the gift of death

chapter three: deals with the devil {year one part one}

"Don't tell Dumbledore. Please, don't tell Dumbledore," Harry says, getting alarmingly close to begging.

"I am sworn to secrecy on all wands, Heir Potter."

He lets himself slump with feigned relief. Inside, he begins to carefully calculate how to manipulate the situation.

Harry sighs listlessly to himself, and then collapses into the chair behind his desk. He thinks about how in a few days the Hogwarts Express will take him away to Hogwarts. Running a hand through his messy black hair, debating with himself over how he should act. If he's going into Slytherin-- the most likely option--then he'd have to tread extremely cautiously. Not only was he in constant danger because of the Dark Lord--at least at this point in this world--but he's also in danger due to the watchful eyes of Dumbledore, and most of the Weasleys. Of course, he could try to...

He cocks his head, a smile forming on his face. 'Ade, I'm changing my bet to Gryffindor.' He whispers, using their unique connection as he buttons up his cloak. He curls up on the couch, after checking the time--still several hours before he had to leave--and closes his eyes, leveling out his breathing. He feels himself sink into his mind, and he blinks.

When he opens his eyes (not truly--and yet, it feels like it. You have to be careful behind someone's Occlumency shields; you could very well die, physically and mentally, or be locked away forever, or be forever ruined--that's why Occlumency was labelled as a Dangerous Class V Dark Arts, while Legilimency wasn't, nevermind the mental damage and who's attacking who.) he sees a dark room. He's sitting on something slightly squishy, and he flicks his hand, supreme in his own realm. A flame appears, causing the Devil's Snare to hiss and to retreat.

While normally he would appear in his 'private study'--a combination of the most sensitive information that he has, combined with his magical Well of power--he wanted to ensure that his defenses were as strong as ever.

He lands softly in a room that was filled with sharp reflections, distortions of reality. In front of him, a darker, twisted version of him waits, green eyes glowing with power. "You cannot escape me.." It murmurs quietly in Parseltongue, face and clothing splattered with blood.

"When the time comes, I will not run." Harry replies easily, and steps through the mirror, which turns into a liquid, similar to mercury. A twitch of his finger, and he has a small ball of soft yellow-orange light following beside him.

His footsteps echo throughout the hallway, seemingly endless. A roar almost startles him, but he doesn;t flinch away from it, having nothing to fear inside of his own mind.

Standing between intruders and the entrance to his mind is a huge creature, with wings and claws seemingly made of glowing golden mass, molten and bubbling. Chryseus, a creature of his own imagination. A long neck, with white-gray fur, and a human-like face, a mouth full of far too many teeth. It has horns, as well; black horns, filed to a point. And it's tail has a large, dangerous stinger attached to it. As he had created it, Harry knows that the acid would destroy the mind the longer that someone stood in its presence. If the creature touched you with it's claws or wings, they were frozen here, locked into a golden form--like the King Midas myth, from ancient Greco-Roman cultures. Perfect for protecting your mind; dangerous for anyone else.

Harry turns after it bows, knowing it's master is here. Around the edges of the chamber, the areas where the statues used to stand were gone. He frowns, but continues onwards, setting into the final chamber. The flickering torch light suddenly fades, as a darkened mist crawls forwards, enveloping Harry, blurring the shapes around him. It was endless, unless one knew the trick--

Harry pressed the tree knot, and the Whomping Willow smashed around him, but a small hole opened. He slipped through, finally ending up into 'Hogwarts.' As a giant magical castle, there were plenty of places to hide memories away. He opens the doors into the castle, and turnsleft, towards the second-floor girl's bathroom. He had contained the Horcrux in him to the Chamber.