Decreso Aetas

/// Frightened yells, shrieks of pain, and the sounds of battle sliced through the night air. People of all ages were running frantically in every direction across the once peaceful Hogwarts grounds. All around Harry, others were falling to the ground, whether they were dodging a spell or... No, he did not want to think about that right now. Healers seemed to be appearing out of nowhere to heal the fallen.

Without noticing much around him, Harry sprinted through the crowd of witches and wizards fighting against those from the opposing side. It was difficult to see which side was winning or losing; both were equally matched. He ran by unnoticed, since everyone else was preoccupied with his or her own dilemmas. Harry could tell he was nearing his destination; the number of Death Eaters was steadily increasing. Where there were more Death Eaters, there was Voldemort.

Spells began flying at Harry from every direction. A jet of emerald green light hit the ground a short distance to the right of him. As the dust cleared, the sound of coughing caused him to turn around, his wand brandished. The sight of his blonde enemy caused Harry’s heart to race. If he didn’t stay on guard, Draco could cast any of the Unforgivables on him, defeating him for good.

“What do you want, Malfoy?” he snarled, casting hexes in every direction, trying to hit the oncoming Death Eaters. “Why aren’t you with the rest of the Inner Circle protecting Voldie?”

A hand was beginning to make its way up toward Harry’s throat from behind him. Before a curse was heard, he spun around and, putting most of his strength into his wand, shouted, “Diffindo!” The Death Eater fell back, clutching his chest as crimson blood began soaking his black robes. He turned around to look at the blonde, who had his eyebrow raised. His silver gaze was settled on the writhing Death Eater.

That was when emerald met silver. Draco looked as though he was fighting an internal battle against himself about whether he should say what was on his mind or not. Disgusted, he grabbed Harry by the wrist and pulled him over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry yanked his arm away from Draco angrily.

“What is wrong with you, Malfoy?” he whispered dangerously. “There are innocent people dying out there, and all you can do is drag me away from them? Or is it because you’re too afraid to kill me in front of everyone else? Afraid to -” He was cut off as Draco put a hand over his mouth to silence him, the blonde earning himself a glare from the Gryffindor.

“Potter, just shut the hell up and listen to me for once,” Draco spat, pushing Harry away from him and wiping his hand on his robes.

“Why should I listen to you, Malfoy?” Harry replied. “Every time I tried to listen to you, I ended up on the ground with a wand pointed at my chest.”

“Damn it, Potter!” Draco shouted, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “This is important!” He then threw his wand into the nearest bush. “Look, now I’m unarmed.” Harry continued to glare at him, and then nodded, though he did so reluctantly.

“Fine,” he muttered. “Now, what could be so important?” Draco scowled at his feet and let out a long sigh. Harry waited for a few moments, and still Draco said nothing. He was just beginning to leave when the blonde whispered something incoherently.

Harry turned around. “Come again?” He earned himself a glare but the blonde repeated himself anyway.

“I’m fighting for the Light side. Did you hear that, Potter? I’m not some Death Eater wannabe like you and your faithful sidekicks have thought these many years.”

Harry’s jaw fell open, looking as though he couldn’t process this new information. He then narrowed his eyes at Draco.

“Exactly why are you telling me this?”

“Bloody hell, Potter!” Draco shouted, losing all of his patience. “Are you that daft?! I want to help you defeat Voldemort!” Harry’s face went blank, looking as though his head was ready to explode at any given moment. He attempted to say something in return, but his voice failed him. Instead, he stood there, not taking his eyes off of the blonde, who then rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Potter,” he mumbled, sounding as though he was talking to a five year old. “I, the son of a Death Eater, wish to help you, the Boy-Who-Lived, defeat Voldemort.” Harry just looked at the ground, massaging his temples.

“Why?” he asked, his voice coming out as a hoarse, strained whisper.

“Do I look like the type of person who would go on bended knee to kiss some... thing’s robes?” Draco’s agitation was beginning to make an appearance on his face. “Never, in my life, will I ever come near that nasty Mudblood on my own free will.” The Slytherin shuddered at the very thought. Harry looked as though he was ready to go insane with all of this unbelievable information.

“What about your father?”

“I don’t need to worry about him,” Draco replied. He let out an agitated sigh when he saw Harry’s confusion. “He couldn’t care less about what happens to me. He’ll never know what happened. He’ll just think it was you and won’t give another thought about it.” Harry nodded again, though he didn’t look thoroughly convinced.

Before another word could be uttered between the two of them, a jet of green light hit a tree close to where they were standing, causing it to go up in flames.

“Come on!” Harry yelled, getting ready to sprint back into the large throng. Just before he could get anywhere, Draco pulled him back into the seclusion of the trees.

“I’m warning you now, Potter,” he hissed, pointing his retrieved wand at the Gryffindor. “If you breathe so much as one word about this to anyone, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands.” Harry nodded his understanding, not giving that statement much thought but stored it in the back of his mind. What else would be expected from a Slytherin?

After pulling himself out of Draco’s death grip, they both ran out into the open. Upon seeing Harry, the Death Eaters quickly got themselves organised. He looked around, not seeing the blonde anywhere. I knew it! he thought frantically. This was just some ploy to get me killed! He mentally kicked himself for being so trustful. He began turning around on the spot, looking for any weak spot in their line of defence. The Death Eaters were steadily circling him, growing closer. The thought of escaping now seemed utterly useless; he decided to wait for the fate that had most likely been waiting for him. He began having trouble breathing. There were just too many; there was no way he’d ever be able to take all of them on single-handedly.

Before Harry realised what was happening, a pair of hands attached themselves to his neck. The Death Eater forced him to the ground, pinning him, and crushing his lungs. The pressure on his windpipe laboured his breathing even more. The white mask on the unknown man’s face swam eerily in front of him as his vision blackened. There wasn’t even a way he could send for help. So this is what death is like, he thought hazily. It could be worse. Just never thought it would be at the hands of a Death Eater...Just as Harry was drawing his last breath, the weight on his body disappeared. The sounds of a scuffle were heard only a few feet away.

Harry got onto his hands and knees and began coughing horribly, trying to get some oxygen back into his lungs. As his vision cleared, Harry saw a Death Eater on the ground, attempting to dislodge something...or someone. He saw a flash of gold, or was that silver? His vision still wasn’t clear enough to tell for sure. He thought he saw a flash of pale skin amongst the black robes, but that could have been his oxygen-deprived mind playing games with him.

Before Harry could give it anymore thought, the Death Eater slumped to the ground, a knife straight through his chest. His attacker stood up, breathing heavily. Harry rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision. The sight that was brought before him made his jaw drop. Draco Malfoy had just slain a Death Eater. His pale skin was shining dully with perspiration, his blonde hair matted to his head. There was a long gash along his left cheek that was bleeding freely and blood was trickling over his forehead from a wound hidden beneath his hair. He leaned over the Death Eater and pulled the knife out of his chest. Harry hung his head, his stomach churning. Despite all of the things he has seen these many years, this just seemed wrong.

After being momentarily paralysed, seeing a Malfoy, of all people, slay someone who was loyal to the Dark Lord, the others began stirring. Wands were pointed at the blonde, Harry lying there unnoticed. He attempted to stand up, but almost fell over. His vision swam, and the world tilted at an odd angle. He crumpled to the ground, unable to support himself. Harry never felt so useless in his entire life, except when he was with the Dursleys, but this was a completely different situation. The fate of the entire Wizarding world was resting in his hands.

As he closed his eyes and waited for the circling Death Eaters to attack, he heard the sound of metal against metal. Laughter spread through the army of men like a wave. A raspy voice could be heard saying, “What are you going to do with that, Blondie, swing it at us?” More laughter could be heard following this, and Harry tried to imagine what was taking place around him. He could hear them getting closer, but if he opened his eyes the slightest bit, he had a feeling he would end up losing consciousness.

In his mind, a picture began forming, and he saw Draco with some sort of large weapon. That had to be what that sound was, he thought. Knowing a Malfoy, it had to be something very dangerous. He could almost hear the blonde smirking. The footsteps were growing closer. Harry just stayed where he was, awaiting his doom.

Before any spell could be cast, a war cry ripped through the air. The footsteps immediately came to a halt as someone began screaming in agony. That was when they all went into a frenzy. Spells were immediately being shouted, which Harry thought would be aimed at him.

Just as Harry began thinking he was in the clear, a curse hit him in the small of his back. He never heard the incantation, yet with the sensation of being stabbed with millions of white-hot knives, he knew it was the Cruciatus Curse. He screamed in agony as his whole body convulsed horribly, his arms and legs bending in at odd angles. His mind was blank, unable to process any coherent thought. This looked like it would be the end of Harry Potter, suffering from one of the most horrible curses known to man. There was nothing he could do as darkness began to overtake him...

As Harry was brought around, he saw the dim outline of a person kneeling in front of him, attempting to put him in a sitting position. What felt like a small vile was pushed into his hands. His mind swam, but something told him there were a few good reasons why he shouldn’t drink whatever was contained inside it. “Just drink it, Potter, it’s not poison,” the person said, sounding far away. He put the vial to his lips, hesitated for a moment, and downed the contents in one gulp. The potion felt cold going down and the intense pain in his limbs was steadily ebbing away.

Draco Malfoy came into focus in front of him. He looked around them quickly, looking for any Death Eaters, but there were none in sight. Feeling confused, he tried to stand up, but his light-headedness told him that that hadn’t been a very good idea. Draco stood up and supported some of his weight.

“Where did they all go?” Harry asked, his speech somewhat slurred. He saw something glinting at Draco’s waist, but the blonde tapped it with a finger and it was gone.

“Not sure,” Draco answered, looking around for anyone lurking in the shadows. He put Harry’s left arm around his shoulders and began pulling him along. “They could be back, so it’s best to keep an eye out.” They steadily made their way across the grounds. Harry spotted a few bodies, but they were so mutilated, they were barely recognisable; several limbs were missing and their faces were contorted into gruesome expressions. The black robes were what gave them away. A wave of nausea washed over the Gryffindor.

“What did you do to them,” he whispered, averting his gaze to his feet. Draco didn’t seem to care about what he had done.

“I killed them,” he answered, shrugging. Harry glared at him.

“I could tell that much, Malfoy, but what the hell did you use?”

“A sword,” he answered. Harry waited for more, but it didn’t seem like Draco was going to be saying anything else. Harry clenched his jaw, trying to keep what he really thought of the blonde in his mind, not spilling out of his mouth.

“Where did you get it?” he managed to say.

“I found it hidden in Lucius’ bedchamber,” he answered. “There were wards, but I’ve gotten through them before so it wasn’t that difficult. If he wasn’t going to use it, why should it just lie there and become covered in dust? I nicked it after the bastard had been summoned by the power-hungry Mudblood.” Draco made it sound like the easiest thing in the world to be able to sneak into a Death Eater’s room and taking something of theirs without them knowing. “It’s able to be sent back to where it was kept. Who would want to carry a heavy piece of metal around anyway, especially during a war?”

For the next few minutes, Harry remained silent, going over this new information. Where could Draco’s father have gotten a hold of such a dangerous weapon? He probably stole it from a wizard he had murdered, Harry thought bitterly. But who would ever make such a thing that would do that to people? Some psycho, that’s who...

Moments later, Harry noticed that they had stopped at the base of a steep hill, the top just out of their range of sight. That was when it dawned on him that it had been pretty simple for them to make their way through a battleground. Too simple...There should have been Death Eaters swarming in upon them, trying to get to Harry, but that hadn’t happened. This wasn’t a good sign...

Draco’s voice brought Harry back from his disturbing thoughts.

“I’ll go first, just in case they try to ambush us,” he muttered. “You’re needed to help save the Wizarding world, and you better not take that as a compliment. We don’t need your ego, as well as that abnormally large head of yours, growing any larger.”

“Malfoy, shut your face and get walking already,” Harry snapped at the blonde. “Voldemort’s not going to wait all day.” Draco, who looked like he would rather kill Harry himself, clenched his jaw and began stalking up the hill. Harry stayed close behind him, his wand out.

As they continued up the hill, trees were growing scarce. Some were blackened and badly damaged, while others were morphed into impossible shapes. What the hell has been going on up here, Harry thought. He was almost too nervous to answer that question.

Several moments passed in silence and anxiety. There was no clue shown to them about what could possibly be waiting for them. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry thought for one brief second that he saw movement. He quickened his pace, his breath coming out in short gasps. The climb had been very tiring.

After what felt like forever, they reached the top of the hill. For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Harry’s jaw dropped. Standing in front of them were about twenty or so Death Eaters, all standing in a straight line with their wands raised. Right behind them stood the man who had attempted to kill Harry on so many occasions. Lord Voldemort was standing on a raised platform. His thin lips formed a ghastly grin.

“So, you have finally decided to join us,” the cruel man hissed. “I was wondering when you would arrive at our nice reunion.” He let out a cruel laugh and turned to look at his followers. “Well, what are you waiting for? Kill them!”

As one, the Death Eaters surged forward toward the young wizards. Taken by surprise, Harry yelled out the first spell that came to mind. “Expelliarmus!” A jet of red light shot from his wand and hit a Death Eater. His wand flew out of his hand toward Harry, who did the only thing that made sense; he snapped it in half. Next to him, Draco was shouting Unforgivables like there was no tomorrow. One Death Eater was hit in the chest with the Cruciatus Curse. He fell to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Harry, who had never attempted an Unforgivable, aimed his wand at the nearest Death Eater, and putting a lot of energy into his wand, shouted, “Imperio!” He was very surprised when the man’s face went slack and his eyes went out of focus. The Gryffindor closed his eyes and thought hard...‘Kill your fellow followers...Attack them...Make sure they suffer...’

Raising his wand above his head, the man shouted a curse. Though his voice couldn’t be heard above the others, Harry noticed the jet of green light that issued from his wand. It collided with another Death Eater, who promptly fell to the ground in a motionless heap. Harry then noticed that he was being surrounded. He had been so preoccupied with what he was doing that he hadn’t been watching the others. He couldn’t see Draco through the gaps between the men. One of the men grinned evilly at the Gryffindor, his wand raised.

“Crucio!”

Once again, Harry found himself on the ground, feeling as though he was being stabbed to death by white-hot knives. His eyes rolled in his head, his scar bursting with pain. He was about to give in to the darkness when another voice was heard close by.

“Stupefy!” There was a flash of red and the man who had cast the curse upon Harry was on the ground, unconscious. Harry stopped screaming, but the pain was still there. He stood up and attempted to get away from the others. One Death Eater had his wand pointed at the blonde.

“Imperio!” Draco’s face went blank. Harry had no idea what he was being told to do, but when the blonde began making his way toward him, his wand raised, he got the picture. He dove to the ground as a jet of red light missed him by inches.

“Malfoy, snap out of it!” Harry yelled, hoping to get through. “You made it this far! You’re a strong wizard!” He stood up quickly with his wand ready. He had no idea how to free him from the Death Eater’s control. Keeping a close watch on the blonde, he racked his brain for any ideas. Then one hit him.

Raising his wand, Harry shouted, “Expelliarmus!” Draco’s wand flew out of his hand and into Harry’s, who pocketed both. He advanced on the Slytherin. Hoping what he was about to do would work, or at least get through to him a little, Harry pulled back his arm, his hand in a fist, and punched Draco in the face. The blonde staggered backwards and fell to the ground, a bruise already forming on his cheek. Harry kneeled next to him, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him violently.

He was just about to give up when the blonde returned the favour. Harry fell back, his hand over his cheek, which was now throbbing painfully. “What the bloody hell did you do that for?!” Draco shouted. Harry glared at him and bit back the many insults that came to mind.

“I had to think of something that would make you snap out of it!” the Gryffindor yelled, his temper rising. The blonde was now on his feet. He stalked over toward Harry and pulled him to his feet.

“Let’s get that nasty Mudblood while they’re busy,” he said to Harry. He jerked his thumb in the direction of the remaining Death Eaters, who were now laughing so hard they had trouble standing up. Apparently they thought the sight of two people fighting on the same side but against each other was pretty funny.

They carefully made their way toward the platform. Voldemort was glaring in the direction of his followers. Harry thought that this was the perfect time to attack. “Expellia-” He was unable to finish the incantation due to the fact that Draco pushed him to the ground. He was thankful when he saw the jet of green light pass overhead. Apparently they had been seen.

“Nice try, Potter, but do you believe me to be that daft?” Voldemort muttered, laughter hidden in his voice. He then raised his wand, aiming it at Harry’s chest. “Now, let’s finish this. Say farewell, Pot-”

Before the man could finish his sentence, both Harry and Draco raised their wands. As one, they shouted, “Avada Kedavra!” Green light issued from their wands and met in midair, forming one spiralling jet aimed at the man. The curse hit him squarely in the chest, his eyes widened as he fell from the platform, Harry’s scar searing with pain for the last time... ///

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Harry awoke, his eyes wide with fear. He instantly began sobbing, his face buried into the pillow. His crying woke Draco. “What’s wrong?” Harry looked at him fearfully.

“There was a lot of people, all of them getting hurt,” Harry choked out. “There were these mean men that kept hurting us, like they were trying to kill us. We helped each other kill this man and-” He then looked very confused. “I seemed older,” he whispered, “but you looked the same.” The young Gryffindor then began sobbing again as Draco tried to put this together. It then dawned on him...

“The war,” Draco whispered, his eyes wide. Harry wasn’t supposed to be able to remember anything. Draco had no idea how Harry had dreamt about it, but it couldn’t be good. Draco jumped out of bed and pulled on his cloak.

After picking up Harry, he ran as quickly as he could down the stairs and toward his closet. He pulled out his Invisibility cloak. Making sure Harry was next to him, he threw it over the both of them. “Come on, Potter, we’re going to go see the Headmaster.” He grabbed Harry by the arm and they both ran out of the portrait hole.