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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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter Seven: A Step Closer to Mortality Once More

As the beginning of September rolled around Harry was beginning to become frustrated. He was Ron and Hermione’s best friend, Snape’s unlikely student of the Dark Arts and Draco Malfoy’s even more unlikely boyfriend. He felt torn in three at times, trying to juggle the separate and completely incompatible parts of his life. But what was frustrating him more than all of that was the lack of progress he had made with Voldemort’s horcruxes.

Despite having found one Horcrux he had still not discovered a way to destroy it. And as for the locations of the remaining three… with the exception of Nagini he had to confess he had absolutely no idea. The task Dumbledore had left him seemed less and less possible with every day that passed and Harry’s anger at his former Headmaster and desperation about the task ahead and the possibility of failing was growing. Now he thought about it, Dumbledore had given him woefully inadequate information, particularly when he knew he did not have long to live so time was short. Actually how to destroy the bloody things seemed rather a basic thing Dumbledore should have told him, as far as Harry was concerned.

The first of September found him once again at the Burrow with Ron and Hermione, gathered round the Burrow kitchen table, racking their brains for possible locations of, and methods to destroy, the damn things. The Black library at Grimmauld Place had so far turned up nothing, despite the many books on Dark magic Harry had brought to the Burrow with him.

“Harry mate, what about hitting them with an AK?” Ron suggested eagerly. Harry grimaced.

“Ronald!” Hermione shouted, completely horrified. “How can you even suggest Harry could ever cast such… such complete evil?”

Harry ignored the bile that rose violently in his throat at Hermione’s words. He had not told Ron and Hermione about learning Dark magic, and certainly not about using the Unforgivables. Hermione’s reaction to casting it even at a part of Voldemort was all the confirmation he needed that his best friends must never, ever know about his use of the Avada Kedavra. However Dumbledore had managed to at least teach him something about the nature of a horcrux, and in this case the argument whether to use the spell on a horcrux or not was a moot one.

“It wouldn’t work Ron. The Avada Kedavra destroys the physical body a soul is contained in and the body dies. The soul is unharmed by an AK and goes… on, I guess. To wherever our souls go when we die. A Horcrux is part of a soul. Destroying one is the exact opposite of killing a person. We need to destroy the soul, not the body.”

He noticed Hermione staring at him, an impressed look on her features whilst Ron looked slightly crestfallen. “I do pay attention sometimes” he laughed, in response to Hermione’s gaze. “Dumbledore may have missed out the part about actually telling me how to destroy the bastards but I did pick up on that.” She smiled and returned to her book, Magical Objects and Artefacts, but, as she had told Harry and Ron what felt like hundreds of times already, there was unlikely to be anything in it to help them.

“So, did Ginny get off okay this morning?” Harry asked carefully. He had felt strange all day, particularly at eleven o’clock when he knew the Hogwarts Express was steaming out of King’s Cross where he’d felt a pang of longing to just be able to go back to school and be a normal seventeen year old for once.

“Yeah, although mum didn’t give up nagging me and Hermione about not going back until Dad practically pushed her out of the front door, telling her they’d be late and miss the train if they didn’t hurry up. She even tried last night, giving us both ‘The Lecture’. I don’t think she believed we weren’t going back to school to tell you the truth. It was all dad could to to keep her away for the afternoon today whilst we researched. They’re at Bill and Fleur’s. It’s weird isn’t it, not being on the train. Even weirder to hear Hermione talk about things that are more important than education. I never thought I’d see the day, perhaps flobberworms do fly.”

Hermione’s head snapped up and she glared. Harry burst out laughing when Hermione threw her book at Ron, hitting him squarely on the head. He leant down and picked the book off the floor whilst Ron rubbed his head, scowling.

“What the bloody hell was that for?” he demanded angrily.

“For suggesting that the fact I think defeating Voldemort happens to be more important than some NEWT exams is in some way surprising” she replied icily. Ron snarled and began his retort but Harry stood up quickly.

“Right. If you two are going to argue I’m going home.”

They both opened their mouths to protest but he silenced them. He smiled warmly to show he wasn’t irritated.

“Honestly, I need to getting back anyway. I… um… have a meeting with Snape this afternoon.” We’re perfecting the Morbus Egresco curse, a particularly nasty curse and if either of you knew what I was doing you’d think I’d lost my mind completely. “We’re going to see if we can get anywhere with the horcruxes. I’ll see you both later.”

He stepped out of the Burrow, past the strong wards, and apparated to Grimmauld Place.

*****

“Relax your wrist slightly and remember to bring it straight down at the beginning of the incantation then flick it at a forty-five degree angle to the left and stress the second syllable of egresco” Snape advised. Harry raised his wand, pointing away from Snape and towards the back of the empty room.

“Morbus Egresco!” He commanded, remembering the wrist actions. Turquoise light, the same as had been fired at him in the ground of Malfoy Manor the night he rescued Draco, shot out of his wand, hitting the opposite wall and dissipating. Harry stared at it in satisfaction whilst Snape congratulated him. He thought this was a rather nasty spell and he’d only ever use it in an absolute dire emergency. When cast at an enemy, the turquoise light rapidly spread an illness to them, causing them to become instantly unwell. The illness progressed quickly in the victim which completely incapacitated them. It was obviously incredibly unpleasant but it could save someone on his side.

“Again Harry, you’re proving most competent in these spells. Tomorrow I wish to work on Obdormio. I expect this spell will meet your approval; it hits your enemy and instantly sends them into a deep sleep. This leads to eventual coma and death if the counter charm is not performed by the caster and only the caster, but if the counter-charm is performed there is no lasting damage to the victim. It does, however, require eye contact between contact between caster and intended victim to be successful, which is why it is rarely used and usually unsuccessful. Also it is not possible to perform the spell non-verbally which means it is useless against the strongest opponents, such as Bellatrix or Voldemort himself. That said, I expect that you will be delighted to know you will be able to cast painless, effective Dark magic of this nature that leaves no lasting damage to the victim, should the caster intend that.”

Harry grinned. This did sound like a spell he could make his peace with. There was something, however, that had been bothering him in the ten days he had been learning Dark magic.

“Why are none of these spells listed as Unforgivables? I mean, how can sectumsempra, for example, or that sleep spell you just told me about which can cause people to die if the caster doesn’t utter the counter-curse, be worse than imperio?”

“A fair question Harry,” Snape replied, “as you are correct in essence, but remember that someone under the imperius curse can be commanded to do heinous acts, such as murder, or commit suicide. It is far from a mild spell- taking someone’s free will from them is a terrible crime. It is true that the most violent of the Dark spells are, often, worse than even the cruciatus curse. Abscido Totalum, for example, completely severs all four limbs off a victim and causes much magical damage that cannot be repaired, nor can a magical replacement be attached. Most victims either die from shock or exsanguination. And, before you ask, I have no intention of teaching that spell to you as it would be a waste of my time. I know you would never use it. But to answer your original question, they are not Unforgivables because the Ministry are either unaware of them, or they have either counter charms or are able to be shielded against, unlike the Unforgivables. Dark spells are made by Dark wizards and the knowledge is shared amongst themselves. The spells are very often performed non-verbally too so the incantations remain unknown. When someone from the ministry does learn of the spell it is whilst fighting Dark wizards and is usually the last thing they ever do unfortunately.”

Harry let this sink in. He still wasn’t completely comfortable learning this type of magic, even though he accepted the reasons for doing so. He suddenly felt like he needed a rather large hug. I know just the person who’ll be willing. “I, er, I’m going upstairs to read for a bit. Thank you for this afternoon Snape.” And he turned and left.

“Harry”. Snape’s voice was gentle. Harry turned round.

“I understand your reasons for not wishing to address me as ‘sir’ or ‘professor’ any longer, even when we are in this teacher/student role, and have therefore been calling me by my last name only. However it would not be inappropriate for you to address me as Severus now. I have been calling you by your given name for a number of weeks. Surnames just encourage hostility don’t you think?”

Harry smiled. “Severus then. Thank you Severus. I shall see you at dinner” and he left the room.

*****

“What is this vile brown liquid you’ve served to me as a drink Harry?”

Harry chanced a brief sideways glance at Draco and smiled at him fondly before returning his gaze to Snape. They both fought a laugh back as they studied Snape’s face. It wore the expression one might pull if they’d had the unfortunate experience of chewing on a particularly angry wasp.

“It’s Coca Cola”.

“And that would be….”

“I like it” said Draco. “Harry introduced it to me in muggle London and I wanted more so we bought it when we went shopping.” ‘I like it’ was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought dryly. Ever since Harry had bought Draco his first Coke Draco had been crazy for it and wanted it all the time. Apparently his distaste of all things muggle didn’t extend to sugar-laden carbonated soft drinks.

“It’s vile” Snape replied.

“You don’t have to drink it” said Harry. “Besides, Draco had been paying for all the food as he’s the only one with access to muggle funds at the moment thanks to his Gringotts card so it’s up to him what he has. What he wants, he gets.” Draco waggled his eyebrows suggestively and poked his pierced tongue out at Harry behind Snape’s back at this comment and Harry flushed and felt a tingle run down his spine. Snape, mercifully, missed this, as he turned once more to address Harry.

“After dinner I need to talk to you. Alone.”

Draco looked to make a noise of protest but settled for a disgruntled scowl instead. He was clearly becoming irritated at being let out of these little ‘chats’ with Snape. Harry stared at him. I can’t keep the horcruxes a secret forever. Dumbledore was wrong about so many things. Maybe he was wrong about having to keep them a secret from people I trust unconditionally. I think I should tell Remus about them, but what about Draco? Question is, do I trust Draco enough yet? It was a question he needed to work out the answer to. Fast.

They finished dinner and cleaned up, after which Draco reluctantly and unwillingly exited the room. Snape closed the door behind him with his wand, staring at it appraisingly. He paused for a minute, a small sneer on his face. Harry watched, stifling a laugh, as Snape aimed his wand at the keyhole and uttered, almost lazily, “furunculus” which was immediately followed by a yelp from the other side of the door. This was instantly followed by the sound of loud cursing, which gradually got fainter as Draco walked away, no doubt in search of a good boil cure. Snape’s lips curled in victory and he put up a silencing ward on the door.

His face sobered as he turned to look at Harry.

“This afternoon I finally made a breakthrough” Snape informed him. He pulled out a tiny shrunken book from the pocket of his robes and resized it, before opening it. He guided Harry’s attention to a paragraph and Harry began to read. He felt his eyes widen. After he finished reading he looked at Snape and muttered, “I should have known.”

“And, pray tell, why exactly should you have known that basilisk venom was the most successful way to destroy a horcrux?” Snape asked.

“Tom Riddle’s diary” Harry replied. “Didn’t Dumbledore tell you that was a Horcrux?” Snape shook his head, a look of astonishment on his face and Harry once more cursed Albus and his lack of information to everyone. “It was that which gave Dumbledore the idea Voldemort was using Horcruxes. I destroyed it with a basilisk fang. I thought it had destroyed it because it was razor-sharp and the book yielded to it and was therefore beyond magical repair, but of course it was the bloody venom, I can’t believe we didn’t see it before!” He felt stupid and completely furious with himself.

“Well, at least we know how to destroy them now” he said with a small smile. “I’ll have that locket annihilated in a week.”

“And exactly how do you expect to get a supply of basilisk venom inside seven days?” Snape asked incredulously, pinching the bridge of his nose. Harry smiled wickedly at him.

“Same place I got the last lot. Severus, I don’t suppose anyone else could get into the Chamber of Secrets after it sealed itself once I escaped, in order to remove a basilisk carcass, could they?”

*****

“I still say this is mental” said Ron’s voice from somewhere near Harry’s right shoulder. “Brilliant and all that, but completely mental.”

“Ron! Be quiet” Hermione’s voice from Harry’s left side quietly but firmly chastised him. “You’ll give us away.”

Harry had felt a sad stab of nostalgia when they apparated into Hogsmeade and began the walk up to Hogwarts castle, even though it had only been a couple of months since he had last seen the castle. Even from this distance it was grander than a regal palace. To Harry, Hogwarts would always be home. They trudged up the path, strewn with the early fall of crisp autumnal leaves, glad no one was around to hear their footsteps as the leaves crunched under their feet. Harry was wearing his cloak whilst Ron and Hermione were Disillusioned besides him.

“What time is McGonagall expecting us again?” Ron asked.

“Professor McGonagall, Ron, and her reply to our owl said she would meet us at the gates at twelve. Remember? She wanted to let us in whilst the rest of the school is at lunch so we wouldn’t be disturbed” Hermione replied.

Harry, Ron and Hermione’s owl to Professor McGonagall had been short, polite and to the point. They had simply requested access to the school, for reasons they couldn’t reveal but assuring her it was to do with the mission Dumbledore had left Harry and would help defeat Voldemort. She had replied straight away granting them access to the school and arranging to meet them at the gate to escort them into the castle.

Professor McGonagall was waiting for them at the gates when they arrived.

“Good afternoon professor” Harry said to his former head of house, removing his cloak and showing himself to her.

“Good afternoon” she replied cordially. Harry noticed she had drawn her wand. “Before I can let you in, could you please tell me, what was Harry Potter doing back in his first year that caused me to deduct fifty points from Gryffindor and gave him detention?”

Harry smiled. It made perfect sense that Professor McGonagall would need to check he wasn’t some Death Eater Polyjuiced as him or something. The memory of the night also gave him reason to grin. Hagrid, Norbert, he and Draco as enemies. Ah, nostalgia.

“I was helping Hagrid’s illegal dragon escape at one in the morning, Professor. Not that you believed me, but it really was the truth, it’s wasn’t just a cock and bull story to get Malfoy in trouble.”

Despite the small start she gave at the knowledge that Harry had, in fact, been rescuing a dragon she beamed and flung the gates to Hogwarts wide open.

“Welcome home Harry” she said to him. “I guarantee I shall not follow you or otherwise try to discover what you’re here to achieve whilst you do whatever needs to be done. Please inform me when you need to leave.” She gave him a warm, genuine smile which Harry returned enthusiastically, then she turned and walked back into the castle.

“Right” said Harry to the other two as he slipped the cloak back over himself. “Quidditch pitch. We need brooms, as I don’t think we’ll have a phoenix to pull us out this time somehow.”

Harry and Ron each collected a broom (Hermione was going to ride on the back of Ron’s), quickly shrunk them, and put them inside the pocket of their jeans. Then they turned back towards the castle and headed for the main entrance.

Harry could hear the loud chatter coming from the Great Hall as they made their way to the staircase. Again he fought the insanely ridiculous urge to go and join them. He hadn’t realised how much he would miss the place, despite all the negative things that happened at the end of his sixth year. Once he, Ron and Hermione had ascended the stairs and were on the second floor, Harry took off his cloak whilst Hermione removed the Disillusionment charms on herself and Ron. They quickly made their way to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. He had butterflies in his stomach, he noticed, not because he was about to re-enter the Chamber of Secrets but the bathroom in which he had nearly killed Draco nearly four months previously. He shuddered at the guilt the memory caused.

Hermione pushed open the door and the trio entered the girls’ lavatory. Fortunately Myrtle wasn’t there. He pointedly didn’t look at the place where Draco had laid, semi-conscious and bleeding. Instead he made his way straight to the taps and located the one with the serpent.

“Are you ready?” He asked Ron and Hermione. They both nodded. Harry took a deep breath.

/Open/ he hissed in Parseltongue.

Just as it had four years previously, the Chamber of Secrets opened in front of his eyes, to reveal a large cylinder tunnel. Taking a deep breath, he jumped straight down, and heard Hermione and Ron do the same. All three lit their wands to give some light to the otherwise pitch black chamber.

It was exactly as Harry had remembered it. The stench, the crunching of animal remains underfoot. He was suddenly mentally transported back four years to the end of his second year, and had to remind himself that no one’s life was in danger, and, this time, Voldemort was certainly not going to show up.

“All right mate?” Ron asked him grimly. He, too, had of course been with Harry that day back in 1993, but this was new for Hermione. She was staring around the chamber with a look of fear, revulsion and genuine interest.

The trio gingerly began picking their way across the remains of rodents and various other small mammals. Harry felt like they had walked for miles. He did not remember it being this far before. Probably because last time you were terrified out of your wits he thought to himself. They continued to descend further and further under the school, and as they did so, the temperature dropped dramatically. Harry began to shiver.

Just then he heard Hermione squeal from behind him. He spun round, as did Ron, but relaxed when he saw Hermione was okay.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you both jump. It’s just that… it’s so cold down here. Harry, the basilisk body, in these temperatures, it’s not going to have…”

“…Decomposed” finished Harry grimly, causing Ron to make a noise of revulsion next to him. He had imagined they were going to see the skeletal remains, but, he had to admit to himself, seeing a perfectly preserved basilisk was quite daunting.

Eventually they entered the chamber. Three pairs of eyes, wide and surprised, rested on the huge, perfectly preserved remains of the basilisk. Harry could still make out the gash wound in the roof of its open mouth, surrounded in sticky, congealed blood, where the sword of Gryffindor had penetrated the snake’s brain. Hermione let out a noise that sounded a cross between a cat being strangled and an owl hooting, whilst Ron could only murmur “bloody Hell Harry.”

Hermione walked to Harry’s side and slipped her arm around his waist.

“How did you ever… I mean, look at the size of… you must have felt…Harry, you were twelve years old” she said, a tone of disbelief in her voice.

Harry hadn’t taken his eyes from the huge snake in front of him. He had kept his composure but inside he was reliving that day. Ginny, cold and close to death, Tom Riddle commanding the basilisk, the feeling of his own life slipping away as the venom seared his veins, Fawkes saving his life. He shuddered and forced down the lump in his throat. Instead he reached into his pocket and drew out the moleskin pouch Hagrid had given him for his birthday a few years ago, setting it down on the floor. He walked up to the basilisk’s mouth, reached up and grabbed hold of a fang, and pulled.

Nothing happened. The fang was deeply and securely lodged in the basilisk’s mouth. Swearing lightly under his breath, Harry let go of the fang and drew his wand. He pointed it at the basilisk’s gum and quietly uttered, “diffindo”.

There was a loud ripping noise which was instantly replaced by the sickening smell of seeping blood; the slashing spell had achieved its aim and sliced the gum. The fang now hung loose in the root of the snake’s mouth. Harry very carefully reached up, gave it a quick twist and pulled it free from its socket. Grinning in triumph, he turned to smile at Ron and Hermione, who wore equal expressions of pride, relief and revulsion.

Harry walked over to his moleskin pouch and very carefully placed the fang inside before securing the pouch round his neck.

“Right. Let’s get out of here” he said to the other two. He quickly enlarged his shrunken broomstick as Ron did the same to his. He mounted the broom, kicked hard off the ground, checked to make sure Ron and Hermione were okay (Hermione was whimpering something about “Not liking this at all” but Harry and Ron both ignored her) and flew back out of the chamber.

They landed back on the floor of the lavatory and the chamber re-sealed itself. All three were panting hard.

Hermione cast a quick tempus charm. “It’s okay, the first lesson after lunch has started, the corridors will be clear” she told the other two. Feeling mightily relieved that everything had, at least so far, gone to plan for once, Harry followed her out of the bathroom and headed to McGonagall’s office to tell them they were finished.

*****

“I still think we should be the ones there when you destroy it” said Ron, mouth full of sandwich. The trio had stopped in a muggle café for lunch, thanks to Hermione having muggle money, and both The Burrow and Grimmauld Place being ruled out.

“Ron, I really, really need Snape there when it’s done,” Harry replied. “You remember what the diary tried to do to me. Or what the ring did to Dumbledore’s hand. It’s only because of Snape that Dumbledore survived as long as he did. Whatever is in there is going to have some kind of Dark protection and for that reason it’s going to be vital to have Snape with me when I destroy it. He is the one who has the best knowledge of what shit that might put up against me.” He paused, wrestling with himself before deciding his friends deserved to know the truth. Not the whole truth, but parts of it. “Erm… whilst we’re on the subject of Snape and Dark magic, he has… um, I mean, I’ve been… oh, fuck it. Right. Snape has been teaching me the Dark Arts.”

Ron spat out his milkshake, whilst Hermione turned the colour of pewter.

“Harry, but why?” she asked quietly. Harry took a deep breath.

“Because this is the kind of shit the Death Eaters will be throwing at us.” He replied. “Fight fire with fire. We’re not in the DA now Hermione, this is real life and it’s frightening. I’m not crazy about learning it, but it makes sense. Hermione, this is war. We need to know everything we can to survive.”

“No Harry.” Hermione was adamant. “Dark magic is performed by Dark wizards. You’re better than that.”

Ron had kept strangely and, for him, unusually silent. Harry launched into the explanation Snape had given him about intent and purpose not the spell cast determining Dark or Light, but Hermione was stubbornly refusing to listen. Ron, however, surprised him. “It makes sense Hermione. I mean, Harry is only going to use it in emergencies, right?” He looked at Harry questioningly and Harry nodded his confirmation. “See, there you go! He’s not going to turn Dark just cos of a few spells, ‘Mione.”

“No. I’m sorry Harry but I don’t agree with this” Hermione replied sadly. “Those spells are foul, and evil, and I cannot believe you’d use them.”

Harry sighed. He had expected this answer from her. As much as Harry loved Hermione, if he had to admit to one fault of hers then it was her stubbornness and her refusal to see between black and white. There were no grey areas with her.

“Well this is my decision. And you’re just going to have to trust me” he replied, with a little more heat than he had intended. He toyed with himself once more. He might as well keep going now he’d started. “That’s not it. I’m going to tell Remus about the horcruxes. And, um, Draco.”

The huge collective gasp from his friends drew several other customers’ eyes to their table. Harry waited for their attention to wane once more before continuing. “Dumbledore was wrong. About keeping it just within us. And Snape of course. Look, we’re getting nowhere, Snape’s getting nowhere. We need more opinions, more avenues to work from. And Draco has had Voldemort living in his house for months. He might actually know something.”

“Harry, you seriously cannot be thinking about letting Malfoy know about these?” asked Ron, whose eyebrows were so far into his hairline they looked like they weren’t there.

“I know you have no reason to trust him Ron” Harry continued. “And if the roles were reversed I’d think you have lost your mind too. But please, please trust me when I tell you he wants Voldemort destroyed as much as I do. He might know something we don’t. And it’s only thanks to him we have the locket, remember.”

“Harry, are you sure about this?” Hermione asked. Ron stared at her.

“Of course he’s not sure! He’s gone bloody crazy! Harry, he’s a Slytherin for fuck’s sake! You remember? All the shit he did last year? Bill’s face, I nearly died, all down to him!”

“Ron, lower your voice” Harry hissed. “And I know everything he did. And you are perfectly aware it was out of desperation. Whilst what he did was terrible he was frightened half to death Ron. And frantic. And now he’s not. Away from his bloody insane bigoted family he’s actually okay. He’s even apologised about how he’s treated muggles and muggleborns. And as for being a Slytherin, so fucking what? It’s only thanks to two Slytherins that we’ve come as far as we have. This is a war Ron, in case you need reminding. Not a Quidditch match or something. This isn’t me sharing our latest tactics with their captain. It’s about saving us from Voldemort. Malfoy can help. Trust me.”

“Harry” Hermione’s voice was small. “Exactly a year ago you were desperately trying to convince us Malfoy was a death eater. And now you’re trying to convince us to trust him to help us destroy Voldemort! Make up your mind!”.

Harry was getting irritated now.

“Yes Hermione, last year I knew he was up to something. And neither of you listened to me, or believed me, that time and I was right. I’m right this time too and you’re not listening to me again. What do I need to do to get you two to show some faith in me? Everything I do, every instinct I have, you question. Dumbledore has left me a next to impossible task, and I’m going to whatever the fucking hell I can to succeed at it. We need more allies. Draco can help. I need you with me on this, or I don’t need you.”

“So, do it your way or piss off?” Ron said angrily.

“That’s not what I said!” retorted Harry, his temper rising. “But, yes, I do need you to trust me. This is MY task Ron, Dumbledore left it to me. I’m the one that has no bloody choice whether or not I do it. The rest of you all do. And because of that I have to do it the way I need to do it, make decisions my way. I need you two to trust me. And you don’t. I accept you have no reason to trust Malfoy. But, please, have faith that I do. So trust me if you can’t trust him.”

“No.” His friends replied in unison. Harry smiled sadly.

“Then we have a problem” he said regretfully. The three sat in silence. Harry drunk his coffee, but left his sandwich uneaten, his appetite gone.

“I think it would be best if you both went back to Hogwarts” he said quietly, after a few minutes of silence had passed. Ron and Hermione both looked gobsmacked. “Look, I’m not angry, not really, and I don’t want to argue again. You’re my best friends and I love you both. But this isn’t working, is it? We’re getting nowhere. Look, you can both still help me. I’ll alter the wards on Grimmauld Place when I get home to allow owls from you two through, and we still have the DA coins we can talk to each other with. You can research what you can, and if I come up with something significant I’ll let you know.”

He stood up and walked to the other side of the table. “We’ll meet up in a couple of weeks, okay? I’m sorry.” With that he left the café and, with a heavy heart, apparated home.

*****

The kitchen table was becoming the focal point of Grimmauld Place, and, once more, Harry found himself sat at it, Snape next to him, and joined by a bewildered Remus and an excited Draco. After arriving back from the Chamber of Secrets that afternoon, Harry had told Snape his wish to involve the other two in their plans and, to his surprise, Snape had agreed it was a good idea. He cleared his throat.

“Right. Well, you’re both here because there is something I want you both to know.” He reached round the back of his neck and removed the horcrux, putting it down on the table. “You’ve both wondered what this is, and why it’s so important. I know you’ve both guessed it has something to do with Voldemort, but you probably don’t know quite how much. Dumbledore discovered something about Voldemort. About how he survived the rebounded killing curse the night he tried to kill me when I was a baby. Voldemort has Horcruxes, and this locket is one.”

Draco’s face just looked confused but Remus turned a shade of green and swayed on his chair slightly.

“He has a horcrux?” he whispered hoarsely. Harry gave a grim smile.

“Horcruxes. Plural. Remus, what is supposed to be the magically strongest number?”

Remus gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles white, and he closed his eyes and shuddered as he realised what Harry’s words implied. Harry thought he was trying to fight off revulsion. He knew how Remus felt.

“Sorry, but what is a horcrux?” Draco interjected.

“It’s a wicked piece of Dark magic that seals a part of a wizard’s soul within an object” Snape supplied. “As long as a horcrux remains intact, the wizard who the horcrux belongs to cannot die. At this moment in time Voldemort is immortal, as his horcruxes tether him to life. This is the task Dumbledore left Harry to carry out. He is trying to find and destroy destroy them.”

“Them” Draco repeated breathlessly, at the same time as Remus said, “there are seven we have to find?” Both men looked incredibly pale and sick. Harry shook his head.

“That’s where there is some good news” he said. “There were only six- the seventh piece is Voldemort himself. And of those six, two have already been destroyed and that’s the third right there. After this there are another three. Two related to the Hogwarts founders, probably Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and the third is Nagini, Voldemort’s snake.”

“How do you destroy one?” Asked Draco.

“Well, it took us a while to find out, because apparently Dumbledore didn’t consider this information important and he never actually told me. But Snape found it in a book here in the library. Fiendfyre can be used, but it’s far too unstable and we’re far more likely to end up dead than actually getting rid of the horcrux if we use it. The most successful way is basilisk venom.”

“Oh, so handy we have an abundance of that available then isn’t it. I was actually wondering what we’d use all the excess we had for” said Draco sarcastically. Harry allowed himself a small chuckle.

“Actually, that brings me to the second part of why I brought you both here. Today I’ve been to Hogwarts and opened the Chamber of Secrets again. The basilisk I killed in our second year is still down there.” And he opened the moleskin pouch and removed the fang, his lips curled in amusement at the reaction this gesture received.

Even Snape, who knew perfectly well what Harry was doing that morning, gasped. Draco’s eyes widened in astonishment whilst Remus stared at the fang, muttering unintelligible words to himself.

“You… Hogwarts… reopened the Chamber of Secrets and came back home with a bloody basilisk fang” Remus stammered out. Then his face broke into a grin. “Why am I not surprised? Only you Harry. Only you could actually pull this off. I should be surprised but I’m getting used to you achieving the impossible.” The pride was evident to anyone who was listening.

Harry smiled at this compliment but he was only half paying attention. His face was focussed on Draco, who was looking pale and trembling slightly. “Are you okay?” He asked the blond in a voice so gentle and full of tenderness it caused Snape to stare at them both in wonder. Draco nodded, eyes never leaving the basilisk fang.

“I’m going to help you Harry. Whatever it takes. I’m going to be there and we’re going to destroy that evil fucker together. He’s not having you.” He replied. Harry beamed at him but managed to resist the urge to reach out and grab his hand. Both Harry and Draco missed the surprised and questioning look Snape gave the pair.

“Right. Well. Let’s get rid of this thing then shall we?” Harry said. "I have no idea what’s inside it. But the diary tried to kill me and the ring had a curse which damaged Dumbledore so badly it gave him twelve months to live. So whatever is inside isn’t going to be pleasant.”

He took the basilisk fang in his right hand and took a deep, steadying breath. The he raised the fang above his head, before bringing it down swiftly into the centre of the locket.

Instantly the kitchen was filled with a high-pitched scream, and two ebony arms created from what looked like smoke shot out of the locket. One grabbed Harry’s throat in a death-like grip, crushing his windpipe whilst the other covered his nose and mouth.

Harry couldn’t breathe. He could make out the panicked voices of Snape, Lupin and Draco, all of whom had instantly drawn their wands and were firing curses and jinxes at the non-corporeal hands with no avail. His oxygen-starved brain was conjuring hallucinations in his mind of Voldemort and Sirius’, Cedric’s and Dumbledore’s deaths which were becoming more and more real as the physical world began to fade in a series of black and red swirling blobs in front of his eyes. This is a really shitty way to die was his final thought before he succumbed to suffocation and the world went black.

*****

When Harry woke he realised it was dark, he was in bed, and Draco had fallen asleep half in an armchair, half draped across his bed. His hand was gripped firmly on Harry’s. Harry pulled his arm free to try and reach his glasses, and the movement roused Draco. He beamed when he saw Harry was awake, before launching himself forwards and capturing Harry in a hug.

“Thank Circe you’re awake” he said in a low whisper, handing Harry his glasses. Only once they were on his face did Harry realise Snape and Remus were both curled up, asleep, in armchairs in his room as well.

“What happened?” Harry whispered back. “I remember the arms, and being choked, but then I passed out and knew nothing till I woke up just now.”

“It was Severus who got it off you.” Draco replied. “He knew it was a curse straight away but at first couldn’t identify which one. We were all panicking, then when you passed out I thought Lupin was going to collapse, and then Sev muttered something and a brilliant white light hit the arms and they sort of exploded. You made this really weird gasping noise then started breathing straight away again but Sev gave you some Dreamless Sleep potion as your throat was a right state. He’s healed you now but, oh Harry, you were purple. When Sev first got the arms off you, I… I thought you were dead.” On the last word he broke into a small sob. Harry threaded his fingers into Draco’s hair and pulled him close, their lips locking.

“Mmmm” said Harry once the kiss broke. “Feel better now.” Draco let out a small chuckle as they pulled apart. The noise was, however, enough to wake up Snape and Remus, who were both delighted to see Harry was awake and well.

“Whilst you were asleep Severus told me everything. About Dumbledore I mean” said Remus. “I’m pissed off with him too kiddo. You did the right thing telling us you know. I’m going to be there every step of the way to see Voldemort wiped off the face of the Earth.” He bent forwards and embraced Harry. “I thought I’d lost you Harry. Never, ever do that to me again. I shall see you in the morning.” And he left the room.

Snape didn’t seem to know what to say, but his eyes shone with the emotions his mouth couldn’t convey. Harry was therefore not disappointed when all Snape could utter was a cordial, “Glad to have you back with us Harry” before he too left the room.

“You’re not leaving as well are you?” Harry joked. Draco smirked at him.

“Try and stop me from staying and I’ll hex you” he murmured, then let out a very un-Malfoy-ish squeal as Harry reached over and pulled Draco on top of him. His lips crushed on to Harry’s and Harry sank happily into the wonderfulness of it all.

Suddenly Draco broke the kiss and pulled himself up onto his knees. He flicked his wand at the lamp on Harry’s bedside table. Harry sat up, confused. Draco looked nervous.

“You showed a lot of trust in me today, Harry” he said, and Harry could hear the tremor in his voice. I… I need to trust you with something.” And he began unbuttoning his shirt.

Harry suddenly realised what Draco was doing. Draco faltered as he went to remove his arms from the sleeves. Harry knelt in front of him, hands on his shoulders. “Go on” he whispered. “It’s okay”. Encouraged by the words, Draco shrugged out of the shirt, then turned his left arm over so his hand was palm up, revealing the jet black Dark Mark burnt onto his skin. Harry removed his gaze from it and focussed his eyes on Draco’s.

“You’re still beautiful” he said quietly. He pushed the hair up on his forehead to reveal his scar. “Voldemort has Marked both of us. Neither of us had any choice. Not really. And he’ll fucking pay. You’re Draco. Let this be a reminder that the events of the past make us stronger. Not weaker.”

He ran his right hand over the Mark, tracing the outline of the serpent before throwing his arms around Draco’s neck, and began kissing him deeply.

Draco groaned and deepened the kiss even further. Harry felt his body responding as it had done the afternoon after he cast the Unforgivables. If he was going to back out then now was the time.

He didn’t want to. He pulled Draco flush on top of him, noticing Draco wanted this as much as he did. Draco pulled back from the kiss.

“Are you sure you’re not going to go all weird on me again afterwards?” He asked breathlessly.

“Not this time” Harry replied, before pulling him back into the kiss. Draco started undoing the buttons on Harry’s shirt, before moving his lips to the nape of Harry’s neck. He licked and sucked on the sensitive flesh, causing Harry to gasp, as he wiggled out of his shirt. They both attacked each other’s trousers, undoing the zips and slipping out of them.

“I’m still not ready for, you know” Harry replied, but Draco didn’t seem to mind. He merely silenced him with another kiss.

“On or off?” He asked Harry, indicating their boxers. Harry thought for a moment, then tugged his own down before kicking them off, eliciting a huge groan of satisfaction from Draco before he enthusiastically removed his own.

“Wait!” cried Harry, causing Draco to freeze. Harry flushed. “I, er, was just going to say we need to ward the door” he said sheepishly. Draco let out a relieved chuckle, bent over to his jeans and pulled out his wand, before casting strong locking and silencing charms at it.

“There. I could make you scream now and no one will hear” he said wickedly. Harry blushed once more, although Draco’s words shot directly to his groin.

“Part your legs” Draco commanded, and Harry was more than willing to cooperate. He did as he was told, then a second later felt Draco position is own body between them, before coming up so they were eye level. Then Draco ground down with his hips, erection crushing erection, and Harry completely lost himself. He began making a series of groans, pants and “Oh Draco, more”s which at any other time would have caused him much embarrassment. But all he could care about right now was the glorious, spine- tingling, toe-curling sensations Draco was drawing from him. He dug the nails of one hand into Draco’s back whilst the other came to rest on Draco’s buttocks as Draco continued to grind into Harry groin and thrust lightly whilst kissing every inch of him his mouth could reach.

“Oh shit, going to… Merlin” Draco panted. His rhythm sped up, the magnificent pressure increased and Harry realised he was seconds away himself. He arched his back off the bed, meeting each of Draco’s thrusts until, finally, they came almost simultaneously, and Harry was eternally grateful for the silencing charm that had gone up.

“That was fucking incredible” Harry panted, as Draco tried to calm his breathing. That was the hardest, the longest I’ve ever- oh Merlin.” And he wrapped his arms strongly around Draco, firmly sending him the signal that, this time, he was going nowhere.

Later, as Draco lay fast asleep in Harry’s arms, Harry was pondering. Pondering over his visit into the Chamber of Secrets. Pondering over Ron and Hermione. Pondering over destroying the horcrux and almost dying for his trouble. But, most of all, he was pondering over the fact that he thought he had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy.
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Harry Potter and the Black King