What a Handshake Can Do (Drarry)

Year 7: Part 5

Turns out getting the horcruxes out wasn't the only problem.

The moment Harry stepped into the dark castle he could feel him. Hogwarts reeked of Voldemort's presence and his mind became even more confused. Who was Harry Potter without Voldemort? The Dark Lord had created him, in a way. Harry struggled to keep his thoughts together as he walked down the halls under his invisibility cloak, watching students walk past him. The students all kept their heads down, even the Slytherins. The familiar sound of chatter had died away, replaced with silence. Cold and heavy silence that no one dared break.

Draco had promised him that the remaining horcruxes lay inside the castle, but how could he know? Draco wasn't connected to Voldemort. Draco had nothing. Draco was weak and easily swayed for Light, the pitiful Light.

No!

Harry grabbed his head, clearing his mind. Voldemort wanted him, Voldemort begged him to come near. He had to resist the temptation, the longing desire inside him to go to his master and beg for forgiveness. The corridor came into sight and Harry ran along the cold stone to where the Room of Requirement hid. Three times. He walked back and forth three times, picturing whatever he thought a horcrux might look like. Well, he knew what one looked like: the ring that held a piece of Harry's soul...

Stepping into the room, Harry became overwhelmed by the sheer chaos of the place. Shelves full of random trinkets lined the walls. The rest of the place was almost impossible to describe, completely covered in junk. Rubbish everywhere.

He could smell Voldemort's soul, fragmented. His eyes narrowed on a bust of some old wizard, wearing a lady's crown on its head. Whispers surrounded it and Harry ran towards the diadem, grabbing it. Horcrux. He placed it on his head, knowing there had to be more. It couldn't possibly be this easy.

His feet lurched forward of their own accord, Harry's hand flew to the locket (another horcrux) around his neck, running through the piles of books and bobbles. His hand automatically reached for a cup, and he knew the moment his fingers closed around the shiny surface that it was another horcrux. How could it be this easy? His thoughts muddled, Harry turned around, trying to find the exit, only to look upon a sea of nicknacks.

Harry's eyes were drawn towards a cabinet in the corner, a picture of his boyfriend appearing in his head. He watched the ethereal version of Draco slammed his head against the wood, tears streaming down his pale face. I can't do this! He's going to kill me and I can't fucking do it!

Harry blinked, taking a step backwards as the apparition turned toward something - someone - in the distance. Potter?

Turning around, Harry saw a ghostlike image of himself, a Gryffindor version of himself, standing a few feet away. What are you doing, Malfoy?

"Stop," he mumbled, grabbing the sides of his head and falling to his knees, "make it stop."

Oh, little one, I can make it stop, he opened his eyes to see the ghost Draco replaced with a hooded figure.

Even as the person removed the hood, Harry knew it was Voldemort, sensing his aura. Not in the flesh, thank Merlin, but a projection. He couldn't touch him but the Dark Lord never needed to, he could inspire pure terror with a single word. Magic oozed from the apparition as Voldemort took a step towards him. Come and serve me as is your true purpose. Don't let Draco Malfoy's lies fool you any longer.

He spoke directly into Harry's head, all his walls tumbling down. "Go away! Draco doesn't lie to me!"

He's lying about everything, slave. This entire reality is a lie.

"No!"

You keep seeing yourself as a different person. You keep seeing things that don't exist and witnessing events that never happened. Have you asked yourself why?

Harry ground his teeth together, clenching his fists. Voldemort had a point, he had been seeing strange things lately. "It's you! You're messing with my head," Harry groaned, focusing all his strength on banishing the vision of the Dark Lord.

No. It's your lover. Ask him what he did to time and you'll find out that I'm right. Time isn't as it should be, this reality isn't as it should be. Draco will pay for his actions. I see his future, no matter how much he tries to change it.

Harry had his eyes closed, yet he could see. He watched another version of himself walking through the Forbidden Forest to where Draco and Pansy lay waiting, hiding. He watched himself pull Draco aside, kissing him deeply. The picture of Draco kissed him back, falling against a tree as it grew more passionate. Something fell out of his shirt, a pendent. Harry zoomed in the imaginary scenario, looking at the black metal in the shape of... "A Time-Turner?"

The most powerful one in existence, the illusion melted away and reality returned, your lover has messed with something that should never have been touched. And he did it because of Dumbledore. Yet, look at this? It isn't better is it? You will lose because of his selfishness! You will all BURN!

The apparition of Voldemort spread his hands, tongues of flame, real flames, erupting from his fingers. Harry gasped at the sudden heat, watching Voldemort disappear, his insane laughter still ringing through the halls. Flames began licking at the piles of junk and Harry ran. He had to escape. He ran as fast as his knobby legs could carry him, clutching the diadem to his head and the cup to his chest. Voldemort's voice still echoed through his head, the horcruxes would never let him forget the laughter.

Right or wrong? Part of him wanted to run the other direction, beg Voldemort to take him back, but he couldn't not now. He had to escape.

And he had to talk to Draco.

He needed to find out for himself if what Voldemort said was true. And if it was? Well, Harry really hoped it was just another lie. 

——-

Merry two days before Christmas?

Any New Years resolutions?

I have none lol. Well, maybe to be a little more optimistic towards life.