Nobody Cared

Oct 28 thru Oct 30

28 Oct 1991 - Monday Afternoon

Harry and Draco were both silent as they walked soundlessly down the strange, grey corridor until they were led through a rather drab looking door of unstained oak that was no taller than they were. Harry touched the wall but it felt just like dry wood.

I want to go home, his mind began to sniffle. I don't feel good.

Harry felt something yank at his attention, and he forgot about the wall, and his fear. The two boys now stood, staring, as though they awaited some silent instruction. After a few seconds Draco jerked slightly and then he touched the door. There was a series of clicks, a snick, and then the door silently glided open to admit them.

There was no one to see the two tears that fell from Draco's eyes to the highly polished, black marble floor.

The two small boys entered an incredible chamber that was narrow, yet seemed to stretch endlessly ahead of them. On either side were impossibly tall shelves of silver. Each shelf held orbs that glowed softly in many colours. Their meagre light barely illuminated their spot upon the shelf.

There were thousands, upon thousands of these orbs.

Harry walked with unerring purpose down the center aisle, his green gaze glazed over. Beside him, Draco continued to walk, but his footsteps, once smooth, were becoming uneven, jerking at times and almost making him fall as the Compulsion Spell that had been directing him was fading. At one point, he did stumble to his knees.

"Har...ry!" his voice was full of fear which only worsened as his friend whirled angrily upon him. His viridian gaze faded sharply to an angry maroon, and with strength that wasn't his, Harry gripped Draco's upper arm and dragged him to his feet.

Harry suddenly let go of his friend and he let out a gasp. The maroon glare was gone and his own, normal green gaze was momentarily back. He rasped, "I... can't... just..." he drew in an agony of breath and managed to blurt, "do what he says, Draco!"

The angry red glare was back and before Draco could rear back, his upper arm was gripped tightly again and Harry was pulling him further into the depths of the chamber of orbs.

After what felt like an eternity, or long enough for Draco's fingers to tingle painfully from Harry's grip, the two boys stopped at one shelf. Harry had his malevolent eyes upon one orb that pulsed sluggishly with a greenish light. He tried to reach for it, but he was just an inch too short.

"Get it for me!" demanded Harry in a voice that was much more grown-up than his and had a haunting, sibilant, whispery quality to it.

"You-you-you're hurting me, Harry," Draco gasped even as his mind's voice, which sounded so much like his father's, warned him to keep quiet.

Harry did not take his eyes off the orb, but that scary, whispery voice hardened to steel and ordered, "Give me that orb or I'll kill you."

With tears streaming down his cheeks, Draco stretched up for the orb Harry was staring at intently. He was just barely able to brush it with his fingers. He relaxed and tried a second time to stretch further. He let out a whimper as his fingers ineffectually moved the sphere just a bit more out of his reach.

"Get it!" hissed that awful voice from Harry.

"I'm trying!" Draco blubbered. A third stretch only proved that the orb was tantalisingly beyond his fingers. A fourth try made Draco break out in an frustrated sob. He then let out a screech as Harry's wand was suddenly and painfully jabbed into his neck.

Harry had, at first, felt soothed by the spell in the odd corridor, and that was probably his undoing. As he was caught, he felt himself dragged away from his body and slammed into a cage. Harry couldn't see it, but he was able to feel the cage that trapped him. He also knew that something else, something scary and evil had his body.