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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance	By : RikuRocks Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 5752 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Harry Potter, nor am I making any money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapter 10: A Hidden Chamber and an Unwelcome Guest.

Harry and Draco took the lead as the four teens went down the stairs into the chamber. Once they reached the bottom, Draco lit the torches that lined the room with at wave of his wand. The chamber reminded Harry of a dungeon, and he pondered for a moment that it might have been at one time. Now, however, it resembled a storeroom one might find in a museum.

Damask sheets covered many of the larger items, some were obviously portraits by the shape, and others could be anything. There were shelves, cabinets, and trunks lining the walls, and some in the middle of the room as well.

�Why don�t Draco and I start at that end, and you guys start on this end?� Harry suggested as he turned to Ron and Hermione.

�All right,� Hermione said before Ron could reply. She grabbed his arm and led him to a set of drawers in the corner. The redhead glanced back at Harry with an inquiring look, but allowed himself to be lead.

Draco immediately crossed the room and began looking through an old trunk, not paying any attention to the bespectacled teen, who was standing behind him with a questioning look of his own.

Harry stepped forward to stand beside the blonde again. �What was that?� He asked in a low voice.

�A poem,� Draco answered as quietly. �Only my mother or I could have figured it out by these clues.� He looked at the portrait that was still in his hand and the torn page in Harry�s hand. �When I was younger, I came across a book on magic in one of my tutor�s bookshelves and he allowed me to keep it. I liked it because it blended a story with the lessons.

�One of the chapters contained a poem; the password I just gave was the last verse. For some reason, that poem always struck a chord with me. I pulled it out of the book and put it in a frame in my room. Mother asked about it, and I showed her the book�it was that Muggle book I had hidden in my room.�

�How did she like that?� Harry asked. �That it was a Muggle book, I mean.�

�She was angry, but decided it was an innocent mistake, and told me to get rid of the book. Which, I obviously hid instead.� the silver-eyed boy turned back to the trunk in front of him as he continued quietly. �My father, on the other hand, was furious. It�s never been mentioned again.�

Draco�s voice held a slightly wistful quality when he spoke next, in a barely audible whisper, �She knew��

�Knew what?� Harry asked, his voice unconsciously dropping as well.

�That I would openly turn on them; she knew, and� she chose to support me.� Draco blinked a couple times and turned to look at the other boy. �She chose me over him. I didn�t think she would.�

�It�s that Black blood,� the raven-haired teen responded as he took a step closer and placed a hand on the blonde�s shoulder. �It makes people insanely loyal and you never know what they�re going to do next�at least, that what�s Lupin told me when we were discussing the subject at the end of last term.�

�I think he�s right.� Draco returned his attention to the trunk he had been looking through.

�Yeah, he usually is,� commented Harry as he too, returned to the task at hand.

Harry was not sure what many of the items he came across were. Even the ones that seemed rather straightforward held some spell, curse, or secret. Most were dark in nature, or had obvious uses for a dark wizard.

There were several vials of potions, which Draco warned Harry not to open, although they did keep a few of them. There were several enchanted items; such as a bracelet that drained the willpower of whoever wore it; a couple Portkeys of unknown destination and origin. Even Draco did not know the uses of many of the objects.

They all cast Specialis Revelio on everything, and Draco cast the spell to check possible Horcruxes whenever the question arose, so far, none of the objects were Horcruxes.

�Well, you wouldn�t expect V-Voldemort to keep them together, and we already found one here,� Hermione said a few hours after they entered the chamber, as she tried for the third time to cast the Horcrux revealing spell. The incantation she seemed to have mastered, but the intricate wand movements were proving difficult, much to her annoyance. Ron and Harry had already given up on the spell.

�And Lucius Malfoy had that diary too,� Ron added as he watched the bushy-haired girl begin her fourth attempt on the same object. �Hermione, you�ve tried that spell a couple dozen times already. Why don�t you just wait until we get back and you can read the book that tells you how to cast it? For all we know, only wizards who use the dark arts can cast it.�

�It originated as a healing spell, Ron, it�s not dark magic,� Hermione said rather irritably. �I don�t want to have to keep calling Draco over like Harry does.�

�Hey, it works faster then your way,� the bespectacled teen called from across the chamber as Draco was casting the spell on another object for him.

�What are you going to do when you�re out looking for the others?� Hermione called back irritably.

�I�m taking Draco with me remember? He can cast it, besides, I�m sure I�ll figure it out eventually,� Harry answered and continued looking through the shelves in front of him when it turned out the item was not a Horcrux. �Well, it was cursed.�

�Nearly everything in here is cursed,� the blonde beside him commented dryly. Harry noticed that the pallid teen stayed close to him now. �How has the Ministry never found any of this?� He added indignantly as he pulled out an old book on ancient blood rituals.

Harry had to stifle a laugh and ducked his head into a large trunk. He stood again after he had himself under control. �I would think you�d be proud that your family has been able to keep all this hidden.�

�Well it would be nice to have a reason to have some pride in the Ministry of Magic. They�ve raided the manor enough times by now to have found something.� Draco responded as he sifted a hand through a box of small silver chains. �Or if my family didn�t have a chamber full of dark artefacts that they had to keep hidden.� He added so quietly that Harry was sure Ron and Hermione could not hear.

�What�s this?� Harry asked as he pointed to a small glass showcase with a ring inside

.

The blonde came over and cast Specialis Revelio on it, the usual protective spells showed. �It�s an old Malfoy family ring. My father probably intended to curse some relative with it.� He cast the Horcrux revealing sell for good measure and when nothing happened, he picked up the case to move it out of the way.

Then suddenly, his eyes widened marginally as he dropped the glass case and staggered back a step. He looked slightly puzzled afterwards and Harry could follow a chill as it washed over the other boy�s thin frame.

�Draco, what happened? Are you all right?� The bespectacled teen stepped around the broken glass as he approached the pale boy.

�I�m not sure�� The silver-eyed teen trembled again for a moment as he added, �But whatever it is hasn�t stopped yet.�

�What is it?� Harry raised a hand to steady the blonde, but the pale Slytherin stepped back again and shook his head as his body trembled once more. �What�s happening to you?�

�It�s cold, and slightly painful, like a cluster of sharp icicles pricking me in waves,� Draco answered still looking confused, and still having his form stricken by sudden tremors every few seconds.

The raven-haired boy frowned in concern, his hands still poised to grab the other teen. �Was it the ring? This seemed to start when you moved it. You said your father probably intended it to curse someone. Maybe having a Malfoy touch it sets it off or something��

Draco�s eyes snapped onto Harry�s and he appeared to be doing some quick thinking. �That�s it.�

The blonde looked bemused for a moment at Harry�s worried expression before he realised that he would have to explain. �No, it�s not the ring. Someone set off one of the blood wards. It�s just affecting me because I�m the only Malfoy here.�

�Oh�well how do you stop it?� Harry was refraining from throwing his cloak over Draco to stop the insistent trembling that was still coming in waves. Suddenly he realised the other significance of what the fair boy had just said. �Wait� who set off the wards, and where are they?�

�Just caught that part? ...And here I was starting to think that luck had less to do with your persistent survival then everyone claims. Pity,� Draco drawled and would have pulled off a casual air had it not been for the trembling that started again mid-sentence.

This also caused the scathing look Harry sent him to be marred by concern, and so both boys decided to drop any pretence and just figure out what to do.

�I don�t know where the wards were breeched; however, I think it�s safe to say that only the blood wards were affected since I�m the only one to notice any effects,� Draco answered calmly. �That means the person responsible removed the other spells, or the wards allowed entry. Very few could remove my Father�s wards, so it�s Aunt Bellatrix, Snape, a house elf, or V-Voldemort, and I can�t fathom- oh.�

��Oh� what?� Harry asked.

�Nothing; I stand by my previous assessment,� the silver-eyed boy answered, then added; �Shouldn�t we be leaving or preparing in some way?�

�I suppose we could try to figure out who it is first,� The bespectacled teen answered, still eyeing Draco inquisitively. �If it�s a house elf then no worries; if it�s Voldemort or Bellatrix then we�ll leave; and if it�s Snape by himself then��

�Then what...?� The blonde asked Harry, who he was now watching with some trepidation; �You can�t mean to capture him by ourselves, and anyway, what would we do with him afterwards?�

�What do you think? Draco, whatever you thought he was before, you have to see what he is now,� Harry said a little more heatedly then necessary. �Draco, he killed Dumbledore! He lied to everyone! He-�

The blonde once again showed his uncanny ability to cease Harry from rambling on about Snape with merely a look and the raising of a slender hand. �I understand, I just� I guess your side isn�t that different after all.�

Harry deflated at that, although in truth, it was not because of the statement. It was because of the well-covered disappointment in the silver eyes before him, which was clearly directed at the pale boy himself. Draco had expected as much, Harry guessed, but had been hoping to be proven wrong and was just as disappointed in himself for harbouring that hope as he was at the right side for being less then satisfactory.

Harry also realised that the boy before him had always been, and remained to this day, as afraid of the right side as he was the wrong, and -loathe as Harry was to admit it- he had good reason to be. It was only chance that gave Draco his opportunity to prove himself. He could have ended up in the same repute as Snape all too easily. Then, most of those on the right side would just as soon send him to Azkaban or kill him.

In fact, if Harry had not overheard several conversations that he should not have during the past year, then he would have been just as quick to misjudge the pallid Slytherin�

�Look, I�m not going to kill him.� Harry was surprise to find that he meant it. �We�ll turn him over to the Ministry. He�ll be safe from Voldemort and from the Order, and he�ll get a fair trial.�

Draco scoffed. �Yeah, just like Sirius and my father? Oh, wait; they weren�t tried before being thrown into Azkaban. Thank you, Harry, I feel much better now.�

The silver-eyed teen turned his face away before Harry could read his expression. �I�m sorry,� he murmured after a brief silence; he still did not look at the bespectacled boy. �I know it�s not your fault that things are�well, the way that they are. Just don�t try that �everything is going to turn out all right� and �justice will prevail� jargon with me. I�ve seen too much to believe it.�

Another tremor shook Draco�s slender frame, and then he returned his gaze to Harry, now looking as unreadable as usual. �We still have an intruder to deal with.�

�All right, we need to figure out what we�re going to do. Although, I think we can safely assume that the person will not be able to get in here,� Harry said with a slight grin.

�Maybe we should just leave,� Draco suggested, although he did not sound fearful, but as though he just did not want to be bothered. �We have what we came here for, and we shave enough to be getting on with without capturing Death Eaters or possible Death Eaters.�

�That�s why you didn�t make Gryffindor,� the raven-haired boy exclaimed, �You�re too logical. You always have to look before you leap.�

�Which is why I�m a proud Slytherin,� the blonde responded without missing a beat. �Unlike your lot that plunges in without any thought or tact. Again, I can�t help but wonder how you survived all these years without a Slytherin in your little group.�

�Well then, oh wise Slytherin, what do you propose we do?� Harry replied disdainfully.

�Aside from my previous rational suggestion...? We could try the portraits. With both my parents� indisposed of, I suppose one could claim that I�m lord of the manor now; that would mean that the portraits are bound to serve me.�

�You mean like the portraits in the Headmaster�s office at Hogwarts?� The previous disdain had drained from Harry�s voice.

�Yes. Most of the old pureblood families have similar arrangements.�

�Does that mean that I can use the ones at Grimmauld Place the same way?� Harry asked, looking a little taken aback. �Wait, then why couldn�t Sirius? He constantly told his mother�s portrait to shut up, and she never did.�

�I take it Grimmauld Place is the house we came here from?� Draco waited until Harry nodded before explaining, �I can only presume it passed into your ownership via a will, since you�re not related to us and you seem certain that it�s yours. It could be that they are only bound to serve the owner if that person is blood related to the Black family. These portraits will only serve a Malfoy by blood, and the ones at Hogwarts only serve the headmaster or headmistress while they hold the title.�

�As far as Sirius goes,� the pallid Slytherin continued, looking thoughtful, �It could be a number of things. Perhaps his mother�s portrait is spelled differently to give her independence; or all the portraits there are even more specific about whom they must serve and he didn�t fit the criterion�he was disowned after all. Once my Father catches wind of what I�ve been up to, he�ll probably disown me and then the portraits here won�t have to assist me. It could be that Sirius just refused to accept the position. I must admit, I could understand not wanting to� We�re getting a bit distracted, aren�t we?�

�What- oh�err, yeah, you�re right.� Harry wondered if all pureblood families trained their children in this kind of thing or if was just the ancient and insane ones like the Blacks and the Malfoys. �There are some portraits down here, can you check with one of them?�

�Considering the nature of everything in this room, I think I�d rather not,� Draco replied mildly as he turned towards the chamber�s entrance. �I�ll slip out and use the one of my Grandmother; it�s in the drawing room right outside and she�s always seemed to like me well enough.�

�All right, we�ll have to be quiet though.� Harry fell into step with the blonde, who immediately stopped walking. �What is it now?�

Draco had fixed the other teen with an incredulous stare. �We? You have acknowledged that it�s safer in here.�

Harry stared at the blonde for a moment before answering. �You don�t think I�m letting go out there on your own, do you? You said yourself that your aunt will kill you as soon as look at you, and any other Death Eater probably will too.�

�This is a Gryffindor bravado thing isn�t it?� The silver-eyed boy asked while giving Harry another one of the calculating stares that the bespectacled teen figured the fair boy must have patented. After a moment the blonde sighed, �Does that mean the whole troupe is coming? Because it is easier to creep when you don�t have a whole pride of lions following you, just so you know.�

�I know, and I plan on leaving the pride behind a lot more often now, just so you know,� Harry answered quietly. Then, he turned his head towards Ron and Hermione and called over, �We�re going to go check out a portrait in the drawing room, do you guys mind looking without us for a little while?�

�No problem, mate, just be careful...and watch out for snakes,� Ron called back. Hermione nodded impatiently as she flipped through a book she found.

Harry rolled his eyes and motioned for Draco to keep moving. �Ron�s pretty stubborn, but he always comes around in the end. Give him some time, he-�

�I have bigger problems then Weasley hating me, Harry;� Draco cut in and then placed a finger over his lips telling Harry to be quiet as they left the chamber and closed the tapestry curtain behind them.

The manor looked and sounded as empty as before, but Harry could still feel Draco tremble next to him every few seconds. After seeing that the drawing room was empty, Harry followed the blonde across the room to a mid-sized portrait of an older woman who would have looked beautiful if it were not for the haughty and supercilious expression on her face. When the two boys stopped in front of her portrait, she eyed them over critically before giving a nod of acknowledgment.

�Grandmother, someone has just entered the manor. I wonder if you could possibly find out whom for me?� Draco asked politely as he met her scrutinising gaze with an indifferent expression.

Her gaze trailed over the pale Slytherin and then moved onto Harry, who was beginning to think that she would refuse or just ignore them. Her cold blue eyes moved back to her grandson, and then she gave another polite nod of recognition before gracefully standing and practically gliding out of the portrait.

Harry turned to the pale teen once his grandmother had been gone for a minute. �Okay, now what do we do?�

�We wait until she returns with an answer.�

�Then what?�

�I suppose we�ll decide when we know who were dealing with.� Draco turned to Harry, �Didn�t you already decide earlier what you were going to do depending on who it is?�

�Well it�s obvious that we should leave if it�s Voldemort, since we can�t defeat him until-�

Draco silenced Harry with a warning look. �I wouldn�t finish that statement if I were you. The walls have ears in this place.�

The green-eyed teen nodded slowly. �You�re right. I hadn�t thought about that.� He looked around the room, taking in the other portraits and unusual items. He would have to remember that the definition of �alone� was different in the magical world, and they were no longer in the security of Hogwarts.

After a few more minutes, Draco�s grandmother returned to her portrait. She waited until she had returned to her seat before acknowledging the boys before her, or more specifically, her grandchild. �The intruder is a man. I do not know his name, but he has been here before, to speak with Lucius, although he has been rather�friendly with your mother and yourself as well. He is in his late thirties with sallow skin, black hair, and dark eyes.�

�Severus,� Draco murmured as Harry nodded his agreement. The woman in the portrait continued to inform them that the potions master had entered through the same hidden passage that they had, and was currently heading up towards the bedrooms.

�Do you think he�s looking for you again?� Harry turned to the pallid teen beside him. �What do you think he wants with you, anyway?�

�I don�t know. He could be trying to help me again, or he might have been ordered to find me.� Draco shrugged in a rather blasé manner, but his eyes still looked deep in thought.

Harry eyed the blonde considerately, �What are you thinking?� He found the fair boy�s calm reaction to his situation rather unsettling. As used to having his life endangered as Harry was, it still affected him to be in that danger. Draco, however, seemed far too accepting of his own peril.

�We still don�t know which side Severus is on,� the blonde said in matter-of-fact tone. �It is somewhat imperative that you know who your allies are and who your enemies are, and I would like to know where I stand with him as well. Perhaps we can use this situation to find out where his allegiances lie.�

�You mean�use you as bait to see what he does with you?� Harry asked in astonishment and then shook his head adamantly when the blonde nodded. �No way, Draco; we have no idea what he�ll do with you; he could kill you on sight! He could immobilise you and turn you over to Voldemort!�

�Which is why you�ll be nearby, unbeknownst to him of course,� Draco cut in smoothly. �If his intentions are to warn me or help me in some way, then you can remain hidden while I try to discern his loyalties. If he attacks, then you can back me up in the ensuing duel.�

Harry did not respond right away. He knew Draco�s suggestion would most likely answer the question of Snape�s adherence. Still, he was not sure that information, as valuable as it was, was worth risking the other boy.

As he thought, he watched the blonde, who appeared to be patiently waiting for him to process the idea. �I don�t like it,� Harry said with another shake of his head. �It�s too risky.�

�We�re in the middle of a war, Harry, and we�re both at risk no matter what we do,� the silver-eyed boy replied. �This can either reveal a useful ally or allow us to remove a powerful enemy from the field.�

�You know, this display of courage and self-sacrifice isn�t very Slytherin of you;� Harry noted as he eyed the fair Slytherin in a calculating manner worthy of the other boy�s house.

�True, but my plan is cunning and ambitious enough to make up for all of that,� Draco drawled before asking thoughtfully, �I don�t suppose you have your invisibility cloak on you�?�

Harry blinked dully as he realised he wasn�t sure where his invisibility cloak was now. �Err� No, actually I don�t.�

�I thought not.� Draco held up his wand. �Mind if I Disillusion you?�

�No, that�s actually a good idea.� The raven-haired teen answered, trying not to sound too surprised or impressed. �Then I can just sneak along behind you, and settle in a dark corner or something while you approach Snape.�

�Precisely,� Draco said as he tapped his wand to the top of Harry�s head smartly. Harry recognised the cold feeling drifting down his form.

The blonde took a step back and looked Harry over, then gave a brief approving nod. �Right, then follow me and stay quiet�and keep a fair distance.�

Harry rolled his eyes and then wondered vaguely if Draco could tell. �Believe it or not, I actually understand the concept of sneaking quite well. Just don�t move too quickly, we don�t want to run into Snape.�

With a sardonic expression, Draco gave another brief nod and then set his usual mask in place before turning and walking back the way had originally entered the drawing room. Harry followed at what he considered a fair distance, although he was nervous to let the other boy walk too far ahead of him.

Draco peered into the first room on the third floor, which Harry assumed was a guest room of some sort. When the fair boy reached out to open the next door, Harry snorted impatiently. The blonde glanced behind him, and Harry was surprised when those silver eyes fixed on him.

Harry recovered from the surprise and hissed, �Check your room.�

Without any other sign of acknowledgment, Draco turned on the spot and briskly approached the door that led to his bedroom. Harry decided to let the other boy gain some distance before following.

Harry was concerned when the pale Slytherin quietly slipped into his room. Their plan was not necessarily more risky then anything he had tried in the past. However, in those instances, his life had usually been the one on the line. With a small groan of frustration, he hurried forward to catch up with the blonde.

The raven-haired boy had only taken a couple of steps before he noticed that they were echoed by footsteps behind him. Before he could turn, he felt something tap him on the head and felt a familiar sensation, as though something warm was flowing down his body.

Harry did not have to look to know that Draco�s Disillusionment charm had been removed. He spun around and moved backwards a few steps as he drew his wand.

Standing across the hallway, wand drawn and fixed on Harry, was Snape.

The familiar sneer played on Snape�s lips as his dark eyes looked into Harry�s; �The werewolf would be disappointed, I believe.� The words came in Snape�s usual bored drawl, but they were so far from anything that Harry had suspected that the curse he intended to use died on his lips. �Isn�t he always one for letting go of old injustices and injuries; trying to see past your own limited viewpoint and all that?�

�What are you playing at?� Harry spat out. He could not figure out what the man before him was trying to accomplish by speaking about Lupin now.

Then obsidian eyes shifted down the hall to Harry�s left, and an emotion Harry could not recognise on Snape�s face crossed it briefly. Harry flicked his own gaze to the left and saw Draco, who had seemingly ran into the hall upon hearing Snape�s voice and then froze as he assessed the scene before him. Harry had a feeling the other boy was not nearly as calm as he appeared.

Draco moved towards them, causing both Snape and Harry to rush forward and then stop as their eyes met again. Harry could name that emotion now; it was concern. Snape�s words from a moment ago suddenly made sense. He thought Harry was here to hurt Draco� Surprising as that was, it did not explain what Snape wanted with the pallid boy.

Before either of the concerned males could regain their wits, Draco stepped in between them. He positioned one hand on Harry�s chest, placing just enough pressure to let the bespectacled teen know that he would try to hold him back if he attempted to attack. His face in the meantime was directed at Snape, but the words that passed his lips were obviously directed at both males. �Wait, please��

Harry wanted to hex Snape into oblivion, but he was not willing to harm their unwilling peacekeeper in order to do so. It seemed that Snape was thinking something among the same lines, as he did not act either.

Draco still had one hand on Harry�s chest, while the other hand indicated that he wanted Snape to remain calm as well. Then, after it appeared that the obsidian-eyed man was willing to exercise some patience, the blonde turned his head to Harry.

All thoughts of vengeance temporarily fell to the back of Harry�s mind at the sight of the torn and terrified look in the silver eyes that were searching his. For a brief moment, the two just stared into one another�s eyes, each looking for a specific sign. When Draco felt assured that Harry�s anger had subsided enough for him to regain control of himself, he returned his attention to Snape.

Harry briefly wondered when Draco had learned to read his eyes, and when he, in turn, had learned to read the other boy�s. Then, his full attention was on the scene before him.

Snape�s dark eyes shifted from the two boys, whom he had been observing carefully, to Draco solely. The raven-haired man spared the briefest of glances for the wand that Harry just realised Draco held on his favourite professor. The hand holding the wand was tense and the pale boy�s voice was a forced whisper when he finally spoke; �Why did you kill Dumbledore?�

A strange flicker of satisfaction flashed in Snape�s eyes as the smallest smile of approval touched his lips as he lowered his own wand. �I should have expected as much from you, Draco.�
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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance