Epitome of a Soldier - What it is to be Necessary

Hi everyone :)

Woo for reviews! They make me so happy :D

Kuromei
Yeah, the Epitome of a Soldier section is coming to an end, but we still have the What it is to be Necessary section that'll come straight afterwards. Still plenty more story to come ^_^ *hugs Kuromei-chan*

whitewaterlily
Yes, I too can understand why the adults feel the way they do, doesn't mean I approve though (especially because to us it's blatantly untrue). Will they ever come around though? We'll have to wait and see, I suppose :D

thrnbrooke
Let's all poke the stupid adults with sticks! *runs to get the sticks*

Ellie
*snickers* Pasty arse XD *snickers some more* Well, saving Lucius was really only for Draco's sake, and Lucius Malfoy really isn't the most understanding and open-minded guy in the world, is he? XD

SP777
Oh yeah, Draco totally pushed him too soon (and I have written him rather selfish in this haven't I? That was the original plan but oh well XD). Harry does, indeed, have it tough. But things will get better one day (it's one my my stories after all XD).

wickedwiccanofthemiddwest
I think that was probably the best angsty scene I've ever written XD Partly because I haven't written many, also because I just got really into that scene XD I'm glad you were so moved by it ^_^

Kati-chan
I would say Lucius is Harry's friend...Wouldn't even call Severus Harry's friend. Now Draco, yeah, I think Harry considers him a friend but the other two are more just sort of people he has to interact with at that moment in time.

DTDY
Indeed, but it'll turn out all right in the end ^_^

kunf_you_z-ed
Lucius wasn't the one who revealed Harry's location; after all, he wants revenge for being left in Azakaban and basically abandoned. And it'll take more than a couple of old fuddy-duddies to put Draco off of something he wants XD

I have nothing more to say...So I will simply hush :)

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How long had it been? It was hard for him to tell, everything had just sort of blended together into a blur. His arms were cramped due to the fact they had been held above his head for so long, his wrists were sore and bloody from struggling against the shackles that held him to the wall behind and everything else ached with the lingering effects of the many Cruciatus curses he had suffered.

Somehow he had been transported into the heart of Voldemort's manor and had clearly been expected if the dozens of Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself who greeted him was any evidence. He had immediately been chained up in the dungeons and had since endured several torture sessions with random Death Eaters. Nothing was from Voldemort himself however which was rather confusing for the dark haired young man. Not that he was complaining as he had no way to defeat the evil man and he couldn't afford to die yet. But he hadn't been allowed food or water for however long he had been in this place which wasn't at all good; what chance did the world have if he starved to death?

The sound of the heavy door into the dungeons opening and then being shut again reached Harry's ears before the steady clicking of shoes on the cold, stone floor began to draw closer to him. The dark haired teenager had no strength in his body to lift his head to see who it was approaching though and so was forced to remain passively slumped against the wall, vulnerable to whoever it was coming closer to him. And they had to be coming to him as he was the only person currently locked away in one of the several cells that made up the basement level of Voldemort's manor/castle/hide-out.

The time it took for the footsteps to stop outside his cell and for the cell door to open seemed like an eternity to the injured and weak young man but the closing of the door and the sensation of the other person approaching him still came too soon for his liking. At the back of his mind, he idly wondered what he was in for this time, whether it would be merely jeering taunts, a few rounds of the Cruciatus or perhaps one or two of the nastier spells he had already suffered or still had yet to suffer. What he didn't expect was what actually happened. The footsteps stopped right in front of Harry and then a gentle hand cupped his cheek and coaxed his face up before a pair of soft, familiar lips pressed against his own.

It was Draco! It had to be! Who else would kiss him? Suddenly, those thoughts left Harry in a rush as his lips were pried open with the firm muscle of the other's tongue and his mouth was flooded with liquid. Without any ability to fight or pull away, he was forced to swallow whatever it was, despite the fact it could easily be a deadly poison or something that would affect him negatively. It was only when he had swallowed the potion, which tasted familiar but he couldn't put his finger on what it reminded him of, that the person kissing him finally pulled back. Harry couldn't quite force his head to remain up and as soon as his cheek was released it slumped forward weakly.

"It's time." The voice of Draco whispered to him as the sound of locks being opened came, suggesting that the blond was unlocking the shackles holding Harry's arms to the walls. "Nagini's dead and I have a syringe full of the potion ready for when you need it." The left shackle left Harry free and he slumped forward weakly, only just being caught in time by the blond who held him close and gently. "You'll start feeling better in a minute or two."

They lapsed into silence then and, for a long moment, simply stood together, Harry only standing because of the support that Draco's arms around him were providing. However, as they stood in silence, the dark haired young man definitely did begin to feel better. Strength began to return to his limbs and it became less of a chore to stand or even just to lift his head. It was hard to say just how long it took for him to recover enough to no longer need the blond's support but it happened eventually and, carefully, the young saviour pulled away from his friend enough to stand completely on his own though the arms of the other remained around him loosely.

"Okay?" Draco murmured gently, not releasing the dark haired young man completely just in case it turned out he wasn't yet able to hold himself up.

"Yes." Harry confirmed though in his usual monotone.

"We'd better get up there then." The blond said, his tone totally changing from affectionate and concerned to cold and distant as he brought a Death Eater mask up to cover his face. "As far as the Dark Lord knows, I'm not Draco Malfoy and we don't know each other; let's keep it that way, hmm?"

"Of course." The dark haired young man agreed.

Draco gave him a stiff nod at that before bringing out his wand and using a spell to bind the shorter teenager's hands together. Then, he moved behind him and gave his lower back a prod with the tip of his wand. Harry started forward obediently, out of the cell he had been held in for the past few days and across the length of the dungeon to the stairs which led up to the ground floor of Voldemort's manor.

For several minutes they walked in silence, Harry leading and being kept at wand point by Draco. Then, finally, they came to two massive double doors and stopped. Still, neither of them spoke but it seemed to somehow be communicated between them both on what was about to happen. Harry took a step to the side to allow Draco access to the door. The blond Slytherin knocked on one of the doors as loudly as possible and a few moments later, the doors swung inwards slowly and silently. Inside, the sight of dozens upon dozens of Death Eaters and Voldemort was revealed. The Dark Lord sat in a massive, lavish throne looking smug and triumphant while the wizards and witches in black cloaks stood either side of their master in two large and equal-looking groups. Draco prodded Harry in the back with the tip of his wand again and the dark haired young man obediently started forward again.

When they just about reached the centre of the hall, Draco reached out and grabbed Harry's shoulder. The dark haired young man stopped as he was supposed to and then just stood there, silently. A moment or two later, the blond haired Slytherin pulled his hand away before his presence left Harry's side completely as he moved to the side in order to join the other Death Eaters who had been invited to watch whatever it was which was about to happen.

However, for a long moment, nothing did happen. No one in the chamber moved or made a sound and all that was done was staring; while Voldemort and his Death Eaters stared at Harry, Harry stared right back at them. But then, finally, the silence and the stillness was broken as the Dark Lord decided he'd had enough of the strange mind-game the previous few minutes had been.

"Harry Potter." Voldemort smirked in a smooth, hissing voice. "So you did live. I must say, when I tracked down those filthy, Muggle relatives of yours but found you weren't with them, I had thought for sure that the stories of your survival were false. I'm...Impressed that you were able to hide so completely for so long." He stood gracefully then and began to slowly walk towards the Boy-Who-Lived. "Tell me, how did you do it? Where have you been for all these years?"

Harry said nothing to that and simply continued to stare at the snake-like man.

"Come now Harry, don't be shy, we're all dying to know about the fantastic adventures of the Boy-Who-Lived."

Still, Harry remained silent and neutral.

"Hmm," Voldemort hummed in an unconcerned, relaxed manner. "Perhaps I can think of a way to loosen your tongue; Crucio!"

Harry felt the spell hit him yet there was no pain. There was a very odd sensation like pressing down on a limb that had fallen asleep but it was neither painful nor particularly uncomfortable. If Harry had been anything like a normal person, he probably wouldn't have been able to stop himself from glancing over in the direction Draco had left in to see if there was any sign that this was how the blond had expected things to go. As it was, he had far more self-control than the average person and therefore remained standing there completely still, as though the Cruciatus curse hadn't just been cast on him by the Dark Lord himself.

Voldemort and the present Death Eaters all seemed suitably shocked by the lack of reaction from Harry. With a reluctantly confused frown, the Dark Lord took off the curse only to promptly put it back on. The effect, or lack there of, was the same and the dark haired teenager did nothing, not even a flinch. When it became obvious that the spell wasn't going to cause Harry any pain, Voldemort took it off again.

A moment of stillness came then as the Dark Lord allowed himself the time to consider what to do next and while he thought, his minions and Harry were left to sweat. Well, in Harry's case, sweat probably wasn't the right word. It was more like he was calmly biding his time himself and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike to arrive.

Then, rather abruptly, the silence was broken and the plan of action was revealed: "Release his arms." Voldemort practically spat. Draco, from where he stood at the side, did as he was told, waving his wand in Harry's direction and, a second later, the dark haired youth's hands were finally freed from behind his back. "Give him your wand." He ordered the nearest Death Eater to him.

"My Lord?" The person, a man, said nervously.

"Do not make me repeat myself Goyle!" The evil man hissed furiously.

The Death Eater immediately rushed forward towards Harry and, upon reaching him, held out the wand for the dark haired teenager to take. However, Harry ignored it and continued to simply stare ahead at Voldemort.

"Take the wand." The Dark Lord ordered in a terrifyingly calm tone.

Still, Harry did nothing in reply.

Voldemort practically snarled in frustration and stalked over to Harry and the Death Eater. He snatched the wand out of Goyle's hand, who then immediately retreated back to the side again, and thrust it right at Harry. "Take the wand and fight!" He yelled.

Harry did nothing.

The Dark Lord glared down at the Boy-Who-Lived with clear hatred in his eyes. He threw Goyle's wand to the side carelessly and stepped right up to the dark haired saviour, close enough that anyone else would have been compelled to at least meet his gaze. Not Harry though, he simply continued to stare straight ahead which meant, in this new position, he stared straight at the middle of Voldemort's chest.

"You're master is dead, I had him killed by the man who woke you, you will duel me now!" Voldemort ordered with an intense yell of anger.

Once again, Harry did nothing but stare.

Voldemort gave an almost animalistic snarl of impatience as he strode forward quickly. Upon reaching the dark haired teenager, the evil man shot his arm out and gripped him by the throat with one hand, the gesture meant to be more frightening than painful or an attempt to strangle him. "I quickly tire of your presence, boy."

Harry's eyes finally flickered into focus and they moved up to meet with Voldemort's. Then, for a few dragging seconds, neither of them did anything else. Suddenly, without warning or hint as to what was about to happen, Harry held his arm out to the side and wordlessly summoned the syringe which Draco held for him at the side. Seconds later the object collided with the dark haired teenager's palm and he clutched it before bringing his hand up and around, slamming straight for the Dark Lord's neck. And, before the evil man could even react, the sharp point of the needle had been firmly lodged in the sickly-grey coloured flesh. The man's eyes widened in something akin to surprise which caused the stoic young man to finally react.

A small smirk quirked Harry's lips upwards as he slowly emptied the syringe of potion into Voldemort's body. "I do as I please." He said quietly to the man in front of him before roughly jerking the needle free.

The surprised expression on Voldemort's face remained even as Harry stepped away from him and allowed him to lurch forward awkwardly. The red of his confused gaze locked onto the Boy Who Lived as the colour began to drain away from him. The grey skin turned even paler, the red of the irises began to fade into grey and the limbs lost their tension, becoming limp and useless.

So, it was under the gazes of the handful of Death Eaters and one pure young man, the Dark Lord Voldemort fell, the sound of the soulless body hitting the stone floor the only noise which was heard. No one knew what to say, no one knew when to move, no one knew what to do. They all just stood, staring at the once powerful wizard who now lay so still and empty, now nothing but a shell.

Finally, it was Harry who was the first to move. He stepped forward, closer to the fallen body and that seemed to wake everyone up. In an instant, almost all of the Death Eaters had turned and started to hurry towards the doors of the chamber, no doubt planning on making a swift exit now that their leader had fallen. There was a grand total of three who remained true and drew their wands for revenge. However, before any of them could utter a single syllable of any incantation, the traitorous blond saviour who was present sprung into action, petrifying and immobilising all three dark wizards in an instant. That attracted the attention of several others who obviously didn't take kindly to the idea of one of their own turning traitor and so tried to fight as well. And while all of that was happening, Harry was moving slowly and calmly to the still form or Voldemort, descending into a kneel upon reaching the man's side.

All his life, his only apparent reason for being was that very moment. All his preparation was for the very situation he was currently in at that exact second...And it was all very anti-climatic, for Harry at least. The chaos around him registered but meant nothing and he felt an acute sense of disappointment in it all. It seemed too easy, yet there it was and his task was about to end.

The noise had stopped behind him and so when a presence suddenly came to stand next to Harry, he simply ignored it, knowing that whoever it was meant him no harm; there was no one left conscious who was an enemy and even if there was, if the one now standing beside him was a threat, he would no doubt have been dead several seconds ago. Indeed, the person crouched down to his level and the dark haired teenager saw out of the corner of his eye that it was Draco, the mask he had been wearing once again absent. The blond was leaning over so his chin could rest on his knees and he stared down at Voldemort without much of a definite expression on his face.

"A pain killer." Harry murmured simply, his eyes not leaving the form in front of them.

"Yeah, a pretty strong one that Sev slightly modified so it numbed inflicted pain rather than lingering pain." Draco confirmed. "You'll feel the side effects of any of the attacks eventually and I wouldn't recommend taking another potion to relieve the pain then..."

"Of course." Harry agreed or, as whenever he gave that reply, simply acknowledged the fact that Draco had spoken. "Have you brought the stone with you?" He asked, finally turning to look at the blond and seeing that his short fight with the other Death Eaters had not effected him in the least.

Draco gave a short nod and reached into an inside pocket of his robe. Seconds later, he removed his hand which now held the dark, cloudy lump of green gem which had originally been found in the chamber Harry had slept for so long in. The dark haired young man accepted the stone when it was handed to him and he gently laid it to rest between Voldemort's eyes. Gradually, so much so that the two teenagers could clearly see it happen, the final tint of green faded from the gem and it became nothing more than an ugly, black rock. When its colour ceased changing, Harry removed it from the corpse.

"Now what do we do with it?" Draco asked quietly.

"It will be destroyed." Harry answered in his usual monotone. "And Voldemort's soul will be destroyed with it." A pause. "How was the Portkey planted?"

"The Dark Lord sent a Death Eater whose animagus form is an owl, they got in through your bedroom window which had been left open. Sev and Father seem to be convinced that your location was discovered during one of the times the Dark Lord used Legimency on me, hence not letting the Dark Lord know it was me." The Slytherin answered.

Harry nodded to that before glancing around himself at the empty chamber. "Where are Professor Snape and your father?"

"They're somewhere in the manor dismantling the wards."

The dark haired young man didn't even have enough time to question that before the doors of the large chamber burst inwards and allowed dozens upon dozens of Aurors to pour into the area. Harry's eyes widened very slightly and he turned to look at Draco to see his reaction. Surprisingly, the blond didn't look in the least bit startled by the sudden appearance of so many wizards fighting for the Light. Upon feeling the green-eyed gaze on him, the aristocrat turned his head slightly to look at the dark haired young man beside him.

"Oh yeah," he said with a sort of faked innocence. "I tipped off the Aurors before we left."