Hey there, one and all. After an excessively long delay, here, for your reading pleasure, (I hope) is Chapter Two of my Harry Potter Fanfiction, Burn to Shine. (I can never decide if I want the 'to' to be capatilized or not...)

If you so desire, you can find previous chapters here:

Prologue / Chapter One /

Quick Summary: Harry Potter is the wizarding world's hero. But when Voldemort discovers a dark magic that could turn his greatest threat into a valuable asset, will Harry be able to hold onto who he is, or submit to the shadows within?

Set in 7th year, but follows canon only till the end of Goblet of Fire.

Title is a song by Ben Harper

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Sirius/Remus, Hermione/Ron. Implied Voldemort/Draco, Voldemort/Death Eaters

Warnings:

-Spoilers for books (and movies, I guess), 1-4 with occasional 5-6 spoilers for largely irrelevant things like character names and monsters and things. Not plot-related stuff. (I think/hope).

-Rated R-18 (for later chapters) Also known as NC-17 (for Americans.)

-This story contains - obligatory capitals: SLASH! Also known as YAOI, alsoknown as males having sweaty sex with OTHER MALES. If you don't want to read that kind of stuff, don't read the fic, don't complain to me ifyou do and it grosses you out, that's just silly on your part. There are also issues of non-consensual sex. Run while you still can.

Endless thanks go to mimei for the beta.

And if you've already read all that:





Disclaimer - This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

-


..................... {?} ........



Glowing.

Laughter.

Warm moments that spread through a lifetime.

~

“Harry! Wake up, it’s time for school!”

~

“Do you think we should get a cat or a dog?”

“I want an owl, Dad!”

~

“Here you go, son.”

“Wow! A broom! Just for me?”

~

“Harry, this is Ron, he’s the son of good friends of ours, you two can go and play out back.”

~

“Uncle Remus, do you think I will like Hogwarts?”

“Of course Harry, you will learn a lot.”

“But you don’t think the other kids will think I’m weird?”

“I don’t think so, Harry. In the end everyone is the same, no matter who they were born or how they’ve lived.”

~

And things, without the same glow, when perfection becomes jaded...



-Diagon Alley-


“Harry, please hurry, we really don’t have all day.”

“But Dad, this is so cool.”

“I know son, but your mother needs me to be at the office by lunchtime, we’ve got to keep moving.”

11-year-old Harry sighed impatiently, “I don’t see why Mum couldn’t have taken just one day off for this.”

James turned and frowned at the young boy, “Harry you know why. Your mother loves you very much, but it’s hard work being the Minister for Magic. She’d be here if she could.”

The young boy flushed and looked down, “I know…I’m sorry, Dad.”

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement smiled tightly at his son. Harry rarely got to see the parents who were two of the most major officials for the Ministry. “She’ll be home all weekend so that she can see you off to Hogwarts properly, so that’s something, right?”

Harry returned the smile, “Yeah, Dad, that’ll be great.”

“C’mon, we have to get your wand, then I’ll go grab your books while you get your robes all sorted, alright kiddo?”

“Alright.”

~

Madam Malkin’s was dark as Harry pushed the door open, the tinkling bell bringing the flustered woman from the back of the shop, her features brightened when she saw Harry.

“Oh, Master Potter, it’s so good to see you! Are you here for your Hogwarts robes?

Harry nodded, trying not to be annoyed that practically every shop clerk in Diagon Alley was able to recognise him as the young son of the magical world’s most prominent couple. Even though Lily and James had been in powerful positions all of Harry’s life, he still hated the fame and couldn’t help but wish that he would be recognised not as a Potter, but just as Har—

“Alright, I have everything you’ll need, but we have another young man being fitted up just now, so you may have to wait a few a moments, alright?” She beckoned for Harry to follow her.


“Now, I’ll have to ask you to be careful Master Potter” She whispered, “The young man I have back here is the son of Lucius Malfoy!”

Harry looked up, startled; eight years ago Lucius Malfoy tried to raise an army to take over the Ministry of Magic.

Madame Malkin nodded conspiratorially, “You may be too young to remember, but Malfoy was imprisoned in Azkaban, and died a year later. This is his son.”

Harry, already feeling irritated, snapped, “So, even though this kid probably doesn’t even remember his father, you are still going to treat him like some kind of evil freak?”

The woman stopped and stared at Harry in shock, “Well I never!” she gasped, “You are growing quite a mouth on you, young Mr Potter, I should think your parents expect you to show more respect to your elders. Don’t think I won’t mention this to them!”

They had reached the back of the store and Madame Malkin snapped, “You stay here while I get everything you’ll need, and stay out of mischief - the both of you!” She bustled away.

Harry turned and looked at the boy behind him. He was pale, with a narrow, pointed face and sleek blond hair.

Seething, Harry blurted out, “Do people always treat you like the plague when they hear your last name?”

The other boy raised an eyebrow, eyes fixed on Harry’s face, “Pretty much. Do people always treat you like a demi-god when they hear yours?”

Harry was startled, but returned honesty with honesty, “Pretty much.”

The two boys looked at each other: one, unmarred by the teachings of an evil man; the other, unfettered by the fear of a strange new world; but both facing up to a whole lifetime of frustrations and pain.

“Hi, I’m Harry.” Harry held out his hand.

The blond boy froze for a moment, but then smiled, just a little, and reached out to clasp the other boy’s hand, “Draco.”

~

Harry blinked, looked around.... Green walls, were the walls always green?

“Hey Harry!”

He turned to the voice; Ginny, wearing prefect’s badge, Hogwarts robes, Slytherin crest. {?}

“What’s up Gin?”

Ginny made a face, “Okay so, we have a problem, Hermione has just informed me that we have an unexpected all-prefects meeting on Thursday evening.”

Harry made a strangled noise of annoyance, “But- Quidditch practice!”

“I know.”

“We have to beat Hufflepuff this weekend or we’ll lose any chance of winning the cup! This is me and Draco’s last year!”

“I know, Harry,”

“Oh hell! Draco is going to kill whoever’s responsible for this!”

“I know, Harry!”

Harry snapped his mouth shut and focused on the girl, “What do you need me to do?”

“I want you to go find your best friend and tell him what’s going on.”

Harry smirked, “And keep him away from all other life-forms until he calms down?”

She grinned.

“Precisely.”

Snapping a smart salute to the young prefect, Harry bounced off through the Slytherin Common room to search for the infamous blond.

Eventually, Harry walked up through the passageways of Hogwarts, moving confidently from the Slytherin Dungeons up to the Great Hall where he peeked his head through the door, but paused, suddenly shocked.

Spread through the Great Hall were the students of Hogwarts, four tables as always, but the colours....

{Wow}

Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws discussing homework, Slytherins and Gyrffindors cheerfully battling over the last bread rolls. A school with no dark influence, united, as it was always meant to be.

For a second Harry felt almost like his vision had split into two layers, but then he blinked and the world came back into focus, he spied the blond head he was searching for and trotted over to the Ravenclaw table where Draco Malfoy was speaking with Padma Patil about an upcoming potions essay.

“Good Morning, oh great and wondrous leader,” Harry said, coming up behind Draco.

Malfoy turned and glared up at Harry, “What do you want?”

Harry grinned, “I love you too, sweetie.”

Padma giggled and Harry turned to her apologetically, “Don’t mind him, he’s just pissed off today because his favourite sweater doesn’t match his new trousers.”

{...}

Draco started making indignant noises and Harry grabbed his hands, pulling him out of his seat. “Sorry, Padma, I think I may just need to steal him for a moment, see you later.” He waved, grinning as he led the half-heartedly struggling blonde from the hall.

“Harry! What the hell are you doing?” Draco exclaimed once they had exited the hall.

“Patience, my friend,” said Harry, who led them on till they reached a suitable storage cupboard.

After shoving Draco and himself inside, Harry fired a complicated locking charm at the door and turned to his friend.

Draco raised an eyebrow, “Should I be worried?” he asked, “It’s a little early, even for you.”

{“Harry!”}

Harry snorted, “It’s never too early. But nah, I need to tell you something.”

“Hmmn?”

Harry thought for a moment about how he could put it nicely, but in the end decided to just blurt it out, “We have a compulsory all-prefects meeting on Thursday night.”


~..*..~


Ten minutes later, both boys’ ears were ringing. “Harry! Harry? ....Helllloooo? Earth to Potter?”

“Huh?” Harry blinked and turned to Draco, “What?”

“My furious tirade boring you?”

As Harry looked confused, Draco explained; “You were staring at the wall with a goofy look on your face.”

Harry started, looked around the room – which surprisingly, only had two tantrum-smashed brooms and one upturned desk – and let out a half-laugh, blushing, “Oh, sorry, guess I just spaced out for a second there.”

“You don’t say,” said Draco, smirking. Apparently having a complete mood-swing, he grabbed Harry’s hand, spun him around and pushed him gently against the wall. “And what caused this departure from reality, Harry? What is so fascinating that it grabs your consciousness away and leaves you a drooling husk?”

{??}

At some level in Harry’s brain, something felt a little, odd, about the current situation, but the rest of him seemed to know there was no cause for alarm.

“I was not drooling!” He protested, laughing as the other boy pressed up against him.

Draco leant in closer, “Really? Is that so? Come on, you’re being evasive, answer the question, Harry. What dark little fantasies have you been entertaining while no one was paying attention?”

The dark haired boy smiled and raised his hands, sliding his fingers under Draco’s robe and beneath his shirt, stopping when he felt the skin of the blonde’s back. {What?} “I don’t know, Draco. That’s kind of a broad question, I have a surprising number of dark little fantasies, I may need you to be a little more specific.” He said, his voice husky.

{“Harry please!”}

Those perfect pink lips curled into a smile, “Hmmmmn, decisions decisions. You’d really make me pick?”

Harry grinned, “I’m a cruel person, I know, but I am a Slytherin, after all.” His hands were out from underneath the shirt, and drifting slowly up Draco’s back.

{......!..}

After pondering for a heated moment {“Harry!”}, Draco met Harry’s eyes and murmured softly, “Alright then, how about anything with you, me, some ropes, a desk, a chair, a ruler, and an entire can of chocolate mousse?” {WHAT?!}

Harry let out a moan and in a moment his hands were twined in Draco’s hair, “Now, THAT, I can manage.” He gasped, and pulled the laughing blonde down for a deep, passionate kiss.

“HARRY!”

“Holy SHIT!”

Harry slammed back in his chair, letting out a yelp as it overbalanced and crashed to the floor of the Divination classroom.


~..*..~


“Harry! Harry are you okay!?”

Harry blinked and stared up at his friend, “Ron? ...What?” he managed.

“Harry! Sweet Circe! You okay?! You got stuck and, and we tried to get you out, but you had gone too deep, and holy fuck you’ve been under for ages but even Trelawney couldn’t find you and we didn’t know where you went or if we’d be able to ever get you out and-”

Oh, right, Vision quest, crystal ball, Divination. Right.

Harry groaned and put his hands over his eyes, by now several other members of the class had gathered around, whispering, Lavender piped up, “But what was your question? What did you see, Harry?”

Question? See?

Parents. No Voldemort. Parents. School, school was... different... Ginny. Ginny in Slytherin. Harry in Slytherin. Harry and... Malfoy.

Harry’s eyes snapped open.

Malfoy.

Malfoy. Malfoy. Malfoy. Malfoy..... Draco?

“SHIT!”

Harry scrambled up from the floor and backed away from the other students.

Holy shit holy shit holy shit.

“Harry? Mate, are you okay?”

Harry was gasping for air, his brain buzzing, his skin burning. He needed, he needed, to get out!

Parvati, who, like much of the rest of the class, was pale for some reason, “Harry, you, you didn’t see something about the war, did you?”

There was a series of small noises from around the room, gasps and murmurs. Harry looked up sharply, “Oh crap, no, it wasn’t anything like that!” He said quickly, incredibly glad that none could read his mind right now, because what they would see—

Horrified, his gaze travelled to Ron, who was looking at Harry with tense concern, Harry paused... his stomach lurched, “Oh hell... I think I’m going to be sick.”

Ron snapped into action, “Professor, I better take him down to the hospital wing, is that okay?”

The Professor looked slightly disappointed, but nodded anyway, “Yes, yes, take care of the boy Weasley.”

Ron nodded sharply and started helping Harry down the trapdoor to the halls below, “Don’t worry mate, we’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

Harry nodded, but he suspected that this was not something that Madame Pomfrey could just wave her magic wand and make go away.


~..*..~


Draco Malfoy - was not.


Pureblooded; rich; talented; stunningly beautiful, these were all things that the young Malfoy was. Things that he carried with him every day, in every movement, every comment, every decision.

However he also carried with him, the fact that he was not.

Not weak, not ordinary, not small, and not, surprisingly, what anyone else thought that he was.

Draco Malfoy was not stupid. He was not oblivious. He was not anyone’s fool.

He was not a slave. And despite what everyone thought, he was not, a Death Eater.

It had been two years since the war began; two years was plenty of time to change boys into men. Two years was more than enough time for Draco Malfoy to realise the truth of what the Dark Lord and his cause really was.

Madness. Pure, unadulterated, madness.

Tom Riddle had been an evil, power hungry, unfortunately intelligent git. As far as Draco could figure it out, one morning Tom Riddle decided that when he grew up he wanted to be the dictator of the world.

Voldemort was born.

Tom Riddle was a half-blood, though not a very well-known fact, a fact all the same, Voldemort, however, was no such thing. Voldemort was above such things as having lineage, Voldemort was practically a god. At least, that’s what he wanted people to think.

Voldemort’s cause: Purebloods rule, Mudbloods and Muggles either dead or slaves. Why? Well, there had always been class problems in Britain; it had been part of the system for centuries. What better way to instantly get support for your world-domination cause than to agree with the major complaint of a large part of society and use it as your motto? Plus, though it had been thoroughly politically incorrect to say so for generations, it used to be a fairly well documented fact that pureblood witches and wizards are more powerful than half-bloods or muggle-borns - at least in about 85% of cases. To con a Muggle phrase; it was sheer genetics, if you have magic in both bloodlines, you tend to create a more magical child.

Thus, not only was Voldemort enlisting over half of society, he was choosing the more powerful side as well.

As for the second half of the Dark Lords cause… Well, Muggles are an easy target for wizards, and where’s the fun in world domination when you can’t have slaves? Human society tends to run better when there are people who can be used, abused and oppressed without those in power caring. Unfortunately, there are really no people on earth who are truly inferior to others, different yes, but inferior, that’s murky, even in the best light.

But luckily for Voldemort humans find it difficult to get their heads around the fact that someone can be different to themselves. So with the right encouragement, they are more than happy to believe that a certain category of humanity is uniquely failing in all that is needed to be perfect. Thus, oppression. When you introduce this concept to Wizarding society vs. Muggle society, the leap is even easier to make than usual.

Voldemort was a disturbingly intelligent person, but an even better manipulator. It had not taken him very long to have the peoples of the Wizarding community in the palm of his hand.

Draco had been shocked to discover these things over the last few years. The whole basis of his life, everything he stood for, everything he made his decisions by, was a stupid ploy by an evil mass-manipulator to get what said manipulator desired. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Yo, Draco.”

Draco looked up.

“You hear about Potter?”

Draco sighed with irritation, “Bloody hell, doesn’t he ever give it a rest?” The Slytherin prince snapped, “What has he done now?”

Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table in the great hall, it was lunchtime and his friend and fellow Slytherin Blaise Zabini apparently had some great, grand piece of gossip on why the Hero of Gryffindor and his ginger sidekick were as yet absent from the meal.

“Well, apparently he collapsed in Divination!” Blaise said.

Draco snorted, “Again? Wasn’t that incident in fifth year? You sure you aren’t getting your facts messed up Zabini? Pressure finally getting to you?”

Zabini made a face, “No I-”

“Hello boys,” a voice cooed. Pansy Parkinson, the princess of Slytherin Seventh year, “Talking about Potter are we?”

Draco dismissively waved an ever-elegant hand, “Zabini is talking, I am making an attempt not to listen.”

Pansy slid up behind Draco and rested her chin on his shoulder, “It’s alright Draco dear, we all know you are obsessed with Potter, an unhealthy obsession I’m sure, but you don’t need to hide your innermost secret around us.” She teased.

Draco shrugged the girl off disgustedly, “Ugh, not at the dinner table Parkinson, you’ll make me ill.”

“I was just telling our great prince about Potter collapsing in Divination this morning.” Blaise said with mild sarcasm.

Pansy frowned at the young men as only a woman regarding the male species can, “Oh for Merlin’s sake, Blaise, can’t you get your facts straight at all? That was in Fifth year.”

“That’s what I-” Draco began.

“No, this morning he got stuck in a crystal Vision Quest.” Pansy finished.

“He what?” Draco’s attention instantly sharpened, “For how long?”

Pansy smiled, “By my sources, at least 40 minutes.”

Blaise was gaping at the girl, “Holy shit, no way, how’d they get him out?”

“He came out on his own, apparently swearing a blue streak and looking like he was about to vomit.”

Blaise was sent off into a fit of (manly) giggles. But Draco asked intensely, “What was his question?”

Pansy, made only slightly uncomfortable by the full force of the Malfoy stare, shrugged, “No one knows, apparently one of the Platil girls asked if it was something relating to the war, and only got a no. No more information at this point. Weasley took him off to Pomfrey when he threatened to chuck.”

Draco frowned, but after a few seconds reigned in his behaviour for his audience; “Well, typical Potter, take a simple lesson and turn it into a drama. He probably just fucked up the whole quest and pretended to be caught so no one would notice. Either that or he’s so pathetic as to get stuck inside the crystal just asking how long it would be till he next needed to piss.”

The rest to the Slytherin table, (who by now were listening, waiting for the judgement of their marvellous leader), laughed uproariously. Pansy watched Draco for a few more moments, til a smile and a raised eyebrow appeased her curiosity and she smiled in return.


-

( Next Chapter )


Yeah, hope y'all enjoyed. :) Chapter 3 in editing process now.