FIC: Xerosis -- Chapter Two, Part Two -- T -- Voldemort/Harry

[batsutousai]

Title: Xerosis
Author: batsutousai
Beta: tsuki_no_suzu
Rating: T
Pairings: Voldemort/Harry (post-Harry/Ginny)
Warnings: SLASH, AU, character death, super!Harry, Dark!Harry
Summary: Harry's world ends at the hands of those he'd once fought to save. An adult-Harry goes back to his younger self fic. Super!Harry

Chapter Two, Part One


-0-

Every night Harry checked the Map before bed, looking to see if Dumbledore was in the building. Like Voldemort had during his last life, Harry didn't want to go after the Stone while the Headmaster was in the building, as he'd surely sense any attempt. However, Harry, unlike Voldemort, was patient. He had all term to try, and with Peter Pettigrew on his way to turn himself in, Dumbledore would be leaving the building soon enough.

The night the other students returned, Harry's luck came through. The Headmaster hadn't been at the feast – something that a number of people commented on – and a check of the Map once he was back up in his dorm showed that the man was still out.

Harry had spent the past few days sorting through memories of his original first year, especially memories of the adventure at the end of the year. He was relatively certain that he would be able to shadow into the room with the potions, if not the one with the Mirror.

Once his roommates were all asleep, Harry closed the curtains around his bed and shadowed to the room with the Mirror. As soon as he appeared, torches around the room lit, dispersing any shadows. "Figures," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes. He'd have to backtrack to the room with the potions to shadow out, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Harry firmly set it in his mind that he only wanted the Stone to protect it – he wasn't sure wanting it to ensure his own life would work for the enchantment – then stepped in front of the Mirror.

The image in the Mirror flickered between his family and friends playing and his reflection for a long moment, not really settling on one or the other. Harry closed his eyes and focused on the need to protect. Not necessarily the need to protect the Stone, just the need to protect something. To protect the future.

The magic in the room surged and Harry held out his hand. Something settled into his open palm and he smiled down at the Stone. He'd done it.

He slipped into the room with the potions in it and slipped under the table where the shadow was just large enough for him to squeeze back to his own room. The Stone was slipped into the secure compartment with his Cloak and the Map, then Harry crawled into bed, feeling quite accomplished.

-0-

"Wh-what do you w-want P-P-Potter?" Quirrell asked once the last student had filed out of the room and only Harry was left sitting at his normal spot. It had been rather trying to get Terry and Li to leave without him, but they'd eventually agreed. Harry even had the parchment they'd scribbled their agreements on, which he'd spelled earlier to act like something of a binding magical contract when a specific phrase was written. Perhaps a little unfair, but Harry couldn't chance anyone overhearing this conversation.

Harry slipped his wand into his hand under his desk and silently cast a silencing ward on the door, then glanced up at the professor and said, "I'd like to speak with your master. I have a business proposition for him."

Quirrell gave a nervous little laugh and paled a shade. "M-my M-M-Master?" he repeated.

Harry smiled coldly. "The one on the back of your head," he agreed. "I believe he answers to Lord Voldemort?"

Quirrell opened his mouth to stutter out another excuse, but a high voice from under the turban said, "You know of me, boy?"

Harry held up one hand to pick under his nails, completely unconcerned. "Of course I know of you. Every time Quirrell turns his back to me, my scar burns." A complete lie, as his Occlumency was protecting him. "I was rather confused by the phenomenon for the longest time, but I eventually put the pieces together."

Voldemort let out a high cackle and his host cringed. "How very like a Ravenclaw," the Dark Lord commented. "Quirrell, let me see him."

"Master–" Quirrell tried.

"Now, Quirrell," Voldemort ordered.

Harry glanced up over his nails as the Defence teacher slowly turned in his chair and unwrapped his head. Once he was uncovered, Voldemort looked at Harry, who met his gaze without fear. "Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed, a dark smile tugging at his lips.

"Lord Voldemort," Harry replied neutrally.

"You don't fear me," the Dark Lord realised. "Why is that?"

Harry raised one eyebrow. "You're a parasite attached to the back of my Defence teacher's head, why would I fear you?" he retorted. Before Voldemort could say anything to that, Harry added, "Anyway, the shield that formed around me thanks to my mother's sacrifice is still in effect. Perhaps you could curse me, but if you try touching me, your host's body will turn to ash. And then you'd have to go find another poor sod to inhabit."

Quirrell choked in surprise or fear, Harry wasn't sure which. Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the boy, who offered him a smirk. After a moment of staring, Voldemort said, "You mentioned a business proposition?"

Harry shrugged one shoulder. "You promise not to try killing me while I'm enrolled at Hogwarts, I hand over the Philosopher's Stone."

Quirrell choked again as Voldemort hissed, "What makes you think I want that worthless Stone?"

Harry just smirked at him in response.

Quirrell let out a whimper and Harry could just hear Voldemort hissing, "You're giving me away, you worthless fool!"

Harry stood from his chair and Voldemort's attention was immediately back on him as he picked up his school bag. "Let me know when you're ready to agree to the deal," he said, turning towards the door. "I've got all year."

Voldemort let out an angry hiss. "Sit back down, boy!"

Harry glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, are you done trying to play with me now? Because if you're not going to agree to my terms, you won't get the Stone."

"You think I'm stupid enough to believe a mere boy has access to the Stone? We both know it's down the forbidden third floor corridor. Don't you dare try treating me as–"

Voldemort's angry tirade died off as Harry pulled the Stone out of his school bag and smiled. "Don't mistake me for some clueless child, Lord Voldemort. Such mistakes will only see your downfall. I wouldn't bother coming to you if I didn't already have the item I wished to trade." He set the stone on the nearest desk top and covered it with his hand. "Do we have an accord?"

"And if we don't?" Voldemort asked, but Harry had fought the Dark Lord long enough to know when he'd won. Voldemort was just stalling at that point.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to sell it to the highest bidder," Harry decided. "People would pay anything for a Philosopher's Stone, you know." He smiled coldly, eyes flashing with his power. "Even their soul."

A shiver went down Quirrell's back as the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes at the eerie boy at the back of the room. "We have an accord," he ground out, knowing he had no choice.

Magic snapped in the room, binding them both to their word. Voldemort's eyes widened, having not expected that to have been a binding contract, but Harry just stepped forward and set the Stone on the desk, commenting, "You didn't honestly think I'd let you get away with a verbal promise, did you?" Then he turned and left the room, the door falling shut behind him with a soft click.

Voldemort was left staring down at the Philosopher's Stone, greed in his eyes. Perhaps the boy had won this round, but that just gave the Dark Lord seven years to plot the boy's death. And maybe he could get Harry un-enrolled from the school and kill him before the boy was ready. It shouldn't be too hard.

-0-

"I wonder what happened to Professor Quirrell," Li commented once the train was under way. She, Terry and Harry had all settled into a compartment together so they could enjoy their last hours with one another before summer.

"Who cares," Terry grunted. "He was worthless as a teacher anyway."

Harry smiled a bit. The Defence teacher had remained in the school until February before he finally left. Harry had been impressed that Voldemort had managed to wait that long to use the Stone, but knowing the bastard, he'd spent his time figuring out how to use the Stone and assuring it was the real thing.

Harry was kind of excited to be going home this summer, for once. Sirius had been freed after a great deal of dithering in the Ministry. He was currently at St Mungo's, recuperating. Word from the healers was that he'd be able to claim guardianship of Harry by the end of the summer, if not sooner, and the ex-convict had been writing Harry shaky letters for the past three months, telling him about himself and asking Harry to share his own stories, which he happily did.

This would be his last summer with the Dursleys – unless Dumbledore stuck his nose into things – and Harry fully intended to make it hell for them. He might even put Vernon out of his misery, if the whale irritated him enough.

"What're you doing this summer?" Terry asked both of them.

"My father and I are going back to China for a visit," Li replied, beaming. "I have missed my cousins very much."

"I'll be enjoying my last summer with my relatives," Harry announced.

"You're just going to end up in the nearest library. Admit it," Terry shot back.

Harry chuckled and shrugged. "Probably, yeah. What about you, then?"

Terry grimaced. "Avoiding my brother," he admitted.

"Don't tell your parents you can't use magic," Harry suggested. "As long as you don't actually do any magic, you'll be okay. And maybe your brother'll lay off if he thinks you'll retaliate with magic."

Terry sighed. "It's worth a shot," he agreed.

"I will see if my father is willing to let me bring a friend. There will be language troubles, I think, but it will be better than putting up with your brother."

"And you'll get to test your Mandarin!" Harry agreed, leaning forward. "That would be so amazing. Admit it."

Terry smiled a bit at that. "Yeah, it would. But you're so much better than me, Harry."

Harry waved the compliment away. "I've been studying it longer. You're not doing too bad for someone who's only been learning it for five and a half months."

"Honestly?"

"Honestly," Li and Harry chorused.

Terry nodded. "Then, yeah, if your dad's okay with it and my parents agree. I'd love to visit China."

Li offered him a beaming smile, then turned to Harry. "I would offer to bring you, too, but..."

Harry waved the apology away. "You'll just have to take me next year or something. I'm sure Sirius will agree to it."

"Your godfather seems so cool," Terry complained. "I wish mine was half that cool."

"What is cool about being in prison for ten years?" Li wondered.

"Not that bit," Terry said, laughing. "Come on, Li, you've read his letters. The man's completely insane, but in a wicked awesome way!"

Li sighed and shook her head. She hadn't much cared for Sirius as he portrayed himself in his letters. Harry had to admit that his godfather did come across as ridiculously childish, but he'd started getting better once they assigned him a mind healer back in March. And Harry was more than capable of taking care of himself, so he didn't much mind that Sirius was still a bit mad; he'd rather have a crazy older brother than a parent, anyway.

A knock came at their compartment door before sliding open to admit Lillian who glanced at Terry and Li briefly before focusing on Harry. "Were you intending to part without even a word to me?" she accused.

"Oh, piss off, Moon," Terry muttered, frowning.

Harry rolled his eyes at his friends. Terry was muggleborn and Lillian's family was just Dark enough that she hated him for his blood, and Terry was just proud enough of his mundane parents to hate her for her prejudice. Harry mostly ignored the two of them, refusing to deal with what he saw as a childish rivalry, but Li often poked fun at Terry when Lillian wasn't around for how much like a jealous boyfriend he acted over sharing Harry's friendship.

Lillian sniffed at Terry. "Something smells in here."

"You two are so bloody immature," Harry muttered, earning a giggle from Li. He stood and moved towards the door. "I'll be back," he promised Terry when the boy opened his mouth to complain. "I'd like to say goodbye to Hermione and Nev before we reach the station, too."

Terry settled down at that, as he actually kind of liked the two Gryffindors. He and Li didn't actually spend any time with Hermione and Neville, but neither of them had anything against them, either. It was just that most students didn't make friends outside their own House, and the friendships that did form didn't last long. Harry was just determined enough that his friendships with Hermione, Neville and Lillian hadn't really been left to die off. (It helped that he already knew Hermione and Neville far better than either of them knew themselves. And he'd saved Lillian's life, so the Slytherin was determined to keep up with him.)

Out in the hallway, Harry let Lillian lead the way. "I don't know why you put up with so many mudbloods," Lillian complained.

Harry rolled his eyes at the insult, but didn't care enough to bother arguing it. "Hermione and Terry are both fine people. If you ever bothered to look past their blood statuses, you might actually see people you like."

"Not likely," Lillian muttered, shoving the door to her compartment open.

Millicent, Tracey and Morag all glanced up at their entrance and Morag sighed. "Lil, must you insisted on forcing Potter on us?"

"So much for House loyalty," Harry retorted, already used to his fellow Ravenclaw's dislike of himself. "You know, Morag, if you really hated the lot of us so much, you should have argued harder with the Hat."

"Go get stuffed, Potter."

Harry grinned at the girl and leaned back against the closed door as Lillian took her seat. "How long is a suitable goodbye?"

"Longer than you've been here," Lillian retorted. "What do you intend to do for your summer?"

"Torment my relatives until they admit themselves to the loony bin," Harry said without pause. "Hopefully move in with my godfather before September. Why?"

Lillian smiled faintly while the other two Slytherins chortled at Harry's flippant remark about his relatives and Morag rolled her eyes. "My birthday's August seventeenth and I was hoping you'd come to the party," Lillian offered.

Morag moaned. "Come on, Lil!"

"I'll do my best," Harry promised. "Send me an invitation and I'll let you know once I figure out what's happening with Sirius."

"You can't reply any later than a week before," Millicent warned. "And it's a bit rude to wait even that long."

Harry inclined his head in thanks. "I should know for sure by the first," he promised.

"That's acceptable," Lillian decided. "And I suppose you can go visit your mudblood and Longbottom now."

"Thank you for freeing me, Majesty," Harry teased.

"Leave faster, Potter!"

Harry chuckled as Lillian turned on Morag with a scowl. He slipped out the door and a quick point me directed him to the compartment Hermione and Neville were sitting in. "Knock, knock," he said, poking his head inside.

"Trevor!" Neville shouted in warning.

Harry darted his hand out and caught the toad before he could make good on his escape. "You're such a naughty toad," he told Trevor as he slipped into the compartment and dropped into the open seat next to Hermione. "One of these days your escape is going to land you in someone's stomach, you know. You'll make Neville very sad, but I'm sure he'll get over it after a month–"

"Leave Neville alone, you idiot," Hermione muttered, elbowing Harry in the side.

Neville held out his hands for his toad, who Harry handed over with a grin. "Don't listen to him, Trevor. He's just trying to scare us."

Harry chuckled and leaned back against the backrest. "So, hi. What are you two up to this summer? Other than devouring books and kicking useless gardeners out of the greenhouse?"

Neville laughed at that while Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's pretty much it," the Gryffindor boy replied. "Maybe a small party for me, but I'm not sure what Gran's planning there."

"Well, if she opens it to your awesome friends, feel free to send me an invite. I could do with a break from my relatives," Harry offered.

Hermione sighed. "I don't understand why you dislike your family so much, Harry. I really don't."

Harry waved a hand at her, having long ago given up trying to explain the Dursleys to her. The fact was that they hadn't been as horrible this time around and he didn't spend as much time with Hermione as he had before. He'd tried a few times to explain that they were absolutely the worst sort of people, but all that Hermione seemed to get was that he didn't like them. (He loved Hermione, truly he did, but she could be difficult about some of the strangest things.)

"So, other than avoiding your relatives, what are you up to this summer?" Neville asked.

"Waiting for Sirius to be cleared from Mungo's," Harry said, grinning. "If he gets out in time for my – our – birthday I'll see about throwing a party and inviting you two."

"As long as Moon isn't there," Hermione muttered, being about as fond of Lillian as she was of her.

"And watch my party break out into a war? Not going to happen. She'll forgive me if I don't invite her."

Neville covered a grin. "We'll have to plan our parties around each other, then," he pointed out.

"Should be fun," Harry agreed, standing. "Well, I'd best head back to Terry and Li before they hunt me down. If I don't see you two over the summer, I'll see you on the train."

"Have a good summer!" Hermione called as Harry stepped out into the hall.

He waved back at them, made sure Trevor hadn't made another escape attempt, then made his way back to his own compartment for the rest of the trip. His summer was already looking to be quite full. He just hoped Dobby the house-elf didn't ruin it.

-0-0-0-0-0-

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: Slightly longer chapter. O.o By, like, six hundred words or something.
I'd originally considered ending this chapter around Christmas, but I decided to just end the year.

Occlumency: I know someone's going to bitch about this, so to hopefully avoid an angry review, let me just point out that we don't really know all that much about Occlumency. For all we know, it can block nightmares if utilised every night. Or at least keep them from being as bad as they could be. (Anyway, Harry's head is so full of random crap at this point that the bad memories would have some serious trouble getting through. XD)

The Mirror: After re-reading Philosopher's Stone, I realised that Albus said it was Harry's intent to have the Stone but not use it that enabled him to get it, not his intent to protect it. (Oops...) Dunno where I got that idea from, but I'd already written that part and didn't feel like editing it. So in the canon of this world, it's the intent to protect the Stone that let Harry get it. (Maybe that was from the film? I really don't know.)

~Bats ^.^x

Chapters:
Pro - If We Could Only Turn Back Time / 1 - Long Road
2 - Never As It Seems ||| 3 - The Bad Man, the Sad Man ||| 4 - Armies of Robbers and Thieves
5 - Fear Falls Like Rain ||| 6 - Rage Like Fire ||| 7 - Born From Conflict
8 - Reach Any Star ||| 9 - Cold Fields ||| 10 - Ice Inside Your Soul
11 - King of Anything

.

Comments

[larawander5.livejournal.com]

Any review left for me on my LiveJournal gets a response, no questions about it. It's just really easy to do it there, and I get to use awesome icons. (I rock the icons.)



Sing it Sister!



hmmmm....



I wonder how many icons I have



4444! with 62 folders and subfolders!







I know! I can show my love for you and your fic with icons!





Give me a prompt, and I will continue or if you really want in depth feedback about how much I love this story and how it is great to see you back to writing HP I can do that too, but I figure you get a hundred + oh about infinity of those XD

[batsutousai]

♥

You have many more icons than me. I've only got, like 3,000. ^.^"

[larawander5.livejournal.com]

only got, like 3,000



I was there like last year! That is why I was so surprised that I increase that much when I have had my collection since like highschool. Though that could be from over 400 large gifs that I have been collecting since then.

Still that is more than enough to play with and have some really epic icon battles! This is where you just respond to prompts/ims using the best possible icons. There is not real points just it is fun because there is a lot of lols and awesome icons to snag.



It is a lot of fun! ^_^

[farawisa.livejournal.com]

loved it. great work! go on soon, please!

[batsutousai]

Glad you enjoyed! I'll post the next chapter next week. ^.~

[margi-lynn.livejournal.com]

YAY THERE IS A LOT OF TREVOR IN THIS STORY THIS MAKES ME UNREASONABLY HAPPY

Also: yay for having friended you here ages ago; it's so much easier to enjoy and comment here.

I love your flippy, insolent Harry! This is the best kind of crack, you know. OMNOMNOM.

Thank you for sharing, dearest ♥

[batsutousai]

Your icon makes me happy, darling. ♥

It is the truth. I wish more people would pester me on LJ, but then everyone got ticked off with the staff and left. T.T Oh well.

This Harry is way too much fun. Why didn't I write him sooner? XD

[ringermaker.livejournal.com]

Great chapter! I am soo happy that you decided not to end it at Christmas! Still, I can't help but want MOAR! Oh well, I can wait. ;P

I would review here but I still have to reply to the one on your other story. So I'm going off there! XD (Fuck the grammar rules, it's damn hard to NOT start a sentence with coordinating conjunctions!)

Anyway, you get an extra comment here! Yay!

[batsutousai]

LOL. I actually got to your other comment(s) first. How sad is that? ^.^"

Grammar rules are for losers, anyway. (Or for when you're writing a paper. ^.^")

[ringermaker.livejournal.com]

Lol. I know why! They're waay more interesting, right? *waggles eyebrows suggestively* I'm the opposite. I get to the shorter ones first. Then, only do I sit back and enjoy! XD

True. Unfortunately, I'm still in school. *sighs*

Now I'm off to the other comments!

[xkayxvenx.livejournal.com]

Yay I love the sarcastic and focused Harry of this story. I'm wondering when he is going to start politics though since right now he seems to be keeping a low profile. *raises eyebrow* I can't wait for you to update.

[batsutousai]

Ugh, politics. ^.^"
You have to keep in mind that the wizarding world's political system is kind of shite at this point in time. Way easier to tear it apart and remake it in your own image.
Anyway, as long as Albus is still alive, any attempts to talk muggle hate is basically like committing political suicide.

Glad you're enjoying, though!

[buddyzmama.livejournal.com]

I read your fics on ff.net, and have yet to find one that I didn't wholeheartedly enjoy. This one is no different-I can hardly wait to see what happens next!

[batsutousai]

I'm glad you enjoy them so much! Hope this one doesn't end up disappointing. ^.^"