Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1 THE AWAKENING
20th Juny of 1996
At once he felt the shift within the body ending his 14-year nightmare. He noticed how he had regained his human senses, instantly regretting it as all he could fell now was his host’s body freezing cold and his heart beating too fast to be even healthy.
He blinked once, then twice, instantly aware that his vision was somehow blurry, as expected, considering the glasses he was wearing. He slowly raised his head noting that he was sore all over and found himself staring at Dumbledore’s crooked nose, who was standing too close for his liking. He must have been looking like a git with his mouth open wide instead of cursing the old man to the rest of eternity.
“Are you all right, Harry?” Dumbledore asked.
“Yes…” He found himself answering to the older wizard before turning his head and finding the Atrium receiving people through fireplaces.
Wizards and witches alike were dusting themselves off the soot of the Floo Powder before two of them came forward, one of them shouting for all of them to hear.
“He was right here, Minister Fudge,” a wizard wearing a crimson robe began saying while signaling a pile of debris on the other side. “You-Know-Who grabbed a woman and Dissaparated!”
He felt his body instinctively tense upon realizing that they were talking about him, well, actually his counterpart.
“Yes, yes, Williamson, I saw it too!” Fudge said trying to cover himself, quite miserably, with robes, to cover the pajamas he was wearing underneath. “Merlin’s beard! He was here! In the Ministry of Magic!” he gasped.
“And if you visit the Department of Mysteries, Cornelius,” Dumbledore walked forward while speaking. “You will find several escaped Death Eaters apprehended in the Death Chamber”
“Dumbledore!” Fudge suddenly gasped. “You’re here…”
The Minister immediately signaled the Aurors, who made themselves present behind him, before yelling an order to them.
“Seize him!”
Dumbledore rolled his twinkly blue eyes at the other wizard before speaking again.
“Cornelius, it’s been a long night, especially for some of us," Dumbledore spoke, his voice calm but strict. “But you saw him with your own eyes, which proves that I have been telling you the truth for a whole year which you decided to ignore.”
“I…don’t…” Fudge began to stutter like a fool while glancing around, possibly looking for the help he was not getting. “Alright, Dumbledore,” he seemed defeated now before turning to the Aurors again. “Dawlish! Williamson! Go now to the Department of Mysteries!” he bellowed to the two Aurors before talking to Dumbledore once again. “And you…you have to tell me what happened just here”
“Of course, but before I have sent Harry back to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said.
“What? Harry? Harry Potter?” the other asked, his forehead furrowed.
Fudge looked down and finally saw him, still on the floor, his body too tired to move on its own.
“What’s he doing here?” He pointed at him quite rudely.
“Cornelius, as I just said, I will explain everything, but only after Harry is at Hogwarts,” Dumbledore softly said to the other.
Dumbledore did not even wait for an answer before he took a small rock from all the rubble around and whispered a very questionable “Portus” to it.
“Dumbledore! You don’t have an authorization for that Portkey!” Fudge shouted at him but hesitated after Dumbledore walked towards him menacingly.
“Dolores Umbridge is to be removed from Hogwarts immediately,” he began ordering. “You will order your Aurors to stop harassing my Care of Magical Creatures teacher. After that I will give you half an hour of my time, which is too much considering everything that has happened here tonight. Then, if you wish to contact me you can do so by letters addressed to the headmaster. The owls will find me, of course."
Fudge’s face was reddening furiously as he tried to utter a word but simply couldn’t. Dumbledore turned to him before taking the rock between his hands.
“Take this Portkey, Harry."
Now, he knew that Dumbledore always had an ace up his sleeve. However, he wished to get away from him as soon as possible. Just being that close made him think of scratching his wrinkly old face. He eventually took the Portkey, aware that he was returning to Hogwarts and away from Dumbledore at last.
“I will see you in half an hour,” Dumbledore softly said to him.
Closing his eyes or else he might vomit he felt the familiar sensation of being pulled before his feet touched solid ground. Falling quite reasonably he let go of the Portkey before opening his eyes once again and realizing that he was in Dumbledore’s office.
He looked at his legs before reaching to them to rub them. He was still cold but less than before. Looking around he noticed that the portraits of the headmasters and headmistresses were still sleeping before glancing at the window at the end of the room.
He pinches his leg and felt pain. He sighed in relief. He just needed a little push and so he searched between the robes he was wearing for a wand. He instantly smirked when the wand recognized him and started to shoot sparkles on its own, as if it was happy to see him once again. He then pointed the wand at his legs not wanting to waste more time than necessary.
“Lenio” He murmured as liquid opal droplets began to drop from the wand and falling into his legs.
The numbing sensation slowly began to diminish. He concentrated and one of his legs twitched. Smirking again he sat on the floor and tried to flex his knees. He had to get up as soon as possible. And so, he put his hands on the floor and pushed himself up almost falling. He held on to a table with all of his will before one of the pictures snored loudly finally opening its eyes.
“Harry Potter, what brings you here this early?” He quickly recognized the portrait. It was Phineas Nigellus Black. “Did Dumbledore sent you here?” the portrait continued to question him.
But he did not even had time to answer before more portraits were waking up. Feeling that his escape might by thwarted by a bunch of magical portraits he turned to the exit door.
“Does this mean that Dumbledore will return to us?”
“Oh good. It has been very dull without him."
He seized the doorknob between his hand, but it would not turn, no matter how many times he tried. Panic began to rose in his chest at being trapped there.
“Dumbledore thinks very highly of you."
He tried once again but nothing changed. He looked around, just in case, before settling at the window. He took small steps, still adjusting to his wounded legs and opened the window fully. Yes, he could jump. That was one possibility. He took the wand again tried to concentrate before opening his eyes again. Yet, something else caught his attention. He was seeing Harry Potter’s face reflected on the window and he did not waste time to touch it for the first time ever. It was soft to the touch and even noticed a subtle stubble growing on his chin. He smiled again, after all he had seen the boy grew up from a scrawny little crying baby to a scrawny little teenager with a hero complex. He could even say that he had started to like its host, even when it an insufferable brat, but it was his brat, nevertheless.
“Don’t worry Harrikins. I will take good care of your body while you’re sleeping," he whispered to his reflection.
The empty fireplace in the office suddenly burst into green flames announcing the arrival of Dumbledore, who was almost immediately applauded by the portraits welcoming back.
“Thank you,” Dumbledore said.
He seemed to not acknowledge him as he walked to the golden post where he placed Fawkes, his phoenix, to regenerate before turning to him.
“Harry, I hope you will be happy to hear that none of your fellow students will suffer any lasting damage, but they will need to stay at least one or two days in the Infirmary,” he informed him as he nodded, not that he really cared about Harry’s friends. “Nymphadora Tonks however will have to spend some time in St. Mungo’s."
The horcrux looked down, wanting the conversation that was definitely going to ensue over.
“I know exactly how you are feeling, Harry,” Dumbledore quietly said.
“No, you don’t,” he looked straight at his old nemesis.
If only he knew about what he was really feeling. Pain, soreness, and an empty hole in the middle of his chest impossible to fill.
“You should not be ashamed of what you are feeling, Harry,” he heard Dumbledore say. “In fact, feeling pain is your greatest strength."
That was the main purpose of making Horcruxes, so he would not feel pain or hunger ever again. And where did that get him? Getting stuck in a weak body while the main part of his soul was trying to kill him almost every year since they both arrived at Hogwarts. Feeling pain made him weak, period.
“You really don’t have a clue about what I am feeling right now," the horcrux spat at the old headmaster.
“Harry, the pain you are feeling is part of being a human….”
“I DON’T WANT TO BE HUMAN!” The horcrux shouted finally losing it in front of the headmaster. “I DON’T CARE.” Bouts of accidental magic where shattering every other glass in the office, as the Horcrux struggled to breath and hold it.
“No, Harry, you care,” Dumbledore said, his face stoic during the whole ordeal, which almost impressed it, but he later remembered how cruel he had been sending him back to that damn orphanage during the fucking Blitz.
“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW?” The horcrux yelled, his arms stretching towards Dumbledore. He wanted to strangle the twinkle off his fucking face.
“Yes, you do,” Dumbledore calmly said. “You have every important figure in your life; your mother, your father, and now, Sirius, the closest thing you ever had to a parent. You do care.”
What Dumbledore feeling suicidal? The Horcrux stopped on his tracks before he could kill the old fucking coot with his bare hands.
“You deserve an explanation, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “Fifteen years ago, when I first saw the scar in your forehead I wondered if it meant a connection between you and Voldemort. I was correct when after you rejoined the wizarding world, that you scar began to warn you when Voldemort was closer or feeling intense emotions, which intensified after Voldemort returned to his body last year." The old headmaster explained. “Lately, I felt uneasy about Voldemort finding out about the connection between you two. Especially, after you delved so deep into his mind, as he eventually sensed your presence within." He continued. “That was why I entrusted your Occlumency lessons to Professor Snape believing that he might push his way into your mind and spy on me”.
Dumbledore suddenly stopped and glanced at him through his half-moon glasses, as if he was studying him.
“I think it is time, Harry,” he resumed saying while interlacing his fingers. “Voldemort tried to kill you when you were a baby because of a prophecy made before your birth. However, he did not know its full contacts. And so, since his resurrection he was been obsessed on hearing the full prophecy."
The horcrux would have never admitted but he was about to get a panic attack. Was Dumbledore going to tell him about the prophecy? To him?
“Sixteen years ago, at the Hog’s Head Inn I met a new applicant for the position of Divination at Hogwarts. It was around the time when I thought about discontinuing the subject completely. The applicant was the great-great-granddaughter of a Seer. Nevertheless, I felt utterly disappointed because she did not have the gift at all. I, politely, told her that I did not think she was up to the task, and when I turned to leave…”
Dumbledore suddenly got up, the Horcrux’ eyes following him all the time, until he retrieved a stone basin engraved with runes. He immediately recognized the Pensieve, as Dumbledore raised his wand to his temple and extracted a silver strand that ended up at the basin. He headmaster returned to the desk before placing the Pensive there.
The horcrux got up too as the shape of Sibyll Trelawney appeared before speaking with a mystical voice.
“THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES…BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT…AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES…THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…”
He will have power the Dark Lord knows not. He had stayed inside Harry Potter’s body for almost fifteen years, and he wasn’t a genius or a finest duelist. He was just a sappy teenage boy with extreme luck sometimes. But the part that scared him the most, not that he would ever admit it was the neither can live while the other survives. No, that would not just do. He had to contact his other self to plead with him not to kill him until he had found another host or another way to survive. He looked up totally aware that Dumbledore was still observing him, probably wondering what he was thinking at the moment, and he wasn’t going to disappoint him.
“So, one has to kill the other and the end, right?” He asked in a very Potter-esque way.
“Yes,” Dumbledore firmly said.
“I would like to be alone now, sir,” he avoided Dumbledore’s eyes then before getting up.
He had to think about his next step. Now, that he knew the contents of the prophecy he had to lay low and not gather too much attention to himself, something that was going to prove itself too difficult.
The horcrux left the office not even hearing what Dumbledore said last. He didn’t know exactly where he was going, but his legs kept moving against his will, still thinking about the damn prophecy. On one hand, he knew that being able to actively possess Harry’s body was a plus, but on the other hand his other self would have lots of questions, such as why didn’t he stop Potter before the diary was destroyed or how wasn’t he able to reach out before the disaster that just happened in the Department of Mysteries. Sirius Black was just a casualty, and he had to hand it to his counterpart, yet he knew that Harry was deeply attached to his godfather. Somehow, he could use that excuse to drift apart from everyone and no one will ever suspect his sudden behavior change. After all, he was mourning.
Now, all he needed to do was rest. He had taken charge of the body, but that didn’t mean he was fresh as a daisy as Harry’s body was depleted of energy, and there was no way he was going to the Gryffindor Tower, just to be interrogated by Harry’s mates. He suddenly realized that he had walked all the way up to the Astronomy Wing. Well, maybe, he ought to visit the Room of Requirement. He wasn’t, after all, that far from it. Noticing that nobody was within the vicinity he casually strolled until he was in front of the tapestry.
25th Juny of 1996
It was Sunday when the Horcrux woke up again feeling completely rested. At first, he felt totally disoriented until he remembered about how the Room of Requirement had procured him a bed to sleep in. He calmly stretched his arms behind his head loudly yawning before his stomach started rumbling.
He guessed it was time for him to show up. Otherwise, it would look as if he had been kidnapped or worse murdered. That sent a chill down his spine. Harry Potter must not die. But, in the meantime, he could enjoy what he was deprived of for fourteen years. Food. He wondered if the Room of Requirement could make some food for him, he would eat anything, or he could call a house elf from the Kitchens.
“What would Harry Potter like?” An irritating voice suddenly said completely startling him.
A house elf had Apparated inside the Room of Requirement. It was wearing what looked like a wizarding robe, but it was cut short, exposing his thin legs, which were partially covered with socks, one of the black.
“Dobby?” He remembered the House Elf from the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. “What are you doing here?” He asked the house elf, who practically ran towards him, until they were unfortunately face to face.
“Dobby heard Harry Potter’s call for food!” The horcrux shook his head, confused.
The house elf snapped its fingers and a tray full of Harry Potter’s favorite foods appeared on a table.
“Thank you…Dobby,” he said sincerely, still surprised at Dobby’s efficiency.
“Will Harry Potter like some pumpkin juice?” The house elf asked, and he nodded.
The house elf poured some pumpkin juice on a goblet before handing it over to him. The horcrux nodded again before drinking from it. This was his first time drinking a liquid and it felt like heaven.
“More!” He ordered and the house elf poured some more which he drank almost immediately after.
“Harry Potter was really thirsty!” The house elf commented.
He glared at the house elf.
“Can I have some space?” He snapped at the house elf, who slightly vowed before it Dissaparated.
Fifteen minutes later he was totally sated. Now he just needed a shower. As if the Room had made his wish come true, he began to hear a trickling noise nearby. He got up to investigate until he found an open shower. He smirked before undressing. This is what he really needed. He stepped on the shower and let the water droplets fall on his head and shoulders relaxing him even further. He could live like this, totally unbothered, but he knew that it was going to be short lived, as he had lots of loose ends that needed to be taken care of. Sighing he grabbed a soap and washed himself almost automatically. The water coming from the shower head suddenly came to a halt, but he didn’t care as he was already clean. While he was getting out of the shower, he realized that he didn’t have clean clothes or a towel, until he looked around and noticed that the Room had thought about that too. As he dried himself with the towel, he started to think about what he was going to do after getting out of Hogwarts.
The Order of the Frying Chicken would probably escort him back to Potter’s muggle family. But what about later? Would he be able to leave completely unnoticed?
He dressed himself with new and clean Gryffindor robes as he realized that he needed a back up plan. He could act like a good grieving boy and be a complete bitch to his enemies and no one will be the wiser. With a half made up plan he exited the Room of Requirement and walked confidently through the corridors not encountering anybody on the way. However, when he finally arrived at the Entrance Hall a very familiar gang appeared from a door nearby.
He stopped on his tracks as the others did. Draco Malfoy slowly walked towards him, his face blank, before glancing around, probably checking for witnesses and finding none.
“You are dead, Potter,” he said.
The horcrux raised his eyebrows, impressed by Malfoy’s open threat. Not that he cared. It was funny considering their long-life feud after choosing the ginger instead of him.
“Oh, really?” He smirked at Malfoy’s face redden which deeply contrasted from his usual pale face.
“What you did to my father is the last thing you will ever do,” Malfoy whispered.
“Oh, I am so scared, Malfoy” He mocked his Slytherin nemesis. “I suppose this is when I kneel in front of you and beg for your forgiveness, right?” He laughed at Malfoy, whose face was twisting angrily. The horcrux did not wait for an answer before deciding to completely mess with the young Heir’s mind. He slowly kneeled and looked up at Malfoy, who looked utterly disgusted. “Please, Draco, don’t kill me!” He teased the other. “It’s not fair that Voldemort wants to kill me and now you too."
“What the fuck are you saying, Potter?” Malfoy’s neck was reddening as he spat those words. “Get up before someone sees you…”
“I beg you, Draco,” the horcrux insisted fluttering his eyelashes and biting his lips.
“What are you doing, Potter?” Oh, yes, he recognized that voice alright.
Turning to his left he saw Snape striding down the stairs. His whole body began to heat up unconsciously, but not of shame, he didn’t give two fucks about Snape finding him like that. He was the one who give him the damn prophecy making him promise not to kill the mudblood he was in love with. He was going to kill the fucking traitor.
“I said, what are you doing Potter?” Snape repeated standing next to them two.
“Malfoy tried to kill me, sir,” he pointed the Malfoy who looked ultimately betrayed.
“What? That’s not true! I was just...” He tried to explain but Snape raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Pointing your wand at an unarmed student?” Snape finished for Malfoy, who looked down, ashamed, as the Horcrux winked at him, making him look somewhere else.
“And you?” The Potions Master turned to him. “Why are you kneeling?” He spat to the horcrux.
“Oh, well... I find this the best position to die, professor. After all, I almost died on a crib, didn’t I?” He answered to Snape as he carefully observed how his eyes barely twitched, but he knew he got him.
“Get up now!” He took his forearm forcefully without giving him the opportunity to do it himself before he stood in front of him, but Snape had already turned before looking at him once again, his face showing a disgusting smirk. “There are no more points left in the Gryffindor hourglass and with only a few hours left to ride the train back, what if we…?”
“Add more points?” Professor McGonagall had just entered the Entrance Hall stumbling a little and using a cane to steady herself.
“Professor McGonagall!” Snape said now walking towards her. “You’ve been discharged from St. Mungo’s,” he commented.
“Of course, Professor Snape,” McGonagall beckoned Crabbe and Goyle, who had been unsuccessfully tried to hide themselves. “I am good as new. You two, take my travelling bag back to my office. I’d reckon you know how to find it."
The two looked at each other, totally resigned, but eventually obliged.
“Now,” she turned to the hourglasses. “I think Potter deserves at least fifty points for informing about the return of You-Know-Who, as well as their friends. What do you think, Professor Snape?” She turned to the slimy git, who hesitated at first.
“I…suppose, yes,” he said, but his face was clearly showing the opposite.
“Very well, so that’s fifty for Potter, the Weasley twins, Longbottom, and Miss Granger,” she nodded to Snape, who seemed defeated. “Oh, and also fifty for Miss Lovegood,” she added. “Now, I heard that you wanted to take points from Potter, so…” A few rubies fell from the ones that had accumulated already in the Gryffindor hourglass. “That is enough for today. Potter, Malfoy, why don’t you enjoy this sunny morning outside? It is indeed a wonderful day!” She continued before taking the stairs up to her office.
The horcrux did not even wait for Snape or Malfoy’s retaliation and slid past them thanks to Harry’s seeker skills. That’s the least he could expect from them, and he wasn’t going to give them the chance.
All he wanted was some peace before he was thrust again into sort of Gryffindor adventure. Like fighting dementors or being fried alive by a fucking dragon. But, no, he was out of luck today, before he encountered both Malfoy and then Snape. He had to be more careful from now on, or not. Just as he started to become confident again, he found someone adding notes to a board on a wall. He furrowed his brows until he realized that he knew that person. Said person noticed him, probably staring too much, and turned to him.
“Hello,” Luna quietly said.
“Hello,” he replied back, beginning to feel uncomfortable around her, and so he tried to break the ice. “What are you doing here?” He asked her.
“I am putting up signs in the board. You see, people like to take and hide my belongings,” she calmly explained.
The horcrux glanced at the board and upon reading the notes he gathered that she had lost practically all of her clothes and books. Almost immediately his neck began to redden, a feeling he knew it was anger. There was something he had never liked, and it was bullies.
“Why would someone do that?” He questioned the blonde girl, who was observing him shamelessly.
“Well, some people think I’m weird. Others like to call me ‘Lonny’ Lovegood,” she let him know.
“Maybe I can help you finding your stuff, Luna,” He suggested to her.
Was he feeling pity towards the girl? He barely knew her, and still he was offering to help her. Was this one of the side effects of being inside Harry Potter? Pity? Anger? Then why didn’t he feel the same with Malfoy or Snape before? Oh, wait, yes, because Harry hates Malfoy and loathes Snape with all of his being. And, yes, Luna had been nothing but a sweet and naïve acquaintance to Harry during his fifth year.
“Would you?” She tilted her head to one side.
“Of course. I would do anything for you, Luna,” he sincerely smiled at her before clearing his throat. “Accio Luna Lovegood missing things” He used the summoning charm thinking for a moment that it would not work, because he wasn’t being specific enough. Still, the young witch in front of him did not deserve being treated that way. After all, he had had his share of mistreatment during his first years in Hogwarts being known as the ‘Mudblood’ until he discovered his Slytherin roots. But that’s a story for another time.
“It’s okay, Harry. I am sure they will turn up…” She started talking before she was interrupted by a clinking noise nearby.
“It can’t be…” He whispered.
Little by little clothes of different patterns and colors, schoolbooks and a particular collection of shoes began to fly to them. Luna took a bag from inside her robes and slowly took each item putting them inside.
“Thank you, Harry Potter,” she dazedly said.
“Anytime,” he murmured mostly to himself. He was still holding Harry’s wand, which was the brother of his. It wasn’t rejecting him but embracing him. He glanced again at Luna, who was levitating some book that looked heavy. “I was wondering if I could ask for a favor, Luna,” he quickly said without thinking.
“Yes?” She looked up at him, smiling all the time.
“I don’t know if you are aware but this summer, I must stay hidden because of Voldemort,” he started to explain as she nodded. “And I was hoping that you would be my alibi in case I am able to escape from the Order’s clutches.” He continued.
“Of course, Harry. My father and I are going to travel to Sweden,” she informed him. “We are hoping to catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack”.
The what and what?
“Okay…whatever that is. Can I count with you, then?” He asked again.
“Yes, Tom,” she winked at him.
“What did you just say?” He stood open-mouthed quietly getting closer.
“I like the new you,” she spoke before leaving the corridor with her bag now full.
“What…the…fuck?”