Reality twists 23/39

[herumtreiber]

Title: Reality twists 23/39
Chapter: The importance of Parseltongue
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: Post DH, romance, adventure, time travel
Rating: R
Epilogue compliant? No
Chapter length: ~3,331 words
Disclaimer:  I do not own Harry Potter or related characters, nor do I make any money from writing these stories.
Warnings for the fic: Angst, violence, noncon, character deaths (not the protagonists)
Summary: Harry/Draco/Daphne. Draco in Azkaban, plus time-travel. Explores the idea of powerful magic pitted against a nuclear bomb and the implications for the world. Noncon - evil Hermione and Ron – Atlantis may appear later on, and another meaning of the Prophecy. How a Time Turner can win a game. Very ecological use of the Fidelius charm; Dementors abound, but...


Table of contents


22. The studious spy

Percy said good-bye, pushed up his cowl and left, watching Griff wearily, as if expecting the excitable griffin to bite him.

Draco led the way, having shrunk the rifle and goggles and taken his endless bag. They passed the alcove in which Goyle and Blaise waited for them with the three spies. Draco took up guiding them and thanked the Slytherins.

As they made their way to Myrtle's bathroom, Severus commented wearily, "Dumbledore told me that the only way to enter the Chamber is if you are a parselmouth. Are you one, Draco?"

Draco sighed, "Unfortunately, no. However, I remember distinctly when Weasley asked Harry about some common phrases in parseltongue, including Open up. I can mimic the sound and we'll gain entrance. There's a way to circumvent any secret."

They got to the bathroom. Draco told them to wait outside and he entered it.

He called for Myrtle. She refused to show up at first, and then she appeared. Draco excused himself for not visiting her more often. He'd been there 5 times this year. He asked her to tell him how to enter the Chamber of Secrets.

Myrtle demurred. She said, "I don't know if I should tell you, Draco! You will likely get killed, and your beauty will fade. Even if you decide to remain in this plane you will haunt a different place. You're among the few persons who have taken me seriously in all the years I have been in this place, in the flesh and in the spirit. I don't want to lose you!"

Draco replied, "I need to know, Myrtle. They've got my mother hostage. She is expecting a child. Would you entertain losing her and the child? I cannot bear it, I must handle this. They dare to goad me into taking an incorrect action. I will prove them wrong. Please Myrtle, you've been at times the only sentient being that supports me wholeheartedly!"

So Myrtle told him. Draco approached the correct sink, followed the procedure and added the hissing sounds that he had heard that day long ago.

The Chamber was opened. Myrtle disconsolately sank to the floor and vanished.

Draco opened the door and invited Severus and Daphne. He then proceeded to unfreeze the third years. He prodded them and ordered them to go into the Chamber of Secrets, where a Basilisk had its lair. The students wet themselves and screamed to be set free.

Draco thundered, "You will not go off scot free! You are traitors, you will suffer the fate of traitors. If you refuse I will Crucio you until you lose your mind. Now go." He cursed Harper, and they realized he meant business.

Just as the first one was to descend to the Chamber, Draco added, "Stop! You will need this." He gave them mirrors. "Remember that if the Basilisk looks at you directly, you will die, if you look at it in the mirror, you will survive."

The students left. Afterwards, Severus commented gleefully, "You might have told them that they would survive petrified."

Draco replied, "They need something to remind them that what they did was awful, also the families will consider twice the course they stupidly follow."

They waited one and a half hours after the spies had gone down, and then they themselves descended. Draco made them wait in the ramp where the rat bones were, muttering to himself about the fashion crime done to his clothes today.

Walking around for a while, they found the three students. At least they had been smart and used the mirrors. They were all petrified. Draco put them together and hit them with a portkey that would take them to the Infirmary.

Draco took out the rifle and the goggles and prepared to use them when Severus advised, "Why don't you try to see if they work?"

Draco saw no point, but it was a logical suggestion. He tried to shoot something with the rifle, but it wouldn't work. He created a small zone of darkness, and the Infrared goggles didn't work.

Draco asked warily, "Why does it not work?"

Severus answered contemplatively, "As Head of Slytherin, I was privy to many detailed information concerning the Founder. It was rumored that Salazar was so intent in preserving blood purity that he seriously considered casting a charm on Hogwarts making it impossible for Muggle devices to work at all. Evidently such charm was not cast on the school, but it surely was on Salazar's pet project, the Chamber of Secrets."

Draco sighed gustily, "OK, time for back-up plan number 2."

"And that is?"

Draco replied urbanely, "My Hand of God and the trusty Malfoy sword. After Lucius did not prove amenable to getting it for me, I decided to have one someday anyway. It will give light that only I can see. The basilisk won't be able to see me. For the death or petrification to happen, there should be sight on the two parts."

Draco, swishing his wand with verve, intoned, "Nox Majoris!" Immediately all light departed from the Chamber of Secrets. Draco held aloft his Hand of God and it shined bright and clear for him. Draco made his sure way into the Chamber. When he got in front of Slytherin's statue he hissed in parseltongue what he remembered Harry said was an order to open.

The door opened, Draco entered and beheld the outline of an immense beast, a beast of mystery, grandeur and pain. The Basilisk heard him and Draco hissed at it what were greetings and commands. The beast didn't prove amenable at all, and instead lunged at the position it sensed Draco occupied, pausing for a few seconds as it wondered why he didn't fall down dead.

The basilisk pounced on Draco. He cast a Protego shield and lunged forward with the Malfoy sword, a weapon made in Seville from silver and platinum bands that came from an asteroid. Draco was studiously careful to avoid looking in the direction of the Basilisk's eyes.

Draco let the basilisk grow closer, and he moved toward its head. When the beast realized that, it tried to rear up and crush him, Draco attacked with the sword and directed it toward the throat. He sliced it open, and there was a torrent of blood flowing down to Draco's robes. He cast an Evanesco on the blood and slowly made his way to the door, after picking up the Hand of God which had fallen during the struggle.

The basilisk hissed some more, and then died.

Draco stopped the Nox spell and light returned to the Chamber. Before he rejoined Severus and Daphne, he wanted to try and open a strangely carved door.

He managed to open the door, and as he walked in, he felt smothered by a cold cloak-like being. He found out he couldn't breathe. He knew then that he was suffering the unduly attention of a Lethifold. The cloak-like creatures liked to asphyxiate their victims and eat them; they were impervious to magic, except the Patronus charm. Unfortunately for Draco, he couldn't muster memories happy enough to power the charm, so he was basically defenseless. Dimly he wondered how they'd got the Lethifold to come here, given its preference for tropical climates.

The Lethifold continued smothering him until Draco was on the edge of losing consciousness, when he heard three distinct voices saying "Expecto patronum!" After some tussle he was able to see three silver shapes biting and destroying the Lethifold that had attacked him and several others crouching nearby.

He beheld a very fluffy-looking doe, a sly-seeming fox and a proud, smirking lion.

A voice Draco seemed to recall hearing before commented sarcastically, "What's with you, Draco? Going off to the Chamber! You could have told us." The voice now seemed to think that a rant was in order, "Fortunately for you, Moaning Myrtle was so worried about you that she showed up in our common room, startling us when she coalesced from the floor. She was moaning about the many stairs, as if she had any need of them! She explained that you were going to the Chamber; she was worried you would get killed. She moaned so much that Neville and I just had to come here and help."

Draco asked intrigued, "How did you get in?"

The voice replied coolly, "I know this Chamber, I've relived my memories here many times in my nightmares. People often overlook that not only Harry and Voldemort have spoken parseltongue here, I have done that too. When Voldemort possessed me, he spoke many useful phrases in parseltongue. Eventually I learned it from him, even when the connection was severed."

Draco observed carefully this time, and recognized Ginny Weasley, clutching the arm of Neville Longbottom. He considered that the fox was Weasley's patronus, the lion obviously Neville's and the doe was Severus's? He inwardly chortled and gloated at the blackmail possibilities opening up, until he remembered the missing family.

Draco stood up and carefully dusted off his robes. He asked Ginny, "Where would you put prisoners?"

Ginny replied succinctly, "Follow me." As she and Neville took the lead, they traversed a narrow corridor. They were ambushed there by apparently a dozen wizards. Ginny fought valiantly, and when she appeared to be badly outnumbered, Neville and Draco defended her from the coming hexes, any one of which could have killed her. Neville was outraged to discover that many of their enemies were members of the Order, fighting alongside former Death Eaters! As befitted his Patronus, Neville fought like a lion and was quickly avoided by the combatants.

The seemingly frail Daphne was a tough nut to crack. She used the perceptions about her to lure the enemy into a sense of security, which often was rudely interrupted by a painful hex.

Severus fought like a demon. The Headmaster was magnificent. He did not transfigure objects to daintily hold back the curses, displaying so his followers could comprehend how powerful he was.

Severus simply hexed, efficiently culling his enemies.

When they had finished, Draco put all prisoners together, removed and broke their wands, and took out a portkey that would take them to the Malfoy Manor dungeons. He asked for Silgy, one of his House Elves, and gave instructions for the caring of the miscreants, including the wards to use in their doors.

Daphne examined the group, and healed their cuts and bruises. She had always wanted to be a Healer. She had a touch that could calm the more nervous patient.

Eventually Ginny took the lead again, closely accompanied by a nervous Neville. They arrived to a door and it hissed at them, Ginny hissed back and the door appeared to ponder the sounds. However, it didn't open. Ginny hissed some more but the door didn't budge.

Draco had it up to here with this weird place and its fixation on parseltongue. He walked up to the door and said in stentorian tones, "I am sick and tired of this place requesting that one speak parseltongue! I am the Slytherin Prince, the quintessential Slytherin. I have no need to be a descendant of Salazar in order to guide the House to more glory. Blood descent is overrated anyway. I will prove these truths by getting my way, the Slytherin way."

Draco took out the Elder wand and pointed it at the door. "If I were a Gryffindor I would fire the most powerful spell I know at the door, typically thoughtless, undoubtedly it wouldn't work. If I were a Hufflepuff I would dally and confer with my comrades, sure in their faith and company. While this is pleasing, it would do nothing towards rescuing my family."

"If I were a Ravenclaw I would research the Chamber's story and learn all I could about it. Again, this would be nice but it would take up too much of my time, and time is of the essence here."

"So I do it the Slytherin way, Door. If this place does not respond to me like it should and helps me to rescue my family, I swear to you on my word as Lord Malfoy that in less than one month Slytherin House will cease to exist!" The magic briefly pulsed as it took notice of the Oath.

The door and the magic governing the Chamber were in a quandary. On the one side, Salazar had left strict instructions about who was allowed to enter, what they had to do or wear in order to do so. These instructions were the Chamber's reason for existing, to preserve Salazar's ideals.

Yet there was one quality that Salazar Slytherin appreciated the most: survival. He would want his House to continue existing. The magic felt that the wizard making the Oath, though powerful, was not as powerful and trained as Salazar had been, but it sensed that Draco indeed had the power to close Slytherin. In a way, he used this power to threaten the place into doing his bidding, playing to his strength and disregarding thoughts of pity. It was truly a Slytherin plan.

Salazar would have been proud of this boy. With that, the magic of the place made its decision.

The door opened.

Ginny turned around and stuttered, "But, the d-door said that…"

Draco sauntered up to the room and said nonchalantly, "Nothing that the judicious use of extinction cannot cure." He entered and used his wand to light up the sconces. He found a small bed and Narcissa was on it, apparently she had been dosed with a sleeping potion. He noticed her bracelet, and he was worried to see that the Protection Charm would stop acting any minute now. He called on a House Elf to transport her to his room and be reunited with Andromeda. He dared not use a portkey to transport his pregnant mother.

He went to the room next door and said "Open up!" The door opened instantly.

HRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRH

Harry had been left in this strange room for some hours. He couldn't pinpoint the moment when they captured him, maybe they used Confundus on him.
Yes, he should have been vigilant. It was his fault that he had been captured, like the deaths of Sirius and Cedric were his fault. He was a freak, like his uncle said.
You're laying it a bit too thick, don't you think? This mental voice sounded somewhat sarcastic and snide, like Draco.
No, I am guilty of jumping into danger. I should have listened to Hermione's advice, she was always right.
Even in the end, when she ordered the Dementor to attack Draco? I understand your penchant for forgiving, but sometimes it seems too much. This voice held the wry humor of Daphne.
You were always jumping into danger. The only reasons you survived to defeat Voldemort were the planning and care of Dumbledore and Hermione.
I've had it! Mused angrily the Draco voice. Use Occlumency, you twit!

Then Harry understood that he was under mental attack and the nagging voice was the attacker, and Draco's and Daphne's voices probably came from the bracelet. He hastily erected strong Occlumency shields and withstood the treacherous attempt to subvert his thoughts.

Presently the door opened and Harry Potter came in. Harry was astonished at this double of himself. Potter walked in and spoke to Harry, "I've set up things in such a way that they will all hate you. It seems as if you betrayed them most foully, especially Draco. In fact, the conversation you had was interspersed with tidbits that only you could know. For them you are dead, and I wouldn't be surprised if they kill you themselves. Afterwards, Draco mumbled something about betrayal being love's escape clause, and he was crashing things in his room."

"You would do well to consider new allies." Then Potter took out his wand and lazily sent a Crucio Harry's way. Harry had lived under a Protection Charm most of his life, being again under another, he knew exactly how to take advantage of it. He moved to the side and let the curse hit the bed, and pretended to writhe in pain. Potter smirked maliciously, the only un-Harry gesture he'd made. Harry was astounded at the degree of realism brought to bear on this characterization. He felt hope plummet as he imagined Draco and Daphne watching Pensieve memories of this Harry. They would be taken in by the masquerade.

The stranger knew intimately Harry's gestures and body language, they also knew how to penetrate his mind and try to flood it with guilt. All things pointed toward one person, but that would require a Dark ritual, loathsome to the dainty warriors of the Light.

Deciding to be adventurous, Harry asked, "Who did you murder, Hermione?"

Potter trembled, he said, "What do you mean? How did you find out?"

Harry replied, "Only you could know me enough to pose as me so effortlessly. Only you knew how to enter my mind. What I'm wondering is who did you murder to make your Horcrux?"

Hermione replied, "It was Tonks. Before the battle she came upon me and wanted to go visit with you and then take her baby boy home. I could not let that happen. According to Dumbledore, she had a role to play. The role of abnegated wife who goes off to war to die, leaving a delicate orphan boy to be raised perfectly in rigor and hardship."

"Albus had provided the continuation of your work, Harry! Teddy would grow up just like you and he would become a second Boy Who Lived, a hero. But this required Tonks to die; since she selfishly refused to do so, I did take her life. It was painless and the Horcrux was made. Before the killing though, I took from her something she had no further need of, I took her blood, the magic that let her be a Metamorphmagus and incorporated it to me."

Potter's face suddenly shifted and became that of Hermione. She smiled and said cockily, "So you see Harry, I offer the most advantageous place. Together we will rule the Wizarding world."

Before she could add more, they were plunged into complete darkness. Hermione muttered under her breath: Lumos! But the spell didn't work. She continued muttering about malign Malfoys. Harry felt that maybe Draco was looking for him. Whether to rescue or crucify him, he didn't know.

The darkness lasted for fifteen minutes, and then it was lifted. Hermione had kept muttering about basilisks and lethifolds, so Harry had a foreboding feeling about Draco and whoever else had come. Things seemed to indicate that they were in the Chamber of Secrets, but there was one thing Harry didn't understand.

He asked Hermione, who had morphed back into Potter, "How did you enter here? You can't speak parseltongue!"

Potter replied, "That's true. Salazar decreed that only his descendants would enter here, or the person would have to wear his ring." Potter proudly showed Harry the magnificent silver and green Slytherin ring, Potter continued, "Wearing this ring, I'm recognized as Salazar's heir and can speak parseltongue enough to navigate here. How do you think Dumbledore reconnoitered the Chamber?"

"The place's magic has let me know that Malfoy is here. He will rescue his mother, who apparently was kidnapped by you Harry! Such shame! He's coming here, too. He will be interested to see you. Good-bye!"

Potter went to the door and hissed at it so it would open, however it remained closed. After trying to open it unsuccessfully for several minutes, casting spells at it, Potter finally conceded defeat to the impervious entrance and said to Harry, "We will wait together for him. When he enters he will be confused by the two of us, and that will give me a small window of opportunity to kill him. What does it feel to be the cause of someone's death again, Harry?"

Harry felt despair, because he sensed the Protection Charm had finally stopped functioning.

The door opened.

24. King's Cross