

“Very well, let her proceed.”

He nodded once at his younger lover and left the room. The moment Voldemort was gone, Harry wrote out another letter, detailing the task at hand. “Dobby,” he called when he was finished.

Dobby had tried to help Harry before second year started, warning him not to go back to school, and a part of Harry (during the stay at Azkaban) wondered what would have happened if he had listened. He had only recently noticed Dobby around the Manor, and when Dobby had noticed him back the house elf had refused to leave his side even after Lucius had ‘Crucioed’ him. Dobby was now Harry’s personal elf, though Lucius was reluctant to part with his most amusing elf.

“Yes Master Harry Sir?” He said, bowing so his nose touched the floor.

“Take this to Hermione Granger at Hogwarts. And don’t be seen.” He handed the roll of parchment to the elf. Dobby stood up long enough to grab it before bowing low again. “And stop bowing in front of me,” Harry said exasperatedly. Dobby jumped to his feet immediately and tugged at his ear anxiously with one hand, before disappearing with a ‘pop’.

At Hogwarts, Hermione read over the parchment, took a deep breath and readied herself for what she had promised to do. Regardless of doubts and fear and the end result, she had promised and she would keep her promise to Harry. It was the least she owed him.

XXX

May 18th 1996.

Where it might have taken anyone else the entire school year, Hermione had completed her task within four days. All it had taken to fix the broken Cabinet was a combination of cleaning Charms and two small spells to fix a few cracks in the wood. Just to be on the safe side, she had called for Dobby and asked him to wait at the other Cabinet (though Hermione didn’t know where that one was). Then she had thrown a rather heavy text book into the Cabinet and closed the door. Dobby had arrived back five minutes later with the book in hand.

“Tell Harry it’s ready.” She said as she left the room.

Draco watched her go, standing half hidden in the shadows of the corridor. He knew most of what Harry and the Dark Lord were planning, from what Hermione questioned him about, from what his father told him and from what Harry chose to share with him. He knew it wasn’t that Harry didn’t trust him: they were best friends now, and Harry did trust him. But Harry was afraid of what Dumbledore might do to Draco if Draco were to know too much. It might have been callous but Hary was more willing to risk Hermione’s safety (who was relatively safe as a Mudblood Gryffindor) than Draco’s (who was the Slytherin son of a Death Eater).

That didn’t make Draco any less jealous of Hermione though. He wanted to be the one to help Harry, to contribute to the Dark Lord’s cause and to help avenge Tom, Harry and Voldemort all against Dumbledore. But instead Granger was chosen. Draco gave a roll of his eyes as he noticed Dean Thomas slip out from behind a tapestry and eye the door Hermione had left through. The door had disappeared now that the room wasn’t in use and Dean knocked on the stone wall, trying to push it open to no avail. Draco hexed him in the back and then followed Hermione down the stairs. Just because he couldn’t help Harry, didn’t mean he couldn’t help Hermione help Harry.

XXX

May 18th 1996. Two hours later.

Harry had been informed as soon as Dobby returned to Hermione with the textbook. He had in turn let Voldemort know that their plan was ready to be put into action. As soon as he was able Voldemort called his Death Eaters to him, along with the Vampires and the Werewolves. The Vampires were already on their way to Hogwarts to meet with the giants. Their orders had been to delay any assistance from what was left of the Aurors (those hiding at Hogwarts). The werewolves were to deal with the Professors who resisted. The Death Eaters themselves were just to generally cause havoc and terrify those present while Bellatrix and Voldemort used the distraction to get to Dumbledore.

“The children are not to be injured. That means no torture and no killing,” Harry said, and then paused. He remembered something Hermione had mentioned briefly in the letter she sent with Dobby, to let him know the Cabinet was fixed. “Unless they attack to kill, do not kill them.” She had formed a rag-tag army of sorts, to help support Harry; but he didn’t doubt they’d attack a Death Eater if they had to.

“Yes my Lord Indelible,” they chorused. Voldemort had already finished giving out his instructions so the Death Eaters began to leave the ballroom.

They would be leaving first, along with Voldemort. The werewolves would be the last to leave, although Harry and Sirius were staying in the manor. Voldemort didn’t want to risk harm falling on Harry, and Remus decided someone needed to stay and keep Harry distracted. Or at least that was what he told Voldemort. Remus knew it was more likely that Harry would distract Sirius, until Sirius found a way to convince his godson that they both might as well just go along with the others.

And that was precisely what happened. Sirius and Harry remained in the library while the Death Eaters left through the Vanishing Cabinet. They moaned and complained about how unfair everything was until Sirius frowned and looked hard at his godson. “Why are we here?”

“Cause Voldemort said we should stay.”

“Why does he get to decide?” Sirius asked petulantly.

“Cause he’s Lord Voldemort?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sirius scoffed. “What are you? Chopped liver?”

Harry’s eyes widened in realization. He looked at Sirius just as the same idea dawned on the other man. “I’m Lord Indelible. Why are you still here?”

“Voldemort said I had to stay.” He said with a smirk.

“I asked why were you still here.” Harry grinned at him. With a wave of his wand they were both dressed in hooded black robes, and Sirius conjured a bone white mask to hide his face.

“Why am I still here?” He asked as he stood up and held his hand out for Harry. “Because my Lord hasn’t yet told me to leave.”

“Then let’s go.” They ran into Lucius’ spare study where the Cabinet was being kept just as the last of the werewolves were going through. Fenrir and Remus, along with two others, were all that remained.

Fenrir frowned, “why are you both here?”

“Lord Indelible ordered that we join in.” Sirius said, giving a mock bow in Harry’s direction.

One of the other werewolves grinned and muttered, “son of a bitch!”1

“Those are my initials,” Sirius said with a grin, pushing past the werewolf. “Don’t wear them out.” Then he climbed into the Cabinet and closed the door behind him. When the werewolf opened the door, Sirius was already stepped out of the other Cabinet in the Room of Requirements.

Hermione was waiting in the Room when they arrived. The vampires had run to Hogwarts as they could move a lot faster than a normal person. That meant that Hermione was in a room filled with Death Eaters, but not vampires, which some might have considered a plus, and then the werewolves joined them. Sirius hopped out of the Cabinet with a large smirk on his face.

“What are you doing here Black?” Voldemort said, glaring at him, his wand out.

“Sirius Black?” Hermione breathed, her eyes widening. Despite herself she took a step backwards. Two werewolves appeared, and Hermione jumped forwards so they weren’t leaning over her anymore.

“Pleased to be of service, my Lord.” He gave a small bow to Voldemort then smirked in Hermione’s direction. Fenrir and Remus arrived, saving Voldemort from having to give a response. He gritted his teeth instead, and tried to make himself calm down by thinking of Harry.

Until Harry came through the Cabinet.

“POTTER!” He shouted, more annoyed than enraged.

Harry gave a soft smile and calmly walked towards the Dark Lord. He pressed his lips against Voldemort’s chastely then pulled back. “Shall we?” He asked, pointing at the door.

Harry didn’t wait for an answer. Instead he opened the door and walked out of the room. Fenrir immediately followed. With a nod to Bellatrix, the Dark Lord followed his lover. Lucius immediately took charge of the Death Eaters in his Lord’s absence and Bellatrix filled in for Fenrir.

“You will not maim, kill or torture students.” Lucius repeated.

“Professors and Aurors are fair game, isn’t they?” Bella gave a soft giggle as she twirled her wand between her thumb and forefinger.

She waited for Lucius to leave first. He led the other Death Eaters from the room; they remained silent until they had spread themselves through the school, then immediately began to fire off hexes and curses at whatever they could aim at. Immediately screams and cries started up from inside the classrooms. Professors locked the doors, and the Death Eaters unlocked them and swept into the rooms, driving the children into a corner while they dealt with the teacher.

The werewolves howled and bayed as they waited for Bellatrix to unleash them. She did so with a war cry, throwing her hands up in the air and releasing the Dark Mark into the air. It hovered above the Vanishing Cabinet, a sickly green color, and as it appeared the werewolves rushed from the room clambering over one another so they could be the first one out.

Some of the students tried to run. Most of them headed for the Great Hall, and once inside they tried to barricade themselves in, ignoring the fact that there were still many more students on their way. The Death Eaters allowed them to pretend that they were safe. They stood outside of the doors, snickering into their hands as they listened to the cries and sobs come from inside the Hall. There were Aurors in the room; all that were left of those that opposed the new regime. They were shouting orders, directing students to stand in a certain place or with a specific group.

Those that didn’t run to the Great Hall, ran outside. The vampires and the giants easily rounded them up and led them back inside.

Most of the Slytherin students, and some from the other Houses, walked up to the Death Eaters outside the Hall with Draco in their lead. “Could they go in?” Draco asked. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked slightly sulky. The Death Eater nodded and they all stepped aside. One cast a blasting Hex at the door and it swung inwards. The students ran inside. Draco turned and continued to do as Harry had asked him. In Harry’s last letter he told Draco to find as many students as he could and bring them to the Great Hall, where Voldemort intended to address them once Dumbledore had been dealt with.

As he was passing the seventh corridor he spotted two first year Hufflepuffs ducking into the Room of Requirements. Draco wasn’t sure what the Room did, but he had seen Hermione disappearing in there to do whatever Harry had tasked her to do, and he didn’t think it was a good idea for the kids to be in there right now. So he followed them. “Hello? Are you ok?” He was a prefect after all, so the children came out of the room. As they were walking out of the door Draco heard a whimper. He turned to the Hufflepuffs. “Continue to the Great Hall, and tell them a prefect sent you.” The children looked a little wary, but they followed his orders.

Draco ducked back into the room. He frowned trying to pin point where he had heard the whimper come from. His eyes zoned in on one of the room’s four corners.

In that corner of the room, Dean Thomas grinned to himself as Draco inched closer. His wand was out, but so was Draco’s. When Draco was close enough to see Dean’s face, Seamus jumped out from behind the Vanishing Cabinet and tackled Draco to the floor.

Draco landed with a groan, the wind rushing out of his lungs. He panted for a moment then rolled to his side. He couldn’t get up because Seamus was suddenly straddling his waist, and had punched him in the nose. Dean was standing beside them, and he kicked Draco in the ribs. They didn’t know that Dorian Grey was Harry Potter in disguise. All they knew was that they hated Slytherins, of which Draco was one, and that Draco had been engaged to Dorian, who they hated also.

Draco managed to throw Seamus off of him. He jumped to his feet, accio-ing the wand that he had dropped and shot a hex at the Irish boy’s direction. Seamus gave a pained cry and Dean’s eyes narrowed in anger. His mouth set into a straight line, and he aimed his wand at Draco. “FEINDFYRE!” He roared.

The jet of light shot towards the blond, who could only stare in a sort of horribly detached manner as a fiery painful death rushed towards him. Suddenly he was tackled to the side. With another groan, he hit the ground and rolled, knocking his savior off of him. Harry looked down at him with a grin. “Miss you, brother.” The brunette was on his feet seconds later, his wand aimed at Seamus, stunning him. Dean was knocked unconscious soon after. The fire was still raging, and because it was magical there was nothing that would put it out except time.

Draco looked around frantically. “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” he said eyeing the fact that the flames were between them and the door, “but do you happen to have a way out of here?”

Harry pulled something out of his pocket and un-shrunk it. It was a Firebolt that Sirius had gotten him during their trip to Diagon Alley in August. Sirius said it was to make up for all the birthday’s he had missed out on.

“Never leave home without it,” Harry said with a grin as he mounted the broom. He took off, hovering a few inches in the air then held his hand out to Draco. The blond took his hand and climbed on behind his friend. Harry sped over the flames, diving to the side, as the fire seemed to reach out for them, trying to catch them with a burning hand. They flew through the door so fast they slammed into the opposite wall. The moment he had his breath back Harry jumped up and slammed the door closed, trapping the fire in the Room of Hidden Things.

“Don’t try that at home, kids,” Draco said with a smirk, still panting from the fear and the adrenaline.

Harry looked down at the blond, his brother of sorts, and smiled softly. He was about to speak when a voice suddenly seemed as if it were talking directly into his ear. Harry knew Voldemort wasn’t behind him, but he spun around to check anyway. There was nothing there but air, but both boys could hear the voice, as could the rest of the school.

“I am Lord Voldemort. My followers have taken siege upon the school and I have the Headmaster in my possession as I speak. The children have not been harmed. In return for my act of mercy, all I ask is that the Aurors, previously of the Ministry, surrender their selves to my Death Eaters. They will be waiting outside of the Great Hall. You have one hour. If you still refuse to capitulate by that point, my followers will take pleasure in changing your minds.” Harry could almost see the smirk on Voldemort’s face as he carefully worded the last sentence.

Around the time Draco was leading the first group of students to the Great Hall, Fenrir had taken off after a Wizard who had bodily attacked Harry. Voldemort had lost his temper and demanded Harry return home (or he’d have to go back to sleeping in his own bed) and that was why Harry was outside of the Room of Requirements in time to rescue Draco from the Gryffindors.

Fortunately for Voldemort, Dumbledore was in the middle of a meeting with Severus when they began arriving at the School. The Headmaster had been half way out of the room, having heard the wards reacting to the vampires and the giants who were making their way out of the Forbidden Forest, when Severus acted. Severus, who was determined to prove his loyalty to Harry and Voldemort both, immediately stunned Dumbledore when his back was turned. And that was how Voldemort found them. The Dark Lord had arrived, wary with his wand out, expecting a battle only to find Dumbledore slumped over the threshold and Severus sitting in the Headmaster’s chair sipping a coffee.

“Make yourself comfortable, Severus.” Voldemort drawled, flicking his wand over Dumbledore. The man rose in the air, still unconscious. “You’ll be taking over for now. I’ll have the Lestrange brothers act as overseers, and later as joint deputy Headmasters.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” Severus rose from the chair, dipped into a bow, and sat down again. He carried on sipping his coffee as Dumbledore was levitated out of the room. When Voldemort found Bellatrix, he had her apparate Dumbledore back to Malfoy Manor. Then he cast the Sonorous spell on himself, and made his speech to the rest of the school.

Harry left with Draco after the speech. He didn’t care what the Aurors did. He had one concern, and that was dealing with Albus Dumbledore.

XXX

May 19th 1996.

Bellatrix and Harry hadn’t really spent much time together since they left Azkaban. But, like before they went there, they both had very different separate lives and it was hard to compact one and fit it inside of this new life they forged together. It was the same for Rabastian and Rudolphus. They may have spent years living side by side, but they were two different people with different interests and hobbies, not including serving the Dark Lord.

Bella and Harry did try and spend time together when there was nothing else going on. But more often than not they were both busy. Bella had to help her husband get their affairs into order behind the Ministry’s back, Harry had Tom, and then Draco to occupy him, and then he was sent back to Hogwarts and then Tom died. And now Voldemort took all of his time up.

Bellatrix didn’t begrudge the boy his happiness, but sometimes she was a little jealous that Harry no longer seemed to have time for her. But she knew the boy didn’t mean to slight her purposefully. So she forgave him.

“Bella?” Harry asked quietly as he leant back against the dungeon wall. “I’ve missed you.”

“You have no one to blame but yourself, ity bity Potter.” She grinned at him, her eyes brightening.

“Is it weird that I think of you as the mother-I’ve-never-had? But you’re still more like a crazy aunt who turns up every three months and tells me about her dead husband and shows me pictures of her cats?” Harry was actually thinking of Mrs. Figg and how nice it was to stay with her (even though he hated those visits) in comparison to the Dursleys.

“My husband is alive,” Bella snorted, “and I’m allergic to cats.”

“Dogs then?”

Bellatrix grinned widely, “Not everyone has a pet mutt, Harrykins.”

“Don’t call me that Madame Strange!” He glared at her. She reached over to punch him lightly on the arm.

“Don’t call me that,” she mocked, making faces at him.

It was at this point that Albus Dumbledore woke up. He was chained to the wall opposite them, a large metal collar clipped around his neck and the chain attached to the wall. His hands were tied together, but his feet were free. He was lying down, but he slowly got to his feet; the chain was long enough for him to stand or lie down comfortably, but he couldn’t move any further than three steps away from the wall. His wand was snapped in half, the two halves were lying on the floor in his field of sight but just out of his reach – tauntingly.

“Oh,” Bella cooed rubbing her hands together. “Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey! Looks who’s come to join the party.”

“We couldn’t have started without you.” Harry said, a slow, cruel smile stretched across his features. Dumbledore shuddered and opened his mouth to attempt to talk some sense into Harry. Before he could get a word out, Harry looked at Bellatrix and said, “do what you do best.”

She screamed, “CRUCIO!” and all Dumbledore knew for the rest of the night was agony of a kind you couldn’t even imagine.

Harry listened to him scream, and he listened to Bellatrix torture him, and once or twice he cast the spell himself. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what it felt like to listen to Tom screaming as he died, and Harry found that Dumbledore suddenly wasn’t screaming loud enough. So, together with Bellatrix’s spell, he cast a Crucio of his own.

Dumbledore screamed louder. Harry focused on his hate and his rage and his fear, and the spell doubled in intensity. He hummed lightly listening to Dumbledore sob between screams, and briefly he wondered if this was what Hell would be like, before he put the thought from his mind and focused on the here and now. He cast the spell again. This time he chuckled manically as he punished Albus for his sins.

Bellatrix eyes him warily, wondering if they had more in common that she had thought.

XXX


1 – Son of a Bitch – S.O.B. – Sirius Orion Black. I thought it was rather funny.

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There have been a few questions I have yet to address; and since this is the penultimate chapter, I might as well address them here.

FIRSTLY: remember, that the Twins hated Ron for betraying Harry like he did. And they don’t blame Harry for Ginny’s death either: since no one told them Harry was possessed by Tom (only Hermione was told). And really, none of them have spoken to Percy for years? It isn’t like they can prove that Harry did it anyway.

SECONDLY: For those that are wondering about Fenrir being friends with Harry but not wanting to turn him into a Werewolf:
– In chapter 4 Remus told some of the Order that Fenrir had offered to protect Harry from the Wizarding World, as long as someone else broke him out of Azkaban. Ergo, Fenrir was already inclined to get along with Harry should they meet later on.
– Fenrir bit Remus. They don’t like each other, but it’s just like having a father you don’t get on with. You’re still family. If you hate your father, you won’t necessarily hate your son, etc. Fenrir is like family to Harry because he bit Remus and Remus considers Harry his cub.
– Also, why would someone risk pissing off the Dark Lord just to make one more Werewolf when there are so many other people he can bite?

THIRDLY: For those that wondered about what happened to Bellatrix and Harry’s friendship. The woman has only just got out of Azkaban for the first time in 13 years! I’m sure she wants time to rediscover the world. Not to mention spend some alone time with her husband now that they no longer have to sleep with her brother-in-law. And Harry and Bella will have some catching up time while they torture Dumbledore (grin). Plus, Harry has also been rather busy with Tom, and then with Voldemort, and taking over the world: friendships he forged in desperation sometimes take the back burner in the face of love and power (smirk).

FOURTHLY: As to Hermione’s reaction to the Muggleborn interrogations, don’t forget that nobody outside of the Ministry knows. Voldemort doesn’t want them rebelling against him while he is busy taking care of Dumbledore! Hermione is exempt, as are all the other Muggleborn students, until they graduate. Even then, Harry will likely vouch for Hermione. She doesn’t know; therefore she cannot have a reaction.

Hopefully that answers the questions. If not, send me a message, or another review, and I’ll message you back.

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Thanks for reviewing (assuming you will). Please do.