Passion Play

-Looked over but not exactly beta'd considering we had a time without this thing freezing up! Why I don't know - I apologize.


Chapter Five


When Harry awoke, he heard shuffling around the room. He was aware of being face down in the pillow and in Bill’s bed. He was rather groggy and his bum burned with awareness of the last few nights. He had the cool silk blue sheet over his lower half and he was naked underneath it.

He came out of his dazed state and saw that Bill was sitting on the edge of the bed shuffling through some notes.

Bill felt he was being watched and glanced over to see Harry awake and staring at him with those radiant eyes. “Good morning little raven.”

“Hmm, morning, what are we doing today?”

“I have to meet with the excavation team. No more play for me. It’s been almost four weeks of slacking and now that I’ve discovered the entrance to the pyramid that you so helped open, I have to meet with the team today. Want to come?”

“Er - am I allowed?”

“You were given a temporary magic pass and it would be so much easier to reopen that door if you were there.”

“Okay, I just don’t want to be in the way,” Harry insisted sitting up and pulling the sheet around him.

Bill rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Never.” He reached out and pulled Harry close into his chest for no other reason than to dissuade his fears. He kissed the teen on the forehead making him smile and press his cheek to the man’s shoulder.

Harry sighed contentedly in his arms, before giving him a kiss on the cheek and snagging up his boxers from the bottom of the bed.

He was showered and dressed fifteen minutes later. He held two bagels in his hands. Bill had gone off to tell his parents that he had work today while Harry sat at the table pulling apart the bagels and dipping them in a creamy white cheese spread.

There was a loud knock on the door. Harry thought it was the twins to come and torment him. However, when he opened the door he nearly jumped when he saw a horde standing there each as different as night and day. There was one female and the rest males.

“Since when did Bill pick up a lil ‘un?” Asked the silver haired man who looked to be the oldest of the lot. He was strange, extremely pale skin more so than Harry‘s ever was, wrinkles around the mouth and a peaky nose. He had dark gray eyes and was about three inches taller than Harry.

Harry tried not to scowl at him. “Bill will be right back. Come in,” he said letting go of the door and heading back to the kitchen.

He could hear murmurs from the group behind him as he snagged his last bagel and broke it apart.

“Looks like Bill’s not changed this place one bit,” A husky sounding man said.

“Really? I’ve never been in here.” This came from the only woman of the group, who was a Russian with a slightly hooked nose that reminded him very much of Severus Snape from school. Her hair was blacker than black tied back to the base of her neck. She was tall and lanky. The only difference was the skin tone, which was a deep dark shade of bronze.

“So, kid what’s your name?” The one with the scars asked. He was tall, looked to be somewhere in his thirties, with light brown eyes and dark chocolate hair that curved around his neck. There were three scars on his face and one along his neck curving into a hook.

“Harry,” he answered forgoing the last name. “I’m with Bill’s family.”

“You’re not a redhead,” The woman announced.

“Friend.” As if it weren’t obvious.

“Well, Harry, my names Andrew Decariah, the lovely lady behind me is Carmella Varlam, the paler than pale man happens to be Lloyd Becklyn, the vain git on my left is Farran Mayan.”

Farran was a dusty blonde haired man about three inches taller than himself. He was good looking, his eyes were blue and his skin was just like everyone else albeit the Lloyd fellow with silver hair.

“Hi!” They chorused.

Harry nodded respectfully and finished off his coffee so he didn’t have to say too much. He got up and went to brush his teeth.

When he came out, he heard. “Harry will be with me today,” Bill explained. “Otherwise we’ll be spending a month researching to make sure we don’t die when we blow the door.”

“What do you mean? He’s just a kid,” Carmella asked dubiously.

“What can he possibly do that we can’t?” Farran asked.

Bill smirked. “Harry? Did you forget to tell them your name?”

Harry stuck out his tongue. “I did no such thing! I told them my name. I‘m not rude like your brothers.”

Bill stole Harry’s coffee. He grinned slyly. “Guys, this is Harry Potter, he speaks Parseltongue and can open that door with a simple hiss.”

Everyone did a double take and Harry scowled under his breath. “Going to get you back for that.”

“Look forward to it,” he said dryly. “So as you can see, Harry belongs with me.”

“You can talk to snakes?” Lloyd asked shocked.

“Mhmm,” Harry answered, turned, and headed to his room. When he came back out, he had his pet snake wrapped around his shoulders.

“Holy shit!”

‘Master, who are these people?’

‘Idiots.’

‘Should I bite them?’

“No, I don’t need Bill angry at me.’

‘Oh your nest mate wouldn’t like that would he?’

Harry laughed out loud when she said this. ‘Nope.’ He decided correcting her would be an annoying two-hour explanation as to why Bill was not his nest mate.

“What the hell did you say?” Carmella asked.

“He asked me who you were and then asked if he could bite you.”

Bill snickered behind his coffee.

Their eyes went round. “I told him no. His name’s Durmiente. He listens to me. He has too.”

“Why?” Farran asked looking wearily at him.

“I don’t know why. For some reason he can’t say no.”

Andrew chuckled. “I like him Bill.”

Bill grinned pleased. “Good, I was hoping so. Let’s go! I want to get in there today at least light up the entrance. Harry, you brought your broom right?”

“Yeah, Ron told me I should in case.”

Harry rushed to get it while putting Durmiente up.

“Nimbus 2000, can you fly it?” Farran teased.

“Better than all of us I promise you,” Bill answered for him.

“There’s a new one coming out being sponsored by the Bulgarian Team, known as Firebolts,” Carmella commented.

“Sounds nice,” Harry said by way of answer.

Flying took no time at all to get to the pyramid. He raced Bill around the molded sculptures and sand dunes. Harry laughed and swerved underneath the redhead and corkscrewed around with such perfect ease.

“That’s not fair!” Bill called out when Harry passed him up. He soared upwards and then sped so fast down that Bill’s heart nearly stopped in fear of the boy crashing.

“What’s not?” When they landed, the others were well behind.

“Show off.”

“Nuh uh!” Harry bumped him with his side. “I don’t show off. Flying is the one thing I could do without thinking.”

Bill caught the Nimbus in his hand and looked it over. “Where did you get this from?” He asked curiously as the others landed with a grouse.

“Professor McGonagall.”

Bill blinked. “Minerva McGonagall?” He asked incredulous.

Harry nodded. “Yeah. She made me play Quidditch in punishment. I had no broom she bought it for me.”

“Punishment?”

“That’s what I meant when I said I never needed practice or a try to fly. It’s the one thing I can do flawlessly. Malfoy started it with his idiocy and I wound up being on a team to a game I had no idea about.”

“Only you, little raven,” he teased and handed it back. “Okay guys! Let’s get cracking.”

Harry and Bill had already dived in the hole much to the surprise of the others. ‘Open!’ He demanded in a hiss.

Andrew shot down while the others hovered above. Harry climbed up so that Farran could go down. No more than three could fit. He perched on the edge and listened to everyone. Carmella and Lloyd laid out the equipment.

“I say it’s Dementors.”

“Lethifolds sounds more likely.”

“Lethifolds aren’t cold,” Andrew told Farran. “They’re warm, too warm. Dementors are the cold ones.”

“Are you sure it’s a Dementor? It could be anything! Even a manticore.”

“They’re not bony,” Bill reminded. “We could try another serpent see if it could tell us anything?”

“How does a Dementor get to Egypt?” Andrew queried.

“What about Inferi?” Carmella suggested. “Bony and cold?”

Everyone looked up at her in horror. “You could be right…”

Inferi? Harry wondered to himself.

“Dead bodies coming to life…” Bill murmured. “What is in here to have such?”

Dead bodies? Like zombies?

“Who knows, must be something good!” Andrew said excitedly.

“Well, got our fire spells ready?” Farran said grinning. “This’ll be fun!”

“I say we send in another serpent,” Bill remarked. “Just to make sure.”

“Alright, have at it,” Andrew said nodding.

Harry was taken back down when Farran went up. The serpent hovered in midair as Harry gave it’s demand.

It slithered through.

‘Cold, dark, eyes! Evil eyes, ahhh masster… hands… col-’

“It’s dead,” Harry muttered. “Evil eyes and always cold obviously. He said hands and they were cold.”

“I don’t think a Dementor would suck the soul out of a snake,” Andrew said shaking his head. “Doesn’t sound right.”

“Inferi then?”

“Conjure another, maybe I can get the snake to tell me what kind of skin?”

Bill did and Harry directed it.

‘Sooo cold Master, bad place, evil place… dark.. Cold hands! Oh god, hands, eat me! They’re eating me…. Not scaly, bony and flesh li-’

“Not scaly, not bony. I think the first one that went through it was bony perhaps it was about to starve?”

“Perhaps… I have no idea what the bony would be.”

“He said that they were eating him and the skin was like flesh.”

“Definitely, Inferi,” Andrew finalized.

“What about numbers?” Lloyd asked up top.

“Snakes can’t count, but we can try,” Harry muttered when Bill conjured another.

‘Legs! Hands! Lots, more… ahhhhhh!’

“Legs, hands lots more… and a scream,” Harry supplied.

“So a dozen?”

“That’s a pretty sketchy theory.”

“We all know our fire spells,” Carmella insisted. “Let’s do this and get it over with.”

“And have dead bodies running around the desert?” Lloyd yelped.

“Inferi hate heat,” Carmella reminded. They will stay in their enclosure.”

“We can’t attack inside in fear of bringing the pyramid down and any other curse,” Bill said frowning.

“We have no choice, we need to try or we’ll never get in,” Farran said as Harry climbed back out. There was no more need for his snake expertise. Farran fell back in the hole and did something that made Harry frown deeply. He touched Bill on the back. “What say you Bill?”

“Pity you don’t have a Muggle camcorder you can send in with the snake,” Harry murmured getting Bill’s attention.

“What did you just say?”

Harry blushed. “Well a Muggle camcorder. Not the picture kind but the film. It takes footage like a wizard camera except it has sound and you can adjust the lighting.”

“Sounds brilliant!” Lloyd said happily while Carmella grumbled outwardly.

“Muggle? We don’t need such inferior contraptions.”

Harry rolled his eyes. She sounded so much like Malfoy.

Andrew however was looking at Harry. “How do these things work, Harry?”

“Well, they take electrical charge or batteries. They come in all sizes. We could wrap one around a snake’s neck and hopefully get some footage?”

“Oh, let’s just jump in on the action!” Carmella scowled. “I don’t want to deal with Muggle shite.”

Andrew didn’t look pleased with her and gazed at Bill who had the same expression. Farran was leaning in close to Bill, causing Harry to grind his teeth. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t like this stupid pretty boy getting so close.

“Alright, Harry step back please?” Bill asked peering up at him.

Harry nodded and instead of stepping back, he took his broom and hovered in the air. “Dead bodies can’t fly can they?” He asked loftily. He could still see what was going on yet he would be out of harms way.

“I would hope not,” Lloyd yelped.

“On the count of the three, throw in a flare and get ready,” Andrew ordered out.

Bill lit the flare, waited for the count, and tossed it forward letting it roll. That’s when it happened. Dead bodies flooded forward by the handfuls.

“Gravis Flamma!” All three men let out jets of strong bright flame. It was so red and orange that it blinded them.

Harry heard rather than saw things falling to the ground in dull thumps. A strong fiery stench of burn wavered under his nose.

“Back up! Back up!” Bill jumped up with the other two, scrambling out of the hole and it was then that Harry saw them for the first time.

Bodies of the dead poured out of the tomb. They didn’t make any odd noises like the old movies, Harry knew of but they were scraping against the edge trying to move forward. Some were bald some had hair, some were almost severed completely from the neck, arms, and legs and their eyes were lifeless. Some looked gray while others were flesh coloured, a few were black… and it was a disgusting sight.

Harry held a hand to his mouth and watched as each wizard unleashed the fire spell into the hole decimating every body.

The bodies were burnt to ash. At least fifty of them had been destroyed.

Lloyd and Carmella banished what was left of the dead bodies. Everyone sagged against the hot earth, each one grabbing their water bottles for a breather. Lloyd added cooling charms to everyone even Harry.

“How many was that?” Farran asked horrified.

“At least fifty maybe more.”

“Think we can light the entrance now?” Lloyd asked.

“I don’t know. Perhaps we should send another through and see how far it gets?” Bill looked up at Harry and smiled when he saw the boy staring at him owlishly. “Okay there little raven?”

“Mhmm.” Harry nodded and came back down. He conveniently collapsed between him and Farran and smiled innocently.

The snake went all the way through. ‘There’s an ending master, nothing is here… it’s clear, smells old…’

“He says there’s an ending, nothing is there, and it smells old.”

Bill grinned. “Excellent!”

Each member scanned the entrance before using conjured lanterns to light their way.

Andrew, Farran, and Bill were the first ones to step through. Harry brought up the rear, his eyes immediately drawn to the runes on the wall. The walls were a deep gold rigid colour with various symbols and drawings. It was very cold just like the snakes had said.

“What are they? I can’t decipher them, I’ve never seen runes like this before,” Carmella said brushing a hand along the sides.

Harry however was rearranging them. “Begin Here Stranger; To Carry My Tongue You Will Succeed, To Find My Gift You Will See, Remember This, Greed is the Ultimate Sin and Timeless Death.”

Bill was by his side now.

“Signed, Salazar Slytherin,” Harry gazed up at the redhead. “I suspect before Salazar moved Lunatian to Hogwarts that she was here guarding something.”

“Hogwarts?” Andrew asked confused. “What’s at Hogwarts?”

“Slytherin hid a basilisk in Hogwarts for centuries.”

“A basilisk? Are you kidding?” Carmella yelped.

“You’re lying!” Farran accused. “A basilisk is humongous. There is no one way you could miss one.”

“They run through the pipes and it lived underground in the dark,” Harry snapped at Farran. “I saw the basilisk. Hogwarts is massive and no one new about the Chamber of Slytherin himself.” And Tom Riddle and himself and a dozen others now.

“What?”

Bill sighed. “He’s right. My sister was nearly killed, he saved my sisters life.”

The group of wizards was quiet.

“How did you do that?” Andrew queried.

“Stuck a sword in its mouth,” Harry commented dryly. As everyone gaped incredulously at him, he turned to the other side of the wall. He studied the runes and grimaced. These were rather morbid. A list of ways to torture and maim someone with the use of spells that Salazar Slytherin created himself. Harry tucked a few of those spells in the back of his head but refused to read them aloud and pretended that they were just incoherent glyphs of nothingness. He gasped when he crossed another part of the wall. “Oh wow!”

“What?”

“This probably won’t interest you much, but it does me. Apparently Gryffindor and Slytherin were lovers… but when Slytherin’s pureblood propaganda began neither of them could get along. It says here that there was a curse placed upon them by Lady Ravenclaw. A curse of punishment. They would always be at the bitter end of one another’s anger and wrath…”

“Well doesn’t that explain things?”

Harry frowned. “But what if you were destined for both houses?” He asked Bill.

“Is that possible?” Bill asked.

“Mhmm,” Harry hummed. The other wizards and witch were just standing there goggling at Harry like he was something they’d never seen before. “I get along well with you and your family.”

Bill blinked. “You were supposed to be-?”

“You could be great you know, it’s all here in your head and Slytherin could help you on your way to greatness. No? If you’re sure better be Gryffindor.”

Bill laughed. “You, my little raven are an impossibility.” He tapped the boy’s nose and wanted to lean in for a kiss but then he remembered the group behind them. “Let’s carry on!” He said suddenly swirling around. “Anything else here of significance?”

“Uhm, nothing useful,” he said by way of answer as he studied the far left wall. There was a curse that turned a person’s body from the inside out. He flinched reading it and the description. “Eh.”

“What?”

Harry shook his head. “Nothing, Salazar was sadistic before it was even invented.”

They didn’t get very far. The next room was black and the serpents that were sent through died instantly with a confusion as to what it was.

It was well after four o’ clock when everyone piled out into the sun. It had been so cool inside, Harry nearly forgot about the sweltering sun.

Bill and Andrew were making plans. Farran was standing off to the side staring Bill up and down much to Harry’s disgust.

They went back to Bill’s cottage where it was cool and everyone lounged in the small sitting room. Harry was perched on the arm of Bill’s armchair half listening to everyone’s opinions and suggestions on the next room.

Instead he was thinking about some of the passages that Slytherin had on that wall. He had memorized several of the passages and incantations to spells that were unheard of. Harry reminded himself to bring a notebook tomorrow to record everything off the walls.

The next morning that was just what he did. While everyone congregated at the end of the entrance to the pyramid to figure out the traps and spells Harry began at the beginning and hastily scratched all the information from the walls.

There was just so much. The secret life of Slytherin, his opinions on the other founders and what caused the rift in the first place.

“Looks like Lady Ravenclaw wasn’t an innocent,” Harry said as Bill came over to check on him.

“What do you mean?”

“Ravenclaw had a bit of a narcissistic problem,” Harry hummed. “You know the Myth God Narcissi right? Who was so overrun with he own vanity that he insulted Aphrodite and was cursed for life?”

“Yes, I am aware of that tale,” Bill said gazing at the runes wishing he too could read them.

“Well, Ravenclaw had that problem. Helga Hufflepuff was the one everyone adored. No matter who you were, you loved Helga. Even Slytherin was exceptionally fond of her. Ravenclaw however was insanely jealous and even more so when Slytherin turned down all her advances and she caught him and Gryffindor together - she set out to tear them apart.”

“That’s more than I ever knew from Binn’s class,” Bill said chuckling as he placed a hand on the back of Harry’s neck and brushed his thumb across the skin.

The boy shivered at the contact and leaned into Bill’s touch. “This History is wicked, Binn’s really needs replaced,” Harry murmured.

“I agree.” He grinned as his fingers affectionately carded up through the boy’s wild hair. “Someone like that?”

Goosebumps attacked Harry’s skin from head to toe and he once again shivered. “What do you think?” Harry murmured finding his eyes going out of focus.

Bill wound his fingers around the raven tresses. He glanced briefly over his shoulder at the group breaking briefly. They were sitting on conjured cots talking. Bill’s back blocked Harry entirely from view. Turning back he placed one of many kiss across the boy’s scar.

Harry sucked in a breath, he pressed the side of his head into Bill’s chest. The sensation of Bill’s hand made his knees want to buckle.

“Hey Bill!”

Both were snapped from their sudden trances. Harry straightened and Bill rolled his eyes. “Yeah?” Bill dropped his hand when Farran bambled forward.

Harry shakily went back to scribbling and studying the walls, his heart was racing and his hair was even more a wild mess from Bill’s touch. The teen clenched his teeth when Farran placed his hand on Bill’s forearm, being too short to touch his shoulder. “Watchya two whispering about?” He teased feeling the man’s eyes on him.

“The walls,” Bill answered still staring at Harry.

“Are they really that interesting?” Farran asked dubiously. “I bet I could find more things interesting to talk about.”

Harry may not know much about flirting and what not, but even he knew a direct come on when it was presented. The bastard!

“I doubt it, Farran,” Bill said with a light chuckle.

“Wow,” Harry said suddenly. “The Bloody Baron killed Ravenclaw’s daughter!”

“Who cares?” Farran said shaking his head.

Harry grimaced inwardly. He really didn‘t like this blonde. Two days in his presence and Harry thought a broom shoved up his arse would be a good idea.

“I do!” Bill said wide eyed. “Is that the reason for all the blood?” He casually shook Farran’s hand off his arm. He didn’t want to insult the guy but he didn’t have to be so rude to Harry and that annoyed him.

Harry nodded ignoring the nosy blonde. “Yes, The Bloody Baron was in love with Helena Ravenclaw. He stabbed her in a forest in Albania. He then killed himself shortly afterwards for what he had done. The Bloody Baron was Slytherin‘s son; Setharius Slytherin.”

“What’s so special about Slytherin and them?” Farran asked obviously put out by being ignored.

Bill smirked. “They’re only the most powerful witches and wizards of that age but they created Hogwarts.”

“So they created Hogwarts? I knew that but what’s so interesting about them now?” Farran drawled. “Nothing, absolutely nothing. They’re dead, never to come back again. Why dwell on them?”

Harry was sorely reminded of Malfoy for the second time. “Learn from the past so you don’t repeat it in the present and future. Goes to show Pureblood propaganda is nothing but crap.”

Farran scowled looking as though he’d been slapped in the face. Bill grinned and cupped the back of Harry’s neck affectionately. “Of course it is Harry, you and I both know that.”

“All it does it cause trouble. There is no such thing as dirty blood. A person can’t help what’s in their blood just like a person can’t help what their skin colour is. It all leads back to prejudices that shouldn’t be there in the first place.”

“But Bill you’re a Pureblood?”

“So?” Bill retorted. “That makes no difference. I know plenty of Half-bloods who are loads more powerful than we will ever be.”

“So you say,” Farran scoffed and then sobered. “Well, each to his own.” He was obviously trying to get back in good with Bill and failing drastically. Harry grinned inwardly at this.

“Hey guys! I found two of the curses that can be disabled,” Lloyd called out to them.

“Great!” Bill tugged Harry’s hair playfully before reluctantly letting go.

Harry felt Farran’s eyes on him but he didn’t so much as flinch at the stare.

“Farran! Get your lazy arse over here,” Andrew snapped. “We need an entire group to pull this one.”

Harry had one side of the wall complete. It took up half the notebook and his right hand was cramping to high heaven. They left the pyramid, Harry raced up the wall with energy that only modelled Bill’s for everyone else were slow and ungraceful.

“I could charm that,” Bill said to him. “So that you can tell it what to say.”

Harry shook his head. “I don’t want some people getting the spells off that wall,” he whispered ignoring Farran and Andrew that overheard. “Some of it is really nasty and if I had to say it out loud.”

“Why are you writing them down?”

“Well, there always needs a recording of history otherwise it’ll be lost,” Harry said logically. “I know I will never use the spells and I specifically made my writing turn into Parseltongue. I concentrated on a snake figure while writing it.” He opened it and showed the squiggly runes. “The History is English the spells and incantations is Parseltongue.”

Bill chuckled. “Brilliant.”

“I’m mainly copying all this down so I can get inside Slytherin’s head. Try to understand what the hell he was doing and thinking. He gives a whole new meaning to the word ambition.”

“What are we going to do when you leave?” Carmella asked. “We’ll spend months researching to blow a door.”

Harry bit his lip. “Hmm, perhaps I can teach Bill to say open?”

Bill smirked. “That would work.”

The teen slipped his notebook in his pack and took his broom that hovered at waist level.

“Hey Bill, can I talk to you?” Farran had finally broken up their conversation.

Harry wanted to slap him in the head with his broom but then decided against it. “See you at the cottage Bill, I’m taking the shower first.” He stuck out his tongue much to Bill’s laughing amusement and shot off like a bullet.
He didn’t want to wait around for anything that Farran had to say.

Harry hated him.

Bill watched Harry disappear. Andrew chuckled. “I really like him Bill, he’s a pleasant teenager.”

“Yes, I do too Andy.”

“He knows a little too much though,” Carmella put in. “Did he really kill that Basilisk?”

Bill nodded as he adjusted the unused ropes they brought with them in case. “He did, saved my sister’s life. My family owe him a life debt, though he doesn’t know it.” He’d probably have a fit if he knew. “What did you want Farren?” He asked when the others began to fly off.

Farran grinned at him. “Well, to put it mildly Bill, I want you.”

Bill laughed softly at this. “And - how do you want me Farran?” He asked mounting the broom and hovering on it a few feet in the air.

The blonde now looked sheepish and rather nervous. “Well, to go out? Sometime? We don’t have to go out we could always stay in…” He reached out and touched Bill on the chest, stepping right into his personal space.

Bill almost laughed in his face at the blunt action and merely gazed at the hand. “Not now Farran,” he said humorously.

“Why not?” Farran stammered in a pout.

He leveled the man with a stare. “I don’t think Harry would appreciate hearing that from his bedroom.”

Farran’s cheeks went pink with embarrassment. “There’s always a silencer or you coming to my place. Come on Bill, give me a chance, I promise it’ll be worth it,” he purred reaching up to kiss Bill on the lips.

He allowed it briefly before stopping him from going too far. “No, Farran. I can’t do that or this. See you at Headquarters.” He cut the man off before he could attempt anymore advances and shot off back toward the village.

He grimaced and placed a hand to his lips. He wasn’t with Harry in a relationship, but he felt that it would be wrong to accept any advances while the boy was still with him. He was only thirteen and he knew how the teen would feel. Bill wasn’t obtuse and he would do nothing to send Harry back into his shell.

No one was worth that.