Fortalius

Chapter 6 - The Confrontation

"No... no... " Harry was whispering, "No..."

Hermione's words finally brought him back to the present. "What are we going to do, Harry?"

--And I was unafraid,

The dream was so exciting!

But now I see it fade...

And I am here alone! --

"I've got to save him!" Harry burst out, leaping to his feet. Hermione and Ron stood too, not quite knowing what to do, looking between Harry and each other. Harry stumbled out of his seat and began running toward the doors.

Harry suddenly realized he had no idea where Draco's house was, let alone how to get there. He skidded to a halt, spun around, and began to run toward the head table - toward Dumbledore. Harry knew, just knew, Dumbledore would have the answer.

Dumbledore stood as Harry came running, and raised his hand as a signal for Harry to stop. Harry came once again to a screeching halt, giving the headmaster a confused, panicked look.

Dumbledore mouthed a single word: "Dobby."

Of course!!!! Why didn't Harry think of it before? Dobby used to work for the Malfoys. He would know how to get there. And, how to get in without knocking on the front door and risking a confrontation with a crazed escapee.

It took Harry a fraction of a second to process this, and within seconds more, he was out the doors of the great hall, sprinting with all his might, all his fear, and all his passion, to the kitchens.

When he arrived, his lungs were on fire and he could barely get out a sound out. The elves scampered frantically to get him some water. They finally handed him a glass, wanting desperately to help him. He gulped down a few sips and forced himself to form words.

"Dobby! Where's Dobby?"

"Here I is. What can Dobby do for Mr. Harry Potter?"

"Dobby you've got to help me."

"Anything for Mr. Harry Potter."

"It's Draco. He's in trouble. His father's escaped and - well, I'll explain on the way. You've got to get me to his house - and get me in. I've got to save him, Dobby. I need your help!"

"Dobby want to help. Really. But he don't know if he can. Can Dobby leave school grounds with Harry Potter?"

"Yes! Dumbledore's the one who told me to go get you."

"How will we get there, Mr. Harry Potter?"

"We'll... oh, um... we'll take my broom!"

"Dobby... fly?"

"Yes, yes. Dobby fly! Come on!! - Wait! You won't be able to keep up with me while I get it. Wait for me here. I'll be right back with my broom."

"Yes sir, Mr. Harry Potter, sir."

But Harry barely heard him. He was off sprinting again to his dorm. His mind was spinning. Thoughts whirling around like a tornado. Emotions raging through him. Fear, panic, anger, love... But all these thoughts, all these emotions, came together to say one thing: Must save Draco!

Before he even knew what he was doing, he was back at the kitchens. He had no idea when he'd gotten his broom or how he'd gotten back there. That didn't matter. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and his mind was buzzing, and his muscles ached but he didn't care.

Draco...

He scooped up Dobby and mounted his broom, and zoomed out of the kitchens as the elves watched in awe.

Harry zigged and zagged his way though the castle. He headed toward the main doors.

Okay... didn't think this through. Harry fumbled for his wand, trying to hold the broom and Dobby at the same time, as he desperately tried to remember that spell that would open doors. He pointed his wand at the doors and prayed he remembered it correctly.

"Abrero portus!"

The doors turned purple, swung open, and turned pink, then brown again before closing behind the pair on the broom.

Adrenaline continued to race through Harry's body. Pictures flashed through his head, images of the last few weeks. Of Draco laughing, crying, smirking, kissing him. Nightmares of what Harry feared could be happening to Draco right now. Terrible, horrible nightmares.

--When this all began,

We knew there'd be a price... --

Harry unconsciously pulled himself, and Dobby, tighter to the broom in a desperate attempt to make it go faster.

If that son-of-a-bitch hurt one hair on Draco's beautiful body, I'll kill him! If he did anything to hurt him, I'll... I'll...

Harry's head began to pound. He flew harder, faster. His eyes stung, his stomach churned, his body ached... his heart ached.

They flew out over the Forbidden Forest, soaring over the carpet of green. Dobby was shaking, muttering something about being glad he was short because he didn't like being so high off the ground.

"It's alright, Dobby. I won't let you fall. You're fine. Now where do we go?"

"O-Once Harry Potter and Dobby are not over the forest anymore, we's must follow the train tracks and turn that way," he pointed left, "at the big mountain."

"Okay."

They continued on, past the forest and down the train tracks until they got to a large hill.

"Here Dobby?"

"Dobby thinks so. Dobby never fly there before. But Dobby has good direction senses."

Harry veered left, hoping to Merlin that Dobby was right. They flew out over some sort of wizard suburbia. It was beautiful. Dozens of small neighborhoods and villages and parks.

Harry saw none of it. How could he see any beauty when all he could think of was what pain must Draco be enduring right now.

They flew for a long time. It felt as though they were flying across England. They very well may have been for all Harry knew. Harry's head was pounding and buzzing at the same time. His stomach was in his throat and his heart was racing. Harry felt like he was about to explode with fear and worry and anger. He tried to focus on his breathing. Draco had made Harry's pulse speed and breath quicken many times. This time Harry did not like it.

Finally, after what felt like eons, Dobby announced, "This is it! The Malfoys's mountain. They's estate. We's here."

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Draco was picked up at Kings Cross station by one of the drivers, and driven to their estate. Draco was depressed. He missed Harry so much. He tried to focus on how happy he was about seeing his mother. He had missed her. But it was strange. He had an odd feeling. Almost foreboding. Something was askew. He didn't know what but something didn't feel right. It's probably just because I miss Harry. It's making me imagine things. That boy always did have a strong affect on me. Draco smiled slightly.

The driver tried to make small talk, but Draco didn't feel much like talking. He remained lost in thought for most of the long drive home, tuning in and out, mentally noting every so often how far they were now.

When they finally arrived, the driver walked him to the door, carrying his bags. He was greeted at the door by a servant. That servant then led him to the main living room, waving him in and walking off. Draco walked in and saw his mother sitting on the sofa, and ran to give her a hug.

"Mummy!"

"Draco, dear." Narcissa stood and wrapped her son in a tight embrace. The kind unique to a mother.

When she released him, Draco noticed her eyes were very red. It was clear she's been crying.

"Mum, what's wrong? What's the matter?"

"Draco," said a voice from behind him. "Welcome home, son."

That voice was very familiar. That acid drawl. Draco knew who it was from the first syllable. He turned slowly. There stood Lucius. Quite a bit thinner and scruffier, but easily recognizable. Draco looked at his mother, who was looking at the floor and crying again, and looked back at his father - or the man who called himself so.

Draco's body was tensed, the look on his face one of loathing and anticipation, his brow drawn, as he took in the picture of his father standing there before him. He noted that Lucius's wand, or at least a wand sat in his robes, an inch or two exposed to make it clear he was armed. Draco also noted where his own wand was at the moment, and mentally calculated exactly how long it would take to draw it.

Lucius was looking at him with a look of mock fatherly love, insanity gleaming through the façade, burning in his pale gray eyes. A maniacal grin fought to emerge on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Draco finally asked.

"What? No hug for daddy? No 'Hello, father. How've you been? It's so nice to see you again.' I thought I taught you better."

Draco barked out a laugh. "My apologies. Hello, father. How've you been? It's so nice to see you again. What the HELL are you doing here?!"

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Dobby's voice pulled Harry back to the present. Harry looked down at the huge mansion sitting atop a tall mountain. It was at this point Harry realized it had begun to snow. The mountain was already partially covered in a white blanket. A snow flake landed on Harry's bare hand and melted. Harry shivered. If only Draco were there to warm him.

He angled his broom and swooped down toward the entrance of the looming building.

"The back! The back!" Dobby shouted.

"What?"

"We's must go in the back. We's can't go in the front. They'll see! They'll see!"

"Oh. Right... But wait, Dobby. Aren't there any, you know, curses around the house. Like, to stop people from getting in. It can't possible be that easy. How're we gonna get past?"

"Dobby knows the passwords."

"Wouldn't Lucius change them?"

"Lucius have very bad memory for passwords. Wouldn't change them. He'd forget them and set off the alarm traps."

"Alarm traps?!"

"Yes, but don't worry Mr. Harry Potter. Dobby remember the password... he hope."

Harry swallowed hard.

They touched down behind the house and went tumbling off the broom into the snow. Harry climbed to his feet and Dobby soon followed, legs trembling. He led Harry to a gray door that looked like it would fall of its hinges at the next gust of wind.

"Here, Dobby? This is the door?"

"Fierium," Dobby said, and as Harry looked expectantly toward the door, the earth below their feet disappeared entirely and they were sliding/falling down a dark tunnel.

After quite a bit of sliding through the suffocating darkness, they hit some sort of bottom with great impact.

"Ooph!" Harry rubbed his tailbone. He felt around to try and see where they were. His hand touched something and he jumped. He drew his wand and said, "Lumos!"

"NO!" Dobby yelled, frantically trying to cover the light that emanated from the tip of Harry's wand. Harry ended the spell and blinked in the darkness.

"What?"

"Can't have light. Dobby knows the way in the dark. Light will attract it."

"It?"

Then Harry heard it, coming from somewhere to their left. "Heeessssssaaaashaaaasssethhhhhhh. Sheeeesssssathhhhasssssssseeeehhhsh..."

Parseltongue. Crap!

"Let's go!!"

Dobby grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to their right, to what Harry could only guess was another tunnel. The elf knocked on the side four times and entered, dragging Harry after him.

The tunnel twisted and turned and curved until Harry wasn't sure they were still in England. Then the tunnel began to angle upwards, so that they were climbing almost at a sixty-degree angle. The tunnel spiraled and finally Harry could see light at the end.

As Harry pulled himself out of the tunnel, he heard a sound that made his stomach twist and his blood both freeze and boil at the same time. Screaming. The type of screaming only heard when someone is experiencing pain so horrible, so strong, so unbearable, that screaming is the only thing the victim can do to keep the pain from killing them. And that kind of pain could only be caused by a curse. A horrible curse. Most definitely a forbidden curse.

"Dobby hold Harry's broom for him," Dobby suggested.

Harry thrust the broom into Dobby's small hands and began to run toward the sound. Toward the pain. He could feel it pulsating through the air. He ran as fast as his legs would move and desperately begged his body to go faster. He ran toward a doorway to what looked like a living room.

He drew his wand and burst into the room, and what he saw made him want to burst into tears and cry until there were no fluids left in his body. It also made him want to kill. Kill whoever was the reason that his love was lying on the floor in a bloody, quivering heap.

He saw the heap begin to struggle to stand, then fall down again before making another attempt. He heard "CRUCIATUS!" and then more screaming.

He looked to his right and saw a woman lying limp on the floor. He couldn't tell if she was unconscious or dead. Just that she wasn't moving.

As the screaming continued, the tall blond man standing over the writhing boy turned slowly around, laughing maniacally. He turned and faced Harry.

The look in his eyes was frightening. Insane. As though he was both there and on a different planet. Mirthful and ferocious.

Harry felt his own fury bubbling up inside him, stronger than he'd ever felt it before. This man. This is the man that caused his love to suffer such pain. This is the man that scarred his Draco. Made it so hard for him to feel. To love. To live. Harry struggled to stay calm. Forced himself to breath. If he got mad - got distracted - he would most certainly lose this duel. This was not one he could afford to lose. If he lost this fight with Lucius, he lost Draco.

Lucius continued to laugh and he took a few steps toward Harry, then stopped laughing very suddenly, as if some unseen being had flipped a switch. "You," he said, with such hatred it could almost be seen dripping from the corners of his mouth.

"Me," Harry said through clenched teeth, anger burning in his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"Leave. Him. Alone."

"My, my. Such anger."

"I said, leave him alone!"

Lucius grinned. "And why, may I ask, do you care what I do to my son?"

"Because I love him!" Harry shouted. Then quieter, "and he loves me."

Lucius began a low laugh again. "Is that so?" he said. "You've come to play super hero once more and rescue him from his evil father."

"Evil does not even begin to describe what you are," Harry spat.

Lucius began to chuckle again and took a step closer to Harry. "Evil is everywhere. Good doesn't have a prayer. Good is commendable. Evil's dependable. Evil is viable. Good's unreliable. Good may be thankable. Evil is bankable."

Harry continued to glare at the cackling lunatic before him. The anger boiling inside him was now so intense it hurt. His head began to buzz again, and before either knew what he was doing, Harry shouted "EXPELIARMUS!!!"

The stunned man went flying backward, wand flying from his hand. He hit the wall and fell to the ground, coughing. He pulled himself back up and shouted, "ACCIO!" His wand came flying back to his hand and he aimed it directly at Harry's head. "DIFFINDO!"

Harry ducked as a beam of light and sparks flew past his head and shattered a vase behind him. "WADDIWASI!" Harry shouted, making a large china platter fly at Lucius.

Lucius dodged and aimed his wand again. "INCARCEROUS!"

Ropes shot from the tip of his wand and wrapped themselves around Harry. He struggled against the ropes but that just made them tighten, cutting painfully into his skin. Beneath the ropes Harry gripped his wand tighter. The ropes were making it hard for him to breath and he began to gasp as Lucius, chuckling, moved toward him, wand at the ready.

Harry gasped out, "Deletrius!", disintegrating the ropes and freeing himself, but causing a painful burn on his leg. He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, bits of rope landing around him.

He pulled himself up to one knee before Lucius said, "STUPIFY!"

"PROTEGO!" Harry yelled.

A shield of bright silvery light formed before him, absorbing the violet sparks flying from the greasy blonde man's wand.

Lucius made a sound of frustration and shouted, "IMPERIO!"

-- Suddenly, uncontrolled, something is taking hold

Suddenly, agony, filling me, killing me. --

The force hit Harry hard and he cried out again, as he felt as though his head would implode. Then he heard Lucius's voice echoing in his head. Commanding him.

Fight it! Fight it!! He told himself. Focus!

Harry struggled to free himself. Tried to think. But the voice was so loud. It was telling him to do things. Terrible things. Curse Draco. Kill him. Harry got slowly, reluctantly to his feet, wand in hand. Kill Draco...

NO!

"NO!! I WILL NOT!! I WILL... NOT!" The voice was sucked away and Harry fell to his knees again.

He was suddenly yanked forcefully, painfully to his feet by the collar of his robes. Anger burned in the crazy, storm cloud eyes. "You fought the Imperius! How could you fight the Imperius!! You infuriating little...! AVADA KE--"

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!"

Lucius's arms and legs snapped together, gaze going blank, and he stood rigid for a moment before falling over, stiff.

What the... Then, Harry saw where the spell had come from.

"Draco!" Harry ran to his lover's side and knelt down. Draco was now on one knee - barely - and took a few shaky breaths before collapsing again. "Draco, baby, it's okay. I'm here. It's okay. It'll all be okay."

"I was too weak,Harry. Too weak to fight him."

"No, Draco. No. You're the strongest person I know. To take so much pain, to take the Cruciatus, so many times... so many years... and be conscious... live even. To not go mad after being put through this for years... so many years. Draco, love, you just saved my life. If you hadn't petrified him just now, he would've..."

"Harry, don't even say it. I can't think it. That would be more painful than anything. Harry I..." Draco's face was stained with tears and his voice shook in his weakened state. Harry cradled the frail boy in his lap. Draco's eyes began to close and his breathing became very shallow and difficult.

"Draco?... Draco! Love, please, no!"

--Deep in your silence, please try to hear me.

I'll keep you near me till night passes by.

I will find the answer. I'll never desert you.

I promise you this, till the day that I die... --

Harry took out his wand as he remembered a spell he'd learned years ago. "Hold on, Draco, love. ENERVATE."

The tip of Harry's wand glowed blindingly. Sparks flew at Draco's chest. Draco gasped and threw his head back as the spell entered him and the magic pulsed powerfully through his pale, delicate body.

There was a sudden flash of red light and then quiet.

Harry stared at Draco. Draco blinked and took a deep breath. He looked at Harry and smiled.

"Are you alright love?" Harry asked.

"I saw your parents."

"What?"

"I saw them. They spoke to me. They told me... they told me to take care of their son for them. They told me I better turn around and go back home to you. And then you... revived me... saved me. Harry, I..."

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

The boys flew apart, wands flying from their hands.

Lucius had come out of the stupification and was now standing before them, eye's wilder than before, face a twisted expression of anger, malice, and insanity.

"Finally my day has come. You may have survived the killing curse of the Dark Lord, but you won't survive it again. Today ends the rein of Harry Potter the Great. May he rest in peace."

Lucius, with great purpose and determination, aimed his wand directly at Harry's heart. Lucius saw terror fill the bright green eyes of his victim. Then, Harry did something very strange.

Harry closed his eyes and began to mutter. "Hhassssiiiiiiioooossssssssssss. Thheeeeeeeeesssssssaaaaaaahhhheeeeeshhhhhh..."

Lucius froze in confusion. He stared at Harry, not sure what to do.

"Hassssseeeeeshaaahhhhssssss.... Heeeeethhhhaaaaassseeeeeshhh.... Heeethhaaaashhheeeeeeessssssss..."

Lucius then heard similar sounds coming from behind him. His eye's widened as he turned slowly around, and saw his fate standing there before him.

"Haaaaashhheeeeeeesssssseeeethhhhhh..."

Lucius began to scream but was abruptly cut off, as the huge snake picked the man up in its enormous mouth, and in one foul swoop, swallowed him whole. It muttered a last comment to Harry and slithered off back to its tunnel.

Draco stared, shocked. Harry stared too. Both sat for a long moment, awed. Finally Harry crawled over to Draco and took his hand in his own.

"Are you alright, Love? I wish you hadn't had to see that."

Draco said darkly, "He deserved worse, Harry. Much worse."

Harry looked back toward where the shocking scene had just occurred.

"What did he say to you, Harry? The snake. Just before he left."

"He said he'd been wanting to do that for a long time."

Draco laughed and said quietly, "Me too."

Harry hugged him. "It's all over now. He's gone. You'll never have to put up with him again. And I'll never let anyone treat you that way ever again. Ever." He kissed Draco on the forehead. Draco smiled at him, then took Harry's face in his hands and kissed his soft, pink lips. He pulled back and looked into the deep, shining emeralds that looked back at him.

"Harry, I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

--You are free now.

You're with me now,

Where you'll always be... --

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