Inner Demons

Inner Demons

"We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves."

Lynn Hall

***Chapter Seven***

"I don't get it, what are we doing wrong?" Ron fumed. "We've tried all the usual procedures and we still don't know who's killing these Muggles or why."

Ron, Hermione, Draco, Harry, and Sylvianna Ryvers were all in Draco's chambers, four of them seated on couches around the coffee table while Ron paced.

"I think the thing we need to figure out is not what we're doing wrong but rather what they're doing differently to the others, that are allowing them to elude us," Draco pointed out, calmly pouring out tea from a steaming pot.

"Well we'd better figure it out quickly," said Hermione. "Twelve bodies in four days..."

"Have you noticed the pattern?" Harry leaned forward. "Four bodies on the first day, two on the second, four on the third, and two on the fourth."

"Does that have some significance?" she asked, accepting a cup of tea.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Sometimes it is and sometime it isn't. From my experience it's entirely dependent on the killer."

"And we don't even know whether it's one killer or a group of them." Ron flopped down onto the couch next to his wife.

"Well let's see what we do know then." Draco finished pouring and ticked the points off on his fingers. "We know that the victims are Muggles, that they've all been killed in Muggle London, that all the bodies have given off a residual Dark Magic aura;, and that their bodies have all shown a particular pattern of mutilation. Actually 'mutilation' not the right word...it was like they imploded."

There was a grim silence that was broken a moment later by Harry.

"There's one more thing," he added. "All the bodies were found within a two kilometre radius of Knockturn Alley."

"So? That just tells us that it was Dark wizards or a Dark wizard," Hermione shrugged. "That's hardly news."

"I think we can assume that it's a group of Dark wizards rather than a single wizard, since they tend to operate in groups."

"I thought they only found one aura."

"Well even if one wizard did the actual killing, it's more likely than not that he, or she, was part of a larger group." Sylvianna spoke for the first time, setting her cup daintily down on the saucer. "There have only been eight Dark wizards or witches in history who have not had some sort of group of followers."

"Sylvie, has your little underground network of spies found anything?" asked Draco, handing around the plate of biscuits and ignoring her as she rolled her eyes.

"Must I keep reminding you that it's not a spy network Draco, just a group of contacts? Anyway, they've only heard a few rumours, but nothing substantial, which surprises me since they're usually quite good at uncovering interesting little facts."

"Can you look into these rumours? It might not come to anything but it's all we have at this point. Oh and see if you can find any form of Dark Arts that causes imploding Muggles."

"You always give me the fun jobs," she grimaced but nodded. "I'll see to it."

"In the meantime I suppose we should expect news of another body, four tonight if Harry's right about a pattern." Ron drained his cup.

"Malfoy, Ron, can you find out if there have been any Wizarding bodies found recently?" Harry suggested. "Specifically Muggleborn or Half-blooded wizards or witches."

"Do you think it could be Death Eaters?" Hermione's eyes widened.

"We don't know, 'Mione but we can't rule it out." Draco nodded at Harry. "I haven't heard anything but I'll look into it, Potter."

He suddenly set his cup down sharply, causing the tea to slosh onto the table. "None of this is right! Why kill Muggles, or at least why not kill them on a larger scale? Why pick them off one by one? And why can't we find them?"

As Malfoy ran his fingers roughly through his hair in frustration, Harry regarded him with interest. This was certainly not the narcissistic and self-absorbed Malfoy of his Hogwarts days. That Malfoy would have shrugged indifferently at the mention of Muggles being murdered and flounced off to do his hair. This Draco, however, was all but fuming at his inability to solve the problem. This Draco had developed dark circles around his eyes, losing sleep to try and prevent more deaths. Hermione had apparently been right; Malfoy had changed. As if sensing his gaze on him, Draco raised his head and gave Harry a small smirk, little more than a tired twitch of his lips. Harry gave him a quick smile of his own as Ron and Hermione rose.

"Well, I've got my curriculum to finalise before the presentation for the Board of Governors," Hermione yawned. "We'll see you all at dinner. Thanks for the afternoon tea, Draco."

"Yeah, thanks mate," grunted Ron and held the door open for his wife.

"I'd better head off myself. I want to look something up in the Restricted Section before dinner. Try to get some rest, Draco. You're starting to look terrible," Ryvers teased, dropping a kiss on the now tousled blond hair and giving Harry a brusque nod.

"Terrible?! What do you mean terrible?" Draco called after her indignantly, rushing to the next room, and presumably to a mirror, as the door shut behind her.

Harry unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh. Maybe Malfoy wasn't so different after all.

"What are you giggling at?" demanded Draco from the other room. "Look at the state of my hair!"

"I was just thinking of how much you had changed...and then you had to go and prove me wrong," he chuckled, stacking the cups and saucers and banishing them to the kitchens with a tap of his wand.

Draco returned, his hair now perfectly in order, framing his face, and the circles under his eyes gone, thanks, no doubt, to a spell.

"Well," he drawled, approaching the table, eyes on Harry. "Maybe I haven't but you certainly have."

Harry tensed involuntarily as Draco looked him up and down. They grey eyes were bright as they locked with his own and he found himself mesmerised.

Then Draco gave one of his patented smirks. "The Harry Potter of old would never have cleared the table. Thanks for that."

As his former nemesis moved past him Harry let out a breath that he hadn't realised he was holding. What had just happened? Before he could answer his own question, however, the door opened and Simon MacDonnell strolled in. The Irishman paused at the entrance, blinking at them.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," Harry smiled. "I was just leaving. Thanks for the afternoon tea, Malfoy."

"My pleasure. I'll see you at dinner. Oh, and let me know when you want to have some duelling practice."

"Right. See you Simon."

"'Later, Harry."

As he stepped into the corridor, he swore he could still feel that grey gaze following him out.

*

When the door clicked shut, Simon flopped down onto one of the armchairs and looked up at Draco, who was studying the door with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What was that all about?"

"Pardon?"

"You and Potter. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Draco said coolly, flicking his wand at the cushions on the couches to set them straight. "But if you must know I had him, Sylvie, and the Weasleys over for afternoon tea."

"One that you forgot to mention to me." Simon crossed his arms and glared accusingly at him.

Not this again. Draco stiffened and turned slowly to the other man, eyes narrowed. "I wasn't aware that I was supposed to include you in every aspect of my life," he said coolly, his posture relaxed but his tone a warning.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Obviously not in every aspect, Draco. But this isn't just about today. You just seem to forget about me whenever it's convenient for you. We're...I dunno...a couple, lovers, in a relationship, for Merlin's sake! You don't see Ron forgetting to ask Hermione to afternoon tea!"

"That's because she'd castrate him with a spoon if he did," Draco smirked at the image.

"Then why should we be any different? Do I mean anything to you? Sometimes I wonder if..."

But Draco never heard what Simon wondered as he grabbed him by the shirt, shoved him bodily against the wall and caught his lips with his own. The Irishman tensed at first but then pulled Draco aggressively to him, closing the distance between their bodies. As he felt the slightly callused hands running over his torso, Draco shut his eyes. Did Simon mean anything to him? Yes. But a guilty part of his mind admitted that he probably didn't care as much as Simon wanted him to. The physicality of their relationship was something that Draco enjo yed and craved,and he was fond of the other man, but beyond that.... How many times had Simon asked Draco for more than he was willing to give? Too many times. Then why didn't...couldn't he give him what he wanted? Because Malfoys never caved in to demand. Even as his mind rejected the excuse as feeble, demanding fingers scrabbled carelessly at his trousers and all thoughts were banished.

*

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HARRY POTTER

By Lucy Finch-Fletchly

It's been confirmed that Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and the Hero of the Great War, has returned to the Wizarding world after a long absence. Readers will recall that two months after his defeat of the Dark Lord, Harry disappeared inexplicably from St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. A statement recently released by the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Albus Dumbledore, confirms that Harry accepted position as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts and will be teaching students from the start of the new school year. Undoubtedly all students will be eagerly anticipating the end of their holidays! The Headmaster has asked the media to respect the new Professor privacy but Oracle was lucky enough to get an interview with him. Here is an excerpt from his chat with Oracle editor, Ginervra Weasley-Longbottom.

Oracle: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Harry. Let me start by saying that it is wonderful to have you back. I think I speak for all our readers, as well as for your friends, when I say that we missed you.

HP: Thanks, Ginny, it's good to be back. I missed everyone at home. And it's my pleasure to speak to you, as always.

Oracle: I'm sure everyone's been wondering where you've been and what you've been doing with yourself for the last ten years.

HP: Well, I guess you could say that I've done a lot. I've spent the last decade in Australia where I had a job as a homicide detective...uh, that's the Muggle version of an Auror, I suppose.

Oracle: Trust you to do something exciting Harry. Tell us about it.

HP: Well, it was difficult emotionally as well as physically, frustrating and occasionally unfruitful. But ultimately it was extremely satisfying...and yes, it was exciting sometimes.

Oracle: And why did you choose this particular profession?

HP: At the time I thought it was all I knew how to do. I'd spent my time at Hogwarts fighting darkness, and as a detective I was doing just that. I saw a lot of horrible murders committed by truly disturbed people; first Voldemort and then these murderers. The satisfaction came from catching these monsters, and that's not a word I use lightly, and preventing more deaths.

Oracle: We know you went through a lot in that last battle and lost a lot of people that you knew and loved. Is that why you left?

HP: I suppose it was. People kept telling me that it wasn't my fault that all these people died, but it certainly felt like it at the time, and sometimes it still feels like I was responsible. I've never really been good with my feelings,) and during my time in St Mungo's all the guilt, anger and grief just kept building up. The Healers healed my body, for which I've never thanked them properly, but I felt like I was being poisoned from the inside. Being an 'act first and think later' sort of person, I knew that if I didn't get away I wouldn't be able to be myself anymore. Looking back on it now, I suppose running away rather than staying and fighting my inner demons.

Oracle Well, hearing about what it was like for you, I'm sure no one would blame you for doing what you did. So what made you come back after all these years?

HP: I'm afraid I'd rather not discuss that at the moment, Ginny. It's still...difficult to think about it.

Oracle: I'm sure our readers will understand that Harry. But tell me, were you happy in Australia?

HP: Very. It was nice to not be recognised and have a 'normal' sort of job.

Oracle: And was there a girl that you want to tell us about?

HP: That's for me to know and for you to find out, Ginny.

Oracle: Ooh, a challenge!

HP: Uh oh...

Oracle: Have you had many visitors since you've come back?

HP: Well a couple of my friends from school and my Godfather are also teaching at Hogwarts, so it's been wonderful catching up with them. Other than that, a few other school friends and I was honoured to have the Minister of Magic and his wife, Arthur and Molly Weasley, come to Hogwarts to see me the other day.

Oracle: From the sound of things they were delighted to see you again! Tell us about your new position as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.

HP: Well the offer came as a bit of a shock, to be honest, and it's really different from my last job, but I'm really looking forward to teaching. I've had a chance, this past week, to start to get to know my colleagues, some of whom were my own teachers so it's still quite weird, and they've all been very welcoming and supportive.

Oracle: And which House will you be cheering for in the Quidditch Tournament?

HP: As a professor I'm supposed to be unbiased, so let's just say that it's going to be fun to watch.

Oracle: Well, thanks so much for talking to me today, Harry. It's been wonderful to see you again and I'm sure we'll hear from you in the future/

HP: Likewise. Thank you Ginny.

See also:

Page 3 - The Great War and Harry Potter's Defeat of You-Know-Who

Page 6 - Harry Potter's Childhood with Muggles

Page 8 - Harry Potter's Hogwarts Years

Page 11 - Interviews with Harry's Friends

*

"Hah! The article we've all been waiting for!"

Ron scrabbled to unroll the copy of Oracle that the owl had dropped on his head (he had been obliged, by Ginny, to subscribe years ago). Oracle had printed a special 'Harry Potter' edition and, according to the Floo conversation that they'd had with a delighted Ginny, witches and wizards from around the country had pre-ordered millions of copies, forcing the magazine's industrial quills to work non-stop for a week. Around the room, staff members gathered around Ron or the few other copies that had just arrived.

"Great photo, Harry!" called Simon.

"Is that the lighting or do you look like you're going to throw up?" teased Draco, glancing between Harry and the magazine.

"Goodness, Harry, it looks like they've done your entire life story," Jonathan Ekhaust looked thoroughly amused as he flicked through the magazine.

Harry groaned and banged his head against the table in embarrassment. From the front cover, under a bright green title (the 'L' in Oracle had been printed in the shape of a lightning bolt his own face smiled weakly, eyes occasionally flitting to someone off the page (Ginny had been calling encouragements to him when the photo had been taken). To his supreme mortification, Snape and Ryvers walked in and the deputy headmaster all but pounced on the magazine. The black eyebrows rose higher and higher as he leafed through the pages and beside him Sylvianna placed a hand over her mouth to hide a smile. Suddenly, Lavender squealed and fussed over a picture on page nine that showed a Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Gryffindor common room during their sixth year. She had probably just seen the back of her own head in the corner of the frame.

"Harry!"

The fireplace in the staff room suddenly burst into life and Ginny's head appeared, grinning broadly. Ron hurried over to his sister, waving the magazine at her.

"Brilliant article! I bet you've sold heaps of copies."

"Yes, yes, thank you Ron," she dismissed him impatiently. "But where is the Man of the Hour? I have to thank him for giving us our highest sales since Draco posed nude for us!"

"Malfoy posed nude?!" Harry asked, scandalised, as he dropped to his knees in front of the fireplace.

"December edition, 2005. But that's not the point Harry," she said waved off the question brusquely.

"There was a strategically placed Santa's hat," Draco drawled.

Harry stared at him, nonplussed.

"Oh go away, Draco." Ginny scowled impatiently then turned her five-thousand-megawatt smile on Harry. "I can't thank you enough, Harry! We'll have to do a reprint just to keep up with demand!"

"Uh..."

"We'd love you to do a second version of the cover picture!"

"Uh..."

"We could even do a nude photo of you with a well-placed wand."

"It wouldn't be big enough."

There was sudden silence as they all stared at Sylvie, who suddenly resembled a deer in the light of a Lumos spell.

"I mean, the whole thing...no, that's not what I meant...I meant the whole idea...for his ego...I mean..." she stammered, her pale face flushing.

Draco, nearly doubled over with laughter, slung his arm around her shoulders and shook his head in commiseration. "Just stop before the hole you're digging gets any bigger."

She visibly gathered what dignity she had left and gave him an imperious glare. "Excuse me...I have things to attend to."

As she left in a flurry of robes Ron wiped tears from his eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen anything funnier since the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!" he choked.

"Bite me, Weasley."

"Ahem!" Ginny looked put out. "We could use a school book. That would work really well now that you're...!"

"No! No, Ginny. No wands or books, well-placed or otherwise and certainly no nude photos." Harry stopped her mid sentence. "I'm glad you've done so well but I'd really rather not."

"We could do a handsome incentive..."

"I don't think so, Gin. But good luck with the reprint anyway."

"Well, alright," she looked disappointed. "I'm just an owl away if you reconsider though."

"I'll remember that," he smiled.

"Well thanks again, Harry. Oh, mum insists that you come to her Sunday family lunch this weekend." She then turned to her brother. "And don't be late, Ron!"

Blowing them all a kiss she vanished and Harry plopped down onto the carpet with a sigh.

"As much as I like Ginny I'm never going to forgive her."

"Pity," Draco blinked innocently. "I was looking forward to seeing the wand."

*

"Any progress?"

All in the room turned and bowed as their Lord entered the room. The Dark Lord, Albert Gerter mused as he prostrated himself, was not physically imposing...his features weren't even remarkable, but when he entered a room it was as though all the life and warmth had been drawn from it. As though a door had been opened on a winter's night, allowing in the cold air that chilled you to your bones.

"Unfortunately none, my Lord," said Smythe, the leader of their research group, raising his head enough to answer. "We've attempted the Infusion process but..."

Smythe cut off abruptly, making small choking noises as his face gradually went from pale to red. Gerter hazarded a glance up at their Lord, who was silent, his lip drawn up in the sneer of disgust that one reserves for a dog that has maggots crawling around its eyes and mouth.

We're nothing to him, he thought in horror as Smythe, growing progressively bluer, clutched at his throat. We're less than animals.

"I do not tolerate 'but's, Smythe." His tone was neither angry nor his voice raised but he was all the more frightening for it. "I have told you that you would not fail me again and you did not head my warning. Pity. You did, after all, have your uses."

Smyth's face was becoming mottled now and his corneas were becoming a dark red as the fragile blood vessels burst. He tried to say something but all that came out was a soundless gasp. Then he toppled over. Dead.

None of the others dared to move, even to raise their eyes to look at the dead man. Geter, however, knowing that he would most probably die, refused to do so with his gaze on the floor. The Dark Lord caught his movement and turned to him, wand levelled right between his eyes.

"Your name." It was not a question. It was a demand.

"Albert G...Gerter, my Lord." Damn, was that a quiver in his voice?

"Rise, Gerter. Tell me what happened. How did you fail when only last week the report was so promising?"

"We...uh..." He coughed, finding his throat rather dry, all of a sudden. "We studied the texts carefully, my Lord. We followed their methods with implicit care. But the writing is ancient...faded away in some places and difficult to translate in others. There...may have been an error..."

He glanced nervously up at the Dark Lord whose gaze seemed to drill through him. It was his eyes, Albert concluded, that gave the man so much of his power. They were the brightest shade of blue, but it was a blue that reminded him of a glacier than of a summer sky.

"Errors? And the results of your errors?"

"The...the Muggles were killed, my Lord...quite brutally. I...we, rather, believe that the error was in the Binding process. Rather than binding to their cells it...disrupted them. We have run some tests on vermin with the same results but we are trying to refine the process."

"I see...most unfortunate since these seemingly unexplained deaths have sparked the interest of the authorities," mused the Lord, then a slow smile crept onto his face. "But at the very least we have rid the world of some vermin."

Gerter had the feeling he didn't mean the small, furry kind.

"My Lord, if I...we could only understand the context of our work perhaps we could..."

Lord Nyphrus turned on him with a glare and Gerter braced himself to be reduced to a pile of ash for his impertinence. But remarkably the blue eyes softened somewhat, and he nodded.

"Few are privy to that information, Gerter, but I see no reason that my new Head of Research should not know."

"Head...?" Albert wasn't sure if he was supposed to be ecstatic or terrified, given what happened to the last one.

"Yes, and as such you will join my Inner Circle. Someone will be along later to prepare you for your Induction but for now I command you to continue your research."

"Th...thank you, your Excellence! My Lord is most gracious," he kissed the hand that Lord Nyphrus extended to him.

"I will allow you time to review the documents but you would do well to remember that my patience is not limitless. I did not tolerate failure from Smythe and I will not be any more indulgent of you. Now, continue!"

Gerter dropped back to his knees as the Lord exited, his heavy robes making a soft but sinister sound as it swished along the cobble-stone floor. As the door closed behind him, Albert rose unsteadily to his feet, motioning to the others to do so.

"Let's get back to work," he commanded then added in a low voice so that no one could hear. "Or else it's my head."

*

The next morning Harry Potter arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast and was greeted by the sight of a figure slumped over the table, silvery blonde hair spilling out between tightly clenched figures. Hearing his footsteps, Draco Malfoy looked up, causing Harry to start at his haggard appearance. It looked like he'd been up all night. Before he could comment however, the main doors opened and a group of people dressed in Auror's robes, Ron Weasley amongst them, entered the room, closely followed by Dumbledore and Snape.

"What's happened?" Harry asked, sidling up to Malfoy, who had risen but had not moved to join the others. "More Muggle bodies?"

"No. No more Muggles," was the grim reply.

That's good isn't it?"

Malfoy gestured with his head towards the copy of the Daily Prophet that he had just been staring at. Harry gave a tired sigh as he read the headlines and glanced at the other man for confirmation. Draco nodded.

"The bodies were found early this morning and the alarm was raised right away. Three wizards, this time. In Daigon Alley."

A/N - 'Castrate him with a spoon' is a tribute to an old friend of mine and was said in the context of a particularly vile teacher who had managed to get on her bad side. Cheers Kate.