Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Black King	By : Phoenixstrike Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 10586 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Harry Potter and all characters and situations are created and owned by JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Warner Bros. No money is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Chapter Sixteen: Snake, Rat and Lion

“Delicious dinner, than you, Tonks,” Harry said, as he and Ron collected the dishes from the table. She beamed at him.

“You sure you don’t want me to help wash up, Harry?” she asked. Harry dismissed her offer with a wave of his hand. Tonks was into the sixth month of her pregnancy now and her bump was getting big. Harry stared at it as Remus folded a protective arm around her shoulders and helped her out of the living room; he had promised Lupin that he would vanquish Voldemort before their child’s birth and he intended to keep that promise. But he knew time was running out.

After Remus returned to the kitchen once Tonks was resting, and the clearing away had been completed, Harry cleared his throat to gain everyone’s attention.

“I’ve been thinking. About getting Nagini, I mean,” he began, but paused, needing a minute to prepare. It was now mid-March and Harry had made up his mind; his plan was worth the risk and he was about to share it with the others. However he had no idea how this idea would be received. Snape and Draco, Harry knew, would agree instantly, even Ron probably, but it was Remus’ and Hermione’s reactions he was most concerned about. He still didn’t know how he felt about it either if truth be told. Just as he was about to start speaking again, however, Draco interrupted.

“Me too. I was thinking, Harry, how about producing a snake and sending it after Nagini?” Wrong-footed, Harry turned to stare at his boyfriend.

“I… sorry, what? Produce a snake?” Draco rolled his eyes.

“Serpentsortia, you prick. You could command it in Parseltongue to go after Nagini and, I don’t know, order it to kill her with its venom or something. What do you think?”

Harry contemplated this. Could it work? It was a long-shot but worth a try. He raised his wand, and cried, “Serpentsortia!”

A huge black cobra shot out of the end of the holly wand and landed on the kitchen table, causing the others to yelp and retreat in shock. Harry immediately spoke to the snake.

/Stop/

You speak? asked the snake as it froze, turning its hooded head towards Harry.

/I speak. The others here do not, so please do not move suddenly and frighten them. Please, tell me. How powerful is your venom?/

I am afraid the reactions to it are mild. A snake produced from a spell does not have the same capacities as a naturally-conceived beast. I could bite everyone in this room and none of you would suffer more than a swollen arm, the snake hissed.

/ I understand. Thank you./ Harry quickly waved his wand and the serpent disappeared. The others looked at his questioningly. Harry grimaced.

“No good, I’m afraid. It said its venom isn’t even enough to kill one of us. What chance would it stand against a twelve-foot long python?”

“That, Harry, and the obvious reason it wouldn’t be successful,” Snape drawled. “We couldn’t simply send a magically-created snake which was obviously under a wizard’s control to the Manor to attack Nagini and have any hope of it not arousing the Dark Lord’s suspicions. The plan is totally unworkable.”

Draco looked crestfallen. Harry put a hand on his shoulder.

“There is a reason I brought this up this evening, however. I, er, I’ve had an idea. But I don’t know how much you’re going to like it.” He paused again and surveyed his audience. Everyone was staring intently, waiting to hear Harry’s plan. He took a deep breath. “It involves Wormtail.”

“Peter?” Remus replied, obviously surprised. “What plan to kill Nagini could possibly…” he turned pale as his voice trailed off and realisation flooded his face. He met Harry’s uncertain eyes and gave a sad nod of approval. “Okay, do it,” he said miserably, before closing his eyes.

“Harry?” Draco asked, obviously confused.

“In 1994 I saved Peter Pettigrew’s life,” Harry continued. “From Sirius and Remus here. He was the one who betrayed my parents to Voldemort and Sirius was literally going to kill him because of it. I asked him not to. It wasn’t out of caring for Pettigrew’s life but because I didn’t want the death to harm my parents’ best friends that I saved him. Of course, I thought the bastard was going to rot in Azkaban, not escape. But that doesn’t matter. He owes me a life debt.”

Draco’s eyes widened and he stared at Harry, mouth slack, Snape looked highly impressed, and Remus resigned, as the realisation of Harry’s suggestion came over them. Hermione gave a small whimper.

“Oh, Harry, you can’t possibly be thinking…” she said slowly.

Harry gave her a sad smile. “What other choice do we have, Hermione? We’re in the middle of a war. Sacrifices have to be made. ”

“But you know Voldemort will kill him,” she whispered, tears swimming in her eyes.

“I know,” Harry said. “His blood is going to be on my hands. And it’s why I’ve struggled with this idea. I will be condemning him to death for certain, and probably a really violent one, too. I’ve been thinking it over for a couple of months, desperately trying to come up with something else. But there isn’t anything. We’re getting desperate. This is all we have.”

“Sorry, but what the bloody hell is going on?” Ron asked, confusion etched on his features. Snape rolled his eyes and exhaled in an exasperated manner.

“As usual, Mr Weasley, your uptake is several steps behind that of your peers’. Harry is owed a life debt from Peter Pettigrew. I assume you’re familiar with how life debt magic works? When a wizard saves the life of another, a bond is formed between them. The wizard to whom the life debt is owed can call upon the debtor to repay the debt for any reason, and the magical bond compels them to do so. The magical bond that forms is one of intense strength and cannot be dissolved by either party. Harry here is going to see Wormtail fulfil his life debt by slaughtering Nagini.”

Ron took a sharp intake of breath. Harry noticed he was trembling slightly.

“But why does that mean certain death? Can’t he sneak in and do it, like we could?”

“No.” it was Remus who spoke this time. “Voldemort needs to know it was Pettigrew, to keep any suspicion away from us. Voldemort needs to witness the killing, or at least know it was Pettigrew who did it. It’s the only way we can keep attention from us.”

Ron looked slightly sickened and he’d turned very pale.

“It has to be done, mate,” he said finally. Harry nodded his thanks, then turned to Hermione.

“We’re all in this together,” he said gently to her. “If you disagree, we don’t do it, okay? I’m not doing this without the backing of all five of you. We are literally sentencing a man to his death if we go through with this. That’s not something I’m prepared to do if one of us doesn’t agree.” Hermione very slowly nodded her head to give her consent. Harry smiled sadly at her and reached out for her hand. “Thank you. And I’m assuming Draco and Snape, you’re both in agreement?”

“Merlin yes, it’s a brilliant plan, Harry,” Draco said, as Snape concurred with the blond.

“He betrayed your mother, and as good as killed her himself,” Snape said, in an uneven tone that caused Harry and Draco to exchange a knowing look. “I actually agree with your late dogfather on this matter. The rat deserves death.”

“There is one major problem I see with this plan, though- for us, I mean,” Harry said. “What if Voldemort uses Legilimency on Wormtail and sees it’s us that sent him to kill Nagini? He does that and the game is up.”

“I shall brew a memory-altering Potion. It works in a similar manner to Obliviate, but instead of simply removing one’s memories it plants a falsified or altered memory in place of the original and, unlike a False Memory Charm, neither Legilimency nor Veritaserum can break through it and uncover the genuine memory, and it cannot be reversed through any spell or Potion once implemented,” Snape replied, a sneer of triumph turning at the corners of his mouth. “Although Pettigrew will be forced by the life debt to carry out the execution, he will believe it will be for the reasons we implant in his mind. He will have no recollection of ever having spoken to us at all. And Voldemort will never be able to discover it was really us that sent him.”

“Are such Potions legal?” Hermione asked hesitantly. Draco snorted.

“Of course not, Granger,” he sneered. “This is Dark Arts at its strongest. But then again sending a man to his death isn’t exactly legal either, yet here we are planning that. Harry’s right, this is war, and this is what needs to be done. Evil Illegal Potion included.”

Hermione bit her lip but said nothing.

“This is a complex Potion that takes a complete week to brew. Draco and Miss Granger, I shall require both of your skills to aid its brewing. Of course, that leaves the issue of actually bringing Pettigrew here.”

“How are we going to do that, then?” Remus asked. “Is he at the Manor? I don’t think Harry and I saw him the night we rescued Draco.”

“The rat has been staying at my former abode in Spinner’s End for close to two years now. For all intents and purposes the property has been abandoned by myself. I’m sure vermin like him is still inside. Care to aid me in the capture of the rat, Lupin?” Snape asked.

“I’d be delighted,” Remus replied.

****

It was exactly seven days later when Harry heard the opening of Grimmauld’s front door, and the urgent whispers of Snape and Lupin were just loud enough to fill the hallway. Harry raced into the passage and gave a hopeful look to both men. Snape nodded to him, whilst Lupin held up a Stupefied grey rat in his right hand, beaming. Both men seemed unruffled and unharmed.

“Little bastard tried to escape,” Remus said. “Took one look at Severus and transformed. He tried to make a run for the back exit but unfortunately for him I was there waiting for him. Stunned the little shit- excuse my language, Harry- and Severus collected his wand. Made it much easier getting him across the Fidelius Charm in rat form too as all I had to do was carry him across the spell’s threshold. We should thank him really. And it will definitely make it easier with Peter’s own wand being the one to carry out Nagini’s killing, much less suspicious than using another wand.”

“Let’s get him into the drawing room,” Harry said, leading the way back into the room he’d just vacated, in which Draco, Ron and Hermione were also present. He noticed his hands were shaking slightly and he was fighting to control his emotions.

“Get it together,” Draco whispered in his ear. “You can’t break down in front of him. You need to mean business.” Harry took a deep breath and nodded. Draco was right.

Lupin laid the rat on the floor and performed the charm to reverse the spell and return Wormtail to his human condition. The bubbling hatred Harry felt for the unconscious man was mingled with immense guilt that Pettigrew was unknowingly entering the final stages of his life. It was a very strange juxtaposition of emotions and Harry was having some major internal conflicts.

“Ready?” Snape asked the room in general, but aimed mainly at Harry. He gave a small nod and tried to school his features into one of cold indifference.

“Rennervate!” Snape said, and as the second the spell hit, Wormtail spluttered and regained consciousness. The little colour that had been in his face drained away to a pallid grey when he realised the company he had. He just stared, disbelieving at the room.

“Harry!” Pettigrew cried in surprise when he noticed him.

“Don’t you dare call him that,” Draco said icily, his wand pointed directly at Pettigrew’s heart. He smirked in satisfaction when he saw the rat’s eyes widen in shock as he identified Lucius Malfoy’s Marked son apparently an ally of Potter and a welcome guest in… wherever they were.

“Hello again, Scabbers,” Ron said dryly, a look of revulsion on his face. Draco was impressed with Ron’s fierce and contemptuous tone, and vowed to ask Harry about the ‘Scabbers’ reference later on. By now Pettigrew was looking positively terrified and began to babble incoherently.

“Be quiet,” Harry commanded, in a voice filled with a confidence he was not feeling. “Stop snivelling, Wormtail, and shut up. I will Silence you with a spell if you cannot control your tongue.” Harry’s heart was pounding in his chest. This is it. This is the moment I sentence someone to die. He forced himself to stop shaking. “I have a nice little task for you, Wormtail, and I am sure you’ll carry it out admirably.”

Pettigrew looked petrified. The little remaining colour that had been in his face disappeared entirely. “T…task?”

“Voldemort’s snake, Nagini. We want it dead. And we thought we’d give the honours of the kill to you,” Harry continued. “Seeing how much you like betraying people you’re supposedly loyal to, we couldn’t think of anyone better for the job, could we?” Everyone in the room shook their heads in agreement, eyes fixed on the quivering Pettigrew.

“You want me to… the Dark Lord’s… but why?” Wormtail spluttered.

“Ah, I think we’ll be keeping that piece of information to ourselves,” Harry replied, forcing a contemptuous smirk on his face. “Let’s just say I feel like pissing him off. You know me and Voldemort, tit for tat. He uses you to get at my parents, I use you to get at his snake. It’s only fair.”

“Why should I do anything you ask?” Pettigrew spat, wincing as his words earned him a hard jab in his back from Remus’ wand.

“Dear, dear me,” Harry said disbelievingly. “We do have a short memory. You owe me a life debt, Peter, and I’m cashing in. You have no choice I’m afraid.”

At that point Wormtail tried to escape. He evidently forgot he was outnumbered six to one and Wandless as he made a dash to the door, only for Hermione’s Trip Jinx to halt his progress.

“Try that again, rat, and I will destroy you on the spot,” Snape said, wand pointed directly at him.

Pettigrew’s legs buckled then, and he fell to the floor with a shriek.

“Don’t make me do this! I beg you! He’ll kill me!”

“That’s the part that pleases me most about Harry’s plan,” Snape replied, his words laced with venom.

Harry very nearly faltered then, faced with a sobbing man pleading for his life. Let him go, Obliviate him and we’ll find another way, his mind screamed. But images of Sirius, his parents, and Cedric filled his mind. Pettigrew had not shown one iota of mercy for any of them, and his pity was once more replaced with hatred for the snivelling wreck in front of him.

Harry desperately wanted this to be over, before he completely lost his nerve. He drew his wand and began to repeat the words Remus had taught him to say. “Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, I am calling in the life debt owed to me by you when I saved your life from Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, on the sixth June, 1994. You will seek out and kill, by any means necessary, Nagini, the snake belonging to Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, whilst in his presence, in an apparent act of rebellion. You are bound by magic to complete this task,” he said clearly, and he was pleased to find his voice was steady as he commanded the magic.

At Harry’s words there was an audible crack in the room, and the magic prickled over its inhabitants skin, sealing the bond and commencing the magical compulsion. Harry swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat. It was too late to back out now.

Wormtail was still on his knees, weeping. He made to grab Harry’s legs in a fully begging manner but Draco kicked his arms away.

“It’s time,” Harry said softly, willing his voice not to crack. Pettigrew never saw the spell coming; Snape sent a nonverbal Stunning Spell straight at his back and he collapsed, unconscious once more. Then Snape retrieved a small vial containing a shocking pink liquid, and forced it down Pettigrew’s throat.

“Ut muto memoria est ut muto mens,” Snape chanted, almost song-like, as his wand extracted long silvery wisps from Pettigrew’s temples that Harry recognised as the same technique as memory removal before placing in a Pensive. Only in this incidence the memories were simply discarded and ceased to exist with a wave of Snape’s wand. Snape chanted a few more phrases in Latin before turning to Harry.

“His memory has been permanently altered. He will have no recollection of having spoken to any of us upon wakening, and believe he wishes to kill Nagini as an act of rebellion due to his defection from the Death Eaters. Harry’s life debt will ensure the task is completed, even though the rat will be unaware of it. Pettigrew’s memories will also withstand any amount of Legilimency or attempts to check for mind-altering charms.”

Harry stared at the broken, unconscious shell of the man who had once been his parents’ best friend. How long did he have left to live, supposing he killed Nagini as soon as he arrived at the Manor? Two hours? Six? A day? He felt his stomach churn.

Remus replaced Wormtail’s wand inside his robes and then Disillusioned him. Snape dragged him back into the hallway, Disillusioned himself, flung open the front door and Apparated them both to the grounds of Malfoy Manor. He returned a minute later.

“I revived him successfully at the Manor’s gates, and he is off to carry out the mission. Good work, everyone.”

Harry felt his legs begin to buckle and he suddenly felt himself engulfed in Draco and Hermione’s arms as the emotions of the previous half an hour finally overcame him and he gave way to tears.

****

Harry was sat at the kitchen table picking at a sandwich when an immense pain shot though his scar and he felt undeniable fury that didn’t belong to him surge through his body. He threw his hands to his head and unsuccessfully tried to stifle a moan. Immediately Draco’s arms were cradling him protectively.

“It’s beginning,” Harry gasped in ragged breaths as he clung to his boyfriend. “Voldemort. He’s got Wormtail.”

“Harry,” Hermione’s voice was soft and the gentle kitchen light reflected a tear-track running down her left cheek. “Occlude this. Come on, you don’t need to see.”

“Yes, I do,” Harry replied through gritted teeth, as the pain threatened to make him bring up the meagre amount of food he had managed to consume. “We’ve done this to him. The least I can do is play witness to it. Someone should know exactly what happens to him.” He closed his eyes and slipped into Voldemort’s mind.

Wormtail was on his knees, naked and ankles magically shackled, already a huge weeping gash slashed across his chest. The beheaded corpse of Nagini lay perhaps five feet away from him, next to a bloodied ceremonial sword that had once graced the walls of Malfoy Manor; the pale white carpet of the Manor was soaked in blood. Whether human or reptile, it was impossible to distinguish. Voldemort raised his wand and nonverbally cast a curse at Wormtail; the man let out a high-pitched, agonising scream as he lost his left arm, the Mark severed from his traitorous body. The limb thudded to the floor with a sickening dull ‘clunk’, and the wound began to bleed profusely before Voldemort cast a spell to stop the blood flow. Evidently Voldemort was not done punishing the man and was not prepared to let him bleed to death. Yet.

“Explain your actions! Explain them!” shrieked Voldemort, in an uncharacteristic loss of control, his wand slashing and cutting Pettigrew with every syllable. Pettigrew only whimpered in response and received another deep incision, this time to his back for his actions.

“Legilimens!” Voldemort screeched, and for a few moments the only sound in the room was the heavy panting coming from Wormtail, mixed with his soft weeping.

“So,” Voldemort said, pulling out of Wormtail’s mind at last. “You sought to defy me. To weaken me. You were going to try and defeat me by yourself, is that it? What was this, some final desire to prove yourself worthy of a Gryffindor after all? It will cost you your life, fool! Crucio!”

If the scream Wormtail had emitted after he lost his arm was bad, this was twenty times worse. The sound was harrowing and inhuman; the Cruciatus Curse applied mercilessly by an irate Voldemort was causing his fractured body to jerk and convulse. The Curse was applied for such a length of time that Wormtail vomited, bringing up blood as well as the contents of his stomach, and he urinated on the carpet like an untrained animal before slipping into unconsciousness. “Rennervate!” Voldemort cried, before applying the Cruciatus Curse once more.

When Pettigrew lost consciousness for the second time, Voldemort dropped the curse. He revived his victim once more and aimed his wand.

“Effervo,” Voldemort commanded. The blood-boiling curse struck, filling Pettigrew’s veins with a white-hot liquid as his body began to cook to death from the inside. His skin began to blacken and blister, like that of a pepper under a flame, and bubbling red liquid began to pour from his nostrils and ears. The wretched man looked incredibly close to his final demise and was now lying on the floor, conscious but no longer moving or uttering any sounds.

Voldemort raised his wand one final time. “Praefoco prefoco,” he said calmly, almost in a mocking tone. A black chain of smoke was emitted from his yew wand and wrapped itself tightly around Wormtail’s neck, cutting off all air. Pettigrew didn’t even try to fight it off. His face turned red, then blue, before his completely-destroyed body gave a final spasm and then was still, his terrified eyes staring unseeingly at the man who had tortured him, and would never see again. Voldemort kicked Wormtail’s corpse, causing a posthumous break of the spine, and leaving his body even more crumpled, before casting an Incendio and reducing it to ashes. He then leant over the corpse of his snake, and cast some unknown spell, clearly searching for something, a trace of magic he was desperately willing to still be there, inside the body, but found nothing. The scream of fury that followed could be heard throughout Malfoy Manor.

****

Harry opened his eyes, which he was unsurprised to find were wet, and immediately began to retch. Remus hastily conjured a bowl and Harry emptied the contents of his stomach into it, followed by yellow bile once his stomach was empty. Draco handed him a glass of water, which Harry received with shaking hands. He vaguely realised he was in his and Draco’s bedroom, alone with just Draco and Remus, and wondered how he had got there.

“It’s over,” Harry said quietly. “Nagini is dead. The Horcrux is destroyed. Wormtail… is gone.” He cast a quick Tempus, and was surprised to see it was only ten thirty at night. It had only been nine hours since Remus and Snape had captured Wormtail; now he was dead. He took a deep, steadying breath.

“Draco, can you leave us a minute, please? Tell the others the news and that I’m OK. Please?” He repeated, when Draco looked as if he was about to argue. Clearly unhappy with what was an obvious dismissal, Draco stood, kissed Harry briefly on the forehead and left the room without uttering a word. Harry turned to face Remus.

“That was the single worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Even worse than when the Dementors get near me,” Harry said, and before he knew it, hot, fat tears were falling down his cheeks and he was sobbing into Remus’ chest, his shoulders heaving. It took a few minutes for Harry to realise Remus was crying too. He broke the embrace and looked into those amber eyes.

“He was a good friend, at school,” Remus said unsteadily. “Your dad and Sirius were the trouble-makers, but Peter and I would often spend hours alone, just us, practising spells or reading, whilst Sirius and James were off plotting something. I was a lot closer to him than your dad or Sirius were.” He pulled out a photo from his robes. It was of Remus and his three friends and one Harry hadn’t seen before. “I found this last night. Where did it all go so bloody wrong, hey, kiddo?” He was silent for a long time, just staring at the photo. James was pushing Pettigrew out of the way to get into the forefront of the shot, Peter was beaming at the camera, and Remus and Sirius exchanged a quick kiss before pulling silly faces. Harry smiled mournfully at it, as Remus traced a trembling finger over each of the figures in the picture. “Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. The Marauders. I’m the last one.” He pulled the photo onto his chest and once more began to cry.

Just then there was a tentative knock on the door.

“Remus? Remus, darling, are you OK in there?” It was Tonks. “I could hear you downstairs and… can I come in?” She pushed the door open a crack.

“Tell her,” Harry whispered. “It’s all right. Not everything, but why you’re upset.” He gave Remus a final pat of support on the back and left the room, giving Tonks a sad smile on the way out and leaving Remus to grieve for his lost friends.

As soon as he got downstairs, the interrogation started. He sat down and gratefully sipped the large measure of brandy Snape poured for him as he recounted everything from the vision. By the end, Hermione was in tears and Ron was still. Even Snape and Draco looked a little sickened. Harry downed the remainder his brandy and poured another generous measure into his glass.

“The good thing, of course, is that Nagini is definitely dead and the Horcrux definitely destroyed. I watched Voldemort check her body. It was gone for certain,” Harry said, as he took a swig of the alcohol, savouring the calming heat as it began to flow through his veins.

“No more Horcruxes left, mate!” Ron said, in a false cheerfulness that nobody felt. Harry grimaced.

“Except me,” he said, in barely a whisper, finishing his drink. “Severus, do you have any Dreamless Sleep brewed?” Snape nodded and disappeared to retrieve the vial. A minute later he was back, holing out the small vial of purple liquid to Harry, who accepted it gratefully. “I think I’ll need this tonight. I’ll speak to you all in the morning.” He reached out a hand for Draco, who instantly took it, and they made their way up to their bedroom, which Remus and Tonks had now vacated. Harry changed for bed, knocked back the Potion, and welcomed the oblivion that followed.

****

Harry awoke early that morning, feeling well-rested thanks to the Potion but still agitated over the previous evening’s visions. It was still dark outside so he snuggled into Draco and tried to return to sleep. Half an hour later he was still awake and Draco was mumbling sleepily about “fidgeting Gryffindors,” so Harry got out of bed, pulled on Draco’s luxurious blue silk gown, and made his way downstairs. He was surprised to see Snape sat at the kitchen table, a mug of black coffee in his hands. It was still not yet six in the morning.

“How did you sleep, Harry?” he asked in way of greeting. Harry pulled a face.

“OK. But because of the Potion. Thank you for that,” he replied, helping himself to coffee from the pot. It reminded him of months ago, before Ron and Hermione were here and he and Draco were together. Many a morning he and Snape sat at the table, drinking coffee alone. So much had happened in nearly eight months.

“Severus, you have the potion ready, right? To purge the Horcrux from me?” Harry asked. The slight rise in Snape’s eyebrows was the only indication of the surprise the man felt.

“Yes, Harry. It’s ready when you are.” Harry took a deep breath.

“Then let’s do this. Today. Draco won’t like it, but-”

“Draco won’t like what?” came Draco’s voice from the door. Harry jumped and turned, spilling coffee on the table.

“Purging the Horcrux,” he replied, deciding to be direct. “I’m going to do it today.” Draco’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“And I don’t get a say in this, Harry?” he asked. Harry could hear the hurt behind the words and flinched.

“No. I told you in October I was doing this. There is no reason to wait now. Nagini is dead. It’s just me to go. Delaying is only putting off the inevitable.”

Draco blanched and he turned his head away. Harry-being-a-Horcrux had always been a source of conflict between them. Harry stood from the table and took Draco into his arms.

“I’m doing it. Otherwise, what the fuck was yesterday all for, Draco? What did we condemn a man to death for, if I’m just going to leave it there? The sooner I get rid of this-thing, the sooner Voldemort will be defeated.” Draco had begun to shake, and he was blinking rapidly. “Look, I know you’re scared-”

“Scared? Scared I could cope with. Harry, I’m fucking terrified. Remember how I was back in October when this plan was discussed? Well, that was five months ago, five months to fall so unbelievably in love with you that I am no longer able to imagine my life without you in it, in any way imaginable!” And completely forgetting Snape was sat at the kitchen table, he leant forwards and took Harry’s mouth in his, kissing him hard, until Snape’s throat-clearing from behind them broke them apart.

“Today, then,” Harry said, firmly but gently, running a finger down the side of Draco’s face, never once breaking eye contact. “Every day we delay is more chance for him to replace the lost Horcrux, or to get stronger. This has gone on long enough. It’s time to end it. I need you with me, Draco. Yes, this is a risk, but I have full trust in Severus Snape.” And it was true. As unbelievable as this seemed a year ago, Harry really did trust his hook-nosed former professor with his life.

Draco nodded weakly and made himself a coffee, drinking the hot liquid far too quickly.

An hour later and the entire household, minus Tonks, were in Harry and Draco’s bedroom, Harry sat up on the bed. Harry had put Draco, Ron and Hermione through their paces, practising Parseltongue phrases that he had been teaching them over the weeks just in case they should need it. He felt a lot calmer than he had twenty-four hours ago. He smiled at Remus and Hermione, who were casting monitoring charms to monitor his vital signs.

“Here we go then,” Harry said. He picked up the basilisk fang in his right hand, and turned over his left so it was palm-up. “And if something does go wrong, you know what needs to be done. I love you all.” With that, before he could talk himself out of this insane idea, he plunged the tip of the fang into his hand.

The pain was instantaneous and transported him in his mind back to a twelve-year-old boy in the Chamber of Secrets. An agonising white-hot stabbing sensation radiated from the puncture site and shot up his arm like a bolt of electricity. Before he could stop himself he opened his mouth and let out a bloody-curdling scream.

“Grab him, Ron!” Harry vaguely was aware of Remus saying, and looked over with blurring vision to see a distraught Draco trying his best to get to Snape, who held the antidote. It’s not time for the potion yet, love, Harry thought, as his consciousness began to waver. He closed his eyes as he heard Snape say, “Accio wand!” clearly and a scream of frustration coming from his boyfriend, who was evidently the one Disarmed.

Ron was clinging tightly, but not tight enough to prevent Draco’s right arm swinging back then landing in his nose with a crack. But even with an obviously broken nose, and blood pouring down his face, he didn’t relent his grip on the blond.

“Stop it, Malfoy!” he shouted. “This is what has to be done, what you accepted needed to be done! Respect and trust Harry enough to make his own choices! This is who Harry is, and he’ll never forgive you if you waste that antidote, the one choice of getting that fucking thing out of his head!”

Draco continued to struggle for another minute or so but his fight was lost. He turned his attention to the obviously fading Harry. He was white, his breathing had slowed and he had stopped screaming about a minute before. A quick charm confirmed his heartbeat had dropped to twenty beats a minute. When Hermione wrapped her arm around him, he was so shocked he didn’t even attempt to throw them off. Instead he buried his face in her shoulder and let his tears fall.

Draco’s tears were the last sound Harry heard before consciousness was fully claimed from him. His parting thought was there was no Fawkes to come and save him this time.

Acknowledgement: The title of this chapter, as you've probably worked out, came from a chapter in Prisoner of Azkaban, Cat, Rat and Dog. All credit it to JKR, not me.
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Harry Potter and the Black King