Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ unbreakableBOND ❯ Snakes ( Chapter 19 )

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.

unbreakableBOND

Chapter 18: Snakes

“Roy,” Draco said, “There's something you should know.”

For the first time Roy and Harry's eyes met, and they each found a certain amount of shock there. Tearing his eyes away, Roy turned back to Draco. “And what may that be?”

Draco didn't answer him; instead he turned to Harry and said, “I'm sorry you had to find out like this.”

“Draco?” Harry questioned, a little worried.

“Roy, this is Harry, your nephew. Harry, this is your uncle, Roy Potter.”

“What are you talking about?” Roy and Harry asked at the same time.

“Come on Roy, did you really think it such a coincidence that his name was Harry Potter and happened to look exactly like you?” Draco scoffed, pushing himself off the ground shakily. “I'll tell you exactly what happened. Your father married your mother, and had you. Your mother died when you were young and your father remarried. He had another son, Harry's father, and for awhile you stuck around. Then when James was young you disappeared, no longer able to face your family after having turned. You cut yourself off from Wizarding England and therefore never heard of what happened to James or Harry.”

“Yes, that sounds quite plausible, but you're missing one minor detail,” Roy answered, moving towards the two.

“And what's that?” Harry asked.

“I didn't run away, I was kicked out. My father couldn't stand the sight of me after my mother died; it was my fault you know. The only reason he didn't ship me off was because of my step mother, she took a liking to me, but then James was born and I was turned. And with that they both turned on me. Father always did what Elsie wanted. And after I was turned she didn't want me anywhere near James.” Roy bent down to look at Harry straight in the face. “You really do look just like him, except-”

“My eyes,” Harry finished. “I have my mother's eyes.”

“Yes, but that wasn't what I was going to say.” Harry looked surprised and Roy continued in a whisper. “Except, I can't stand the sight of you.” The vampire stood and strode towards the door.

“You can't be serious,” Draco stated.

“About?” Roy asked.

Harry opened his mouth to say something but the words died on his lips, unable to process the revelation that he had another living relative and the immediate rejection of that relative.

Draco shook his head at the man and said, “You're going to help us. I don't care if you can't stand to look at Harry or the bloody Queen for that matter; you're going to help us!”

“And why should I take orders from you? Or help you for that matter?” Roy asked, sneering.

“Because you're Harry's uncle!” Draco exploded. “Does blood mean nothing to you people? You two are the only decedents of the Potter line besides the child growing in his stomach! Do you know what Harry's been through!? I'll tell you-”

“Draco,” Harry said suddenly, grabbing his hand from his position on the floor. Draco turned and immediately began to help Harry up, but he was swatted away. “I'm fine; you're the one injured here.”

“Do you see?” Draco glared at Roy and meant to continue but Harry cut him off.

“Don't. I don't want or need his help. He has no idea what it means to be a Potter and never will. He doesn't know the pain and he never will. And I can't ask help from someone so clearly unwilling to give it. He's nothing more than a stranger, Draco, and that's what he'll stay.” Harry spoke looking directly into Roy's eyes, he looked so much like himself, but again his eyes were different. Strangely, Harry found he also couldn't stand the sight of Roy.

Roy finally turned away and put his hand the door knob, “They're calling,” he said. “Draco will have to remain here.”

“No,” Harry said simply.

“It's under the direct order of Voldemort,” Roy answered.

“This won't be the first or last time I've defied him. We're both leaving, open the door,” Harry told him coldly.

Roy gave him a long look Harry couldn't interpret before turning and leading them down the hall once more.

They entered the hall in which Voldemort was waiting for them, still sitting upon his throne like chair.

“Pansy?” Draco whispered and Harry knew he hadn't meant to say it out loud. Harry glanced around; he spotted Pansy standing near Lucius, a blank look on her face. His gaze fell to her side where he was met with...nothing. Ron and Hermione were gone.

“I see you brought your beloved, star crossed lover,” Voldemort said, standing. “Although, I do believe I told that thing that lead you here that Draco was supposed to stay where he was.”

“Where are Ron and Hermione?” Harry demanded, ignoring his previous statement.

“Harry, really, what do you think I did with them? You should know better than to trust me.” Voldemort smiled in that snake-like way of his and moved closer to the three. “What were you thinking, leaving them with me?”

“Shut up,” Harry gritted out, his magic flaring around him. Voldemort stepped back with a laugh. “What did you do with them?” Harry was beginning to panic now, because Voldemort was right. Really, what the hell had he been thinking, leaving them in a room of Death Eaters alone? What if he was too late? God, he was so stupid! All he could think about was finding Draco and the process he may have sent his best friends to their deaths without a second thought. Suddenly, Harry snapped. “Where are they!?” he roared, his magic seeping from him and crackling around the room. He heard Draco gasp beside him but paid him no mind.

Voldemort began laughing then, his head thrown back and his snake like tongue slithering around and poking out of his mouth. Harry's anger only rose and the air around them became volatile, and you could see the magic snapping in the air like lightening. Voldemort calmed himself and said to Harry, “It doesn't matter now.” He pointed his wand at the pregnant hero and began to curse him.

And then Voldemort was being lifted from the ground by some invisible force, flailing in the air, his eyes wide with surprise and panic. The Death Eaters around them began to draw their wands and were shooting curses at them, but they just bounced off a transparent field that had been created around the three. Harry glared at Voldemort and pointed his wand at him. Voldemort ceased his thrashing and glared back definitely, shouting derogatory things at the boy.

“Harry!” Draco yelled, “Harry, don't kill him yet, you have to find out where they are!” Draco shouted, watching as Harry's eyes turned a shade of bright green he had never seen before. They were clear like jewels, but it seemed to Draco that they would freeze anyone who looked directly in them, swallow them whole and spit them back out, broken and twisted.

“Where are they?” Harry asked the snake before him. Voldemort only laughed in return. “Bastard!” Harry flicked his wand and threw the Dark Lord against a wall. The wall cracked under the force and Tom slid to the ground in a heap.

Voldemort's resounding laughter filled the room. “Oh, Harry, that's not going to kill me! You're going to have to try harder than that! But not now, now I have a bit more planning to do.” With that and one last laugh Voldemort and the Death Eaters Apparated.

“DAMMIT!” Harry screamed, falling to the ground. He was exhausted, and he wasn't sure he could move anymore. And then there was the pain in his stomach, the baby kicking him like he was fucking Bruce Lee. Had he hurt the baby? The pain, it wasn't normal, it was churning and gut wrenching. What if he had...?

“Harry,” Draco said softly.

“Harry, are you all right?” Pansy began walking over to the fallen hero and the other Slytherin, a concerned look plaster over her features.

“What the hell is he playing at!? Why can't he just fight me now? Why did I just leave them alone with him? What the fuck is wrong with me, Draco?” Harry sobbed, burying his face in Draco's legs. “The baby,” he whispered, “What have I done to our child Draco? What if I-”

“Harry!” Draco yelled, kneeling down to eye level with the distraught brunette, “Our child is fine, it doesn't matter what you've done the point is we're alive, all of us,” he gave a pointed look at Harry's stomach, “And right now we need to focus on getting Ron and Hermione back.”

“They put them under Imperius,” Pansy interjected. “They sent them to kill you family, Harry.”

“And why not you?” Harry demanded.

“Because I told the snake I was on his side, that I had only helped to bring you guys in,” Pansy explained.

“I knew it,” Harry whispered. “I knew you couldn't be trusted!”

“Harry, she only did it for this exact reason, if she weren't here we wouldn't know where Granger and Weasely were!” Draco defended his best friend. “Now, let's stop dwelling on it and get going.”

“But how?” Harry asked, “I can't Apparate so far along!”

“Draco, I don't think he can even move right now, he's used so much energy today. Where ever we're going, he's going to have to be carried,” Pansy answered.

“Shit,” Draco said.

“I believe we can help with that.” They all looked up to see Lord Keita, Sir Yamiko, Roy, and Dai approaching them. “We can take you where you need to go,” Lord Keita gestured to the four of them with a graceful sweep of his arm.

“Why would you help us?” Pansy demanded.

“I can sense your power,” Lord Keita said looking to Harry, his red eyes glittering, “It's stronger than his, I believe you will be on the winning side of this battle,” he finished.

“I don't trust you,” Draco bit out.

“But, you can trust me, Draco,” Dai answered, “And I can tell you Lord Keita isn't lying.”

Draco shared a look with Harry before pulling them both to their feet, then looked to Pansy and nodded to her.

“Let's go.”

+++

The wind whipped passed Harry's head, roaring in his ears and causing them to sting with pain. “Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick,” he said from the back of Sir Yamiko.

“Don't you dare,” Sir Yamiko called over his shoulder at him.

“Be nice, Hisami,” Lord Keita told Sir Yamiko from in front of them. “We're almost to the Port Key.”

“Oh, thank God,” Dai said, adjusting Draco on his back. “I've been running forever.”

“If you hadn't run away in the first place you wouldn't feel that way,” Roy told him blankly.

“Shut up,” Die mumbled.

“Children!” Lord Keita scolded. “It wasn't much of a run; we crossed the Niagara border about twenty minutes ago right?”

“Yes,” the three vampires answered in unison.

“Good, then the Brooklyn Bridge should be about...five minutes away.”

“Five minutes...twenty five minutes from Canada?” Harry said, turning a sickly shade of green. “Oh, God, I am so going to be sick.”

“Just hang on a bit more Harry,” Draco yelled to him. Harry nodded absently and rested his cheek on Sir Yamiko's shoulder, his glasses going askew.

“Listen here kid, I'm not a pillow.”

“Shut up before I make you,” Harry answered wishing Hermione hadn't taken the sword so he could be a bit more intimidating. Draco shot him a sympathetic look, and Harry smiled weakly back.

“Now,” Lord Keita called to them. “When we get to the American embassy let me do the talking, the last thing we need is for them to get suspicious and close down the borders if they found out about him. Harry, is there a magical field around your aunt and uncles house?”

“Yes,” Harry answered, shutting his eyes tightly as the zoomed pass cars, their headlights and the lights from the bridge they just entered flashing behind his eyelids nauseatingly. “It's not very big though. I don't know how powerful though, Dumbledore set it.”

Lord Keita nodded to himself, slowing his pace as they exited the bridge. He glanced around, looking for the entrance to the Ministry without slowing too much.

“Over here,” Dai called, turning left and halting in front of an old telephone booth.

“Come with me, Ryo,” Lord Keita commanded. Roy entered with Pansy still on his back.

“They aren't going to deceive you,” Dai reassured Draco and Harry as the three disappeared from sight.

“Besides, they left me out here anyway,” Sir Yamiko commented.

Harry weakly nodded his acceptance on the vampires shoulder and heard the elevator come back up. The doors screeched back open and Harry felt them entering, trying desperately to keep himself awake.

“Harry,” Draco whispered, lightly touching the boys arm. “Harry, try and stay alert, all right?”

“Mhm,” Harry murmured, never picking his head off Sir Yamiko's shoulder.

“What the hell do I look like, the Hilton?” Sir Yamiko snarled. “Wake up, boy!”

“Hisami...” Dai trailed off and his eyes got wide.

“What is it?” Sir Yamiko asked in a harsh whisper.

They began speaking in tones so low and fast neither Harry nor Draco could understand them. The conversation seemed urgent and Harry had picked himself up enough to try and watch it between their faces.

The doors to the elevator popped open revealing Lord Keita, Roy and Pansy who was now stand on her own. Dai let Draco down, but Sir Yamiko had a bit of a harder time with Harry.

“What is it?” Lord Keita asked when he saw the two.

“They've almost broken through the wards. It won't take much more,” Dai answered. Lord Keita nodded and turned to face a man standing nearby.

“Fredrickson,” Lord Keita addressed him. “I need a Portkey, and I need one now. For Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England.”

The man glanced over their little party and noticed Harry. “Fuck, is that fucking Harry Potter?”

“Yes,” Lord Keita answered. “And he'd like to go home now, if you don't mind. The Portkey, it's urgent.”

“You'll need to fill out these papers,” Fredrickson informed him, pulling out a stack of paper, an old shoe, a small inter tube and a pipe. “And pipe or shoe?”

Lord Keita looked at Fredrickson and picked up the inter tube. “The inter tube,” he paused. “Hisami.”

Sir Yamiko whipped out his wand and shouted a spell at the swimming toy in under a second, “Hands in!” He yelled and everyone did as they were told. The inter tube glowed gold before Harry felt that familiar tug behind his navel, his hand desperately reaching out for Draco's. They landed upright, mostly thanks to Draco, directly in front of Harry's old home.

“Come on!” Draco yelled tugging Harry towards his house as it began to fill with multicoloured lights and the telltale crackle of magic. They ran to the door, Pansy and the vampires just behind them and threw it open.

Harry looked around frantically and saw Ron setting fire to the living room. “Ron!” he screamed. “Stop!”

Ron turned and even though Harry knew he was under Imperius, he didn't expect the cold look in his best friend's eyes or the Dark spell that was fired at him. Harry jumped away with a yelp, the curse grazing past him.

Suddenly Ron waved his wand at himself; he started to widen, being stretched like silly putty before he was split into three. It was almost like he used Geminio on himself, but Harry was certain it wasn't possible, meaning this was yet another Dark curse. “Shit,” Draco whispered next to Harry, eyeing the three red heads.

Sir Yamiko and Dai rushed into the living room, wands drawn. The two doppelgangers fired hexes left and right, but they seemed slower than Ron was as a whole. The original Ron was advancing on Harry and Draco quickly, firing spells as he went and just as he got within short distance range and ear shattering scream pierced the room.

“Aunt Petunia!” Harry turned, throwing a curse at Ron to distract him long enough so he could leave. Harry didn't have the heart to fire anything dangerous at his best friend, even if he was currently throwing Dark curses like beads at Mardi Gras. Harry rushed up stairs Draco, Lord Keita and Roy behind him. Pansy had decided to stay and fight the Rons.'

Harry saw lights coming from his aunt and uncles bedroom, and Dudley was cowering in the corner of the hall, a Death Eater hovering over him. “Incarcerous!” Draco shouted, thick ropes wrapping around the Death Eater, who then fell to the ground. Dudley let out a shriek and screamed at Harry to help his mum.

Harry ran do the hall leaving the vampires to deal with the Death Eater and Dudley, and threw open the door to his ex-guardians room. A blast of light assaulted his eyes, bright and white engulfing all that was around them. And the scream broke through the air once more. “Aunt Petunia!” Harry screamed throwing himself into the room, pointing his wand at the figure in the middle of the room.

“Everte Statum!” Harry shouted, and the figure flew across the room, the light fading instantly with the crack of a body against a wall. It took a moment for Harry's eyes to adjust to the darkness, but it seemed it didn't take Draco nearly as long.

“Harry,” he called over his shoulder, rushing to the person slumped against the wall. Harry shook his head and looked around, finally hearing the screaming coming from Vernon.

“What did you do to her!?” His uncle's chin shook violently as he spoke. “What did she do to her!?”

“What are you talking about?” Harry yelled. “What happened, you have to tell me exactly!”

“Your freaky friend! She came in here and screamed something at Petunia! And then Petunia got out of bed and she was all gold and I couldn't see a thing!” Vernon yelled, hurrying out of bed and rushing over to where Draco was squatted.

Harry started towards the two men hastily when he was stopped by the sight of someone else lying, apparently comatose in the adjacent sitting room. “Hermione!” He gasped, taking in her battered appearance, bloodied and mangled. Suddenly, Roy was by his side, running a diagnostic spell over her, the colours dancing over her like sad fireworks.

“She's alive,” Roy said quietly. “But we need to get her to a hospital, quickly.”

Harry opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the harsh whisper of his name.

“Harry?” The brunette snapped his head up to see Aunt Petunia sitting up with the assistance of Draco and Uncle Vernon who was desperately trying to get Draco to stop touching her.

Harry gave a last fleeting look at Hermione before moving to see his aunt. “Aunt Petunia, what happened?”

“She just came and started yelling curses at us and I...I got out of bed and, I don't know, it was like something burst in me!” She looked up at him bewildered. “It was so strange! And she just flew backwards, and all I could think was that I needed her dead or something and the light...” she trailed off, looking over at the unconscious Hermione. “Is she dead?”

“No,” Harry answered. “That's my friend Hermione; she was put under a curse by Voldemort to attack you.”

“Again with that bastard?” She asked and she seemed to look at Harry for the first time. “Harry, you're pregnant! Are you alright?”

“Yes, I'm okay, Aunt Petunia, but right now I think we need to get you to see Madame Pomfrey.”

“Oh, no!” Vernon roared. “She is not going to one of your freaky places, Lord knows what they'll do to her.”

“It would be wise,” came a slow steady voice from the doorway. “For you to listen to Harry, Mr. Dursley.”

They all turned to see Dumbledore glide into the room. Stopping at Hermione to levitate her into Roy's arms. “Take her please,” he asked Roy. Roy nodded silently accepting the load.

“James?” Petunia whispered, horrified, seeing Roy for the first time.

“I'm afraid not, dear,” Dumbledore answered. “This is Roy Potter, James's older half-brother.”

“Oh, great, another freaky Potter,” Vernon mumbled.

“And it gets better,” Harry told Vernon in a hush. “He's a vampire.” Vernon stuttered, trying and failing to form a sentence before his face went deadly white and fainted.

“Harry,” Draco chided softly, with a chuckle.

“Draco, would you be so kind as to levitate your aunt?” Dumbledore asked, reviving Vernon.

“Wait,” Petunia said holding her hand up. “Who is Madame Pomfrey and why must I go see her? What's wrong with me? Did she do something to me?”

“I don't know the answer to that,” Dumbledore answered. “Which is why I think you should be checked out by a medical professional.”

“Professor,” Draco started. “Professor Dumbledore, you do realise what has happened to her, yes?” Draco asked, a tone of urgency in his voice.

“Yes, I felt it when I entered the room,” Dumbledore answered. “She needs more time, but I do believe she will develop quite quickly.”

Harry watched the exchange wondering what in the world they were talking about, what had happened to Aunt Petunia? Why wasn't Draco telling him? He looked down at Aunt Petunia's frightened face and the lifeless Hermione who was now being taken out of the room, and wondered if his friend really had done something terrible.

“Draco,” Harry interrupted, pleading with his eyes for the blond to just tell him what was going on.

“Professor, I'm telling her,” Draco told the old wizard without taking his eyes away from Harry. “She has a right to know now.”

“A right to know what?” Petunia asked and Draco turned his attention to her.

“You've opened your magical core,” Draco answered.

“My...what?” Petunia floundered.

“You're magical core, the centre of your magic. It was locked before, not like your sisters who had been opened since birth. You've had the ability to do magic all along. It's like, you had all the right tools, but the project and blueprints were missing. Do you get what I'm saying?” Draco asked, turning to look a Vernon who had fainted once more.

“I suppose so,” she answered. “Does that mean that Dudley...?”

“It's a possibility,” Dumbledore answered. “His is also locked.”

“But...you, you rejected me when I was young! You took in Lily and left me here, even though I could do magic!” She yelled at Dumbledore. “Even when I pleaded with you!”

“It was locked, Dear, there was nothing I could do, except put you in a potentially life threatening situation like this one. And even then it wasn't certain that you would unlock it,” Dumbledore explained gently. “Petunia, we will discuss this more after you've been checked over, right now the most important thing is your health.”

“Right.” She nodded. “And where is Dudley?”

“On his way there,” Dumbledore answered.

“Alright, Dumbledore, but I'm telling you right now,” she said fiercely, glaring at the breaded wizard. “I'm helping Harry fight Voldemort.”

+++

Draco sighed as he sat next to Harry in the private ward of St. Mungo's, shifting his weight closer to Harry who was lying on the examining table. They had been informed that Madame Pomfrey was suffering from a deadly infection and as such they would have to seek medical attention elsewhere. Petunia was in the room next Harry and Draco, while Ron and Hermione were in a separate ward on the fourth floor.

Dumbledore had taken in the unknown Death Eater, and asked Sir Yamiko to take charge of their rag tag gang. When confronted with what Sir Yamiko had really been, what his true motives were, Dumbledore smiled and told them that everyone deserved a second chance.

Lord Keita, Roy, and Dai had gone to Hogwarts where Dumbledore had asked them to wait for him. Sir Yamiko was instructed to bring everyone back to Hogwarts one at a time, as soon as they were checked out.

Draco sighed again, leaning his head on Harry's thigh and closing his eyes and intertwining their fingers. Harry smiled down at him and ran his free hand through Draco's soft blond locks.

“I've missed you,” Harry whispered.

“I missed you, too,” Draco whispered back, silently screaming for joy. He never dreamed this could happen; Harry missing him, wanting him, loving him and their child on the way to complete Draco's happiness. It was all so surreal, and Draco refused to listen to that voice in the back of head that told him something was going to go wrong, that it had to go wrong, because good things like this don't happen to Draco Malfoy.

“When you were gone,” Harry began. “When you were gone I didn't know what to do with myself. Every day I would wake up and I'd look to see if you were next to me, to see if this had all been just been a bad dream. I would keep my eyes shut really tightly and count to three. Then I'd snap them open and of course you wouldn't be there,” Harry paused and took a breath.

“And then there were days when I couldn't stand anyone, everyone had just acted like you never existed, they went on about their lives without a care and here I was, practically unable to survive without you. I'd get so angry, at them, at you, and mostly at myself for being so weak. And I'd go to bed praying to God that, when I woke up that morning, I'd be in the Tower, everything would be normal again. I'd be single, and I most certainly wouldn't be pregnant, and I wouldn't have to feel that stupid tightening in my chest all the time.

“On those nights, I'd have terrible nightmares, about you, about me, about our child, about everyone I loved. And I'd wake up in the middle of the night screaming your name, and crying. I'll I could think then was how much I wanted you there right then, how much I wanted you to hold me and how sorry I was that I had hoped for everything to go back to the way it was.” Harry stopped and Draco pressed a kiss onto the back of his hand. “Draco, I'm only going to say thing once, but if you ever leave me again, I will hunt you down. I will hunt you down and use every Unforgivable on you. And then, I will bring you back to life and do it again. In fact, the second time, I'll have you kill yourself. Do you understand me, Draco?”

The blond chuckled and stood. He leaned over Harry, their lips a whisper apart and murmured. “I understand, love. I'll never do it again.” Today, must have been one of the happiest days of his young life, to Harry speak of him so passionately. It only made Draco love him all the more.

“Good,” Harry answered, then covered Draco's lips with his own. Just as Draco began to let his hand crawl up Harry's hospital gown someone cleared their throat from the door.

“Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy,” a small Medi-Witch greeted them. Draco and Harry did a double take as she entered the room, their eyes wide with recognition. “I am Healer Pomfrey; I suppose you know my sister, Poppy.”

“Er, yes,” Harry answered. “I, er, know her quite well.”

“I'm aware, Mr. Malfoy,” she eyed him cryptically. “Now, as to your health it doesn't seem like you broke anything or were hit with any dangerous hexes. But something negative did come back.”

Draco felt Harry's hand tighten around his in a death grip. “Please, not the baby,” Harry whispered to her.

Healer Pomfrey gave them truly sorry look and answered, “I'm afraid so.”

“Oh, God! What's wrong?” Harry cried.

“The stress, it's taken its toll on your baby. They'll survive, I have no doubt about that, but we are concerned that the baby my decided to come out early and in the last crucial stages of development,” she explained.

“And what do we do about it?” Draco demanded.

“The only thing I'm afraid is to rest as often as possible and pray,” she answered. “Listen, I know what you have to do, Mr. Malfoy. But right now, you shouldn't be doing it.”

Harry stifled a sob. “But I...I can't control when it happens! It' not like Voldemort calls me up and says `Hey, I'm going to try and take over the world tomorrow, try and stop me!'” He yelled.

“Harry, calm down,” Draco soothed, bringing the brunettes head to his chest and letting him cry there.

“I know that, Mr. Malfoy,” the Healer answered. “I was simply saying you must choose your battles. If your baby is born prematurely we will take care of it. The child will have to stay until it's developed fully after which point you may take them home. There is a 99% chance the baby will survive, a 75% chance that they won't contract on deadly maladies, and a 50% chance they will live a normal life without any adverse side effects, such as anaemia, a heart condition, etc.”

“50%?” Harry repeated. “A 50% chance of a heart condition?”

“I wouldn't be too worried about it, gentlemen, the important thing is that your baby survives, is happy and healthy for the most part, anyway.” She continued with a kind smile. “Besides, look at who their fathers are, I'm sure you child will turn out just perfect and healthy as can be. You're both strong men, and I'm certain your child will be as well.” She smiled once more and left them alone.

“Harry,” Draco began quickly. “Harry, I know what you're thinking, but it's not true, it's not your fault.”

“Yes it is!” Harry yelled at him. “Had I not been so stupid, so selfish, so irresponsible, none of this would have happened!” Harry jumped off the table and ripped of the paper gown which put itself back together and folded itself neatly in the rubbish bin.

“Harry, you can't possibly believe that! You and I both know that you would never intentionally hurt someone like that! You did what you had to and I nor anyone else are going to blame you for it!” Draco shouted, grabbing Harry's biceps.

“Of course I didn't do it intentionally! That's the problem, I only ever think of myself! What I think it best for others! And even if you don't blame me...” he trailed off hanging his head. “I'll still blame myself.”

“Harry,” Draco said softly, bringing the smaller man into a hug. What was Draco going to tell him? That everything would be alright, that the baby would be fine and no one was going to get hurt? He couldn't tell Harry that, especially when Draco didn't believe it himself, God, he knew something would go wrong.

“Draco,” Harry whispered. “Please, forgive me.”

Draco sighed, pressing a kiss to Harry's forehead. “Of course, love. What did I tell you before? We'll get through this.”

+++

Harry and Draco entered the antechamber behind the High Table in the Great Hall, the soft candle light flicking across their faces as they went.

“This is unacceptable,” a voice hissed. “There is no way we can allow her to-”

“I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Severus! If you recall correctly, it was I who saved you from drowning in the river when we were seven!” Petunia's voice jabbed back.

“Haha, Snape was saved by a girl!” came a barking laugh, immediately followed by a hushed reprimand.

“Petunia, you can't be serious! You've had magic for all of three hours and now you want to go running off to fight one of the most powerful wizards of all time? You don't even have a wand!” Snape yelled back.

“So get me one!” she shouted just as Harry and Draco came into sight.

“I say let her fight,” Lord Keita said from the corner. “She's perfectly willing, and seeing as she doesn't have all that much control of her magic, it could make her lethal, could it not, Roy?” Roy nodded his assent. “We could use a loose cannon like that on our side. Her and Harry both.”

“Hah!” Petunia pointed at Snape in triumph.

“You're impossible! You always have been!” Snape threw his hands up in frustration.

“And you're wrong, you always have been, Sevy,” Petunia countered.

“Woman-" Snape began, but Dumbledore cut him off.

“Severus, Petunia, we will discuss this later. For now we need to get a plan together, so if you would all please sit down and act like rational adults, please.” Dumbledore swept a quick glance around the room, sufficiently shutting everyone up. But Snape and Petunia still glared as they sat.

“Harry, Draco, everything is fine, I hope?” Dumbledore asked.

“Perfect,” Harry ground out. Pansy shot a look at them and Draco signalled his assent to speak with her later. “Where are Ron and Hermione?”

“Here,” Sir Yamiko answered, entering the room with the bushy haired girl and the red head.

“Oh, Harry!” Hermione cried, rushing towards him. “I'm so sorry!”

“Yea, mate, really, I had no idea what I was doing,” Ron said, clapping Harry on the shoulder and looking him deep in the eye. “I hope you'll forgive me. Us.”

“Of course I will,” Harry answered, pulling away to look down at Hermione as well. “But the real person you should be apologising to is over there.” Harry pointed to his aunt.

Hermione looked over at the blond woman sitting across from Snape, glaring at the potions master. Setting her shoulders back Hermione walked over to Petunia who seemed to notice them for the first time. Ron followed closely behind, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“Mrs. Dursley,” Hermione began. “I would just like you to apologise for our behaviour, we were under Imperius at the time, but I speak for both Ronald and I when I say how truly sorry we are for not being strong enough to resist and attack your family. I hope you'll forgive us for these egregious actions.”

“Yea,” Ron added. “We're really sorry, ma'am. Honest.”

“It's all right,” Petunia answered. “If you hadn't, I would have never came into my magic and been able to help you all fight Voldemort.”

“You are not helping!” Snape yelled, slamming a fist on the table in front of him.

“Severus I will do-”

“You will do what's best for-”

“Quiet!” Dumbledore barked, and the two snapped their mouths shut. “We are going to get through this without bickering or yelling. Do you understand, children?” He set a cold eye on the two.

“Yes,” the murmured together.

“Right, now that everyone is here, Severus would you please inform everyone what you've found out?”

“Yes, Professor,” Snape drawled and stood. “It has come to my attention that He Who Must Not Be Named is ready for his final assault. He will take over the Ministry of Magic as soon as he has gotten his two strongest opponents out of the way-” a look at Harry and Dumbledore. “And he plans to rid of them immediately.”

“When?” Draco asked, moving closer towards his Godfather.

“Tomorrow,” Snape answered gravely. “He's going to storm Hogwarts, he's found a way in that he won't tell me, and I can't read it from him. He wouldn't tell the time either, partly because he didn't know when either. He's called in back up from all over the world; the chance of our survival like this is minimal.”

A/N: Okay, I took some creative liberties here. It's about that 25 minute run from Canada to New York City. Let me explain, firstly commercial airlines fly at about 800-960 KMH (500-600MPH) and hour, while fighter jets stay in the low mach numbers (Mach one is about 1200 KMH/750MPH). So, based on a commercial plane that run would have actually taken about an hour. Obviously if a person was going that fast in the open air they would die...but vampires are already dead. Anyway, the vamps aren't running at mach one, we're just pretending that it wasn't that far from the border...and they can glide!