Don't Let Me Be

This is just a summary. Prologue, you could call it. This is my first time writing a story for here cause I never could figure out how to do it. Wish me luck, and if you do read my story, please leave a review. They're greatly appreciated. Btw, I use ' instead of " for speaking, because it's easier and technically the correct punctuation.

Harry Potter and his friends, Ron and Hermione, walked down the hall towards the common room entrance. Their day had been long and tiring, and all of them were ready to collapse.

'Hey you guys,' said Harry suddenly. 'I'm going to go to the library. I just remembered something that I have to look up. Go on without me, I'll be up soon.'

The whole school had taken their mid-semester exams that day, so nearly everyone was in their dormitories, either sleeping or else just hanging out. Ron and Hermione nodded and went on, too tired to object.

Harry made his way down to the library, the corridors eerie in the absence of students. He found the door he was looking for easily enough, entering as quietly as he could. He went to the back, sitting down and trying to relax. He didn't want to be in the noisy common room now, and Ron would just bother him with questions about their exams if he went to their room, so he decided to come here.

He sat in thought about the day's events, falling asleep slowly. He felt his defenses weaken, and his mind roam free in the magical world around him. Just as he fell asleep, he was dimly aware of another student sitting down at a table near him, just as exhausted as he was.

~~dream~~

Harry heard voices, loud, raucous voices yelling at each other. They were dragging someone across a field covered with tombstones. The men holding the stranger shoved him roughly to the ground, making him cough up blood from the rough treatment they had given him. Harry saw the man's shoulders begin to shake with what appeared to be fear, but something told him it was resent and hatred towards the person in front of him.

'Boy,' came a voice from the person in front of Harry and the strange man. "Boy? That can't be right. He looks old enough to be my father." But as Harry looked closer, he saw that the person crouching near him was none other than his rival, Draco Malfoy.

'Father,' he spat bitterly. 'Why did you bring me here? I'm at school; I need to get my exams done. And I have no wish to participate in your affairs with the Dark Lord. That is none of my business and I prefer to keep it that way. Go bow before that piece of mudblood scum like you do so well. I won't distort the Malfoy name any more.'

But his reward for his speech was a sharp kick in the stomach and his own father's wand pointed at his throat.

'Boy, if you ever dare to speak to me in that tone of voice again, I'll make sure I live long enough to make you regret it.' Lucious smacked him on the face, sending him staggering backwards with blood running from his nose and lip.

Draco was about to respond, when a violent shudder ran through his body, and an oncoming feeling of dread flooded the cemetery.

'The Dark Lord,' whispered one Death Eater nearby, nearly fainting with the evil aura filling the air around them. 'He's gotten so much stronger,' said another one.

Dark piercing red eyes glowed at the far end of the graveyard, and a chill voice rang out. 'Lucious, where is the boy?'

The bleached blonde man walked swiftly forward, kneeling down and kissing the hem of his Lord's robe.

'He is here, My Lord, but he is unwilling to join our cause. That fool Dumbledore has brainwashed them all, and my son refuses to come. I'm sorry, My Lord. I should have tried better. I failed you.' He stood there, awaiting his punishment for failing the Dark Lord, but nothing came.

He looked up and saw the Voldemort deep in thought, staring at a spot of grass intently, right near his son. 'You have not failed me, Lucious. Indeed, you have brought me a greater gift then your son would have made.' He smiled maliciously, cackling an evil laugh.

His piercing red eyes found Harry's, and the boy felt someone prodding his mind, trying to gain access. Harry tried to fight it, but his Occlumency lessons hadn't been going well, and his exhaustion was just an added disadvantage. He gave into the probe, letting himself succumb to the darkness that penetrated his very soul.

When he looked up again, he saw the court through a different view. In fact, it didn't' even look like where he was standing. He looked down and saw a black robe where his jeans should have been, and at his feet was Lucious Malfoy, looking at him strangely.

He looked up and saw Draco still kneeling, coughing harder, shaking with exhaustion and fear. The blonde haired boy looked around and felt a familiar presence around him, and he gave in to the comforting touch. Something told him this was extremely wrong. Well, other than the fact that his consciousness was dragged from the real world and into a confrontation with the Dark Lord.

Harry felt hatred course through his body as he looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

'My Lord, what is going on?' asked Lucious Malfoy, staring peculiarly at him.

'I recently discovered a new gift, and it's one that has every bit to do with you, Lucious. As reward for this, what's say we dance?' Harry felt the words come out through his mouth, and he felt hatred and pain coursing through his being. He felt his right hand lift up as words left his mouth, feeling power flow through his every limb.

'Imperio!' he heard himself shout, and pain flooded his consciousness as he saw everyone around him move like zombies, doing something that looked like a pain-filled cry for help, but with a motion to it. Harry felt his scar burn, a searing pain pulling him from this confrontation he had no right to be in.

'Potter!' he heard someone in the distance shouting for him. But his pain was so intense he could barely make it out. Just as he was about to pass out, he felt someone give him a sharp jolt back into reality, and he looked up into the clearly defined worried face of Draco Malfoy.

'Potter!' Harry shook his head, trying to clear it. It couldn't have been a dream, it seemed so real. And Draco was right in front of him now.

'Harry,' Draco's voice softened a little bit, and his hands were on his shoulders shaking him slightly. 'Are you all right?'

'Malfoy... What's going on?' The pale blonde boy sat next to him, shaking his head.

'I don't know. But how did you get there? My father's been dragging me there for a while now, trying to convince me to join the Dark Lord. But how did you get there?'

Harry looked him straight in the eye, deciding to tell Draco since he had a right to know.

'I'm connected to Voldemort through my scar. He's able to get into my consciousness when I'm in a weak state, like today. Although, I've never been to anything like that. Was that really your father? Why would he do such a thing?'

Draco sighed, looking bitter. 'My father's been trying to convince me to join the Dark Lord. God, do I have to repeat everything for you? I just want to kill him most of the time. I'm sick of going to those stupid things, I just get beat up and pushed around, and in the end cursed because I don't want to join him.'

Harry looked at the boy in front of him. He'd just been nearly killed by his own father because he was standing up for himself. If only there was a way to help him....

Wait, help him? This was Draco Malfoy, his arch nemesis in school and creator of school hell. Why should he help him?

Because, just look at him. He's so depleted, there has to be a way to help him.

Harry just nodded, finally saying that he would help Draco.

'Is there anything I can do?' Harry asked quietly.

'What? What are you getting at, Potter. You want to help me? Why?'

Harry looked away bashfully. 'Because no one should be nearly killed by their own father for something like that.'

Draco was about to protest, but a sudden thought dawned on him. 'You know what, Potter? This could work. I know a lot about blocking out unwanted people from your mind; my father made sure that I knew. Unfortunately, he's stronger than anyone I know, there's no way to block him out. But you, I could teach you how to defend yourself against the Dark Lord, thus pissing my father off and getting the Dark Lord mad at him too. The Dark Lord will then proceed in killing my father because he can't get to me, nor can he take control of you anymore. Not to mention, you'll have more power to kill him once and for all.'

He said all this very fast, but Harry caught the gist of it. 'Ok then. I suppose. But....are you all right with...helping me? I mean, it's a good plan and all, but are you ok with actually being a nice guy for a change?'

'Potter, if it means I can get revenge on my father and that bloody git of a Dark Lord, then yes, I'll even go so far as to put up with you. Now you're to meet me here every Wednesday, around 9, so that we can get this done. I want this over with as soon as possible. Understood?'

Harry nodded. It was like signing your life over to the Devil. But if he could up his mental strength against Voldemort, than so be it. He stuck out his hand and for a moment Draco just looked at it. Then slowly, he reached out and grasped it in his own, shaking for a moment before a shock ran through his fingers.

Both of them stared at their hands, it was so weird. But Harry just got up, grabbing his stuff and saying softly, 'All right then, Wednesday it is. See ya, Malfoy.'

But the blonde just sat there, staring at his hand.

Ok, so here's the chapter. I just hope this works. If you read this, please review and give me suggestions. I'm going to write it out ahead of time like I normally do, but I'd like input nonetheless. If anyone wants to talk to me, my yahoo and AOL are Loriency, so just let me know anything.