Son of a Lord

"I'm going to help you, little brother."

Harry grabbed Theo's arm, loosening his grip slightly when the smaller boy yelped. 

"Aren't we going to the kitchens?" Theo said weakly. 

Harry scoffed, "That was just to get Potter off our backs, we need to do something about your...condition. Now." And quickly, Harry thought. He could feel the heat of Theo's skin through his robes. 

"My condition?" Theo questioned, his voice trembling, "What's happening to me?" In panic, Theo ripped his arm away from Harry's hand, "Harry please, I feel really-"

"Horrible?" Harry cut in. "Like your bones are about to peel away from your skin, like there's electricity dancing in your veins? Your hand keeps inching towards your wand and you don't know why?" 

Theo's breathing slowed as Harry talked, his expression of panic morphing into something resembling morbid curiosity. 

"How do you-"

Harry shook his head, "I'm going to help you, little brother," Theo's eyes lit up at the title, "but we need to get somewhere private and safe." 

Theo nodded, and followed Harry silently as they walked through deserted corridors. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The room of requirement had conjured a large, open space for both boys. The walls were a dull grey, but the floors were stark white, the effect of Harry's inability to keep the image of an elf bleeding out on white tiles out of his mind. 

The large double doors shut, and Theo huffed out a laugh. 

"How do you know about this place?" he asked, "Dad told me about it, but I thought it was a secret." 

Harry smirked, "You forget, my father attended Hogwarts as well."

Theo's gaze snapped to Harry, and he swallowed with difficulty. 

"Right," the boy said, "I forgot." 

And at that moment, Theo Potter collapsed onto the white floor. 

"Fuck," Harry cursed, sinking to the ground and catching Theo's head before it smashed onto the tiles. 

The boy was pale and clammy as his breath stuttered. Harry frowned and wrenched his outer robe off, seeing the dark veins traveling up the boy's torso from where sweat had made his shirt translucent. 

"Can you sit up?" Harry murmered, his mouth close to Theo's ear. 

The boy nodded slightly and pulled himself up, leaning half his weight on Harry. 

"Now will you tell me," he puffed, "what's happening?"

Harry grimaced, "You're experiencing a rather nasty case of dark magic addiction." 

Theo's breath hitched, and he slowly turned towards Harry, his eyes wide as saucers. 

"What did you say?" 

Harry sighed resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, "Dark magic addiction, Theo. That's what's wrong with you." 

Theo looked positively green, "But that's not right," he said in a panic, "I- I've never done any- or hurt anyone with any- I don't understand." He clambered to his feet, swaying dangerously. "You have to be wrong, there has to be a mistake. I mean I- we could- I need to go to the hospital wing." Harry watched seriously as Theo nodded to himself, subconsciously fishing his wand out of his trouser pocket and walking to the door, "Yes, that's what I need. Sorry for wasting your time Harry, I'll just leave and everything will be fi-" 

Harry was up in a split second, slamming Theo's wand hand into the door and grabbing it before the wood fell to the floor, pointing it at its owner. 

Theo stared at Harry in shock, "What-what are you doing Harry?" 

Harry sighed, "Theo, if you leave, you'll run into a student eventually, and by this time, I don't think you'd be able to control yourself." 

Theo blinked, "Control myself from what?" he almost whispered.

"From cursing them!" Harry shouted abruptly. The suddenness of the noise causing Theo to jump. "From cursing them you absolute idiot," Harry said again, quieter this time, but with no less malice. "You have never even looked at a dark arts book in your life, and now you cast imperio and a dark healing ritual together in the span of about three minutes and you expect no repercussions?" 

As Theo seemed to run Harry's words through his head, his eyes gradually narrowed, and his jaw clenched in a furious way Harry never would have expected from him. 

"So this is your fault?" Theo asked, his hands clenched into fists. "I'm going to die because of you?" 

"Die?" Harry said, "Theo, for the love of Merlin, you're not going to die, because I'm going to help you, alright?" 

"But- but why couldn't you have just told Mum and Dad? Surely they could-" 

Harry walked up to the boy, placing two firm hands on his shoulders, which were scorching. 

"What you did today? Those spells? They saved my life. Do you understand? I wouldn't be standing here if you hadn't have helped me." 

Theo nodded weakly, and Harry felt like he was getting somewhere. 

"Your parents?" he continued, "Your parents would take one look at those spells, at the condition you're in, and they would label you as evil, your actions as wrong." 

"Even if I saved you?" Theo whispered, and Harry smiled widely. 

"Especially if you saved me." 

Theo looked up sharply, his gaze questioning. 

"James and Lily don't care about me Theo. If they discovered this, you would be sent to Dumbledore for some sort of...rehabilitation, and do you know where I would be?"

Harry watched closely as Theo stared at the floor, chewing his lip until it bled. Until finally, he looked at Harry, "In Azkaban?"

Harry shook his head, "They'd kill me Theo. I'd be dead." 

Theo gasped, "But they can't! I've just got you back! They can't take you away, I won't let them. They can't kill you!" 

Inside, Harry was celebrating at the display of absolute loyalty to Harry. The boy's willingness to do anything to keep his big brother safe. It was disgusting. It was exactly what Harry wanted. 

It was powerful. 

"I know how to help you Theo," Harry said, his hands slipping off the boy's shoulders. "But if you tell anyone about this, you know the extent of what the consequences will be." 

Theo nodded vigorously, "I understand." 

Smiling, Harry turned Theo's wand handle first and held it towards him. 

"Dark magic is what got you into this, brother," Harry said as Theo took the wand, "And dark magic is the only thing that'll get you out." 

Notes:

Another update is here!!

Woah this chapter was a lot of dialogue, so I hope some of you enjoy reading straight dialogue (I do). 

I pretty my have the plan for this story in my head now, so chapters should move along pretty quickly :)