LORD OF THE SNAKES
by VG Jekyll

Part Four; Chapter Three

The Lord glanced around, looked at the treasure and then his guests. He focussed his gaze on Malfoy again.

"I wish to know though," he admitted and felt another odd sensation come over him. What was it? He couldn't give a name to it but somehow, when he glanced in one of the more ordinary mirrors, he noticed his cheeks had faint splotches of red on them.

"I have forgotten a lot in the years I've lived here and I know next to nothing about my life before I arrived. I don't even know if I was only created to exist in this plane. Do you know?"

"I think I've told you this before, but I know all," the blond said a tad haughtily.

"No one can be all-knowing," muttered Hermione, effectively startling the two. It was apparent that they all could overhear what they were saying and Malfoy narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the others.

"Is there some place more private where we can talk?" He asked the Lord who gave a small nod. He led the blond up to his roof and quickly went to claim his spot on the marble bench. Malfoy first glanced around at the Lord's belongings, but then quickly sat down-a tat too close-next to the Lord.

"First, let's talk about what you Do know." Malfoy said. The Lord felt a twinge of annoyance. He had wanted to hear what the other had to tell, not the other way around.

"I truly don't remember much, Mr. Malfoy."

"Call me Draco, Mr. Malfoy is my father."

"Of course, Draco." The Lord complied to his guest's wishes and Draco seemed quite pleased with this small accomplishment. The Lord silently studied his companion again, who immidiately positioned himself in a way that would compliment all his good features.

"Say, not that I mind," Draco finally said as he raised a brow. "But weren't you going to tell me something."

"What exactely do you wish to know?"

"Do you remember arriving in the Tower? What about the snakes? And there must have been more people who came before us, do you remember most of them?"

"I don't know how I got here. I can't even remember a life before I lived here. For all I know it has always been like this."

He then continued to tell about his snakes and the few people he remembered. He told about his gradually loss of emotions. The empty feeling he now used to have. He had to grab his journal and leaf through it to remember several things.

"Did Volde-no," Draco thought for a moment, tapping with a finger against his lips. "Tom Marvolo Riddle. Did he come to the Tower?"

The Lord was startled at the question, but then nodded. The enigmatic Tom had been one of the few visitors he could remember very well. Especially since he was one of the few to leave the tower unharmed. Draco seemed specially interested in what Tom had said to the Lord.

He kept indulging the blond and answering questions. Some he could anwer, others only received a confused headshake. Then finally the air started to chill and the wind picked up as twilight was swiftly approaching.

The Lord glanced at the setting sun and sighed. He had wasted too much time. There would be no way the other still could tell him what he desired to know. Perhaps he had simply been led on by him. Maybe he didn't even know a thing about him. Maybe Draco had fooled him.

"It is time you go downstairs to collect what you think is the most precious thing and leave," he said curtly as he stood up. A coldness that was not physical had enveloped his body and he had to keep from wrapping his arms around himself. He somehow felt cheated.

Had Draco tried to use him to find out what the true treasure was by making him talk? If so, then then man would be in a nasty surprise as the Lord really didn't know what it was.

"Lord, you don't seem to understand." Draco said, gripping not only the Lord's attention but also his hands. "You are the reason why I came here. YOU are the true treasure of this place, didn't you realize?"

The Lord shook his head and stared at their clasped hands. To be honest he'd never tried to think of what the true treasure could be. According to his journal, he once had cared though. He had seen it as a desperate way out of the tower.

Time after time he'd picked up something of the treasure and walked out of the tower's door, only to find himself sitting on a mountain of gold inside again, after being swallowed by the Basilisk. He wasn't even allowed to die...

Yet when days kept passing and the Lord had tried out most of the treasure, his hope had been lost. One day he'd simply stopped trying and kept to the top of the tower with his books, only to come downstairs when there were guests present.

But he had cared once. Cared enough to put his own life at line by walking out with supposed treasure. But never had he tried to walk out on his own. Could he have simply walked away? Like Remus Lupin? Like Tom Riddle?

But could it really be true? Maybe Draco was wrong. Even if it was true, what did it mean for the Lord. Would he be able to actually leave the tower? Together with Draco?

The Lord was brought out of his frantic thoughts by the simple touch of Draco's thumb on his wrist.

"And now," Draco said with a mysterious gleam in his silver eyes. "I shall give you the greatest treasure in the world."

Wait a minute? Give a treasure? Where did this come from? No one ever had giving him something! They all came to take things, not give.

"What would that be?" the Lord asked a bit perplexed. It was really strange how much emotion the other was able to draw from him.

"A name."

"A name?"

"Yes, every creature, person and object has it's own personal name. And so do you, you just don't know it yet."

It was true. In all the centuries that the Lord had lived in the tower. He had met people and creatures with their own names. He'd heard from them about places with names, great people with names. In his books, everything was called by a name. So why was only he known by only an empty title?

His name couldn't possible be 'Lord', could it?

What was he? Lord of the lost memories. Lord of the tower full rubbish and trash. Lord of Loneliness. Lord without a name. Golden Boy? Boy-Who-Lived?

Yet Draco knew his name? Had he ever actually had a name? A name would be… precious to him. To have a name that people could call him by. A name which could go down into history. A name to refer to, instead of the cold, impersonal 'Lord'-title.

At that very moment, the Lord knew that this was what he had been waiting for. This was why he had been waiting all this time in the tower. This was what he desired the most. And Draco, this mysterious but attractive man in front of him, was able to give it to him.

He stared with full attention into silver eyes and noticed how Draco's thumbs were stroking over the back of his hands. Though the Lord couldn't actually 'feel' the cold, Draco's hands still felt very warm to him. He felt cherished.

"Your name-" Draco said with a true smile. "-is Harry."

The Lord was so startled that he stayed silent, and Draco, realizing this was an important moment for the other, kept silent until the Lord would break it.

"Just Harry?"

Draco gave a nod. "Just Harry."

Harry was silent again as he considered his name and then tentatively smiled back. "I think I like it."

A grin spread across Draco's face. "I knew you would."

The Lord started to chant the name, trying to get acquainted with it. "Harryharryharryharry."

"Harry?" he was interrupted by Draco's voice saying his name and he could't help enjoying it more to hear his name on the other's lips than coming from his own. A spark was set of in his mind and Harry reached up to his forehead, tracing a finger over the lightening-bolt scar that had always been there.

It tingled. It actually tingled. He had never felt anything like it and suddenly one of his lost memories popped up.

"I remember something." Harry said startled, yet delighted. "Something about a clothes shop and fitting robes." He smiled, his emerald eyes sparkled. "You were there!"

Draco started to laugh. "It figures that THAT of all things, is what you remember first!"

"How did I came to be here? You know, don't you."

"Well see, there was this man who cast a spell on you." He motioned around at the tower. "And this happened to you. This is actually not where you are supposed to be. Perhaps it can be considered another place? Or another reality. Another plane?" He shugged.

"On the other hand it can also just be a dream? An illusion? Or whatever more."

"How did you get here then?"

"I used a spell of my own, of course. What use is being a Wizard if you can't use the magic?"

Harry smiled a bit shyly, he had the strange suspicion that if he had magic, he would be one of those people who would forget he could use it for simple tasks. He'd probably rather do those with his own body's powers. But larger things would indeed need the use of magic.

What kind of power would have been used to create this world around him? Come to think of it-

"What about the people here? Are they all real?"

"They are, yet they aren't. Everything that has happened here should be nothing more than a vague memory, or a dream to everyone who has been here. Their personalities are quite similar to those you actually grew up with, yet slightly different. They could be real people from another dimension though, people who never have met you, perchance."

"You don't know for sure?"

"It is all guesswork, since the Dark Lord's spell and mine come from a very old book of which there is not a lot of information left." Draco shrugged unconcerned. "But it is time we go back and I think we will once we exit this tower." He reached out his hand to Harry.

"Are you ready to come with me?"

Harry hesitated as he stared down at the pale appendix. Taking that hand would change his whole world, but it would give him his life. Could he truly grasp it?

"You're not scared, are you?" Draco said with an infuriating smirk. Harry's eyes narrowed with annoyance, but he still took the offered hand.

"You wish!"

THE END

Note from Jekyll: Thanks for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I actually enjoued it so much that it turned into a four-part, multi-chaptered story, instead of the intended One-Shot.

If anyone still has unresolved questions about this story; just ask me; I am quite willing to elaborate or try to think up insane ways of filling plot-holes.

Naturally, reviews are welcome too!
Those fuel me to create new stories.