Perfect Hell

Chapter 4: Faith

"Professor, why do sixth and seven years have to search as well?" Draco asked Snape curiously.

"We need to find the boy as quickly as possible and we have a lot of ground to cover. You will have to lead the Slytherin sixth years, and you'll have to work with the Gryffindor sixth years." Before Draco could protest, Snape continued with his orders, "you will be searching the south end of the Forbidden Forest. If you find him, send up green sparks. If you get into trouble..."

"Red sparks," Draco interrupted, "I know."

"Good. Now hurry."

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"What!" Ron cried to nobody in particular, "why do we have to work with the Slytherins? They'll probably finish Alex off, and that is even if we find him!"

"Ron," Neville said calmly, "the Death Eaters probably just scared him a bit. I'm sure he's fine."

As Ron tried to argue with Neville's logic, he noticed Harry staring into the fire. Ron shushed his boyfriend for a moment. "Harry don't blame yourself. Neville's right, Alex is probably fine."

Harry turned slowly and gave Ron a half-smile. "You're right. C'mon."

As Ron and the rest of Gryffindors filed out of the room, Ron allowed himself the luxury of fear, and it wasn't over himself.

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Harry ran towards the Forbidden Forest, raw adrenaline pumping through his veins. He waited impatiently at the southern edge for the Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Scared Potter?"

A frighteningly mirthless laugh escaped from Harry's throat. "Malfoy, I've been in this forest more times than you would believe."

Draco glanced at him with a look of derision before leading the Slytherins into the dense shrubbery. Despite Draco's confidence, the Slytherins looked a little nervous. Harry joined Draco, flanked by Ron, Neville and Hermione.

Apart from the wand held out, Harry looked completely serene.

The rest of the Gryffindors weren't any more confident than the Slytherins. Despite what others may have wished otherwise, Harry and Draco had become the unofficial leaders, their friends close behind them.

"Malfoy, stop," Harry told the silver-haired Slytherin quietly.

They weren't very far in, but the only light was that created by their wands. Harry bent over a protruding tree root, examining it awkwardly with his wand overhead. Draco put his wand there instead, making it easier for Harry to see. A scowl crossed Draco's face at his classmates' curious looks. "The quicker we find the brat, the quicker we can leave."

"Malfoy. This is blood, human blood by the look of it. It's leading that way."

Draco's gaze followed the direction of Harry's wand, which lead deeper into the forest. Silently, Harry rose and the two boys lead their classmates further away from Hogwarts.

"Ron," Harry asked suddenly, "where are Mosag and Aragog?"

Ron paled visibly. "I-I don't know. Deep into the Forest."

"This deep?" Harry asked, not realising that he had stopped and the rest of the group was getting nervous.

"I don't know!" Ron replied hysterically.

Harry, just noticing Ron's pallor, attempted to reassure him. "Don't worry Ron, Hagrid's probably got that area."

"What if he hasn't?"

"Then keep your wand out," was Harry's only reply. With that, they continued. Suddenly, Draco spun on his heel and faced Harry. "Who or what are Mosag and Aragog."

Harry kept walking, completely calm. Over his shoulder he called, "Acromantulas."

"What! Acromantulas in this forest?"

"Yep," was the only reply from Harry.

"What do they have to do with Hagrid?"

"They're his pets."

Harry increased his pace, careful to follow the faint blood trail. He heard Draco's comments about half-giants and their savage tendencies, but decided to ignore them. However, he did respond when Draco asked, "What are we supposed to do if they are in our area?"

"Hope a Stunning spell will work."

"That really inspires confidence," Draco grumbled sarcastically.

"At least its better than your practice of screaming like a girl and running away!"

Draco reddened at the memory from first year. "At least I don't squeal like a girl and stand there, waiting to be attacked!"

"Yes, we're really going to find Alex if we bolt at the first sign of something unusual!"

The argument would have continued if the group hadn't seen a pale shape emerging from the clustered foliage. Everyone except Harry and Draco jumped, and most screamed. Before anyone could hex the creature, Harry walked up to it. "Hello again Firenze."

The albino centaur smiled in reply, "Hello Harry Potter."

"A small boy is missing. Have you seen anything?"

Firenze gave Harry a deep look before saying, "Let the stars guide you, for they never lie."

"Uh, thanks."

With that, the centaur was gone. The rest of the group was looking at Harry strangely.

"Harry," asked Ron, "why do you know a centaur?"

"First year detention."

"I hate to interrupt this fascinating conversation," Draco drawled, "but I have better things to do than search for some Gryffindor crybaby."

Harry turned and glared at Draco with icy hatred. "The only crybabies at this school are Slytherins." He spun around and walked ahead of the group, following the blood trail with ease. Not to be outdone, Draco caught up to him. They walked together in almost companionable silence, and felt themselves relax. They were still visible to their housemates, but were far enough away that a conversation could not be overhead. They felt a world away, and their differences vanished amongst the cold air and rhythmic tread. Draco was the one who broke the silence. "The look you gave me back there would've made most people run. You are completely confident in this forest, and you've faced Voldemort five times and lived. Why didn't you do anything last year?"

"Don't you think I was trying to save my own skin?"

Draco smiled grimly. " Even I have to admit you're brave. I told you my secret, now you tell me yours. Why?"

Harry walked a little faster. He kept his back to Draco as he talked, using the guise of following the blood.

"When I first saw the Death Eaters that day, I took my wand out to attack, when an image of Cedric being hit by Avada Kedavra replaced everything going on around me. I saw Ginny lying in the Chamber of Secrets, and I saw my parents dying. It was like being near a Dementor, but worse. I heard people pleading for me to help, but they seemed so far away. By the time the images disappeared, the Death Eaters were Disapparating."

The only sound breaking the silence was Harry's ragged breathing. He was sure Draco was judging him, and was equally sure that he would fall short of expectation. What kind of hero am I?

"Well that explains a fair bit," Draco commented casually.

"What?"

Draco stopped walking and looked Harry straight in the eyes. "My father told me about a new curse they'd found, the Alpdruck curse. It is untraceable and makes the victim relive their worst memories. You weren't a coward Harry, you were a victim of very powerful Dark magic."

Harry desperately tried to take all this in. "I still should've fought it."

"You can't fight it."

Comprehension dawned on Harry. "Voldemort put you under it."

Draco started walking again, keeping his eyes to the ground. Harry was shocked by the barely audible, "yes," from Draco.

Harry was about to comfort him when he noticed the blood trail becoming fresher and thicker. "Alex must be near," he said, almost to himself.

Harry and Draco managed to get the message across to Hermione (using a lot of indistinct sign language), before clambering through the overgrown bushes, following no discernible path, the blood their only guide.

It led them to a small clearing, about the size of Harry's bedroom. At the far end, there was a small boy with messy brown hair and a stake through his side, securing him to the tree. The blood was pouring profusely, and Harry knew that Alex would need medical attention immediately if he was to live.

"Nox."

"Draco, can you see the Death Eater?" Harry asked in a soundless whisper.

"Behind there." Draco replied, pointing near Alex. The boys crept silently back to their group and, with a lot of persuasion and threatening on Draco's part, they were able to get the Slytherins and Gryffindors to agree on a plan.

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Hermione followed Harry's furtive signals and crept silently behind a large tree. She counted the seconds under her breath. She burst forth suddenly into the clearing. Ron and Neville were in synch with her, and they managed to undo the unconscious boy.

"Mobilicorpus."

As Hermione directed Alex's still, bloody body into the woods, she saw Harry and Draco step forward.

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Avery had known the assignment would be difficult, but he had not expected students to take part, much less face him. It was not his conscience that was bothering him; it was just that he was supposed to be fighting Dumbledore.

Avery could see the many wands pointed at him from the gaps between the trees, but did not have time to attack them before Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were standing in front of him, wands aimed at his heart. Avery had never backed down from a fight. He accepted the challenge, only thinking of glory.

The boys surprised him. Voldemort had told him the Malfoy heir was useless, and Potter not much better. However, the two boys worked well together, never saying a word but always knowing what the other was doing. They were powerful and clever. Avery started to worry. He shot a badly aimed Confuddlement curse at Draco before trying to Stupefy Harry. Then blackness replaced his vision.

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Harry and Draco were still congratulating each other when the teachers arrived, hailed by Hermione's urgent sparks.

"Mr Potter! Mr Malfoy! What on earth just occurred here?"

They heard the sharp timbre of McGonagall's voice before they saw her outraged face.

The two boys turned to their teacher, a look reminiscent of a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar gracing their features.

"Um, we found Alex," Harry said, looking at McGonagall hopefully.

"And we stunned the Death Eater who abducted him," Draco finished for Harry, looking confident and sounding bored.

"You could've been killed!" Professor McGonagall cried.

"Actually, only one of us would've died before the other was able to hex the Death Eater. Besides," Harry shrugged, "our housemates were hidden between the trees in case we were hexed."

The faint pink spots on McGonagall's cheeks darkened. Before she could yell again, or Snape, who was just itching to insult Harry, could speak, Dumbledore held up his hand. "Well done. To duel with a Death Eater is no easy task. Fifty points will be awarded to both your houses for your effort."

Ron, Neville, Hermione and Dumbledore started walking up to the castle, Alex's prostrated form floating before them. McGonagall and Snape went to call of the search, bickering continually.

Harry and Draco stayed, staring at each other in the meager moonlight. They didn't speak, content in each other's company. The forest became eerily silent around them. Draco couldn't stand it any longer. "You were really good."

Harry smiled. "You were pretty good yourself."

"What can I say," Draco said with a childish smile, "you bring out the Gryffindor in me."

"As you bring out the Slytherin in me," Harry returned grinning.

The transformation in them both since that night was amazingly clear. As they faced each other, Draco's smiled deepened into something more mysterious. He walked slowly and silently towards Harry, almost afraid of spoiling the moment. When he stopped, he held out a slightly shaking hand on Harry's jawbone. Harry didn't move, and the only change visible was the deepening of his green eyes. Draco leaned in slowly, and softly caught Harry's lips. Harry melted in Draco's arms. The kiss became deeper and more intense as the two boys' senses were drowned by the powerful desire.

Harry stiffened suddenly and broke the kiss, looking pleadingly at Draco. "I can't," he whispered, "I don't want to bring you into this."

"I'm already in this," Draco whispered against Harry's soft lips.

They kissed again, this kiss not as passionate, but instead filled with unspoken promises. The kiss became deeper, consuming any coherent thoughts. And as the sun rose, Harry and Draco found their release from the harsh world around them, in the safety of the other's embrace.