Doppelganger, Part XV: Familiar Sights
Doppelganger, 15/?
Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. (aka HP and all other characters belong to JKR and whole bunch of other people, blah, blah, blah...)
Warnings: Overall, it's R. This chapter is probably PG/PG-13.
Archive: My site (http://vichan.delete.org), my livejournal (http://vichan.livejournal.com), and now, Skyehawke. Anywhere else, please e-mail me first. ^_^
Thanks: To emmagrant01, who pointed out some MAJOR (and lots of minor) errors in this chapter. Her prodding also (unintentionally, I believe) made it easier on me for the next chapter. (Okay, that made no sense.) ANYWAY, thank you!!!!!!
(Yeah, I know I got this up fast. I was prepared, and also happened to be online when you sent back yer final comments. ^_^)
Also, thanks to roseeva for making the shiny-new Doppelganger icon!!! I LURVE IT. (And whoever left that particular quote in a review... I can't remember who said it, but it's a nice tagline.)
(P.S. to Rose: KRISSY HEARTS DEVIL JIN!!!)
Notes: *snerk* Surprise.
And if you're wondering what I mean when I say 'Doppel-turd,' it's my pet name for this fic.
I do these things to you...
You do these things to me...
We touch each other.
Hold each other.
Feel each other...
"I want this."
Skin on skin, grating together in such a way that it sent chills up Harry's spine. He gasped, throwing his head back, closing his eyes. He didn't need to see to know what was in front of him. An arm rested under his back, supporting him. Two fingers were tracing patterns down the side of his body, making him shiver.
Draco moaned as Harry arched up against him, responding to each and every touch with enthusiasm. Draco buried his head in Harry's neck.
"Draco..." Harry panted.
"Mmm?" Draco said, not lifting his head.
"Do you love me?"
(Do you hate me, mudbloods, half-bloods, blood traitors, Muggles?)
Draco swiftly covered Harry's lips with his own. "You are mine. Harry, I lov-"
Harry gasped and quickly sat straight up in his bed. Panting wildly, he stared into the darkness with his mouth wide open. He could hear soft snoring coming from Ron's bed, and Seamus was muttering in his sleep again, his accent so thick that it was impossible to understand.
You are mine.
Harry swallowed hard and bit his lower lip. He hadn't had any dreams the previous night. He'd been sleeping next to Draco...
~Malfoy hates me. Why am I having these dreams?~
Harry closed his eyes and lifted a hand to his lips.
* * *
Breakfast began with an announcement. Their previous Hogsmeade trip had been cancelled due to an infestation of Tweeners that had started in the basement of the Hog's Head, and grown to take over the whole village. The trip had been rescheduled for the upcoming weekend.
"That's great!" Hermione said, her eyes lighting up. "I can get the book I've got on hold!"
"And we can visit Fred and George, Harry!" Ron asked.
Harry nodded absently, swirling the food around on his plate with a fork. He was resting his chin on his other hand and staring across the hall with a blank expression.
"Wake up, Harry!" Ron said, waving a hand in front of his friend's face.
Harry blinked and lifted his head to look at Ron. "Huh?"
"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked. "You haven't said a word all morning."
"Yesterday, too," Ron added. "You barely ate dinner, and you haven't had a bite of breakfast."
Harry stared at Ron for a moment, and then he grinned. "You sound like Hermione, Ron."
"I do not!"
"I was thinking he sounded like Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, a small smile on her face, as well.
"Don't change the subject!" Ron snapped. "You said you weren't keeping secrets anymore, Harry! Now what the hell is wrong with you?"
Harry shrank back in his seat a bit. "I... I can't..."
"You can't tell us?"
"No, that's not it." Harry put his elbows on the table and rest his head on his hands, running his fingers through his hair. "I can't explain it."
Hermione was studying Harry through narrowed eyes as Harry James walked up to their table and sat down next to Harry.
"Must you come visit us every morning?" Ron said, sounding annoyed, but not as venomous as he had the day before. "Professor McGonagall already said you weren't allowed over here."
Harry James merely grinned at Ron. "I just came to remind Harry about our little meeting tonight." He slapped Harry on the back, who groaned and put his head on the table.
Meanwhile, Draco Lucius was staring down the length of the Slytherin table. His double was sitting by Blaise, who was already making plans for the Hogsmeade weekend.
"Even though they're blatant Gryffindors, I'd like to go to the Weasley twins' new joke shop," Blaise said, his voice floating over to Draco Lucius. "What do you think, Draco?"
"It doesn't matter to me what you do, " Draco said. "I'm not going to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
Blaise blinked. "Why not?"
"I'm going home this weekend," Draco said. "My mother is feeling rather lonely with nothing but the paintings and house elves to talk to."
"Write her and tell her you'll go next weekend!" Blaise insisted.
Draco shook his head. "I haven't seen her since Christmas. I miss her, too." He reached into the pocket of his cloak.
Blaise sniffed. "Fine. Have fun, then." He turned to Pansy and continued making plans for Saturday.
Draco closed his hand around the round, black stone his mother had given him and drew it out of his pocket. He held it up in the light, studying it.
Draco Lucius froze when he saw the stone in Draco's hand. He knew that stone. He swiftly got to his feet and made his way over to Draco.
"Your mother gave you that?"
Draco looked over his shoulder and looked at Draco Lucius, who appeared even more pale than he usuall did, if that was possible. "Yes. How did you know?"
"Because my mother sent me that stone," Draco Lucius said. "Keep it with you, especially if you're going home this weekend."
"Why?"
"Because your mother asked you to." Draco Lucius said nothing else, and walked away from the Slytherins.
Draco turned his attention back to the stone again, turning it over in his hand. The light caught on it, sending a glare into his eyes. Draco flinched and turned to look at Draco Lucius.
His double was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
Harry stood across from Harry James, his breath quickening.
Harry felt fear.
It wasn't as if it was a strange feeling, but it was an awkward fear, completely different from how he felt when he faced Snape.
"Ready?" Harry James asked, his voice quiet.
Harry only nodded, flexing his fingers. He braced himself...
"Legilmens!"
It was familiar - the immediate invasion he felt, and memories suddenly welling up inside of him...
Sirius was falling. He was disappearing before Harry's eyes. He's gone, Harry. Bellatrix was laughing and Harry felt hatred build inside of him... No, he couldn't see that...!
Harry yelled and shouted a curse, not even really sure which one he was throwing. He collapsed, panting.
Harry James easily dodged the disarming hex that Harry had tossed, and he was now standing with his arms crossed in front of him. "You cast crucio."
Harry's head jerked up, anger flashing in his eyes. "You did that on purpose!" he hissed.
"Of course I did. You even knew I was going to do it," Harry James said, sounding a bit exasperated.
"You know what I'm talking about," Harry snapped irritably. "You wanted to see how Sirius died!"
"Actually, I was looking to see if you had ever practiced any Dark Arts," Harry James said, his eyes narrowing. "And you have. An Unforgivable, no less. You, who lectured me about the Dark Arts, cast the cruciatus curse."
"It didn't work," Harry said, standing up. His anger hadn't diminished. "Bellatrix said that I had to want her to hurt, to enjoy it."
Harry James continued studying Harry before speaking. "How much do you know about the Dark Arts, Harry?"
Harry resisted the urge to laugh. "I don't know anything about them, and I'd like it to stay that way."
Harry James raised an eyebrow at this. "And how do you expect to fight something you have no understanding of?"
Unable to come up with an answer, Harry clenched his jaw.
"It's only power. That's what it's all about."
Harry stared at Harry James. "'There is no good and evil, only power'?" he said bitterly, remembering Quirrel's words to him in his first year.
"And those too weak to seek it," Harry James finished for him, giving Harry a satisfied nod. "Not everything is different between the two of us. Except I think I realized that Quirrel was right, and you haven't accepted it yet."
"I'm not going to be practicing any Dark Arts," Harry said stubbornly.
"And how do you expect to be powerful enough to take down Voldemort? You can't rely on disarming or tickling charms. Your magic can't get any stronger if you don't practice more than one type of magic."
"I will not be like Voldemort." Harry's voice was softer this time, but still determined.
Harry James sighed, letting his arms fall to his side. "Ask Dumbledore how much Dark Arts he's practiced."
Harry blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that Dumbledore is only as powerful as he is because he practiced Dark Arts. Bouncing - it's the only way to make your power grow."
"I don't understand."
"You start off with your regular magic. You need it to be stronger, so you learn some Dark Arts. The trick is to balance it out with Light magic, so they feed off each other properly."
"So your magic would be... getting nourishment?"
Harry James flashed a small grin. "That's a good way of putting it. It's called 'bouncing.' You learn Light magic, you bounce over to Dark magic, and then you bounce back to your Light magic, but you get higher this time. You bounce back to the Dark magic, and you go higher. It's like you're working your way up between two walls. The higher you go, the more powerful you are."
Harry contemplated this for a moment. "But Dumbledore-"
"I already told you - Dumbledore has definitely practiced Dark Arts. Anyone who knows what Dark magic is has to realize that he's practiced Dark curses."
"I can't picture him doing that."
Harry James smirked, tilting his head back. "Why do you think so many people are intimidated by him, or fear him?"
"Because he's wise. He's powerful."
"He's powerful because he practiced Dark Arts."
Harry sat in silence for a few moments, staring at a spot on the floor. What Harry James was telling him was skewing his whole perception of magic.
"I bet if you asked him, he'd tell you the truth. He's manipulative, and he sometimes lies by omission, but he's never told a bald faced lie." Harry James sounded slightly disgusted by that.
"It's a good quality to have -" Harry started, but Harry James cut him off once more.
"It can get you killed. You learn pretty quickly in Slytherin that the truth can destroy someone, including yourself."
Harry shut his mouth again. He had no intention of asking Dumbledore if he had ever cast the imperious curse.
"Occlumency is considered Dark Arts."
Harry jerked his head up at that. "Then why is it allowed to be practiced? How is it Dark?"
"Not all the Dark Arts are illegal. Occlumency is shielding your mind from mental attacks, but in order to properly shield your mind you also need to know how to attack the mind, as well."
Harry blinked. "Snape never told me that." Feeling overwhelmed from all the information, his anger quickly disappeared. He sat back, chewing on his lower lip. "I don't entirely understand," he said finally.
Harry James offered a true smile. "I didn't think you would get it right away. You can't learn everything about the Dark Arts in one conversation. It comes to you as you study them."
"I haven't agreed to practice Dark magic yet," Harry said. "I need to think about it. And I want to do my own research on it."
Harry James nodded. "Understandable."
"For tonight, I'm just going to try to stop you from splitting my mind in two." Harry James opened his mouth, but Harry cut him off before he even had the chance to speak. "And I know Occlumency is Dark Arts, but it's something I need to learn, regardless." He lifted himself to his feet, facing Harry James once more.
Harry James studied his double before smirking and trailing his wand up to the ready. "Prepare yourself, Potter. We're going to have a hell of a night."
* * *
"Nymphadora Tonks?"
Tonks spun around on her heel and spotted the head guard of the south section. She stared blankly at him, trying to remember his name. "Yes?"
"McKnight had to take his daughter to St. Mungo's. She came inside for dinner with a bite on her arm, and he was scared it was a werewolf bite."
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "But it's not the full moon," she said flatly.
"I know, that's what I tried to tell him, but he was behaving quite hysterically over the floo," the guard said, shifting on his feet. "Either way, she should go to St. Mungo's anyway, since he doesn't know what the bite is from."
Tonks sighed. "What's this mean to me?"
"Can you stay an extra couple hours? Tarvis said he could come in early, but he doesn't know exactly when."
Tonks groaned. "I've already been here for ten hours today; that's on top of the nine I worked yesterday! My department is only required to work ten a week!"
The guard avoided her eyes. "I know. Truthfully, when the Ministry said they would spare some extra Aurors, they didn't spare nearly enough. The ones that they did send to us, like you, can't cover all the shifts that we need."
Tonks glared at him. "Azkaban relied on the Dementors too much. It's been nearly ten months, and you still haven't recovered from the loss."
The guard winced. "I know, but I can't do anything about it. I can't hire anyone, and I can't force the Ministry to do anything." His eyes trailed up. "Fudge is... being... a..." He stared over her shoulder, his eyes open wide.
Tonks glanced over her shoulder, and then quickly turned, her mouth falling open in shock. There was a woman standing at the end of the hall. Her face was round and youthful, and her hair was pulled back. Tonks had seen the face a few times in photographs.
"Alice... Longbottom?" It was the guard that had spoken.
An unnaturally feral grin spread over Alice's lips as she lifted a wand towards the two of them.
* * *
Lucius Malfoy was lying on the floor of his cell in Azkaban. His normally shining blond hair was dirty, and looked almost brown from the amount of grime that infested his cell. He had thought about cutting it off just so he wouldn't have to look at how disgusting he had gotten in the few months he'd been there, but decided against it.
He heard a loud crash out in the hall, and he quickly stood up. Someone was shouting, but it must have been a long way down the hall because he couldn't make what was being said.
Lucius quietly crept over to the door, peering out the small bars. As usual, he couldn't see anything but darkness. The shouting stopped, and Lucius narrowed his eyes at the darkness.
"Lucius..." A sweet, feminine voice called his name in a sing-song tone, and the door suddenly swung open. Lucius's mouth fell open at what he saw on the other side of the door.
"Alice Longbottom?" Lucius gasped, his voice harsh from not being used for months. The sight in front of him was unbelievable - a woman, who he had last seen wandering aimlessly in her ward at St. Mungo's, was standing in front of him. She looked much more aware than anyone had ever expected her to after Bellatrix was through with her. She was supposed to be insane... what was she doing in Azkaban?
"Here to kill me, I suppose?" Lucius, a sneer coming over him after he got over the initial shock. "Revenge against all the Death Eaters, since Bellatrix isn't immediately available?"
Alice bent over and began laughing uncontrollably. "Oh, Lucius, the look on your face...!"
Lucius's eyes widened. He knew that laugh, and it seemed even more unbelievable that Alice Longbottom standing in front of him. "Bellatrix?! What are you doing here?"
"Breaking you out, of course." She hadn't stopped chuckling, and she wiped a tear from her eye. "How do you like my costume?" Bellatrix grinned, spinning around to show off her disguise. "I saved a lock of Alice's hair. Even after sixteen years, it still works fine with the Polyjuice potion."
"I don't understand why, though. Everyone knows Alice Longbottom is in St. Mungo's."
"I know - that's why it's perfect!" Bellatrix clapped her hands in front of her, bouncing on her toes. "Her little brat caused quite a bit of trouble at the Ministry last year, if you remember."
Lucius waited for the punchline. "So?"
Bellatrix's grin dropped for only a moment, her lips turning into a snarl. "So I want to cause him pain. He is another filthy blood-traitor." Her grin reappeared on her face as quickly as it had gone. "The aurors were confused enough for me to get the jump on them and stun them. And this way they'll know it's me, and they'll know they couldn't keep me in or out of Azkaban."
"You're very proud of yourself, I can tell," Lucius said, sneering. "I can't help but question your motive, though. You've never been very fond of me. Why go to all this trouble to break me out?"
Bellatrix finally ceased grinning and narrowed her eyes at Lucius. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that I'm doing this for you," she said. "This is for my sister, dear brother-in-law. Narcissa has been absolutely miserable without you."
"Narcissa..." Lucius's eyes widened, but Bellatrix reached out and grabbed his arm before he could say anything more.
"We should leave now. The guards won't be stunned for long, and I have no intention of ending up in here again - especially on your behalf." She pulled him down the hall, and they quickly began sprinting.
"Is there any way we can get my wand?" Lucius hissed as they turned a corner. "They took it from me when they took me in."
"Your wand isn't in Azkaban, it's at the Ministry," Bellatrix said. "I suppose you'll just have to live without it for a while."
A chill ran down Lucius's spine. He was one of the Dark Lord's most loyal supporters, but even he didn't want to walk into a nest of Death Eaters unarmed.
* * *
Harry James walked into the Eight Room to find Draco Lucius seated in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection intensely. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Draco Lucius turned his gaze towards Harry James, his eyes sad. "I'm hoping to get a glimpse of home. I miss the Pansy we know, the Severus we know..."
"Me, too," Harry James said, sitting down and resting his head on Draco Lucius's shoulder. They were silent for a few moments.
"Did you see the stone?"
Harry James lifted his head and looked at Draco Lucius in alarm. "No. Are you talking about the stone I think you're talking about?"
Draco Lucius nodded. "I saw Draco playing with it when you and Harry were talking."
Harry James's eyes widened. "And he's going home this weekend."
Draco Lucius nodded, closing his eyes. "There's nothing we can do to prevent it. He's got the stone, so he'll be okay, but..." He shivered and brought his knees up to his chest.
Harry James sat up and wrapped his arms around Draco Lucius. "It'll be okay, Draco."
"It's almost like history is repeating itself," Draco Lucius said, burying his face in Harry James's chest. "Except it's not, because it hasn't happened yet. Not here."
"Should we warn him?"
"And what will he do?" Draco Lucius said, lifting his head and sneering. "Laugh in our faces? Spit on everything we believe in, like he did to Harry?"
Harry James closed his eyes. "He's going to his death, Draco."
"I'm not dead." Draco Lucius stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes hard.
"But he's not like you. He doesn't have what you had," Harry James insisted. "We have to tell him something."
Draco Lucius turned his head towards Harry James, his eyes locking with his lover's. "Tell him to take care of himself. Tell him to watch his back."
"Is that all?"
"Tell him not to die."
To be continued...
All previous chapters are listed here.
Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. (aka HP and all other characters belong to JKR and whole bunch of other people, blah, blah, blah...)
Warnings: Overall, it's R. This chapter is probably PG/PG-13.
Archive: My site (http://vichan.delete.org), my livejournal (http://vichan.livejournal.com), and now, Skyehawke. Anywhere else, please e-mail me first. ^_^
Thanks: To emmagrant01, who pointed out some MAJOR (and lots of minor) errors in this chapter. Her prodding also (unintentionally, I believe) made it easier on me for the next chapter. (Okay, that made no sense.) ANYWAY, thank you!!!!!!
(Yeah, I know I got this up fast. I was prepared, and also happened to be online when you sent back yer final comments. ^_^)
Also, thanks to roseeva for making the shiny-new Doppelganger icon!!! I LURVE IT. (And whoever left that particular quote in a review... I can't remember who said it, but it's a nice tagline.)
(P.S. to Rose: KRISSY HEARTS DEVIL JIN!!!)
Notes: *snerk* Surprise.
And if you're wondering what I mean when I say 'Doppel-turd,' it's my pet name for this fic.
I do these things to you...
You do these things to me...
We touch each other.
Hold each other.
Feel each other...
"I want this."
Skin on skin, grating together in such a way that it sent chills up Harry's spine. He gasped, throwing his head back, closing his eyes. He didn't need to see to know what was in front of him. An arm rested under his back, supporting him. Two fingers were tracing patterns down the side of his body, making him shiver.
Draco moaned as Harry arched up against him, responding to each and every touch with enthusiasm. Draco buried his head in Harry's neck.
"Draco..." Harry panted.
"Mmm?" Draco said, not lifting his head.
"Do you love me?"
(Do you hate me, mudbloods, half-bloods, blood traitors, Muggles?)
Draco swiftly covered Harry's lips with his own. "You are mine. Harry, I lov-"
Harry gasped and quickly sat straight up in his bed. Panting wildly, he stared into the darkness with his mouth wide open. He could hear soft snoring coming from Ron's bed, and Seamus was muttering in his sleep again, his accent so thick that it was impossible to understand.
You are mine.
Harry swallowed hard and bit his lower lip. He hadn't had any dreams the previous night. He'd been sleeping next to Draco...
~Malfoy hates me. Why am I having these dreams?~
Harry closed his eyes and lifted a hand to his lips.
* * *
Breakfast began with an announcement. Their previous Hogsmeade trip had been cancelled due to an infestation of Tweeners that had started in the basement of the Hog's Head, and grown to take over the whole village. The trip had been rescheduled for the upcoming weekend.
"That's great!" Hermione said, her eyes lighting up. "I can get the book I've got on hold!"
"And we can visit Fred and George, Harry!" Ron asked.
Harry nodded absently, swirling the food around on his plate with a fork. He was resting his chin on his other hand and staring across the hall with a blank expression.
"Wake up, Harry!" Ron said, waving a hand in front of his friend's face.
Harry blinked and lifted his head to look at Ron. "Huh?"
"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked. "You haven't said a word all morning."
"Yesterday, too," Ron added. "You barely ate dinner, and you haven't had a bite of breakfast."
Harry stared at Ron for a moment, and then he grinned. "You sound like Hermione, Ron."
"I do not!"
"I was thinking he sounded like Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, a small smile on her face, as well.
"Don't change the subject!" Ron snapped. "You said you weren't keeping secrets anymore, Harry! Now what the hell is wrong with you?"
Harry shrank back in his seat a bit. "I... I can't..."
"You can't tell us?"
"No, that's not it." Harry put his elbows on the table and rest his head on his hands, running his fingers through his hair. "I can't explain it."
Hermione was studying Harry through narrowed eyes as Harry James walked up to their table and sat down next to Harry.
"Must you come visit us every morning?" Ron said, sounding annoyed, but not as venomous as he had the day before. "Professor McGonagall already said you weren't allowed over here."
Harry James merely grinned at Ron. "I just came to remind Harry about our little meeting tonight." He slapped Harry on the back, who groaned and put his head on the table.
Meanwhile, Draco Lucius was staring down the length of the Slytherin table. His double was sitting by Blaise, who was already making plans for the Hogsmeade weekend.
"Even though they're blatant Gryffindors, I'd like to go to the Weasley twins' new joke shop," Blaise said, his voice floating over to Draco Lucius. "What do you think, Draco?"
"It doesn't matter to me what you do, " Draco said. "I'm not going to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
Blaise blinked. "Why not?"
"I'm going home this weekend," Draco said. "My mother is feeling rather lonely with nothing but the paintings and house elves to talk to."
"Write her and tell her you'll go next weekend!" Blaise insisted.
Draco shook his head. "I haven't seen her since Christmas. I miss her, too." He reached into the pocket of his cloak.
Blaise sniffed. "Fine. Have fun, then." He turned to Pansy and continued making plans for Saturday.
Draco closed his hand around the round, black stone his mother had given him and drew it out of his pocket. He held it up in the light, studying it.
Draco Lucius froze when he saw the stone in Draco's hand. He knew that stone. He swiftly got to his feet and made his way over to Draco.
"Your mother gave you that?"
Draco looked over his shoulder and looked at Draco Lucius, who appeared even more pale than he usuall did, if that was possible. "Yes. How did you know?"
"Because my mother sent me that stone," Draco Lucius said. "Keep it with you, especially if you're going home this weekend."
"Why?"
"Because your mother asked you to." Draco Lucius said nothing else, and walked away from the Slytherins.
Draco turned his attention back to the stone again, turning it over in his hand. The light caught on it, sending a glare into his eyes. Draco flinched and turned to look at Draco Lucius.
His double was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
Harry stood across from Harry James, his breath quickening.
Harry felt fear.
It wasn't as if it was a strange feeling, but it was an awkward fear, completely different from how he felt when he faced Snape.
"Ready?" Harry James asked, his voice quiet.
Harry only nodded, flexing his fingers. He braced himself...
"Legilmens!"
It was familiar - the immediate invasion he felt, and memories suddenly welling up inside of him...
Sirius was falling. He was disappearing before Harry's eyes. He's gone, Harry. Bellatrix was laughing and Harry felt hatred build inside of him... No, he couldn't see that...!
Harry yelled and shouted a curse, not even really sure which one he was throwing. He collapsed, panting.
Harry James easily dodged the disarming hex that Harry had tossed, and he was now standing with his arms crossed in front of him. "You cast crucio."
Harry's head jerked up, anger flashing in his eyes. "You did that on purpose!" he hissed.
"Of course I did. You even knew I was going to do it," Harry James said, sounding a bit exasperated.
"You know what I'm talking about," Harry snapped irritably. "You wanted to see how Sirius died!"
"Actually, I was looking to see if you had ever practiced any Dark Arts," Harry James said, his eyes narrowing. "And you have. An Unforgivable, no less. You, who lectured me about the Dark Arts, cast the cruciatus curse."
"It didn't work," Harry said, standing up. His anger hadn't diminished. "Bellatrix said that I had to want her to hurt, to enjoy it."
Harry James continued studying Harry before speaking. "How much do you know about the Dark Arts, Harry?"
Harry resisted the urge to laugh. "I don't know anything about them, and I'd like it to stay that way."
Harry James raised an eyebrow at this. "And how do you expect to fight something you have no understanding of?"
Unable to come up with an answer, Harry clenched his jaw.
"It's only power. That's what it's all about."
Harry stared at Harry James. "'There is no good and evil, only power'?" he said bitterly, remembering Quirrel's words to him in his first year.
"And those too weak to seek it," Harry James finished for him, giving Harry a satisfied nod. "Not everything is different between the two of us. Except I think I realized that Quirrel was right, and you haven't accepted it yet."
"I'm not going to be practicing any Dark Arts," Harry said stubbornly.
"And how do you expect to be powerful enough to take down Voldemort? You can't rely on disarming or tickling charms. Your magic can't get any stronger if you don't practice more than one type of magic."
"I will not be like Voldemort." Harry's voice was softer this time, but still determined.
Harry James sighed, letting his arms fall to his side. "Ask Dumbledore how much Dark Arts he's practiced."
Harry blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that Dumbledore is only as powerful as he is because he practiced Dark Arts. Bouncing - it's the only way to make your power grow."
"I don't understand."
"You start off with your regular magic. You need it to be stronger, so you learn some Dark Arts. The trick is to balance it out with Light magic, so they feed off each other properly."
"So your magic would be... getting nourishment?"
Harry James flashed a small grin. "That's a good way of putting it. It's called 'bouncing.' You learn Light magic, you bounce over to Dark magic, and then you bounce back to your Light magic, but you get higher this time. You bounce back to the Dark magic, and you go higher. It's like you're working your way up between two walls. The higher you go, the more powerful you are."
Harry contemplated this for a moment. "But Dumbledore-"
"I already told you - Dumbledore has definitely practiced Dark Arts. Anyone who knows what Dark magic is has to realize that he's practiced Dark curses."
"I can't picture him doing that."
Harry James smirked, tilting his head back. "Why do you think so many people are intimidated by him, or fear him?"
"Because he's wise. He's powerful."
"He's powerful because he practiced Dark Arts."
Harry sat in silence for a few moments, staring at a spot on the floor. What Harry James was telling him was skewing his whole perception of magic.
"I bet if you asked him, he'd tell you the truth. He's manipulative, and he sometimes lies by omission, but he's never told a bald faced lie." Harry James sounded slightly disgusted by that.
"It's a good quality to have -" Harry started, but Harry James cut him off once more.
"It can get you killed. You learn pretty quickly in Slytherin that the truth can destroy someone, including yourself."
Harry shut his mouth again. He had no intention of asking Dumbledore if he had ever cast the imperious curse.
"Occlumency is considered Dark Arts."
Harry jerked his head up at that. "Then why is it allowed to be practiced? How is it Dark?"
"Not all the Dark Arts are illegal. Occlumency is shielding your mind from mental attacks, but in order to properly shield your mind you also need to know how to attack the mind, as well."
Harry blinked. "Snape never told me that." Feeling overwhelmed from all the information, his anger quickly disappeared. He sat back, chewing on his lower lip. "I don't entirely understand," he said finally.
Harry James offered a true smile. "I didn't think you would get it right away. You can't learn everything about the Dark Arts in one conversation. It comes to you as you study them."
"I haven't agreed to practice Dark magic yet," Harry said. "I need to think about it. And I want to do my own research on it."
Harry James nodded. "Understandable."
"For tonight, I'm just going to try to stop you from splitting my mind in two." Harry James opened his mouth, but Harry cut him off before he even had the chance to speak. "And I know Occlumency is Dark Arts, but it's something I need to learn, regardless." He lifted himself to his feet, facing Harry James once more.
Harry James studied his double before smirking and trailing his wand up to the ready. "Prepare yourself, Potter. We're going to have a hell of a night."
* * *
"Nymphadora Tonks?"
Tonks spun around on her heel and spotted the head guard of the south section. She stared blankly at him, trying to remember his name. "Yes?"
"McKnight had to take his daughter to St. Mungo's. She came inside for dinner with a bite on her arm, and he was scared it was a werewolf bite."
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "But it's not the full moon," she said flatly.
"I know, that's what I tried to tell him, but he was behaving quite hysterically over the floo," the guard said, shifting on his feet. "Either way, she should go to St. Mungo's anyway, since he doesn't know what the bite is from."
Tonks sighed. "What's this mean to me?"
"Can you stay an extra couple hours? Tarvis said he could come in early, but he doesn't know exactly when."
Tonks groaned. "I've already been here for ten hours today; that's on top of the nine I worked yesterday! My department is only required to work ten a week!"
The guard avoided her eyes. "I know. Truthfully, when the Ministry said they would spare some extra Aurors, they didn't spare nearly enough. The ones that they did send to us, like you, can't cover all the shifts that we need."
Tonks glared at him. "Azkaban relied on the Dementors too much. It's been nearly ten months, and you still haven't recovered from the loss."
The guard winced. "I know, but I can't do anything about it. I can't hire anyone, and I can't force the Ministry to do anything." His eyes trailed up. "Fudge is... being... a..." He stared over her shoulder, his eyes open wide.
Tonks glanced over her shoulder, and then quickly turned, her mouth falling open in shock. There was a woman standing at the end of the hall. Her face was round and youthful, and her hair was pulled back. Tonks had seen the face a few times in photographs.
"Alice... Longbottom?" It was the guard that had spoken.
An unnaturally feral grin spread over Alice's lips as she lifted a wand towards the two of them.
* * *
Lucius Malfoy was lying on the floor of his cell in Azkaban. His normally shining blond hair was dirty, and looked almost brown from the amount of grime that infested his cell. He had thought about cutting it off just so he wouldn't have to look at how disgusting he had gotten in the few months he'd been there, but decided against it.
He heard a loud crash out in the hall, and he quickly stood up. Someone was shouting, but it must have been a long way down the hall because he couldn't make what was being said.
Lucius quietly crept over to the door, peering out the small bars. As usual, he couldn't see anything but darkness. The shouting stopped, and Lucius narrowed his eyes at the darkness.
"Lucius..." A sweet, feminine voice called his name in a sing-song tone, and the door suddenly swung open. Lucius's mouth fell open at what he saw on the other side of the door.
"Alice Longbottom?" Lucius gasped, his voice harsh from not being used for months. The sight in front of him was unbelievable - a woman, who he had last seen wandering aimlessly in her ward at St. Mungo's, was standing in front of him. She looked much more aware than anyone had ever expected her to after Bellatrix was through with her. She was supposed to be insane... what was she doing in Azkaban?
"Here to kill me, I suppose?" Lucius, a sneer coming over him after he got over the initial shock. "Revenge against all the Death Eaters, since Bellatrix isn't immediately available?"
Alice bent over and began laughing uncontrollably. "Oh, Lucius, the look on your face...!"
Lucius's eyes widened. He knew that laugh, and it seemed even more unbelievable that Alice Longbottom standing in front of him. "Bellatrix?! What are you doing here?"
"Breaking you out, of course." She hadn't stopped chuckling, and she wiped a tear from her eye. "How do you like my costume?" Bellatrix grinned, spinning around to show off her disguise. "I saved a lock of Alice's hair. Even after sixteen years, it still works fine with the Polyjuice potion."
"I don't understand why, though. Everyone knows Alice Longbottom is in St. Mungo's."
"I know - that's why it's perfect!" Bellatrix clapped her hands in front of her, bouncing on her toes. "Her little brat caused quite a bit of trouble at the Ministry last year, if you remember."
Lucius waited for the punchline. "So?"
Bellatrix's grin dropped for only a moment, her lips turning into a snarl. "So I want to cause him pain. He is another filthy blood-traitor." Her grin reappeared on her face as quickly as it had gone. "The aurors were confused enough for me to get the jump on them and stun them. And this way they'll know it's me, and they'll know they couldn't keep me in or out of Azkaban."
"You're very proud of yourself, I can tell," Lucius said, sneering. "I can't help but question your motive, though. You've never been very fond of me. Why go to all this trouble to break me out?"
Bellatrix finally ceased grinning and narrowed her eyes at Lucius. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that I'm doing this for you," she said. "This is for my sister, dear brother-in-law. Narcissa has been absolutely miserable without you."
"Narcissa..." Lucius's eyes widened, but Bellatrix reached out and grabbed his arm before he could say anything more.
"We should leave now. The guards won't be stunned for long, and I have no intention of ending up in here again - especially on your behalf." She pulled him down the hall, and they quickly began sprinting.
"Is there any way we can get my wand?" Lucius hissed as they turned a corner. "They took it from me when they took me in."
"Your wand isn't in Azkaban, it's at the Ministry," Bellatrix said. "I suppose you'll just have to live without it for a while."
A chill ran down Lucius's spine. He was one of the Dark Lord's most loyal supporters, but even he didn't want to walk into a nest of Death Eaters unarmed.
* * *
Harry James walked into the Eight Room to find Draco Lucius seated in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection intensely. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Draco Lucius turned his gaze towards Harry James, his eyes sad. "I'm hoping to get a glimpse of home. I miss the Pansy we know, the Severus we know..."
"Me, too," Harry James said, sitting down and resting his head on Draco Lucius's shoulder. They were silent for a few moments.
"Did you see the stone?"
Harry James lifted his head and looked at Draco Lucius in alarm. "No. Are you talking about the stone I think you're talking about?"
Draco Lucius nodded. "I saw Draco playing with it when you and Harry were talking."
Harry James's eyes widened. "And he's going home this weekend."
Draco Lucius nodded, closing his eyes. "There's nothing we can do to prevent it. He's got the stone, so he'll be okay, but..." He shivered and brought his knees up to his chest.
Harry James sat up and wrapped his arms around Draco Lucius. "It'll be okay, Draco."
"It's almost like history is repeating itself," Draco Lucius said, burying his face in Harry James's chest. "Except it's not, because it hasn't happened yet. Not here."
"Should we warn him?"
"And what will he do?" Draco Lucius said, lifting his head and sneering. "Laugh in our faces? Spit on everything we believe in, like he did to Harry?"
Harry James closed his eyes. "He's going to his death, Draco."
"I'm not dead." Draco Lucius stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes hard.
"But he's not like you. He doesn't have what you had," Harry James insisted. "We have to tell him something."
Draco Lucius turned his head towards Harry James, his eyes locking with his lover's. "Tell him to take care of himself. Tell him to watch his back."
"Is that all?"
"Tell him not to die."
To be continued...
All previous chapters are listed here.