Stormseeker: Unwanted Destiny

Chapter 9: Traps and Counter-Traps

---

For Christmas, the Theatre Club is putting on "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". I must say, Draco makes a far better Grinch than he did Jesus.

I don't need to take the Hogwarts Express back to London, but I do anyway, since I don't want the fact that I can now Apparate to be widely known.

"Oh, Harry," Draco says on the train. "I forgot to mention earlier. My father wanted me to invite you to a party we're having at Malfoy Manor on the twenty-first."

"I'd be happy to come," I say. It's a little obvious of a trap, isn't it?

"What about you, Cassie?" Draco says. "You can come too, if you'd like. Or would you rather stay home and read?" He smirks at her.

"I'll come," Cassie says. "Somebody's got to keep an eye on Harry." She smirks at me.

"Great!" Draco says. "It'll be fun. Everyone will be there."

Once I get home, I send Solomon with a letter to Dumbledore informing him of what's going on. And to have people standing by, in case the obvious trap gets sprung. If there's an opportunity to draw the Dark Lord out, I want to have people who have a hope of killing him at my back to do so. Really now. Neither can live while the other survives? I am never being Harry Potter again.

---

When Draco said everyone was going to be here, he clearly meant all of the Death Eaters and their families. It's a good thing I've been doing Theatre Club, or it would be blatantly obvious just how nervous I am. As it is, I can act normal and pretend to be oblivious to anything that might possibly go wrong here.

I absently mingle with the crowd for a bit, and pass by a table with refreshments. There's a bowl of green punch. That should quench my thirst. Plenty of other people are drinking it, too, so it should be safe. I scoop myself out a cup and take a sip.

I suddenly feel extremely drowsy. What's this? No! I can't allow myself to be captured again! Before I can pass out, I reflexively force my age down until I wink out of existence.

---

I wake in my room in Caer Danas. What was that? If there was something in that punch, why was I the only one affected? Maybe somebody put a contingency spell over it to wake until I took some, or something. Damn it.

Back at the party, I pointed avoid the green punch, no matter how thirsty I am. Come to think, I shouldn't be feeling this thirsty at all. Passing near the refreshment table makes me compulsively feel an urge to drink. A clever enough trap, I suppose. I'm not going to fall into it again.

I make a point not to wander off anywhere by myself. I stay within the full view of the crowd, which includes a number of school children. If anyone wants to do anything to me, they'll need to do so in public. But as the night grows late, the children go away one by one, taken home or taken to bed.

Midnight strikes, and I'm the only one under seventeen in the place. "I should probably be getting home," I tell Lucius, yawning. "It's getting late."

Lucius's lips quirk a bit. "No, I don't think so."

The only ones left are Death Eaters. I'm surrounded. Maybe this wasn't such a great plan after all. I won't have time to get off a signal for help at this rate.

Well, I'm not going down without a fight. I face off with Lucius, wand in hand. "So, is that how it's going to be, is it?"

Lucius sneers at me. "You don't seriously think you can match all of us by yourself, do you? You're just a second year student."

"No, not really," I say. "But I'll fight, even if it's hopeless. Protego!" A shimmering shield goes up around me.

"So be it, then," Lucius says.

They aren't bothering with Stunners, to which I'm relieved. They're using lethal curses. They mean to kill me here and now. I don't manage to hold them off for long.

---

I wake in Caer Danas. I really should have seen that coming. No matter. I take the opportunity to sleep away the rest of the day and wake only shortly before it's time for the party.

I avoid the punch while considering just how to avoid getting ambushed by Death Eaters at midnight. Well, by obviously not staying until midnight. But the point of this was kind of to draw out the Dark Lord. That makes this entire endeavor pretty pointless if he doesn't show and just leaves it to his Death Eaters. Would he do that, though? Am I absolutely certain that he isn't here? I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't come to the execution of his child nemesis.

At around eleven o'clock, I go over and grab the sleeve of Cassie's midnight blue dress when she looks like she's about to go home. "Cassie," I whisper. "Stay with me."

"Wha?" Cassie mutters. "But I'm tired. I want to go to bed."

"It's a trick," I murmur. "They just want to get me alone. Shake it off."

Cassie blinks for a moment. "Merlin, you're right. They must have subtly compelled all of the other children to want to leave, too. I won't leave you." She looks at me appraisingly, and grins. "Nice to see you're doing something sensible, and not facing down a room full of Death Eaters by yourself."

"Again," I mutter.

I also make a point not to stand in the middle of the crowd this time. We go off to find a defensible position, and wind up on a balcony on the third floor.

"Hoping the Dark Lord himself will make an appearance?" Cassie whispers.

I give a nod. "I wouldn't be here otherwise."

The door leading inside opens, and Yaxley emerges. "So, the girl is still here?" he says. "I was hoping to get you alone."

"Yaxley?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

Yaxley grins as a clock inside begins to strike midnight. His face melts and shifts, and he grows smaller and thinner. In a moment, Tom Riddle is standing there. With red eyes.

"Polyjuice," Cassie says.

"Protego!" I say, putting up a magic shield.

Tom didn't come to ambush us alone. Lucius and a couple other Death Eaters emerge onto the balcony as well. A curse battle ensues, and somewhere in the midst of it, I wind up falling off of the balcony. I can't get a spell off fast enough, and land on my head, and die instantly.

---

I wake again in Caer Danas. So, the Dark Lord himself will show up after all. Three different traps for me at this one party? Must be trying to make sure that I fall into one or another of them, that's for sure. I hope there aren't anymore surprises waiting for me.

Back at the party once more, I avoid the green punch and get Cassie not to leave. I decide to set up an ambush of my own. I head up to the balcony again.

I think of the rainbow after the storm. "Expecto Patronum," I say, and a shimmering duck appears. "Tell Dumbledore it's time." The duck nods and zips off into nowhere.

After a while, 'Yaxley' comes out onto the balcony.

"Hello, Tom," I say lightly.

"Colloportus," Cassie says, locking the door and throwing up another couple spells to seal it.

"What?" 'Yaxley' says. As the Polyjuice wears off after the stroke of midnight, he returns to his handsome, sixteen or seventeen year old form. "Don't call me by that filthy Muggle name. And how did you know it was me?"

"Magic," I reply vaguely. "Fulgoris!"

Lightning shoots from the end of my wand, and Tom tumbles out of the way and leaps off the edge of the balcony. He doesn't fall, but rather hovers in the air.

"Nice trick," I say.

I take shots at him with Lightning Curses, and Cassie opens up with a number of interesting spells of her own, most of which I don't even recognize. Tom zips around and avoids being struck by our attacks.

A curse gets through our shields and strikes me in the leg. I stagger and catch myself on the railing. Sharp pain, blood running down my leg. I shoot another Lightning Curse toward him for his trouble.

Glancing down, I see movement below. The Death Eaters are coming out the ground floor doorway to bypass the sealed exit to the balcony. We'll be outnumbered soon. Where are the Order of the Phoenix? We probably don't have any hope here without Dumbledore. Ah, there they are, just in time. The two groups face off in a tense standoff, neither of them wanting to make the first move, even as Cassie and I are fighting for our lives up top.

"Incendio!" I cast, and actually manage to catch Tom's robes on fire as he's too busy dodging one of Cassie's curses.

Tom points his wand at me, and says, "Avada Kedavra!"

I leap out of the way of the flash of green light from the Killing Curse. Come to think, who uses that in a real fight, anyway? Especially at that distance. It's not all that hard to dodge.

And I get hit straight on by a silent curse that he cast immediately after, directly in the path I had to dodge into. I stagger and suddenly feel very ill.

"Harry, we've got to go," Cassie says, putting an arm around my waist to steady me.

"But--"

"Don't argue," Cassie says.

Before I can say another word, she yanks me away with Apparation just ahead of another curse. We land back at the gazebo behind Caer Danas. My head is spinning, and not just from the teleportation.

"You're hurt," Cassie says. "Let's get you inside."

I nod, and let her levitate me toward the house. We'll be safe in there. My stomach roils from the Dark Lord's curse, and I empty its contents into the garden. Cassie takes me inside and sets me down on one of the couches in the main hall.

"Master Harry is hurt?" I hear Dobby's voice, as if from the bottom of a well.

I can feel Cassie working at me, trying to unravel the curses I was hit with. I hover on the edge of consciousness. My vision is swirling.

Tom Riddle's face appears in front of me. "You should have surrendered to me," Tom says. "You should not be fighting me."

I'm hallucinating again. He can't be here. He isn't really here.

"Potter," says another voice. Snape? "Drink this."

A vial is pressed to my lips, and I swallow the liquid running into my mouth without question. My stomach begins to settle down, and my head stops spinning. I fall into a deep sleep.

---

I wake in my room in Caer Danas. For a moment, I think I died again, but a dull ache in my leg tells me otherwise. I sit up quickly, wincing at the pain.

"Lay down, Potter," Snape says impatiently. "You can at least not be a recalcitrant patient."

"What happened?" I ask, laying down again.

"Drink," Snape says, giving me another potion. I drink it down. "You lost a fair bit of blood, and you require nutrients. I've healed the damage as best as I could. I'm afraid you'll have a scar on that leg. It was a dark curse, and could not heal completely."

I grunt softly. It's in a slightly different position, but it's almost the same scar I had in another life. Funny, that. "Thank you," I murmur. "What about the Dark Lord? And the Death Eaters?"

"The Dark Lord escaped," Snape says. "The Death Eaters played innocent, like they didn't know what was going on and had just come out to watch the fight. Things are tense, but nothing could be pinned on anyone."

"And the Order of the Phoenix?" I ask.

"No one was hurt," Snape says. "It's doubtful many of them were recognized. But we will still need to be wary in the future."

"So much for luring him into a trap," I mutter. "What will happen now, I wonder?"

"No doubt he will be more wary himself in the future," Snape says. "Provided he's at all sensible. You and Miss Black demonstrated quite clearly that you are not typical second year students."

"It was a risk," I say. "But it was worth it, I think."

Snape leaves the room, and Cassie comes in a little bit later. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," I say. "You okay? You didn't get hurt yourself or anything, did you?"

Cassie shakes her head. "No, I'm fine. He didn't touch me."

"Good," I say. "We almost had him..."

Cassie smirks. "It's fair question as to who almost had who. It could have gone either way, I think." She looks at me appraisingly. "You were holding your own adequately, but you still have a long way to go."

"I know," I say.

Draco comes into the room. "You're awake," he says. "Laying down on the job after surviving another encounter with the Dark Lord, huh?"

"Draco?" I say. "How'd you get here?"

"Cassie brought me," Draco says. "Didn't know she could Apparate already. I've totally got to learn that myself. And your house-elf let me in."

"I see," I say, frowning.

"It was... a little awkward staying at Malfoy Manor after that," Draco says. "I wanted to get out of there for a bit."

"I'm sorry if I ruined your Christmas," I say.

Draco waves his hand dismissively. "I just wish I could have seen the fight. I can't believe it. You were fighting the Dark Lord at my house? What in Merlin's name happened?"

"I smelled a trap," I say. "And he was trying to kill me."

"I'm so confused," Draco says. "I thought you were on his side there."

"I'm not going to just let him kill me," I say.

"Well, that's certainly understandable," Draco says.

"So are you planning to stay here for Christmas?" I ask.

"Probably not," Draco says. "My father won't be happy as it is to find out that I came here. The Order of the Phoenix? Really? What have I gotten myself into?"

"I'm not forcing you into anything, Draco," I say. "I think whatever you decide to do should be your choice, and not because it was what was expected of you, or what you got dragged into, or because you think you have no choice."

"You aren't afraid I might betray you or something?" Draco asks.

"No," I say. "Trust always risks betrayal, but life without trust isn't worth living. And I'll gladly give my life for anyone I consider a friend or ally."

Draco snorts softly. "I'd say that's an awfully naive light-sided attitude. But I won't complain if it happens to wind up working in my favor."

I laugh aloud. "The world isn't all just black and white, Draco. I believe in the rainbow."

---

Christmas comes and goes, and no more is heard from the Dark Lord for the time being. We return to school and resume classes. I'll be happy to get through another term without anyone trying to kill me in the process.

Not that it winds up being an entirely painless term. For Theatre Club, we're putting on Macbeth.

"Macbeth!" I say.

"Quit saying that name!" Gemma chides me.

"Why?" I say.

"It's bad luck," Gemma says. "Unfortunate things might happen because of it."

I snort softly. "Nonsense."

"I won't be held responsible for anything bad that happens to you for saying that name," Gemma says with a smirk.

That evening, I slip and fall in the shower and break my neck, killing myself randomly. Bad luck? I'm sure it's just a coincidence. My luck is already bad.

And so I die a total of twenty-two times over the course of the term after saying the name of the Scottish Play. I stubbornly refuse to stop doing it, and fortune only winds up favoring me in that the term eventually ends and we actually put on the play. And then I die twice during the performance.

"Top marks in all your classes again?" Draco says.

"Hey, it wasn't easy!" I say. "I really had to work for Potions!"

"You make it look easy, the way you spend your class periods practicing wandless magic," Draco says.

"I never want to be caught helpless without a wand," I say.

"It's going to get to a point where the spells are too complicated to do without a wand, though," Cassie says.

"I'll keep at it anyway," I say. "I'm stubborn."

"So, you guys got any plans for the summer?" Draco asks.

I shrug. "Dunno."

"Would you mind if I came over to your place to visit for a bit?" Draco asks.

"Not at all," I say. "You can come anytime you like and stay for as long as you want, as far as I'm concerned."

Draco grins. "Thanks. I'll do that."

Professor Malfoy spent much of the term refusing to look at me. That hasn't really been difficult to avoid me, though, considering I don't have classes with him yet. I wonder how that's going to shape up next year, when I'm actually going to start in on Politics as an elective. I hope this isn't going to be too awkward.

School ends, and we take the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross Station. From there, it's back home to Caer Danas.

In my main hall, the Order of the Phoenix is arranged, sitting on the various couches and chairs. "Ah, good, you're here, Potter," Moody says. "We're making plans to catch Voldemort."

"And I'm the bait again, I presume?" I say, smirking.

"I'd normally object to using a twelve year old boy as bait," Emmeline says. "But considering his... unique abilities..."

"I'm quite happy to play bait," I say. "Especially if it can keep anyone more vulnerable out of harm's way. Has there been any sign as to what he's been doing for the last six months?"

"He has moved to a new location," Snape says. "And is still meeting regularly with some of the inner circle of Death Eaters. But if he's planning anything in particular, he has not let me in on it."

"Unsurprising," I say. "And he clearly hasn't dared strike at me while I've been at school. I can always make some public appearances by myself or with a minimal guard to see if he tries anything."

"Have I told you lately that you're insane?" Rispy comments from beside me.

I laugh. "No, not recently, but thanks for mentioning."

"Anytime," Rispy says. "Dobby's got dinner ready. He's positively thrilled to be cooking for this many people."

"Ah, food," I say. "Just what I need to not die of starvation."

---

I spend some time making trips to wizarding London, patrolling for any sign of dark activity. On my off time, Cassie insists on drilling me in combat, not satisfied with my fourth-year education.

At least, being able to Apparate on my own now, I don't need to wait on anyone else to do my patrols. One night in late July, I slip out after a quick nap, take on the form of a middle-aged man, and head for Knockturn Alley.

It's nice to be anonymous sometimes. It's nice not to be attracting every stare for the supposed Boy-Who-Lived. In my adult form, all I need to do is make sure that my scar isn't visible, and nobody gives me a second look.

It also lets me buy alcohol readily. Heh. I head into a seedy-looking pub in Knockturn Alley and order a firewhiskey. I make the excuse that pubs are a good place to gather information. I just need to be careful not to actually get drunk and do something stupid.

If I were the Dark Lord, I wouldn't be going around looking like myself, either, if I were trying not to attract attention. I've got a ready-made disguise, but if I were really paranoid, I'd be using Polyjuice or an invisibility cloak or Disillusionment spells. And the former is most useful if I actually want to be interacting with other people.

I look at the various patrons around the pub. If the Dark Lord were using Polyjuice regularly, he could be anyone. He could be that shadowy figure sitting ominously in the corner. Nah, too obvious. He could be the obese woman with the oversized breasts. Nah, I wouldn't be foolish enough to use a form that would be so clumsy in a fight. He could be the thin, blond boy in his late teens. Hmm, yeah, could be. Unlikely, but could be.

I down my firewhiskey and go over to him. "Hey, Tom, how you doing?" I say, greeting him like an old friend.

The boy jumps in startlement, his brown eyes flashing with apprehension. "Wha? I'm not-- That's not my name."

"Oh, sorry," I say. "Must've mistaken you for someone else. Too much firewhiskey." I laugh softly. "Or not enough. Barkeep! Another firewhiskey! And one for Bob here, on me."

"My name isn't Bob, either," the boy says.

I return home after another firewhiskey, thinking that 'Not-Tom-or-Bob' is spending a lot of time looking at me uneasily the entire time. The next morning, I sleep in past noon.

"You actually slept in today?" Sirius says. "I'll get you into proper sleeping habits yet."

"Sirius," I say. "You once mentioned that you used a variant of a spell to determine people's names in the Marauder's Map. What spell was it?"

"Ah, the Naming Charm," Sirius says. "Here, I'll show you. The incanation is Nomino." He demonstrates the movements for me with his spruce wand.

I practice it several times before I get it down. "And it only shows the name for the caster. Good."

"Right," Sirius says.

That night, I head out again in disguise to Knockturn Alley, whispering Nomino at everyone I see with my wand tucked away in a long sleeve.

And then I see the blond boy again, looking through a bookstore. "Nomino," I whisper. The words Tom Marvolo Riddle appear over his head. I give a small grin. Found you.

"Looking for something, Joe?" I say, coming up behind him.

Tom jumps and spins around. "Oh, it's you again. My name isn't Joe!"

"Sorry, Mike," I say. "So, can I help you find something?"

"Do you even work here?" Tom asks.

I shrug. "You looked like you were looking for something."

Tom grumbles. "I was wondering if they had any copies of Secrets of the Darkest Art."

"Oh, hmm," I say, frowning thoughtfully. "I'll help you look."

Tom stares at me for a few moments, before going, "Thanks."

We start looking through the bookshelves, but I see no indication of any copies of the book he's looking for. "So, what is your name, anyway?" I ask.

"Marvolo," Tom replies.

So, going by his middle name, is he? "I'm Lexen," I say. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah," Tom says unenthusiastically. "Great."

"Bah, why don't we just Accio the thing, if it's here?" I say.

"They've got anti-theft charms to prevent Summoning Charms from working," Tom says.

"Awfully paranoid," I say, shrugging. "Oh well."

Tom looks at me for a long moment, examining my eyes. "Are you related to Harry Potter, by chance?"

"Huh?" I say. "Well, I am a pureblood, so he's probably my cousin or something. Why?"

"You've just got the same eyes, that's all," Tom says. "I haven't seen eyes quite that shade of green very often."

I shrug. "Dunno," I say. "Maybe that Mudblood mum of his was actually a Squib's baby or something."

"Maybe," Tom says.

"And we're having no luck finding this book," I say. "Maybe we should try another shop."

"Good idea," Tom says.

We head out of the store and down through Knockturn Alley. I have my wand out, pointed at him, hidden in my left sleeve. It would be so easy to just hit him with a Killing Curse and end this here and now. So why am I hesitating? Waiting for the proper moment when there are no witnesses?

We're inside another bookstore. Aside from a napping proprietor, the place is deserted tonight. Tom's attention is entirely upon the shelves. So easy. No witnesses.

As I'm standing there, Tom turns around and looks at me. "What are you doing?" he asks quietly.

"Trying to work up the nerve to murder you," I reply.

Tom snorts. "Well, at least you're honest about it." He seems calm, but his wand is in his hand in the blink of an eye, pointed at me as well. "Although you won't get very far with that attitude. Why do you want to kill me, anyway?"

I shrug. "I haven't killed anyone lately."

"And I struck you as the best target?" Tom says. "You should just go after a Muggle or something if you want to commit random violence."

"There's no thrill in killing someone who can't fight back," I say.

"Should I take this as a compliment?" Tom says, grinning. "You know, if you're looking for a chance at a good fight, I know a group that could use someone like you." He snorts softly. "They could definitely use someone who isn't afraid to get blood on his hands. Although you're hesitating just as much as they were..."

"I was hesitating at killing you when your back was turned," I say with a grin. "Not at the prospect of killing you at all."

Tom's grin broadens. "If you want to duel, why don't we take this outside? No sense in harming the books."

"Let's," I say, licking my lips.

We step into a back alley behind the bookshop and drop into dueling postures, and start exchanging spells. I don't need to worry about holding back here. I don't need to restrict myself to magic that Dumbledore wouldn't frown upon. I can let myself go, and it is wonderful.

Tom is beautiful in motion. I realize that he didn't actually use Polyjuice or anything, he just changed the color of his hair and eyes. Or just make them stop glowing red, or something. He moves with a fluid grace, like dancing water. It's glorious. I almost find myself getting so caught up in staring at him that I fail to pay attention to dodging his attacks.

Then, a curse slams me into the far wall, and my wand drops from my fingers. I slide to the ground, groaning.

"You're not half bad," Tom says. "But you seem a little distracted." He smirks at me. He picks up my wand and hands it back to me.

"I was watching you," I say. "You're... really good."

"I'm not going to kill you, Lexen," Tom says. "It would be a shame to waste a potential ally. Do think about joining up with my group." He pulls out a business card from his pocket and passes it over to me. "It's a portkey. If you decide you want to look into my offer, tear it in half to activate it."

I take the card and look at it blankly. "Thanks," I say.

"Farewell, Lexen," Tom says, turning to leave me alone in Knockturn Alley.