Dark Journey

Reviews, ah lovely reviews! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, here is another chappy for you!


A Dark Journey
Crystal Paths

Chapter Three: A Journey of a Thousand Miles...~*~

Neither Harry nor Draco slept at all. They wondered the castle most of the night, avoiding Filch and Mrs. Norris until almost dawn. They let themselves back into Professor Snape’s rooms and sat quietly on the sofa. Neither boy felt the need to speak as they had hashed out most of their problems and school boy grudges. Though Draco hadn’t told Harry of his summer or the Pain that Dumbledore had referred to, just knowing he wasn’t alone in his Pain and that they had both been chosen for whatever the hell this was, comforted him. In this at least he wasn’t alone.

A muffled grunt from the other room signaled that Snape was awake for the day. Harry stood and moved to his trunk that the house elves had delivered sometime during the night.

“I’m going to jump in the bathroom before Snape gets out here,” he whispered to Draco, then grabbed his clothes for the day.

“Coward,” Draco sneered but waved him on with a smile. They hadn’t solved all of their problems but Draco felt better about his future than he had in a long time and it was almost all because he had finally found a real friend. Well maybe not friend yet, but he could see it eventually happening. And of all people to find that friend in, he sneered to himself, he had found him in Harry bloody Potter! He looked through his own trunk, making sure the house elves hadn’t broken anything while packing.

Snape sneered and grumbled when he stalked through the living area into the small kitchenette. Draco had to turn away from the sight, it would have been excellent blackmail material, if he were going to stay. A momentary doubt crept through his mind but he ruthlessly squashed it down. There was nothing for him here, school would be over quickly and he would be right back there. If he stayed he would never escape, he had actually felt a bit of hope in the last few hours. He stood by his decision to go, with or without Potter.

((*))

The small group walked up to the Great Hall together then separated at the doors. Snape still not having said a word to his young charges swept up to the high table barely noticing the Headmaster was not in attendance. Draco slid his way in between Crabbe and Goyle in his normal place and pasted his usual sneer in place. No one could tell just by looking at the Slytherins that anything unusual had taken place, however the Gryffindor table was not quite as calm. Hermione and Ron had been sitting with their heads together talking quietly when Harry walked up.

Harry greeted them with a quiet, “Morning guys,” before sliding into his place next to them.

“G’morning Harry,” Ron said without looking up.

“Good Morning Harry,” Hermione chirped up echoing her boyfriend.

“Harry!” Hermione exclaimed after a glancing up. She might not have shouted but by virtue of being one of the Golden Trio, when Hermione spoke loudly at the dining table the entire House listened. “Harry, where have you been. Was it You-Know-Who? Harry, you know your not supposed to spend the night away from the tower. I checked the infirmary and I know you weren’t there. The Headmaster said..”

Harry had heard enough of that to last him a lifetime. ‘The Headmaster said..’ seemed to be the mantra of the entire Order. Every time he turned around in the past year and a half it was ’The Headmaster said.. ’ and he was royally sick of it.

“Hermione, the Headmaster knew where I was and if you had bothered to go and ask him he would have told you. ’If’ it were your business,” he cut her off while reaching for a platter of eggs. He could literally feel his housemates holding their breath. This confrontation had been coming all year long as his two best friends grew closer and left him behind.

Hermione’s cheeks flushed and she ducked her head. Ron turned bright red but flushed with a different emotion. While Hermione was embarrassed to be dressed down in public, Ron was getting pissed, as usual.

“We’re your best friends,” Ron hissed, “ or at least we were. When did you start hanging out with Slytherin scum? Don’t think I didn’t notice who you walked in with. Headmaster would never,”

Harry cut him off with a slash of his hand, angry beyond belief yet once again reigning his temper in. He hadn’t gotten the hang of occlumency and really didn’t want a Voldemort induced headache this morning. He took a deep calming breath before speaking.

“I will not discuss this with you. The only thing I will say is that the Headmaster knew where I was, who I was with and what I was doing. And since you brought up the subject, since when did the fact that we are friends mean that you had to know where I was and what I was doing every second of the day? Hmm? Right. Well you see I have a problem with that, I don’t know what the two of you do when we aren’t together and frankly I don’t care,” he felt his anger rising again along with his voice.

“Harry where is all of this anger coming from?” Hermione asked finally raising her head a bit.

Harry had been thinking all night about his friends and how to leave them. He thought about how they had stuck by him through the first terrifying adventures how they had defended him, and treated him like a normal wizard and not like the famous icon of the Wizarding World. But every time he thought about them his mind flashed to all the times they had deserted him, been scared of him, even worse this past summer betrayed him. He felt their betrayal of him this past summer most keenly especially after.. No! he wouldn’t think about it. He couldn’t think about it and keep his temper. They hadn’t even tried to get to him and all because ‘the headmaster said.’

“From me Hermione. From this summer. From last year. From all the past summers and all the past years. I’m fed up Hermione. With you and your ‘needing to know everything thing.’ I’m fed up with Ron’s jealousy and everyone’s fear and their hero worship. I have a ‘saving people thing’? That’s rich, really it is. Where do you think I got that from? Because everyone looks to me to save them. But you know what,” as he spoke his voice got louder and gathered the attention of the other houses. “I’m no super-hero! I’m not. I’m just Harry. And. I. Can’t. Save. You! I can’t and most likely I won’t,” he stood and looked around. “I’m just a guy, normal, just like the rest of you. Most likely Voldemort will be killed by an adult and it will be a team effort,” he nearly screamed when the whole student body and most of the teachers flinched at the sound of Voldemort’s name. He could feel himself getting hysterical and it was a rush. Making the decision to leave Hogwarts and the Wizarding World was incredibly freeing. He wanted to laugh but really the fear on their faces was just .. “Pathetic.”

He started backing away from the table as Professor McGonagell stood. She had a shocked look on her face and he could tell she was about to start yelling, which was never a good thing. Professor Snape just rolled his eyes and continued eating.

“That’s what you are,” he continued backing away from his teacher. As he spoke he walked up and down the aisles in between the house tables. “Pathetic.”

“What do you think is going to happen if you say his name. He isn’t a god, he isn’t omnipotent. If you say his name, if you talk about him what do you think is going to happen? Do you think he can hear you? That he is going to pop up behind you and gut you? That’s a muggle myth. You should say his name, make it a word that everyone says all the time. Make it common to hear on the street. Make the name common just like the man. Because that is what he is. A common man. Voldemort is a common Mudblood bully that has all you pureblood wizards cringing in fear just to say his name. He was a school bully that no one ever brought down and now he thinks he is more than he is.”

Draco sat stunned as Harry began his rant and when he couldn’t fight the grin on his face anymore he thought why not. It wasn’t like he planned on seeing any of these people again after today. ‘Good on you Harry!’ They had talked of many things in the early morning hours as they walked the grounds, this had been one of them. The Wizarding World’s fear of Voldemort, Draco didn’t mind admitting that he was terrified of the man. Didn’t ever want to be face to face with him again, but for the majority of people having never even met him to still be afraid of him!? As Harry said, Voldemort was a man not a god. ‘Wow, this leaving everything behind thing is cool!’ he thought to himself as Harry continued his rant. Harry was getting backed into a corner by McGonagell and Vector when Draco took real notice of him again.

He looked up to the head table wondering where the Headmaster was and why he wasn’t stopping Harry. Hmph, silly old man. He was never around when you needed him. Just like every other adult he had ever put his trust in. He turned his attention back to Harry.

Harry stopped backing away from McGonagell when the double doors opened and Headmaster Dumbledore walked through. He was followed closely by a dark figure that Harry at first mistook for a Dementor. When no one else panicked and the cold creeping feeling never came he realized what he was looking at. He let out the breath he was holding slowly and glanced to Draco. Their eyes met and Draco nodded.

Dumbledore was extraordinarily pleased with himself and the situation. He had basically just sold two of his students to an unknown group of wizards but look at the benefits for himself and the side of the light. He would live as long as Hogwarts stood. His health and appearance would be a direct reflection of the stability of his most beloved school. He would even outlast the Ministry itself. He nodded at his second most beloved and felt a twinge of regret. He would outlive Minerva but needs must be met and the world need him to be the figurehead of the Light much more than it needed him to have his love.

He paused mid-step when the silence of the Great Hall registered. He looked out at the sea of children and nodded to himself. Yes he had done the right thing. These children would be safe and lookup to him for guidance. The next generation of the Wizarding World must be preserved.

~*~...Begins with a Single Step...~*~

The dark figure swept down the center aisle looking neither to the left of to the right. He knew where each of his charges were and what decision they had made. Acheron knew the minute they had made up their minds that they would be coming with him. It was the nature of being a chosen. He himself had never had to make the choice having been born in Chimaera. He swept his hands out in front of him as he approached the huge ornate doors of the Great Hall. The doors moved soundlessly open. He felt the boys step in behind him, matching him step for step. It surprised him that neither boy seemed unsure about their choice. Soon the doors closed behind them shutting off the furious whispers and growing concern. He didn’t stop until he stood before the Great Gates that was the formal entrance to Hogwarts. There he paused then turned to his young charges.

“This is the only chance you have to change your minds or say any last goodbye’s. You will not get another chance,” he kept his voice low. Loosing none of his mystery, they still needed to pull on their own courage for a bit longer yet.

Harry licked his lips. Despite being sure he wanted to go he was going to miss Hogwarts. His home for so many years now. He didn’t really want to say goodbye to anyone. He figured he had said enough to everyone moments ago to last them all a lifetime. No, he didn’t want or need to see them but he did want one last view of the Great Lady of a School. As he turned he was caught and held by the look in Draco’s eyes. He had never really thought about what Draco thought of the school. But now, seeing that look he must feel much the same. They turned and stood silently staring at the castle. Some how Harry didn’t think it would be the last time he stood here. It might take a while but he intended to return. Somehow. Oneday.

They turned as the mysterious figure in black spoke up again. “It’s time to go. Prepare yourself. As soon as we step through the shields we will be transported to Chimaera.”

Draco squared his shoulders and gathered the fragments of his Malfoy pride about him. If he could live through this past summer he could live through whatever PAIN life threw at him and he was by Merlin going to do at least as well as Potter. He saw the shaggy haired boy straighten to his full height which he hardly ever did. Yeah if Potter could face this so could he.

The boys nodded at the near dementors look-a-like. He turned and opened the gate with a wave of his hands. As they crossed the shields they were hit with a brilliant white light. Neither remembered reaching out but as soon as their hands touched there was a buffering pale purple light between the blinding brilliance and them. Before they became lost in the colors they were both hit with PAIN.


tbc...