Pieces of My Soul

Chapter 6

He made a show of apparently passing out as Voldemort fled, and saw Pansy and Neville run for him from the other side of the street. Together, they picked him up and hauled him back to Hogwarts, to the Hospital Wing.

Pansy, seeing no one was in the wing, sealed the doors.

Harry settled into the Bed, saw the only people around were the 2 who brought him, saw Neville staring at his left arm, about to turn murderous, when he chuckled and asked, before fainting, "Tell him, Pansy."

--

Neville blinked, and looked fearfully at Pansy Parkinson. "T-t-Tell M-me what?" he squeaked, inching his hand to his wand.

Pansy shook her head, pulled out her wand with her fingertips holding it on the wrong end, and put it on the table. "Best be quick, I need to heal him up soon…" she muttered to herself.

"Be quick with what?" Neville asked, braver then before, still not drawing his wand yet, although he now had a good grip on the handle.

"Yes. Harry is wearing a Dark Mark, but No, he is not a Death Eater."

Neville blinked.

"Infact… he's a spy, for the Order of the Phoenix."

Neville shook his head, and eloquently said, "Huh?"

Pansy sat down in the chair next to Harry's bed, picked up her wand and began healing Harry, while in between incantations, telling Neville some things.

"Near the start of the year, Harry bumped into me. I started flirting with him, but… dear god he was so clueless then. He thought I was trying to put him into enough of a stupor so I could effortlessly stun him. So, he stunned me.

"Next thing I knew, He woke me up, looking different. From that moment on, I knew 2 people who were actually the one and the same. Harry Potter and 'Daniel Radcliffe'. Shortly before we were recruited into the Death Eaters by one of the Inner Circle, He revealed to me and a few others his real identity, but put us, well, under a charm. It's strange, I can only tell you about this because he has allowed it however. Then, we, that is to say, Harry, the others, and I were recruited.

"We formed a team, and worked well together. No Secrets between us, even though we did not share information."

Neville interrupted, "If you didn't share information, how did you have no secrets?"

Pansy smiled slightly as she healed up a broken rib; obviously Neville wanted to believe it enough to interrupt her. "While we don't share information that could be used against us should someone try to invade our minds – and are successful, that information isn't hidden on purpose. Should one of us learn bits of information from another by accident, it is treated like you would… treat telling someone that, Weasley was in Hogsmeade on the first weekend visit to refill his large sweets supply."

Neville chuckled slightly, before remembering whom he was talking to.

"So… How did he get that?" he pointed to the dark mark.

Pansy sighed, "There's something about the Dark Mark. Don't ask me, I don't know beyond what I'm about to tell you… It makes the person marked loyal to those involved in the Marking. For me, when I was marked, it was the one who recruited us, with the help of 2 others. That is marking an Initiate, or rather, a low-level Death Eater. When I become a Mid-Level, 7 would be involved in marking, and an Inner Circle? An irreversible version, cast by 9 with a 10th to whom loyalty is given primarily… Thankfully Voldemort did not know that the low and mid levels, as long as he isn't involved in the marking, didn't automatically make me, or the other Low and Mid-levels, loyal to him.

"The ones involved in my Marking, was my tutor, along with Professor Snape and Harry. He could do it, since he had disguised himself as Another Death Eater… Lucius Malfoy."

Neville's eyes bulged. "How?"

Pansy hesitated, then said, "I, guess I could tell you but I don't want to, in case Harry doesn't want me to tell that yet. He can himself, if he wants, but this one is too big to not keep secret. Only Harry's team and Dumbledore know."

Neville frowned, "Harry's Team?"

Pansy nodded, "The ones recruited together with me and Harry. A team of 5, Harry leads us. He's really good at it. We don't work as well as we do when not together.

"When the team, except for him, were marked, Harry had himself disguised as Lucius Malfoy, then we used an illusion to make it seem like he was obliviated. The real Malfoy would then, hearing from Rookwood, know that his knowledge of who we really are is hidden, and he won't be able to give us up even through Veritaserum, A truth-"

"I know what Veritaserum is." Neville interrupted smoothly. "One thing, who came up with this infiltration plan?"

Pansy smirked. "Harry."

Frowning, Neville asked again, getting same response.

"Anyway… with him as one of the 3 to mark us, our loyalties would be to the dominant person. The Dominant is determined through strongest magically when marked. Thus, Harry. After marking us, each time he was near Magical Exhaustion and had replenishment potions ready.

Then it came for him to be marked and I was going to do it, but apparently Voldemort wanted to mark him himself."

Neville gasped. "What does that mean?"

Pansy smiled. "We came up with a way to nullify the loyalty part of the mid-level, and unknowingly, High-level versions of the Marking ceremony. Since we couldn't take the place of an Inner Circle member to do the marking who was not completely loyal, we had to remove one. Thus came a hole in the plans, which Voldemort is not aware of.

"Since it is 7, and himself, or 9, and himself, he assumes it is stronger when 6 and himself, 8 and himself, but has always used it as outlined when he originally found the marking ceremony. In both cases, he is involved for Loyalty and Communication parts only. The Communication part he doesn't completely on his own, while the others reinforce his own Loyalty charm that is built into the mark. The others do the mark."

Neville frowned. "But if you removed…"

"We did, but had to make it look like we didn't. We learned from Draco, that he was going to be one of the ones involved in marking Harry. So, he came up with a way to make it seem, to everyone but Draco, that Draco was there. As for getting Draco to not go… We made it seem like Voldemort asked Draco not to come, big secret plan, don't tell even his father."

"Someone Impersonated Draco?"

Pansy shook her head. "We were all going to bear witness, so no. What we did do, was send, in Draco's place, a Leg of bull, transfigured and animated, to look exactly like, and behave exactly like, Draco. We managed to even tie in Draco's memories so it could answer questions about his past in case of anti-infiltration techniques. Harry had to steal Grangers' Side-project essay so we could learn to work it. Draco, through out this, was in the girls dorm with his girlfriend."

"I thought you and Draco… while cheating on him with Harry…"

"Nope. Well, the first part, making the last part only partly right."

"So you and Harry…?"

"Yes."

"Who's with Draco? I mean, Malfoy…"

"You know, the past few years, Malfoy has been acting? He doesn't, hate you all, but as a Slytherin, with Snape as Head of House…"

"Just answer my question Pansy."

Pansy smiled. "Daphne."

"Not Double-D Daphne?"

Pansy frowned, "Double-D?"

Neville blushed, and almost inaudibly muttered, "Bra-size."

Pansy grinned. "Ah, I see. No, she isn't a DD. C-cup, if you must know. And don't tell Draco I told you that. Infact…" Pansy frowned. "Don't tell anyone I told you those 2 are together. If his dad got a rumour about it…"

"Anyway… What happened with Harry's marking?"

"Well, since one of the marking people wasn't there, (but they didn't know that) While the Mark still appeared, with the communication part to it as well, the Loyalty wouldn't take hold completely. And when those involved dies, since the Mark is not fully established, it will begin to unravel. With all of them dead, the Mark becomes just a tattoo, and can be removed like a normal, non-magical one. If Voldemort just goes, It'll behave like Snape's' did and if Voldemort were to somehow cheat death again, coming back later, it will be like Snape's is still."

"Snape is…"

"A spy too. But for the Order, and Voldemort knows damn well that. The only reason he's still alive. When we're in place, we'll make it so Voldemort can't kill Snape while he escapes and his betraying the Inner Circle is made obvious to the others."

"Why are you telling me all this, not that I don't see the pattern emerging…"

Pansy smiled. "Harry trusts you, and that's something that people earn, with him."

Neville frowned. "I've done nothing to earn his trust, I just never-"

"Exactly. You never did anything to make him not trust you. You're more deserving of it then I, or any of the Slytherins are, more then any of the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and even a lot of your own Gryffindors, are. And that includes Weasley and Granger, although they have at least earned some of it back."

"What about Dark Magic, you'll be learning a lot…"

"Not to worry, as we're young and our magic cores only stop growing when we're about 20, using the addictive side of Dark Magic can damage us greater, that much you know. What you don't know, is that it can be siphoned off, before it irreparably damages our cores with darkness. Also, since the spells and dark magic addiction is partly mental, addiction make us less sane then we already are."

"You're…"

Pansy gave Neville a glare, "We obviously don't have a shred of sanity; we are trying to infiltrate the Inner Circle."

"You were saying?"

"Oh, right. Anyway, while learning the dark magic, we use what is termed a 'Dark' healing spell, but it's not dark at all, depending on how it is used."

"What do you mean? Like, it siphons the dark magic off?"

"Yes, but it's termed 'dark' since it is used by the Fanatic Death Eaters to turn more people to their side, by siphoning off their own dark magic addiction onto them. The light-side can use it to heal those people, so sometimes it can become a battle between who can do it quicker? The one who is removing it completely, or the one transferring it from themselves or others to the victim? It's an unknown part of this war, a part that Dumbledore wants to fight more then any other, since it could determine allegiances in the future, after this war. Only your Order knows about this, outside of the Inner Circle."

Neville froze. "You know it because…" Neville glanced at Harry, "is…"

"yes."

"What about that Legilimency and Occlumency I overheard Harry mention in fifth year?"

"You knew about that?"

Neville nodded, and said, "Overheard, and researched Occlumency. I knew the cover story for the lessons were bogus. Harry's better then me when it comes to remembering them, even though,"

"Even though you're second in the class when it comes to first time making a new one correctly. Granger helps you before each class, doesn't she?"

Neville nodded, and said, "If you're on the good side, call her Hermione, and Ron, Ron."

Pansy looked up again from her administrations to the still unconscious Harry. "What did Miss Brown call him during their rather short time together?"

"Won Won." Neville laughed, staring far off, remembering all the fights that particular relationship caused in the common room. "and short time? It was only a week!"

Pansy smiled, and turned back to Harry, and finished up all the internal injuries. "All done."

Neville frowned, "what about his…"

"Cover. People don't want to think that mission was for the Dark Lord as an attempt to demoralise everyone, and this guy being an imposter, or even, Harry being on his side. Now, I make him look like he has a lot more injuries, which will subtly tell Madam Pomfrey to keep him here but that he doesn't need to be here. A few skirmishes with Death eaters in the next few weeks and he'll probably have his own room, so it will be less of a big deal to make him look severely injured. By the end of the war, he should have a bigger file then you, Longbottom." Pansy teased.

"Hey, I resemble that remark."

"Isn't it Resent?"

"I don't resent it. I mean, it's true so far, I do have the…"

"Largest of the school?"

Neville scowled at her, annoyed yet slightly happy at the teasing.

"Lighten up, Longbottom."

"My name is Neville"

"It is also Longbottom."

"That's the family name."

"Even so…"

"Don't be so formal, everytime you say it I have to resist the urge to look behind me for my gran!"

"really?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Longbottom."

"Grrr."

"Did you just attempt a growl?"

"…"

"well?"

Neville flicked his thumb from his nose.

Pansy gave him a Mock-Glare. "Do you flick your thumb at me sir?"

"Yes I do flick my thumb at you madam."

"What is this, A common room?" came a grunt from Harry. He was awake.

"Yes." Pansy and Neville answered at the same time.

"It is not." Harry replied, slightly amused.

"It is a commonly used room." Neville pointed out in a slightly formal tone.

Harry just gave him the benefit of a Green-Eyed-Glare, but it didn't phase Neville at all, who added, "Mr Potter, you are a male, and I am a male; therefore you are unable to give me nor any other member of the male species the benefit of a sufficiently scary death glare."

Harry turned to Pansy, who held her hands up, and said, "Don't get me involved in your Gryffindor jokes."

"It's not a Gryffindor joke." Harry and Neville replied.

"Okay, fine. Deny the inescapable truth."

"Which is?" they asked.

"The Death Glare works only for women."

"It Doesn't Not." Harry replied.

Pansy just gave him it, and he unconsciously moved down his bed a little, and hesitantly said, "I only meant it doesn't just work for women."

Pansy let up on it, and said, "Try it on Gregory, or any of the others then."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it.

"Thought so."

"Irritating wench."

"Insufferable Gryffindor."

"Bloody Slytherin."

"Man."

"Woman."

"And don't you forget it!"

Neville looked between them, then summed up the entire conversation since entering the wing, "You two are insane."

--

A/N
Yes, yes I know, not the most popular of my fics, I don't think, but of all of them, I got hit with the muse to write this, even though I'm supposed to be writing an edit for emeraldBears' Second Chance fic, Link in my Favourites. If no one noticed, this is a double-update, since I finished of Chapter 5, but didn't stop there, and it came in at 10 pages, so, here it is, split into 2. Don't ask when I'll update - no clue whatsoever. Haven't even written anything, other then this and the start of editting second chance, for like, 2 months or so, despite trying to force it out.