Countdown

Countdown chapter 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I am not sure why. Oh that’s right. Someone else wrote it before me. Damn!
A/N: My new beta and co-writer is the wonderful God of Mercy. Thank her cause if it wasn’t for her I would not have been starting this chapter so soon.


It was peaceful wherever he was. There was no pain, and no manipulative Headmasters to get him killed, or turn him into a killer. No so called family to beat him for being what they thought was a freak. No backstabbing friends that only wanted his money and him dead. There was also no obsessive girl that only wanted to marry him for his fame and money.

He, for the first time in his life felt free and safe, free of expectations and responsibilities that he never asked for. Safe from people who only wanted to hurt and use him. All of his life he was lied to, all of his life he was alone. Even when he thought Ron and Hermione were his friends, they never really understood, they were never hated and starved, beaten and unloved. If only they knew that he would give or do, just about anything to have a parent to love him the way Molly loved Ron and Ginny.
His main reason for staying alive for so long was to get revenge on the man that took that all away from him… but now he found out that the same man he wanted to kill, never did a damn thing to him. If only he had listened to Voldemort when he tried to warn him about Albus, he wouldn’t have been in this horrible mess.

Lucius stood by the bed looking down on his young love. He just couldn’t believe that someone would hurt his little one like that. He just didn’t want to believe that children could be so cruel and vindictive. Yes, he knew that they often got into fights, but to see a child damn near killed by a group of children was something else entirely.

He wanted so much to reach out and pick his little one up and remove him from the eyes of the ungrateful world. To take him to a place that he could be loved and cared for. He just wanted to take him home and give him the best of everything. He would give his little one the world if he could.

He was still floating, really, he couldn’t think of a reason to wake up. Who would miss him if he died, who would care?


The only thing he was good for was being a weapon, the only reason they wanted him alive was to be a killer.
Just as he decided to stay in this peaceful place, Luna’s words came back to him unbidden. “You will find love and real friendship with the silver snake and his white wolf.” He couldn’t understand why those words meant so much to him, but they did.

Who could they be, who was the silver snake and white wolf? Who could love a freak like him? Even if that was true about them loving him could he love them? What if he couldn’t love, what if he was too damaged? What if he had no love to give? The only thing he could do was try his very best. Didn’t he owe it to himself to be loved, and didn’t he owe it to himself to try? With that, he slowly started to open his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was pain. Pain in his legs, pain in his arms, nothing in or on his body didn’t hurt. He could barely even move his fingers, let alone move anything else. Even with all the pain, he pulled himself back to consciousness, he had to find out who the silver snake and white wolf were. They had to be the answer, the solution to his problems, or maybe at least they could help him out of this seemingly never-ending nightmare that was Albus Dumbledore.

The second thing Harry noticed after the pain was that he could see. Not fuzzy pictures, but perfect images. He could see the sterile white walls and he immediately knew he was in the hospital wing. But something felt wrong, he couldn’t hear anyone around his bed asking to see him, he couldn’t hear Poppy moving towards him to make him take nasty potions either. And where was Albus asking his ridiculous questions and trying to get back in his good graces. Just as he was about to attempt to turn his head, he heard the soft and sophisticated voice of Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius almost cried tears of relief when he saw those beautiful green eyes open for the first time since he was attacked. The overwhelming emotions were similar to how he felt when he saw his love’s return.

Nothing could have prepared him for the protective and possessive feelings that surged through his body. But as soon as he got a closer look at those beautiful eyes, he wanted to go to Hogwarts and kill every person that he could get his hands on. He wanted to make them pay. How could they do that to him? And people labeled him as a monster. How could they say that about him, when they’d done what they did to Harry?

Those once beautiful eyes, those eyes that were so full of life, were now dull and lifeless. They were full of such pain and self loathing that he had to quickly look away. What was once one of his favorite things about Harry, now made him look older then they should.

It made his heart wrench painfully to see him like that. It hurt to see the boy with so much life and passion, reduced to this state. More than ever he wanted to put the life back in those once beautiful eyes. He knew that once Harry had the chance to shine properly, nothing could shine brighter then he would.

“Hello, Mr. Potter.”

For some reason that he didn’t understand that voice didn’t make him scared or nervous. It didn’t make him want to pull out his wand, it made him feel… safe? It was at that moment when he knew something was seriously wrong.

“Where am I? And what are you doing here?” But as strong as he thought his voice sounded to him, it was just the opposite. His words came out cracked and short. It sounded like every word could cause him to go in a coughing fit at any second.

“Calm down Mr. Potter. I am not going to hurt you. Madam Pomfrey and I brought you here.” Lucius said gently.

“I don’t understand, where is here?” Harry was confused, he knew he wasn’t at Hogwarts.

“If you will stop trying to talk then I will tell you everything that has happened since your accident, if you keep talking you may cause more damage to your throat. If you would like I could get you some ice water, but you will still have to take it easy with the talking.” The older Malfoy told him, wanting Harry to save his strength.

Before Harry could say a word, Lucius stood up and moved over to the water pitcher. After pouring a glass of water for Harry, adding a straw to make it easy for him to drink from, he moved back over to the bed. Leaning down so Harry could sip some water; he placed it on the table beside the bed after Harry had drank as much as he wanted.

There was something about being in Lucius’s presence that was somehow… comforting. It was a strange feeling, why did he feel comforted of all things? This wasn’t helping his confusion, or the fact he was desperate to know what had happened to him, he needed answers. Lucius cleared his throat.

“It is to my understanding that you were supposed to meet my son and his friends at dinner. When you didn’t show up, they asked Mr. Longbottom if he had seen you. He then informed my son that he had seen that your curtains were drawn around your bed, so he assumed that you were sleeping. Thinking you may have been tired they went on with their business. The next morning you still hadn’t been seen so Draco told them to start searching the castle for you. After an hour of searching with no luck, they decided to get the teachers involved. Draco then ran to inform Salazar, and Salazar informed me and my Lord that you were missing. Three or so hours later, they found you unconscious in the forbidden forest.” Lucius paused, and Harry used the break to try to remember what had happened to him.

“You were immediately taken to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey went to work healing all that she could. Before she could get you healed completely, the headmaster walked in and demanded that he be allowed to wake you up. Madam Pomfrey told him that under no circumstance would she put a patient’s health in danger for some information that could wait. Due to the fact that another student was attacked at Hogwarts, the school governors were informed. I was reinstated as a governor so they sent me to find out what was going on.” Lucius continued, and Harry tried to take it all in, he had a million and one questions to ask him.

“How were you reinstated as a governor after you were found out to be a Death Eater?” Harry asked quietly. Lucius glared at him for a second before coming back to himself.

“Mr. Potter. I don’t know what you are talking about. You really shouldn’t accuse people of things when you have no proof. However, I will tell you that I will always be loyal to Tom.” Harry’s head snapped up at that name and shock covered his face for a minute.

“Did you just call Lord Voldemort by his first name?” Harry asked unbelievingly.

“He has never been Lord Voldemort to me. He has always and will be Tom. He may be Lord Voldemort to his followers but I am not just a follower Mr. Potter.” The blond told him.

“You’re his mate!” Harry shouted. Lucius narrowed his eyes at Harry and he shrunk back into the bed.

“Are you going to run to your precious Headmaster now?” Lucius sneered. “Let me tell you, if you ever open your mouth about this to anyone you better hope Salazar will kill you before I do. You have done nothing but hurt my love at every chance. It is your fault that he couldn’t come back in your first year. It is your fault that I had to wait so long for him to return to me.”
Harry dropped his head in shame, he knew it was true. He had been after a man that hadn’t done anything to him. Harry suddenly felt very guilty, all those victories… now pointless, empty and hollow.

Lucius took a few seconds to calm down, when he noticed the look in Harry’s eyes he could have kicked himself for the rash things he had said. Before he knew what he was doing he was out of the chair and sitting on the bed beside him. Placing his hand under Harry’s chin and lifting his head up so there eyes could meet, he used his other hand to wipe the tears on his face away. He then pulled Harry into his arms.

“Calm down, I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. You were just a child and you didn’t know that Albus was using you. It is just… hard to relive those days without him. He is my life and I am his.” Lucius explained.

“I can’t blame you for trusting the first person who ever showed you kindness. I know how your life was and I think you are a strong person for trying your hardest.” Lucius said soothingly.

“I am sorry for the life you could have had, but didn’t because of Albus, Mr. Potter. He has used many others in the same way he has used you.” Lucius paused before his next sentence.

“I know you won’t believe me, but your life wasn’t so different from Tom’s. For the first time in his life, someone was offering comfort to him, without wanting something from him. He couldn’t describe the feelings of contentment and warmth from the other man. No one had ever held him when he cried; no one had ever wiped his tears away.” After pulling himself together Harry pulled away to look in Lucius eyes.

“Thank you for this, I was told by Salazar about Tom’s childhood. I wish I would have listened when he told me that I was being used. I am sorry for the pain I caused you and your family. I trusted the wrong people. I should have been true to myself instead of doing what others wanted me to do, I should have trusted in myself.” Lucius could see the pain in Harry’s eyes at those words, increasingly he wanted to go and kill those stupid, vile people that hurt his little one. All he wanted to see at the moment was those beautiful eyes filled with life once more.

“Harry, look at me.” Harry did so. “You are being too hard on yourself. You were a child being brought into a new place and you had no clue that people would use you that way. You can’t blame yourself for trying to make the people who showed you affection, happy. I am sorry that you have been put in the middle of the war between Tom and Albus. They are both stubborn and neither is willing to give up. It is just not clear at this time witch one is more stubborn.”

Harry started to laugh. “Does Tom know you think he is stubborn?”

“I am sure he does, I tell him all the time… Although he could be ignoring me.” Lucius added thoughtfully. “Now do you want to know what happened when you were out?”

'I dropped my head because I didn’t want to move from Lucius arms, but I knew he didn’t want me there anymore. I looked up at him and for the first time really noticed just how attractive he was. I wondered whether he was really in love with Voldemort. Albus had told me so many times that Voldemort, I mean Tom couldn’t love.'

“Sure, I guess.” Lucius stood up with Harry still in his arms, and maneuvered them into a comfortable position on the small bed. He sat while Harry lay against him. Once he made sure Harry was comfortable, he started talking.

“So when I arrived, the Headmaster was trying to wake you up and Madam Pomfrey was trying to convince the Headmaster to let you wake up on your own. You, Mr. Potter, suffered some head trauma and waking you up before you woke on your own could have caused many more problems. I happened to have been outside of the hospital when this argument was going on, so I was able to keep him from waking you up. He had told Madam Pomfrey that he had a potion that would reduce the chance of more damage, but I refused to let him administer it to you.” Lucius explained and then elaborated with: “I did not trust his word.”

“I had heard that you have been moving away from his manipulations, and were becoming your own person. I know the Headmaster better than most, and I know that he would never let his weapon go without a fight.” Harry had opened his mouth to reply to that statement when Lucius raised his hand.

“I know you don’t think of yourself as a weapon but that is how Albus sees you. You don’t have to worry about him coming and giving you the potion, he is forbidden from coming into this room. If he does, he will be removed as Headmaster. However, you do need to watch out for your so called friends. The rest of the world doesn’t know that you are no longer friends with them, so it would look wrong if we made it so they couldn’t see you either. Do not drink anything they give you and do not be left alone with them.” Lucius instructed.

“When you arrived, they did a complete cleaning of your body’s system, which removed any potions from inside of you. They found traces of a love potion and potions for control, among other things. I wouldn’t put it past Albus to give them a potion to give to you. It would probably be something to get you back under his control and remove your memories of that night.” Harry decided to use this opportunity to ask Lucius who, or what had attacked him.

“Before you start asking me questions, and don’t try to deny it because I can see it in your eyes. Let me finish. I don’t know who attacked you and you are not allowed to talk about it with me due to the fact that law enforcement has not taken your official statement. I will tell you that someone will be over today or tomorrow to take your statement down. Now because I know you are dying to ask me some questions please ask away.” Lucius sat back a little more to look down at him.
Harry had just opened his mouth to ask his first question when the door to his room opened and the healer walked in along with Poppy on his heels. Lucius quickly laid Harry down so the healer could reach him better and moved back to the chair by the bed. The healer walked over to the side of his bed.

"Hello Mr. Potter. I'm Head Healer Ric Castro." The man said smiling down at him as he reached out his hand to shake Harry's hand. Shaking his hand Harry took in what the man looked like. He looked to be in his late thirties and was tall about 6 foot 3 with shoulder length brown hair with streaks of gray. You could tell he worked hard at his job as a healer, the man had frowning lines on his forehead and crows feet at the side of his smiling gray-blue eyes.

"How are you feeling today?" The healer asked wanting to know if he was in any pain. Harry smoothed out his blankets that were laying over him, unsure what to say as he still felt stinging pain through out his body still.

"Sore, I guess." Harry told him, wanting to get back to asking Lucius his questions.

"Ah, well we'll take care of that very soon. Now, I'm fixing to run a diagnostic spell over you. So if you would please hold still, I'll get this over with quickly." The healer started waving his wand over the young man. Once he was done he look back at Harry.

"Well Mr. Potter, I have to say your one lucky young man. When you arrived here we found that you had a shattered wrist, fracture in your skull which also lead to a concussion. Three broken ribs, one that was nearly a hairs breath from puncturing your lung, and your left leg was broken in three places. Along with a multiple number of bruises, cuts and burns along your body. Who ever did this to you, must have really had it in for you." Healer Castro told him. Harry was laying there his mind racing, trying to remember what had happen to him the night before. Poppy decided to step up to Harry's bed to give him a pain potion along with a few healing potions now that he was a wake.

"Harry dear," She said getting his attention back. "You need to take these as they'll help with the pain along with helping your healing process. Now don't fuss, you have to take them." She took the potions from the bedside table and handing them to him. Harry just made a face at having to drink the nasty vile tasting potions. Lucius gave a slight smirk amused at his love's disgusted expressions, still sitting back and watching what was going on. Once the potions were taken, the healer thought it wise to inform the young man.

"We also had your body flushed of any and all potions that were polluting your system. What we found shocked us. You had many in you, a love potion and a controlling potion were more prominent then any others. We also found many curses and blinding spells on your magic core. From what we could tell, we were surprised that you could use your magic before coming here. Now that we have removed them you shouldn't have any problems and may need someone to help you control it." The healer told the young man, his eyebrows raised up thinking over what he had found. He wouldn't be surprise if Mr. Potter would be furious at what he had told him. He knew he would if anyone had done that to him.

Harry though was furious, he could believe all of this. He knew who was behind all of this, Albus Fuckin Dumbledick! Oh, that man was going to pay dearly and anyone that was involved in doing what they did to him. He was sorely tempted to get up and leave back to Hogwarts to curse the hell out of that lemon drop eating-fuck wad. He heard the healer continue, he looked back up at him.

"Mr. Potter, we would like to keep you over night just to make sure your completely healed. I'll be sure to check on you from time to time to make sure you are healing well. You'll have Madam Pomfrey here with you, to watch over you while you are healing up here at St. Mungos." Harry nodded his head knowing if he said anything right now it wouldn't be pretty. Though he was glad that he wouldn't have to be alone, even if the medi-witch was a mother hen. He was feeling a lot better now that he had taken the potions. Harry stretched out his arms and legs a little making sure that the potions had done their work. The healer then thought it best he took his leave.

"All right Mr. Potter. If there is any problems let me or Madam Pomfrey know and we'll take care of it. We here at St. Mungos would like you to take it easy here. Now you rest up and I'll be back later to check on you. If you need anything just touch your wand to the tag on your wrist and a nurse will be in to see you.” With that the healer turned and left shutting the door behind him. Once the healer had left Harry turned back to Lucius.

"What more can you tell me about what happened when I was out?" Lucius took a second to go over what he had already told him.

"I told you everything I know. There is nothing I can tell you. However I do know that you are going to need to learn how to block your mind and hide your magical powers." As if remembering that Poppy was still in the room Harry looked over at her only to find her reading a book on mind healing. Harry turned back to Lucius wondering if he should tell him about Prof. Snape trying to teach him how to block his mind. Deciding that it couldn’t hurt he cleared his throat.

"I cant learn how to block my mind, he said in a quiet voice." Lucius gave him a disbelieving look. "And why not?"

"Prof Snape tried to teach me how to block my mind from Voldemort, but I couldn’t." Lucius gave him a small smile.

"That is because you had the wrong teacher. Everyone knows about the hatred that Severus has for you. He would not have made a good teacher. There is a proper way to learn. First of all you have to feel comfortable in the persons presents, witch I am sure you didn’t. Second the person has to help you clear your mind in a relaxing atmosphere, witch I am also sure he didn’t do. The third thing is to imagine your mind as a place that you can hide things. For example, some people use a place that makes them feel safe. Some people use a place that makes them remember fond memories. It is your mind so it can be anything or any where you could hide things. It could be a library and your memories could be the books. It could be a bed room and you could have memories hidden any where, like in the pillow cases. That secret place doesn’t matter because that would be your last line of defense. You should always have many different layers of blocks. If you new parseltongue magic you could have poisonous snakes block your mind like Tom does. If you make it past his first line of defense you wont make it past his second. One because his snakes will damage your mind to the point that you will become nothing more then a vegetable. He has one of the most guarded minds in the world. I personally use different elements. For example fire and lightning. I have a wall of both blocking my mind, they are the second and third lines of defense for my mind." Harry looked stunned, he had no clue just how guarded a person could make there mind.

"Prof Snape never told me anything like that." Lucius looked at Harry to gage if he could trust the young man enough to tell him his thoughts on why Severus taught him so inadequately. After a minute of silence Harry started to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Why did you stop talking? Did I say something to make you mad with me?" Lucius looked up at him.

"I am trying to decide if I could trust you enough to give you some information." After another minute of silence Lucius started talking again.

"I have two reasons on why Severus taught you so inadequately. The first reason is because if you could protect your mind from Tom then Albus wouldn’t be able to read it any more. The second is because with your mind wide open anyone could find out what hurts you the most and use it to break you." After saying those words Lucius looked down at his hands.

"For what it is worth Harry I am sorry about your Godfather. It was never suppose to happen like that. We were tricked into going into the ministry." Harry head shot up at that.

"What do you mean? Voldemort sent me a vision of him hurting serious, and I went to save him!" Lucius looked puzzled.

"Tom cant send you visions Harry." Harry was sure and insisted it was.

"Yes he can! He has been doing it ever sense he came back!" Lucius shook his head at him.

"The only way he could send you visions was if he was near you and since Tom is in bed with me every night, he can't be sending you these visions." Lucius said calmly. Harry opened his mouth to retort but Lucius cut him off.

"I don’t want to debate with you on this. If you go to the library and look up a book on mind magic then look up mental visions you will see it for yourself. You don’t have to take my word on it." Harry hung his head.

"If you are right about the visions that means Albus set me up." Lucius pulled out his wand and cast a tempus, when he saw the time he stood up.

"I am sorry Harry but I really have to go. If you want I could send you a book on mental protections. It will help you learn how to protect your mind. I will send it through Draco." Without warning Harry started laughing. Lucius looked at him like he had lost his mind. Harry noticing the way Lucius was looking at him tried to control it.

"What is so funny?" Lucius asked with a raised eye brow.

"It is just that the people that I thought were trying to kill me haven’t done anything to me, but the people I would have done anything for are the real ones trying to kill me off". Lucius put his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

"It will be ok Harry. You just need to start listening to yourself. Stop trusting people to make decisions for you and start making your own choices. You are a smart person just start showing it. One more thing before I go, do not. I repeat do not look in the headmasters eyes. If you do he can read everything in your mind. Whatever you do don’t tell him about them removing the blocks on your magic either." With that Lucius nodded his head to Poppy and left the room.


It had been two hours since Lucius had left and for the first time in his life he felt a flicker of hope. Someone had for the first time told him to trust in himself instead of always running to the headmaster. Laying in the bed he thought about all of what he had been told. Lucius Malfoy was the mate to Lord Voldemort. Before he could ponder more about that there was a knock on his door. Poppy looked up and noticed Harry looking her way. She immediately caste a invisibility spell over her self. Then she moved closer to the wall by the window. Once Harry had noticed what she did he called for his visitor to come in. What he was not expecting was Ron, Hermione and Ginny to enter his room. Groaning at the thought of having the conversation he knew he would have to have with these people, he missed the look passed between the three of them. The first thing Ginny did when she entered the room was run to his side and latch on to his arm.

"Oh Harry! I was so worried about you! Who did this to you? How could some one be so evil!! I bet it was those sneaky Slytherins!!" Harry grimaced, he had never noticed how annoying her voice was. It was like sandpaper rubbing against steel.

"Ginny get the hell off of me!! How many times do I have to tell you I don’t like you like that!" He snapped at her. Ginny stepped back with a frown on her face.

"You told me last night that you loved me." She said frowning again. Harry wanted to say only because of the love potions that you probably gave me, instead he told her something else.

"I don’t remember last night Ginny." Which wasn’t a lie but they didn’t need to know that. Dejected Ginny walked over to the chair that Poppy had been sitting in and sulked. Turning away from her he focused his attention on Hermione and Ron.

"What do you all want anyway? I thought I told you to stay away from me. I don’t want anything to do with any of you." He glared at each of them as Ginny looked up at him.

"Oh Harry, can’t you forgive me? I never took any of the money." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione pour a small orange substance into a cup then poured some of the pumpkin juice in the cup. She walked over to him and tried to hand it to him.

"Harry would you like something to drink?" Accidentally on purpose he lifted his hand to suddenly and the content of the cup landed on the front of Hermione’s robes.

"Harry!! You need to be more careful!!" She shouted. "You got this juice all over me!"

"Whatever, I don’t remember asking you for anything to drink in the first place." Cleaning herself off she tried to hand him the rest of the content in the cup.

"I was just trying to be nice. You must have been thirsty with the drinks all the way on the other side of the room." Before she could reach him good, Harry had reached over to his bed side table and lifted the cup of water to his lips.

"The healer told me to drink plenty of water." He said smugly. "Pumpkin juice will only dehydrate me." Seeing the anger hidden in her eyes, he mentally gave an evil smirk.

"What did you all come up here for besides to kiss my ass for the headmaster. I will never be your friends again. You only want my money and the fame of being my friend. I don’t need friends like that. I trusted you once but never again. I don’t need friends to go run their mouths to everyone and anyone about my business." He sneered at them.

"Harry, we only wanted to keep you from becoming like You know who. We thought we were doing the right thing, besides you are the only one who can defeat him." Hermione said quietly. Harry gave her an unimpressed look.

"So instead of me having friends that actually cared about me and were my friends just to be my friends. Friends that would have made me happy, I get backstabbing money hungry liars. I could expect that from Ron because he had turned his back on me many times, but from you Hermione. I thought you were better then that. I thought you had better morals. You were so high and mighty when it came to the house elves but you are no better then Ron and Ginny." Hermione opened her mouth to say something in her defense but Harry cut her off.

"If it wasn’t for me, all of you in this room would be dead. I could have left you in the girls bathroom in first year instead of coming to find you after Ron made you cry." He turned his eyes to Ginny "And you! If it wasn’t for me you would be laying in the chamber of secrets still. I almost died saving your life." Then he turned to Ron. "And you, I could have let you be eaten by those damn spiders. I just want you all to know that you owe me a life debt and you can bet you will be paying me for it." Hermione then spoke up.

"Harry you can't mean that!" Harry laughed humorlessly.

"Oh you can bet your ass I do." For the first time since they entered the room Ron opened his mouth.

"As your friends, you should have wanted to give us some of your money. Its not like with all the vaults you have you will miss it. You are just selfish, you call us your friends and then won't share your money with us knowing our family needed it. We have always been there for you!" Ron shouted. At those words Harry saw red.

"Knowing your family needed it?" Harry said through clenched teeth. "You were fucking paid from day one to be my friend. Long before I even knew who the hell you were! I don’t even have proper clothes and you think you deserve them from my families money?? You have some nerve, coming in here trying some stupid shit. You know what you aren't worth my time, none of you are!" With those words Harry pulled out his wand and touched the tag on his arm.

Within seconds two nurses walked into the room. "Is there something we can help you with Mr. Potter?"

"Yes I am tired and I don’t want these people aloud back in my room. They are not friends of mine and I don’t know how they got in here! They must be fans or something. I cant even go to the hospital without people stalking me!" Hermione, Ron and Ginny were to stunned to say anything. Harry had just called them stalkers. Before they could get their bearings, the nurses had pushed them out of the room. The last thing any of them saw was Harry giving them a smug smirk. This time he had won and he wasn’t planning on losing any more from now on.

A/N: Ah Ha, now I wonder what's goin to happen next......- God Of Mercy