Coming Darkness

Chapter Two

First Taste of Freedom

After a few minutes, the effects of Cho's mystery potion wore off and Harry headed to his first class of the term, Potions. Harry dreaded Potions. It was in one of the dungeons, one of the slimiest, most depressing rooms in the castle and to make matters worse, Gryffindors always had Potions with the Slytherins. This would include Professor Snape, who was head of Slytherin house, and his favorite student, Draco Malfoy. Both of whom seemed to have the same goal every day of tormenting Harry. At least this year it was his first class of the day and he could get it over and done with.

Harry ran through the corridors making it to the dungeon a moment before class started. Unfortunately, Harry did not make it to his seat in time.

"Ten points from Gryffindor Mr. Potter. Perhaps next time you will make room in your busy schedule of heroics to make it to my class on time," all the Slytherins smirked at this.

Harry took a seat next to Ron and Hermione as class began.

"Now, does anyone know what a Jelly-Pausing Potion does?" Snape asked as he stalked up and down the aisles.

To no one's surprise, Hermione's hand was the first up in the air. Snape glanced around the room as though not seeing her and settled his gaze on Neville Longbottom. Neville swallowed nervously and sat very still, hoping the Potions Master would move on to someone else. Everyone knew that Potions was Neville's worst class and any attention from Snape only seemed to make him do worse. Unfortunately, Snape seemed to realize this fact as well.

"Mr. Longbottom, although this has not previously happened I realize that there is a first time for everything.... Do you know the answer?" The Slytherins resumed their snickering; only now it was directed at Neville instead of Harry.

Neville swallowed hard, gazed intently at the stone ceiling as though, if he looked hard enough, he might find the answers engraved up there. "May-maybe it...umm...pauses jelly?"

"No Mr. Longbottom, once again you have shown a complete ineptitude for this subject and I wonder how it is that you are still in school at all. Now would anyone else care to make a guess at the effects of the Jelly-Pausing Potion?"

Hermione's hand was now waving frantically in the air, but still Snape ignored her. Across the aisle a pale hand casually rose upward and Snape called on Draco Malfoy.

"Jelly Pausing Potion makes the drinker appear dead. While they are under the effects of the potion they can be moved about as easy as jelly. After a certain amount of time has passed, they wake up perfectly normal," Draco quoted this as though it was common knowledge.

"Well, it appears as though some students are learning what they should be. Twenty points to Slytherin. Now then, today we will begin brewing this potion and finish it over the course of the week. I will assign you all a partner. At the end of the week, when the potion is done, both you and your partner will be drinking from the same cauldron. I suggest you both pay close attention. If made improperly the Jelly-Pausing Potion can have dangerous side effects. I of course realize that this warning is wasted on Longbottom but perhaps the rest of you will manage to avoid a trip to Madam Pomfrey."

Snape proceeded in pairing up the class. Hermione was partnered with Crabbe while Ron was put with Goyle. Of course Malfoy was bestowed upon Harry as a partner. For reasons Harry could not begin to fathom, Malfoy was quiet and not his usual nasty self. That is, up until the last ten minutes of class.

"Well Potter, I must say, I'm proud of you." Harry stopped stirring the potion and stared at Malfoy as though he had suddenly sprouted a third arm. "For a moment there, it looked as though you weren't going to drink the potion." Harry, very confused since they hadn't even finished the Jelly-Pausing Potion began to worry that perhaps they had done something wrong and delusions were part of the 'dangerous side effects' that Snape had mentioned.

"Oh, I didn't mean this potion," Draco clarified. "I meant your little mystery potion that you ran off to take after breakfast."

Harry now looked at him as though he had an extra arm and two antennae coming out of his head. How could he have known? Realizing that there were very few possibilities and only one likely explanation, a pit began to grow in Harry's stomach.

Seeing realization dawn, Draco smiled at Harry. "You Gryffindors; not exactly known for your powers of deduction. Always in such a hurry to run off and help someone that you never stop to consider if you're being lured into a trap." Make that a bottomless pit.

"So tell me Potter, did that little draught of mine feel warm or cold going down?" Harry continued to stare in shock, hardly hearing what Draco was saying. "What no response this time? Cat got your tongue?" Draco asked, enjoying Harry's speechlessness.

"Why do you ask?" Harry managed to choke out.

"Well, in past cases it's been shown that the potion has worked much better and much longer if the person felt a nice warm fuzzy feeling when they drank it." After still receiving nothing but a shocked expression from Harry, Draco continued on. "Oh well, I didn't really expect you to tell me, not that it matters. In time it will be rather obvious, but don't worry Potter, warm or cold, the potion will do its job."

"And what is that?"

"I suppose I could just let you wait and find out, but that wouldn't let you enjoy the anticipation of the potion's effects. The easiest way for me to phrase it so that your very simplistic mind can understand is this: the potion will make you evil." All these words were spaced out and rang forth as clear as a bell, left to resonate through Harry's mind.

"I don't believe you," Harry said, in a small voice not terribly convincing even to his own ears.

"Whatever you say Harry," Draco's tone was that of an adult humoring a little child. "Try to think of this as a gift Potter. Being 'evil' gives you a whole new sense of freedom. Take me as an example. Now I know that every time in the past when I would pick on you or one of your little friends, somewhere deep down inside you would want to beat the bloody hell out of me. In the past you would hold yourself back as long as possible but now you may find your temper bubbling to the surface much quicker."

"Then you had better watch out Malfoy."

"Soon you won't feel even that amount of concern. But it's not me you should worry about Potter, it's your pathetic little fan club that will feel the brunt of it. Just think of all those slight annoyances in life. Hermione scolding you to study more, Ron complaining about you getting all the attention. (getting all prickly about you being famous and him getting shunted off to the background.) Soon you won't be able to stand these nuisances, and soon you won't want to. Yes Potter, in a very short time you and I will be more alike than you think.

By this point Harry was very seriously beginning to contemplate punching Malfoy in his face when Ron and Hermione came up to him.

"What are you up to this time Malfoy?" Ron asked.

Draco looked expectantly to Harry and raised his left eyebrow. "Why don't you ask Harry, Weasley? I'm sure he'll be more than happy to fill you in on all the devilry I've been up to."

Harry, staring intently at Draco, replied, "No, it doesn't even matter. It won't work Malfoy. I make my own choices and it will never happen."

"We'll just wait and see."

Harry turned and stormed out of the dungeon, Ron and Hermione trying to keep up with him as he headed back to the common room.

***********************

They didn't get very far. As soon as Harry stepped into the corridor he was blinded by a flash of light. Colin Creevey was waiting directly in front of the doors to the class room.

"Hey Harry. I'm so excited! Don't worry Harry, I'll help you out. Can I carry those books for you Harry?" Recovering from the blinding flash of light, Harry had continued to sweep past Colin trying to ignore him. "Are we headed back to the common room Harry? Did you need me to run some errands for you?"

Finally having enough of the odd questions Harry stopped and turned around to look at Colin. "What are you talking about?" Harry asked in an exasperated voice.

"Your letter."

"What letter?"

"The one you sent me just this morning."

"Colin I sat next to you during breakfast, you didn't get a letter."

"Yes I did, just after you left." Colin was beginning to develop a slightly worried expression on his face.

Shaking his head, Harry decided to glaze over that point for a moment. "And what did I supposedly say?"

"Well, you said that since this was your fifth year, you thought it was really important to remember it and asked me if I wouldn't mind doing a photo album for you. And you also said that since you'll be taking your O.W.L.s at the end of the year that you would like a personal assistant to help you out."

"Colin, I never wrote you that letter."

"But if you didn't send the letter, then who did?"

Harry glanced over Colin's shoulder and saw Draco Malfoy smirking at him. "I did," Draco announced as he sauntered over.

Colin looked at Draco and seemed to pluck up his courage as he asked "Why would you do that?"

"Just to prove how terribly gullible Gryffindors are. You all believe everything you read, isn't that right Harry?" Draco gave Harry a knowing glance that made Harry even madder than he already was.

Harry realized that Draco had once again realized exactly what a person wanted and had used that to his advantage. With him, Draco had played on Harry's feelings for Cho. For Colin...ever since he had come to Hogwarts he had been in awe of Harry. Making a photo album and becoming a personal assistant to his idol would have been like a dream come true. Why would he stop to question it?

Taking some of his anger at himself for falling for the same trap and Malfoy for setting it in the first place, Harry lashed out at the easiest target, Colin.

"Colin, was Hedwig the owl that delivered the letter?"

"Well...no."

"Don't you think that if I sent the letter, I would have used my own owl?"

"Ya," Colin replied slowly. "I guess so."

"And for that matter, why wouldn't I just ask you in person?"

"Well I didn't really think that much about it Harry."

"And that's exactly the problem! You didn't think! If you had, you might have realized that all these things were just a bit suspicious, just a little bit odd. So next time when you get a mysterious letter in the post, you might stop to think about it before you believe it."

Ron and Hermione were staring at Harry in shock. They both knew that Colin usually annoyed him, Colin could annoy anyone, but he had never reacted so strongly before.

"Come on Harry, lets get back up to the common room," Ron said slowly as he grabbed hold of Harry's elbow and began leading him away while Hermione tried to comfort Colin.

Draco shifted slightly as Harry was passing by so that their shoulders ran into each other. Draco whispered into Harry's ear so that Ron couldn't hear, "enjoy your first taste of freedom, Potter?"

Harry ignored this comment and continued to let Ron lead him back to the common room. He could hear Draco calmly laughing behind him.

When they got to the common room Ron let go and turned to face him.

"What happened with you and Malfoy?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"During Potions, that slimy git said something and I'd like to know what it was that could make you act like this."

Just then Hermione came through the portrait hole and began a new set of questions for him.

"Why did you yell at Colin like that? It's not like he did any harm by believing that stupid letter! You know he all but worships you. It was downright cruel of you to go off on him like that!"

"Look, Malfoy can't make me do anything, and so what if I lost my temper. It was bound to happen sometime. And don't either of you try to tell me that you've never lost it before."

Ron snorted at this and looking incredulous said, "Name one time I've gone this bonkers."

"Second year when you tried to make Malfoy eat slugs. And Hermione, how about that time when you hauled off and slapped Malfoy across the face? I'm not the only one who gets a little crazy if they're pushed too far."

"But Harry all those times were because of Malfoy. If you had gone off on him we would have probably joined you, but Colin wasn't trying to do anything terrible. He was just trying to help you. Don't you see the difference? You just can't go off on people who don't even mean to make you angry, it's just not right."

He could feel some nasty words coming on but just couldn't seem to stop them. "I'm sick and tired of everyone looking at me as if I can do no wrong, like I'm some sort of bloody saint. The only one who seems to realize that I'm a flesh and blood person capable of making mistakes is that sarcastic prat, Malfoy. So you two goody goodies will just have to learn that sometimes I can screw up and lose my temper and it won't be the end of the world."

Harry yelled in frustration and turned towards the stairway that lead up to the boys dormitory. He threw open the door to the fifth years room and seeing that no one else was there he slammed the door shut behind him. Crossing to his bed he closed the drapes around him and lay down. Staring up at the maroon fabric he began to ponder the events of the morning.

How could he have been so stupid? Malfoy was right, he had been in such a rush to help Cho, to play the hero (not to mention going out with the girl he had a crush on) that he hadn't been as cautious as he should have been.

He didn't want to admit it but after what had just happened, maybe the potion really was working. He had just blown up at Colin, who he knew wasn't trying to cause any harm but still he had yelled anyway. And then when his friends had simply acted concerned for him he had been nasty to them as well.

Just then memories of his dream came rushing back. He can have a front row seat...and watch his friends die. His skin turned ice cold as Harry realized the location of his 'front row seat.' The new Death Eater meant for Harry himself to kill his friends. That was the point of this mystery potion. There was not a doubt in Harry's mind now about the identity of that new Death Eater. It was Draco Malfoy.

And now Harry also new that until the effects of that potion wore off, he would have to stay away from his friends or risk hurting them.