As soon as Harry was brought into Malfoy Manor, every hair on the back of his neck stood up. Voldemort marched him straight to the basement, but not before he got a chance to look around a little. The manor seemed to look like any ordinary place, except for the way it was decorated. The furniture was obviously expensive. It was no secret that the Malfoy family had money. Then, suddenly, something out of the ordinary caught his eye. He recognized it the moment his eyes rested upon it. It was the diary that Ginny had in the Chamber of Secrets, the one Voldemort had come out of in the first place. His eyes narrowed, as he wondered what it was doing there. There was some sort of magical shield around it too. It was a strange way to protect a book. Of course, the diary was no ordinary book.
Voldemort jerked him into the doorway of the basement. He sneered at Harry. It was then that Harry noticed he was wearing gloves. He hadn't noticed that before. He frowned, wondering why he would wear them. Not that it mattered. He just wanted to focus on anything other than the fear in his heart.
"You will stay down here, until I'm ready for you," Voldemort spat. "Draco has delivered the message I told him to. Severus should be here soon to exchange his life for yours. I will kill him and then I will kill you. I will be rid of both of the thorns in my side."
Harry glared at him. "Leave Snape out of this."
"How touching. You actually care for him. I could leave him out of it, but there's only one price for betrayal. It's death. Severus betrayed me. Now he must die. It's as simple as that." He drew his wand and Harry froze. His wand had been confiscated the moment he'd arrived. He was defenseless. "I could kill you now and get it over with. It would make it much easier. But I'm sure, as clever as he is, Severus will need to see you alive before he allows me to get close to him. That is the only reason you're not dead already."
He shoved Harry down the stairs. Harry tumbled down the stone steps, banging and bruising everything he had. He thanked his lucky stars that there were only six of them or Voldemort might have killed him right there. He landed, with a thud, in the pitch black of the basement. Cold air whizzed by him. It was cold enough that he could see his breath. He groaned. He was bleeding. He had to be. He felt something warm there on his head, but he couldn't check to see because he was still tied up. Voldemort let out a wicked laugh, the door was slammed shut, and he heard the lock click into place. It was completely black now.
Harry laid on the floor for the longest time, it seemed. He didn't move or say anything. He was barely breathing. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid! How could he have been so naive as to trust Draco Malfoy? Because he had seemed so sincere, he told himself. Because you want to see the good in everybody. Harry sighed. Sometimes his good heart was a curse. At least, that was the way it felt to him at the moment. If it hadn't been for his stupidity, he would have never been in the present situation. He would have gotten to see his mother and Severus marry. Voldemort had mentioned something about a message that Draco was supposed to deliver. Did that mean that they knew he was being held hostage now? He had mentioned Severus needing to see him alive. What was his plan anyway? Was Severus supposed to bring something to exchange?
Then it abruptly dawned on him. Severus was going to give himself up to save him. Harry struggled against the ropes that bound him. He had to find some way out. It didn't seem like it should be over this quickly, not like this. He had to think of something to do. He managed to roll over on his back so he could think more clearly. He laid there and stared at the stone ceiling forever, but nothing came to his mind. He was stuck. Without his wand, there was no way out.
Upstairs, Draco was pacing back and forth. He had made it back to the manor and delivered the message successfully. He wondered what Voldemort planned on having him do next. He was worried about it.
"Draco, you're pacing dear," Narcissa said softly. "Is something wrong?"
He glanced at her. "No. Nothing."
Suddenly, an arm draped around his shoulder. It was Lucius. He looked up at him, glad to see him home again.
"You should be happy, Draco. Things are looking up again. Everything is as it should be."
Draco smiled. "Of course it is. I'm happy to serve."
Lucius nodded proudly. "Of course you are."
Voldemort walked into the room and everybody stiffened. Even Bellatrix, who was still in her prison clothes at the moment, froze, but only for a moment. She walked up to him, practically floated.
"My lord, it is so good to see you. Is there anything I can do?"
"No," he told her. "Other than change those filthy garments. I'll need you to do torture someone for me though. As soon as you get back."
She flashed a deranged smile. "Who?"
"I'll tell you when you get back."
Clapping her hands like an ecastatic school girl, she rushed off.
"Draco, come here please."
Draco swallowed. The sound of Voldemort's voice was like nails on a chalk board. He just wanted it to be over. He wanted it all to be over. He walked slowly over to him. "Yes, my lord?"
"I want you to go downstairs and check on Potter. Make sure he's still alive. I threw him quite harshly down the stairs. I want him in presentable shape when Snape gets here. Otherwise, this will be a waste of time."
He swallowed. "Of course, my lord."
Draco gave him a nod and then headed to the bathroom. He got a cup of warm water and a wash cloth. If Voldemort had thrown him down the stairs, he was going to be bleeding somewhere. He hurried over to the basement door and unlocked it with his wand. He glanced up at the diary floating there in the corner. He wondered what the significance of it was. It had remained in that same spot all summer. He creased his forehead, wondering about it, but then pushed it from his mind. He really didn't have time to worry about it right now.
He opened the basement door and lit his wand. He hurried down the steps. He didn't have to go far to see Harry. He was practically laying in the entrance way below, and he could already see a gash on his head. There was no telling what else he had hurt on the way down. He knelled on the stone floor beside of him.
Harry's eyes were closed. Draco dipped the cloth into the water and touched it to Harry's wound. Harry jumped, startled. He was so busy inside of his own head, trying to figure out how he was going to get of this, that he hadn't even heard anyone come down. His eyes flew open. He was surprised to see Draco there.
"What are you doing here?" Harry demanded.
"Seeing to this gash in your head," Draco told him. "The Dark Lord wants you in once piece."
"He's going to trade me for Snape, just like you said, isn't he?"
He nodded. "Afraid so."
"Voldemort told me he was going to kill me too. He won't set me free. I knew he wouldn't."
Draco frowned. He dabbed the cloth on Harry's head and he winced. It was obviously painful. Not only that, but it was bleeding a lot.
"I can't believe I fell for that act," Harry said bitterly.
"It wasn't an act. I really was trying to help you. I didn't expect Voldemort to be there waiting for me."
"Why?"
Draco shook his head. "Have you looked around? He's taken over everything. My father thinks it's just great, but I don't feel that way. My mother doesn't like it either. Over the years he was gone, things were better. We didn't want that to change. He brings death and destruction wherever he goes. I'm just...tired of it all. I want things to go back to the way they were before. Sure, I was pompous jerk, but at least I wasn't made to do things like this."
Harry stared at him. The Draco he had always known was dissolving right before his eyes. There was such sincerity in his words, that it was hard not to believe him. "I don't know what to say."
"I'm going to help you, Potter. The best I can. I told Snape I would if I could." He sighed. "And I'm going to start by getting you out of these ropes. But you have to promise me that you will stay here. If not, Voldemort will know I set you free and he'll kill me."
Harry nodded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. But he didn't want Draco to die, regardless of his feelings toward him personally. "I promise I'll stay."
Draco used a severing spell and the ropes fell from around Harry's body. He could finally breathe and move his limbs.
"Thank you, Malfoy."
"Don't mention it, Potter."
Harry studied him for a moment. "I think I could be friends with this new you."
He rolled his eyes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm only helping you to get rid of him. After that, things can return to normal."
"And you can go back to being an arrogant pratt."
"Exactly."
"Got it."
They smiled. It was the first time, since the day they met each other, that they had actually had a civilized conversation.
"Oh," Draco said suddenly. "I have something else for you too." He opened up the black blazer he was wearing and pulled out a wand. Harry's eyes widened. It was his wand. Draco handed it to him. "I think this will come in handy once you're free."
Harry stared at him. What Draco said had been true. He really was trying to help him. He felt sort of bad now for doubting him in the first place. "I don't know what to say. Thank you."
"You're welcome." He frowned. "There is one thing I need to ask you about though. I saw the diary hanging there in the air. It's been there the whole time. Do you know what it's for, Harry?"
Harry nodded. "It's how Voldemort came back."
"So, if it was destroyed?"
"Voldemort would be destroyed too. In theory."
"Hmm. Maybe I could get it somehow."
"No," Harry said. "That is way too dangerous. You've done enough. Truly, Malfoy. I won't forget this."
Draco flashed a half a smile and got to his feet. "I'll leave you this for you to clean that head wound some more. Just don't try anything until Snape gets here though. Please."
"I won't."
He turned to leave, but turned back around to face him when he was half way up. "Oh and I wouldn't wonder around the basement any. There's something down there that I don't think you want to find." He turned and left without another word.
Harry frowned, wondering what he had meant by that. Had he been trying to tell him to look around, or was he truly warning him not to? This new attitude Draco had was confusing. Harry shrugged. It couldn't hurt him to look around a little bit, could it? He lit his wand, happy that it had been retrieved. He felt naked and exposed without it.
The basement was large, a lot larger than he expected it to be. He inspected every corner. He was beginning to think that there was nothing down there but him. Then he saw something that chilled him to the bone.
Over in the right corner of the part of the basement just over from the doorway, was a glass box. He shone his wand light right on it. There was something, no, someone in there. Harry swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat as he walked closer to it. The person, whoever it was, was covered in ice it seemed. So was the box. He had to clear some of the frosty ice away before he could see clearly. They had been frozen, for some reason he was sure he didn't want to know. Harry peered down into the spot he had cleared. Suddenly his stomach plummeted. He knew the person in that box.
She looked exactly as she had the last time he saw her. The only difference was that she had been in a casket then. At her funeral. Harry choked back tears as he stared into the beautiful frozen face of Ginny Weasley.
"Ginny," he whispered.
Why in the world would Voldemort have her body here in the manor? What purpose would he need her for? She was dead and she wasn't coming back. It was eerily wicked and morbid. Was she there as some sort of trophy?
Chills ran down his spine. He was sure he didn't want to know.