Chapter 17: When Wardrobe Doors Open
Harry watched with little interest as the students around him worked diligently on their potions. Snape for some reason had determined that Harry should not be allowed anywhere near a cauldron during this Friday morning's potion class. Harry did not object to Snape's ruling. He had other items to occupy his mind, such as getting into the prestigious Headmaster's Study without the correct password. He knew that Dumbledore usually selected bizarre passwords that were usually some form of candy. 'Pity there is so many sweets in the world. At least, Neville was correct about the fool being gone for the day.'
"Potter." Snape's cold voice broke through his thoughts. "Follow me."
Harry rose from his seat and, as he passed down the alley, he was almost tripped by a certain redhead, who along with the rest of his family had returned Thursday morning. Harry had gathered that their mother had not wished them to miss school. Harry knew Mrs. Weasley would be haunted by that decision for the rest of her life, especially if one her children was caught in the crossfire this afternoon.
"Weasley." Harry hissed under his breath. "I would stay away from me, if you value your life."
"You are going to pay for what you have done." Weasley replied under his breath.
"Potter!"
"Coming, Professor." Harry called.
Snape waited patiently, however his eyes held an emotion that Harry could not decipher. "Come with me to my potion storage, Potter. I have something that I wish to show you."
Harry wisely remained silent until he was left alone with an enraged Snape.
"Potter, I am missing a very rare potion, which is created through the burning the sap of a certain herb known as Wizard's Bane. Wizard's Bane," Snape repeated the name of the herb slowly, making certain that Harry would understand what he was getting at. "It was almost made extinct during the 1700's after many incidents that led to death." Snape whispered, his voice carrying an air of knowledge. "I dare say that you have used the juice of the plant before in one of your many undertakings. You used Wizard's Bane to weaken your objectives, making them easier to be taken down. I know this is true, because I brewed that potion for your uses."
"What are you insinuating?"
"It is curious how James Potter has suddenly fallen 'ill' at the same time I am missing a potion brewed from Wizard's Bane." The professor tore into the youth with his stare.
Harry kept his face clear of emotion. "That is curious."
Snape's eyes flashed with fire. "I know you did it."
Harry tilted his head and thought with humor. 'Touché… but I can go one further.' Clearing his throat, he stated lightly. "Ask my guards, they will tell you that I have not been anywhere near this room."
"So it would seem." Disappoint was in the professor's eyes, though the gleam of knowing had not left them. "Return to your seat, Mr. 'Potter' I have no further want to speak with you."
Harry nodded, leaving the dank storage room. He ignored Weasley's cold stare and continued to his seat. His eyes looked down at a watch that he had managed to take without their owner's noticing. 'One more class… and approximately two more hours before this nightmare reaches its conclusion.' He could not wait to feel his wand in his hands. 'I will be able to walk freely again. It has been too long.' Stretching in his seat, Harry peered eagerly at the door. For the first time, he was finding it difficult to wait. 'I have watched targets for hours on end, but now I can't stand to sit still for not even two hours.' He thought with humor.
Across the room, Draco looked just as fidgety and managed to explode his cauldron, or perhaps it was a combination of Neville and Draco that caused it. Snape stormed over and with one flick of his wand cleaned the mess. However, a foul stench accompanied by a blue mist had already filled the room.
"Class dismissed." Snape called over the coughs of the students. "Your homework is to read pages five hundred to five hundred and seventy-five by next time we meet."
A collective amount of groans filled the room, even as the students hurriedly packed their items. In the chaos, Draco was easily able to talk to Harry briefly.
"Did Potter show you the Room of Requirements?" He whispered.
Harry curtly nodded.
"Be there as quickly as you can." Draco looked around briefly. "We will hold them off until you arrive."
Harry did not need to say anything, so he left before his personal 'escort' came in looking for him. Where as James would patiently wait for him to exit a room, Auror Palmer would enter and forcibly pull him out. Harry was going to enjoy snapping his neck.
Just as Harry had suspected, the tall lanky Auror was about ready to enter the classroom to find him. "I have Divinations next… I would not dream of missing it, even in my fondest fancy." His voice dripping his sarcasm.
"You were slow in leaving your potions class."
"It is called packing my books."
"In that time, you could have easily conversed with an enemy agent, or grabbed an item that could be used as a weapon."
'If he only knew.' Harry thought as he walked to Divinations.
Divinations so far was proving to be annoyingly monotonous. Trelawney had brought out the Tarot cards. The cards had failed to predict the near future, Harry noticed silently. Throughout the class Trelawney, as she had done the time before, kept her distance from Harry.
As the professor circled around the room, looking over the shoulder of students to see what their cards read, she came to a pause by Lavender Brown. "Oh, my dear." She whispered. Her face suddenly paler then it had just moments before. "This is not good."
The other students immediately moved to peer over Lavender's shoulder, reading her cards.
"What does it mean?" The frightened girl asked in a mere whisper.
Tears formed in Trelawney's eyes. "My dear, according to the cards you are going to fall along way." She said as she pointed to the first card. "Surprisingly, you will survive." Finally, Trelawney arrived to the third card. "But it will be as if you hadn't."
"What about the last two cards?" Patil asked.
"The fourth card suggests that Miss Brown will fall from stairs. The final card wishes her courage and resolve."
Lavender picked up the fourth card with her trembling hand. "Are the cards always correct?"
"No, they are not." Trelawney answer, though Harry could see in her eyes that she was lying to the girl. The professor truly did believe in the cards.
After a long period of silence, other students began to ask Trelawney to read their cards. Harry did not understand why since the divinations professor preferred to give out gruesome fates to them.
"What does Harry's say?" Lavender, who had finally found her voice, asked.
Trelawney looked startled before she squeamishly moved to view Harry's cards much to his dissatisfaction.
"As I suspected, these are not happy cards… so many horrible meanings. But it is to be expected." Trelawney stated serenely. "A very unhappy life awaits you. I dare not read these cards aloud."
The students that surrounded Harry's table leaned forward to get a closer look at the cards.
"Why did he receive the devil?" Patil asked. She was now pointing toward the fourth card on the table.
Trelawney frowned. "He knows what it means." She stated briskly before turning the subject to homework. "Now everyone, please, return to your seats and be prepared to copy your homework assignments. My inner eye has told me that you will need practice with the Tarot cards. You will record your findings every night this week until next Friday."
Harry was the first to leave the classroom. It was awhile before Palmer fell into step with him.
"Follow me." Harry stated calmly, though he brimmed with anticipation.
"And why should I do as you say."
"You are paid to follow me, and I want to take a walk." With those words, Harry began his slow walk to the area in which Dumbledore's office lay.
Silently, Harry found it bizarre to be walking in synch with a person that in just minutes he would kill. They did not speak. No words were necessary. Harry led, while the guard followed. The Auror would not realize until much later that Harry was leading him to his death. Neville's words echoed briefly through Harry's mind, 'All life is priceless.'
"Yet it must be taken." Harry murmured. "Because I cannot be a grain of wheat."
"What did you say?" Palmer asked not understanding Harry's meaning.
Harry was never given the chance to answer the Auror's question. In the distance, terrified screams echoed through the school. One word wafted to the Aurors' ears and that was 'Death Eaters'. Palmer withdrew his wand. In doing so, he turned his back to Harry. Fear etched the Auror's face as he waited for an attack from the Death Eaters that had entered Hogwarts. Harry smiled forlornly at the back of the Auror, even though he felt no regret for his actions that were coming.
"You shouldn't be frightened of them." Harry murmured, moving closer to the Auror. "I am the real threat."
By the time Palmer turned to face Harry, it was already too late. His body went limp. He had lost all movement when his neck had been broken. Harry allowed the Auror's body to drop to the floor, causing a thudding sound to resound against the silence. Grasping the dead man's wand, Harry moved quickly to avoid the spells created by the remaining two guards. The other eight were already dealing with the Death Eaters, who were probably fanned throughout the school.
Hiding behind a statue of armor, Harry wished that he could have his daggers. He always felt pleasure in using them. A spell panged against the armor, and by chance it almost grazed Harry's ear. Stepping out from his hiding place, Harry sent a jet of red light at one of the Aurors. Blood later accompanied the spell as it crashed into the stone wall beyond, proving that Harry had hit his target. The ruby substance slowly flowed down the rough surface before it became one with a large pond on the floor, which matched its color.
"Damn it!" Harry heard the man's companion shout.
Harry rolled to his left, avoiding a fatal green light that screamed from the second Auror's wand.
"I don't have time to play." Harry stated quoting a line that Bella was very fond of using.
The Auror dodge his first attack, causing Harry's brow to furrow. Palmer's wand was so much weaker in his hands. 'I will have to get closer to him, and do it the hard way.'
With lightening speed, Harry closed the space between them. He easily evaded the barrage of spells that exited from his former guard's wand. In a dive, Harry used his legs to knock the unprepared Auror on to his back. Shaking his head down at the Auror, Harry brought up his wand. He knew better then to gloat over desperate men. A green light emitted from his wand. Even in death, the Auror's face continued to portray the horror that he felt as he awaited his death.
Harry raised Palmer's wand to his face, examining its wooden body. "Worthless." He hissed as he threw it at the corpse of its master.
In a run, Harry continued his journey to Dumbledore's office. He would be better able to defend himself if he had his wand. Before he had turned the corner, Harry knew something was off. His first thought was that perhaps Dumbledore had returned early. However, the voice did not belong to the headmaster. In the back of Harry's mind, he recognized it as a Death Eater's. He had probably sought out Dumbledore's office in hopes of making a name for himself by killing the Dark Lord's most hated enemy.
"What do we have here?" The voice asked.
Harry cringed when he heard a second voice. It was one that he would not be able mistake no matter how many years would pass.
'Dorian.' Harry thought numbly, as he watched a Death Eater heft the young boy into air, cutting off his air flow. 'Moron. I told you not come near Dumbledore's office.' Without hesitation, Harry moved in. "Put him down."
"Who do you think you are?" The Death Eater spat. "You are nothing!"
Harry eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am the Dark Lord's son."
The man snorted. "You're just a kid with glasses."
A dark sneer filled Harry's face. "And you are a fool to question me." Harry snorted when the man made no move to obey. "Then I will have to show you." Harry replied caustically, even as he raced down the hallway.
Seeing Harry barreling at him, the Death Eater tossed Dorian aside. As he ran, Harry removed his quill from his inner pocket. In series of shift motions, Harry pushed the writing utensil through the man's skin and into his throat. Blood sprayed Harry's face and drenched his hand and robe's sleeve. A gurgling noise escaped the man's ravaged throat. Releasing his grasp on the quill, Harry's hands positioned themselves around the man's neck. In one sudden movement, Harry snapped it. The sound echoed dissonantly down the hallway.
Turning his attention to Dorian, Harry saw him cowering against the wall. His eyes were wide in fear. Noticing he was the focus of his brother's attention, Dorian bit down on his lower lip.
"Are you frightened by me?" Harry asked quietly. There was no answer and Harry went to move past his younger brother.
"You saved my life." Dorian whispered in a small voice.
Moving toward Dorian, Harry offered him his blood soaked hand. In his brother's eyes, Dorian saw the silent challenge. Freely, Dorian clasped the hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Harry released his brother's hand once he was on his feet. Raising his hand to his face, Harry touched the blood splotches on his face. It was not the first time that another's blood had dotted his face, yet it was.
"This is the first time that I have ever killed without my father's request." Harry said pensively. "To save life." This last thought Harry voiced so quietly that Dorian could not hear his words.
Dorian stroked his bruised neck that bore the imprint of the deceased Death Eater's hands. "I'm glad you did."
Harry frowned deeply. "This can't happen again. After this, Dorian, you are on your own. I can't save you ever again! I just can't."
"Won't Voldemort be angry with you?" Dorian asked concernedly.
"No, the man was a fool, even if he did not recognize me." Harry stated firmly. "My father would have killed him too for disobeying a direct order."
"Are-."
"Go." Harry whispered. "Stay away from the corridors that are near the Room of Requirement. If you wander there I will not save you."
Dorian nodded. His face displayed his sorrow, but Dorian did not voice his thoughts at the moment. He knew that this would be the last time he saw Harry. After what seemed like moments, Dorian turned to leave, however Harry's grabbed his arm.
"I am sorry. I can not be what your family wants me to be." Harry whispered. "It would be nice to pretend that I could, but I have seen… done too much. I can never be a child, again. In the end, none of us would be happy living a lie, no matter how pleasant it would appear."
Dorian nodded his head curtly. "Do what you feel you need to do, Harry. I'll miss you."
Harry shook his head. "You will miss the idea of having a brother… not me. I have never been a brother to you, Dorian."
Dorian smiled briefly. "Good bye, Harry."
Harry nodded his good bye, and proceeded down the hallway. Dorian's voice called to him one last time before the youth left for safety. "The password is Chocolate Cockroaches."
Harry smiled as he approached the gargoyle that safeguarded Dumbledore's private study. Before he left it, he had plans to redecorate the room. He muttered the password that Dorian had given him, and watched as the gargoyle moved out of his way. To his pleasure, the room was empty except for Dumbledore's pet phoenix. When the bird saw him, it instantly fled. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that the bird had flown in search of its master. Harry smiled as he pried open the top right drawer. It felt so good to hold his wand once more. A wicked grin spread across his face as he surveyed the room. With one powerful wave, he sent the headmaster's prized possessions to the ground. Delicate instruments shattered when they hit the ground, causing their debris to spread throughout the room. Books hit walls, while the selves fell as splinters across the room.
'Much better.'
On the wall behind the desk, Harry used his wand to write, 'You brought this on yourself old man. We will meet again, and on that day you will die.'
Harry's hands took the glasses from his face. 'Goodbye, Harry Potter.' Then he used his wand to cast a vision correction spell. He laid his discarded glasses on to the desk before setting the desk ablaze. His only regret was that he would not be able to see Dumbledore's face when the old fool gazed upon his smoldering desk and destroyed study.
Content, Harry left the room running as quickly as he could toward the Room of Requirement. He did not know how long it would be before Dumbledore and a whole new group of Order Members and Ministry lackeys arrived. Harry was not a fool. He knew that the Death Eaters would not be able to hold out against Dumbledore in Hogwarts. His father was all too aware of that fact. There would be no beating Dumbledore if he were in Hogwarts, thus the Dark Lord had never attacked the school.
As he neared the hallway in which his destination was located the sounds of battle reached his ears. So intent on his goal, Harry did not notice the sound of feet behind him until it was too late.
"Stop!" Ronald Weasley shouted. His wand directed toward Harry's head. "Dumbledore was an idiot to allow you into this school. Some of my friends are dead because of you!"
Harry stared blankly at the adolescent.
"You have no remorse even at the end of your life?"
"No." Harry stated unconcerned. "I gave those I have killed a better death then what my father would have. Quick and nearly painless."
A red bolt hit Harry in the shoulder, pushing him backward. The force caused him to drop his wand.
"You sick bastard."
Harry touched the wound that had just been afflicted on him. When he removed it, watery material glistened on his fingers. "Lesson one about killing someone, Weasley, you do not toy with them. If you do not kill them immediately, they have a habit of coming after you."
"Shut-up!"
Harry pushed himself onto his feet. "You do not have what takes to kill someone."
Ron paled at his words. "I can kill someone like you!"
"You would have done a long time ago if you could."
"Avada-." His words however were drowned out by a loud. "Crucio!"
Bellatrix Lestrange came into sight. She glared down at the red head as he withered in pain, calling for the punishment to end. Bellatrix did not remove the spell. Instead, she heightened its intensity. A malevolent sneer came to her red dyed lips. Eventually, she lifted it and turned to face a worn Harry.
"Did this piece of shit wound you badly, Marvolo?"
Harry peered at his bleeding wound that was darkening the black of his robed. "I have had worse."
"Still," Bellatrix whispered. "He should be taught a lesson… how not to mess with his betters."
With a slashing spell, Bellatrix caused Weasley to yelp in pain as his blood stained the floor. With a banishing charm, Lestrange pushed the wounded Weasley out the window, sending the stained glass window shards into every direction.
"I do not think he will be able to put your lesson it to use, Bella." Harry stated.
"It is not my fault if my students prove so weak that they cannot survive the lesson."
"That reminds me why I should be grateful to father that he did not make you my teacher!"
Bellatrix smiled warmly. "Let's leave this place."
Harry nodded, and the two bolted down the raging hallway that was filled with the feuding Death Eaters and the servants of the light. Along the way, Harry had to step two corpses. He did not pause to examine them.
"To the Room." Bellatrix screamed above the chaos. The Death Eaters hearing her command retreated. Once inside the room, Harry was the first to travel through the wardrobe, followed closely by Draco.
On the other side, Harry was greeted by the sight of the interior of Borgin and Burkes, one of the few places to survive Voldemort's rampage through Diagon Alley.
"You should really heal that, Marvolo." Draco stated causally.
Harry nodded his head, before using a healing charm on his punctured shoulder. He left his robes torn since he would no longer have need for school robes.
Bellatrix was the last to exit the wardrobe. When she did, her face was bright with bloodlust. Harry had seen that expression so many times before and had long since grown accustomed to it. Draco, however, was astounded.
"We will apparate-." Bellatrix's voice was cut off when a spell went through the glass store window. "The Ministry is here!"
"Surrender yourself!" A deep voice called.
"Dumbledore." Harry whispered, moving to the broken window.
"Marvolo, don't." Bellatrix hissed under her breath. "The whole Ministry is out there. This is not the time for a last stand!"
Harry did not appear to hear her, as he careful peered over the ledge. Dumbledore was not in sight.
"The best option is to return to your father's side and regroup." Bellatrix stated firmly. "Do you wish to be captured, again?"
"There will be no capturing me alive again."
"I ask you, my Lord, to go to your father's side!" Bellatrix paused briefly. "There will be other opportunities to kill Albus Dumbledore. We have to hurry before they set up the Anti-Apparation barriers!"
Harry nodded.
The sound of many popping sounds carried their way to the ears of Albus Dumbledore. His mouth was firmly set in a frown. They had arrived far too late. They had set up the barriers too late. In doing this, he had failed his students, staff, and all of Hogwarts. He had failed Harry just as he had failed himself.
Harry landed easily just miles away from his father's fortress. This was as close as anyone could apparate do to various charms the Dark Lord had set up. The fortress was also uncharitable, and possessed many charms that repelled Muggles and those magical folks that did not have an invitation.
Bellatrix came to stand beside him. "Your father is eagerly waiting."
'I had no doubt that he would be.' Harry thought. A sensation that Harry had long associated with fear rose up into his throat. He did not relish the thoughts of what questions his father would pose. Harry was not even certain if he could answer them. His actions of late were inexplicable, even to him. Then there were the slight changes in himself that Harry was certain that would not please his father. 'This meeting will reveal many things… like if he ever cared for me.'
"Marvolo?" Bellatrix asked aloud, breaking effortlessly through Harry's contemplations.
Harry nodded his head. "We had best not keep him waiting."