Bounty Hunter

Title: Bounty Hunter

Rating: R-ish

Author: Snippy

Pairing: H/D, Hr/SS (a little)

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. do not belong to me. Sadly.

Summary: Warning: dark fic, character death and H/D slash. This story is not light and
hope and puppies, people. The bounty hunter is going after the Death Eaters one by
one, but at what price? This story is not about black and white, it's about shades of
grey. Can people change? Can a hero become a villain? Can a villain save a hero?
And which is which?

FYI:

(****) indicates a scene shift.

(*~*~*~*) indicates a flashback

(*word*) emphasis


****************************************************************************************************

Chapter 3: The Dragon's Price


"You don't have to do this, Harry. We won't think any less of you." Lupin's
hand was warm on his shoulder.

"Speak for yourself, Wolf." Mad Eye Moody growled out. "Boy should learn to
take care of himself.

Harry gripped his wand tighter. He looked at the toad in front him, looked in
it's eyes. But he didn't see the animal. He only saw the closed casket of Sirius Black
being lowered into the mud. "Avada Kedavra."

The toad blinked back at him, unharmed.

"Try again." Lupin encouraged.

"Avada Kedavra!" Nothing. He turned to look at Lupin, his eyes full of doubt.

"You'll get it. How about you take a break for a minute, then try again?" Lupin
suggested. "Who could use a butterbeer?" The other two nodded and Lupin
disappeared into the house.

Harry sat down in a chair, dejected. "I'll never get this."

"Of course you won't, not like that."

"What do you mean?" Sometimes Harry really disliked Moody. He was old,
gruff, rough around the edges, paranoid, and rarely nice to Harry.

"You don't want to get it."

"Yes I do." Harry bit out.

"Really? Because it looks to me like you want to sit down and cry." Moody
replied.

"You're a real git, you know that?"

"And you're a whiny little boy." He returned, calmly.

"What's your problem?" Harry stood, his face flushing with anger.

"My problem? In a word, you." Moody stared him down. "You're wasting my
time. You're not angry Peter killed Sirius. You're upset that you were left alone. That's
your problem, Potter. You're still moping about like a kicked puppy."

Harry couldn't remember ever feeling that angry. He glared at Moody, and in
that moment, wanted to be able to cast that curse on him more than he had wanted
anything in his life. He raised his wand, the words forming in his mind. At the last
minute, he turned to the toad. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The toad turned over, dead. Harry turned wide eyes to Moody as Lupin came
closer. Remus set the tray of butterbeers down. "Harry! You did it!"

Moody grinned at him, and suddenly Harry understood. His emotions had
gotten in the way. If he wanted to be able to fight back, the only emotion he could have
was anger. Harry held Moody's gaze, as he smiled. "Carpe Noctem."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Harry smiled as he let the knife bite into Malfoy's neck without quite breaking
the skin. Draco inhaled sharply. They stood in a hallway of Malfoy Manor, in front of a
mirror. Harry met Draco's eyes in their reflection. "Hello, Malfoy. Miss me?"

Draco just stared at him, his mouth tightly drawn. The stubble along Harry's jaw
brushed his face, and the hand that held the knife never trembled.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Harry chuckled.

"There a reason you came to see me, Potter?" Draco asked in a low voice.

"Such conceit. I actually came to see some guests of yours." Harry looked into
the mirror. "So, you're going to get us through that glass, or I'm going to kill you now
instead of later."

"You're going to kill me anyway, why should I help you?" Draco desperately
wanted Hermione and Snape to be rescued. But the Death Eaters could hear everything
said in his house if he didn't use his frost cloaking spell. Also, he wasn't sure he wanted
to turn them over to Harry. Hermione was scared of the bounty hunter, and he wasn't
sure he wanted her to know the truth about Harry. "What did you do to that girl?"

"I sent her to the ministry of magic." Harry answered wryly.

"By shooting her?"

"Portkey. It got her out of there, didn't it?" Harry shrugged. They'd pull the
arrow out and heal her up, good as new. Maybe even put a memory charm on her.
"Now, the mirror." Draco just stared at him, mulishly. "Ok, fine. Get us through, and
I'll kill you *quickly*."

Draco shuddered at the emptiness in Harry's eyes. He waved his hand at the
mirror and it shimmered. Carefully they stepped through. At the base of the steps
were two bodies, their necks craned at unnatural angles. The knife bit into his neck
again, this time drawing a thin line of blood. "Potter?"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry hurried him down the stairs. He kicked the first body
over with his foot. A Death Eater guard. "You just lucked out."

Draco looked into the cell he had visited early. Hermione and Severus were
gone. He sighed in relief. "They escaped."

"You better hope so, Malfoy." Harry whispered. He tried not to feel the sharp
stab of disappointment. Hermione wasn't there. Jerking Malfoy back against him, he
Apparated out of Malfoy Manor.

Draco leaned back, trying to keep the edge of the knife away from his throat as
he surveyed his new surroundings. There were in a large room he might have called
airy, if it weren't for the damp gloom of the place. It had vaulted ceilings, but the
windows were boarded up and the room was devoid of furniture except for one chair in
the corner. There was a dusty carpet in front of the cold fireplace. On one wall was a
vast board, covered in mounted weapons. Crossbows, axes, knives, containers of
potions, and in the center, a sword. Opposite the wall was a knocked up target that had
certainly seen better days.

"Home, sweet home." Potter whispered. "Would you like the tour?"

"Where are we?" Draco asked.

"Don't recognize it? Think back to your school days." Harry waited a moment.
"No? We're in Hogsmeade."

"Hogmeade?"

"Yes. The Shrieking Shack." Harry walked him over to the weapons wall,
pulling down a pair of metal cuffs. He snicked them onto Malfoy's wrists.

"What is this?" Draco asked. "What are we doing here?"

"I live here." Harry replied shortly. He started to let go of Draco, but stopped,
holding the cuffs in one hand, he dipped the other into Draco's pocket, pulling out his
wand. "I'll take that."

Harry calmly walked out of the room, then returned with a straight back chair.
"Sit."

"What's the magic word?" Draco sneered at him.

"Now." Harry pointed to the chair again. Draco sat. Harry pulled a small chain
with fasteners on each end. He connected one end to the chair and the other to Draco's
restraints. "There, that's cozy."

"I thought you were going to kill me."

"My, my, aren't we eager to get to the main event." Harry smirked.

"Is your plan to talk me to death? I heard you were good at torture." Draco
commented.

"That's what I figured. Knew you were too annoying to be properly subdued by
being captured." Harry snorted. "You can irritate me all you want, Malfoy. I'm not
letting you go."

"What, are you too interested in the bounty on my head to kill me?" Draco
guessed. "Heard it was near a million now."

"Two." Harry smiled slowly. "Dead or Alive."

Draco closed his eyes. So Potter really was going to kill him. "I see. Then what
are we doing here, Potter?"

"First I have to see if Hermione and Severus are safe. Then I'll kill you." Harry
replied calmly.

Draco took a deep breath, feeling the truth of that statement run through him.
"When will you know?"

"Soon enough. I sent Hedwig with a message, just now. We just have to wait
until she gets back." Harry met his eyes. "What do you say we talk until then, Malfoy?"

"Why would I want to talk to you, Potter?"

"Because I'm the per person you'll ever talk to." Harry laughed.

*~*~*~*~*~*


Harry stood in front of a dingy mirror in his bedroom. He didn't spare a glance
at his meager surroundings. Once the room had been warm, cozy and lit with affection.
Now its dusty, threadbare, harsh countenance reflects the man who sleeps on the
mattress shoved into a corner. Harry pulled on a pair of worn black leather pants, and
a green wool sweater. Reaching behind him, he swirled a Death Eater's cloak around
his shoulders, smiling slightly. He had taken it from Lucius, shaking boomslangs off of
the soft fabric as he pulled it from Lucius' stiff form. It had served him well. He settled
a mask on his face, only then looking in his own eyes. He had been planning this for
three months. Taking the time to rescue Ginny might have caused some problems or
delays, but Harry was now a meticulous planner. Now that she was back home, it was
time. Tonight was a big n for for him. Raising the hood, he gave the Death Eater in the
mirror a mocking salute. "Carpe Noctem, Harry."

He turned and quickly descended the stairs, entering his training room. He
picked up his worn leather bag from the floor and methodically began to fill it. Several
cloaking potions, a full set of portkey arrows, his favorite knife - a sharp blade held in
the teeth of an ebony dragon, his small crossbow, and a drought of poison, in case he
was captured. The bag also held two apples, two hard biscuits, and canteen of water,
that he kept in there at all times. Sewn into the lining in the bottom was a locket,
containing a picture of Ron, Hermione and himself in their third year, arms around
each other in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Ginny had taken the picture before
Christmas Vacation. Ron had given the locket to Hermione for her fourteenth birthday.
She had worn it every day since.

Harry reached his hand into the front pocket of the bag, digging until he found
what he was looking for. A werewolf tooth on a leather strap. He slung it over his
head, under his hood and tucked it into his sweater. He was ready.

Harry Apparated into the middle of a woods, his hand clutched around a
tracking stone. The stone had been dipped in ink used to make the Death Eater's Mark,
and would lead Harry to anyone who's Mark had been activated. He put the stone
back into his pocket, scanning the area. There! Ahead of him was a man in a cloak. He
crept closer, his footfalls not making a sound. The man stopped, Harry standing in his
shadow behind him. The man was looking around, and Harry thought that he could
hear his heart pounding. "Who's there? I demand you show yourself!"

Harry sighed. "Alright, if you insist."

The man spun around, hand to his chest. He saw the hood and mask and visibly
relaxed. "You shouldn't sneak up on people before a meeting like this."

Harry grinned. "Couldn't help it, you looked so nervous."

The man peered at him, trying to figure out which of his compatriots was behind
the mask. "Did I?"

"Strange that. Are you afraid of the dark?" Harry's grin deepened, as he palmed
his knife. "Or of bounty hunters?"

"Of course not." The man scoffed, now irritated.

"No?" Harry removed his mask. The man turned white, scrambling for his
wand. Harry spun him by the shoulder, letting his weight fall against his chest as he slit
his throat. The man fell to the ground, a raw, gurgling sound coming from his throat.
Harry winked at him. "You should be."

The man stopped moving. "Looks like you're going to miss your party." He
stepped over the body. "Don't worry. I'll give them your regrets."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Draco licked his lips, his throat tight and parched. Harry noted the movement
easily, and hid a grin. "Thirsty?"

"No." Draco scowled at him.

Harry stood up, and in a moment returned with a full glass of water. "You sure
about that?"

"Yes." Draco felt his stomach cramp with longing. "I wouldn't take anything
you offered me anyway, Potter."

"And why is that?"

"Because you want to kill me." Draco gritted his teeth.

"You think I would poison you?" Harry laughed. "I'm a little more straight-forward than that, Malfoy."

Draco turned his head, mulishly.

"Fine." Harry gripped his chin and turned Draco's face until their eyes met.
"Watch." And he gulped down some of the water. "Now, thirsty?"

Draco nodded his head and waited for Harry to take the water away. Instead,
Harry gently tilted the cup to his lips. He drank the glass down, and only noticed the
after taste when Harry had taken the cup away. His heart sped with adrenaline. "What
was that?"

"Relax. It's a concentrated form of veritaeserum." Harry grinned. "Told you I
wanted to talk. I wondered what it would take to make you talk. Turned out your
price was a drink of water."

"But you . . ." Draco felt his brain going a little foggy, like right after a strong
drink.

"I don't fear the truth." Harry smiled. "Question is . . .do you?"