Snake out the chamber

Harry was still not sure how to react. He had seen death before. He had technically killed Professor Quirrell in his first year after all. But seeing his whole remaining family being murdered like that? Yeah, he wasn't sure how to react to it.

Was he happy? Was he even allowed to be happy or relieved about it? He doubted that was okay and he wasn't sure if he was. He was however, perhaps, just a tiny little bit glad to think that maybe for once he wouldn't have to fear Uncle Vernon's wrath. It was a wrong thought, Harry was sure of it, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking like that. 

Draco's mother moved over to him, grabbing his chin, lifting it up, taking an observing glance at him. Tom had just left him with the Malfoy's, something he was still sure, was absolutely bonkers, but something Harry had no real say in. The whole trunk thing was surely a bluff. Harry would have been brought here, whether he wanted or not. He didn't. He just wanted to make it clear. 

When her glance settled shortly on the places Harry was sure still had marks left on him, he pulled away, tried to lean further from her and that familiar strange feeling inside of him grow back to surface. He didn't like to think that Malfoy would witness it, that he would see him like this... bloody hell, he must be looking like some sort weak baby to him, when Harry was anything but. 

"Did those muggles did that?", Draco asked him, but there was no snarl in his voice. He stood next to his mother, a bit behind, while his dad stood in the back, looking miserable. 

"Hm", Harry just agreed, but looked away, just while Misses Malfoy used a spell to get rid of any left bruise or scratch or burnt mark on him. Harry was good at cooking, but not at cooking, cleaning and handling other servant duties all at once. Sometimes something slipped and Harry had those reminders of uncarefulnes etched into his body. 

Draco didn't respond, but his mother finally let go of Harry, brushing through his hair once. Harry didn't look up, just stood there awkwardly, waiting for them to do something. He would have much more preferred being at the Weasleys or maybe even with the Grangers. How were they? Hermione certainly was up to date and Ron? Well, Harry couldn't imagine how Ron or any Weasley must feel in the moment, after what happened to Ginny. 

If only Harry had found the chambers of secrets, then maybe he could have saved Ginny! He felt still horrible for it. He felt like he could... no he should have done something, something more. 

"Draco", Lucius finally spoke, begrudgingly. The head of the smaller white blonde startled and turned around to his father. Harry eyed him sharply. "Why don't you walk Potter to his room."

"Sure", Draco agreed and then nearly seemed to wanna grab for Harry's hand, but seemed in the last second to understand that that would have been weird. They were thirteen and not some girls. Draco walked first and Harry begrudgingly followed him after. 

Malfoy manor was large, so much to be said about that. The place was gigantic and Harry was sure he would get lost. It was filled with posh rich people stuff, which Harry wasn't much interested in. Draco seemed to wait for him to react to some of the things, but seemed disappointed when he didn't. 

"I have better things to do then to praise whatever expensive thing your dad bought", Harry said annoyed, when Draco had turned another time around, while they walked past some statute of some old wizard. 

Draco had a scowl on his face then, falling into step with him. "O, really, Potter? Because from what I can tell, are you pretty much doing nothing and a guest of ours... shouldn't that make you a bit more grateful?"

"And I am supposed to show my gratefulness to you by expressing how... what? Expensive all of these things are? Are you really that superficial, Malfoy? Don't you think there are more important things to talk about or better yet, why don't we just don't talk at all? After all, I don't wanna be here and you don't want me to be here, so why don't we just pretend I am not here."

"But you are here", Draco said dryly, "And why are you here? I thought if anything you would go to that Weasley?"

Harry shrugged, unknowing himself. Harry then nearly wanted to say Tom's real name, but caught himself. "The minister said my only option was your place. I suggested otherwise. He offered me a trunk."

Draco laughed then. "A trunk, really? Not your standard I assume?"

"Well", Harry joined in the humour, because that was all he had in the moment, "It would not be much different than the cupboard where I lived, so I supposed it would have sufficed."

Draco did not laugh, but looked at him oddly. "A cupboard? You are telling me you lived in cupboard? Are- do muggles all live in cupboards?"

"No", Harry said confused, eyebrows pulled together. 

"Then why did you live in one?"

Harry shrugged again. "It doesn't matter."

"Seemingly it does."

"And what do you care!", Harry shot back angrily, emotions running wild in him. How could it be that just a while ago he was still worrying wether or not Hogwarts would ever reopen and now him being a full on Orphan with absolutely no family left, that is stuck in a situation where he has to live at the Malfoys. The Malfoys! Bloody hell, where did his life go wrong? 

Harry wanted to cry then. It wasn't as much a thing he desired, but rather a thing he needed. He felt like his body needed tears to get everything out of him, but he wouldn't allow himself the nakedness. Especially not in front of his school nemesis.

Draco just started at him for a bit. Both of them had stopped in one of the halls. The blonde looked him up and down, before scrunching up his nose and lowering his eyebrows in distaste. "You are right, I don't care. You can keep that little pitiful information to yourself. So go ahead continue with your muggle love and leave me alone with it." Then he stepped on, so Harry rushed after, now angry, thankfully. Anger was sometimes nicer than sadness, though he usually didn't act upon it. He knew the consequences, of course. 

"I never said I love muggles. You make me sound like some kind of groupie!"

Draco shrugged his shoulders then. "I don't care. You do you. Defend that little muggles of yours if you must."

"I am not defending them! They- They were shit! I hate- hated them, I- I don't, that isn't it, I- I just- they were all I- you don't understand it, you wouldn't. You-you... they were all the family I had left...", Harry's voice lowered in the end. The confession perhaps more for him than for Draco. "Now I have no-one", the words left him cold and shivering.

He didn't wanna think about it. Tom said he would take care of it, so Harry would have to trust him, because otherwise... otherwise there was nothing. No Dumbledore, no Dursleys, no... well Harry hadn't many more options honestly.

Draco looked at him then with an awful thing in his eyes. It looked like pity and it did not suit Draco at all. 

"Don't say anything!", Harry warned him angrily, noticing the thought behind the blondes lips, that were sure to move soon. "Just forget we had this conversation."

"O trust me I will. I don't even wanna think for a second I had pity for you, especially for you mourning some muggles."

"I didn't. I don't mourn them... I think. Okay, can we just drop this now? Let's talk about something else or like I suggested, not at all, okay?", Harry suggested again, trying to calm down, while they continued on their way. 

"Okay."

"How are we gonna do... this, anyway?", Harry asked, pointing at everything around him. "I just stay in some room?"

"Like a prisoner?" Draco laughed amused, eyes shinning bright. "As much as I like that idea, I doubt that is necessary." Harry nodded in silence, while they finally reached what Harry assumed would be his room for however long he was forced to stay here. Draco seemed in thought and when he looked up at Harry, shone another idea in those eyes. "How about it, Potter? You, me, tomorrow, Quidditch practice? That way we both get some training in, before summer ends?"

Harry blinked surprised, while his heart suddenly beat weirdly. "We can... is that an option?"

Draco shrugged. "I mean, of course. I can continue to train alone otherwise, if you don't want, but having some opponent means a bigger challenge which means better results, so I would be fine with offering that to you. Do you have your broom, or do you need one? I have some spares."

"Of course you do", Harry mumbled to himself, before the information settled in and his smile grew all of sudden with excitement. "And I would love to! But just because you are taking me, doesn't mean I will go easy on you, Malfoy."

"Pfft", Draco said, before dramatically turning around and leaving again. "See you after breakfast outside then. The better seeker wins!"

Harry grinned then strangely, finding some more excitement in him, before he walked into his temporary room, settled on the bed, warm, comfortable, big. The room was also big. So big. So much space, so little sounds. Quiet. It was quiet. And Harry knew suddenly, that no-one of the Dursleys would ever came bargaining in, yelling, hitting his door or screaming at him. He was in a way free, like he had never been. 

And in that giant, large room, in that quiet darkness, Harry felt bad, that for a second he let out a relieved breath, leaving behind a burden that weighted far too heavily on him. He was free and he would need maybe weeks to really understand that. 

Harry fell soon after asleep, exhaustion grasping him and dragging him deep underneath. 

...

Harry wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle the Malfoy's. He had slept far too well tonight. It seemed rather wrong and odd, but the bed was comfortable and there had been no nightmares, besides the single time, when he awoke and expected to be shouted at by his relatives, only for him to discover no one there besides a House-Elf that intended to help him. 

He was bathed, then he had breakfast with the Malfoys. It was absolutely bonkers. It made no sense, whatsoever and Harry felt still in a daze. They did not talk much, but that wasn't an issue to Harry, who still couldn't fathom that it was the summer holidays and he was not with the Dursley's... he would never be with the Dursley's ever again, but why did that make him feel so strange. He wished he could say he was simply put off and sad, but that wasn't entirely what he felt. 

He tried to stuff it down and focus on other things. Eating for example. He ate a bit, but did not manage much, which wasn't bad, since afterwards Harry and Draco went outside on their home pitch. 

"You are incredible spoiled, I hope you know that", Harry commented, when they stood there, both brooms in their hand, a box with Quidditch equipment in their other hand, each carrying a part of the box. 

Draco laughed. "Jealous, Potter?"

"Tsk" Harry looked away from the white haired boy. He couldn't say a word, it would be stuck in his throat, because Harry was jealous.

Was jealous of every student that had gone home when Hogwarts was closed early and had not to worry, that had people waiting for them, happily and lovingly. Maybe that was it. The Dursleys didn't love him, but at least they used to be the people that expected his return. Now there was no one. No one waiting for him in some other place for him to return to. 

Now he was just Harry Potter, the boy who lived, and never anyone else again, that other him, as painful as it sometimes felt to be, was dead forever and Harry would be all alone. If Lord Voldemort could get his hands on him now, then there would be no-one to miss him, whether it was because they were annoyed or not. 

Harry didn't particular felt like flying then. His stomach felt tight and he wanted to hide in the room, but they were already on the pitch and so did he entertain Draco for a bit. 

It ended up being better than expected. Draco and him released the Snitch one after the other, before both trying to catch it. At one point did they give it a longer head start, at another they decided to actually practice specific manoeuvres. It honestly helped a lot that Harry was so much better than Draco and won quite a lot. 

"Don't get cooky just now, Potter. I only pity you, else you wouldn't stand a chance against me", Draco claimed, which made Harry roll his eyes, close to dropping the box, just to see Draco's face in return. They were already walking back inside for lunch. 

"Whatever, Malfoy, didn't think you had enough heart in yourself to pity anyone, besides do I not need your pity", Harry snapped at him. 

"Really?" Malfoy chuckled smugly. "Because from my point it seems you need any pity you get. I mean where else would you go."

"I am not here because you pity me!"

"I didn't say that."

"I know you implied it. Hermione does the same all the time."

Draco scoffed. "Granger, yeah, well sure she would know the difference between direct sayings and implications."

"What are you getting at?", Harry asked annoyed, since he had not the mind nor the interest for this kind of conversation. 

Draco puffed out his chest. "Well, clearly does the Minster of Magic pity you, which is why you are here as father said, which means you must be in a horrible state for even such a heartless man to take pity on you. So I don't see why I shouldn't either."

"Pity me?" Harry looked at him outraged. 

Draco looked embarrassed then. "Forget it Potter, you seem still not to be aware of when people are actually trying to help you."

"Hm", Harry grumbled, deciding to leave the rest uncommented. There was no need to worsen his mood right now, and maybe Draco actually meant... no, Harry wasn't going to even think in such an outrageous direction. "Besides, heartless man? I mean, he doesn't seem... well, normal, but I wouldn't say he is heartless."

"Well, of course not, I didn't say that", Draco claimed, looking suddenly around with a threat in his eyes as though he was expecting to be jumped at any second.

"You just did!"

"You must have misheard, Potter, I would never say something like that", Draco spoke in that voice he used whenever he feared one of his evil doings might be caught by some teacher or prefect. Harry understood then and decided it wasn't worth to fight over it, so he dropped it. 

They put the box back away, before going for some lunch, without Mister Malfoy thankfully. Harry didn't like the man very much. Misses Malfoy talked to them a bit, very noble like, but still dotting on her son. It was strange seeing Draco being cared for so motherly by someone, anyone for that matter. It made the blonde boy seem so much more human than what he had registered his rival as before. 

"Harry", Misses Malfoy spoke eventually to him directly, which made Draco turn to him as well. Harry had just been staring at them, interacting, carefree and harmonious and for a second he felt that something inside of him grow, wild and hungry and scarily hateful. Perhaps it showed on his face, because for a second there did Misses Malfoy's eyes widen and she leaned away, her hand moving over to her son, so did Harry quickly fix his face and turned it down. 

"Yeah?", he just asked. 

"Is there... do you need something?", she asked trying to sound calm or maybe not forced. They had been kinda forced into taking him in, so Harry wouldn't be too surprised if they hated him. 

Harry shook his head. "I am all good."

She nodded and soon they were dismissed. Draco walked again besides him, telling him all the new things he had gotten from his parents and what he was planning on buying next before the third year started. Harry let the sound of Draco's voice just drag him away and passed more time like this. They ended up hanging out in Draco's room, where Harry was shown all kind of things, some more cool then others and somehow had Harry been dragged into studying, before it was time for another quiet dinner. 

"Are you doing well so far, Potter?", Mister Malfoy asked him once during dinner. 

Harry nodded. "Yeah, sure, thanks", Harry mumbled, tired and uncaring and he could see how much that bothered the man, whose eye was close to twitching from anger. 

Harry ignored it and continued. "Any news from..." Harry was so close to saying, Tom, but stopped himself just in time, his tongue stopping before the thought could even cross his mind. Surely thanks to the magical promise. "... Marvolo...Gaunt?" Harry disliked the taste of the other name, the cover. It felt wrong and strange and did not befit the young man. 

Mister Malfoy cleared his throat, clearly disapprovingly. "He is our Minster", Mister Malfoy informed. 

"So I heard, but I knew him before, so I am afraid that part flew past me."

Misses Malfoy choked on her drink, while Mister Malfoy stared at him with wide eyes. 

"You knew the minster before that?", Draco asked surprised, big eyes moving away from Harry to his parents. 

Harry shrugged, aware he could not disclose anything further and also aware that it was stupid to explain. I talked to him and met him through a magical diary he left behind? Yeah, even for magical people that must sound insane. Was it just some memories Riddle had stored in the diary or how did it actually even work? Harry had felt such a connection, like as if an actual part of Riddle's soul was in the book, talking to Harry, not just some magical artefact he had crafted. No, indeed, the diary had felt much too alive for that. 

They took his silence as an answer and Mister Malfoy moved on, "No, not yet."

The dinner moved on in silence then, but Harry was allowed in that silence for once. He sat at a table with actual real food, together with a family that wasn't his. It was strange, unpleasant perhaps even, but when Harry was finally back in his room, alone, it made him cry. How often had he wanted to sit with the Dursley's, even if it was just to stay in silence, how often had he wanted to be included, how often had he begged for just a tiny bit of love and family? Too often, and now there would never be a chance of it again.

There would never be the day, where the Dursleys would realise how wrong they had treated Harry and decide to change. Now the choice was taken. Now the Dursleys, his last relatives, would forever be horrible people without a chance of redemption. Now Harry would forever be the last family he had. He was all there was left of his parents. 

An orphan.

...

A week passed like that. A week in that odd state of daze. Harry and Draco would spend a lot of time, not that Harry had warmed up to the blonde yet, it was just all there was and perhaps the same went for Draco. They didn't do much things that needed talking. They went to play Quidditch, ate, then stuck their heads into books for a bit (Malfoy's routine, not Harry's, though surely Hermione will be proud once she hears that) and then dinner, afterwards they be each on their own. 

Draco would talk from time to time, useless, stupid, posh things that Harry did not really listen too and very rarely would give a reply too. Harry was for the most part quiet, quieter then normal. His head had been stuck with many depressing things lately. He was waiting for Riddle, waiting for a prospect of the future he could be awaiting, but so far? Nothing. He had tried writing to Ron and Hermione, but was still waiting for a reply. 

Perhaps, Harry wondered, he could maybe ask the Weasleys if they couldn't after all become his Guardians? Maybe they would agree to it. Harry wasn't sure. It sounded like far too much to ask and so he obviously hadn't yet dared to do so. So far he just wrote both Hermione and Ron a letter, asking what is going on and that something has happened and he would love to talk. 

In the morning, marking his first week, finally a reply arrived. It wasn't from Ron, but from Hermione. 

Dear Harry, 

I have read the news. Please be careful, especially with writing, but also in general. 

Do not do something stupid!

I am not sure we can met ahead of the first of September, so I hope you can manage til then. 

I hope you are doing well so far!

- yours, Hermione Granger 

Well, Harry wasn't surprised. Hermione once more grasped the situation better than anyone. He wasn't sure if she had already read the part including him becoming a full familyless orphan or if she was just referring to Dumbledore, in which case if Harry told her what happened to the Dursley's, she would freak out. She was right of course to be worried. Harry should perhaps be more worried. 

If Dumbledore was dead and Harry now without any kind of protection, then he was practically on a silver plate for Voldemort and he rather not have that happen. But that Hermione went as far as being scared of exchanging letters and words? Was it that bad? She would surely lecture him im September about it, explaining to him in great detail, what all meant what. He already missed her greatly. 

"Is that letter from Granger? She does have an awfully pretty handwriting for a mu- muggle-born", Draco admitted, rubbing his chin, while trying to gleam a glance over the paper. 

Harry snapped the letter away again. "What does her being a muggle-born have to do with her handwriting? All girl have beautiful handwriting, whether muggle or not."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well if that explanation suits you to continue justifying that awful painfully page stabbing you do, that you claim to be writing, then be my guest."

"I thought I already was your guest", Harry said sassily, rolling his own eyes, before snagging the prophet on the paper to read in it. Another article about him and he ended up closing it rather quickly, only to find his eyes land on a familiar figure. 

Mister Malfoy and Misses Malfoy noticed the man as well and immediately jumped up to their feet, approaching the Minster of Magic, while Harry eyed him from his place, watching him and the man that stood behind him. 

"Here I am, as promised. The saviour of the boy who lived", the tone of Riddle was mockingly, but also amused and Harry lifted a brow in question. 

Harry tilted his head confused, staring at the Minster of Magic. "Saviour feels a bit far stretched."

The tension suddenly grew in the room, while the Minster looked less amused. "You got that title for being a baby that got protected by his mother, I feel like at this point, I did more work in deserving it."

Harry's eyebrows lowered, disagreement thick on the tip of his lips, while the older Malfoy's looked very uncomfortable. Tom kept him from speaking though with the lift of his hand and instead pushed the stranger forward. 

The man looked a bit strange. Sunken eyes, but earnest smile. Long brown curls and colourful blazer and shirt wide open, revealing a golden chain. His eyes were fixated on Harry, though he shortly looked to Misses Malfoy. "Cissy." Then the eyes landed back on Harry. "Harry, the last time I saw you, you were just a little baby."

That caused a chill to run down Harry's spine, making him unsure of what he was meant to do. He ended up rising from his chair, looking from this man claiming to know him, unsurely to the Minister of Magic, that was eying him expectantly. A grin grew on Tom's lips when he noticed Harry's helpless, begging eyes. 

Riddle cleared his throat then. "May I introduce to you, Harry, your Godfather, Sirius Black and now your legal Guardian, so you no longer have to be with the Malfoy's."

"Have?", Draco asked annoyed and looked over to Harry with a weird expression. "No one was forcing him", he scoffed silently, but Harry didn't hear anything, because his ears were strangely ringing. 

"I have a Godfather?", he asked, confused, shocked, estranged. His eyebrows pushed together. But if he had a Godfather then why had he ever had to go to the Dursley's? Did the man only want him now, because he was famous or something? That all made no sense. 

Tom looked equally confused, before his expression softened with realisation. "Yes, you do, but he is only recently released from Azkaban, since he had been mistakingly been taken in."

"You were in Azkaban?", Harry asked shocked, then he realised something and added more confused, "Where exactly is that?"

"You don't know where Azkaban is? That is the wizarding prison. Really, Harry, how can you not know that!", Draco complained at him In the usual manner.

Harry did turn his attention then a bit towards him annoyed. "Perhaps because not all of us have to worry about ending up in such a place one day."

Draco was so shocked from it, that his mouth stood a gap open, while his Godfather started laughing loudly. 

"Just like James", Harry could hear the stranger whisper amused. 

"Sirius", Misses Malfoy said sternly, "show some dignity. Those are not the manners you wish to teach your ward, if you are now to become a guardian."

"I think I will manage, dear cousin, but thanks for the concern", he told her, before directing his attention towards Harry, "what do you say, Harry? Wanna leave and check out your future living place? I think I should have some pictures of James and Lily in Grimmauld Place if you wanna look at them?"

Harry did wanna do that, so now he was the one standing there with his mouth wide open, staring at the man that seemed truly like a Saviour then to him. It was absolutely unbelievable, so his eyes went back over to Tom Riddle, expecting the man to tell him this was all a lie, an illusion or something, but the Minster of Magic just nodded reassuring and then walked a bit away, so Harry decided this was real. This would be his future and maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he expected it at first.